Fun Facts

Hello all,

Not much new going on across the pond. It was a very busy, very important week at work last week. I had one of my first major responsibilities to present and I must say, I don't think it could have gone much better!

I had the weekend off again. As nice as it is to have those days off, I still can't get used to it. I stick with my original claim: I would rather have one weekend day and one week day off; then I don't have to deal with all of the people that are off too!

I went on a couple of field trips over the weekend, mainly taking the tube around my new area to find the local stores. The only major victory I had this weekend was finding a nice 300Watt step down power converter. What is that for you ask? With this brilliant piece, I can now use my US XBOX 360 on the power system here. Oh, what good fun! Now, all I need is my broadband to get hooked up this coming weekend to get online and start destroying people in Tiger Woods Golf yet again. Good times.

You also may be surprised that I have cooked two nice meals this week. I made myself a nice steak and baked potato on Sunday and baked some cod yesterday. I do dabble a bit in the art of cooking, but living in such a small apartment, I have had no ambition to work in a small kitchen. Now, I have a nice new kitchen and a grocery store next door. All is good. And, when you have nothing but time to kill, you have to do something!

My other major victory this week was setting up a UK bank account. I had heard so many horror stories about it, but it was easy. I think it is easier and quicker to get a mortgage in the US that a foreigner to get a bank account here. But, Barclays took me in with open arms. No more BS currency exchange rates on my US cards....yeehaw!

Back to work as usual this week. On Thursday we are going out as a team for a curry and to the casino. I shall let you know how that goes!

Let me leave you with some random facts about my new home:

-There are casinos everywhere. Think of going to a bar in the US and jamming it full of casino games. That is how it is here, randomly located everywhere. I will give you more details after Thursday.

-Baked beans on toast in the morning is the breakfast the English are most proud of. Every morning in the cafeteria at work, there they are, all hot and steamy. I have yet to give it a shot. One of these days!

-Mushy peas. What more do I have to say? Look it up. Peas themselves are not very glamorous, little green balls, mediocre at best. Imagine them with the skin ripped off and half soupy. If you get fish and chips, you will have the option for mushy peas. I am not a hater, I like them.

-British humor is not as dry as you would think in real life, but it is AWFUL on tv.

-Most shows are not censored at all on tv. That means I get to enjoy my hero, Gordon Ramsey, in all of his beautifully excessive profanity.

-They love their potato chips here (crisps as they call them - chips are french fries). Though I must admit, they might have gone a little over the edge with their flavors. Their normal selection is strange enough: prawn cocktail, bbq rib flavor, Worcester sauce, etc. They are advertising a new competition for their best new flavor and the have outdone themselves! Chili and chocolate? Cajun Squirrel? Fish and Chips? I can't make this stuff up: http://www.walkers-crisps.co.uk/flavours/default.aspx?ver=low#/flavours/

-If you go into the egg aisle at the grocery store, all of the eggs are in a normal aisle, not a refrigerated section, strange.

-When you are on an escalator, if you are standing and waiting, stand on the right. Walkers get the left side. They get pissed if you are standing on the left!

-Almost every car is a stick shift. Not only do they drive down the wrong side of the road, they do it while driving manually!

I can't give everything away at once!

Take care!