THE Football World Championship Game

...otherwise know as the Super Bowl.

This year, the Super Bowl coincided with Simon's birthday, and weeks before the Seattle Seahawks even made it into the playoffs, we decided to host a Super Bowl Birthday Extravaganza (cue echo..).

Well, as luck would have it (though really, we all know it was skill!), not only did the Seahawks make it to the Super Bowl, but it was a crushing victory.

Simon was granted a birthday wish that probably any 12 year old birthday boy in Seattle would want-and had a grand time while doing it.  He's seen a Super Bowl before (even if it meant having to stay awake until 3am in London...), but whether you're an expat (of either the local or national sense), or a Seattle native...Sunday was pretty special.  And not just because he looked better in the wig than I did!

Keep Calm and Cheer on Wilson

Showing our 12th Man Pride

A Season of Firsts

It's safe to say, I now know what it must be like to be the parent of a small child...Since our time back in the US, and presuming it isn't permanent, I am keen to chase as many First Time Experiences as possible-for both Simon & I, though mainly for Simon.

To wit:  This year alone, in no particular order, Simon has:

• Filed his first US tax return
• Attended opening night for the Seattle Mariners (a first for me as well)
• Joined a softball league, and played two games.  Which led to...
• Visiting the emergency room-just this week..Simon fractured a bone in his arm after falling at said Softball game on Sunday.  OK. That one we didn't 'chase.'
• Played a game of kickball.  Only one game, unfortunately-due to the aforementioned arm, he will be playing no more.
• Purchased a house
• Observed just *how many* prescription drug commercials are on TV (it's not legal to do so in the UK)
• Started to  just a *little bit*) enjoy drinking an IPA

...and that's just the big stuff.  We do however, still have a few boxes to tick.  Like:

• Learning how to drive
• ..and with that knowledge, getting a drivers license.  Just in case.
• Visiting Alaska and Hawaii (we'll tick these boxes before the end of the year.  woo!)

What else?   What other first time experiences (parents?  Expats?...) should we be chasing for Simon?

Settled in Seattle

It only took 2.5 months, but I think it's safe to say, we now feel settled in Seattle.  Whew.

I'm really surprised at how long it took-considering we had a place to live, and I'd been thru the process of setting life up here once before-so for example, I knew which mobile provider, cable provider, energy provider...etc..to use.  Plus, we've had the added flexibility of having someone at home during the work week to manage some of the small appointments (Simon starts his new job next week).
It's especially surprising when I reflect back to how long it took to feel settled in London (3 months), and how frustrating and tiring it was dealing with the endless to-do list. It was the exact same feeling here.  This past weekend was literally the first weekend since we arrived in Seattle (August 31st) that I actually felt like I could sit down and relax-and not continue to think about the things that needed to be done...largely, because the list is now done!

Admittedly, it wasn't until 2 weeks ago before our goods from London arrived (we had them packed for shipment in mid-May...don't get me started...), and it wasn't until 10 days ago that the couch & chair that we bought in North Carolina in July arrived (we'd literally been using an air mattress as a 'couch'), and I know that was a large contributor to the feeling.  But even 'stuff' aside, the settling in process has been considerable.

Moving back has been one constant surprise after another.  I guess I should simply add this one to the list too!

The First Three Weeks

I’m not really even sure where to begin on this post.  There’s the ‘returning to the US’ part of the post, and the ‘road trip’ part of the post-and both parts almost have nothing to do with each other, but at the same time my observations from each part are most definitely intertwined.  Well, when in doubt, be organized. J

Returning to the US

That’s really what the first 2 weeks of ‘The First Three Weeks’ are about; returning home.  Home.  Wherever that really is.  Some part of the US?  London?  I’m not really sure at this moment, but that’s OK.

Our first week was spent quite literally buying a car.  I sold my car when I moved to London 4 years ago, and as you kind of need a car to do a cross country road trip, that was first on our agenda when we arrived.  The original plan was to buy a Manual transmission, but, one spin around the local mall parking lot with Simon behind the wheel (for the first time in close to 17 years…), and it became pretty apparent that we’d be getting an Automatic transmission!  I’ve never felt such stress in a car in my life, as I sat in the passenger seat as Simon jerkily made a few circles around the lot-and it really stressed him out as well.  There’s so much for him to have to get used to now-different side of the road (if just mentally, as he never really drove in the UK), the logic of the road signage-never mind the actual driving of the car.  Whew.  We’ll get there eventually.  And though, the original plan was that Simon would be doing some of the driving on the trip (er, the long, straight stretches of the road…), the reality is that it’s really not a good idea until he gets more comfortable.  So I’ll do all of the driving, and Simon will navigate.  Then, once we get to Seattle, we’ll get Simon some professional driving lessons.

In the due course of the first week of being back in the US, I took Simon to Faith, North Carolina for his first July 4^th celebration.  

This little town of ~300 people will swell to 30k during the week of July 4^th, and one of my dearest friends has grandparents who live there, so I’ve been to the July 4^th celebrations before-and knew it was the only proper experience Simon could have for his 1^st July 4^th.   Faith did not disappoint, and Simon really seemed to love the small-town experience (complete with BBQ sandwich from the fairgrounds).  Good times.

The Rough Life in Myrtle Beach, SC

Week two of the trip was spent with my Dad and his GF in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Myrtle was the summer location of my childhood vacations, and I thought it would be a hoot to go there with Simon & my Dad.  It was good fun, and it was nice to be in an ocean that was as warm as bathwater-even at 10am!  Simon never understood why I had problems getting in chilly water (ocean or pool), until that trip, but now he gets it.

Other than that, most of our first two weeks was taken up with ‘life admin’ from the move-trying to pay final bills, Simon chasing some probate things for his father’s estate, and planning details for the trip.  My father doesn’t have intertwebs, so it seems like we spent a good 10-15 hours over those two weeks in the local Starbucks on their WiFi!

All of the above aside, I would say there has been a bit of the reverse culture shock that so many people said I’d experience when I returned.  Not much, but I think that’s because what we’re doing now isn’t ‘normal life,’ so I anticipate that once we settle in in Seattle, there will be more observations.  Simon has made quite a few (which I hope he will guest blog about in short order), but for me the biggest thing I’ve noticed-and it’s somewhat tied to the ‘haven’t had a car in 4 years’ bit from above:  Must we be on our mobile phones when driving?!?!?  More times than I can count, the near misses on the roads have been from people on their mobiles.  What gives?  Must common sense be legislated?  Sigh.

Road Trip

6 days.  2600 miles.  5 States.  Cities visited thusfar: Charleston, SC; Savannah, GA; Hilton Head, SC; Atlanta, GA; Bridgeport, AL (just so Simon could tick another State off the list…), and we just arrived in Nasheville, TN.

Our lovely room in the 17hundred 90 Inn

Highlights:  Savannah, GA.  I’m supremely embarrassed that I’ve never been to Savannah before, given how close it is to where I spent most of my life, but the two days in Savannah were perfection.  Loved it.  Simon too.  As in, ‘I’d like to retire here’ kind of loved it.  Great everything.   We stayed in this incredible place called the 17hundred90 Inn, and were so happy to be there, I think we walked around with stupid looks on our faces for 2 straight days!

Rockin' on Jack's front porch

Also, cliche though it may seem...we took the Jack Daniels Distillery tour in Lynchburg, TN, and it was incredible!  Great story, great organization, and the information was enough to be educational and entertaining without belabouring the point.  A Plus.

Lowlights:  Navigation.  I’m not patient enough with Simon/the GPS, and need to get better about this, or we’re going to fight every day-and I don’t want to be that way.  As mentioned earlier, Simon doesn’t yet understand the logic of the road signage, so for him to tell me what he sees on GPS (as we’re not able to dashboard mount the thingy…), is frequently misleading/incorrect, and causes immense frustration for me.  Must. Get. More. Patient.

Final Thoughts....Frustrations with my fellow Americans aside, I'm stunned at how quickly I've slipped back into the US.  When we flew out of London, I quite genuinely thought I'd be bawling my eyes out on the air plane at the prospect of leaving London.  Nope.  Instead, it was more like:  "Come on, come on, come on...can't this plane go any faster!"  I'm really not sure where that came from to be honest.  

The Riverwalk in Savannah, GA

Olympic Park in Atlanta, GA

And Similarly for Simon, the stress of the last 2 months in London with his father's death/estate were really taking it's toll.  We were fortunate enough to find a solicitor to take over probate just weeks before we departed, and now that they're in full action mode, there isn't much that Simon has to worry about (er...other than selling the house).  Nevertheless, the move here-and the trip in particular- was the perfect opportunity to 'draw a line' (Simon's words) from that stress.  I think we both still need another week or so to really come down, and then I think we'll be really ready to embrace this new adventure to the fullest.

It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times...

I'm sitting at work today-it's a Sunday-to get some work done, and some life admin done, as the past two weeks have been absolutely crazy.  I know people (myself included) overuse that phrase to describe their life, but in this case, the past two weeks are a real reflection of that sentiment.

It Was the Best of Times...
Sunday, April 29th, Simon and I took a big step in the direction of getting ourselves back to the US.  I've been really quiet about this topic the past few months, and it's time to let the cat out of the bag on everything related to this, as I have a feeling this will become a large topic of focus in our lives for the next several months.
On that Sunday, we booked our one-way tickets from London to the US (Charlotte, NC to be specific) for a July 2 departure-just 2 days before July 4; Independence Day.  Seems fitting. :)
We'll fly in to Charlotte, and spend a week or so visiting my father, catching up with friends, *buying a car* (oh, that little detail), and then head to the beach-the NC/SC beaches are just some of the best in the US in my humble opinion, and I've talked to Simon about them for ages-it's time he gets to experience it first hand.  From there, we'll take ~4-5 weeks and drive cross country and up to Seattle for our final destination.  I still have my condo in Seattle, so we'll stay there until we either get jobs in Seattle-or up sticks and move to San Francisco (plan B).  I'll bore everyone with the details on the job search later, and our travel plans-once we know what they are...but, that's the gist.

Then, Monday, April 30th was our First Anniversary as a married couple.  I can't believe it's been a year already!  It's been an incredible year, and if it's anything to go by, I look forward to the next 50 years with Simon as well.  We splurged with a 7-course tasting menu (wine with each course) at Le Gavroche, and oh what an experience that was!  We ate and drank so well (the best was the cheese souffle), and it is now surely a top-3 meal for me in London.  I will remember that night-and the hangover the next day-for some time to come.  It was a truly special experience.


It Was the Worst of Times...
Wednesday, May 2nd however is where life decided it was time to remind you how fickle it can be: Simon's Dad passed away.  He had not been a well man the entire time I've known him (3 heart attacks, numerous angina attacks, and more trips to the hospital than I can genuinely remember), and he was in the hospital when he passed away, but it was-and still is-a shock to the system.  I was in Dublin when Simon phoned my mobile at ~11am.  As soon as I saw the call, I knew exactly why he was calling: it's just one of those things you know.
We spent last weekend at Simon's Dad's house taking care of 'admin' along with Simon's brother & sister.  Simon heads back up today to have a meeting with the church vicar on Monday, and then the funeral is planned for May 18.
Simon is the executor of the will, so the past week has also been intense in beginning the paper chase to settle the estate.  I've tried to help where I can with phone calls to various companies to request paperwork to wrap up this account or that account, but there still seems to be a fair bit to do-and I think we're both feeling overwhelmed at the admin-both for his father's estate, and as we try to wrap up our lives here.

The silver lining to all of this (I am trying to stay positive...), is that it has meant he's been able to spend some good time with his brother & sister-and, Simon doesn't leave the country with the burden of his father's health hanging on him.  It sounds horrible to say-but it is the hard truth. Simon even recognizes that when he was to last see his dad in June before we leave could quite possibly have been the last time he saw him alive.   And, once we land in the US, Simon can't leave the country for 6 months (part of the conditional visa/green card process).  I couldn't bear the thought of Simon arriving in the US, and then not being able to return if he had to for his Dad.

What has been incredibly surprising to me (I disclose this in trying to keep with the true spirit of this blog), is the lack of difference in general approach/admin/details that seem to exist between the US and the UK on the topic of death and funerals.  It all seems incredibly familiar to me-the process-and I'm very surprised, given how different other common things (renting a flat, for example) have been.

Where the US and UK do diverge on this concept however is in price.  Before Simon spoke to the funeral director about the pricing for everything, I told him that I recall my mother's funeral expenses (all in) ran about $10k-and that was a fairly standard price.  Given how typically expensive everything in the UK is, we were bracing our selves for a £10k price tag (or ~$15k).  Surprisingly, the entire cost for the funeral will barely run £2k.  Everything (coffin, flowers, funeral home...everything) is so much less than what it is in the US.  Go figure.

Well, that's it for now.  There's so much to do in the next week-and subsequent weeks-that I actually need to get moving.  I will try to update a bit more regularly over the next few weeks about well, everything.  It's been a crazy few weeks, and it isn't stopping any time soon!

Moving to London-Revisited

Blogger has a new interface (I promise I'm going somewhere with this...).  On the 'back-end', I can now see a basic level of Google Analytics with each post.  It's a nifty way of seeing high-level information at a quick glance.
While posting about my Reims trip, I had a quick potter thru to see what old post had had the biggest number of views.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but a post I made in October, 2009 called Moving to London has received more views than just about anything else.  Though, British Teeth Explained is a close second. Hee..

So, I had a re-read of the Moving to London post, and I'm pleased that I think it still holds up.  My 20/20 hindsight on my 20/20 hindsight post hasn't changed.  And, even 2.5 years on, except for perhaps adding a few nit-picky things (paperwork to bring with you), I probably wouldn't add loads more.

Nifty.

To-mato/To-mahto

I know, I know. This blog post is about one of the most cliche topics you could possibly imagine:  Brit v American pronunciation (not to be confused with accents...)

For some strange reason, the past few weeks, the topic seems to be a constant source of commentary both from myself as well as my colleagues, friends, and hubby..so, I thought it worth comment on my blog.  I know we're all aware of tomato/tomahto, but there are a few that keep cropping up that I don't remember hearing until I moved to London...

• Ate....as in the past tense of 'eat'.  Americans pronounce it like the number 'eight.'  Simon pronounces it 'et'...until quite literally a few hours ago, I thought this was the spelling of the word-and a new ***'British verb tense', but just learned that he is indeed saying the word 'ate.'
• Rioja...Americans pronounce this  'Ree-o-ha.'  I presume this is due to the Mexican/Spanish pronunciation influence on us-ie 'j' is pronounced like 'h'.  Brits pronounce it 'Ree-ock-uh', which I think is a more Catalan/Spanish influence, as there's slightly more back of the throat sound on the letter 'j' from the Catalans.  Regardless, it's like nails on a chalkboard to me.  
• Tortoise...as in a turtle-like animal.  We pronounce this as 'tor-tuss'.  Brits say, 'tor-toy-ss'...which, given the spelling, makes perfect sense.  Plus, it just sounds really lovely to the ears.
• Herbs..This one is probably a commonly known difference.  Americans say 'erbs'.  Brits pronounce the 'h'...sounds a bit funny, but let me ask you this: how do you say  'Herb' or 'Herbie' if in the context of a person's name?....I think the Brits get a point on this one.
• Urinal...Ok. It's not like I utter this word daily, but I still remember the first time I heard Simon say this word-I actually had to stop and figure out what he was saying!  We pronounce this word, 'your-uh-nal'.  Brits say, 'your-I-nal.'  Cause for pause, no?
• Oriented..this one isn't technically a grammar issue.  This is strictly a mis-pronunciation, that Simon called to my attention last year as one of his pet peeves, and it's since become mine.. Oriented to (most) Brits is said as 'oreintATed'...sigh.

***And, though not related to pronunciation, it's a major grammatical difference that I do hear all the time-and it's starting to creep into my vocabulary.....the word 'sat'. [Confession:  grammar was never my strong suit, so the British verb tense could be correct]. Brits will say, 'have sat' as in;  "I have sat the bag on the ground.'  I would say, 'I sat the bag on the ground'...no 'have.'  I don't ever recall hearing 'have sat' (in that verb tense) in the US, so this one is a bit of an enigma to me.

What else?  What are some of the more uncommon pronunciations that you've heard on either side of the pond?...

Life Admin: The Necessary Paperwork

Thanks to David for asking a question that I think prompts a post about my response-what paperwork/legal documents should you plan to bring to the UK when you move?  With the benefit of hindsight, I can only say this:  Bring everything you think you would need-and even everything you don't think you will need.  In other words, if it's an important document to you in the US, it will be equally valuable to you in the UK. If not moreso.
My list of documents-in no particular order- I've needed/reference on a regular basis include:

1. My passport-kinda goes without saying
2. US Drivers license-seems to be acceptable here as a form of ID (I've used it at the Post Office to collect packages..)
3. College transcripts
4. College diplomas-an odd one, but I did have to have this for my Tier 1 visa app
5. At least 3 years previous tax returns.  A. You'll want a few to help your tax pro when preparing your current year TR-and B. You could end up being the fortunate recipient of an IRS Audit letter of a recent tax return filing, and you'll want to have a copy of your returns handy.
6. Birth certificate
7. Social Security Card
8. Marriage certificate-certified
9. US Home mortgage paperwork-deed & loan docs
10. Immunization/Medical Records-probably even more important if you have kids

It will only take up a bit of space to have these handy-but could save some serious stress (and cost) if you suddenly have a need for one of these-and have to put an express order in.  Yikes.  

At some point in my 4 years in London, I've needed every one of these docs.  But, I'm probably missing a few things that I'm just not aware of.  What else? What other documents have some of you had to have?

2011-The Year in Review

There’s the proverbial saying that the older we get, the faster time seems to fly.  Well, for me, 2011 is certainly no exception to that saying!  It was an incredible year; I’m actually still trying to wrap my head around everything that happened to me personally (never mind *everything* that happened in the world).   In no particular order...

•         Started a new job-and couldn't be happier!
•          Attempted (but failed) to run a marathon
•          Got married
•          Spent 67 nights away from home on foreign travel to 9 countries (1 new)
•          Attended my 20 year high school class reunion
•          Made the decision to move back to the US in 2012 (more to come on this in a few weeks...)
•          Finally, after 4 years in London, got to see the NYE fireworks in person
•          Lost 15 pounds (erm...though I put 2 back on over the holidays.  They *will* be coming off soon...)

 Whew.  Pretty major life changes.  AND, it was an incredible year in the process.  I can’t even begin to imagine what 2012 is going to bring! 

Work Differences

Thanks to Gennifer6 for the suggestion...

I don't think I've ever blogged about the differences I've observed at work between Americans & Brits-I know I've talked about the differences with my colleagues at work, but that's probably about it, so here goes!

Gennifer6 wanted me to comment on workplace differences that I've observed. I'm sure in certain industries and companies, the differences are VAST, but barring a brief stint, I've primarily worked for US-headquartered companies.  So, what I've noticed may really only scratch the surface...

1.  To Americans, the 'work week' (and even the 'work day') is a very fluid concept.  In the US, you wouldn't think twice about leaving the office mid-day to go to the doctor/dentist/car repair shop, and you wouldn't think twice about leaving work a bit early on a Friday.  Conversely, it seems like the emails don't really stop after '5pm', and I definitely recall getting emails even on weekends.
In England however, I've encountered the complete inverse:  rarely, would I leave work mid-day for a personal errand (I'd instead try to schedule it for first/last thing in the day), and I can quite literally count on 2 fingers the number of times I've left work before 5pm on a Friday in 3.5 years (sigh).  However, rarely do I receive an email from a British colleague outside of work hours during the week, and the same holds true on weekends.  Brits seem to be more protective-and prescribed-of their 'non-work' hours, whereas for Americans, it's all just seems to flow together.

2. In England, don't even think of going to the kitchen without asking everyone (and it does feel like everyone...) if they want a cup of tea/coffee/water/biscuit...whatever the kitchen stocks.  It just isn't done.

3.  Employers in England (though, perhaps this is a London-only thing), are more 'generous' with the amenities they provide in women's bathroms:  lotion, feminine hygine products, and the ubiquitious aerosol deoderant are in almost every corporate bathroom I've ever been in.  It's a nice touch.

4.  Brits aren't afraid of being open to their colleagues about what they think-about their boss, other colleagues, etc...When working in the US, I can't think of a time I ever *truly* shared with a colleague my feelings about a co-worker or boss-at least while I was working at the company.  In England, it's the complete opposite.  I remember the first time I heard a colleage slag off a superior at work (to me, not to the superior).  My jaw almost hit the floor. 
I'm really going to have to be careful about taking this trait with me whenever I go back 'across the pond.'  Though I appreciate the candor of my colleagues, I don't think this one would go down to well back in the US!

Those are the big things I've noticed.  I can't help but think I'm forgetting a few things, so if anyone else has any observations, do pipe up!

Lesson Learned

After 3 years, and close to a dozen trips back to the West Coast of the US, I think I have finally cracked the nut on this jet lag thing!

To wit:  I flew in to San Francisco this past Sunday, and by Wednesday (a mere 3 full days later!) felt completely human-in fact, I was feeling pretty good on Tuesday-except for the falling asleep at 10pm part.

What's different from this trip, you ask?  I think it comes down to one thing:  keeping it simples.  Normally, my return trips to the US, whether for work or personal or a combo of two mean that by the 2nd day in the US, I'm working a full day AND going out with friends in the evening-or simply running 'life admin' errands all day long from the moment I'm awake (usually at 5am the first few days.  sigh), until I hit a wall around 8pm.

This time, as I was staying in Sunnyvale, CA-and knew NO ONE within a 50 mile radius, I simply woke up each morning, went to the gym, went to work, went out for dinner, and went back to the hotel.  That's it.  No burning the candle at both ends.  No running myself crazy.  Just a very simple schedule.  Yes, I was awake at 5am on the 1st three days, but as I eased into my routine, staying awake until 10pm-and even midnight on Wednesday were both possible and pain-free!

It sounds silly, but I think this is a complete milestone in how I'm able to cope with the 8 hour time difference from London to the West Coast (London/East Coast has never been a problem)!  It just pains me to think about what 'could have been' the past 3 years. :)  I'll have to test this theory again the next time I'm back in the US.

Fingers crossed I may have just stumbled across my 'jetl ag miracle cure'!

The Lighter Side of London LIfe

When I moved to London 28 months ago (28?  Really? wow), my exposure to British TV was limited to seeing re-runs of Benny Hill when I was a child, and catching a few episodes of Coupling on BBC America-which is *fantastic*, by the way, and makes Friends look a bit 'simple' in comparison.

Since being here, either on TV or or via DVD, I've been exposed to a few other shows that are also outstanding in their own right, and for anyone contemplating a move to the UK, here's a lighter look at some 'cultural research' you can partake in before arrival...Woefully, I'm rubbish at figuring out how to embed video in my blog, so a linked list (where a good link was available) will have to suffice-but if you go to YouTube, Hulu, or just do a search on the interwebs, you should be able to find a few clips.  In no particular order...

• Green Wing-one of the first shows on DVD I was exposed to when I move here, this medical comedy did things that were cringe-worthy hilarious, and the character of Sue White is honestly one of the most memorable characters I've ever seen on TV.
• Spaced-I've been a fan of Simon Pegg since I saw Hot Fuzz in the US a few years ago.  When I found out he had written & starred in a 'Singles' type of UK TV series in the late 90s, I had to watch it.  Loves it.  Loves it even more since Simon (my Simon) used to hang out in the area of town, Crouch End, where the show is set-and can point out random things about scenes of the show!
• Little Britain-I realize this series has crossed the pond (jumped the shark?...) and a Brit-American version was run a few years ago on cable. It's crap. Must. See. The. Original.  And then begin to say, 'computer says no' at work to the confusion of your co-workers.  This is sketch comedy at it's best.
• The Mighty Boosh-Season 3 in particular (my personal preference; everyone has a favorite, it seems...).  Another series that seems to have crossed the pond-I recall seeing a few random episodes advertised for some cable channel-super late nite-when in Seattle last year.  Absolutely hilarious.  Just thinking the words 'crack fox' makes me giggle...and I have a wee crush on Noel Fielding.
• Mock the Week:  it's a panel comedy/news commentary show.  Sorry.  I know that seems confusing, but I know of no other way to explain it.  Frankie Boyle (one of the *best*-though most offensive-comedians I've ever heard) made the show what it is.  This program is a perfect way to quickly get up to speed on what's going on in British news-and pop culture-all while laughing your arse off.  I love this show so much, I've applied for tickets to the studio audience.  Fingers Crossed!

Unfortunately, except for Mock the Week, all of the other shows are now off the air-unlike US TV, where shows are run into the ground-and usually on life support before they're cancelled, Brit TV (though woefully, just the good shows, it seems...) likes it short & sweet.  Two to three seasons is a good run.  Except for Mock the Week, all of the shows above were before my time, but I found them thru other people.  The least I could do is pass the suggestions along, and pay it forward.

Any other expats have any favorite Brit shows worth mention?

Election Day-Part II

Well, I thought when I blogged about Election Day the other day, that by now, we'd know who the new PM would be.

Wrong.

As I mentioned, there was a good chance of a hung parliment, and that is indeed what has happened.  No one party took enough votes to claim a majority and assume leadership.  The Conservatives (David Cameron's group) got the most votes (dang.  that man is a tool), and Labour (Gordon Brown, the incumbent PM) got the 2nd most.  Surprisingly the Lib Dems (Nick Clegg) came in 3rd place, though the polls leading up to the day showed a completely differnt picture.

So, literally right now, Cameron & Clegg and their 'people' are trying to hammer out an agreement between the two parties so that the Conservaties/Cameron can presume the new role of PM.   If they're unable to do so, Brown will remain PM for the time being.  Even though-for the 2nd time, he wasn't actually voted in (or rather, his party wasn't voted in so he could claim the position).  Interesting stuff.

It's likely the coalition will be formed, so I imagine that in a bit, Cameron will be the new PM, and the UK Parliment will have figure out how to operate in this slightly different political environment than what we're coming from.

Should be interesting.  Watch this space..

Election Day

I've been horrible (or, rubbish as the Brits would say) about blogging lately.  New job and all that jazz.  I will get better-and update-it will just be a while.

But, today is a big, big, big day here in the UK and I wanted to get something down for posterity, if for no other reason.  I'll get all deep and philosophical about it later, but at the least wanted to mention that today is Election Day in the UK.  Citizens everywhere are voting for their candidates-or, really, their parties.

Unlike the US where you vote for the *person* you want to be President, here, leadership (ie the PM role) is granted to the leader of the party that gets the most votes.  Lib Dem, Labour, Conservative. Take your pick.  It's interesting-and, adding a twist to it this year is the fact that for the first time *ever*, nationally publicized debates between the leaders of the 3 major parties (Lib Demmer-Nick Clegg, Conservative-David Cameron, and Labour-Gordon Brown [the incumbent PM]) a la what happens in the US, has happened.  So, for the first time ever, voters are made to feel like they actually are voting for the person, not just the party.  Interesting stuff.

Polls don't close until 10pm, and ballots aren't counted until close, so we won't actually know until we wake up tomorrow as to who will be the new PM, but it'll be an interesting 24 hours.  Word on the street (ie polls) is that there will be no clear party winner-which means a hung Parliment.  Not good.  But, polls have been wrong before (remember, Dewey v Ike?..), so we'll just have to wait.

Watch this space! :)

Landline/Internet Service-A Comment Response

I received a comment the other day from Anne, a newly arrived expat inquiring about suggestions for the vast array of landline/internet services that are available, and in the process of beginning my response to her realized it was going to be a bit lengthy-and perhaps a proper post about the topic would be better.  So, here goes..
Unlike the US, the telecomm industry here is ridiculously competitive.  Landline.  Internet.  TV.  Bundled.  Unbundled...it's enough to do your head in trying to figure out which company/package to go with. 

When I first arrived two years ago, my flatmate at the time & I decided to go a Landline/Internet bundle from a company, TalkTalk because another expat suggested them.  They were reasonably priced, and our package allowed for 'unlimited' phonecalls back to the US.  That was great.  The customer service of TalkTalk (now Tiscali...)?  HORRIBLE-worst than any other customer service I've received here. And, that says something!  I cannot under any circumstances recommend Tiscali.  The cost savings-given that there are *tons* o' companies here of offer a similar package-sihmply wasn't worth it in hindsight, but like Anne, we were overwhelmed with options, and went with TalkTalk on a recommendation-and to kind of get it over with. If memory serves me correct, with taxes & everything, we paid about 30 a month-which was worth it for the internet access & US calls alone.  Truthfully, we hardly used the landline for local calls at all, but peeling that out of package wasn't an option at the time.

The past year, Simon & I have gone in a completely different direction-no landline, and a 'PAYG'-Pay as you Go mobile broadband dongle from O2.  For phone calls back to the US, I use Skype.  For the most part, this arrangement has worked out without any problems.  Occasionally the Skype connection is crappy, and on 1-2 occasions we've been unable to connect to the internet-last nite being one of those times.  But, that can happen with any internet service.  We pay 17.50 a month for the broadband access, and I don't think I've yet spent 10 quid on a good number of hours conversation back in the States.  All things being equal, this has been a much better option for us, and I can't imagine going back to a fixed contract service while here.

The one thing I have't mentioned in either of these scenarios is TV as part of the bundle.  Most TVs in London can get a good 20 channels with something called Freeview (think basic cable-with a few extras) for free.  There are exceptions to this depending on how old your TV is, or the area you live in, but this is the gist.  I don't completely understand all the details, so I'll refrain.  But, my point is, unless you are a hard-core TV watcher who simply won't be able to do without 50+ channels-and many US shows-I don't think it's worth it.

Anyhoo.  The reason for my long-winded commentary thusfar is to illustrate a)the array of options and b)to hilight some of the things you should think about when trying to figure out which company/package to go with.  It's a lot to take in, and no normal human being should be forced to think about all of this.  Fortunately, there are a good number of comparison shopping (comp shop) sites out there that do the thinking for us! :)  All you have to do is plonk in a few details about where you live (to determine which services are availble in your area) and what features you want.  There's still a ton o' options from there, but at least the wheat has been seperated from the chaff.  So, to that end...here are a few of those sites that I'd recommend.  I'd start with Money Saving Expert.  They'll provide a great overview on options/prices, but also provide information on additional comp shops.   [As an aside..I almost always start with MSE whenever I have *anything* financial to contemplate here in the UK.]
After MSE, I'd suggest comparethemarket.com or moneysupermarket.com or gocompare.com.  I don't mean to overwhelm...they're all basically the same, but you may simply find one UI better than the other for your purposes.

Whew.  That was just supposed to be a few sentences about my Internet service! :)  Sorry about that, Anne, but I hope that answers your questions a bit-and perhaps a few others as well!

Responding to a few Comments

My crap laptop settings won't allow me to respond to comments the past few days, so I guess there's no other way to do this...

@Ashley Edwards (re: comments on Proximity): I transferred over with my US company who had an outpost here in the UK.  18-24 months ago, I would have said: pack your bags and come on over!  You're young and will have 3 months to find a job.  Piece of cake!  Now?  Not so much.  General economy woes aside (which make it challenging even for Brits to find jobs...), the UK government is making it more difficult for expats to get working visas.  Not *impossible*, just *more difficult.*  So, I'd strongly encourage you to do your legwork/networking on the US side of the pond before coming over.  And, in a perfect world, you'll have some Very Strong leads before coming over.  Obviously this will be more difficult, but the expense of living here without a job-and with it being as hard as it is...not worth the risk.  Totally my $.02.

@Boston chick (re: comments on Lambing Live):  In truth, not much about my expenses has changed since my last post.  I've moved in with my BF to a cheaper flat ('just' £560/week now v the £730 in the old flat), and have tweaked a few montly bills-ie cheaper monthly mobile phone contract and killed the landline/internet in favor of Skype and a PAYG monthly mobile broadband connection, but that's about it.  All told, I'm probably spending about £360/month less than.  Well, actually, I guess that is a big difference...

Transferring Money From Your UK Bank to the US: Part 2

I mentioned stumbling across what seemed to be an easy, inexpensive way to transfer money from my UK account to my US bank in a post in January using a website called ukforex.co.uk

Well, I finally got around to doing this a few days ago.  The verdict?  A HUGE Thumbs Up!

The company offered a quick, easy interface to understand,  good rates, low-to no fees, and their customer service was *outstanding.*  Thanks UK Forex!  I'll definitely be using you again.

Transferring Money from your UK Bank to your US Bank

Partially to help me remember where the information is, partially to help others who read this blog, but...

A BIG HUGE thanks to Victoria for this incredibly helpful information.  I've been struggling to do this for the two years I've lived here (like she says in her post, I too still have student loans & a mortgage to pay in the US. ugh.).  Hitting the ATM while in the US to take money from your UK account, only to turn around and deposit in the US is certainly *not* ideal.  Looks like Victoria has found a way to easily, quickly & cheaply transfer money from your UK Bank to your US Bank (or Canadian...) using a service from company called ukforex.co.uk.

I haven't tried it yet, but I definitely will in a few months-and will let folks know how it goes.

As a somewhat related aside...you may want to read up on what amount can be transferred from the UK to the US before raising eyebrows with your bank-and possibly have to pay tax on it.  In speaking with my tax adviser about this previously, I was told to 'keep it minimal'-ie less than $10k a *year* would be good. But, above that, I'm sure the bank-and the IRS may start take notice.  Or not.  Depends on your situation, I guess.  But, worth a mention, nonetheless..

A Blog Post about Blogging

No, this isn't one of those blog posts where people talk about the millions of dollars/pounds/euro they've earned off their blogs-though, that would be nice....This is just a post about 'my blog.'  Sort of.

Somewhere over the last 2-3 days, I hit what I would call a milestone-though if you would have asked me about this 2 years ago, I wouldn't have thought it important at the time:  25 followers of my blog, American Expat in London.

Somewhere in the world, 25 people seem to think that what I have to say is interesting/funny/stupid (insert additional adjective here...) enough to actually not only stop by & read what I write from time to time, but actually tick a little box that says, 'yeah. i want to know when she's posted something new.'  Crazy.

Who are you people?!?  I say that in jest-as for many of you, I've started to follow your profiles back to your own blogs and have figured that out for myself.  But, I guess for you 25, me, and anyone else out there, I can't help but wonder, what is so [insert adjective here] about someone's personal blog to make you want to follow it?

As for me, I'm beginning to discover a few blogs from folks that are also American Expats in London, the UK, or elsewhere in the world.  Stuck in the Toffee Pudding is my latest discovery of an American Expat blog, or vice versa as Brits living in the US with  Expat Mum. And regardless of which side of the pond they've come from/gone to, I find comfort in the common pain-points of being an Expat, as well as the joys of discovering new things.

For a few other blogs, the ladies seem to cook some lovely recipes-and based on what I've tried from their blogs-can say from firsthand experience that the pictures don't lie.  Thanks, Intrepid Chef-your latest post on Ice Cream Pumpkin Pie looks fantastic!

Though ironically, one of the reasons I started this blog-to easily keep my friends back in the US up to date on my life-I find that Facebook seems to have taken care of that nicely.  Instead, I simply seem to be updating people who I either know here in the UK (hello Simon), long lost friends I haven't seen in years (but who discovered my blog on my Facebook profile), or any other number of people that seem to pop by from time to time. Go figure.

And, let's be honest:  for most of us who have a blog & blog with any level of regularity, there is an eensie weensie kernel of hope that 'someone' will discover our blog, realize what amazing writers & story tellers we are, and offer us large sums of money to publish what we've posted about.  I know there is a part of me that thinks that would be cool. It's not why I blog-and certainly not what I think about when blogging per se. But, from time to time, as I contemplate 'my blog', the thought does creep into my head.

OK.  I realize I've gone a bit long winded here.  But, the past month as I've been thinking about my blog, these are some of the random thoughts that have been floating around, and if for any other reason than to stay true to the reason I blog, I wanted to get it down.

Oh, and completely random...I'd like to add a new 'Weather widget' to my blog-one that isn't so big & ugly.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  I've looked around, but can't find anything...

Moving to London? Part 2

Well, as expected, after my first Moving to London post, I've had a few other things come to mind that I thought might be worth mentioning. I tried to wait until I had several more things to mention, so there wasn't a constant stream of blog posts entitled, 'oh. one more thing.' :). In no particular order of importance..
1. If you have the luxury/flexibility/budget-and assuming you won't drive, pick a place to live that doesn't force you to rely on *only* one tube line. Especially the Jubilee. With increasing frequency as I've lived here the past (almost) two years, parts of a tube line-or in some cases an entire line will be shut for part if not all of the weekend. Yes, there may be bus-replacement service, but seriously...what would normally be a 15 minute trip for you may be a 45 minute-plus trip. You won't want to deal with this on such an ongoing basis. I have a friend who signed an 18 month lease in Canary Wharf a few months ago. The Jubilee line is the only lie that serves that part of town. He's effectively without tube transport at all on the weekends. Every weekend. For 18 months. Avoid at all costs...
2. Say goodbye to your American clothes dryer and hello to your new best friend-a clothes rack. Most London flats don't have the space here as in the US. I realize that's stating the obvious that most people know already. But, what most people don't know (I didn't until I moved here...) was that that in the never-ending pursuit of space-saving appliances in Britain, the invention of the combo washer/dryer simply means that your clothes will never, ever get dried in the machine. Not unless you wish to dry a load of clothes for well over three hours. Which, let's face it: who has the time-or budget to run such an appliance? Instead, you'll end up buying one of those multi-tiered clothes racks, just like you used to have in college. Joy.
3. With that being said, what not having a proper dryer also means is that your jeans will never fit you tightly again (god, how I miss the miracle-jeans-shrinking my American dryer provided).
4. www.tfl.gov.uk will become crucial to you knowing what tube lines are open at any given time during the week and on the weekend. You will save yourself endless amounts of frustration if you sign up to receive the weekly email that provides details on all the weekend line closures.
5. Customer service. I know this is one of the things I've talked about several times in this blog-especially early on, but I'm just going to come out and say it: The customer service is so bad-and there is so much to take care of when you first arrive-that the first three months you're in the UK, you will simply be perpetually pissed off. When I first moved here, I reached the point after having so many bad experiences, that I *started off* my calls to customer service already in a bad mood-and I'm definitely of the 'catch more flies with honey' belief. It simply couldn't be helped. Perpetually pissed off...
6. Timeout website. For me, it's an infinite source of information when trying to find a new place to eat, new pub to try, movie information...basically, all things entertainment. There are a ton of websites that go into more detail on individual topics, but for one-stop-shopping, Timeout is a great source of info.
7. I am soooo not a tax advisor, but I implore you: talk to a tax professional about something called the 'DDR.' It's a special (and somewhat unknown-though, I certainly don't understand why...) deduction that expatriates who *intend* to live in the UK for under two years-and who have been moved here by their employer-are allowed to take. The DDR effectively allows you to deduct all of your basic living expenses (rent, most utilities, council tax, food...), transportation to work costs, and transportation 'back home' costs. This is NOT an inconsequential deduction-most of your out of pocket expenses in the UK are for these very items. This can mean the difference between kissing 42% of your paycheck goodbye or keeping most of it. If there is one thing you do before moving to the UK, seek tax advice from someone who specializes in US Expatriate tax returns, and talk to them about this. DO IT.