ok apparently blogging consistently isn't my thing.
things are going well here. i'm still staying with betsy while waiting for noelle to get here. hopefully that will be sorted out soon and she should be here in about a month. the plan right now is for a group of us to get a place together once everyone has their visa and a definite arrival date.
work is going well too. i have a case load of 14 kids, which is totally manageable. there have only been a few crises, as most of my cases are pretty basic. but right now it seems like the clients are pretty similar to what i'm used to in the states. in fact, some of the people that i see in my borough (which is like a county) really look like they would fit right in in barrow county. so dagenham just might be the winder of london.
observations:
- ice cream trucks are totally commonplace here.
- the vast majority of the dogs i've seen here are pit bulls. which is surprising, but i guess it's an east london thing.
- everything in this country is smaller and less efficient. it takes 4 days for a check to clear, shops close at 6 or 7 during the week, toilets seem to use more water, almost all cars are two door hatchbacks. the list goes on. it's just a different mindset.
- brits don't like to be corrected on their terminology and pronunciation. they generally respond with some statement about how they invented the language. whatever. a little guide to britishims:
bathroom = toilet/loo
faucet = tap
staple remover = butterfly
tape = cellotape
whine = winge
trash can = bin
pacifier = dummy
stroller = pram
tired = knackered
the problem with me not blogging often enough is that now i don't remember everything i've been doing. let's see. one night last week, i went to see hello dolly in regents park. it was wonderful, and i really really want to go back there. such a nice venue. last weekend, i went to the painted hall and painted chapel, then wandered around brick lane, where all the hipsters and junkies sell their artwork. i've been out to a pub in dagenham a few times with coworkers, which has been interesting. i actually saw a guy wearing rolled up jean shorts. and my coworker (who generally has really good style) defended this fashion failure.
i went to covent garden one day, which is a bit touristy in areas, but has cute shops, and we went to this indian restaurant, which was the best indian food i've ever had. i had the kadu sabji, and it was amazing. http://www.punjab.co.uk/
i have, of course, been spending ridiculous amounts of time on the tube. it's an hour and 15 minutes one way to work, which includes a short walk, then about an hour on the tube (with one line change in the middle) and then a 10 minute bus ride. overall, it's not bad. i've been reading a lot, which is great because i'm not the best about making time to read, and i've really enjoyed it. the bad thing is that you can't sing. i guess i had taken it for granted that i could sing in the car as much as i wanted and as loudly as i wanted.
i got an iphone! which is great because i can always pull up a map to figure out where and i am where i'm going. and i have skype and gchat on it, so it's easier to keep in touch with everyone in the states. so my new number is 787 253 8947, but to call you have to dial 011 44 then the number. or skype me!
this past weekend was bank holiday weekend, which means i had monday off for absolutely no reason. at least in america we pretend to be celebrating something patriotic. here we're just celebrating another day off of work. so i went to notting hill carnival, which is a huge carribean street carnival and parade. but this parade isn't like american parades. it was more like some random girl put sequins and tassels on her bikini, then got her uncle to drive his truck through the ridiculously crowded streets while she danced in the back.