Getting some things sorted

Helen and I started the day with a walk around the canals.  It was another beautiful, beautiful morning, which made walking a pure pleasure.

There were quite a few people out on the path--walking, running and biking.  We also saw a couple of tents pitched off to the side.   I had said "hello" and "good morning" to a few of the people we passed and noticed most people were reluctant to respond.  Helen mentioned that in "Watching the English" anthropologist Kate Fox observed that the English do not want to engage strangers because that might commit them to a conversation.  Apparently, the English also consider it "forward" for one to introduce oneself to strangers--another faux pas I committed last night at choir.  On the other hand, my husband and I have encountered a number of friendly English people who approached us in a very friendly way. 

On the way back, we stopped off at Browns Hotel for a cup of coffee.  The server was so considerate and accommodating, he took time out of a very busy breakfast shift to serve coffee and a muffin to two casually dressed middle-aged women just off the river walk.  I was inclined to leave him a tip, but apparently the custom dictates handing the tip directly to the server.  Tipping here in the UK has been a tricky business.  I started off this trip tipping WAYYY too much, but I didn't connect with this very kind server and I feel bad about that.

Following the walk, Helen, Linda, Linda's husband Paul, our program associate Cath and I met with the building manager for Harry Davis Court so that she could explain the appliances and special features of the apartment, such as the heated towel racks and heated floor.  Building manager Sarah described the "hob"

--what we call the range, the range hood, the grill, etc.  We were admonished to clean up any spills immediately as they could erode the surface.  At one point, she told us to make sure when we grill, we need to make sure the over door is closed.  If the oven door is left open while grilling, it could melt the cabinet doors on either side of the oven. Additionally, she told us we had to program the oven with the correct time, or it wouldn't work.

She described features of the microwave I'd never heard of before--such as programming the weight of the food--ummm, why?  She talked about the lighting features and the special bulbs required.  They come with their own special cloths one can use to insert them into the housing.  She reviewed the special qualities of the dishwasher, the heating under the bathroom floor, etc.  Frankly, I found myself zoning out.  It was all a bit technical.  I found myself wondering if I was equipped to live here.  I don't think I have the technical wherewithal to manage this stuff.

I'm resolved to wash dishes by hand and to avoid using the microwave and the oven.   Looks like it's cheese and crackers with the occasional salad for me.

We made our way to campus for meetings with the director of personnel and the International Development Officer, a tour of campus and a peak at our classrooms.  We then made our way downtown via the Sabrina Bridge.

We actually had quite the list of errands--getting sim cards for our mobile phones, Helen had to take money for the students (who arrive on Monday!), we had to buy groceries at ASDA (a wholly owned subsidiary of Wal-Mart--but that's another story) so the students would have something to eat once they get here, and THEN (drumroll please), we went to register for the National Health Service.

After listening to Helen's horror stories about banking in the UK, we anticipated similar miseries in the NHS registration process.  Much to our surprise, registration was a snap.  We completed three brief forms, had our passports photocopied, and, bada-bing, bada-boom, we were registered. 

I thought it was pretty cool that Linda could register her husband without him being there.  It's also remarkable that the office was open until 6:30 on a Friday evening. 

The office was calm and generally friendly.   

I found it curious that a couple of people who were seeking prescription refills were told to put their prescription requests in a slot in a box and they would be available on Tuesday at tea-time.

Coming from the US system of HIPPA, this slotted box seemed like a rather risky system--how secure could it be?  Still, as Linda noted, what we observed of the NHS seemed like it worked pretty well and certainly didn't seem like it would generate the kind of  hysteria about socialized medicine we've seen  in the US. 

It's been a day of "cultural" learning.  I'll sign off with one last cultural observation:

I can't imagine anyone using "Housewives" in a store name succeeding.  And then, there's the issue of punctuation...