Meet the Cast #2: Jordan and Connor
As previously mentioned, HarryWhovieSuperNerdyHerdyGurdy was founded by members drawn together by Doctor Who. The remainder of our title alludes to (in this order) Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Supernatural, and a fabulous Katherine Tate comedy sketch. Basically, we are the nerd sector of the international students (who are all really awesome people). Our pre-sessional course included a day trip to Cardiff, capital of Wales (but more importantly, filming location for Doctor Who).
After a brief, albeit painful batch of frost-nip on my feet following a tour through an old coal mine (apparently miners do not wear Vans), we arrive in Cardiff, which, suffering significantly less damage during World War II than Swansea, has retained the much of it's charm.
Cardiff Castle is my first castle, though not if you count the imaginary kind. The six of us, together for the first time, traverse the halls that acted as a bomb shelter during WWII, wander through the ornate Victorian rooms of the "modern" part of the castle, and drag ourselves up the stairs of the medieval keep. I climb a few walls and we make fun of Connor (whose ability as an archer would have been severely hindered by her height). Our friendship is solidifying.
We're walking down a stone hall when one of us says what the others are thinking: "God I wish I was twelve again." We laugh before voicing approval - and not because we want to relive the social disaster that is middle school. 12 rests at the precipice of socially acceptable make-believe. A few months past 13 and people start expecting you to act like you don't desperately want to swing a light saber or play with spy gear. 12 is the last chance at public silliness (without a beer in hand), the last moment of being a kid, the last square foot in that world of imaginary castles. We want to go back. I know this is a big moment. It's not everyday you find a group of people who, instead of judging when you yell "quick barricade the doors!," draw air swords and stand at your back - on the ready.
Flashback: It's the first day of the pre-sessional and the class is aboard a coach winding wildly through tiny Welsh roads. Brenna and I talk excitedly with the two girls behind us (the super rad Jordan and Connor). We're trying to scope out the nerd levels of one another. Harry Potter comes up early in the conversation, and we begin firing trivia. Jordan doesn't miss one of my questions. I increase the difficulty from flobberworm to blast-ended skrewt. She nails it; so does Connor. Full marks on their OWLs. I pull out the big one. The one about Dumbledore's scar. I've never had anyone offer up a correct answer. Jordan pauses for a moment. I wait.
"Isn't it a map of the London Underground?"
Connor echoes her answer and follows with, "yeah I think it is."
I stare dumbfounded before blubbering out my friend acceptance of them both. That night we make fish-fingers and custard. We eat them doubled over, laughing, unabashedly nerds.
Jordan Pelock
Jordan hails from the desert land of New Mexico. She is the only other in our group who has not seen "Super Natural." She is a lover of spicey and is the only one of our group to be an official Nando's card holder. For you poor souls living in states devoid of Nandos, it is totally fab restaurant featuring Portuguese chicken dishes. It is our main haunt - the Central Perk or Three Broomsticks of HWSHNG.
Jordan is not a huge fan of heights and I can't convince her to come climbing with me, but she loves to snowboard in the Western Wilderness and enjoys soccer and beating me at ping-pong. She is an Exerciser Science major at the University of New Mexico and orders me continuously to ice my foot. Our favorite hobby as a pair is staring into each others eyes (preferably on a beach) and coming up with different analogies (preferably nerdy) describing the color(s). Jordan is a lover of One Direction, Disney movies, and Tom Hiddleston's gluteus - Nicole Marcell, if you are reading this, this is a friend for you. Lastly, Jordan makes an amazing drinking buddy I can't imagine anyone I'd rather be an airplane with - even if she is a Slytherin. WAIT I ALMOST FORGOT. JORDAN HATES BIRDS. LIKE IF IT HAS FEATHERS JORDAN WILL RUN. IF IT HAS A BEAK JORDAN WISHES IT DEAD. ONE TIME IN AMSTERDAM A PIGEON LANDED ON THE TABLE IN FRONT OF HER AND SHE RAN AWAY IN SELF PRESERVATION.
Connor Mackie
This one hails from Canada. We're pretty sure she owns a moose, grew up in an igloo, rides a Zamboni to school, and maintains a diet of maple syrup, Tim Horton's, and Poutine. Besides being Canadian all of the time Connor also enjoys rolling her eyes and giving us tilted head death stares - I really can't think of why, but she does get a bit short with us. Speaking of short (holy shit Connor's going to kill me for this post), we were once denied access to a bar in Cardiff because in the bouncer's words (as he looks at Connor): we don't serve children. Connor is basically the best person on Earth for putting up with us. She is a super rad gymnast and made us all look like fools on the trampoline part of a playground in Innsbruck. Also she's a really good dancer and I'm totally jealous. Connor is a Bioscience major at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada (which is where Connor lives because she's Canadian). On beach walks she never fails to stop and examine the marine life because she is a Ravenclaw and that's how they role. On the Ravenclaw note, Connor relaxes on trains and in hostels by cracking codes in her little code workbook. She is an avid reader and internet pirate and is always up to discuss (freak out over) the latest episode of Agents of Shield - although currently she is behind and NEEDS TO CATCH UP. Though she may judge us, Connor is up for singing and dancing with the rest of the crew (especially after a beer) - even in Tesco at 5:40 in the morning following a full night of train then bus then plane then coach. I'm so glad I have Connor to be supremely unimpressed with my puns, laugh at me when I slip down small hills, and fill her phone with my most embarrassing moments. I deserve it. So that's the long and mostly short of it. She's a pretty cool chick eh?