21 Feb 06 Hailstorm
It’s really windy and cold here at the moment, the most chilly since we arrived. I was caught in a hailstorm today that lasted at least two whole minutes… it’s dry again though. At first I thought it was snowing, which I think would have been a freakish event here, but alas, it was just frozen rain.
Had a few errands to run, which started at the Job Centre a block away from our flat. Need to find out how to acquire a NIN - National Insurance Number - a.k.a SIN, SSN, you get the idea. It’s a convoluted process just like many tasks here seem to be. You have to call one of eight phone numbers to set up an in-person appointment. That’s all I know about it now, but just getting through on the lines is apparently a near-impossible thing. You can work here without having a NIN, but you pay extra tax called ‘emergency tax’, so it’s in your favour to set it up ASAP.
I need to do some whizbang fabric repair on my beautiful felted purse, so ventured out to see the local haberdashery shop. Unfortunately there was an ominous WHOLESALE ONLY sign in the window, like many businesses in our neighbourhood. This is wholesale fashion land which at times causes upset, like when you see a handbag displayed in a window that you just have to have to have, but the sign on the door says GO AWAY YOU’RE NOT WELCOME HERE! Sad.
Over the weekend a building down the block was burned and gutted. The road was blocked off for a good part of Saturday which in a way was a treat because there was no traffic outside the flat! Since the fire station is directly across from us, all the trucks were out and I’m sure they worked a hard day. By the way, do all fire stations have pool tables in them? From our windows we can see all the goings on over there, including a full-access view into the workout room (ladies!)…
I checked out the St. George’s swimming pool, which is about a 10-minute walk from home. It’s a good big size and the schedule allows for plenty of public swim time - some adults or women’s only - which is great! I definitely feel a need to get better exercise than pounding the pavement, so I’ll head over there when the mood strikes. It costs £2.30 for a swim during non-peak hours, whenever that is.
Again I’ll say that we’re quite loving our neighbourhood here, feeling we made a solid choice for a first place to live. Every direction you walk in holds new surprises. Down Whitechapel Street most days you can buy produce from stands that line the sidewalks. They fill up big bowls full of one type of fruit or veg and you pay £1 per bowl - good deal! Also on Whitechapel, from the mosque, you’ll be lucky to hear the call to prayer over the loudspeakers. It’s a beautiful chanting sound that fills the street and drowns out all other noise pollution.
Oh and I can also tell that ‘Christian Road’ doesn’t have a very Christian feel :O)
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GET FED:
Hi Tiffany
Glad you both are enjoying your new home! Sounds like it has all that you like - skipping the wholesale stores - I liked the produce stands when we were in Germany. Everything was always so fresh. Enjoy!
Lynda
Comment by Lynda Bobinski — February 26, 2006 #