Bring from Home!: US Food Items Not Generally Available in UK

After months of research and hunting around Birmingham I have compiled this list of items that are tough or impossible to find here, and I stock up on the non-perishable items on visits back home:

Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (dry and bottled)

Good Seasonings Italian Dressing mix

Lipton Onion Soup Mix (for dips and recipes)

Lawry's Taco Seasoning

Accent seasoning

Pepperjack cheese

Corn tortillas (available here, but not so good)

Veleveeta cheese

Mezzetta Brand pepperoncinis, cocktail onions, gardiniera

Mr & Mrs T Bloody Mary Mix

Salsa con queso/spicy cheese dip for tortilla chips

Crystal Light lemonade and iced tea packets

Chicken Rice a Roni

Sourdough bread

Canned chopped green chiles

Chipotle peppers

Pequillo peppers

Wheat Thins crackers

Zatarains Jambalaya Mix

Wonton wrappers

The following items are available at Partridge's Grocery store in Kensington in London (thanks for the tip Allison!), but are not readily available in Birmingham (or I assume, in other cities outside of London generally)--also watch out for the very high prices!!:

Motts Applesauce - regular and unsweetened

Stove Top Stuffing Mix

Lawry's Seasoned Salt, Garlic Salt and Lemon Pepper

Zatarain's mixes - Dirty Rice, Red Beans and Rice and Creole Gumbo (no Jambalaya)

Bisquick Pancake Mix

Heinz Chili Sauce

Graham crackers and graham pie crusts

Crisco vegetable shortening & canola oil

Betty Crocker cake & brownie mixes

Heinz Dill pickles - chips, spears and relish

Vlasic sweet and dill pickle spears

Pop Tarts

Hershey's Chocolate syrup

Light and dark corn syrup

Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips (most UK grocers carry only milk or dark chocolate chips)

Skippy Peanut Butter

Old Bay Seasoning

Libby's canned pumpkin

Quaker corn meal

Baker's semi-sweet chocolate chunks for baking

Jiffy Corn muffin mix

Progresso Italian style breadcrumbs

Various american cereals (fruit loops, apple jacks, grape nuts)

I also found these items at Whole Foods in London on Kensington High Street, but have not seen them anywhere else:

Tarragon vinegar

Green tomatillo salsa

Libby's canned pumpkin

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Raw pearl onions

Smoked mozzarella

Spanish tuna in olive oil

Hiking in the Malvern Hills, Worcestershire

One thing I really miss about Los Angeles is the abundance of day-hikes. From my old apartment in Hollywood I could walk out the door and in 15 minutes be alone up on the pathways of Griffith Park, with only the sunshine and my dog, George, for company. Whenever visiting friends and family were in town, we inevitably drove the 5 minutes up Beechwood Drive to the Hollyridge trail-head and followed the steep, dusty horse-trail to the lookout above the landmark Hollywood sign--a good hour-long power walk. Alternately, on clear, sunny weekend days I often drove for 30 minutes over to the Pacific Palisades and spent a happy hour doing a loop on the hiking trails in Temescal Canyon for views of Malibu and the Pacific.

Since the Midlands district of England is mostly flat to moderately hilly, there aren't really any hikes I can get to on a regular basis for a quick workout, but D has promised to take me to some of the different spots that are within an hour or two of us on the motorway. Hopefully when winter is over, there will be a few more nice weather days for us to venture out and see them!

Before winter attacked, we did have a chance to spend one sunny Saturday afternoon hiking in the Malvern Hills. After driving for about 45 minutes south west from our house in Wythall with D's dog, Mia, we arrived in the quaint village of Great Malvern, and then wound our way up through the trees above the town to a carpark where we found one of the many trailheads providing access to the Malvern Hills. During the first 10 minutes of hiking, we wound our way uphill through a grove of dense trees, but finally came out at the top of the ridge to find mostly grassy hilltops with small bushes of wildberries scattered alongside.

We let the dog loose on the trails and walked for about 25 minutes up to the highest point in the hills. The view was amazing as we could see in all directions, but I was a little disappointed to learn that the highest point was a mere 1395 feet! After hitting the viewpoint we wandered down and around the hills across some of the different trails that seemed to go on endlessly, but finally made our way back to the car after about 2 hours. On our way home we stopped at a picturesque pub on the banks of the River Severn just outside of Worcester for a beer and some sandwiches in the sunshine--it was almost enough to transport me back to the LA sunshine!!

A Survival Guide to English Foods and Ingredients

Here is a list of some commonly used American ingredients with their UK equivalents:

Eggplant = aubergine

Arugula = rocket

Cilantro = coriander

Zucchini = courgettes

Belgian Endive = chicory

Bok Choi = Pak Choy

Green Onions = Spring onions or salad onions

Canadian bacon = back bacon

Ground Beef = beef mince (same with other meats)

Thick sliced ham (like Honey Baked Ham) = gammon

Cookies = biscuits (sweet)

Crackers = biscuits (savory/for cheese)

French fries = chips

Potato chips = crisps

Butty = sandwich (esp. chip butty or bacon butty)

Cornstarch = cornflour

Light cream = single cream

Heavy cream = double cream

Half & half = use half milk, half single cream

Graham crackers = use sweetmeal digestive biscuits

Dessert = the word 'pudding' refers to any dessert, not just custard, with notable exceptions being "black pudding" and "Yorkshire pudding", which are savory items

Granulated brown sugar = demarara sugar

Jell-O/Gelatin = jelly

powdered/confectioner's sugar = icing sugar

cake flour = sponge flour

Kool-Aid or flavored drink mix = squash

Baked potato = jacket potato

Tomato Paste = tomato puree

Ladyfingers = use sponge fingers or boudoir fingers

Shortening = use solid vegetable oil

Cheddar cheese = cheddar is usually white here; Red Leicester is closest to American cheddar

Swiss cheese = use Jarlsburg or Gruyere

Tomato Sauce (no seasonings) = try tomato juice or jarred pasta sauce & adjust seasonings

Minced garlic = 'easy garlic'

sugar sprinkles for cakes = hundreds and thousands

Below are some English dishes that I've seen on more than a few menus, but didn't know exactly what I'd be getting if I ordered it:

Welsh rarebit = is a savoury sauce made from melted cheese and various other ingredients and served hot over toasted bread, sometimes with the addition of ale, mustard, ground cayenne pepper or ground paprika and Worcestershire sauce

Bangers and Mash = a dish of mashed potatoes & sausages, usually with an onion gravy

Bubble and Squeak = leftover vegetables and meat from a roast dinner pan-fried together with mashed potatoes until mixture is browned on all sides

Toad in a Hole = a dish comprising sausages baked in a Yorkshire pudding batter (see definition below), usually served with vegetables and gravy

Faggots = a meatball traditionally made from pig's heart, liver and fatty belly meat or bacon minced together, with herbs added for flavouring and sometimes breadcrumbs

Black pudding = a type of sausage made by cooking blood with a filler (meat, fat, suet, bread) until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled.

Cottage Pie = a pie with a mashed potato crust and cooked beef filling

Shepherd's Pie = a pie with a mashed potato crust and cooked lamb/mutton filling

Scotch Egg = sausage in breadcrumbs wrapped around hard boiled egg and deep fried to crispy

Pork Pie = minced pork and pork jelly baked inside a firm pastry crust, sometimes with cheese & pickle, and usually served cold with spicy mustard

Cockles = a type of small, edible, saltwater clam

Crubeens = Irish dish of salted pig's feet or trotters, usually served boiled with cabbage

English trifle = a dessert dish made from thick (or often solidified) custard, fruit, sponge cake, fruit juice or, more recently, gelatin, and whipped cream. These ingredients are usually arranged in layers with fruit and sponge on the bottom, and custard and cream on top.

Stargazy Pie = a Cornish dish made of baked pilchards (a type of fish), covered with a pastry crust. The pilchards are arranged with their tails toward the centre of the pie and their heads poking up through the crust around the edge, so that they appear to be gazing skyward.

Bacon Butty = bacon rashers served on a soft roll, usually with brown sauce or ketchup

Yorkshire Pudding = a savory, well-shaped pastry made from batter (usually cooked in muffin tins, like popovers) and served with roast meat and gravy

Spotted Dick = a steamed suet pudding containing dried fruit (usually currants) commonly served with custard

Lancashire Hotpot = a stew consisting essentially of lamb or mutton, onion and potatoes left to bake in the oven all day in a heavy pot and on a low heat

Marrow = a type of squash or large zucchini

Angels on Horseback = poached oysters wrapped in bacon rashers w/a seasoned prune puree

Jaffa Cakes = a popular type of English cookie that consists of three layers: a sponge cake base, a layer of orange flavoured jelly and a coating of dark chocolate.

Cornish Pasties = seasoned steak, potatoes, onion, carrot and turnips baked inside a pastry case

Victoria Sponge = traditionally consists of jam sandwiched between two sponge cakes; the top of the cake is not iced or decorated. Named for Queen Victoria, who favored sponge cake with her afternoon tea

I miss American TV

English TV kinda sucks. After 6 months of trying to get into Emmerdale, Coronation Street and the other UK nighttime soap dramas, I've pretty much given up. Unlike the soaps in America, who tend to make the lives of nearly all their characters look at least upper-middle class and somewhat glamorous, most of the UK soaps seem to focus on average, middle-class and lower-middle class folks, which offers little of the escapism that American TV provides.

The only prime-time shows I've followed here are the reality-TV hits 'Britain's Got Talent', 'X Factor' and 'I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Outta Here', mostly because the judges and hosts are so entertaining, and because they are on so frequently that it's hard to escape them.

Since we aren't getting the new fall series of 'Grey's Anatomy', 'America's Next Top Model' or 'Big Love' here in England yet, I have to console myself by watching 'The Hills' and 'The City' on MTV. When I'm watching them it feels like I'm back on my couch in L.A., and staying in touch with what's hot at home. It's kind of sad, because those shows are actually so disconnected from reality. Luckily we have the current season of 'Gossip Girl' and 'Project Runway' on right now, and we are only a week or so behind the US seasons, but I'm not sure if we will get 'LOST' or the new season of '24' yet. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

The Pumpkin Puree Discovery!

Since I'm planning a huge, traditional Thanksgiving dinner for a few friends here in England at the end of the week, I have been on the hunt for cans of pureed pumpkin to use in the pumpkin chiffon pie that our family's favorite, but kept coming up empty until about a week ago.

Selfridge's Department Store in London and here in Birmingham both stock Libby's Canned Pumpkin during the holiday seasons every year, but apparently the pumpkin harvest wasn't great this year, so production was a bit delayed, and the store's shipments arrived later than usual. I bought 4 cans of pumpkin when it finally arrived at Selfridge's here, then bought some more last week in London where I found it at Whole Foods for about 1 GBP cheaper per can than at Selfridges.

Now that I'm well stocked in pumpkin puree, I decided to use a 1/2 can to make some pumpkin bread to nibble on this week. Here's the recipe I used (measurements are in UK equivalents):

INGREDIENTS

250g pumpkin puree

210g plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

200g sugar

1 tsp baking soda

120ml (1/2 c.) olive oil

2 eggs, beaten

60ml (1/4 c.) water

1/2 tsp. each nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice

100g coarsely chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Sift together the flour salt, sugar and baking soda in a large bowl or food processor.

2. Combine the pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, water and spices with the dry ingredients using a wisk or wisk attachment on the food processor. Stir in the nuts, then pour the mixture into a well-greased loaf tin and bake at 180 C (350 F) for about 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

3. Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely before serving.

Mince Pies, Toad in the Hole & Other Oddities

Last week I was in for a bit of a shock when D requested 'faggots' for dinner. I'd never heard that term used in America except as a derogatory, anti-gay remark, but I knew D doesn't share the beliefs of those who use the word that way, so I was puzzled. It turns out that faggots are a kind of English meatball made from some leftover pig. I didn't think I could handle chopping up pig heart, belly and liver, so we opted to buy a 4-pack of pre-made faggots from the neighborhood butchers. We baked them for about 50 minutes, and served them with baked potatoes (called 'jacket potatoes' in the UK) and mushy peas. They were in fact very similar to meatballs, but tasted a little too gamey for me so I don't think I'll ever eat them again.

Since it's now the holiday season, we've been seeing mincemeat pies everywhere in the supermarkets. They look like mini apple pies, but are filled with something that tastes a bit like the filling in American Fig Newton cookies. In Victorian times, the pies originally contained actual meat, but now the only meat element is suet (a hard fat found around beef or sheep liver), and most pies now use vegetarian versions of suet. I've read that the 'mincemeat' filling is actually made from a mixture of various nuts, currants, raisins and spices, along with some brandy, but have not made the filling from scratch yet. Here's a recipe from the BBC if you are keen to try it out for yourself: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/christmasmincemeat_8893.shtml

Another classic English pub dish that I've seen on menus everywhere is Toad in a Hole. Apparently it's nothing more than a few sausages baked in a Yorkshire pudding-type pastry, but the name is so intimidating that I've never tried it. It is usually served with an onion gravy and vegetables. D has a Gordon Ramsey cookbook with a recipe I plan to try, but I also saw this one on the BBC website that looks pretty basic: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/beefsausagetoadinthe_86522.shtml.

When it comes to cooking other strange English foods, I've experimented a bit more in the dessert category since I don't usually eat that much meat. I have yet to try cottage pie, fisherman's pie, or anything containing liver, but I have made treacle tart with clotted cream (a shortbread pastry crust with a syrupy, breadcrumb filling), rhubarb crumble, a pomegranate pavlova, and a chocolate chip bread pudding from scratch.

I'll include an actual Guide to English Foods in another post soon with a list of American equivalents for strange UK foods, or definitions of those items I haven't come across in America at all.

Here's the recipe for Treacle Tart that I found on the BBC website:

Treacle Tart

Ingredients

For the sweet pastry
250g/9oz plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
175g/6oz butter, plus extra (melted) for greasing
75g/2¾oz icing sugar
2 free-range egg yolks
1 tbsp cold water
For the filling
150g/5oz day-old brown or white bread, crusts removed
650g/1lb 7oz golden syrup (like corn syrup in US)
150g/5½oz unsalted butter
1 free-range egg
50ml/2fl oz double cream (heavy cream in U.S.)
2 lemons, zest only
large pinch salt
clotted cream or double cream, to serve

Method

For the sweet pastry, in a bowl, rub together the flour and butter using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the icing sugar, egg yolks and cold water and mix until the mixture comes together as a dough. Wrap the dough in cling film, then chill in the fridge for two hours, to rest. Grease a 23cm/9½in loose-bottomed tart case with melted butter, then dust with flour, gently knocking out any excess. Meanwhile, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and place the prepared tart case on top. Once the pastry has rested, discard the cling film and roll the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface to a 4-5mm thickness. Lift the rolled pastry by rolling it loosely around the rolling pin, then lower it into the prepared tart case and press into the tart case to mould it to the sides and bottom. Trim off any excess pastry using a sharp knife. Chill the tart case in the fridge for a further 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. When the tart case has rested, remove it from the fridge and prick the base several times using a fork. Line the base and sides of the tart case with greaseproof paper, then fill it with baking beans. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until crisp and pale golden-brown. Discard the greaseproof paper and baking beans. For the filling, blend the bread in a food processor until it has formed breadcrumbs. Set aside. Heat the golden syrup and butter in a pan over a low to medium heat until the syrup and the butter has melted. Set aside to cool slightly. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and cream until well combined. Pour in the syrup and butter mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and salt until well combined. Pour the filling mixture into the cooked pastry case, then return the tart to the oven and cook for a further 40-45 minutes, or until the filling is dark golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside for 15 minutes before serving to allow to cool slightly. Serve warm, with clotted cream or whipped cream.

Grocery Stores in England

There are a large number of supermarket chains in the UK, but they vary widely in quality and selection of foods depending on what neighborhood they are located in. I've shopped in many of them over the past 6 months, and can evaluate them below:

The largest supermarket chains are Tesco and Sainsburys, followed closely by ASDA and Morrisons, who all carry own-brand products but also stock a large number of name brand foods, as well as a growing number of international foods. Morrison's and ASDA seem to be newer chains, doing what they can to catch up to Tesco and Sainsburys. Tesco and Sainsburys both have clothing lines and homewares departments (similar to Walmart or Target in America), and both "Rewards Card" programs that provide the opportunity to amass points from shopping in store, as well as from buying gas at their store-owned pumps. Since I wind up shopping at both chains frequently, I have opted to enroll in both programs and earn points no matter where I shop. ASDA and Morrisons may also have these features, but they have fewer store locations, and their products are not as well publicized as those of the larger chains. Tesco and Sainsburys also both operate a large number of small, neighborhood grocery outlets (i.e., Tesco Express and Sainsburys Local) in urban centers or residential neighborhoods where space is at a premium, that carry only essential grocery items and have a small produce section.

Other national chains are ALDI, Lidl, Somerfield, Iceland, Waitrose and Marks & Spencers. ALDI, Lidl and Somerfield seem to be at the cheaper end of the scale in terms of quality and selection, so it's a better choice for food staples than for gourmet or hard-to-find items. Iceland is primarily a "frozen food" supermarket, and I don't believe they stock any fresh produce, so again, it is best for stocking up on freezer staples like pizza and dessert items. Waitrose seems to be a higher-end store with higher average prices (similar to Whole Foods in the U.S.), and their stores are usually smaller than Tesco & Sainsburys, but I've found many gourmet & hard-to-find items there when I thought hope was lost!

Marks & Spencers has become one of my favorite grocery chains, but I mention them last because they are not a traditional grocery store. Their grocery outlets are always attached to a larger Marks & Spencers (M&S) department store that stocks all the traditional clothing and home items carried by stores like JCPenny or Macys in America. M&S grocery stores also do not carry any outside brands, so their non-perishable sections are very small, and they tend to stock only basics (some canned meat, canned vegetables, tinned fish, pasta sauces and frozen items), as well as some dry baking goods and lots of sauces and condiments. They usually have a basic fresh produce department (although few items are sold loose--most are pre-washed, chopped and or packaged), and a good bakery, but their star feature is a huge selection of fresh, pre-packaged food and ready-meals, many of which are restaurant quality. Their prices are a bit high (more like buying food from a take-away restaurant), so I can't shop there all the time, but I've come across a few great items, the most recent of which was their canned Chicken Tikka Masala. It's the closest I've found to my favorite recipe for the dish in America, and it's easy to serve with basmati rice, green veg and naan for a quick meal.

NOTE: Whole Foods has recently opened in London, and I've only been there once on a brief visit, so I'm not sure how many common American foods or brands are available there, but I'm hoping they will bring the chain the Birmingham soon!

Finding a Job with a Licensed Employer

I'm currently aiming to find a job using the Tier 2 - Skilled Worker category of immigration (because it has lower thresholds for maintenance funds and is less expensive to apply for), and will start my search with companies who are already Licensed Sponsors under the Tier 2 Register of Sponsors. I found the register of sponsors here:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/employersandsponsors/pointsbasedsystem/pbsregisterofsponsors

I think it is updated fairly frequently--this one is current as of today!

If I find an employer on this list who will hire me and issue a certificate of sponsorship, then I don't have to go through the process of persuading them to become a License Sponsor with the UK Border Agency in the first place, which I hope will be easier.

There don't appear to be many companies registered in Birmingham (mostly local government, universities and sporting agencies), but if nothing pans out there, I'm hoping I can find a company registered elsewhere who may need to hire someone for there Birmingham offices, or for a remote position. Working from home is an option, but I'm really hoping to have a physical work-place so I can actually meet some new people and get out of the house at least a few days a week.

Visa Frustrations

The last time I came into the UK in October, immigration control at Heathrow instructed me that since I had already spent nearly six months in the country this year on a tourist visa, my entry clearance this time would be granted on the condition that as soon as I left the country, my permission to "visit" would be revoked. I was directed to secure a more formal visa before attempting to enter the country again.

Thus began my renewed efforts at understanding the myriad of UK visa options available to American citizens. Because I don't really want to spend any more money on tuition for more education at this point, and because D and I are not quite ready to get engaged, I have determined that there are only 3 visa options that really make sense for me:

1) Long-term visitor visa: This visa allows a visitor to enter the UK as frequently as they like for up to six months in any 12 month period for either 1, 2 or up to 5 years without being questioned by immigration control. It would only buy me six more months here in 2010, but it only requires an applicant to demonstrate that they have an address in the U.S., that they are employed or self-employed and have a sufficient income to maintain themselves while visiting the UK. For more info, see http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/aboutus/features/premiumvisa.

2) Highly Skilled Worker visa (Tier 1 General Migrant): This visa (which carries and application fee of nearly GBP 650) permits a visitor to enter to look for work, and to remain in the UK for up to 3 years if they secure paid work within the first 12 months of entering. An applicant has to score a minimum number of points in 3 different categories (attributes, English language and maintenance funds) in order to qualify for this visa. The most points are scored in the attributes category for applicants who have been awarded a Masters Degree or PhD in the United States, and who have earned at least GBP 40,000 per annum in the 15 months prior to applying from employment. If you are a citizen of the United States, you automatically will score 10 points in the English language category. Lastly, to score the required 10 points in the maintenance category, you have to provide bank statements that show your accounts never fell below GBP 2,800 (about $4,700) during the 3 months prior to the date of the visa application. For more information, see http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/infs/inf21pbsgeneralmigrant.

3) Skilled Worker Visa (Tier 2 General Migrant): This visa, which carries an application fee of GBP 215, permits a visitor to enter the UK to undertake a specific job for the period of time indicated on the applicant's certificate of sponsorship from a UK employer. This basically means that a valid job offer from a qualified UK employer is required before submitting a visa application. Unless an applicant has secured a job listed on the current UK Occupation Shortage List (mostly medical professionals, manufacturing and construction engineers and/or social workers), then the potential UK employer will have had to become a licensed employee sponsor, and will also have had to meet the resident labor market test (usually by advertising the job locally for at least 2 weeks in approved publications without finding a successful candidate). Once securing a job offer and a certificate of sponsorship, an applicant also has to qualify through several other categories including higher education (a Masters or PhD score the most points), English language (again, all U.S. citizens automatically earn top points) and expected earnings (maximum points for a UK job that will pay an annual income over GBP 20,000). Finally, the applicant must show a minimum of GBP 800 in their personal cash accounts at all times during the 3 months prior to submitting the application. For more information, see http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/infs/inf26pbsskilledworker.

As you can see, none of them are really simple and straightforward. I REALLY wish someone had advised me to take another look at the details of all of these visas six months ago when I still had my own apartment in California, recent payslips documenting income from my former employer, and a full savings account. At that time, I would have had ample evidence to qualify for either of the 1st 2 visas because I was still working in my highly paid role as a commercial real estate lawyer and had full savings and bank accounts. Even though it would have been costly to buy the work visa up front when I didn't know if my relationship with D would work out, at least I could have been monitoring my bank accounts and calendars to know when my "window of opportunity" for qualifying was closing.

Now applying for the visas will be more challenging as the last 15 months have also included 6 months of part-time legal work, and nearly 6 months of not working at all, plus, my savings have dropped dramatically as I have relied on them for my living expenses.

How did I wind up here?

Almost 12 months ago I decided to transition out of my job as a commercial real estate lawyer in Los Angeles and find a new career--either a new branch of the law or a new field entirely. To kick off my adventure and energize me for the changes ahead, I booked a 5 week trip to Nepal and India for myself. The trip began with about 2 weeks in Nepal on a hiking trek to Mt. Everest Base Camp (about 17,500 feet), and then took me to Delhi to join a 2 week food-lovers tour of some of India's major sights, ending in Goa.

One of the members of my trekking group in Nepal wound up being a chivalrous Englishman near my age, we'll call him "D", and during the course of the 2 week trip we fell in love. We spoke on the phone every day for the rest of my trip and D flew out to California to visit me 5 days after I arrived home from India. Things went well, so I then flew back to England 2 weeks later for Valentine's Day to visit D in his hometown of Birmingham. I'd been to the UK a half-dozen or so times before, but only for very short trips, and I'd never been to Birmingham before.

It was February, and freezing cold, but D took me to visit the home of Shakespeare in nearby Stratford-upon-Avon (which is utterly quaint and cute, despite the tourists everywhere with cameras slung around their necks), and showed me around his favorite haunts in Birmingham. We went out for drinks in Moseley and Harborne, and went shopping at the new Bullring Center near the New Street train station. At the end of my trip we went to London for a night and met some friends of mine for a fancy dinner at a Gaucho, a popular steakhouse. I was loving it!

In March I came back for another 10-day trip, and during my 3rd trip back in April, we spent a weekend down by the ocean in Devon, in a cute seaside town called Brixton. By May we decided that I should move over to England for awhile so we could try out life together--my month-to-month apartment lease was becoming expensive since I was only working part-time, and my car lease was up, so I had a window of opportunity to leave the US without having to get out of too many obligations.

After moving all my personal goods and some furniture into a giant storage unit, I came over with 2 giant suitcases of clothes in the middle of June, and have been living here at D's house in Wythall (a suburb of Birmingham) ever since, aside from a month home in California during September to attend a few weddings. I'm still working as a lawyer part-time whenever I can get the work from US clients, because I'm not allowed to work here yet.

D and I are still happy as ever, but we're not quite ready to tie the knot, so now I'm looking for a way to get a work visa, and I'll address that topic on another post!

Hello world! Welcome to England!

Welcome to my first post! After not meeting any other American expats during the first 5 months of living in England, I felt like I had no one to turn to to answer many of my questions about life in the UK. From the simple, mundane questions (“Can I drive here with my US drivers license?”, or “Will I be able to find my favorite Pantene hair mousse?”) to the frustrating, complex questions (“What’s the best way to try and work while living in the UK?”), I kept wishing I had a general resource with all the answers–someone to turn to who’d been through it all already, so I decided to write a blog about life in England from an American woman’s perspective, which will include as much useful information as I can think of, as well as my ongoing thoughts about life here.

Although many things about life in England are comfortingly similar to the United States thanks to our common language and common heritage, there are differences that crop up every week, some of which are quite humorous, and others which are honestly frustrating. For example, today I went into town to return a pair of earrings that I had ordered from a national retail chain online, and I discovered that English retail stores are prohibited from accepting returns on earrings sales due to sanitary concerns.

This makes sense on many levels, since earrings that may have been pushed through an earlobe by the buyer are potentially carrying some new germs, but I’d never heard anyone discuss this fact before, and the store’s website did not indicate that earring returns would not be accepted (either on the earrings description page, on my ’shopping cart’ page, or on the checkout page). Also, similarly to America, there don’t appear to be any restrictions on customers trying on earrings in the store before purchasing them, so the argument about protecting the cleanliness of the earrings for the ultimate consumer seems a bit weak. If I’d bought the same pair of earrings in the shop instead of online, chances are they’d already be more contaminated than the pair I received direct from the warehouse and tried on once. Luckily for me they were inexpensive earrings, and I did not have to learn this lesson on an ‘investment’ piece, but I still balked at the policy in front of the store clerks and felt embarrassed for not having this knowledge already.

Right now I’m currently struggling with some visa issues, as well as where to find some Thanksgiving food staples in England, so I’ll probably be back online later with more on those topics.

Let me know if you have an suggestions for topics or questions you’d like answered. I’m a big researcher so I’ll go digging around if I don’t have the answer.

Cheers!