take what we can get

I like being home so I can watch football with my dad - HDTV is a nice bonus, too. I'm glad Chad had a good game and TJ tied the record for receptions. I love a Bengals win even if it doesn't matter.

I just have one question: who is it that hocked a loogie in the second half of the broadcast??

more British pop culture

The Christmas Number One is a big deal in the UK (remember Love Actually?) Weeks before there is speculation about who will win it and the last three years it has been the winner of X-Factor. Since the show ends right around the holiday time the new winner has their single released at just the right time...this year it was Leon Jackson. Check out the list, it's an interesting mix!

Merry belated Christmas

I hope you had a great Christmas!

When I arrived home one of the first things Melissa told me was, "The bad news is Mom and Dad's internet isn't working." I know, things could definitely be worse but that means I've been without internet for nearly 5 days. Whoa. It's amazing how hard that is and what you can do when you aren't constantly checking email and Facebook. I've been able to spend quality time with my family and friends, bake lots of cookies, read and watch a few movies.

We went to the movies on Christmas Eve and saw "Enchanted." It was really cute. Last night I watched "Miss Potter" on DVD which I also really liked. I'm currently reading "Unspeakable" by Os Guinness. It's about evil in the modern world. It's not a light read but so far I'm really enjoying it. It's an interesting mix of philosophy and religion but still reasonably easy for normal people to understand. Now I have to get started on my stack of new books from Christmas. I'm especially looking forward to "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and "Prayer: Does it really matter?"

X-Factor

Check out the new single from Leon Jackson, the newest winner of X-Factor. (X-Factor is an American/Pop Idol-like show). I saw him perform live with Michael Buble at his concert a few weeks ago and he is really good.

Last year's winner was Leona Lewis and she also has a pretty catchy single out - check out "Bleeding Love."

I put my new shoes on

...and suddenly everything's alright.

Today I bought real dance shoes. I'm pretty sure I've crossed some invisible line and there's no turning back. The soles are very flexible and covered with suede for spinning! Since they are suede soles I can't wear them outside. That means I have to carry my shoes in a bag and wear other shoes there. If you recall, this presents an interesting problem. This isn't the same, though. I don't have to wear gym shoes with a skirt, I can still wear shoes that work with the outfit.

I'll be home for Christmas...

Only 2 days until I come back home for Christmas...but it doesn't really feel like Christmas. At what point do you stop anticipating Christmas the same way you did as a kid? Everything is in place: Christmas lights, shopping, carol services and people dressed as Santa Claus but I just don't have the same feeling inside. Maybe that is one of the ways you can tell if you've grown up. I'm not sure if I like to think of myself as being grown-up though. That hints of getting older...

The weather has been nice here for the past few days which has been a welcome relief from weeks of rain. It's been sunny although very cold. So I'll leave you with a couple of pictures from enjoying festive ice skating at Kew Gardens this weekend.

Fashion contradiction 2

I also find putting make-up on while sitting on the train a contradiction.

There are several reasons I can think of to wear make-up:

1. To cover up imperfections
2. To make yourself more attractive
3. Because make-up is fun to play with (a lesser reason)

All three reasons are completely invalidated by putting it on in the train. If you're trying to cover up your imperfections, everyone already saw them all! Similarly, if you're trying to make yourself more attractive everyone already saw the real you. You've already lost a certain amount of tact by doing your make-up on the train and I doubt anyone finds it attractive that you are checking to make sure your spots are covered and there is nothing in your teeth. That's what bathrooms are for. Finally, if you're wearing make-up because it's fun to play with, it's not like you can actually have fun with it on the train.

I know some people put it on in the car. Although it's very dangerous, at least it doesn't contradict the main reasons you wear make-up.

That's the way I see it (and that must be the only way).

Fashion contradiction 1

There are a couple fashion related observations that I've never understood. Today I'll deal with the first one: wearing gym shoes with a suit or skirt.

I know lots of people do it and it is socially acceptable in big cities, but I don't quite understand it. I know the purpose is to allow for comfortable walking to and from work while still being able to wear fashionable dress shoes at work. But, if you are so concerned with wearing fashionable uncomfortable shoes how can you bear to be seen wearing gym shoes with socks, pantyhose and a skirt?

If I can't walk to the train station in my shoes then I won't wear them. I look for the middle ground - reasonably comfortable and reasonably fashionable. This way, I may not have the coolest shoes in the office but at least I won't look ridiculous on the way there. Plus, I already have to carry my laptop and purse and I don't want to lug around an extra pair of shoes.

That's the way I see it (and that must be the only way).

I know you were holding your breath

...so I thought I better let you know I passed the test! Of course I still have the practical driving test to go but at least I'm one step closer. At least I still know how to take a test.

passionate

Passionate is one of those overused words, like love. Well, at least that's how I feel. I hear a lot of people at work say they are passionate about something. Usually it is in reference to business or consumer package goods. It makes me want to throw up. How can you be passionate about TV commercials or selling consumer goods? Maybe it's just that I'm not...at all.

I'm lucky to have a job that I enjoy at some times and tolerate at others, pays well and gives me lots of opportunities. But I'm not passionate about it. I only reserve that word for things that really matter: God, family, friends, helping others. I would almost go so far as to say I'm passionate about music. But since I wouldn't say it's significant in the grand scheme of the world maybe I just like it a lot. I realize I'm probably being too strict in my application in rebellion to the liberal usage.

More to the point, hearing others refer to being passionate about work makes me wonder if everyone can find a job they are passionate about. Is it reasonable to expect to find a job you are passionate about, even according to a looser definition of the word? Certainly everyone doesn't but is that because they don't look for it or because it's not always possible?

I hope I'm not being idealistic but I like to think it's possible.

this is killing me

I'm taking the theory test for my UK driver's license on Friday morning. I've been studying for a couple weeks but now I've gone into high gear (it's been awhile since I had to study for anything!) Here there are two parts; a multiple choice test and hazard perception. I can pass the multiple choice part no problem.

It's the hazard perception that's killing me. I have to watch a series of 14 video clips and identify when hazards develop. That sounds easy enough. You'd hope I can actually notice when something in the road causes me to slow down. The problem is the test itself. If I click to early when the potential hazard has not actually become a hazard yet, I get zero points. If I click to late when the hazard is really obvious I get zero points. If I click too many times the program thinks I am trying to cheat and I get zero points. What am I supposed to do?? So far I've only passed less than 50% of the time. You'd think it is enough for them if I can pass the practical driving test, why do I need to pass a video game version?

24 x 2 = 48 [days]

I'm thinking Kiefer Sutherland is not exactly the guy you want to run into while you're in prison...

He would probably introduce himself as, "I'm Jack Bauer, and this is the longest day of my life." It could be the longest day of my life too if I have to sit and listen to all his stories. I'm sure he would be going on and on about how awful Nina Myers was and how glad he is he killed her.

I hear Kiefer was serving food and doing laundry while in jail. I definitely would not be complaining about my food. In fact, I might not eat it at all because it's probably poisoned. I might be tempted to ask him to iron my shirt but he would probably just reply, "There's no time!" so I wouldn't do that either.

If I was a prison guard and my boss told me to go into Jack's cell or escort him anywhere I think I would just quit- it's better to get out alive. I wouldn't want to be Jack's cell mate either, most of his friends and acquaintances end up dead (you might be okay if you were Chloe, but even then no one is really safe). Plus, if Jack Bauer goes to prison it only serves to make the upcoming scenes more dramatic which means a bunch of people are about to die!

This can't turn out well. Maybe this is really the beginning of Day 7.

bits and bobs

I thought I'd recap a few odds and ins from my past week. It was pretty busy, hence no posts.

- I thought I'd start with your new British slang for the week. Here they call odds and ends, "bits and bobs." I guess odds and ends doesn't make much sense but it seems better than bits and bobs!

- Monday I went to my dance class. I've been getting really into Ceroc. It's a mix of jive and salsa and it's very popular in London. My friends from church got me into it and we go about every week. We even signed up for a whole dance weekend in March! It makes me feel like I'm on Dancing with the Stars (well, almost). Speaking of Dancing with the Stars, what happened to Mel B in the finale?

- Tuesday I went to see Michael Buble! I took a couple of friends who, believe it or not, had never been to a concert before. It was fabulous! He is a great entertainer. The opening band was called Naturally7. Check them out, they make all the sounds with their voices - no instruments or electronics! Trust me, I saw them prove it.

- Thursday was my first driving lesson! Whoa. It went pretty well. I was a little nervous with him telling me all the little things I need to do to pass my test. I'm still studying for my theory test which I take on Friday. Then I can sign up for the driving test!

- Friday I went to Kensington Roof Gardens with my friend Patricia. It's a very posh, members only club owned by Richard Branson. Patricia's husband's work party was there so he was able to get our name on the guest list. It was pretty cool! The club itself was awesome, and outside the roof is covered with English, Spanish and Japanese gardens. I'll have to go back in the summer to appreciate all the gardens.

- Saturday I went to see the movie "Yesterday." It is about a family it South Africa who is affected by HIV. I would highly recommend it if you can get your hands on a copy. It was followed with a presentation by Tearfund on the work they do for HIV. Watch a video about Rachel here. If you want to sponsor a child affected by AIDS through a US organization check out World Vision. That definitely ended my week on a thoughtful note.

PS. Keep praying for Kelly!

studying

I've been studying for my driver's theory test in the UK. While studying I came across a few questions that I definitely don't remember being on the test in Ohio.

1. Which three things should you do when passing sheep on a road?
2. When passing animals you should not ______
3. You notice horse riders in front of you . What should you do first?

Hmm, I guess this is what you get in good ol' country England, although I don't see many sheep in London. By the way I love the questions about what you shouldn't do in a situation. Usually the question goes something like this:

If a car pulls out in front of you in an unsafe manner what should you not do:
a. Slow down and allow plenty of space
b. Remain calm
c. Pull up closely behind the car and honk your horn

Which is the right answer and which do people actually do??

crazy man on the tube

So the other night I was on the tube in Central London. It was a fairly full car but not too crowded. This crazy old man got in the car and yelled, "Can I have your attention: Please don't fart on the train! It's very crowded and if you fart you're just going to gas us all out!" Now that's funny stuff! I was laughing like a 12 year old boy at a fart joke -how could you not? Unfortunately, if you recall the Denial Rule you won't be surprised that some people didn't react at all. I would say a good amount of them at least chuckled, though.

emergency text?

Thanks to Kelly for pointing out this useful new texting service in London. Here's hoping I don't need to use it.

yes, I CAN cook!

This Thanksgiving presented the true test. I thought it would be fun to celebrate Thanksgiving with all my friends but the catch was that I'd never prepared any dishes from Thanksgiving before! So Mom and I collected all the recipes and I started getting organized. I was a little nervous, especially about the turkey and the gravy...I had to prove to my friends that I could cook things that didn't come out of a box! Everything turned out great- the gravy was very tasty, if I do say so myself.We also had them make hand turkeys to expose them to the wonderful elementary crafts we enjoy.Some of the satisfied customers!
Thanks to Melissa for all of the help! I couldn't have pulled it off without her.

I'd do anything for a klondike

I've been looking forward to the Kanye West concert for awhile now...and it did not disappoint. We were out of our seats dancing the whole night! There was a good review in the paper here which I think sums it up well. Like I said, I'm not much of a music critic I just know what I like - and I love Kanye!

I get by...

...with a little help from my friends.

I recently listened to a sermon from my church, St. Andrews at 7, on Friendship. I highly recommend downloading it (here - see "Friendship" by Phil Allcock on 28/10/07). It was from a series about relationships which I found extremely helpful and would recommend them all. This one in particular was great and pointed out how our culture often devalues friendship but how important the Bible says it is. It will definitely make you appreciate your friends.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! This is a unique Thanksgiving for me since it's my first away from home. This morning Melissa and I went to a Thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Cathedral. I was a little wary of going because I've never been able to reconcile how I feel about mixing patriotic type holidays with church. I'm also skeptical of attending any Church of England* services since I know that many of its leaders don't believe in Biblical Christianity or that everything Jesus said was true. It turned out to be pretty much what I expected, here are a few of my observations.

The man who spoke to open the service (whatever his crazy title was) said this was his first time to be involved in a Thanksgiving service but if it meant a full cathedral (as it was today) he would be involved all the time. Well, after sitting through the service I can see why the building isn't always overflowing.

The American ambassador to England said a few words. He mostly talked about family and not surprisingly, giving thanks. He called the service "a celebration of Americans in London." Fair enough, but then why are we meeting in a cathedral and calling it a church service?

Finally, the leader of the American Church in London gave the sermon based on 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 about sowing generously. He said that Paul's gospel meant that living a thankful and generous life "was the path to life as God intended it to be." He stated something along the lines that "no matter who you believe Jesus is- a prophet, cool guy, or Lord and Savior...his teaching tells us how God wants us to live our lives." Hmmm...I think he got it backwards. The Bible actually states that Christ is the path to life as God intended and that through his grace we are enabled to live thankful and generous lives. At the end he had everyone say aloud with him,"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift." Unfortunately the sermon never mentioned what that indescribable gift really was. I can see why that church isn't full. What they preach is not different than any other religion that teaches I can make it to heaven on my own, so why bother believing anything at all?

At least the offering was to support the International Justice Mission: A Christian human rights organization that advocates justice for those who have no support - including those enslaved by human trafficking. Now that's something I can get behind. The man told a story of a girl who had been rescued from a brothel in Thailand. While she was held she had scratched into her wall Psalm 27, "The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall." After her rescue she quoted Psalm 34, "I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips...I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." Wow.



*I also think it's a little ironic that the pilgrims left England in pursuit of religious freedom, but today Americans were gathered in the Church of England to celebrate.

lack of a competitive market

I like to throw in an economics lesson every once in a while. This Thanksgiving I have been presented with the perfect opportunity. If you don't find this interesting you might like Freakonomics; the authors' examples are a little more impressive than mine.

I have chosen to celebrate Thanksgiving in London. I thought it would be fun to introduce my friends here to the holiday. (I've never cooked any Thanksgiving dishes at all so this will be quite the experiment.) The first test was finding a turkey. Obviously not everyone here is buying them at this time so I had to special order it from a butcher. That's when I realized this was going to be an expensive party!

In American turkeys are being advertised for 57 cents per pound. That's less than $15 for a 15 pound turkey. All economic theories are based on a perfectly competitive market but in the UK the turkey market is not perfectly competitive. Since not everyone here is buying one, sellers do not have to be especially competitive when it comes to the price. This causes the price of turkeys to be unfortunately high.

A second possible reason for the high price is the bird flu epidemic that is happening here. This essentially causes a shock to the theoretical production function of turkeys. This causes the supply of turkeys to be low and therefore drives up the price. All of this, combined with the imperfect currency market means that my turkey will cost about 10 times as much as a turkey in the US.

Happy Thanksgiving!

slip ups

I've had a few slip ups in my quest to retain the integrity of my American culture. I've been drinking a lot of tea this week. It started as an attempt to find something to put my echinacea drops in so that I wouldn't actually taste the drops. After drinking several cups I decided tea definitely does have a different relaxation quality about it that coffee doesn't have. I'm sure I still like coffee better though.

Perhaps more embarrassing, I said the word "keen" a couple of times. Since I realized this I have become extra vigilant so as not to make that mistake again. Here they use the word keen in the context, "Are you keen to go to the movies this weekend?" or "I'm really keen to read that book." But I can't shake the association of that word with, "Gee that's keen!" which sounds like a line straight out of Leave it to Beaver.

It's a good thing Melissa is coming next weekend; she can set me straight!

PS. Melissa & Melody- I almost put a comma splice in that last sentence but I caught myself thanks to your tutoring. I hope I got it right! I'm sure there might be others in there, though.

stream of consciousness

I’m sitting at the airport in Frankfurt. It’s 8:30 on a Friday night and I’m looking at getting home around 11pm. This is exactly how I want to spend my night. So, I figured while I had time to kill I would write. As I write this I’m taking a break from reading, “A Dark Oval Stone.” I’ll probably have it finished by the time I get home tonight. It’s really good. The only problem is it deals a lot with grief, and because I’m a crier I tend to cry over these books which is not good when you’re in a public place. I don't think anyone is staring at me yet...I’m also listening to the new Iron and Wine album, “The Shepherd’s Dog.” I recommend this as well.

I’m still amused at the “conversation” I had with my taxi driver on the way here. In broken English he was describing the German social welfare system and then saying how horrible the US system was. How could millions of people be living on the streets? How could they not afford health insurance? Then he asked me what I thought about it. Wow, that’s a complicated question to end a day of 4 hour meetings.

Getting through security was frustrating. I thought the Germans were supposed to be efficient but we were all going through one security line. On top of that, the conveyor belt with everyone’s bags was crawling and there seemed to be lots of security people standing around pointlessly. And if they did it right the first time why do I have to go through security again at the gate? Nothing like doing the same work twice…

Fortunately I've developed a defense mechanism in travel situations. I’m normally somewhat impatient when it comes to time and waiting (which you probably already knew). But when I travel I force myself to be utterly relaxed. If I let anything get to me it will all snow-ball. With so much traveling my stress level would skyrocket. So I choose to remain perfectly relaxed in my own little bubble.

There is one silver lining to a one day business trip to Germany. It's not the duty-free shopping because I am so over that. (Just because the Vera Wang is duty free it doesn't mean I can afford it.) But I can afford Haribo. My favorite Haribo are the “happy cherries” but they don’t sell them in the UK. So I was overjoyed- perhaps disturbingly so, to find them in a shop here and bought two bags. I had to hold myself back from buying more.

that's all folks

Sitting through a long conference call today, led by folks in Cincinnati reminded me just how often folks in America refer to folks as "folks." Is this just a mid-western thing or do all folks say it?

I never really did like that word much...look at it closely and you'll see just how weird it looks. Plus it just sounds weird.

Poppies

Sunday is Remembrance Day in England. It's basically the British Memorial Day and is observed in several other countries. The main symbol of Remembrance Day is the poppy. Last year at this time I remember seeing guys selling paper poppies on the streets, and everyone seemed to be wearing them on their coats. Then I started seeing it again this year so I finally asked what they were for. The money raised goes to the British Royal Legion.

It's interesting because everyone actually wears them for about 2 weeks before the actual day. I'm not sure if anyone in America would wear them. I suppose if it was the tradition then maybe we would. Overall, I think we're less oriented toward traditions...but maybe that's just me. This year the British Royal Legion has gone high tech and you can now send poppies to friends on Facebook.

a little weight

I think I put on a little weight while I was home on vacation, not that I am too surprised by that. I know I'm not supposed to say things like that but I'm guessing you probably wouldn't know how much weight I'd gained if I told you in in stone.

They use stone as a measure of weight here a lot. I am always wondering, "don't all stones weight different amounts?" It's like saying something is heavy, but in relation to what? But alas, stone does have an actual weight attached to it. It's actually equal to 14 pounds or 6.4 kilograms. Apparently it originated as a reference to the weight of potato sacks...how modern. At least it's not the official unit of measure anymore but people still measure their weight according to it.

Well, unfortunately for you since I told you the conversion I won't tell you how much I gained. Hopefully it's less than 1 stone!

driving on the right...or is is the left?

I've got good news and bad news.

The good news is I found out I can get a company car!

The bad news is I have to now get a UK driving license. Unfortunately my US license is only good 12 months from the date I became a resident. I think it should be 12 months from the time I start driving but I doubt the government is really going to hear me out on this one. That means I have to apply for a provisional (temporary) license, pass a written test and a practical driving test. Deja vu. Didn't I already do this 10 years ago?? This is definitely one of those experiences I was hoping not to repeat.

yeah...

new music

Last night I went to a cool music venue called The Bedford. The entry was free, the atmosphere was cool and the music was great! There were 5 bands that each played 4 songs. Of the 5 bands I had 2 favorites. August Way is a cool band from Australia and Marcus Bonfanti was an awesome bluesy singer and guitar player. Check them out!

pumpkins

I brought back some mellowcreme pumpkins to share with friends here. They seem to think that they taste like fudge. I've never really thought about because to me they taste like, well...candy pumpkins. Any thoughts?

The week (or two) in pictures

You can check out the pictures from my trip home here! I had a lot of great ones but I tried to narrow it down.

I'm back

I'm back in London after a great visit in Cincinnati! I've got a busy week ahead so I guess I won't have time to get homesick. I'll post more pictures once I get myself together but here are a few to get you interested.
View of downtown from the Purple People Bridge
Me and Julie on the field after the Bengals vs. Jets game
Plus I can't resist this super-cute picture of Kaelyn!

Lucky Charm

Shout out to my awesome cousin Julie for hooking me up with a ticket to today's Bengals game! I've never been to a game before so I was really excited. It was fun to sit in the suite, walk in the tunnel and go on the field after the game...but even better, it was great to see a Bengals win!! I think I should go to all the home games, I must be good luck.

(I forgot my camera cord so I'll have to wait to post the pictures til I get back to London)

this just in:

Money doesn't buy happiness. Maybe you didn't need a Newsweek article or economic study...you probably only need to live a little to figure this out. I'd say man had this figured out a long time ago.

Ecclesiastes 2:11 says:

Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.

Maybe the most interesting quote in the article was this: "Economies thrive when individuals strive, but because individuals will strive only for their own happiness, it is essential that they mistakenly believe that producing and consuming are routes to personal well being." Hmmm...So what is the real key to happiness?

"But seek first [God's] kingdom and his righteousness..." Matthew 6:33.

John 4:13-14: "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

The question may not seem as simple as this since God never promises "happiness" the way most of the world defines it, but maybe we should redefine our expectations and search for what God provides.

a little snack to hold you over

Last week was a busy week so I didn't get to post much. Work was busy but now 2 major presentations are out of the way and I am coasting my way towards vacation. So get your floats ready and call the marching bands...I'm coming home tomorrow!

But just to hold you over until you see me I thought I'd leave you with another piece of language confusion. Pancakes are one of my favorite foods. But what Americans call pancakes are not what British or South Africans call them. Pancakes here are what I call crepes. South Africans call American pancakes crumpets...but crumpets aren't the same thing in England. You can't call them flapjacks either because flapjacks in England are more like softer, chewier granola bars. So honestly, I can't win either way. I haven't actually figured out what British people would call American pancakes but whatever, I know what real pancakes are!

Just to confuse you, here is an interesting video of an obviously British person making pancakes. You can also get an idea of the different types of toppings they use other than maple syrup. If there was one thing that could beat maple syrup it would be Nutella!

8 miles...

Sunday I ran my longest distance to date - 8 miles! I haven't been able to train much in weeks leading up to it so I was so proud that I could actually run the whole thing. It was a beautiful day and the route was along the Thames so it was a nice run. I did it in about 1 hour and 15 minutes which is decent, honestly I was just glad to finish.

I ran it with my friend Sue-Ellen who has run "ultra-marathons" before (52 miles!!). Afterwards she sent me a text to say "good job" and also, "we'll have to train harder when you get back to London." Hmmm, what does that mean exactly? I'm not sure what I'm going to get myself into but I guess we need to set the next goal.That's me in the blue hat.

Rugby World Cup 2007

Is anyone in America watching the Rugby World Cup?? Last weekend was full of upsets and now, amazingly, England is through to the final next weekend. Who will they play? Argentina or South Africa. I suppose I should be supporting England but since a lot of my friends are South African and they are the ones who taught me the rules...I am a South Africa supporter! Tomorrow night we are watching South Africa vs Argentina on the big screen after church. (It reminds me of the time we watched the Bengals vs. Colts at Echo.) Too bad I won't be here for the final game. I'll have to try and watch from Cincinnati.

I may not be an England fan but I am a fan of one of the players...Johnny Wilkinson...he is cute!

Twentysomething

Most of my friends (and anyone else who has had to talk to me for a signficant period of time since graduating from grad school) know that I'm big into this twentysomething/quarter-life crisis phenomenon that seems to be affecting my generation. This is an interesting article on it.

Human Trafficking in my backyard

A member of a human trafficking ring was sentenced in London today. Apparently the ring leader, who lived in Wimbledon, is yet to be sentenced.

this is awesome.

I guess the link is the joy? Or maybe it is just shock factor...somehow it works- and is hilarious!

well at least the party was fun anyway...Skyline and my chocolate chip cookies were a hit!

[belated] Gameday party

DON'T TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!!

Tonight I'm having over a bunch of friends to watch the Bengals vs. the Patriots. I decided to get the Sky Sports channels for the football season and since the Bengals were on Monday Night Football it's included in the games Sky shows. The only problem is MNF starts at 1am in London! So I recorded the game and we'll have Tuesday Night Football instead. I had to give them the opportunity to watch a game since I'm always hearing them talk about rugby and soccer and make fun of football.

But this introduces another problem. I now have to sit through the entire day wondering who won the game last night. I have to avoid my Google homepage and ESPN so I don't see any scores. If things turn out badly at least I'll have good food. I'm making Skyline chili! It will be quite a Cincinnati night.

my latest discovery...

So I think everyone is aware of my obsession with gummy candies. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. But I've discovered a new variety! They are called Percy Pigs and they sell them at Marks & Spencer...just one more reason to love that store! They are shaped like, you guessed it - pigs! I'll bring some home in a few weeks...

mielies?

This weekend I had some corn on the cob...it made me happy (it doesn't always take much!). I also learned that in South Africa they call it mielies. Interesting. They had a good time making fun of my American accent saying "corn on the cob." I don't always notice my accent until people start mocking it. It's pretty funny.

Tea anyone?

I'm still a coffee girl. I think the test of how English I become will be if I ever choose tea over coffee. I do enjoy tea with milk every once in a while but always prefer coffee.

Tea is something Americans see as "classically British" (along with biscuits and crumpets). But when people ask you if you'd like to come over for tea, they might actually mean dinner. To some people "tea" means the evening meal.

So what is the difference between tea and tea?
Am I supposed to eat before I come or are we eating?
Is there going to be real food or just biscuits?

I always have to clarify exactly what "tea" means when someone asks. So far I haven't been able to discern the answer from context clues alone...Just another example of confusing British words.

the business of Myspace and Facebook

I'm a star

Well, I finally finished watching Season 4 of Dancing with the Stars. I'm so glad Apolo and Julianne won! I would have voted for them if my vote still counted.

Watching it has totally gotten me in the mood to dance so my friend suggested I come with her to a Ceroc dance class. Ceroc is a mix of Jive and Salsa and it's huge in London. So last night I went to my first class and had a blast! I almost felt like I was on Dancing with the Stars...I'm already a star, but give me some time and maybe I'll be a dancer.

I'm awake

I've been around, busy enjoying life in London. In my downtime I've been devouring Season 3 of The Office. I figured you were probably tired of hearing me go on about how great it is so I thought I'd take a quick break from blogging. (I can't wait for Thursday!)

It's been a blissful few weeks with no rain (not necessarily brilliant weather, but still -no rain!). But this morning I was awoken from my blogging slumber by the hurricane like weather. By the time I got to the train station this morning my shoes were sloshing, the bottom half of my trousers were soaked and my hair was blown every which way. Needless to say that wasn't a fun way to start a Monday. If someone had offered me a ride to the station, they could have been a crazy person and I would have gotten in the car anyway.

Even better news is that it will be rainy all week and the temperature is dropping. I guess it's almost October...

Yeah baby!

Shout out to my fabulous sister Melissa for sending me Season 3 of The Office! I just got it tonight and can't wait to watch. I have exactly 2 weeks to watch them all before Season 4 starts.

How I almost met Orlando Bloom

A couple weeks ago I was walking around Covent Garden and stumbled onto a theatre where a big crowd was waiting outside. I realized it was the theatre where Orlando Bloom is starring in "In Celebration." It was about the time a matinée would finish and scattered among the crowd were some bodyguards. Orlando Bloom was about to walk out the stage door after his performance!

I managed to convince the people I was with to wait around for a few minutes so I could snap a picture. So we waited...and waited. A few other people came out. They were probably also in the play but no one really seemed to care about them. (I feel kind of bad for them starring in a play with Orlando Bloom since probably he gets all the attention). We probably waited about 20 minutes and at that point I started to feel bad for the people I made stay with me since they didn't care about seeing him. I hated to leave because he could have walked out any minute! I snapped a few pictures anyway.Not sure who this guy was but he was pictured in the posters and a few people got his autograph...obviously not Orlando Bloom.Just imagine this is a real picture of Orlando Bloom in person!!

WKRP

About 50% of the time when I tell people I'm from Cincinnati they says, "WKRP in Cincinnatiiii!" I have to admit, I've never once seen the show but it was listed as one of the Top 100 shows of all time by Time Magazine*. Another 40% say, "Ohh, okay," which I think is code for "Yeah, I have no idea where that is." The remaining 10% have lived in the US or teach geography so they actually know where Cincinnati is.

*Perhaps more exciting to note is that The Office was also listed as one of the best shows of all time. (both the US and British versions)

Rugby World Cup 2007

Today I tried to watch England vs. USA in the Rugby World Cup. USA didn't have much of a chance...let's face it, rugby is not really an American sport. Oh well, at least it's the [real] football season now!

In the mind of Jamie Cullum

Last night I went to see Jamie Cullum at a record release gig at The Forum. The show was titled "In the mind of Jamie Cullum" after the album. It was not a normal show...I would say "eclectic" is the best word to describe it! There were several performers, each also featured on the CD. My favorite new discovery was Roni Size and Reprazent. It finished off with an electronic set with Jamie and Ben Cullum. Again, it was not regular Jamie Cullum music but it was awesome. We were very close to the stage and I was dancing all night! Here are a few pictures.

JamieRoni Size and ReprazentJamie and Ben CullumJamie crowd surfing!!

West End review: Lord of the Rings

I'm a big Lord of the Rings fan, but I have to admit I was skeptical about it being turned into a musical. Regardless, last weekend I went with several co-workers to see it. It wasn't my first choice but they didn't want to see Fame, Footloose or Chicago.

First, if you haven't read the books or watched the movies I don't think you would understand what was going on. Although I suspect if you haven't seen the movies you aren't likely to go to the musical so it's probably fine. They condensed 9 hours of movie into 3 hours of a musical (thankfully!) so obviously lots of things were cut. Second, there is no way you can appreciate the characters and the story of Lord of the Rings in this production. So basically everything I liked about LOTR was lost in the musical.

It seems as the whole point of the musical was to make cool sets, effects and bring to life interesting creatures on stage. This part shouldn't be underestimated because it was very impressive. Some of the things they did with the stage I'd never seen before. Gollom's performance was also really good. But some of the scenes seemed to be chosen just to showcase stage effects while there I were others that would have been better to cut.

As I've written this I realize I didn't say much positive. I really did enjoy the "show" overall. If you want to see cool costumes and effects I'd recommend it. If you want to see Lord of the Rings then watch the movie.

Chad can't be stopped

Football season is here! I must admit it is hard to stay on top of everything and feel the excitement when you're in a city where football means soccer. But I am still excited! I've even entered into a Fantasy Football league with some colleagues in the UK through NFLUK. It's different from most leagues I've seen in that there isn't a draft where everyone picks players and you can't have the same player as someone else. Instead, there is a salary cap of $18 million and I can create a new team every week regardless of who other people have on their team. Of course the best players are the most expensive so the trick is to pick the best team given the scoring system, the cost of each player, and their match-ups in that week.

I've just picked my first team and man, it is complicated! I think it is going to be a lot of work to analyze the match ups every week, considering I know very little about all the teams and players. I know the basics like Baltimore has a good defense and Indy has a good offense. Oh well, it will be fun and I'll learn a lot. (I'm happy to accept any pointers!) If, by some stroke of luck, I win, I will get tickets to the Superbowl!

Since I didn't deem the cost of Chad Johnson to be worth it this week since because we're playing Baltimore I decided to name my team "Chad can't be stopped."

a little behind

Well, I could be blogging something interesting. Instead I'm watching "Dancing with the Stars." Yes, I'm a little behind. It was on in April in the US but they're showing it here now. I'm definitely addicted. Don't tell me who wins though.

new hair

I finally caved into my itch for short hair...

Bank Holiday weekend

This weekend was a long weekend in the UK. I'm not sure what the occasion is, since everything is just called a "bank holiday" but I enjoyed a day off work anyway! As an added bonus, these were the first sunny days in two weeks! Saturday I headed to Cambridge with a friend. We enjoyed punting on the Cam river, shopping and exploring the various colleges. You can check out some pictures here.

Sunday we went to the Notting Hill Carnival. It happens every year on this weekend and is apparently the world's second largest street party. I didn't want to go initially because I'd heard it was just a huge crowd. However, Sunday is family day so a little more tame and less crowded. It was definitely a fun experience and now I can say I've been there! Here are a few pictures from the day.

part of the paradeErin and Antonme and ErinThe public toilets had a 20 minute maximum...darn! I was hoping to spend 30 minutes in one!

sweet

For those of you addicted to The Office and who also have an iGoogle homepage you can now add a random quote from The Office to your homepage! What a good way to start the day.

milestone #3

Happy Anniversary to me! Tomorrow I will have officially been living in London for 1 year. Whoa.

More on this later when I've had time to process my thoughts.

Let's share

So I hear it is around 101 Fahrenheit in Cincinnati. Well, it's about 65, windy and rainy here. How about you share some of your sun and heat with us in rainy London??

Movie review: Bourne Ultimatum

I analyze data for a living so I don't really like to analyze my movies except to say that I know when I like one, and this one is good! It was even more action-packed than the other two- in fact I'm still catching my breath. Even more important, it completes a trilogy where you actually want to own all 3 on DVD (like LOTR, maybe like Pirates of the Caribbean and definitely not like The Matrix).

It was really cool to see the scenes they shot in London and Madrid. I could see several places in Madrid I recognized, like the famous bull fighting ring that I stayed near. In London there was a big scene shot in Waterloo station where I go almost every week. In fact, if you listen closely you can hear them announce the "Southwest trains service to Chessington South." That train stops at Wimbledon and I often take it on my way home from Central London. Pretty cool!

So that's my review - Go see it!

multiple bogeys

The weather may not be great but I learned something that helped cheer me up. When I was a kid my Dad could say "booger" a certain way and I would crack up every time. Well, it turns out that the British don't say booger, they call them "bogeys." I'm not sure how it took me a year to find this out. Probably because most normal adults don't use the word "booger" in every day conversation.

Top Gun is never going to be the same again. "[Darn] it- this bogey's all over me!"

a sign

While we were out running tonight we got caught in the rain. We stopped under a tree to get a little shelter and parked right in front of me on the street was my red Mazda3. Mazdas are not very common over here and I've never seen one exactly like mine until today. It's gotta be a sign.

awww man

I woke up this morning to my alarm at 6am. The first thing I thought to myself was, "Oh no, it's darker than it has been recently outside." That means one thing - fall is approaching! It's also beginning to feel like fall. It's cool, rainy and windy today. People showed up at work wearing jackets and carrying umbrellas. Fortunately I think it's only supposed to last a couple of days for now, but walking back to my flat from the train station I was reminded of what I wasn't looking forward to: October through March. The only good thing about it is getting new fall clothes! Plus it's football season.

Recommended download

Ray LaMontagne, Trouble. My personal favorites are "Shelter," "Forever My Friend," and "How come?" Check it out. I've just gotten his newest album Til the Sun Turns Black. I haven't listened to it much but if it's as good as Trouble then it's definitely worth getting.

Hey, you, with the loud cell phone ringtone...

Turn it off!

One of my pet peeves is loud cell phone ringtones at the office. I'm not perfect but I try to keep mine on vibrate whenever I'm at work. It's not such a big deal if you happen to be sitting in your cubicle when the phone rings. But, if you are away from your desk and someone calls the ring goes on and on...and on. I mean, the Super Mario ringer is cute (if somewhat out-dated) but no one wants to hear it for 5 minutes while they're trying to work. Similarly, I like my Justin Timberlake ringer but I wouldn't subject the entire floor to hearing it.

There's an added bonus if the person calling doesn't get that you aren't able to answer the phone so they repeatedly call back. Or if I'm slightly luckier they'll just leave a voice mail and your phone will continue to beep to let you know you have a message.

Won't you be embarrassed when you get back to your desk and everyone is staring at you? It might take you a minute to realize they've had to listen to your favorite pop song sounding horribly electronic, but hopefully then you'll learn your lesson.

Quiet around here...

It's a little quiet around here since Melissa. The time really flew by but when I think of all the things we did in that one month I'm amazed. It seems like going to Wimbledon was forever ago instead of just one month! It was great having her here and I especially loved that she could meet my friends here and we could all hang out several times. Here are some picture highlights of her time here. I love you Meliss!

It's about time

This is what I like to see...

2 for 2

If you want to see famous people go to Shakespeare's Globe. I am 2 for 2 seeing famous people there. The first time I went, to see Othello, the main character was in the movie Notting Hill. You might expect to see someone famous in the play but Friday night we saw Love's Labour's Lost and were sitting 3 people over from Noah Emmerich.

Ok, so it's not the most recognizable name. I didn't notice him until Melissa pointed it out at intermission. At that point we couldn't figure out what he had been in. Then I heard a girl behind me whispering that he looked exactly like the actor from The Truman Show. Ta-da! I don't know if we would have figured it out otherwise but he's been in a few other things including Frequency.

You could also go to The Globe to see the shows, they're amazing too!

WANTED: A new obsession

When Alias went off air I didn't know how I would ever replace it. It's no secret I was obsessed and maybe sometimes "needed to get a grip on reality." Regardless, I didn't know how I would fill the void left by the Syd and Vaughn.

Thanks to Melissa and her DVDs of The Office I may have found my new obsession. I know I'm a little late getting on the train but I'm on it now. I watched the first season but never got hooked. Melissa brought Season 2 when she came to visit and we've been watching them non-stop. Season 2 is much funnier than the first and I think watching TV shows on DVD lends itself much more to addiction (that's how I originally got sucked into 24).

I don't know how I am going to wait for September when Season 3 comes out on DVD! We've been watching a few of them on iTunes but I don't want to buy the whole season because I want to be able to watch them on my TV. I'm thinking maybe I can re-watch Season 2 until Season 3 comes out, then I have to watch Season 3 really fast before the new season comes on.

I've added some Office blogs to my RSS feed...but you know it's bad when you start having dreams with the TV show characters in them.

Swiss Family Adventures

You can check out the pictures from our Switzerland trip here. It was quite a whirlwind visiting Lausanne, Gruyeres, Zermatt, Luzern and Zurich in one week - not to mention the side trips in some locations. There were lots of beautiful mountains and lakes....and lots of train rides.

I had 2 favorites from the trip (this is for you, Dad). First I really enjoyed Zermatt. The town itself is kind of like a Swiss version of Gatlinburg but not quite as tacky. However, unlike Gatlinburg, it is nestled in the Alps and has beautiful views of mountains, glaciers the Matterhorn. I also really liked Luzern. I like it when cities are on a river and it doesn't hurt when they have lots of watch shops and are surrounded by mountains!

when it all began

I'm still here...I haven't been washed away in the floods but I have been in Switzerland with my family! It was a great trip and pictures will be posted shortly.

While we were having dinner one night (or maybe it was on one of our many train rides) we were reminiscing about our trip to Disney World when I was a kid. I was fairly young so I don't remember a lot, but one of my memories is of dropping my sunglasses into the water of the "It's a small world" ride. My mom quickly pointed out that I've been trying to replace those sunglasses ever since.

As my family is well aware, every time we are on a trip, particularly at a beach, I am always on the lookout for a new pair of sunglasses. Now I have a legitimate, psychological explanation! Apparently my subconscious has been trying to replace the sunglasses I lost at Disney World. Now I feel validated and that it's somehow okay to keep looking.

My parents also reminded me that on the same trip I had wanted to buy a Mickey Mouse watch but didn't have quite enough money. That could also explain why I'm always looking at new watches. (So you can imagine my joy at browsing and buying a watch in the world's watch capital!)

So children, the moral of the story is we learn young and those [traumatic] experiences impact us for the rest of our lives!

Beckham then and now...

Another article on Beckham. This one is funny...I particularly like the section "Most likely to hear people say" which takes the mickey out of his lovely East London accent.

Today's big news

Today's biggest news story? The Beckhams arrive in LA. So far ticket sales look good and they even had the jerseys redesigned for his arrival. Looks like they're not going to leave the spotlight anytime soon. I can't even get away from them if I go home!But my biggest question is what kind of sponsor is Herbalife??

"Are you alright there?"

This is a phrase I've been noticing more and more here in the UK. It is usually used when I'm used to hearing, "Can I help you?" or, "How are you?" I find it somewhat annoying. What kind of a question is that? It just doesn't work for those situations. The other day I walked up to the fitting rooms in a shop and the guy said, "Are you alright there?" What if I said, "No, actually I've had a really bad day. I lost my job, my dog died and I got dumped?" All he really needed to ask was "How many items do you have?" Instead he used a phrase that didn't really fit the situation.

"Can I help you?" just sounds much nicer to the ears.

Venus wins it!

Watching tennis in person definitely got me into the game. I loved watching Venus play Maria Sharapova so I'm glad she won today! Plus she's cool because she carries a gold purse along with her gym bag ...

What women talk about

This is a funny article stating women use an average of 546 more words per day. It then goes on to speculate on what those additional words are. At the end you can make a suggestion about other words that women use that men generally don't. My suggestion was "Oh, I like your..." as in a compliment usually referring to another woman's hair, clothing or shoes.

French London

The Tour de France begins this weekend...in London. I don't quite get it. How does the Tour de France start in England? Oh well, what do I know? We might catch some of the action on Saturday.

The Championships

Melissa arrived last night (woo hoo!) so this morning we got up early to queue for tickets to Wimbledon. We arrived around 7 which is a little late compared to when people line up to get to get the good tickets. We were just expecting to get grounds passes which have access to the smaller courts but because it's been such bad weather we were close enough to the front of the line to score Centre Court tickets! We saw Andy Roddick beat Paul-Henri Mathieu and Venus Williams beat Maria Sharapova. They were great matches! We also saw the first part of Serena Williams vs. Justine Henin. We had pretty good luck with the weather compared to the rest of the tournament, with only one rain delay and periods of sun throughout. I've never followed tennis much before but it is definitely fun to watch in person. I will probably pay more attention from now on!

I took lots of pictures so you can check those out here. Plus Mom thinks she spotted us on TV!

a promise

This is probably the brightest rainbow I've ever seen ...I'm hoping this means it's finally going to stop raining but I don't think it's the case. It's been raining for at least 2 weeks and shows no signs of letting up on the 5 day forecast. Attendance at Wimbledon is pretty low due to the rain. I am planning to go tomorrow so pray for sun!!

if you can't beat 'em...

My friend's Melody and Eric all of the sudden became super-sporty after I left and have since both run marathons...I used to wonder what happened to them, but now I may be turning into them. My friend and I needed a new goal to help us get back into exercising and her trainer at the gym said we really should start running...so we did. Sunday we ran our first 5k, the British Women's London 5k. It was a cool location to be running along the Thames, by Big Ben and down Whitehall. I know it's not that long in terms of races but it was a start. I don't think I'll be running any marathons but I am starting to get into it. Tonight I even became one of those crazy people I make fun of running in the rain. Next we'll try a 10k.

Me, Patricia and Sue-Ellen, my running partners, before the race.Me approaching the finish line!

it's over

Any hope of good [American] football in Europe is over. I don't think it ever really had a chance...just like soccer will never make it big in the US.

Snow Patrol...and the rest of my top 5

Last night was event number 2 on my summer concert series - Snow Patrol at the O2. It was an amazing show! You can't exactly tell from the picture but we had a great view. They are a great band. I can't think what else to say except if you don't listen to them you should really start. The venue was also pretty cool. It's a new arena in London, formerly the Millenium Dome. It has a huge arena inside for concerts, smaller concert venues, a movie theatre and over 20 bars and restaurants.

While I'm talking about Snow Patrol I thought it would be a good time to unveil my Top 5 bands off all time (so far!). Drumroll please.....

In no particular order the winners are:

Dave Matthews Band - I have to have him on the list because I listened to him non-stop in high school and college and I still enjoy it. He's got way too much of my money from CDs and concerts.
U2 - You can't deny they're one of the greatest bands. Any band who can keep producing great music across decades and have such huge influence has to be on the list. I'm still dying to see them in concert
The Beatles - Same as above (only I guess I won't be seeing them in concert)
Snow Patrol - This is the newest band on my list but I think they have staying power. I first fell in love with them when I heard "Run" and the rest of their music is awesome as well.
Rich Mullins - One of the best artists in Christian music. His songs (and life) inspire me, make me think and help me through hard times. Plus there is a slight home town connection.

I am still working on narrowing down the list who will make it into my Top 10. I may have to get creative.

and so it begins

Tomorrow The Championships in Wimbledon begin. I don't know much about tennis but I'm hoping to make it this year. I'll also try to go up to the village a few nights and try to spot some celebrities. I'll be pretty busy until the second week when I'm hoping to go with Melissa (who is coming in 10 days!). We're planning to line up early in the morning to get some grounds passes. By that time there won't be much exciting going down on the smaller courts but since I don't follow tennis I'm really only going for the atmosphere, including strawberries and cream. I was going to camp out overnight one night to try for better tickets but the scheduling didn't work out...it's enough to queue up at 6am! I'll keep you posted if I see any celebs around.

week in pictures

I've been a little busy. Good busy, but busy. Last weekend I was away in Portsmouth with my church for a fun and refreshing weekend. This week I was in Oxford a couple nights for work meetings. Last night I went to my first cricket match and today I had lunch with a friend, watched Shrek the Third and had dinner with friends. Phew...and it's not really going to slow down for awhile. Here are some pictures to summarize.
Me and my friend Erin in the harbor of Portsmouth, on England's southern coast. From here they have a hovercraft to the Isle of Wight and ferries to France. The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, we had dinner here on Wednesday. A cute thatched roof cottage in Oxford... We also went to the Turf Tavern in Oxford. Apparently it's one of the oldest pubs in Oxford and used to be frequented by Bill Clinton. The Oval cricket grounds in London. Surrey vs. Middlesex. At first I had absolutely no idea what was going on but once I learned how teams score it was much more fun and I have to say I was pretty into it by the end of the match! I was excited to see that the English do the wave at sporting events...although they have their own twist on it. It's just like the American version only they throw trash up in the air when they stand up. Eww.Me, Wakako and Eleanor at our first cricket match! I don't think I'll turn into a huge fan but it was a good time.