And they don't care! I went to a party in South London for the 4th of July. The theme was "Americana" though there wasn't really anything Americana about it, except the two token Americans (me and one of the guys who lived at the house). I expected people to poke fun of us Americans--beer bellies, flannel, guns, etc. Nope, there were cups that looked more like a Puerto Rican flag than the US flag. Perhaps I just had high expectations. But I guess that's the way history is told from the loser's perspective. Oh well. In fairness they did have a lot of American liquors like Jim Beam and Jack Daniels; oh and Everclear--VT's drink of choice!
Sorry for the lack of thoughtful posts. I am actually back in the US, but my computer power cord started sparking and electrocuted me while I was in London. So now it doesn't work and I am borrowing a computer to complete other observations I had during my vacation.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Holy Weather Batman!
Hot and steamy days usually usher in refreshing, and sometimes welcomed, thunderstorms. My influences have ingrained this setup since birth--both the swamps of DC and the Pacific islands of the Philippines--have made me believe that this is FACT. But not today folks; I have been proven wrong again by the British isles.
Yesterday was probably the coolest day since arriving last week--the high was maybe upper 60s. I definitely need a jacket yesterday, and my feet were pretty cold in sandals. At night it drops to the 50s, which I think is pretty cold.
Today I wake up to periodic bouts of torrential downpour, something I have always envisioned London to be like at all times. But I would never guess that this country can support a weather front to produce thunderstorms! It's no where as powerful and amazing as it is back in DC or in the Philippines--just an occasional small rumble of thunder followed by lots of rain--but it happens. I wish I brought my galoshes, or as the people here say, "Wellies."
Yesterday was probably the coolest day since arriving last week--the high was maybe upper 60s. I definitely need a jacket yesterday, and my feet were pretty cold in sandals. At night it drops to the 50s, which I think is pretty cold.
Today I wake up to periodic bouts of torrential downpour, something I have always envisioned London to be like at all times. But I would never guess that this country can support a weather front to produce thunderstorms! It's no where as powerful and amazing as it is back in DC or in the Philippines--just an occasional small rumble of thunder followed by lots of rain--but it happens. I wish I brought my galoshes, or as the people here say, "Wellies."
Fascinator v. Hat
So I attended my very first English wedding (though Andy Mac would insist it was more British since he is Scottish) and it was very posh and elegant. It took place at a country house in Oxfordshire (the city of Oxford, renown for the university, was a few miles north). I have been told that the wedding was the ideal summer English wedding--country home, sprawling garden, lovely weather, etc.I think hats and fascinators also added to the ambiance of the affair. It was also interesting seeing who wore what, with the younger folks typically wearing fascinators whilst the older folks wore hats.
I had a frustrating time with my fascinator! First, I really didn't know where to put it on my head to make me look fashionable. With the help of Anne and Helen, they decided that on the side would look best. And since my fascinator was attached with a comb, it had to be secured strangely so it wouldn't fall out even though it was trying it's very best to. There was also a breeze that day, so my hair was blowing all over the place including getting caught in my fascinator. I didn't care so much, but I recall Dan fixing my hair here and there. I still don't know if I liked my fascinator that day, and I think mostly it's due to the frustrating time figuring out what to wear. Still $6.75 (or £2, found on eBay) isn't so bad. Right before the wedding I found a blog entry explaining how to make your own (perhaps an Etsy project for Ana???). It's still a strange and mostly unnecessary piece of accessory, though I'm sure you can say that about any old accessory. Perhaps I'll just start the trend in the US and see if it picks up...
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Lost In Translation
The reason for my visit this go around is to attend a wedding tomorrow. The dress requires a hat, which angered me. After much research and consultation, I have a settled on a fascinator: an accessory for the head made up of feathers and other frilly things to wear on special occasions in lieu of a hat. We definitely don't have fascinators in the US, or at least I have never come across them before. Dan's sister steered me in the right direction--eBay--and I was able to find one for $7 (I was imagining spending around $100). Perhaps it will pick up in every day use in the US and I can once again wear my $7 feathery thingy.
Another word that is lost in translation is "bobby pin". I am pretty sure that I won't be able to secure my fascinator to my head since my hair is quite slippery when it comes to putting accessories in it. So I asked Dan to look for bobby pins, and he had no idea what I was talking about, which is understandable since he is a boy. I described it to him, and I guess they call it "hair grips", and according to Wikipedia, they are also known as "kirby grips". Very strange indeed.
Anyhoo, look for two posts in the coming days regarding weddings and a 4th of July with the enemy. Be safe Americans!
Another word that is lost in translation is "bobby pin". I am pretty sure that I won't be able to secure my fascinator to my head since my hair is quite slippery when it comes to putting accessories in it. So I asked Dan to look for bobby pins, and he had no idea what I was talking about, which is understandable since he is a boy. I described it to him, and I guess they call it "hair grips", and according to Wikipedia, they are also known as "kirby grips". Very strange indeed.
Anyhoo, look for two posts in the coming days regarding weddings and a 4th of July with the enemy. Be safe Americans!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Heat Wave!
I am back in London, and my very first time in Europe during the summer. I have avoided traveling here during the summer because of many stories regarding heat, people, and lack of ice and a/c. People alone make me retreat to the confines of my home back in DC during the summer months, so being in London at this time makes me a little weary.
We are in a middle of a heat wave here in London, with the papers discussing ways for people to stay cool in the sun. The home we are staying in lacks a/c and ceiling fans, so we rely on open windows to usher in fresh breezes. However, this supposed heat wave has temperatures hovering around the low to mid 80's (in F of course). And in the evenings, the temperatures dip to the low 60s. And with the absence of humidity, I cannot consider this a heat wave--this is lovely spring weather. So suck it up London; this weather is awesomely perfect!!!
I will say that it truly sucks riding the Tube. Due to the lack of a/c and proper ventilation, it renders any full train car simply unbearable in the day time. People need to learn how to shower or at least wear deodorant at times like these to make one's commute any where in London some what okay. One more thing to appreciate about DC's Metro system, despite crashes and stuff.
We are in a middle of a heat wave here in London, with the papers discussing ways for people to stay cool in the sun. The home we are staying in lacks a/c and ceiling fans, so we rely on open windows to usher in fresh breezes. However, this supposed heat wave has temperatures hovering around the low to mid 80's (in F of course). And in the evenings, the temperatures dip to the low 60s. And with the absence of humidity, I cannot consider this a heat wave--this is lovely spring weather. So suck it up London; this weather is awesomely perfect!!!
I will say that it truly sucks riding the Tube. Due to the lack of a/c and proper ventilation, it renders any full train car simply unbearable in the day time. People need to learn how to shower or at least wear deodorant at times like these to make one's commute any where in London some what okay. One more thing to appreciate about DC's Metro system, despite crashes and stuff.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Fulham v. Swansea City
The GameSo I attended my first professional soccer game with a Premiership team (the other team is in the Championship league). Would have been nice to attend a game with Premiership teams battling it out, but I hear those games are expensive and hard to come by in London.
Still, it was an entertaining match despite not knowing anyone on either side except for Fulham's Dempsey (USA! USA! USA!) and Zamora (Match of the Day 2 on Sunday basically said he couldn't pull the trigger). The first half was not so entertaining for me, especially since Fulham was trying to score on our side of the pitch and were failing miserably at it. They had one nice corner, met the head of some Fulham dude and it hit the crossbar. Other than that, it was rather boring. The second half, Swansea started out strong and scored. I didn't see it because I was struggling to finish a pint of Carlsberg. Jamie said he would be devastated if they scored and he wasn't there to watch it, and then it happened. The rest of the action happened on the other end, with two lovely goals scored by Fulham. Then suddenly the game was over. I was hoping for a draw, that would lead into extra time, which would then lead to PKs since this was a replay due to a previous draw. Unfortunately, that was the game--not too shabby I suppose.
The ComparisonFirst off, Craven Cottage is a small stadium! I guess it is intended to be so and makes it very quaint and intimate. But I am assuming that for Premiership standards, this is as small as it gets. And being an alumna of Virginia Tech and housing the nations #2 scariest place to play (according to ESPN), I kind of hold professional stadiums to a much higher standard. And even comparing it to dilapidated old RFK, it's still missing essentials (like more than one scoreboard since it was inconveniently located above my head so I had no idea what time was left). Perhaps I'm just a spoiled American--every missed shot my head would dart around looking for the jumbo-tron for the instant replay. Sadly, no jumbo-tron or multiple score boards. But again, maybe it's just Craven Cottage that wants to give you that old school feeling since I'm assuming not much of this stadium has dramatically changed since the late 1800s.
I will say that I love the cottage! I would love having seats in that home! I guess it used to be an old hunting lodge that they didn't bother taking down. You can see Fulham fans watching from the deck. How awesome would that be? And it's the only box seat in the house since there were no such things in this stadium. And as far as box seat amenities goes, I think they only service visible was a fireplace? But who knows if that was working since I'm only judging by the visible chimney stack. Still, very very cool.
One thing that I am very saddened about was the no alcohol policy at the game. There is beer at the stadium, but they are only sold five minutes before the game starts, and then at half time till five minutes prior to second half. I guess selling alcohol at that time is better than no alcohol at all. But you are absolutely not allowed to consume your beer in the stands! There were no beer guys (and food guys) roaming the stands trying to sell you drinks. Not one soul had a beverage in their hand--no, they were too busy doing their chants. It seems to be on a stadium by stadium basis, but I sat there dead sober and anxious the first half (because no one was scoring). I almost wanted to bite off my finger nails because I had no beer to nurse.
Everything else is pretty much the same. There were a few chants Swansea had in common with DC United, but the fans on both sides were the same more or less. Well, they didn't have their Barra Brava section where madness occurs, but I think that is a Latino thing so I wasn't expecting it. Actually, I will say that I think DC United has crazier fans than both Fulham and Swansea. I do recall throwing paper streamers at line judges and the smoke bombs other fans have. But still, everything else is pretty much the same. Oh, except for the players. Skill level is definitely a bit better than any MLS team I've seen.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Are You All Right?
It's this strange British greeting they use, much like our, "How are you?" I find it very awkward and strange though, mostly cause when I hear the phrase, "Are you all right?" it means "I have hurt myself." So my natural reaction to that question is (and this is quietly to myself), I think I am physically fine, but should I be hurt? I appreciate the gesture, but I still find it an awkward conversation starter.
But that is nothing compared to MD asking me how I was doing by implementing the word "tricks". I was definitely taken aback, and told him tricks basically means prostitution, which also has the same meaning in the UK, but I guess not in the context he used it in. I forget the exact phrase he used, but it definitely caught me off guard. I think my eyes bugged out at dinner.
"Tricks" is definitely the worst language gap thus experienced. And I absolutely hate Cockney rhyming slang! I hate it so much that I am not even going to begin to explain it, mostly cause I don't fully understand it!
Update 4:04pm: Dan should really be working, but he found it necessary to correct me via Gmail chat. The common greeting is "You alright?", I'm assuming cause it's shorter. And the tricks phrase is, "How's tricks?" Now you know why I bugged out!
But that is nothing compared to MD asking me how I was doing by implementing the word "tricks". I was definitely taken aback, and told him tricks basically means prostitution, which also has the same meaning in the UK, but I guess not in the context he used it in. I forget the exact phrase he used, but it definitely caught me off guard. I think my eyes bugged out at dinner.
"Tricks" is definitely the worst language gap thus experienced. And I absolutely hate Cockney rhyming slang! I hate it so much that I am not even going to begin to explain it, mostly cause I don't fully understand it!
Update 4:04pm: Dan should really be working, but he found it necessary to correct me via Gmail chat. The common greeting is "You alright?", I'm assuming cause it's shorter. And the tricks phrase is, "How's tricks?" Now you know why I bugged out!
Monday, February 23, 2009
To The Left: Part Deux
So I have been driving lately, mostly from the Tube to our house (a bit over a mile). Today I drove from Dan's parent's house to our house--almost 50 miles. Definitely did not enjoy it one bit! Driving on the highway wasn't too bad I guess, but it still is very odd being on a two-way road and driving on the left side. It just feels terribly wrong. Oh, and at one point I had to pass a really slow garbage truck, and that freaked me out that I had to pass it on the right! So very strange and counter-intuitive, at least for me. I bet I'm going to go back to the US and will be extremely messed up driving there. Why can't every one just drive on the right side?
Friday, February 20, 2009
"It's The Economy Stupid"
One of the few things I have learned in 12th grade AP Comparative Government class.
I had a very interesting conversation with one of Dan's friends regarding the global economic crisis. He simply asked if things were as bad or similar or about the same as it is in the UK.
From a personal perspective, I feel like most of my friends have not yet been affected by the credit crunch. None of my friends have lost their jobs because their company is failing, and that's mostly due to the fact that most of my friends work in DC and work for a company that has a government contract. I also believe that DC is more stable compared to other regions in the US. But I feel like it hasn't really effected me or anyone I know, yet. A friend was laid off late last year, but I don't think it was related to the credit crunch as her company has been trying to cut cost for years now. She can correct me though.
I think more of Dan's friends are feeling the crunch here in London. The friend I was talking with is in real estate, and obviously that is hitting a major slump. Another friend is worried about losing his job soon as a contract lawyer. And when the US chose not to save Lehman Brothers, a friend was frantically sending out her CV (but they got bought by Nomura, even though HR keeps firing her despite her boss saying she still works there). So there is a reality to it.
I will say it is interesting to watch the BBC talk about the economic crisis and read about the crisis through the Post.
What I think is most important (and fairly interesting) is to see how the European Union and the Euro hold out through the entire mess. Basically, some countries in the EU are getting their credit downgraded, pissing off the stronger countries. On top of all that, there is also a push to help out the Eastern European countries that are apart of the EU, but don't get the privilege of distributing the coveted Euro, get through the crisis. In all honesty, if this crisis prolongs itself, I can see at worst the EU being dissolved or the stronger countries creating their own union of sorts. But I'm not economist.
I also think the UK government is very conservative about how they are going to stimulate their own economy because they are worried about inflation. It makes sense since historically the British Pound is worth a lot of money (maybe not now, but it has and will be). The news also seems to accentuate the job loss in more rural areas rather than in London. For example, there is this big thing going on where the slogan goes "British jobs for British workers." They are complaining about the Italians who are working "their" jobs, except it is an Italian company who put their plant in England and hired mostly English but also hired Italians. And since the UK is part of the EU, it's not like the Italians can easily be fired.
It's all very different here, and very similar. It's kind of like a rat race to see who can finish on top.
I had a very interesting conversation with one of Dan's friends regarding the global economic crisis. He simply asked if things were as bad or similar or about the same as it is in the UK.
From a personal perspective, I feel like most of my friends have not yet been affected by the credit crunch. None of my friends have lost their jobs because their company is failing, and that's mostly due to the fact that most of my friends work in DC and work for a company that has a government contract. I also believe that DC is more stable compared to other regions in the US. But I feel like it hasn't really effected me or anyone I know, yet. A friend was laid off late last year, but I don't think it was related to the credit crunch as her company has been trying to cut cost for years now. She can correct me though.
I think more of Dan's friends are feeling the crunch here in London. The friend I was talking with is in real estate, and obviously that is hitting a major slump. Another friend is worried about losing his job soon as a contract lawyer. And when the US chose not to save Lehman Brothers, a friend was frantically sending out her CV (but they got bought by Nomura, even though HR keeps firing her despite her boss saying she still works there). So there is a reality to it.
I will say it is interesting to watch the BBC talk about the economic crisis and read about the crisis through the Post.
What I think is most important (and fairly interesting) is to see how the European Union and the Euro hold out through the entire mess. Basically, some countries in the EU are getting their credit downgraded, pissing off the stronger countries. On top of all that, there is also a push to help out the Eastern European countries that are apart of the EU, but don't get the privilege of distributing the coveted Euro, get through the crisis. In all honesty, if this crisis prolongs itself, I can see at worst the EU being dissolved or the stronger countries creating their own union of sorts. But I'm not economist.
I also think the UK government is very conservative about how they are going to stimulate their own economy because they are worried about inflation. It makes sense since historically the British Pound is worth a lot of money (maybe not now, but it has and will be). The news also seems to accentuate the job loss in more rural areas rather than in London. For example, there is this big thing going on where the slogan goes "British jobs for British workers." They are complaining about the Italians who are working "their" jobs, except it is an Italian company who put their plant in England and hired mostly English but also hired Italians. And since the UK is part of the EU, it's not like the Italians can easily be fired.
It's all very different here, and very similar. It's kind of like a rat race to see who can finish on top.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Groceries
Dan and I have to go grocery shopping soon since we have nothing to eat. Well, I'm sure Dan could survive on the crap we have, but I need real food. And yes, this is yet again another food post; it's just really easy to compare food aside from the most obvious things.
Anyways, I really enjoy bacon. English bacon is strange. It's not quite Canadian bacon, and definitely not normal bacon. What we know as bacon is called streaky bacon here due to the streaks of fat. I find English bacon more like ham that can get crispy, unlike Canadian bacon. English bacon is definitely leaner than normal bacon, and that's why Dan prefers this bacon. But because it is a much leaner bacon, it definitely lacks the distinct flavor of bacon bacon. Also, they sell smoked and unsmoked bacon here. And I know they do in the US, but I feel it's extremely hard to find unsmoked bacon there. Hmm...
Anyways, I really enjoy bacon. English bacon is strange. It's not quite Canadian bacon, and definitely not normal bacon. What we know as bacon is called streaky bacon here due to the streaks of fat. I find English bacon more like ham that can get crispy, unlike Canadian bacon. English bacon is definitely leaner than normal bacon, and that's why Dan prefers this bacon. But because it is a much leaner bacon, it definitely lacks the distinct flavor of bacon bacon. Also, they sell smoked and unsmoked bacon here. And I know they do in the US, but I feel it's extremely hard to find unsmoked bacon there. Hmm...
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
I'm A Bloody American!
So I'll be returning to the US in less than two weeks--it feels like I just got here in some respects. I am glad to be going back to what hopefully will be warmer weather and longer days (today's sunrise was at 7:09am and the sun will set at 5:18pm, which really doesn't matter if you are under constant clouds!).
The one thing that I have missed the most is the tumble dryer. It is terribly inefficient energy wise and probably leads to the rest of the world hating us (amongst other things), but damnit it is just so useful. Very few homes in the UK have tumble dryers and I have not come across one in my travels around Europe, but by no means is it a required home appliance in homes like it is back in the US.
It's just nice to do laundry when you have a tumble dryer. You just stuff your laundry from one machine to the other, set it, and forget it! An hour later, it's dry and you just fold it and put it away. I have to find radiators and things to hang our clothes on. And my clothes just don't feel as nice! There's just something about tumble drying that makes me clothes feel so much more softer. When I was little, my mother used to hang our laundry outside during the summer. And I just remember hating it because it felt different. I also have to iron a whole lot since air drying doesn't quite leave your clothes crisp and de-wrinkled. I also have an iron injury--a nice little burn on my hand because I just wasn't paying attention. I think doing the laundry without a tumble dryer adds 26 hours of work in completing your laundry because it takes about a day to dry and then like 2 hours of ironing. Terribly inefficient. And for all you women out there, it is much better to tumble dry your cotton underwear because the extreme heat kills the bacteria that can cause things like yeast infection--FACT!
If Dan were to make me settle here, I am going to have to put a tumble dryer in our home. I can't go long term without one, and this little adventure has just proven that.
The one thing that I have missed the most is the tumble dryer. It is terribly inefficient energy wise and probably leads to the rest of the world hating us (amongst other things), but damnit it is just so useful. Very few homes in the UK have tumble dryers and I have not come across one in my travels around Europe, but by no means is it a required home appliance in homes like it is back in the US.
It's just nice to do laundry when you have a tumble dryer. You just stuff your laundry from one machine to the other, set it, and forget it! An hour later, it's dry and you just fold it and put it away. I have to find radiators and things to hang our clothes on. And my clothes just don't feel as nice! There's just something about tumble drying that makes me clothes feel so much more softer. When I was little, my mother used to hang our laundry outside during the summer. And I just remember hating it because it felt different. I also have to iron a whole lot since air drying doesn't quite leave your clothes crisp and de-wrinkled. I also have an iron injury--a nice little burn on my hand because I just wasn't paying attention. I think doing the laundry without a tumble dryer adds 26 hours of work in completing your laundry because it takes about a day to dry and then like 2 hours of ironing. Terribly inefficient. And for all you women out there, it is much better to tumble dry your cotton underwear because the extreme heat kills the bacteria that can cause things like yeast infection--FACT!
If Dan were to make me settle here, I am going to have to put a tumble dryer in our home. I can't go long term without one, and this little adventure has just proven that.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Adventurous
So what I have noticed about males in the UK and the US is that in the UK men are more comfortable putting themselves out there.
Example 1: The other week we went to a karaoke bar, and the English were not shy about singing a song. Some even admitted to not being the best at singing, but they still danced and provided back up at the very least. There was full participation, which you rarely get in the US. I don't know one male that has done karaoke in the US unless they were gay.
Example 2: We had people over to play Rock Band/Guitar Hero World Tour. And it has been my experience that American men prefer playing guitar or drums--never singing (unless absolutely trashed). In the UK, everyone sang and everyone played each instrument once. And most UK people don't know most of the songs that are on Rock Band/Guitar Hero World Tour, yet they still suck it up and sing.
Perhaps it is just the male friends that I have, and really there are American men who would be willing to sing. Perhaps they aren't comfortable with themselves to put themselves out there. But based on my experience, this is what I know.
Example 1: The other week we went to a karaoke bar, and the English were not shy about singing a song. Some even admitted to not being the best at singing, but they still danced and provided back up at the very least. There was full participation, which you rarely get in the US. I don't know one male that has done karaoke in the US unless they were gay.
Example 2: We had people over to play Rock Band/Guitar Hero World Tour. And it has been my experience that American men prefer playing guitar or drums--never singing (unless absolutely trashed). In the UK, everyone sang and everyone played each instrument once. And most UK people don't know most of the songs that are on Rock Band/Guitar Hero World Tour, yet they still suck it up and sing.
Perhaps it is just the male friends that I have, and really there are American men who would be willing to sing. Perhaps they aren't comfortable with themselves to put themselves out there. But based on my experience, this is what I know.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Stalking Update
Google annoyingly changes languages on me. It wasn't so much of a problem in England--just a few misspelled words. But in Italy... When I lived with my family here in 2005, I picked up Italian real quick--survival tactic since everyone's English is extremely poor. Subsequent visits since 2005 my Italian is pretty much non-existent. I know the basics to scold my cousins, but damn I am pathetic now. TV helps a lot though. But Google is just incredibly annoying to figure out sometimes. If you log into Google, those links on the top occassionally change based on (what I am assuming is) popularity in the given country you log in to. I noticed a difference between US and UK Google. Italian Google I really have to break the word down to figure out what they are trying to link to. Google should really just figure out what language your system is and show a page accordingly rather than depend on your IP address!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Can I Get Fries With That?
God, it seems all my posts revolve around food. If you didn't know me at all you must think I am fat or something (though Dan and my mother infer that I am).
Anyhoo, I've been in Italy for the last couple of days and I can wholeheartedly tell you that I am pasta and pizza out! More so pasta than pizza since I have pasta for lunch and dinner as the first plate (Italians love eating each food as a separate course, which annoys me to no end). Needless to say, I can live without pasta for at least a month. I usually don't like pizza, but I love the pizza in Italy, especially in the neighborhood my family live in. I had pizza for dinner when we arrived, and the other day we had pizza for a snack (yes, a snack!). We are having pizza on Friday, and I'm sure I'll probably end up having it again as a snack. Kind of getting bored with pizza.
But what I have noticed about London and Italy--you can't find good, cheap, diverse food. For example, Dan, Dan's friends, and I went out to sushi at a fairly expensive place. But if you look online, you can't really find a reasonably priced sushi place. I don't even know if they sell sushi here in Rome and if there is, it's probably really expensive and in the expensive part of the city. And Chinese/Thai food in both London and Rome are definitely awful, which makes sense since what we know as Chinese is really American.
Now, I won't speak for the US, but at least for the DC area you can find reasonably priced and very tasty varieties of food. If I have a sushi craving, there are many places I can go knowing that I don't have to spend an arm and a leg. I'm perfectly content with ordering Chinese food from the place around the corner. There are definitely cheapo Italian places that are decent. I hate pizza though, but you can find good places all over. I can't really say that about London and definitely not Rome.
Perhaps I haven't really given a fair chance to London. And I think Dan and I are hanging out in expensive neighborhoods that warrant the expensive menu. But there's definitely no good places in Enfield, which is sad. And Italians are isolationists like that.
Anyhoo, I've been in Italy for the last couple of days and I can wholeheartedly tell you that I am pasta and pizza out! More so pasta than pizza since I have pasta for lunch and dinner as the first plate (Italians love eating each food as a separate course, which annoys me to no end). Needless to say, I can live without pasta for at least a month. I usually don't like pizza, but I love the pizza in Italy, especially in the neighborhood my family live in. I had pizza for dinner when we arrived, and the other day we had pizza for a snack (yes, a snack!). We are having pizza on Friday, and I'm sure I'll probably end up having it again as a snack. Kind of getting bored with pizza.
But what I have noticed about London and Italy--you can't find good, cheap, diverse food. For example, Dan, Dan's friends, and I went out to sushi at a fairly expensive place. But if you look online, you can't really find a reasonably priced sushi place. I don't even know if they sell sushi here in Rome and if there is, it's probably really expensive and in the expensive part of the city. And Chinese/Thai food in both London and Rome are definitely awful, which makes sense since what we know as Chinese is really American.
Now, I won't speak for the US, but at least for the DC area you can find reasonably priced and very tasty varieties of food. If I have a sushi craving, there are many places I can go knowing that I don't have to spend an arm and a leg. I'm perfectly content with ordering Chinese food from the place around the corner. There are definitely cheapo Italian places that are decent. I hate pizza though, but you can find good places all over. I can't really say that about London and definitely not Rome.
Perhaps I haven't really given a fair chance to London. And I think Dan and I are hanging out in expensive neighborhoods that warrant the expensive menu. But there's definitely no good places in Enfield, which is sad. And Italians are isolationists like that.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Sleeeeeeeping
Clarke is still asleep and it is currently 1233pm. Hmph! Guess we're not going to the Vatican after all...
Monday, February 9, 2009
Italia!
Greetings from Roma! It's good to be back in Rome; a familiar place and familiar faces. I share a common language with London, but Roma feels more like home to me and it will probably continue to feel that way, as strange as that may sound to you.
The greatest thing about London, and Europe for that matter, is how cheaply you can fly or take a train from one great city to another. My round trip ticket from London to Rome was probably more on the expensive side--$150. But if you time your trip right, you can easily purchase a round trip ticket for a long weekend for less than $100. We also took a day trip to Pompeii from Rome; three one-way train tickets from Roma to Napoli was a bit over 60 Euros. It's just absolutely amazing and awesomely cheap how I can travel from city to city. If I wanted to take a train from DC to New York City, I am looking at spending at least $100. A round trip plane ticket from DC to San Diego cost about $400, but a round trip plane ticket from London to Prague can be around $200. It's a shame that I can't explore my own country for cheap.
I have been to Roma 4 times now, I've been to Pompeii twice, I paid my last respects to Pope John Paull II when he died in 2005--I have never been to the Sistine Chapel. I hope to cross that off my list tomorrow with Clarke. Friday I celebrate my cousin's 18th birthday (eep!) and then on Saturday I return to the rain and clouds of London. Buona sera a tutti!
The greatest thing about London, and Europe for that matter, is how cheaply you can fly or take a train from one great city to another. My round trip ticket from London to Rome was probably more on the expensive side--$150. But if you time your trip right, you can easily purchase a round trip ticket for a long weekend for less than $100. We also took a day trip to Pompeii from Rome; three one-way train tickets from Roma to Napoli was a bit over 60 Euros. It's just absolutely amazing and awesomely cheap how I can travel from city to city. If I wanted to take a train from DC to New York City, I am looking at spending at least $100. A round trip plane ticket from DC to San Diego cost about $400, but a round trip plane ticket from London to Prague can be around $200. It's a shame that I can't explore my own country for cheap.
I have been to Roma 4 times now, I've been to Pompeii twice, I paid my last respects to Pope John Paull II when he died in 2005--I have never been to the Sistine Chapel. I hope to cross that off my list tomorrow with Clarke. Friday I celebrate my cousin's 18th birthday (eep!) and then on Saturday I return to the rain and clouds of London. Buona sera a tutti!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Food Dictionary
Dan and I hosted a small Super Bowl Party, and of course I cooked. I made a very American meal, much to my chagrin. And boy was it a difficult task as the UK doesn't have very many American things readily available at Tesco. It was three weeks of research, frustration, and cursing trying to figure out what was what and what were suitable alternatives that would not deter from the original recipe.
To start, I made a spinach and artichoke dip. The main meal was hamburgers, chili, and hot dogs (all from scratch), and the vegetarian option was a portabello burger. The side item was french fries I made into chili cheese fries or cheese fries. Everything was from scratch, except for the hot dogs of course. I didn't make a dessert cause baking is really a science, and I think I'm not ready to fully tackle baking with the metric system (all my baking recipes are, of course, American).
Firstly, thank goodness for the internet. If it weren't for Google being able to convert things for me (e.g., oven temperature), it would not have been a success.
Secondly, double cream here is really heavy cream. Thankfully I made a correct guess at the grocery store. Yes, I assumed they would just have heavy cream there, but I was wrong. So if you go to the dairy aisle, there's cream and double cream and strangeness.
Thirdly and sadly, there was no suitable substitute for Velveeta. I know Europeans are very into their cheeses, and Americans can be too and usually scoff at the idea of Velveeta in their diet. But when you want to make chili cheese fries and similar items, making melty cheese from anything else but Velveeta isn't the same. I found a recipe from someone online--anyone with a user name utilizing Philly cream cheese has the right street cred. Though I was successful in making a liquidy cheese (which I was extremely nervous about), it still didn't taste nor look the same. I felt deeply sadden and disappointed at my effort.
Lastly, the British do not have any Mexican/Tex-Mex ingredients! Powders and such from a box do not count as passable Tex-Mex. My chili reqiures chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, which you can easily find in any grocery store back home. The closest thing I could find was a small jar of chipotle paste from a very up-scale grocery store. It did the job, but it's not as good as having real chilis in chili and I don't think it was nearly as spicy as I have made it in the past. And why can't I find non-Dorito tortilla chips???
Overall, the food didn't turn out terrible. Everyone ate everything, which is good. Cooking here makes me feel very naked because I don't have the right tools to put out a proper meal. I miss my Kitchen Aid the most I think, followed closely by my cast iron grill. :(
To start, I made a spinach and artichoke dip. The main meal was hamburgers, chili, and hot dogs (all from scratch), and the vegetarian option was a portabello burger. The side item was french fries I made into chili cheese fries or cheese fries. Everything was from scratch, except for the hot dogs of course. I didn't make a dessert cause baking is really a science, and I think I'm not ready to fully tackle baking with the metric system (all my baking recipes are, of course, American).
Firstly, thank goodness for the internet. If it weren't for Google being able to convert things for me (e.g., oven temperature), it would not have been a success.
Secondly, double cream here is really heavy cream. Thankfully I made a correct guess at the grocery store. Yes, I assumed they would just have heavy cream there, but I was wrong. So if you go to the dairy aisle, there's cream and double cream and strangeness.
Thirdly and sadly, there was no suitable substitute for Velveeta. I know Europeans are very into their cheeses, and Americans can be too and usually scoff at the idea of Velveeta in their diet. But when you want to make chili cheese fries and similar items, making melty cheese from anything else but Velveeta isn't the same. I found a recipe from someone online--anyone with a user name utilizing Philly cream cheese has the right street cred. Though I was successful in making a liquidy cheese (which I was extremely nervous about), it still didn't taste nor look the same. I felt deeply sadden and disappointed at my effort.
Lastly, the British do not have any Mexican/Tex-Mex ingredients! Powders and such from a box do not count as passable Tex-Mex. My chili reqiures chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, which you can easily find in any grocery store back home. The closest thing I could find was a small jar of chipotle paste from a very up-scale grocery store. It did the job, but it's not as good as having real chilis in chili and I don't think it was nearly as spicy as I have made it in the past. And why can't I find non-Dorito tortilla chips???
Overall, the food didn't turn out terrible. Everyone ate everything, which is good. Cooking here makes me feel very naked because I don't have the right tools to put out a proper meal. I miss my Kitchen Aid the most I think, followed closely by my cast iron grill. :(
Monday, February 2, 2009
Winter Wonderland!
Last night it began to snow, causing some attendees to our Super Bowl Pre-Party to cautiously navigate their way home. I wake up this morning with 4 inches of fluffy stuff with an anticipated 6 inches of snow fall by the time the storm is over. Not quite thunder snow as Nick had hoped, but it's snow that gives purpose to the horrible cold temperatures and wind chills! Yay!Obviously, never trust anything that looks so innocent because it can be horrendous. And this is oh so true of the snow in London. Obama poked fun at DC for not being able to handle a few inches of snow, I wonder what he thinks of London. Many of the Tube lines are shut, trains are shut, roads are blanketed with snow, and airports are shut. Anyone heard of a plow? Dan tells me that they "grit" the road, but he's not sure if that's just salt or sand. If Ted were here, he would probably laugh at the English. Honestly, I know DC is bad about handling snow and things. But I would like to say that Metro lines don't completely shut down; I mean there are big delays (as per usual), but they definitely don't shut down. And why would an airport allow a plane to land in weather like this? Silly silly people.
Still, it's always fun to look at and play in. Not so fun if you have to travel to work and all that jazz. Relax, have a hot chocolate, enjoy the weather, and if you want to kick it old school, run out and make a snow angel or have a good old fashion snow ball fight! :)
Friday, January 30, 2009
Where's William Wallace?
I'm on a train from Edinburgh going to London using their (shotty) WiFi. Fun. Roamed around Edinburgh for a bit, but didn't see most things because I woke up late and the sun goes away early and I don't want to be walking around a strange city in the dark by myself. I went to the Museum of Scotland, which is ho-hum. I thing my saturation point of museums hasn't subsided since the Great Museum Saturation of 2005. When Dan got off of work, we went on a ghost tour. It's like any walking tour I have been on--very interesting stories told by over the top, failed actors and actresses. Still very interesting to go down in the vaults I think. Dan wasn't impressed, though I'm sure he was scared at times. Today we went to the Edinburgh Castle and had lunch at The Tower, which was very nice. Never saw anything about William Wallace, but then again I didn't explore the city too much. Now we are on a train back to London! Woot!
I like Edinburgh. It's small, walkable, not overwhelming, full of history--it was good. :)
Some pictures of the trip will be on the slideshow to your right, but all pictures can be found on Facebook.
I like Edinburgh. It's small, walkable, not overwhelming, full of history--it was good. :)
Some pictures of the trip will be on the slideshow to your right, but all pictures can be found on Facebook.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
I Don't Run
A few weeks ago Dan and I went shopping for new soccer (AKA football) cleats (AKA boots). He was still at work, but suggested I look at some local stores' websites to find out what cleats I would be interested in so I can partake in football Wednesdays. So I click on their women's things, and they offer mostly casual shoes and running shoes. I thought to myself, "Perhaps this website is just shitty and I should do a search." So I type "women football boots" in the search box; it returns "SORRY WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MATCH ANYTHING TO YOUR SEARCH." WTF?! Certainly they are mistaken. Luckily, they have a football section, which leads you to your choice of football boots--available are men's boots and junior boots. Increasing my frustration and curiousity I decided to find out what available sporting goods were for women. And to my dismay they are as follows: badminton, cycling, dance, golf (which I find hilarious and their selection is, to put it bluntly, crap), field hockey (they say hockey; gay), running, swimming, and tennis. WTF?!
After work, Dan picks me up and we go to the store to look at cleats. In the car, I rant the entire time about how their website doesn't sell women anything. He's not surprised, but tries to console me by saying there might be women's soccer cleats there. We arrive at the store, and almost half of the upstairs is devoted to soccer cleats--men's soccer cleats. Dan tells me to just try some on just in case. So I try on a junior size 4--too small. I try a size 5--too big and wide. They don't have 4.5's. After an hour I am too frustrated and tired to try on any more ill-fitting shoes that I just assist Dan since the staff was useless. In the end Dan bought shoes and I bought nothing in protest of their shitty existence!
I must be coming off as some crazy feminist of sorts, but I am probably far from that. I like it when boys buy me things and open doors and do all that chivalrous jazz (even though my boy doesn't do that, but maybe he'll read this and make more of an effort). And even though I like to compare myself to boys when it comes to athletic competition, I will acknowledge the fact that there is a physical difference between men and women; not necessarily to the point where women can't be better than some men, but just different enough that it warrants boy and girl things. And I cannot emphasize how important shoes are!!!
Mens shoes are obviously way too large and wide. And I'm the classic girl who is tiny enough that I can fit in little boys shoes, and I do own little boy cleats (yay, Nike Sharks!). But when it comes to soccer shoes, boys shoes are just too wide and really you want soccer shoes to fit well or you mangle your foot with blisters and you don't get the touch you are looking for on the field. And I should know a thing or two about shoes. My junior year of high school, my coach basically made us run at least 5 miles for practice (and we practiced Monday through Friday if we didn't have games), and I ran with my New Balances. Towards the end of the season my achilles was swolen like no other, my arches hurt, and I hated running even more. It was my shoes' fault! I now run with Nikes because they support my arch and achilles. So I am super particular about shoes and I want women's soccer shoes!
Now, it's not a question that they aren't available. If you are in the US every brand creates a woman's equivalent if not make an exclusive women's shoe. It's probably good business practice not to keep women's sports gear as women aren't going to be playing these sports in the UK. But it irritates me that it's limiting what women can do, especially what girls do! If a girl goes to the store with her dad who is buying soccer cleats, she won't see stuff tailored for her so she's not going to want to play. She'll probably end up seeing the little dance outfits (though there's nothing wrong with that) and will never spark an initial interest to play soccer or basketball or whatever! And now that I think of it, I don't see girls playing team sports any where! It is absolutely horrendous!
Perhaps this is why the US dominates all women's sports. The US national soccer team is one of the best in the world (unlike the men), our women's softball team dominates too much that the Olympic committee is no longer having softball for 2012, our basketball team is awesome--US women athletes just dominate. And I think it's because we encourage women to do anything they want at a very young age, and retailers and designers are continuing to encourage it by designing products targeted to women and girls. If the UK is thinking of getting competitive in any sport for women, they need to encourage their girls to do the sports rather than having them do passive sports (AKA non-contact).
Uh, this has been angering me for the last couple of weeks! If Dan and I were to have children and live here, you better believe I am going to make sure they can play contact sports. And if they are going to be elitist (which I have experienced playing golf in Cornwall), then we are moving back to the States where girls kicking boys ass is normal! Word!
After work, Dan picks me up and we go to the store to look at cleats. In the car, I rant the entire time about how their website doesn't sell women anything. He's not surprised, but tries to console me by saying there might be women's soccer cleats there. We arrive at the store, and almost half of the upstairs is devoted to soccer cleats--men's soccer cleats. Dan tells me to just try some on just in case. So I try on a junior size 4--too small. I try a size 5--too big and wide. They don't have 4.5's. After an hour I am too frustrated and tired to try on any more ill-fitting shoes that I just assist Dan since the staff was useless. In the end Dan bought shoes and I bought nothing in protest of their shitty existence!
I must be coming off as some crazy feminist of sorts, but I am probably far from that. I like it when boys buy me things and open doors and do all that chivalrous jazz (even though my boy doesn't do that, but maybe he'll read this and make more of an effort). And even though I like to compare myself to boys when it comes to athletic competition, I will acknowledge the fact that there is a physical difference between men and women; not necessarily to the point where women can't be better than some men, but just different enough that it warrants boy and girl things. And I cannot emphasize how important shoes are!!!
Mens shoes are obviously way too large and wide. And I'm the classic girl who is tiny enough that I can fit in little boys shoes, and I do own little boy cleats (yay, Nike Sharks!). But when it comes to soccer shoes, boys shoes are just too wide and really you want soccer shoes to fit well or you mangle your foot with blisters and you don't get the touch you are looking for on the field. And I should know a thing or two about shoes. My junior year of high school, my coach basically made us run at least 5 miles for practice (and we practiced Monday through Friday if we didn't have games), and I ran with my New Balances. Towards the end of the season my achilles was swolen like no other, my arches hurt, and I hated running even more. It was my shoes' fault! I now run with Nikes because they support my arch and achilles. So I am super particular about shoes and I want women's soccer shoes!
Now, it's not a question that they aren't available. If you are in the US every brand creates a woman's equivalent if not make an exclusive women's shoe. It's probably good business practice not to keep women's sports gear as women aren't going to be playing these sports in the UK. But it irritates me that it's limiting what women can do, especially what girls do! If a girl goes to the store with her dad who is buying soccer cleats, she won't see stuff tailored for her so she's not going to want to play. She'll probably end up seeing the little dance outfits (though there's nothing wrong with that) and will never spark an initial interest to play soccer or basketball or whatever! And now that I think of it, I don't see girls playing team sports any where! It is absolutely horrendous!
Perhaps this is why the US dominates all women's sports. The US national soccer team is one of the best in the world (unlike the men), our women's softball team dominates too much that the Olympic committee is no longer having softball for 2012, our basketball team is awesome--US women athletes just dominate. And I think it's because we encourage women to do anything they want at a very young age, and retailers and designers are continuing to encourage it by designing products targeted to women and girls. If the UK is thinking of getting competitive in any sport for women, they need to encourage their girls to do the sports rather than having them do passive sports (AKA non-contact).
Uh, this has been angering me for the last couple of weeks! If Dan and I were to have children and live here, you better believe I am going to make sure they can play contact sports. And if they are going to be elitist (which I have experienced playing golf in Cornwall), then we are moving back to the States where girls kicking boys ass is normal! Word!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Procrastinatin'
So I promised myself that I would not update the blog until I finish my essays, and I have already broken that promise. :( I'll make myself feel better by not really writing about important differences between the UK and the USA (I have a lot of topics to share). Quick update nonetheless.
Ok, now time to get to work. Peace!
- I have essays to write, and I'm absolutely dreading one that has no relevance to my aspirational career goals. Poop.
- Next week Dan and I are going to Scotland for two nights and two days. Dan will be working at the Edinburgh office while I meander about in Edinburgh--overwhelming advice is to just do a pub crawl. Mmm... two days of pub crawling. Probably a bad idea, and will further depress me. I'll probably see another castle too. I should get a book, or borrow a book on what to do in Scotland. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow.
- Next week is also the Super Bowl!!! It seems I'll keep up tradition, hosting Eileen's 7th Annual Super Bowl Party here in Enfield (woot!). It's also the daunting task of trying to figure out what to cook--especially daunting since it will mostly be an entire day affair as the Super Bowl is not going to be shown till 11:30pm GMT!!! So not only do I have to cook dinner, but I probably need some nibbley bits. Oh and did I mention that they sometimes don't have the ingredients I am looking for? I am also uncertain as to what theme I should go for, if any. Naturally (once I get these stupid essays out of the way), I'll come up with something fantastic causing you lot back in the States to wish you partook in this year's Super Bowl party! Don't worry, it happens every year. :) I'm open to suggestions/ideas for themes and recipes--leave it in the comments.
Ok, now time to get to work. Peace!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Inaugurapocalypse--UK Edition
So I have a live feed going on my computer and BBC 1 is thankfully doing a special of the inauguration ceremony.
I'm slightly sad that I'm not home to take part in this big change. I was in Capitol Hill, at a bar, as the election results came in. It was one of those exciting moments I will never forget, and I just feel like today will very much be the same.
But knowing myself, I know I hate crowds and crowds of people. Metro will definitely have a million riders today, smashing it's previous record of 800k. But reading and looking at the pictures on the news and things, I'm glad that I am not there. I mean someone was hit by Metro at Gallery Place, probably due to the amount of people freaking taking Metro! They even closed the 14th Street Bridge to pedestrians! The mall has been closed since 9am I think, and there are just so many people Downtown trying to see history, as expected. So that makes me glad that I'm not there. God there are so many people!
BBC's coverage is just funny. So I'm going to watch and laugh. But I thought I would tell you all that I can watch it with no problems! Yay!
Update 4:55pm: BBC said Aretha Franklin is singing the US National Anthem. Actually, she's singing My Country Tis of Thee, which sounds like the UK National Anthem God Save the Queen. Silly BBC.
Update 5:44pm: Again, BBC makes another failed comparison of Obama to JFK. Really BBC?!
Update 5:46pm: BBC yet again interviews black people to emphasize the fact that we are breaking racial barriers. I think we get the picture. Let's show how diverse the US really is and interview other people!!!
Update 6:00pm: I like how the BBC is doing this hour documentary later today on Obama, and then casually mention that Obama's mother is of English and Irish decent! Haha!
Update 6:01pm: Finally, a very short blurb of the BBC interviewing people on the Mall, and it's not a black person!
Additional Notes On Obama 1/22/08
It may sound like I'm a bit of a racist, but I am not. As an American, I think that it is great we have elected an African-American. But I think mostly we elected the best fit man for the job, and he happens to be African-American. On Election Night, these three women said it best, "He's better than the other man, and he just happens to be black--it shouldn't be about race." (They happened to be African-American.)
I guess it is a big deal to the rest of the world that a black man, an African-American man can lead one of the most powerful nations in the world. And to me, I don't find it strange at all because Obama is the epitome of the American dream--there are many stories like this, but perhaps not to a grander scale. And I guess this isn't true for other "progressive" societies. So for me to hear the BBC dwell on his color became really annoying because Obama is so much more than that.
I'm slightly sad that I'm not home to take part in this big change. I was in Capitol Hill, at a bar, as the election results came in. It was one of those exciting moments I will never forget, and I just feel like today will very much be the same.
But knowing myself, I know I hate crowds and crowds of people. Metro will definitely have a million riders today, smashing it's previous record of 800k. But reading and looking at the pictures on the news and things, I'm glad that I am not there. I mean someone was hit by Metro at Gallery Place, probably due to the amount of people freaking taking Metro! They even closed the 14th Street Bridge to pedestrians! The mall has been closed since 9am I think, and there are just so many people Downtown trying to see history, as expected. So that makes me glad that I'm not there. God there are so many people!
BBC's coverage is just funny. So I'm going to watch and laugh. But I thought I would tell you all that I can watch it with no problems! Yay!
Update 4:55pm: BBC said Aretha Franklin is singing the US National Anthem. Actually, she's singing My Country Tis of Thee, which sounds like the UK National Anthem God Save the Queen. Silly BBC.
Update 5:44pm: Again, BBC makes another failed comparison of Obama to JFK. Really BBC?!
Update 5:46pm: BBC yet again interviews black people to emphasize the fact that we are breaking racial barriers. I think we get the picture. Let's show how diverse the US really is and interview other people!!!
Update 6:00pm: I like how the BBC is doing this hour documentary later today on Obama, and then casually mention that Obama's mother is of English and Irish decent! Haha!
Update 6:01pm: Finally, a very short blurb of the BBC interviewing people on the Mall, and it's not a black person!
Additional Notes On Obama 1/22/08
It may sound like I'm a bit of a racist, but I am not. As an American, I think that it is great we have elected an African-American. But I think mostly we elected the best fit man for the job, and he happens to be African-American. On Election Night, these three women said it best, "He's better than the other man, and he just happens to be black--it shouldn't be about race." (They happened to be African-American.)
I guess it is a big deal to the rest of the world that a black man, an African-American man can lead one of the most powerful nations in the world. And to me, I don't find it strange at all because Obama is the epitome of the American dream--there are many stories like this, but perhaps not to a grander scale. And I guess this isn't true for other "progressive" societies. So for me to hear the BBC dwell on his color became really annoying because Obama is so much more than that.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Obama-rama!
As January 20th approaches, I feel a sense of relief to be here in London. Don’t get me wrong—I’m very happy that Americans voted for the best candidate, and that he happens to be African American (in the truest sense). But with all the road closures, restrictions, people, toilet issues, etc., I’m glad I’m not going to be stuck in the hoopla. Summers in DC are bad enough when people take their vacations and annoy the local residents, but having close to a million (or two or four) people converging for the long weekend in the city makes me cringe. Thank goodness for London!
I haven’t been really following the BBC here (I still frequent my local DC news sites), but there is a following, albeit strange following of Obama. I lied, I read the BBC yesterday. They likened Obama to JFK , which I found to be a very silly article that concluded there are no real similarities between the two men really. Anyways, I thought it was just Americans who were chanting “Yes we can!”, but strangely some of the English are just as much in love with the man. Even Torries (English conservatives) are fascinated and excited about his leadership, and not in a sense that “anybody but Bush is better”. But it’s a genuine attraction to this articulate black man from Hawaii.
Discussing the new presidency to Dan’s friends, the theme I here (just a summation of course) is that they are relieved that Americans are now voting for a competent man who thinks about the world as well. And as much as I would like to believe in that, I still think that Americans are still isolationists (and historically, our nation has been this way to a degree). I don’t think that everyone’s vote primarily focused on how this presidential candidate will impact the world. Generally speaking, I think most Americans voted for a man who can bring America back to its greatness; and that just so happens to impact the world. And to be honest, I doubt Joe the Plumber and friends really did their research on each candidate before they went to their local polling place. They got their information from the TV, and based their vote on what they saw and heard. And as much as I would like to be an optimist about the United States, I am whole-heartedly a pessimistic person when it comes to politics. Americans are obsessed with themselves and preserving the American way—sorry world.
It still is an exciting time in our history. And all eyes are on Washington the next four years. Hopefully Obama and Capitol Hill will work together to get things done (the world forgets about the House and Senate all the time!), and hopefully it will positively impact not only the United States, but the world.
UPDATE: It seems Obama-rama has reached new heights here in London! According to the Post, I have to flash my US passport at Madame Tussauds on Inauguration Day for free admission, and I can get some Krispy Kreme if I say, "Yes we can!" Sweet!
I haven’t been really following the BBC here (I still frequent my local DC news sites), but there is a following, albeit strange following of Obama. I lied, I read the BBC yesterday. They likened Obama to JFK , which I found to be a very silly article that concluded there are no real similarities between the two men really. Anyways, I thought it was just Americans who were chanting “Yes we can!”, but strangely some of the English are just as much in love with the man. Even Torries (English conservatives) are fascinated and excited about his leadership, and not in a sense that “anybody but Bush is better”. But it’s a genuine attraction to this articulate black man from Hawaii.
Discussing the new presidency to Dan’s friends, the theme I here (just a summation of course) is that they are relieved that Americans are now voting for a competent man who thinks about the world as well. And as much as I would like to believe in that, I still think that Americans are still isolationists (and historically, our nation has been this way to a degree). I don’t think that everyone’s vote primarily focused on how this presidential candidate will impact the world. Generally speaking, I think most Americans voted for a man who can bring America back to its greatness; and that just so happens to impact the world. And to be honest, I doubt Joe the Plumber and friends really did their research on each candidate before they went to their local polling place. They got their information from the TV, and based their vote on what they saw and heard. And as much as I would like to be an optimist about the United States, I am whole-heartedly a pessimistic person when it comes to politics. Americans are obsessed with themselves and preserving the American way—sorry world.
It still is an exciting time in our history. And all eyes are on Washington the next four years. Hopefully Obama and Capitol Hill will work together to get things done (the world forgets about the House and Senate all the time!), and hopefully it will positively impact not only the United States, but the world.
UPDATE: It seems Obama-rama has reached new heights here in London! According to the Post, I have to flash my US passport at Madame Tussauds on Inauguration Day for free admission, and I can get some Krispy Kreme if I say, "Yes we can!" Sweet!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
To The Left
Last night I drove about a mile on the freaking left side of the road--it was terrifying! There is just something wrong about having the steering wheel on the right side of the car. Dan also has a manual transmission, so I had to learn how to shift gears with my left hand, say what?! I think driving a stick is hard enough when you don't drive one often (um, 16 whilst on vacation in the Philippines was the last time I did it), but forcing me to learn with the wrong hand annnnnnnnnnnd learning to drive on the wrong side of the road is asking a lot of me. Perhaps it is just me.
We started out on our little road. There's a grassy circle in the middle of our street; not quite a cul-de-sac, but pretty much is. So I drove around there a few times--easy peasy. Did I mention I would only move if there were no cars driving at the same time? Yup, that's me--gently pulling over to the side to help others get to where they are going. I also would like to say that I am an excellent listener (Dan would probably say otherwise). So I did a little reverse, and drove straight, and I was assuming he was going to tell me to turn at the circle. Nope, he said nothing, and we continued to go straight to the main road--more cars!!! I immediately start yelling, "You aren't telling me what to do!" and "We are going to the main street and I'm afraid of cars!" Dan tells me to turn left, and I did. I stopped our little red Ford Fiesta at the the main road, and silly me for assuming that Dan and I would swap spots so he could drive us home. Nope, he tells me to turn either right of left. I tell him left cause that is easiest. He then yells at me to pull up more to the main street so I can see if the coast is clear--I stall, woot! I start the poor Ford Fiesta again, and we are off. Dan kept telling me to go 40, I was going 30 and freaking out as there were cars wizzing by me on my right and a car behind me. I just cry that I want to go home and that cars scare me and that this is terrifying. We pull into a neighborhood down the road, and Dan's directions become more frustrating as he would tell me to turn too late for me to prepare to turn. I stall yet again, then drive back to the main road--this time I need to turn right to get home. I plead with Dan that the lesson is over and that he should drive us home, but he doesn't budge. I check the coast is clear, and cry, "I'm scared!" as we peal out towards home. Again, Dan tells me to make the Fiesta go 40--I go 35 this time. I wizz by to make a right back to our street, probably scaring Dan (he yelled at me), and myself for that matter! There are 2 small roundabouts in our neighborhood, but nothing I would classify as a real traffic circle. Dan keeps reminding me to drive to the left of those as it is ingrained in my head to go right (that's what 11 years of driving on the right side has taught me). Dan tells me to pull into the driveway, I scratch the poor Fiesta with the hedges, I put the parking brake on and put it in neutral, turn off the car, open the door to the house, and run into the bathroom!!! Yes, I was sooo terrified I almost pissed myself. So yes, I did it--I drove on the wrong side of the road and I am definitely not eager to do it any time soon. Here's a map of my adventures!
I don't think I would have a problem driving here if they follow simple parking rules, especially in London. In the US you technically are not allowed to park against the flow of traffic (except in Philadelphia, where you can park in the middle of the street if you want to). So when you are in the car, it's really disconcerting to see cars parked, facing you--it genuinely feels like you are driving on the wrong side of the road. Another problem is all the roads are a lot smaller than US roads, but it's like that in the entire world except for the US I think. I generally don't have a problem with that, but I know talking to Rob he thinks the roads are too small. I think they should just park with the flow of traffic, and this country would be a little better.
We started out on our little road. There's a grassy circle in the middle of our street; not quite a cul-de-sac, but pretty much is. So I drove around there a few times--easy peasy. Did I mention I would only move if there were no cars driving at the same time? Yup, that's me--gently pulling over to the side to help others get to where they are going. I also would like to say that I am an excellent listener (Dan would probably say otherwise). So I did a little reverse, and drove straight, and I was assuming he was going to tell me to turn at the circle. Nope, he said nothing, and we continued to go straight to the main road--more cars!!! I immediately start yelling, "You aren't telling me what to do!" and "We are going to the main street and I'm afraid of cars!" Dan tells me to turn left, and I did. I stopped our little red Ford Fiesta at the the main road, and silly me for assuming that Dan and I would swap spots so he could drive us home. Nope, he tells me to turn either right of left. I tell him left cause that is easiest. He then yells at me to pull up more to the main street so I can see if the coast is clear--I stall, woot! I start the poor Ford Fiesta again, and we are off. Dan kept telling me to go 40, I was going 30 and freaking out as there were cars wizzing by me on my right and a car behind me. I just cry that I want to go home and that cars scare me and that this is terrifying. We pull into a neighborhood down the road, and Dan's directions become more frustrating as he would tell me to turn too late for me to prepare to turn. I stall yet again, then drive back to the main road--this time I need to turn right to get home. I plead with Dan that the lesson is over and that he should drive us home, but he doesn't budge. I check the coast is clear, and cry, "I'm scared!" as we peal out towards home. Again, Dan tells me to make the Fiesta go 40--I go 35 this time. I wizz by to make a right back to our street, probably scaring Dan (he yelled at me), and myself for that matter! There are 2 small roundabouts in our neighborhood, but nothing I would classify as a real traffic circle. Dan keeps reminding me to drive to the left of those as it is ingrained in my head to go right (that's what 11 years of driving on the right side has taught me). Dan tells me to pull into the driveway, I scratch the poor Fiesta with the hedges, I put the parking brake on and put it in neutral, turn off the car, open the door to the house, and run into the bathroom!!! Yes, I was sooo terrified I almost pissed myself. So yes, I did it--I drove on the wrong side of the road and I am definitely not eager to do it any time soon. Here's a map of my adventures!
I don't think I would have a problem driving here if they follow simple parking rules, especially in London. In the US you technically are not allowed to park against the flow of traffic (except in Philadelphia, where you can park in the middle of the street if you want to). So when you are in the car, it's really disconcerting to see cars parked, facing you--it genuinely feels like you are driving on the wrong side of the road. Another problem is all the roads are a lot smaller than US roads, but it's like that in the entire world except for the US I think. I generally don't have a problem with that, but I know talking to Rob he thinks the roads are too small. I think they should just park with the flow of traffic, and this country would be a little better.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Multiple Things
So waking up this morning has made me miss football so much! What is up with the NFC??? At this point I think the AFC Championship game is the game to watch over the Super Bowl (teams TBD). Dan and I might just make a trip to Essex and stay there for the night since I am pretty sure the Steelers vs. the Ravens is going to be a very exciting game (Dan's parents have Sky cable). Regardless, I think I am going to throw a Super Bowl party, even if it only means Dan and I watching in our very cold home.
In preparation for Eileen's 7th Annual Super Bowl Party, I have to come up with a fantastic menu to feed the masses (or Dan and I) come February. Unfortunately they don't sell Velveeta here! I know Velveeta is gross to people, but it is actually good melty fake cheese! It's also very American and would be good to feed it to the foreigners (or Dan). I actually spent the last hour trying to find a way to either purchase it in the UK or make it. Unfortunately, making it sounds super complicated and I don't think I can melt it the way I like to melt it--with beer!!!
Regardless, I am quite excited about the Super Bowl. And surprisingly a lot of young English people do watch the NFL, and it makes sense. There's nothing on TV on a Sunday evening (when the games are on TV), so why not watch football before you go to bed? Isn't that how we spend our Sundays? I'm sure there will be another person willing to sleep over, eat my cuisine, play a little Rock Band, and watch the game aside from Dan. This is also an open invitation for you guys to come to England and visit me and take part in the annual tradition that is Eileen's Super Bowl party! Woot woot! :)
In preparation for Eileen's 7th Annual Super Bowl Party, I have to come up with a fantastic menu to feed the masses (or Dan and I) come February. Unfortunately they don't sell Velveeta here! I know Velveeta is gross to people, but it is actually good melty fake cheese! It's also very American and would be good to feed it to the foreigners (or Dan). I actually spent the last hour trying to find a way to either purchase it in the UK or make it. Unfortunately, making it sounds super complicated and I don't think I can melt it the way I like to melt it--with beer!!!
Regardless, I am quite excited about the Super Bowl. And surprisingly a lot of young English people do watch the NFL, and it makes sense. There's nothing on TV on a Sunday evening (when the games are on TV), so why not watch football before you go to bed? Isn't that how we spend our Sundays? I'm sure there will be another person willing to sleep over, eat my cuisine, play a little Rock Band, and watch the game aside from Dan. This is also an open invitation for you guys to come to England and visit me and take part in the annual tradition that is Eileen's Super Bowl party! Woot woot! :)
Friday, January 9, 2009
Fooders
If you know me at all, which most of you do, you know that I like eating and I like cooking. If you put food in front of me, there’s a good chance that if it smells good, looks good, and/or covered in bacon, you won’t stop me from eating it until it is all gone (Heather made a dip at this party and it had bacon on it—it’s my crack rock!).
There are foods that can be easily ruined by people/chefs. I know that there are people who prefer provolone on their Philly cheese steaks, but there is something about having gooey and not-good-for-you cheese wiz, especially in Philadelphia. Or putting soy sauce on your white rice when you order Chinese! And I know a lot of you white folks who read this are guilty of it, and I shake my head in disappoint. There are just some things that can’t be made any better just because you try to make it “gourmet” and shoot up the price.
This leads me into dinner tonight. We are going out to the Oxford Street/Soho area for drinks, dinner, and karaoke! Woohoo! For dinner we are going to Carnaby Burger Co., which looks like a very posh Fuddruckers to put it bluntly (but I guess that is what Hamburger Hamlet is too). They also boast about being eco-friendly, which a lot of restaurants in London try to do. Anyways, I find it patronizing to invite a bunch of English people out to a very American-style restaurant and I’m the token American, and I find it more upsetting at the prices and creations they are putting out there.
As a DC native, one knows that Ben’s Chili Bowl is a staple. You know you are going to get damn good food and maybe some heart burn to boot. It’s also good bang for your buck, unless you are going to the Nationals ball park to get Ben’s Chili Bowl, which is absolutely outrageous based on the 200% mark up.
Well, Carnaby Burger Co. also does the chili burger, the chili dog, and the chili fries. Cue in anger, bordering on objecting to dining there tonight. Their chili cheese dog cost £5.65!!! Not only that, but they put real melted Swiss cheese!!! WTF?! They actually put Swiss cheese on anything that says cheese! I actually was excited to have some chili cheese fries and a pint of beer. But after reading that it is melted Swiss, I am kind of saddened and slightly homesick. God, I don’t even know if you can get Velveeta here—the English are quite snobby about their cheeses.
Those of you who work in downtown DC, you know that there’s this burrito stand on 15th and K Street NW that has a line halfway down the block. It looks like a shady operation, and there are other dining areas (i.e., Cosi, Subway, and Potbellys), but there’s just something about these burritos that have the suits come out during their lunch break. Perhaps I should just open up a shady stand and sell chili cheese everything, except use Velveeta. It’ll be cheap and yummy, especially the way I melt Velveeta.
So added to my list of things I miss… Velveeta? God this is a strange post to have cause I never imagine I would miss something like that! Oh, and I also miss American cheese to put on my sammiches.
There are foods that can be easily ruined by people/chefs. I know that there are people who prefer provolone on their Philly cheese steaks, but there is something about having gooey and not-good-for-you cheese wiz, especially in Philadelphia. Or putting soy sauce on your white rice when you order Chinese! And I know a lot of you white folks who read this are guilty of it, and I shake my head in disappoint. There are just some things that can’t be made any better just because you try to make it “gourmet” and shoot up the price.
This leads me into dinner tonight. We are going out to the Oxford Street/Soho area for drinks, dinner, and karaoke! Woohoo! For dinner we are going to Carnaby Burger Co., which looks like a very posh Fuddruckers to put it bluntly (but I guess that is what Hamburger Hamlet is too). They also boast about being eco-friendly, which a lot of restaurants in London try to do. Anyways, I find it patronizing to invite a bunch of English people out to a very American-style restaurant and I’m the token American, and I find it more upsetting at the prices and creations they are putting out there.
As a DC native, one knows that Ben’s Chili Bowl is a staple. You know you are going to get damn good food and maybe some heart burn to boot. It’s also good bang for your buck, unless you are going to the Nationals ball park to get Ben’s Chili Bowl, which is absolutely outrageous based on the 200% mark up.
Well, Carnaby Burger Co. also does the chili burger, the chili dog, and the chili fries. Cue in anger, bordering on objecting to dining there tonight. Their chili cheese dog cost £5.65!!! Not only that, but they put real melted Swiss cheese!!! WTF?! They actually put Swiss cheese on anything that says cheese! I actually was excited to have some chili cheese fries and a pint of beer. But after reading that it is melted Swiss, I am kind of saddened and slightly homesick. God, I don’t even know if you can get Velveeta here—the English are quite snobby about their cheeses.
Those of you who work in downtown DC, you know that there’s this burrito stand on 15th and K Street NW that has a line halfway down the block. It looks like a shady operation, and there are other dining areas (i.e., Cosi, Subway, and Potbellys), but there’s just something about these burritos that have the suits come out during their lunch break. Perhaps I should just open up a shady stand and sell chili cheese everything, except use Velveeta. It’ll be cheap and yummy, especially the way I melt Velveeta.
So added to my list of things I miss… Velveeta? God this is a strange post to have cause I never imagine I would miss something like that! Oh, and I also miss American cheese to put on my sammiches.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
H2O Works
In case you solely get your updates from this blog, my water works again. Woohoo! Welcome back to 19th Century living! Ha! Now I can solely focus on the cold weather. It may snow tonight (it snowed two nights ago).
A Strong Case for the USA
If you have been following my Facebook status updates, you will notice there are two updates related to no water. Yes, I have no water in this house. Scratch that... there's cold water running in the kitchen, but no where else. This means there is no hot water and the toilet tanks don't refill itself unless you go fill the bucket up to take to the tank. Is this a third world country? No, it's freaking the London suburbs!
As a condition of our basically rent-free home in Enfield, Dan (and sometimes me) are fixing up the joint (or as the locals say, "Do a bit of DIY!"). Dan bought a complete kitchen (solid oak cabinet doors, frames, and appliances) on eBay for really cheap. Dan's uncle did the electrical and plumbing bits to get the basics of the kitchen in. So our oven and stovetop (they call it "cooker") work, as well as the kitchen sink. But to install the kitchen sink, the water had to be turned off. When the water was turned back on, only the kitchen worked--nothing else!
Dan's uncle thought that it was just airlock. So before he left yesterday he said to just keep the cold water tap on and water should come out again. At that time we had a little bit of hot water too. By the time Dan came home from work, we had no water whatsoever (except for cold water in the kitchen of course)! He went into the attic (they call it a "loft"), and that tank was completely dry. And since that tank feeds the hot water tank, that became dry as well. Dan tried all the stopcocks for the water, and nothing will fill the tank in the attic. I'm hoping that it isn't a frozen pipe, and Dan doesn't believe it is a frozen pipe. Regardless, we have no water and have no clue when water will be returning, if at all. We are staving off a phone call to a plumber, as that would probably cost us a fortune. Dan's uncle is coming back to check out the problem again.
One thing I have noticed about England and their water--they always have separate taps for hot and cold water in their bathrooms. Occasionally, you'll visit a home with a "modern" bathroom and a "mixer tap". But for the most part, even in the house in Cornwall (built in 2000), the bathroom taps were separate. In the US you'll find these in old homes, like most apartments in NYC. I just find them rather annoying when you want to wash your hands, but most especially when you want to wash your face!!! Do I want to scald my face with the hot tap, or just freeze it and remain frozen the rest of the night as this house is freaking cold 24/7? These are hard life choices I tell you.
In other news... I got your letter Teresa!!! Yay! It felt good to get real mail! Woot! Thank you!
Aside from that, I'm pretty damn miserable right now. :(
As a condition of our basically rent-free home in Enfield, Dan (and sometimes me) are fixing up the joint (or as the locals say, "Do a bit of DIY!"). Dan bought a complete kitchen (solid oak cabinet doors, frames, and appliances) on eBay for really cheap. Dan's uncle did the electrical and plumbing bits to get the basics of the kitchen in. So our oven and stovetop (they call it "cooker") work, as well as the kitchen sink. But to install the kitchen sink, the water had to be turned off. When the water was turned back on, only the kitchen worked--nothing else!
Dan's uncle thought that it was just airlock. So before he left yesterday he said to just keep the cold water tap on and water should come out again. At that time we had a little bit of hot water too. By the time Dan came home from work, we had no water whatsoever (except for cold water in the kitchen of course)! He went into the attic (they call it a "loft"), and that tank was completely dry. And since that tank feeds the hot water tank, that became dry as well. Dan tried all the stopcocks for the water, and nothing will fill the tank in the attic. I'm hoping that it isn't a frozen pipe, and Dan doesn't believe it is a frozen pipe. Regardless, we have no water and have no clue when water will be returning, if at all. We are staving off a phone call to a plumber, as that would probably cost us a fortune. Dan's uncle is coming back to check out the problem again.
One thing I have noticed about England and their water--they always have separate taps for hot and cold water in their bathrooms. Occasionally, you'll visit a home with a "modern" bathroom and a "mixer tap". But for the most part, even in the house in Cornwall (built in 2000), the bathroom taps were separate. In the US you'll find these in old homes, like most apartments in NYC. I just find them rather annoying when you want to wash your hands, but most especially when you want to wash your face!!! Do I want to scald my face with the hot tap, or just freeze it and remain frozen the rest of the night as this house is freaking cold 24/7? These are hard life choices I tell you.
In other news... I got your letter Teresa!!! Yay! It felt good to get real mail! Woot! Thank you!
Aside from that, I'm pretty damn miserable right now. :(
Monday, January 5, 2009
Road Trippin'
Happy New Year! I hope everyone rung in '09 with a bang. My New Year was a little low key, and definitely sans ball dropping--I'm left slightly unfulfilled. Anyhoo, an update to start off your '09 work week.
I did my very first UK road trip. I love road trips because it gives you a chance to see a country and experience local culture. Dan and I left on the 29th to go to Kent then to Dymock. On the 30th we went into Wales to see a castle. Then on the 31st we went to Cornwall. We left Cornwall on the 4th and stopped to see Stonehenge. It was terribly cold and a little disappointing here and there.
As a seasoned road tripper back in the States, I thought that I had this innate ability to navigate my way through any pickle. I rarely get lost and I usually know my way around any foreign city in a day. Here in the UK, it has taken me awhile to get to know the area, and it is harder when you don't drive. But I miss the grid and interstate systems and it's organization! Living in England for a few weeks now, the roads remind me of Maryland--they suddenly change names or suddenly end--it's awful! What disturbs me the most is the UK highway system. M means motorway, A is a smaller motorway but can go through rural towns at low speeds. That's fine, label the type of road you are going to travel on. But the numbers attached have no rhyme or reason like they do back home. Everyone in the US should know that odd numbers means you travel north/south, even east/west, when there's three numbers if the beginning is even you travel in a loop around a city or odd then you go through a city, etc. That's organization I can appreciate. You definitely don't have that here, so one road can theoretically take you in a roundabout fashion and you wouldn't know it. It's awful!
It's still fun to go around and see different places, though I wish I weren't sick for most of it. Oh well. But the next time you are on the Beltway, take the time to appreciate the organization before you curse it as you are stuck in traffic.
I did my very first UK road trip. I love road trips because it gives you a chance to see a country and experience local culture. Dan and I left on the 29th to go to Kent then to Dymock. On the 30th we went into Wales to see a castle. Then on the 31st we went to Cornwall. We left Cornwall on the 4th and stopped to see Stonehenge. It was terribly cold and a little disappointing here and there.
As a seasoned road tripper back in the States, I thought that I had this innate ability to navigate my way through any pickle. I rarely get lost and I usually know my way around any foreign city in a day. Here in the UK, it has taken me awhile to get to know the area, and it is harder when you don't drive. But I miss the grid and interstate systems and it's organization! Living in England for a few weeks now, the roads remind me of Maryland--they suddenly change names or suddenly end--it's awful! What disturbs me the most is the UK highway system. M means motorway, A is a smaller motorway but can go through rural towns at low speeds. That's fine, label the type of road you are going to travel on. But the numbers attached have no rhyme or reason like they do back home. Everyone in the US should know that odd numbers means you travel north/south, even east/west, when there's three numbers if the beginning is even you travel in a loop around a city or odd then you go through a city, etc. That's organization I can appreciate. You definitely don't have that here, so one road can theoretically take you in a roundabout fashion and you wouldn't know it. It's awful!
It's still fun to go around and see different places, though I wish I weren't sick for most of it. Oh well. But the next time you are on the Beltway, take the time to appreciate the organization before you curse it as you are stuck in traffic.
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