Life in London

10-May 2008

2008-05-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

*Warning - Might take a while to read. Make sure you've recently used the bathroom, and aren't expecting company soon. Check the laundry; make sure it doesn't need attention. Everything good...?

Well, I've been putting off writing the blog for our trip to Italy for 2 (now 3)weeks - but finally I'm sitting down to catalogue one of man's greatest triumphs of international tourism. Only Alexander the Great could claim to have a more fulfilling journey to another country. Granted he was there to massacre and conquer, and we wanted photos...but in the end, it's pretty much the same...

So we had an elaborate plan to visit quite a few places and happily stuck to most of the itinerary for the ten days that we were there. We rented ("hired" in Brit-speak) a car for the trip to keep things flexible if things changed. We also wanted to enjoy the luxury of sharing the road with the fringe-insane Italians on the downtown streets of Florence and Rome. We learned the reputation is there for a good reason.

We spent the first two days in Florence. Once we got through the ordeal of finding the hotel and parking, we went straight to enjoying a nice meal and some gelato. The gelato is AWESOME. I'm not a big ice cream nut, but you could seriously eat gelato in Italy with every meal and never tire of it. Oh..the food was good too. So good. The first morning we woke up early to get to the Accademia di Bella Arti to see Michelangelo's David. Leah and I were a bit nervous about waiting in line. We were told by the staff at the hotel that we were no match for the Japanese tourists when it came to getting in line early and that we'd probably be in line for a few hours waiting. Screw them! 2nd people in line! We thought we might be in the wrong place. Small alleyway with only one other group waiting...but, sure enough, that was it. A killer blow to the Japanese. The David was magnificint (and enormous). I can't explain except to say that it is internationally famous and recognized as a masterpiece for a very good reason. We left and moved on to some of the other city highlights. The Piazza San Giovanni to Michelangelo's Square, then to the Arno River on the south side. We heard American accents pretty much everywhere we went - a good indication that we stuck to the touristy parts of the city. The river was beautiful. It's been the computer background for 2 weeks now.

The next morning we set off to Cinque Terre (Five Lands). It's a short string of five Mediterranean coastal towns noted for a great cultural atmosphere and some amazing views if your up to walking between them. We stayed in one of the towns, called Manarola. Although part of the coastline walkway was closed due to wet conditions, we got to see all but one of the towns. (We reconciled this loss by badmouthing said town to one another for a few hours, which made us feel better) Of the four we saw, I liked Manarola the best. It felt very culturally pure, undisturbed by tourism, and had a beautiful coastline - owning one end of the Via dell Amorre (Road of Love) - a 10-15 minute coastline walking route to the neighboring town of Riomaggiore. We took the walk and noticed and interesting Italian custom. The two 'lovers' write their names on a padlock and then lock it to a railing. Then they take the key and throw it into the ocean. The symbolism is pretty apparent. Locked in the bond of love for life. (unless they want to swim the key out of the ocean...) Our time here was great. Very relaxing, very peaceful, and an incredible and unforgettable meal overlooking the sea at sunset.

In the morning we left for Rome, but not before heading off on a detour through the wine country of Tuscany. We went to the Chianti region in search of some famous vineyard, but our GPS (in the first of a long list of offences) led us to a housing complex with a goat farm. We assumed this was wrong. No grapes. No open fields. Just goats. The signs were all there that the GPS had let us down...that bastard Richard (GPS voice reinstated even after unforgivable errors in Spain)... On our way out we did find a vineyard/restaurant and had lunch. The wine was sensational. Being in Chianti, we had the Chianti. They make it seem like no big deal that they're surrounded by incredible wines. I should point out that Tuscany is home to most beautiful inland scenery I've ever seen in my life. The trees, the hills, the fields, and the flowers all come together in perfect harmony. Someone knew what they were doing. The land is manicured in such a way that the natural elements still seem natural, and nothing looked forced or overly pedantic. Just amazing...

So...onward to Rome. Now I had just finished watching season 1 of HBO's Rome, played Rome: Total War for a month, and was in the middle of reading a book about Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. To say that I was in a good frame of mind to visit the city would have been a sizeable understatement. We found the hotel, parked nearby and headed up to the room. We had only budgeted one day to see the sites in both Rome and the Vatican, so we were planning to get an early start. Now is a good time to mention a few more things about our rented car. We had asked for a small economy, but gotten the 'free upgrade' to a SUV-ish thing. I hated it from the beginning. Too big. Only 1 windshield wiper worked. The windows only worked some of the time...etc..etc.. So when we woke up early to move it and found that someone had broken the side window to rummage around for plunder, it was about the most non-exciting thing to lay eyes on. Nothing stolen save a sleeve of shortbread cookies. We moved the car and covered the window with a plastic bag. We went back to check on the car in the afternoon just in time to see a man walk past with a dog. The dog stopped to pee all over the back tire. A very poetic scene to lighten the situation for Leah and I.

We walked through the Roman Forum to Vatican City in the morning to see St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Both were awesome. St Peter's took our breath away with its sheer size and architecture. The Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museum had the same effect with Michelangelo and Raphael's artwork on the walls and ceiling of almost every room. I almost got numb to seeing all the priceless works of art. Next we walked to the Coliseum.

Holding my hands on the concrete railing of the upper deck...looking down on the remains of the arena's interior...my mind swept me back 2000 years to imagine what it would have been like to see this place in its prime. It was a very cool experience for us both. We finished up a wonderful day with dinner in the Piazza outside the Pantheon - a 2000+ year old structure built by the Romans before Christ(ianity) for worshipping the Pagan gods. I sacrificed a chicken to the gods to keep us safe for the rest of the journey.

In the morning we left for what was supposed to be a relaxing two days at a hotel in the Italian countryside. The hotel was in the middle of the Frosinone region, and about 45 minutes from anything that could be called a city. Although patience paid off, and we eventually found the place we were looking for, (without the help of the GPS - strike 2) when we got there, the place was barred up and vacant. Interesting. We had lunch and went back only to find the same thing. More interesting. Anyway, we left. I later took it up with the booking company and apparently the guy that runs it was away or something and forgot we were coming.

So what to do now? We thought about going to stay in Sperlonga to see the castle of Tiberius - about an hours drive down a precariously narrow barely paved road along the edge of a cliff. Then we thought about placing explosives all over this hotel and sending a message. Then we thought about going to Sorrento early and making it 5 nights there. Because we didn't want to kill ourselves and our TNT supply was running low, we chose the last option. It was a little long there (as we expected), but Sorrento had enough to make things interesting.

There were orange trees clustered all around the hotel grounds. I've never eaten so many oranges in such a short space of time. They were delicious. Leah had an "intervention" with me when she found me huddled behind some dumpsters with 20 or so oranges eating them and giggling to myself. We both spent some time outside reading for the first few days. Leah took some walks through the city. We caught a sunset here and there. It was incredibly peaceful. When the weather was cooperating, we decided to take a day trip to the island of Capri for the day. My first time there, Leah's second. Unfortunately, our ferry 'made berth' (parading my sea-faring lingo...) on the uninteresting side of the island. We hadn't planned enough time to get across to the other side and see the real beauty of the island, but we did get a few hours on the beach. Blue, blue water. The water was a little turbulent, so no tours through the grottos, and Leah was a little sad that I didn't get to see how clear the water can be. A beautiful island though. Even the ferry ride was nice. Mt. Vesuvius dominating the view to the left, the Sorrentine coast to the right and Capri behind us.

Strike 3 occured on the ride to Naples airport. Richard would have been thrown out of the car at 60mph if he was a real person. Italy's road system is partly to blame, but we finally got there. We paid for the window (omitted from the additional insurance coverage we purchased) and headed back. What a great trip though. Great food, great sites, and amazing experience. We'll be back for more later.

Til next time.

A little Vesuvio...

On the wall in Florence. I added the '01.

Coastline looking on Rio Maggiore in Cinque Terre.

30-March 2008

2008-03-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

Well, our most recent trip to Wales moved to a different rhythm than the rest. Leah found a group of about 70 people all travelling to Wales for the 4-day Easter break to do a little hiking along the Welsh coastlines in a place called Pembrokeshire. It was organized by a selfless family of Londoners who organize everything (meals, lodging, itinerary, etc) and are just after escaping the city and taking trips while meeting new and interesting people. They put together an excellent short holiday for the group, and I know I speak for Leah when I say that we had an excellent time. We mixed with people from all over the globe. The Italian guy who congratulated the Sopranos on behalf of the Italian people for being authentic. The Hungarian girls who got moderately offended for being called Romanian. And the Indian guy from Singapore who reminded everyone not to bring gum to his country.

We stayed at what looked like a youth activity center (but with hotel rooms...?). In between the meals and hikes, I mopped the table tennis competition (ping-pong ego showing through...), and Leah taught the crazy Aussie's how to correctly throw a football. They opt for the underhanded Rugby dish move that just looks awful with a football.

We set off in the morning of the second day for an 11 mile walk along the Western ocean coast to a site called Green Bridge. The weather was fierce - windy and freezing cold. We trekked across beaches, up across some amazing cliffs and gorges, and through countless piles of sheep crap. Piles everywhere...apparently they like the views as well. At one point, it started to hail. Coupled with the 900mph winds blowing laterally, Leah and I both got free skin exfoliations to the right side of our faces.

Continuing to the end of the walk, we passed a sign indicating that we should not pick up any "unexploded missiles" that we might find along the way. ...This was worth a few seconds to ponder... Nice ocean walk, sheep happily grazing, flutes playing, and missiles...? (ok, no flutes..) As we found out, we were walking near a military firing range...which admittedly killed some of the sense of purity of our surroundings...but the views were still amazing. Upon arriving to the Green Bridge, which is a rock formation (resembling a bridge) extending out into the ocean, we came to a barbed wire fence blocking the path. Beyond it, was an active firing range. Evidently Wales is expecting invasion...

The second day of hiking was along another ocean coastline farther South near the town of St. David's - home to a cathedral of the same name. The Pope once decreed that 3 pilgrimages to St. David's would equal 1 to Jerusalem. High hopes indeed.

The wind was horrible today. Our group had to walk single file down the narrow pathway which snaked its way above the coastline. The wind gusts were strong enough to make you 'think' about every step and concentrate on where your feet were landing. Had the wind been blowing out to the ocean instead of from the ocean, I think I would have crawled instead of walked.

We eventually made it to a cove and had lunch on the beach. The stones on the beach were various shades of pink, blue, and green...making them all look like Easter eggs...suitable for Easter Sunday. When we finally arrived at St. Davids, and turned the corner to the lookout over the cathedral, I could see why the Pope may have once thought highly of this place. It was a gorgeous site - very old, but very well maintained. We took a short stroll through the interior, rearranged some furniture, changed the label on a sarcophagus, and then left.

A good trip! Next is Italy. Hopefully I can post pics...

The Green Bridge

.....?

In the hail...

Random photo

01-Mar 2008

2008-03-01T07:25:00.000-08:00

So this past week, Leah and I went to the Portuguese island of Madeira for a short escape. We stayed at a hotel high up in the mountains and away from the major city of Funchal. Although at a glance, you’d think this is a great formula for peaceful nights, but I haven’t yet mentioned the civil war going on across the valley between random dogs competing for supremacy nor the roosters who refused to be outdone by one another and thus collectively decided to start “Cock-a-Doodle-Do” recitals at 4AM instead of 7. A few nights we were happy to scrounge together 5 hours of sleep.

Madeira itself is an absolutely beautiful place. The island is sparsely populated, most of the terrain and natural features are very much preserved, and everything seemed very undisturbed. (if that makes any sense) The mountains were gorgeous. My command of the English language isn’t even close enough to a level that will do them justice with words. The indigenous folk grow grapes for wine (including a sweet variety that tasted like a port), bananas, and sugar. All the young adults drank something called Poncha, which basically tastes like Malibu albeit a little stronger. Not my favorite.

We only had three days to explore the island, so for our first day, we climbed up another 400m from our hotel and walked west along a gently upward sloping levada (water way) for what was probably a few miles. We had to stop when the levada stopped and we realized we were in some pretty raw terrain. We’re rookies, so we turned back. Although there are a few photos of our little walk, they do a poor job of capturing the awe and jaw-dropping scenery that surrounded us. There is nothing like looking up and seeing clouds misting about – only a stone’s throw from where you’re standing.

For day two, we took what was supposed to be a 30 minute bus ride (actual time was like 90 mins) to the central city of Funchal on the Southeast coast. I was again bothered (Malaga) with someone’s decision to trade beach coastline for a huge ugly shipping marina, but I’m sure there’s more convenience and profit in having the marina right there. Oh well… Funchal was a great city though. It seemed to be a very exciting, very relaxing, very livable place, and Leah definitely agreed. We got to see a few markets, a few landmarks, and soak in some of the scenery. Other than being a *bit* expensive, and the entire city crawling with tourists (us included I suppose), it was a perfect little city.

While we were in Funchal, we booked a Jeep Safari for the following day. We got picked up at our hotel in the morning of day three for a full day off-road excursion around the island. (thankfully, it was just us and the tour guide) We climbed to over 1800m up on several occasions, and actually were driving among the clouds – passing through a few of them on occasion. That was just amazing. Some of the other highlights included seeing cows grazing on the edges of 1200m cliffs, seeing the turbulent ocean from a ledge 1000m up, and manning the guns of an old Russian tank as we leveled trees driving through the woods whilst taking out several enemy command posts and bunkers. (can’t remember if tank story was dream or reality…)

By the way, all of the altitudes came from the tour guide (hence the meters), but for reference: 1800m ~6000ft.

The photo feature with blogspot is broken or something. I may have been flagged as a terrorist....I'll get some posted just as soon as its working again

Next we’re on to Wales and then the much anticipated trip to Italy in April. Take care!

February 11,2008

2008-02-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

Well, we have been recently blessed with some sunny days! I think spring is in the air. Joe and I both agree that we are much more motivated on the weekends to get out and do things. We still have not found another flat to let, but are looking. It would just be nice if we could take our current flat and just move it to another location.

Since the weather was beautiful yesterday, I took a trip down to Portobello Road and explored the famous Portobello Market. As you walk down the street, you are just surrounded by antiques, fresh foods, and groovy booths of clothes, jewelry, and music. There were venders making fresh Spanish pallea and rows and rows of fresh olives, breads, feta (three of the foods on my top 10 list). It was a good thing that I only brought £20 with me!

On Friday, we workout with my friend Joanna and her husband, Precash and then ate excellent Thai food. For those of you that live in Austin, Joe has been terribly missing Madam Mam’s Restaurant, so this was perfect for him. For Christmas Joe got me a Thai cooking course lesson. I have it next Saturday and am really excited. People keep asking Joe if it was really a gift for me or did he have himself in mind as well.

Last night we met up with some Aussie friends and went down near London Bridge. We went on a Jack the Ripper tour on the eastside of London and then ate on Brick Lane. This whole street is known as Bangla Town and is covered with Bangladesh restaurants. As you walk down the street people come up to you and try to lure you into their establishment with food/drink bargains. Our friends said that we didn’t experience the true haggling experience, but it was great fun anyways.

Living down below us our two of the cutest little girls you’ll ever meet, Alighta and Jonsu. Joe and I go downstairs to visit them about twice a week. We celebrated Jonsu’s birthday today and here are a few shots of the little darlings.

Work for both Joe and I has been going alright. I think we both have the mindset that travelling is our main priority. We are headed to Madeira, Portugal on Feb. 20th, and then plan to go to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in Wales with a group.

26-Jan

2008-01-26T06:24:00.000-08:00

Although this tag may fail to inspire any fear in the rival "North Side" gang, it does do a nice job of providing a title for our recent trip to Spain. (I believe it may say 'Fetus' in red underneath...although I can't offer any guesses as to what that might mean...) We got the chance, thanks to a GPS in the car, to travel to some other great cities along the South of Spain. Leah warned me that they may not respond well to my "English in a Mexican accent", so we had the added pleasure of advancing our Spanish another notch throughout the trip.

We began our first day in Malaga, which by size and population was the largest city along the tour. It was also my personal favorite and the birthplace of Picasso. Although the beach left something to be desired, (ie. a coastline with something other than harbor, construction, or drilling equipment) the rest of the city was brilliant. Cathedrals still dominated the large building category, but there were plenty of other good sites around the city. There were parks with orange trees, bull-fighting arenas, cozy little street cafes, and plenty more to keep our attention.

The main attraction was the Castillo (Castle) Gibralfaro. After reading some of the history, it apparently defended the city for several hundred years from the Moors and the Roman invading armies. It's situated atop a huge freakin hill, which Leah and I chose to climb by foot. I was in a personal little heaven. The only thing that would've made seeing the castle any cooler would be if it fell under siege while we were there. As you can see, I already had the South wall well defended.

The next day we followed Richard's instructions, the voice of our GPS guide, to the small coast town of Tarifa at the Southernmost point of Spain. The city was a bust. Not really much to see and definitely nothing to do. I don't think we took any pictures. We just had a sandwich, some coffee, and left. I'm sure I saw Leah spit at a local as we walked back to the car...

The drive getting there was beautiful though. We learned that wind turbines are cool, and that even Fiat's are capable of on-the-dime cornering and turning abilities. (while pulling over for some photo opportunities) We also stopped in a great little town called Mijas, which seemed to be the one place most untouched by tourism. On the way back I fired Richard (for some inexcusable errors) and hired July who led us near Gibraltar. I say near Gibraltar, because neither Leah or I knew there was more than just a rock chilling out in the middle of the sea. It's actually a country, and I forgot my passport for customs. No big deal though, the infamous rock is unmistakable in this photo, and hat's off to Leah for one of the prettiest pictures from the entire trip. The dark cloud looming overhead makes Gibraltar look like Dr. Evil's new lair...

For our last day, we trekked about 90 minutes North of Malaga to the city of Granada. We could both feel the rise in elevation, and couldn't miss the beautiful and unmistakable sight of snow-capped mountains in front of us as we got closer to the city. After a little walking around, we aimed our walk toward Alhambra, a very large, very old Muslim-inspired palace on the North side of the city. History explains several overthrows, occupations, and some partial destruction of he palace, so its origin comes from a few places, but it was an entirely amazing structure, with much of the buildings still intact and preserved. I included my favorite photo to the left. It was taken by the late renowned atomic scientist Neils Bohr.*

*my new designation for Leah

A great trip. I know we'll be back to Spain for more in the future.

A few extra photos:

The Palace of Charles V At home in the fruit orchard.

Gibralfaro from ground level Leah in front of a tea shop

Looking out from Alhambra

Leah's Job Description

2007-12-20T05:06:00.000-08:00

Honestly, my job is a lot like my job with Family Preservation in Austin, but way more chaotic from a management perspective and goals of the team. The team I am part of is called the Crisis Intervention and Support Team. We are basically a part of Social Care (Social Services) and get referrals from other social workers dealing with CPS or just children in need. Within my team there is an educational psych, clinical psych, 2 social workers (including me), a youth worker, and social worker assistants (don't have a degree and do more practical/hands on work with families). We also just got some new family therapists. We work with young people 12-16 and their families who are on the verge of a family break-down or just having major problems. A lot of the kids are also being rehabilitated back home after being in a foster placement due to a CP concern.

Social workers here in the UK definitely have the stigma that I think they did in the USA in the 70's. "Don't really do much and take kids away." I have to keep reminding people that I have clinical training and was previously doing therapy. I have to give myself little ego boosts every now and again...haha. There is definitely more of a hierarchy here than I am used to. Within my team though we have an Australian, South African, Venezuelan, 3 Black Caribbean-Brits, Indian, and two white-Brits. I work in the borough of Brent, which is the most multi-cultural area in all of Europe! White Brits are the minority here. I have had clients from Pakistan, India, Ireland, Jamaica, and Morocco! It is just amazing. I love being a part of such a diverse area. I have learned so much and it is such an experience to be welcomed in to these people's home and get a glimpse of how they live!

The thing that I am not loving are the fact that I have to take public transport every where. I mean there is not another option. It is fine at times, but I am always late and by the time you get to someone's home you are a bit frazzled and tired. It also gets dark here at like 330 so I don't like wondering around with my little street maps in areas that I am not familiar with. I really don't get much here in regards to guidance. In supervision I am not supposed to discuss cases! My supervisor has a very rigid, structured way of doing them. We talk about any issues I am having with the team and or about trainings. I am supposed to schedule case discussions with her, but she is never available. And to be honest, I don't get helpful feedback from her. Kinda annoying. I have become very close though with the other social workers and we process cases every now and then. I guess I am just confused with what my role is exactly. I will be hard to type, but I am not supposed to be doing "therapy" and don't have case responsibility. I am trying to balance that. I have began to establish good rapport with several clients and then to find out that their case will be transferred to a family therapist in a different dept. These kids have attachment issues anyways, do I find this very damaging and confusing. I don't know if that made sense, but I just fine things very chaotic and not defined well.

I have been doing a lot of individual learning and feel like I am getting such a rich cultural experience. A lot of my kids ask about The States a lot and gangs. It is so humorous and precious at times. I have a little 11 year old who said that he was a Crip. I asked how long he has been one and he said since they started a year ago! ahah, super cute. I think I am going to start a group with my good friend and fellow social worker, Joanna, in 08 for teens that have parents that were born in countries other than the UK, but they themselves were born here. I have found that the confusion that they experience is a common theme. They identify as British, but their parents are still living as they would in their native countries and expect their kids to as well. Lots of my families are struggling with this concept. I think that would be a fascinating group and hope I can pull it together. I will also be supervising a university student next year. They will be doing a semester at our office and I will supervise them. Don't know if I am ready for that, but hey I am excited!

18-Dec

2007-12-18T11:29:00.000-08:00

What do fast moving jet aircraft, peanut butter, and birthday-clown magic tricks all have in common???

Other than be mentioned in this post, absolutely nothing.

Leah and I got to enjoy a nice night out in London Central for her birthday last weekend. It began when I showered her with gold coins and precious herbs as she left work. (I always go for the "Wow" factor....) We made our way downtown to London's largest skating rink in Hyde Park for one hour of skating. Now...don't get me wrong, I'm a math person...and if indeed your ice rink is the largest by area in London, you have every right to advertise it as such. But, you should realize that people will be expecting a lake-sized expanse of finely sheeted ice which meets the horizon in all directions. The reality is, however, anti-climactic - but we enjoyed every second of our hour on the ice. (well...45 mins..we got there late..) Plus...0 wipeouts.

The rink is part of a Christmas-time family attraction called The Winter Wonderland. A few shops, some rides, and a haunted house(?) filled out the rest of the park area. I managed to snap a photo of one of the more interesting shops we spotted along the way. I wish I got the guy behind the counter included in this shot. He looked equally as festive as the products he was selling....axes and reindeer hides. Nothing like fresh reindeer jerky and a handaxe for last minute stocking stuffers.

Next we took a walk down the most posh street I've ever been on, Sloan Street. I got the feeling we were going to be taxed for getting footprints on the sidewalk. We ended up at a nice little restaurant called Mimosas where our streak of being nearly the only customers continued. Tonight, we didn't mind. Other nights...it gives you the feeling that the restaurant just got slapped with 32 health code violations the night before and your the only one who didn't get the memo. It was a nice place despite them overcharging 12.50 for an item listed only as "Food" on the check. Other non-food menu items included, "Bits of Plastic", "Shards of Glass", and "Sand".

We're both pretty excited to make our trip back to the states for the holidays. It'll serve as nice intermission for me - seperating the transitional phase from the travel and productivity phase. Plus, neither one of us can wait to see the familty and friends that we've been away from.

Next year, we're hoping to get in some good travel (which is being planned already) and have some good trips to write about. My personal hope is that next year, Leah and I are able to continue realizing the vision that we both had before coming here. These past five months have been memorable in their own right. It's already become difficult accounting for all the things that have broadened my views and awareness. That was expected.

Merry Christmas.

More to come next year.....

November 26

2007-11-26T06:19:00.000-08:00

Ok, my turn! I guess you could say I am the lazy one when it comes to writing. Joe and I are doing well and forget now what it's like to speak with an American accent...haha, not even close. It was a bit weird living in a country that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving when that time rolled around. We did though have a pseudo Thanksgiving last Saturday. It was held at one of the other American's flat and we had a group of about 15 or so. The fun part was the fact that there were people from England, Scotland, Australia, and South Africa to help us celebrate. A lot of them needed explaining about what the holiday really meant. Many, and rightfully so, thought it was a bit barbaric that we celebrate massacring the poor Indians. So explanations were necessary.

My job is going well so far. I love the people I work with and can say that I am a lot less stressed than I was in Austin. Most of the work is done in my clients' homes which is very interesting. I have clients from all different backgrounds. Many are Asian, African, or Caribbean decent. I am learning a great deal and feel privilege to hear the variety of life stories shared. On the downside though, England really kills you on taxes. Every time I get paid and I certain that there is some kind of mistake, when unfortunately there's not.

We haven't done as much exploring lately as we started off doing. Joe and I have successfully passed colds back and forth. I must say the weather is a bit of a change from Austin! One thing I do experience a few times a week is walking down a road in the mornings where there is a primary school. It is so neat to see all of the parents accompanying their children to school. You would not believe how many cultures and races are represents on this short journey. It is as if all of the difference just melt away into one common goal or daily routine. It is an enjoyable way to start the day, seems to radiate a vibrant wave of hope.

I promise I will write more often, even though Joe's blogs will be more entertaining than mine will ever be. I do miss everyone and keep you close. It is amazing how random things I witness or hear remind me of memories with you all!

11-Nov

2007-11-11T04:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I know it’s been a while since I’ve written anything, and the 2 or 3 people (including myself) who still read this have probably been very upset. For all the days spent wandering in the darkness and confusion – lost without direction or purpose due to my failure to post new material, I apologize.

Since the last post, plenty has happened. I started work as a supply teacher at a school for high needs kids about a week ago. It’s been good fun so far, but more importantly, it’s been keeping me busy and earning some money for a change. I’m still keeping my eyes out for other opportunities, but at least the burden and anxiety can have a rest. Today I’m on a Virgin train headed across the English countryside to an interview on the other side of the country. It’s cheaper than the gas it would cost to drive and you get to kick back and relax and even save an hour in the trip time. (because it travels at 4,000mph…)

Now that work has started, Leah and I are getting pretty excited to start planning some trips to the rest of Europe. We’ve gotten a pretty good taste of London. We went to the British museum last week (very cool, pic to the left), China Town a few weeks before (not so cool), and visited a few of the nicer suburbs in between. So far, the city is pretty uniform in appearance.

Among the other artifacts, some of which were pushing 5,000 years old, the British Museum houses the Rosetta Stone. Very cool to see up close. You can kind of see in the photo to the left the Hieroglyphics on the top and the translated languages below.

Other than that, I wanted to share a partial little list I’ve put together of the extremely subtle pros and cons of life in London. Only after meticulous scrutiny and unbiased evaluation was I able to assemble this list.

Extremely Subtle Pros
- All shopping carts are equipped with 4 fully rotating wheels, allowing for improved maneuvering and cornering ability over their US, fixed rear wheel, counterparts.
- Televised sporting events have limited (or zero) commercial interruption and half-times are much shorter.
- The youngster in me enjoys the armed police. Most don’t carry anything, but the armed cops carry automatic rifles and land mines. Ok…no land mines…

Extremely Subtle Cons
- Most heating systems are based on radiators in each room. This leads to uncomfortable ‘hot spots’ and the occasional minor burn when accidently touched.
- Most people here are not familiar with the laws governing the use of the sidewalk. Namely, when an oncoming person approaches, it is natural for each person to move to opposite sides of the walkway to facilitate a smooth passing experience. When a mother walking shoulder to shoulder with her 37 children approach and ignore this understanding, decisions have to be made that no one should have to consider. You start looking for weak ‘links’ in the chain to aim for in the hope of breaking through their defensive formation. So far, I’ve learned to aim for little ones.
- Instead of using large slabs of concrete which provide an even surface, sidewalks are made of tiny concrete squares. Over the years some have drifted, some have sunk, some have risen, and almost all of them have been responsible for someone completely eating it.

Pics:

1. The minister's speech at the wedding comes to mind. (strangely)
2. The entrance to Downing Street. (where the Prime Minister lives)
3. Just like home. We caught the Dolphins/Giants game at Wembley Arena.

06-October

2007-10-06T03:36:00.000-07:00

Last time, Leah and I brought to you the details of our beautiful trip to the city of Bath and told you of the wondrous Roman baths. This week, we accidently caused a medium-sized natural gas explosion which leveled a city block. That’s all for now. Will write more later….

Just kidding...As the real story goes, we’ve been doing well. Last weekend, we got the chance to see the Shakespeare play, ‘Love, Labour, Lost’ at the Globe Theatre. It was done very well, appropriate I suppose, and surprisingly, Leah and I came away having understood the majority of the plot. My only complaint was the frequent planes soaring overhead. It was an open air theatre, so you can imagine that each plane did a fantastic job of blotting out about 10 seconds of the play. All things considered, it was a great experience. Sorry, no pictures – this time we just forgot to bring the camera.

During the past week, I’ve spent the majority of the time tackling job hunting. I had an interview on Monday and another on Friday. Both went relatively well, and I’m crossing my fingers that something manifests soon. If not, I’ve already made plans to start ‘Plan B’ by assembling my boy band. I’ve decided to be the creepy one. I’m going to wear deer antlers when I’m in public and “Bah” like a sheep for any media interviews. I just need 2 or 3 more band members to occupy the other token roles.

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

This weekend we are keeping it local. We are going to Madame Tussad’s Wax Museum, the prime minister’s house, and London’s China town. We’ll make sure to have the camera handy when Leah TP’s the prime minister’s house.

In closing, I just wanted to include a quick picture that we took last week. I believe the photo speaks for itself and truly tells the chilling nature of the English people.

Till next time....

22-September

2007-09-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

Step 1: Rent car and travel to see Stonehenge and Bath
Step 2: Get lost
Step 3: Briefly go in approximately the correct direction
Step 4: Repeat steps 2 & 3 900 times.
Step 5: Arrive!

Well, I kid. Actually we only got lost a few times on the way there, but English roads aren't half as driver friendly as roads in the US. Maybe that's just what I'm used to. Driving a standard with the opposite hand, with a steering wheel on the 'wrong' side, on the other side of the road, in a city that doesn't emphasize road signs is about the essence of the experience in a nutshell.

So that was the bad. A little rough finding our way. But it ended there. We stopped to see Stonehenge on our way to Bath, and although someone could sum it up as "just some old rocks", the experience of being there was magnificent. (I don't pull the "magnificent" card very often) The beginnings of the structure date back all the way back to 3500BC (that's before McDonald's was around...), but it was incredible seeing the rocks that still stood.

The history of the landscape and of the structure itself were impossible the comprehend. Leah and I both agreed the free audio tour was worth looking like a dirty American tourist. It was the first time of many throughout the day where I found myself looking at the picture and knowing it wasn't doing the experience justice.

About thirty more minutes west of London is the city of Bath, aptly named for being home to Roman Baths built in the 1st century (65-75AD). Leah had heard from co-workers that in addition to being a historical site, Bath was also a beautiful city. She heard correctly. I think the final tally of Leah or I saying, "I could live here" reached about 70. We first walked through the narrow city streets and made our way to the end of a thrity minute que to see the inside of the baths.

Now, I've been to some crappy museums...places where I nod my head at each exhibit and allow a fake gesture of the hand to emphasize my pretend interest at each stop, but I've never been to one where I wanted to read EVERYTHING and see EVERYTHING until today. I can honestly say (and I think Leah would say the same for herself) that I was completely captivated and immersed from the time we stepped in to the time we left the baths.

It would take 5 pages to describe everything. We saw copper and gold coins that were in circulation at the time of Jesus, tombstones from 50AD, Roman cobblestone streets, not to mention the baths themselves. Minus needing a few chlorine tablets to solve the algae and parasite issues in the water, the baths were in incredible shape for their age.

Lastly, was the city of Bath itself. It was a beautiful marriage of city and nature. The river Avon flowed north to south through the center, and each half of the city sloped gently downward toward the river. The result was an incredible view to the east and west of neatly lined houses and green fields. The small streets were packed with what could be called "Lars stores", which are small "cute" stores selling anything from clothes, to wine, to little "trinket" things.....maybe Leah should explain that...

Well that's enough for now. We have this our rental car for one more day so maybe we'll try somewhere else tomorrow. I can't wait to check the manufacturer's website to see if the car has 7 or 8 horsepower. It feels like it has about the same kick as a garage door opener.

Later.

Other Photos:
(hopefully, the descriptions match up...)

- The abbey outside the bath
- Me and Dickens striking a serious pose
- The River Avon
- Garden near the Avon
- The crescent. Basically a crescent moon-shaped building adjacent to a huge field.

16-September

2007-09-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I’ve probably gone too long without writing something. Since the last post, quite a few situations have evolved, and we’ve nestled into our living situation quite a bit more.

If someone had told me that I would be spending my 27th birthday having a BBQ with my Turkish and Kurdish neighbors in London, I probably would have guessed that I was a victim of mistaken identity in an international sting operation and was now imprisoned oversees in a jail that serves BBQ on the weekends. I guess that’s another way of saying, “I wouldn’t have guessed.” It was definitely memorable, and I guess that’s really what birthdays are all about.

Yesterday, Leah and I committed to getting out to see some sights 2 or 3 weekends a month, so we commemorated that commitment by going to check out some of the landmarks in Central London. We started out just south of the London Bridge, which despite being the main subject of a popular children’s song, was nothing special. It’s just an expanse of concrete and metal from one side of the Thames to the other. The only thing notable was the view of the other bridges and of the Tower of London.

It was immediately obvious that this country was born and raised Christian. There were cathedrals every few steps, and the size of each one of them made you feel especially insignificant. The first one along the way was Southwart Cathedral which sat along the south bank of the Thames. All of the cathedrals disallowed pictures inside, so I won’t attempt to explain and simultaneously discredit the incredible architecture and frescos inside. Next we stopped at the largest and probably the most famous St. Paul’s Cathedral Huge.

For a £9.50 entry fee, they'll allow you to walk around the inside. Instead we walked out and made sure we had adequate coverage of the outside of the building for free.

Although the name of the next cathedral escapes me, when we went in they allowed us down into the crypt below. (Leah threatened the staff with physical harm) Apparently, in the 1500’s, the church was built on top of the wreckage of a Roman church built as early as the first century. Although no photos were allowed, I cracked off a shot wild west style of the underground area. What I couldn’t show you is the ruins of the Roman road a little ways down the hall. Really cool. There was a petrified hobo clutching a 40 near a lamp post.

Next was the foyer of the Daily Express. Some Aussie said we’d definitely recognize things from inside, but Leah and I could only smile and nod. The design on the wall, in the words of the information guy, means this: Britain is the center gold figure, and all the little silver freaks around it are the puny countries too weak to defend themselves against the British Empire. (I’m paraphrasing)

There was also a very neat art deco winding staircase. (the real reason we came to London) Leah got the best shot she could by pointing straight up the center. Then she elbowed a little English man in the head after she took the picture.

We saw a few open markets and were both in awe and impressed with the mix of culture and people. Everything from buying shark to olives, it was all there. I feel like we got a great sample of what London is all about.

Till next time.

Other Pics:

Court Building Big Ben Wembley Arena

02-September

2007-09-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

I was going to wait a few days for some good writing material, but it seems as though the last few days have been eventful enough to inspire a little writing.

Yesterday Leah and I learned the English interpretation of "salsa". Salsa earns quotation marks here because I'm not sure there's another suitable word to describe the soupy, liquidy, sweet crap that we had with our chips. I had to second guess whether we in fact purchased salsa, or pureed sweet peppers. Anyway, that was expected...what wasn't expected was seeing a Tex-Mex restaurant the other day in Notting Hill. Maybe their stuff is better...

In case you're not already aware, tortillas are a favorite food of mine. Simple, edible alone, or can be combined with a cornucopia of other foods. I'm pleased to say that Indian/Pakistani Naan bread has usurped command of 'Favorite Bread'. Not that anyone really cares, but seriously, Leah and I can't get enough. I stuffed my pillow with it last night, and its quite comfortable bedding material as well.

More important than either of the previous paragraphs, Leah and I introduced ourselves to our neighbors today. (Leah and I live upstairs, they live downstairs) We were out working in the garden (which is sort of shared between the houses) and about an hour after we finished, we noticed they were down tilling and weeding their side. We went down to say hello. The wife is Turkish and speaks good English. The husband is Kurdish. Sometimes he's hard to understand, but I simply spit at him and he tries harder... just kidding. In case you don't know, the Kurds are from Kurdistan, in northern Iraq. No surprise that he moved away about the time the US started blowing things up over there. The region as a whole is actually fond of the US, as Saddam was a bit brutal on the Kurdish people. Anyway, they have two daughters, 1.5 and 3, and the whole family is about as nice as you can imagine. Dinner Wednesday at our place.

Bye

31-Aug

2007-08-31T09:59:00.000-07:00

31-Aug, 2007

Well, it’s been a few days since we’ve moved in, and I think I can finally start referring to the place as home. Most of the furniture is here, and Leah and I haven’t wasted any time with adding a few personal touches here and there. (eg. Television, wireless router, toothbrush holder, etc.) Since getting the internet here, I feel like I can resume job hunting. I just got a call today for an interview on Friday of next week for what I expect to be a great job. Needless to say, it’s got me in a great mood.
So the learning for me continues around here. If you have a problem looking like an idiot several times a day, its better to stay home. Sometimes it feels like you’re learning how to live all over again. I found myself at a grocery store the other day not knowing where to get bags for the groceries nor how to swipe my credit card. For something so simple, I was fighting back to urge to demand that they place a big sign over the registers (tills) telling me how to buy things. Its ok though. Sooner or later I’ll figure it out and I’ll have the chance to unleash a loud menacing laugh when I see someone as lost as I was. I can’t wait…
The other day, Leah and took a walk a little ways north of our apartment (flat) and walked around a sizeable park reserve. I don’t think I’ve ever plucked anything from a branch in a forest and ate it, but there are wild blackberries that grow here, and that was more than enough for me to end that streak. We’re gonna have to go back up there at night and rip a few out of the ground and plant them in our garden.
Yeserday I met Leah at her work and met her co-workers. Except for the one girl that they all affectionatley call “The Brick Thrower”, they all seemed quite nice. After meeting the gang, we signed ourselves up with gym memeberships. My only complaint is that now instead of benching like 190, I bench about 80 because of the metric conversion. I was told it’s unlikely for me to get back up to 190 unless I’m willing to undergo a few intensive months of human growth hormone and steroid treatments. I’ll pass.

More later. Peace out. (Cheers)

22-Aug

2007-08-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

Day 8

So far things are good. Today we moved into our new apartment in a quieter area. I neglected to get the internet ahead of time so it’ll be at least a week before I have reliable access. The apartment is nice though. It came newly furnished with just about everything we need to get things started. Right now I’m in the living (sitting) room with Devon, a Jamaican guy who’s finishing up the work in the kitchen. We got set up with a washer/dryer, a double bed in each of our two bedrooms (hint, hint potential visitors), brand new carpet, and a little yard with a garden. (I think some tomato plants are already started)
Last week, I spent most of the time in or near the hotel, but Leah and I took a few day trips around London. We went to Central London and saw some of the big ‘tourist’ sites. We saw Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and a few nice parks. So far, that’s actually been the most impressive thing. The parks are enormous, and do excellent jobs of making you forget that you’re in a big city. The landscaping, flower arrangements, and total ambience are first class.
Now that our bank situation (omitted intentionally due to lingering frustration) and living arrangements are both done, I’m turning my full attention to securing a job. I’m supposed to have an interview or two coming up for some nice gigs, but the numbers aren’t on my side yet. One more week, and I will be a household name in the job seeking market.
As I said before, we live in an area dominated by minority cultures. Leah and I have gotten rather used to Indian cuisine on a near-daily basis. In case you haven’t had it before and want to look like a pro your first time, just take the many things that are placed in front of you and combine them all together into one large pile on your plate. Then simply dip bread in and out of the mass until you’re content with what has latched on.
Despite my sarcasm, it’s actually really good.
Well that’s enough for now. Perhaps one day I’ll actually send out a link to this blog so I can share.

17-Aug

2007-08-17T00:43:00.000-07:00

Day 3

Well I told myself that when we got over here I would keep a good account of everything that we dealt with and went through while getting acclimated to London. If for no other reason, it might be fun to look back once we're all settled and point and laugh at how dumb I was when I got here.
So far things have actually gone rather smoothly. Some of the "fun" started when our driver wasn't there to meet us when we got to Heathrow. Now I knew pounds were the currency, but when I had to ask for change for the payphone, I couldn't remember what the coins are called....
Pence. Damn ignorant Americans.
Our hotel is nice. Thick Victorian era walls laden with expensive paintings line the living room area. Thick carpets and lavish furniture fill each room. Expensive electronics. A small fire burns in the corner near a large oriental style rug. A labrador sleeps on the rug.....mmmm so nice but not very true. Actually, we are crammed inside a small room. I think the building was erected near the time that Earthly power was swinging away from reptiles and toward mammals. Whatever was just before Chromagnon Man.
The good news is that Leah and I were lucky enough to find a 2 bedroom apartment thats being renovated right now in a nice little part of West London. It comes fully furnished, it's close to the tubes, and will be ready for us on Tuesday. We couldn't be happier about it. Yesterday we worked on getting bank accounts, which was harder than it sounds. Without giving too many details, just think of a hobo walking into Goldman-Sachs and asking to finance a home. Well, not that bad...
The area where our hotel is is a strong minority area. (mostly Indian) We're headed into Central London today to get a feel for the rest of the city. It's interesting seeing people at work with men wearing turbans and women wearing traditional Indian clothing (sauris?). Maybe I will wear my ethnic 'two six-shooters and ammo belt'.

Out for now...