Snow, end of term, and I'm Knackered (or is it "nackered?")

The snow last night was pretty cool, but it just wasn't enough for a snow day today.  I did that above right when it started.  It came down for while, but around 4 or so, it just stopped.  I kept willing it to start up again,  but no dice.

Wonder of wonders, I've got yet another cold   Irritating  mostly, because I don't want to fly on Sunday with a stopped up ear.  Oh well, it's only about 2 hours and some change.

The other day I was in the store and did a double-take:

Okay, "Mr. Brain's" is bad enough, but wha'? 

I've heard  cigarettes called "fags" and small pieces of kindling called "faggots," but meatballs?  I had to take a closer look:

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I don't know if you can read that, but at the bottom it talks about "faggot loving families."

Oh, the chuckles I got out of that.  And no one to share those chuckles with.  Of course I had to buy them.

So, I go home, figure they're like sausages and cook them up. 

I was wrong.  They were plain nasty.  Like mushy, wet bread flavored with a touch of sausage.

And, that's exactly what they were!  I looked at the ingredient list, and they were something like 4% pork and 50% Rusk.  Yeah, I didn't know what the hell that was either, so looked it up:

"a type of hard dry bread that babies and young children eat"

Ghee-row-sss!

I hate to waste food, but after two bites, the rest of those suckers went into the bin.   They were really horrid. 

However, I got a post out of 'em, and hopefully gave you all a chuckle.  I'm heading off to bed now.  Only two sleeps until Vienna!

School is kicking my butt

Whoo wee.  Trying to stay organized has never been my strong point, but man, I can't seem to get on top of it here.  You'd think I'd get how the system works by now; the different age levels, the form class responsibilitites, the different schedule every day, but no.  It's not coming smoothly for me.

Is it old age?  Am I just so stuck in my ways that I can't do things in a new way?  So interesting  to think about.  Well, interesting for me.  How do we make decisions about the best way to do things?  How much is what we are already comfortable with, and how much is really taking the time to consider what the best choices are?

And I suppose, how much is being told what we have to do, no matter what our opinion is about it?

That's the same everywhere.

I am thrilled about going to Vienna for Christmas.  Yes, I'll miss my family and friends, but I miss them anyway.  There's something about only being gone for a year that makes that part easier.  Again, being older helps as well.  I am coming up on my fourth month here.  My second haircut.  My second grading period.  My second umbrella. 

I've not had proper pizza in all that time.  I'm sure it exists, I just don't know where to look.  I'm still in love with Indian food though, and could eat it every night.  Potato Farls are lovely things; a cross between potatoes and bread.  Fry them or toast them with butter?   Yum.  What else?  Oh, tea.  Lots and lots of tea.  I've always prefered it to coffee, but man... you should see me now.  All day long I'm drinking it.  And it's true; the cheapest British tea is still better than our tea back in the states. 

My mornings are different here.  I get up in the dark and turn on the heater immediately.  I wait a half hour or so before running the bathtub so the water is warmed up.  There's no shower here, although there is an anemic handheld sprayer attached.  It takes a while for the tub to fill, and it's always a challenge to keep it not too cold and not too hot.  I use a big plastic cup to wash and rinse my hair, and am thankful I've got only a little bit at the moment to take care of (went too short last time at the hairdresser's).

Generally I look for the warmest outfit I can wear to work (a uniform of trousers, long-sleeved polo or turtleneck shirt, and a cashmere or wool sweater).  Every two weeks or so I might wear a skirt and boots, but not too often. I have an incredibly ugly pair of black, waterproof shoes from Land's End, and I wear them every day to school and back.  I keep a brown and black pair of Danskos at school, and change into them once I arrive.  I walk through a field to get to the bus stop, and learned my lesson the hard way.  Wet feet all day is not a pleasant experience.  I'm still looking for Wellies, but my tree-trunk calves are making that quest rather difficult.

I have to remember to turn off the heat before I leave, and get my key and scarf and gloves before I go.  I try to leave by 7:20 or so, to make the 7:30 bus, but am not always successful.  The street lights are still on when I leave, because the sun doesn't rise until almost 8 (7:55 today) and they are on again when I leave.  At 3:51 the sun went down today.  That's been the hardest to get used to, because I want to go to bed around 8 every night.  You know, my body thinks, "Well, it's been dark for four hours, time to sleep."  But I have miles to go and all that.

One thing that's odd is that all the shops in the shopping center here close at 6 or even 5:30 most nights.  Tonight is late night, with some stores keeping their doors open until 7.  It's actually advertised as "late night shopping."  Of course, it's not like that in central London, but I'm not in central London.  I usually stay at work until 6 anyway, so it'sa bit of a challenge.

Okay, back to the morning.  I walk to the bus stop, minding all the dog poo in the field/playing area as I go and trying not to fall in the wet grass, and then take the W8 to Enfield Civic Center.  I jump off, and walk a block or so, and usually miss my connecting bus, which is the 313, the 307, the 191, the 121, or the 231.  You'd think with all those choices, I'd catch one pretty quick, but I swear they somehow synchronize their arrivals just to miss me.

I usually get to school around a quarter to 8 or so, unless I missed my first bus, and after a cup of tea, my day has begun.

Two hours to go

Okay, so the bird is in the oven, the stuffing and three pies are done, the front room swept, and it's flippin' pouring down outside.  It sure rains a lot here.  I hope everybody makes it okay.  I got a phone call this morning from one of the women in the English department, she was hit by a car last night!  Bruised and sore, but no broken bones.  She'll be staying home today; and for  at least a few days or so from work as well.  Gosh, just crossing the street in the  crosswalk and bam. 

I do think the drivers speed up here when I'm crossing the road. It's like it's rollerball or something with cars. 

Time to get meself bathed.

Happy early Thanksgiving!

10 pm, the cornbread for the stuffing is done.

I'm fixing Thanksgiving for the English department folks a bit early; no way could I get everything done on a school night.  Making Cornbread, Sausage, and Dried Fruit stuffing, Potato, Fennel and Gruyere Gratin, Green Bean Casserole, Crumbleberry and Pumpkin pies, and brining a turkey too.

Oh, and I need to clean the house.  There are still things I've not figured out yet; like what kind of lightbulbs go in the laundry room, and how to fix the non-working dryer.  When it rains as often as it does here, drying sheets, especially my lovely new "flannelette" ones, takes  a good long time.  At least there's radiators for some things:

Okay folks, short one tonight.  I'll try to keep you updated on my cooking and cleaning adventures (aren't you just glued to the computer?).

not too interesting today

Yeah yeah, I know. Keeping this up-to-date is hard. Especially since Virgin Media STILL sucks. I am now officially paying for my internet connection, but still do not have that internet connection. Something is faulty in the actual cable that connects the broadband. Why don’t I just call them you ask? I have. Again and again and again. There’s always some reason why I don’t get to talk to a live person. “Call back later, we are having technical difficulties.” Or, “Right now we are experiencing a high number of calls. Your expected wait time is 30 minutes.” (Remember, calls here to the internet or gas or water company cost quite a bit. I spent 11 pounds on hold a few weeks ago in one shot). And of course, there is the lovely dropped call. Usually after I’ve been through the whole voice mail tangle. Oh, I did get through once. Someone told me she would have a technician call me back. Yeah, right. It’s the 5th or 6th time I’ve been told that, but has someone ever called me from Virgin Media? Nope. It’s just a ploy to get me off the phone.




In addition, I have some awful virus or viruses on my little netbook, which my virus “killer” seems to be losing a battle against. Last night there were 18 viruses on the thing. No matter how many times I run the scan or update it, more viruses sneak in. Gah. Must be the cold and flu season for computers as well.



It’s gotten quite nippy here; I pulled out the full-length, down coat this morning. I’ve been trying to hold out, until it’s really cold, but I gave in. That coat is the best. Now, if I could only figure out how to wear a hat without causing hathead. You know, that affliction that causes one to look as if the wrong side of the bed was slept on. A friend of mine once said that a hat is an all-day commitment. I concur.



Went to the middle of London town over the weekend in search of American ingredients for not one but two Thanksgiving dinners I’ll be hosting this month. Didn’t find scratch, but then last night, finally found the place. Partridge’s, on the Piccadilly line. Funny thing though; so much of it was kid’s cereals (you know, like Lucky Charms or Sugar Pops) and about 12 different cake mixes! Seriously. There must be some expates here jonesing for Betty Crocker. There was also Jiffy cornbread mix (yes, I got some) and Kraft Mac n’ Cheese (two boxes for about 4 bucks apiece. I know.). I got some real cranberry jelly and libby’s canned pumpkin too. Oh, and a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. They really are my favorite candy. They had Paydays too, which reminds me of my friend Torn… he loves the things.



I’m figuring out more and more of the bus/train/tube transport now; although the train that runs close to my house, and which can get me to King’s Cross station in half an hour, wasn’t running at all last Sunday. Something about not enough drivers. What’s that about? I figured out how to get home by bus, but it took a lot longer. I still am spending much much less than if I had a car.



It’s interesting being so much on my own. Everyone has such busy lives, and I’ve not found adult ed classes, or something like that in which to meet people other than from school. It’s weird that it doesn’t bother me more, but it’s okay. I have been spending time with A and S, an Australian couple I met when both they and I were lost in the subway station. It’s not as if I’m completely isolated. And, I am usually so tired by the end of my long day, that the idea of going out after school seems decadent at this point.



Christmas is coming up soon. I’ve had two people invite me over for the day, which is really great. I was starting to worry about it, and am still hoping for a little side trip during the two weeks I have off. There are friends both in Vienna and Kiev, and I’ve been trying to hint for a visit with them. So far, no beans, but we shall see.

Frustrations?

An anonymous commenter said, "I'm sure you have a lot of frustrations." and went on to advise that I don't air those on a public forum like this blog.  Fair enough.  I can see how one might interpret my last post as implicating that the teacher who shares my room has strong body odor. May I say now that is NOT the case? 

It got me to thinking again though about how we lose so much by communicating in this fashion.  I was not clear enough in my writing, and so this reader felt strongly enough to warn me I shouldn't write about certain things, yet this reader didn't see fit to tell me who he or she was.  All bits of the puzzle that would have been addressed if we were speaking face-to-face. The misunderstanding would have been cleared up immediately, there would be no need for correction, and in any case, I would know who was chastizing me.


Alas, that is not the world we live in.

We do our best, and hope no one's feelings get hurt.  I don't have lots of frustrations here (apart from Virgin Media, but that's another story).  I have lots of new experiences, and I'm feeling challenged in a way that's good for me.  As I said before, like exercising muscles for  a new sport; it's not always easy, but it feels as if I'm growing. That's why I'm here.  To grow and learn.

The whole point of the Fulbright Scholarship and Teacher Exchange program is to promote peace through understanding.  That's also why I'm here.  It's not as if England or Great Britain and the United States are ever going to be at total odds with each other, but... we do do things differently.  Not better or worse, differently.

And that's the key word.  Anyone who has tried something new, knows that it's tempting to fall back into old ways; it's easier.  But, at the same time, it can be quite boring.  My life here is never boring.  Every thing, from taking a shower (well, I don't have a shower) to the marks/grades/levels used at school for student assessment, is different.  


I will say though, that the most challenging part about being here, is knowing that how I act reflects on Americans in general.  I try (not always successfully) to be on my best behavior at all times.  I don't want a careless remark I make, or an unclear blog post, to confirm a belief that Americans are selfish or spoilt, or expect too much.  Of course I have difficult moments, and of course, I will make mistakes, but at home, it's just me that others are judging.  Here, it's bigger than that. 

end of first half term

Okay, so body odor. Or, according to my British spell checker, odour. I’m not an absolute freak about it, no one likes it, but it is part of being human, right? I do have my limits though.


I share my room on Wednesdays with another teacher. During my planning period, she has her class in here. Well, I walked back in and nearly fell over. This isn’t your basic, I’m-sweaty-and-need-to-use-more-deodorant kind of stink, this was enough to peel paint. It’s been pretty cold outside the past few days, but that didn’t keep me from opening all the windows. I’d rather freeze than try to teach in a room with that stench. I don’t know how to describe it; something like the way vinegar assaults your tongue was the way this smell assaulted my nose. No way to get around it, and it made my eyes water.

I’ve smelled this same rankness on the bus. Twice now. The other night it was as if it had permeated the seat I chose. Again, I couldn’t get away from it. It’s not a dirt-like or earthy smell, it’s not mildew, or wet wool, it’s just pure hideousness for one’s nose.

Enough. Beginning of half-term here. That means a week off. Thank goodness for that, although I will have plenty to do. I’ve not yet started a bank account here, and that limits some of the choices I have. Here they use a chip and pin number when you use a credit card, and so at times, I’m not able to use my card from the states. I also have no credit history here, so that’s one of the reasons it was so hard to get internet service.

Oh, how’s it going, you ask? Well, they sent me a router, and a set-up CD, but my little netbook doesn’t have a CD reader on it. Right. So, I’ve copied the CD to my flashdrive, and I’m hoping that works. If not, it’s another call to Virgin Media. Joy of joys. I’ve also had my Skype account hacked, and two different phone line subscriptions charged to me. They can’t actually get my money, and my bank is aware there may be a problem (so far my account at home is fine), but I’m out 50 bucks so far, and I’m getting phone calls from businesses that sell credit card machines. Shady stuff. I’ve also been informed that Skype will not refund my money because it’s up to me to make sure my computer is safe. Shit. This is because I’ve been using unsecured internet for two months now. Bad. Who would’ve thought that Skype would be hacked?

They’ve still not cancelled the two phone lines either. Even if I don’t get my money back, I sure don’t want those phone lines. Skype is great until you want customer service. Then forget it.

Going to a show tonight with a couple other English teachers; then to dinner afterwards. Should be a nice way to end a pretty rough week. Then… a week of no responsibilities. Maybe even more postings?

You never know...