Canterbury

Only part of the Canterbury Cathedral, probably about 2/3 of it.

Last Friday, we went to Canterbury for the day. It only took about an hour and a half by train and the journey went smoothly. We went with some friends of ours here, Grant and Jana because if you travel with four or more people, the tickets are half price. As an added bonus, Grant went to school there so he knew the town and where to go.

We left here around 9:30 and arrived around 11. We stopped and had a snack/small meal for Jason of fish and chips (well, Jason had fish, we all just had chips). A funny thing is with fish and chips here, they sell something called mushy peas. Jana said they are surprisingly good and that Anna might like them. So we got her some and they were like baby food. It was just the thing for Anna and she quite enjoyed them. In fact, she was pretty upset when they were gone so we had to give her chips to round out her meal.

When he stood up straight, he was even taller than the rafters.

We spent some time walking around the place which was charming. Apparently, within the city walls, you can't change the exteriors of the buildings. So all the buildings are really old and way cool. You can tell when a building is actually old (rather than just trying to look old) because the door ways are really tiny, smaller than Jason, just right for me. When companies redo the interiors, they will often turn three floors into two to have normal ceiling heights.

While we were there, they were in the middle of the Canterbury festival. We never did find out what was going on for that but there were little flags strung across the high street which gave it a nice, festival-y feel. It reminded me of the festival in the Disney movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

After walking around and just enjoying the place, we decided to go to the cathedral. Grant and Jana decided not to come in with us because they had been there before and the prices had gone up. So they just wandered the town for a bit.

Talk about a big space. I was impressed, Anna didn't seem to be.

The cathedral was amazing! It was huge and had tons of stained glass (which I love). It was a sunny day so we were able to enjoy the way the light played in the space. They had it kind of chopped up into three different areas, each with it's own name. It helped break it up so it didn't feel quite so huge. There was also a crypt in the under part that was darker. I thought it was interesting how they had little chapels named after different saints or families and each one would have an altar and a few chairs.

Some of the beautiful stained glass. There was tons of it everywhere with lots of beautiful blues.

This candle is where the tomb of the guy people would make pilgrimages to see used to be (if that makes sense). It was destroyed by some king so now they mark it with a candle.

The grounds were very nice. There was a bit of grass and the remains of an abbey and the remains of the church that was destroyed. By that point we were getting cold and tired so we didn't really explore outside the church so much. The bathrooms were pretty cool. Each stall had it's own sink and the flush was a chain hanging from the ceiling.

Us on top of the city wall.

When we were done with the cathedral complex, we met up with our friends again and went to late lunch/early dinner. Then we bought a couple of things in a couple of shops and walked along the old city wall to get to the train station to catch the train home. The whole trip went smoothly and we had a lot of fun. I thought of my sister Jen the whole time. Not only because she is an English major but also because she's the reason I have the beginning of the intro to the Canterbury Tales memorized in the old English. Some things you just never forget.

An Ode to Jason

Today is Jason's birthday so I'm going to take some time and sing his praises. Last night, Jason was saying maybe he should start a blog in which he would write his opinion about everything. And boy does that man have opinions! The thing is, while they would probably not be all that popular, they are very reasonable and well thought out. I usually agree with him. He can be a touch inflammatory at times but that is only because he stands by what he thinks and doesn't apologize for what isn't very PC.

He can be very focused and driven and intense. Sometimes, this can be a problem like when he is around people who aren't as intense and gets annoyed. Generally though I think it's a good thing as it leads to his being a hard worker. And what a hard worker he is! People can't seem to believe how much time he spends at school/work. Ironically, he isn't there as much as other people in his class but he gets more done. We're not sure why they are there if they are only going to fool around but oh well. I guess they aren't at intense as he is.

Jason seems to think it's his fatherly right to tell bad jokes and puns. Fortunately for him, I think he's hilarious (bad jokes aren't the only ones, he says genuinely funny stuff too). He is thoroughly enjoying being a father. Anna cracks him up all the time. Just yesterday, she was talking and he was just laughing at her. He is great with her and she adores him. When we go in our room and she sees him in bed, she just laughs. Same for when he comes home. The other night he had to stay late and I think she was sad that she didn't get to see him before bed. They have a lot of fun together. He does this thing (scares me to death, I'm able to not say anything any more) where he takes her by the ankles and swings her around like a pendulum. Naturally she loves it, laughs the whole time.

He has quite a sense of style. He loves colors, especially orange. Naturally, winter is tough. I went to buy him some shirts and had to get olive and navy and was sad I couldn't get anything more bright. He knows what looks good on me and I never have to worry when he buys me clothes. I know they will be nice and fit. He is even really helpful when we go together and finds great stuff.

One thing I really appreciate is he will tell me like it is. The other day, my hair looked awful and he didn't mind telling me so. Of course he said it with love and tact and I already knew it was bad. If I ask if an outfit doesn't look right, I really want to know and he will really tell me. That way, if he says something looks good, I can rest easy that it really does and he isn't just saying that.

He has such a strong testimony. When he joined the LDS church, he jumped in with both feet and would get kind of offended when people thought he had just joined for me. When we were first married, people would often remark that they couldn't believe he had only be a member for two years. He enjoys going out with the missionaries and is even going this afternoon.

He can be pretty outgoing which is good for me who can contentedly just sit at home. But he also likes to just sit at home too. He's the perfect blend of introvert and extrovert so that we can stay in at times but still get out and meet new people. Basically, he's pretty much wonderful.

Urban Babies Enjoy Fine Dining

Eating dinner with a little bit on her face.

Anna never ceases to amaze me with the foods she likes. I probably should have known she would like adult tastes when we were living in Philadelphia and loved the minestrone soup from Olive Garden then ate practically her weight in hummus. Oddly, I was still surprised when I didn't have anything to feed her so I thew something together with what we had. It was couscous with canned tomatoes and fresh mint and basil. She loved it. I can't say I blame her, as I was feeding it to her I thought it looked yummy and later made it for myself but added some chicken, olives and feta cheese (it was quite good).

She has also quite enjoyed whole wheat pasta with kale, fontina and bacon. This is a dish that we quite like (Martha Stewart, everyday food) and I just chopped up the left overs. Since there wasn't much cheese in it, I cubed the left over cheese and few it to her that way. I think the cheese was her favorite part! Since then, she has been a bit of a cheese fiend. She loves the fontina, has enjoyed some mozzarella and quite likes edam. I have to be careful that that isn't all I give her because she will contentedly eat just cheese for a meal.

Toad in the Hole, it was pretty bland but I have some ideas to make it better. I'll have to try it again.

Oddly enough, things that we didn't like so much, she doesn't either. I made something called toad in the hole. It was kind of bland because the batter didn't have any salt or pepper, if I make it again I will add that. Well, I groud it up but she didn't like it. I tried adding mustard (there was already some in the batter) and while that helped a bit, it wasn't enough. She liked it when I then added some peas that had been cooked in sesame oil.

She has also decided that she doesn't like her food ground up anymore. She would rather have it chopped up and eat it off the tray. She good about picking things up (although slippery fruit can be tricky) and doesn't throw them around too much. She's also really good about not choking or putting too much in her mouth at a time. Funny thing, last night, I was making her green beans and while I was getting them ready, she wanted a raw one. She chewed on it until the rest of the food was ready.

Feeding her is becoming a lot of fun and part easier but part harder as she eats more and more real food. I have to actually plan what she is going to have and make sure she has enough, especially in the way of snacks. (Funny side note, yesterday she and Jason were having morning snacks together. They need to eat about the same frequency.)

Like Christmas Morning

Before we left Philadelphia, we packed up all of our winter clothes and left them with my brother and his wife. Our thought was, we weren't going to need them (and we didn't have room in our luggage) in India so we would have them mail them to us when we got to London. After getting here, we wondered about sending the stuff because it would be expensive. Well, after thinking about it and figuring out just how much it would be and comparing that to how much it would cost to buy the things we would need here (taking into account the exchange rate) we decided to go ahead and mail the stuff.

Megan (who did lots of measuring and asking and checking, which I know wasn't easy for her, for us and should get a medal but will only get a big THANK YOU!) mailed the boxes (yes there were two of them, she really is wonderful) on Tuesday which meant they would come some time this week. We got the smaller box yesterday and the larger trunk today! I am so excited to have them. Now we will be warm and actually have choices in our wardrobe. We have been wearing a few things we bought in India when we realized that all we had were t-shirts and shorts and I got a couple of jackets for us at a charity shop a while back. Needless to say, I've been doing a lot of laundry and poor Jason only had one pair of jeans.

I can't wait to get dressed (although I am enjoying wearing my bug fluffy robe that just came in the mail) and don't even mind that I have to now put all the clothes away. A small price to pay. Now if we could only take care of our trunks that are still in India...

A Brief Foray into Politics

My family a few years ago.

I know I said I hated politics but sometimes, you just can't ignore it. In California and in Arizona right now, they have propositions on the ballot to amend their constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. Needless to say, these campaigns are getting heated. Especially in California where the polls are showing it is getting lots of support especially among the coveted 18-34 age group.

A little while ago, the No on Prop 8 group said that the commercials for the Yes people were telling lies because they were showing some of the consequences that would surely come to pass if the proposition did not. As if only things specifically listed in the proposition would happen. On a more personal level, some friends had a rock thrown through their bedroom window as well as their car window, a young man manning a booth was slapped and in Arizona, my friend's parent's sign was vandalized. It reminds me of in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe where the evil queen is very pretty at first when she wants something from you but when you cross her and make her your enemy, she becomes very ugly. My mom said, on her blog:

"Also the tone of the No campaign has changed over the last couple of weeks. Before, they were using words like “fair,” “tolerance,” “civil right,” etc. Now, rather than those warm fuzzy words, they’re screaming at us, “Haters,” “bigots,” “Neanderthals.”

Isn't it interesting how those screaming for tolerance never seem willing to offer it to others?

My parents, aren't they cute?

My dad also has a blog (we are becoming quite the blogging family) that he started mainly because of the campaign. On it, he talks about family life and the eternal importance of it. He also talks about the destructive powers of homosexuality on individuals, their adoptive children and society at large. I was shocked, appalled and saddened at some of the things I read. He is also careful to cite where the information is coming from. These aren't just the rants of a crazy old man. I strongly recommend reading what he has to say: familyman-lloyd.blogspot.com. I know for me, it has given me concrete examples to give in the event of a discussion on the matter. Even if you don't live in California, this isn't an issue that is going to go away and in all likely hood, it will come to wherever you live, if it hasn't already.

Culture Familiarity

Or whatever the opposite of culture shock is. In coming here, it all feels very familiar. I think coming from India is what is really doing that. If we can come here straight from the US, I would have probably focused on what was different. As it is, it's been a nice half way point between the two places. There are some things that are the same as in the US and some things that are the same as in India. Then there are some things that are unique to here.

For the same as in the US, there's probably more that is similar. Everything from the mode of housing to the public transportation to the grocery stores. The prices of things are even similar (even if there is a pound sign in front, the numbers are closer than the rupees). One thing I've grown to love here is the preponderance of charity shops (thrift stores run by charities). There are tons of them here and I love going in them. I almost can't leave without buying something even if it's just a book (I got Eats, Shoots and Leaves yesterday). Plus, the money is for charity so that's nice.

A few things are the same as in India. The way they drive on the road (although they do follow the traffic laws here) for example. The side of the road they drive on is starting to seem familiar. When we go back to the States, it might take a bit of getting used to. I hope Jason won't need too much adjustment as we drive home from the airport. Also, the love of Indian food and the cheap spices. I can buy a bag of Garam Masala for less than a pound and I saw a bottle of curry sauce for 9p (like 9 cents)! Who knows how good it will be but I say, for 9p, it's totally worth it. Finally, they have switches on their electrical outlets here. It throws Jason off (things can be plugged in but not really) sometimes but I think it's way cool. For example, I can switch off the outlet and don't worry about Anna sticking her finger in the socket. Plus, they always say that it's best to unplug appliances when not in use and it's so much easier when you can just turn off the outlet.

Then the things that are unique. The double decker buses are fun although the top isn't all the fun. You have to be more aware of where you are getting off so you don't miss your stop. Then there are the potato chip flavors (or crisps). I haven't had a chance to try the prawn (shrimp) cocktail yet but I did have the chargrilled steak and it was good. How can you resist steak flavored chips? I'm also a big fan of the scones and have to stop myself when it comes to trifle. mmm, trifle

My favorite thing by far would be the toy library. That's right, you pay a membership fee, and they have toys that you can borrow for two weeks. After they are returned, their batteries are checked, they're checked out to make sure they still work and are safe and are cleaned. They also have a play room (you can't play with the check-out toys) and a day set aside for kids 2 and under. And it's not just toys, they also have books for kids and moms and safety equipment (those are for 6 months). There is a small fee to check out the toys but the max is 2 pounds and that's a small price to pay for a cool toy that you don't have to store when they grow out of it. They even have a music class once a week. We went last week and Anna almost didn't know what to do with all the toys. Between our moving around and my disinterest with "stuff" she doesn't have many toys. It took her a while to figure out what to do but she started having fun and there was even a little boy to grab his nose and try to pull off his socks and have him try to take whatever she had. Fun was had by all.

Grrr Snarl Snarl Roar

I have a really cute video clip of Anna crawling that I was going to post today. Unfortunately, it seems to be the wrong file type so I can't. How annoying. I'm going to see if Jason knows how to change the file type (I looked around and couldn't figure it out but he is smarter about computers than I am) so we can post it. I may also look to see if I can change how the camera records so we don't have this problem in the future. As a consolation prize, here is the picture that for some reason takes every time I start a video. So this is how it would have started. I have no idea why it's so grainy.