Vindaloo…vindaloo…nah nah nah nah nah…

Check out ‘vindaloo’ by fat les on youtube.

 It’s the 1998 England World Cup song. The video is a parody of The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony”. I’ve had it stuck in my head all day. England lost to Germany today. We went to a midafternoon showing of Shrek Forever After and while walking to the bus stop we heard several screams of disappointment coming from the houses. And the game had just started really.

Kiddo is a great movie buddy. For a kid her age, she was really pretty quiet. The teenage girls behind us were louder than she was. The movie theater itself isn’t too bad. It’s a step up from Northpark Mall and Brixton Square (for those of you who remember) but it ain’t got nothing on Warren. Ah, Warren. How I miss it. Ticket prices seemed comparable, but I had to pay for Kiddo's ticket and I can’t remember if I did at Hollywood or at AMC.  But concession items seem to be cheaper here… maybe the size of portions has something to do with it. We got two buckets of popcorn (small size back home?) for £4.00. Cokes are in a vending machine for £1.20 and there’s bags of candy which I didn’t bother to look at. MEH. My overall impression of the local movie theater isn’t bad…I just think it’s limited because there’s only 2 or 3 screens. But, they’ve got an actual theatre for performances in the building too. You can check it out at www.galadurham.co.uk.  I think I’ll take Kiddo to see Beauty and the Beast.

We have an opportunity to purchase a vehicle for really cheap. A 1994 Citroen for £200. What do you think?

Back to the song I mentioned, Vindaloo. There’s a phrase in it “…we’re gonna score one more than you” that when added to England’s football chant of “Come On England!” really hits home for me a major difference in world- and self-views between ourselves (Americans) and the English.  If an American is yelling for a team, we’ll scream “GO!” or something. If we yell “COME ON!” then our team’s done something wlekjrlwej and we don’t like it. Don’t you agree?  And if an American wrote “Vindaloo”, the phrase’d be “…we’re gonna score ten more than you”, right? Also, we wouldn’t have titled it “Vindaloo” which is a really hot curry dish. By the way, Mexican food is to us what Indian food is to the English. I think an American would title the song “Enchilada” or “Taco” or “Cheeseburger”.

Here’s my attempt. And you really need to watch the “Vindaloo” video before you read any further.

“Cheeseburger”

Where on earth are you from?
We’re from America
Where you come from
Do you heat up leftovers?
Kick it
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah
Hello
Nah Nah Nah
Big Man
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah Nah
We’re the US
We’re gonna score ten more than you
USA!
Can I introduce you please
To a slice of Kraft Singles Cheese
Sit down, Melt one
Eat one, Drop one
Kick it
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah Nah
We’re Americans
We’re gonna score a billion more than you
USA!
Me and my Mom and my Dad and my Granny
We’re off to KFC
Me and my Mom and my Dad and my Granny
And a bucket of Chicken too!
Bucket!
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger Nah Nah
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger Nah Nah
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger
And we all like Cheeseburgers
We’re Americans
We’re gonna score infinity more than you
USA!
Nah Nah Nah
Cheeseburger
Nah Nah Nah
Cheeseburger
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah
Cheeseburger
Nah Nah Nah
Cheeseburger
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger
And we all like Cheeseburgers
We’re Pilgrims!
We’ve already scored one more than you
Ohio!
Nah Nah Nah
Cheeseburger
Nah Nah Nah
Cheeseburger
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah
Cheeseburger
Nah Nah Nah
Cheeseburger
Nah Nah Nah
Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah
Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger
And we all like Cheeseburger
We’re Okies
We’re gonna win much more than you
Oklahoma!!

Any questions?

Bus Ride

Went on a bus ride just for fun today. started a bit before four and ended just before six. We took the bus to Bishop Auckland that went the LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG way around. One must take the #5 not the #56 if one wants to get somewhere fast.

Success!

We have found a place for Kiddo to spend time with other kids!  It is St. Oswalds Infant and Nursery School. If you’d like to check out the website it is:

http://www.st-oswalds.durham.sch.uk/

She was really happy there and it was no trouble to leave. She’ll start in late July because they don’t take children under the age of three. And next door to the school is a park with swings and ‘teetee todders’.

It has the same approach as the others did; kids can go in and out of the classroom whenever they want. They can play on their own or participate in the activities that the teachers are facilitating. Is awesome. For those of you in the know, there are TWO SMARTboards!!!  She’ll be going for three days a week during the holiday term which is July-ish to the first of September. Then she’ll go full time.

I’ve put in applications for teaching positions and supply positions (substituting) so keep fingers crossed or pray or send positive thoughts my way.

In Soviet Russia, Skype has you!

Got Skype up and running…needed a webcam. Yeuch.   So, yeah. Hit me up for some conversation I guess. Just be aware that my internet here is like pre-fiber optic era. REEEEEEEEEEAAAALLLLLY SLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOW. Try not to expect earthquakes or something.

They’ve got chocolate milk here that is just badass. And like everything else, it has something weird going on with it… For instance, one the bottle of aforementioned c.milk there’s a label that reads, and I quote: “suitable for vegetablists”. Now, I ask myself, what on GGE is a ‘vegetablist’?  Well, lemme tell ya: It’s  a pro-vegetable person. Who the hell isn’t pro-vegetable? Vegetables are good! They are good for you! They sing songs about God and God’s love! Seriously, vegetables do awesomepossum things for your cellular structure! In reality, Urban Dictionary contributors indicate vegatablists towards mockery. Immediately after I typed that last sentence, “Hey Macarena” came on in my head. Go fig. So anyways, the chocolate milk? It is also low fat. I can get my sweet tooth stroked while keeping my butt small. What a deal!

Watched the match between England and US. Then watched the karaoke. And I sang. I made a friend. And I’ve got a fiance for my sister. Pretty productive night if you ask me.

Thrice (that’s three times, folks) since we’ve been here, the mailman…ahem, ‘Royal Mailman’…has delivered the wrong letter. Twice it has been the same address but different street. I’ve run after the guy both times. Much good it’s done. But hey… maybe the third run-after will be the charm. Oh, the third time I guess doesn’t really count because it was for this address but a different person. But not the person who lived here just prior to us moving in… She was Polish and this lady ain’t got that Polishy name. So what should I do? I’ve been taking the previous resident’s mail back to the post office and letting them have at it. But should I keep doing that? Not like I got anything else to do. I like going to the post office. I wonder if the people with our house number but different address gets our mail.

Wednesday last, circa June 9th, Kiddo and I went to the Boyne Play Pit which sounds depressing but it really isn’t. We left the house after lunch and walked over…but sadly they weren’t open until 3:30 later in the afternoon. *sigh*  I told myself I wouldn’t make that mistake again. So, Kiddo and I then walked over to the Langley Moor Nursery School instead. My aims were to get her signed up for the equivalent of daycare back home for a couple days a week, but they’re a real school … they take kids the year they turn three for the upcoming year. So, Kiddo will be attending LMNS starting in September. BUT WHAT ABOUT NOW? I’ll get to that later. LMNS was superb! They showed me around and let Kiddo play while the teachers talked to me. I love this school. Whenever we’re outside (oh those brief glorious seconds when it isn’t raining) we can hear them playing. They’ve got a really neat approach to pre-school: Whatever is used inside for play/teaching is also outside for play/teaching. So if, say, there’s a computer-media center in the building, then there’s an equivalent outside. And if there’s a reading nook inside, then there’s a reading nook with outside books too. When it was time to leave, Kiddo didn’t want to go. She screamed and cried. I’m pretty beat up about this. I am trying to find a place for Kiddo to meet kids her age to play and learn with. So, I toured the University of Durham Nursery and they do have an opening but not until August 15th.  It was a gorgeous philosophy: the kids have access to outside activities and inside activities whenever they want to change what they are doing. They were happy kids. Again, Kiddo didn’t want to leave. I didn’t blame her. I know Kiddo is a pretty good indicator of what is good and what isn’t as good. We went to the Brandon Happytimes Nursery in Brandon (just down the road a bit). She didn’t put up a fuss when it was time to go. Nice facility, as good as what she had back home, but not for her. So, to conclude this issue, I have an appointment this Tuesday to visit St Oswald’s which SciMan walks by every morning on his way to work (he says the kids look happy and the outside facility looks good). Keep fingers crossed that they have an opening and the opening is next week sometime or in near future.

Happier note, I have a nice lady who hangs out with me. Hey mom! She’s French! We met out today in city centre for coffee and lunch and some shopping. I have now made up my mind about the coffee shop we went to. They suck. I bought donuts from the market vendor (yum) and had two left in the bag when I walked in. THEY’RE SMALL DONUTS! Anyway, I set my stuff down and took one out and ate it. Well, as I did, I remember making eye contact with a guy that worked there. He IMMEDIATELY came over to me, got right up in my face, and said “Do you know we sell food here?” I honestly didn’t and didn’t really care. Just told him that I had just walked in and was going to buy a coffee. A large one. And I said it in that nice southern voice southern women use when we want you to go to hell. Sure, I made a mistake but dang…get all up in my face about it? I don’t think so. But I had a nice time after with Sonia. Bought some Father’s Day stuff too. Hope SciMan and Dad like it.

And I started the job search up again. Here’s to optimism.

UTS, Part II

Congratulations to my gorgeous friends, Autumn and Brent. They got to welcome a healthy girl into their lives. From experience, I get to say that it is awesome! So, welcome to the club you two. And now, I bet you are thinking that you should’ve taken ALL the clothes, huh Autumn?

In the effort to make home here, I pursued locating a toothbrush holder. Now, there’s no Wal-Mart, no Bed, Bath & Beyond here. The closest thing is the Gates shopping center, which is like Northpark Mall in size and any strip mall in content. The equivalent to BB&B has toilet paper stands, mirrors, towels, sheets…but no toothbrush holder. I was advised to go down the hall to another shop. This shop was like Dollar General ad infinitum, ad nauseum. But no holder. I improvised and bought a ceramic cup. It’s adequate.

Many of you know that I’m an avid reader. Part of the reason I’ve taken so long to update is because I got caught up in re-reading “Sarum” by Edward Rutherfurd. And yes, Grandmother, I’ve read “The Pillars of the Earth”. Read it about 10 years ago. Re-read it about 3 years ago. I agree it is really exquisite. Anyway, “Sarum” is about the history of Salisbury, from Stone Age to Druidic times to medieval to Boney to the 1980s. Rutherfurd is the kind of author I call ‘sweepist’. His writings ‘sweep’ through centuries following families. Dostoevsky-vite? Hmm. And being an avid reader, I’ve signed up for a library card too. And for Kiddo as well. She can check out movies for free. I have to pay a lb. OMG. This library is precious and meh. All age level books are mixed up together. I grabbed a book without really looking at it and come to find out that it is teen fiction. And bad teen fiction at that. I’ll still read it anyway.

On the late evening of 2nd June, the local video store owner drove over to our house and said, “OKinUK, you have my videos!” I had forgotten the due date and they were overdue by two whole days. Egads! I went in the next day to pay for whatever late fee had been incurred. No late fee. Just some minor admonishment and promises on my part that it’ll never happen again. HOW I FELT: it was an odd feeling; I’m rarely truly embarrassed so I’m pretty sure this was something like it, maybe with a bit of chagrin thrown in. She did admit to being ‘snippy’ but chalked it up to the fact that I wasn’t the only wayward customer she had that night to receive that special personal touch. Sometimes, a girl just wants to get off her feet after a long day at work, what what.

On Friday evening, Kiddo and I went on a bus to the city centre to meet SciMan for dinner. Went to Marzanos- they have the best deal: up until 7 pm, pizzas are £5.95. Kiddo's meal included dessert and soda! At the end of the meal, I honestly had the thought that the lovely, exquisite chocolate ice cream was wasted on her almost-3-year-old taste buds. It was better than Breyer’s. They do dairy products really well here.

Can’t use my FF Visa bank card at Boots (Boots is like CVS). The British make a huge fuss about signing the back of the card here. If it doesn’t have a signature and has “see id” instead, they’ll refuse it. A bit pigheaded, really. How easy it is to fake a signature but really hard to check a photo id? This is one of the few areas where I really have to say under my breath, “idiots.” Eventually I was able to purchase (after walking back up the hill to my bank and withdrawing money) a combination hairdryer and flatiron. I think it works pretty well. I’m happy with the results anway…SciMan thinks it makes my hair fluffier than I normally style it. Go ahead.

While on the bus, heading towards dinner, a guy got on the empty (except for us) bus. He sat right next to us in the back. He was texting and continued to text while opening a bottle of Stella Artois with his teeth. As we drove on, I did interrupt him to ask him if open containers were permitted in public places; earlier I’d seen an empty box of wine at the bus stop along with several days old vomit. Anyways, he said to the effect of “f*** ‘em those don’t like it”. I could be wrong, it was difficult to understand him. He asked me, “You a Yank?” and then proceeded to tell me that he didn’t like Yanks, but he like Canadians okay. Wonder what that’s aboot.

For any of you who may be interested in my daughter’s bowel movements, she’s completely potty trained now. Have had only one accident and that was at home late at night. And no, she doesn’t say “I have to use the loo.”

I’ve got movies to take back.

Up to speed, Part I

I can’t wait to wake up in the mornings. My foreseeable future is a Saturday morning. Think about it. How do you feel on Saturday morning after a stress-filled week at work? What are you going to do with your day? Are you going to play or putter? Or stay in bed? Quoting The Kids in the Hall, “It feels like 72 degrees in your head, all the time.” My head’s mental temperature is slightly warmer than the physical temperature here. And that’s why I say that my life is like a weekend. I am getting to enjoy my life with my little family in this time and this place. And this is good. I looked in the mirror the other day and saw me. I haven’t seen her in a long time.

Getting through airports with Kiddo was easier than I thought it would be, but my expectations were built upon observations of other harassed-looking parents and their terroristic tots. Not once during transit did Kiddo give us cause to raise our voices. She was stellar. SciMan complimented me because I thought to bring a stroller. Well, no duh! But it was mighty nice to hear that.

My house is cute. It is a HarryPotter neighborhood for reals, yo. Kiddo and I walk every where in it. No dryer. How and why on God’s good green earth would a culture who exists in the dampest but temperate climate proclaim itself to be dryerless, I’ll never know. Have discovered that I am creative when it comes to solutions for drying clothes that were caught on the line during a small downpour. Wonders shall never cease!

I have found a meadow. I have found a hill. They are the same. My hill-meadow was discovered late one evening walking with Kiddo. It was dusk, around 9ish. The days are so long here. It isn’t fully dark even at 11 pm. And it is because of how far friggin north it is. Last night, SciMan and I went outside and saw the north star. It wasn’t where it is in OK. I can see stars that are below your horizon, people. But that meadow, it came upon me because I turned around and looked. I looked west into the sunset that was below that hill and my daughter thought the dandelions were the best roses in the world. I would bottle that up and give it out as graduation presents.

The bartender at the local pub relishes in making a point in how stupid we are to move here. His name is Peter. His boss, Lynn, is terrific person. She’s offered us a TV for free. She’s going to have Peter drive it over.

I went in tonight to the Station (aforementioned pub) to see my new acquaintances, but how can people like Lynn be acquaintances if they’re giving you major appliances without knowing you from Adam? Maybe we’re doing her a favor.

Tonight I am checking my email for the first time since 5/22. A wonderful woman who I taught with sent me a lovely note saying, “Brue: I’m glad to have taught with you the last 5 years. I know you will have a blast harassing the Brits.” Anne, I’m just hoping that they’ll talk to me. And then keep talking the next time we meet.

Out

Have cleaned out the house. Am now trying to find the best combination of deals for shipping household items overseas. DHL is not a good option… UPS is a possibility.
Kiddo is doing very well. She’s having her last day at her ‘school’… Her teachers are having a going away party today for all the kids who are moving within the next month. I was unable to go as I was trying to get done all that needed to get done today.
SciMan is making headway to get the defense/thesis out of the way… 9 am Thursday. I might get to watch 

I am so grateful to everyone who helped us get out of the house. Brent, Autumn, Kearby, Dad, Pat, Steve, Stf, came over this weekend to just help… We had an impromptu garage sale on Saturday and happily was able to take the proceeds from the sale and pay off my car. I immediately went and sold Budgie to the owner of a car repair/mechanic shop. I miss my car.

Cars define your eras.

Never have I ever...

…been finished with a textbook before the last week of school. We took the last chapter test today and for the next two days I plan to teach them how to read a highway map. Next week, they’ll do a ‘road race’…a lesson that I came across in an OKAGE summer session. It is really fun. I’m sad I don’t get to do it with them. Then, my substitute will have the benchmark review for them to do in class and then they’ll take their test.

And that’s it.  What else do you think would be fun geography activities at the end of school?