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June 26, 2007
mold doesn't seem to bother me.. odd
ahhhh, just got back from the gym and popped open a Hoegaarden beer. Hoegaarden is the authentic Belgian white beer, at least that's what I read on their website. Don't worry Ma, I'm drinking it from a Budweiser glass. Reuters is reporting that a InBev (distributor of Hoegaarden) and Anheuser-Busch merger is inevitable. So I don't feel like a traitor. ;)
My big news of the day would revolve around my trip to the allergy doctor. Today I got poked by 44 different allergens. I've been taking a cocktail of pills lately for my allergies and they just don't seem to work. For the past month I have felt tired, dizzy, and sluggish. It turns out that I'm allergic to 23 of the possible 44 allergens I was poked with. The funny thing is that I was poked with 12 different types of molds and none of them seemed to bother me. Grasses, Trees, and Weeds were another story as I am allergic to just about every variety of each of these. Cat Hair as well as Dust Mite (pteronyssinus) also ranked very high. The doc put me on some new meds and I'm feel a little better already.
Posted by joe harr at 10:05 PM | Comments (0)
June 4, 2007
Thoughts on London trip
Plane ride
When booking a lengthy flight I would highly suggest using the Seat Guru website. This site allows you to view what seats are more comfortable than others on just about every single type of plane.
While on our flight I was pleasantly surprised to find that the NWA entertainment system was running a Linux operation system. Just found this to be interesting.
Trains
When traveling to London using the train systems is a must. The London Underground (the tube) train system is the easiest form of major city transportation I have ever seen. Travelers from the U.S. can purchase a "visitors" tube ticket before their arrival in the U.K. for a discounted price. The seven day all London zone train and bus pass cost around $80 per ticket. You can get the visitors pass through BritRail. I'd recommend booking over the phone rather than through their website (you can find the phone number at www.BritRail.com). There is a $10 handling fee for your entire order through BritRail, but the passes are still well worth it. This truly is a cost savings when compared to a one zone/one way ticket for $8. Within the seven days that we were in London we rode the tube 30+ times. Every part of London can be reached by the tube system or the public bus system.
One of the most noticeable things about riding on the tube is that the local London residents are always reading while riding. In the morning and in the afternoon free newspapers are handed out in front of the tube stations. These free newspapers were surprisingly good quality that provided great content.
Waiters/Waitresses
Free drink refills as well as waiters/waitresses that wait on you are hard things to find in London. Waiters and waitresses act as if you, the customer, are bothering them the minute you sit down to enjoy a meal. This is very odd to an American where we are used to the servers living off the tips received from the service provided. Tipping in the U.K. is done rather oddly. "Service" (an automatic tip) is sometimes added to a bill without customers being aware, usually at a rate of 12.5%. However, in general tipping is not expected in the U.K. unless the service provided was excellent.
Pubs
Before heading to London I did quite a bit of research on popular pubs within the city. I had an image of sitting at the bar chit chatting with the bartender as well as the locals. I was very surprised to find that many pubs in London do not place bar stools directly at the bar. Also the "common" British beers found in the U.S. were not common draft beers available within the pubs. Do not get me wrong, I truly enjoyed drinking a pint at the many pubs we visited. The pubs we visited were relaxed social gathering places. The atmosphere is much different than the bad music filled bars we are used to in Bloomington.
Tips when ordering a beer or food at a London pub: Place your order at the bar counter even for food, as table service is not available. Beers come in two sizes- pint or a half pint. Tipping is just not done in a pub for a pint. After paying for your beer say, "Cheers, thank you" if you want to fit in as a local.
Money
While we were in London the exchange rate was 1 British pound = 1.9793 U.S. dollars. At the same time 1 Mexican peso = 0.093155 U.S. dollars.
*Cost of a can of Coke $2 (in U.S. dollars)
*Average salary in London is £34,777 a year.
Hotel
From what I hear most hotel rooms in London are very small. Alarm clocks seem to be a rare amenity along with wash cloths. Also when buying a U.S. to U.K. electric plug adaptor make sure that it can handle the 240 volt of power. You're likely better off buying one over there rather than in the U.S. if you can resist the urge to be prepared ahead of time. They are cheaper and more reliable in the U.K. We spent $30 on two in the U.S. that did not work and £3 on one in the U.K. that worked perfectly. You can find them in several of the souvenir shops on the high street.
People
In general the people were very nice, but a little sarcastic. One of the America couples we meet in London commented on how the typical jobs held by Mexican immigrants in the U.S. are held by French immigrants in London. (OK that last comment is not meant to be taken as a racist comment. It was merely an observation by a couple we met while on our trip.)
Spoken Language differences
American / British
apartment / flat
bathroom / toilet, W.C., or loo
closet / cupboard
cracker / biscuit
vacation / holiday
Main Street / High Street
bar / pub
french fry / chip
potato chip / crisp
Posted by joe harr at 9:44 PM | Comments (0)