Nicole and Rob, takin' it easy on the beach
Monday, June 19, 2006
Sunday, June 18, 2006
argh
Unfortunately, I am experiencing technical difficulties with the program I use to post pictures on this blog, but I'll have some up from this weekend as soon as the thing starts working again.
Meanwhile, Happy Father's Day, Dad! I'll give you a call in a little bit.
Lots of love, Allison.
Meanwhile, Happy Father's Day, Dad! I'll give you a call in a little bit.
Lots of love, Allison.
Action-packed weekend
Hey there campers, it's been quite the weekend. On Friday, I got on very well with my patients on the acute ward in the afternoon, even finding some of my relationship-building stride again. One of my patients kept looking toward her son who was visiting for answers to the MMSE (cognitive screen), so I told her "Hey! He's not your lifeline, eyes front, look at me" at which point I saw her eyes sliding left toward the newspaper to be able to answer my question about what the date was so I grabbed it and told her there would be no phoning a friend or any other assistance. She thought it was all wildly funny, and again, I'm left to regret that in this line of OT, that's all you get. You see patients once or twice, maybe three times at most, and then they're out the door. Unfortunately, that is the bulk of OT in the UK, getting them back out into the community as quickly as possible, whether or not community resources can handle it (most places they can't, long waiting lists). Nicole and I talked a lot this weekend about how essential the therapeutic relationship is- we've both had training in recognizing different personality types, because often the way you get through to one patient does not work with the next...although humor is always a good place to start. Get the banter flowing, and a patient is putty in your hands :)
So I headed back out to Guildford on Friday, for a fun-filled weekend with Nicole and Rob. Guildford is a great base, I must say- easily accessible to the M25, major train station right there, so London is at your fingertips, but so is the countryside. Rob and I arrived at the train station within minutes of each other, conveniently enough (he'd been away on business for a few days), and we were off. We had dinner at their flat, but then took off for a popular pub/bar called the Keystone...I must say no matter where you go, the nightlife inevitably draws an interesting mix of people. It was a great place, and we hung out there for some time, but then decided to check out a couple of other pubs and bars as we headed up some hilly streets toward the castle. The beer gardens were all being emptied out because of some sort of law to protect residents from noise after 11pm, and we didn't fancy being inside the bars, so we eventually headed back home. On our way, we saw a Citroen C250 or something like that, I'm sure I've got it wrong, and decided I need one (it's a classic car, so Rob reckoned I could avoid all kinds of fees and taxes that way). Nicole and I belted out Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody as we walked which could be faintly heard from one of the bars, and laughed at the various drunkards in the street.
Saturday morning, we hit the road for the beach! We went to Little Climping, which is near Aruyndel, the place where Nicole and Rob recently celebrated their one-year anniversary. I have some pictures from the beach and Aruyndel I'll post in a bit. The beach was all pebbles and stones for the most part, and we had a game going at one point for the farthest stones thrown and best kerplunks...all of sudden we noticed this black and white collie racing down the beach at top speed toward us. And I said, "I think that dog wants to play!" but Nicole and Rob weren't so sure since it was coming from so far away. Sure enough it raced up to us and looked at each of us in turn until we started throwing stones again, at which point it started to try and catch them. Nicole and I got concerned by the sound the rocks made as the dog caught them in its teeth, so we started throwing pretzels instead. But eventually, we stopped throwing things and the dog just sat there hopefully waiting, and we wondered where its owner was (it had a collar). Next thing you know, there's a guy on a bike on the cliff above us, screaming obscenities at the dog, calling it stupid, demanding that it come, calling us names as well. I think he wanted to scream at us, but didn't have the guts so he was yelling at the dog that it didn't just go running off for any f***ers throwing stones! Yikes!! Boy we were glad when he left. To soothe ourselves afterward, we decided the dog looked well, and obviously wasn't being physically abused at least.
We moved on to Aruyndel after the beach, where I took pictures of pensioners bowling (bocce ball to you Americans) in crisp, white uniforms. We had too much to drink at a riverside pub which had a very good beer made with nettles. People were kayaking up and down the river, clambering out near the pub, hoisting their kayaks onto their shoulders and running up the road with them. It was fun to watch, especially when one kayak capsized and two good-looking muscle-y men went floating by, hanging onto their overturned kayak, waving to everyone at the pub who were staring at them. Poor Rob had to drive back without much to entertain him, as between the sun and the pub, Nicole and I were zonked out. However, we rallied for the USA vs Italy game, and what a game it was! I have never in my life seen a football game like that before, it was one bit of excitement after another. Initially I was confident the US would win, because after that horrible opening game, they came into this game with guns blazing. The Italians were caught flatfooted, unable to gather any momentum, and it just seemed like a matter of time for the Americans with all the scoring opportunities they were creating. Italy managed to score on one of their first scoring opportunities, but then they scored on themselves a few minutes later, making it 1-1. Then all the drama began to unfold-- and it became a game the British would call "comedy" (one of its meanings being "ridiculous"). First an Italian was red-carded for slamming an elbow into McBride's face while going for a head ball. So it was 11 playing 10. Then an American was sent off for an aggressive slide tackle, making it 10 on 10. Still the Americans dominated the game. Then Eddie Pope was red-carded for the Americans (a ridiculous call), making it 10 on 9. But through sheer will power, heart, and determination, the Americans rode it all the way to a 1-1 tie, with great saves from Keller. Nicole and I were screaming like banshees through the whole game. The Americans are not in great position at the moment, but what an amazing effort, and they aren't out yet. It's still possible they'll go through to the next round, and if they play like they did last night, no one should be counting them out yet.
This morning, the three of us headed out for another pub walk. As this entry is already very long, to summarize...we got lost (again- I need to buy them a new pub walk book, this guy's directions are ridiculous), we met some llamas, hiked some ridiculously steep hills, saw some unbelievably glorious views, some Tudor-style cottages, lots of families out on Father's Day scavenger hunt and picnicking at pubs and along rivers, and finally we had horrible service, but great beer and Pimms at the pub at the end.
So I headed back out to Guildford on Friday, for a fun-filled weekend with Nicole and Rob. Guildford is a great base, I must say- easily accessible to the M25, major train station right there, so London is at your fingertips, but so is the countryside. Rob and I arrived at the train station within minutes of each other, conveniently enough (he'd been away on business for a few days), and we were off. We had dinner at their flat, but then took off for a popular pub/bar called the Keystone...I must say no matter where you go, the nightlife inevitably draws an interesting mix of people. It was a great place, and we hung out there for some time, but then decided to check out a couple of other pubs and bars as we headed up some hilly streets toward the castle. The beer gardens were all being emptied out because of some sort of law to protect residents from noise after 11pm, and we didn't fancy being inside the bars, so we eventually headed back home. On our way, we saw a Citroen C250 or something like that, I'm sure I've got it wrong, and decided I need one (it's a classic car, so Rob reckoned I could avoid all kinds of fees and taxes that way). Nicole and I belted out Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody as we walked which could be faintly heard from one of the bars, and laughed at the various drunkards in the street.
Saturday morning, we hit the road for the beach! We went to Little Climping, which is near Aruyndel, the place where Nicole and Rob recently celebrated their one-year anniversary. I have some pictures from the beach and Aruyndel I'll post in a bit. The beach was all pebbles and stones for the most part, and we had a game going at one point for the farthest stones thrown and best kerplunks...all of sudden we noticed this black and white collie racing down the beach at top speed toward us. And I said, "I think that dog wants to play!" but Nicole and Rob weren't so sure since it was coming from so far away. Sure enough it raced up to us and looked at each of us in turn until we started throwing stones again, at which point it started to try and catch them. Nicole and I got concerned by the sound the rocks made as the dog caught them in its teeth, so we started throwing pretzels instead. But eventually, we stopped throwing things and the dog just sat there hopefully waiting, and we wondered where its owner was (it had a collar). Next thing you know, there's a guy on a bike on the cliff above us, screaming obscenities at the dog, calling it stupid, demanding that it come, calling us names as well. I think he wanted to scream at us, but didn't have the guts so he was yelling at the dog that it didn't just go running off for any f***ers throwing stones! Yikes!! Boy we were glad when he left. To soothe ourselves afterward, we decided the dog looked well, and obviously wasn't being physically abused at least.
We moved on to Aruyndel after the beach, where I took pictures of pensioners bowling (bocce ball to you Americans) in crisp, white uniforms. We had too much to drink at a riverside pub which had a very good beer made with nettles. People were kayaking up and down the river, clambering out near the pub, hoisting their kayaks onto their shoulders and running up the road with them. It was fun to watch, especially when one kayak capsized and two good-looking muscle-y men went floating by, hanging onto their overturned kayak, waving to everyone at the pub who were staring at them. Poor Rob had to drive back without much to entertain him, as between the sun and the pub, Nicole and I were zonked out. However, we rallied for the USA vs Italy game, and what a game it was! I have never in my life seen a football game like that before, it was one bit of excitement after another. Initially I was confident the US would win, because after that horrible opening game, they came into this game with guns blazing. The Italians were caught flatfooted, unable to gather any momentum, and it just seemed like a matter of time for the Americans with all the scoring opportunities they were creating. Italy managed to score on one of their first scoring opportunities, but then they scored on themselves a few minutes later, making it 1-1. Then all the drama began to unfold-- and it became a game the British would call "comedy" (one of its meanings being "ridiculous"). First an Italian was red-carded for slamming an elbow into McBride's face while going for a head ball. So it was 11 playing 10. Then an American was sent off for an aggressive slide tackle, making it 10 on 10. Still the Americans dominated the game. Then Eddie Pope was red-carded for the Americans (a ridiculous call), making it 10 on 9. But through sheer will power, heart, and determination, the Americans rode it all the way to a 1-1 tie, with great saves from Keller. Nicole and I were screaming like banshees through the whole game. The Americans are not in great position at the moment, but what an amazing effort, and they aren't out yet. It's still possible they'll go through to the next round, and if they play like they did last night, no one should be counting them out yet.
This morning, the three of us headed out for another pub walk. As this entry is already very long, to summarize...we got lost (again- I need to buy them a new pub walk book, this guy's directions are ridiculous), we met some llamas, hiked some ridiculously steep hills, saw some unbelievably glorious views, some Tudor-style cottages, lots of families out on Father's Day scavenger hunt and picnicking at pubs and along rivers, and finally we had horrible service, but great beer and Pimms at the pub at the end.
Friday, June 16, 2006
One year, and counting...
I don't know how I could have missed it, but my one-year anniversary has already passed. It was June 13th! I have now officially been employed as an OT for more than a year. Woohoooo!! I've never actually celebrated an anniversary of employment before, or perhaps I should say career, since I'm celebrating being an OT, not a particular place of employment. Yay, me ;)
So I went along to the Hitchcock yesterday after work, ordered some cider, and became totally engrossed in the game. Next thing I know, it's 5:30, so I texted Nicole to find out where the heck everyone was. Turns out, they changed the pub at the last minute, and I'd left before receiving the email about it. So I walked 20 minutes or so to the new pub, only to find out they weren't showing the game!! They had a nice big screen TV, with a sign over it that read, "We are not a sports bar, we will not be showing football games." Oooh, I was so pissed off, I was seeing red! (And I don't mean Trinidad uniforms.) Nicole called her boyfriend Dave to give me updates throughout the game by means of apology.
I am off for the weekend this afternoon, but I'll be back on Sunday, so 'til then, have great weekends everyone. Nice sunny weather here again :)
So I went along to the Hitchcock yesterday after work, ordered some cider, and became totally engrossed in the game. Next thing I know, it's 5:30, so I texted Nicole to find out where the heck everyone was. Turns out, they changed the pub at the last minute, and I'd left before receiving the email about it. So I walked 20 minutes or so to the new pub, only to find out they weren't showing the game!! They had a nice big screen TV, with a sign over it that read, "We are not a sports bar, we will not be showing football games." Oooh, I was so pissed off, I was seeing red! (And I don't mean Trinidad uniforms.) Nicole called her boyfriend Dave to give me updates throughout the game by means of apology.
I am off for the weekend this afternoon, but I'll be back on Sunday, so 'til then, have great weekends everyone. Nice sunny weather here again :)
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Mint, gum?
I've heard today that American viewership of the World Cup tournament has gone up 40% since 4 years ago...although with our first loss already on the scoreboard, who knows if that will be true for Saturday's game as well. Bye the bye, we're playing Italy, a very good team, so I'm more than a bit nervous!
I need to vent a bit, about a piece of my job that I don't like in general. Now I have chosen to work with older adults and for the most part, I really do enjoy it. However, you do run into patients on a fairly regular basis where they are lovely lovely people, but they're in their 80s and 90s, they've had the same teeth for 80-90 years, you can see where decay and rot exists as they talk, and unfortunately a smell usually accompanies it. So you have to figure out how to strike a balance between leaning in so they can hear you, and wanting to pull back for fear that an awful grimace will involuntarily show up on your face as they talk and breathe. I don't know about anyone else (Kristy, Midge, Viv?), but I end up in the middle of a ridiculous juggling act, trying to gauge when to just hold my breath, when I can lean back if they've got a lot to say all at once, etc. And this has nothing to do with being in the UK, nothing to do with the Austin Powers stereotype of bad dental care (in general I have discovered it's not true, though dental care is costly here). It's the population I work with, and I think I couldn't escape this particular problem no matter where I work in the world! I had a great lady this afternoon on Birch ward, who kept calling me "dear" at the end of every sentence in her Irish accent, and I loved it-- although I think I was holding my breath whenever I wasn't actually speaking. Ah well. I'm off to the pub for a happy hour drink or two, although if they don't have a TV (we're going to the Hitchcock right next to the hospital), I'll only stay for one before going home... kickoff for England v Trinidad & Tobago game is at 5pm!
I need to vent a bit, about a piece of my job that I don't like in general. Now I have chosen to work with older adults and for the most part, I really do enjoy it. However, you do run into patients on a fairly regular basis where they are lovely lovely people, but they're in their 80s and 90s, they've had the same teeth for 80-90 years, you can see where decay and rot exists as they talk, and unfortunately a smell usually accompanies it. So you have to figure out how to strike a balance between leaning in so they can hear you, and wanting to pull back for fear that an awful grimace will involuntarily show up on your face as they talk and breathe. I don't know about anyone else (Kristy, Midge, Viv?), but I end up in the middle of a ridiculous juggling act, trying to gauge when to just hold my breath, when I can lean back if they've got a lot to say all at once, etc. And this has nothing to do with being in the UK, nothing to do with the Austin Powers stereotype of bad dental care (in general I have discovered it's not true, though dental care is costly here). It's the population I work with, and I think I couldn't escape this particular problem no matter where I work in the world! I had a great lady this afternoon on Birch ward, who kept calling me "dear" at the end of every sentence in her Irish accent, and I loved it-- although I think I was holding my breath whenever I wasn't actually speaking. Ah well. I'm off to the pub for a happy hour drink or two, although if they don't have a TV (we're going to the Hitchcock right next to the hospital), I'll only stay for one before going home... kickoff for England v Trinidad & Tobago game is at 5pm!
Variations and inflections
I was just reflecting today, having run into a little old Italian lady at work, how many ways there are to say in Italian that you agree with someone (such as in English, if someone says something you agree with, you might reply by saying "exactly"). E vero, giusto, esatto, ecco, claro, a punto, or even just by saying "eh" in a particular tone of voice. So this now has me counting up in my head how many different ways we say it in English...true, exactly, definitely, yes, indeed, you're right, mmm-hmm, etc.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Ahhh, I can breathe
Well, the opening of the heavens yesterday finally gave us a break today- it was a beautiful, sunny, but mild, even bordering on cool, summer day when I walked home from work today. (Oh, and I am happy to report that on my walk this morning to work, I saw more snails alive than dead, slime-ing their way across the pedestrian footpath.) Should be good sleeping tonight, and I have thrown the windows wide.
World Cup update- well, I won't bore you, since you're either not bothered at all, or like my sister you're glued to the TV every day and already know the news (I must say I am impressed they are carrying all the games in the US, albeit not on the prime channels). Germany pulled it out in front of the home crowd, beating Poland 1-0. England plays tomorrow, America plays on Saturday. Hey Tress, are you backing Togo?
World Cup update- well, I won't bore you, since you're either not bothered at all, or like my sister you're glued to the TV every day and already know the news (I must say I am impressed they are carrying all the games in the US, albeit not on the prime channels). Germany pulled it out in front of the home crowd, beating Poland 1-0. England plays tomorrow, America plays on Saturday. Hey Tress, are you backing Togo?
Technology Update
I bought something called a Freeview box on my way home from work tonight- it gives us access to more channels than the five we've had via aerial antenna. There is no contract or anything to sign up for, the difference is that the box is digital and picks up maybe 30 channels. Granted some of those channels the signal really comes and goes, but hopefully it will be worth the 30 pounds.
Also, Leeanne had someone come around yesterday to figure out what's been happening with our internet connection. So now we've got a new wireless modem or wireless access point or something, and in theory our internet connection should run smoothly from now on. Again, hopefully it will prove itself worth the money we spent on this guy.
Also, Leeanne had someone come around yesterday to figure out what's been happening with our internet connection. So now we've got a new wireless modem or wireless access point or something, and in theory our internet connection should run smoothly from now on. Again, hopefully it will prove itself worth the money we spent on this guy.
OT world, UK style
Believe it or not, my sneakers are still sopping wet from yesterday. And unfortunately, I didn't think to pull my orthotics out of them until I got home from work today- doh! I think they'll be alright though.
So I had a meeting with the Head OT yesterday, to discuss my lack of work at the day hospital, and that I don't like doing this kind of OT. It was apparently not an option to have me doing 1 or 2 days a week in a different setting, so instead I have been designated to Jodie to help her out doing the same kind of OT work I'm doing now, on an acute care of the elderly ward. Jodie, thankfully, is incredibly sweet, and totally flexible, so that should the sky fall down and the day hospital actually becomes busy, I can hand work back to her. So I'm still doing pseudo-OT work as I've decided to call it, but it does make the afternoon go by much quicker when you're busy. And thank goodness Jodie is more than happy to help me figure out how the system works, so that I can designate tasks to the OTAs that I can't do myself, since for all intents and purposes I am still assigned to the day hospital.
Now for the bad news...there is a more than fair chance I will not get the stroke unit for my next rotation. There are at least two people who put it down last time and did not get it, and unless they've changed their minds, they are likely to put it down again this time. And even though I've practically beaten it over Barbara's head that I am here to learn about working with stroke patients, she has always run a fair system, and is not going to change that just for me. We will find out a month ahead of time what our next rotation will be, at which point I may well have a very hard decision to make. In discussing this turn of events with coworkers, we talked about how most Australians, South Africans, and Americans come over here because they want to travel, and it just so happens that they can do so while working as an OT. And yes, I'm a travel nut, but I had as much if not more professional reason to come over here, in that I wanted to learn from people who have years of experience working with stroke patients. I can take courses and read books in the US...I wanted a mentor to help me shape my skills working with stroke patients. There's nothing to do about it now, no point in counting chickens before they're hatched, but needless to say, my meeting yesterday wasn't exactly encouraging.
So I had a meeting with the Head OT yesterday, to discuss my lack of work at the day hospital, and that I don't like doing this kind of OT. It was apparently not an option to have me doing 1 or 2 days a week in a different setting, so instead I have been designated to Jodie to help her out doing the same kind of OT work I'm doing now, on an acute care of the elderly ward. Jodie, thankfully, is incredibly sweet, and totally flexible, so that should the sky fall down and the day hospital actually becomes busy, I can hand work back to her. So I'm still doing pseudo-OT work as I've decided to call it, but it does make the afternoon go by much quicker when you're busy. And thank goodness Jodie is more than happy to help me figure out how the system works, so that I can designate tasks to the OTAs that I can't do myself, since for all intents and purposes I am still assigned to the day hospital.
Now for the bad news...there is a more than fair chance I will not get the stroke unit for my next rotation. There are at least two people who put it down last time and did not get it, and unless they've changed their minds, they are likely to put it down again this time. And even though I've practically beaten it over Barbara's head that I am here to learn about working with stroke patients, she has always run a fair system, and is not going to change that just for me. We will find out a month ahead of time what our next rotation will be, at which point I may well have a very hard decision to make. In discussing this turn of events with coworkers, we talked about how most Australians, South Africans, and Americans come over here because they want to travel, and it just so happens that they can do so while working as an OT. And yes, I'm a travel nut, but I had as much if not more professional reason to come over here, in that I wanted to learn from people who have years of experience working with stroke patients. I can take courses and read books in the US...I wanted a mentor to help me shape my skills working with stroke patients. There's nothing to do about it now, no point in counting chickens before they're hatched, but needless to say, my meeting yesterday wasn't exactly encouraging.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
What's a little rain?
Today started with rain, then cleared up through the middle part of the day, but by the time the end of the day rolled around, we were in the middle of a spectacular, no-holds barred thunderstorm! There were some glorious really loud growls of thunder, lightning, it was raining cats and dogs, the whole works...and I mean, cats and dogs. The rain was drumming on the roof, there were rivers and lakes spontaneously appearing on the roads and sidewalks...yes, I did walk home in this. And of course I got the side-swipe splashes from passing cars, who really couldn't avoid doing it to me, couldn't avoid the lakes that had formed. I was soaked through within 2 minutes of walking out the door in spite of my umbrella- thankfully it was a warm rain, and once I was thoroughly drenched, I started thinking about the walks I used to purposefully take in the rain with childhood friends. All in all, it was a great walk home. And it was my first thunderstorm in the UK.
Monday, June 12, 2006
"Oh-lei-oh-lei-oh-lei-oh-lei"
"We're havin' a heat wave...a tropical heat wave" OR, for those of you who are fans of Muppet's Christmas Carol, "Heat wave! This is my island in the sun, Oi, Oi!" It's been a record high here in London, most definitely not a day to be riding the tube, but that is exactly what Nicole and I found ourselves doing after work, to support the boys in red, white and blue.
Let's see, I met a gigantic German Shepherd with American flag bandana tied around its neck, I had a heated debate with a Marine regarding George Bush- in the end I think he is not a fan of ole Dubya anymore than anyone else, but voted for him because he believed there wasn't anyone better to replace him (but shh, don't tell him that, he thinks Bush is the man). I found out about Mexican restaurants in the London area, apparently none of which are anything to write home about. We had a great argument going for awhile about why soccer (football) and therefore the World Cup isn't big in the US-- is it because it's a low-scoring game, is it because the companies paying for commercials push basketball and American football and therefore the big money is to be made here rather than soccer (for players and sponsors alike) etc. Whatever the reason, Americans are missing out. People seemed to be surprised that I was really following the games, but I am a soccer girl at heart, from having played 12+ years of it, and coming from that kind of background, you can't help but appreciate the beauty of the sport, and get into the spirit of it. To be fair though, it was a far cry from having seen the England game on Saturday...tons of Englishmen, clustered standing around the TVs, mouths hanging open until it's time to make the appropriate roar, or sing the appropriate nonsense phrase. Tonight, as I looked around, more people were paying attention to conversation in the pub than to the game.
I must admit, I was really disappointed in my boys...they came out of the tournament four years ago with their best World Cup appearance to date, and ranked 7th in the world in FIFA standings. This evening it was like they were somewhere else. They certainly weren't playing as a team, and though the Czech Republic is certainly a contender, the Americans should never have been as handily beaten. I hang my head in shame and hope this serves to fire them up and get their heads in the game, but quick! If I'm not wrong, Italy's up next!
Speaking of Italy, they also played tonight. And ok, I lied in an earlier post. I am supporting the US, England AND Italy. Well, until the US and Italy go head to head, at which point I will have to go with the Stars and Stripes. Italy did come with their game heads on tonight, starting with an absolutely beautiful rocket from outside the box to a low corner of the goal. I mean, it was a bullet with perfect placement. I got some dirty looks as I shot my hands in the air to celebrate, screaming "Yes!" and was even asked whether I was Italian, but I couldn't help myself. It was a thing of beauty and for tonight at least, my loyalties didn't have to be divided. Poor Ghana, but viva l'Italia!
We met a couple who have been in a long distance relationship since 2001. The girl is American, from a very religious Christian family in Ohio, and her fiance is Indian British. Actually, as it turns out, they are already married in a simple ceremony in front of the registrar in March-- once they decided to finally live together in the same place, she came over in February and they had to do the civil ceremony for her to be able to both stay and work. But their families don't know about that, they only know about the official ceremony planned for a church in Ohio and the elaborate Indian wedding planned for London. Their families also don't know that they met online, as they felt that it was trauma enough (with their two families practicing completely different and strict religious faiths) to accept the marriage in the first place. I don't know why they shared such details with us, since no one else knows...maybe it was the heat.
As I've had way too much cider tonight, a work night, I think that's it for now. I'm off for a cold shower, water to hydrate, and bed, though I am sure to be sticking to my sheets again tonight. Lovely.
Let's see, I met a gigantic German Shepherd with American flag bandana tied around its neck, I had a heated debate with a Marine regarding George Bush- in the end I think he is not a fan of ole Dubya anymore than anyone else, but voted for him because he believed there wasn't anyone better to replace him (but shh, don't tell him that, he thinks Bush is the man). I found out about Mexican restaurants in the London area, apparently none of which are anything to write home about. We had a great argument going for awhile about why soccer (football) and therefore the World Cup isn't big in the US-- is it because it's a low-scoring game, is it because the companies paying for commercials push basketball and American football and therefore the big money is to be made here rather than soccer (for players and sponsors alike) etc. Whatever the reason, Americans are missing out. People seemed to be surprised that I was really following the games, but I am a soccer girl at heart, from having played 12+ years of it, and coming from that kind of background, you can't help but appreciate the beauty of the sport, and get into the spirit of it. To be fair though, it was a far cry from having seen the England game on Saturday...tons of Englishmen, clustered standing around the TVs, mouths hanging open until it's time to make the appropriate roar, or sing the appropriate nonsense phrase. Tonight, as I looked around, more people were paying attention to conversation in the pub than to the game.
I must admit, I was really disappointed in my boys...they came out of the tournament four years ago with their best World Cup appearance to date, and ranked 7th in the world in FIFA standings. This evening it was like they were somewhere else. They certainly weren't playing as a team, and though the Czech Republic is certainly a contender, the Americans should never have been as handily beaten. I hang my head in shame and hope this serves to fire them up and get their heads in the game, but quick! If I'm not wrong, Italy's up next!
Speaking of Italy, they also played tonight. And ok, I lied in an earlier post. I am supporting the US, England AND Italy. Well, until the US and Italy go head to head, at which point I will have to go with the Stars and Stripes. Italy did come with their game heads on tonight, starting with an absolutely beautiful rocket from outside the box to a low corner of the goal. I mean, it was a bullet with perfect placement. I got some dirty looks as I shot my hands in the air to celebrate, screaming "Yes!" and was even asked whether I was Italian, but I couldn't help myself. It was a thing of beauty and for tonight at least, my loyalties didn't have to be divided. Poor Ghana, but viva l'Italia!
We met a couple who have been in a long distance relationship since 2001. The girl is American, from a very religious Christian family in Ohio, and her fiance is Indian British. Actually, as it turns out, they are already married in a simple ceremony in front of the registrar in March-- once they decided to finally live together in the same place, she came over in February and they had to do the civil ceremony for her to be able to both stay and work. But their families don't know about that, they only know about the official ceremony planned for a church in Ohio and the elaborate Indian wedding planned for London. Their families also don't know that they met online, as they felt that it was trauma enough (with their two families practicing completely different and strict religious faiths) to accept the marriage in the first place. I don't know why they shared such details with us, since no one else knows...maybe it was the heat.
As I've had way too much cider tonight, a work night, I think that's it for now. I'm off for a cold shower, water to hydrate, and bed, though I am sure to be sticking to my sheets again tonight. Lovely.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Almost forgot, vocab lesson!
Haven't done this in a while, so here are some new words for you (well, for those of you who haven't heard them before). A shandy, which I realized I did not define below, is half lemonade (sparkling lemonade, sort of like Sprite or 7UP) and half lager. And also, there's twee, a word I quite like. Near as I can describe it, it means quaint or picturesque...Kristy's sister Kelly likens it to "chocolate box Britain." So when you get out into beautiful countryside, and you see thatched houses or beautiful wild gardens along a riverside, or an old pub...any of the these could be called twee if you're thinking it looks like it's been lifted right out of a painting, or was the model for a little Lillyput Lane (David Lilly) collectible house.
Did I get that name right, by the way, for collectible houses? My mom collects these and I've bought them for her, so I should be able to come up with it instantly, but I can't concentrate cuz I feel like I'm melting. It has been in the 80's for the past couple of days, which yes, I know, isn't hot by NJ standards, but there is no AC here, and there's been very little breeze as well. I've been puddling all weekend long, and I can't spend all my time under a cold shower!
Did I get that name right, by the way, for collectible houses? My mom collects these and I've bought them for her, so I should be able to come up with it instantly, but I can't concentrate cuz I feel like I'm melting. It has been in the 80's for the past couple of days, which yes, I know, isn't hot by NJ standards, but there is no AC here, and there's been very little breeze as well. I've been puddling all weekend long, and I can't spend all my time under a cold shower!
Country Girl
I wish I had pictures to post here, but silly ole me, since I rushed to pack yesterday afternoon, I forgot my camera. And my toothbrush. I went out to Guildford yesterday, where Nicole and Rob live, and remembered why I'd wanted to come to England in the first place. Guildford is in Surrey, the county where my parents also used to live, and it is gorgeous. I got the grand tour of city center, and then Nicole and Rob's little apartment, which was very nice actually...they live in a quiet block of flats with a shared central grassy area. Nicole introduced me to her two little friends- one a baby who must be at least 2 years old because he's able to walk and get up into the front window of his flat, where he proceeds to plaster himself against the window, wave and giggle at the funny faces we made at him from Nicole's flat. And the other was a little old lady who appeared this morning in her Sunday best, with a strand of pearls- she puttered around with some potted plants outside her door, and then sat on the bench in the sunshine for a bit before the day became too hot.
We checked out three country pubs this weekend. One on Saturday night, near the river, where I enjoyed my first Pimms in this country since the summer of 1997. It was classic country pub, complete with a huge dog lying in front of the bar. We sat out back by the river, listening to the fish jump, as we talked and drank. And then when the pub started to close down, we danced ourselves silly on the grass across the street, as someone pumped music and disco lights from their house, inviting an impromptu summer rave. This morning we got up and decided to do a pub walk-- country walks are great, but we all agreed the point is the pub at the end. Yes, you see beautiful countryside, but you also work bloody hard on the walk (at least we did on this one!), and everything's better with a drink, social occasions just call for it. Rob stuck to shandys since he was driving, but Nicole and I felt free to indulge ourselves. The pub where we ended our 5 mile hike is a great place for a romantic dinner spot, or to bring guests you want to impress (hint, hint, who's coming over next?), with incredible views, a terraced lawn, and an overall Meditteranean feel to it. We didn't stay there for lunch, as it didn't offer traditional pub fare, but I'd love to go back to it someday.
One of the best parts about the weekend I think was Rob's driving. He really opened up on those country roads, many of which are only really big enough for one car, but have a divider line painted optimistically down the center. I sort of reflexively held onto the handlebar on my door, but there was a huge grin plastered on my face as we raced along gorgeously green and overgrown country roads. More speed, more speed!!
I've decided I don't like London. For living at least. There are wonderful things to do here, plenty of things to do here, culture, a great nightlife, and you can get anywhere from here, but I am just not a city girl at heart. I think I suspected that, but as I had never truly lived in a big city, I guess I had to find that out once and for all. Were I to be able to change things right now, one of the things I would do would be to take a job in the English countryside, the reason why I fell in love with England in the first place, all those times I came to visit my parents.
We checked out three country pubs this weekend. One on Saturday night, near the river, where I enjoyed my first Pimms in this country since the summer of 1997. It was classic country pub, complete with a huge dog lying in front of the bar. We sat out back by the river, listening to the fish jump, as we talked and drank. And then when the pub started to close down, we danced ourselves silly on the grass across the street, as someone pumped music and disco lights from their house, inviting an impromptu summer rave. This morning we got up and decided to do a pub walk-- country walks are great, but we all agreed the point is the pub at the end. Yes, you see beautiful countryside, but you also work bloody hard on the walk (at least we did on this one!), and everything's better with a drink, social occasions just call for it. Rob stuck to shandys since he was driving, but Nicole and I felt free to indulge ourselves. The pub where we ended our 5 mile hike is a great place for a romantic dinner spot, or to bring guests you want to impress (hint, hint, who's coming over next?), with incredible views, a terraced lawn, and an overall Meditteranean feel to it. We didn't stay there for lunch, as it didn't offer traditional pub fare, but I'd love to go back to it someday.
One of the best parts about the weekend I think was Rob's driving. He really opened up on those country roads, many of which are only really big enough for one car, but have a divider line painted optimistically down the center. I sort of reflexively held onto the handlebar on my door, but there was a huge grin plastered on my face as we raced along gorgeously green and overgrown country roads. More speed, more speed!!
I've decided I don't like London. For living at least. There are wonderful things to do here, plenty of things to do here, culture, a great nightlife, and you can get anywhere from here, but I am just not a city girl at heart. I think I suspected that, but as I had never truly lived in a big city, I guess I had to find that out once and for all. Were I to be able to change things right now, one of the things I would do would be to take a job in the English countryside, the reason why I fell in love with England in the first place, all those times I came to visit my parents.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Football fever
I have seen World Cup fever up close and personal, and man is it a rush! I don't know all the appropriate songs and refrains and things to shout, but you can really get into it. We watched England take on Paraguay in a pub, with a final score of 1-0...nothing for England to get really excited about, though, as Paraguay scored on itself. But a win nonetheless. Somehow, our meander through the Roman Road market afterward was a let down following all that excitement.
Friday, June 09, 2006
To drive, or not to drive
We only have three patients to see this morning, between three of us, and none of those patients have arrived yet. So I've got nothing but time to burn. So here's the question of the day:
I've discovered from Nicole Levesque that Rob arranged for her to be insured to drive their Mini Cooper on her American license for a year (you are allowed to drive in Britain on your American license for a year and then you have to take the British driving test). So, if I can get a car for £400 or so, and get insurance for my American license, should I do that? I'll have to sell it again in February I suppose when I'm not allowed to drive on my American license anymore, but it might be worth it. I do think that in general, if I'm taking one or more people with me on a trip, it would be much less expensive than public transportation. And I was told at one point when Rob came to visit me that it cost him about £16 in gas (sorry, petrol!) roundtrip, whereas when I went out to his town, it cost me about £22 roundtrip on the train- and that's not counting the additional 4 pounds for the tube to get to and from the train! Let's have a vote shall we? How many people think Allison should reclaim her freedom with a car? Comment here, or drop me an email or something!
Since I have been asked, I wanted to clarify, I am supporting both the US and England in the World Cup. I think my favorite player at the moment is Pete Crouch (England) for his little on-field victory dances.
I've discovered from Nicole Levesque that Rob arranged for her to be insured to drive their Mini Cooper on her American license for a year (you are allowed to drive in Britain on your American license for a year and then you have to take the British driving test). So, if I can get a car for £400 or so, and get insurance for my American license, should I do that? I'll have to sell it again in February I suppose when I'm not allowed to drive on my American license anymore, but it might be worth it. I do think that in general, if I'm taking one or more people with me on a trip, it would be much less expensive than public transportation. And I was told at one point when Rob came to visit me that it cost him about £16 in gas (sorry, petrol!) roundtrip, whereas when I went out to his town, it cost me about £22 roundtrip on the train- and that's not counting the additional 4 pounds for the tube to get to and from the train! Let's have a vote shall we? How many people think Allison should reclaim her freedom with a car? Comment here, or drop me an email or something!
Since I have been asked, I wanted to clarify, I am supporting both the US and England in the World Cup. I think my favorite player at the moment is Pete Crouch (England) for his little on-field victory dances.
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