An American In Leeds

Happy (Very Belated) New Year!

2011-01-18T10:11:00.002Z

I may as well get this out of the way: this has become a crafting blog. You probably have already figured that out, but I like to be honest and up front about these things.

Now that that is done, let me show you what I've been working on!

I started a pair of gloves in September 2009. I finished all but three fingers of the right hand one, then lost interest. After finishing Brian Slade, I dug out the glove, and finished it.

Pattern: Knotty, by Julia Mueller, from Ravelry.

I cast on for the left hand glove, and got it started. Hopefully, it won't take me over a year to finish it.

I am also embarking on a quilt. I have never made a quilt before. It's nothing fancy- just a random patchwork quilt. I am using a pattern, since I have never done this before. Ollalieberry Ice Cream Quilt, from Alicia Paulson.

I bought the fabric about a year ago, and shoved it in a bag. Not sure what made me decide to drag it out and make the silly quilt right now.

I probably should have titled this post "Things I Gave Up On Over a Year Ago, and Have Decided to Finish Already, Damn It".

One thing I did not start a year ago: I am taking an online drawing class. I did quite a bit of drawing when I was in high school (due to a screw up in scheduling, I ended up taking two years of art class). I was never any good at it, but I enjoyed it. Yet another thing, like keeping a journal, that I would like to get back into.

Maybe I'm channeling my inner 16-year old. That's a frightening thought.

Happy Boxing Day!

2010-12-26T11:37:00.003Z

Don't forget to give the servants the day off!

Originally, I was going to go away for Christmas like I did last year. But then the weather started acting wacky. And then I kept getting sick with one cold after another. In the end, I decided to stay put.

I roasted a chicken, using Julia Child's recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It turned out amazing, probably because, like all of Julia Child's recipes, it requires a ton of butter. She should have titled her book Screw It: Use the Damn Butter, You'll Thank Me Later.

I also worked on sewing up a skirt. I got all but the finishing details done yesterday. I did the belt loops and buttons today to finish it up:

Sorry for the bad picture- I finished it after the sun went down, so no natural sunlight. The pattern is Beignet from Colette Patterns. Grey gabardine with cotton/ synthetic floral lining and purple plastic buttons. I've made this skirt before, although I don't remember the belt loops being as traumatizing as they were this time. The rest of the skirt is fairly easy, but turning those belt loops is a nightmare.

I suppose technically it should be called "Christmas skirt", but I'm kinda eh on Christmas. Boxing Day skirt? I have a date to see Tron 2 later this week, so maybe I'll call it "Tron skirt".

Crafty MacCrafterson

2010-12-22T10:00:00.003Z

I finally finished my Lady Grey coat!

Only nearly two months late for the Sew-A-Long. Better late than never. Or better late than pregnant, as Blanche from The Golden Girls would say. Eventually I'll get a picture of me wearing it, but right now I am vain and my skin is a mess.

This sucker is a lot warmer than I originally thought it was going to be, so perhaps it's for the best that I didn't finish it for the fall. I would have roasted. As it is, with temps in the 20s (Fahrenheit) right now, it's nice and cozy.

I'm still working on the rest of my Fall 2010 collection. I finished a dress and two blouses (no pictures of those yet, argh). I have a skirt and another dress to finish. I was going to do two slips as well, but my sewing machine HATES slippy fabric, and the stitches are awful on the one I attempted. I added a giant scarf to the collection. It is my current obsession to get done:

It's grown by a couple repeats since I took that picture. It will be 7.5 feet long when I'm done.

I totaled up the garments I've sewn in 2010. I made:
5 blouses
4 dresses
2 coats, and
1 skirt.

I'm hoping to add another skirt to that list before the New Year. I've got just over a week. I can do it.

The Snowpacalypse, Writing and Knitting

2010-12-03T08:54:00.004Z

The big news around these parts: the snow:

We got quite a bit of it.

What happened to the month of November? Oh, right, I was busy writing a novel. I did NaNoWriMo this year, after a three year hiatus. I didn't think I was going to make the 50k word goal, but I did: 50,012. I found it tougher this year than in the past. My inner editor has gotten a lot stronger over the years, and I think she makes it difficult to just sit down and write.

The good thing about NaNoWriMo is that it has given me the urge to keep a journal again. I kept one faithfully from the age of 14 until I was 20. I remember being so proud of myself when I filled the first one- a spiral bound number with a crushed blue velvet cover (shut up, it was the 90's, crushed velvet was HOT). I filled about half of the second one before I stopped for some reason.

Now I want to keep a journal again, just to learn to turn off that inner editor. I bought a cheap bright blue one yesterday, and forced myself to write a couple pages without worrying about whether it made any sense or not. Logical progression of ideas isn't necessary in a journal. I must remember that.

I've also kept working on my scarf:

I've named it Brian Slade, since I worked on a fair chunk of it while watching Velvet Goldmine one night. All it needs is glitter eye makeup and platform boots.

Rantsalot

2010-11-06T10:45:00.003Z

There is this ad on the television right now:

To summarize: hapless dude burns his dinner before his date. Goes to attractive female next door neighbor for help. She shows him how to make this easy pasta. She asks when his date will be arriving, and SURPRISE! She's the date!

Okay, to me there is SO MUCH WRONG with this ad. Shall I break it down? Yes, I shall!

1. Plays on the stereotype that men can't cook.
2. She unknowingly cooks dinner for her own date. How kind of him to let her do that!
3. Assumes that she should be falling over herself because this guy is paying attention to her.
4. She's on a date she wasn't even asked on, like she has no agency in who she dates. In fact, it looks like for a split second she is NOT AMUSED by this turn of events. Which leads to
5. She quickly covers up that she's not happy, because women must always be pleasant.

I know, I know. It's just an advert. But it's stuff like this that perpetuates sexism/ gender discrimination. Little things, constantly. Seeing it makes me feel like I'm being pecked to death by cats.

November Rain

2010-11-03T16:04:00.002Z

I'm home sick today. In between bouts of illness (I'll spare you the details), I've been working on a scarf:

Dryad, by Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed. I want this scarf to be long enough to wrap around my head several times. I'll be working on it for a while.

It's rainy today. I've been camped out on the sofa with a cup of tea, watching old episodes of Law & Order (US version) on DVD. The first season is especially sexism failtastic. It's kind of hilarious.

Two Year Anniversary

2010-10-31T19:29:00.003Z

I landed at Leeds Bradford airport two years ago today. My boss dropped me off at my temporary apartment, and I fell flat on my face for 16 hours straight.

It's been a strange couple of years, I admit. Moving to any new place can be a wild ride, but moving to another country is a roller coaster of wackiness. Between learning to use the washing machine, learning to drink beer properly, deciphering British social rules, and figuring out what an aubergine is, I sometimes feel like I just got off a carnival ride and I'm going to puke.

Just kidding about the puke bit. A little.

Growing up, I didn't understand social cues. I treated other kids as my own personal experiment to learn how to behave properly. I ended up having a mental catalog of cues and their appropriate responses in order to get through everyday social interactions. That catalog has undergone heavy revision in the past two years. I worry a little about what's going to happen when I eventually move back to the US, and have to revise the mental catalog.

My job runs out in a year. In 6 months I have to figure out where and what to do next. It's daunting. I wonder if I'm up for the challenge of turning my life upside down again, and trying something new.

The Walled City

2010-10-19T10:41:00.003+01:00

My fascinating friend J. Lo came to visit me. She knows everything (and I mean everything) about Medieval church architecture and the people involved, but only tells you the really entertaining parts. She's like a textbook mixed with gossip rag.

Because I let my friends push me around, J. Lo dragged me to York to see York Minster (which always makes me think of cheese), among other things.

We also climbed to the top of the crossing tower:

And saw part of the wall:

Sewing alert: Crepe wrap dress at York Castle

As always, the rest can be found here.

Lady Grey Update on a Rainy Day

2010-10-03T11:50:00.002+01:00

This weekend I completed the shell of my Fall 2010 Lady Grey:

Taken during a brief break in the torrential downpours we're having today.

Well, mostly completed. Because of the way the lining is attached, you don't put the collar on until later.

This pattern seems to call for a lot more fabric than you actually need. The first time I made this coat, I bought the recommended amount of shell fabric, and ended up with a ton left over. (By the way, if anyone has any ideas on what to make with a couple yards of spring green tweed-like material, let me know.) This time, I cut back on the amount by about 1.5 yards because a) the fabric was stupid expensive (but was exactly what I wanted, so I sucked it up), and b) I didn't want a pile of leftover fabric. Then I panicked, thinking I wasn't going to have enough.

I ended up still having about half a yard leftover. I didn't have enough to cut the belt in one piece; I'll have to sew two pieces together, which is really no big deal. No one is going to notice.

Long story short (too late)- if you end up making this pattern, you likely will not need as much fabric as the envelope says.

Lady Grey is going to be put on hold for a short time, so I can make this lovely:

Crepe, a wrap dress pattern. The tartan is for the main body, the red is for the contrasting ties. Shouldn't take me too long.

My Boy Builds Coffins

2010-09-28T15:10:00.002+01:00

I've had Florence + The Machine in heavy rotation the past few weeks. I'm writing a review about interferon regulation. Florence helps me think of other things when I'm not writing.

I ventured out to Lawnswood Cemetery in North Leeds on Saturday.

As usual, more here.

On Sunday, I made Coq au vin, the Julia Child way. It turned out really nice, even without lighting the cognac on fire.

The cutting has begun

2010-09-21T21:58:00.002+01:00

Shell

Lining

Please excuse the crap pictures- I was doing my cutting at night. I do not, however, wear my sunglasses at night.

The cutting of my Lady Grey coat has begun. The rest of the Sew-A-Long people are doing their muslins right now. I figured I would get a jump start on my real coat, since the weather will be right for it sooner rather than later here in Leeds.

I cut my tissue patterns, I don't (typically) trace. And I use pins instead of sewing weights. I feel like I'm a bad home seamstress because of this. It's mostly because I'm lazy, and like to spend as little time prepping stuff as possible. I like sewing.

Cutting is the dullest part of sewing for me. To prepare for cutting this coat, I raided the bargain DVD bin of the local British WalMart (aka Asda). I got LA Confidential and Casino Royale. (As an aside- the cashier remarked how my boyfriend will be having a good night. Uh, dude, these are for me, WTF, Batman?). I like watching thrillers/ action movies while cutting out sewing patterns. Alleviates the boredom.

Next: Sewing!

This is Not a Sewing Blog- Again

2010-08-28T18:15:00.003+01:00

I do quite a bit of sewing. It's one of my obsessions. There's something incredibly satisfying with making my own clothes. I don't do a lot of tailoring, so I can't say it's making something that fits just right. I think it's being able to make something in the color I want, the style I want, and the fabric I want (usually- good fabric can be touch-and-go here in Leeds).

I've joined a Sew-a-Long. We're sewing the Lady Grey coat from Colette Patterns. The Sew-a-Long is doing a muslin mock up. I am not bothering with the muslin because a) I am a lazy ass, and never do muslins, and b) I've made this coat before, and it fits beautifully.

Anywhoodle, here's my fabric:

The charcoal grey is for the shell. The print is for the lining. The buttons help keep the coat closed when wearing it.

Because I'm doing this coat as part of a Sew-a-Long, this means that I will be posting updates as I sew it. Lucky you, blog readers! See how I snuck the sewing up on you!

7 Signs I'm a Hipster

2010-08-23T09:00:00.000+01:00

1. I take pictures of the ground:

2. I wear big, vintage glasses on occasion.

3. I sometimes put product in my hair to texturize it, aka make it look like I haven't washed it in a few days.

4. Then, I pull it up in a bun and muss it up a bit, to make it look like not only I haven't washed it, but that I slept with it in a bun.

5. I get into arguments of New Order vs. Joy Division. For the record, I fight for New Order.

6. I own an iPod touch. I don't actually like it, though- the screen is too sensitive, and I end up yelling at it No! I don't want to listen to THAT! which makes me look extra crazy.

7. I write a blog. Where I post pictures I have taken of the ground. Need I say more?

What I've Been Up To

2010-08-18T09:00:00.001+01:00

1. Complaining about the weather. While the temperature has been AWESOME (in the 70s) for my New England blood, the lack of sunlight is being to kill me. I think I got spoiled when I was in Madison, WI.

2. Speaking of Madison, WI, I attended the Int'l DNA Tumor Virus conference there this year. I gave a 12 minute talk which went really well. Phenomenal even, according to my boss.

3. Putting together a sewing project board for a Fall 2010 collection. The palette is red, turquoise, aubergine, gold, greys, and black/white.

The beginnings. You can see more detail here.

4. Got my hair cut a little differently. It requires... product. And a hair dryer. *shudders* But, I'm told it looks nice.

5. Made cassoulet!

From Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I cut the recipe down to 1/3 of the original, and I still ate it for almost every meal for a week. It was very good, but not perfect. I'm going to work on it. I also would like to attempt coq au vin one of these days.

Kat's Big Fat European Vacation- Part III Rome

2010-08-09T21:50:00.002+01:00

Last time on An American In Leeds, Toulouse and Barcelona. Today, Rome!

We took a ferry from Barcelona to Rome (or rather, Civitavecchia). It was an overnight ferry. Best night of sleep in my life.

Leaving Barcelona

Sailing the Mediterranean. How chic.

Rome was hot. And crowded. Unfortunately, I think that disrupted my enjoyment of the city. Maybe I'll go back in the winter, and be in a better mood to explore. Because the Roman forum ruins are AMAZING:

We also ventured out to Capri, which was very pretty, if a bit touristy.

As usual, more pictures here. I was going to go back and edit my Toulouse entry. But, I have decided instead that I am supremely lazy.

Kat's Big Fat European Vacation- Part II Barcelona

2010-07-31T08:31:00.002+01:00

Sorry for disappearing there for, oh what, a whole month. July brought me to Madison, WI, for the Int'l DNA Tumor Virus conference. I gave a talk, so most of my month was eaten up with preparing that. The talk went really well, though, so it was worth the effort.

Anywhoodle, Barcelona! Second stop on my Big Fat European Vacation.

La Sagrada Familia:

A picture of La Sagrada Familia was on the cover of my 9th grade Spanish book. I remember thinking "Why does that building look like it's melting?" Well, now I know that it's supposed to look like that- Gaudí designed it to be very organic, like a living creature.

The mindboggling part- La Sagrada Familia has been under construction since 1882, and won't be finished until 2026 (estimated).

Scenes from around town:

I also took a day trip up Montjuïc as well, to see the castle:

The rest of my Barcelona photos can be found here. I'm thinking of going back and editing my Toulouse blog entry, because I think it's awfully skimpy.

Kat's Big Fat European Vacation- Part I Tolouse

2010-07-04T20:15:00.002+01:00

For my 31st birthday, I went to Toulouse, Barcelona, and Rome with a couple friends. It was my first trip to the continent, and my first adventure into places where English wasn't the primary language spoken. Since I'm terribly lazy, English is the only language I speak with any proficiency.

Toulouse was our first official stop. Home of the Basilica of Saint Sernin:

And the Church of the Jacobins:

As well as cassoulet. I do not have a picture of the cassoulet, but I am attempting to make my own this weekend.

We also ventured out to some of the Bastide towns in the neighboring area on my birthday. We ended up visiting 8 of them. This towns are characterized by a central market hall, and a church slightly out of the center of town:

Cologne market hall

and church.

Birthday rosé.

Loads more pictures here. I'll do separate posts for Barcelona and Rome.

The Difference

2010-05-24T12:34:00.002+01:00

Yesterday, as I was walking through town, I noticed a car sitting at a green light for a full 10 seconds before accelerating and NO ONE honked at him.

That, my friends, sums up the differences between England and the US. Or at least England and Massachusetts.

The Leeds Owl Trail

2010-05-19T09:00:00.000+01:00

I was poking around on the internet, like you do, and I came across this thing called the Leeds Owl Trail. Apparently, owls are a big thing for Leeds. They're everywhere, if you look hard enough. So on Sunday, I printed out a map, and went owl hunting.

First stop, Millennium Square:

There are four owls in the above picture.

It took me a while to find the owls in the City Museum carving.

Next stop, St. Anne's Catherdral:

I think these guys are my favorites. I walk by them everyday on my way to work.

Then, Municipal Building:

The Corn Exchange:

I love the inside of the Corn Exchange.

Malmaison Hotel (formerly the Leeds City Tramways Department):

And finally, Leeds Bridge:

Not sure what's going on with the sheep there.

Jarring to the ear

2010-05-12T09:53:00.004+01:00

I don't watch a lot of TV. I have it on for background noise most of the time, but I don't actually watch it (why I don't just turn on the radio, I don't know. Maybe I want to get my money's worth out of my TV License).

I occasionally pay attention enough to catch a commercial or two. And I've noticed two odd things about some commercials:

1. Some seem dubbed over, and
2. Some have characters with American accents in them.

The dubbed ones I've figured out are so they can show them in several countries- they just dub over voice actors with a regionally appropriate accent. I've seen the same Febreeze commercial in an American accent, a British accent, and in Icelandic. (As an aside- I've also seen Dynasty dubbed in Icelandic. It seemed way more entertaining that way).

The commercials with characters with American accents are fine, until they say a Britishism with the American accent. To my brain, it sounds like the needle just jumped off the record. Very jarring.

For example, there's one on right now with a panda bear with a thick New York accent. Why New York, when the panda bears live in DC at The National Zoo? Or at the San Diego zoo? Or the Atlanta zoo? Or the Memphis zoo? Details, details.

So anyway, the panda bear with the New York accent is shilling some sort of fancy cookie. He calls them biscuits, the British term for cookie. Except a panda bear with a New York accent, or in fact ANYONE with a New York accent, would never call them biscuits. WE CALL THEM COOKIES. BISCUITS ARE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT FOOD.

Ahem. Excuse the Kayne West Caps Lock (TM) there.

My point is that why bother with using an American accent in commercials, if you're going to replace some words with the British versions? It's not authentic. Why is it okay for someone to make fun of me when a Britishism pops out of my mouth, but the media goes ahead and appropriates my accent to sell things, while sticking in British words?

Knaresborough 20 Mile Walk, Or I Secretly Hate Myself

2010-05-06T09:00:00.000+01:00

I just need to admit at this point that I am a masochist. Between doing a PhD, and these punishing walks I do, I may as well accept it.

I did a 20 mile walk around Knaresborough this past weekend. It was mostly flat, so it wasn't too bad, although the last three miles or so, I thought my legs were going to fall off.

River Nidd (I think)

Bluebells!

Sheep because, duh, I was walking in the country.

Churchyard

Horse!

I finally found out what these fields of yellow I saw from the train are. Rapeseed fields. For making canola oil and biofuels.

Back in the USA

2010-05-03T14:57:00.004+01:00

T rex at the Boston Museum of Science

I went back to the US for two weeks in April. I actually did some touristy things this time, like visit the Boston Museum of Science, The New England Aquarium, Harvard's Natural History Museum, and The Butterfly Place.

Cephalopod chillin' out.

Glass Venus flytraps

Butterflies on a banana bender

In This-Is-Not-a-Sewing-Blog news- my finished Lady Grey jacket, at the Concord Cemetery:

I made no alterations to the original pattern (Colette Patterns #1010), other than to make the seam allowances 1/2" (I find 5/8" too bulky in general). The sleeves aren't 3/4 on me, but are just right full length because I have T rex arms (heh). Shell fabric is some sort of tweed I bought at the city markets, fiber content unknown. Although it sheds like the dickens- my dust bunnies will be green for the next few months.

It was a good visit home. Just like last time, it inspired me to change some things in my life when I got back to Leeds, mainly to de-clutter my life. Cut out those things that were wasting my time, or making me miserable, and focus more on the things I enjoy. There's a lot of stuff in my life that works. I need to focus on that, and not worry about acquiring new stuff.

Spring Walking

2010-03-20T09:09:00.002Z

It wasn't technically spring yet last weekend. But, it felt so springlike! I felt the need to go walking. I headed out to Sutton Bank with my walking group.

Believe it or not, I have no sheep pictures from this walk. No cattle, either.

This stretch in the forest made me think of all those walks Anne took in Anne of Green Gables. I still not-so-secretly aspire to be Anne.

Lake Gormire

I love taking pictures of the footpath signs. Maybe as much as I love taking pictures of sheep.

This is Not a Sewing Blog

2010-03-07T20:34:00.003Z

But I'm going to show you pictures of this dress I sewed anyway. They were taken at Kirkstall Abbey, so that covers the Leeds bit in my blog title.

I call this the Star Trek dress, since it seemed like I was always watching Star Trek reruns while sewing it. Except that time I was watching Dirty Dancing.

It's actually Colette Patterns #1006, Rooibos dress. Grey cotton gabardine with orange cotton trim/ lining.

The only alteration I made was to use a regular zipper instead of an invisible zipper. I hate installing invisible zippers. I used an orange regular zipper, just to be cheeky.

And so this isn't just all dress pictures:

I am about to become trendy. And moderately angry.

2010-01-09T10:19:00.003Z

This amuses me no end. But ticks me off at the same time. I will explain.

A while ago, I bought a satchel. It's big enough to fit in some papers, a book, an umbrella, and my wallet. It helps me avoid dragging a bunch of junk to work that I don't need. It has a strap long enough to put it across my body, leaving my hands free to push pedestrians walking on the wrong side of the sidewalk out of the way. It also fit in with my slightly dorky academic style, which I came by honestly by the fact a) I have a PhD in virology, and b) I have a job in academia.

Now, this style bag has been on the runway. And a designer, Mulberry, has made their own satchel which means soon everyone will have one. So, I'll look trendy! Not only trendy, but ahead of the curve by a few months! That's a new sensation. However, this will mean hipsters may start carrying one as well, which cheeses me off.

Those of you that know me well, or happen to be in my vicinity when I mutter "fucking hipsters" under my breath, know I dislike hipsters. Specifically, the ones that wear excessively dorky clothing and accessories because they are being "ironic". I feel like they're ripped off my style, and the style of anyone that hasn't quite figured out how to dress themselves (and don't care to know) without putting the work into it. They didn't have to go through the taunts because of their heavy glasses, color-clashing, ill-fitting clothes, or choice of reading material.

Are those lenses even real in those glasses, hipster? I'm blind in one eye. Mine are real. Twat. Eight times out of ten, the hipster with Nietzsche (or whatever the kids are reading these days, it was Ayn Rand in my time) under his/her arm hasn't actually read the book. Not that I've read Nietzsche, either, but that book about infectious diseases under my arm? Better believe I've read that one. Oh, you're not actually a nerd, you just play one in your social life? Gah! Poser!

I have some residual issues from being teased as a kid, if you hadn't noticed. This style isn't ironic for me. It is me. Full stop.

Working at a university, I wonder if students see me and think the same thing- that I'm just another fucking hipster. But, I know that I'm not- that I've had this same dorky, weird style since I was 10, and that it's not going to change. Once the hipsters move on from dork-chic, I'll still be wearing my heavy glasses and carrying my satchel.

PS It also amuses me that the word hipster is in the Blogger spell check. The expression Gah!, however, is not.

Edinburgh

2010-01-05T12:56:00.003Z

This past Christmas, instead of moping around Leeds, I decided to go somewhere. I thought about a couple places, then it was recommended to me to go to Edinburgh. Which turned out to be the perfect place to spend Christmas, because it snowed.

Edinburgh is a great city for walking. I spent all of Christmas day just walking around, and still didn't see everything I wanted to. So much history! It's a violent, bloody, poverty-stricken, challenging-the-authority history. Leeds is a young city in the grand scheme of things, so walking around a city that's had some sort of human habitation in it since the Bronze Age was fascinating.

I went to 5 churchyards/ cemeteries while I was there. I like churchyards and cemeteries, so this was heaven. I separated out most of the cemetery pictures, so people don't groan "Not another headstone, Kat!". Here they are.

My camera battery died on my second-to-last day. I didn't bring the charger, because I'm an idiot sometimes. Not to be deterred, I bought a disposable camera, and took pictures at Holyrood Palace and Abbey, and Edinburgh Castle. Once I figure out where to get the camera developed, I'll put those pictures up. Until then, here's the rest. I put in as many notes on history and whatnot in the flickr photostream.

I realized that I never blogged about my hike around the Ring of Steall. The first pictures in that Scotland photostream are from that hike. To put it politely, that hike was not one of my more brilliant ideas. But the pictures are kinda cool. I also went to Iceland (Reykjavik) a few months ago. I should really blog about that at some point.

Run By Blogging

2009-12-29T22:19:00.002Z

Been a while, hasn't it? Big update soon, I promise. Here's a little light entertainment in the meantime:

"Charles" the Cross Stitch:

While passing through the train station...

2009-09-07T12:51:00.001+01:00

Meet My New Roommate

2009-08-27T14:17:00.001+01:00

This is Chester:

Technology!

2009-08-02T19:06:00.003+01:00

I learned that my camera can take short videos! So I made a 360 degree (okay, maybe more like 240 degree) view from the top of Middle Hare Head, in the Yorkshire Dales.

Oxford

2009-07-19T22:03:00.002+01:00

I went to the International DNA Tumor Virus meeting this past week. It was held in Oxford this year.

Oxford is what I imagined an academic town to look like: lots of small, independent shops, bicycles everywhere (some with baskets of flowers on them), winding street, old buildings. The atmosphere oozes elite intelligence.

Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, at St. Mary's Hospital in London. In 1940, Howard Florey and Ernst Chain at the University of Oxford figured out how to stabilize and purify penicillin. Unfortunately, Florey was not an attention whore, so he and Chain didn't get as much publicity for doing most of the work. Therefore, to the is day, Oxford resents the fact that Fleming gets most of the credit.

The conference was at St. Catherine's, one of the colleges that make up the University of Oxford. From what I understand, students live and socialize at the colleges, but all of their lectures are at the University. Each day at 1, we were served a two course lunch, and at 6, we were served a three course dinner. This apparently is typical for students at the college. Being the uncouth working class background American that I am, I was never entirely sure which fork to use, and if I was using it correctly.

There is a lot to decipher in English culture dealing with class and privilege. It seems to be a lot less subtle than it is in American culture. It has to do with how you speak (what accent you have), where you went to school, how you eat, how you dress. Tons of little signifiers to indicate where you "belong" in society. It's fascinating, and yest frustrating at the same time.

The Adventures of Decorating

2009-07-02T09:01:00.006+01:00

I had this problem. This problem was that my apartment felt like a hotel room for a while. I hadn't really done much with it, I think because I was still considering it a temporary arrangement. I hadn't really accepted that Leeds, and my little apartment DOWN BY THE RIVER (shout out to SNL there) were home.

Oddly enough, staying at Melissa and Jon's in the US inspired me to make my apartment home. So I've been on a mad decorating and straightening mission. Would you like to see the results? I thought so!

Let's take a tour of my apartment, starting at the front door:

This is the front hall. I had some pictures I had taken on my adventures enlarged. I had five done for about 10 GBP.

Next stop- the bathroom:

Very exciting. The rug is lime green. The bathrobe on the door is teh sex. The brown box on the left hides my pads and my Lush addiction.

Living room:

The important part of this picture: the throw pillows on the couch. I made those. Also, another enlarged photo on the left.

My cheap n' easy solution for containing my magazines. I bought cardboard magazine holders, and painted them to match my decorating scheme.

Kitchen:

With more enlarged photos. I'm planning on having some more enlarged to hang up.

My pride and joy: my balcony

This was the area of my apartment that confounded me the most. It was so bare and unwelcoming, and I didn't know what to do with it. However, one day, I finally hit critical mass with plants, and put some cushions on the chairs. BAM! Now it's perfect. I sit out there doing work all the time.

Bedroom:

I saw this duvet set at the British Wal-Mart and I immediately could see it in my bedroom. Instead of keeping my books in large piles (a bad habit of mine), I use my deep window sills (not a euphemism for anything) as bookshelves.

More bedroom:

All told, I spent maybe 45 GBP on new stuff to spruce the place up. It was interesting to mix the apartment's kind of modern minimalist look with my kinda country-crafty style. I think it works, though. Like modern country-crafty.

Having a Rosalind Franklin Moment

2009-06-28T16:35:00.003+01:00

Rosalind Franklin was the scientist that took the crystal pictures of DNA that Watson and Crick "borrowed" to figure out the structure of DNA. She also sewed her own clothes, and was a great hiker. Every time I go hiking, I now think "I'm having a Rosalind Franklin moment!".

My first Saturday back from the States, I went hiking with a professor from work (Hi Miriam!). We went to Malham, then on to Grassington. Of course, my camera battery died before we got to Grassington, so I only have pictures of Malham. This means that I'll have to make another trip to Grassington. Oh darn.

Rain across the Dales.

We didn't end up hiking the whole area because it rained. And by rain, I mean real rain, not that mist we get a lot around here.

Janet's Foss. Foss is old Norse for waterfall; Janet is the queen of the fairies. The pool was traditionally used to wash sheep to get their wool to grow better.

Gordale Scar

Limestone pavement above Malham Cove. The limestone pieces are called clints; the gaps between them are called grykes.

Malham Cove, one of the most impressive limestone formations in England (or at least, that's what the sign said).

Sheep. There were lots of them.

More pictures at my Flickr page. There are also pictures from my jaunt to Temple Newsam. Those are mostly flowers.

Manchester City Walk

2009-05-31T18:25:00.001+01:00

Two days before doing the Yorkshire Three Peaks Walk, I did a 12 mile hike around Manchester, because I needed to do a blister check on my new hiking boots. And because I am crazy.

I started in the city, at Piccadilly Station:

Walked along the Ashton Canal, which is lined with decrepit cotton mills

But didn't stop for fish n' chips

Continued through Philips Park, then rambled around the woods for a while. Saw some interesting grafitti:

According to the guidebook I was using, at the top of this ridge I was supposed to see some "impressive views". What I saw was power lines (aka pylons) and a factory:

An overgrown canal

Park Bridge, a former iron works turned into a, well, park:

A stile

It had rained a lot the week previous, so many times I felt like Elizabeth Bennett. My petticoats may not have been 6 inches deep in mud, but my pants certainly were.

Hartshead Pike, 247 meters above sea level:

The structure was built in the Victorian era, but the site has been used as lookout since Roman times.

Finally, I ended up here, at the Billy Goat pub in Mossley:

And a celebratory beer:

Yorkshire Three Peaks Walk

2009-05-27T22:00:00.003+01:00

Ribblehead Viaduct, from Whernside

I AM NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN.

Okay, that's out of my system.

The Three Peaks Walk in Yorkshire is a total of 25 miles. It involves ascending, then descending three separate peaks in the Dales: Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside, and Ingleborough. Pen-y-Ghent is 2276 feet above sea level, Whernside 2415 feet, and Ingleborough 2372 feet. It's a point of pride to finish the walk in under 12 hours. I did it in 11 hours, 53 minutes.

It was a tough walk. I'm glad I did it, but I really doubt I'll do it again. I think I'll stick to walks under 15 miles from now on.

More pictures here. There are pictures there from my Manchester city walk as well. Another post for another day.

Newsworthy

2009-05-16T11:21:00.003+01:00

There was a male duck convention outside my apartment this morning:

Quack, quack, quack. They were worked up about something. Maybe they were talking about how it's possible for insurance companies to track you via your cell phone, and then change how much they charge you for your policy. Here's a thought: if you think you're going somewhere the insurance company will think is dodgy, leave your cell phone home. Or have your really healthy friend take it with him/ her to the gym all the time.

Note: I think it's wrong that an insurance company would track someone, and then make judgments based on that tracking. Right to privacy is a HUGE issue for me. I'm saying that it would be fairly easy to fool the insurance company, and therefore tracking would be silly.

Or maybe the ducks were discussing the Eurovision contest. My only impression of the Eurovision contest was formed from watching reruns of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" as a teenager. Which means my impression of the Eurovision contest is that it's goofy.

Or perhaps the ducks are outraged over the MP expenses scandal? Here's the gist of it: MPs have been claiming a whole bunch of stuff that they shouldn't have, for a number of reasons.

The part that baffles me is how SHOCKED so many people are about it. I thought at first it was the media blowing the whole thing out of proportion, as it does. But, it seems like regular people are genuinely shocked and stunned that their politicians would do this sort of thing.

I've become so jaded by eight years of craptastic government in the US that hearing about this scandal just makes me raise my eyebrows and say "And? Why are you surprised? Politicians lie. Duh". Is this cynical attitude just mine, or do other Americans feel the same way?

Being a Tourist in London: A Pictoral Essay

2009-05-02T09:58:00.003+01:00

My friend Kelly came to visit last week. We headed to London for a few days, and I got to play tourist. It was nice to stop pretending like I actually knew how to live here, and just be a dumb American for a little while.

Look kids! It's Big Ben!

The World's Largest Originally Temporary Ferris Wheel.

Giant robot outside a store called "Cyberdog". The outside of the store was more interesting than the inside, which looked like all it sold was t-shirts and loud music.

Victorian tiled wall chronicling the gruesome ways people died saving other people. This wall was featured in the movie "Closer". I don't recommend the movie, every character is a total ass and unlikeable, but the wall is fantastic.

Gravestones. No idea where they're from, or if anyone is buried underneath them.

Police box for the Doctor Who fans among us. Yet more evidence that I am stuck in an episode of Doctor Who.

A piece of the Roman Wall, which surrounded the original London settlement. A study in contrasts.

Over the stage at The Globe, with bored schoolchildren in the background.

Comic book, scifi/fantasy book store, named after one of my favorite movies.

I should live here.

More pictures can be found at my flickr page

Knaresborough

2009-04-19T21:04:00.002+01:00

Today I popped my castle cherry. My friends Pete and Lisa took me to Knaresborough Castle.

Knaresborough Castle was built around 1100. It was ordered to be dismantled in 1648, after the English Civil War.

The River Nidd runs through Knaresborough. The whole town feels Medieveal, with houses crammed together at strange angles, and narrow, winding streets.

The White Rose of Yorkshire. This is House of York territory here.

Where did that second e go?

Sadness.

The Mating Rituals of the English

2009-04-15T18:57:00.004+01:00

An inexplicable use of ellipses, which has nothing to do with the rest of this post.

I've recently launched myself into the dating pool here in Leeds. It's turned into more of a social observation experiment, instead of actually dating. This seems to be one of those instances where social cues are waaaay different between the US and England.

When I first arrived in Leeds, the only men that would flirt with me were the taken ones. This really confused me because, in my experience, men typically only flirt when they have intentions. If they don't have intentions, they usually make it clear that it is just in fun. The intention of the flirting I encountered wasn't clear, and therefore I was wicked confused as to what was going on.

This phenomenon I encountered is what Kate Fox calls "courtesy flirting" in her book Watching the English. It's apparently done out of politeness, but can be "confusing for Americans, who mistake it for the real thing". Which is exactly what I did. I was kind of disappointed to find out it was men just being polite, rather than any actual interest.

However, on the flip side, when I did attempt to flirt with single men, it failed miserably. I wasn't terribly great at flirting to begin with, so I thought maybe I was just being too subtle. So I tried being a little more explicit, going to far as handing out my phone number to a guy that I had thought I had hit it off with. The exchange went like this:

Me: Here's my phone number. *holds out a piece of paper*
Person-of-interest (excitedly): Oh! Is that a cigarette?!
Me: Uhm. No. It's... just my phone number. Nothing so useful as a cigarette. I'm going to go now.

Needless to say, my pride was a bit hurt. Since this exchange, we seem to have avoided each other like the plague. Again, from what I've been reading in Watching the English, dating and flirting in England is one giant face-saving game- no one really lays it on the line, just in case.

Dating here is going to be difficult for my straightforward nature. Is England ready for me?

Hello Internets!

2009-04-05T19:50:00.002+01:00

Long time, no see. March was a bit of a nutty month, between a trip to the States for Lunacon, spraining my knee, the potential of being evicted, having the flu, and going to a conference for work.

No trip home is complete without beer and waffles at the Abbey.

Going home was good for my mental health. It was so nice to reconnect with people, and remind myself that, despite living 3200 miles away, they are still my friends. I had been feeling recently that I had given up so much to move to England. This trip reminded me that in reality, I have gained so much. Distance does make the heart grow fonder.

Carl wants malt liquor!

Inside joke! How I've missed you.

Lunacon was fun as well. Geeks galore! I was on several panels, including three science ones: Health in Space, Alien Biology, and The Year in Science. The Year in Science was my shining moment, when I spouted off about viruses. Because viruses are cool.

Sometimes at the beginning of the month, I sprained my knee. Probably doing something stupid. I hate to be incapacitated in any way, so I was cranky for a couple weeks. It's better now, thank goodness.

There was also the possibility that I would have been evicted this month, due to an issue with the mortgage. That was solved, though, so I'm not going to be evicted. Yay!

Then I got the flu. Boo. Still recovering from that.

And finally, conference for work in Harrogate. It was a useful conference. It's always good to see what other people are up to in the field. The British are obsessed with herpes. I was told that working on herpes is a long standing tradition in Britain. I wonder otherwise. Side note: Every 80 seconds, a British person catches an STD.

But the best part of the conference?

Creamed tea at Betty's. It was so Edwardian I nearly squeed like a little kid. I wanted my walking skirt, corset, frilly blouse, and my Gibson girl hair.

So that was March. Spring is in the air here. It's giving me that familiar feeling of excitement.

Celebration

2009-03-03T20:20:00.002Z

To celebrate finishing the Project of Doom (tm) at work, I baked a cake:

Chocolate stout cake with chocolate whisky ganache. Recipes adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Needless to say, it went over well in the office.

Pieces of Our Lives

2009-02-25T19:26:00.002Z

When I moved into my new apartment, I kept getting mail for the previous tenant. Let's call her Jane. It was inevitable, I suppose, especially since it costs some obscene amount of money to have your mail forwarded to a new address here.

I didn't really pay much attention to most of the mail. I opened an electric bill because it was addressed to "Occupier", since I was the occupier. It wasn't for me, though- it was for the three months previous. I looked more closely at the bill, and saw that it hadn't been paid in 6 months.

This happened with a few more bills, including the television license (which I paid for the week I moved in, I heard about those TV Licensing people!). I didn't pay much attention, since they didn't apply to me. There were also a few letters from a prisoner in California mixed in.

Meanwhile, for the first two weeks I lived in my new apartment, gentleman callers (wow, I sound like my mother) rang my doorbell at 3am looking for Jane. Thank goodness that ended after I yelled at them.

Then I got a letter saying that unless Jane paid nearly 1300 pounds in back taxes, all of her possessions would be confiscated. One problem: those possessions they wanted to confiscate where MINE, not Jane's. Cue panic attack until that got sorted out.

Recently, I've been getting envelopes for Jane from a prominent department store. They want Jane to send them some receipts for things she's charged to the company card. Again, I didn't pay much attention, until today. I noticed that these aren't the same charges from three months ago- these are changes from January.

I've been trying to put together Jane's story. Was she a party girl that was irresponsible and didn't pay her bills and wrote to prisoners? Did she run away from her debts, and is now living on her company credit card? Was she just unfortunate?

It makes me wonder what someone think about me, if they only saw snatches of my life. Would they think I was a boring workaholic? A weird science fiction nerd? An artsy ditz?

Should have mentioned this earlier

2009-02-17T09:13:00.003Z

I have a massive project at work that I need to finish at the moment, hence the complete lack of posting. I've got stuff coming though, I promise.

Here's a picture, just for giggles:

Hope

2009-01-24T10:14:00.003Z

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America – they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. -Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States

I watched the inauguration live on the internet (Thank you, Al Gore, for inventing the internet. ;-) ) on Tuesday. The above quote is when I started to tear up. I thought for the first time that maybe, just maybe, there was some hope for my country.

Yes, pretty much everything is a mess. Eight years of idiocy, from many people, have taken their toll. But, I hope that with determination and hard work, it can be improved.

I love my country. It was my home for nearly 30 years, and I'm sure will be again. I'm not a "my country is right no matter what!" American. I think that it is the duty of citizenship to question and challenge the leadership of one's country. I feel that has been missing for a long time, and have the hope that it will change.

Hope.

Kirkstall Abbey

2009-01-19T21:46:00.003Z

Oh.My.Goodness. Kirkstall Abbey was AMAZING. I was in awe. I wanted to take 4 zillions pictures, at all sort of artsy angles, but due to time constraints (and due to the weather- it started raining), I couldn't.

Look at that blue sky.

Kirkstall Abbey was completed in the late 12th century. It was the home of an order of Cistercian Monks until 1539. It is one of the most complete medieval abbeys in Britain.

I think the reason I was so awestruck is because we don't have anything this old in the States. I could feel the history of the place. Over 800 years of stories, and past lives. 800 years of change, and yet this abbey is still standing, still recognizable as an abbey.

There's a cemetery hiding somewhere on the grounds as well. I will find it.

I bought some paints and some paper on a whim on Saturday. I am definitely hauling myself, my camera, and my paints out to Kirkstall Abbey again. I think I've found my new favorite place. At least until I find a new favorite place.

Projects!

2009-01-16T20:10:00.002Z

One of my January goals was to update this blog at least twice a week. I had the best of intentions to do so this week; however, work has been kicking my asstronaut. In a really good way, though. I'm getting experiments done, getting early data to show that later experiments will work, etc. I'm also presenting in group meeting next Monday, so I've been (trying to) putting a presentation together so I don't look like an idiot.

But! Despite my busyness, I have several projects in the works. I'm headed to Kirkstall Abbey on Sunday. I'm hoping to get some good pictures, and some history to go with the pictures. Next weekend is a trip to a churchyard (cemetery) to take some more pictures, and then looking up some more history.

My friend Sam asked me to submit a piece for her variety show in March. I have an idea- pick 4-5 historical pubs in Leeds, and visit them with a video camera. While there, I would drink a beer, (therefore, this would have to be spread out over several nights), and talk about the pub's history. I need to get a hold of a video camera.

Also, I'm being coerced into going to a masquerade ball next month. It's formal dress. I left all my ballgowns in the US, though (don't you hate it when that happens?), so I'm going to sew up one up. I'm using a 1930s ballgown pattern (that I can't find a link for right now, grrr).

And that's the run down of the projects I have in the works. Knowing me, I won't get some of them done.

Notes on a Scandalous Media

2009-01-10T18:17:00.002Z

I listen to the radio a lot. As I'm getting ready in the morning, at work during the day, as I'm cooking dinner in the evening.

I especially like to listen to a particular radio station (Radio Aire) on Saturday nights. They play an entire evening of dance music, including an hour of RnB, new stuff and old stuff. I am potentially the whitest white girl on the planet, but I have to admit to a love of RnB. I find myself spastically shaking my groove thing more often to RnB than almost anything else.

This same radio station plays these fantastic condom awareness ads after 8pm (every night- not just Saturdays, STDs are omnipresent). They're like mini soap operas. There are two formats. In the first, two people go back and forth, telling the same story from both perspectives. It was a party! They were drunk! Too drunk to use a condom! Now she's pregnant! The second format is just one person talking. I went out, “pulled this bird” (aka, hooked up with a girl), didn't use a condom, and now puss is leaking out of my privates.

I frequently find myself yelling at the radio “But what happened NEXT?!? AUUUUUGHHHH!!!”.

The reason I like these ads is because they are realistic. They don't use some weird euphemistic language to get their point across. They use plain language. The end line is “ Wear a condom.” This warms my STD-researching heart.

I also like the way they say “condom.” It's not “cahhhhndom”, it's “con-dom”. Very clipped and businesslike.

Sunday mornings I find myself camped out on my sofa with my cup of coffee and bowl of oatmeal, and I watch Hollyoaks (don't judge me!). They play the whole week's worth of shows. It's so trashy and fantastic. Murders! Mental illnesses! People having sex with people they shouldn't! People not having sex with people they should! Drama queens putting on Nativity plays! It's the perfect remedy for all the science I have to cram into my head during the rest of the week.

Now if you'll excuse me, the radio is playing Robbie Williams, and I must go dance.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T17:09:00.007Z

I hope everyone had a good holiday. I decided that, instead of moping around on Christmas Eve by myself, that I would do something I have never done before. I cooked a complete dinner:

Okay, as complete a dinner one can make when one is cooking only for oneself. Stuffing, roast chicken, gravy, green beans, roast onions and garlic, red wine. I followed recipes in Nigella Lawson's How to Eat for the chicken, gravy, and the stuffing. They turned out pretty good, if I may say so myself.

I also got to decorate my apartment, with a little help from my friends. Thanks Melissa, Jon, Kelly, Chad, Trista, and Dan!

That's my Christmas fern, by the way. I didn't get a tree. I bought a fern instead. Easier to haul home.

The New Year is always my favorite holiday of the year. It's a clean slate- a year I haven't mucked up yet. I can turn over a new leaf, and swear that I am going to clean up my act, and I mean it this time! Which always leads to resolutions. This year, like I mentioned earlier , one of my resolutions is to make some friends here in Leeds. Corollary to this, I want to get involved in some activities. I mentioned a cooking class, and an orienteering class, but what I really would like to do is take up dancing again. I did belly dancing for 2+ years. So maybe I'll take up belly dancing again, or maybe I'll take up bhangra dancing, or try tango again.

Another resolution is to conquer the public transport system here in Leeds. Believe it or not, Worcester peeps, I have NOT been on the bus yet. The fares confuse me greatly. From what I understand, there isn't necessarily a set fare based on mileage- it seems pretty random what you get charged. And I'd HATE to be that person on the bus fiddling with her money, and saying “But how much is it?!?”Because those people drove me batshit crazy in Worcester.

I just need to suck it up and GO. I'll make my first destination a fabric store. That will get me on the damn bus.

Other resolutions include the usual eat better! Exercise more! Travel! Write more! Sew more! Imbibe more gin!

What, your resolutions don't include “imbibe more gin”? Huh. Why not? Maybe you should revise your resolutions.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-23T12:10:00.002Z

Merry (excuse me, Happy) Christmas!
Happy Hanukkah!
Happy Kwanzaa!
Happy Festivus!

Or as I like to call it, Happy Christmaskwanzahanukkahchakukanananah!

There will be some radio silence at An American In Leeds headquarters, as life has slowed down around here for the holiday season. So, enjoy your break from my blathering, and have a Happy New Year!

Not in on the joke

2008-12-15T10:20:00.001Z

Something I've been noticing a lot lately is that I'm not in on the joke. Meaning that when people around me make a British pop culture reference, I have a tendency to stand there looking blank. This is followed by this conversation:

Friendly British Person (FBP): You have no idea what I'm talking about.
Me: Uh, nope.
FBP: Oh, well (insert explanation of a pop culture reference that is part of the British collective consciousness)
Me: I'll take your word for it.
FBP: You have no idea what I'm talking about.
Me: *sigh*

It's frustrating. I know people here mean well, and I don't blame them for my frustration. As human beings, I don't think we realize how much of our interactions with people depend on a common cultural phenomenon, like pop culture. It provides a common, usually neutral topic to talk about over coffee.

I could also be talking out of my ass right now.

My general level of frustration has gone up several notches the past few days. Full disclosure: I'm lonely. I miss my friends at home. I miss the effortlessness of being able to talk to them, and not having to rack my brain for something to talk about. I miss inside jokes. I miss not having to explain that I was being sarcastic.

But mostly, I miss hugs. I didn't realize how important hugs became to me until I wasn't hugging people on a regular basis. I know some of you will find this funny, considering my back history. But there it is.

I know it's a bit early, but my one and only New Years resolution is to make some friends here in Leeds, and get involved in some activities. I want to volunteer at an animal shelter, and I want to take cooking and orienteering classes. Maybe I'll get back into belly dancing, or tango. Lots of possibilities. I just need to get through the Christmas season.

Where the Bridge Ends

2008-12-08T08:49:00.002Z

As I know you've been waiting with bated breath, here are pictures of my new apartment.

Please keep two things in mind: 1) I rent this place furnished, so the furniture and the art were not my idea, and 2) I just moved in, and have not implemented my Grand Decorating Scheme (tm) yet, nor have I unpacked all of my meager possessions.

Living Room:

That coffee table is the AWESOMESAUCE. I will wax poetic about its amazing functionality in another post.

Kitchen:

Bedroom:

In this case, yes, I am guilty of the linens. Considering I had to find something fast, I don't think I did too badly.

And finally, the view from my balcony, the River Aire:

That tall white building in the background is apparently nicknamed The Dalek. I'm beginning to suspect I'm stuck in an episode of Dr. Who. I really hope I'm not Rose.

One month and change

2008-12-03T08:49:00.004Z

I have now lived in Leeds for one month. Sometimes it feels like it's only been a week, other times it feels like it's been years. Time's a funny thing.

I'm settled in at work. I almost know how to get anywhere in my building! I know almost everyone's name! I've been fairly social at work as well, which is quite a gear shift from the way I was in grad school. I'm less inclined now to throw up the work-personal life dividing wall. In fact, tomorrow I am responsible for making a cake for Cake Club. Cake Club occurs every Thursday morning. Guess what we do? We eat cake. And drink tea.

It looks like a quiche, but really, it's a pear and custard pie. Pie, cake, whatever.

I'm moving into my bright and shiny new apartment on Saturday. I'm wicked excited, if you haven't noticed. Pictures will be forthcoming, I promise.

This move into my permanent apartment is a big deal to me. It's my final step to saying Leeds is my new home. No going back now, I swear! Because a job, a work permit, a visa, a plane ticket, and packing everything I own into a storage unit didn't drive that point home.

Funny story: apparently, when the Visa Nonsense (tm) occurred, some of the other scientists tried to convince my boss that I was making it up, and had actually had second thoughts. Boss got nervous that this was true. Oh, if he only knew how truly upset I was.

I've started encountering what I've termed "The Look" from people here. I got "The Look" from many people when I was in the States. These were usually people at the bank and whatnot that I had to tell I was moving. "The Look" starts off as surprise, moves to terror, then fades to pity. Surprise as in a hey-that's-awesome, terror as in I-could-never!, pity as in oh-poor-girl-won't-have-anyone.

Now, as we've moved into December, I'm getting "The Look" when I say no, I'm not going back to the States for Christmas, no I have no friends or family here, no I don't know what I'm doing for the holiday, thanks for asking. The pity part of "The Look" increases during this exchange. I wish I could tell people that I don't need their pity, but that's considered rude, or something.

I don't want to end this post on a downer. So, instead, I shall end with a creepy picture of a church spire:

"What is this, the Gospel according to St. Bastard?" -Eddie Izzard

Run-by Blogging

2008-11-28T21:42:00.002Z

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving, my fellow Americans!

Just wanted to relay this quick story to you: I accidentally bought garlic mayonnaise in the grocery store tonight. I thought it was garlic butter. Anyway, before I realized it was mayonnaise, I slathered it onto a piece of bread, folded it up, and stuck in my mouth.

I inadvertently ate a mayonnaise sandwich. That I made myself.

Random Ennui

2008-11-26T20:12:00.004Z

The hunt for a permanent place to live has begun, and, fingers crossed, has ended. I put a deposit down on a studio apartment by the River Aire on Saturday. It is PERFECT. Open brickwork, small, in my budget, tons of natural sunlight, view of the river. It's not even really a studio- there's a dividing wall between the living room and the bedroom. And it's across the street from a pub.

This makes me worried that something horrible is going to happen, and I'm not going to get it. Because the universe loves to laugh at me. Guess what universe? You owe me, big fracking time. Be glad I'm not charging interest.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to having a permanent home. I've been living out of two duffle bags and two small boxes, because I don't want to unpack. Unpacking would be like settling in, and I don't want to feel settled in my temporary abode, as cool as the building is:

Although, even with my two duffle bags, and two small boxes (which gets "Two Turntables and a Microphone" stuck in my head every time I think about it), I am not looking forward to moving. Again. I have been moving in one shape or another for 2 months now.

Cooking has been an interesting experience, mostly because I refuse to buy more than 3 spices (other than salt and pepper- they're givens). I've gotten creative with curry powder, paprika, and rosemary. Miss Inertia- your mom would be proud of what I can do with rosemary. When I move into my permanent place, I am going bonkers and buying spices.

"What did you do this weekend, Kat?"
"I bought 500 pounds of spices."
"..."

By the way, my stupid American keyboard does not have a "pound" sign. Frack.

I also want to talk about signage.

Sheepscaaaaaar. It's just fun to say. And, it makes me imagine a whole town full of pirate sheep.

Dress up... like... an American?

This was outside the fancy dress shop (aka the costume store). It confuses me.
Side note: Fancy dress is a big thing here. Every Friday night on my way home, I pass hoards of university students all costumed out, and on the way to the bars.

A lapdance superclub! In the train station! Train late? No problem! Get a lapdance to kill the time.

I've thought about this one for a while. And I thought I got it, when I realized that you can buy regular or mature cheddar cheese in the grocery store. But, really, I still don't get it. However, I do believe that if my Christian upbringing had involved more cheese, I may have stuck with it. Oh, who am I kidding?

The Salvation of Routine

2008-11-20T19:24:00.003Z

When I had the brilliant idea to write this blog, I decided that it would be a combination of a picture blog, a story blog, and a repository for my thoughts and feelings on moving and living in a foreign country. Today's post is going to be one of the third kind. So if you're not into feelings, or text heavy posts, best to sit this one out.

I am a creature of habit. I like to go on autopilot, especially in the morning. While getting dressed, and making my coffee and breakfast (shut up, Toph, I can hear you laughing), I organize my day in my head. While at work, I can think "I need to do X," and I can do X without having to think where am I going to get the materials, where that piece of equipment is, etc.

It wasn't until I had NO routine that I realize how much I rely on my routine to get me through the day. And by NO routine, I mean I couldn't even make a cup of coffee because I didn't have a coffee maker. Or make a copy, because I didn't know where the copy machine was. I had to start from scratch. Relearn how to do pretty damn near everything.

People here keep asking me if England is very different from the States. I tell them it's like this: take everything you know and are familiar with. Now turn it 180 degrees. You recognize things, they look familiar, and you think you know how they work. But then you attempt something, and realize that while you recognize it, it's different enough to be confusing.

My first couple weeks here were exhausting. Everything felt like a long, drawn-out process. I have to reprogram all my internal protocols.It's getting easier, though. This morning, I realized as I walked out the door that I had gotten through my whole morning routine without having to think about it.

And just so this entry isn't completely without pictures, behold! the Tetley Beer Brewery:

British Snack Foods

2008-11-18T19:56:00.002Z

A small sampling of snack foods from my trip to the grocery store this evening.

Yes, I know, Kit Kats are not just a British thing, we have them in the States, too. But! The package is different! And they're FOIL FRESH here!
Upon opening the package: The sweet smell of chocolate wrapped around a wafer. Reminds me of late afternoons at the lab, and getting a Kit Kat from the vending machine, then eating it at the back door of the building with the smokers while we're all hiding from our PIs. Ah, memories.
Upon tasting: There must be something to that FOIL FRESH claim because this Kit Kat's got some bite to it! Crispy!

Upon opening the bag, one catches the light scent of shrimp cocktail, as served at one's grandma's house at Memorial Day. A hint of ketchup, and shrimp sitting out in the sun a smidge longer than is safe.
Upon savoring, one gets the taste of plain ol' salt n' vinegar chips.
After eating a Kit Kat- ah, there's the taste of shrimp.

More chocolate because I like chocolate, okay? Some days, chocolate is only thing standing between me and insanity. DON'T JUDGE ME.

Ahem, anyway. Aero bars are pretty nifty. The slogan (which I've seen on many buses here) is "Can you feel the bubbles melt?" I probably would, if I could control myself long enough to let a piece melt in my mouth. Instead I just NOM NOM NOM it down.

Aero bars are probably my favorite "cheap" chocolate here so far. They also go well with port.

Depending on your definition of snack food, this may or may not count. I'm going to count it, because soup alone, unless I'm sick, never fills me up enough to constitute a meal. I see this advertised as the soup of the day at a lot of restaurants, so I guess it's pretty popular.

Upon opening the package: Smells like soup. Pretty nondescript.
Upon tasting: Tastes like dirt. Needs salt!
Upon addition of salt: It's okay. Not terrible, but I won't buy it from the grocery store again.

Something else that caught my eye, but that I didn't buy to take a picture (and I feel weird whipping out my camera in the middle of the grocery store): mayonnaise sandwiches. Sandwiches. Made of mayonnaise. Bread, with a slab of mayonnaise in between.

I'll try anything once, including your mom, but a mayonnaise sandwich? I'll pass. Unless you get me really drunk. I like port, scotch, gin, and a good red wine.

Language Lessons- Part 1

2008-11-14T19:29:00.003Z

in a continuing series.

Trousers:

Biscuit:

Washing up liquid:

Fob:

Hob:

EDIT: Since I've been asked: the hob is the stove top.

Coriander:

Kat vs. The Washing Machine

2008-11-09T22:50:00.003Z

Or rather, Kat vs. The British Washing-Drying Combo Machine. Which I wouldn't have known was a dual-purpose machine off the bat if my boss hadn't exclaimed happily that I could wash AND dry my clothes the day he dropped me off at my temporary abode.

Believe me, this story is a lot more entertaining than Kat vs. The Radiator. That fight boiled down to realizing that I only had one dial to turn on both radiators (one is in the living room, the other is in the bedroom), and I had to remove said dial from one room to the other when I wanted to turn them on/ off.

This adventure actually started the day before, when I tried to buy laundry detergent. The good: everything is smaller here, so I didn't have to lug home a behemoth-sized bottle. The bad: there is no such thing as dye-free, fragrance-free detergent, so my skin may curl up and die.

This weekend, I decided I needed clean socks, dishtowels, and jeans. Side note: why do clothes you wear while traveling always smell so bad by the time you get to the end of your journey? How the hell do you get so smelly from sitting around in airports and airplanes? Oh wait- I went through Newark to get here. Never mind.

I threw everything into the drum, poured a capful of detergent on top, and shut the door. This was when I decided to look at the detergent bottle, and realized crap! the detergent has to go in this:

And I said "ewww." Luckily, the detergent does in the middle space, but that mildew is pretty gross. Good thing this machine doesn't belong to me. Because then I'd have to clean it.

Okay, detergent in drawer. Now to set up the washing protocol.

Ack. Okay, deep breath. Far right looks like a typical washing machine dial, so let's go with that. The middle says drying time. Leave that alone for now. No idea what the third dial does. Let's not touch it.

Get the dial set. Push the on button, and behold! water starts to slosh into the machine, bubbles start to sud up. We have washing!

This process proceeds swimmingly (snrk) until the washing cycle stops. Because at this point, I have NO IDEA how to start the drying cycle. I push buttons. I spin dials. I start yelling "No! Stop! don't do that! OFF! OFF! OFF!" I finally figure out the magic combination of dial-spinning and button-pushing, and the machine spooks me when it turns on and starts drying.

Sigh of relief. I realized afterward that you can set the machine to go straight from wash to dry. Which, I have to admit, it's a much more convenient system than what we have in the States, of wash clothes-forget to put clothes in dryer-oh crap my good pants are still wet and I have to go to work.

I am now master of the washing-drying combo machine. To celebrate, I'm going to go turn on the radiator.

First Impressions

2008-11-07T23:02:00.004Z

I arrived in Leeds just over a week ago, on Halloween. Upon landing in Leeds, I first collected my belongings, then was shuffled off to the grocery store because one does not come to live in England for any length of time without having the materials for making a cup of tea.

Tea procured, and life is as it should be.

So! My first impressions of Leeds, in pictures.

This is not technically Leeds:

but it is the first store I saw in the terminal for domestic flights at London Heathrow. I think I'm going to like this country.

I opened up the phone book to find a bank, and this is what I found:

One and one-third page list of public houses (pubs), without any large ads.

This made me laugh:

Because I am perpetually a 13-year-old boy.

On my way to work:

Because, really, what more do you need?

And finally, not Shakers, but...

Quakers!