Sunday, November 26, 2006

Another Week Ends With a Trip to the Isle of Wight


Well it's Sunday. The lovely Babagenouche and I just returned from the Isle of Wight where we had a great time with her family. The Isle of Wight is a lovely charming place just off the the south east coast of Britain. Babagenouche's grandmother lives there. You can take a look at where we were in the picture on the left!

We left Saturday morning from Debden which couldn't be farther away and still be considered even close to London and took the tube across town. Then we got on an hour and a half train ride which was actually quite nice. It sure beats the Tube. I have no end of complaints about the tube here but I won't bore you with that! We finally got to Portsmouth and took a 15 minute ferry ride across to the Isle of Wight. Babagenouche's Uncle Neil, Aunt Julia, and niece picked us up with her father (who is visiting Britain) and we went to Newport for a tour. We managed to find some pubs and sample so beers as well as poking around.

We finally went back to Babagenouche's grandmother's (Jean) house and had a fantastic time. Fantastic food, lots of laughs, just a plain old good time.

Today I went to my first English castle. That was fun.

I've upload pictures to my flickr site. Check 'em out!

As for me I'm settling into Britain a bit more. I go through phases now where I'm actually starting to like it. I realized that a lot of my irritation was caused by fear. I'm starting to get more comfortable with behaviour in public that would be considered very aggressive and inconsiderate in Canada but here is just boisterous, assertive, or just plain friendly. People talk to each other more here and I'm getting more comfortable with that. I've complained that no one talks to one another in Toronto and that everyone seems to walk around in their own zone of silence but even though I didn't like that I guess I was used to it. There's a lot more conversation here which I'm starting to like. I'm also twigging to the English sense of humour which is different than the Canadian. British folk really like to make fun of each other in a friendly way. I still get the "I hate this place" feeling but it's happening less. I also think this happens when I'm in some place that I'm totally unfamiliar with and it's really the feeling that I just can't get my bearings.

Anyway, meeting up with Babagenouche's family was great and I can't wait to get together with them again. They're a really fun bunch!

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Feeling Better

Ok so I'm feeling much better. Thanks to those who posted comments on the 'ol blog on that one. Made me feel a bit better. I had a guy come in from a high school near by on Monday and show me the ropes of the curriculum a bit. That's relieved a lot of confusion and stress. The wife and the roomate have been great support and I have great family and friends who have been incredible. I even have friends in blogger land who are checking in on me and helping me out. Thanks all!

I feel pretty good because today we got to a point with the play we're working on that was very encouraging. It's been a constant battle through the whole process as students have been in and out and doing interactive work is very difficult for them. Today the Drama group, the art group, and the singing/dance group all showed what they'd developed so far and it went much very well. The students actually watched each others work respectfully and I think they were surprised at how things are going. It's getting down to the crunch and they're coming together. It's very exciting to see.

I'm starting Capoeira tonight. It's some sort of Brazilian martial art/dance type thing. I need excercise and an outlet for stress so it should help. Apparently it's African in origin but really big in Brazil.

Read all about it here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capoeira

Monday, November 20, 2006

Culture Shock Part 809,973,498,430

Before reading ahead I'll state the following:

I know it'll get better. I might be at the worst point which is the turning point. I know it'll get better.


Ok I hate it here. Now before everyone gets alarmed and freaks out I know what I'm going through is Culture Shock. I know it'll pass. But right now I absolutely hate it here. Here's a little graph or two that I've found that illustrate the wave of Culture Shock that people feel when moving to another Country.

I'm definitely in the disintegration stage. The honeymoon phase was very very short in fact and it's been a steady downhill jaunt since then.

I've really hit the end of my tether. Brace yourself here comes a rant!



I can't understand what people are saying half the time, they can't understand me, I can't seem to get anything done properly. I'm at zero tolerance for screw ups. Buses that don't show up, entire lines on the tube that are shut down on the weekend, do I tip or not?, why is the hair salon sending me a text message to confirm and appointment I never made? Why are people yelling constantly?, why the hell are they swearing and screaming at each other constantly?, why are they talking to me?, What's with the profanity?, why did that pack of kids just throw a McDonald's wrapper at us? (seriously!), why the hell don't pubs serve food after 7 o'clock??, where do I go to buy a power cord for my computer?, how am I supposed to go to a bank to do anything when they're only open 10 - 4?, why are the young children causing a ruccus everywhere, how can you found your way around this city when steet maps look like spaghetti I mean no one can give directions without going into a 20 minute discussion about the 19 different ways you could get somewhere but you never actually get street names just land marks am I the only one uncomfortable with "turn at the roundabout, the you'll see a pub, it's after that can't miss it"?, where are the street signs?, the streets windiness means you can never see more than a half block ahead of you which is starting to make me feel claustrophobic, transportation is ridiculously expensive, the shops all shut down early, I'm stuck in the boonies and I'm in a seriously rough area of London I can't wait to get out of...

And that's just the beginning.

I went down to a place called Sloan Square the other day and walked around. It's a very wealthy shopping area and I started to feel better. I think it was partially because I saw something I recognized. There were stores I knew like The Gap, Swarovski, Guess and other stores that I at least recognized. Also people looked relaxed and like they were having a good time. This seems somewhat rare in my neighbourhood.

Anywyay I found some articles about Culture Shock that describe exactly what I'm going through. It's pretty typical.

I can't wait until I reread this 6 months from now and laugh and laugh and laugh at how crazy I was.

Flickr updated

I finally got to upload my pics to Flickr. There's about 50 of them. Click on the link on the left for pictures.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

The British Rollercoaster



Up and down up and down up and down. This is my life at the moment. One day I go to bed a nervous exhausted wreck and the next day I feel like I might be getting a handle on this place. Then it starts all over again. Britain is a much different place than Canada. I really can't believe it. I'll adjust soon I'm sure but I'm constantly thrown and made uncomfortable by the differences in day to day living.

There seems to be, and I could be totally wrong here, a real tendency to be much more upfront and direct than is typical in Canada. This might actually just be a difference in the way things are said or whatever, or maybe it's just that I'm unsure or shy about interacting with people so I get overwhelmed. Not sure. Maybe I'm just a little overwhelmed by it all so I end up not talking as much. Here's are some British idioms and some vocabulary that when I first heard I had no idea what the meant.

Taking the piss: messing around. So I think anyway. I found a definition:
Taking the piss - One of the things Americans find hardest about the Brits is our sense of humour. It is obviously different and is mainly based on irony, sarcasm and an in-built desire to "take the piss". This has nothing to do with urine, but simply means making fun of someone.

Trying It On: Used when someone is testing you or trying to push boundaries. "That kid was trying it on in there so I had to set him straight."

Fag: Cigarrette. I knew this but it is actually used quite regularly here.

Stropped off: Used when some one gets angry and loses it or gets very upset. Throwing a tantrum basically.

To Wind Someone Up: To aggravate someone. Very common. As in "If that guy doesn't stop winding me up I'll hit him with this ironing board."

To Bang someone: Hit them, beat them up. Definitely not what it means in Canada. As in "If you hit me with that ironing board again I'll bang you."

Getting on my tits: That's agravating me or: "That's really getting on my tits." I find this hillarious.

Effin and Blindin: Swearing. As in: "Did you hear that guy out side effin and blinding into his mobile phone?"

Bollocks - This is a great English word with many excellent uses. Technically speaking it means testicles but is typically used to describe something that is no good (that's bollocks) or that someone is talking rubbish (he's talking bollocks). Surprisingly it is also used in a positive manner to describe something that is the best, in which case you would describe it as being "the dog's bollocks".

To Pull: To pick up women or men. So when someone says "I pulled last night" it does NOT mean what it means in Canada.

Fanny - Really bad word for vagina. One doesn't normally talk about anyone's fanny as it is a bit rude. You certainly don't have a fanny pack, or smack people on their fannys - you would get arrested for that! Careful use of this word in the UK is advised!

Hash - That's the pound sign on the phone.

Snog - If you're ON THE PULL (I'd say cruising) you'll know you're doing well if you're snogging. Making out heavily.

That's all I can think of for now but let's put all these in context shall we?

So I was out on the pull last week when this girl thought I was taking the piss out of her when I complimented her on her fanny pack. She stropped off but not before she told me that her boyfriend would bang me if I kept trying it on. I tried to say sorry but she was really winding me up with all her effin and blinding and I couldn't understand why she'd stropped off. I said "Bollocks to this" and lit up a fag whilst wondering what went wrong. I wasn't even looking to snog I was just making conversation. She'd stormed off after saying I was getting on her tits but to be quite frank I think she was getting on mine. This isn't really related but when I got home I tried calling telephone banking and when I did they asked me to enter my bank card number and then press the hash key but I didn't know what that meant so I went to bed.

Ta Da!

Some Brit will probably come along and tell me I got everything wrong but hey, I'm still a rookie here.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Innit?

I can't understand what half the people in this country are saying.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Return of the Monster Blog

I'm back!

For those who were concerned (and I'm sure there were thousands) fear not! We should have internet in our house on Monday. I hope. In the meantime I'm limited to posts of about once a week.

And life in England continues.

I guess I'm starting to settle in here. The truth of the matter is that I haven't really had a chance to think about being in England much because I've been so busy. I'm working what I would consider to be an incredible amount of hours. I've basically determined that I have to get up at 5:00am in order to get ready and out the door by 6:10 so I can get to school by a little before 7 so I can get things in order for the day. My schedule goes something like this:




5:00am - Burst from bed confusedly. Stumble into door/stub toe/forget to turn on cold water and scald self in shower as appropriate.
5:30 - Feel relaxed as I am on schedule to leave apartment.
5:35 - Panic as lunch has not been made/shirt has not been ironed/all trousers are missing
5:55 - Rectify previous problem
6:10 - Make breakfast
6:20 - Finish breakfast realize that bus arrives outside my house at 6:20. Run screaming from house.
6:21 - Chase bus up street *****
6:22 - Sit and fume for 20 minutes
7:00 - Arrive at school organize materials, plans for day
8:15 - staff meeting
8:30 - Breakfast with Students
8:45 - Opening assembly
9:00 - 9:50 - Teach
9:50 - 9:20 - Prepare during break time.
9:50 - 12:20 - Teach
12:20 - 1:00 Lunch - 10 minutes of eating time - 30 minutes preparing/dealing with students
1:00 - 2:25 Various activities on different days with students
2:35 - 3:00 Closing Assembly
3:00 - 3:30 - Catch up on work time with students
3:30 - 4:30 - End of day meeting
4:30 - 6:00 - Prepare
6:00 - 6:45 - Take bus home. Observe random youth approximately 14 and under on bus as they fight, drink, walk on without paying, throw things on to bus.
7:00 - arrive home
7:00 - 8:30 make dinner, eat dinner with wife and awesome roommate.
9:00 - 12:00 Prepare lessons

***** ALTERNATIVE BUS EVENT
6:10 arrive at bus stop 10 minutes early for bus which departs at 6:20. Feel good

6:28 glance at watch in alarm
6:38 Realize 10 out of 10 on Exasperation scale as bus pulls up and stops while driver has coffee a block away.
6:39 - Knock on bus drivers window and ask when he's leaving as no 6:20 bus arrived. Bus driver supplies me with phone number to call and complain while saying "Call and let them know. The hardest part is catching them. See a lot of guys won't show up. Some of them don't like coming down here because they have to turn all the way down this street."
6:40 - Look at bus driver like he's from the moon.
6:41 - Call customer complaint department and get hung up on.
6:42 - Call back and explain situation. Get told they'll call me back when they find out what happened. (which they don't, not that I care)
6:44 - Get on bus and think "I'm not in Canada any more."

Things are going well at school. I'm getting into the swing of things and the students have come around a lot. The know now that the consequences of misbehaving in my class are the same as the rest of the classes so they're co-operating more and we're getting more done. I'm working at spending less time in my room preparing and more time getting out and interacting with the students so we can get to know each other better. I'm still getting to know them just like they're getting to know me but things are getting better. Also, as previously mentioned, the staff is AWESOME.

Another thing I've noticed is that Britain is a complicated place. It seems every stop on the tube denotes a place where the culture and language is slightly or even drastically different that the one before it. It's really quite amazing.

Babagenouche and I went to see Avenue Q. It was awesome. See it immediately! Fly to New York it'll be worth it.

That's all for now. I have to go pick up my Laundry. You can drop it off at the Laundromat here and they'll do it for you. That's one big bonus about living here!

Friday, November 10, 2006

I've got a loverly bunch of coconuts...

Although the life of a drama student is unquestioningly many things - drunken debauch, navel-gaze, periods of elation ("I'm brilliant! I rock!"), periods of despair ("Oh my God. That was the worst scene that has ever been acted in the history of acting, ever. I should eat my own head. I suck.") - one thing it definitely is not, is predictable. Who would have guessed, for example, that this week alone I would have:

a) been the voice of a small coconut called Ralph who is afraid of parrots
b) had to be "fire" - not something on fire, but the essence of "fire" itself
c) taken responsibility for providing the following special effects: crying baby, boiling kettle, and a violently clanging central heating system....armed only with a bent ironing board and my own moxy
d) jogged around a squash court for an hour, practicing "pushing" and "pulling" my classmates...but without actually touching them.

These were the fun bits. The not so fun bits included a 20 minute presentation on the british labour party (which I had to pull out of God knows where, since the library is only open while we're in class, and my seminar partner was in Wales all weekend) and an essay on how the technical effects can "help or mar a successful radio drama".

Ugh. I've also got to come up with some sort of topic to do my Christmas Master's thesis on. Essays? Don't they know we're actors? Coherently string more than two words together? Bloody hell. Unreasonable demands. I have no idea what I'm going to do yet. Our MA prof Zois says we should pick something that interests us, but I don't think eating nice yogurts and fingering vintage jackets will be suitable somehow....

So while I go away to ponder this question over a large vat of wine, I will leave you with a few more pithy observations about life here in Britain.

a) everyone, everyone rolls their own cigarettes. Apparently they do this because it is cheaper. The only people I ever knew to roll their own smokes in Canada were drug dealers or homeless.
b) the carbohydrate is alive and well and living in London. You get chips with your mashed potato and a nice side of Yorkshire pudding as well.
c) pants are trousers, underwear are pants, suspenders are braces, sneakers are trainers.
d) people don't ever ask, "how are you?". They get quite freaked out when you ask, actually. The traditional substitute seems to be "y'alright?"....but they don't really expect an answer.
e) computer keyboards are all different and backwards. The @ and the " symbol are inverted. You can't believe the grief this causes.
f) bus drivers give change. I knew I was here for a reason.