It's still raining....

This is my first blogging experience, and I have so much to say. Hopefully I'll be organized about it! The blog is part journal for me, as a record of what we do and learn, but also a connection to loved ones back home.

It is still raining here in Notts. Every day has some rain, and some days the sun doesn't come out at all. The weather forecast from the BBC is just a mere suggestion as to what may happen during the day- the high temp, the amount of sun or rain, is so vague that you can only be prepared whenever you go out for really warm sunny weather, or torrential downpours.

The country as a whole is having a weird week: the unexploded bombs in the London area, the extensive flooding in the north and Wales, and a new administration taking office.

We are camped in our tiny temporary apartment watching Wimbledon, in between rain delays, and trying to keep the kids busy. Quentin has been non-stop with the crafts: he's doing lots of "Bindeez"- little plastic beads you organize into a design then spray with water and they stick. Lots of painting, clay work, and the latest is a plastic tile design of a tiger. Mallory loves it, too. I should photograph some of the stuff.

Our apartment is in this great area, up on one of the highest hills in Nottingham. We have such a great view. We can walk to shops, theater, restaurants, etc. It's been challenging figuring out what businesses are child-friendly. We just look for other strollers in the windows, or notice a child menu displayed out front of a restaurant. It's really not a child-friendly city, and I'm beginning to wonder if it's really a child-centered culture. I'm looking forward to getting into our house (soon). We need some breathing room. We keep running into each other, and our stuff is piled up everywhere. The kids need some outdoor space. There's really nothing for them to do here: we've been to the Nottingham castle twice, and a few places by bus, but overall it's been hard. We just do a lot of walking, shopping, and eating.

One of the cool things about Nottingham is the great history, like most places in England. There's a pub near the castle called "Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem Pub" which was the meeting place for King Richard and his supporting knights before taking the cross for the Crusades in the 12th century. It's the oldest pub in England. We haven't been yet- not sure about taking children. Another pub nearby is 13th century, and one pub called "The Royal Children" dates to the late 15th century. The Nottingham Castle itself has one exposed wall from the 12th century, but mostly the other structures are later. William the Conquerer built a wooden castle here when he conquered England (1066), but no traces of his fortifications remain. There's an extensive maze of caves under the entire city, in a limestone outcrop, and some were used during periods of invasion/evasion throughout Nott's history. We walked through one near the castle in some crazy museum (more later on that) that was used by residents for protection from air raids during WWII. Quentin and I plan on going on a cave tour as soon as we have a good weekend for it.

We also read somewhere that one of the pedestrian shopping areas near the old market square is one of the busiest thoroughfares in all of Europe. It's incredibly crowded all hours of the day.

Anyway, here are a few initial observations about England, or at least Nottingham:

1. We may speak the same language technically, but sometimes I need an interpreter.
2. The toilets don't have a lot of water. We Americans like a good flush.
3. The washer/dryer (all one unit) takes several hours to do one load, and it's still not completely dry. I'm starting to lower my standards for what "clean" clothes are.
4. There are screaming children, nice people, rude people, and red necks all over the world.
5. British people love to shop, I even think more so than Americans. You would not believe how busy the shops are! It's so crowded in the market square area, you can hardly walk. It's challenging with children/stroller.
6. They do eat peanut butter, ketchup, and mostly french fries are french fries. Potato chips are called crisps, however.
7. The food is good. Don't let the reputation fool you. They love sausages wrapped in pastry, or next to mashed potatoes. How can that not be good? And chicken/ham salad is really chicken or ham with lettuce and tomato. I've been fooled with this one. Milk is cream, or milk, depending on the context. Also, I love how people sit and enjoy coffee or tea in actual mugs at the coffeeshops or cafes. And if you get a bottled drink, there's always a cup with it. People don't tend to drink or eat on the move. The culture moves incredibly fast- walking, working- but they definitely enjoy down time, too.
8. There's a Starbucks on every corner here, too. Actually, this city is really not unlike an American one.
9. Shops close at 5:00 every day. Many restaurants, especially pubs, stay open later. But you can't run any errands or shop after 5:00. How do professonals get their errands done? Actually, one night a week most shops/stores are open until 6:30 (usually Wednesday).