Bob Hoskins is in a new movie!

I had some time to kill this afternoon so I went to the movies (say: cinema) to catch a 12pm flick.

Back home I was the biggest curmudgeon about the state of movie-going-these-days, what with the crappy films available and the tacky people that talk throughout them. When I moved here I expected nothing but calm, respectful cinema patrons, all Stephen Frys and Hugh Lauries, quietly watching top quality British fare.

HA!

Terrible Hollywood movies make bank overseas. They show all that crap here, people go to watch it and some of them are just as tacky as folks are back home. Another area where our two nations are unsurprisingly similar.

Anyway, there is a cinema across the street from my flat which is the main reason I’ve been going so often lately.

Today, I watched The Girl Who Played with Fire, part of that The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy. I haven’t seen the Dragon Tattoo film so I really had no idea what to expect from The Girl Who Played with Fire. It was good, I suppose. Interesting. Kind of had a Le Femme Nikita feel about it. I’m curious how the American film versions will look.

When I bought my ticket, the ticket girl said to me, “Are you aware that this is a Swedish film and that it has English subtitles?” Heh heh. I wondered how many people in the past have stormed out saying something like, “Subti’les?! Bloody hell! I want my thir’een-quid back!”

Some things to know about cinema-going in London (and probably the rest of the UK):

1. If the movie is listed to start at 12pm, it will actually start at 12:30pm. Films always start about 30-minutes after the posted showtime. If your show is at 12pm, they will start commercials  then (at the moment there is a really long and annoying Estrella Damm ad). At about 12:20, or ten minutes before the film starts, they will start the movie previews. So unless you’re worried about getting a seat, there is no need to show up early, or on time for that matter.
2. Most cinemas have a bar. You can buy booze! (I sneak in my own when I’m feelin’ classy.) Nicer, arty cinemas have a selection of whisky/spirits/wine (Notting Hill Gate Cinema). I think most cinemas close the bar during daytime, maybe weekday evenings, and open them up for evening shows.
3. When you buy popcorn, they will ask you if you want “Salt” or “Sweet”. Salt is like the buttery kind we know back home (but without the butter) and I suspect the sweet is also like what we know, when we can find it. Also, they don’t do the “Would you like extra butter on your popcorn?” here. I suspect they would find that revolting. So don’t bother looking for, or asking about, a butter pump.
4. If you like Icees as much as I do, what you want to order is called a Fanta Frozen. You’ll see the machine behind  the concession counter if they sell it. While it tastes slightly different from an Icee and has a less-fine texture, IT SOO SCRATCHES THAT ICEE ITCH! It comes in classic “red” and “blue” flavors.
5. They call it “the cinema”, not “the movies” and “the theater” is a stage show. Going to see “a show” is going to the theater, not the cinema.
6. Other than the things listed above, the movie-going experience is exactly the same!

A while ago I answered some standard interview questions over on the site, Expat Interviews. If you’re curious about my background at all, here it is!

-Where were you born?

San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA

-In which country and city are you living now?

London, UK

-Are you living alone or with your family?

I live with my American husband.

-How long have you been living in England?

Almost three years.

-What is your age?

32

-When did you come up with the idea of living in England?

My husband was offered a job here and he initially refused it, as we were in the process of buying a house in California. However, the deal for the house began to sour so we reconsidered moving to London. After a lot of discussion about our future plans and a strong desire to do some travelling before we settled down, we took a leap and moved to England!

-Was it hard to get a visa or a work permit?

No, this is often the biggest hurdle for people and we were lucky. Since my husband’s employer wanted to send him to their London office, they sponsored a work permit for him and because we’re married, I qualified for a similar visa stemming from his, as a “dependent”. I am free to work anywhere in the UK, until the visa expires (in which case we will have our visas renewed).

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?

It wasn’t. I brought in proof of my home address in my name (I brought in a bank statement, though a utility or mobile phone bill will do) and photo ID (passport) and was able to register with my local GP. I wasn’t at all questioned about my visa status. (If you are asked, it’s actually a peculiar question and you should challenge it.)

-How do you make your living in England?

It took me longer than I expected to find a job here. This city seems to be full of people just like me, from all over the world, all going after the same jobs. Don’t underestimate the size of London! I just kept sending out CV’s, meeting recruiters, registering with agencies, going on a ton of interviews and finally landed something.

It took about four to five weeks of active searching. I’ve worked in a few jobs now since moving here and now have a little network of contacts and references for future jobs.

-Do you speak the local language and do you think it’s important to speak the local language?

Well, I speak English which helps (of course). I think the fact that so many people around the world watch American television and films makes it easy to be understood, though I do have to remember to speak more slowly and enunciate. When I do that, I’ve been told I have “an accent” by fellow Americans. Ha!

But despite sharing a language, there is a big cultural difference between the UK and the US. Speaking the same language definitely doesn’t guarantee seamless communication. It’s important to pay close attention to what people say (as well as what you say) and learn the British English vernacular.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?

I do miss home and am sad to not seeing my nieces and nephews grow up or not seeing my parents as often. I also miss driving and the one-stop shopping that is so common in the US (I miss Target!). The feeling comes and goes. There are moments I cannot imagine moving away from London and moments when I am dying to go back home.

-What do you think about the locals? (also how they treat foreigners)

It’s interesting. I sometimes feel that some of my English peers are xenophobic or quick to generalise/insult people from other countries (i.e. what’s wrong with the Irish, the Americans, the French, etc), or even their own country (North vs South England, North vs South London, etc). There is very much an “Us versus Them” mentality which I have to wonder, given England’s place in history, if that should not be surprising. Another interesting thing is a lot of the English I’ve met haven’t seen any more of the world than the average American has.

But all of that could be said of many people all over the world (it even exists in liberal and “tolerant” San Francisco!). I suppose this means despite cultural differences, people are essentially the same.

Anyway, besides all of that, I love English people, esp. outside of London. They are often so friendly, interested in conversation and they’re not plagued with fear or wariness. They say “Sorry” a lot, too which I really appreciate! (I’m used to people in the US trying to instigate a fight or calling people names if they are accidentally bumped into on the street.)

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in England?

Postive:

1) London is very international and with so many transient people, many are open to make new friends or just have a chat with a stranger. I’ve learned a lot about different countries and met a lot of interesting individuals.

2) Pubs on every corner! Full of happy, chatty people.

3) Extensive public transit, whether by tube, bus or train. People have complaints but overall it’s an amazing system.

4) Proximity to the rest of Europe as well as Africa and the Middle East! You can be in Amsterdam in 45-minutes, Rome in about 2-hours, Egypt in about 5-hours…incredible.

5) I feel safer here (careful, but safe) than I do back home, especially considering London is such a major city.

Negative:

1) Customer service (for things like home utilities, NHS or in shops) is often seriously lacking. Makes American customer service look amazing.

2) Some people here loooove insulting Americans. After three years, the shtick is growing old on me but unless someone is really nasty, it’s all about “having a laugh”! Just be prepared to be the butt of jokes. Often. Also, know that anything negative said about Americans can just as easily be applied back to the British, i.e. “stupid”, “fat”, and (surprisingly!) improper pronunciation. Only one word is needed to demonstrate this: “anyfink”.

3) A lot of terrible American tv shows thrive here. Oh, and the good shows aren’t on until weeks later than they are in the states!

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about the United Kingdom?

When I first moved here I found a ton of sites about travel in the UK with all the typical tourist tips and suggestions. Not useful for me. I had a hard time finding information about living in the UK (where to shop for housewares, best places for groceries, what to expect from the NHS, etc) that was all in one spot, so I’ve set up a site aimed at helping new American expats: http://lettersfromwhom.com.

My goal is to help new expats sort out the necessities of life in the UK. It’s not all about Queen’s English, clotted cream and tea here. Ok, there is a lot about tea, but the rest may surprise you in how different it is from home.

Ladies and gentlemen,

If you live in the UK and haven’t tried Marks & Spencer’s Cava (sparkling wine), go out and buy some now. It’s only £7.99 or so. Cheap and delicious! You can also buy a case online.

You will not be disappointed.

Oh, I wish I could say this was a really good burrito. It was a decent burrito.

There is this little chain in London called Tortilla and they have burritos, burritos-in-a-bowl, fajitas and tacos. It’s not bad (I did scarf it all down) but it’s not as great as it could be. The tortilla chips were, surprisingly, amazing considering most English joints like to serve seasoned tortilla chips (kind of like barbecue-flavoured corn chips). These were just plain, salty goodness.

If I had to sum it up, I’d say the overall problem with ordering Mexican food in the UK is that it lacks the spice and kick of real Mexican. Even mild misses the mark. Sometimes the components are just wrong (as in the seasoned tortilla chips mentioned above).

In this instance with my carnitas burrito from Tortilla, the actual tortilla was properly steamed which made it nice and pliable (no stale, broken edges). The carnitas was tender if not a little bland. They didn’t skimp on the sour cream and also offered lettuce (called “salad”), cheese and guac. The rice, on the other hand, was disappointing and usually is. It’s often a little bit undercooked and I don’t know what kind of rice they use but the grains are huge.

I should say: I’ve had worse burritos in California. I should also mention that I wouldn’t expect to march into, say, Moscow moaning about how there isn’t any decent Mexican food there. I know what’s up; this is England. Why would the Mexican food kick ass?

But see what’s on that bag in the picture? mexico > california > london. If you’re gonna be representin’, you gotta do it right.

(left) Soft, pliable tortilla. (right) Too-big-rice and but decent enough carnitas.

If you’re looking for burritos in London:

1. I’d first suggest you wait until you got back home.
2. If you can’t wait, I’d point you in the direction of Benito’s Hat or Tortilla, but only if you can’t wait.
3. If you can’t get to Benito’s Hat or Tortilla, I hear there is a Chipotle in Covent Garden. I haven’t tried it yet, but a lot of non-Americans rave about how “it’s like the amazing burrito they had in New York!” Ha-ha.
4. Lastly, there is Wahaca. Yes, pronouced like Oaxaca, but…yeah. Anyway, this isn’t a burrito joint but is a full-on restaurant that often has a long queue of people waiting to get in. I’ve only been a couple times (all I want is a taqueria!) but the flavours are all right on and I remember liking the margaritas (even though they were kind of small).
5. Someone has already done a load of research on burritos in London on this site, LondonBurrito.com. Wicked! I didn’t even know there were so many burrito places around.
6. Just remember that when we compare one bland burrito joint to another bland burrito joint, we’re just looking for the best bland burrito joint of them all. Which leads me back to point 1 and point 7.
7. You’d be surprised what you learn to live without while living in London.

I’m off to Manchester this weekend! I’m excited for a few reasons:

1. I haven’t ridden the train in a few months and it’s something I enjoy, 95% of the time.
2. Visiting cities outside of London often remind me why I love England (London doesn’t always give me this feeling).
3. I don’t think I’ve seen enough of other parts of England, actually.

Should be interesting!

I went to Wasabi the other day.

When you visit Wasabi, you need to grab a paper tray (shown here) and pick whatever pieces you like from the fridge. I’ve chosen four salmon nigiri (top and bottom left), one spicy salmon gunkan (bottom middle) and three masago & cream cheese gunkan (top middle). A five-pence packet of wasabi sits bottom right.

As you can see, they are individually wrapped, which can be an annoyance when you’re actually eating them. But I shan’t complain. Inexpensive, takeaway and fresh sushi, all the way!

Total cost = £5.15.

If you’re at all curious about the NHS experience, I can tell you now: it’s not unlike the Kaiser Permanente experience.

I know, I know. You’re probably thinking the most obvious difference is that NHS is “free” and Kaiser involves deductions from your wages, co-pays and money for prescriptions. Well, I can also tell you this: NHS is not free. Pay taxes in the UK, close to 40% of your wages, and you won’t be calling it “free” any longer. You’ll instead say, “Um, yeah! Better be givin’ us healthcare!”

I must admit my viewpoint probably isn’t the average of most people needing to go to the doctor: I’m a healthy, childless female with no other reason for visiting the doctor besides check-ups and women’s examinations, which, if I’m honest, means I only visit the doctor’s office once per year, if that.

So I cannot speak for the countless people who are chronically ill, have ailments or need to bring in their children for vaccines, etc. I also don’t need specialised medicine and I’ve never needed serious medical attention. All of those elements may, of course, give you an NHS experience that does not compare to  Kaiser.

But I went to the NHS centre/office today and this is how it went:

1. Called Monday afternoon asking for an appointment to get a refill on my contraceptive. The receptionist was apologetic that the earliest I could come in was Wednesday at lunch. That was less than 48-hours away. I don’t know why she was sorry. I told her that was perfect and she booked me in. 1 point NHS.
2. Since you are required to go to a GP in the area where you live, my NHS centre is only a few bus stops away. I could actually walk if I wanted to, but there is a stretch of road along the way that isn’t very pedestrian friendly. I hoped on the bus at 1pm for my 1:30pm appointment, and was walking through the doors at 1:05pm. 1 point NHS
3. The waiting room was nearly empty, save for one pregnant young woman and her partner. This was a first, as the previous times I’ve been here to register, it’s been pretty full. I think it must be less busy in the afternoon. Something to keep in mind. 0 points as I’m not convinced this is the norm.
4. I checked in with reception (no line, but again, this was a first) and took a seat. I glanced at my phone to check the time and it was 1:07pm. I told myself not to expect to be seen early.0 points.
5. This particular NHS/GP office is considered large and has about six or seven doctors practicing there. They have a digital marquee mounted to the ceiling that beeps and displays when the next patient is ready to be seen. Very cold and impersonal, if you ask me. No smiling nurse coming out and calling your name. It was at about 1:20pm when the marquee beeped. I looked up and my name was displayed across, telling me to report to room 9. 1 point Kaiser, for having nice nurses.
6. The receptionist buzzed me through the door and I followed the signs to room 9. The door was closed, so I knocked. A man’s voice asked me to come in. We said hello and he immediately asked me what he could do for me. I told him I needed a refill and I handed him the box from my previous prescription. He seemed very uninterested but asked me if I smoked (no), if I had children (no) and what I did for work (well, uh…). He then asked me to remove my jacket so he could take my blood pressure, and asked me to sit back and relax. He typed some stuff into his computer while I sat having my blood pressure read. 1 point Kaiser, for having more caring doctors.
7. I looked around the room and noticed a sign posted on the door that said: “All appointments are 10 minutes. If you require longer than 10 minutes, please be sure to book a double appointment.” Just like Kaiser!, I thought to myself, except I think Kaiser appointments are 15 minutes. I looked around the rest of the exam room and noticed a torn paper towel, as well as a couple torn open packets, on the floor. I also noticed the paper that gets pulled over the examination table hadn’t been changed. Hmm. 1 point Kaiser, for being clean! Make that 5 points Kaiser, because I will never get on the examination table here now.
8. The blood pressure machine stopped, deflated and the doctor asked me to remove the strap from my arm. Like, do it myself. Worse than Kaiser!, I thought. 1 point Kaiser. I mean, really.
9. We sat there silently as he continued typing. He printed out my prescription slip and handed it to me. “Have a good day,” he said, then looked back at his screen. “So I can take this to the pharmacy outside?” I asked. “Yes.” he replied. Draw. No points here.

And that was it. Fast, impersonal and definitely less than my 10 minute allotment. It was 4 minutes max. Barely longer than the time it takes to take a blood pressure reading.

I went to the Pharmacy next door and handed in my slip. My prescription was free because according to the NHS website, presribed contraceptives are supplied free of charge.

Typically prescriptions, regardless of what it is, cost a flat amount of £7.20. Both instances are definitely better than Kaiser. 1 point NHS. Make that 5 points NHS, actually. Free or low-cost (truly low-cost) medication is essential.

Now, there was nothing about this NHS experience to recommend it, but I’ve had nearly identical experiences with Kaiser doctors where they barely say a word to me and even leave the room without saying anything. The cleanliness issue is another matter. I think that is highly dependent on the doctor you see. But, there you have it. According to my accurate points-system, I think NHS wins, but to be honest, NHS isn’t any better or worse that what you probably already know.

I hear NHS dentistry is a COMPLETELY different story however. I may experiment with that sometime.

Actually, no. No, I won’t. The proof is in the pudding for that one.

The WORK section of this site is finally ready. I’m sure I will have more content to add later but at the moment it should answer most of the standard questions people have about working in London.

For some information on how I found work in London, see: How to Find a Job

For tips on resumés/CVs and interviews, see: CVs and Interviewing

For an honest perspective on what it’s like working in London, read What to Expect on the Job