Feeling Fuzzy

Rule #1 about getting over jet-lag is that you DO NOT take a nap during the day that you arrive at your destination. You're supposed to stay up until the normal bedtime to make sure your body is exposed to daylight and to help your internal clock to be reset. Despite this, we had about a four hour nap yesterday. We tried to stay busy by returning the rental car, going to the grocery store, and starting to unpack, but we were dead tired and soon succumbed to the enticement of our moldy bedroom. When we finally were able to drag ourselves back out of bed, it was 4:30 and dark outside. Oops... so much for being exposed to ample daylight.

To make up for it, we stayed up until about 10:00 by finishing unpacking, writing a few e-mails, making a couple of phone calls and watching one of our long-waiting lovefilm DVDs, "Dawn of the Dead" (the 2004 remake). I took two Excedrin PMs before bed to make sure I slept through the night without waking up every couple of hours. They worked, but apparently I didn't need to do that because Kristen slept through the night just like I did.

Despite having slept for 11 hours, we feel pretty fuzzy today. Sort of like you feel when you have the flu (minus all of the pain, fever, and congestion). Today we will be very firm on the "No Nap" rule. It is New Year's Eve today, of course, and to be "cool" (or at least feel like you have a life), you're supposed to "do something". Everyone always asks, "What are you doing for New Year's?" I was thinking we would get a cheap bottle of champagne and go watch fireworks somewhere, but, to be honest, I don't think we'll make it until midnight. If we had gotten home on the 29th, as per our original itinerary stated, we might not be so tired today (which brings the narrative neatly up to what happened during our return from Oregon).

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Our flight from Portland on the 28th left at 6:20am, so J-Mom (the saint that she is)took us to the airport at 3:45am to get there by 4:30 for international check-in. We checked in very quickly and without complications. The agent was VERY nice and even rounded down by one pound the weight of one of our bags to fit in under the 70 lbs regulation (gotta love Continental's customer service). Then we took our luggage to the TSA checkpoint to be x-rayed. Three bags went through without molestation, but one of our big suitcases was opened up so they could check the beer bottles. We got through security with no trouble apart from the usual removal of belt, shoes, jacket, etc.

We arrived in Houston at about 12:00 noon, local time, and started killing time of the 3 hour plus lay-over. Sequestered in the waiting area of one of the unused gates, we nursed ourselves with Starbucks products, had lunch, read magazines, people-watched, and so on. About an hour and a half before the scheduled boarding time, Kristen just happened to be walking by our gate and heard an announcement. The flight was oversold, so they were looking for volunteers to fly the next day in exchange for a $500 flight voucher per person, free night's stay at a hotel, and $60 worth of meal vouchers ($10 per person for the three "meal times" we would encounter during our delay). She quickly came back to our spot at the other gate and told me about it, so we rushed over to talk to our gate agent. The vouchers are valid for one year for any Continental (or partner) flight. We just had to stay the night in Houston at the Wyndham Hotel, then take a two-leg flight the next day, via Newark. Our checked bags would stay at the airport, so we would only need to check in and go through security the next morning. Very enticing, but not an easy decision to make. We told her we would think about it and get back to her.

Though we were reluctant to extend our travel time by an entire day, we had a hard time thinking of a reason why we could turn down $1000. There was nothing pressing we needed to get back for and, really, what's the harm in staying in Houston for a night with all expenses paid. So, we went for it. The overseas leg was from Newark at 6:40pm on the 29th and there were two flights from Houston to Newark to choose from. The later one only left an hour between connections. The flight that we had just opted out of was already delayed by 30 minutes, so we decided to go with the earlier flight to Newark despite having another 3-hour lay-over. We also made sure to have our seats booked ahead of time: emergency row, dammit!

After getting all of that organized, we caught the shuttle to the airport Wyndham Hotel with our vouchers in hand. We assumed it would be some low-end hotel, clean but no frills. The Wyndham was not only a "nice", newish hotel, but they put us in a suite... with TWO TVs even! We had dinner in the hotel restaurant which actually wasn't too bad, so we spent two of our three $20 meal vouchers on that meal. Since we had opted for the earlier flight from Houston, we had one meal voucher too many. So... a nice dinner, a comfy king-size bed, and trashy American TV... we were well-rested for the next day's travel. Much more than we were for our flight from Portland.

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The 30th... We checked out of the hotel at 8:30am and took the shuttle back to the airport. This time the check-in didn't go as smoothly. We tried the "e-Check-IN" and there was some problem with my passport scanning in. The machine was treating me as though I needed a visa to travel to the UK. An agent ended up checking us in manually. Then when we went through security, they told me my ticket was flagged for "special security security screening", denoted by SSSS printed on it. Why I was selected, I have no idea. We were diverted to a security blockade at an entirely different part of the terminal which we had to walk through a parking garage to get to which made me wonder if I actually would get a body cavity search. To my relief, they only made me take off my shoes and belt and then submit to being questioned, groped, scanned, and having my carry-ons examined while Kristen waited patiently on the other side of the blockade. It took all of my resolve to stop myself from making several jokes about how thorough they were being with me.

On the way to our gate we joked about the scenario that every flight would be oversold and how we could then have so many vouchers that we wouldn't be able to use them within a year. This turned out to not be much of a joke because 10 minutes before boarding they made another announcement offering $300 per person and meal vouchers to take a flight the next day, but preferably someone who did not have a connection in Newark. That saved us from weighing that option too seriously.

BUT, when we got to Newark and had waited at our gate for a couple of hours, they made yet another announcement that the flight was oversold. They must do this a lot during the holidays because I heard the same thing for several other flights at the terminal. This time they were offering the $500 vouchers (because it was for an international flight) and a night's stay in Newark. We were REALLY tempted, but decided against it because we were would rather get home than to add another 24 hours to our journey and have to wear the same clothes yet again. But maybe we should have anyway. After all, that's $2000 of vouchers! Then again, we're pretty relieved to be home.

We landed in Gatwick at 6:40am yesterday and got through immigration and customs without any problems. Our other big suitcase had been opened by TSA in the US, again to check the beer bottles. One of the bottles had been taped over with their security tape and there were two notices placed in the suitcase; one stating that the bag had been searched and another stating that they had removed a "flammable item" from the bag. I KNEW the bag felt lighter! They stole my bottle of Techron (a fuel additive from Chevron that you can buy in sealed bottle form)! I had planned a couple of months ago to buy that and bring it back here for the BMW, but now some TSA is probably putting it in his own gas-tank! Argh! On the bright side, everything else that we packed made it over.

It is cheaper to rent a car than to park your own car in long-term parking or take a train, coach, or shuttle from the airport to Norwich, so that's what we did. For 37.99 pounds, 11.39 pounds worth of petrol, and 2.5 hours of driving time, we were back in Norwich with ease. OK, maybe not that easy. It's not a real treat to drive for nearly 3 hours after being up for almost 24 hours (not counting the travel on the 28th), but still something we will repeat should we ever have to fly into Gatwick again.

Whew! This is a long blog entry! I better go. Kristen is dangerously close to taking a nap on the couch right now. I need to make sure she stays awake!

-RP-

Seems fitting to draw attention to this nice little article:

10 Things We Learned About Blogs

We're Back!

And have we got some stories to tell... but we're fading fast under jet lag's heavy burden. The stories will have to come later!

STAY TUNED for the final chapter in our X-mas vacation and pictures from the trip (coming soon)!

Well, our little vacation is drawing to a close. It's been fun, but a bit hectic. I've gained three pounds as of today, so it's maybe a good thing the holidays are over. Have to get back on my bicycle when we get back to Norwich.

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Christmas was festive and full of gifts. The poor tree was almost dwarfed by the amount of presents underneath it. According to Kristen and Jenna, this was the most presents in recent memory. We've got a lot of new kitchen utensils and other useful items to bring back!

The Catholic Mass on Christmas Eve was an interesting experience. Though I am far from being religious, I'm always intrigued by religious customs. It was enlightening to be a part of this, despite feeling grossly out of place and a bit overwhelmed by the in-unison responses to the priest's sermon. Kristen and Jenna were as flumoxed as I was, I think. At the beginning of the service, as everyone was arriving, people were so noisy. It sounded like a cafeteria in there! Even I was a little appalled at this. It just seemed like people should have had a little more decorum, but that's just me.

Christmas dinner (on the 25th) was divine. We ate around 4:30 in the afternoon. The meal was cooked by J-Mom, Kristen, Jenna, and I. Before Mass, on Christmas Eve, I injected the turkey with homemade marinade, something you usually do when you are going to deep-fry the turkey. However, we cooked this turkey in an oven bag. Now, I have been swearing for years that the ONLY way to get a juicy, succulent turkey is to deep-fry it (not as greasy as it sounds, by the way). I have now seen how wrong I was. J-Mom's oven-bag method worked wonders! Definitely a great alernative to the hassle of dealing with 4 gallons of peanut oil and an outdoor cooker. But I digress... in addition to the turkey we also had honey-glazed ham, sweet-potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, homemade gravy, mustard sauce, cranberry sauce (whole and gelatinous), and deviled eggs. We had brought some "Christmas Crackers" from England which we pulled before dinner, so we could all wear the silly paper crowns while we ate. No dessert on the menu, but I did steam a small English Christmas Pudding which three of us shared. Not bad. A lot of raisins in that thing, though!

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We had leftovers tonight and earlier today for lunch. Kristen and J-Mom made the pumpkin pie which was supposed to be for yesterday. They had decided to make it tomorrow, but I lobbied steadily for it to be made today and they conceded.

Tomorrow is packing day. We have a lot of errands to run. Need to go to the storage room and Borders (for Kristen to use a gift certificate). We're going to try to squeeze in a lunch at Markum Inn which was our "last meal" here before we moved to Belgium a little over a year ago. It might be the last time we can go to it because J-Mom and Jake are moving from Aurora. Anyway, I hope we can fit all of our crap into the suitcases and still be within the weight limit (70lbs MAX).

We fly out at 6:20am on the 28th. Have to be at the airport at 4:00am. Sheesh! We arrive in London at around 9:00am on the 29th. Then we have to pick up our rental car and drive to Norwich. We are going to be some tired little bastards!

-RP-

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

GOD JUL!

FELIZ NAVIDAD!

We're back in Aurora now (since yesterday afternoon). Kristen is out in the kitchen making several dozen Christmas cookies of varying caliber and ilk. Time-honored family recipes that are the cornerstone of her family's Christmas celebrations. Of course, I'm the lucky one who gets to taste them as they near completion. I've already gained one or two pounds on this vacation.

Last night I went to Hillsdale McMennamin's for a couple of beers with a friend I met through BeerAdvocate (his blog Rooftop is in the links section, below, on the right). We traded some homebrews and talked about beer, brewing, politics, our lives, etc. Admirably, he's not ready to give up on America and expatriate like we did (not yet anyway)!

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The trip to Eugene was fun. Where did I leave off? Oh yes, on Sunday we went to the Piccadilly Fleamarket (one or two Sundays per month). A whole lot of crap under one roof, but I'm sure there are some valuable things here and there. We didn't buy anything apart from an antique bowling pin. Kristen has now officially started a collection (we have two of them). They will be staying in our storage room for the moment! After the fleamarket, Dad'n'Bev took us for brunch at Marie Callender's. We left quite stuffed, swearing that we would never eat again.

On Monday, we drove up to Sisters, OR to visit Jim'n'Judy. Tom'n'Nancy, Kelsey'n'Brandon, Nanny, Kristen'n'I all piled into a big ol' SUV and made it up there in about 2 hours. Nice drive through the mountains, along the McKenzie River. A beautiful day in Sisters. Jim'n'Judy's house was packed with extended family. It was one of those family Christmas gatherings like you see in the movies: kids running around, babies being passed between relatives, the lads out front playing basketball and throwing a football, stuff like that. We took a walk to Judy's stables to see her Friesians and say hello to the new addition, Smoke [video] (a young stallion that we first met on our trip to The Netherlands). It's hard to tell these horses apart sometimes because being perfect examples of the breed, they are all perfectly black and sleek.

We all packed back into the SUV and returned to Eugene that evening. Nanny took us all to Applebee's for some good ol' American food. After dinner, Brandon and I played Playstation 2 for a little while. One day I'll have one of my own... one day...

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Looking forward to Christmas. On Friday evening we are going to Christmas mass. That should be interesting. I hope my heathen skin doesn't get flayed off as soon as I cross the threshhold!

-RP-

Thanks to Starbucks, we have been able to ease the burden of jet-lag. There is one Starbucks in Norwich. But they are peppered across the US landscape like gas-stations. Some free-standing, some inside supermarkets, others with a drive-thru. All shilling highly caffeinated designer beverages with exotic names like Venti Iced Caramel Macchiato or Grande Chai Tea Latte. We're here in America, so we dove directly into the consumerism. Just easier that way!

We're currently in Eugene, at Nanny's house. Drove down here yesterday after I was finished bottling my aged barley-wine and cider (both of which I am VERY happy with, I might add... I can't believe I brewed that!). Anyway, after going to Old Navy to stock up on some clothing that isn't too small for me (as it has been in England and Belgium), Nanny took us to BJ's Brewhouse for dinner. Some good ol' tasty American fare, we each had the "Giant Stuffed Potato", mine of course accompanied by a pint of brewpub beer. My belly was about to burst by the time we left.

Today we spent the day with Kristen's Dad and Stepmom. Went to the 5th Street Market which is where we bought the rings we are wearing. It was the same jeweler, so we told her we had gotten married and still live in Europe. She polished our rings and reformed mine a bit because it had gotten a little bent when I smashed it against the metal buckle on this huge wooden trunk in our apartment in Belgium. She was jealous that we had escaped the Bush regime (a comment she had made the first time we were there). We talked a little bit about our favorite conspiracy theories regarding the Ohio ballots and about how a lot of people got upset about Bush getting a second term but now no one is talking about it anymore, you just don't hear about it. Anyway, probably the "coolest" jeweler we know (we don't know many). She must have been an "ex-hippie". She has that vibe about her.

After a dose of window-shopping, we went back to Dad'n'Bev's house and relaxed for the afternoon. Took a walk by the river. Had Christmas cookes and some other snacks. Now we're back at Nanny's vegging out in front of the tube. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is on in a little while, so we'll definitely watch that. It's not Christmas unless you watch Christmas Vacation.

"Tis the season to be Mary!"

Tomorrow we'll be spending the day with Dad'n'Bev again. Going to Picadilly Fleamarket and then to brunch.

-RP-

We arrived in Portland yesterday at about 8:15pm. By the time we got to Aurora and hit the sack, we had been up for nearly 25 hours straight. A long day, but I vaguely remember us floating over Greenland on the way over the Atlantic. I went out like the proverbial light, but Kristen couldn't fall asleep right away. That's normally the case. I can usually sleep through anything (except daylight). We both woke up around 5:30am, but willed ourselves back to sleep for another two hours.

First order of the day was to go to an American supermarket/department store to stock up. It was great to again be in a true haven of capitalist virtue. We loaded up on caffeine at the Starbucks INSIDE the department store, then went down each aisle of the supermarket "division", loading up on all the various things we had been missing (like Quaker Oat Squares and NW microbrews).

Another craving we'd been having in the weeks leading up to this trip was for Taco Bell, a craving we ended up taking care of today as well. Unfortunately, as sometimes happens, it was a less-than-sensational taste experience. Sometimes you hit a Taco Bell that just doesn't put the burritos or whatever together correctly or it's lukewarm or overcooked. Today was one of those days, but it was still pretty good.

Jake invited me to go with him to fly his Cessna from the Aurora airfield to Lenhart's (sp?). The plane had been repaired for a problem with one of the radios and now needed to go back to it's hangar. Of course, I jumped at this opportunity. Any time I can "head up there" with him, I'll do it! Lenhart's is only about 3 minutes from Aurora (by air), but we flew around for a bit first. Did a steep ascent to above the fog/smog layer and then a 70-80 degree turn or two, pulling a couple of Gs. Felt all of my internal organs sink into the soles of my feet. I don't know how fighter pilots do it without going unconscious! Even at 2-3 Gs, my peripheral vision started to flutter. Before we headed to Lenhart's, we flew over the house and I was able to take a picture of it.

Back on the homefront, the ladies of the house were decorating the christmas tree and drinking egg-nog. By the time we got back, they were done and relaxing in the living room. A beautiful tree and the house smells of pine-needles. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

I drove to Hubbard to have a quick rummage in our storage room, say hello to our stuff. Grabbed Kristen's Johnny Mathis Christmas CD, my Agneta Felskog Christmas tape, a box of assorted aged homebrews, and the serving line for the two 5-gallon kegs of beer that have been safely kept at the house. I plan to bottle them on Friday.

Kristen made Bruschetta and shrimp-salad for dinner tonight. A light meal to make up for our naughty lunch. Delicious!

-RP-

Our tentative itinerary for the Oregon trip:

-Arrive Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 7:55pm PDX (Continental Airlines, from Houston) and to be picked up by Kristen's sister.
-In Aurora from Dec. 14-17
-Drive to Eugene on Friday Dec. 17 to stay at Nanny's from Dec. 17-20.
-Drive to Sisters (a city in Oregon, to the unitiated) for the day on Monday, Dec. 20 with Tom & Nancy.
-Back in Aurora Dec. 21-28 for Christmas
-Depart Tuesday, Dec. 28 at 6:20am from PDX.
-Arrive in London/Gatwick at 6:55am on Dec. 29th

This Past Weekend

My dad has been in Denmark since October, on business. We had asked him to come visit us sometime before he flew back to Florida. He'd been so busy in Denmark that he wasn't able to leave until this past week. So he booked a ticket through London with a 48 hour stop-over. Originally, the plan was for him to come up to Norwich, but it proved to be too complicated so I decided to go down to London to meet him.

Actually, I was going to go to London anyway because I had been planning for about a month to go to the Digital Futures seminar at the National Film Theatre (a seminar focusing on the digital future of cinema with comparisons of 16mm, 35mm, and digital projection, then a panel discussion). I'm going to write my MA dissertation about this subject area, so this was to be part of my research. I had a couple of questions prepared that I wanted to ask the panel. Anyway, as fate would have it, my dad was flying in on the same day as this seminar. I booked two tickets so I could take him along.

The plan was to pick him up from the airport (Gatwick), go to the seminar, then check in at a hotel in London. His flight (Maersk DM205 from Billund, Denmark) was due in at 12:55. That would give us about two hours to get to the National Film Theatre. It takes about two and a half hours to drive to Gatwick from Norwich, so I left at 10:00am, too early to check the flight information since it hadn't even left Denmark yet. I arrived at Gatwick at 12:40. When he hadn't appeared by 13:30, I was starting to get concerned so I ran in to the terminal and checked the monitors: flight delayed, arrival at 13:51 (an hour delay!). Things were starting to look pretty grim, but if he made it out by about 14:00, then we might still make it. Mapquest quoted the drive time from Gatwick to be 47 minutes. The seminar was scheduled to start promptly at 15:00.

He didn't come out until 14:20. We quickly hugged "Hello", tossed his bags in the trunk, and took off. It was smooth sailing until we got inside the London Orbital (M25). I still had a glimmer of hope that we would make it, perhaps a bit late, but make it nonetheless.

When we were idling in traffic, nearly an hour later, I had lost all hope. Driving in London is NOT an option (see earlier post from today). We arrived at the NFT at 16:45. By then, I had given up on the seminar, but I wanted to see if there were any pamphlets handed out, so I went inside while my dad waited in the car, parked in a loading zone. The security guard told us we weren't allowed to stay there long and then went back into the warmth of his booth.

I asked the NFT box office if there were any pamphlets handed out for the seminar. They told me to ask one of the ushers when it ended (which was supposed to be 15 minutes later). I tried to go in just to stand in the back for the last bit, but the ushers stonewalled me. So, I went to pick up my tickets. OK, fine... you can sit over here in the back of the theatre. I watched about 5 minutes of a digital projection of The Wizard of Oz and then they brought up the panel of experts for questions. I stuck around for about 20 minutes, but I was concerned that my dad was getting hassled by the security guards (and he also had mentioned at the airport that he really needed to pee), so I left before it ended. It had already run over by about 30 minutes, so it was due to end any minute anyway.

I went back out to the car and we followed out Mapquest directions to the hotel near Hyde Park (a scheduled drive-time of 6 minutes). An hour later, we arrived and checked in. Oh, I forgot to mention that we were running dangerously low on gas by this point. Petrol stations are not abundant in London. Two strokes of good fortune, though: since it was a weekend, we could park on the residential street through Sunday (instead of paying 30 lbs. per day to park in a lot). Plus, we didn't have to pay the congestion fee for driving in central London because they only charge that Monday thru Friday.

After dumping our stuff in the hotel room, we went out to have dinner. We tried to go to a pub that I had been recommended but it was jam-packed, so we went to Cafe Rouge (a French restaurant chain). Pretty good food! Then we walked around a bit before heading back to the hotel. We stopped in the lobby bar to have a beer and I caught the last 20 minutes of the X-Factor results show (Steve/Simon Cowell won).

On Sunday we ambled around central London for the day: had full English Breakfasts for brunch; walked around Oxford, Bond, and Carnaby street; salivated over all the amazing new computers at the gigantic Apple store; bought chocolate from Charbonnel et Walker (my dad bought a massive amount of chocolate for Kristen and I); rode the Tube; took a breeze-through tour of the National Gallery (unfortunately, my favorite Caravaggio painting "The Supper at Emmaus" was at an exhibition in Naples); and stopped back at that pub from the night before (Churchill Arms) to have a pint. Then we went back to the hotel to pick up our bags, which we had checked in with the concierge. Then it was time to head to the petrol station and out of London.

We tanked up just fine. Then we tried to get out of London. It took us nearly two hours to get to Gatwick (a total of 36 miles)... again, I refer you to the earlier post about driving in London. I had planned to get on the road by 18:00 to go back to Norwich, so I wouldn't get home too late. I missed that deadline by an hour and a half. My dad checked in at the Gatwick Hilton and we headed over to McDonald's for a quick dinner. I didn't really have time for anything else.

Arrived in Norwich at 22:15... knackered beyond belief! But then I loaded Kristen up with all of the goodies my dad had brought from the US and Denmark, and the chocolates from London. Early Christmas! I'm looking forward to going through all of my grandfather's 8mm films (I asked my dad to bring them from Denmark). There were more than I realized (a prolific filmmaker, I guess)!

Despite the spirit-dampeningly large amount of fiascos over these past two days, I had a nice time with my dad. It was good to see him, even though it was just a quick trip. Now I just need to get my mom and sister over here for a visit. Well, 2005 is just around the corner.

Tomorrow, Kristen and I leave for Oregon. We'll be there until the 29th. One of my classmates offered to give us a ride to Gatwick (yep, back there again)... very generous of him, especially since we have to leave by 7am at the latest! We owe him big time!

-RP-

Driving in London

Don't do it. Avoid this at all costs. I would rather stick bamboo shoots under my fingernails than have to drive through London again. Seriously.

The city-planners need to be dragged naked through their twisting and turning streets, tarred and feathered, given paper-cuts one the webbing between their fingers, flogged with a garden hose, pelted with tomatoes, AND THEN shot! To get from point A to point B, you have to go via points Q, X, H, and Z.

It took us almost two hours to drive 36 miles from the Hyde Park area of London to Gatwick airport. And when we tried to go from the National Film Theatre to the hotel near Hyde Park (despite mapquest's directions saying it would take 6 minutes), it took us nearly an hour! This was not only because of the continuous switchbacks, jug-handles, one-way streets, roundabouts, and forced left or right turns, but also because of the grossly inadequate signage. What street is this? Is this the A23 or the A21? No, it's the A505. I don't see that on the map. So on and so on. You really need three heads (one to look where you're going, another to see where you've been, and a third to look at the map) and two sets of arms to successfully navigate (or perhaps a GPS would do it).

And then there's the traffic. London is worse than LA (at least LA's roads are laid out fairly sensibly). Laughably, they have dubbed most of central London a "Congestion Zone". This means that everyone who drives through there during business hours, has to pay 5 lbs. per day. This didn't seem to work. In fact, not only is it still congested in there, it's even more congested OUTSIDE this zone!

OK, to be fair, I can't compare a European city to a US city. Pretty much every city, town and village in Europe was built long before cars and paved roads where even close to being realized. They didn't think to lay out the cities in a grid pattern. But, surely, a city like London... they could have designed the traffic flow a little better. I can't propose a solution for that mess (other than perhaps building some freeways from the M25 into the city which would require kicking a lot of people out of their homes), but that doesn't quell my complete disgust for the parties responsible. For crying out loud, PUT SOME DAMN STREET SIGNS UP! LABEL THEM SO PEOPLE IN CARS CAN SEE THEM! There's this story that during WWII, they took down all the street signs so if the Germans invaded, they wouldn't be able to find there way around. Well, I don't think they ever got around to putting the signs back up. IT'S 2004, IT'S TIME TO STOP PROCRASTINATING!

-RP-

PhD'ing?

Before I started my school year at UEA, my intention to continue with a PhD was certain. The idea was to get a PhD and then move on to teaching at university level (being an "academic"). Around mid-October, I started to question that idea. Started thinking about the possibility of jumping into archiving after my MA dissertation was done. If, for example, the archive at which I do my internship offered me a job and I would take it. As I tend to do, I've been ruminating on this since then, but I have not committed to a decision. And I still don't think I can.

I was just at a meeting today regarding PhD work (how to apply for funding, tips for writing a proposal, etc.). I thought the meeting would help me come to a conclusion more quickly, but I'm still a bit on the fence about it. Perhaps not "on the fence", but more just unsure of which path I'd like to take. OK fine... I'm on the fence!

There are two ideas that I've been considering for PhD research. Both of them are of great interest to me and also timely/important projects (I'll refrain from divulging them at the moment... the internet is not a private place!). Both are technical, as opposed to theoretical. One of them is in regard to the future of cinema and the other is in regard to the past. But they are both projects that I'm interested in doing just because they are important bits of research. In some sense, the PhD would just be a bioproduct of the research.

The thing is, I'm not sure I want to be in "academia". I'm not sure I want to teach... at least not formally. So what would I do with a PhD except run around calling myself Dr. Pedersen? The project about the future of cinema moves away from archiving, while the one about the past moves towards archiving (along with other forms of obsolete or going-obsolete technology). My point is, if I do a PhD, I will be off the job-market for at least three years. If I then decide I want to work in an archive, I will be starting almost from scratch because any contacts I've made by the end of my MA will have "gone stale". Then again, if the PhD was the undisclosed historical project, it would bring me a stronger connection with archives.

I spoke to UEA's archiving guru and, luckily for us, the teacher of the course, about this and he said that I should definitely take a job if it's offered to me. He also thought the archiving PhD idea was worthwhile and mentioned that I don't necessarily have to be at a university to do PhD research. Good point.

Another angle on this... at the meeting today, we talked about how to get funding through the AHRB (Arts & Humanities Research Board). For a PhD student, they award between £10,000 and £12,000 per year (sometimes more). Not only would that put me through the three years, it would help me pay off the FAFSA loan I took out this year and perhaps some, if not all, of the loans from undergrad which are still loitering around. A bit enticing. It's not easy to get these awards though. Statistically, 1 in 5 applicants are awarded. These odds can be reduced by filling out the forms correctly and having an enticing research proposal (which I think I do).

So... what to do?. The funding board does not notify until July at the earliest, but the deadline is May 1st (around the time I would be at my archiving placement). I can apply for funding and then choose one of the following scenarios as my "golden path" (in no particular order):

1) Receive funding and continue with a PhD -> teaching at uni or working in archive
2) Receive funding and a job offer at an archive -> take the job instead
3) Do not receive funding, but DO receive a job offer -> take the job
4) Receive neither funding NOR a job offer -> apply at other archives

The choice is not simple, but I feel like this is the only way to go about it. It's an amalgamation of a Lebowskian "tumbleweed" approach and a structured 3-year plan.

-RP-

Cold and foggy this morning!

Random Overdue Photos

Coastal
Picture taken from the cliffs on the Norfolk coast of Cromer.

Duke Street
View of our street. The green door is ours.

Golden Star
The pub on our corner. If I went there more often, it would be considered "my local".

River Wensum
View of the river that snakes around Norwich.

Parking Spot
This is where our car spends most of its time.

Holy Moly!
The vaulted cieling of the Norwich Cathedral.

Holier Moly!
One of the many stained glass windows in above-mentioned cathedral.

Holiest Moly!
The big fancy one in the front.

Dinner Time
Before we had our coffee table (that we use as our dinner table), we had a piece of cardboard as a makeshift tv-tray.

Nightcap
Kristen makes a glass of chocolate milk for dessert while gazing at something on BBC.

Beer Nerd
Yep, that's a bottle of beer... an empty bottle.

Class
The classroom where Film Archiving knowledge is disseminated. It is messy, but that means we're learning.

-RP-

Whinging Antidote

It was good to get those complaints off our chest, but I must admit, we're feeling a bit guilty about it now. After all, there are millions of people who have it MUCH worse. And there are actually some positive things we should mention:

We have a sizable kitchen (3 times the size of the little "slot" we had in Brussels) with a 4-burner stove, big oven, lots of storage and counterspace.

Sitting next to our washer/dryer is a quite nice widescreen TV. Probably one of the most heavily used appliances in the house since we watch a lot of movies.

Despite being right on the street (and hence the almost unbearable street noise), the apartment is centrally located in the city. This means Kristen can walk to work and I can ride my bike to school. Plus, we are close to stores, movie theatres, pubs, etc.

We have an off-street parking spot for our nice car, something that is a premium in the city. Most people either have to park on the street or pay a hefty parking fee in one of the few lots.

Our rent is pretty cheap (for the location), though we could get something nicer and bigger for the same price if we lived outside the city.

As opposed to the immensely uncomfortable two-person couch we had in Brussels, we have a comfy 3-4 person futon couch. I can actually lie down on it!

The two large front windows are double-glazed which makes the traffice noise a LITTLE BIT quieter and the heating bill a LITTLE BIT smaller. Now if we could just get the drafts taken care of and double-glazing on the rear window, we'd be golden... er, brassed maybe.

We have a toaster.

-K & RP-

A Healthy Dose of Whinging

Disclaimer: Though one of us swore that he would not become a "whinger" after moving to the UK, we just have to get this out of our system. Then we can go on not being whingers.

We have recently noticed that our living situation is far from perfect. In fact, it is a mighty big step down from our lovely Brussels apartment. We are making approximately the same amount of money as we were in Belgium, but getting a whole lot less for it. It has taken the latest onslaught of mold to make us realize how many "idiosyncracies" we have been putting up with so far... without complaint. Working from the front door to the back:

Our living room is four feet from a busy street, so traffic noise is unavoidable. When large trucks go by the windows and front door rattle. We have to crank up the volume on the TV when we watch movies to hear dialogue above the roar of motorcycles.

Speaking of the TV, did I mention that it is directly next to the washing machine? The counter and cupboard arrangement in the kitchen prevents it from being in there and there are seemingly no utility rooms in England, so that leaves the living room in our particular situation. The electric outlet placement means that in order to plug it in, we have to run an extension cord from the washing machine, behind the sink and along the counter. Looks really nice.

Regarding the washing machine, it is a washer/dryer all-in-one. The same tumbler that washes the clothes, also dries it... or tries to anyway. It is a "condenser dryer", so not very efficient. To make sure our clothes don't shrink, we have to take them out before they are completely dry (which would normally take more than an hour) and hang them in various places. From what we've heard, we have it pretty luxurious on that score. Most people only have a washer!

There is only one outlet in the living room which seriously limits furniture placement and makes having a lamp impossible. Our lovely overhead lights do not have shades so we have a bare bulb dangling from its cord. Very crack-den chic.

We have a large under-the-stairs closet which would make great storage, if I didn't have to use it for my clothes. There are no other closets or built-in wardrobes in the apartment so we have had to improvise. We managed to get a small armoire into the bedroom (more on that later) but there is absolutely no possibility of getting both of our clothing "repetoires" into it. So I have taken over the storage area, putting a garish yellow bookshelf in the corner to stack clothes on and hanging various plastic grocery bags off of it for socks, bras and undies. Our shoes are in another plastic bag and all unnecessary clothing (summer stuff) are in one of the two giant suitcases also in the closet. I share my wardrobe space with the ironing board and vacuum cleaner, not to mention several cases of Belgian beer. There is no light source or outlet in the closet so putting an outfit together is a bit challenging.

The lack of outlets is also a problem in the bathroom. Lots of charming old houses and hotels do not have electrical outlets in the bathroom. Our apartment is also one of these places, but not the charming kind. It was probably updated in the 70's with new fixtures and just before we moved in the landlord had a new electric shower installed. In order to take a shower we have to turn on the electric water heater inside the linen closet and then remember to turn it off afterward, but this seems to be a normal feature of UK bathrooms. Most people here take baths apparently. What is missing is an outlet for the hair dryer and electric toothbrush charger. There aren't any outlets in the hallway so we have to run an extension cord from the bedroom, down the hall into the bathroom. Of course I would trip on this if we left it out, so every time we use it we have to coil it back up in the bedroom.

Our bedroom is the tiniest room I've ever seen. There is exactly enough room for a queen size futon mattress and a small armoire. That's it. I usually sleep between Rich and the wall, so if I get up before him I have to goose-step over his legs to get out of the room. To open or close the blinds we have to walk across the bed. There are about five inches between the foot of the mattress and the wall and it is in this space where the room's only outlet is. So this is home of the electric toothbrush and the bathroom extension cord. Almost every night one of us hits the tooth brush with our feet and rattles it around. The room is illuminated by another bare bulb. The walls are painted in glossy white paint so when the light is on it feels like being inside a small refrigerator. We've already talked about the mold issue so I won't go through that again here, but related to that, we have had to add another peculiarity to our mornings. When we have both gotten up for the day, one of us has to remove the comforter and pillows and then tilt the entire mattress up to lean it against the wardrobe so that the moisture doesn't create mold again. This makes the wardrobe inaccessible, so Rich has to make sure he has all the clothing items necessary for the day before we do this.

The back door of the apartment is at the end of the hall, right next to the bedroom. The door opens into a small mud room that we share with the upstairs tenant. There is a gap of about 2 inches between the door and the floor which creates quite a draft. It isn't outside air coming in, but the mud room is unheated so it is definitely chilly. We haven't been able to find a draft-blocker (sausage shaped thingy filled with beans or cat litter or?) so we've rolled up an old parka and put it on the floor inside the door.

Moving is not an option at this point so we will have to put up with all of this until summer. We're thinking of it as "paying our dues" or as an interesting life experience that we will someday look back on and laugh. I wonder when that will be??

~K & RP

Back from Scotland

Great trip to Scotland. Glasgow is a grungy, but wonderful city. We really liked it. On the way back, we stopped in Edinburgh. Picturesque, but too many tourists. Won't be going back there again. Our stop-over in York (on the way to Scotland) was brief, but worthwhile. Nice little city. Much calmer vibe than Norwich.

Update on the moldy mattress... On Thursday morning, before we left, I sprayed the mold patches with a bleach solution. It worked! The mold turned a pale brown and I was able to vaccuum it off. You can hardly tell it was moldy. Of course, you can never get rid of mold spores, so we have to make sure it doesn't stay moist for long periods of time.

-RP-

TO WHOM IT CONCERNS:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Moldy Consultation

I called the landlord a little while ago and he came over pretty much right away. He seemed to think that the moisture came from condensation. Since our mattress is directly on the floor, the heat from our bodies creates condensation on the floor because it is a "cold slab". He recommended that we get something to raise the mattress off the floor, so that this doesn't happen.

Fair enough, we should have some kind of futon frame, I guess. But the room is SO small, our choices are pretty limited.

Unfortunately, I think he is right about it being condensation. He promised to have a company come out to check for damp problems, however. I don't get it, though. It was cold in Belgium and we didn't have ANY condensation problems, even on the windows! It is also pretty moist in Belgium, so that's not necessarily the mitigating factor either.

Until we get a bed-frame of some kind, we are going to have to tilt the mattress on its side during the day, I guess.

-RP-

Gorgonzola

The bedroom in our apartment has been having a bit of a "damp" problem. Our window is always fogged and everything feels slightly damp (sheets, pillows, wallpaper). Gradually, we started to notice the walls discoloring a bit. You can see it underneath the wallpaper. Parts are turning yellow and others brown or black.

Yesterday, Kristen was changing the sheets on the bed and she decided she would rearrange the mattress and our wardrobe. When she lifted the mattress she discovered that there were huge pages of green and brown mold on the bottom of it (the side that has been in contact with the carpet. The carpet was quite damp with some mold on it as well. On one wall, where the baseboard meets the wall, there was a patch of green/grey mold. DISGUSTING!

Needless to say, we are going to call the landlord about this. We've been sleeping in a mold incubator! Not sure how we'll clean the mattress (steamer cleaner). Luckily, we're going to Scotland tomorrow for two days, so we can drag the mattress into the living room to let it dry out. Maybe spray some diluted bleach on the moldy spots.

Not sure what the landlord can do about it, though. But something has to be done. It's not healthy to be surrounded by mold spores!

-RP-

Theatre Thoughts

My job at the theatre is fairly mundane. I spend most of my time on the phone with customers either answering questions or booking tickets. The good part is that by the time people hang up, they are happy to have their questions answered or happy to have theater tickets. Every once in a while I have to give someone information they don't want to hear (high ticket prices, sold out shows, etc.) and that can be unpleasant for me and disappointing for them. But over all, the interaction is pleasant or even fun. I get at least one comment every day about my accent which often leads to a conversation about the U.S. (places they've been, family they have in the states, what I'm doing here, differences between the U.S. and U.K., etc.). These calls are always entertaining and I'm constantly surprised by how willing the British are to have a long and fairly personal conversation with someone they've never met (or seen). One day I spent 20 minutes on the phone with an elderly gentleman discussing the presence of American airmen in Norfolk during WWII. The next afternoon I spoke with an American woman who married a Brit, moved to Norfolk, had a baby and then her husband left her. I don't mind spending hours on the phone. Each call gives me hints about the person's life even if we only discuss the current show or where they should park. It is the background noises that capture my attention. I've heard (to name a few) kids talking, televisions and radios playing, dogs barking when someone comes to the door, clattering dishes, exhalation of cigarette smoke, shaky voices of the old or ill, arguments, singing, a cukoo clock, construction noise, mail falling through the slot onto a hard floor, scales played on a piano, and chickens clucking. I automatically imagine what the house looks like and what their lives are like. To the person on the phone I know I am just a voice at the theater. I'm sure they don't think about the few minutes that we are connected and what they might be giving away about themselves.

~K

More...

Tubby
Pain

~K

Surnames for today:

Speller
Crummy
Breeze
Ticktum

~K

Names for today:

Dingle
Marjoram
Balls (!)

~K

When I'm on the phone with customers, I come across funny surnames and regional words every day at the theatre. I will post the best of them...

Surnames:
Bone
Booty
Gooch
Mildwater
Lemon

Word:
Pightle - pronounced "pidle." A patch of ground where the vicar keeps his horse; a small, thin piece of land with a house at the end.

~K

We've been here for almost 11 weeks and I haven't posted much about our experiences. I think part of the reason I've been remiss in my writing is a mild case of culture shock combined with the normalcy of speaking English again. The transition from Belgium to England has been so simple that I haven't felt the impetus to put my feelings into words. There are, of course, many new things to talk about but for some reason I feel that it will be much less interesting for people to read about than our year in Belgium entries. Maybe this is because it has been less interesting for us.

The culture shock has been similar to what I imagine moving back to the U.S. would be: in-your-face advertising, fast food, teenagers in scanty clothing and trashy magazines all over the newsstands. Other things are worse than U.S., most notably the food and a sort of general pessimism that seems to be a British personality trait. Despite the pessimism, people are very nice to us and extremely willing to help or offer advice on any possible subject. Almost every day I get asked what I'm doing in Norwich and if I like it here. One thing we've been dealing with is trying to decipher the Norfolk accent. I guess I was expecting everyone in England to speak with a London accent, which is like expecting everyone in the U.S. to speak with a New York accent - very silly. But aside from that we've faced very few surprises.

We have made an effort to retain as many aspects as possible from the lifestyle we had in Belgium. Our apartment is in the city center which allows me to walk to both of my jobs, as well as a small grocery store. We also walk to the movie theatres, shops and restaurants. Rich rides his bike to school most days so our car is only used on weekends if we do a big grocery shopping trip or take a drive in the country.

What is missing, though, is something hard to define. The Belgians live with a certain sort of style that is more European (for lack of a better adjective) than the British do. Quality of life is most important in Belgium. Time for family, for long delicious meals, for sitting in a café with a coffee, for sitting in the park with a dog, for bicycling in the country. England seems to be shopping, television, soccer, shopping, drinking in pubs, clubbing and shopping. The presentation of simple things like a café meal or a bunch of flowers in Belgium is reserved, artful and thoughtful. Here it is fast and cheap. I know comparing the two countries is not exactly fair. Apples and oranges really. But I can't help it! Once you've fallen in love with a place it is hard to be objective.

Having said all of that, there are things that I love about Norwich and England. Coming soon...
~K

More Reactions

Wow... I have no choice but to put this link on our blog. It's so damn, beautifully poetic! You just have to see it! Click on the link and sift through the galleries.

Apologies

-RP-

More Expatriation Projects

A huge number of Americans have apparently turned to the "expatriation option" as a result of Bush's second term. And to them I say... Welcome to the club! There's something really poetic about that: a president who thinks he has won by a wide margin, ultimately driving American citizens out of the country. If these people follow through with it, the west coast and NE will be ghost towns! And the US will consist of neo-conservatives and fundamentalist Christians... a scary place that would be!

The article:

----

"Americans flock to Canada's immigration Web site
Fri November 05, 2004 01:30 PM ET

By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA (Reuters) - The number of U.S. citizens visiting Canada's main immigration Web site has shot up six-fold as Americans flirt with the idea of abandoning their homeland after President George W. Bush's election win this week.

"When we looked at the first day after the election, November 3, our Web site hit a new high, almost double the previous record high," immigration ministry spokeswoman Maria Iadinardi said on Friday.

On an average day some 20,000 people in the United States log onto the Web site, www.cic.gc.ca -- a figure which rocketed to 115,016 on Wednesday. The number of U.S. visits settled down to 65,803 on Thursday, still well above the norm.

Bush's victory sparked speculation that disconsolate Democrats and others might decide to start a new life in Canada, a land that tilts more to the left than the United States.

Would-be immigrants to Canada can apply to become permanent resident, a process that often takes a year. The other main way to move north on a long-term basis is to find a job, which requires a work permit.

But please spare the sob stories.

Asked whether an applicant would be looked upon more sympathetically if they claimed to be a sad Democrat seeking to escape four more years of Bush, Iadinardi replied: "There would be no weight given to statements of feelings."

Canada is one of the few major nations with an large-scale immigration policy. Ottawa is seeking to attract between 220,000 and 240,000 newcomers next year.

"Let's face it, we have a population of a little over 32 million and we definitely need permanent residents to come to Canada," said Iadinardi. "If we could meet (the 2005) target and go above it, the more the merrier."

But right now it is too early to say whether the increased interest will result in more applications.

"There is no unusual activity occurring at our visa missions (in the United States). Having someone who intends to come to Canada is not the same as someone actually putting in an application," said Iadinardi.

"We'll only find out whether there has been an increase in applications in six months."

The waiting time to become a citizen is shorter for people married to Canadians, which prompted the birth of a satirical Web site called www.marryanamerican.ca.

The idea of increased immigration by unhappy Americans is triggering some amusement in Canada. Commentator Thane Burnett of the Ottawa Sun newspaper wrote a tongue-in-cheek guide to would-be new citizens on Friday.

"As Canadians, you'll have to learn to embrace and use all the products and culture of Americans, while bad-mouthing their way of life," he said.'

Source: Reuters

----

So, Canada is apparently ready and willing to accept these American immigrants, but let me put another option out there: Europe. Come on! If you want to expatriate, make it a challenge! Move to a country that is DIFFERENT from the US! Maybe even a country that doesn't speak English!

-RP-

Resultful

Well... on the bright side, comedians will have another 4 years of easy material. Job security...

Resultless

I didn't stay up to watch the election results coverage after all. And I'm glad I didn't because it doesn't look good and it doesn't look like we'll have an answer anytime soon.

We're actually quite shocked at the results so far. Up until now, we hadn't been overly concerned or giving it much thought. I guess in the back of our minds, we felt like Kerry would definitely win, albeit with a narrow margin. So, we're absolutely shell-shocked to see that it's a narrow margin all right, but in favor of Bush! What the hell is going on in the US!?!? I have serious doubts about the sanity and intelligence of all those overwhelmingly "Red" states! Wyoming, for instance, 69% Bush, 29% Kerry. Or Utah, 71% Bush, 26% Kerry! However, it's good to know that our favorite areas of the US (the NE and the West Coast) are still sane and in possession of a brain!

Election Day

It's hard to avoid the jitters and excitement of the US elections even over here in the UK. We're waiting with baited breath to hear the results, but we're not feeling very optimistic. Given the look of the polls (a close race), memories of the "slightly criminal" 2000 election, mishandling of absentee ballots this year, and new reports of vote-rigging in the swing states, the outlook is quite bleak.

On the BBC right now, there is live coverage of the Clintons casting their votes, the old-fashioned way, in a voting booth. I wonder who they voted for? Now cut to Kerry arriving in Boston at the end of his campaign trail.

I, of course, cannot vote because I am not a US citizen. However, Kristen sent in her absentee ballot a week or two ago. Then we heard the news that Broward County has "mishandled" 58,000 absentee ballots (a huge percentage of people never received them). If that happened on outgoing votes, what happens to the incoming votes? Will Kristen's vote even be counted?!?

So, to say we're eager to find out the results, is an understatement. However, due to the time difference, the earliest we can find out is around midnight tonight. There is an election results special tonight on the BBC at 23.50, but I don't know if we'll stay up the late! Maybe I will.

-RP-

In Other News

I can never decide which country is more of a "Nanny State", the US or the UK. How ridiculous is this!?!!

Britain Weighs Ban on Smacking Children

This week is "Reading Week" at UEA. That means that most classes are not meeting and the students ideally stay home to study. Some people use it as a vacation. While I'm definitely taking advantage of the time off, I still have a couple of classes to attend (Early British TV today and Archiving on Thursday and Friday) and some reading to catch up on. I'm going to be a GOOD STUDENT!

-RP-

The Chirping of Crickets...

Sorry for the lack of activity over the last couple of weeks. We've both been really busy. Please stay tuned over the next few days for some updates (which will be BELOW this post on the appropriate days).

Bung-Plug in the Bung-Hole

On Tuesday and Wednesday I volunteered at the 27th Annual Norwich Beer Festival, put on by the Norwich chapter of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale). It's a fairly large festival showcasing about 200 cask-conditioned Real Ales from UK breweries. There is also a tent with over 100 bottled beers (most of them Belgian). It is a week-long festival which started on Monday and runs through Saturday.

On Tuesday I was a "Steward" (standing by a doorway and telling people they couldn't go in there) from 5pm to 11:00pm. Then I helped roll out the empty casks, roll in the new ones and hoist them up to the serving platform. Got home at around 12:45, but also tried quite a few beers over the course of the evening.

I went back for more punishment on Wednesday. Same hours, but this time I pushed to get behind the bar instead of "Stewarding". A lot more fun and the time went by really quickly. I'm not sure how many beers I poured, but there was a continuous flow of glasses coming at me.

I'll go back on Sunday at 8am to help them break down all the equipment and move it out of the festival hall. Just doing my part for CAMRA!

Official Phestival Photos

-RP-

How does this thing work?
...he said, pointing to his brain.

Today I have to write my first essay in about 5 years. Luckily, it only has to be 1000-1500 words (about 2 1/2 to 3 pages) without footnotes, bibliography, etc. Hopefully, I can get the academic side of my brain working properly... the rust has been scraped off, but it still needs oil. The paper was originally due tomorrow, but he gave all of us an extension until Wednesday. I'm going to be a nerd and shoot for handing it in tomorrow anyway.

-RP-

Trip To London

Today the archiving group took the train down to London. We visited PresTech, a film laboratory that specializes in working with archives. Their processes are designed to help archives make quality prints of their holdings with minimal impact on the precious originals. We were taken around the entire lab and introduced to all of the machinery. Won't bore you with all of the VERY SPECIALIZED details (only interesting to the nerdy film-freaks like myself).

The owner of the lab "graded" our negatives from the film shoot, preparing it for striking a workprint that we will use to edit the film. Later, when the editing is done, we will send the negative back to them for final projection prints to made.

It was a bit overwhelming to be in London, since I have not been in a city that size pretty much since we were in LA. "The Tube" (pronounced "Chube" by the locals) was so full of frenetic energy, I sort of didn't know what to do with myself. Sort of a gloomy day, overcast and rainy; but a fun trip.

-RP-

For my archiving course, we each had to shoot a short silent film using B&W film and a Bolex 16mm camera. The film will then be sent to Prestech Laboratories in London (a lab that specializes in working with archives) for processing. We will then personally go and pick it up (next Saturday) while at the same time getting a tour of the lab. When we return, everyone will edit their film on a Steenbeck (film editting table), cut the negative according to our editted workprint, and send this off to the lab to make a projection print. In this way, we will learn about the entire process involved in making an exhibition print.

So, I've been having a bit of a taste of what I did in my undergrad days at Boston University. However, we never got into cutting the negative and making a projection print there, mostly for budgetary reasons, so I'm really looking forward to trying that out. By the end of this semester, I'll have a 2-minute silent film, ready for projection without any tape splices to get caught in a projector.

I shot my film yesterday. It's sort of an "avant garde" piece and I don't really know what it's about or what it means. The "story" will essentially be made on the editting table. The basic idea is that a lady (played by Kristen) is having a really weird dream which, among a few other things, involves a pumpkin falling and breaking open. Don't ask... I don't know what it means.

-RP-

Pictures of UEA Campus

What is it?
A kryptonite mining camp on a distant planet? No, it's student housing at UEA.

Cubies
More of the same.

Idyllic
This is UEA's own private "broad" (aka "lake").

Warning
But the broad comes with a warning lable. This is the UK, after all.

Concrete
One of the concrete overpasses that links one part of the campus to another.

Arts & Humanities
This is the building where most of my classes are, the "Arts Block". Isn't it just lovely? And another view.

Educated

So, that's one week of classes done. By far the most interesting one is the Archiving course. It's going to be a lot of fun. There are three or four trips this semester alone. In fact, I just got back from our first trip: a film archiving conference in Great Yarmouth (a 30 minute train-ride from here). The conference was held in The Hippodrome. It was built in 1903 and has been the site of an indoor circus/variety show since then. History came full circle because part of the conference was regarding the early days of film exhibition -- "movies" were shown at fairgrounds and variety shows by travelling exhibitors -- and The Hippodrome was one of the venues where films were shown in this area.

Anyway, I'm slowly but surely getting back into the academic mode and I'm being a good boy about keeping up with my reading assignments. And I've been seeing a lot of movies which is always a plus. I really don't envy the people who have there noses shoved in law books or something like that! But I guess they'll be making more money than me when they are through with it... so I don't know who's luckier.

Other pictures from the Great Yarmouth Trip:

-The circus ring.

-The Empire, another building from the early 1900s which is now a nightclub called "Zen".

-1908 theatre (I think), but now bought out by an arcade.

-Group photo of some of us archiving students (from left to right): Vicky, Louise, Audrey, Liana, Clare, & Alex. Audrey and Liana are from the US.

-Another group photo of same people, but with me substituting for Alex.

Cough, cough
After working my first and last Saturday night shift, I am very happy I decided to quit working at the Monk. When the evening began I was a little sad to be leaving, but by 10pm it was five-people deep at the bar and it seemed as though everyone in the place was smoking. Trying to serve drunk, smoking people more alcohol was not very fun and nobody tips in England, so there isn't even a financial pay off for the torture. Thankfully the Monk closes at 11:30pm (as required by law) and I was home, exhausted and in bed, by 1:30am. I think I'm too old for this kind of job!

The theatre job begins October 18th. More info about it here.

Here is the job description I received from the manager:

Varied hours are worked each week on a rota system, usually between 9.00am and 8.30pm Monday to Saturday.

DUTIES:

Using “DATABOX”, the Windows based computerised Box Office and Marketing system, for Norwich Theatre Royal, its Studio Theatre and various outside venues, including the Norfolk & Norwich Festival, Norwich Playhouse, The Assembly House and The Forum.

Office administration including post room duties, manual and computerised filing, customer correspondence, photocopying and stationery stocks. Maintain up to date customer literature stocks and displays.

Be responsible for all transactions, ensuring accuracy and efficiency and for the reconciliation of takings.

Handling special booking and membership schemes sold through the Box Office. Most importantly “Friends of the Theatre”, and “The Corporate Club”.

Developing group sales and maintaining regular contact with organisations such as Social Clubs, Coach Operators, Schools etc.

Continuously updating the customer database and being responsible for a section of it. Collecting valuable marketing information and being aware of advertisements and promotions.

Acquire through training, skills on “DATABOX” for efficient use in the Box Office.

Up date those skills as new procedures are introduced and maintain knowledge of venues, price structures and performances and attend Box Office Briefings.

Promote Norwich Theatre Royal and its facilities as the public’s first contact ensuring the highest levels of Customer Service at all times.

All other duties as directed by the Box Office Management.

The ideal candidate will be bright, enthusiastic and well presented. A pleasant telephone manner and an understanding of good Customer Service are essential, along with previous experience in serving the public and handling cash.

Full training will be given as “Databox” is specialised software but experience with Microsoft Windows is expected.
A flexibility to work rotas is necessary, as is the ability to work well within a team, in a busy environment.
~K

Abducted?

No, inducted. I've been inducted, as in Induction Week. It finished yesterday, so I guess I'm officially ready to get down to business. During the week at the University, we had four seminars that previewed the courses on offer and watched a few films. On Friday, we watched about 5 hours of avant garde 60's short films and a feature by Don Levy called "Herostratus". It was ponderous and excruciatingly long. A pivotal scene was the juxtapposition of a woman doing a strip-tease with the slaughter of a cow. I'm guessing this is supposed to mean that the woman (or sex) is just as much of a commodity as the butchered cow and just as vile to watch? The producer of the film (now in his late 70's) was there to introduce the film and answer some questions afterwards. He hadn't seen it in over 20 years. That's about how long I would need to wait before ever seeing it again. Even still, I'm glad I saw it and it's fun to see films that you might not otherwise see. Plus, these "artsy-fartsy" ones get your academic juices flowing.

It's going to be a good semester. Busy, but good. Apart from the film archiving course (which takes two full days every week), I am taking a course on early British television which is designed to complement the archiving. Presumably so we have a better understanding and appreciation for the material we will encounter in the archive. I'm also auditing a Horror genre class. The professor agreed to let me sit in on it without having to submit work. His only contigency being that I have to commit to coming to the class on a regular basis. That suits me just fine! Really get my money's worth. They've also given us the option of going to any of the undergrad film studies lectures and screenings if we want, as well as weekly postgrad research seminars. I'll definitely do a little of both, time allowing.

Classes start tomorrow at 9:30. Here's my Autumn semester schedule:

Monday
0930-1330 -> FM009 Early British Television (and Screening)
1800- ???? -> FTV Research Seminars (optional)

Tuesday
1000-1300 -> FM 019 FHR: The Horror Film (audited)
1400-1700 -> Screenings: Key Issues in Film Studies (undergrad - optional)

Wednesday
1000-1100 -> EASF1F03 Key Issues in Film Studies (undergrad - optional)
1300-1600 -> Screenings: Early British Television

Thursday
0930-1730 -> FM005 Film Archiving

Friday
0930-1730 -> FM005 Film Archiving

-RP-

What to do.
The interview yesterday went well. It was with two of the theatre managers. I've never been interviewed by two people at one time before and I wasn't sure who to look at. They asked me a whole bunch of questions about my work experience, what I wanted in a workplace, hypothetical situations and a few personal questions. We all got along great and were chatting easily throughout the whole thing. I learned that the theatre is funded by a trust and is non-profit, so all their proceeds go directly back into the theatre. There are education programs, acting classes and all sorts of shows. Working for a non-profit film/TV/theatre organization has always been at the top of my wish list so this news made me very happy. At the end of the question & answer part they gave me a worksheet to fill in and then left me for 15 minutes to finish it. There were some math questions, a couple of theatre business questions and three hypothetical logic questions. None of them were very difficult and I finished in about ten minutes. They came back, sat down and said they had discussed my application and would like to offer me the job. I was immediately ecstatic and relieved! I accepted the job and we all smiled at each other. Yay!

The happy feeling lasted during my walk home and then I remembered that I just started a new job that I would have to quit soon. The theatre job begins October 21 and will be around 30 hours per week to start. There are about 115 full-time employees at the theatre and when there are job openings they always offer them to the 30-hour-per-week people first. I feel there will be good opportunity to move up in the organization and possibly to other departments. And I LOVE being in the theatre environment. It feels like the film festival jobs I've had and loved. My problem is the Belgian Monk.

When I was hired (a whole week ago) at the Monk it was for a full-time position. They wanted someone who would stick around for awhile and wouldn't be looking for other work. As of today, I've had one week of training and have one more to go before I can work a shift on my own. There are no part-time spots open right now so it's either full-time or no-time. I originally thought that I would keep working at the Monk and not say anything to them about having a new job until a week before I needed to quit. But that doesn't feel right. I would feel so guilty every time I was there, knowing I was quitting and not telling them. This morning I knew I couldn't do it. I went in just before opening hours to talk to the manager. I told her exactly what happened and that my new job would be starting on Oct. 21 and after that I would not be able to work full-time. She was nice about it and was happy I told her. The person I am replacing doesn't leave for another 2 weeks and she has a stack of applications for full-time work on her desk so it is not a dire situation. We agreed that I would work tonight and then be done. That way she can pay me for a full week's work and then start training someone new next week. (By law only one person in training can be working at a time, so if I didn't leave she wouldn't be able to start someone new until October 3.) I felt guilty throughout the whole conversation and now, an hour later I still feel badly. Essentially I'm quitting before I even got started. I so wish that the theatre had called me a week earlier then I never would have taken the Monk job.
~K

I have an interview at the Theatre Royal tomorrow at 2pm. What will I do if I get this job? No reason to worry unless they actually offer it to me...
~K

Little Piece of Belgium

Monday afternoon I started my new job at the Belgian Monk, a restaurant/bar that only serves Belgian food and beer (hence the name). It is a five minute walk from our apartment, in the old part of the city. It has been more than 15 years since I waited tables and I'm a little rusty, but my coworkers are nice and the food is great. Rich has been dribbling little bits of beer knowledge into my brain so I can accurately advise customers on what they should order with their wild boar sausages and mash. I'll be working full-time, around 35-38 hours per week. I'm sure there will be interesting things to write about it soon. Here is an article about it.

I'm happy to be working, although the pay is barely enough for our living expenses - it is better than nothing! I plan on working there through the end of the year and then restarting my job search. I'm having a little trouble with the idea (and reality) of being a waitress. I realize that Norwich is a small town and the opportunities are severely limited, but I was holding out hope for something a little more...intellectual? professional? respectable? I don't know exactly what I has hoping for. I keep thinking, "I've got a master's degree. Shouldn't I be doing something real ?" But I don't think bad things about people who wait tables or wonder what's wrong with them that they don't have a career. Why do I think that of myself? There's a lesson in here somewhere.
~K

School Boy

Got a secondhand bike today so I can ride to school on the days when it's not raining. It was £80, made by Flanders (a coincidence that was NOT lost on me... Flanders-> Belgium!). Also picked up a lock, gloves, and helmet, though I don't fancy wearing one because people look like fools with those things on. Kristen demanded it, so I did it to keep her happy!

Look out! Dork on two wheels!

Shoe Leather.

I have now been searching for employment for seven entire days. Searching by trudging up and down and around every street, alleyway and hidden path within walking distance of our house, scanning business windows for help wanted signs. Norwich city centre is now blanketed with my CVs and application forms. I have had two nibbles from my job hunt and one meeting with a recruitment agency (who determined that I am over-qualified for most of their jobs but not really qualified in anything specific so I should take one of their temp. data-entry vacancies). It is nice to know that when I decide I absolutely cannot wait any longer to start working that there are plenty of temp jobs around. The two nibbles are from places that I wouldn't mind working: a restaurant/bar and a theatre. Both of which are within my realm of experience, but neither pay well. Can't be too choosy though! I have an interview tomorrow morning at the Belgian Monk Restaurant (how ironic is that!?) for a full-time front-of-house position which is what we would call duty manager, I think. Rich is going to have to be my beer tutor if I get this job because they are specifically looking for someone who is familiar with Belgian food and beer. The second nibble is from the Norwich Theatre Royal. Their vacancy is in the box office and is only 30 hours per week, so if I get this job I will also need to get a second job. But working in the theatre would be fun and familiar.

With all this job searching/walking over cobblestone streets - I need new shoes!

~K

UEA Induction Days

I completed my school registration on today (getting my campus card, providing UK address, receiving lots of informational packets, etc.). Though I thought it would have been just a quick "pop-in", it turned out to be an all day affair because the "International Student Induction Programme" started already today and lasted until about 4pm. We all packed into one of the lecture halls and listened to several people speaking about different aspects of university life (Norwich, the library, security & safety, Dean of Students Office, medical registration, and things like that). I was surprised about how many "American accents" I heard that day. I kept thinking, "Did I get transplanted to the US all of a sudden?" Also met another guy who is in the Film Studies program (but not Archiving). He and his wife are from Utah. They just got here yesterday, so they have some trials ahead of them.

It will be interesting to see what the campus is like on Monday when ALL of the students have arrived. The induction programme for the MA Film Studies program starts at 3:30. Not sure when classes will actually get going though. Sometime next week I imagine. I'm starting to get pretty psyched about it.

-RP-

Unemployment Blah
I have been hitting the bricks looking for work and am just about worn out. Granted, it's only been four and a half days of serious searching, but I'm getting depressed. I am either over qualified for everything or not qualified at all. Norwich is a small city with only about 100,000 people in the area and consequently the desirable jobs are few and far between. I have sent or emailed my CV to 8 Film/TV/Theater-related places and only heard back from 2. One had no openings and the other (a non-profit theater) has one vacancy, but the pay is so incredibly low that we couldn't survive on it. Unfortunately I have to be focused on the money instead of enjoyment - hello real world! - and that probably means working in a shop or restaurant. Pubs are not on my list because people smoke while they drink and I cannot handle a full day's work coughing my way through clouds of cigarette smoke. Tomorrow I have an appointment at a recruitment agency and my hopes are not high. After that meeting I will be going to a clothing store that is currently hiring and turning in my application. At least the clothes are great...
~K

Further Settlement

I'm happy to report that we have settled in a little bit further:

1) Our first load of laundry is currently drying in our washer/dryer that was delivered yesterday. We have a gargantuan mound of dirty laundry to get through because nothing has been washed since we got here, since we didn't have a washer until now (due to the aformentioned problems). The funny thing is, because of the layout of this apartment, the washer has to be in our living room next to our television! There is no room for it in the kitchen (which is where the Brits normally keep the washer funnily enough). I had to drill a hole through the under-sink cabinet so the hoses could be connected to the hot & cold water outlets and the drain. It is a combo washer and condenser dryer. No vent needed as the water is vaporized, condensed and pumped out to the kitchen drain. Pretty nifty!

2) The deposit on our previous apartment (in Brussels) has been released. Now we can withdraw that reasonable sum and deposit it in our UK bank account. This is good because we end up paying about 4 euros every time we withdraw money from the ING account in Belgium. I'm not sure why, but having £ in a UK account just makes me feel more secure. It's not stuffed in our mattress, but it's at least on the same piece of land.

3) Our BMW has been completely checked over and doesn't have any serious problems. I took it to Mr. Clutch (a automotive service chain) and got the full Gold Plus check-up. Everything single thing was checked. They provided a list of what needed attention, none of it urgent and most of it things I already knew about. The only one that I'm going to take care of right away is replacing the cooling fan assembly. I'm going to do that today after I take the car in for MOT renewal (two years overdue since it was in Belgium for that period of time). After that, I'm supposed to bring the MOT and the certificate of insurance to the Post Office to pay for some other type of certificate (can't remember what it's called at the moment). Then we can officially drive the car here.

4) Kristen is making headway on the employment front. She will be meeting with an agent at Reed Recruitment Agency tomorrow about a few job openings. On top of that, she has some other applications in the pipeline which she hasn't heard back about yet.

5) We have some more furniture: a semi-heinous looking coffee table (the stand-in for that aweful lamp we had in Brussels), a shelf-unit for the closet (which is partially being used as my "cellar") and a wardrobe to cram some of our clothes. More is needed, but it's not as urgent and, frankly, we don't have much room left! Last night we had dinner with the plate on an actual table, instead of our my laps. We felt so civilized!

6) Our Solo debit cards from HSBC arrived today. They're not Mastercard/Visa debit cards, so we can only use them in places that have the "Solo" service and in ATMs to withdraw cash. This was our only option at the moment because we don't have credit in the UK. However, it is better than what we would have gotten from Lloyds. They said they could only give us a "cash account" and an ATM card because we have been here less than 3 years. HSBC gave us a current account (including a checkbook) and these Solo cards. The guy who opened the account said we would start like this and then possibly upgrade to other types of cards once they see how we maintain the account. It seems there is more than one way to interpret the new banking rules. Lloyds chose to be strict to the point of being anal, while HSBC took a more trusting approach. We chose the correct bank, I think.

7) We have a new iron and a vacuum cleaner. The carpet was looking pretty shabby until now. But we still need an ironing board, so there won't be much ironing going on at the moment.

Well, enough for now. I'm heading out to get that MOT done.

-RP-

Summary

We've been here almost exactly two weeks now and we are somewhat settled in. To be honest, after our first two weeks in Belgium, we were a lot farther along than we are here. We've run up against lots of paradoxical stumbling blocks that have really hampered our progress. None of it was directly government red-tape like that which we found in Belgium, here it is more societal.

Our ferry arrived at around 6:50 pm on August 29th. Getting through immigration and customs was a piece of cake. Even though our BMW looked ridiculous with a rolled up mattress and two plastic-wrapped suitcases strapped to the roof (not to mention a completely stuffed back-seat and trunk), we were waved through with the scarcest of glances. Then it was time to drive on the left side of the road. We made it to Norwich in a little over an hour and found our B&B with minimal problems.

The next morning we got up at a reasonable hour and took advantage of the ""Breakfast" part of the "B&B". You just have to start off your time in England with a Full English Breakfast (fried eggs, sausage, bacon, grilled mushrooms, baked tomatoes, hash-browns, baked beans and toast). After that, it was time to strap the suitcases and mattress back on the roof of the car and check out of the hotel. We left it in the parking lot and walked to meet our new landlord at our new apartment.

Our landlord is a nice enough guy. Though he works at a realty agency, this is the first property he has owned to rent out and we are his first tenants (we'll break him in). We were a bit nervous about the apartment because the pictures we had seen weren't very detailed. However, we were mostly relieved, partially pleasantly surprised, and a teensy bit dismayed. Relieved because it was very clean and the neighborhood seemed OK. Pleasantly surprised because the kitchen and living room are a good size, the ceilings are relatively high and there is more storage than we thought (including a large nook under the stairs to the upstairs apartment where I can hide all of my imported beer). The twinge of dismay came when we saw how tiny the bedroom is. You can fit a queen-size mattress and maybe one dresser in there and still be able to get in and out of the room without killing yourself. Our parking space is at the back of the building, right outside our bedroom window, which is comforting.

The 30th was a bank holiday, so we couldn't get much done after we unpacked the car. John Lewis, the big department store where we intended to get a bed, was closed. So, we just wandered around the town a bit. We peeked in some furniture stores in the mall, but everything was out of our price range. Then we decided to go to a movie to kill time (The Bourne Supremacy... very entertaining). After that, we headed back to our disheveled apartment and Kristen made our "bed": our mattress pad (3 inch thick foam pad) and our comfiest sheets. Despite the fact that the entire apartment is carpeted (including the bathroom), this bed was not even remotely comfortable to me. It was a VERY firm "bed". On top of that, we only had our wool throw and a sheet to keep ourselves warm. At some point during the night, I grabbed one of Kristen's long jackets to cover myself. I did not have a good night's sleep, but Kristen somehow slept perfectly fine. That's usually my job!

The next day, we fueled up with some Starsucks coffee and set our priority to get a real bed. We didn't find a bed in our price range at John Lewis, but we did buy a TV (a 28" widescreen JVC) and a fridge (though the one we wanted was out of stock for the moment). The TV was scheduled for delivery later in the week and the fridge was on hold. Then we went to a futon store and purchased a futon couch for the living room and another futon mattress for our bedroom. It's a mattress on the floor, but it's queen-size and comfortable.

We tried to get a mobile phone, but no one would take us because we did not have an appropriate document to prove our address (like a bank statement or utility bill). This is what proved to be our biggest stumbling block: we didn't have a utility bill because we just moved in. So we tried to open a bank account, but they wouldn't take us either for the same reason. We tried to rent a washer/dryer, but they required a bank account for direct debit. We booked phone installation with the local monopoly, but they couldn't install it until the 16th. It became quickly apparent that we would have to have a lot more patience and just wait it out. Sooner or later, some form of suitable proof of address would make its way into our lives. The bad part about having to wait was that Kristen couldn't really apply for jobs until we had a phone number to provide.

Until last Wednesday, we went to the library every morning to get on the internet. I kept looking for mobile phone and internet providers. What I was discovering was that most of the broadband providers required that you have a telephone line from BT (the aforementioned monopoly). I tried with NTL, a telephone, broadband and digital TV provider, but the post code search told me that service was not available. However, a few days later, it became apparent that the post code we were given was incorrect. When I tried the correct one, NTL became a reality. Time to give them a call! We went immediately to a pay-phone we had used a few times already, but someone was using it. So, we wandered through the centre to find another one and, lo and behold, we came upon a NTL promotional booth offering an even better deal than what was on their web-site. Breakthrough! We swarmed the guy and got signed up for telephone, digital cable and broadband with installation much sooner than BT would have done. We were finally getting somewhere.

Yesterday, we received the initial bill from NTL, so we went straight to HSBC to open a bank account. After that, we went to arrange for our washer/dryer rental. It will be delivered on Tuesday, so we can get rid of the ever-increasing pile of laundry. We're holding off on mobile phones for now because we don't need them at the moment.

Our fridge was delivered this past Friday, putting an end to almost two weeks of eating take out and not having any cold drinks in the house. At Salvation Army we found a coffee table, shelf-unit and a dresser which will be delivered to us this Tuesday or Wednesday. Kristen has a few nibbles for job prospects. Registration for me at UEA is later this week. Little by little, it's all coming together. Before we know it, I'll be at school, Kristen will be working, and we'll have an eclectic, but cozy little apartment to come home to. Patience is a virtue.

-RP-