Originally Posted by J.JsOH

Brits have a culture and expectation of foreign holidays. Foreign holidays have a higher priority than that of the people I knew in USA.
Americans I knew would often use vacation days one-by-one to go to school or church events, sport fixtures or family gatherings. Not all though, some US friends would take vacation to other parts of the US and another is in Zurich right now. I have met Americans is diverse places around the world.
No doubt the lesser availability of vacation days restricts Americans from extensive travel but I feel they just don't see it as necessary to have a good time.

Originally Posted by J.JsOH

If this works to quote myself;

Some Brits have such an expectation of a right to a holiday abroad that when I was trying to get 4 months back rent from a tenant he claimed he couldn't pay because he needed the money for his exotic holiday.

When we asked the tenant to leave the property because of repeated non-payment of rent he attempted to claim from me the cost of cancelling said holiday because he was so upset by my demand for back-rent that he would not be able to enjoy his holiday.

Fortunately the Judge saw it my way.

Was this a down-on-his-luck person that I should have showed sympathy to? Not in the end. He had received the sympathetic approach over years of late payment of rent - a Co. Jag driving Director of a local business who I discovered was piling his money into his Pension Account while running up debts.

Originally Posted by Beedubya

OK OK OK details!!

Train fare was £73!!!!! Took under 3 hours to get here, staying in a hotel I got off last minute rooms.com for £42 per night, not bad and recently refurbished in West Croydon, 20 minute walk to the railway station and half an hour to London Victoria.

I got here about 3pm on Wednesday and spent the rest of the day getting my bearings and learning how to get to interview in New Malden, next day was interview as above email to Linda, then I was supposed to go and see my niece, but the interview took 2 hours (!!!) as obviously they wanted to know I wasn't going to run away again to Oz and even to me my CV looks flaky, so it was all getting too late by then, so change of plan I went into London for an hour on the train as New Malden train line is to Waterloo so wanted to check that out, got lost coming back and ended up in East Croydon duh, soooo very multicural here, will post pics when I get home, but let's just say it is a cross of Caribbean, African, Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and oh yes some white British too. Very vibey place with fruit shops with plantains and yams open until 10pm at night and bright lights everywhere and Bob Marley music in the background.

Yesterday I went into London, bit of a disaster, had a lie in as I was exhausted got there about 12'ish and decided to do one of those open top bus tours for £27 the man told me the ticket was good for 48 hours and included a free boat trip HOWEVER the protesters were in town and lots of diversions mean the bus was very sloooow, I hopped off the bus to go and see Buckingham Palace and wow the protesters were there all hippy types chanting and banging drums hoping to get HM out on the balcony, don't know, but they were doing strange dances and the like and the smell of pot almost got me high.

Back on the bus and off we go again, so I get off at St Paul's Cathedral at 4.10pm due to delays and it closed at 4pm, so I was not very happy. But the guides let you in for a quick look around so that will be on my wish list for sure next time, SIMPLY STUNNING!! The whole cathedral is surrounded by tents now like a tent city even as you may have seen on the news, and I sure saw some strange sights and people and more getting high on the smell in the air.

Came out went to get something to eat and stood at bus stop for next bus only to find out they finished at 4.30pm in the winter, soooo I need to do some homework next time!! I WAS going to go into London again today to use the ticket again but have now found out it's the Lord Mayors show and lots of streets are closed, so folks it pays to do your homework, I DIDN'T!!

So I am just meeting up with niece and baby today and watch her partner in some kind of marathon thing in Battersea Park then off home to Wilmslow.

I have walked sooo much these past few days I think I may have lost weight.

I am sitting here in the hotel foyer now listening to Polynesian music, I got talking last night to a few of these young blokes outside when I was having a cig, seems they are all from Fiji, as I knew they were from round those parts having lived in Oz for so long and I asked. Apparently they were recruited into the British Army and after serving 4 years they get a British Passport and can stay here, these guys (about 25 of them) all work for the railways and at the moment are doing up the London stations in readiness for the Olympics, some have been here 11 years!!! They said the money is fantastic and they would have no chance of earning like this in Fiji, so I thought that was interesting re employment in the UK, they said the company employs them as Fijiaans are known for being hard workers.......

Well they are all out there now playing their music and it feels like I am in Hawaii again, staying in a hotel with *that* music in the background, only difference is when I look out of the window it is grey and raining.

New Malden is OK, not great, but not a bad little town, the developments are both OK as are the flats, both 1 bedroom on the 3rd floor, but none as nice as the one I worked and lived in in Frome, but either will be an improvement on my present position.............oh well if I get the job I get it, if not I will just keep plugging away but maybe just come down for a day trip next time.......I have found really cheap fares on Virgin BUT you have to book a month or two in advance so not much use when you only hear a week before an interview........it's next week.

I got a really nice pair of leather gloves in Primark yesterday for £7 and will complete the outfit today by buying a coat, 2 reasons, I need one as my Oz stuff is just not warm enough for UK conditions and two as my niece does not allow smokers to touch the baby and the jacket I have with me I have worn a few times all clothes must be freshly laundered if you are a smoker so after I have gotten ready this morning, I will put on a quit smoking patch and clean unpolluted, untainted clothes and meet up with them, spend a few hours and then as I leave I will rip off patch and have a cigarette, I find this really controlling behaviour and don't like it one bit, but it's her baby and her prerogative..........

Oh and my car.............don't ask, but it is not looking good, the garage man phoned me on Wednesday afternoon, haven't heard since but will do so in the next few hours...................gulp................

Originally Posted by islandwoman120

Took some photos last week after the big rains we had in Somerset. Here are some of the river running high - in one instance it came within 18 inches or less of the adjoining road. But the Environment Agency diverted it to flood a nearby field instead of damaging the town.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/islandw...7629617259790/

Originally Posted by islandwoman120

Took some photos last week after the big rains we had in Somerset. Here are some of the river running high - in one instance it came within 18 inches or less of the adjoining road. But the Environment Agency diverted it to flood a nearby field instead of damaging the town.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/islandw...7629617259790/

Originally Posted by Beedubya

Wow I just came across this BIG message from me back in November, how time flies!!

6 months ago already!!!

Originally Posted by J.JsOH

Bee,
it was interesting to read that old long post of yours, I didn't see the original, interesting too to read of the things you felt worth commenting on, presumably because they were different rather than familiar.

You mention plantains. As much as I like sprouts and carrots I had been missing non-typical brit food having had easy access to Mexican/Asian/East Indian ethnic shops close to home in USA. Then I found many of the veggies on a market stall here in Norfolk, catering to the immigrants who are barely noticed among the local Caucasians but of sufficient numbers to support fresh veggie and fresh fish stalls. Another surprise, the Bok Choy and such are grown here in Norfolk.

Yes, time flies, I wonder if those things are now more familiar to you and do you notice them anymore?

Originally Posted by Gabgoeshome

The rain is relentless isn't it?

We are very close to Frome ....

Originally Posted by mikelincs

There are many things that are now routinely available in the UK that never were, here, where I live, we have many Polish shops, as there is a large Polish community round here, and many of the supermarkets, like ASDA, have a Polish section.

Originally Posted by jasper123

But lately for at least the last month the weather over here has been very cold and windy and lots of rain almost every day, yesterday it was raining all day here and about 7pm the sun actually came shining through the clouds, but Alas Im afraid it was all too much strain for that poor old Sun and within 15 minutes it had vanished

Originally Posted by Fish n Chips 56

Barb, Ive honestly never heard of such long sick pay, it really blows my mind. 182.5 days per year...

My circumstances are the same, theres no way we will be moving anytime soon... maybe and that's a Big maybe in 2013... I have my fingers crossed it will 2013 and would be satisfied if that happened at this point...