England: Gwendolyn (Gwenna) Mlsna (Local Interactions)

Local Interactions

Recently life has been fast paced. Somehow, I am staring March in the eye, not quite sure where the time has gone. In the spirit of reminiscing, I will recount a hilarious and heart-warming moment I had with some of my British friends recently.

The highlight of February was the Great British Cheese-Curd Debate. For context, every week I attend a self-defense class called Krav Maga at the Imperial College of London. One night after practice ten of us decided to hang out at their university’s lounge. Over a plate of hot chips (french fries) we got into some great conversations, ranging from how to escape a headlock to what kind of tea belongs with milk. I surprised myself by guessing 5 of their ages in a row– correctly! They asked if every American was obsessed with the Kardashians, and I asked if every British person loved the Queen. That brings me to our most intense topic yet: debating the best way to eat a cheese curd. As a Wisconsinite it was my civic duty to educate them in the ways of the cheese curd. I showed them pictures of a squeaky one and a deep fried one, and all they did was stare at me in shock.

“What, you’ve never seen a cheese curd before?” I asked.

“How do you eat it?” One of them zoomed in on the golden curd.

“Fresh from the deep fryer. If you’re feeling really patriotic, you’ll dip it in ranch.”

“What’s ranch?”

It was my turn to be shocked. “Only the best dipping sauce in America!”

Another of my friends pointed to the fresh curd. “Do you eat them with biscuits?”

Horrified, I replied, “absolutely not! They are only eaten fresh. You know they’re good when they squeak between your teeth.”

“No way–”

“You can’t actually eat–”

Needless to say, we ended up having a deep philosophical conversation about Wisconsin culture. It was a fun night and exactly what I needed to cap off the week.

Gwendolyn (Gwenna) Mlsna

Major (or intended major): Psychology and Spanish

Hometown: Mount Horeb, Wisconsin