Cheddar--not just cheese

Mary and I are so happy to have our friend Bill visiting from New Hampshire--he was working in Africa and was coming home through London, so added on a few days to come see us. We went to the village of Cheddar--yes, the original place where cheddar cheese was made, and is still made, and it is delicious!

but it is also the home of Cheddar Gorge, the largest gorge in England and now I know where the word gorgeous comes from haha! really you can see the amazing limestone cliff in the picture--we went up on top and went for a 3 mile hike, and it really is beautiful. There are tons of mountain sheep, or goats (I am revealing my ignorance of animal species here--maybe we saw both?) I took pictures of them but when I looked at them after, all you could see was a hillside with a vague brown speck on it so I thought I would spare you all the sight.

Bill and I went to the Roman Baths yesterday. Unfortunately I didn't think to take my camera but they really are spectacular. I had seen them once before but was impressed all over again. Those Romans were incredible engineers! Tonight Bill Mary and I are going to the Thermae Spa to enjoy the natural hot springs in a visceral way. Looking forward to it!

Mary and I are leaving next Tuesday for the holidays. We are heading to Jerusalem, to visit her friends Ellen and Anat. Another friend of ours from Galiano Island in BC is there too, so we are looking forward to a sociable time. Then we will head to the Sinai in Egypt for New Year's. Mary has been to these places before but I haven't, so I am very excited. We are leaving Dec. 18 and returning Jan. 6--what an interesting way to spend Christmas! Mary seems to think we will be posting to the blog while we are away--personally, I am not so sure, so if there is nothing new here for a few weeks, you'll know it's because we are just enjoying ourselves too much.

Look forward to hearing from all our friends about your holidays too. Hope they are happy, restful and fun for all.

Karen

Lisbon

Here are some pictures of Lisbon, which was really a lovely city. It wasn't hot, but much warmer than here, and sunny, so we really enjoyed the chance to sit outside on a patio, having a coffee or a beer. It was such a laid back city, easy to walk, friendly people, and very safe feeling too--we both just really liked it. It reminded me in some ways of Vancouver, being right on the ocean, two huge bridges as well as a ferry to get to the other side of the city...but then Vancouver doesn't have a gigantic statue of Jesus overlooking it (which is fine by me!)

The yellow tram or funicular climbs up the steep hills of Lisbon so we took it--because the hills are kind of steep, but mostly just because I wanted to take it. We also went and heard fado music Saturday night, while having dinner--we liked it, but got shushed by the management when we started to have a conversation over dinner while the music was on. Luckily they took lots of breaks so we did get to talk as well as listen.

I love all the pastel colours of the buildings, the tile work, the clay tile roofs. I thought there was a LOT of graffiti though (you can see it in some of the photos) and I thought that spoiled some of the beauty. Mary didn't agree--she liked seeing the expression of political views, so we agreed to disagree on that one.

The other thing that took me aback was that smoking was allowed everywhere--taxis, bars, restaurants--so we were in a lot of smokey places, and I am not used to that. I think we washed every item of clothing we took once we got home!

We didn't do so well on finding other lesbians. A couple of places we found on the internet were closed or no longer existed...and the bar life started a little too late for us (they didn't even OPEN til midnight, and not get going til 3 am.)

Mary has developed a bad cold, so is coughing and sneezing away, and just trying to rest up. We have company this weekend--Bill, from New Hampshire, who has been working in Africa and is coming back through England, so will stay with us for four days. We are SO looking forward to his visit.

Hard to believe it is December already. Weather here has been pretty good--not too cold, nt too rainy. We missed two stormy days while we were in Lisbon, which was nice.

All in all, life goes on and we are happy in our little country home. Hope you are all well too!

Karen

Jolly Auld England

Sunday we went to a historic English village called Lacock, about a half hour drive from Bath. It's been preserved and is maintained by the National Trust. I think I am getting used to England because all the old buildings just seemed normal to me! It's a lovely place, and has been used to film Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Moll Flanders and...does anyone recognize the building behind me and Mary? There's also a photo of it on its own? Any guesses? It's Hogwarts, the school in the Harry Potter movies!

The two men pictured here are classmates of Mary's who came with us for the day...Marku, from Finland, and Godfrey, from Tanzania. Great company and great conversation though at times it is a bit over my head..but interesting nonetheless!

Mary and I are heading to Lisbon for the weekend Nov. 30 - Dec. 2. It feels kind of decadent but it is cheap and close and we are hoping to have a chance to get out dancing. We're staying in a gay hotel...that is something we are really missing, a queer community around us. It won't be much warmer than Bath but still, 4 or 5 degrees warmer is STILL warmer. (though it is has not been that cold, more just grey...very like Vancouver).

So will post again after our Lisbon experience. Hope all are well!

Karen

Impressions of Kiev

Well I got back to England on Saturday after a whirlwind of time in Ukraine. It was such an amazing time and place and it's difficult to decide what to post without writing a huge tome that would probably crash everyone's computers!

It was so amazing to be hosted by the Deaf community--I felt like I got such a sense of what life was like for Ukranians. So I missed a lot of the usual tourist spots, or just drove by them--like Independence Square, where the orange revolution took place...but I wouldn't have changed it for the world!

The Ukranians were so generous and hospitable--with food, drink, gifts, and just with their time and energy. Everwhere we went we were given gifts--traditional crafts, chocolates, vodka--the list goes on. And the food! Now granted, a lot of it was very different than what I'm used to--lots of pickled and smoked things. Poor Deb, my friend and colleague, who's a vegetarian, had to deal with unusual looking slabs of meat being put on her plate at every meal. One of the specialities there is salo, which is smoked pig fat...I ate a slab on a piece of rye bread, which impressed our host. I couldn't really chew it that well so I kind of swallowed it whole, where it landed in my stomach and made an impression for the rest of the afternoon. (I am sure I have thoroughly disgusted the vegetarian readers at this point.)

We visited several schools for Deaf children, who put on concerts for us--one of the pictures above is of Deaf girls doing a dance called "Little Kittens"--they were great! The loaf of bread, that looks like a cake, was presented to us and all of the visitors took a piece, dipped it in salt and ate it, as a welcome. They have amazing bread there!

The picture of the group of people is in a sewing factory. When Ukraine became independent, Deaf people were given the buildings and factories they had been placed in under the communist regime, and they very wisely maintained these--so they have 40 factories around Ukraine, and this is one of them. How incredible for Deaf people to work in a place where communication with everyone is so easy.

There are so many amazing beautiful buildings, mostly churches, with all the gold domes and beautiful colours. We went into one and got to kiss some saints relics (entombed with a plastic cover, luckily) and then went underground to see the caves where ascetic monks had lived, shut off from human contact. It was kinda creepy actually.

Ukraine also has a lot of apartment blocks built during Stalinist days, which are kind of grim looking (pictured above). Power supply can be erratic. We visited one and there were no lights at all at the entrance and lobby so I kind of stumbled my way up the stairs. Housing is really expensive in Kiev...people live outside the city limits, while the wealthy few live in quite fancy places.

I loved seeing all the hats the women wore--lots of fur! The younger women dress up--flamboyantly red dyed hair is in vogue, lots of make-up, high heeled boots, and fashionable dresses--I felt very plain in comparison. The older women look like they've had a hard life...hard work, and deprivation. Still the spirit is incredible.

I could go on and on but maybe will close with just one observation comparing English and Ukrainian norms. In England, queueing, or lining up, is VERY important--even if one person is standing alone at the bus stop, they look like they are the start of a line, not just standing idly. I heard a mother say to her toddler, who had run ahead of the line when the bus arrived, no no Hilary, we must never EVER run ahead of people who came here first, that is VERY rude!

Meanwhile, at the airport in London, in some mysterious way all the Ukrainians knew to stand up and head to the gate, which wasn't yet open...then some agent came over the loudspeaker, saying the flight was ready for boarding, and we would be boarding by row number. She said "we will start with Rows 14 - 19. If you are not in Rows 14-19, please SIT DOWN"...at which point she was completely ignored, the door opened and everyone crowded on, and she then said "or just do what you want". The only people left in the departure lounge were me, an American and a few Brits. :-)

Mary and I didn't meet in London, just seemed like too much...and I'm really glad I came back here because I got some kind of stomach bug so have been laid low for a few days and Mary is taking great care of me. She went to Birmingham last Wednesday for a meeting of people who do similar work to hers, and they have asked her to teach a workshop in the new year. She also had a dinner party with one of her classmates, who is Thai, preparing the food--she said it was fabulous!

The rains have set in, the days are short...but at least there's no snow!

Hope all are well and look forward to hearing from you

Karen

travels ahead!

Well I am excited! My friend and colleague, Deb Russell, from Alberta, is doing work with the Ukrainian Deaf and interpreting communities, and in a flash of inspiration she emailed me to say, hey, can you get a cheap flight from England, I've got a hotel room. So I thought, hmmm, sounds good...and long story short, I am heading to Kiev next Monday Nov. 12 and returning Sat. Nov. 17. I'll go along with Deb on tours of Deaf schools, meetings, etc.--it will be great to be with people who live there...and of course I will manage to do my own touristy things when she is in serious meetings. So, watch here for my photos of Ukraine. One thing I know for sure, it is going to be COLD. And there may be SNOW (you all know how I panic at the sight of snow!)

Mary is heading to Birmingham on Wednesday for a meeting of people who work in her field. Then we are hoping to meet in London on Saturday and stay overnight...just trying to arrange accommodation that is even halfway affordable.

I am spending a lot of my time on the internet, looking for cheap flights, hotels, looking for directions and maps...it is amazing how much time it takes. Luckily I am not busy with work and other things so I have the hours to spend.

England is just an amazing place with so much to see. I am having to get used to the idea that we will only scratch the surface of what is available while we are here because there is just so much...and we are also limited in time and energy. And Mary DOES need to do schoolwork--she is coming up to due dates so is starting to feel the crunch a bit more.

I'm driving a bit more, still freaked out by the narrow roads and those roundabouts--I just can't get the hang of who has the right of way. But I just slow down and if someone else is stopping then I figure I can go. Mary is driving like she's been here for years but she tells me she went through her own nervous adjustment at first too.

The days have been sunny mostly, which is so great, and the nights are getting COLD. Imagine, we are in November already! We are looking forward to Bill's visit--he's a friend and colleague of Mary's from New Hampshire, who is travelling to South Africa, Zambia and Ghana for work (I may have one of those countries wrong) and then is stopping over for a few days in early December to visit with us.

I went to Bristol last Friday, where there is a Centre for Deaf Studies at the university. Took the train, then a bus--of course I missed my stop, but some very helpful women on the bus were kind enough to describe how I could get back to the right spot...so I found it, and attended a seminar they were presenting. Then had lunch with the presenter and other professors, and met Paddy Ladd, who is a brilliant author and researcher in the field. I am so impressed with many Deaf people--they know 2 or 3 sign languages, and lucky for me, one that is common is ASL, which I know, so I am able to talk with them. I'm trying to learn some BSL (British Sign Language) but well, it IS another language, so it takes time.

A Deaf woman I know from Vancouver is attending the university to do her Masters in Deaf Studies, so I saw her last Friday, and it was great to connect. We are planning to do some exploring of the surrounding area together.

So that's the news from this end. Lovely to keep hearing from all of you, and if I don't post again before Ukraine, you will definitely be hearing from me after my return!

Karen

Pictures from Frome

I just love the stone work here. And the little lanes with interesting doors and windows.

Morgan's came from Wales I understand, i am getting back to my roots. although this is Frome.....

This is the Valentine lamp. put up in honor of St. Valentine... and this is my valentine.

University Life

I guess it is about time that i put something up on this blog. Being a student is a nice lifestyle after the craziness of consulting and going from place to place. I like the regular routine. I am doing a research PhD in International Development but am required to take 3 research methods courses this fall. The jargon is a bit much and it seems that what i need to learn is how to make social science look like real science-- the research rigor is intense, but at the same time we are learning how to make the data work for you.... kind of crazy making. But also illustrates all the statistics we get presented really needs to be read with care because the data is presented to make a point and whoever is presenting the data will give you their slant on what they want you to see. so really it is not science at all. That is what i am learning :) I think of all the research I have done over the last 4 years where I have 4 days in the field to gather data to develop some economic strategy that will incorporate 100 villages or so into the economy. No wonder development is so poorly executed, we don't have the time or resources to do proper research. But then if i had months or years would how different would the outcome be?


This is my first time in England. I find that the villages are similar to those in Bosnia except for not as many bombed out structures. The quaintness is cute and everything is so tailored. The systems in England are not so good for someone who is living here. Customer service is really poor, technology is inferior and this is really problematic when all of university life is dependent on the web and e-mail.... When it doesn't work, it is too bad even though you are required to get lectures off of the web or notes or articles to read before the class. I do have a desk which is in a small office i share with 3 others. My office is one of the smaller one, most offices have about 10 desks in them. But i have a window in front of mine, which is fine with me. In the office there is no wireless so I cannot use my laptop and i am forced to use a very slow ancient desk top. What i don't understand is if wireless is on campus, why wouldn't you have it in the offices? What ever....

Traffic is unbelievable for the country side. No wonder the concern for carbon footprints is foremost on every one's mind here. It is bumper to bumper for miles with fields and cows on both sides of the tiny road. To miss traffic i head out 2 hours before class to do the 20 minute trek, otherwise it will take 1 hour in the car.

My cohort is not very tight, as that is not really an emphasis here. I have become friends with a fellow from Finland who has done some work in Kenya with colleagues of mine there. A Thai fellow has also become part of our posse even though he is in 2nd year. He is brilliant with computer systems and analyzing data. My advisers are pretty good. Not too stuffy. One joined us at the fire works to celebrate Guy Fox Day.


They also had all sorts of rides set up at the university, like a mini PNE or CNE. Of course they were for teenagers who could handle the speed. Karen and I went on one that was for 4-8 year olds--tea cups that spun around very slowly in comparison to the others. it was good fun! Unfortunately we have no pictures of that :)

Karen and I are taking in a few movies at the Bath International Film Festival this week. Today our film is on an apartment building in Cairo and all the scenes that occur in each flat. Should be interesting.

I am swimming several times a week at the university 50 meter pool which is great exercise. I'm not sure how long that will last, but it is working right now.

I don't know how people do this kind of thing on their own. My colleagues here who are on their own really suffer from loneliness. For sure we are cordial at school, but the days get dark early and then you go home to your room. It is expensive for all of us who are foreigners here so going out isn't really an option. I really do not get why higher education has to be so emotionally tough. The separation between emotional and intellectual pursuits is really so not necessary but it seems that is a prerequisite to being successful in the academic world. I'm not going to aspire towards that and i find it disturbing. I feel very fortunate that Karen is here with me. Just coming home to a light on and fantastic smells coming from the kitchen counteracts the working alone at the university.

So that's it for now.... it is great to hear from people. We do miss home of course, but our little home in the village is cozy and homey for the meantime.
Signing off for now, mary

Happy Hallowe'en

Here's Jackie O'Lantern, wishing you all a Happy Hallowe'en. (I had to take the picture in dim light because there were ink marks on the pumpkin where we designed the layout.) Mary added the eyebrows--very unique!

Hallowe'en was quiet here, maybe 8 kids in total so now we have to eat lots of little chocolate bars. A much bigger deal here is Nov. 5, Bonfire Night (aka Guy Fawkes day). You probably know a bit of the story--he tried to blow up the Parliament buildings in London with gunpowder, was caught and hanged for treason. So I am not quite sure why they celebrate it every year, and the Brits I've talked to are vague on it as well. I guess kind of similar to the half-hearted explanation I've given to Americans who ask why we Canadians celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday in May. Ummmm...because we want a holiday I guess?

Mary and I went to a tea house in Bath on Sunday--that clotted cream and jam on scones could get seriously addictive! Then we went to the Thermal Spa--there is natural hot mineral water in Bath (hence, the name--the name is actually Bath Spa...and there is not only the University of Bath, where Mary goes, but a Bath Spa University as well. Whenever I hear that name, I always get the image of students wrapped up in towels, sitting in a steam room for their classes :-)

Anyways, any of you who plan to visit, bring a bathing suit (or a swimming costume, as they say here), because it is definitely a treat--rooftop open air pool, and one floor down, glass encased steam rooms that are so full of steam you can't even see across the room. Very relaxing! You can check it out at www.thermaebathspa.com.

This weekend the Bath International Film Festival starts so Mary and I are heading to films, plus we'll go to the cricket pitch to watch the fireworks Saturday night. I'll send along impressions of Bonfire Night after I've experienced it. For now, I will just say, "cheers", and be back again soon

Karen

Life goes on...

It's really the small things that point out cultural differences to me here. Case in point...Linda, who lived in England for 1 1/2 years, had told me that instead of saying 'how are you?" as a greeting, people said, "y'alright?"--to which the answer is usually "yah, y'alright?" Well I ran into the neighbours yesterday, and sure enough, one said, "y'alright?"...to which I replied, "fine, how are you?" I could tell it startled him a bit, and it startled me too...oh well, I'll get used to it. I am also trying to figure out the right time to say "cheers"...it means both thanks and bye, so I guess as long a I put it at the end of an interaction, I'll be OK.

On a different topic completely, there sure is a lot of road kill! When Mary and I went to Frome last weekend, which was about a half hour drive, I counted five dead animals--a fox, a badger (I think--I don't really know what a badger looks like, except from reading The Wind in the Willows). I guess they get lulled into feeling safe, with all those rolling hills and trees...and then they venture out on the road, and SPLAT, someone zooming along to get to the next village finishes them off. I guess that's no different in Canada...just that in the countryside you might be more likely to hit a deer.

Thanks to all for your comments on the blog--it's great to know you're reading!

cheers
Karen

Bath

Here are some pictures of Bath that I took during the summer...it really is a fabulous place, and the more I walk around town, the more I find myself awestruck by yet another beautiful, old sight.

Frome

Here's Mary in an old cemetery in Frome (pronounced Frume), about a half hour from where we live. We had a beautiful sunny day, I had a guidebook and we saw a lot of really old stuff! Then we managed to get directions to head to a car boot sale (= flea market) and buy some really cheap stuff, and finally went to Woolworths--does anyone remember Woolworths from childhood days? I sure do!

We have had such glorious sunshine, cold mornings but warm afternoons...today is kind of gloomy though but that's OK, since Mary is at school and I'm trying to work.

We spent some time in Bath on the weekend. I think it's beautiful...Mary does too, but she did comment that the rowhouses look like something from a Communist-design school of thought. I never really thought of it like that before. We have had some pub food--the rule seems to be , serve chips with everything--case in point, ravioli with chips. We are going to eat at home as much as possible.

Mary's place in Vancouver isn't rented yet, so if you happen to know of anyone needing a furnished two bedroom place for at least a month, let us know and we will put you in touch with the rental agency. I think there are still chances it will get rented come January...at least we are hoping for that.

I still haven't tried driving but I need to start soon. Mary is zooming around quite confidently though she's turned into the wrong lane a time or two--those turns are hard. And I still have brief moments when I am shocked to see a child, or a dog, driving the car...til I remember, oh right, driver is on the right side.

Mary will be posting here occassionally too so you can get a perspective other that just mine.

More in a few days....

Karen

pictures...

just to give you an idea of where we are...

The town of Peasedown

Hi all

I went to the Post Office yesterday. It's an old building, selling postal services of course, some stationery supplies, greeting cards...and 2nd hand books, which seemed a bit odd...and then, dog food and pet supplies (?) There are three convenience stores, one of which is a co-op and has quite a lot of the supplies we need, though we are driving to a nearby town once a week to do a big shop. All of the convenience stores are heavy on the candy, chips and alcohol...I wish they had a bit more in the way of produce.

When we were grocery shopping, we were consuming every free sample offered and the guy behind the counter asked Mary where she was from--and guessed Texas! Yes, that is quite the Texas accent she has. :-) I keep being surprised when people ask me where I'm from because I think I don't have an accent. Of course I don't understand half of what people say to me the first time--I am constantly asking for repeats. I'm trying to pick up on the differences in words...of course we all know petrol rather than gas, most of us know crisps instead of chips, knickers instead of underpants...but I realize I should ask for a single ticket on the bus rather than one-way, the street beggars ask for small change vs spare change...and I am still not sure what a quid is (I asked a boy at the grocery store what kind of coin I needed to put into the shopping cart to release the key and he said, one pound quid. Why "quid"? why not just "one pound"? these are the things that keep me awake at night--well, that and jet lag...and middle age)

The bus system here is a complete mystery to me. We get schedules, we go on line, and I end up having to go into the station and ask a live person because I can't figure it out--and even then two people behind the same counter give me conflicting answers! I want to head into the city of Bristol next week...the amount of planning it takes is exhausting--I think I'll go have a nap!

I went to the university yesterday to meet Mary and saw her closet of an office, shared with four others...then we headed to the pub because her faculty, professors and students, meet there on Wednesdays. Some great people, from all over the world--Thailand, Pakistan, Italy, Finland..she is in an interesting field!

We had a day of heavy rains--I was the only person in Peasedown with an umbrella.
This weekend we are heading to Frome (pronounced frume) which has the greatest concentration of historical buildings in all of England or something like that. we also want to get to Stonehenge, which is just an hour away, even though everyone says it is disappointing. But still, we're so close--can't miss it!

More later...we miss you all!

Karen

The adventure begins!

Well maybe that heading isn't exactly accurate...the adventure began awhile ago, but now we are finally both here and settling into the rhythm of being here. We are in an area that is kind of suburban, kind of rural...we look out the bedroom window to see horses, cows, goats, sheep. It is pastoral! All those movies of English countryside?--they are accurate. Mary and I went for a walk last week and ended up in the cutest village, all stone houses, , fields and farms, middle-aged women with dogs hiking through the fields wearing their Wellies. I guess at some point I will get used to it all but I am walking around with my mouth hanging open, just loving it.

Mary has a commute to the university, and bus service at night is sparse...but traffic during morning and evenings is total gridlock once you get close to Bath. She's still trying to figure out the best time to leave and get there, but it seems to be coming together. She is liking her program but hasn't had the greatest communication from the university...she just found out that apparently 1200 graduate students had not yet registered for classes and it was the second week of school, so the university was all irate and threatening to cut them off from email access. Well, duh, that's the only way they can register. Makes my college look like the height of efficiency!

We had a belated Thanksgiving dinner last night and invited one of Mary's classmates, who's Finnish and is here for three months studying prior to returning home. It was great to socialize...I imagine we will have a lot of time on our own, but that feels fine. I insisted Mary turn the heat on when I arrived--she kept telling me you get used to the chill, but now that it's on, she finds the house more comfortable. And then the temperature warmed up and we're having some lovely fall days. I don't know what winter will be like here, but hey, it's only this one time, and if it rains a lot, that's certainly something we're used to in Vancouver!

The roads here aren't very well signed--we went into a nearby town to get groceries, and got there fine but it was really confusing to figure out how to get home. I guess they figure you should already know where you're going. but the town (Midsomer Norton--I just love these names!) had FIVE charity shops (AKA 2nd hand stores) so we got some good bargains. It is amazing to me that hauling my luggage over, I kept thinking, I have too much stuff, I should have brought less...and as soon as I got it in the dresser and closet, I thought, I don't have enough stuff!

Well guess that is long enough to begin with...we will keep you posted. I hope to post some pictures once I figure out how to do that. there are just so many systems and transportation issues and money to figure out, I am trying to take it a bit at a time.

Hope all are well!

Karen