Also, in the car park behind our flat, we've noticed a three wheeled car owned by one of our neighbors. We laugh at it every day and managed to sneak a picture with it over the weekend. Bobby wants to buy it - its the European version of Rusty!!!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Quick Apartment Update
We finally have internet at our flat! YAY! No thanks to British Telecom, but because our very friendly American neighbors are letting us use their internet connection until we get our own on Monday. Its a London miracle.
Also, in the car park behind our flat, we've noticed a three wheeled car owned by one of our neighbors. We laugh at it every day and managed to sneak a picture with it over the weekend. Bobby wants to buy it - its the European version of Rusty!!!
Also, in the car park behind our flat, we've noticed a three wheeled car owned by one of our neighbors. We laugh at it every day and managed to sneak a picture with it over the weekend. Bobby wants to buy it - its the European version of Rusty!!!
I built a desk today
Our shipment from the US came today - it took a total of 5 and a half weeks by sea. It feels so good to have more of our things with us. The movers came at 8am, brought in 18 boxes, used the toilet and made sure to leave the seat up - thanks, and left. So I took another "settling in" day with work (so nice to have those) and unpacked. No major accidents - I am very proud. I took a few hours to build Bobby's desk that I got him at Ikea - it looks great! He's actually using it right now to do his homework...
On our way back to the tube, we ran into some events for the Thames Festival. We ended up walking over Southwark bridge which was closed for the festival. It was amazing - it had different themes for dinner and dancing throughout the bridge! First stop, a band that everyone was really into - including a woman dressed like a cowgirl and 2 Elvises (I tried to get a picture but couldn't!). Then there was the formal section - long rows of tables with red tablecloths and fake flowers and candles. They even had fake waiters pretending to take everyone's order - but really there were just different restaurants that had tents setup all along the bridge where you could buy food. Then we walked into "the Parlor" that had carpets, couches and big comfy armchairs setout for you to sit and eat and a gramophone playing music. There were so many different areas - the last two were picnic area with fake grass on the bridge, picnic tables and lawn chairs which turned right into a beach theme with sand at your feet!
So let's see... this weekend was pretty low key. Although on Saturday we woke up and went to the Borough Market near London Bridge to get some groceries for the week. There were sections of the market for each type of food - pastries, meats, cheeses, produce, even beer & wine. We sampled english cheddar, tofu, pickles, coffee, jams - delicious! Here's a pic of Bobby at the smoothie counter.
On our way back to the tube, we ran into some events for the Thames Festival. We ended up walking over Southwark bridge which was closed for the festival. It was amazing - it had different themes for dinner and dancing throughout the bridge! First stop, a band that everyone was really into - including a woman dressed like a cowgirl and 2 Elvises (I tried to get a picture but couldn't!). Then there was the formal section - long rows of tables with red tablecloths and fake flowers and candles. They even had fake waiters pretending to take everyone's order - but really there were just different restaurants that had tents setup all along the bridge where you could buy food. Then we walked into "the Parlor" that had carpets, couches and big comfy armchairs setout for you to sit and eat and a gramophone playing music. There were so many different areas - the last two were picnic area with fake grass on the bridge, picnic tables and lawn chairs which turned right into a beach theme with sand at your feet!
Last stop was a walk over the Millennium Bridge (aka the "wobbly" bridge) on our way to St. Paul's cathedral. We didn't go in (too expensive and it was closing), but we did get a quick peak inside.
Now Bobby's doing homework even though class begins on Monday??? I'm off to build the "Svenning" chair from Ikea that I bought to go with the desk!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Come visit!
I may sound crazy because we've literally been here for 3 weeks, but I got an email today about cheap flights from Boston to London Heathrow round trip for $458 (including taxes) and wanted to share in case anyone was thinking of booking a trip! It's available for departures through Mar 7, 2008 except Dec 19-23, 2007 and you have to stay in the UK for at least one Saturday night. You can get tickets on either Air Canada's website or orbitz.com. I'll keep posting any deals as I hear about them :)
Monday, September 10, 2007
I miss US customer service
It's my first blog in a while! Work was great last week - I've already gone out to a client on Friday, which of course, meant that we ended the day at the pub! Afterwards, Bobby and I went out to dinner near Bond St (I think this is near where Madonna lives) to a little cafe on an adorable side street. We sat outside because it was a gorgeous night and there was so much going on! The street was packed with people overflowing from the pubs/lounges, the outside tables at each restaurant were filled and there were even belly dancers performing outside at the hooka bar nextdoor - ha!
Saturday we slept in and then I spent 3 hours on the phone trying to get internet and a landline setup at our new flat. It turns out the absolute earliest we'll have it is Sept 25th!! Are we spoiled Americans or is this a ridiculous amount of time to be disconnected from the world?! I may not make it. From our experiences so far, it looks like this is the typical customer service in the UK. It's a little bit of a slower pace over here! Afterwards, we did get out for a bit and go to Portobello Road to do some shopping. It's a road right in Notting Hill that's closed on the weekends and has booths of antiques, produce, clothes, household goods, art, anything you could want! We stocked up on fruits and veggies and I got a cute little sweater (oops! over our monthly budget already).
Sunday we continued to fix up our new place. Bobby did some weeding outside on the patio while I "magic erased" the shower....it's starting to look pretty good! Our shipment from the US came in last night, so now we just need to wait for it to clear customs and then we'll begin the unpacking process for the second time.
Bobby's first day of school is today and I'm anxiously awaiting an update! He had his suit and tie picked out last night and laptop bag ready to go. I'm sure he'll write an update tonight or tomorrow!
Saturday we slept in and then I spent 3 hours on the phone trying to get internet and a landline setup at our new flat. It turns out the absolute earliest we'll have it is Sept 25th!! Are we spoiled Americans or is this a ridiculous amount of time to be disconnected from the world?! I may not make it. From our experiences so far, it looks like this is the typical customer service in the UK. It's a little bit of a slower pace over here! Afterwards, we did get out for a bit and go to Portobello Road to do some shopping. It's a road right in Notting Hill that's closed on the weekends and has booths of antiques, produce, clothes, household goods, art, anything you could want! We stocked up on fruits and veggies and I got a cute little sweater (oops! over our monthly budget already).
Sunday we continued to fix up our new place. Bobby did some weeding outside on the patio while I "magic erased" the shower....it's starting to look pretty good! Our shipment from the US came in last night, so now we just need to wait for it to clear customs and then we'll begin the unpacking process for the second time.
Bobby's first day of school is today and I'm anxiously awaiting an update! He had his suit and tie picked out last night and laptop bag ready to go. I'm sure he'll write an update tonight or tomorrow!
Friday, September 7, 2007
We're In! Again!
Dee and I have made the move into the apartment. The move was an interesting one, but now that its done and over, we have begun to make it our own.
In a manner that brings me back to days in Sweden (where waking up constitutes a productive day), productivity in London has proved to be something a bit more difficult to attain than Dee and I are used to from our former medium. Dee took a "settling in" day yesterday (Thursday) so that we could attempt to get some things done during the daytime. One such bullet on the to-do list was to figure out our banking situation. What we thought was going to be a simple trip back to our old stomping grounds of Chelsea to pick up some glorified "internal mail" at NatWest, ended up being a 3 hour mind-bender. The phrase that sums up the experience came from one exacerbated customer service representative that we were passed to at a branch very far from where we started.
"You should consider yourselves lucky to have a bank account in England at all."
Thank you Mina...thank you. As my sister says, it was time for the "job speech" which Dee delivered to perfection.
Wait, it wasn't all bad though! We followed up this main course of banking woe with a generous helping of IKEA for dessert! As any good square headed Swede knows, IKEA toes the line between Home Depot (guys) and Bed Bath & Beyond (gals). All parties are interested and curious no less, and no one (me) feels completely emasculated by completely enjoying oneself. What a amazing place it is.
After about 4-5 hours of wandering the aisles, we finalized our purchases. In London they have a same-day mini-cab service that will drive you home for a small fee! Priceless when you have big items. Our paranoid driver and my lack of quid (not sure if I have used this correctly, i.e. cash) made it an eventful ride home, but we got back all in one piece!
In Sweden, a day ending at this juncture would be considered to be an immensely productive one. Dee kept going though! Assembling furniture, cutting things, hammering nails, organizing clothes. On a mission.
Back to work today for Dee, and today is my last weekday of nothing! Hence the long post. We hope to take a day trip somewhere (Windsor?) tomorrow, but we'll see how it all goes!
In a manner that brings me back to days in Sweden (where waking up constitutes a productive day), productivity in London has proved to be something a bit more difficult to attain than Dee and I are used to from our former medium. Dee took a "settling in" day yesterday (Thursday) so that we could attempt to get some things done during the daytime. One such bullet on the to-do list was to figure out our banking situation. What we thought was going to be a simple trip back to our old stomping grounds of Chelsea to pick up some glorified "internal mail" at NatWest, ended up being a 3 hour mind-bender. The phrase that sums up the experience came from one exacerbated customer service representative that we were passed to at a branch very far from where we started.
"You should consider yourselves lucky to have a bank account in England at all."
Thank you Mina...thank you. As my sister says, it was time for the "job speech" which Dee delivered to perfection.
Wait, it wasn't all bad though! We followed up this main course of banking woe with a generous helping of IKEA for dessert! As any good square headed Swede knows, IKEA toes the line between Home Depot (guys) and Bed Bath & Beyond (gals). All parties are interested and curious no less, and no one (me) feels completely emasculated by completely enjoying oneself. What a amazing place it is.
After about 4-5 hours of wandering the aisles, we finalized our purchases. In London they have a same-day mini-cab service that will drive you home for a small fee! Priceless when you have big items. Our paranoid driver and my lack of quid (not sure if I have used this correctly, i.e. cash) made it an eventful ride home, but we got back all in one piece!
In Sweden, a day ending at this juncture would be considered to be an immensely productive one. Dee kept going though! Assembling furniture, cutting things, hammering nails, organizing clothes. On a mission.
Back to work today for Dee, and today is my last weekday of nothing! Hence the long post. We hope to take a day trip somewhere (Windsor?) tomorrow, but we'll see how it all goes!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
The Big Move
Dee is off to day 2 at work, with one day down from yesterday. She can elaborate on the details, but it sounds as if earning a spot in the London PWC office is a very prestigious and sought after position. Way to Go!
In addition to being her first day of work, it was also our official day 1 in our new place. With all the pleasure of finding our place behind us, we both knew that moving in would be an adventure. There were a few twists to the day that made it interesting, including a HUGE Tube strike, which both of us had 0 idea about. Apparently Metronet Rail, the largest contractor on the London Underground walked off the job yesterday at 6pm due to some labor negotiations gone bad! Unfortunately for Dee and I this meant getting all that luggage to the new place by way of bus...which was also being used by all 3 million other London commuters.
On the way to the bus, another lovely thing happened. Not trying to be crude...we narrowly averted being peed upon. Yes...you read it correctly, peed upon.
In London you always have to be ready for the unexpected, even if it comes in the form of a stream from the darkened stoop of an apartment complex. I wouldn't have written about had it not been symbolic of our London house hunting experience!
But...we're in!
Checking out of the Cloisters today and moving on to our new pad.
In addition to being her first day of work, it was also our official day 1 in our new place. With all the pleasure of finding our place behind us, we both knew that moving in would be an adventure. There were a few twists to the day that made it interesting, including a HUGE Tube strike, which both of us had 0 idea about. Apparently Metronet Rail, the largest contractor on the London Underground walked off the job yesterday at 6pm due to some labor negotiations gone bad! Unfortunately for Dee and I this meant getting all that luggage to the new place by way of bus...which was also being used by all 3 million other London commuters.
On the way to the bus, another lovely thing happened. Not trying to be crude...we narrowly averted being peed upon. Yes...you read it correctly, peed upon.
In London you always have to be ready for the unexpected, even if it comes in the form of a stream from the darkened stoop of an apartment complex. I wouldn't have written about had it not been symbolic of our London house hunting experience!
But...we're in!
Checking out of the Cloisters today and moving on to our new pad.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Monday, September 3, 2007
Lazy Weekend in London
Saturday and Sunday of this weekend were a great pair of days. For the first time Dee and I were not consumed with our housing search, and therefore had time to devote to relaxation and exploration!
The day started with a search. A search to find a TV that plays Boston College football games. After calling numerous bars and restaurants and searching online, we found that BC doesn't necessarily draw big ratings in the UK (surprise!). This is not so much a bad thing though, as sport teams from Boston typically do very well when I live outside the city, as exemplified by the following list:
New England Patriots, 2001 Superbowl Champions
Bobby's residence: Uppsala, Sweden
New England Patriots, 2003 Superbowl Champions
Bobby's residence: Washington, D.C.
Boston Red Sox, 2004 World Series Champions
Bobby's residence: Washington, D.C.
New England Patriots, 2004 Superbowl Champions
Bobby's residence: Washington, D.C.
With a track record like this, Vegas should take note.
Saturday continued, sans BC vs. WF. Using the good weather to our advantage, Dee and I took some time to walk around Battersea Park (just south of Chelsea on the ''other side'' of the river), then packed a picnic dinner and headed into the city to watch a free play at City Hall (also south of the river). The play, ''Helen of Troy'', was very well done especially for being free. Afterwards, we sat down in a nearby park, ate our bounty and drank some wine under the lights of Tower Bridge. Check out the view we had of the bridge:
Sunday was a packing day. Sounds boring, but with the prospect of finally vacating our Cloisters postage stamp for our new pad in Marlebone, you couldn't wipe the smiles of our faces. Add to that, Bond - GoldenEye was on BBC1 and it brought back many good gaming memories.
Dee's first day is today, and I'm still waiting to hear about the status of our place...
Updates to follow...
Saturday and Sunday of this weekend were a great pair of days. For the first time Dee and I were not consumed with our housing search, and therefore had time to devote to relaxation and exploration!
The day started with a search. A search to find a TV that plays Boston College football games. After calling numerous bars and restaurants and searching online, we found that BC doesn't necessarily draw big ratings in the UK (surprise!). This is not so much a bad thing though, as sport teams from Boston typically do very well when I live outside the city, as exemplified by the following list:
New England Patriots, 2001 Superbowl Champions
Bobby's residence: Uppsala, Sweden
New England Patriots, 2003 Superbowl Champions
Bobby's residence: Washington, D.C.
Boston Red Sox, 2004 World Series Champions
Bobby's residence: Washington, D.C.
New England Patriots, 2004 Superbowl Champions
Bobby's residence: Washington, D.C.
With a track record like this, Vegas should take note.
Saturday continued, sans BC vs. WF. Using the good weather to our advantage, Dee and I took some time to walk around Battersea Park (just south of Chelsea on the ''other side'' of the river), then packed a picnic dinner and headed into the city to watch a free play at City Hall (also south of the river). The play, ''Helen of Troy'', was very well done especially for being free. Afterwards, we sat down in a nearby park, ate our bounty and drank some wine under the lights of Tower Bridge. Check out the view we had of the bridge:
Sunday was a packing day. Sounds boring, but with the prospect of finally vacating our Cloisters postage stamp for our new pad in Marlebone, you couldn't wipe the smiles of our faces. Add to that, Bond - GoldenEye was on BBC1 and it brought back many good gaming memories.
Dee's first day is today, and I'm still waiting to hear about the status of our place...
Updates to follow...
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