Well, it's been nearly a year since my last post and I decided to pick this up again as I see my life taking on another transition. I have used this space to post my rant and learnings for my 'immersion' into the UK culture. Now I will use it as my space for my repatriation into the US.
So, my company [whom shall remain nameless] has decided that the UK market is not one that we intend to continue to invest. As such, we are in a 'wind-down' mode of our operations where we transfer our contracts, release our staff, and send the remaining two expats home. All if this will likely require me to be in the UK until the summer [as you would expect, the most frequently asked question is, 'When will you be home?' I've only got one answer: I don't have the foggiest idea.].
I have been here for 3 years and 2 months. Much of my experience is documented in this blog and then also on FB [where you get immediate responses]. I have used this blog as my diary, of sorts. In the last year, I have been consumed with one major client, and therefore, had less time for adventures ... and when I did manage to squeeze them in, less time to document them. Perhaps I'll post them now [I had some really fun times in 2010, despite the obnoxiously long hours and insane client; I'll make a note].
So my thoughts now about living here in London have turned to: I'm leaving soon ... what haven't I done?
Last weekend, I went to the [movie] theatre to see 'The King's Speech" w/Colin Firth. What a fantastic movie! If I would have posted my accolades last weekend, I would have looked 'smart' as the Oscar nominations hadn't come out yet. Nonetheless, make time to see this movie! Anyway, I had never been to a movie in the UK. I am good at watching DVDs, my Sky channels, and something on-line, but I hadn't gone to the theatre. It is a very different experience.
First of all, you are not talking about a locations that is in the middles of acres of land with flashing lights and huge parking lot. There are two theatres in Wimbledon [that I have recognized]. The entrances are on the ground floor of the high street, so you can't see the expanse of the theatres as they are upstairs [on the first floor]. Secondly, there is just a lighted board about 1 metre by 1 metre that lists all of the shows and their times for the week. Hello-? It's a poster. You have to go INTO the theatre to find the posters. So not a whole lot of fan-fare going on outside. AND you have an assigned seat, like you would be going to see a play or ballet or the opera.
Tomorrow: taking the Euro rail to Paris for the day.
29 January 2011
14 February 2010
Borough Market
Yesterday, I went with Ramu and Heather. We have Heather on loan from Louisville for 10 days. Borough Market is London's oldest food market. It was established on the south bank of the Thames when the Romans built the first London Bridge. It has occupied its present site for 250 years.
Borough has a long and distinguished history as a wholes
ale fruit and vegetable market. The wholesale market operates on all weekday mornings from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m., but the retail market operates only on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The market, which has focused historically on fruits and vegetables, has, in recent years, added stalls dealing with the fine food retail market.
Since the beginning of 2000, some of the market's most famous traders include Artisan Bakers DeGustibus, Furness Fish & Game Supplies, Peter Gott and Sillfield Farm, and the Spanish company Brindisa. This guy on the left was selling French cheese; Baby Blue is the one on his cutting board. I bought some, of course.
At a stand across from here, I got some Chorizo sausage.
The present market was first mentioned in 1276. During the 19th century it became one of London's most important food markets due to its strategic position near the riverside wharves of the Pool
of London.
We went to the Market hungry. Ramu and Heather had an oyster from this stand. It was too early in the morning for me.
The present buildings were designed in 1851, with additions in the 1860s and an entrance designed in the Art Deco style added on Southwark Street in 1932. A refurbishment began in 2001. Work to date includes the re-erection in 2004 of the South Portico from the Floral Hall.
Stallholders come to trade at the market from different parts of the UK and tradition
al European products are also shipped over and sold. Amongst the produce on sale are fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, meat, game and freshly-baked bread and pastries. There is also a wide variety of cooked and snack food on sale for the many to
urists who flock to the market.
This stand on the left is chocolates, displayed in bowls made of hollowed out tree stumps.
We stopped for breakfast at Fish. I had poached salmon and poached egg on bubbles and squeak [potatoes and cabbage]. It was REALLY good.
After that we had a bit of mulled wine while we finished cruising through the Market and then we headed to the Whiskey Shoppe. I got some double distil
led Oban. There is one time a year that they move a batch of whiskey to sherry casks to give it a unique colour [reddish] and taste, apparently. I haven't opened it.
Borough Market has become a fashionable place to buy food. It has been promoted by British television chefs and has been u
sed as a film set. Notable films with scenes filmed in the streets around the market include: the Globe Pub was in Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (200
4).
This line in the picture on the right is the line for people waiting to get a coffee. It is apparently "the" place for coffee at the Market. We didn't do that.
Borough has a long and distinguished history as a wholes
ale fruit and vegetable market. The wholesale market operates on all weekday mornings from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m., but the retail market operates only on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The market, which has focused historically on fruits and vegetables, has, in recent years, added stalls dealing with the fine food retail market.
Since the beginning of 2000, some of the market's most famous traders include Artisan Bakers DeGustibus, Furness Fish & Game Supplies, Peter Gott and Sillfield Farm, and the Spanish company Brindisa. This guy on the left was selling French cheese; Baby Blue is the one on his cutting board. I bought some, of course.
At a stand across from here, I got some Chorizo sausage.
The present market was first mentioned in 1276. During the 19th century it became one of London's most important food markets due to its strategic position near the riverside wharves of the Pool
of London.
We went to the Market hungry. Ramu and Heather had an oyster from this stand. It was too early in the morning for me.
The present buildings were designed in 1851, with additions in the 1860s and an entrance designed in the Art Deco style added on Southwark Street in 1932. A refurbishment began in 2001. Work to date includes the re-erection in 2004 of the South Portico from the Floral Hall.
Stallholders come to trade at the market from different parts of the UK and tradition
al European products are also shipped over and sold. Amongst the produce on sale are fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, meat, game and freshly-baked bread and pastries. There is also a wide variety of cooked and snack food on sale for the many to
urists who flock to the market.This stand on the left is chocolates, displayed in bowls made of hollowed out tree stumps.
We stopped for breakfast at Fish. I had poached salmon and poached egg on bubbles and squeak [potatoes and cabbage]. It was REALLY good.
After that we had a bit of mulled wine while we finished cruising through the Market and then we headed to the Whiskey Shoppe. I got some double distil
led Oban. There is one time a year that they move a batch of whiskey to sherry casks to give it a unique colour [reddish] and taste, apparently. I haven't opened it.Borough Market has become a fashionable place to buy food. It has been promoted by British television chefs and has been u
sed as a film set. Notable films with scenes filmed in the streets around the market include: the Globe Pub was in Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (200
4).This line in the picture on the right is the line for people waiting to get a coffee. It is apparently "the" place for coffee at the Market. We didn't do that.
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