American Living in Great Britain

People often ask me if I like living in England.

I've nearly been here four years and have begun the next three, so I think that makes me somewhat of an expert on England ("A little knowledge is a dangerous thing").

I do love living here.

• I love the ferocity in which the county councils embrace Mother Earth by reducing our garbage and recycle pick up to every other week and then determine that too much is being deposited in the bins so they "chip" them.

A heavy bin results in the owner being fined. For recycling too much.


Speaking of recycling, is it just me that sees the irony in scrubbing containers to remove any food/soap residue so the item can be used again instead of wasting the Earth's resources? Do you know how much water is needed to properly clean a laundry detergent bottle?

• I love being able to buy Indian food in any shop on every corner. Forget what the guide books tell you about "bland English food".
  

There is no such thing.

One of our local pubs serves ONLY Mexican cuisine.

• The patriotism that seeps from every British pore--well, during World Cup time, anyway.

Image from GMTV/lifestyle

Remember 911 when American flags adorned many windows and people cried as Lee Greenwood sang?
That's what it's like here as England prepares for the World cup. It's hard not to get caught up in the excitement and it stinks that because of OPSEC I don't have American flags swaying on my drive.

It also stinks that I know more about the England team than I do the USA...

• I love the green. My mother is Internet shopping for a new house. I went online with her with a phone tucked between my shoulder and chin (she hooked me with: "It has a pool", so I had to take a look).
  

"Yuck." I said. "It's SO ugly there". She reminded me that it's desert.
You know, like what I grew up in and speak so fondly of
when Brit friends are heading that way for holiday.

• Pheasants and bunnies frolic in the garden and Dragonflies dance on the water's surface, taunting the frogs, toads and newts that live in our ponds.

• Auctions are held once a week.

• Carboots are plentiful and only a short drive from any one point.

• Food in the market is fresh.

There aren't a lot of unnatural or cancer-causing preservatives added.
I can buy a tub of humus (in many flavors) and enjoy it for about three days, or go to the base and buy the American version that will last me approximately two months or more...

I will go for the three-day humus every time.

I also have to wonder about our bread too since it is made in America, shipped over here, frozen, thawed and then sold to us to consume. A British loaf goes bad quickly. I'll eat the British loaf.

And speaking of additives...

Chocolate here is required to contain a certain percentage of... ready for this?

Cocoa.

Not corn syrup, not sugar, not vegetable wax. The Cadbury chocolate that is in America has been altered to appeal to American tastes. It certainly doesn't taste like what we buy here. In America, we have been brought up on wax, so that is what we get. Here, I can (and probably did) easily gain 2 stone eating real chocolate.

• Stones. I love weighing stones instead of pounds. It sounds better.

"I'm up to 20 stone now!" Dramatically stated with one's arm thrown up on the forehead with the flair of Scarlette O'Hara.

20. What a great number. I have fond memories of being 20.

Trying using that same delicate exasperation with,

"I'm up to 280 pounds now!"

while people discreetly hide their sandwiches from you.

I love England.

• I love the winding, frightening roads that once scared me into Braxton Hicks.
  

• I love the age and the sophistication of the castles and the quaint picturesque quality of the villages.

• I like gathering with people of my local village to watch a game of cricket or lawn bowls or coming together with villagers to fight future development.

• I love that I can not only watch a professional soccer game in a stadium of 25,000+, but that I can sit and chat with the players and take photos with them later.

• I love the light on the horizon at 10.30 at night and how the light creeps back into the sky by 3.30 am.

• I love having woodpeckers and Cuckoos filling the morning with their distinct sounds.

I'm not as fond of hearing the foxes in the fields at night, it's a little spooky, and downright disgusting when they get one of those frolicking bunnies.

• Here, you can talk about the weather. It's not only acceptable, but encouraged. I used to chide my husband because his family ONLY talked about the weather.
  

Arrogant Me: "Don't you ever loooong for having a conversation deeper than, 'Wow, it was windy here today' ?"
I'm the fool. His family must be proper English descendants (with a strong Mexican gene tossed in there somewhere).
I'm adjusting, I'll prove it.

I was awakened last night by thunder and an amazing downpour. It was wonderful! Today, however we held our breath through the Soccer on the Sands tournament the boys were playing in. It was overcast and hazy most of the day. I think it will be like that for the beginning of the week as well....

Why yes, as a matter of fact, I love living in England.
The Air Force is going to have to offer me something really sweet to get me to leave when it's time...

Now aren't you sorry you asked?