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Wednesday, August 20, 2008
My birthday weekend
August 20, 2008
For the past several years, my birthday has fallen during the first week of the fall semester which resulted in very few people wanting to celebrate due to starting classes. This year, my birthday falls at the perfect time! It is on Sunday, Aug 24, and this weekend is a bank holiday which means I don’t have work on Monday!! What am I doing? Getting out of Middlesbrough with my foreign friends ie: Kim (American) and Nikki (Filipino) both audiologists. Saturday morning, Kim and I are getting up early to catch the train to York which is a one of the most historical areas in the Northeast UK. We will spend the day there walking around, visiting the castle museum, and just being tourists. Then, we will take the train to Newcastle, meet up with Nikki for some Greek food, and spend the night at a B & B. In the morning, the three of us will travel to Alnwick castle which is still inhabited. It is known for its extensive gardens including a poison garden as well as having the largest tree house in the world. That night we will either come back to Middlesbrough or travel somewhere else depending on how adventurous we feel and how tired. It should be fun…pray for good weather and safety please. I’ll post some pictures when I return.
~Nancy
For the past several years, my birthday has fallen during the first week of the fall semester which resulted in very few people wanting to celebrate due to starting classes. This year, my birthday falls at the perfect time! It is on Sunday, Aug 24, and this weekend is a bank holiday which means I don’t have work on Monday!! What am I doing? Getting out of Middlesbrough with my foreign friends ie: Kim (American) and Nikki (Filipino) both audiologists. Saturday morning, Kim and I are getting up early to catch the train to York which is a one of the most historical areas in the Northeast UK. We will spend the day there walking around, visiting the castle museum, and just being tourists. Then, we will take the train to Newcastle, meet up with Nikki for some Greek food, and spend the night at a B & B. In the morning, the three of us will travel to Alnwick castle which is still inhabited. It is known for its extensive gardens including a poison garden as well as having the largest tree house in the world. That night we will either come back to Middlesbrough or travel somewhere else depending on how adventurous we feel and how tired. It should be fun…pray for good weather and safety please. I’ll post some pictures when I return.
~Nancy
Attack of the killer caterpillar
August 15, 2008
When I interviewed for this job, out of curiosity I asked about the variety of wildlife in this area. I was assured that there was nothing poisonous and nothing that would attack and hurt me. I believed them, that is, until today. I was walking home from clinic with my flat mate when we came across a strange looking creature in our path. It was about 2 inches long, rotund, a brilliant shade of green, and had a blue horn on what one can only presume was it’s head. Could this be some mystical woodland creature? My mission was to save it from the feet that would inevitably stomp on it. With a stick in hand, I poked and probed to move the creature off the foot path and into the safety of the foliage. With one swift sweep of my stick I attempted to send it flying into the brush when all of a sudden it fell from the stick, onto my pant leg, and remained fastened there. I the pants, I did a dance, and finally, I panicked! With one leg on the ground and the other in the air, I hopped around screaming “get it off! Get it off!” while my flat mate burst into laughter and came to my rescue brushing the now offensive creature off. What a sight we must have been; two professional women in professional dress screaming about a caterpillar. From now on, I will leave strange creatures to fend for themselves.
~Nancy
When I interviewed for this job, out of curiosity I asked about the variety of wildlife in this area. I was assured that there was nothing poisonous and nothing that would attack and hurt me. I believed them, that is, until today. I was walking home from clinic with my flat mate when we came across a strange looking creature in our path. It was about 2 inches long, rotund, a brilliant shade of green, and had a blue horn on what one can only presume was it’s head. Could this be some mystical woodland creature? My mission was to save it from the feet that would inevitably stomp on it. With a stick in hand, I poked and probed to move the creature off the foot path and into the safety of the foliage. With one swift sweep of my stick I attempted to send it flying into the brush when all of a sudden it fell from the stick, onto my pant leg, and remained fastened there. I the pants, I did a dance, and finally, I panicked! With one leg on the ground and the other in the air, I hopped around screaming “get it off! Get it off!” while my flat mate burst into laughter and came to my rescue brushing the now offensive creature off. What a sight we must have been; two professional women in professional dress screaming about a caterpillar. From now on, I will leave strange creatures to fend for themselves.
~Nancy
Still figuring it out
August 12, 2008
Sometimes I think I got it, sometimes I know I don’t. I’m still trying to figure out how to live in the UK…specifically Middlesbrough. I guess I need to give it more time; after all, I’ve only been here 2 weeks. I will share some of the things I’ve had to get used to:
Electric showers: Isn’t there a warning label on electrical equipment to keep chords and equipment away from water? Then why are there electric showers in the UK? I was hesitant and cautious to use the shower initially but eventually warmed to the idea of flipping a switch to turn the shower on and then adjusting the temperature as one would adjust the temperature of a stove element. That is, until this morning. I turned on the shower, got in, and was just finishing up when the shower box made a strange noise causing me to spring into action which involves falling out of a tub which is three feet off the ground, hitting the radiator, and getting water over everything. After regaining my composure, I explored the shower box and could not discover the cause of the noise. Nevertheless, I will brave the electric shower tomorrow in my effort to be clean!
Food: My roommates, a girl who lives above us, and me decided to cook dinner once a week together. They want me to cook “American” but when I suggested tacos, no one knew what those were. So, I went to the grocery store only to find that taco supplies comprise a small section of the aisle and are listed under “world foods”.
Food…again: One of my roommates and me decided to make dinner last night. We decided to have stroganoff. I grew up with a certain way of making beef stroganoff…so did she. At the grocery store, we ran into a huge conflict realizing that our concepts of the meal were completely different…she uses cube steak, I use hamburger, she uses onions and peppers, I use mushrooms, she doesn’t put it on noodles, I do. We ended up making the stroganoff “her way” but I will make mine some other time!
Accents, accents, and more accents!: In a country that could fit in the state of Washington, how can there be so many accents? Each morning I use the time walking over to the hospital with one of my roommates to reacclimatize my ears to hearing an English accent and my brain to understanding it. However, once in clinic and seeing patients, I will inevitably have a patient who speaks in such a way that they may as well have been from another planet if not from another country for all I can understand them! There is the Scotch accent, the Northern Irish, the Irish Republic, the Northeast English, the Southern English, the Northwest English, the Midlands, the Middlesbrough, the Newcastle, the upper class, the working class, the middle class accents. And then there is terminology which varies among regions….needless to say, by the end of the day my ears and brain are exhausted from listening.
Vocabulary of the day:
Trolley: a shopping cart
Dummies: a baby’s pacifier
Mobile: a cell phone
Take away: food to go (ex. Lets go to McDonald’s and get take away)
Smoggies: people who live in Middlesbrough
Geordies: people who live in Newcastle and speak with a distinct accent
Chips: French fries
Crisps: potato chips
Mate: used in place of “friend” ex: my mate Michelle just got married.
~Nancy
Sometimes I think I got it, sometimes I know I don’t. I’m still trying to figure out how to live in the UK…specifically Middlesbrough. I guess I need to give it more time; after all, I’ve only been here 2 weeks. I will share some of the things I’ve had to get used to:
Electric showers: Isn’t there a warning label on electrical equipment to keep chords and equipment away from water? Then why are there electric showers in the UK? I was hesitant and cautious to use the shower initially but eventually warmed to the idea of flipping a switch to turn the shower on and then adjusting the temperature as one would adjust the temperature of a stove element. That is, until this morning. I turned on the shower, got in, and was just finishing up when the shower box made a strange noise causing me to spring into action which involves falling out of a tub which is three feet off the ground, hitting the radiator, and getting water over everything. After regaining my composure, I explored the shower box and could not discover the cause of the noise. Nevertheless, I will brave the electric shower tomorrow in my effort to be clean!
Food: My roommates, a girl who lives above us, and me decided to cook dinner once a week together. They want me to cook “American” but when I suggested tacos, no one knew what those were. So, I went to the grocery store only to find that taco supplies comprise a small section of the aisle and are listed under “world foods”.
Food…again: One of my roommates and me decided to make dinner last night. We decided to have stroganoff. I grew up with a certain way of making beef stroganoff…so did she. At the grocery store, we ran into a huge conflict realizing that our concepts of the meal were completely different…she uses cube steak, I use hamburger, she uses onions and peppers, I use mushrooms, she doesn’t put it on noodles, I do. We ended up making the stroganoff “her way” but I will make mine some other time!
Accents, accents, and more accents!: In a country that could fit in the state of Washington, how can there be so many accents? Each morning I use the time walking over to the hospital with one of my roommates to reacclimatize my ears to hearing an English accent and my brain to understanding it. However, once in clinic and seeing patients, I will inevitably have a patient who speaks in such a way that they may as well have been from another planet if not from another country for all I can understand them! There is the Scotch accent, the Northern Irish, the Irish Republic, the Northeast English, the Southern English, the Northwest English, the Midlands, the Middlesbrough, the Newcastle, the upper class, the working class, the middle class accents. And then there is terminology which varies among regions….needless to say, by the end of the day my ears and brain are exhausted from listening.
Vocabulary of the day:
Trolley: a shopping cart
Dummies: a baby’s pacifier
Mobile: a cell phone
Take away: food to go (ex. Lets go to McDonald’s and get take away)
Smoggies: people who live in Middlesbrough
Geordies: people who live in Newcastle and speak with a distinct accent
Chips: French fries
Crisps: potato chips
Mate: used in place of “friend” ex: my mate Michelle just got married.
~Nancy
Whitby day trip
August 10, 2008
Today I visited the quaint seaside town of Whitby. Whitby is one of those towns that can make one feel nostalgic while letting the romantic mind wander. It is the quaint essential Victorian town with streets that narrow, shops with doors no higher than 5’5, and ornate architecture. Whitby is a tourist attraction which does not feel like a tourist town and contains at least three predominant types of shops; sweets or sweeties shops (all kinds of candy and chocolate), fish and chip shops, or shops which sell jet jewelry which is plentiful around the town. It also contains Whitby abbey; or shall I say it contains the ruins of the abbey which was destroyed by the Romans. In order to get to the abbey, one must climb ~190 steps (the count varied among us). Once at the top of the cliff overlooking the harbor and North Sea, one can walk around St. Mary’s church and the old grave yard with graves as far back as the early 1700’s. The facing on the graves is destroyed due to exposure to wind and sea water. The ruins of the abbey stand in the background and create a haunting sense as one traverse through the graveyard. The one other claim to fame this abbey, graveyard, and stretch of beach below claims is that it is the location of which the idea of Dracula originated and Bram Stoker wrote about him.
I visited Whitby with several other audiologists from my hospital and from a nearby hospital. They enjoyed watching me try my first meal of fish and chips with mushy peas! Yum!! (Everyone says not to eat fish and chips until you are at a seaside town because it s
upposedly tastes better there). It didn’t feel or taste as good as I climbed the 190 steps right afterwards L. By the time we left, we were all exhausted but Kim (my supervisor and audiologist from America) and I have the notion that we are going to move to Whitby and carpool into Middlesbrough together. No, I will not be getting a car and I don’t want to drive over here so I would have to trust Kim to get me there safely. We decided that until then, we would enjoy traveling out on weekends to Whitby via bus. If anyone comes to visit me, I will definitely take you to Whitby to enjoy some fish and chips and the beautiful area!
The day couldn’t have been better; therefore, it could only get worse. As we were walking to the car and past people lined along the water front eating fish and chips, I caught the movement of something large and white incoming. A seagull flew into a man eating his fish and chips, fell down on top of his fish and chips, bounced off him and ricocheted off me which resulted in the scream heard around Whitby (or at least in a 25 yard radius). Everyone got a good laugh including me after I stopped crying and shaking. Another end to another day in England.
Today I visited the quaint seaside town of Whitby. Whitby is one of those towns that can make one feel nostalgic while letting the romantic mind wander. It is the quaint essential Victorian town with streets that narrow, shops with doors no higher than 5’5, and ornate architecture. Whitby is a tourist attraction which does not feel like a tourist town and contains at least three predominant types of shops; sweets or sweeties shops (all kinds of candy and chocolate), fish and chip shops, or shops which sell jet jewelry which is plentiful around the town. It also contains Whitby abbey; or shall I say it contains the ruins of the abbey which was destroyed by the Romans. In order to get to the abbey, one must climb ~190 steps (the count varied among us). Once at the top of the cliff overlooking the harbor and North Sea, one can walk around St. Mary’s church and the old grave yard with graves as far back as the early 1700’s. The facing on the graves is destroyed due to exposure to wind and sea water. The ruins of the abbey stand in the background and create a haunting sense as one traverse through the graveyard. The one other claim to fame this abbey, graveyard, and stretch of beach below claims is that it is the location of which the idea of Dracula originated and Bram Stoker wrote about him.
I visited Whitby with several other audiologists from my hospital and from a nearby hospital. They enjoyed watching me try my first meal of fish and chips with mushy peas! Yum!! (Everyone says not to eat fish and chips until you are at a seaside town because it s
upposedly tastes better there). It didn’t feel or taste as good as I climbed the 190 steps right afterwards L. By the time we left, we were all exhausted but Kim (my supervisor and audiologist from America) and I have the notion that we are going to move to Whitby and carpool into Middlesbrough together. No, I will not be getting a car and I don’t want to drive over here so I would have to trust Kim to get me there safely. We decided that until then, we would enjoy traveling out on weekends to Whitby via bus. If anyone comes to visit me, I will definitely take you to Whitby to enjoy some fish and chips and the beautiful area!The day couldn’t have been better; therefore, it could only get worse. As we were walking to the car and past people lined along the water front eating fish and chips, I caught the movement of something large and white incoming. A seagull flew into a man eating his fish and chips, fell down on top of his fish and chips, bounced off him and ricocheted off me which resulted in the scream heard around Whitby (or at least in a 25 yard radius). Everyone got a good laugh including me after I stopped crying and shaking. Another end to another day in England.
~Nancy
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Living in two worlds
August 9, 2008
Living in two worlds
Is it possible that two worlds can co-exist? And can we live in these two
worlds at once? There are several ways to take this but the way I am thinking is living in a near third world region located in a first world or “modern” country. Soon after I moved here, I was visiting with another American. She told me, “Nancy, get ready to go on your next mission trip because that is what living here will be like. It is like living in a 3rd world or almost a 3rd world country” (she knows that I went to Ukraine on a mission trip when I was 15). The thing is, this region is located within a rich and resourceful country. Middlesbrough, England, voted worst place to live in the UK. Why am I here? I’ve asked myself that close to 100 times and the day I arrived I stared at my reflection in the mirror and said “Nancy Cheadle, what are you doing here and what did you get yourself into?”
So far, you have seen pictures of the “good” areas of the areas I have visited; the tourist areas. But what about the areas where the people live and how they live? Those I have seen but have yet to show. Recently built structures already appear old and run down due to lack of upkeep and poor craftsmanship, the sheets on my bed are worn thin and have holes in them, some of my co-workers wear the same outfit several days in a row, grocery bags must be reused, it is almost impossible to get Internet access in these parts, the hot water comes on and off in this area, and patients and people I meet ask me several times a day why in the world I would come to this part of England to work. Maybe I shouldn’t be so shocked at all this; after all, many parts of America must resemble this area as well. I suppose I have been more contemplative as of late. I think God needed to take me out of what was comfortable and familiar in order to teach me some valuable lessons that I am already learning and have yet to learn. So far, God is teaching me about humility and trusting completely and only in him, and living sufficiently rather than in over abundance. Could He have taught me these things if I was still in America? Yes. But maybe when I thought I was listening to His voice I was really hearing my own which says what I want to hear instead of what I need to hear.
The other day I experienced a popular activity in this part of Britain…Bingo. I played Bingo with a population over the age of 50 and was the topic of conversation at my table. The woman next to me immediately asked if I was a Christian. I told her yes and then she told me that she had researched and read books about Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and other world religions but that she only found truth in the Bible; yet, she told me that she still wasn’t a Christian. Through the brief times we could speak during the bingo game, I talked to her about my relationship with Christ and encouraged her to choose that day to give her life completely to Christ. Is that why I’m here? Or is it to stay late after the clinic had closed in order to help a patient who was experiencing pain in his ear due to his hearing aid and couldn’t come in during regular clinic hours? Is that why I am here? I don’t know. All I know and all I can reassure myself with is that I am where God would have me for this time of my life.
If you made it this far, I hope you are encouraged by this post to see every opportunity in your everyday goings about that God would have you minister to others in various ways. Some of my posts will be funny, but some will also be about what I am learning and struggling with. I hope I can humor your day or encourage you through my writings.
God bless.
~Nancy
(Please don’t think this is a cry for new sheets!! I don’t want everyone sending me packets of sheets :) )
Living in two worlds
Is it possible that two worlds can co-exist? And can we live in these two
worlds at once? There are several ways to take this but the way I am thinking is living in a near third world region located in a first world or “modern” country. Soon after I moved here, I was visiting with another American. She told me, “Nancy, get ready to go on your next mission trip because that is what living here will be like. It is like living in a 3rd world or almost a 3rd world country” (she knows that I went to Ukraine on a mission trip when I was 15). The thing is, this region is located within a rich and resourceful country. Middlesbrough, England, voted worst place to live in the UK. Why am I here? I’ve asked myself that close to 100 times and the day I arrived I stared at my reflection in the mirror and said “Nancy Cheadle, what are you doing here and what did you get yourself into?”So far, you have seen pictures of the “good” areas of the areas I have visited; the tourist areas. But what about the areas where the people live and how they live? Those I have seen but have yet to show. Recently built structures already appear old and run down due to lack of upkeep and poor craftsmanship, the sheets on my bed are worn thin and have holes in them, some of my co-workers wear the same outfit several days in a row, grocery bags must be reused, it is almost impossible to get Internet access in these parts, the hot water comes on and off in this area, and patients and people I meet ask me several times a day why in the world I would come to this part of England to work. Maybe I shouldn’t be so shocked at all this; after all, many parts of America must resemble this area as well. I suppose I have been more contemplative as of late. I think God needed to take me out of what was comfortable and familiar in order to teach me some valuable lessons that I am already learning and have yet to learn. So far, God is teaching me about humility and trusting completely and only in him, and living sufficiently rather than in over abundance. Could He have taught me these things if I was still in America? Yes. But maybe when I thought I was listening to His voice I was really hearing my own which says what I want to hear instead of what I need to hear.
The other day I experienced a popular activity in this part of Britain…Bingo. I played Bingo with a population over the age of 50 and was the topic of conversation at my table. The woman next to me immediately asked if I was a Christian. I told her yes and then she told me that she had researched and read books about Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and other world religions but that she only found truth in the Bible; yet, she told me that she still wasn’t a Christian. Through the brief times we could speak during the bingo game, I talked to her about my relationship with Christ and encouraged her to choose that day to give her life completely to Christ. Is that why I’m here? Or is it to stay late after the clinic had closed in order to help a patient who was experiencing pain in his ear due to his hearing aid and couldn’t come in during regular clinic hours? Is that why I am here? I don’t know. All I know and all I can reassure myself with is that I am where God would have me for this time of my life.
If you made it this far, I hope you are encouraged by this post to see every opportunity in your everyday goings about that God would have you minister to others in various ways. Some of my posts will be funny, but some will also be about what I am learning and struggling with. I hope I can humor your day or encourage you through my writings.
God bless.
~Nancy
(Please don’t think this is a cry for new sheets!! I don’t want everyone sending me packets of sheets :) )
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
“Mom, she’s from America!!”
August 6, 2008
Today I participated in hearing aid repairs; a walk-in clinic in which patients can get their hearing aids repaired and have their questions addressed. I was helping fit an earmold on a 12 year old girl and when the audiologist stepped out of the room I started to visit with her. As soon as I spoke, her face lit up and she turned to her mom and exclaimed “mom, she’s from America!!” Her mom looked embarrassed but I just smiled and asked if she could guess where I was from in America. The girl replied with “Florida” as all English people think that Americans are from either New York or Florida and have no concept of where the other states are located. Then the girl asked if I had ever been to Disney Land and when I told her ‘yes’ she stated, with some regression, that she had only been to Disney Land Paris and really wanted to go to the Florida Disney Land. Then, she asked if I had ever swum with dolphins because, of course, America has dolphins and therefore people must swim with them. I told her ‘no’ but that I thought that it would be really fun. She then proceeded to tell me that her favorite star was from America…who else but Miley Cyrus. When I exclaimed “oh, from Hannah Montana?” the girl looked quite pleased that she and I had something in common. When it was time to go she thanked me profusely for her new sparkly earmold and then left telling her mom that she was going to call her friend and tell her that she “met an American!!”
Today I participated in hearing aid repairs; a walk-in clinic in which patients can get their hearing aids repaired and have their questions addressed. I was helping fit an earmold on a 12 year old girl and when the audiologist stepped out of the room I started to visit with her. As soon as I spoke, her face lit up and she turned to her mom and exclaimed “mom, she’s from America!!” Her mom looked embarrassed but I just smiled and asked if she could guess where I was from in America. The girl replied with “Florida” as all English people think that Americans are from either New York or Florida and have no concept of where the other states are located. Then the girl asked if I had ever been to Disney Land and when I told her ‘yes’ she stated, with some regression, that she had only been to Disney Land Paris and really wanted to go to the Florida Disney Land. Then, she asked if I had ever swum with dolphins because, of course, America has dolphins and therefore people must swim with them. I told her ‘no’ but that I thought that it would be really fun. She then proceeded to tell me that her favorite star was from America…who else but Miley Cyrus. When I exclaimed “oh, from Hannah Montana?” the girl looked quite pleased that she and I had something in common. When it was time to go she thanked me profusely for her new sparkly earmold and then left telling her mom that she was going to call her friend and tell her that she “met an American!!”
What’s in a name?
August 6, 2008
I have discovered that my name is not as common a name in England as I had thought and that when I say my name no one understands me. I have to repeat myself and say my name with an English accent and then the listener suddenly understands!! The other audiologists think that my name is funny sounding and then only reference they have to knowing someone with that name is to the Nancy in the musical/film Oliver! So, I asked about the rest of the names in my family; Dianna, April, and Melissa are very popular with all ages, Bruce was just laughed at when I said the name because it is extremely uncommon and they thought that it sounded funny. So, from now on, when I introduce myself to patients, I will speak in my “American accent” until I get to my name and then say it in an “English accent”.
I have discovered that my name is not as common a name in England as I had thought and that when I say my name no one understands me. I have to repeat myself and say my name with an English accent and then the listener suddenly understands!! The other audiologists think that my name is funny sounding and then only reference they have to knowing someone with that name is to the Nancy in the musical/film Oliver! So, I asked about the rest of the names in my family; Dianna, April, and Melissa are very popular with all ages, Bruce was just laughed at when I said the name because it is extremely uncommon and they thought that it sounded funny. So, from now on, when I introduce myself to patients, I will speak in my “American accent” until I get to my name and then say it in an “English accent”.
Loosing a stone
August 1, 2008
Loosing a stone
I’m trying to lose one stone. No, that does not mean that I am carrying around a stone in my pocket just hoping it falls out. In the UK, one stone=14lbs. All scales are measured in stones. So, my goal is to lose 14 lbs (one stone) by Christmas. With all the waling I already done and will be doing, I should lose some weight but the hard part will be staying away from all the yummy pastries and custards that abound over here. If anyone wants, you can join me in walking and losing stones and keep me posted on how many you lose!
~Nancy
Loosing a stone
I’m trying to lose one stone. No, that does not mean that I am carrying around a stone in my pocket just hoping it falls out. In the UK, one stone=14lbs. All scales are measured in stones. So, my goal is to lose 14 lbs (one stone) by Christmas. With all the waling I already done and will be doing, I should lose some weight but the hard part will be staying away from all the yummy pastries and custards that abound over here. If anyone wants, you can join me in walking and losing stones and keep me posted on how many you lose!
~Nancy
Whinging on the skivers, chicken parmo, and more.
July 30, 2008
I’ve been here a little over 24 hours and already my vocabulary has increased by 20 words that I know hot to use and probably 50 more that I’ve heard but have no idea how to use or what they mean. I’ve been invited to a pub quiz (not sure what it is), a carnival, and a day trip to Whitby, and a hike in the Moors. I got my cell phone today…a pay as you go that I will be mainly using for work. I will be getting internet soon after I meet with a banker on Friday and get a debit card which is required in order to set up an Internet contract.
Vocabulary of the day…try to use at least once a day!
Chicken parmo: chicken parmesan in a mustard sauce with vegetables on the side. Middlesbrough is known for their chicken parmo restaurants, ~7 pounds during happy hour.
Whinging: complaining about someone or something, ex: “last night we sat around and whinged about the new work policy”.
Skivers: lazy people, ex: “they are all in the break room eating tea and biscuits; those bunch of skivers”.
Tea: actually dinner in this part of the UK. There are five meals: breakfast, snack around 11, lunch, tea, and supper is a snack right before bed.
My apartment: I’m sure you would all like to know what/where I’m living. I’m in hospital residence which means I share a flat (bathroom and kitchen) with four other hospital employees. We have our own room which locks and contains a sink, bed, desk, wardrobe, and shelf. I was told that the accommodations were horrible but it is clean and cozy and so far it is nice because I can walk 7min to the hospital. My house mates are Jane (22 and an audiologist), Una (23 and a radiographer), and Janet (47 and a nurse).
Traveling: My trip was rather uneventful. On the long Seattle to Amsterdam flight I sat next to a shy German ( contractiction in terms?) who had been on holiday in Seattle. Whenever I tried to engage him in conversation he looked embarrassed. One of my suitcases was delayed in arriving at the Durham-Tees and when it did the bottom wheel had been mangled and is now unusable as a pull suitcase but the airline will buy me a new one. Other than that, my trip went smoothly.
Misc: I have noticed that when I’m walking around town (as I was earlier when I went to the downtown shopping area) and was talking to my supervisor, Kim (also American and from Portland) that people turn quickly and almost do a double take when they hear our “accent”. It is important to remember that unlike London and other tourist areas, many Middlesbrough residents have not encountered Americans and few have traveled outside the Middlesbrough area.
Shopping: very much like America. I went into a thrift store, department store, and drugstore but need to be careful on what I buy since I take the bus and don’t want to carry a load of stuff. I went to the grocery store down the street and bought food…some American brands but a lot of questionable items such as oxtail soup (not sure what is in it). I bought some “safe” items and came home with a backpack of food. At most stores, shoppers must bring their own carry bags.
That is all in the first 24 hours and I still have much more to do. Tomorrow I will go downtown by myself and buy a hairdryer, iron, and ironing board. That’s all for now. I’d love to hear from you but might but get your message or write back until I have internet access more regularly. If you would like my mailing address please e-mail me at cheananc@yahoo.com. For now, I can only receive letters as the mail for packages is unpredictable and unsecured. Bye for now,
~Nancy
I’ve been here a little over 24 hours and already my vocabulary has increased by 20 words that I know hot to use and probably 50 more that I’ve heard but have no idea how to use or what they mean. I’ve been invited to a pub quiz (not sure what it is), a carnival, and a day trip to Whitby, and a hike in the Moors. I got my cell phone today…a pay as you go that I will be mainly using for work. I will be getting internet soon after I meet with a banker on Friday and get a debit card which is required in order to set up an Internet contract.
Vocabulary of the day…try to use at least once a day!
Chicken parmo: chicken parmesan in a mustard sauce with vegetables on the side. Middlesbrough is known for their chicken parmo restaurants, ~7 pounds during happy hour.
Whinging: complaining about someone or something, ex: “last night we sat around and whinged about the new work policy”.
Skivers: lazy people, ex: “they are all in the break room eating tea and biscuits; those bunch of skivers”.
Tea: actually dinner in this part of the UK. There are five meals: breakfast, snack around 11, lunch, tea, and supper is a snack right before bed.
My apartment: I’m sure you would all like to know what/where I’m living. I’m in hospital residence which means I share a flat (bathroom and kitchen) with four other hospital employees. We have our own room which locks and contains a sink, bed, desk, wardrobe, and shelf. I was told that the accommodations were horrible but it is clean and cozy and so far it is nice because I can walk 7min to the hospital. My house mates are Jane (22 and an audiologist), Una (23 and a radiographer), and Janet (47 and a nurse).
Traveling: My trip was rather uneventful. On the long Seattle to Amsterdam flight I sat next to a shy German ( contractiction in terms?) who had been on holiday in Seattle. Whenever I tried to engage him in conversation he looked embarrassed. One of my suitcases was delayed in arriving at the Durham-Tees and when it did the bottom wheel had been mangled and is now unusable as a pull suitcase but the airline will buy me a new one. Other than that, my trip went smoothly.
Misc: I have noticed that when I’m walking around town (as I was earlier when I went to the downtown shopping area) and was talking to my supervisor, Kim (also American and from Portland) that people turn quickly and almost do a double take when they hear our “accent”. It is important to remember that unlike London and other tourist areas, many Middlesbrough residents have not encountered Americans and few have traveled outside the Middlesbrough area.
Shopping: very much like America. I went into a thrift store, department store, and drugstore but need to be careful on what I buy since I take the bus and don’t want to carry a load of stuff. I went to the grocery store down the street and bought food…some American brands but a lot of questionable items such as oxtail soup (not sure what is in it). I bought some “safe” items and came home with a backpack of food. At most stores, shoppers must bring their own carry bags.
That is all in the first 24 hours and I still have much more to do. Tomorrow I will go downtown by myself and buy a hairdryer, iron, and ironing board. That’s all for now. I’d love to hear from you but might but get your message or write back until I have internet access more regularly. If you would like my mailing address please e-mail me at cheananc@yahoo.com. For now, I can only receive letters as the mail for packages is unpredictable and unsecured. Bye for now,
~Nancy
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