British English Vs. American English

Recently I had a conversation with a British friend who is part of our group for a month.  As we were talking, I asked her, "Are you fixin' to leave?"  (Yes, I am from California I said "fixin to"...I sometimes surprise myself when I say that phrase.)  Looking at me with a confused facial expression, she said, "I have no idea what you just said.  What does that even mean?"  Then I had to translate my momentary Southern American English to "normal American" English.

A few weeks back I was talking to my mom on Skype.  I told her how I had some left over chips, so I put them in the fridge to eat at a later time.  Confused, she asked, "Why did you put your chips in the fridge?????"  Then I remembered - chips in America are not the same as the chips in England!

What are some other differences between American and British English?  I've started a collection of words and phrases that differ and thought I would post some for you to enjoy yourself!

(Left word will be British, and the right word will be translated into American.)

• Mate - Friend
• Flat - Apartment
• Tea Towel - What you use to dry your dishes
• Nappy - Diaper
• Lift - Elevator
• Jumper - Sweater
• Jim-Jams - Pajamas (I think this one is my all time favorite!)
• Crisps - Chips
• Chips - French Fries
• Candy Floss - Cotton Candy
• Finz - Gold Fish (You have nooo idea how excited I was to find my favorite snack!!)
• Straight Away - Right away (For example, "I need to do my homework straight away/right away!)
• Mobile - Cell Phone
• Mum - Mom
• Rubbish - Trash
• Courgette - Zucchini
• Trolley - Shopping Cart/Buggy
• Queue - Line
• Trousers - Pants
• Pants - Underwear (Often I use the phrase, "Put on your big boy/girl pants and deal with it!"...I guess either translation works with the word "pants", but I work really hard to remember to say trousers instead!)
• Cinema or Film - Movies (Apparently this word is very American.)

Some of those words I've noticed myself adapting to, but also the words, "proper" (Example: "Do you have the proper book for this assignment?")  and "brilliant".  And just like my British friend had to tell me, "I have no idea what you just said"...There are times when the situation is reversed.  Sometimes I look at my British friends with the same confused look with the question of, "What does that even mean?"  Sometimes figuring out what food products are called here are even an adventure (such as the zucchini being called a "courgette").

I hope you've enjoyed your first lesson on British English Vs. American English.  If I remember, I'll try to share more with you another time.  I only wish I could tell you how to pronounce words that America and England have in common.  The only one I can explain easily on my blog and in written form is the word "idea".  Many British people I've heard use this word say, "idear" instead.  A lot of their "er" parts in words also turn into an "a".  For example, "Jumper" would sound more like "Jumpa" ("Did you bring your jumpa?").

Now that you've learned some of their phrases and words, it is time to start practicing your British accent.  Maybe you can do better than me!  Apparently, I am "rubbish" at imitating how the British speak! ;-)

The Travelin' Chick,

Crystal

Life in London

What is life like in London, you wonder?  Let me fill you in on what my life here looks like by schedule.

I've been in London for three weeks as of tonight.  Wait...Three weeks?  Where has the time gone??  Earlier today I was writing an email to a friend who I met in Germany.  I realized I hadn't seen her since the day before arriving here.  It amazes me how fast time has flown.  If I've been here three weeks, that means I left home a little over a month ago!

The first two weeks here in London we had two weeks of Orientation.  During these two weeks we looked over a manual of things to expect, what we'd be doing while here, rules, helpful information, etc, etc.  We had a whole two hours spent on fire safety information as well as a whole day dedicated for child protection.

 I knew some of the people I'd be working along side with, but not many before arriving here in London.  During these first two weeks I really had a chance to get to know many others much better.  I also realized that I never knew what the word "cold" meant until moving here.  (I'm a Valley girl from California, what can I say?)  My first week and a half here I literally LIVED in my jumper (hoodie/jacket). I slept with it on (some nights I even slept with my gloves on), I walked around the flat with it on, I went to orientation with it on.  Now I am going some without wearing it.  I'm either adapting to the colder weather and buildings, or it's warming up a bit.  That, or, it's a combination.  (I will say that it did snow TWICE within a week during this time!  What a nice surprise!  It has now snowed three times since I've left home!)

Within the first two weeks I also tried to pay for a bus with some Pounds AND Euros.  Oops.  Talk about awkward!

This week we started our normal week.  Sadly, I missed most of it being sick in bed.  Monday some of us spent time out in the streets of London meeting locals and passing out free literature.  Tuesday I worked on my internship with the communications department.  Wednesday and Thursday I was suppose to be in a classroom to learn about other cultures and religions, but Tuesday night is when I started to get really ill.  Friday was my day off this week, and today (Saturday) I was suppose to go out to pass out more literature with our group.  (Usually Saturdays are our days off, but this week it was flip-flopped as that will occasionally happen.)

Pretty much...That's what my week will look like:

• Monday: Spend time in the streets of London, meeting locals, passing out literature.
• Tuesday: Internship (which, can sometimes change with Mondays)
• Wednesday: Classes
• Thursday: Classes
• Friday: Same as Monday
• Saturday: My Usual Day off
• Sunday: Church

(There is other stuff to my schedule, but those are just during the regular day hours from morning until 5:30...each night is also different.)

Being sick has really bummed me out.  I was slightly getting homesick before I actually physically got sick.  But being around other people, keeping busy, working...My homesickness would come in rare waves but would quickly leave.  However, once I was sick?  After two days of being really sick, it hit and it hit hard!  I started to miss home and the comforts that it brings to my life.  I missed my own bed, my own room, my dog, usual foods, and of course, my mother!

The night my homesickness was the worst my flat-mates came upstairs with a box in hand.  My mom had sent me a package - and with PERFECT timing!

Opening the box I found items such as:

• Gloves
• Scarf
• A spice I love to cook with!
• Butterfingers
• Reese's
• Goldfish
• Jolly Ranchers
• Converter/Adapter (Did I mention here on my blog that my last one died in Germany due to a hair dryer?  Yeah, the hair dryer is no longer living as well...Oops!)

There were also a few other things included, but those are to just name a few!  I was so thankful when it came in the mail.  While it didn't take my homesickness completely away it certainly made me smile!  Even when my mom is many miles away, she still has a way of making me feel better!  It was a reminder of how blessed I am to have such a supportive family back home.

Thinking about what to write next, I've realized that the topics and stories could take up a whole blog entry of their own.  Since I don't want this specific entry to end up too terribly long, I'll end this one here.  Who knows, maybe I'll post more then one tonight...or at least start a second entry!

Thanks for tagging along the journey and for the prayers thus this far!

The Travelin' Chick,
Crystal

PS: While I have been really sick, I am starting to feel MUCH better!  Tomorrow I plan on going out for the first time since Monday.  Hopefully my body will feel it's 100% tomorrow morning!

A Long Way

This photo above is a photo of my first dinner in my flat when arriving to London.  When four of us arrived as newbies, the three girls who had been living here went out to do some work that they do every week.  There wasn't much to eat in the fridge as grocery shopping is done on every Monday and we had arrived late on a Sunday.  There are four Korean girls in our flat, one girl from Switzerland, and then two Americans.  In the cabinet there was a lot of unfamiliar Korean food of which we had no idea how to make, not to mention being clueless as to what some of the ingredients were.  What did we eat?  Salad (with homemade dressing made by my Swiss friend!), rice, nuts, bread, some ham, and best of all...Gummy bears I brought along from Germany.  (What can I say?  I am a bit of a candy junky lately!)  Regardless of what we atel: We were able to bond and have much laughter over the experience of our creative meal!

Monday we went grocery shopping.  We bought food and stocked up for 8 girls (since the first dinner a week and a half ago, a girl from Germany has joined our flat for a couple of months).  We also have a list of who makes dinner on which nights.  Tonight was my night.

Now, if you know me...You know I don't cook much.  I know a few basic meals but I am limited in my knowledge.  While I don't cook much, I do bake.  I bake a LOT.  Cheesecakes, lava cakes, truffles, brownies...You name it, I bake it!

Tonight was an adventure.  The girl from Germany helped me a LOT.  The girl from Switzerland was in the kitchen as we cooked.  We worked together making a wonderful team.  For dinner we made salads, toast, and Chicken Stock Stew.  While listening to our comments about our cooking work-in-progress such as, "Oh no!", "Eh, we can wing it", "Do you know what you're doing or how to do that?", "Oh, we don't have that...", or "It's okay - I'm sure it'll be fine!"...and not to mention all of our laughter, I'm sure she was praying the whole time while we cooked!

The Chicken Stock Stew was suppose to consist of: Chicken, onions, carrots, garlic, mushrooms, potatoes, and celery.  We didn't have potatoes or celery.  Instead, we improvised.  Our version of the recipe had: Chicken, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, onions, and noodles.

To say the least, our meals have come a long way since our first night in the flat.  We've eaten more rice in one week then I usually eat in a month in the States.  (Again, four girls are from Korea.  It's neat to see all the different ways in which they eat rice!)  I've learned to cook a new dish and bonded more with my new German friend.

While we have come a long way, one thing is for sure!  Both nights we improvised ingredients for our dinners.  The first night, there wasn't much around but worked with what we could find.  Tonight there was food around, just not what the specific recipe listed to add to the dish.

Flexibility and improvising - those are two of the main skills you need when traveling and living overseas, right??

Last night I asked for prayer on my Facebook page for the seven girls I live with who would be eating the food, and for it to at least be edible.  What do you know?  God does answer prayers!  After eating all of the food, we even lived to talk about it! ...Then again, I guess we should wait at least 24 hour to make sure we're okay! ;-)

The Traveling Chick,
Crystal

London Pictures

I haven't been in London long.  However, before starting two weeks of orientation (followed after two weeks of training before arriving), our team had the day off yesterday after a "Welcome Breakfast" and we went out and saw a little part of London.  We took the Tube and saw a museum that is currently holding the picture of "The Last Supper".  (We didn't go see it as it would of cost us 16 pounds each - which is about $30 - to see the full gallery and the part we actually looked at was free.  But I did see the painting from afar.)  We then went and saw the Big Ben.  My British friend says this is a super American thing to say, but because of the photos I had seen of the Big Ben before arriving, I always imagined it to be taller. While walking to the Big Ben we even passed by where the Prime Minister lives.

Here are some of my favorite photos that I took yesterday...

If you click on the photos they should get bigger for better viewing.

London is a beautiful city full of years and years of amazing history.  In all honesty, I don't know as much about England or the UK as I would like to.  While I am here I hope to further my knowledge in not just the culture but in the history and stories of London.

Today we started training and orientation.  From 9:30 in the morning to about 5:30 in the evening, we are in classrooms learning what we need to learn.  It's a lot of information.  After two weeks of information in Germany, I'm very thankful we had two days to rest before receiving more information here in London.  Otherwise I think there would of been a brain overload issue happening.  Ha.

Tonight I've started laundry for the first time since leaving.  That's 2 1/2 weeks worth of clothes and two loads.  To get to the laundry machines I have to go up and down three flights of stairs each time I need to change the loads.  Tonight I went down to change one load, getting all the way down the stairs to realize that I took the wrong coins to pay the machine!  Oops!  I won't make that mistake again!  At least I know I'll be getting good exercise while here, especially on laundry day. ;-)

Throughout the last few weeks I feel my ankle and leg getting stronger.  While it does get weary and sore, the muscles are slowly returning and the strength is growing.  It feels good to be moving again and to be getting exercise - even if it's just stairs.  I think today alone I've gone up and down close to 20 flights of stairs, which is way more than what I was doing before coming to Europe as I had just started walking again after spending a few months on crutches and in bed.  If you remember, please keep my ankle in your prayers.  While it is getting stronger in some ways, it still hurts and gets sore.  I know I shouldn't stress about my ankle but it is often a daily stressor, wondering if my ankle will be strong enough for the day or be able to walk quick enough to keep up with others.  Pray that it'll continue to grow stronger and will bother me and swell less and less, being able to walk more each day (and more quickly!!  That is a work in process!  I walk like a turtle, or so it seems to me...).  Pray I'll be able to keep it as safe as possible without hurting it again in anyway while I am gone and away from my fabulous podiatrist I have at home.

Oh!  Also...After about three nights of being in London (total of about 2 1/2 weeks of traveling) I am able to unpack my suitcases into my new room!  When arriving there was someone who was still in the process of arriving.  I'm not completely unpacked, but boy does it feel good to have some of my stuff out and in its rightful places!  Can you guess what I did first?  Before I even actually unpacked or did my first load of laundry while being away, I decorated my bulletin board with my photos from home.  While, yes, my clothes being put in their proper places, shoes being neatly stored under my bed, and all of that makes a place more like home...Photos of my family and friends are what make a home my home.  It's a board I can look with a smile on my face, seeing those that I love and that I know love me in return and that I know are praying for me as I am on this journey.  It's a board of memories I can reflect on when feeling homesick, or even when I miss other friends who live in random places of the world.  It's a board of encouragement.  I'll try to post a photo of my board and the room soon!

The Travelin' Chick,

Crystal