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)
27 Jan 06 At Long Last!
At long last, I’ve found time to make a post. It’s been quite a busy time, as I’m sure everybody reading this is aware. Tiffany and I have been having lots of fun exploring London, and you’ve all read about the new apartment. I can report that everything is in place, we signed the lease last night.
My new job is going very well. It’s very interesting work, and the group of people I’m working with is top notch. I’m learning a lot, and keeping very busy. They expect you to hit the ground running, from a very simple project in the couple of weeks, I’m now into two projects, both of which are quite complicated. All very neat.
The real reason for this post though is to mention the restuarant that Tiffany and I went too last night. Tiffany looked through the Zagat guide for good places in our (new) neighbourhood and found The Original Lahore Kebab House. This prices were rated “cheap” but the food got a 27 out of thirty! That’s just two notchs away from the top rated restaurant (Gordon Ramsey, at 29, at close to a hundred pounds per person). And, it’s a five minute walk from our new flat. We had to go.
I’m pleased to say, it did not disappoint. The decor was nothing much, but the service was refreshingly efficient and the food was just great. And all for under twenty pounds, which is a total bargin.
And now I’ll say goodbye, since as Tiffany already pointed out, we’re throughly addicted to Celbrity Big Brother, and the finale is on in a few minutes.
22 Jan 06 The whale in the Thames died
The other day when I first heard that a whale had been spotted in the Thames river, I had a bad feeling the outcome would not be a good one. The river is so narrow and shallow for a whale and it seemed too far in to have any realistic chance of survival, especially after it was injured from a collision with a boat. Sadly last night it died while being towed back to the ocean. The riverbanks in the city were apparently crowded at times with people excited to get a look at the whale, which is understandable.
When we lived in Vancouver I saw a number of whales in my travels and we also saw some when we cruised to Alaska, so it wasn’t a priority to try to get a look at this one in the Thames. A few years ago a whale was successfully towed back out to the ocean after becoming disoriented in North Van. From watching that incident it was evident how delicate such an operation is.
Yesterday we were on the south bank of the Thames, but quite far from the Battersea Bridge, where the whale rescue attempt was underway.
We visited the awesome Borough Market under London Bridge and loaded up with a couple of bags of fresh goodies. There’s an incredible selection there, from sweets to savouries, breads, wines and of course meat, dairy and produce. Our favourite pick was two slices of ’savoury pie’ - that’s ‘quiche’ to those back home :) We also bought fresh pepper sausage, oak-smoked cheese, olives, croissants, baklava and plenty of yummy fruit. The grapes we’ve had here are especially juicy and sweet! This market will definitely be a regular destination for us on future weekends.
Such a sunny day! We enjoyed the walk from London Bridge back to the hotel to drop of the goodies, then returned to the south bank to Queen Elizabeth Hall to take in another Mime Fest show - this one was free! It was aimed at kids, but was goofy enough for adults to have a laugh too.
In other news, our reference checks for the apartment came back A-okay, so we’ll be moving in Feb 1 as planned. We also heard from the shipping company that our possessions should arrive by Feb 5, but they scheduled a tentative delivery for Feb 8. Now I’m feeling pretty anxious to get into the flat and out of the hotel, which is very comfortable but not home…
15 Dec 05 Lawn chairs
That’s what we’re sitting on… the canvas kind. They’re quite comfy and smell a bit like campfire! Nearly all our furniture is gone - sold or donated - but there’s still some to go. And we’ve still got to part with some perfectly great electronic things since they aren’t compatible for 220V.
Say hello to the new socket:
Random electronics remaining: Wahl hairclippers, popcorn popper, coffee maker, paper shredder.
Movers arrive in 5 sleeps.
We’re patiently awaiting the approved work permit and will immediately need to file visa applications using a rush service. Time’s getting tight!
7 Dec 05 Weather comparison
Today’s high in Ithaca /-5*C / 23*F / 10-day forecast
Today’s high in London / 7*C / 44*F / 10-day forecast
and just because
Today’s high in Vancouver / 4*C / 40*F / 10-day forecast
Need I say more?
15 Nov 05 Expatriate
1. One who has taken up residence in a foreign country.
2. One who has renounced one’s native land.
The last thing I’ll do is renounce my native land! I’m Canadian through and through, but it’s time now to face reality: I’ll be living as an expatriate for many years to come. The past 18ish months living in the US has been fun and sometimes troubling (politics, ugh) and I’ve even adopted some American ways. For example, I don’t say ‘aboot’ anymore and I chuckle when my family and friends say it over the phone. Prior to moving here last year I firmly believed that Canadians saying ‘aboot’ was an idea not based in fact, that it was just a joke that drove me nuts everytime I heard it. But it is very very… REAL! Also in the US I think I’ve gotten used to having access to more and different ’stuff’. Which means I’m going to miss Target! And I’ll miss the option of taking a last-minute trip into NYC, a city I love.
Then there’s the stuff I won’t miss, like when you say “Thank You” to someone and they respond with a blunt “Uh huh.” It’s an expression that rings ungrateful for my display of gratitude :) I won’t miss seeing cops with machine guns on the street guarding subway stations (in NYC) but then again hmmm, maybe London’s got some of that. I won’t miss not being able to work!
So what’s weird is now that we’re moving to the UK from the US I’m feeling a bit like a double-expatriate, at least in the realm of the world wide web. I’ve been cruising expat websites looking for shipping advice, and the best stuff is available over at the UK Yankee forum: Americans from Florida and California and Wisconsin discussing the best way to get your personal possessions across the sea. It’s been very helpful. I felt a bit left out, being not American, so I surfed on over to the forums at Canuck Abroad and Canadian Expats in the UK. Then I REALLY felt left out since I’m not in Canada…
I’m thankful all these sites exist though, and there’s priceless advice to gather from people who have already moved to the UK. At UK Yankee they’ve created three helpful topics: Things about The UK you wish you had known; Things you wish you had brought with you and Things you SHOULDN’T have brought with you.
Who knew you couldn’t get proper deoderant over there?
Then I saw this quote from Bette Midler and got a bit worried:
“When it’s three o’clock in New York, it’s still 1938 in London.”
GET FED: