License to Chill

Ruminations from Saturday morning…

I feel more alive and, I can’t think of the word, but something along the lines of anticipation/excitement than I have in a long while. Just sitting here on a Saturday morning in my PJ’s, with a cuppa tea, reading a book, listening to music. I feel as if every possibility is in front of me – that I have the freedom of choice to decide what I will do today. I didn’t have to get up, showered and dressed and out the door for a day that was planned with errands, meetings, and events from morning through night, as had been the case since last fall.

There is something so civilized about being able to wake up without alarm, get a cuppa tea, and crawl back into bed to finish a book (Out Stealing Horses). It’s like that quotation that is painted on the wall of the Borders Book Store on Newbury & Bolyston Sts in Boston’s Back Bay "When I'm near the end of a book, I need to sleep in the same room with it." - Joan Didion

Sure, the fact that it is a foggy, drizzly, Saturday morning helps matters and adds to the aura of the morning, but it’s still nice nonetheless. And, it does much to reinforce the fact that those of us who have such luxuries are truly lucky – we do not have to get up to plow fields, tend farms, work machinery, work three jobs, care for others, etc. We have the luxury of being able to relax and enjoy our own lives.

I hope your Saturday morning was equally as enjoyable, whatever you chose to do.

London Sites

Trafalgar Square

A pub near Covent Garden. Notice how people are standing outside drinking, just on the sidewalk. That's what you do here - there are no 'patios' or set aside areas. People just use common sense and stand outside the bar. If a few bars are next to each other, everyone just blends into one large mass.

These next three are of the inside of St. Martin-in-the-Fields -- part of the Church of England, but probably more well known for the fact that there are hundreds of classical music concerts here each year.

Mental Floss

New items added to the sidebar!
(And does anyone who uses blogspot know how to have items on the lefthand side, too?)

Up next – City statistics (population, size, etc.) for Boston, London, Cincinnati, and Paris. If you want to see certain stats, let me know and I’ll try to find. Sorry if your city is not included, but these cities represent: where I just lived, where I am living, where I grew up and where my family is, and where I’ll most likely be living by the end of the year.

If there are other sidebar items you want to see, let me know and I’ll try to oblige.

Shopping and Church

I skipped church yesterday (Sunday) and went to the grocery with Marissa instead. We went east to Beckton (last stop on the DLR line) to Asda. I will complain because it’s part of the Wal-Mart family and I prefer not to shop there out of principle. However, this is easy to get to and the prices are really really good. Buying everything for 1-2 weeks worth of breakfast, lunch and dinner for only 55 GBP is great – especially considering how much more expensive it was when I’d shop with Gwen at Marks & Spencer, or even Sainsbury's. The food is fresh and there is a wide variety. Thank goodness Marissa has lived in this area for nine months, and has family and friends here, so she can show me all this stuff!

We got to the store at ten, only to realize it didn’t open until 11. So, we decided to take a walk. On one of the bus stop maps, it indicated a ‘ski slope’ to our right. We didn’t see anything besides a lot of shrubbery and something which could resemble a slope as it wasn’t even tall enough to be a hill. Bizarre.

When we got back at 10:45, we saw the doors were open. It seems to be popular here for stores to open 30 minutes early “for browsing” but you cannot buy anything until official opening hours. Weird.

As for skipping church, not a big deal today as I was busy all morning, then continued to organize my place (I think it’s all set now). But, few weeks ago I didn’t go and felt out of sorts all day. It was like what Quinn (Old South assistant minister) wrote in the UCC’s daily devotional a few weeks ago. He wrote about Cain settling in the Land of Nod (Gen 4:1-16) and a story about a man not knowing what to do on the weekends, until he started going to church. (Nod means ‘wandering’) That Sunday, it was as if my day never got started and my weekend never had closure. I basically wandered from movie to movie on TV, and from website to website. Granted, I know that sometimes a body needs to sleep in and recuperate, but I wonder to what expense?

A few weeks ago, I met the assistant minister at the American Church in London for lunch. It was a nice get to know each other session and I wonder if they do that with all potential new members? (No, I do not have plans for joining as I want to keep my membership at Old South). At lunch, she asked me what I’m looking for from the church and I was completely caught off guard by that question! What else was there to say besides: meaningful sermons, good music, and fellowship? I mean, really, why else does one go to church?

Capitalism

One really cool thing about where I live is that I am on the other side of Greenwich Mean Line. I don’t know my specific ‘coordinates’, but if you look at a map, I am just East of the line. Cool.

I am all settled in to my place now. Saturday, Jane, Joe, Marissa and I went to Tesco to buy all my ‘settling in’ things. Jane rented a car for the weekend and Marissa needed some more things, too. I got all sorts of electronic stuff – George Foreman (yippee!), stereo, clock/radio, landline phone, fans, lamps, etc. We were a “three cart family” going through this giant store. It was a lot of fun just going up and down the aisles and marveling at all the random things there are – a mango slicer? Is that necessary?

Funny with this store – it was east of where I live and in a strip mall. Could’ve been in America. Sure, Londoners might like to claim they like the independent stores, quaint things, etc. But this 24-hour Tesco was packed. People everywhere. You would’ve thought a major storm was coming through!

Joe had the TV of a former employee at his place, so he brought that and hooked up it and the DVD player. Unbelievable that I am now the owner of so much technology! The DVD player is set to play ‘multi-regions’ so my US DVDs will play here – whew! What would I do if not able to watch Star Wars, Fever Pitch, or Pride and Prejudice (BBC version of course!)?

The kitchen, I find, is the most confusing part of moving to any new place. How does the dishwasher work? The washing machine? The stove top? The oven? In the effort to make things ‘universal’ by having just pictures/icons on the knobs and dials, it has become more confusing. Even with the giant binder of user manuals that was left in the flat it is difficult.

And, I think the kitchen is the hardest room to get to fit ones needs. Unless you completely redo your own kitchen, things will never be right. For instance, here, the cabinets are tall so I need a step ladder if I want to reach the back of the second shelf (ok, it might be normal for the rest of the world, but I’m short!). This place doesn’t have any wide drawers, so I have to put my silverware organizer on the counter (taking up space)

But, I think moving around from place to place is good – it helps one to know what one wants / doesn’t want in a future home purchase.

Another oddity I’ve seen here is that there is limited to no closet space. The ‘wardrobe’ is a big hit. I’m not a fan – I want a closet where I can have lots of space and toss things I don’t know what to do with.

Champagne Si, Aqua No

Where to begin??? I think the thing that best sums it up is that it is company policy that pictures are not to be posted online (blogs, facebook, etc.) (Which makes me question the fact that people actually have to be told that pictures of coworkers who have been drinking all day should not be posted online.) That being said, the pictures below are just of scenery and do not show people nor anything related to the party events.

It was at the Manor House, southwest of London. Everyone met there at 11:30 in the morning, and the bar opened at noon and a good bbq lunch was at 12:30. All afternoon was spent sitting around and talking. At one point, a few women got the soccer ball out to kick it around, but soon the men took over and it became a full-on testosterone-filled match. Kind of lost its allure of fun, and certainly meant a lot more people (women) sitting out. It became uber-competitive, to the point of being ridiculous – I mean, it was just a company outing!

I did take a walk in the surrounding fields with Gwen and Valerie which was nice and relaxing. Otherwise, I just sat around all day relaxing (and blowing my nose; stupid cold!). It was typical London weather – chilly, yet warm; sunny yet very cloudy. At least there was no rain!

Dinner was at 7:45; mind you, the bar was open continuously all afternoon and there was no food between lunch and dinner. The food was ok, nothing spectacular, but not horrible. I ended up going back to my room around 9:30 right when dinner was ending and the dancing was starting because something I ate at dinner did NOT agree with me. And, if you know me, you know this was no major disappointment as I (1) don’t like dancing, and (2) like to go to bed early.

Yes, I said I went to my room. This was an ‘overnight optional’ company party! For those people who did not want to take a bus back at 5 p.m., there was the option for spending the night. The people in the London office like to party – some of them stayed up until 3 a.m.! Cripes! Needless to say, a lot of champagne was consumed by the group (it's very popular here, just like in the States you'd order a glass of wine). I only had a few Jameson & Gingers.

Here are some of the scenery pictures.

She Went to Paris

I went to Paris Wednesday night for Thursday meetings with GdF and returned that night. Very fast trip and no sight seeing. It was Geert and myself meeting with one colleague from GdF to discuss future synergies of the combined group.

We stayed at the Waldorf Trocadero (no relation to THE Waldorf). The rooms were tiny, and my view was of a wall, but the hotel was very nice and I would stay there again.

The two best parts of the trip were (1) the food and (2) the commute. I love the typical French breakfast (or what I think is typical as I've really only seen it in France, and in Europe I suppose) of baguette, cheese, meats, and tea. And, at the 'canteen' (aka cafeteria) at GdF, I had an individual pizza that had slices of brie melted on top - wow - that was good! The commute in the taxi from Gare du Nord to the hotel, and from the hotel to GdF, was great because we drove through L'Etoile (aka Arc du Triomphe). That is one big monument. When you're driving up to it, it's size is massive and impressive. And, driving around the ginormous rotary is fascinating. TEN streets come into it. You can see from the map how crazy it is, and why it's called L'Etoile (the star). And, you can see how close the hotel was to it, and the Eiffel Tower (although I didn't see it because we got to the hotel at 10:30 p.m. and left at 8 am.)

I know we have to go back to Paris early July, but am not sure if we'll go before then.

Growing Older But Not Up

What is it about me? Do I really look like I’m under 25? Ok, I know I commute with a back pack and in my sneakers (“trainers” to Brits (which are only worn at the gym) and “gym shoes” to you Mid-Westerners), but certainly, I look over 21, right?

At the grocery check-out counters, whenever I have a bottle of wine, the check-out person gives me about a quintuple take at which point I just respond with my age.

Then again, I went to “Cards Galore” (aka Hallmark – they use Hallmark bags, but it’s not the name of the store?) after church a few weeks ago and bought a new Snoopy (not full-size, but medium) and a Snoopy tea mug. The woman at the checkout asked if I wanted gift wrap or box and I said no, they were for me. Then the other store clerk came up and said those make great gifts for kids, asked if I wanted gift wrap, and again I said, no, they’re for me. What, adults don't buy stuffed animals and coffee mugs for themselves?

I guess I shouldn’t complain, but really, still be carded ten years later?

I Have Found Me A Home

WooHoo! The movers from Rossway Transport delivered my stuff yesterday and tonight will be my first night in my new place. Only two guys came to unload everything, but it still went relatively quickly. At least this time there was an elevator to use. (They poor men from Bolliger who moved me out of Boston had to deal with the 4th floor walk-up I was in!) I was very impressed with the Bolliger service – nothing broke and everything made it; but, my carbon footprint increased three-fold in size from moving due to the amount of packing material, boxes and tape they used.

It will be nice to be in my own place and space, even though staying at Gwen’s has been great. However, I think I have watched more TV the past five weeks than I have in the past five years! Gwen’s has the super cable package so we’d watch Simpsons reruns, CSI reruns (my choice), Extreme Makeover Home Edition (Gwen’s choice), and movies. I only have a phone line activated right now (but no phone) and I need to get the full TV/broadband/phone setup done. Yes, I will actually have a TV since my colleagues got me one; plus, it’s cheaper to get the trifecta of services, and I need the phone to call the States, and the broadband for, well, connection to the world, so it makes sense to have TV. Besides, if I watch British TV, it’s a cultural study, not entertainment, right?

Everything is unpacked and just tossed everywhere. I have some semblance of order (i.e. kitchen stuff is in kitchen area), but that’s about it. Most importantly, I got my bed made and my Snoopy’s unpacked (only 2 of them came with me). Now, if I could just figure out how to get the hot water turned on…

Take Another Road

At lunch yesterday, talking about ‘what would your dream job be’ – or rather, your dream way to spend your days. Of course, we all said something like sitting in a field reading a book. To which point Kevin said, well you could become a book editor and then you could sit in a field and read. To which I commented that having such a job would actually then mean attending meetings, having deadlines, etc.

But, as I was thinking about it, my dream job does not involve looking at Excel all day, does not really involve sitting at a desk all day, and doesn’t really need to focus on LNG. I think I’m so disgruntled with the whole intercompany fights (Suez London vs Suez North America) that it has taken the fun out of the business.

For my top three dream jobs, I came up with: Something along the lines of (1) Vulcanologist / Geologist / Storm Chaser / etc.; (2) builder / construction / electrician / etc.; and rounding out the third choice, something to do with teaching / university administration / etc. The problem with the first choice is that it involves degrees in mathematics, physics, etc. The second would involve some of the same, plus years of apprenticeship; and the third is appealing because it involves helping people learn and grow, but the politics, parents and paperwork is too much.

So, if you could name your top three dream jobs, what would they be? And what could you do now to start achieving one of them?

Commuting

Do I have some sort of sign above my head or aura that asks for either overweight or people with BO or people with bad breath to sit by me on the bus or subway (or any combination thereof)? Granted, I know I’m not the skinniest of people, but I do take care to contain my body within the confines of the seat.

And why is it always men that seem to take up the most room? Why must men sprawl in their bus seats? Really, how difficult is it to sit with your legs together and cross your arms instead of invading my space?

Do I look like I want your smelly clothes rubbing against my clean ones? Or your bad breath polluting the air I’m breathing at 7 a.m.? Just in case you are unsure, no, I do not.

Glory Days

Friday was a very busy day for me. It was decided on Wednesday that I would accompany my boss, Jane, and colleagues, Gwen and Geert, to the Gaz de France LNG offices in Paris for the day on Friday. Jane went super early and Gwen was coming from Brussels, so Geert and I left the St. Pancras train station in London on the EuroStar at 6:30. Amazing how two hours later you're no longer in London, but in Paris. The city does look different - a lot more wrought-iron balconies. I don't know how to describe it, but Paris looks "French" and London looks like London.

The train ride was fine, at least for the time I was awake! We got to GdF's offices a bit early, so we just waited in a conference room - all the conference rooms there seemed to be named after artists, such as Turner, Kandinsky, Munch, etc.

The meetings were to continue discussion on the upcoming merger of GdF-Suez and to talk more about our individual LNG portfolios, potential synergies, and any other business school buzz word you can think of.

Lunch was the usual two hours long and started with the most interesting appetizer I've ever seen. It was a rectangular plate w/ three small indented squares on it. On the outside two were egg shells w/ only the tops cut off. In the middle square was a sea urchin, filled with some of the egg and something else. Then I think it was the sea urchin or maybe a pate of some sort in the eggs. It was delicious, and I'm glad I didn't know what I was eating! The chocolate-pistachio-cherry mousse/pudding dessert was great.

But, the big news for Friday was that Jane and her daughter, Joe and I all went to the Bruce Springsteen concert at the Arsenal Emirates stadium!!! We had standing tickets on the field. Very very cool. He played for 3 hours straight! The songs he played were popular, more obscure, old and new - a good mix. Jane is a huge fan and I think knows every single word to his songs.

And, today, while I would've rather slept in, I got up and got the keys for my apartment! It is officially mine now! The movers will deliver my stuff this Thursday, so by this weekend I'll be unpacked and in my own space.

Cultural Infidel

With the exception of today, this weekend was quite entertaining, although not too productive. Today, it has rained non-stop since about 7 a.m., so I feel justified in my staying inside and watching 6+ hours worth of movies (this is why I don’t like TV – it rules/ruins my life!). I watched bits & pieces of: Romancing the Stone, Bring it On, Gone With the Wind, Hope Floats, The Princess Bride and something else I cannot remember. See, nothing earth shattering, just a way to pass the time.

Thursday & Friday had Cary from our Houston office in town, so Gwen & I met him for drinks Friday night at The Salt House, a pub by Gwen’s place. It looks inviting from outside, but from the reviews, the food is mediocre. The service wasn’t that great either. And 5 GBP for a double Jameson??? God, I miss Cornwall’s for so many reasons! (Good people, good service, good drinks, good food, good location....)

The next morning, Cary met Gwen and me at her place and we took the bus to Camden Lock Market (est 1974). Quite…interesting. Definitely the grunge, punk, alternative shopping market. Enough incense to serve London.


Having had enough ‘culture’ for about 2 hours, we quickly got on a bus north to Hampstead High Street, a much more ‘dignified’ neighborhood! (It would be like going from Allston to Newbury St. in Boston; or from Short Vine to Hyde Park Square in Cincinnati!) There, we had fun window shopping and had a great lunch at King William IV pub. Gwen bought a purple ball which gave her much amusement, but mortification to Cary and me as it was always bouncing dangerously close to the streets, the elderly, etc.

That night, Amy joined us for dinner at Strada (which was very good Italian food!) and we went to see the play The 39 Steps at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus. It is done as a slapstick whodunit. It was originally a novel that was done as a movie 3 times, first by Hitchcock. From what I’ve read, none of the movies are faithful to the book. Overall, it was quite good and my first theatre outing in London!



Sunday, I went back to the American Church in London. Again, it was ok. The main pastor, Rev D'Elia, gave the sermon, but it just didn't do much for me. I'm typing this now while listening to the sermon Quinn gave yesterday at Old South. Quite good. Being able to listen to the whole service online is a blessing and a curse. It is so nice to hear the service, the music, the openness, the faith, etc. But, it is a curse because it makes anything I find at a church in another location pale in comparison!

It was pouring rain Sunday morning, but it cleared up by noon. I then walked to Oxford Street (not far) to the Borders bookstore there - FOUR stories!!! Nearly brought a tear to my eye! It was so great - sooooo many books, a big Starbucks, games and puzzles section - wow. What a place! I must not go often, else I fear my bank account will deplete quickly.

Now, time to get ready for another week of work. At least I can now say I've done something cultural in London! Oh, and this car is actually for sale.

Puzzles

I finally finished the last of the jigsaw puzzles that was loned to me since I arrived in the UK. This one, Country Christmas, was definitely the most difficult because of all the detail. Also, I only look at the box once - at the beginning - so I just try to figure it out as I go along. The problem is, it's only 1 p.m. on the Monday Bank Holiday so lots of time to kill on this rainy, windy afternoon. And no good movies are on TV.

The Christian

Considering that for nearly the past 3-1/2 years, I have gone to church every Sunday except for when I was out of town, the fact that I willingly chose to not go my first two Sundays in London was exceptional. However, I must say, it felt like such a guilty pleasure to sleep in on a Sunday, lounge in my PJ's, do a jigsaw puzzle (just started a new one - this will be the hardest of the ones I've done while here), etc. But, knowing that I want to church hop a bit (I mean, there are so many beautiful, historical churches here), I figured I should get started. So, I decided to start with the American Church in London this past Sunday.

It's in the middle of the city and is a nice brick building with a decent sized sanctuary that is very plain in its decoration. Color scheme is white, pale green and pale blue with window panes to match. Very soft and light/bright. I didn't see any other part of the building.

They use the Pilgrim Hymnal and the Mission Praise Hymnal, published in 1958 and 1983, respectively. I’m familiar with the former as that is what St. Peter & St. Paul UCC, the church I attended growing up, used. However, for the past eight years I’ve attended Old South Church in Boston where we use the New Century Hymnal, published in 1995. This hymnal took a bit of time to get used to, but now I cannot imagine using a different one! The language is so inclusive, a bit more informal while still be majestic and poetic, and it includes hymns written in the past 10-20 years. So, that was an adjustment.

I did like that there was a laminated copy of the church’s Mission Statement in each pew. It was broken out into areas such as facilities, outreach, beliefs, music, etc.

There were seven people in the choir (summer choir) and their voices were very full. When the music director played the organ for the hymns and anthems, the organ sounded ok. (Remember, I’m spoiled by Old South’s Skinner Organ!). But, when he played the postlude (Brahms), it was amazing! He then proceeded to play two more (one by Widor I absolutely love and another I didn’t know).

There were about 150 people there I'd guess, and maybe 25% were 'minority'. The oddest thing by far was that they didn't say the Lord's Prayer. Weird. During the service the minister did the "prayers for the people" where, instead of just naming those names that had brought to the attention of the clergy, he asked for people in the congregation to speak out. I don't like that. Plus, in the bulletin, there were a list of names of people who needed prayers including the reason why! No privacy there! Also, the minister gave an update on what had been going on at the church - a second Sunday School class, a few baptisms and weddings, etc. Sort of an update on the state of church and stewardship.

The assistant minister (for youth) gave the sermon. It was ok, but it read more like a position paper or report on the Bible text of the day. It didn't really move me at all. It was well done, well researched and laid out, but little personal or real world connection to it.

Before the service, the pastor, John A. D'Elia, was walking up and down the side aisles talking to people. He stopped and chatted to the man behind me, who suggested they go to lunch. From their conversation, I ascertained that the pastor was having a book published this summer. I looked it up on amazon.com and it sounds somewhat interesting, if not for the long title alone - "A Place at the Table: George Eldon Ladd and the Rehabilitation of Evangelical Scholarship in America" Might be worth buying?

I filled out a 'new person card' and put it in the collection plate. The assistant minister emailed me the next day (very good sign of outreach!). That was a plus. Also a plus was the fact that the organist told me he'd play a Vierne piece for the postlude next week (I approached him after the postludes and told him I loved what he played and said I thought the one was Vierne and he said it was Widor, but he'd play Vierne then if I wanted - I told him to wait until next week.) So, I suppose I'll go back this coming Sunday.

I Have Found Me A Home

I finally signed for an apartment! I did this last Thursday after work. I originally went to look at1 bedroom flats in the area the previous Saturday, then looked at places in the West Hampstead / Kilburn area last Wednesday, and then decided I liked one of the first places better. It is by far the largest of all that I saw (and please do not think that means it is large, it is still tiny, as everything here is – small cars, short buildings, narrow walkways, narrow seats – but large prices). Anyway.

It is right near the Royal Victoria Docks DLR (Tube) stop and the ExCel center. It reminds me of the Fort Point Channel area in Boston that has been under development the past few years. Marissa (friend and co-worker) also lives there, but in a much larger 2 bedroom, 8th floor, water view (she’s on a different contract with the company than I am – long story and not worth getting into at this point – plus, I’m a bit more, shall we say, reserved with my money and would rather live someplace a little smaller and save some money than the reverse). It's the 2nd floor, 2nd one from the right.

It's all brand new development, which I've realized I like. This will be my first time in a 'development' (I don't count Phoenix since while that was a sprawling apartment complex, it was only 2 stories), and France didn't count since everything about the border town we were in was horrible.

I'm on the 2nd floor (well, it's U.S. 2nd floor on the side where the patio is, but U.S. 3rd floor from entering the building on the other side - that 'back side' is ground level; the 'front side' is also ground level, but the ground has been built up a story). Anyway, the patio stretches across the living room and the bedroom. The bathroom is tiny w/o any shelf space besides what's in the mirror vanity, so I'll get something at Ikea.

The drawbacks: no shelf space in bathroom; no window in bathroom; kitchen isn't sectioned off w/ a wall or island; Zone 3 on the Tube; carpeted whereas I realize I prefer hardwood (I'll have to get an accent rug or two to brighten it a little); don't know how much direct natural light I'll get (but maybe a positive since w/o AC it could get warm)

The positives: super close to DLR stop (so I feel safe) and 24-hr concierge desk w/ all glass and that is right next to my building; I go 1 stop on DLR and get on Jubilee line with no other transfers, so I’ll be likely to have a seat every morning; all new appliances; patio; larger than any other 1-bed I saw in that area; Marissa is the next building; view from patio (to the side) is of O2 center (Millennium Dome) and Canary Wharf and sunset.

I asked for the mattress and bed to be removed. I figure the dining table there I can put on the patio. And I asked for one of the couches to be removed. We'll see what happens!

In the dockland water area, there are sailboats anchored there (not too large) and what appears to be a water school of sorts. I need to see if I can sail there! It’s relatively easy to get to Canary Wharf – the newest developed part of London – with grocery store, mall, shops, bars and restaurants. Overall, very happy. And, my belongings arrived in country Saturday and the moving company, Rossway, will have possession of them this week. I cannot wait to have my own stuff, my own bed, etc. Living with Gwen is great, but comfort and familiarity are very key, too.

This is the view of the O2 / Millennium Dome and Canary Wharf / Isle of Dogs from the walkway in front of my place.

Birthday

Happy happy first birthday to my niece!!!


I wasn't there for her big party (big surprise), but these were from May 1st, the day before I left. And yes, those teeth are cute, but let me tell you, it hurts when she bites! She bit me on the inside of my forearm and it looked like I had a TB test, bruise was there for a week. I don't think it was on purpose - if it was, and I find out, no more gifts for her! Well....

Window on the World

I’m sitting here cooking Indian for dinner, watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with Gwen on TV, and having a hot toddy. The latter is because I fear I’m getting a cold, so best to prevent it if possible! Besides, the high today was about 50-55 degrees, so it’s a nice warm-me-up. Trying to remember what I did last week is proving to be somewhat difficult…Monday and Tuesday, as I recall, were relatively uneventful. And sometimes, that’s the best one can ask for!

Wednesday brought Intermediate French class – cripes! However, I amazed myself with how much I actually remembered, and how well I could understand the instructor (nevermind that he was speaking extremely slowly and enunciating perfectly). Still, I haven’t spoken French in literally four years! Now, I have homework due this Wednesday, and of course I haven’t started.
(sidebar – the French classes are sponsored by Suez since we are a French company and it never hurts to know the home office’s language!). Overall, it feels a bit like Thunderbird. The central cubicle area where I sit includes 3 Americans (1 Texan / Mississippian), 1 Trini, 1 Belgian and an Irishman – sounds like the start to a bad joke, eh? Not to mention the French, other Belgian, South African, Australian, and Trini people in the office; oh, and some English as well.

That evening, Gwen (colleague, friend, current ‘landlord’) and I went to look at apartments in her area (Kilburn, West Hampstead type area). That was entertaining. It’s always amazing what estate agents (not called real estate agents here) will show you with a straight face. And, the fact that this kid didn’t look a day over 15 made it even more difficult to take him seriously. However, he was honest and down-to-earth, so that was nice. The first place I liked the most – top floor, lots of light. It was a bit small, but a 1 bedroom. The problem was it was completely furnished, no bargaining. Actually, that is common here – Londoners don’t seem to own their own furniture. Well over half the flats all come with a bed, table, dresser, chair/couch. I think that is standard even for an ‘unfurnished’ place! Since all my stuff (bed, dresser, chair, etc.) just arrived and made it through customs, I don’t want a furnished place. The second place we saw appeared to have been an old stable area. Beautiful location with gardens and lawn, and right next to the Hampstead Heath park. However, it was top floor and the closet and pantry were only hip high as the wall above that was slanted in toward the ceiling. I’m short, I know, but if I have to bend over to look in the pantry and closet, that’s a bi much! The other two places weren’t anything better. But, at least I looked and gave it a shot. If you're curious about what your money will get you here, look at Foxton's website or Find A Property for an idea. Things rent by week here.

Thursday was a good day. Three of us in the office (Jane, my boss, the COO and Olivier the CFO and myself) met with two people from Gaz de France (GdF), Suez’s soon to be merger partner, in our offices. That was good just for the exposure and to get a better idea of the opportunities and challenges that will be facing us after the merger finishes this year.

That evening, I went to the Royal Victoria Docks area (East, just east of the Canary Wharf / Isle of Dogs area) to re-see an apartment I saw the previous weekend. I still liked it so I signed for it – yippee! Something else crossed off my list of things to do (and if you know me, you know how I love to keep lists). More about the apartment in another post.

Friday was low key – casual in jeans and another Starbucks chai latte splurge. Overall, I’m doing really well on my basically no-caffeine life here. Considering I was going to Starbucks twice a day back in March/April just to stay functional due to the inhumane work hours I was keeping, I’m doing quite well now. I didn’t go out after work – preferring to come home and relax. I slept for 11 hours that night!

Saturday was a productive, domestic day. I did 2 loads of laundry (thank goodness Gwen showed me how to use the machine – she said the first time she tried, the machine ran for, no kidding, FOUR hours. Sure, it washes and “dries” but all it does is steam your stuff so it’s still wet). And I went to the grocery. Since I didn’t wake up until 10:30, that was basically my whole afternoon. I met Joe (coworker) at his place in the Westminster part of town (just south of Hyde Park) and picked up two jigsaw puzzles that were in his place. (I had already done the other two Jane gave me). Then, we met Gwen and Fred (from Houston office in town for business) for dinner. They went out to a club after; and, if you know me, you know I don’t enjoy clubs, so I came home. And, of course, I started and nearly finished one of the puzzles – I just couldn’t help myself!

Sunday I got up and went to the American Church in London for their service at 11 a.m. Overall, it was pretty good, but I’ll write more about that in another post. This is long enough and if I don’t post it now, I might never! That afternoon, Gwen, Amy & I went to Deb’s place for ‘supper’ where we made fajitas and margaritas. That is an accomplishment in and of itself because if you think it is easy to find (1) tequila in this town; (2) margarita mix; and (3) tortilla chips, you are sadly mistaken! And of course, that night, I finished the puzzle. (It was only 500 pieces and a picture of London's Tube map.)

Simply Complicated

It's always the little stuff, the little differences, that make adjusting to a new culture so difficult. Sure, driving on the other side of the road is weird, but you expect that when you come to the UK. Just as you expect hearing a different language in other cultures, or people who look different from you, shopping at different stores, etc.

Here, there are a few little things that I just find complicated:

1) The computer keyboard. The keyboard on my work laptop is a UK keyboard, but the settings are set so they keys are US (i.e. the 3 key on the UK keyboard is for the pound symbol, but when I press it, I get the # sign).

2) Paper size. A4, just a bit longer, so none of it fits into any US sized binders or folders.
2a) Binders. While their paper size is a bit longer, all their binders are 2-ring binders, and not 3-ring.

3) Dates. In the UK (and Europe in general) it's day/month/year versus the US month/day/year. So for someone with a birthday like mine, I have no idea if the 02 or the 01 comes first!

4) Refrigerator size. Much smaller here. You might think that's because Brits are healthier and don't eat as much. Perhaps. But it's also because all their food is fresh, little to no preservatives. Therefore, when you go to the grocery, the expiration date on almost anything you buy is at most 3 days away. You cannot go and stock up for 2 weeks. You really need to go once a week for "non-perishables" and then go almost daily for things for lunch and dinner.

It's Five O'Clock Somewhere

This past Friday was my first "full day Friday" in SIX years. From 2002-2004 I was at Thunderbird for grad school where I had no classes on Fridays. Then from 2004-2008, we had flex time at SLNGNA. Therefore, for a 37.5 hour work-week, I was at work 9.5 hours M-Th (including lunch) and then only 3.5 hours on Friday.

Needless to say, this past Friday, and every Friday going forward, is going to seem excruciatingly long. I was dragging so much Friday afternoon that I decided to treat myself to Starbucks.

You might think that's nothing special, it is over here. Take your US salary and divide by 2. Ok, that is your salary in pounds (GBP). Then you go to Starbucks, but there is no change in price. Therefore, if you spend $3.50 for a drink there, now you will spend 3.5 GBP, not 1.75. Basically, the menu has the same number figures in the US and UK, but in the UK it's pounds, so you have to multiply by 2 to get to USD. Sorry if that's a bit confusing. Basically, I paid $6 USD for a chai latte and loved every minute of it. Starbucks will most definitely be a monthly treat!