American AngloFUN

Hump Day History!

2012-01-18T19:17:00.000-05:00

"Glory, glory, Man United . . . And the reds go marching on, on, on!"

Last Saturday I was fortunate to experience my first professional football game, starring the hubby's favorite team. We (I mean Kieran's mate who generously volunteered himself to drive) made the 5 hour trek to Manchester early in the morning and travelled back the same way late that night. The whole thing was a bit of a blur, but overall a great experience.   Some interesting differences I noticed to American sporting events I've been to...

1) No booze allowed in the stadium. WHAT. How do you enjoy sports without a cheap plastic cup of Budweiser in your hand?

2) Due to issue #1 stated above, you're more likely to see fans holding cups of tea.

3) No vendors selling food, drink, or merchandise in the stands. Oh well, I always found them distracting anyways.

4) Betting agents stationed outside the stadium door helping you empty your wallet in hopes of winning some bets on the sporting event.

5) So much singing!! They had people selling Man United songbooks outside the stadium. It was brilliant.

6) Not as much unnecessary merchandise (i.e. foam fingers, blow-up bats, beer hats/helmets) on sale.

However, I did find the abundance of junk food and post-game traffic to be similar to what I'm used to!

In addition to the new cultural things I learned and experienced, I also found out that Manchester United's home stadium--Old Trafford--has an abundance of history, too. Next month, Old Trafford will turn 102 years old. However, the team itself goes even further back, to the 1870s!

Man United's story began in 1878 by employees of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company wishing to form a recreational football club. Thus, New Heath LYR was started. In 1902 the club was saved from near bankruptcy and re-named Manchester United Football Club.

The club has come back so many times from adversity and near destruction. It survived early financial problems and poor public opinion. It was all but destroyed by German bombs in May 1941. In 1958 a horrendous plane crashed killed most of their star players and critically injured the manager at the time. You have to commend the spirit of the team and the fans that kept them going all these years.

Like me, you might not be the biggest sports fan ever--but everyone can enjoy a good game atmosphere and an interesting back story helps, too!

The massive hot dog--an international sporting event tradition

Nothing is happening yet

Stretch it out, boys!

Goodnight, Old Trafford. Thanks for a great day!

Laters!
xxxxx

Worthing News Flash

2012-01-12T17:23:00.000-05:00

Here's what's happening in my neck of the woods...

I guess I can no longer complain that nothing interesting ever happens in Worthing, West Sussex--this morning they found a dead body near the pier!

My co-workers and I knew something was up when we heard the pier was roped off and cops were everywhere. Not long after, the local paper (the Worthing Herald) reported that a 54 year old local man was found dead on the beach this morning between the pier and the lido.

Crazy stuff for an otherwise calm seaside town. My heart goes out to the gentleman's family and friends.

Hope the news has some more cheerful things to report tomorrow.

Amanda

Hump Day History!

2012-01-11T19:13:00.002-05:00

Show me the money!

11 January 1596 marked the first state lottery to be introduced in England. Lots were sold the the public at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. The state-funded "national lottery" in England continued until 1826 when the government decided it was immoral and perpetuated poverty. The state-franchised lottery we know today was established in the 1990s and although it was established by the government, it is privately operated by the Camelot Group.

What would you do if you won a chunk of the cash??

Top 5 things I would spend major lottery winnings on:

1. Help our families pay off any debt/mortgages/student loans/medical bills
2. Buy a few houses outright--a few in the US, UK, and in a few holiday destinations. Rent out the properties when we're not living in them
3. Quit our jobs and go on a holiday!
4. Give our family and closest friends whatever money they needed
5. Donate to charities that mean a lot to us and become more involved with charity efforts

The rest would go in the bank and we'd live on the interest and the money we get from renting out our properties.

Ahhh, that'd be the life. It might help if we actually played the lottery.
Until then, I'd better get some sleep for work tomorrow!

xoxo
Amanda

Fresh Start for 2012

2012-01-10T18:55:00.000-05:00

I'm back!! No good reason for my absence besides general winter malaise and laziness. Sorry, folks. I'm gonna be better in 2012!

Winter is cold, dark, grey, and sometimes rainy here in the UK which is a recipe for general blah-ness. I wake up and it's dark and when I leave work it's dark again. Thank God for windows at my office or I'd get no sun! I turned to the husband today and said with desperation, "is it Spring yet?!?!"

Even so, I do like the idea of January--the new year. A chance to make changes you were too scared or lazy to do just months before. A perfect opportunity to leave the regrets and bad memories of the previous year behind you in the dust. A time to reflect on all the positive memories and achievements you've made but were too busy keeping up with life to notice at the time.

2011 was a crazy year! I started 2011 in Worthing (visiting Kieran and his family last Christmas) with Kieran and our UK friends ended it just the same, but perhaps a bit drunker this year. In between I . . .

Went to an amazing gig I always wanted to (DC101 Kegs & Eggs 12)
Planned a wedding
Married my dream man--the Ken to my Barbie...except not as skinny and wearing sweatpants
Sold and/or gave away all my possessions except for 2 suitcases and a box
Said painful goodbyes to the people I loved the most and to the place where I grew up
Immigrated to a new country
Lived in my first place in the UK...and then moved 6 months later with all our new (and heavy) possessions. FML
Adapted to driving on the left side of the road (not quite ready for manual cars yet, though)
Came back to DC in November and had the best Thanksgiving I've had in years!
Despite challenges early on, found success with new and exciting career opportunities
Made new friends and nurtured relationships with old friends
Fell in love with being a wife, with a country, and with my new sense of "normal"

The other day I was Skyping with my mom and she said, "people always ask me how you like living in another country and I never know what to tell them." Sometimes I forget I'm living in a different country when I'm concentrating on boring things like work, domestic stuff, bills, etc. I guess that must mean I'm settling in better than I thought I would!

It's been a wild and mostly cheerful 12 months (though I admit I've had a few pity parties where I'm the only attendee) and I've learned a lot about myself and my ability to adapt to new things. I'm really excited to see what 2012 has in store for us! There's already a few items on the agenda, including a Caribbean wedding (and belated honeymoon!), Passover and Thanksgiving in DC, a new job for me, and at least 2 other weddings to be scheduled.

Yesterday also marked 9 months since we got married--hard to believe! We also finally received our professional wedding pictures today! It makes me smile to look at the pictures, it was such a happy day with everyone we love around us. I think we clean up nice, eh?

I have to go, The Grudge is on TV and Kieran has turned out the lights and making scary sounds to freak me out. Ohhh just a normal weeknight at home! <3

Thanks for your patience as I prepared my re-entry to the blogosphere. Hope you'll continue to check my blog for 2012 updates.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year to come! What are your wishes for 2012?

Amanda

FOODIE FRIDAY!

2011-10-07T18:56:00.003-04:00

Sometimes a girl just needs an American pancake...

This joy brought to you by my parents who so graciously brought a box of Bisquick with them on their September visit! Yum yum!

Sometimes presentation is everything:

The hubby made some "cheesy straws" with a little artistic license! <3

As promised, last weekend was brilliant! We took the rental car for a spin--visting the Weald and Downlands Open Air Museum on Saturday and Littlehampton harbour on Sunday.

Vroom, Vroom!

Why do my pics keep coming up sideways on this blog?? hmmm....This is when some IT savvy would be helpful

Unfortunately the weather has taken a turn. I can't believe that a week ago I was wearing a cute sun dress and today I bought a winter jacket!

We've gone from this:

To this:

Source: Daily Mail ---This was Scotland yesterday, no joke!!

brrrr!!

This weekend is for doing nothing (AKA "fuck all" as the Brits say). Aside from laundry, of course. I examined our new washing machine today to find horrible red/brown gunk in the detergent tray. I screamed and then gagged. Nothing a little Fairy Liquid and bleach can't help. Glad to have seen it before cleaning my clothes in it!!! bleechhh. Anyways I'm looking forward to a cozy weekend!

Later!
Amanda xxx

Sizzling September!

2011-09-29T17:57:00.000-04:00

Dear readers I am quite late in my updates. As you may know, we've just moved house, albeit only a 45 second walk from our old place. I've barely had the time to stock my kitchen cupboards with food in all the kerfuffle (poor hubby and I have been living on ready-meals, takeaways, and meals cooked by kind friends/family) and our internet situation is no good due to Virgin Media being a douche at the moment. I'm currently making do by using my iPhone as a "personal hotspot" but I'm trying not to make a habit of it as I'm sure the "fair use" internet enforcers will probably not be happy with me.

Last weekend we packed like mad and I discovered I had gotten carried away when, on Monday morning before work, I fancied some toast and coffee only to find I had already packed the toaster and kettle. It was hard to believe that that just four months earlier I arrived with only two suitcases and a box with all my worldly posessions. Suddenly I had a two bedroom flat with furniture to move. Thank goodness Kieran took charge with the dis-assembly and re-assembly of the furniture cause I didn't have a clue. Even more fortunate was the army of friends and family who helped us all afternoon/evening to transport our stuff. Amazing help, definitely made the process go faster.

Despite our current issues with Virgin Media causing us to rely on iPhone hotspot tricks and subsisting on Freeview TV (not so bad, I still get to catch Eastenders and Come Dine With Me), things are starting to get back to normal. Both of us love the new place and are excited about putting our personal style in it (once we unpack everything, of course).

On a different note, I've been griping all summer long about England's apparently lack of summer weather. Suddenly we're due for a heat wave at long last! Looks like we'll be getting that Indian Summer that has been predicted. Better late than never, eh? It happens to be quite good timing for us, as I booked a rental car this weekend so the hubby and I can take some fun day trips as a little "stay-cation." Looks like we'll have the right weather for adventure and photo ops!

Next week I get my first paycheck! I can't believe next week will be a whole month since I started my new job, it's flown by! Incidently, next week will be our 6 month wedding anniversary. Dang, we've made it further than most celebrity couples! Given my paycheck and some important milestones, we have good reason to celebrate!

I'll leave you with some pics from the last few weeks...


The Worthing Mayor (in yellow) giving a pep talk to the Alzheimer's Society volunteers before our charity walk


This dog supports the Alzheimer's Society in style

Most amazing sunset I've ever seen in Worthing on an evening jog


Kieran and I used to sit on these rocks when I would come visit and talk about the future and feel bad for ourselves about having to say goodbye again. Now we live just a few miles from this very spot! <3


Moving the last bits out of our old place :-(


A new place to rest my head :-)

Ta ta for now, readers! Those of you in the British Isles, enjoy this lovely weather while it lasts!

Love,
A xoxox

FOODIE FRIDAY!

2011-09-16T19:21:00.002-04:00

Yay! The weekend is here!

What better way to thank your new colleagues for their help in your first week than home baked cookies?!

My original plan was oatmeal chocolate chip (my fave!) but for some reason I couldn't find a single chocolate chip in my whole town, so I went with M&Ms instead.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups of dried oats
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or M&Ms!)

Directions

Mix the butter, sugar and brown sugar together until smooth.
Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture.
Stir in oats and chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart ontogreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 Degrees Celsius) for 11-12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

For a final sweet touch, I added a bit of golden ribbon and personal "thank you" notes for my new team-mates

I hope my efforts in the kitchen gave the recipients a nice boost before the weekend! Try out the recipe to welcome in a sweet weekend yourself!

Bon apetit!

I hope to get some R&R this weekend but my "to do" list is about a mile long already, including a charity walk for the Alzheimer's Society, collecting boxes for moving, a laundry pile nearly to the ceiling, booking our Thanksgiving flights (ow, my bank account), renewing my Maryland social work license (ow, my bank account again), and hopefully some Skype calls to my besties to catch up.

ta ta!

Amanda xoxo

UK Employment

2011-09-14T17:35:00.004-04:00

Hey, everyone!

I hope you are having a good week so far. I just finished my 5th day of work (woot woot), hopefully the first week of many :-)

I thought I'd take an opportunity to point out some key differences I've noticed in being a worker in the UK. Obviously some are specific to my company, but still a comparison to what I'm used to!

Colleagues offer you tea and coffee constantly. Literally, I get offered a cuppa about 5 or 6 times a day.

The tax forms are call P46 or P45 instead of the W-2. Still the same necessary evil, though.
Background checks are called CRBs and I will be happy if I never have to fill another CRB form out again
I get an hour for lunch. Literally 60 minutes. Not 20 minutes to inhale a sandwich at my desk whilst I continue to work. Not 30 minutes "in theory" but getting disapproving looks from colleagues when I try to use it.
In fact, co-workers will remind me when it's time to take lunch and won't let me skip! 60 minutes! Once this week I even walked home and did dishes on my lunch break. Brilliant! Okay I am seriously too excited about my lunch break, moving on...

No health insurance issues with picking plans that will inevitably lead to headaches and financial doom
Home care visits are called "calls" and work schedules are called "rotas." Cute
You sign emails with "kind regards" Still sounds too formal to me

Anything else you expat workers have noticed?

FOODIE FRIDAY!

2011-09-09T17:34:00.000-04:00

Summer may be winding down, but there's still time for some homemade Pimm's.

For you non-natives, Pimm's is a refreshing summer beverage which is often referred to as the British Sangria.

source

One part PIMM'S no1
Three parts Lemonade (AKA Sprite)
Add fruit, mint, and cucumber
Kick back and enjoy the last delicious sips of summertime!

HUMP DAY HISTORY!

2011-09-07T16:55:00.001-04:00

Hi there!

As I mentioned in my previous post, one of the places we visited when my parents were in town was Rye, East Sussex. What a remarkable place! The town feels like it's been frozen in time, as it boasts having the oldest and most original landmarks/buildings of any other British town. I'm not sure if that's true, but it certainly felt like it. Rye was titled "Rye Royal" by Queen Elizabeth I after her 1573 visit.
A tiny village, you could easily drive right past in a blink of an eye. But tucked away on the cobblestone paths are historical treasures!

(I tried to upload my own pics but the blogspot picture uploader thingie keeps turning my pics sideways for some reason)

St. Mary's Church

source

The magnificent church has stood atop the hill of Rye for more than 900 years. Unfortunately the church was ransacked by French invaders in 1377. In addition to setting the building on fire and doing extensive damage to its structure, the cheeky French enemy absconded with the church's bells to add insult to injury. A year later, a group of men from Rye sent a message that they would not be defeated--they stormed into Normandy, set fire to two towns, and took back their stolen loot, including the bell! The bell is still housed in the church today.
This historic church also boasts one of the oldest working church turret clocks in the country, with a large pendulum that swings in the church hall.

Rye Castles/Ypres Tower

The castle and tower were built in 1249 after permission was give by King Henry III to build a defence against the French invasions at the time. The tower has had many roles over the years--a fortification to protect the town, a private dwelling, a prison ,and a mortuary. It is the oldest building--except for St Mary's church--open to the public in Rye.

source

Famous people connected to Rye

Rye has produced the works of many fiction writers including Conrad and Joan Aiken, Malcolm Saville, Henry James, and E.F. Benson. Other notable residents include former Doctor Who actor Tom Baker, Sir Paul McCartney (whose children attended school in Rye), and reportedly the ancestors of Bob Marley.

I highly recommend if you're in the Sussex area (if not, you should plan to be!) to check out Rye. You won't be disappointed!

My first day of work is tomorrow, eeek! I'm mostly excited but obviously a little nervous. It's like the first day of school except more responsibility, a paycheck, and no homework. It always happens that when the Universe delivers me a job, then the offers start pouring in. So now I've had two interview invitations this month that I have to decide if I'm gonna take. I'll let you know how it goes!

source

Naughty blogger!

2011-09-06T16:20:00.001-04:00

Goodness gracious, forgive me for my absence!

Last week my parents were in town and there was so much going on I barely had a moment to nap, let alone sneak away with my lappy to blog. My apologies!

My parents decided to come a day earlier than scheduled to avoid delays that Hurricane Irene inevitably caused in the DC area. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but we were doubting its value when their flight was 12 HOURS LATE because of an unexpected stop in Iceland due to mechanical problems. I find it ironic that I've made the DC to London trip many many times and have only been inconvenienced by lost luggage, screaming babies, malfunctioning entertainment units, and cramped seats. But my parents, who only got passports in 2007 to visit me in London, and who are quite content with their yearly vacation on the Eastern MD shore, traveled to London Heathrow via Iceland. I'm impressed, that's one passport stamp I don't have!

We had a lovely week together and were lucky to get decent weather. It's been 90-100 degrees F in the DC area this summer so Sussex was positively freezing in comparison to them! I was just glad we didn't get too much rain, as it's been pissing it down ever since they left!

On our itinerary was Sunny Worthing (and surrounding neighborhoods), Brighton, Arundel, and Rye. We had a lovely BBQ at the in-laws', went antiquing in Arundel, saw The Lanes, Museum, and Royal Pavillion of Brighton (and got donuts on the pier...nom nom), walked and cycled around Worthing and saw the museum (yea my mom likes museums, she's a history nerd), saw "That'll Be the Day," a rock-n-roll revival show in Worthing, saw a Bank Holiday Weekend parade along the seafront, and took an incredible trip to Rye (Eastern side of East Sussex). Plus, I had fun cooking for everyone and showing off my culinary skills to the man who showed me the way!
Cheers to the hubby for taking the week off from work and renting a car so we could see all that and more! It was great fun.

I sure hope they had a fun visit and will come back again so we can explore more of England together! It was sad to say goodbye, but it won't be long before Thanksgiving will be here and I'll be there!

EXCITING NEWS!

Last week I had an interview with a nearby domiciliary care/home care agency and it went very well. On Friday I got the call that they wanted me to start ASAP! I thought my eyeballs were gonna pop out of my head from excitement. I'M AN EMPLOYED PERSON IN THE U.K. This has been the missing puzzle piece in my settlement here and I'm so chuffed that things are falling into place.

The 411 on the job:

Domiciliary/Home Care agency providing care and support to older and disabled adults in the community out of their own homes
My role is a team leader/manager who will support and supervise the direct care workers and work with the local community residents and health/social care agencies to develop new referrals/business
5 MINUTE WALK FROM OUR FLAT. Amazing!
That's all I know right now, I'm sure it will develop as the weeks go on!

I'm so chuffed, I start Thursday! I'm nervous, y'all! I left my last job in March to finish planning my wedding and deal with all the immigration stuff, I am SO READY to get back to work, but just anxious to find my place and settle in. It's always a bit weird starting in a new place, I guess.

In other news, things are coming together with our new flat, we have a moving date now (3 weeks, eek! Gotta find boxes!). I'm pleased that we won't be going far, it's literally right next door to where we are now. I just hate the process of moving, it's a pain in the ass. But we'll get through it!

Suddenly last Sunday I had this feeling like things were finally settling in. Since I moved to England and have struggled to find a job and find my place here, I always felt like I was just living in my husband's world sometimes. Like I was just visiting. But now I feel like I'm developing my own life, schedule, friends, goals, etc here and it feels good. I suddenly feel kind of grown up for the first time ever. That's weird to say. But it's fun, I'm so excited to see where the next few months takes me and takes us as a couple!

As always, thanks for reading.

Amanda <3

HUMP DAY HISTORY! A report from Westminster

2011-08-24T18:10:00.002-04:00

Hello, again, friends!

I am back.

Hardly felt like I was gone, only about 24 hours. But a lovely "stay-cation" nonetheless. It's timely that my adventures in Westminster London happen to fall on "Hump Day History" as I will share some of the tidbits I learned today.

I haven't been to London in AGESSSS. The last time I was there was New Years Eve 2009 but I was quite ill unfortunately so apart from joining the crowds along the Thames to briefly see the fireworks, I spent most of the trip in the hotel. The last time I properly explored London was 2007 when my parents came to visit me when I studied abroad. As I said, AGEESSS.

As soon as our train pulled into London Victoria station, all the fun memories and happy energy came right back to me. As we passed our old haunts along the way, I was overcome by nostalgia yet strangely felt like I had never left. As if London was an old friend of mine.

When I studied abroad in Spring 2007, Kieran and I met up often in London and spent memorable weekeends together. As our relationship grew deeper through our adventures in London, it became harder and harder to leave each other at Victoria Station every time. I still feel nauseous when I think of those long bus rides back to Cheltenham, crying on and off (which I'm sure disrupted my fellow riders) and wondering when I'd see him next. I was so insanely happy to be beyond that stage in our life together--FINALLY. Now after a lovely trip, I don't have to say goodbye anymore. I can have a cup of tea with the hubby and talk about how much fun we had. That's a good feeling.

ANYWAYS, enough of the mushy stuff (sorry), on to the history lessons!

BIG BEN

The Big Ben clock tower has a spiral staircase with 334 steps up to the bell tower. You bet your ass I completed each one (not to mention going back down again!). Oh there's no lift in that baby! You have to earn your history lesson when you get a tour. But definitely worth it!

Unfortunately we weren't able to take photos inside but it was amazing! We went to meet Big Ben himself (he is loud, we had to wear ear plugs) and got to see the views of London from the top, even though it was a little foggy.

The Great Clock was installed in 1859 and its first tick was heard on May 31st. It was designed by amateur clock enthusiast, Edmund Denison, and constructed by Edward Dent.

Didja know?
"Big Ben" is actually the name of the bell itself, not the full tower that we recognize. The clock itself is called the The Great Clock or The Clock Tower
The bell installed today is actually Big Ben #2. The first bell was cracked during testing so it had to be made into scrap metal. The second bell was pulled up in a shaft by the sheer brute strength of 8 guys. It took them over 30 hours to hoist the bell to the top! Imagine their annoyance when after a few months later the new bell was cracked again during testing. Fortunately they were able to repair the bell in place.

The clock's mechanisms are maintained 3 times a week by experts. Even today the equillibrium of the clock's pendulum are adjusted by adding or taking away old pennies for counter-balance.

In 1885 a special light called the "Ayrton Light" was installed at the top of the clock and is lit whenever either House is in debate after dark. Originally the light was specifically pointed towards Buckhingham Palace so Queen Victoria would know when Parliament was debating at night. But later it was expanded for all to see.

Houses of Parliament

source

Once again, not allowed to take pictures (except for Wesminster Hall which I'll discuss in a second), but it's gorgeous. Not as massive as the U.S. Congressional Buildings and underground tunnels which are impressive but the decor alone was breathtaking. Plus, since the monarch is connected to the decisions of Parliament, there is more than one room with an elaborate throne. Pretty cool.

"The Palace of Westminster" has been a royal palace for about 1,000 years and home to Parliament for nearly 500. It is one of the most important buildings in the U.K.

Didja know?

The Palace of Westminster was originally the home to Kings and Queens before the nation's politicians were granted use of the space for law making in 1550

The chambers for the House of Commons and House of Lords doesn't have enough space for all Members (several hundred seats short, to be specific). If you don't get a seat, you can't participate in debates

Fire and destruction have damaged much of the original parts of the building. First in 1834 and again during The Blitz of the 1940s. Of course don't forget the failed plot of Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605.

Westminster Hall is the oldest remaining part of the building. It was pretty much the only part that survived the great fire of 1834 and the 1941 bombing raid. Amongst other things, the Hall has been used for social events, banquents, feasts, etc. Most recently, President Obama addressed a large crowd there in May. It was also the backdrop of many high profile legal trials including Sir Thomas More, Guy Fawkes, and King Charles I. The verdicts did not end well for these individuals! In recent years it has been used for deceased monarchs and parliamentarians to lay in state.

The name "Parliament" comes from the French "parlez" which means "to speak."

Westminster Hall

House of Commons Champagne...hehe

What a fun day! Cheers to the hubby for organizing the trip. Plus, no stay in London is complete without a trip to see Nan & Grandad London and get some yummy bread pudding. Cheers to them for their hospitality!

JUST 4 MORE SLEEPS TIL MOM AND DAD GET HERE! Yay!!

Have a great rest of the week, readers!

Amanda

London calling!

2011-08-22T17:33:00.000-04:00

We're off on a short trip to London tomorrow!

Only gonna be gone overnight, but there will be much to do! The hubby has arranged for us to get a tour of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben! Also in store will be a lovely visit (and likely an amazing home cooked meal) with nan, grandad, and aunt Debbie at "The Hotel of Nan London"!
Hope we have some nice weather!

Me in London, Circa 2007

I'm sure I'll have loads to report/post about on my return Weds evening! See you then!

Love,
Amanda xoxo

Saturday Updates!

2011-08-20T11:27:00.001-04:00

Updates from the previous week, as promised! thanks for your patience, friends. As I said yesterday, this week has been unusually busy for me--some good stuff, some just plain random.

On the job front:
I've applied for over 70 jobs since I started my search in June...wowza! Starting to get annoying now. But I did score an interview with Surrey County Council doing adult social work. Won't be til next month, but it's something! Also, Surrey (depending on where the jobs may be located) can be quite a haul from Sussex so that will be something to consider when the time comes. Might need to get a car after all if all goes well. Although I continue to search weekly for social work jobs in Sussex, most of them seem to be taken, given to less qualified "support workers" for less pay (saves the council money, but ultimately quality of client care will suffer), or are internal posts only open to existing council employees. From what I understand from local gossip/news, jobs in West Sussex County Council are being "made redundant" due to funding cuts and they have to (by law) move their permanent employees around to secure different roles before they can take on more staff. Makes sense. Still stinks for me and others like me in the area!

Randomly on Tuesday I got a phone call from a sales and marketing agency in Worthing inviting me for an interview. The conversation happened so fast, from what I understood they had obtained my CV from one of the SEVERAL job recruitment websites I posted it on. Fair enough, I figured I'd see what it was all about, even though I didn't actually apply for anything. After all, their office was about 5 minutes from my flat it was no skin off my nose. I arrived to find a bare office (they had clearly just moved in or moved out) which was weird. The first question I was asked was "why are you interested in sales and marketing?" Pardon? I wasn't. You called me, remember? Well anyways, they just asked me general questions about my skills and I answered honestly. I was shocked when they called me at the end of the day to schedule a second interview.

The next day another guy in the bare office told me about this brand new company and how they needed hard working people (i.e. warm bodies willing to work long hours on commission pay only) to sell the product (home insulation for energy efficiency) and if key sales benchmarks were made then there would be opportunities to move up. The interview went well and I'm sure they would put me to work if I was willing. I'm just fortunate to not be desperate for income cause the idea of door-to-door sales makes my skin crawl. What would my mother say if her daughter was going into the homes of pensioners selling insulation? Is that what a Master's degree is good for these days?? No thank you. I'd rather be doing admin work for minimum wage at a charity or county council than do sales. It's not my thing. Knowing my personality, I'd probably go into homes and then get side-tracked by helping people with more pressing psycho-social needs and never make a sale, lol. It's still flattering to get a first and second interview, although my instinct tells me that they were more attracted to my having a pulse and a warm body than any skills/experience I would bring to the table.

So all this free time was making me depressed so I decided to pursue some volunteer work to keep me doing positive things and to gain the very elusive "post qualification, UK-based, social work experience." Plus, karma tends to work out the way it should when you put positivity into the universe. This week I started volunteering at the Alzheimer's Society and once my CRB checks clear, I will start doing friendly home visits for elderly and home bound clients involved with AgeUK. I'm very excited about the opportunities that these two organizations have offered me and they have made me feel very welcome already! Plus, the Alzheimer's Society is about a 3 mile bicycle ride away so at least once a week I get in some exercise! Just goes to show that volunteering can be good for the mind, body, and soul!

New flat search is OVER!
As you read about recently, we have recently been informed that we have to vacate our beautiful flat because the owner wants to sell it. In fact, it's already under offer! We have til October but we started our flat hunt ASAP. I have seen so many properties over the past few weeks. Flats, houses, maisonettes, 1 bedrooms, 4 bedrooms, the lot, seafront, 5 miles from the sea, etc etc. They were all crap. Either the lounge was too small, the bedroom sizes laughable, or the kitchens were not up to scratch. Some had nice outdoor spaces but we too far away from the center of town (keep in mind we don't have a car, I walk to do most of my grocery shopping!) We saw a property this week that was VERY close to what we wanted, but not quite there. The next day the estate agent called me back to say a flat on the seafront had just come on the market and he thought we would like it. He was right! It's just one block from where we are now so we get to enjoy the great location and sea views. It's massive and the kitchen is AMMAZZZINNGGGG. Better yet, even though it's slightly bigger and nicer than the flat we have now, the price is the same. Score! Only downside is we have no balcony (so sad!) but the kitchen and large lounge were worth the sacrifice.

I think both of us were hoping to downsize slightly in price, but it became clear that cheaper places just didn't offer the space and location we were looking for. It's still do-able, so we're happy with the choice. So once all the credit checks and financial stuff goes through (hopefully next week) we can get a move in date and give our current landlord notice (seems redic to have to give notice after we've been told to vacate but whatevs, British laws).

Friday
After cycling to the estate agent to drop off paperwork and application fees (ouch my bank account), "Nan Worthing" and her partner took me for a nice drive out to Littlehampton to peruse their market. What a beautiful day! Nan Worthing loves to spoil the grandchildren with sweets/desserts. She gave us a box of chocolates, baklava from the Littlehampton market, and encouraged me to devour a whole bowl of profiteroles with lunch. Oy! We had a great afternoon. She even took me to Sainsburys to pick up chicken and chips for the hubby cause she felt bad he was missing a meal with us. She's too sweet! I definitely appreciated the drive on such a sunny day.

We ended the evening at a friend's housewarming party with a few drinks and nibbles. Good fun!

The Americans Are Coming!
A week from tomorrow, my parents arrive! I'm so psyched, I've been waiting for this moment since I left them at the airport in May. Kieran and I have been busy today getting bedding and discussing tentative plans for their visit. I have to work on an itinerary and menus for the week, can't wait! My parents aren't huge travelers, they got their first passports in 2007 when they visited me in London, so it means a lot to me that they are coming over to see us. And I'm glad we've found our new flat so we can show them where we will be living next. Yay! I hope they will feel at home in our flat.
*GASPS FOR BREATH*
I told you I had a lot of updates! I think we're all caught up now!

Tonight the hubby and I are going with a group of friends to see the new Inbetweeners movie! For those of you outside of England, it was a brilliant comedy series that wrapped up about a year ago and the movie has been highly anticipated by all the fans like me! It's gonna be hilarious, I know it!

Ta ta!
xoxox
A

Non-Foodie Friday!

2011-08-19T13:26:00.000-04:00

My goodness, I am WAAYYYY overdue for an update, this week has been so crazy. I have LOADS to tell you. I will work on an update post for tomorrow so I will be up to date! Promise!!

On Wednesday (Hump Day History) I was gonna post a guest post by a fellow 20-Something Blogger but we both got busy and got delayed. So I'm posting it now, just a little late! So Foodie Friday will have to wait til next week. I hope you enjoy this special post!

So, without further ado, this guest post is brought to you by Misha, who is also an expat. She's is Polish/Swedish living in Australia. To check out her adventures (and to read my guest post in the coming days) you can check out her blog HERE! Enjoy!

Firstly, do not fear, Amanda’s blog has not been kidnapped by an evil overlord. We are simply taking part in the 20 Something Blog Swap, so I’ll be hanging out here for the day! Make sure to check out Amanda’s guest-post over at my blog – Endlessness Ego.

Secondly, the introduction! Hello everyone, I’m blogging from down under, that massive chunk of land known as Australia (where yes, in fact, we do eat our kangaroos), and I have been here for the past 4.5 years. Originally I’m born and raised in Sweden, with polish roots. How on earth did I end up on the other side of the globe? Initially I came here to study and finish my undergrad in film, but managed to extend my studies so I’m on the verge of finishing my Masters in film as well.

The fantastic thing that everyone kept telling me about with Australia, is that it’s pretty much a case of endless summer. That is of course not the complete truth. Yes, it doesn’t exactly snow here or get ass-freezin cold as I’m used to back in Sweden, but we do have our “winter” season – it rains. However, this only lasts around 3-4 months. The rest of the year is… yes, I’d call it summer.

There is one thing that amazes me though. It was only upon my very first weeks in Australia that I actually got a tan. Life kind of gets the hold of you and miraculously the summer has passed and you’re still… pale as a sheet. How is it possible to miss out on all these opportunities to hang out on the beach all day long? Oh yes, that’s right. I work night-shifts. Being a full-time student results in part-time work and I have earned my income in the hospitality industry – in nightclubs behind bars.

This summer however, remember everything is upside-down here in Oz, we’re going through the winter season while your summer is about to end, I will capture every bit of that endless summer. I will surf. I will skateboard. I will ride my bike. Usually I spend too much time with my laptop, or playing Xbox, or catching up on TV-shows. But no, this summer, I’m embracing being wild and free and outdoorsy. It’s insane how I always got more out of my summers when there was less of it when I lived in Europe, than when I am in the country of summer.

I got a quick preview of the summer-life when I very briefly visited Europe in June. It’s wonderful how you can manipulate so that you constantly have summer, as long as you change destination. Imagine that, always living and breathing summer. What a carefree lifestyle! That’s exactly what the corporate zombies that we’re turning into need. Carpe that endless summer, and carpe it with pictures of course… Oh snap!

xoxoxo
Amanda

FOODIE FRIDAY!

2011-08-12T14:47:00.000-04:00

End of the week finally! Thought I'd never see it go. I walked about 4 miles today just flat hunting, at least I snuck in some fitness! Saw several properties today, but nothing "ticks all the boxes" yet.

Today I had to be out of the flat so the estate agent could show our flat to potential buyers (boo! hiss!) so I decided to get some lunch at my new favorite spot--Mr. Toy's Flying Wok Noodle Bar. For £4 you can get a box of noodles and a soda, brilliant! I got my favorite--Hokkein noodles with tofu and mix veg in singapore sauce--and enjoyed my lunch on the beach.

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It got me thinking about Chinese food in the UK. You wouldn't think that Westernized Chinese food would vary much from place to place, but there are a few menu differences I've noticed as an expat. Here's a description of some of them!

1. PRAWN CRACKERS. It's a delicious cracker made from shrimp and starch and fried. Over here when you get take-away Chinese food you get a small white trash bag (ok probably not a trash bag but it's similar to the white bin bags I put in my small pedal bin in my bathroom) full to enjoy with your meal. I LOVE THEM. If the hubby leaves me alone in a room with them, I will eat them all before he gets a chance.


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2. WHERE'S THE LO MEIN?? Although probably the highest calorie item on the Chinese food menu, Lo Mein is one of my favorites from the States. But it's difficult to find this on a menu over here. Often it's called Chow Mein or fried noodles. Sometimes it's identical to what I'm used to but other times it's a very thin, dry noodle instead. Depends where you go--always an adventure to find out!

3. PAPER OR PLASTIC? One thing that a lot of people here like about the Flying Wok Noodle Bar is that they serve the noodles in a traditional white box. Like so:

Source

People get a kick out of it because this is actually very rare in the UK. I've grown quite accustomed to the white take-away boxes where I'm from. Instead, Chinese take-away over here generally comes in plastic tupperware which is great for washing and re-using later for leftovers!

4. ALL YOU CAN EAT! A Chinese buffet on either continent is a beautiful thing. I still recall fondly my undegrad days in Pennsylvania when a group of my starving friends and I would go China Buffet in town and stuff ourselves silly. (And when I say "in town" I mean a shopping center in the middle of nowhere, next to Walmart). In England, they do have the "trough-style" buffet bar that we all know of, but they also have a different take. Some buffets you go to have menus and you don't even have to get up to refill your plate (amazing)! You just pay a flat fee and then pick out food all night if you want. If you can still fit through the door when you're done, then you're not doing it right!

Any other differences you've noticed in Chinese or other types of take-away??

This weekend should be a laugh, as Worthing is hosting its annual Birdman Competition. Long story short, people fling themselves off the pier with their home-made flying contraptions to see how far they can go. For more information about the events, go to their event website. I walked down the pier today to find that preparations are underway for Saturday and Sunday's flying events!

Kieran's parents were kind enough to let us borrow their binoculars for the weekend. We have a pretty decent view of the activities from our flat, but the binoculars will give us a much better perspective! More updates to come!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!
xoxox
Amanda

HUMP DAY HISTORY!

2011-08-10T18:14:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday, readers!
I almost forgot what day it was til I was informed by a kind estate agent I had called to set up a flat viewing. Not much to report except that the hunt for our new home is well underway. No winners yet, but I've got 2 appointments tomorrow and 8 properties we saw online that I need to set up viewings for. I guess this is one benefit to being unemployed, having ample time to view flats! Still job hunting obviously, nothing happy to report on that front, to be honest, so we'll just leave it at that.

Tonight was a laugh, a group of us went down to the beach for a bbq. Despite the windy weather, we found a good spot to grill up some burgers, hot dogs, and sausages. Kieran and I grilled up our "exotic" bison burgers and llama burgers, too! Quite yummy, I must say, although I let a friend eat the rest of my llama burger.

Burn, baby, burn!

Yum, exotic burgers!

Friend's dog, Barney, came to say hello (and eat our scraps)

The other day I took a stroll around the neighborhood and sat for a while in a local park called Steyne Gardens. Of course, even green spaces in England have their own history! As I was walking through I noticed a placard about the garden's history. Imagine that!

HUMP DAY HISTORY

STEYNE GARDENS, WORTHING

The gardens were presented to the town in 1900 by Lady Maria Georgiana Loder, the widow of Sir Robert Loder, former Conservative MP for the Shoreham area. In 1980, the local Rotary Clubs celebrated the 75th Anniversary of Rotary International by installing a "sunken" garden with aromatic flowers designed for blind to enjoy the scents of the flowers and greenery. The garden was last refurbished in 2007 during the council's "Greening the Borough" initiative.

This beautiful green space has been home to many fun summer events, including Splash FM Festival, Worthing Motor Show, and the seafront fun fair. On sunny days you can see families taking strolls, people playing sports, and young and old alike enjoying the flowers and the shade.

That's all for now!

Later,

FOODIE FRIDAY!

2011-08-05T16:31:00.000-04:00

Yay! It's the end of the week (though the days seem to blend together for me). I enjoy the weekends because the hubby is home and we get up to some fun shenanigams at some point. Tomorrow evening we're having some friends over to the flat, which I am looking forward to. Half of my kitchen space is currently occupied by bottles of spirits, wine, beer, and mixers, so it's bound to be an entertaining evening. Plus, if I get sleepy my bed is just in the other room. Not like that time at the Pirate Pub Crawl where I fell asleep at the bar before nine, lol. My bad.

Yesterday was truly awful, I was glad to see it go. It rained most of the day and every follow up job phone call I made was a dead end. Just to clarify the context, I'm a qualified social worker with three years post-qualifying experience and seven years total experience working with vulnerable populations, healthcare, and policy. I'm too qualified for entry level jobs or "support work" jobs so even if I was desperate for the income (thank goodness I'm not) I wouldn't be considered for those posts unless I lied about my education and experience.
However, the jobs I AM qualified for keep turning me away because they want someone with UK-BASED experience. So in other words, a UK resident with 2 years of experience here would get a job over me. How is that right or fair? It's not fair to the client to have a professional without sufficient experience and it's not fair to people like me who are willing, eager, and able to put years of experience to work.

Just as I was reaching my breaking point of frustration, I was informed that the landlord of our flat intended to put it up for sale and we'd have to move out by October. WHAT. Of all the ups and downs over the past two months, one of the few things that brought me comfort was this amazing flat that we have worked hard to furnish and make our own. I felt like someone pulled the rug out from under me, although I shouldn't have been too surprised based on the random "appraisal" visit that was done last week. After I cried for an hour and whined to my mom over the phone, I dusted myself off and booked some flat viewings over the next few days. When Kieran got home, we both moped around and he made us chips and chicken for dinner--nothing like fried food to cure the blues! We told each other that everything would be okay and we'd get through it. At least we have each other! Still sucks a lot, I love this place to bits :-( I wish we could afford to buy it.
I am DREADING having to move--AGAIN. Except this time, even though we won't be going far, we have a crap ton of heavy furniture to move! Rubbish.

Well, even after bad news, there's always a fun food story to share. Here's this week's!

FOODIE FRIDAY!

Stay awhile, crocodile!

Last weekend we had a massive market along the seafront with different types of vendors, both food and non-food related. After I had fallen asleep at home (see previous post about helping people move and assembling large pieces of furniture), Kieran went out and got some exotic meats from a South African food vendor, including bison burgers, llama burgers, and crocodile tail. I had no idea where I was going to find a recipe for crocodile meat, but alas I found an Australian site with a good one

"Skewered crocodile with lime and ginger sauce"

INGREDIENTS
200 g crocodile meat, cut into 2 cm cubes
20 ml lime juice
100 ml chicken stock
20 ml honey
20 g brown sugar
3 g ginger, finely diced
20 ml olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Bamboo skewers
Rice of your choice

INSTRUCTIONS:
Soak the bamboo skewers in warm water so meat won't stick to it

Thread the crocodile meat onto bamboo skewers, place in a flat dish, season with salt and pepper, pour lime juice over and place in fridge for 30-60 minutes to let it marinate.
Heat olive oil in a frying pan and sauté crocodile skewers for about 5 minutes, turning halfway. When finished, set aside and keep warm.

Prepare your rice based on box instructions.

In a pot or pan, combine lime juice, honey, brown sugar, ginger, chicken stock
Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

Serve skewers over a bed of rice, spoon sauce over meat. Add veg to the side if you like

Now I got a bit excited and also made fried bananas. I tried to get plantains with no luck but the bananas were quite tasty!! Check out the final result:

It was a very interesting flavor and the meat was a bit like tough beef but it was nice! The only similar thing I have had was "fried gator bits" from New Orleans.

I would try it again, but it was a bit expensive--£8 for just 250g. Still worth a try. I'll let you know how the burgers turn out!

The hubby has assembled our new hookah with lime flavored steam stones and is nudging me to have a go, so I'm off now. Cheers for reading. Have a fantastic weekend!

xxx

HUMP DAY HISTORY!

2011-08-03T17:09:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the middle of the week, friends!

I am SO pleased that summer has finally showed up here! The past 5 days have been sunny, warm, and rain free. I'm loving it.

As such, we've spent quite a bit of time outdoors over the last few days. Here's a little review!

On Saturday we helped our friends move to a nearby neighborhood. Going up and down stairs with heavy boxes really gave my calves a workout! In the afternoon, we checked out the Worthing Lions Club Festival Market with loads of merchants/food stalls along the seafront.

Found at a discount book stall--It's Waldo with a different alias

Blown glass, pretty sweet

That's a lot of slushies!

On Saturday we also got our bedroom furniture delivered (yay! finally a place for my underoos and shirts!) so we spent much of the afternoon assembling them. Of course these things always come in about 14,205,356 pieces and I can never understand the instructions. Good thing Kieran was there to make sure I wasn't building things upside down. By the time we finished, I was so knackered from the day's events, I passed out early.

Sunday was brilliant, a group of us went to nearby Arundel read about the history of this castle! to get a tour of the castle and to see the "Medieval Encampment" and jousting match!

Check out this video I took:

It was so much fun! Poor hubby (and our other fair skinned friends) got nasty sun burns, but nothing a little aloe can't sort out. Sunday night we knuckled down and FINALLY selected our wedding pics for our album and prints. PHEW! No easy task, we were exhausted yet chuffed with ourselves for having accomplished it. One less thing to worry about!

Monday morning I had a lovely bike ride with my father-in-law. It was the maiden voyage of my newish bike (walking it home from the shop on the day I bought it doesn't count). We biked down to Shoreham and walked around the grounds of a 900 year old church (I know it's morbid, but I love old graveyards). Then he showed me the Shoreham houseboats moored along the River Adur. It's amazing the creativity (and talents with a soldering tool) in these houseboats, I had never seen anything like it!

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How cool is that?!

After cycling back, grocery shopping, and lugging full bags home over a mile, I was done with the day's fitness.

Today was the first HOT day in England terms. About close to 80F. I had been so spoiled with 65F weather, today felt sweltering. It was the first time I was actually uncomfortable in the flat. Not gonna lie, I did my household chores in my underoos.

So that's the last few days, in a nutshell! Now on to today's history lesson:

BT's Speaking Clock Turns 75!

The other day I was watching the news and saw a story about Britain's "speaking clock" and how it recently celebrated its 75th anniversary (24 July, to be exact). From 1936 til today, one can dial "1-2-3" from any BT phone and get the precise time. Not in the UK? No problem, you can dial +44 871 789 3642 from the U.S.!

The Speaking Clock is a national institution and part of Britain's Heritage. It was originally introduced in 1936 for people who did not have a watch or clock.

Around 30 million calls every year are made to the speaking clock, which was nicknamed "Tim" because originally the line could be called by dialing the corresponding numbers (846)

Initially the accuracy of the clock was one-tenth of a second, but today it is accurate to within five thousandths of a second. Even Big Ben uses the service to check its accuracy.

The "voice" of the clock is almost as famous as the service itself, with only four permanent voices ever used. The fourth, and current, voice is Sara Mendes da Costa, who became the clock's voice in April 2007 after winning a nation-wide contest.

So why do so many people still call this service now that we have computers, cell phones, and digital clocks/watches? Some just get a kick out of it and its historical significance. Others use it to define the exact moment of a holiday or special occassion (i.e. New Years). Reportedly there are several phone calls made just before 5pm, when customer service staff are trying to avoid having to take a lengthy phone call at the end of the day.
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Thanks for reading!

Amanda xxx

FOODIE FRIDAY!

2011-07-29T19:13:00.000-04:00

Hello, dear readers!

I'm sorry I've been M.I.A. this week. As many of you know, being a new expat has its ups and downs and several days this week have been downers. I just didn't have anything positive to post so I didn't post at all. Another week without job news and being told I wouldn't be considered for two posts I was clearly qualified for just because I didn't have 3 years of UK-based experience. Constantly being ignored and being told "no" eventually gets to you. I never had this hard a time getting a job, even as a new graduate. I'm not used to it. Maybe I just got lucky in the past and now I'm seeing how it really is for most people. It sucks, I'm not gonna lie. But I have good support here fortunately so I'm chugging along and trying to remain as positive as I can. I hope to look back on this with humor and learn from it. It's hard to see the larger purpose of this roller coaster but I know in the not-so-distant future I'll see the forest through the trees and all will be for a good purpose.

The good news is, my parents just booked their flights to visit us in a few weeks! yay!! I'm so psyched to see them. Our parting was so bittersweet (well, mostly bitter and full of tears) so I'm looking forward to saying hello again and having a fun week together. My hubby has been my rock and full support system since I got here and I love him for it. But a girl still wants her mommy sometimes! I'm glad to have happy times to look forward to. Better start planning fun day trips in Sussex! At the very least, my parents are looking forward to some relief from the heat. It was reportedly 105F today in D.C. Whoa!

After a rough week, I actually had a really nice Friday today, which I know will get me through to next week. I had a lunch date with the hubby, applied for a few good jobs, made a yummy chocolate mousse (see below), and had the in-laws over to see the Worthing fireworks. Considering I went without fireworks for the 4th of July this year, I thoroughly enjoyed the 15 minute show this evening from the pier. Better yet, we saw it from the comfort of our own balcony. It doesn't get much better than that. Here's a video of a small portion of the light display!

FOODIE FRIDAY! Let's talk about pudding...
In the U.S. when someone says "pudding" you think of JELL-O or Swiss Miss brand custard. If you're lazy, it comes in pre-package cups. If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, you can make it from a powdery mix. In any event, you know what you're getting into when someone announces that pudding is on its way.
Not here! Oh, no! "Pudding" refers to any sweet dessert you might encounter after your meal. It could be pie, cake, custard, ice cream, or even cheese with grapes! You never know what's in store. I, for one, enjoy the element of surprise. The following are my recent "pudding" attempts--Key Lime Pie and Chocolate Mousse.

***KEY LIME PIE***

I made this pie (my first attempt ever!) last weekend and by Tuesday night it was gone. I guess it was good!

Digestive biscuit crust--homemade, baby!

The key ingredient--lime juice and lime rind

Voila!

***CHOCOLATE MOUSSE***

My love affair with chocolate mousse all began at a Bar Mitzvah when I was about 10 or 11. I've been a sucker ever since. This particular recipe called for 3 bars of chocolate and was a little thick but had the characteristic "bubbles" you see in mousse. Definitely a keeper!

I swear it tastes better than it looks!

Presentation is key

It's difficult not to over-indulge in "pudding" especially when one is having a down week. Well, I did buy a bicycle last weekend so hopefully in the coming weeks there will be more of this:

And less of this:

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Lord help me! LoL.

Have a brilliant weekend!

A

FOODIE FRIDAY!

2011-07-22T11:31:00.000-04:00

Just like any other warm blooded person, I have a love affair with pizza. It's a love-hate relationship, though. I love pizza and pizza loves to fatten my bum, which I hate. I have to say, being here makes me miss my local Papa Johns pizza, but the Brits have pretty good pizza, I must admit. However, they have some interesting toppings you won't generally find at U.S.-based Dominos chains like sweet corn, corriander, tuna, and shrimp ("prawns"). Don't knock it til you try it!

Anyways, yesterday Kieran and I made our own personal pizzas (note: I don't claim to make pizza dough, I bought the pizza base on offer at Tesco). I think you can tell a lot about a person and their uniqueness by what they put on their pizzas. Try to guess which one is mine.

Veggie Special

someone likes it hot, hot, hot!

Meat lovers. With just a smidge of green

Let's eat!

Job update:
Well, the sad news is the job I wanted was given to someone with slightly more management experience. But my interviewer said I did a great job and was very enthusiastic and passionate and that I should keep trying out for similar posts because an agency is bound to snap me up soon. I guess the good part is that this particular post would have been a very long commute (at least 45 minutes each way) and I would prefer to stay in West Sussex if possible. So I'm pressing on, submitted three apps yesterday. Thanks to everyone for your encouragement. It's tough being unemployed and looking for work! I know there's something out there with my name on it, I just hope to find it soon! I appreciate the support as I venture forth!

The sun and summer FINALLY showed itself today, everyone was out and about. However, I already see the grey clouds out my window, so I better go do my errands before the weather turns (as it always does here!). That's one thing I love about Brits, they appreciate that the good weather is usually fleeting so as soon as the sun pops out, everyone and their brother come outside to play. They don't take it for granted.

Ta ta!
-A-

HUMP DAY HISTORY!

2011-07-20T18:13:00.000-04:00

BRITSPEAK (Household Items)
"Bog Roll" = Toilet Paper
"Kitchen Roll" = Paper Towels
"Serviettes" = Paper napkins
"Hoover" = Vacuum
"Washing up liquid" = dish soap (like the kind you hand wash with)
"Telly" = Television
"Hob" = stove top

Today has been eventful and productive to say the least! I am knackered (exhausted).
Got up before the hubby and walked to the Enterprise car hire center to pick up my 24 loaner car. A lovely red KIA Ceed, I could get used to a gal like her! After safely getting her home, I walked to the weekly street market and stocked up on produce. It's amazing what £10-15 can get you at a street market. I love it! Now it's just a race against the clock to eat the fruit and veg before it goes off! Maybe that's why they recommend "5 a day"!

Then it was last minute preparations/studying for my interview in East Sussex. Then I was off! Thanks to my trusty Garmin GPS (which, after giving it some time, eventually realized it was in England), I had no problems getting there and could just focus on staying on the correct side of the road and not side swipe bicylclists (there are a lot of them!), cars parked in the road (WTF?), or fellow motorists (the streets are so narrow!)

I had a few moments that made me go "EEEEEE!!!!" in a fit of terror, but overall it was fine. I'm still alive to tell the tale, aren't I? I think I still need some practice, though. However, when I drove the hubby to the grocery store later, he didn't seem so sweaty and tense so that's an improvement! :-)

this is the sign for the "National Speed Limit" which is 70mph on dual carriageway and 60 on a single carriageway

The interview went quite well. I don't want to say too much in case I don't get it, but I will say it was definitely a job that was right up my alley and would be a good fit for me. I just hope the interviewers felt that I would be a good fit for them! I had three people interviewing me which was a little nerve-wracking, but they were super nice and made me feel comfortable, so that helped. It lasted about an hour. First I had to give a 10 minute presentation about the program I would be involved with and then they asked me about 9 or 10 standardized questions about the role. I had a bit of verbal diarhea because I wanted to get my ideas out before they vanished from my brain, so I hope I got my points across. They said I should hear either way tomorrow, so I will appreciate any prayers/positive thought vibes/crossed fingers! If not, back to more apps tomorrow! I'm pleased to have gotten 2 interviews in the month I've been at the job hunt, definitely a good sign.

I drove myself home (again, no bodily injury to myself or others--yay!), in the rain (silly rain, go away! Don't you know it's summer??), and updated mom, Kieran, and facebook about the interview.

Since we have the rental til tomorrow morning, hubby and I thought we'd do a big grocery shop at Tesco to keep us for a few weeks. I love shopping at big Tesco! Little Tesco sucks (AKA "Tesco Express"). Big Tesco is like Walmart and Tesco Express is like 7-Eleven...less variety and higher prices, but good if you need something quick. Like yesterday when I had a massive sweet tooth and Tesco Express was the only thing within walking distance AND open after 6pm.

My early start caught up to me after hauling the groceries inside, so I let the hubby make omlettes for dinner. I say "let" because I'm slightly territorial about my kitchen and like to cook. Unless I'm tired or feeling lazy on weekends, hehe. But, to his credit, he is quite good!

Now I'm just chillaxin in front of the telly and waiting for the Aleve to kick in and dull this headache. I've got the windows cracked and can hear the performers next door at the bar's weekly open mic night. I wouldn't go calling Britain's Got Talent, but it's pleasant to listen to!

On a final note, the annual Worthing Lions Club Festival (including several fun activities spanning the next few weeks) has kicked off already with the "fun fair"/mini carnival thingie. I snapped a picture of the lights from the rides and activities down the street. We might have to go down there sometime over the next week and have a go at the carnival games or rides! At the very least, there will be fatty carnival food to be enjoyed.

are we having fun yet?

The next Worthing summer fun activity to look forward to will be the SLASH FM garden party this weekend, featuring musical tributes to Kylie Minogue, U2, Phil Collins, and others! I can only hope the fun stuff planned with bring some good weather to go with it. Recently it's been rubbish! Cold and rain, blechhh.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Well, in honor of my neighborhood (and favorite) castle, I am featuring Arundel Castle in this week's Hump Day History Lesson!

Hump Day History--Arundel Castle

source

Can you believe that this is still a running home? It's the stately home of the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk.

That would be these fine people:

source

On a side note, they announced two weeks before the Royal Wedding that they were separating and the Duke was reportedly going to move out of the castle. WHAT? As one local put it (as published in the Daily Mail): "we are all wondering why then can’t they simply live in separate wings of the castle." Exactly!

Anyways, far before the couple moved their boxes into the breath-taking castle, the walls of the home had seen many families and historical events. The castle has nearly 1,000 years of history to its name (that's a lot in American standards!). It was built at the end of the 11th Century by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Arundel. It has remained in the family of the Duke of Norfolk for 400 years. During the period of the English Civil War, the building sustained damage. However, there were several restoration projects over the 18th and 19th century, most notably by Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk, who made various improvements and expansions to the building as he desired to live and entertain frequently there.

In 1846, Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert visited the castle and stayed for several days. In preparation for the exciting royal visit, Henry Howard (13th Duke of Norfolk) spared no expense. A special block of rooms was built and decorated in the finest Victorian style furniture and art. He also commissioned a special portrait of the Queen to display. Much to the Duke's pleasure, the Queen was impressed and comfortable with her private suites during her visit.

Today the castle and gardens are open to the public at certain times of the year (for a fee, of course). In fact, at the end of the month they are having tradition "medieval encampment" and jousting tournament, so I am hoping to check that out!

Thanks for reading! Hope everyone has a good rest of the week!

M.I.A. Summer

2011-07-17T15:35:00.002-04:00

Britspeak:

Camp -- Effeminate characteristics usually used to describe the mannerisms of a flamboyantly gay man. As in: "He's as camp as a row of pint tents!"

Cheeky -- Impertinently bold; impudent and saucy, nervy. As in: "You cheeky child, I saw you take a biscuit after I told you not to!"

Chuffed -- Pleased/Happy/Proud. As in: "I got a promotion at work. I'm well chuffed with that!"

Wonga -- Money

Wonky -- Crooked; off-center; askew. As in, "The wheels on my bike have gone a wonky and now it won't go straight!"

Pegs -- Teeth. As in: "Go scrub your pegs, it's time for bed!"

I've been waiting patiently for the past month and it seems that our friend Summer hasn't quite reached Sussex yet.

Just to clarify, when I say "summer," I'm referring to the familiar heat and sun (sometimes overwhelming) that I'm used to, growing up in the DC metro area. As expected, temps in the DMV (DC/MD/VA) have been sweltering in the 90s for much of the summer already and I'm sure my friends and family are running their air conditioning units at full blast just to breathe. Doesn't exactly sound like a fun situation, but it's familiar to me.

Since my arrival at the end of May, I've been waiting for summer to show up in my new neighborhood. Every day I wake up expecting summer to be here and it's still cold here! Only one or two days got up to the 70s but it's mostly been 50-60 degrees and quite windy by the sea. Today was especially breezy and cold, I saw people walking outside with jackets on! What is going on? My shorts and tanks are collecting dust in my closet.

Well, the good news is, we save money on not needing air conditioning and can open the windows during the day to enjoy the breeze and not have to worry about letting the hot muggy air (and bugs) in. Also, living in a "temperate maritime climate" means winters are mild as well. No more shoveling 2-3 feet of snow for me, yay!!

However, I am encouraged by weather predictions written by the Telegraph: "The good news is . . .this August’s school holidays are set to see the best of summer, with sunblock needed for early-month temperatures nudging just above 30C in the south and low rainfall" (Source) So maybe summer will show up yet. A lady after my own heart, always just a little late to arrive.

Still, I grow weary of seeing brollies (umbrellas) and wellies (rainboots) around and could use a bit of color. I hope to see you soon, summer!

BTW tonight is the season finale of The Apprentice UK! The hubs and I have gotten into it the past few weeks. Everyone who watches it (myself included) fancies themselves a business expert whilst watching, yelling out at the television, "what the hell are you doing, you idiot?!" It's brilliant fun.

So who will survive the final axe from Lord Sugar?

Source

Here's my prediction . . .

Source

That's Helen. She's the only one of the lot who isn't a total idiot. She's got balls and brains. I hope she wins.

I guess we'll find out!

Laters

Amanda

FOODIE FRIDAY! 24 hrs late (Sorry!)

2011-07-16T13:20:00.000-04:00

I'm a bad bad blogger and am a bit late on this post. But it's still post-worthy so here you go.

The other day I had a massive craving for traditional American apple pie. Seeing as how my last few weeks of shopping left us with a surplus of apples in the kitchen, I thought it was fate.

In case you're craving the same (after looking at my pics you might!), here's a recipe. I've modified from the original as I like using several types of apples and my final outcome was very thick, so I hope yours might be a bit more gooey:

Ingredients:
--Store bought pie crust (2)--meh, why mess about with flour and shortening when it comes pre-made in the shop? :-)
-- 3 bramley apples (or "baking apples"), 3 pink lady apples (my favorite, so sweet!), and 2-3 fuji or gala apples
-- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
-- 1 cup sugar
-- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
-- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
-- 1 egg yolk
-- Pie pan
-- Wax paper/baking paper

Directions
-- Wash and peel all the apples. Cut into thin slices and put in a large bowl
-- Toss the apples in lemon juice
--In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg
-- Add the dry mixture to the apples and toss until evenly covered
PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 425F/220C
-- Cut a round piece of baking paper to fit on the bottom of your pie pan. This will stop the pie from sticking to it
-- Roll out one of the pie crusts on the base of the pie pan
--Pour the apple mixture into the bottom of the pie. Don't worry if it looks like a mound, it's just choc-full of apples! You'll appreciate it later
-- Roll the remaining pie crust over the top and cut slits in the top. Or, if you're feeling crafty, you can cut out strips and do a "lattice" design.
--In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk and a little bit of water or oil. Brush the yolk over the top of your finished pie for a nice shiny effect later
--Bake the pie at 425F / 220C for 15 minutes
--Reduce oven heat to 350F / 180C and bake for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly
--Enjoy with ice cream or custard!

Before

After

Get in my belly!!!

Let me know how yours turns out!
A xoxox

HUMP DAY HISTORY!

2011-07-13T18:30:00.000-04:00

In my last post, I showed a video of "Morris Dancing" taking place in downtown Worthing. I had never seen or heard about it before, so I thought I'd do a little research about this British tradition for the blog!

Morris Dancing

As you can see from the video, it's a folk dancing tradition involving rhythmic steps and movement, often involving bells, scarves, sticks, and even swords. It's usually accompanied by drums, singing/chanting, and wind instruments.

The term and style derived in the 15th century from "Moorish dancing," a nod to the celebrations that took place when the Catholic monarchs drove the Moors out of Spain. In addition to becoming popular as court entertainment, it also became a traditional way of celebrating the Spring and Summer festivals. Different communities across the country developed their own unique styles to the tradition over the years.

During the rise of Puritanism, Morris Dancing became seen as "pagan and ungodly" and fell out of favor with the reigning monarchs. It was eventually outlawed under Oliver Cromwell's political influence. Even after it was re-legalized during the Restoration period, it began to fade from popularity.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, a handful of English folklore enthusiasts breathed new life into Morris Dancing and revived its tradition within British culture. Morris Dancing is as quintessentially English as fish & chips and red phone boxes, but not widely known amongst outsiders such as myself. In any event, it seems to cheerfully ring in the summer season and connecting us to historical pastimes--before TV, video games, and all that indoor stuff.

ye old morris dancing

Some good news on the job front--I got an interview for next week! It seems like a great opportunity, so I'm looking for to it (but nervous at the same time!) I have to do another PowerPoint so I've been working hard on that and studying all I can about social care policy and trying to send out a few more resumes in between--just in case :-) Just getting an interview gives me a bit of a boost anyway!

RANDOM STORY
Yesterday I was having lunch with my sister-in-law and she noticed that as a car drove by a perfectly good book was thrown from the car. I went to investigate and found a novel with a receipt in it. Someone had just purchased it 20 minutes prior. I still don't understand how it got thrown into the street. Well I didn't fancy the book so I went into Waterstones (the book store) and exchanged the book for one I wanted:

Friggin hilarious. I've nearly finished it already! I have a bit of an obsession with this guy right now. YouTube his name or "An Idiot Abroad" and you might be mesmerized, too. Just looking at his mug is making me giggle.

Right, that is all for now. Hope everyone has a good second half of the week!

A

Another lovely weekend comes and goes!

2011-07-10T17:27:00.000-04:00

Hi, folks!

This weekend has been eventful and chilled at the same time. On Friday I was in a bad mood after another week with unsuccessful attempts to get a job, but Kieran dragged me out with a group of people to Arundel for "Beer O'Clock" at the Black Rabbit. It was a lovely pub, we ended up having a nice meal and a drink or two. Arundel is so beautiful in every season. As you come around the bend in the main road, it opens up to amazing landscape and a breath-taking castle.

Source

This is a nice picture but still doesn't quite do it justice. It also has a pretty creek/river/moat thingie with a long walkway. The Black Rabbit is right on the little river thingie and has an outdoor patio area overlooing the small body of water and Arundel in the background. Very picturesque and British, I love going there and even just driving through!

On Friday Kieran also got a letter in the post about a volunteer position he applied for with the young offenders, and they invited him for an interview. So proud of him! That was good news.

Saturday morning we were woken early by a clan of pigeons who have moved into the balcony next door. There are like 5 of them protecting a nest which they built in a pot under our neighbor's chair. They are so loud in the morning and produce so much poop, it's concerning. I don't even know if our neighbor is aware of his uninvited squatters as he doesn't seem to be home much.

momma pigeon protecting her poopy nest. ew.

Me peeking next door to get a look at the brood

When we ventured out for errands on Saturday, we were greeted with some interesting entertainment in the neighborhood. Morris Dancing, which apparently is a type of English folk dancing dating back to the 15th century. A troupe was downtown entertaining the crowd. It was quite good! Take a look at this video I shot. It's kind of cool how the tradition has been successfully passed down over so many generations.

Saturday afternoon/evening was filled with a pirate-themed pub crawl around Worthing organized by some friends. Needless to say, it got a bit messy and I had to be put to bed at 9:30pm, but I had a laugh. We went to some really nice pubs with pretty beer gardens, it was so nice out.

argghhhh!

This morning we were a little groggy and slow to get started but after some coffee and watching the sea of pink joggers/walkers go past in this year's seafront Race for Life, we ventured out to get some food for an impromtu picnic on the beach, just the two of us.

Hubs with the spread!

It was just what I needed to kick the hangover--sea air, sun on my face, and greasy chips in my tummy.

I also noticed today that the basil seeds I planted a few days ago started to sprout. Yay!! I shall have to plant a few more herbs for the kitchen.

And this is a mini rainbow I saw on Friday evening

So as you can see it was a bit of a mish-mash this weekend. But overall it was quality and I had some good fun. Back to the job drawing board tomorrow!

Laterssss!
Amanda

HUMP DAY HISTORY!

2011-07-06T18:00:00.000-04:00

Hi, folks!

This week's history lesson is a short one. More like "oh dang, fun fact" more than my usual lengthy entries. I wanted to find out if the complex we live in had any history or at least how it got its name "Augusta House." Well thanks to the internet, I got my answer!

Apparently the original building used to be called Trafalgar House and was built around 1810. From 1829-1830, Princess Augusta Sophia (sister of King George IV in the Royal House of Hanover) stayed at Trafalgar House. Presumably, it was a stately home or hotel-like building at the time. After her stay, the building's name was changed to Augusta House in her honor. Unfortunately the original building on this site was demolished and rebuilt in 1948 by city planners eager to modernize the seaside town. But needless to say, this seaside town was popularized by many royal visits over the years, including that of Princess Augusta Sophia!

Princess Augusta Sophia (namesake of my home!)

So there ya go :-D imagine that!

Well this was my first time ever being out of the U.S. for the 4th of July. It was a little sad but I tried to enjoy it. On Sunday we went to the parents-in-law for a BBQ which was perfectly suited for a 4th of July weekend. The sun was shining (the hubs got burnt), the grill was fired up, and Kieran's mum whipped up some cocktails, too! It was a great afternoon. On Monday there were no fireworks, but I did create my own patriotic touch to the day...

My red white and blue trifle!

Not much else going on here besides job hunting my little heart out. I got my CRB background check in the mail today and it seems I am, indeed, criminality-free. Woot. Small victories, folks.

Congratulatory U.S. shout-outs are due to my cousin on the birth of her healthy baby girl, Zoe, and to my bestie Erica on her engagement. All the fun stuff happens when I'm away! :-(

Ta ta for now!
Amanda

FOODIE FRIDAY!

2011-07-01T17:23:00.000-04:00

Happy July, everyone!

The end of this week has been a mixture of good and not-so-good. My cousin Jenny had her baby girl state-side! Congrats! A bit gutted I won't get to meet her til later in the year probably. The weather has been marvelous. I took a really nice run along the beach today barefoot, it felt great.

On the not-so-good end, I found out I was unsuccessful in the job I interviewed for. Doodie. Well, it's probably for the best as it wasn't exactly what I wanted to do and I got a weird vibe from the staff there. Probably wasn't the place for me. Still sending out loads of applications and trying to make connections with staffing agencies so I can get some temp-to-perm work. Still chugging along!

Although the job news was a bit disappointing, my spirits were lifted when our friends dropped their 2-year-old off at our flat for us to watch her overnight. She's so much fun, we had a blasty.

So on FOODIE FRIDAY we accomodated our tiny guest with a crowd pleaser--spaghetti bolognese and veg on the side. Needless to say, most of the sauce ended up on her face, hands, and bib but it was funny watching her try to "twist" her pasta like Kieran and feeding herself one strand of spaghetti at a time.

Sometimes a childhood favorite is fun for adults, too

source

:-)

That is all. Have a lovely weekend!

HUMP DAY HISTORY!

2011-06-29T17:39:00.000-04:00

Before I get into this week's history lesson (oh it's a doozy, stay tuned :-D ), just a quick update on what I've been up to this week/last weekend.

Sunday was absolutely gorgeous, though it started out a bit foggy. We opened the windows and were immediately greeted by music coming from the Lido (beachside sunny entertainment area) and the sight of loads of people on the beach and walking around in the sunny weather.

Most of the weekend I was stuck inside working on my PowerPoint presentation for my interview on Tuesday, but on Sunday afternoon Kieran and I ventured out to enjoy the fresh air and summer scenery.

Kieran and I had a lovely walk along the sandy part of the water as the tide had gone out and strolled back home for dinner. Such chill afternoon, I love it!

Well Tuesday came along and it was time for my first interview here. A bit scary to be honest. The hubs made it a bit easier on me by renting a car for the day and driving me there and back (so sweet!) and waited for me in the parking lot for me to get finished. The job isn't too accessible by public transport so if I'm lucky to get it, we will have to get a car but it would def be worth it. The interview was a bit of a mixed bag. I did well on my PowerPoint presentation and a few of the case studies but some of the questions caught me a little off guard and I tried my best. Plus, the interviewers were nice but had their poker faces on so it was hard to read how I was doing. All in all, not terrible. I'm trying to be hopeful and I will hear soon. Meanwhile, back to submitting more CVs and making phone calls.

Whatever is meant to be, will be. There's a job out there with my name on it and I will find it :-D

Thanks to my friends, family, and fellow bloggers for all their well wishes. It's good to know I've got support where I need it.

I'll keep you posted.

Random point:
If you're looking for your yummy summer lemonade, be careful how you order it in England. Their "lemonade" is different. Take a look!

"Cloudy Lemonade"

VERSUS

"Regular Lemonade" (Sprite-like)

You have been warned!

HUMP DAY HISTORY LESSON:

COCKNEY SLANG

"I don't know what she's rabbiting about"

"Use your crust, lad"

"She has such long bacons"

What on earth is this all about and where did it come from? These are remaining phrases from Cockney Rhyming Slang. This language, which was popularized in the 19th century, is primarily associated with working class Londoners, especially in the East End.

The term "cockney" was started early as the 14th century in the word "cockeneyes" literally meaning a small, mis-shapen "cock's egg" and by the 1500s it was used by rural people in a derogatory manner towards city dwellers.

The first detailed account of this secret language was outlined in 1859 in Slang Dictionary, written by John Camden Hotten.

Why come up with a secret language? Perhaps those who invented it were trying to conceal information from outsiders, including the police. Or maybe it was just a bit of linguistic fun. Both theories are widely purported.

No matter the reasons for its initial invention, it's safe to say that the influence of cockney slang has spread beyond East London and has been incorported into common language for Brits.

I thought coming to England would be somewhat easy cause after all, they speak English here. Right? Not quite. I still have a lot to learn!

Ta ta!

Amanda

The Dessert that Changed My Life

2011-06-25T15:58:00.001-04:00

Okay not really but it was DAMN GOOD.

Hold on tight, here we go!

No graham crackers here so I used "rich tea biscuits"

Huge strawberries are perfect for filling!

Slice off the bottoms so they stand upright...easier for filling!

I took a little artistic license and added some strawberry preserves to the mixture

Ready for piping!

Crushed biscuits

Ready for the chocolate garnish!

Get in my belly!!!

Will you marry me??

It was a yummy dessert to go with the Beef Wellington that the hubs whipped up. I love weekends!

Later, peeps :)

FOODIE FRIDAY!

2011-06-24T14:09:00.000-04:00

The saw the most AMAZING recipe today, I think I will try it over the weekend and report back!

It's Strawberry Season and British Strawberries are SO YUMMY! We've devoured three cartons since I arrived here. Thus, I feel this recipe is fitting for the summer season.

Courtesy of Nutmeg Nanny
Direct Link to this recipe: Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Source

You will need:

A large carton of fresh strawberries
8 oz pkg softened cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 sleeve of graham crackers

If you're feeling extra sweet, why not melt some chocolate chips over the outside? Go on, be bad!

Steps:

Use a small knife to hollow out each strawberry
Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth
Use a food processor or good 'ol hammer to crush the graham crackers
Use a piping bag (or just a plastic baggie with a corner cut off) to transfer the cream cheese filling precisely into the strawberries. The filling should peek over the top of the strawberry slightly
Sprinkle with the graham cracker crumbs
Chocoholic? Melt those chocolate chips and drizzle over your final product.

And voila!

Can't wait to post pics of my own strawberry delciousness!

P.S. Today I was talking on the phone to my mom and I used the word "rubbish" in a sentence. Where did that come from? Oy vey.

HUMP DAY HISTORY!

2011-06-22T18:29:00.001-04:00

This week's topic: the British National Anthem!

"God Save the Queen" is the national anthem of the United Kingdom. For those of you who aren't familiar, this is the tune:

Although there are three verses to the song (some alternative versions have six verses!), most people only know and sing the first verse.

I was curious about where this song and lyrics came from so I did a little research.

The origin of the tune and the lyrics are still unknown. In fact, the lyrics have had several versions and revisions over the years. Although the first verse remains consistent, the subsequent verses have different lyrics in different orders to this day.

The phrase "God Save the King" itself is older than the song itself, seen several times in the King James Bible and used in the 1540s as a watchword of the Royal Navy.

The original song was in response to the 1745 Jacobite uprising lead by Charles Edward Stuart (AKA "the The Young Pretender"). The Jacobite Rebellion was a political movement to restore the House of Stuart to the throne in Britian. Charles' troops invaded Scotland and posed a serious threat to the monarchy at the time, which was led by King George II. Although initially successful, the Jacobite movement inevitably failed a year later.

The first performance of the original song was in London in 1745 when it was sung in support of King George II. It was performed at the Theatre Royal in London after the staging of the play The Alchemist.

The original lyrics were:

Lord, grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God save the King.

The anti-scottish sentiments reflect the Scottish background of the House of Stuart (which was behind the Jacobite Rebellion) and Marshall Wade was an officer in the Royal Army sent to stop the Jacobite troops in Scotland

Obviously the lyrics were changed once the song became the National Anthem for Great Britain (which includes Scotland, of course).

Today's version is performed at sporting events, traditional formal events (such as Wimbledon and the Royal Ascot), greeting the monarch and the royal family when they are present at events, and used to be played at the end of the day's programming on the BBC. It is also sung in other countries in the Commonwealth, including Australia and Canada, over whom the British monarchy reigns.

My fellow Americans will notice the tune is the same as our "My Country 'Tis of Thee" written in 1832.

Sources:
http://www.know-britain.com/songs/national_anthem.html
http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Symbols/NationalAnthem.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Save_the_Queen

I hope you enjoyed this little history lesson as much as I enjoyed learning about it for this post!

xxxx

Observations of a professional TV watcher

2011-06-21T17:09:00.001-04:00

Not gonna lie, I have a deep love for the television. I love nothing more than watching a good episode of Spongebob Squarepants on a lazy Sunday with a bowl of cereal. Ahhh. Well, being abroad has shown me several differences in British TV vs. American TV. As expected, there are loads of my favorite programs I can't see anymore :'(

Seinfeld
Modern Family
Pretty Little Liars
The Nanny
Golden Girls
Ohhh the list continues but it's depressing me, I can't go on!

However, I have noticed a lot of parallels in TV shows. Whether it's Americans copying the British or the other way around (I'll leave you readers to duke that one out for yourselves), it's quite entertaining

Made in Chelsea

Source

The Hills

Source

The Office UK (the original)

The Office US

Geordie Shore

Jersey Shore

Skins UK

US Skins

The Marriage Ref UK

The Marriage Ref US

Shameless UK

Shameless US

Not to mention the countless talent shows: American Idol, Pop Idol, America's Got Talent, Britain's Got Talent, the X Factor, Dancing with the Stars, Skating with the Stars, etc. etc. Those all blur together cause even the American versions have Brits on the panel of judges!

I suppose in the TV business it's all about marketing a popular idea to people in different countries. It can be entertaining but a bit repetitive. Let's get some new ideas out there, people!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The other day, I was admiring how far out the tide was and fancied a walk. The hubby said he would show me how to go "rock pooling" where you look at the shallow pools of water around the rocks for wildlife and turn over rocks to try and find cool little fellas like crabs and fish. I should have stuck to my instincts and waited til I had a nice pair of wellies, but hubs insisted I'd be fine with my tennis shoes. Well, at the end of the day, my shoes got soaked and smell like seafood. Oh well. It was still a lovely and beautiful adventure!

Just hours ago the water would be far over our heads! It's cool how close we can get to the pier at low tide!

Last night we had a special treat and had Kieran's parents and sister over for dinner for a belated Father's Day get-together. It was our first real dinner entertainment night in our new (nearly fully furnished) flat! I made lasagne and my favorite dessert-- CUP OF DIRT

Source

It was a little difficult without JELL-O brand pudding and I couldn't find gummy worms but I did my best with strawberry laces, custard, and oreos--and it tasted yummy! Success!

The parents-in-law brought us some lovely flowers to spruce up the living room. Lillies and irises are my faves!

GOOD NEWS! I got my first job interview, scheduled for next week. More details to come! Glad to just get to this stage.

Ta ta!

Sunny Saturday

2011-06-18T10:57:00.000-04:00

The weather said it was going to storm all day today but so far it's been sunny and very blustery! So I am pleasantly surprised. This morning I woke up to this outside my window:

I have no idea what this cute parade was about. It was mostly school aged children with their parents/teachers and it had an alien/space theme to it. Oh and there were drums. Lots of drums. That's what woke me up.
See for yourself:

update: my hubby has just informed me that this is the 4th annual Worthing "Children's Parade." The internets tell me that this year's theme was outer space, hence the cute decorations. Poor things were holding on for dear life in the wind, it was pretty strong out there.

Some other random things . . .

shepherd's pie and beans, made by me!

A cute snail I saw on a walk in the neighborhood

Anyways, not much going on today besides chores and chillaxin. Hope everyone has a great day!

A

My first experience with the NHS

2011-06-16T08:15:00.000-04:00

http://www.nhs.uk

What kind of expat blogger would I be if I didn't write about some of the boring practical things that often come up? Thus, I will tell you about my first ever visit to the doctor in England.

Don't worry, I'm not ill. I just needed to get a doctor so he/she can refill my meds. The first step was to register with a doctor's surgery (as I briefly mentioned in a previous post). There are a few in my neighborhood but I went with one that has like 8 doctors with hopes that getting an appointment wouldn't be too painful. I just filled out about 5 pages of forms (including a survey about alcoholism which I passed, hehe), handed them in, and waited a few days to make an appointment. Last week I booked myself an appointment and got my NHS registration card in the mail.

Simple as that.

Nothing like waiting for health insurance companies to get back to you about your pre-existing conditions and then sending you the wrong paperwork or a member card with your name spelled wrong. I'm not bitter. Moving on...

I turned up at the surgery today and there was a nifty little touch screen computer in the doorway where you can digitally sign yourself in. It was kind of cool. 15 minutes later I am paged overhead by my doctor (kind of reminded me of my days of working in a hospital or nursing home) to come to surgery room 1. I sit in a nice office and the doctor asks me a few questions about my medications and medical history. After 10 minutes he hands me a three month supply presecription of my meds. Which, I might add, will be F-R-E-E when pick them up from the pharmacy.

As I left the doctor's office, I awkwardly blurted out, "geez, it's weird leaving an appointment without paying you" which sounded awful and American and I immediately wished I had just left it at "thank you." The doctor just shrugged and said that I pay via my taxes. BWAHAHA little does he know I am currently unemployed so I'm just freeloading at the moment. Thankfully I kept that tidbit to myself and left quietly.

In the states my meds could cost me between $100-200 per month cause my insurance was crap. And that's with generic brands! Imagine if I had name brands. That's still nothing compared to people with serious long-term illnesses and elderly people who sometimes have to choose between food shopping and their heart medication. It isn't right.

Well, all-in-all, I had a pretty great first experience, albeit not an emergency scenario. I think the quality of your country's medical care really comes into play when you REALLY need it. Which I hope I won't have to experience, but you never know.

Speaking of the lovely NHS, I just submitted an application for a job I really want at an NHS Trust in the area. It's a great opportunity and I REALLY hope I get an interview. When I hit the "submit" button, I had butterflies in my stomach and wanted to barf. In a good way. Send your positive thought vibes my way! I'll keep you posted.

Tonight we're going out to dinner with "Nan Worthing" (as opposed to "Nan London" who is equally awesome) so I better tidy up the flat so we can have her over for a cuppa (cup of tea) afterwards. Wow that sentence sounded very English.

Laters!
xoxoxox

HUMP DAY HISTORY!

2011-06-15T16:22:00.000-04:00

this week's history lesson: Brighton's Royal Pavilion

SOURCE

Brighton is the closest major city to where we live, a beautiful and vibrant seaside location with great nightlife, culture, shopping, and business (and maybe job opportunities, I haven't gotten that far yet). It's very modern but also has a rich history, including that of its eye-catching landmark, the Royal Pavilion.

Beginning in 1787, the Pavilion was built and added to in three phases:

1) The Prince of Wales (later to become King George IV), first became interested in Brighton in 1783 after visiting his uncle in this very fashionable city. He was advised by his physicians that the seaside had medicinal effects and might cure his gout. Shortly after, George acquired some land and a farmhouse in the area. In 1787, when George got a raise in income from the House of Commons, he hired Henry Holland to build and expand the property into the Marine Pavilion. Prince George also purchased the surrounding land where he built stables for over 60 horses.

This is what it might have looked like under Henry Holland's original design:

source

2) In in early 1800s, George started to feel that the Marine Pavilion lacked the size and functionality for large social events he liked to host. In 1815, John Nash was hired to expand and transform the small residence into the brilliant palace it is today. The design of the exterior domes and interior decor borrowed heavily from Indian, Chinese, and Islamic architectural influences.
George spared no expense in this expansion to make sure the palace was modern and comfortable, including interior lighting, heating, and sanitation.
George's presence and the construction of his massive palace brought prosperity and people to Brighton.

3) When King George died in 1830, his brother William became king and inherited the palace. Only seven years later, King William died and the palace was passed on to his niece, Queen Victoria. In 1837, Queen Victoria made her first royal visit to Royal Pavilion, which pleased the residents of Brighton greatly. However, Queen Victoria, being a much more frugal Queen than her uncles before her, didn't care for the extravagance of the palace and soon found it to lack the space and privacy she needed for her growing family. In 1850, Queen Victoria sold the palace to the town of Brighton for approximately £50,000 and moved her family's summer home to the Isle of Wight. Assuming that the Royal Pavilion would be demolished by the town, she ordered that all of the internal fixtures and furniture be removed from the palace and divided amongst the other royal homes. Years later, Queen Victoria and her royal successors returned much of the removed items which were useful in future restorations of the historic building.

Since the 1920s, the building has undergone several renovation and restoration projects to bring King George's original vision of the Royal Pavilion back to life. Today, the Pavilion is a major tourist attraction in the south with approx. 400,000 visitors every year.

For about £10 you can go inside the palace and get a tour.
The Royal Pavilion Official Website

source

I must admit I have only enjoyed the Pavilion from the outside but I hope to be able to cough up a few quid in the next few months to get a tour of the interior! You know I'll be reporting on it when I do so keep reading!

Peace xoxo

Rain, Shine, and Job Hunting

2011-06-14T17:33:00.000-04:00

England is notorious for its bipolar weather. One minute it's "pissing it down" . . . .

. . . . And the next it's beautiful!

You never know what's in store here!

The job hunt continues. Amongst other things, I'm in the middle of a MASSIVE application for a job I REALLY REALLY REALLY want. Literally I wrote a 6 page essay outlining why I have what it takes. It would be a fantastic job opportunity. I've having mom edit it tonight before I submit it. I've also sent out my background check paperwork so hopefully if something permanent doesn't come through soon (sad face) maybe I can get some temp social work stuff.
Otherwise I'm just making phone calls and perusing websites trying to find something. Something has to give.

BIG NEWS we finally got our living room furniture and this place is starting to look like a proper home. So I decided to do a cheeky video tour of the flat! I know it's shakey and gives you motion sickness but you get the idea:

Ta Ta!
A

FOODIE FRIDAY!

2011-06-10T17:15:00.001-04:00

When I first arrived in England, I was greeted with about 4 or 5 wedding/engagement presents that Kieran had saved for us to open together. Amongst these gifts was a nice set of wine glasses from Kieran's co-workers and a HUGE wedding card signed by all of them. Kieran suggested that we should bake brownies to accompany a "thank you" note 'cause, let's face it, everyone loves brownies. I can't imagine a more emphatic way to say THANKS.

Kieran's sister was kind enough to share her famous recipe (sorry, no sharesies--family secret! bwahaha) and we got crackin'

Look at me cooking with a SCALE. This is weird.

Pre melting process

The mixture was so thick Kieran broke the whisk in half!


Here, Choccy Choccy


Nooo that's too long to wait!

We made enough to give Kieran's younger sister a chocolatey belated bday pressie and keep some for ourselves AND give a batch to the office.

Needless to say, it was a huge hit. Here's a mass email that Kieran's boss sent around after it had all been gobbled up:

"I made it to the office just in time to get the second to last brownie, it was delicious, I was thinking how romantic that was, the newlyweds baking together, brings back memories, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh 
 Thanks and a bit of advice, if you want to keep the marriage strong and exiting, bake every week"

And that's the story of how we tried to get Kieran a promotion. Just kidding, we just like spreading the love via baked treats!

Our couch is FINALLY coming tomorrow and hopefully our lovely new telly. The look on Kieran's face when I told him I had received an email about the TV being dispatched was the look of joy on the face of a child in a toy store.

P.S. Today is a very special day. It's my beloved mommy's birthday!! I'm definitely bummed out that I can't be there but I spoke to her earlier and it sounds like her friends and my dad were giving her a nice day. That's all that matters. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM! I love you and miss you loads!!!

P.S.S. Thanks to everyone who has commented on my blog or facebook with encouraging words about my job hunt and England transition. Y'all are the best! Hope you have a great weekend.

Love,

Amanda 
  

Rejection Sucks on Any Continent

2011-06-09T15:39:00.000-04:00

BRIT-SPEAK Word of the Day
"Naff" = uncool/lame/tacky. As in, "the magician at Jane's wedding was pretty naff"

The good news is, I got my National Insurance # today!
The bad news is, I got my first rejection letter yesterday as a job seeker in England. :-(
Ouch. I spent about an hour or two feeling sorry for myself and decided (with the husband's encouragement) to shake it off and keep going forward.

Today I called a few health and care home agencies who told me I was too qualified to be a "support worker" which basically a home health aide and not qualified in medical practice cause I'm not a nurse or doctor.

Well today I started another application which I think I'd be good for so I'm just keepin' on until something gives! I know I've only been at the search for less than two weeks but I'm antsy to work cause I left my last job in March to do wedding/moving/immigration stuff and I'm more than ready to get back to it.

In the meantime, I have offered myself for some volunteer work so at the very least I can get myself out of the house and doing some meaningful stuff until a full time position finds me.

It's SO BEAUTIFUL here with the past few days being quite sunny and pleasant. It's been really windy so I have had the pleasure of watching windsurfers and kite flyers outside my window. Plus it's hilarious to watch the sea gulls fly against the gusts of wind and not get very far.

Speaking of which, a random pigeon landed on our balcony yesterday and spent a good 5 minutes just trying to stay put with the wind blowing him around.

Typically I'm not a fan of pigeons but it was pretty cute.

Yesterday I saw this "American Food" restaurant down the street from our flat. I might have to give them some business one of these days. Just for kicks

Looks good, right?! Doesn't look like they've had too many patrons over the last few days. I suppose I should do my part to support local businesses, eh?

I just found out my bestie is gonna be in Frankfurt, Germany next month! So I might just pop on over for a weekend. How cool is that? For 40 quid (pounds) I can just jet away to Germany for a weekend. I could get used to this. :-D

Well Kieran's off at football (soccer) and I've got to do the washing up (dishes) before I get too tired to try.

Love
Amanda

Cheap Date

2011-06-07T07:43:00.000-04:00

Brit-Speak Word of the Day:
"Pants"-- lame/bad. As in "that accordion performance was pants"
OR underwear. As in "pull up your trousers, I can see your pants"

Seeing as how we're only a one person income at the moment, we have to be conservative with the way we spend our leisure time. Of course that doesn't mean we should shut ourselves away in the flat and avoid all social time! We just have to hold out on excursions to London and the rest of Europe til I'm on payroll :) I think we can manage. Well, for a few months anyways, then I might go mad.

On Saturday we got a text from a friend inviting us to a gig in Southampton the next night. Oddly enough we had just been listening to the band-- The Dangerous Summer -- whilst making Saturday night dinner and brownies. I obviously didn't have an early Monday start so I was game and Kieran rarely passes up an opportunity for a cheap gig.

On the way to the venue I snapped some pics of the city's history.

These are pictures of what's left of Bargate. Built around 1200AD, this was the main entrance to the fortified city of Southampton. At one time there was a large stone wall built around the whole perimeter of the city and this was the only way in and out. Today it's just a massive historical building in the middle of the town shopping. Strange but way cool.

Also, did you know that the Titantic left England from the port at Southampton? Now you do.

The gig was at this tiny venue called The Joiners. Literally the band performers were sweating on me, we were so close to the stage.

You know what's so cool? The Dangerous Summer are actually from my home state of Maryland. Not just that but they grew up about 20 minutes from where I did. So crazy! To come all this way to see a band from my hood. It really is a small world. Afterwards, I was speaking to the frontman and mentioned I was from Olney. He was like, "Olney! Oh my God, you're blowing my mind right now!" It was nice to feel a little piece of home for a moment.
>*<*>*<*>*<

Then last night we decided to go see The Hangover II at The Dome Cinema. See on Monday nights it's £3 cinema tickets...a steal! Fortunately we booked ahead of time cause it sold out pretty quick.

The Dome Cinema itself is a very historical building, one of the oldest working cinemas in England. Going inside is like walking into the old school days of movies, it's pretty cool.


Source

Source

So funny. And my second viewing, too!

You see? Sometimes you can have a fun time on a budget! But still, the job hunt continues!

Anyone have any good tips on how to get the attention of potential employers? I figured I would start out with the basic online apps and emails but no serious nibbles yet. What's next?

Amanda

FOODIE FRIDAY!

2011-06-03T16:42:00.000-04:00

I have survived nearly a week in England now. No job yet but sent out a few applications. I did, however, manage to register with an NHS doctor and sent off my paperwork to get my NI#.

Fun fact: over here they call a doctors' practice a "surgery." It was pretty painless, they took my BP and my forms and I was good to go. I didn't even have to get my wallet out. I think I can get used to this.

This weekend, Kieran and I seriously need to look over our wedding album proofs and pic out our favorites for an album and individual prints. Can't believe it's been nearly 2 months since the wedding! Time goes when you're waiting for a visa.

The weather has been really nice here. Sunny and clear. Nearly summer weather! Hard to believe it's June already. Don't forget--Father's Day is just around the corner!

On this week's FOODIE FRIDAY, I would like to take a moment to discuss British crisps. For those of you who need a Brit-speak refresher, crisps=potato chips and chips=fries/potato wedges. Now I love potato chips as much as the next person but they've got a crazy array of flavors here. It's a bit overwhelming. Gone are the days of boring old potato-flavored crisps! Now you can open a bag and have a whole roasted chicken, steak, or prawn in your mouth.

That's not all, folks. In the potato-flavored snack genre there are several other yummy snacks in a bag.

Hula Hoops

Classic favorite--Pringles. Thank goodness I can get these here!

Pom Bear, the teddy-shaped potato snack

Quavers

Squares

If you're a potato-based savory snack lover, this is the country for you! However it's a nightmare for people like me trying to eat right. A nice packet of crisps comes hand-in-hand with a nice pint at the pub. It's just a fact.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Love,
A

My First HUMP DAY HISTORY from England

2011-06-01T16:05:00.000-04:00

Well, I finally did it. 5 years since I met Kieran, a year after we got engaged, over a year talking about moving to England, two months after our wedding, and 5 weeks waiting for a visa and I'm finally here. I arrived on early Sunday morning to London Heathrow. Many many times I have come through that airport and it was weird yet liberating not feeling like the clock was ticking on our time together.

I had so many bags! 2 carry-ons, 2 checked bags, and 1 checked box. Turned out one of my bags was overweight. $200 in checked bag and overweight fees. Ouch. This was even after I had downsized my stuff quite a bit over the past year, including my car.

The first few days were rough, I have to say. I kept seeing my parents' faces at the airport and both with tears in their eyes. I kept thinking about the HUGENESS of what I had just done. Even after all this time of planning and getting ready to go, it was still a really difficult thing to do. I felt a bit bipolar about the whole thing. One minute I was deliriously happy to be with my hubby at last and the next minute I was sobbing about missing my family and friends.

Fortunately today has been a better day. I started my job hunt (I'm still waiting on my National Insurance Number, though) and went out with some mutual friends. Plus the past two days have been really sunny and pretty which lifts the spirits. Plus I've been putzing around with my new mobile, it's super awesome! My first iphone everrrrr. It's so lovely I want to marry it.

Speaking of major purchases, we finally found a couch we like so very soon our living room won't look so depressing and we won't have to lay on the floor to watch TV.

He doesn't look very happy watching X-Factor on the floor

Anyways, we're just trying to make the flat home-y but trying to budget cause I'm still looking for a job at the moment. I've put a few feelers out there and applied for a few social work jobs today so we shall see where it goes. I hope it doesn't take long. I miss working and, more importantly, making money!! Keep my in your thoughts and prayers as I search for a good one.

Meanwhile, I think I can get used to views like these on evening walks.

Well, in honor of my new home and lovely view from my flat, I will tell you a little bit about the history of Worthing Pier for this week's HUMP DAY HISTORY lesson!

WORTHING PIER--WEST SUSSEX

source

The pier was first opened in April 1862 and upgraded in size in 1888. The pier was designed by Sir Robert Rawlinson. It is 960 feet in length and at the beginning is The Worthing Pavillion, a 650-seat entertainment hall for concerts and the famous pantomimes during the Christmas season.

Between then and now, the pier has suffered many episodes of damage and destruction. First in 1913 (damage from a storm), again in 1933 (massive fire), and once again in 1940 (a large hole was purposely blasted to prevent a possible landing by German forces during the war). Again and again the local government and community rebuilt the pier. It was and still is a regional icon and popular gathering place. The profile of Worthing wouldn't be the same without it.

It's most recent claim to fame is that it's the current location (since 2008) of the popular International Birdman competition. Originally held in Bognor Regis, the competition involves human "birds" attempting to fly the farthest distance from the pier in order to win prize money. It was moved to Worthing in recent years due to concerns that the water depth in Bognor Regis wasn't safe enough.

something like this

This year's International Birdman competition is scheduled to take place August 13th and 14th. You better believe I'll be there. Would be dumb if I didn't witness it, I can see the pier from my flat. You know I'll be posting pics here so stay tuned!

Well, that's all for now, friends. I have to finish some applications this evening.

Hope everyone is having a good week! By the way, thanks to everyone for their messages and emails wishing me luck on my journey, it really did help! Everyone has been so sweet and supportive. You're awesome.

Love,
A

Foodie Friday -- "The Last Supper"

2011-05-28T02:13:00.000-04:00

I've been packing and organzing for hours, I totally lost track of time. Before I knew it, Friday had passed me by! Pardon my tardiness.

Well folks, tonight was my last night in town. And, subsequently, my last home cooked meal by dear old dad. Breaking from tradition, my father has always been the cook and baker in the family. My parents were never trying to "make a statement." Rather, my mom's culinary talents include hard boiled eggs, sandwiches, and hot dogs . . . which got old shortly after they were married. My dad is a whiz in the kitchen. It's probably genetic, as his mother (may she rest in peace) was an amazing cook in her day.

I always miss my dad's cooking when I'm away. I longed for his homemade spaghetti bolognese when I was far away at college and dreamt about his famous potato salad. As I digest my last dad-cooked meal for a while, I am beginning to miss it already!

Sometimes my dad and I would cook or bake together, like for school projects or holidays. Here's a few of my most happy cooking-related memories of my dad and I together:

1. FLAN. In the 6th or 7th grade I had a Spanish class project to make a Latin American dish to share with the class. I don't remember who came up with the idea, but we decided on flan.

Get in my belly!

We could have taken the easy route and get the already made stuff or a mix, but OH NO, we made that treat from scratch. I even remember caramelizing the sugar in the pan for an authentic taste. It was a new adventure for both of us and I was very proud of the final result. Needless to say, my classmates polished off my pan.

2. Christmas Cookies. Okay technically I'm Jewish but my dad's family are not so we have gotten into the habit of celebrating Christmas. I love that we do both traditions. Mostly I am just a fan of "Christmas spirit," an excuse to eat my body weight in holiday treats, Christmas trees, and Santa. Anyways, most years I didin't bother with making Christmas cookies because my cousin tends to make a delicious batch for the family. But a year or two ago, I was particularly poor and decided I would bake and decorate cookies for friends and family as gifts. I really went all-out, I even got cookie press to make cute and festive shapes. I spent a small fortune on icing and sprinkles. I was ready.

This is a weapon of mass cookie construction

Mid-decoration, my dad came downstairs to check on my progress and joined right in. I was very impressed with his artistic skills with the red and green icing. We were both quiet, deep in concentration, but bonded over the fun holiday activity. I almost felt like a kid again.

3. Sundays with grandpa. Since my grandma passed away two years ago, we've started a semi-tradition of eating dinner with my grandpa on Sundays at his apartment. My grandma (his wife) usually prepared his meals when they didn't eat in the community cafeteria, so we knew when she passed away he could use the company and the meal. Sometimes we brought pizza or took him out somewhere but my favorites were the times dad would make his yummy meatloaf and potatoes and we would bring it over. The whole car ride over, all I could smell was the oven-fresh loaf that I would soon devour. Both the meal and the time together was delicious.

Sometimes food is just food. Like when you scarf down your lunch at your desk on a busy day or hit the McDonald's in the wee hours after a late night out. But sometimes food is a memory, it's an expression of love, it's the catalyst for bringing loved ones together. I hope that when my parents come to visit us in August that I can repay the favor by making a home cooked meal for my parents and we can catch up at the dinner table.

What's your favorite home-cooked meal?

So TOMORROW I am off to England! EEEKKKK!! Can it be?? Is it really here?? It still seems surreal even though my bags are in the hallway (bursting at the seams, I might add). Too many emotions and thoughts running through my head to list here, but I'll be sure to write a post once I've slept off the jet lag and unpacked my underoos.

Wish me luck!

HUMP DAY HISTORY!

2011-05-25T23:05:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the late entry, but it's 11:00pm on Washington, D.C. time so it's still hump day here!

A Wild Day at the Zoo

Whether you are a fan of the scientific and educational merits of a public zoo or find it cruel to animals (I'm still on the fence on this one), all of us have probably been to a zoo at some point. Like me, you were probably on a school trip or dragged by your parents on a hot Saturday in the summer so you would stop annoying them for a few hours. Some of you may have even visited a zoo last month with your own kids! My point is, we're all familiar.

Did you know that the oldest scientific zoo open to the public was actually in Regent's Park London?

http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/

It's true! This zoo was opened to the public around 1828. Before this time, there were animal parks in existence across Europe and the rest of the world but they were primarily used as private royal menageries for kings, queens, and emperors. I suppose a modern equivalent would be Mr. Hugh Hefner's own private zoo on the Playboy Mansion grounds.

I am told Hugh has actual rabbits in the Playboy private zoo. PicSource

The London Zoo opened in April 1828 to fellows of the research society and among the first species available were an Arabian oryx, greater kudus, orangutan and the now extinct quagga & thylacine (InfoSource)

The next year, King George IV granted a Royal Charter to the researchers to open the zoo to the public in hopes of raising ongoing funds. To this day, the London Zoo receives no public funds, but instead relies on membership fees from members, private donations, and entrance fees.

60 years later, the same mission for zoological research and public education was the impetus for creating my neighborhood zoo, the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C. The National Zoo was created by Congress for “the advancement of science and the instruction and recreation of the people.” We are very fortunate that due to both federal funding and private foundation funds, the zoo is free to the public. For now, anyways!

So the next time you enter the stinky enclosure of the majestic elephant or have a childhood flashback to watching the adorabe prairie dogs on a school field trip, you can thank the Zoological Society of London for leading the rest of the world.

Or, if you're not a zoo fan, then you can point the blame accordingly.

OMG can I keep it? (Source)

Okay back to packing!

-A-

Blog Blast from the Past!

2011-05-24T19:44:00.000-04:00

Four days til I leave for England!!!
I have been talking about and planning for moving to England for over a year now and it's FINALLY happening, it still feels so surreal.

The other day I randomly stumbled across a really really really old blog I had briefly around the time that I studied abroad in England in 2007. This was my first time abroad, period. I got a real kick out of my blog entry about my nervousness at moving to England for a few months. It makes me smile cause I was so hopeful about my future with Kieran and I always knew it would work out this way...us, together...FINALLY. So for old times' sake, here's my 20 year old self blogging about the anticipation of my first trip to England. WARNING: I cussed at lot back then. Okay, I still cuss a lot now but this particular entry is guilty of bad language. :-)

okay party people, it's been far too long since my last post.

finally done at school, got through the semester with flying colors (thank God), and now back here in good 'ol MoCo. I gotta say i haven't done a whole lot since I've been home, just a lot of down time. Which I admit makes me quite antsy and frustrated cause i constantly have this feeling that there's something i need to be doing. I feel so lazy and useless!! I hate it. That's the TYPE-A Personality for ya. But as January 18 approaches, I've gotta spend some time buying stuff I need and finishing up some paperwork stuff. There's a lot still to do.

So yeah, England. Wow it's coming up fast. But somehow not fast enough. I keep envisioning myself at the airport and it just feels like this distant dream, some fantasy that won't actually happen--even though my plane ticket is bought and paid for and there's a dorm room with my name on it in Cheltenham.

I have to admit, I'm really scared. What the fuck do I, a sheltered suburbanite with no travel experience, know about a foreign country? Can i handle it? Will I make friends? Can i afford this? Will i be homesick? 6 months is a damn long time. What if I get sick? What if I get lost? What if I run out of money? What if I hate it? What if people hate me? What if I get mugged? I'm gonna miss my family. What if something happens to grandma while I'm away? I'm gonna miss my friends. Are they going to forget about me? I'm scared.

There's only one thing keeping my fears at bay right now. If it weren't for Kieran and his family I'd really be panicking right now, I'd be about ready to call Jarmila and be like, "HAHAH JUST KIDDING!" But I can't do that, I won't do that. Cause all I can see in my mind's eye is Kieran's face at London Heathrow with the biggest smile I've ever seen and I'll know it was all worth it. It means the past 3.5 months we've spent waiting and being sad and missing something was not in vain.
But for all these worrying thoughts, I really feel in my heart that this is going to be the best thing that ever happened to me. The moment I get off that plane will be the first day of the rest of my life. I need this. I need to break away from my parents, push the boundaries, step outside my comfort zone. I need to prove to myself that I can truly take care of myself and flourish in a new situation. I need to find that faith in myself that I've lost completely. I need to learn to trust myself and feel good about the decisions I make. That I really can be okay in the long-run even if I'm nervous and uncomfortable at times. It's okay to make mistakes and fuck up and be confused. It's okay to be anxious and fearful, really!! I'd be concerned if i wasn't. I feel like this experience is really going to help me accept these things and be a better person afterwards. My goal is to love it so much that I cry all the way home. My goal is to cry like a bitch.

When I say it's gonna be the "first day of the rest of my life," I really feel that applies to my relationship with Kieran as well. When he left that day in October, I can't recall ever feeling such pain. Missing him is agony. In the past 3.5 months, we've said a hundred bajillion "i miss you"s and every day i meant it more and more. Struggling together, we really grew closer. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that I was willing to put myself through this in order to say cheerful hello's in January. Every day that went by, I realized more and more that I HATE missing Kieran. He is the hardest person to miss. And I want to do everything in my power to make sure that in the future,I don't have to miss him. I'm gonna enjoy saying "hello" again for once. I'm fucking ecstatic, I dunno if there are words in the English language that can capture that emotion. But i enjoy putting a "FUCK" in there for emphasis, that helps some.Okay that's all for now. I'm NY-Bound tomorrow, feeling a little unwell, so I gotta try and shake this illness.

happy new year's people! Bring it on, 2007!! Let's make it a damn good one.

Ohhhh 5-years-ago-me, you are a gem.

Toodles!
A

HUGE NEWS on Foodie Friday!

2011-05-20T12:10:00.003-04:00

On my first weekly "Foodie Friday" special post, I have BIG news!

MY VISA HAS ARRIVED!!!

I dunno why I look sad in my visa picture, I am actually quite happy :)

This has been the longest 5 weeks of my whole life. But at 22 business days, I was still under the 33 day average.

Now to book a flight for next weekend and I'm finally off! It seems so surreal. I've been waiting for this day for what feels like a lifetime and now that it's actually here I don't know quite where to start! Considering my room and the guest room look like Hurricane Amanda ripped through, I should start by organizing the mess into suitcases and/or giveaway piles! Eeee I can't believe I FINALLY get to pack!!!

* * * * * * * * * *
Now, as promised--My first "Foodie Friday" post!

Wikipedia defines a "foodie" as a person with a special interest or knowledge of food, a gourmet. I wouldn't call myself a gourmet, but I do love food and I love to cook and try new things!

Of the many types of food I thoroughly enjoy, cake is definitely one of them. They come in all shapes and flavors, what's not to like?! One of my favorites is Red Velvet.
Last night I made Red Velvet cupcakes with a yummy cream cheese frosting...

The red food coloring makes it look like a delcious surgery. Nom nom. Be jealous.

The top tier of our wedding cake is red velvet! I only have to wait 325 days to eat it. I hope it doesn't get freezer burn by then!
Ok for reals, time to get serious about this packing thing! Yay!

Love,
A

HUMP DAY HISTORY LESSON

2011-05-18T16:30:00.003-04:00

Some of my favorite expat blogs like Betsy Transatlantically have a "theme" for certain days of the week, just to keep things interesting and consistent for readers. I would like to institute the same thing on my blog! Which is why I have decided to start "Hump Day History" and "Foodie Fridays" so I can dish about some of my favorite things-- storytelling and food!

Here we go!

The Six Wives of Henry VIII

I know I'm about 5 years late but I have fallen in love with the Showtime series The Tudors. The series was 4 seasons long and chronicles the most infamous King of England.

King Henry VII

Jonathan Rhys Meyers as a young King Henry. Sooo hot, want to touch the hiney. *ahem* I mean he is a fine actor.

Most Americans don't know a whole lot about the history of the English monarchy aside from the fact that we were once under British rule. Having grown up in a country with no monarchy, I am utterly fascinated by it and by the rich history of absolute monarchies in England and elsewhere.

Before King Henry VIII, England and most of their European neighbors were Catholic nations and all religious laws were overseen by the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. This wasn't really a problem until King Henry VIII decided around 1530 he wanted a divorce from his wife, Queen Catherine of Aragon. Though a pious and honorable wife, she was the ripe old age of 42, had not bore him a son, and he had his eye on a younger model--Lady Anne Boleyn.

The King and his aides tried to convince the Pope and the holy men of Rome and England that his marriage to Catherine was illegitimate because they had married against God's will. Catherine was briefly married to Henry's own brother (King Arthur) and as it says in Leviticus 20:21 "If a man takes his brother's wife, it is an impurity: he has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless." King Henry asserted that Catherine and Arthur had consummated their marriage and thus God was punishing King Henry and Catherine for their sin by not giving them a son.
Much to the King's anger, the Pope and holy men of Rome and England refused to grant the annulment on the grounds that the marriage was, in fact, legitimate under God's holy law.

King Henry VIII shocked Rome and his European peers by announcing he would separate England from the Catholic Church and become supreme the head of a separate church--The Church of England. Not only would he be able to make political decisions for his country, but he could also decide on all ecclesiastical matters, as he believed he was meant to be the human decision-maker on earth of God's will.

As the head of the Church of England, he annulled the marriage between he and Queen Catherine, banishing her from court. Their daughter, Mary, was deemed illegitimate and sent away. (However later King Henry made her legitimate and she ruled as Queen of England for a short time).

Thus began a long history of love and tragedy with his subsequent 5 wives.

Queen Catherine of Aragon (married 24 years). Divorced
They had one child, Mary, who was Queen of England for 5 years
Queen Anne Boleyn (married 3 years). Executed
They had one child, Elizabeth. Elizabeth went on to be Queen for 44 years.
Anne was very passionate and outspoken at times, traits not expected of a Queen
By the time Anne was accused of incest and adultery, the King already had his eyes on his next wife.
Queen Jane Seymour (married less than 2 years). Died after childbirth
Queen Jane finally bore King Henry his much desired son and heir.
She died 2 weeks after the birth from infection.
It has been said that King Henry had a special affection for Jane and felt she was his "true wife."
She is the only wife to be buried next to King Henry
Queen Anne of Cleves (married 6 months). Divorced.
No children
King Henry mourned over the loss of Jane for three years before his advisors suggested a marriage for foreign alliance. The King did not love her and didn't find her attractive. The political reasons for the union were becoming less necessary, so they divorced.
Queen Kathryn Howard (married 2 years). Executed.
No children.
The Queen was accused of adultery and promiscuity before marriage. After investigation, the rumors proved to be true and Queen Kathryn was executed
Queen Katherine Parr (married 4 years). Widowed
No children.
Queen Katherine was his 6th and final wife before his death in 1547

I hope this short lesson was interesting and informative! I highly recommend The Tudors series if you can get a copy on DVD or on the internet. Though the writers did use some artistic license with the story, much of the historical facts remain intact. Plus, Jonathan Rhys Meyers ain't too bad on the eyes. Sorry, I had to say it.

Stay tuned for more history!

Who is your favorite historical figure?

Visa Update: My case has been assigned to an Entry Clearance Officer and she emailed me today requesting one additional supporting doc, which I sent. Now I'm glued to my email waiting for updates!

Reppin' the Motherland

2011-05-17T21:32:00.001-04:00

Visa Status: NADA. Just over 1 calendar month. 21 working days.

If I can't be in England, I might as well teach others about England!
My bff Rachel asked me to help out at her elementary school for "International Night." They needed someone to represent England so of course I was happy to oblige.

I think I went a little bit overboard with my tri-fold posterboard and detailed info but I had so much fun putting it together. Plus, projects here and there are a much appreciated distraction.

(ME with my English bounty)

(I'm not sure why Israel was hanging with Europe, but they had yummy food!)

(That's Rachel on the left with her Israel presentation)

(The finale was traditional dancing. This was Peru)

Very fun time! Loads of amazing food made by the international families represented there. My favorites were Ethiopian, Polish, and Portuguese. Nom nom nom!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
In an unrelated story, Kieran got us a mattress to fit our king size bed frame. It was a pretty hilarious story whereby Kieran's dad was offered a brand new mattress on offer from a mattress delivery guy cause he had extras in his truck. Long story short, we got a king mattress worth 800 or 900 quid for 150 pounds. Not too shabby! I found the story quite amusing. At least if I ever get to England I will have a nice bed to rest on!

I hope everyone is having a good week so far!

Goodbye, my trusty chariot!

2011-05-13T16:27:00.001-04:00

This is my dear friend, my 2005 Hyundai Tucson. Yesterday she found a good new home for a decent price! Out of respect, I write this blog in memorium of our time together.

The summer after my freshman year at Juniata, I was realizing that rural Pennsylvania was not exactly the best place for a pedestrian. Though the campus itself was small, the big Sheetz and liquor stores were 2 miles away! That's not acceptable. Not to mention we were getting a big Walmart about 5 miles away.

My parents liked the idea of not having to drive me to and from school every few months. We figured if I got an SUV I could be responsible for transporting all my crap so my parents wouldn't have to endure another semester of lugging my CD colletion up long stairwells. Did I mention none of our dorms had elevators? Or air conditioning? Yeah. And move in day in August was usually hot as balls.

Amanda needed a car.

That summer, with the help of my grandma, I found my highway companion.

That car took me everywhere...
Back and forth from MoCo to Juniata
Friday trips to Altoona for Shabbat services with my second family
To "the spillway" several times during that one semester I played Rubgy
Exploring Pennsylvania outside of sleepy Huntingdon
To New York in 2006 where my life changed
Road trips, airports, homes of friends and family
First jobs
Last days
Drives to clear my head
Snow storms
Downpours
First days of spring with the windows down and Jimmy Eat World turned up

She never let me down.

My aunt, being a social worker and a veritable wellspring of emotion, asked me "how do you feel about selling the car? Does it make you sad?" Despite being pleased about the dollars in my pitiful bank account, I admit I was a little sentimental. Don't misunderstand, I'm not emotionally attached to any of my material things. But there were so many memories in that car. Images of friends laughing in the backseat, all my wordly college possessions blocking my rear view on the long drive home, digging her out of record snowfall, listening to Kieran snoring from the passenger's seat on long drives. It was just a car but it was also a major backdrop in the movie of my life. But I take comfort in knowing that although the car is gone, my memories will always stay with me.

I guess I'm also a little sad that soon this might be my fate as a European driver:

Source
God help me.

Visa Update:Monday is 1 calendar month and 19 business days
Nothing yet.

I did the math

2011-05-10T18:27:00.000-04:00

Y'all, I am a sad sight to behold. I've just checked my email for the 47th time (no spouse visa yet), I'm sitting in my duckie boxer shorts, and eating breakfast at 6:00pm. My daily nail-biting is compounded by the fact that I'm unemployed and don't exactly have much to fill my day with. It's quite pathetic.

Anyways, my point is, I have A LOT of time on my hands.

A more ambitious person might go to the gym every day, do chores, or at least carry the dirty clothes pile blocking the door 3 feet to the hamper for which it was created. Not I!

Instead I have chosen to obsessively check American Expat message boards, make obnoxious posts on the UK Consulate in New York facebook page, and check processing time stats every 3 hours.

I have made an interesting calculation that pisses me off...

This is the current statistics for settlement visa processing times posted on the UK Border Agency website:

These stats are based on the month of March. That's 237 cases in one month. Sounds like a lot, right? Not really.

If there's 20 working days in a month. That's 11 cases in a day. REALLY?!
Come on now, you can surely do better than that. I assume theres more than one staff person assigned to this type of case. Even if there are two people, they should surely be able to make a decision on at least twice that amount.

Consider this.
It should take no more than 30 minutes to look at the supporting documentation and determine if this is clearly a legit couple or not. If yes, stamp APPROVE on it. If no, pass it along for a second opinion. So, in theory, one staff person could make a decision on 14 cases in one working day (I am being nice and giving them an hour for lunch). I would like to think they have more than one person working on this.

Ugh I am just making my brain hurt. At the end of the day, it doesn't make my case process any faster. Blergh.

Sorry y'all, I hope to make a more cheery post later.

Bittersweet

2011-05-09T15:25:00.008-04:00

Happy Monday, everyone!

The past 24 hours have been the definition of "bittersweet" for me. On one hand, I never thought I would still be here for Mother's Day so I felt very blessed to be able to have this time with my mom and dad, the three musketeers on the loose! On the other hand, today is Kieran and my 1 month wedding anniversary and we're still separated by immigration.

(Here's me and my beautiful mom just a month ago on a very happy occasion!)

Well I think I speak for my mom when I say we had a lovely Mother's Day together! The three of us drove to Frederick for the day. As the country scenery flew by our window, we jammed out to Taylor Swift tunes. We did what mom and I love best--shopping! My mom got a Movado watch that she has wanted for a long time and we spent a great deal of the time in the bookstore...AKA mom's second home. We got some children's books for my cousin's baby on the way and bonded over chatting about our favorite childhood tales. Some of my favorite memories of my childhood were reading stories with my mom! It was nice to reminisce. I'm grateful that I could see my mom's reaction to my flowers and card and was able to give her a nice day together.

On the other hand, I'm still apart from my heart. Today is 3 weeks and 14 business days from when I received confirmation that my spouse settlement visa was received. Every single day is absolute agony. The waiting is killing me. It's so hard on the both of us. Trust me, Kieran and I are no strangers to long distance, we've been doing this for nearly 5 years now. But this particular experience definitely measures up there with the worst. I think it's because:

A) We have no control over when the separation will end. I can't just hop on a plane, I have no passport.

B) We're married now and we're not able to live like a married couple. We thought marriage was gonna end this nonsense and yet we're still apart. I hate not being able to be there to do wifey things and contribute financially!

C) Both of our lives are on hold. I'm not working because I thought I would be in the UK getting a job by now and Kieran's living in a half furnished apartment cause we're not there together to set it up properly.

I wish we could go back to this happier time...

It just feels like a horrible injustice right now.

I feel guilty sometimes for being such a sour puss about this situation when I know there are loads of couples who have it way worse. I'm very fortunate that although Kieran is far away, he's not in a war and at least I know he's safe. I am very lucky that I'm not having to worry about children and how this affects them. I am so so blessed that I have my parents here who are supporting me emotionally and financially by letting me stay with them rent free until I can finally move to England. It could be so much worse, I know. I just can't help feeling sorry for myself anyway.

I just miss my man and I'm devastated that our first month of marriage wasn't what we thought it would be and that I'm missing out on this time together.

Well I guess I should get out of my pajamas and do some chores. At least it will fill a few hours and I desperately need to do laundry, I am fresh out of undies...noooo!

Thanks for reading,
A

Impatiently waiting

2011-04-28T01:54:00.007-04:00

Let's recap the last few months I've been away from the blogosphere!

--I worked full time and love love loved it despite my 60 minute commute each way for a few months

---I left my job in March (so hard!!) to devote my time to planning the important last details of the wedding and getting myself ready to move like downsizing my stuff, putting my car on the market, spending time with friends and family, going over legal and financial paperwork, etc.

--Made a last minute trip to England for a few days to check out the new apartment and finalize some last minute wedding stuff (like approving the suits!!). AMAZING FLAT!! Kieran did a great job finding it. A beautiful seafront flat in Worthing. It's perfect and everything I wanted. AND I got to be there when Kieran passed his driving test! It was a fun but short visit.

(I MISS THIS VIEW ALREADY!!)

--WE GOT MARRIED!!!! APRIL 9TH

What a beautiful day. Unfortunately I'm still waiting for the professional pics but loads of people got some pretty shots like this one with my girls and Kieran's best man

--Kieran went back to England :'( Well, someone's gotta work to pay for that gorgeous flat!

Right now all our supporting documents and my passport are at the British Consulate in New York and are at the mercy of the officers there. It's been a week and a half and all I know is they have it and someone is working on it. Whatever that means. Unfortunately with Easter and the Royal Wedding, the Brits have had A LOT of days off so who knows if anyone's even looked at my case yet. siiiighhh.

As far as the timing of this thing, I have no way of knowing. Some of their stats show that more than 60% of these cases are finished in 10-15 days. The New York office says the average time is 28 days. Worse yet, I talked to a dude at Worldbridge, a company they've contracted with to deal with these visas, who said it could take up to 3 months!! To add insult to injury, I had to pay him $3.00 per minute just to have him tell me this. If I'm paying out the ass for the visa itself and to call and get information you should at least feed me sugary lies to soothe my anxiety!

So basically what that means for me is that I could hear tomorrow that my passport is on its way back with a visa or I might not hear til July. You can imagine how that might make a person crazy. Especially since this person isn't working and doesn't exactly have a whole lot to keep her distracted. AND especially cause this person hasn't seen her husband in two weeks of the three they've been married and thinks this shit is cruel and unusual. All we wanted to do was to do everything legally and have done every single thing by the book and of course we end up getting punished for it.

In the meantime, my bags remain only halfway packed cause I'm still living here but hoping to hear any day. And while I want to be optimistic and put all my bags in the car right now, I have to be realistic and not get my hopes up. Plus I don't wanna have to go out to my car every morning to get my toothpaste.
And my poor husband is living in a halfway furnished flat (AKA lawn furniture and a mattress in the living room) cause he's waiting for me to get there so we can decorate the place together. So both of us are just waiting in limbo and it's just torture on both of us. I wouldn't wish this scenario on my worst enemy.

Well, in the meantime I'm working on my wedding "thank you" notes, helping my parents around the house with spring cleaning, spending time with friends and family, and resting.

Yesterday I went for a really really nice bike ride with my dad. Before I fell off and busted my shoulder (owie), I prayed to God and I thanked Him for this beautiful day and this time with my dad and asked Him to help me find purpose in this crappy situation. Clearly He's trying to give me more time to properly say goodbye to people (especially people who were sick and couldn't come to the wedding) and to give me time to reflect. And probably to do other things I haven't discovered yet. Kieran suggested that I do some volunteering to keep myself busy. So after a week of sulking, crying, and feeling sorry for myself I approached my close friend to see if she needs volunteers at the school where she teaches. So we shall see where that goes...

As Kieran always says, "It could be worse, it could be better." Doing the best we can right now.

More details to come!
Thanks for reading
Amanda <3

Wedding Nightmares

2010-12-05T00:52:00.006-05:00

4 months til the BIG DAY!

Update on the fiance visa: things are still sloowwww as molases. However, I did get a letter from the National Visa Center about 2 weeks ago saying that Kieran should be hearing from the Embassy very soon about the interview and medical screening process. Woot! Not so exciting for him, as he has to get poked and prodded for a hefty price. Brits aren't used to shelling out big bucks for medical check-ups! Hope he's all up-to-date on his shots :-)

I can't wait til the big day! However, the planning process of this whole thing has been quite an ordeal. Seriously contemplated eloping many times. The anxiety involved with planning such an event has seeped into my dreams! Over the past few months I have had bizzare recurring dreams related to weddings. Here's a few descriptions of my favorites:

"I CAN'T GET MARRIED, MY HAIR ISN'T DONE!":
I go to the hair dresser and my hair looks perfect. Then 10 minutes before the ceremony my hair has completely fallen flat and come undone due to heat, rain, snow, or wind (I've dreamt about all 4 scenarios) So I put the brakes on the ceremony til I can find someone to fix my hair. In the end I have to accept the help of hair amateurs (bridesmaids, wedding guests, my mother, whoever I can find) and I walk down the aisle with horrendous-looking hair

LATE TO MY OWN WEDDING:
I'm 1, 2, or even 6 hours late to my own wedding. Car broke down, wedding dress got dirty, hair is messed up, or I forgot. I call my maid of honor to see if Kieran's still there and I ask, "is he crying?? Tell him I'm sorry and I'll be there soon"

FORGOT TO HIRE THE OFFICIANT:
The wedding march is playing and I start walking down the aisle, only to discover there is no officiant waiting for me at the front of the room. I run back down the aisle embarassed and frantically try to find someone else to fill in.

Then last night, I had a new one that entertained me. In this dream I was actually a bridesmaid at a wedding for an old friend from middle school with whom I've lost contact. Another bridesmaid in the wedding party is a girl I used to work with in high school and I've lost touch with her over the years, too. Our hair was exquisite BUT our dresses were paper hospital gowns like the ones at the doctor's office. We walked around in hospital gowns and flip flops, with our asses hanging out for all to see.

I want my brain back!!!

In more positive news, I'm going to England in 2 WEEKS to visit for Christmas and New Years. Can't wait! I'll post pics and an update when I return :)

Sweet dreams! Haha

This week's playlist...

2010-09-27T22:54:00.011-04:00

I am a huge lover of music and its beautiful possibilities. I've always turned to music to help put me in the right mood...or get me out of a bad one. It's a distraction and a muse at the same time. Just in the mood for somethin' a little different, here's a few songs on my playlist this week. What's on yours??

"If I Die Young" by The Band Perry

If I die young,
Bury me in satin.
Lay me down on a bed of roses.
Sink me in the river at dawn;
Send me away with the words of a love song.
The sharp knife of a short life.

"Like a G6" Far East Movement

Poppin' bottles in the ice,
Like a blizzard.
When we drink, we do it right, gettin' slizzard
Sippin' sizzurp in my ride, in my ride, like Three 6
Now I'm feelin' so fly like a G6.

"Misery" Maroon 5

I am in misery.
There aint nobody who can comfort me, oh yea.
Why won't you answer me?
The silence is slowly killing me
Girl, you really got me bad,
You really got me bad.
And I'm gonna get you back,
I'm gonna get you back.

Why do you do what you do to me?
(BTW check out this music video, this lady just beats the crap out of Adam Levine for 3 minutes, it's pretty hilarious)

"New Perspective" Panic at the Disco

Stop there,
And let me correct it.
I wanna live a life from a new perspective.
You come along because I love your face,
And I'll admire your expensive taste.

Who cares?
Divine intervention.
I wanna be praised from a new perspective.
But leaving now would be a good idea;
So catch me up on getting out of here.

"The Only Exception" Paramore

I've got a tight grip on reality,
But I can't let go of what's a part of me here.
I know you're leaving in the morning.
When you wake up,
Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream.

Darling, you are the only exception.
You are the only exception.
And I'm on my way to believing.

<3 Have a beautiful week
Amanda :-)

Thursday ramblings

2010-09-16T23:09:00.006-04:00

Okay I have two very important discussion topics this evening. One, The Inbetweeners and how BRILLIANT of a show it is. And second, mosquito bites. Yea I never promised they would be related at all or make any sense whatsoever. Deal with it.

If you live in the UK or are an Anglophile like me, you know about The Inbetweeners. I'm in love with this show

It's the fictional chronicle of 4 friends at college (AKA high school plus 2) who are not quite outcasts but definitely not popular. Hence, they are "in between" the two social worlds. They are embarrassingly uncool which makes for terrific comedy. Plus the fact that British television is pretty cool with colorful language and subject matter, which I particularly enjoy. It's not uncommon (particularly on this program) to hear the F-Bomb dropped on national television or see someone's pale English ass on the tube. *ahem* I mean "arse"

The reason why this program has been on my mind is because I've been watching personal marathons of it on my laptop for days and finally got to see the new series release. I can't get this show out of my head, it's so entertaining. Plus I think that they are really relate-able characters. Everyone can identify with that feeling of not quite fitting in. Even now, I'm a grown lady now and I still feel like an "inbetweener" at times--never knowing if I'm saying the right thing or walking around with my skirt tucked into my underoos.

Plus it doesn't hurt that I think I have a massive crush on the actor who plays Simon Bird...

Oh baby, oh baby...yes, please! :D

Alright so as for my second topic, mosquito bites...
Picture this. I was minding my own business tonight, laying on the couch watching TV. Apparently a mosquito, trapped and starving in the house, took it upon himself to have a late night snack. Within a span of about 1 minute, it attacked my forehead, elbow, and leg. I saw the damn thing trying to feast on my leg through my hosiery. Stupid idiot. In any event, now I have 4 welts on my body. Before you see this insane pic, I should warn you that my body is slightly more allergic to mosquito bites that normal:

What the hell, mosquito?!
How am I gonna go to work like this...I look like I'm trying to grow a horn. :-/

This reminds me of the time that Kieran and I took a road trip and I got bitten to hell and back in Savannah, Georgia. Those suckers went to town on my legs. I was red and swollen and the only relief was sweet sweet Benadryl. Oh mama, that's good shit. Hmm...wonder if I've still got some reserves in the medicine cabinet.

:D

August is the season of celebration in Worthing!

2010-09-05T19:24:00.009-04:00

Hi, folks!
Back from my trip to England and totally bummed. Why do the months/weeks/days/hours drag on for aggeesss when Kieran and I are apart and then as soon as we're together it flies by like a flash of lightning? Not fair!

The trip was brilliant. First of all, the air in the South of England is delicious. Maybe it's my imagination, but I feel like the air along the Channel seaside can cure any illness or negative mood. And because of the rain and moist air, everything is so green all the time. I know England gets a bad reputation for being gray and rainy but the gray and rain helps the green grass and beautiful flowers to flourish all year long! It's beautiful. :-)

We spent the whole weekend celebrating, it was excellent! Saturday night was Nan and Grandad London's 50th wedding anniversary celebration. Nan, grandad, aunt Debbie, aunt Kathleen, and Michelle came down from London and we all went out for dinner and drinks to celebrate. Somewhere between the celebratory champagne and the pint of Becks after last call, I got embarrassingly drunk. No one can hold their booze better than the English and I just couldn't compete. At the time it seemed like a good idea to try out my best English accent...very loudly exclaiming 'ELLO!!!

Shockingly, I woke up on Sunday without a hangover...I'm telling you, that sea air must be magical!! Sunday was our engagement BBQ, which was beautifully planned and catered by Sue, Kevin, and Madaleine. They really gave us a delicious and perfect party in the back garden. The weather cooperated...on and off...and there were loads of good friends and family.

Needless to say, between partays, going out, long walks on the beach, and generally being sickeningly in love---not much actual wedding planning got done. Except Kieran's mom gave me a really cool wedding planning book and file folder to help keep me organized...at least it's on the right track! However, I did order my "save the date" magnets and they are super sweet. Hopefully they will come in the mail next week :)

I also got the templates of the invitations in the mail when I got home. I like them but I think it needs a little DIY touch to make it pop. I'm still unsure. Gotta run it by the MoH tonight to get her opinion.

Finally last night I got a rough guest list from Kieran and my mom and went over numbers. Things look okay at the moment. Except the fact that I originally guesstimated needing about 20 hotel rooms and now it's more like 40! So mom and I are gonna go see another hotel options this afternoon and hopefully we can do room blocks at 2 places.

Holy Moley....so many plans, so little time. 7 months this week!!

I know the planning sucks ass and I never want to plan a wedding again, but I can't even wait for the wedding. It's gonna be such a blasty and I can't wait to start our lives together...and actually BE TOGETHER.

Looking forward to going back to England for Christmas/New Years. I hope Kieran will be able to come over here for Thanksgiving and Kim's wedding, but we'll see what happens with the fiance visa. Still pending at the moment...jerkheads. I just hate this distance :-(

Alright folks, wedding stuff with mom this afternoon and then pow-wowing with the MoH this evening.

A BIG THANK YOU to the Todds, Baxters, Grims, and the friends/family of the English posse...for the brilliant party, your words of support/congratulations, and your love. I'm already homesick for England! Roll on, December

<3

I'M BACK!

2010-08-24T21:02:00.005-04:00

Goodness me, I have been a super slacker with blogging. My bad. No worries, though! I am back at it again. For your reading pleasure...

Work has been great, no complaints there. Definitely a breath of fresh air to work in a positive environment. Meanwhile, over the past few weeks I've been hearing about my co-workers at my former job dropping out of the office like flies--pursuing better work environments, too! I'm really pleased to hear it, I'm glad people are looking out for themselves and telling our old boss to shove it.

I'm enjoying interacting with the clients and their families. Among other roles, social workers are often consulted to problem solve. I really love that part of the job--putting the puzzle pieces together to bring about an ideal outcome.

I've been bustin' my butt over the past week to get ahead of all my work cause I'M GOING TO ENGLAND (more on that in a moment). Of course all my clients decide to discharge at the same exact time I'm going to be out of town. How dare they! :-)

So yes, I am going to England for a week, starting tomorrow! Woot! Excited to see the fiance and his family. We're gonna be celebrating two special events over the weekend--his nan and granddad's 50th wedding anniversary (WOW) and our engagement. It's gonna be so fun, I'm looking forward to it. I haven't seen Kieran since we got engaged in June! lame! Maybe we can get some wise, sound marriage advice from them! I'm sure they can let us in on the awesome, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I can't even imagine turning 50 years old, let alone celebrating a 50th anniversary. That's heart-warming stuff.

Wedding planning hit the ground running since I booked my location but now it's stalled and I dunno what to do to jump start it again!! So far I've taken care of the following:
1) Date and Venue
2) Colors
3) Bridal party
4) THE DRESS...MY LOVERRRR
5) Designed and ordered my "Save the date" magnets
6) In the process of designing the invitations
7) Submitted my immigration crap

Now I'm stuck. I dunno what to do next. Do I do the food? Or flowers? What about room blocks and wedding registry? BLAHHHH. My head is spinning and I can't quite get my feet planted firmly. Meanwhile, TheKnot.com keeps sending me daily emails with the subject lines like: "8 disastrous things that can happen at your reception" Dudes, are you for real? Cut that shit out, you're giving me a nervous tick.

The other day Kieran said to me, "So what do you wanna do when you're over here?" thinking that I had big fun plans. Sorry, lovey, we're doing the wedding registry, the guest lists, and browsing for suits. Bwahahah!! he cannot escape when I'm there! This shit is hard and he ain't getting off so easy :-D

This past weekend, I took a much needed mental vacation at the beach with my two best girlfriends--my Maid of Honor, Erica and my bridesmaid, Rachel.

Aren't they adorable?! I love these girls. We had a fantastic and exhausting time! I feel like the richest person in the world to have love in my life and friends who know how to make me laugh. I'm not ready to talk about how much I'm gonna miss these gals when I hop the pond!! :(

Alrighty, it's already 10:15pm and I still haven't packed!!!! Gotta run for now. Will update when I get home from England.

All my love,
Amanda :-)
xXxXxXx <----that's how the English express their love via the internets

Pining for the NHS!

2010-08-03T23:48:00.003-04:00

Alright, so here's my current deal--I don't have health insurance. I don't get employment-based benefits because my current job is a temporary position. So I applied for COBRA and private insurance WELL in advance to make sure I'd be covered. And yet I am still fucked. Shocker.

Basically right now I am stuck. I sent in my COBRA paperwork almost a month ago and haven't heard a damn thing. Lord only knows if it got misplaced and it's floating around in federal government paperwork hell somewhere. Not to mention that it's gonna cost me $350 per month to keep so I am really hoping that the private insurance comes through.

Well imagine my surprise when I get a letter from the private insurance company on Friday evening (of course, when you can't call anyone) saying they can't cover me cause I have a pre-existing condition. Are you shitting me, devil company? How's about you go into your little computer of doom and see how YOU IDIOTS WERE COVERING ME FOR THE EXACT SAME ISSUE LESS THAN 2 YEARS AGO! Not to mention that I've been covered by your sorry company in some way shape or form since I was a goddamn fetus!

So I have been trying to channel my anger into crafting a logical and well-documented appeal. I'm trying not to be a crazy person and call those idiots. But then I get this email from them today:

Dear Amanda,

Thank you for your interest in health insurance coverage from DEVIL, INC. According to our records, you were mailed a package explaining the plan we offered you, along with the necessary explanations and forms. However, we have not received the completed forms.
If you are still interested in coverage from DEVIL, INC., you must return these forms within the next 15 days.

uhhh...once again...ARE YOU SHITTING ME?! I got your damn "offer" 2 business days ago. You are hanging on my last nerve, DEVIL, INC!!!

As I started to craft an angry reply email, I realized two things: 1) It's unlikely anyone will read this; and 2) If someone does read this I am gonna look like a total loon which won't help my appeal.

So I decided to replicate my dream reply email here on the blog to vent my frustrations in supportive environment. Perhaps others who have dealt with this bullshit can relate. I am hoping, at the very least, that getting this out will supress my anger enough so I can actually sleep.

Dear DEVIL, INC--

Thanks for the shout out! I appreciate your reminder of my recent denial. You're so thoughtful like that. I hope you're milking this whole "denial for pre-existing condition" thing before it's illegal in 3 years. How's that working out for you? I totally get that your boss is probably on your ass about meeting the yearly quota for denying folks for life-sustaining treatments and putting your hard-working friends and neighbors into debilitating debt. Sounds like a tough job! My boss can be a hard-ass, too. bwah bwah

So anyways, FUCK YOU AND YOUR 15 DAYS. Omigosh, I'm so sorry--that's my pre-existing condition acting up again. It makes me unable to filter my opinions.

Hey so remember that time when you covered me for the exact same condition like 2 years ago? Hey, that was fun! Maybe you could just do again for me---ya know, for old time's sake. And remember how my family and I have been loyal customers since the 1970's despite your asinine premiums? Well that was fun while it lasted, I suppose. I always knew you'd be a fickle friend. My mother warned me about you.

Don't you worry your deformed little head, DEVIL, INC! My appeal is on its way to you. Considering I am going to spend more than 48 hours putting it together, I think you'll be pleased that my appeal will be well thought-out and documented. I know you're anxious to receive it, DEVIL, INC--it's like waiting to open Christmas pressies!! It's so hard, I know! Time just seems to pass so slowly when you're sending out threatening letters and emails all day. That must be so hard for you!!! Are you working hard or hardly working, buddy? har har!

Anywho, you're an asshole as usual and I enjoy our love-hate relationship as much as the next American. I hope you'll consider covering me for my EXISTING condition which was KNOWN TO YOU ALL ALONG. That would be super.

Fortunately, we will only have to deal with one another for the next 9 months, as I am leaving your sorry ass for a system that won't rape my bank account. I know it hurts, babe. But I'm sure you'll be fine. You'll just find a poor old lady to harass or an infant to deny--just for shits and giggles. You will soon forget me.

I look forward to the displeasure of putting up with you for the next 9 months or so. Oh and by the way, when you get my letter, you have 7 business days to respond. Good luck!

Loveless always,
Amanda

Okay, I admit I feel a little better.

To all American Belles in England--give me the real scoop on the NHS. Can health care really be free and quality at the same time?

Whilst you mull that question over, check out this cartoon I found on Google

New Job, New Perspective

2010-07-26T23:17:00.004-04:00

After a few weeks of down time, I went back out into the working world today. It felt great! I was so ready. It was nice to have some free time to be productive (wedding plans, immigration stuff, organizing my crap), get some rest, and be introspective. I definitely feel more grounded and confident, which took some time after the ridiculous and heinous drama in my last job (long story).

ANYWAYS so this new job will be a fun challenge as it is the first real clinical social work job I've had since college. I'm working as a social worker at a long-term care facility, primarily working with older adults. I've worked in medical and long-term care settings in the past but I had moved more to the policy/non-profit management side of things in grad school. It definitely feels like a good fit to go back to doing more direct contact with clients.

My social work "team" seems awesome so far, really cool people with friendly and warm personalities. I think we will work well together. I'm looking forward to learning more about their process and procedures, but today I jumped right in an did some assessments! I was a little rusty at first but my interview/assessment skills came back to me pretty quickly. Thanks, Juniata College social work department! :-D
I definitely enjoyed chatting with a few residents and getting to know their stories. It made me smile!

Seriously, compared to my last job, this is going to feel like a walk in the park. Here are some key differences that totally validated my choice to leave:

1) NORMAL WORKING HOURS. I work 8 hours (m-f), I go home and I have a life. Heck, tonight I went home, went to the gym, did chores, and even had a chance to talk to my family. Shocking, right?! And no work on the weekends....EVER! YIPPEEE

2) REASONABLE CASE LOAD. My last job involved casework, though not in a clinical sense. At that time, my case load was upwards of 100-150 cases at any given time. Now I have 30-40! Which explains why I will be able to leave the office by 5pm every day without nagging guilt :-)

3) MEANINGFUL WORK. This job is good for the soul! I will really feel like I am helping individuals and their families. Sure, as a social worker, I'm not always going to be the "good guy" so it's not going to be all roses and butterflies all the time, but at least I will receive support from my fellow social work team.

4) COMPETENT MANAGERS. In most organizations, the manager is the intermediary between the lower "front lines" staff and the powers that be at the top. A good supervisor/manager will find an appropriate balance between protecting the integrity of the organization, appeasing the big wigs at the top, and looking out for the well-being of the lower staffers. Priorities, roles, and goals are clearly defined and staff feel as though their supervisor is supportive when needed.

5) GOOD STAFF MORALE. It's been a while since I've heard staff laughing in an office. It's refreshing. People take a lunch break. People take a moment to talk about themselves, ask you about your interests, and share a smile. It makes a world of difference.

All-in-all, a very good start! I hope my first day was a good indication of a good professional experience to come!
Case in point--the first day of my former job started with major disorganization, lack of warm welcomes, and a co-worker making me cry. Needless to say, it continued that way for a year. Why didn't I quit that day? I felt frozen, trapped. I still don't have a good explanation for why I endured it for so long before taking action. But I'm glad I finally did.

Regardless of your field, everyone deserves to have the 5 aforementioned qualities in your job (and more, if you're lucky!!). Most studies indicate that people, on average, spend 20-30% of their lives at work (maybe more if you're a work-a-holic like me). That's a lot!! Make it count, people. Find a reason to smile. Find meaning in your work. If it's not a good fit, find a better one. When you're old and gray, do you want to look back and say you were miserable for 30% of your life? Of course not. It's not worth it. Think about it.

Okay enough of my idealistic preaching for tonight, dudes. Thanks to friends and fellow bloggers who wished me luck today and/or sent their positive vibes my way. It seems to have worked!

Have a happy Tuesday, y'all!

Love,
Amanda

Smooth Sailing Thus Far!

2010-07-24T17:13:00.005-04:00

Folks, today was a great day. Wedding and immigration stuff was all going my way today! First, I took my parents to see Milton Ridge this morning. I was pretty nervous cause I loved the place and wasn't sure if my parents would be on the same page. They were skeptical at first but soon fell in love with the place and its charm. Once I get Kieran's final approval, we'll put a deposit down next week YAYAYAYAYA!! I can't wait to send out "save the date" cards now that we have a place.

Then, I got home and found a notice from USCIS in the mailbox! Unbelievable! I just sent off that application a week ago! I hope this is a sign of fast processing times to come. Basically it was a notice that they had received the application and were processing it. Yay! So far so good

When I got home I also had a long phone chat with a college friend who is getting married in the fall. It was nice to catch up and commiserate with the stress of wedding planning. Definitely made me feel more sane!

I can't even wait to start my new job on Monday. Having some time off has been super restful, useful, and somewhat productive--not counting the 35% of the time spent sleeping (no regrets!). But I love having a schedule and purpose to my day! Plus, I'm going to be doing a job that I think I am really going to enjoy. I am a social worker and my background is in aging. My last job was more political in nature and it just wasn't the right fit for me, even though I am interested in public policy. This job, in contrast, is going to be more direct clinical practice with older adults, so I think it's going to utilize my social work skills and be more rewarding overall. I sure hope so! It's always a little nerve-wracking starting a new job and being the new person, so please send your positive prayers and vibes my way!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. In DC we are having unbearable heat!! I think I got 2nd degree burns from touching my car's steering wheel! Stay cool, kids.

Love,
Amanda :-D