We've been here over three weeks, and we just got internet access! I never thought I would be SO happy to see a modem! I find that I am appreciating all kinds of things that I totally took for granted in America... Here's a list of some quirky differences I've observed:
- No outlets in the bathroom - how is a girl to blow her hair dry? You should have seen me the first couple of weeks while I sat on the bedroom floor (short hair dryer cord... and the outlets are near the floor) trying to style my hair with no mirror, running back and forth to the bathroom to look into the mirror to see how I was doing.. This evolved to my sitting on the floor looking in a tiny mirror propped up on the bedstand. Fortunately, Pat is much smarter than I and when he noticed that there was no outlet in the bathroom to plug his hair clippers into, he immediately thought to buy an extension cord (why didn't I think of that????). Eureka! I can stand in the bathroom and dry my hair now ;)
- Napkins (Serviettes) are not a common meal time accessory... It took us a week of various shopping trips before we finally found some - they keep them at the grocery store with the party supplies. When we asked someone about it, they told us that they usually only bust out the napkins when they are having guests for dinner... ??? Huh?
- Shopping trolleys. I don't know if you have read Pat's blog on these, but the grocery store carts are such a trip here! They are locked together and you have to put in a ₤1 coin into this contraption on the handle which releases the cart from the one in front of it. The other bizarre thing is that all four wheels swivel (in the states, I think only the back two swivel to help you maneuver). This causes the cart to "list" to the left. YOu can never push the thing straight - the front end is always at a 30 degree angle to the left, and when it gets full it just wants to go in counter clockwise circles -its quite the workout doing the grocery shopping... When you lock your cart back up you get your ₤1 coin back :)
- Fresh Food!!! Wow, is the food fresh here! We have a green grocer right across the street (also sells fresh fish!), and a baker and butcher just down the road. I have never tasted such sweet carrots and peppers! And the pears and apples are fabulous - we've even been able to get reasonably priced berries! Most packaged foods do not have any preservatives - I was so bewildered when I saw a freshness date on all of the loaves of bread of only one week out! I searched and searched for something with a later date, but it was not to be found! Then, I looked at the ingredients - I could pronounce them all! Things like high fructose corn syrup and the like were nowhere on the label! Delicious!
I've got lots more, but I'll save them for later...
We received our air shipment of household goods on Tuesday, Jan 22! It was like Christmas! It was so thrilling to put the flannel sheets on the beds, with our own pillows and comforters - that is not something I would ever say! I made up the girls beds and set out all of the stuffed animals, books and toys that arrived before they got home from school - you should have heard their squeals of delight when they saw it all - it was actually BETTER than Christmas :)
I still regret that my wonderful long black coat was not in that shipment! I was able to find a nice fleece lined waterproof jacket that is much warmer than the other coat I brought, but it doesn't quite go over my ass, so I spend a lot of time freezing it off :) It gets much colder than I ever imagined it could without having snow - the clear days are surprisingly cold - and when the wind gets to blowing - LOOK OUT! BRR! We are actually outside a lot more here than at home because we can walk everywhere...
A typical day is to get up around 6:30-7, make Audrey's lunch. Make sure the kids are up and getting dressed, etc. Feed them breakfast and let them play or watch TV while I catch up on e-mail and run reports for work, until its time for school. We leave about 8:45 to walk Audrey to school, (doors open at 8:50). Then walk the 1/2 mile or so to Zoe's school to drop her off. My fabulous new neighbor lent us a stroller - which has been a life saver on days when we are in a hurry. Zoe is a real trooper and has walked all over this village with me, but it is nice to have some wheels, you know??? Anyway, then I walk home (sometimes I stop at the shop across the street and get a fresh chocolate croissant :) and get to work. About 3:20 or so, its time to pick everyone up from school - Audrey gets off about 3:30 and I ususally get her first, then we hoof it back up to Zoe's school (Sunny Socks - Ironic name for England, don't you think?) and head home.
It is actually very nice to get outside more - it makes me realize how much time I spend INSIDE in the States...
We've done a few good day trips since we've been here - Warwick Castle, Castle Rising, we even went to the beach last weekend - it was cold, but there were a ton of people wind surfing! Insane. Check out the pix!
Mor
e later! Cheers
- No outlets in the bathroom - how is a girl to blow her hair dry? You should have seen me the first couple of weeks while I sat on the bedroom floor (short hair dryer cord... and the outlets are near the floor) trying to style my hair with no mirror, running back and forth to the bathroom to look into the mirror to see how I was doing.. This evolved to my sitting on the floor looking in a tiny mirror propped up on the bedstand. Fortunately, Pat is much smarter than I and when he noticed that there was no outlet in the bathroom to plug his hair clippers into, he immediately thought to buy an extension cord (why didn't I think of that????). Eureka! I can stand in the bathroom and dry my hair now ;)
- Napkins (Serviettes) are not a common meal time accessory... It took us a week of various shopping trips before we finally found some - they keep them at the grocery store with the party supplies. When we asked someone about it, they told us that they usually only bust out the napkins when they are having guests for dinner... ??? Huh?
- Shopping trolleys. I don't know if you have read Pat's blog on these, but the grocery store carts are such a trip here! They are locked together and you have to put in a ₤1 coin into this contraption on the handle which releases the cart from the one in front of it. The other bizarre thing is that all four wheels swivel (in the states, I think only the back two swivel to help you maneuver). This causes the cart to "list" to the left. YOu can never push the thing straight - the front end is always at a 30 degree angle to the left, and when it gets full it just wants to go in counter clockwise circles -its quite the workout doing the grocery shopping... When you lock your cart back up you get your ₤1 coin back :)
- Fresh Food!!! Wow, is the food fresh here! We have a green grocer right across the street (also sells fresh fish!), and a baker and butcher just down the road. I have never tasted such sweet carrots and peppers! And the pears and apples are fabulous - we've even been able to get reasonably priced berries! Most packaged foods do not have any preservatives - I was so bewildered when I saw a freshness date on all of the loaves of bread of only one week out! I searched and searched for something with a later date, but it was not to be found! Then, I looked at the ingredients - I could pronounce them all! Things like high fructose corn syrup and the like were nowhere on the label! Delicious!
I've got lots more, but I'll save them for later...
We received our air shipment of household goods on Tuesday, Jan 22! It was like Christmas! It was so thrilling to put the flannel sheets on the beds, with our own pillows and comforters - that is not something I would ever say! I made up the girls beds and set out all of the stuffed animals, books and toys that arrived before they got home from school - you should have heard their squeals of delight when they saw it all - it was actually BETTER than Christmas :)I still regret that my wonderful long black coat was not in that shipment! I was able to find a nice fleece lined waterproof jacket that is much warmer than the other coat I brought, but it doesn't quite go over my ass, so I spend a lot of time freezing it off :) It gets much colder than I ever imagined it could without having snow - the clear days are surprisingly cold - and when the wind gets to blowing - LOOK OUT! BRR! We are actually outside a lot more here than at home because we can walk everywhere...
A typical day is to get up around 6:30-7, make Audrey's lunch. Make sure the kids are up and getting dressed, etc. Feed them breakfast and let them play or watch TV while I catch up on e-mail and run reports for work, until its time for school. We leave about 8:45 to walk Audrey to school, (doors open at 8:50). Then walk the 1/2 mile or so to Zoe's school to drop her off. My fabulous new neighbor lent us a stroller - which has been a life saver on days when we are in a hurry. Zoe is a real trooper and has walked all over this village with me, but it is nice to have some wheels, you know??? Anyway, then I walk home (sometimes I stop at the shop across the street and get a fresh chocolate croissant :) and get to work. About 3:20 or so, its time to pick everyone up from school - Audrey gets off about 3:30 and I ususally get her first, then we hoof it back up to Zoe's school (Sunny Socks - Ironic name for England, don't you think?) and head home.
It is actually very nice to get outside more - it makes me realize how much time I spend INSIDE in the States...
We've done a few good day trips since we've been here - Warwick Castle, Castle Rising, we even went to the beach last weekend - it was cold, but there were a ton of people wind surfing! Insane. Check out the pix!
Mor
e later! Cheers
1 comment:
Hmmm, blog's not quite cuttin' it.
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