Daytime Date

 

Our daughter started back at school last week ... and her dad and I played hookie; mitched; played truant – whatever you like to call it  when you really ought to be at work or school but decide to go off piste.

It was a date. And all the better for being a little bit naughty and unexpected.  Since her very first day at her very first school, “Dad” has taken the morning off work to walk the daughter in to school - a family ritual to start the school year.  He holds her hand all the way, gives her sound advice, a big kiss and sends her off.  This year, as she is 16, he compromised on the hand-holding bit and let go at the corner.  She scooted in before the kiss but ran back out again, a sucker for tradition, and grumpily proffered her cheek when no one was looking.

And there we were.All dressed up at 8.30 am with nowhere to be in a hurry.  The sun was shining and the sky was blue.  So off we scooted to breakfast at St. Paul’s while harried city folk rushed into overheated offices. We sauntered over the bridge to Tate Modern, caught a couple of exhibitions early, beating all the crowds and, as a really special treat, took the River Bus Tate-to-Tate, to catch the Lowry at Tate Britain.

We were all done by lunchtime, the husband set off to meetings feeling virtuous, cultured, daring and relaxed.  I totally recommend it.  The date part and the boat along the river which allows you to avoid all that messy business on the underground until you have to rejoin the real world and really get back to work. Have a look at the current FOCUS magazine for many more ways to travel by river.

In fact, it was such a success that I am considering starting a new tradition in our family. A monthly date.  I might have to work on getting the daughter to agree to the hand-holding into school though.  She will be 17 in November...

Written by Jan Winter
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Lost in Aisle 7

Choice is a great thing. Choice we understand is a fundamental privilege many of us are lucky enough to enjoy in various aspects of our lives. When it comes to grocery shopping in Britain I am sometimes frustrated by the lack of choice and no doubt have been known to lose my temper in my local Sainsbury’s when I find my favourite brand has been replaced with some generic compromise, or worse, just removed. However, I have, for the most part, come to terms with life in a smaller country and the fact that at times material choices can be more limiting than in my country of origin.

It dawned on me this summer just how much I had adapted to life in Britain and the daily supermarket food choices. I had the pleasure of spending time in the US in the beautiful state of Maine- vacationland, home of blueberries, lobster and whoopee pies. In fact there is a state-wide debate over whether the state food is blueberries or whoopee pies- tough choice! Going to the grocery store became a popular event (the air conditioning was heaven) although one that always took longer than anticipated. The choices were bewildering!

While looking for 100% pure cranberry juice not from concentrate I became lost in a sea of juice and thought I would never exit aisle 7 alive. I remember as if it were yesterday the Ocean Spray label so familiar from childhood.  This is a no brainer I thought, easy peasy lemon squeezy. Ahhh, but did you know that Ocean Spray produces a zillion varieties of cranberry juice - from concentrate, not from concentrate, cran-apple, cran-raspberry, cran-lemonade, cran-grape, cran-pomegranate… you get the gist.

What amazed me is that for nearly every product on my shopping list from ice cream to Ziploc bags to cereal I was faced with the same task.  Really, I wonder is this choice necessary or even a good thing.

Later in the summer I went to follow a favourite American recipe for cupcakes (I can hear those of you that know my passion for cupcakes laughing) and underwent the task of finding almond extract. This resulted in me crossing State lines to New Hampshire! What happened to all my choices?!

While the UK may not stock an unimaginable variety of household, daily consumables it comes into its own with speciality food shops catering to a multitude of nationalities and tastes. Ditto for restaurants.  Have you ever tried to get a good curry in Maine? Yes, I am happy to have escaped aisle 7 and be back in London even if I do miss blueberries, lobster and whoopee pies!

Written by Nancy Dickinson
For more information please visit www.focus-info.org

The non-touristy side of London

I am currently 7 weeks into my stay in London.  I have become so much more used to the culture now that I’ve spent some more time getting acquainted with the lifestyle.  During the first few weeks of my stay I was quite overwhelmed by the fast pace and big city culture that it has to offer.  I originally came to London for an 8 week internship programme with 30 other students from all over America.  As the weeks passed, each one quicker than the last, I knew that 8 weeks was not even close to enough time for my stay because I was just starting to get used to the style of living.

As I said in my previous blog, I almost immediately became friends with a few local Londoners just two days after my arrival.  Instead of spending most of the time that I have off from work with the other 30 Americans from my programme, I decided to branch out and spend a lot of it with my new English friends.  Yes, I do realise that I am part of a programme and I do stay involved, but I came to London to get to really see the parts of London that tourists usually do not.  I came here to meet some people that are different to those that I am used to, which was frightening at first, but I went for it and the results could not be any more rewarding.

My new friends have shown me too many places in London to remember.  They have taken me North, South, East, West, and everywhere in between.  Most of our time together is spent playing football in different parks, going out at night, exploring, and most importantly laughing.  Many people have told me that the English have a very strange sense of humour but I have never laughed and smiled so much in my life.  They are hysterical! 
British people have also been especially welcoming.  I get invited to every social gathering, event, and even just to hang out and watch some television at the flat.  As the end of my 8 week programme has approached, I told my new friends that I would be leaving very soon.  This is when one offered for me to stay at his new flat.  My new friend that I had just met a few weeks ago said, “Stay as long as you want you’re always welcome at my place.”  Wow!  I immediately re-scheduled my flight back home.  I’m now going to be in London for another whole month!  I could not be more thrilled.  I couldn’t have come close to imagining how great this experience would be 7 weeks ago.  I am so grateful.
Written by:  Jared O'Neill
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What a great City!

I have to say that this is the first summer in 16 years that I have really enjoyed staying in London during the month of July. The weather has been consistently very nice and hot. I did not have to bring a jacket or a jumper with me at any time of the day and had the opportunity to enjoy many evenings dining “al fresco”. Because of the several guests who came to visit, I also did a lot of sightseeing and walking, sometimes to places that were completely new to me.

Last Friday, thanks to a colleague’s suggestion, I decided to go with my daughter, a friend and her son to the Royal Docks, a new area that was developed recently after the opening of The Emirates Air Line, a cable car that operates between North Greenwich and the Royal Docks. We took the tube to North Greenwich and wandered around the O2 arena, discovering many things including “the climb of an icon”.  If you are not afraid of heights and want to see the view from the top of the arena, you can climb to the top.

I am not particularly comfortable with heights so decided to pass on the Climb and went straight to the cable car without realising what I was getting myself into.  The Air Line can be paid for with the Oyster card (£3.20 for adults and £1.60 for children) and the procedure to board is very easy and comfortable. It was only once on board the cable that I noticed how high it was and how close to City airport! I took the ride without really looking at the spectacular view as I was quite terrified. After what seemed to be an eternity to me, we finally reached the other side.

The kids were all excited as they had seen some large plastic bubbles on the water and insisted on going there. The bubbles are in a small, confined area which is very safe.  Kids (or adults too) go inside and, once zipped in, can feel what it is like to be a hamster rolling around inside a giant plastic ball. They had great time trying to run inside the ball and splash in the water without getting wet! They were also fascinated by some other water activities that were available near by, including water skiing and water jet packs. I had only seen them in a James Bond film and had great fun looking at people using them. Of course none of us dared to try it, but if you feel brave this is something really cool to do.

The return trip by cable car was less painful as at least I was mentally prepared for it. The day continued with a delicious sandwich at Borough Market and a walk in the City. We were exhausted but happy after a fun and different London experience!
Written by:  Alessandra Gnudi
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Is it summer....?

Technically summer starts on 21st June.  According to the almanac, summer starts on the solstice, which has to do with the position of the sun, rather than the temperature.  Well that explains it then.....

Summer is a wonderful opportunity to participate in all the outdoor activities that are organised around the country.  Having said there, there are a few hints and tips to make these experiences more pleasant from a purely meteorological perspective. 
We recently attended the Queen’s Club, one of the outdoor tennis tournaments in preparation for Wimbledon, and were to see two semi-final matches, as well as a couple of doubles matches.  The weather forecast was very typically mixed – sunshine with scattered showers.    

Being a long-time resident of London, I knew this meant I should be prepared for 4 seasons in one day, and carried a rather large handbag to the event.  My husband asked me why I was taking a ‘suitcase’ and I told him that I was prepared for whatever the British weather would throw at us:  as well as being dressed in many layers (including a cashmere sweater!), I had a small umbrella, a rain hat, sunglasses, and a pashmina.  When we met our friends at the gate, she presented us all with clear plastic rain ponchos – mine went straight into my bag. 
As we arrived and took our seats, the rain began.  There was a flurry of activity as a small army of men took to the courts to pull out the rain cover.  At this point I took out my hat.  When it started to pour, the stands emptied rapidly, and it was only at this point that I took out the umbrella.  It is very rude to open your umbrella at an outdoor event while the event is still going on – you block the view of those behind you, and your neighbours will not be pleased!

 
 

Eventually the rain stopped, the court was uncovered and all the spectators went back to their seats.  The sun came out with such brilliance that I folded the umbrella, put the hat away and took out my sunglasses.  I opened my leather jacket and soaked up the warmth of the sun.  The players arrived on court, warmed up and played one set before the heavens opened again.  This time there was a huge gust of wind, hail and then torrential rain.  I quickly put away the glasses, pulled out the hat, pashmina and poncho, layered up and was on my way out of the stands. 
Two hours later, the rain had stopped and the court was once again uncovered.  This time, what looked like an industrial strength hairdryer was brought out, and the court was ‘dried’ in preparation for play.  At this point, 4 hours had passed and we had seen 30 minutes of tennis.  We were informed that several of the matches that we were to see were now going to be played on other courts simultaneously.  At 5pm, centre court was ready to go, but the players weren’t! We were told that they would play one hour later. 

Eventually play began at 6pm.  We were lucky to see one entire match, instead of 4 that we were anticipating.  The sun was out again, but a strong breeze was blowing and the temperature had dropped significantly.  I had buttoned up, wrapped up and kept the rain hat and poncho on for warmth.  Looking around, I noted that our neighbours had brought woolly gloves and blankets, and were wearing their winter boots – I made a mental note for next time!
Written by Eva Stock
For more information on living in London visit www.focus-info.org

The British Diet- through the eyes of a tourist

 

I recently had the refreshing experience of reconnecting with a dear friend who was visiting London from the States. I had almost as much fun hearing what she had to say about her culinary experience as a visitor to England as I did sharing gossip about friends and family. 

She has perhaps had the rather unusual experience of landing for work in Peterborough while staying in Stamford. For those of you not yet, nor perhaps ever, familiar with these towns let’s just say they are by no means the international metropolis that is London.  Having said that, she has found a local gym that hosts zumba lessons! Post zumba however her dining choices are rather limited.

Bacon, what is it with Bacon batties, butties, buttons- what, what do they call those things and what are they?!! This was one of the most animated comments she had on life in Britain. I now know I have lived here a long time and yes my children really are half British.  I found myself practically defending what is perhaps the world’s most unhealthy sandwich on earth, a sandwich my children eat with delight on at least one occasion while on holiday in Devon. For those less familiar with the Bacon Buttie it is a sandwich comprised of fried Canadian bacon enclosed in well buttered white bread. The taxi stand that I pass regularly just off Sloane Street has a queue at least 15 long every morning. I take note because the smell is so divine!  Many Americans are familiar with the BLT (bacon lettuce and tomato) but somehow the addition of lettuce and tomato and the absence of butter makes their version seem positively healthy, especially when served on wholegrain toast.  Needless to say the conversation about the nutritional sin of this Bacon buttie was animated and opened the flood gates on the pub food she has been exposed to in the small town she is calling home for the next few weeks.

   

 

So, over our Asian fusion dinner, feeling well removed from any bacon, I had the chance to contemplate what makes up some of the traditional British eating habits which I thought no longer took me by surprise. I have to say, I do agree with her that some of the standard fare, sausages and chips and the British obsession with crisps, is rather devoid of any trace of healthy content.  I do think that our options, especially in London, have grown exponentially from 17 years ago when trying to get a sandwich without butter was quite a task.  Many of the pubs are now considering the quality of their food and maybe someday this will filter through what she is calling her local...one can hope.

For those of you wondering the obvious, how can an American be critical when the obesity rate there... Yes, we covered this as well!  I will be sure to point my friend in the direction of some of the best that Britain has to offer and will try not to smirk when I am next in the supermarket in the US surrounded by a multitude of refrigerators piled high with frozen meals!

Written by Nancy Dickinson
For more information please visit www.focus-info.org
 

A day at the races....

My preparation for Royal Ascot started at John Lewis, choosing my hat. For the ladies, Ascot is all about “teeth and tits” they say, that means you need to have a lovely smile and a generous cleavage. No one is going to judge you on those areas, but definitely something you cannot go without is a hat or a fascinator, and that is a must! You have the chance to see fantastic hats and dresses on the day. So I started choosing my fascinator and from there I worked out my outfit.

Royal Ascot is about having a good time, socialising and betting. In my experience going to Ascot is the equivalent of a long Sunday lunch in an Italian country house in Italy, where you just take your time over lunch, you talk and eat and enjoy the company of family and friends. At Ascot you can enjoy all sorts of drinks, but mainly I have seen champagne and Pimm’s.

The first bet is on the Queen’s outfit. Each day she arrives at Ascot in her carriage and her subjects bet on which colour her dress is going to be on each day. There is nothing to win of course; the reward is seeing her up-close when she arrives in her carriage. Then there are the horses, the protagonists of the event. It is such a fantastic and energising experience seeing horses running so fast and their jockeys dressed in colourful clothes. And besides seeing the fast race, you hear it; anything between nine and twenty-five horses approach very quickly from a distance, and then run away towards their goal. I placed the first bet of my life and I won! I felt high and happy and suddenly I wanted to bet again on the following race.

This year the current monarch’s horse won a race for the first time in decades. The queen was reported on TV as trying to control herself during the race, but when the horse won she could not contain herself any more and was reported expressing boundless joy for the victory of her horse.

What I really found interesting is that before entering the various enclosures at Ascot, everybody who comes by car or coach has a picnic in the car park. Everyone comes very organised with picnic tables, chairs and tents; and luscious food and plenty of drinks to get you in the mood. I have heard some parties come armed with butlers and serving waiters. It is a very democratic moment where each person is free to enjoy themselves while respecting other parties around them. Then everyone walks to their area according to the ticket they have; the Silver Ring, the Grand Stand or the Royal Enclosure (by invitation only). A day at the races can be very enjoyable and what makes the difference is good company and a bit of sunshine.

By Ivette Laviola

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