Info I never knew

In our research before moving here, we never saw any article or heard any news regarding the shifting daylight hours. When we first arrived in January, we were so surprised that it got dark about the time the kids got home from school. Now, at the end of May, the sun rises at 4:50am and sets after 9:00pm. No one ever told us this. I think the days actually get longer every single day. It makes it very hard to set our internal clocks. I frequently look at the clock at 8:00pm (or 20:00 as they say here) and havent started dinner yet (that's not such a big deal - still suffering on the cooking front). Only one room has blackout curtains so the rest of us sleep with the sun in our eyes. One bonus is that it makes for a very easy time in the morning right now. I've have since heard that it will stay daylight until 11:00pm in the summer! It will be great to have such long days in this beautiful weather during the summer, but as for school nights - well, let's just say B's teacher told her she needed to get more sleep.
And the birds - well, they must be confused too, because they start chirping VERY early in the morning and since we are living in the country - there are lots of birds! Hearing the birds at 4:00am and having the sun in your eyes... let's just say our summer visitors need to bring their eyemasks and earplugs.

Defying Gravity - Wicked

Another great song from Wicked. Seeing it on stage is even better!

Popular - from Wicked

Here's one of our favorite songs from Wicked

weekend fun in London

Let the fun begin. We have started venturing out into the local life. One thing that is in abundance here in the UK is antiques. DA and I bought one table and have refinished it. We drove down to a very quaint town, Hindhead, and shopped at a "never know what your going to find" treasure store and found a great gate-legged table. Then over the weekend, B and I explored the famous Portobello Road markets in Notting Hill. (yes, It looks just like the movie). I saw lots of things I liked, but didnt buy much knowing we were going to the theater and didnt want to lug it around. Hundreds of antique stores and on Saturdays there are hundreds of vendors set up outside the stores selling even more antiques. Kinda like the Canton of antiques but with English charm! (insulting analogy, but you get the idea).
DA and L explored the Imperial War Museum which L declaired "very cool". He is getting interested in the WWI and WWII stuff. DA really enjoyed it too. They were so excited about it that B wants to go there now.
We ended our fun day in the city with a evening watching "Wicked". DA and I had seen it before with the famous Idena Menzel. This time our seats werent great, but I bought them off a guy on the street, so what can you expect. The kids loved the show, even from the balcony. Now we walk around singing the "popular" song. I've included 2 of the songs we really like from the show. Have a listen.

Edward Scissorhands???

I wish I had a video to show you!!! I got my haircut today at a new place. The stylist is an Italian guy who must think he is the Italian Stallion of stylists. It was really something out of a Saturday Night Live skit. He turned the music up real loud (Justin Timberlake - no complaints here), called his assistant to his side so she could hand him all the tools, would do a little flourish, snip a piece of hair and get this - then he would twirl around. Literally turn around in a circle, pick up another piece of hair and take another snip. Elbows up in the air. Scissors flying all around like a little dance. I could hardly hold my laughter. I pictured my hair ending up looking like an Edward Scissorhands creation, but he actually did a good job. I was in the chair for almost 3.5 hours (got color done too). In the middle he actually left, had a smoke and came back after about 20 minutes. Nobody blinked an eye about it. Then at the end as he was blow drying my hair, he had the dryer and a can of aerosol hairspray going at the same time - hair flying straight up in the air amongst a mist of hair spray. At that point I did laugh out loud as he exclaimed "perfect". I have never in my life seen such a show. Like I said, I wish I had a video.

Can someone initiate an introduction, please?

Here in the lovely UK they have neglected to introduce a concept that we Americans think is the root of all business success- customer service. I dont think the Brits even know what it is. They dont know to expect C.S. and certainly dont know how to provide it.
Just take the local coffee shop, it opens at 8:00am!!! Is there any coffee shop in America that opens that late? This was the only shop on the High Street. The Patisserie (French bakery) opens at 8 or later (never have seen it open that early). Coffee shop by the train station - 7:30. We just laugh. There are so many people getting on the train earlier than that since they are commuting into the city. Why wouldn't you open up for your busiest traffic time? It makes no sense. We joke that they dont want to make a profit - they want to make just enough to stay in business and keep their jobs.
The restaurants are a mixed bag. Some you can eat and leave within 1.5 hours and others take all night. This isnt the "European enjoy your food" attitude. This is the "I'll serve you when I get around to it which will be after the kitchen gets around to cooking your food". In Dallas we used to love eating at MiCocina. It was a weekly treat - but here, our kids BEG us not to go out to dinner. It takes all evening and the food is not that great.
The joke between American Expats is when someone visits home and asks if they can bring anything back - the answer : customer service.
you know how we complain about cable guys not showing up in the US? Well they have that here too in record number, but they wont even schedule them to come out until a month later, so you wait for a month and then have to stay around the house all day and they may or may not show. No apologies, no excuses, just dont show. May have to get back in the que to get it rescheduled. DA's scooter that he was supposed to take delivery on 5 weeks ago, still not here. No reason given, it's just not here yet. Shop owner doesnt seem to care. It'll get here when it gets here.
I heard a Greek mom and a Ukranian mom discussing the same thing yesterday. Also a lady from Ecquador was telling me about her service problems. I cannot figure out why the UK is so behind in this area. The people are nice. I dont think they intentionally try to have bad customer service, they just dont get the concept. So next time your sending a care package, please bottle some customer service and include it will ya?
PS. A Starbucks opened in our village last week - opens at 7:30am, not great, but there's a little US based competition for you. Way to go Starbucks! Maybe one day you'll open early enough that DA could actually buy a cup of coffee before he gets on the train. what a concept.
UPDATE: 1st coffee shop now opening at 7am. amazing how that works.

the daughter's perspective

One very confusing thing to a young girl is to see all her favorite shows "come to London" and then not see the characters in the city herself. The Disney channel in the UK has recently been playing several shows who were filmed in London. B is insistent that we should be able to see them when they are in town. Even to the point of making me go online to look for tickets. Honestly, if you hear of anything like that, give me a heads up. I would be happy to take her to see Hannah Montana, High School Musical or the Cheetah Girls in London, but we hear about these things after the fact. I am more interested in my kids seeing Mary Poppins, the Sound of Music and other theater shows, but I think we could fit in a little Hannah Montana on the side.
Hey, she's the daughter of a big N'Sync fan, so what could I really expect!

Holland

B modeling the latest in Dutch footwear!

L and B at the North Sea - VERY windy!

Got another stamp on the passport!

We spent last weekend in Holland. It was a bank holiday which means we had a 3 day weekend - love those.
We were on a guided tour, but when we were on our own, we made our way around pretty well because 1) most Dutch speak some English - fortunately, or 2)their words seem to have similarites to English so you can make out the meaning of written words.
One exception - B and I went to the Rotterdam zoo while we were killing time waiting for the coach bus to arrive (she and I flew down separately - long story). The zoo is called Diergaarde Blijdorp which is nothing like the word "zoo" . I am so happy the bus driver understood what
"zoo" meant and could tell us where to get off. They do have a fantastic aquarium in the Diergaarde Blijdorp.
One thing I was expecting to see in Holland was tulips and flowers everywhere - not so. In the towns, I didnt see a single median filled with flowers or window boxes or anything. I began to doubt whether it was really the home of all the tulips. I wonder why they cultivate most of the world's tulips there and dont even plant them themselves in their home gardens. Cant figure it out. But, it was lush and green everywhere we went. We traveled to Delft and Leiden areas to visit the Kuekenhof Gardens - which is one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen - and it wasnt even the "high" weekend. We missed that by about 10 days or so. Said it's been too warm too early in the year so they bloomed early. Anyway there was every type of tulip in every color of the rainbow, shape, size whatever you can imagine, they have it there. Absolutely gorgeous. The azaleas were out in full glory. I've included some of those photos. The Kuekenhof is only open 2 months out of the year, so I'm glad we timed it right. The tulip fields surround the garden. The fields are where they grow all the plants they sell for bulbs as well as cut flowers. the fields had been recently cut, but you can imaging a child's crayon box making bold stripes across the fields with every color.
More than tulips though, I think Holland should be known for how many bicycles are there - thousands. Everybody is riding a bike. I thought London was bike crazy, now I know it is Holland. I think the terrain is so flat there that it is easy for anyone to cycle around. Bicycles even have their own roads and traffic lights outside the main roads. Saw a couple of guys riding bikes with their golf bag and full set of clubs on their back. Moms too riding with a toddler in seat on back of the bike and baby in front seat on her bike and a little window shield in front of the baby to keep off the rain.
In Delft, I had every intention of buying a "real" piece of Delft pottery until I saw the prices. Wow. Just like having to bypass the Waterford crystal in Ireland - the Delft pottery was crazy expensive. I think I'd rather take more trips than spend all my money on pottery and crystal. Guess a passport stamp will have to do for now.

Dublin for the day

Yes, living the jet setter life is fun. Hoping on a plane to Dublin for 24 hours - what a life. Actually I did get to go. One of my close friends from Dallas was there with her husband for a few days and I went up to visit with her. I was so overcome with emotion when I saw her, I cried. Finally, so see someone who knows me! I know it sounds silly, but hey, that's how it is.
Started out as a planes, trains, automobiles kind of day. Rode push bike to train station, took train to airport, flew to Ireland, bus into town and hoofed it the rest of the time.
Dublin is great. LOTS AND LOTS of people on the streets shopping and touring. The weather was gorgeous and I bet there were 1,000 people just laying out on the lawn in St. Stephen's Green just soaking up the sunshine. It is such an easy town to get around in. The pedestrian streets are so nice and I felt completely safe walking around by myself the first day. I did not get a chance to see the Guiness factory, but it is only 1 hour plane ride away, so I think we will go back. I did get a kick out of all the colors of the front doors. It is something Dublin is known for and it's true, every Georgian style front door is painted some cool color of the rainbow. Didnt have my camera with me though. The locals were very friendly and when flying in, the fields looked so green. I look forward to traveling out in the countryside one day and seeing the "emerald greens" of Ireland. They use a different currency than England, so had to get some Euro. And Euro or not, still couldn't afford to buy any Waterford crystal made right there in Ireland.

One issue I have though is with Ryan Air. That is the airline I flew on and it is cheap to fly on Ryan. (i know, you get what you pay for). My fare was 10 pounds round trip, but with taxes it was 50 pounds (Taxes aren't the airlines fault, but deceptive when others include the taxes in their published prices). Ryan prides itself on quick turns. they do this by doing everything in their power to stop people from checking luggage. No luggage = faster turnaround. How do they get people to avoid checking luggage, your wallet of course. You have to pay for each checked bag, and tell them how many bags you are going to check when you make your reservation - as if you've packed and know. Anyway, if you decide later to check a bag, you have to pay more. I knew this so I decided to travel with one small backpack and just carry it around with me all day while touring. The other catch is that only one carry on is allowed at UK airports and that includes a ladies purse, so you must fit your purse inside your bag when you walk on. One carry on only and pay to check any other bag, got it. OK, non of that is a big deal when you are traveling for 24 hours, but the getting on the plane is the issue. You can once again - pay - to get a priority boarding card. And from what I saw, Ryan will sell the whole plane a priority boarding card. There is all open seating so 1st come 1st serve. Now the English are good at queing, but when they call for people, there is a mad rush for the doors and no separate lane for the priority boarders, so everyone is pushed up in a bunch - yuk. Ryan really needs to tear that page from Southwest's manual and come up with the multilane - group by letter scheme. At least have a separate line for priority boarders to avoid pushing and shoving! On the plane you pay separately for everything, from sodas to snacks to meals. They are always hawking something - bus tickets into town, duty free perfume, magazines, etc. It's a real racket. No seat back pockets so that they dont have to take time to clean the plane between flights and they have advertising on the overhead bins. I felt like this was a real cattle car. And being from AA and SWA area, trust me when I say, you've got it good in Dallas - Love Field/ Wright amendment battle or not - you are flying posh from Big D!
But all that aside, I wouldnt have missed seeing my friend in Dublin for anything. It was a great day in a great city.