Tuesday, July 30, 2013
UKTE
I just discovered that there's a group here called UKTE -- for Texas Exes in the UK. I'm not sure if I really want to find them or not. I think maybe so. I do want to find new friends here, but it might be nice to start with a group where you know you'll at least have one thing in common... I'm not sure if there's a London specific chapter or if the group just covers all of the UK. Guess we'll find out soon enough!
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Random Observations
1. Driving here is frightening. While I see the benefit to having a car here (more needed here than NYC) -- holy moly the teensy tiny roads, occasional street signs, winding roads that make no sense whatsoever... Oy vey!
2. At least most people are relatively polite while driving like maniacs.
3. Toilet paper here feels like the napkins at a fast food joint. I even bought the kind with "shea butter" and it's marginally better.
4. Commerce actually shuts down by 7 in the evenings during the week and shops are usually closed on Sundays. At least close to the corporate apartment. It's nuts. Even the "big" grocery store that's close to us is only open from 12-6 on Sundays!
5. Even though this is still a "tea" town, there's plenty of good coffee to be found!
6. There are way too many coins in the pound system. Do you really need: a penny, a two pence, a five pence, a ten pence, a twenty pence, a fifty pence, a pound and a two pound coin? Good grief!
7. The food is bland, but not as terrible as I thought it would be. Perhaps with the exception of "black pudding". I don't even want to look it up on Wiki to see what it's really made of. It's creepy and I can't imagine ever wanting to put something that looked like that into my mouth.
8. The size of UK plugs is utterly ridiculous. They're huge.
9. Having a power switch on the wall for each outlet is kind of cool. Allows you to keep things like toasters plugged in, but allows the power to stay off -- much safer and more efficient.
10. Face to face, it's still hard to understand some of the accents. I've been blaming it for the most part on jet lag -- but that excuse will dry up very soon.
11. At least half of the country with kids must be on holiday because they don't seem to be out and about around town!
12. The lack of A/C is mind blowing. I realize it's normally not THIS hot -- but couldn't you still use it to get the moisture out of the air when it rains a bazillion times?
13. London so far feels like a much nicer NYC. It's a big city with hustle and bustle, but on a smaller and much calmer scale. It's a big city, but there are still distinct neighborhoods that feel very suburban.
14. There are a ton of really really freaking incredible cars here. I see Bentleys, Astons, Ferraris, etc on a daily basis. Just out and about.
15. From all observances, folks here don't use a top sheet on their beds. They have a light weight duvet with a cover and a fitted sheet. That's it. I suppose that will make it easier to teach the kids how to make their beds!
16. The kids hear tons of languages spoken around them constantly. I hope this sparks curiosity and a love for language.
17. How is it that more people here aren't dying of allergies? With so many freaking flowers in bloom everywhere, I'm sneezing like there's no tomorrow. And I had years of allergy shots. I haven't sneezed like this in 15 years!
18. Folks here must have invented reality TV. They seem obsessed with reality shows and tabloids!
I'm sure I could go on about a few other things... but I'll call it a night. :-) More to come!!
2. At least most people are relatively polite while driving like maniacs.
3. Toilet paper here feels like the napkins at a fast food joint. I even bought the kind with "shea butter" and it's marginally better.
4. Commerce actually shuts down by 7 in the evenings during the week and shops are usually closed on Sundays. At least close to the corporate apartment. It's nuts. Even the "big" grocery store that's close to us is only open from 12-6 on Sundays!
5. Even though this is still a "tea" town, there's plenty of good coffee to be found!
6. There are way too many coins in the pound system. Do you really need: a penny, a two pence, a five pence, a ten pence, a twenty pence, a fifty pence, a pound and a two pound coin? Good grief!
7. The food is bland, but not as terrible as I thought it would be. Perhaps with the exception of "black pudding". I don't even want to look it up on Wiki to see what it's really made of. It's creepy and I can't imagine ever wanting to put something that looked like that into my mouth.
8. The size of UK plugs is utterly ridiculous. They're huge.
9. Having a power switch on the wall for each outlet is kind of cool. Allows you to keep things like toasters plugged in, but allows the power to stay off -- much safer and more efficient.
10. Face to face, it's still hard to understand some of the accents. I've been blaming it for the most part on jet lag -- but that excuse will dry up very soon.
11. At least half of the country with kids must be on holiday because they don't seem to be out and about around town!
12. The lack of A/C is mind blowing. I realize it's normally not THIS hot -- but couldn't you still use it to get the moisture out of the air when it rains a bazillion times?
13. London so far feels like a much nicer NYC. It's a big city with hustle and bustle, but on a smaller and much calmer scale. It's a big city, but there are still distinct neighborhoods that feel very suburban.
14. There are a ton of really really freaking incredible cars here. I see Bentleys, Astons, Ferraris, etc on a daily basis. Just out and about.
15. From all observances, folks here don't use a top sheet on their beds. They have a light weight duvet with a cover and a fitted sheet. That's it. I suppose that will make it easier to teach the kids how to make their beds!
16. The kids hear tons of languages spoken around them constantly. I hope this sparks curiosity and a love for language.
17. How is it that more people here aren't dying of allergies? With so many freaking flowers in bloom everywhere, I'm sneezing like there's no tomorrow. And I had years of allergy shots. I haven't sneezed like this in 15 years!
18. Folks here must have invented reality TV. They seem obsessed with reality shows and tabloids!
I'm sure I could go on about a few other things... but I'll call it a night. :-) More to come!!
Cheerio!
The Badens have landed. I repeat, The Badens have landed. We survived our journey across the pond with 2 adults, 2 kids, 7 suitcases, 4 backpacks and a stroller. We were shuttled to our corporate apartment by a very nice gentleman who pointed out a few things here and there during the drive. He did not however know the reasoning behind the random fireworks we saw while driving. I think the Brits were just welcoming us to their great city. :) Or showing off since I'd previously mentioned that we were considering a tri-fecta of Canada Day in Toronto, Fourth of July in New York City and possibly Bastille Day in Paris! Wouldn't want to be bested by the French! I'm sure that's why we saw fireworks the night we arrived. :)
And in case I forget to mention this later, or for whatever reason I seem to forget this fact with my rose colored glasses.... it's bloody hot here. And the only place I've found with A/C is the grocery store. I'm not joking. Hell, even Princess Kate had to retreat to her parent's house in the country because at 9+ months pregnant -- she couldn't take her place in the city that was without A/C. I don't blame her in the least!! (Totally unrelated, but it would've been really nice had Prince George been born on the 20th...)
The first few days in London -- ok, the first week -- was a bit of a blur. The TUBE! We had to figure out exactly how and where to buy our initial Oyster Card. (If you're wondering why exactly it's called "oyster" you can learn about that on the Wiki page referenced earlier!!) Where and how to tap in and tap out... and of course learn all the kazillion tube lines and where they go!! On our own, before meeting up with the relocation folks, we did a bit of recon work. The four of us headed to Notting Hill and Bayswater on morning. We went to St. John's Wood another day and down to Clapham as well. We wanted to walk around and get a sense of the different neighborhoods before seeing actual flats and houses. Then -- it was time to tour with the relo agent and see some places up for rent. Looking for housing in London is a tad like it was in NYC, but much less stressful. It's true that each neighborhood has it's own feel -- pros and cons. It was just a matter of weighing current priorities. I truly loved the greenery in St. John's Wood and I loved being so close to Regent's Park. I also loved the quirkiness of a small house we saw in Notting Hill that happened to be doors away from a fantastic public primary school... But, the places in St. John's Wood and Notting Hill would have cost us way more than our ultimate choice and there wouldn't have been any place for guests! We chose a house in Clapham, specifically in an area called Between The Commons. It's close to the top primary school in the area (fingers crossed that they have a space -- we're currently on the wait list) and the exiting tenant had glowing things to say about the house, the neighborhood, the direct neighbors, the landlord... And truth be told, the high street in the area just felt a little more real than up across the river. I do have champagne tastes, but I'm not buying my kids Gucci shoes. They're doing just fine with (what I used to think were pretty fancy for kids) Stride Rite!
Our lease starts next week and we're ready to get out of the corporate flat and into the house. It's huge. Bigger than we need probably - but the kids will love it. 4 bedrooms, an office, 2 living spaces (one for the adults and a separate play area for the kids), lovely kitchen with huge sky lights, a true utility room, a small backyard and GARDEN - woot woot. There are 2 full baths and 2 additional half baths spread out over 4 floors. It's awesome. We actually have so many rooms we're not sure who will occupy which room. Not exactly a terrible problem to have! The moral of the story -- there's plenty of room for you to come visit. Really. Do come. If you're feeling adventurous, you can even catch the train from London Heathrow and end up relatively close to the house! Not too shabby!!
And in case I forget to mention this later, or for whatever reason I seem to forget this fact with my rose colored glasses.... it's bloody hot here. And the only place I've found with A/C is the grocery store. I'm not joking. Hell, even Princess Kate had to retreat to her parent's house in the country because at 9+ months pregnant -- she couldn't take her place in the city that was without A/C. I don't blame her in the least!! (Totally unrelated, but it would've been really nice had Prince George been born on the 20th...)
The first few days in London -- ok, the first week -- was a bit of a blur. The TUBE! We had to figure out exactly how and where to buy our initial Oyster Card. (If you're wondering why exactly it's called "oyster" you can learn about that on the Wiki page referenced earlier!!) Where and how to tap in and tap out... and of course learn all the kazillion tube lines and where they go!! On our own, before meeting up with the relocation folks, we did a bit of recon work. The four of us headed to Notting Hill and Bayswater on morning. We went to St. John's Wood another day and down to Clapham as well. We wanted to walk around and get a sense of the different neighborhoods before seeing actual flats and houses. Then -- it was time to tour with the relo agent and see some places up for rent. Looking for housing in London is a tad like it was in NYC, but much less stressful. It's true that each neighborhood has it's own feel -- pros and cons. It was just a matter of weighing current priorities. I truly loved the greenery in St. John's Wood and I loved being so close to Regent's Park. I also loved the quirkiness of a small house we saw in Notting Hill that happened to be doors away from a fantastic public primary school... But, the places in St. John's Wood and Notting Hill would have cost us way more than our ultimate choice and there wouldn't have been any place for guests! We chose a house in Clapham, specifically in an area called Between The Commons. It's close to the top primary school in the area (fingers crossed that they have a space -- we're currently on the wait list) and the exiting tenant had glowing things to say about the house, the neighborhood, the direct neighbors, the landlord... And truth be told, the high street in the area just felt a little more real than up across the river. I do have champagne tastes, but I'm not buying my kids Gucci shoes. They're doing just fine with (what I used to think were pretty fancy for kids) Stride Rite!
Our lease starts next week and we're ready to get out of the corporate flat and into the house. It's huge. Bigger than we need probably - but the kids will love it. 4 bedrooms, an office, 2 living spaces (one for the adults and a separate play area for the kids), lovely kitchen with huge sky lights, a true utility room, a small backyard and GARDEN - woot woot. There are 2 full baths and 2 additional half baths spread out over 4 floors. It's awesome. We actually have so many rooms we're not sure who will occupy which room. Not exactly a terrible problem to have! The moral of the story -- there's plenty of room for you to come visit. Really. Do come. If you're feeling adventurous, you can even catch the train from London Heathrow and end up relatively close to the house! Not too shabby!!
Everything's Better in Canada
At least according to my Bubbe. Here in no particular order are a list of things that would be better if I lived in Canada...
1. My hair would look better.
2. My children would eat better.
3. I would have a full time nanny.
4. I would be thinner.
5. My husband would be Jewish.
6. I'd be less stressed.
I'm sure there are other things that I've been told over the years and just forgotten...
All that aside -- our second vacation was also a smashing success. Atticus, Wren and I took off from NYC and headed to Toronto to meet up with the Texas family at the airport and then rendez-vous in Toronto. The hotel didn't quite add up to what we thought we were getting, but we made the most of it... We did get to meet tons of cousins and have a great time. In being honest, I didn't even get the chance to talk to half of the family during the visit. Time went by so quickly! Atticus and Wren did have a ball hanging out with all their cousins. It was so nice to have so many around that I didn't even have to watch them every moment of the day. There were a dozen other cousins kids running around keeping them busy! Fantastic! There were several highlights of the trip... Niagara Falls. Dude. How freaking awesome is Niagara Falls? It's always going... massive amounts of water cascading right over the edge. And you can get up THIS close. Loved it. I say this even though it was pouring rain 90% of our visit. Pouring. We were absolutely soaked to the bone. We had a great time with my Uncle Richard and his wife, Lin, my folks and my brother. Maid of the Mist was great. The kids giggled and giggled. That was even cooler than seeing the falls up close and personal. My brother got some great video of the two of them laughing....
There was also a HUGE family reunion held at the hotel one night. HUGE. There was an easel outside the ball room that had the family tree, a professional photographer, two huge arts & crafts tables for the kids, and catered buffet that could have easily served an additional 20 people!! It was a lot of fun to have everyone under one roof.
Then... it was off to Susan's cottage on the lake. Don't ask me which lake, I'll never remember. :) I think the lake may even be the kids favorite part of the vacation -- even more so than Niagara! Never in a million years would I have guessed -- but both Atticus and Wren had a blast in the water. Granted - this is great lake where the kids can waddle around in thigh high water for almost as far as they can see! Atticus fell in love with a SeaDoo Scooter. He scooted around the water for hours! Wren was just as content in her little float thing paddling around... they both also enjoyed a turn in the kayak! That was a hoot. Don't worry, there are pictures...
Again, poof - before we knew it, it was time to pack it up and head back to the airport. We were getting to be pros at this point! Saying good bye is never easy, but it was a memorable trip and I'm really glad we were able to go.
1. My hair would look better.
2. My children would eat better.
3. I would have a full time nanny.
4. I would be thinner.
5. My husband would be Jewish.
6. I'd be less stressed.
I'm sure there are other things that I've been told over the years and just forgotten...
All that aside -- our second vacation was also a smashing success. Atticus, Wren and I took off from NYC and headed to Toronto to meet up with the Texas family at the airport and then rendez-vous in Toronto. The hotel didn't quite add up to what we thought we were getting, but we made the most of it... We did get to meet tons of cousins and have a great time. In being honest, I didn't even get the chance to talk to half of the family during the visit. Time went by so quickly! Atticus and Wren did have a ball hanging out with all their cousins. It was so nice to have so many around that I didn't even have to watch them every moment of the day. There were a dozen other cousins kids running around keeping them busy! Fantastic! There were several highlights of the trip... Niagara Falls. Dude. How freaking awesome is Niagara Falls? It's always going... massive amounts of water cascading right over the edge. And you can get up THIS close. Loved it. I say this even though it was pouring rain 90% of our visit. Pouring. We were absolutely soaked to the bone. We had a great time with my Uncle Richard and his wife, Lin, my folks and my brother. Maid of the Mist was great. The kids giggled and giggled. That was even cooler than seeing the falls up close and personal. My brother got some great video of the two of them laughing....
There was also a HUGE family reunion held at the hotel one night. HUGE. There was an easel outside the ball room that had the family tree, a professional photographer, two huge arts & crafts tables for the kids, and catered buffet that could have easily served an additional 20 people!! It was a lot of fun to have everyone under one roof.
Then... it was off to Susan's cottage on the lake. Don't ask me which lake, I'll never remember. :) I think the lake may even be the kids favorite part of the vacation -- even more so than Niagara! Never in a million years would I have guessed -- but both Atticus and Wren had a blast in the water. Granted - this is great lake where the kids can waddle around in thigh high water for almost as far as they can see! Atticus fell in love with a SeaDoo Scooter. He scooted around the water for hours! Wren was just as content in her little float thing paddling around... they both also enjoyed a turn in the kayak! That was a hoot. Don't worry, there are pictures...
Again, poof - before we knew it, it was time to pack it up and head back to the airport. We were getting to be pros at this point! Saying good bye is never easy, but it was a memorable trip and I'm really glad we were able to go.
Vacay - Times One
Oooof. That was fun. Exhausting. Fantastic. Expensive. Thoroughly enjoyable.
We really did have a blast. Ohio was a family filled festivity. We each had our hair done -- thank you MacKenzie! Wren had her first true hair cut. MacKenzie also gave her her first "fringe" aka bangs haircut, so it was only fitting. :) I had some fantastic highlights done and also tried "keratin" for the first time. I KNOW! We hung out with Papa, Grandma Baden, Aunt Yvonne, Cousin Grace, Uncle Chuck, Hudson, even Uncle Steve (Grandma Baden's brother) made an appearance! I'm really glad we were able to see Papa as much as we did... the kids love teasing him and trying to get him to laugh!
Then, it was off to Texas. We saw Uncle Shawn, Bubbe, Pops, Great Bubbe, Great Grandma Jeanne, Aunt Mary and Rus as well as our friends Hadas, the Bakers/Millers and the Masons. Atticus and Wren had an absolute blast hanging out with their old friend Eleanora in Austin. They played at a splash park, ate fresh figs right off the tree in Eleanora's back yard and did a fantastic job of just goofing around.
While the kids stayed with Bubbe and Pops, Greg and I snuck off to Las Vegas for an adults only adventure. As best we can recall, this was the first time since Wren's birth that we'd been away with out the kids for more than a few hours! We had quite the adventure at the Cosmo hotel with the Bernsteins, the Asays, and Jhana too!! I got some much needed girl time at the pool and the spa, Greg got some boy time wandering the strip... Greg, Corey, Laura and I went to see Cirque at the Bellagio one night and followed up the evening with a fancy dinner at Eiffel Tower restaurant at the Paris hotel. Oh, and we had fantastic views of the fountains and water show at the Bellagio. The next night, a group of ten of us dined at Michael Mina. That was an incredible meal. Good company, fascinating discussions and really delish food. I know I've said it before... but I could really get used to 5 star dining! Before we knew it, it was back to Dallas to finish up the family tour and head back to NYC.
The kids were pooped, we were pooped -- and we didn't even get to do everything on our list. But -- it was a great trip. Good thing we were to have a week at "home" before the next adventure!!
Then, it was off to Texas. We saw Uncle Shawn, Bubbe, Pops, Great Bubbe, Great Grandma Jeanne, Aunt Mary and Rus as well as our friends Hadas, the Bakers/Millers and the Masons. Atticus and Wren had an absolute blast hanging out with their old friend Eleanora in Austin. They played at a splash park, ate fresh figs right off the tree in Eleanora's back yard and did a fantastic job of just goofing around.
While the kids stayed with Bubbe and Pops, Greg and I snuck off to Las Vegas for an adults only adventure. As best we can recall, this was the first time since Wren's birth that we'd been away with out the kids for more than a few hours! We had quite the adventure at the Cosmo hotel with the Bernsteins, the Asays, and Jhana too!! I got some much needed girl time at the pool and the spa, Greg got some boy time wandering the strip... Greg, Corey, Laura and I went to see Cirque at the Bellagio one night and followed up the evening with a fancy dinner at Eiffel Tower restaurant at the Paris hotel. Oh, and we had fantastic views of the fountains and water show at the Bellagio. The next night, a group of ten of us dined at Michael Mina. That was an incredible meal. Good company, fascinating discussions and really delish food. I know I've said it before... but I could really get used to 5 star dining! Before we knew it, it was back to Dallas to finish up the family tour and head back to NYC.
The kids were pooped, we were pooped -- and we didn't even get to do everything on our list. But -- it was a great trip. Good thing we were to have a week at "home" before the next adventure!!
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