30-Apr-08 Beachfront

As I was running along the seafront (I keep wanting to say "lakefront" as I'm so used to Chicago), there are 7 miles of paved path from Hengistbury Head down to Poole. In some sections, there's also ability to drive cars and park along the beachfront on paved roads. The beach area is rather nice with fine, sandy beaches, whereas I'm told some areas further East (Brighton, for example) are covered with pebbles.

Along the paved area are little "huts". Families/friends can rent a little hut for the week as they are vacationing locally. It is a place to store your belongings and an ice chest with food, etc. Usually there's a hotplate available, but I assume it requires you to bring your own gas source. I don't think there is any electricity to the huts. You might classify these as "cabanas", but they are very minimalistic and in many cases, run-down. But as it's just a daily beach storage area, I guess you don't need much more than a roof over your head.

While there is sand all along the seafront, the beach has "groynes" interspersed along the beach. Basically, there are metal low-rise walls that extend out into the water. They are used to minimize coastal erosion of the sand as the waves approach land, although there is question as to how effective.

You will also see a couple of piers that extend out into the water. Bournemouth city centre has a pier that extends out quite a ways, similar to Santa Monica pier, but not quite as big or built-up as Navy Pier. There is a restaurant/bar and theatre on the pier, as well as a tacky amusement section (ferris wheel and other rides for tykes). There is also a small pier at Boscombe, and another further down, even smaller.

Almost invariably along the shore you will see surfers (YES, surfers!), well, I guess more like wakeboarding. Usually the waves are more like swells in the water, but as I ran last night, there were actually some crests and crashing waves. As the water is EXTREMELY cold, they are all in wetsuits. But still..... Even at 8pm, there were still surfers on the water.

29-Apr-08 Flats, Terraced, Detached, Semi-detached

I've rented a flat (apartment/condo) here. Right now is busy season to rent, people will sometimes rent them for the summer (3 months) and stay here for a spell, as this is more of a summer resort area (it is seaside, but not to be confused with the Caribbean).

Flats are more what I would call a condominium (which, when I use that term here, everyone looks at me funny). A flat can be anything from studio up to multiple bedrooms. Sometimes people will share flats (advertised as flat-share), as there is typically a common room, and you can have a separate bedroom/bathroom area for your own space, although flat sharing is key in expensive London (much like NYC).

The majority of the buildings in this area (except for near the seafront) are Victorian style, which means NO closets, FEW electrical outlets, and LARGE single-pane windows. The single windows date back to ages ago when people were taxes based on the number of windows they had on their house. So if you had a big window instead of several, you got taxed less (or so I'm told). If it's not a single pane, then it's referred to as "double glazing" (double paned).

Instead of closets, they typically use wardrobes or armoires here for clothes instead of closets, and a walk-in closet is a true luxury. There are coat closets and broom closets, but very small. And most rooms are smaller than the US, unless you compare it to NYC.

You also get into houses.....where "Terraced/Attached" is basically a townhouse with townhouses up against both sides, "Semi-detached" is a townhouse where it's only against another townhouse on one side, and "Detached" is where the house is stand-alone, not up against another building. There are also maisonettes, which I don't yet understand how they are different, but similar to a basic flat.

I am in a newly constructed building (2 years old) and it has practically NO closets, but it does have lots of electrical outlets throughout the flat. I will talk more about the amenities in the flat in a later blog.

28-Apr-08 Parking on the Street

With the boss here on Monday for critical meetings, I'm getting a jump-start on the week.

As you drive through the side streets in Bournemouth, people park along the street 1/2 up on the curb, and it's common. It makes many of the streets down to only a single car lane, instead of able to have 2 lanes of traffic on the street. As you drive down these areas, if you encounter an oncoming car, you have to maneuver over in between parked cars, and let the other car pass, or vice-versa.

And interestingly, it's very common for cars to be parked in both directions on the same side of the street. If you see a parking spot, you don't make a u-turn in the correct direction and park, you simply just pull over across traffic and park, even if your car is facing opposite direction of traffic. That's all fine and dandy.....until you have to pull out of the parking spot, especially if it's a busy street. You have to wait for BOTH directional lanes of traffic to clear before you can pull out.

Most of the residences, unless pretty expensive, don't have garage parking, you park on the street where you live. A few have a little side carport in the front of the house, which takes up space where a front yard would be. (And a yard here is called a garden....UKers think yard is like a shipyard/dock area) Relatively few of the residences have large, green front gardens, it is mostly in the back, unless you go to the upscale areas.

27-Apr-08 Asda....dare I speak the name...

So, yesterday I just wanted to get some simple, cheap things for the house....some plants, a few bowls, tablecloth, cleaning products, etc. I know that Asda is about the cheapest you can go.....and people here turn up there noses, well, at least the people who matter. But, I didn't want to spend a fortune and just needed knick-knacky things.

As I walked into Asda, I was reminded (someone had mentioned before, but I forgot) that Asda is actually owned by Wal-mart (they use Asda brand instead, as it was already established). And yes, there are greeters. The food and produce and clothes looked cheap, but everything else was decent enough.

So, while everyone sneers at Asda, it wasn't as bad as I thought. I think they just despise Wal-mart trying to take over the world.

26-Apr-08 When it's nice....

On Saturday, it was beautiful weather....although still only 18 C (about 65 F), but the sun was shining brightly. At lunchtime, upon recommendation from my boss, I went to a little seaside hangout in Sandbanks, called Jazzy's. They have a nice little Mediterranean feel, including both outside and indoor seating. Indoors, there's a nice WOOD fireplace, which created a nice aroma inside. I think it was still too cool to sit outside, but there were plenty enjoying, and several people playing on the beach AND in the water. Brrrrr...still too cold for me.

The food at Jazzy's was simple but fantastic. I had the crab and salmon fishcakes, served on salad. Probably the best crabcake I've ever had, not dry at all. Nice place to relax on the weekend, but, alas, I had errands to run, so I didn't get to loiter long.

There were so many people out and about, really the 1st best day of the year. Everyone I ran into commented about the nice weather....EVERYONE!

So, just for future, here are the basic conversions for temps, if I use Celsius.
90 F = 32 C (RARE in Bournemouth)
80 F = 26.7 C
70 F = 21 C
60 F = 15.5 C
50 F = 10 C
40 F = 4.4 C
32 F = 0 C
25 F = -4 C (about the coldest it gets in Bournemouth)
0 F = -18 C (only used when I talk about Chicago)
-25 F = -32 C (the coldest I ever encountered in Chicago, the 2nd month I lived there in 1994)

25-Apr-08 Fish & Chips Shops

Similar to all the "dive" joints in Chicago (Burrito-ville, Buona beef, deli's), the equivalent in UK is the fish & chips place. They are everywhere, but especially along the coast where fish is plentiful.

In my neighborhood, I stopped at one called "Chez Nick". With the word "chez" in the name, I figured it might be a little more French or upscale. I was wrong.

Anyway, there were all the traditional items....fish (cod, haddock, plaice), skate (like a manta ray), burger, chips (fries), onion rings, etc. Then, a UK fave, steak and kidney pie (I have NOT tried yet). All of these are fried, or deep-fat fried, or double-, triple-, or quadruple-fried. (I semi-joke about the double/triple/quadruple.) I saw that they had veggie burger, and thought that would be a healthy alternative.........wrong.

It was a bean/veggie mixture, breaded, then deep-fat fried. At least it had lettuce, onion, and tomato on top. I also saw they had mushy peas as a side dish, and a mushy pea fritter. I tried the fritter....it was a mixture of truly mushy peas, breaded, and deep-fat fried multiple times. It was crispy on the outside, then mushy (obviously) on the inside. That was my first.....and my last.

Also on the menu was potato jackets (baked potato), which you could get topped with all types of things, such as sour cream, cheese, bacon, etc. You could also get it topped with sausage, baked beans, tuna!, or even peas! With that, I steered away from the banana/pineapple fritter.

24-Apr-08 Dialing Phone Numbers

So, in the UK, the phone number dialing is similar, but just a little different. Instead of the standard 3-digit area code and 3-digit interchange and 4-digit direct number, the UK has a small variation.

Dial '0', then area code '1202' for Bournemouth, then 3-digit interchange and 3-digit direct number. For example, 0-1202-123-123. London uses area code '2077'.

If you are dialing from the US to Bournemouth, here's the dialing scheme:
International code + country number (44 for UK) + area code and interchange/direct numbers.
011 - 44 - 1202 - 123 - 123

Sometimes you see people denote their phone number as
44 (0) 1202 123 123......the 0 in parenthesis just means you dial the 0 and the rest of the number if you are already in the country for that code 44. If not, then you dial the 44, omit the 0 in parenthesis, and dial the rest of the number.

If you are dialing from Bournemouth to the US (let's say to downtown Chicago number), you would dial US code, then the rest of the number.
001 - 312 - 555 - 1212 (the number I used was an example)

If you need more info on how to dial internationally and you know the country and area, here's a good web-site to use. It basically is dummy-proof for exactly what digits to press. www.countrycallingcodes.com

But beware, calling internationally is EXPENSIVE. And if you are using your US phone in another country, you may also be charged international roaming rates just for having the phone turned on, even if you are not calling or receiving a call. So, if you need a local mobile phone, you can just get a pay-as-you-go (which I will detail later). And if you need to call someone internationally, you should consider SKYPE (www.skype.com). It is free skype-to-skype calling via pc with internet access, and also cheaper international rates when dialing from skype to a direct landline or mobile number. I will talk more about that in a later blog.

23-Apr-08 Office Environment

In the Bournemouth office I work, there is quite a focus on supporting the environment and maintaining efficiency/economy of workspace. Here are some things I've noticed:

1. Deskspace is minimal, open-air, low-wall cubicles. Only the very senior manager has an enclosed office. There are VERY few tall storage cabinets, and most of them are in a separate closet area, not in the general work area. They make sure that there is good natural light; fluorescent lighting is used minimally.

2. As the deskspace is small, there are only small things on the desk. Staplers, hole-punches, pne holders, etc. are all very small, to maximize space. There are no additional lighting fixtures on work spaces, just the overhead fluorescent lighting. The staplers are tiny, even the high-lighters are pint-sized.

3. There is a big focus not to waste paper and do unnecessary printing. As such, there is also very little personal storage space, only for the necessities.

4. There are no individual trash cans at each desk. If you want to toss anything, there are communal paper recycling, trash, and glass/aluminum recycling bins.

5. In the UK, they have letter-sized printing (A3) and then double-sized (A4), twice the size of letter. There is no Legal-sized paper or printing. And there are only a few communal printers, very few printers on even the manager desks.

6. In the work areas, there are no refrigerators, no coffee machines, no water coolers, no microwaves. If you bring your lunch, you keep it at your desk and you eat it cold. There is a cafe serving coffee, mocha, cappuccino, etc., but you are charged for it. And there are several cafeteria areas on-site, most self-serve, including both take-away and sit-down.

7. As there is a limit on available conference room space, there is a big atrium area with tables/chairs. Many people hold meetings in the atrium area and it can get quite loud, but good use of space.

8. There is a charge to park in the lot on-site, and permits are available based on length of service. Charges are assessed higher based on your level, so VP pays more than an Associate. There is also storage areas for motorcycles and bicycles, which are not charged. Many people commute to work through private buses that pick up throughout the town and bring to the site, although limited hours coverage. And many others simply walk or take public buses to work.

Just a few observations on the work environment.....

22-Apr-08 TV/Cable connections

Very busy today, so I only have time for a simple blog.

The UK telly's actually use the NTSC format for video connections, and the connector is a triangle end with lots of pins sticking out the end (unlike US coaxial cable). So, I'm having to get a UK tv to be able to watch cable.

In addition, I had to bring my US DVD player to play my US DVD's, as they are regionally aligned for formats, and it is connected to my US tv so the connector works. While it is possible, the US DVD's do not play well in UK DVD players. And all of those US components are plugged into my voltage converter!

I am set up for Sky cable, although BT (British Telecom) and a few others provide cable connection as well. It is not as easy to just plug in the box to the wall socket and to the tv; you have to connect a phone cord into the cable box and do a dial-back routine to authenticate you. It is insane. There are various packages you can get (I have combo cable/DSL, and movie/lifestyle/education/nature/entertainment channel packs). You can also pay-per-view for lots of tv shows. (By the way, US tv shows appear in UK at least 6-18 months later that originally aired, so I'm told.)

Now, you also have to pay for a TV license.....for color tv's, this is 139 GBP/year (another tax!). It covers the 4 basic free tv channels (which aren't worth 139 GBP). If you do not have a license and you have a tv in your place, you will get fined. There are people who roam the country, where their job is to ferret out people who have tv's but no license. What a boon!

21-Apr-08 Bognor Regis, what a name!

As you can tell, I've submitted this early. Tomorrow will be busy so I'm getting a jump-start on Monday's blog.

The other day that I ventured across Arundel, the other town that I was thinking of seeing was Bognor Regis, as it was in the same area. Just the name evokes something unique. I've had a chance to look it up (and I'll venture there some other weekend) and it is a coastal resort town. It is one of the oldest recorded Saxon place names (parts of Britain originally formed into a political entity from the merging of the Anglos and the Saxons, ages ago). Originally named just Bognor, when King George V spend some time rehabilitating here in 1929, he bestowed the royal name to the town by naming is Bognor Regis.

Interestingly, there is an annual competition (The International Bognor Birdman) at the main pier, whereby people invest a "human flying machine" and attempt to fly it off the end of the pier. The contestant who happens to glide the furthest distance (obviously more than just straight down!) is declared the winner each summer. You can see the info at http://www.birdman.org.uk/.

And now my life will be complete after I attend the Birdman!

20-Apr-08 Different UK Food Items

During the week, I try to take a sandwich and crisps to work for noon meal. At the grocery store (and also available at the deli counter at work), they serve sandwiches with different spreads (sandwich filler). Some of the more common items......egg salad (LOTS of mayo), chicken tikka (which I think originated from India, is a spicy chicken salad), corned beef & onion, tuna with corn (I know, not a good mix), and that ever-favorite prawn cocktail. But my favorite is turkey and dressing (mixed with mayo), then served between 2 slices of bread. By the way, it's not muli-grain bread here, it's called "grainary".

The fact that they server "grainary" is quite surprising, as most of the diet here is unhealthy. I'll elaborate later on the traditional English breakfast, but it's lots of fatty, fried food. Fish & chips is a key food item. The potatoes are obviously fried, but the fish (haddock, plaice or cod) is usually battered and deep-fried. As mentioned above, those common sandwich fillers are heavy with mayo (and they even butter the bread on top of it!!).

The other quick foods people like as snacks, especially in the morning, are savory eggs and sausage rools. Savory eggs are basically a little bit of scrambled eggs surrounded by a mixture of bread crumbs and mixture. They are actually pretty good, especially if heated up and served with a little bit of HP (similar to BBQ) sauce. Sausage rolls are basically a sausage mix within a puff pastry, not that good and they are usually very dry!

19-April-08 Side Trip to Arundel

The weather was lightly raining today so I ventured east to just find a little village to explore. I drove on the A336 out of Bournemouth, along the M27 past Southampton, and along the A27. After an hour, I came across this little town called Arundel. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me, so I've gone on-line to attach a couple of pics of the town. What struck me was the Cathedral and Castle that tower above the town. It is actually quite a small town, much more a tourist spot, but still has a home-y feel, not a tourist trap. There are a few shops and stores, and the streets wind through the town, along the east side of the Arun River.

I looked up info about the town later.....the Arundel Castle was actually build by the Normans in 1066, it was later damaged and restored in the 18th century. Arundel Cathedral was built dedicated in 1873 as a Roman Catholic cathedral, less common in UK as most citizens belong to the Church of England, not the Roman Catholic church.

** Interesting tidbit....the citizens of the Arundel area are called "Mullets". No, not because of their hairstyle, but because of the mullets (fish) that are predominantly in the Arun river.

It really is amazing how so much history, architecture and other interesting cultural things are within just an hour of a single place.

18-Apr-08 Power Cords, Outlets, Voltage

The UK uses a 3-prong outlet for its power plugs which is in a different formation than the US. Also, it uses 240V power, whereas most US standard plugs are 120v (volt); in addition, we use 50 Megaherz (Hz) frequency and UK uses 60Hz.

What does that mean? Well, all of the appliances and electronics from the US can't be directly just plugged into the wall socket without some "conversion".

1. If you have a laptop/pc, cell phone/PDA, electric shaver, etc., you will notice on the power charger that it says allowable 240-120v/60-50Hz, so it has been configured to handle the different voltage and frequency. However, because it has a different plug, you need to buy a little $3-4 plug adapter that goes on the end of the US plug to fit into the wall socket. (By the way, the rest of Continental Europe uses 2 different types of power plugs!)
You can usually find these on-line at Best Buy or at travel stores (Rand McNally, etc.). Also try on-line at www.magellons.com but I have found them in most tourist areas/airports. In Bournemouth, they have them at Maplin's electronics stores and are typically US/OZ to UK adapters.

2. If the power cord/charger/appliance does not denote this range of power, you must buy a voltage converter with "step-down" functionality. Basically it takes the UK 240V, goes thru conversion and delivers 120v to the plug that you plug your US appliance into. You have to get a converter with sufficient wattage capacity for what you will plug into it. So you have to tally up the total wattage (e.g., if you have 3 things plugged in that add up to 400 watts), then make sure the converter has the capacity and then some. When you turn on most electronic appliances (especially TV's and pc's), there is an initial surge of power above what the base wattage needed. I purchased a converter with 1500 watts, which can easily handle a decent-sized tv, vcr, wii, sterio and pc all at the same time, if necessary. These converters are heavy (35lbs), bulky (twice the size of a toaster), and buzz while they are turned on. Not to mention they are $250 for the 1500 watts version.
If you need to purchase one in the UK, go to www.maplins.co.uk or try a search on the web for "voltage converters".

3. Now, if you have an appliance with an internal motor (uses AC/DC power), you also have to pay special attention to the megaherz (Hz) power frequency, as it can ruin the motor if the frequency is not compatible. I have not gotten that far, haven't tried any motor items, so do not know what this entails yet.

Probably a boring post, but a pain in the *** to deal with. When traveling to Europe/UK, best to get 1 multi-adapter. And don't buy any power electronics there to bring back to the US to use, you'll have to get an adapter to do the "step-up" from 120v to 240v to accommodate!! Not to mention it's probably going to be cheaper for the appliance/electronics in the US.

17-Apr-08 Washers & Dryers

In most of the flats (apartments), the washer/dryer is actually located in the kitchen, in an under the counter machine. They are MUCH smaller than the US and they are side-loading. In many instances, the washer/dryer is the same machine (only recently showing up in US stores). These tend to have very little capaciy, so if you need to wash a duvet or jeans, you can only get a few in. And they take longer to go thru the cycle (unless you do the speed wash for clothes that are not soiled). In my washing machine, you insert the clothers and close the door. Then you turn the selector to Cold, 30 Celsius, 40 Celsius, or 60 Celsius, depending on water temp. Then you have to select the spin speed, maximum is 1600 (which i guess is 1600 revolutions per minute?), then select the minutes to dry at the end and start it. And of course, adding liquid detergent! While it takes longer and contains fewer items per load, it does a very efficient job (uses little water) and still gets the clothes even cleaner.

On the other hand, when it comes to the dryer, if you have a small load of clothes, maybe 6-7 shirts, it does ok. Just ok. And if you have anything bulky, i.e. blanket, towels, jeans, etc., forget it. You will have to take them out and hang them to dry on a drying rack.

And even more shocking, as I went to the dry cleaner. In the US, taking 3 shirts to get starched/pressed would be $3.50. But here, it was 10 GBP (that's almost $20)!!!!! I guess I'll have to figure out how to starch/press my own!

16-Apr-08 Unusual Spelling and Words

As you probably know, the UK spells things differently. Theatre vs theater, centre vs center, flavour vs flavor, humour vs humor. As much as I had previously been to the UK, I never noticed that they spell car tires as “tyres”. And they also use an ‘s’ instead of a ‘z’, such as analyse, finalise, etc. And "schedule" is pronounced "shhhe-jool".

In addition, it’s a queue, not a line. You "inquiry of something", not "ask". You are remit to do it, instead of you’re accountable or responsible for it. And it’s a CV (curriculum vitae), not a resume. With a car, it's a boot, not the trunk; it's the bonnet, not the hood.

And it's not a briefcase, it's a "grip". So here, if someone says "get a grip", maybe it just means you have a tattered work bag. Which reminds me, a woman's wallet(money purse) is a purse; and a woman's purse is a bag.

I’m sure I’ll have many more to share as we go on.

15-Apr-08 Marmite - A National Sensation

There is a food spread that, if you mention to a Brit, they will either love it or hate it, and will go on about the first time they had it. It is called marmite (pronounced "mar-might"). Until I looked it up on-line, I really didn’t know what it was, but I had heard all about it being quite a contentious subject.

And now I’ve tasted it, but I can’t describe it. It is similar to honey in texture, but you use it sparingly, and it has a bitter, salty flavour to it. (In Australia, they have something similar called Vegemite.) From the production of beer, there is a yeast extract that gets further baked/refined and becomes marmite; it was first produced back in the early 1900’s, I believe right after World War I. I can say that I quite enjoy the marmite-flavoured crisps, as they have a nice salty taste.

But, as instructed to lightly spread it on my toast in the morning, I had to choke it down and follow up with a large glass of orange juice to clear the palate. Similar to black coffee, I’m sure you just have to get used to it. And many will say that you either love it or hate it, there is no in-between. If you ever try marmite on your toast, DO NOT smother it like marmalade as you’ll be in for a big surprise. Use it sparingly.

I'm not sure if you can even get it in the US.

14-Apr-08 Crisps

As you can tell, I got caught up this weekend on the blog with several posts at once. Really trying to keep this to daily, as there is much to share.

Many-flavoured Crisps
In the UK, potato chips are called crisps. And it is such a favorite snack, especially after a night of revelry. While the US have various flavours, the UK has a much different variety. There are certainly plain, salted, vinegar and salt, cheese, BBQ versions, although the BBQ version is much different. They also have Beef-flavoured, Chicken, Prawn (mini-shrimp), Sage & Onion, Mango Chili (very spicy), and Marmite (it’s this salty, yeasty stuff I’ll expain in a later post). And that’s just a simple selection…..there are so many more.
On a side note, in the UK, they refer to French fries as chips (hence, the term, fish and chips). And if you ask for potatoes, they’ll ask if you want boiled, mash, wedged, etc. And for baked potatoes, I’ve seen the reference of “potato jackets” in a couple restaurants.

12-Apr-08 The Bournemouth Area

Bournemouth is in the county of Dorset, and most people just think of Bournemouth as the “metropolitan” area of a collection of towns that run together. I use the term metropolitan lightly, as we’re talking about a collection of 500,000 people at the most.

Bournemouth includes the following towns: Westbourne (decent area), Branksome (upscale), Poole (recognized as its own city and is next to the 2nd largest natural harbor in the world), Christchurch (yes, there is a church in the centre of it), Southbourne (little older style, not yet upgraded), Boscombe (has good and bad parts), Pokesdown (area right next to Southbourne, lots of antique shops, although I’ve heard there used to be many more but they closed down), Canford Cliffs (very upscale, EXPENSIVE, mostly estate houses), and Sandbanks. Sandbanks will likely not exist if the sea levels keep rising due to global warming. It is a small peninsula that reaches out into the Poole Bay and English Channel and obviously it’s just above sea level. It is probably the most expensive real estate in all of the UK (or so I’m told), although I tend to think London is the top, but perhaps Sandbanks is next in line.

13-Apr-08 Kayaking in UK

Today I went kayaking on the Stour River, starting near the town centre of Christchurch. There is a nice park area along the river, with parking (as usual, you have to pay), with access to a public slipway (where you can put your boat in). I only had to step in ankle-deep water to get in the kayak, but that was more than enough to tell that I better not fall in, I would freeze!

There weren't many people around at 10am, as many spend Sunday mornings taking it easy (usually for the late pub night before) or to go to church. In this area, the Stour River joins the Avon River (Stratford-upon-Avon, or the town of Stratford on the Avon River, to the far north is where William Shakespeare lived), and they both dump into Christchurch Bay, and then into the English Channel.

Paddling up the Stour River, there was a decent current but was rather calm (probably only 1/2 the size of the Chicago River). I paddled past the backyards (gardens) of some very nice houses. The weather was sunny, chilly, and a little windy. With my wetsuit and windbreaker, I was actually keeping warm while I was paddling, until I would splash the water a little and get wet. There are a lot of boats tethered there in the Christchurch area, similar to what you would find in Belmont or Diversey Harbor in Chicago.

In researching the rules of kayaking in UK, apparently you are not just able to paddle up any river, as unless there are specific exceptions, most of the rivers are "owned" by the landowners surrounding it, and there may be limits to water access. On the major rivers, such as Stour, Avon, Thames, there are fewer restrictions, but they do have "obstacles" in the way, such as locks, sluices, and weirs (not sure what that is), where you have to "portage" (get out and carry the boat on land past the obstacle).

Paddling in the English Channel and the bigger harbors is free rein (unless wildlife protected), but you have to be wary of boats and ferries, many of which carry people and cars over to France, Ireland, or other areas of Britain. And of course, it basically is the sea, but not as rough as the coastal waves in California.

11-Apr-08 The Post Office

There are several post offices in the various neighborhoods. If I recall, they all have a little red sign with yellow lettering saying “Royal Post”. In most cases, it is a small work area at the back of another store, such as a convenience store. Similar in the US, you go up to them and provide your letters and packages for mailing, they apply the stamps and send them for you. You also drop your letters off at these locations, there are no mail collection boxes throughout the city. And if you have a package being delivered to you and you’re not home, they will leave a message where you can pick it up. They will not leave it on your doorstep. I have noticed that mail sent within the UK is actually quite efficient (granted, it is less space to cover than the US).


When sending mail to an address in the UK, you really only need 2 things……the apartment and street address and the post code. The post code is not all-numeric as in the US (60601), it uses both letters and numbers. For example, a post code could be BH1 AA1. The BH refers to Bournemouth area, 1 refers to the area around the city centre, and AA1 is more specific, down to just 1 or 2 streets. If you know someone’s post code, you can usually find within 1 or 2 streets where the live.

10-April-08 Shop Hours

It is frustrating that, unless I can get away from work in the middle of the day, I will only be able to visit most stores on a Saturday. Most of the little stores (aside from the few large grocery stores and major chains) are open 8:30-5:30 Monday to Friday, and then either 9am or 10am until 5pm or 6pm on Saturday. And practically everything is closed on Sundays. I know there are more exceptions to this in London, but many of the top stores in London are even closed Sundays.

And if you want to go to McDonald’s or Burger King for a breakfast, they don’t open until 9am here. And if you want to get a coffee before 8am on the weekend, you might need to make it yourself. You can find places open, but just not where you’d prefer to get one.

I’ve always thought that the Austrians were the most sensible about this. They open their stores around 8am, close down from noon-1:30pm for lunch and a beer, then open back up and stay open until 6pm.

09-April-08 Going to the Grocery Store (more)

I am sticking with going to the same Tesco as it has a wide selection of items. It is a Tesco Extra (including food, liquor, electronics, appliances, clothing, beauty aids, outdoor equipment), vs. a Tesco Express where it’s closer to a convenience store than groceries. The parking lot is extremely organized. You can only go certain directions through the parking lot, and they usually have someone out there patrolling. This Tesco is also open 24/7, so it’s very convenient (and rare to have stores open late in Bournemouth).

So, I’m seeing this aisle with a bunch of bottles containing liquids, and the whole aisle is called “squash”. And many of these bottles are fruit-flavored, i.e. orange, lime, black currant, strawberry, etc. But on the other side of the aisle are “fruit juices”. Then it has to be something different. I pick up one of the bottles and it says “extremely concentrated, mix 1 part squash to 7 parts water”. I looked it up on-line….and it is just concentrated fruit-based liquid (similar to frozen juice concentrate in the US, except this isn’t frozen, it’s just a liquid in a plastic jug). They also used to call it a “cordial”, and some other types are called “barley waters”.

Other things…..they really don’t call pop/cola/soft drinks by that name. It is called fizzy drinks. Soda reserved exclusively for unflavored carbonated water (club soda). They do use tonic (tonic water), but only refer to that which you use for a “gin and tonic”.

They have ginger beer, which is non-alcoholic and similar to our ginger ale, but a little zestier. In fact, I tried the fiery ginger beer and choked when I first tried it; it is quite strong. But it goes down well with a little rum in it!

08-Apr-08 Bed Sizes

In the US, we obviously have twin, full, queen and king sizes for beds and sheets. Well, the UK use the terms single, double, king, and king extra or king plus. And they are not interchangeable in size to the US, just slightly off. And you can find fitted sheets (the kind with the elastic that fit around the mattress), but they don’t sell flat sheets. You just get a light-weight duvet/comforter, put a duvet cover on it, and that’s what is on top. No single sheet in between, although you might put another coverlet on top of the duvet, but usually not. (It is different in the US-based chain hotels, where they use the flat sheets.)

Having traveled previously, especially in Austria several years ago, it is the same. I remember being in the bed&breakfast, pulling back the comforter and then trying to pull back the next sheet, which was actually the fitted sheet and it came off. Not bad, just different.

07-Apr-08 No GREEN Cars

There is a superstition about having a green car in the UK....it will bring bad luck and will always have problems. Everyone I've talked to seems to agree with this point, and will almost invariably launch into an example of owning a green car and what problems they had with it.

When I bought the VW Polo from the dealer, I asked the salesman about this. And he said, yes, it is impossible for him to sell a green car......if they get one on the lot, it will sit for some time and they'll not be able to get as much from an equivalent in any other color. In fact, VW now does not offer their models in green in the UK.

I have not been able to trace why the superstition started, but hope to find that out sometime.

06-April-08 Driving to Bristol Ikea

I decided to go to Ikea to get some very basic furniture (futon couch, kitchen table, end tables, chair). There will be an Ikea store in Southampton (30 minutes East) in 2009, but until then, the closest store is in Bristol (2 hours NW). I only had a detailed map that covered from Bournemouth to Bath (2/3 of the way), but not from Bath to Bristol. I had expected to use the Map function in my blackberry to get me further.

What I found out on the way, is that there was a major diversion (roadwork closure) on the way to Bristol, and I ended up having to go a very circuitous route (aka LONG WAY) to get there. But it ended up fine getting there. I was able to pop on a motorway late in the drive, and there were great signs directing me to the Ikea store in Eastgate Centre.

The Ikea store is large and very busy, but it is not as big as in the US. Things are much more cramped in smaller spaces. The furniture is somewhat similar, but most furniture sizes are much smaller, which is typically European. After I had finished shopping (parking was nonexistent), I decided to head into Bristol city centre to see what was there. And since I didn't really have a map, I was limited to the Blackberry map. The online map showed the streets, but in Bristol, the street names are nowhere to be found for some of the main streets......I could see the side lanes with names, but didn't know what I was driving on. So I just drove around for a little while (mostly in circles) and then ended up parking and walking for a bit. Bristol is inland from the sea just a bit, with the River Stern forming a big waterfront for the old city centre. Many old shops, but there are a lot of modern glass & steel buildings, so it doesn't feel very antiquated. If you like the waterfront, it's a nice place to visit. I really didn't venture much out of the city centre, so I can't give much more of a summary.

As I left, again, there were NO signs for major streets, so I just headed in the general direction I needed to head back to Bournemouth. I ventured out of town and reached a small village where I could then re-gauge against the Blackberry map and determine my location. But the roads in that area were not big enough to show up easily on the Blackberry map, and I stopped to get a regional map. That proved quite helpful and I took several local roads on the way.....and this was a bonus to see great countryside with many cute towns, each with their own church/rectory, and ventured through many narrow, curvy, hilly roads. It took a little bit longer, because the roads go through a small village every 8-10 miles, and you have to slow down to 30-40 miles per hour and then speed back up. As it was Sunday evening, I didn't encounter much traffic on those roads. And luckily I made it back home safe.....and only getting lost a little bit. :)

05-April-08 Buying a Car

So, on this day, I went thru the process of buying a car. Up to this point, I had been renting a car, which is bloody expensive. In the UK, they also have BMW, VW, Nissan, Honda, Subaru, Toyota, Mercedes, etc. But they also have additional car makes that I'm only partially aware, such as Vauxhall (pronounced vox-hall), Peugeot (french), Opel, Megane, and a whole bit more.

I went to a Vauxhall dealer and then to a Volkswagen dealer. You can buy from independent car lots or from owners, but they don't provide as much guarantees to the vehicle. The salespeople are not as hostile or overpowering as in the US; it's much more on making sure there's a good relationship and you are getting what you want. I ended up getting a VW as I know more about the cars. Whereas in the US, the Jetta is the more popular, the Golf and Polo (both smaller cars) are better for fuel efficiency (I'll explain fuel prices in a future post) and room to drive on the small streets (again, I'll explain that in a later post).

You can choose between manual and automatic, but manual is the preferred. And cars come running on either petrol (unleaded gas) or diesel. I ended up choosing a 5-door (4 doors and a hatchback) automatic petrol-powered 2007 VW Polo.

And in a later post, I'll explain why you don't buy GREEN cars in the UK.

04-April-08 Politeness

As you will find, Brits are extremely polite. And nothing more exemplifies this than driving or waiting in lines (queuing up). People are patient, there is no honking, no shoving in lines, no yelling at people (unless they are drunk in or leaving the pub). It's almost surreal. You do have the odd exception, but rare. Perhaps this is more noticeable in Bournemouth, it's difficult to see this in London as there are so many worldly travellers there that it's not solely a British population you encounter.

Even if you pose a problem to a Brit, they will apologize and say it's not a problem, but underneath the exterior, they may be fuming mad.

In personal dealings, they are persistent, but the tone is not raised, there are no swear words exchanged, and they both acknowledge their own shortcomings, but in most cases, they still don't back down. They will keep at it and defer this issue to something else. But even if they take fault for a problem, it doesn't necessarily that they agree or will do anything to make up for it. It only means that they acknowledge fault.

03-Apr-08 Grocery shopping

There are grocery stores similar to the United States in layout and selection. At the lower end, there is Asda, then Tesco (similar to the basic US grocery store) is a little nicer, then Sainsbury's is a step above that, and finally there is Marks & Spencers (food section of the department store, often in a separate building) and then Waitrose at the top of the chain. So far, I have only been in Tesco and Sainsbury's.

There are several of the same brands....Heinz, etc., but the flavors are much different. Baked beans in the US have a sweet molasses flavor, but in the UK it is rather bland. US pasta sauce is zestier, usually with more basil/oregano. And I have yet to find pizza sauce sold in the stores.

Even in Bournemouth, a much smaller city, there is a whole array of foreign food selections: Thai and Indian (huge selection), French, Greek, German, Polish, and even Jamaican (yeah, mon!). As Jamaica is, I believe, still or formerly a British colony.

Surprisingly, there was a whole array of pickled onions and pickled beets, much more selection of those than I would have thought. And you can even find "mushy peas", yes, they actually sell cans of mushy peas.

02-April-08 Driving in UK

It's all about the roundabouts. Similar to what you find in Massachusetts and a few places, the UK has (and is infamous about) roundabouts. You basically have 3-4 streets coming together.....there's a circle that you enter in going clockwise, and then go around and exit off whichever street you need to take. And if for some reason, you miss the street you need, you just continue in the roundabout (keep going in circles) until you come around to it. The great thing....if you're going the wrong direction on a street......head up to the next roundabout, go around in the circle and head back the way you started.

And there is quite a process for who has right-of-way......but the basic premise is that if you are already in the roundabout, you get priority.....and if there's a car in the roundabout headed toward you, you don't enter until there's a sufficient gap to enter without impacting traffic.

Of course, the big thing about driving in the UK is driving on the left hand side of the road. Which you can get used to quite quickly......but whenever there's a suddent movement or I have to react quickly, my first instinct is to immediately pull to the right, not to the left. It is that ingrained into your head. And also, the driver of the car (and steering wheel) are on the right hand side of the car. If you have a manual transmission, that means you are shifting gears with your left hand......I have found out how uncoordinated I am doing that.

01-April-08 Weather in UK

For spring, apparently this week is rather warm and sunny. Temperature this week (55 F) is warmer than Chicago. The weather here in Bournemouth RARELY gets below 28-29 F. Bournemouth is on the south coast of England and gets more sunshine than many other parts of England. But saying that, it still rains fairly often in most times. It almost never snows. And the summer temperature doesn't usually get above 80 F.

There is always a lot of discussion about the weather, similar as in Chicago.

As it is along the coast, there is a fair bit of wind that sweeps in from the English Channel. And if the sun goes behind a cloud or there's a pick up in the wind, you can go from wearing shorts and a short-sleeve shirt, to where you need to go in and put on jeans (pants) and a sweater (jumper) within a few minutes time. And you should always have your bumpershoot (umbrella) available, in case it suddenly rains.

31-Mar-08 First Day at Work

Unfortunately, I had no time to rest before I got into the work life. Typical UK workday appears to be arrival 8:30am and leave around 5:30pm. In an operations environment, the setup is with low-wall cubicles, with lots of interaction, lots of getting up and going to talk to people in person. If someone is down at the end of the hall, you go to see them, you don't phone them, if possible.

Most people live relatively close to work. I have not encountered anyone with more than 30 minute commute to work (I'm only 2 miles - 10 minutes from work). Many, in fact, walk or cycle to work.

30-Mar-08 Arriving in UK

.....and then I arrived at London Heathrow airport the next morning. As you arrive, there is a LONG walk from the gate to the customs hall. You fill out a landing card with why you are there, show your passport, declare anything special you have brought from the US. You queue (line up) according to EU (European Union) vs. non-EU (includes US) passports. After getting through that, you claim your luggage and out you go to the terminal.

I had a rental car that I caught a shuttle bus to get to the Avis rental lot, only a few minutes from there. The initial thing you realize is that you are riding on the left side of the road. I've been to the UK many times before so I'm rather used to it. Once I had completed the car rental, off I drove toward Bournemouth. But getting out of the airport and on the way along the motorways (highways) is a bit confusing. You have to keep an idea of what next major city, as the signposts are less about roads/directions, and more about about the next city in that direction. If you are on the motorway, it is a blue sign with M#...such as M4 or M32 or M5.

The drive to Bournemouth was fairly quiet, not too much traffic as we had arrived on a Sunday. When I arrived in Bournemouth 1 1/2 hours later, it was nice to be able to get out of the car. Since I had been in Bournemouth a few weeks earlier, I felt much more comfortable getting around. But the first time was nerve-wracking. The streets are curvy, change names constantly, and don't follow logically.

Checked into a hotel and took some walks through the town and along the beach. Bournemouth is a town of about 164,000, located on England's Southern Coast. It is along the English Channel, just across to the south is France, specifically the Normandy region.

29-Mar-08 Leaving for UK

My departure on United Airlines was favorable as I was upgraded to 1st Class. The flight is 7.5 hours directly from Chicago O'Hare to London Heathrow. I had 2 huge suitcases (71lbs and 55lbs), and 2 carry-ons; just enough to get me thru a few weeks until more stuff from the US arrived. And off I flew....