*Like doing my hair in the bedroom because there aren't any outlets in the bathroom. I also have to get up on the bed because the mirror is too high if I'm just standing. And there's a table in the way. There is a chance that you will see lots of pictures with my hair looking somewhat (read totally) unkempt.
*Laundry. Different machines, different detergents (biological/non-biological) the only thing I've found as bleach seemed like it was labeled for toilets, not laundry. Smaller, more frequent loads and drying on a rack. One week in and I'm ready to send half our clothes back because I don't know that they'll get worn with as often as I'm washing things.
*The bathroom. Will and I have decided that we've found a bathroom with worse lighting than we have at home and we didn't think that would be possible. There's also no ventilation so there's no way anyone can be getting ready if someone else is in the shower. Today I went from bathroom to bedroom, to girls' bathroom (we do have 2 for now, which is nice) and back to bedroom. Did I mention the mirror is set rather high? There might be lots of pictures with bad make-up, too.
*Cooking. This is kind of a big one. Some of it is because this is a rental, so even though it is fully furnished and appointed there are still some things that are lacking--like sharp knives, spatulas and whisks. These will be purchased in short order but figuring out the conversions and learning them by heart is going to take a bit. I will either end up a better cook because I will need to rely less on recipes and more on my senses or I'll just deaden everyone's tastebuds so it doesn't matter! We've had some prepared foods and I'm surprised by the amount of sodium or rather, the lack of it. I am actually hoping we'll get used to the lack of salt and won't feel it's so necessary. I'm also contemplating the purchase of some more cookware which seems like a complete waste of money but we currently have nothing that can be used for baking, roasting, braising, etc. Haven't seen any disposables but will do a better job of checking for soon!
*Fashion. Wow. It's all over the place and so much fun. I was so worried we'd stick out like sore thumbs if we weren't dressed appropriately. Turns out, there is so much going on, I doubt anyone even notices us, the female 'us' anyway. I've noticed more than a few people checking out Will's pony tail. Yesterday, we went to the zoo--we wore jeans and sneakers--not slumming, but not fancy, just ready for a long day of walking and being at the zoo. While there we saw women in sky-high heels, fancy dresses, skin-tight pants, see through tops, a couple of suits and everything in between. We even saw a woman in a silk blouse and skirt jogging through the park. Even the locals had to turn and look to make sure they were believing what they were seeing.
*Nakedness. I think this should be a subcategory of fashion? Today the weather was gorgeous and we went to a local festival in Granary Square which happens to have some really great splash pads that Julia wanted to check out. The look on her face when she realized that half of the little boys were not only pants-less, but totally naked below the waist, was totally priceless. Conversations about cultural differences ensued…
*Food. It's only taken us a week but we've finally figured out that we can bring our own lunches and snacks wherever we want. Get hungry while at the Tower of London? Sit down and eat. Middle of the penguin exhibit at the zoo? Chow down! I have yet to see a sign that says 'no outside food' or for that matter one that says 'no alcohol beyond this point.' Fairly civilized if you ask me.
*TV. We have one in the flat. It even works. It is almost never on. The girls don't turn it on first thing in the morning or right when we walk in the door. Neither is Will. It's maybe on for an hour or so after dinner. But that's it, and it's glorious.
Cheers!
Libby
PS--Though this might come across as whiney, it's not intended that way. There are things that we did, and didn't think about prior to getting here and they require a little mental adjustment. Some things will require a bit more than others but we're happily working on it!
Sunday, 31 August 2014
Thursday, 28 August 2014
4 days in...
and we seem to be getting the hang of things. Our first morning was a little rough--lack of sleep and having to walk around for about 4 hours in the rain before we could get into our flat left everyone a bit testy, but the girls were troopers and we survived so I'm calling it a successful.
Since the first day we have:
-figured out the tube and used it. A lot.
-gone to the theatre (Wicked at the Apollo Victoria--quite entertaining and I loved the fact that, even on the London stage, you could see mic lines taped to backs and lace-front-wig lines)
-explored Covent Gardens and thoroughly enjoyed the magicians, comedians and other street performers)
-bought groceries
-cooked dinner. It's going to take some getting used. No microwave, no sharp knives, everything is in funny measurements.
-cleaned the electric kettle. It took a full bottle of vinegar to get rid of all the nasty hard water scale that was on the inside. Pretty sure no one had ever thought to look inside the thing. It was nasty.
-hailed a taxi (the girls were excited to sit the jump seats).
-found a place for Libby to get some exercise, other than walking all over the place.
-made friends at the little coffee shop down the street. 3rd day and they remembered us and our order. They might be disappointed that we've got the kettle working now.
-gotten really wet.
-stepped in several large puddles.
-gotten splashed by cars driving through large puddles (note to self: stand further away from the curb).
-bought go phones so we can make local calls, they're super cheap.
-discovered we shouldn't leave the flat w/o a map, but if we do, most people are willing to help.
-started the girls' schooling. So far, so good.
-gone to Trafalgar Square and taken the obligatory photos on the large brass lions.
-gone to The Shard to see some pretty amazing views of London. It was cool, but I wouldn't pay to do it again.
-discovered that Will's pocket knife is illegal in the UK and he could be arrested for carrying it (thanks to the metal detector at the Shard. Luckily the head guard was fairly understanding and after a bit of conversation decided to not confiscate it or call the police.) It will reside in the flat from now on.
-visited the Tower of London. My favorite so far. I went when I was 7 and it's changed a little since then. For one there is now a glass and metal coffee table looking sculpture where there had been the block of wood used behead a couple of people. Our Beefeater guide told us that all the guards and employees hate it and wish the wood was back. You can also wander around checking out the Crown Jewels. Last time I was there you couldn't stop to look at anything, now there's a little escalator that takes you past them and you can go back and ride it as many times as you want. There are some serious stones in that vault. And a seriously huge solid gold punch bowl. Julia could have taken a bath in that sucker. We also took a bunch of photo's of the ravens. Including a great shot of a raven and Ella, the raven having just hopped onto the bench Ella was sitting on and thereby scaring the bejeezus out of her. I'll post it soon.
I'm sure we've done more but that's all I can think of right now. I was going to give a serious blow-by-blow accounting but as I was writing it, even I got bored. I hope this listing didn't suck too much.
All in all, we're settling in nicely. The smaller space of the flat requires some getting used to but we're pretty confident that we'll manage. If you want to see pictures of it go here: http://www.thelondonagent.com/super-nice-clerkenwell-home-for-short-london-lets.html.
I'll try and get some pictures downloaded from my big camera and posted.
Cheers,
Libby
Since the first day we have:
-figured out the tube and used it. A lot.
-gone to the theatre (Wicked at the Apollo Victoria--quite entertaining and I loved the fact that, even on the London stage, you could see mic lines taped to backs and lace-front-wig lines)
-explored Covent Gardens and thoroughly enjoyed the magicians, comedians and other street performers)
-bought groceries
-cooked dinner. It's going to take some getting used. No microwave, no sharp knives, everything is in funny measurements.
-cleaned the electric kettle. It took a full bottle of vinegar to get rid of all the nasty hard water scale that was on the inside. Pretty sure no one had ever thought to look inside the thing. It was nasty.
-hailed a taxi (the girls were excited to sit the jump seats).
-found a place for Libby to get some exercise, other than walking all over the place.
-made friends at the little coffee shop down the street. 3rd day and they remembered us and our order. They might be disappointed that we've got the kettle working now.
-gotten really wet.
-stepped in several large puddles.
-gotten splashed by cars driving through large puddles (note to self: stand further away from the curb).
-bought go phones so we can make local calls, they're super cheap.
-discovered we shouldn't leave the flat w/o a map, but if we do, most people are willing to help.
-started the girls' schooling. So far, so good.
-gone to Trafalgar Square and taken the obligatory photos on the large brass lions.
-gone to The Shard to see some pretty amazing views of London. It was cool, but I wouldn't pay to do it again.
-discovered that Will's pocket knife is illegal in the UK and he could be arrested for carrying it (thanks to the metal detector at the Shard. Luckily the head guard was fairly understanding and after a bit of conversation decided to not confiscate it or call the police.) It will reside in the flat from now on.
-visited the Tower of London. My favorite so far. I went when I was 7 and it's changed a little since then. For one there is now a glass and metal coffee table looking sculpture where there had been the block of wood used behead a couple of people. Our Beefeater guide told us that all the guards and employees hate it and wish the wood was back. You can also wander around checking out the Crown Jewels. Last time I was there you couldn't stop to look at anything, now there's a little escalator that takes you past them and you can go back and ride it as many times as you want. There are some serious stones in that vault. And a seriously huge solid gold punch bowl. Julia could have taken a bath in that sucker. We also took a bunch of photo's of the ravens. Including a great shot of a raven and Ella, the raven having just hopped onto the bench Ella was sitting on and thereby scaring the bejeezus out of her. I'll post it soon.
I'm sure we've done more but that's all I can think of right now. I was going to give a serious blow-by-blow accounting but as I was writing it, even I got bored. I hope this listing didn't suck too much.
All in all, we're settling in nicely. The smaller space of the flat requires some getting used to but we're pretty confident that we'll manage. If you want to see pictures of it go here: http://www.thelondonagent.com/super-nice-clerkenwell-home-for-short-london-lets.html.
I'll try and get some pictures downloaded from my big camera and posted.
Cheers,
Libby
Wednesday, 27 August 2014
Poorly.
I know that it should be 'poorly,' not 'badly' so don't go and get your knickers in a twist (I'm looking at you Dad). The reason it's 'badly' instead of 'poorly' came from a conversation with some friends who asked if we'd be writing a blog and I said 'oh, but I'm a bad writer, it would be a bad blog.' We decided that the tongue in cheek 'badly written blog' needed to be the title. So here it is, our blog about our travels through Europe during the next four months. I'm sorry that I'm a bad writer. Bear with me please and I'll try not to suck too much.
--Libby
I know that it should be 'poorly,' not 'badly' so don't go and get your knickers in a twist (I'm looking at you Dad). The reason it's 'badly' instead of 'poorly' came from a conversation with some friends who asked if we'd be writing a blog and I said 'oh, but I'm a bad writer, it would be a bad blog.' We decided that the tongue in cheek 'badly written blog' needed to be the title. So here it is, our blog about our travels through Europe during the next four months. I'm sorry that I'm a bad writer. Bear with me please and I'll try not to suck too much.
--Libby
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