I really liked doing this. I figured with Christmas, I should answer these, and run it again every few months, and link to the older posts, so no one gets bored or asks the same questions, if relevant!
Soooooooooooooooo....
Soooooooooooooooo....
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What is the one thing you miss about the UK the most?
And what food do you miss the most!? x
I expect that some of my feelings towards missing things/stuff/people/foods are partially influenced by 'homesickness'. I have travelled a fair bit, and moved home from home several times and for a long time never really knew where my home was. I still feel a bit like that, but have come to the conclusion that I don't physically think that I have a physical home, it is more what and who I put around me!
Samboy my lovely, that is a really difficult first question to answer... and I can't cope out a question the first time around. A serious answer would be the NHS. I am generally a healthy person, and don't go to the doctors very often, but since being here I have been very aware of my own health, and of course Adelaide's. She is actually due some jabs as she is now a year old. We were not insured for any medical coverage as my travel insurance was invalidated pretty much as soon as we decided to stay, so deep down I was always conscious of her getting sick or a what if situation. I need my IUD removed and some birth control sorted out. Now we are married we have finally been able to add me and Addie to Patrick's health insurance. This also covers dental and optical, which is handy for me and my speccy four eyes! The thing is, if something serious were to happen I would be straight on the phone to my Dad and we'd go stay with him and go see our doctor in the UK. None of this messing about. I have friends here that have insurance, pay a fortune for it, and still end up forking out. One person I know had cancer and is pretty much in debt for the rest of their life. Where is the incentive to get well there eh? Madness. And then DON'T get me started on the deal with prescription medicine. Serious it is messed up. Prescription medicine advertises on TV and in magazines. You are actively encouraged to self diagnose and second guess your doctor, and some doctors here are clearly on so many hand outs from the drugs companies that you have to wonder who they are looking out for. I know the NHS isn't perfect and some idiots here this that because we have a national health system I am technically a Communist, but you know what? Fuck you. It isn't perfect and it is overworked but it WORKS. It'll take a long long time to implement something here like that, and I can't keep up with the drama of the current plans for the health bill here, but all I know is, I am fucking lucky that Patrick's job has health care and that we can go on it. Okay, new paragraph!
Food I miss the most? Easily bread. American bread and I do not get on. I haven't given up hope yet, I am going to keep looking for some that doesn't ruin my insides. I miss tiger bread from the supermarket, I miss crusty rolls. I miss Warburtons loaf. I even miss Tesco value loaf. Bread here is killing me. I have IBS for all of you that don't know, I am also not good with yeast. Not in the ladygarden or anything like that, but I have had a history of candida in my stomach and intestines and such like. It is HORRID. It basically feels like you are poisoning yourself slowly, and you'd never notice, until you get it all out of you. I ended up having it all flushed out of me several times (which was an extremely strange yet enlightening experience) and I did feel much better afterwards within days. I'd bloat up so badly but the insides of my guts were coated in so much grossness that I didn't know about any reactions until it was too late. I had to take out yeast and sugars etc out of my diet for 3 months and basically reboot my system. I was able to introduce 'trigger' foods again slowly and I did. But because all of the scuzzy coating was gone inside my body, that is when they finally realised I had IBS, because the badness could actually react with me. I am not making much sense I don't think, but really, I am not a doctor, dietician or whatnot. But this is my understanding of what I was told. Since having Adelaide my IBS has gotten worse. A doctor told me this was a coincidence, however speaking with other IBS mums, I know I am not the only one that has noticed an increased sensitivity. I was dealing with it okay, eating better at home because I had my routines and did my own shopping with my own money, so my reactions were still few. However. Since being here I think atleast initially once a week I had a night where I was up in staggering pain with bloating, gas stabbing pains, and occasionally vomiting. I have tried various brands of store brands, fresh bread, brown, white, sourdough etc but its awful, so I have given up. I am sad because I LOVE ham sandwiches. People in America don't have butter in a ham sandwich, condiments or not and I get ribbed for it! But I miss it so much. Sometimes I give in and have a bit of a French baguette and I instantly notice the difference. I feel sluggish and bloated and don't sleep very well. I should quit, but I am retarded for bread. All the things that go with a good loaf of bread.... boiled egg and soldiers. Egg on toast. Bread and butter pudding. TOAST (with Anchor butter). TOAST (with Nutella). TOAST (with Bon Maman raspberry jam)! Spaghetti hoops on toast. TOASTED HAM MOTHER FUCKING SANDWICHES. Eggs in a basket.
I will say I have actually lost a bit of weight as a result of this, particularly around my middle, which is great. But really, TOAST. TOAST. TOAST
Samboy my lovely, that is a really difficult first question to answer... and I can't cope out a question the first time around. A serious answer would be the NHS. I am generally a healthy person, and don't go to the doctors very often, but since being here I have been very aware of my own health, and of course Adelaide's. She is actually due some jabs as she is now a year old. We were not insured for any medical coverage as my travel insurance was invalidated pretty much as soon as we decided to stay, so deep down I was always conscious of her getting sick or a what if situation. I need my IUD removed and some birth control sorted out. Now we are married we have finally been able to add me and Addie to Patrick's health insurance. This also covers dental and optical, which is handy for me and my speccy four eyes! The thing is, if something serious were to happen I would be straight on the phone to my Dad and we'd go stay with him and go see our doctor in the UK. None of this messing about. I have friends here that have insurance, pay a fortune for it, and still end up forking out. One person I know had cancer and is pretty much in debt for the rest of their life. Where is the incentive to get well there eh? Madness. And then DON'T get me started on the deal with prescription medicine. Serious it is messed up. Prescription medicine advertises on TV and in magazines. You are actively encouraged to self diagnose and second guess your doctor, and some doctors here are clearly on so many hand outs from the drugs companies that you have to wonder who they are looking out for. I know the NHS isn't perfect and some idiots here this that because we have a national health system I am technically a Communist, but you know what? Fuck you. It isn't perfect and it is overworked but it WORKS. It'll take a long long time to implement something here like that, and I can't keep up with the drama of the current plans for the health bill here, but all I know is, I am fucking lucky that Patrick's job has health care and that we can go on it. Okay, new paragraph!
Food I miss the most? Easily bread. American bread and I do not get on. I haven't given up hope yet, I am going to keep looking for some that doesn't ruin my insides. I miss tiger bread from the supermarket, I miss crusty rolls. I miss Warburtons loaf. I even miss Tesco value loaf. Bread here is killing me. I have IBS for all of you that don't know, I am also not good with yeast. Not in the ladygarden or anything like that, but I have had a history of candida in my stomach and intestines and such like. It is HORRID. It basically feels like you are poisoning yourself slowly, and you'd never notice, until you get it all out of you. I ended up having it all flushed out of me several times (which was an extremely strange yet enlightening experience) and I did feel much better afterwards within days. I'd bloat up so badly but the insides of my guts were coated in so much grossness that I didn't know about any reactions until it was too late. I had to take out yeast and sugars etc out of my diet for 3 months and basically reboot my system. I was able to introduce 'trigger' foods again slowly and I did. But because all of the scuzzy coating was gone inside my body, that is when they finally realised I had IBS, because the badness could actually react with me. I am not making much sense I don't think, but really, I am not a doctor, dietician or whatnot. But this is my understanding of what I was told. Since having Adelaide my IBS has gotten worse. A doctor told me this was a coincidence, however speaking with other IBS mums, I know I am not the only one that has noticed an increased sensitivity. I was dealing with it okay, eating better at home because I had my routines and did my own shopping with my own money, so my reactions were still few. However. Since being here I think atleast initially once a week I had a night where I was up in staggering pain with bloating, gas stabbing pains, and occasionally vomiting. I have tried various brands of store brands, fresh bread, brown, white, sourdough etc but its awful, so I have given up. I am sad because I LOVE ham sandwiches. People in America don't have butter in a ham sandwich, condiments or not and I get ribbed for it! But I miss it so much. Sometimes I give in and have a bit of a French baguette and I instantly notice the difference. I feel sluggish and bloated and don't sleep very well. I should quit, but I am retarded for bread. All the things that go with a good loaf of bread.... boiled egg and soldiers. Egg on toast. Bread and butter pudding. TOAST (with Anchor butter). TOAST (with Nutella). TOAST (with Bon Maman raspberry jam)! Spaghetti hoops on toast. TOASTED HAM MOTHER FUCKING SANDWICHES. Eggs in a basket.
I will say I have actually lost a bit of weight as a result of this, particularly around my middle, which is great. But really, TOAST. TOAST. TOAST
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Ha! I just did this on my blog too! I want to ask you if you would like me to send you some whispas and hope that they arrive! ;)
YES. PLEASE MARK THEM AS A GIFT ON THE CUSTOMS LABEL AND PUT SOMETHING ELSE IN IT SO THEY DON'T THINK ITS AN EBAY PURCHASE AND ACTUALLY FOR A BIRTHDAY/FUNERAL/BAR MITZVAH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT THEY SHOULD STEAL. LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE YOU.
I have been to Main and Vermont just, and NY state and NYC on various trips. I have seen Las Vegas over a couple of days staying with friends, the same with Orange County and San Francisco CA and Portland OR and Seattle WA with friends, but I do actually want to see and visit every state at some point. Patrick thinks this is probably a bit silly as he says part of it have nothing to offer, but I don't think he understand the appeal of this great country that is all so different state to state and being from abroad, what you see is shown on TV or in movies and portrayed in such a way it makes you feel like you either know it already, or you just simply have to see it and experience the sights and people for yourself. Maybe I will hate most central US, bible belt or no bible belt, but at least I will have seen it for myself and decided that from my own experiences! I just love travelling damn it!
Few! I am done. I should go now as I have to assemble a Little Tikes play thing for Addie tomorrow and Patrick is getting impatient. Thanks for asking me questions, I loved answering them and I am sorry ff my answers were a bit random or boring. I can't wait to do it again :)
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I was going to ask what you miss about the UK too...but since that ones taken....who were you backing in the RATM/Joe McElderry chart battle ;)
Sarah
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I was going to ask the "what do you miss", but will ask "what do you love about where you live?" (can't say people) and....where do you really want to see/visit here in the States?
I have been to Main and Vermont just, and NY state and NYC on various trips. I have seen Las Vegas over a couple of days staying with friends, the same with Orange County and San Francisco CA and Portland OR and Seattle WA with friends, but I do actually want to see and visit every state at some point. Patrick thinks this is probably a bit silly as he says part of it have nothing to offer, but I don't think he understand the appeal of this great country that is all so different state to state and being from abroad, what you see is shown on TV or in movies and portrayed in such a way it makes you feel like you either know it already, or you just simply have to see it and experience the sights and people for yourself. Maybe I will hate most central US, bible belt or no bible belt, but at least I will have seen it for myself and decided that from my own experiences! I just love travelling damn it!
Few! I am done. I should go now as I have to assemble a Little Tikes play thing for Addie tomorrow and Patrick is getting impatient. Thanks for asking me questions, I loved answering them and I am sorry ff my answers were a bit random or boring. I can't wait to do it again :)
2 comments:
The "Bible belt" is actually probably one of the most beautiful parts of the whole country. You should visit there in the summer! It's lovely; the mountains look red, the salt flats are impressive, and the trees are just lush.
It looks so beautiful when I have seen it on movies and TV and read about it. The communities that live there sound so friendly and I love the idea that a lot of them are more traditional in their daily lives.
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