I've been meaning to write a post about how things are going here amidst the fun trips, new adventures, and visits from family. I admit all the readers are seeing are these things and maybe some of you are thinking, "Hey Beth, these moments are really cool (or not), and nice to see but what is it really like there, how is it different is it..." I've titled the post "love and understanding" because there are many things I love about this country and there are still many things I don't understand but I'm desperately trying. Here are just a few:
Still trying to understand:
Food: I'm specifically talking about food found in supermarkets here. Back home, we all know to use our food by the "use by date" - but usually you have a reasonable amount of time to eat/drink it. Milk for instance can be good for up to a month right? Here you have a few weeks and when that "use by" date comes a long- it is done. Another example is fruit. This morning I went to the store to pick up more strawberries, blueberries, etc., and the date to use by is tomorrow. Unfortunately, they are not kidding. If I don't use the strawberries within 48 hours they will have mold growing on top immediately after the 48 hours is up. It is like that for most of the veg and fruit here. Which leads me to believe there must be something "magical" about our food back home aka what are they putting in it OR here they are waiting until the LAST possible second to put the stock out in order to get us back in the store in two days. I go to the store every two days for fruit and veg. Seriously.
Radio: I miss our radio stations back home. I didn't think it could happen, but it has. Does anyone remember American Top 40 with Casey Kasem? As a kid, I would listen to him every weekend with my boom-box nearby and record my favorite songs and without fail he would always start talking at the end of the song - during the final chorus or start to play it and then talk? Annoying right- you just wanted to hear the whole song. Well I'm back in the 80's here - in more ways than one. When you do actually find a good song on the radio the lovely DJ's step in and stop the song with at least 30-40 seconds left to go. The other day I was listening to the JT/Jay Z song and they only played half. WHAT?? There is a lot of BBC talk radio- maybe 4 to 5 stations with talking. As you scan through the other stations you will continually hear, WHAM, Phil Collins, Adele, a weird version of Rhythm of the Night, Chariots of Fire song, Simply Red, Tears for Fears.... you can see where this is going. Also the affinity for all songs by Avicii is something I do not understand. They do throw some good ones in here and there but that would require you to be in the car all day long to hear it.
Tea: I give my friends here a hard time about this one. Don't get me wrong, I love tea and you really have to if you live here. No matter what time it is, if you have people over, always ask if they would like some tea. Period. There is afternoon tea or low tea and then high tea. Back home I used to think high tea was a fancy term for tea and some desserts but I was wrong. High tea is really an entire meal served with tea. Dinner really. I often hear Mom's at the park saying "We have to get home for tea, or Daddy will be home for tea, or don't eat too much and spoil your tea." I had no idea what they were talking about until I asked my friend. Used in that context it is dinner. Afternoon tea = light snacks, crust-less sandwiches and small treats usually between lunch and dinner. Then there is just plain having tea, meaning put the kettle on and have tea. This is something that I love about this country but still trying to understand it :)
Screens: Absolutely no screens on any windows anywhere. I don't understand how people here are okay with endless amounts of insects coming into the house. I am still researching why they don't exist here and will have to give you an update later. In the meantime, Mark and I found a company that specializes in screens but we have to assemble ourselves....lovely. We are such DIY people right?
What I love:
The scenery: It can be pouring cats and dogs and it will still be gorgeous here. Green every where you look. Flowers, ivy, sheep roaming on green hills against a dark stormy sky. This is going to sound silly but the clouds here are amazing. Some of the biggest I've ever seen and their different colors make the light on everything so pretty. It's beautiful. People take very good care of the gardens in front and back of their homes. Lawns are cut, sides of roads are maintained. Where we live if you turn right out of our drive you will end up on the Main Street of Marlow which leads to the beautiful suspension bridge over The Thames- if you take a left out of our drive - you will pass rolling hills with sheep and cows speckled throughout. Farms, public footpaths and small villages in a section of the Chiltern Valley. We are so lucky to be in the middle of it all!
Driving: About 6 months ago I would not have put this here. Let's put it this way: I'm still not fond of the roundabouts BUT I do love that I can now confidently drive on the left side of the road, really without thinking about it any more. I love that I will always have this tool in my back pocket.
Driving manners: There are a lot of single lane roads here as well as double lane roads that should be a single lane. Often you are faced with a car head on and one of you has to move. Whoever has a few extra inches on their side, moves. I've actually reversed my car in the middle of the road to let others by- sometimes there isn't much choice. No matter what the situation, if you are the one that moves over, you will receive a nice wave from the other driver- thanking you for making the move. If there is more than one car going by- all of them will give you a wave! Usually I give a wave back meaning "hey no prob" It's just the nice thing to do. And believe it or not some people smile at you while driving by. Yes, smiling while driving. We should all practice it more. Also, there much less honking here, if at all. You have to seriously screw up if you get a honk. Getting on the highway, people actually move over in the next lane so you can get on. WHAT??!??! It is a common courtesy and it is very much appreciated. So appreciated that they flash their hazard lights/high beams at you to properly thank you for moving or letting them in. Can you imagine someone thanking you on Rt. 93 on a daily basis?? It would probably cause an accident. Patience and pleasantries will go a long way.
Proximity to the rest of the world: Really can't beat this one. We are getting excited to visit so many new places this year. Living here has pushed the adventure side of us more than if we were back in the States. It's a very good thing.
Weather: I know what you are thinking - why would you love a place where it rains THAT much? I'm not going to say that I loved the 3 months of rain this winter. Because I didn't. It was really sad not seeing the sun for long periods of time. BUT what I did love was not having snow to deal with, not even frost to scrape off my car- not once. I loved the fact that I didn't have to worry about my kids fingers and toes freezing or bundling them up every time we left the house. I loved that we were still having great weather in November and that our January, though wet, was mild. February and March were even milder with highs in the 60's some days. Does it rain still? Yes, but it is often a quick pass through and the sun peaks in and out all day. Some days I have no idea what to expect. When we do have complete wash out days, I quickly remind myself of the winter we missed back home. Now in May, it is slowly climbing to the 70's. And remember- even when it rains, it's pretty. I'll take it!
Those are the big ones that come to mind but I'm sure there are more. When I think of them, I will be sure to get it down. Mark's Mom has been visiting us for a little while and the two of them just came back from a weekend in Ireland! We are certainly keeping her busy and Mark is sure to tell you all about it.
Cheerio mates!
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