In my Suitcase…

It usually begins at the start of my last week of holiday in the US, the mental list of what needs to be packed for my return journey to London.  Like most mothers, this list includes a number of small items that the children seem to accumulate (especially when visiting grandparents) as well as the odd larger item, like my son’s guitar, which brings me back to the days of travelling with a stroller (does it go to the gate or not, will it be marked fragile, will it come out with the rest of the luggage, etc, etc). My mental list then progresses to the items that will bring small bites of happiness in the coming months and often prompts outings to exciting places like the local supermarket or drug store.

Seventeen years ago, after my first trip to the States after moving to London, I packed up Shout stain remover, Ziploc bags, Toll House chocolate chips and Twizzlers. I remember thinking, “Am I crazy? I have moved country, succeeded in my career, I am about to marry and start a family and yet these are the things I can't live without?" 17 years on and my suitcase often contains these same items when travelling back across the Atlantic.  In fact, this routine has now become a tradition embraced by my kids who pick their own 'must take home treats’.  The edible items, while by no stretch of the imagination delicacies, are savoured and reserved for the dullest of days at home.  So when yet another exam approaches, I can coax out a smile by producing a batch of home made Toll House chocolate chip cookies.  Even if many of these ingredients are now available at specialist shops in London or even at my local Waitrose, there is something much more exciting about the thought that they came back from the States in my suitcase, as somehow the memories of being on holiday, or our 'other home', make the taste that much sweeter. 

Almost as exciting as our own 'imported' treasures are those of friends.  While sitting at a dinner party of any international expat you are bound to be introduced to something that has been brought from home.  Whether it be a piece of divine parmesan, a French wine, Brazilian sweet or…the list is too long and if I leave out a nationality I will feel guilty so let's just say be sure to taste it all!  Remember, not only is this person sharing something of their culture, but they are sharing one of their carefully chosen suitcase items.

Next time you pack your suitcase remember to choose wisely, savour the taste of home and share with friends!

By Nancy Dickinson

Visit the FOCUS website: www.focus-info.org 

Mr Bean Almost Made Me Cry

One of the many advantages of living in London is the wide array of entertainment options available in the West End. There is so much to see, from longstanding musicals to one-off performances. And of course, if you are lucky enough to hear about rare appearances in time to get tickets, you may have the chance to see amazing performers.

That’s what happened to me and my family a couple of weeks ago. My husband had seen reviews of Quartermaine’s Term in the newspaper, starring Rowan Atkinson (aka Mr Bean), and decided to get tickets, without knowing much else about the play.  So off we headed to the West End, I was thrilled to be going to see Mr Bean live!

It turns out that this play touched me on several levels. It is set in the staff room of an English-language school for foreigners in Cambridge in the early Sixties. To start with, I used to be a teacher before leaving my country years ago (although not that long ago!) so it was nice to be ‘back in the teachers’ room’. That’s where we used to talk about weekend plans, our ups and downs, and even share our anxieties, during the short interval between lessons.  Abruptly interrupted conversations were sometimes triggered by comments by or about our own pupils.

Second, and that’s what gave me the idea of writing this blog, was to laugh at the way so many stereotypes are still so current. But on that front, there are very nice passages in the play which started with “We, the English...” in a very sarcastic (obviously) and surprisingly negative way indicating how the posh English teachers at Cambridge regarded themselves. Mind you, it is not a comedy, it is a tragic-comic play portraying real life snapshots, sarcastically and dramatically. 

I guess what really interested us to go and see Rowan Atkinson live on stage was how someone who has made us all laugh for so long, can bring out feelings that you would never associate with Mr Bean. In the very first scene when the curtain went up, the sight of HIM on stage, sitting in an old armchair staring into space, not making faces or gestures, made most of the audience at least giggle. Of course, the first glimpse of that familiar face can only create that kind of reaction. But as the play went on, you realized how his expressionless face can portray so much more than a caricature of a clumsy lonely man.

For me and I can even say for most part of the audience, last Saturday triggered a feeling of nostalgia and of middle life crisis... Not easy to achieve by many actors, much less that familiar funny face...

By Valeria Fleury

Hunting for Fossils

Jurassic Coast

My 6-year old son is a huge fan of prehistoric life and dinosaurs and all related subjects.  This also includes fossils. So after he had seen a programme on the BBC’s Children’s Channel about the Jurassic Coast and the great amount of fossils that can be found there, he wanted to go there immediately.

The Jurassic Coast is the first natural World Heritage Site in England. It covers 95 miles of truly stunning coastline from East Devon to Dorset. World Heritage status was achieved because of the site's unique insight into the Earth Sciences as it clearly depicts a geological ‘walk through time’ spanning the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

Children can be very stubborn when they really want something. My son kept asking us when we were going to go to hunt the fossils so many times that we finally gave up and booked a guided tour in a town called Lyme Regis.

Lyme Regis

I couldn’t be happier about our decision. It was a perfect day trip. First of all it is not far from London. Depending on the traffic, you can drive there within 3 ½ hours.  Second of all the Lyme Regis itself is just one fabulous little town. It is called The Pearl of Dorset and I couldn’t agree more. Sadly we only stayed there for a short period of time and did not have time to look around more than just a few hours but it was enough to fall in love with the town. And I’m not the only one. The resort's unique appeal has famously been depicted in the film versions of John Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman and Jane Austen's Persuasion.

But we weren’t there for lovely scenery; we were there to find fossils. The Fossil Walk (as they call it) was organised by the Lyme Regis Museum. There were about 20 of us taking the tour and we were guided by two experts. Firstly they explained to us what kind of fossils we might find and what we should be looking for. The excitement grew every minute. I couldn’t believe that we actually might find these really fascinating fossils that the guides showed us.

Prehistoric poo

Then the fun began! We walked along the pebble beach, our eyes glued to the ground in the hope of finding some fabulous fossils. Suddenly I spotted one and then another and they just kept coming…I was happy I had a little rucksack with me, because my son kept coming with all his wonderful finds that found their places in my bag. After a while we became picky and took only the best ones and left the others that were not so perfect on the ground. It was such fun! We even managed to find a prehistoric poo with the help of the guide. We could not have spotted this little brown stone ourselves. It looked just like an ordinary stone and I could never have imagined that it may be something so ‘special’. My son had a great time at school later next week scaring girls with this fossil and all the boys found it the coolest thing they had ever seen.

Our catch of the day

Time flies when you are having fun and I was very surprised when I noticed that we had walked on the beach for nearly three hours. Our tour ended with the little demonstration from our guides. They had found some interesting rocks on their way and showed us how a true fossil expert would work. They broke the rocks very gently with a special hammer and to our surprise the rocks revealed many very well preserved fossils.

It was a truly wonderful day out and although we were quite tired after this long walk, we were also very happy and the fabulous fossils that we took with us will remind us of this day for years to come. 

By Eva Unt

Grab a Bargain

 London is such an expensive city that you feel really good when you find a good bargain. That is exactly what happened to my colleague and I recently: "Full Day Course in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign for £39 at BKH Academy (89% Off)". We bought the deal from Groupon. Both of us use Adobe Creative Suite, but we are far from being experts. So, we thought that even if the course was not great, at least we would learn a few new shortcuts.

A few days before the course, BHK Academy sent us some instructions on how to get to their studio and the programme for the day. We arrived at the studio and were happy to see that it not only looked very cool but was also very well equipped. The course was very well structured and the three instructors were very knowledgeable.  BHK works also as a graphic design agency and the instructors work daily as graphic designers, so they were able to answer all of the advanced questions that some of us had. While one of them was presenting, the other two were moving around and helping people with their projects and doubts. In the end, we learned much more than just a few shortcuts and if I had more time I would definitely do their full graphic design course. 

Groupon and other daily deal websites manage to offer discounts as the services and products are sold in bulk. I had already had a great experience with a dinner at L'autre Pied.  Asking around, my colleagues have also gotten some excellent deals: dinners (read our blog about a deal at Inamo), canvas pictures, laser hair removal, bean bags, exhibitions...  There are other websites where you can secure good deals: Wahanda (for health and beauty), Wowcher and LivingSocial . So, why not grab a bargain now?

by Ana Beatriz Alencar

Visit the Focus website: www.focus-info.org

The Perfect Gift

A friend of mine once told me that the only things in life that are worth collecting are experiences. She came to this idea after thieves had stolen all the valuables from her house twice in one year. She said that the only things nobody can take from you are your good memories and since that unpleasant year, she no longer wants any jewellery or expensive gifts to be given. She now collects good memories.

I really like this idea and found it to be very true. If you think back on life, there are very few physical things to remember that have made you happy. Most of our good memories are related to experiences.

So when I had a tough time deciding what to give to my husband as a birthday present, I remembered my friend’s new philosophy of life. Suddenly my task to find the perfect gift turned out to be very easy.

I discovered that there are many internet sites where you can buy an experience as a gift and the variety is wide. You can choose everything from SPA-days to hot air balloon rides. I decided to buy a supercar driving experience from a webpage called Buyagift  I could not decide whether to go for a Ferrari or Aston Martin and took them both. The gift voucher was sent to my home in a beautifully decorated box. I was really pleased! 

When the big day came I was so excited and could not wait for my husband to open the present. He was really surprised and very happy when he saw his gift. I was thrilled.

There are many locations where you can take your drive, and we booked a place in Surrey. It was quite a cold November day, but thankfully there was a nice cafe where we could buy hot drinks to keep ourselves warm. There were lots of men (and a few women) waiting for their turn to try out their favourite cars. They looked like children in a candy shop - so happy and so excited!

To begin the introduction was carried out, the rules were explained and there was a test run on the racing track.  And then the fun began! The first car that my husband drove was an Aston Martin. My husband is quite a tall man and he had a hard time trying to fit in to the car (there are limits to height and weight), but once in there, he enjoyed the ride enormously. The kids and I waited beside the track and although we tried to take photos, we failed absolutely because the car went past just too fast. He drove three circuits and then changed cars and drove another three in a Ferrari.

I haven’t seen my husband that happy in a long time! He said that it was the best gift he has ever had and the expression on his face showed his delight!

By Eva Unt

Visit the FOCUS website www.focus-info.org