Hmmm, what can we tell you today?
(Tom) Well, I am obligated to talk about the exciting world of English sport. This week it is the snooker (pronounced snewker) World(?) championships. At least 2 or more hours of competition is on TV every night (primetime!), and it gets good ratings. I think about 15 minutes is the right amount to watch, but I am in the wrong country for that attitude.
Last week, we drove into London for the first time. With Toby navigating, we did a great job of heading in, parking and getting out with ease. Granted, it was an evening trip so traffic wasn't too bad, but the first time driving in a new (and big) city can be daunting. Good thing we didn't have to go in too far! We went to see Iain Matthews (whom Toby used to work with) play at the Borderline. The opening act wasn't so great, but he was. (Toby says - The only bummer is that the club is in London. There are a lot of great acts coming that I'd like to see there but it's just not that convenient, especially on a weeknight. Rats.)
Our neighbor Valerie took me up to Wytham Woods, about 3 miles from here, to see the bluebells. Very pretty, a beautiful carpet of bluebells throughout the forest. Toby missed them because she had a dinner engagement at her boss' house - her loss. A few snaps below.
| A few pictures of bluebells. Click on one to see a larger version. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
) Bluebells |
) More bluebells |
) even more.. |
) almost done... |
) neighbor Valerie amongst bluebells |
(Toby) Actually, while the bluebells do look pretty impressive in the pictures, I'm glad I went to dinner. My boss had invited me and another co-worker over for dinner and it was really nice. Sharon (my boss) and Jackie (the cashier) are great. Plus, it was my first social engagement that wasn't somehow connected to someone we know in the States. They aren't friends of friends or family, they are people I met here, on my own. We had a great time and to me it was some kind of a milestone. A small one, but a milestone nonetheless.
(Tom) On Saturday we went to the 'retail outlets' at Bicester - a mere 8 miles from us. We were both disappointed - it was more of posh shops with small boutiques, where prices weren't so great anyway. I mean, would you pay £40 (almost $60) for a pair of Dockers pants? Marked down from the regular retail of £60? That's absurd. We did manage to buy two things: Toby got a nice lightweight rainjacket (really bright orangey yellow!) from Helly Hansen, and we bought a Bodum coffee press for making coffee at home. We probably won't go back there anytime soon.
On Sunday we met up with Stephanie and Ray (ESRI Boston friends) in London. They were here for a quick trip to celebrate Steph's birthday. Had a nice time with them poking around the city a bit. A few pictures are below - it's pretty easy to tell from the pictures that it's not sunny. Direct sunlight seems to be a luxury here!
) Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament |
) London Eye, the big Ferris Wheel in London. Takes 30 minutes to make a complete loop |
) looking straight up at the eye |
) Reproduction of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre |
) Buckingham Palace Guard |
) Millenium Bridge, which closed 2 days after opening (structural issues). It is open again |
) A moorhen-strange bird, huh? |
) Ray and Stephanie |
(Toby) On Monday we headed back to London one more time (that's three trips in five days) to meet my friend Yossi and his girlfriend, Lilach, for dinner. They were here on vacation from Israel, travelling mostly around England and Ireland, while crossing through Scotland and Wales. Yossi and I spent a lot of time together growing up (in Israel and in the States) since our families are very close. It's been a lot harder to get together as adults, so it was great to have the chance to spend some time. Plus they made me want to go to Ireland even more! Soon enough, we'll get there. (Notice my new raincoat in the picture.)
) Yossi and Lilach |
) Toby, Yossi and Lilach |
The other thing that happened this week was that Tom's Uncle David died. A hard event in and of itself, it was particularly difficult because for the first time, I think we both realized that we are far away. Not far enough to feel like we are isolated or that we can't go home, but far enough away so that whether or not we go home becomes a decision. We love England, but we do miss you.
We booked our tickets to Prague for 11 May - 14 May. We're looking forward to it, everyone says amazing things about the city.
Next time, Toby will fill you in on her trip to the Commercial Vehicles trade show. Now if that doesn't sound like fun.....
And a big thanks to Ed and family (that'd be Margie, Zoe and Ian) for the birthday present of concert tix. We're looking forward to hearing Mozart at his best come June 15th.
And there you have it.
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