Theme Song: "How Soon is Now?" - The Smiths
Today marks my very first British "snow day". We started getting quite a bit of snow yesterday afternoon and so I left work around 4 so I could make it home before dark. I stopped by the Morrison's (grocery store) to drop of my dry cleaning (they have a dry cleaner's inside, how cool!) and pick up a few things. Just like in the U.S., there was mass panic going on, with most of it centered around the milk, bread and egg areas. Which makes me wonder - if I was trapped in my house due to a cataclysmic snowstorm, I don't think I'm going to be making French toast all the live long day. Oh, and total sidenote, but British eggs are not refrigerated. They are out on the shelves with the canned goods and whatnot. Strange, huh! Anyway, I made it out of the store alive (and yes, with my very own bread and milk - I didn't need eggs because I had bought half a dozen from a lady at work who has a farm... no joke! And those eggs are the bomb, too!) and got home in one piece.
Fast forward to this morning, when I awoke after sleeping on my nice new bed (which was delivered yesterday; of course I had to assemble it myself - this being England and all). I took one look outside and decided it was a jeans and wellies kind of day. (Wellies = wellingtons = tall rubber boots, which I never understood until moving to England. They are perfect for rain and snow and tromping all over.) I got dressed, packed my lunch and headed outside into the cold and snow. I found Le Car (my affectionate name for my Peugeot) covered in about 6" (that's roughly 15cm) of snow. And I realized I had no scraper or brush. So I used a credit card and some elbow grease to clean off the windows and the hood (oh, I'm sorry, the "bonnet"). Got in, fired up the heat, put my coordinates into the GPS and set off. I was supposed to be going to our Hythe office today so I was going a new route. Which I quickly realised involved several of the dreaded "B" roads (see earlier posts for explanation). I was going to be brave and go for it, but about 1 mile into the trip, the snow started coming down in near blizzard-like conditions. I'm talking no visibility other than a sheet of fast moving white stuff. Even with my wipers on full speed, I could barely see the front of my own car, let alone the road or any other cars, so I quickly turned around and headed back home. That turned out to be a good thing since the hail started just after I got safely in my front door.
Around lunchtime, I walked into town (its a great walk and I was going stir-crazy just working on my computer and not having anyone to talk to/bother) and picked up some really exciting items like drain cleaner, an ice scraper and a bread knife. Did you know that you have to be over 18 to buy knives here? I don't mean bowie knives or the kind that every 5 year old has in Kentucky. I am talking steak knives and bread knives. And for alcohol, you can buy it at 18 but you have to look 21 - or something odd like that. I think its along the lines of our "card anyone who looks under 40" rule in the states, but its got a weird twist to it that I can't remember.
The weather has eased up and the sun actually made an appearance so the snow is melting. I think it will be safe to venture out tomorrow. I'm excited because I'm meeting the girls I hung out with last weekend for drinks. One of them organizes a big group thing at her company and its open to anyone who wants to come along - another chance to meet new people!
I have to give a shout out to my girl Andrea who sent me a great care box full of yummy American food - I now have my coveted Amy's Black Bean soup (going to have that tonight, in fact), Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette and JIF Crunchy Reduced Fat peanut butter. And real Toothpaste!! The people at work were like, " We have Crest!" and I was like - yes, but you don't have THIS kind!! LOL. It's also funny to watch their faces when I hold up the peanut butter. They just don't get the magic of peanut butter! Sure, they'll put mayonnaise and butter on everything, but they're afraid of peanut butter. A woman I work with had her first taste of PB&J last week when I gave her a bite of my sandwich and she was shocked that it was actually good! I'm slowly winning people over that yes, there are some cool things that Americans do that you should maybe try too.
Before I share some hilarity, I just have to try to explain the weird-ass British phone billing system if I can. In the UK, you are charged different prices depending on who/where you're calling. Sounds familiar, right? Nope. Try to stay with me as I explain this. A landline to landline call is a fixed rate - unless you're calling a number that starts with a certain exchange. I can't remember what these are exactly but the closest US equivalent I can think of is a 900 number. But not really, because these exchanges aren't for risque services or anything. It's hard to explain. But for example, the phone numbers to letting agencies say underneath "calls to this number will be charged at 5p/min" or something similar. So even though you pay a monthly line rental fee, you pay for your calls on top of that. Unless you spring for an unlimited package, which covers you for most of your calls - except... calls to mobile phones. If you call a mobile phone from a landline, you're going to get charged up the wazoo. I'm not sure why, I just know this to be a truth. I don't know why calls to mobile phones aren't covered under the "unlimited" package, but they're not.
Here is what my Sky Talk Unlimited package provides (though I can't say for sure because the bloody shagging wankers at BT won't be here until FEBRUARY FRICKIN' 23RD!!! to set up my phone line) - check out how they charge weird prices for calls to certain exchanges. Also remember that 1p = 1.5 cents. Also, all fo these fun charges are on top of the £11/month "line rental" fee and the £5/month "Sky Talk Unlimited" fee.
- Unlimited calls to UK landlines 24/7. UK calls apply to 01, 02, 03 and 0870 numbers only (exlcudes all calls to Channel Islands, indirect and dial-up Internet access numbers and 070 numbers). Calls to other 08 numbers cost no more than 10p per minute, with a maximum connection fee of 10p. Calls to 070 numbers cost no more than 48p per minute with a maximum connection fee of 50p. Full tariff details at Sky.com/skytalk. "Free" and "unlimited" calls last up to an hour, after which UK calls are charged at 5.25p per minute at any time of day and international calls at Sky Talk international standard rates, or you can hang up and redial as often as you like. (My question - so why can't you just talk continuously? What does hanging up do??)
- 20% cheaper call rates to UK mobiles compared to Sky Talk Freetime. (See! You have to pay to call a mobile phone... weird!!!)
- Unlimited calls to 20 popular international destinations (Unlimited international landline calls to 20 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and USA (also includes calls to mobiles in Canada and the USA) - to which I say YES!!! Thank heavens for that one, because most of my peeps don't even have landlines anymore
- Unlimited calls to Sky contact centres included at no extra charge. don't even know what this means...
- A 25% discount on calls to 118 759 directory enquires. Calls to 118759 cost 18.75 per minute (plus a 51.75p connection charge) for Sky Talk customers calling from their Sky Talk landline. (So a total cost of 70.50p - or roughly $1.05 for every British "411" call. I don't remember what it costs in the US but I think its close to being the same)
And now, what I'm sure you've all been waiting for, funny things that happened this week:
- My jacked up heating system. So here are some photos. One is of the closet where this heating system is located. The other is of the "timer" that I can't figure out and then there's the thermostat... which I think I just figured out has something to do with water temperature. BUT there's that white box (see picture of closet) which has a dial for thermostat and I don't know what on earth that does. Only thing I do know is that if the A light or B light start blinking, I better run for cover.
Which brings me to...
- Erin vs. British Gas. Fun fact: they don't read your meter here. You either have to read it every month and call/phone/text it in, or they will "estimate" it for you. By law, they are only required to read it every 18 months. When I heard this, I was not pleased. The conversation went something like this -
Me: I got a bill, but it says estimated. I think your people forgot to read my meter.The conversation continued in this vein for quite a while. I then called my Electric provider and it went sort of the same way. So I have no choice but to read my meter each month and give them the figures. But it makes me wonder, what's to stop me from calling one month and saying the meter reads 6735 and then the next month telling them it reads 6745, even though it really reads 6918 or something. Since they only roll their lazy butts out here every 18 months, how would they know? I'm not going to do that because I don't want any trouble with the UK authorities, but it doesn't seem like a very good system to me.
British Gas Lady on Phone (BGLP): No, we only read the meter every 18 months.
Me: What? Are you serious?
BGLP: Yes, that's the law. We will estimate your bill, or you can do a reading on the last day of each month and give us the number and we will calculate your bill for you.
Me: So, wait. You want me to do your job for you?
BGLP: No. It's not our job. It's your job.
Me: It's my job to read my own meter?! (voice rising)
BGLP: Yes.
Me: That's unethical.
BGLP: Miss, that's the law.
Me: Well then that's an unethical law. I get this bill and its estimated at a ridiculously high rate (Note: they are trying to charge me £30 for 10 days of gas - basically $45).
BGLP: Miss, its not unethical. We estimate based on the last tenant and overall usage in your area.
Me: That's just stupid.
BGLP: Miss, we --
Me: I mean, that's really really stupid. Its like what if you went out to eat and instead of giving you a menu with prices, I just served you some food and then "estimated" your bill based on how much people all around you were eating? And what if the people around you were all big and hungry?
BGLP: Miss, that's really uncalled for, we --
Me: I'm not saying you're fat and will eat alot. I'm just saying that its about as stupid as how you run things.
BGLP: (silence)
Me: So I guess my only choice is to do your job for you and give you my number every month or get ripped off because the person before me was a gas hog?
BGLP: Miss, you are always free to submit your meter readings.
I struggle because I don't want to constantly be saying "Where I come from..." and acting like its better. But... it kinda is. I think part of it is that the U.S. is so new compared to the UK and Europe, and I think another part is the sheer size of the country and the economies of scale realized, but most of it is just the nature of America - and our "American-ness". As a people, we are used to choice and wanting the best. The free market system (that the Obamanation is doing its best to destroy) has given us the freedom to pick and choose what we want, and to demand good service. Not that we always get it - although most of the really bad service comes from government-run establishments (DMV, post office, IRS, etc)... which makes me wonder yet once again, why do we want the government involved in our health care system?
Oh, and here's another little fun factoid. I mentioned to a co-worker that I needed to find a Gyn so I could get my annual exam done, and I was greeted with a look of confusion. Ladies dont get annual exams over here. It's bi-annual, or every three years if you're lucky. The only way around that is if you have a documented history of issues with your lady business. And even then, it depends. Mammograms don't start until 50 and then its every 3 years for that, too. It seems that with the NHS, routine health maintenance is not as "routine" as I'm used to. Thank goodness my company provides provide health insurance on top of the NHS as one of our benefits.
Which does leave me thinking - if the NHS is so wonderful, and socialized medicine is the great panacea the Obamanation wants us to think it is, then why on earth is there private insurance? And why would a company provide it? In doing so - as a standard benefit - it seems that even my own company recognizes that the NHS doesn't make the grade and that for people to get any kind of decent care, they need a little something extra. Just some food for thought...
Federman out.
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