Life in the UK.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

Well now, this is odd. I was recently offered a job in the UK and I took it. I've never lived overseas, and it certainly is intersting adapting to life outside of the US. I suppose this is an opportunity that many people on these boards would have jumped to accept (even with Tony being what he is)

I've been here for a week and a half, and God help me I've set up a blog for communicating with people back in the states. If you're at all interested in seeing what daily life is like over here, check it out at:

http://lifeintheyuck.blogspot.com

End self-promotional rant. Enjoy your evening (or afternoon or morning, whatever the case.)

Bloody peasants.

[B Calm]

1. What time is it there?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

7. It was rather late when I posted this.

I vaguely remember a pub earlier in the evening and not much after that.

[CottonBear]

2. You are so lucky!

And I always pronounce schedule and aluminum the British way! It's so much fun. And remember: cookies are biscuits! And put your gear in the boot of the car! Cheerio!

[Wabbajack]

4. How

do the Brits pronounce aluminum?

[CottonBear]

6. Okay. I'll try a phonetic spelling.

Al-yu-min-ium.

[tjwmason]

19. That's because we spell it properly too

Aluminium. :P

[CottonBear]

33. Doh!

I didn't spell check. Oops!

[hickman1937]

34. LOL. You boot a car in Detroit, you go to jail. n/t

[Menshevik]

3. hey

I could completely identify with your statement about going to the ATM frequently. I can't believe how fast I go through money here and just when I'm spending it on cheap food! Damn the exchange rate...but I love it here...lucky you got a job out here...I need to find one of those after graduation lol

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

8. Where are you going to school?

I'm in Cambridge, which has a serious student infestation.

[Menshevik]

22. London School of Economics

where Mick Jagger went...lol

[tjwmason]

23. Living in London is horrendously expensive

I'm not that far out, but even over the 20 miles from here there is a big difference.

The L.S.E. has a good reputation for being (in American terms) progressive.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

24. I don't know how London compares to cambridge.

But it seems to be expensive here, too. Rich students + tech industry = ££££££££

[tjwmason]

25. London beats everywhere else in the U.K. generally.

The whole of the South East is expensive, and pockets (such as Cambridge) can get very bad too.

Particularly bad if you're still working in U.S. Dollars at the moment.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

29. $

>Particularly bad if you're still working in U.S. Dollars at the moment.

Unfortunately, that is the case. I'm trying to work something out with respect to the conversion the company uses for my salary.

[babylonsister]

5. I read your blog-good job! Enjoy your

new experience and yes, I'm jealous. I've bookmarked lifeintheyuck and will be checking back!:hi:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

9. Groovy.

Just be aware that I have a tendency to post things after going to the pub. :)

[babylonsister]

13. Funny, so do I LOL! nt

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

18. Santorum

Just saw your site. Santorum does indeed suck. I'm originally from PA, and that dildo is my congresseunuch.

[zanana]

10. Your blog is now on my "favorites" list.

I'm really enjoying the writing, and the culture shock thing is kinda funny. I was in the UK for four months, years ago, and I never felt so much at home and so foreign at the same time. Enjoy yourself!

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

15. Read the latest post.

>and I never felt so much at home and so foreign at the same time

They've even got Christian fundamentalists! :)

[Anarcho-Socialist]

11. As a Briton I enjoy reading your blog and your funny cultural comparisons

What method are you using to call the U.S.? Are you calling the U.S. directly or using a dialaround number?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

14. phone

>What method are you using to call the U.S.

At the moment, just a standard Virgin pay-as-you-go. The dial-arounds wind up being quite a bit cheaper, but they need a residential address in order to invoice you, and I don't have that yet! My solution for the moment is to have people call me instead, thus costing me nothing. :)

[Anarcho-Socialist]

16. I've sent you a private message, check your inbox n/t

[SoCalDem]

48. Set regular times and use skype.. It's FREEEEEEE

www.skype.com

has phone and text, and is really FAST !! But your p[honemate must be online too, and have microphone & speakers :)

[magnolia]

12. I love England!

I've only visited, but would love to live there for a period of time. I have good friends up in Newark, Notts and Chesham, Bucks. They are a joy.

BTW...when it rains, which it does often, don't forget your bumpershoot.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

17. Rain? What rain?

When I got here it was snowing. Then it stopped snowing, and I actually saw the sun. The WHOLE SUN without any cloud cover whatsoever. Then it hailed, snowed, sleeted, frozen rained, and then stopped. Now it's been cloudy all week, but the sun is just barely poking out from behind the clouds, finally. I assume more hail is imminent.

[tjwmason]

21. Just wait a while

We've been having a cold-spell; I'm sure that the April Showers will show you what British weather can be like. ;-)

Anyway, welcome to the U.K. I hope you have a great time here.

[tjwmason]

20. I'm just up the road from Chesham

Beaconsfield.

A glorious part of the country (i.m.o.), though probably the most Conservative.

[IcyPeas]

42. umm... i think that's bumbershoot?

[DS1]

26. Life in the Yuck? I think I'll be skipping your blog, thanks anyway

:eyes:

[DS1]

27. Actually, I've changed my mind, it's rather amusing

:D

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

30. Perhaps I should consider changing the name.

to IMALIMEY, which is the custom license plate i'd like to get when and if i move back to the states. :)

[DS1]

31. How about LMYBSTRD or is that too many letters?

:-)

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

32. Dunno

It'd be a California plate. Can't remember if they're 7 or 8 letters.

[mr blur]

28. Enjoying your blog from here within the UK

I haven't a clue what that key on the keyboard is either. I thought it was an American thing!
So, you'll be here when our election takes place - a chance to see what an election's like when the parties don't have billions to spend on the process. Probably seem very dull.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

35. Now there are pictures.

Check latest post if interested.

[Skittles]

36. lived there for eleven years, bud

LOVED it although I must say I've been disillusioned on my latest trips - it's become AMERICANIZED - McDonalds, Texaco :puke:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

38. Cambridge has supposedly had KFC for 20 years.

Within four blocks of my work you can find:

Starbucks
KFC
Subway
Chili's

Subway is apparently something of a novelty here. My co-workers go there all the time.

On the other hand, they do have Kettle brand potato chi..err... "crisps," which I love.

[Skittles]

45. the places I lived - all they had were fish 'n chips

to this day it is my favorite meal!

Have you taken to leaving your fork upsidedown in your left hand while eating? My English grandmother would smack my hand if I attempted to transfer the darn fork. :o

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

46. That seems to be changing.

The untensil habits I've observed amongst the Brits (my co-workers, all mid-20s to mid-30s) seems to be quite close to US style whatever-the-hellishness.

[tjwmason]

47. I can't understand how Americans manage to eat

It is so damn easy to use the cutlery the proper way. :P

[TyeDye75]

50. Yeah the idea of a shop that exclusively sells buttys

It knocked me for 6 I can tell you.

[fujiyama]

37. Interesting blog

I have a cousin living in the UK. I think somewhere near Leads.

[tjwmason]

39. You have my sincere coffee sympathies

And apologies on behalf of the large majority of my fellow countryfolk who think that a little bit of powder disolved in hot water makes coffee.

Being an obstinate git, I have taken a single person coffee filter into work and keep my own supply of coffee. Only way of making it through the day.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

40. I've also seen instant "tea" here.

I had no idea such a thing existed, or had a reason to exist. I mean... it's tea. It's already self-contained, portable, and has great longevity.

I keep thinking I should mix some instant coffee with some instant tea and see if the result is any better than the two by themselves.

[tjwmason]

41. Instant-tea is the abomination of desolation

I've never actually met anybody who drinks it.

Personally I'd take the manufacturers and ship them off to the Hague to be tried for crimes against humanity.

You certainly could try mixing instant-coffee and instant-tea, but I'd add a hefty dash to your life insurance before drinking the result. :scared:

[IcyPeas]

43. have you treated yourself yet to...

a "99" or a "double nouget"

:9

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

44. No.

I had to google that to find out what it was!

[Rhiannon12866]

49. Thanks. I'm bookmarking this one.

I'm so glad that you have DU, since you will need support, even though most of the British are kindred spirits. But, still, "there's no place like home.":grouphug:

[TyeDye75]

51. Ever been to the north?

people from the south get culture shock up here, never mind people from abroad.

Have you ever heard of the gravy curtain...its based on Churchill's iron curtain...

It runs from Just south of Birmingham right across the country. Above the curtain...chippys sell gravy, below the curtain they dont.

I was in Sussex one time and they put mayonnaise on my chips....I was freaked out.

[tjwmason]

52. Both mayonnaise and gravy on chips are good.

Obviously not together.

I'm a mixed up git; my ancestry is all from Yorkshire but I've been down south since the age of 12 and am utterly southern (down to complete wimpishness about cold weather).

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

54. The curry thing is interesting.

The consistency and saltiness of the curry sauce that comes with an order of chips is almost more like a sort of curry gravy. Very artery-clogging, no doubt.

[tjwmason]

55. That stuff could be used to provide cheap insulation

For old people's homes and the like. Certainly better than eating it.

The Indians I have discussed it with are all appalled at the way in which curry is massacred over here; a good curry is a form of heaven on earth, but just as most of our Chinese food is just a pile of M.S.G., so too most of our curries are a mockery of the real thing.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

58. I've already discovered this.

My previous home was San Francisco, where "real" curry is widely available.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

53. I haven't even been to the north of Cambridge

let alone the north of the country. Of course, I have only been here 2 weeks. :) Once I've located a place to live and an old Land Rover in which to travel (not available in the states, and I've always wanted one) I'll have to check it out.

[KurtNYC]

56. I had a Numark mixer back in the day

2 turntables, the Numark, 2 monster amps and 4 Cerwin Vegas. Used to cross fade "Rapper's Delight" right into "White Lines."

I have a reverse British/American language story for you. Walking up Third Avenue and I see two women asking various people something and no one seems to have the answer for them. I get up to them, say "can I help you find something?"

They say, "Yes where is the nearest tube stop?" ("tube" pronounced like "chube"). I took them to the subway.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

57. If you've moved on from vinyl...

...you should seriously consider a set of CDXes. I finaly got to play with one the other day, and I can easily say it's the best piece of DJ gear I've ever used. If any of the music I actually bought were available on CD instead of vinyl, I'd have a set on order right now.