It’s a time for families to come together and talk about what they’re grateful for. It’s a time for reflection. It’s a time for overindulgence. Pumkin Pie anyone? Turkey? Beer? American Football? Hockey? You name it, the Americans know how to do Thanksgiving in a big way. Go big or go home right?
So, to all those Americans living in the UK, missing their family & friends “back home”, I wish you a happy, healthy and hillarious Thanksgiving.
The above video is from one of the cast members of the new American comedy/musical television show called Glee. It’s not playing in the UK yet, but I just know it will be there one day. In the meantime, I’m sure your friends and family back home are telling you to find this show and watch it. I’ve added the video here because it makes me a little bit weapy in gratitude, and since Mark Salling’s song is all about gratitude and you’re all about Thanksgiving this weekend, I think it fits.
Here are two events for Americans and Canadians in London:
Thanksgiving Day at St. Paul’s Cathedral
The U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Louis B. Susman, would like to invite everyone to a special Thanksgiving Day Service at 11 a.m. on Thursday, November 26th at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The event is free and open to all.
The event will be a non-denominational, American-style service, organized by the American Church in London (ACL). ACL’s Reverend John A. D’Elia will be reading the sermon and a volunteer American choir will be singing hymns. U.S. Ambassador Louis B. Susman will also be giving remarks.
No tickets are needed for the service this year, but each person may be required to pass through a metal detector and have bags searched. Given the high level of security, it is important to arrive at the Cathedral early. Photography in the Cathedral is not permitted. Mobile phones should be switched off. The doors open at 9:45 a.m. Please plan to arrive no later than 10:30 a.m. Entry will be via the west end of the Cathedral. Closest Tube stop: St. Paul’s (Central line). For more information please visit St. Paul’s Site.
Christmas Carols – Canadian Style
The Canadian Women’s Club invites you to join their Christmas Carol service in London on Friday December 4th. Click on the image above for the full details. Please RSVP directly to info@canadianwomenlondon.org. Happy singing everyone!
I am considering posting a monthly calendar of events for Canadians & Americans in the UK. What do you think of this idea? Would you swing by this blog once a month to check out events for Americans & Canadians in the UK? If you know of an event listing like this, please let me know so I can tell others about it. Thanks! As always, comments are welcome & encouraged.
Since I’ve been writing this blog for a few months, I figure it’s time to review the steps you need to take to move to the United Kingdom from Canada or America.
Step One: Legalities
Can you legally make the move to the UK? It’s not enough to have a Canadian or American passport!
How to Find a Flat in the UK - watch this space for more details about my arrangement with London Relocation Services. They help you get a flat within 24 hours, and I’m working with them to get you a great deal on their services. Watch this space!
Step Three: The Job Hunt
Depending on your profession, this might actually be step 1 or 2. In any case, here are my two cents:
Step 4: Network with other Canadians and Americans in the UK
Make new friends! You are not the first American or Canadian to move to the United Kingdom, so why not make some new friends with others in the same boat as you across the pond?
When you first move to the UK, you might find yourself wondering if you actually speak English. How can you understand the British? Learn to speak proper, I say.
Here are some great resources to help you learn the British equivalents of American words:
The BG Map English (British) – American Dictionary. I love this site. If you want a simple list of words translated from American to British English, then this is a great site for you. It’s not pretty, but it gets the job done.
British vs. American English This is a site for ESL learners, which I know seems a bit odd for this particular case, but it’s actually a really cool resource. They have drop-down menus where you find the British word you want and then it brings up the American equivalent, and vice versa.
American to British English Quiz - Think you know your British English? Test your knowledge with this simple quiz online. I think most of the words are fairly obvious, but I must admit that I was stumped on a few of them.
Cockney Rhyming Slang – No list of British vocabulary would be complete without a bit o’ Cockney thrown in. Have fun with this one!
Know of another great resource to share? Please share your thoughts, ideas and questions below.
So, you’re ready to move to the United Kingdom and need to get a mobile phone, otherwise known as a cell phone. Where do you start?
Well, first off, there are a million and one different phone plans out there and if you simply search on google, you will quickly become overwhelmed and confused by the plethora of options available to you.
For my teachers with Classroom Canada, I just tell them to walk by our London office on Regent Street and go into the various shops selling mobile phones. Because our UK office is in Central London, we have most of the mobile phone companies right around the corner.
Personally, I think it’s easier just to ask someone in a shop sometimes. Walk out with your new phone in only a few minutes and laugh at all the others madly searching on the internet for the best possible deal.
On the other hand, if you’re still abroad and want to know what your options are, then you’re starting in the right place.
Here are my two cents on a few of the mobile phone providers currently available in the UK:
Cheap, with slick adverts and 2 for 1 movie tickets on Wednesdays for Orange customers. The downside? Friends of mine often complain that their service cuts out all the time, so really, you get what you pay for. I see that they now sell iPhones with orange though, so that can’t be a bad thing.
I use O2 myself, but like I said, I just walked into a shop and walked out with a phone. I use Pay as You Go, and have never had any problems with them. I top up my phone with about 10 pounds every week or two, and just do this at any ATM (aka bank machine). It’s so easy, and so I don’t bother looking around much. Downside? If I don’t use my phone for 6 months when I’m in Canada, then I have to buy a new SIM card for my phone. I think this is the same for all the mobile companies in the UK, and it is a pain, but if I was organized, I’d just send one text every six months to keep my SIM card active.
Another one of the big players in UK mobile phones, Vodafone has a good reputation and a large presence in UK adverts. Not much to say here, I haven’t really heard any negative, but likewise, haven’t heard any rave reviews either.
These are the folks that sell every possible plan and mobile out there, so they’re a great place to start your search. They sell phones with O2, Orange, Vodafone, 3, Virgin, T-Mobile, and Talk Mobile. Again, I’d recommend just walking in and asking them what deals they currently have on offer and go from there.
3 is similar to Orange in that they are cheap. Coverage breaks off often though and any of my friends who have been with them are often overheard saying “Damn you 3!” So, judging from my mates, I’d avoid these guys. If you disagree, please let us know by leaving a comment below.
Other Tips & Tricks
Ask people. Ask your friends, workmates, colleagues, strangers on the street. Just ask them what phone provider they use and why. The deals change weekly so online sources are not the best for up-to-date information. But people will always tell you the real deal.
Ask about calling abroad. This is probably the most important question you will ask in regards to your new UK mobile phone. Will you be calling your family or friends abroad? How much will that be per minute? And will you be charged to receive calls from abroad? Many of my teachers with Classroom Canada and Classroom America have 2 different UK mobiles – one for calling “home” and the other for calling folks in the UK. Because the rates vary so widely, this might make sense for you as well.
Decide if you want “Pay as You Go” or a “Contract” – this will depend on how long you plan to stay in the UK. If you know you are moving there for more than a year, then a contract is probably the best option for you. But if you’re like me, and go back and forth between your home country and the UK, then pay as you go will make more sense.
Consider purchasing a mobile for your guests from abroad. When your friends and family visit from overseas, you will want to be able to communicate with them while you’re at work, or to meet up at a specific location, or to tell them you’re running late. I can not stress this enough – having a mobile phone for guests is the nicest, easiest, most convenient thing for them. You can buy one used and just buy a sim card for them (most cost about 10 GBP), then pay as you go when they come into town. I keep one on hand with about 10 pounds on it, so when I have visitors I can easily contact them as they wander the streets while I’m at work.
Anything I missed? Please share your advice, tips, tricks and stories below.
Greenlaw is a Victoria based musical duo who will be performing on Hallowe’en Night in Leicester, United Kingdom. Check out the whole event here and be sure to get tickets in advance as it’s sure to be big. There are a tonne of brilliant DJ’s at this event, so even if you’re not so into the jazz feel of this Canadian duo, you’re sure to find some music you like anyway.
Network Canada in London holds a social event on the 22nd of every month called “Vandoos.” That’s tonight! It’s now late in the evening for readers in the UK, but maybe you can still read this and get down to the pub for tonight’s Canadian gathering. Check it out here.
You can also meet Canadian authors in the UK:
CHRISTIAN LANDER, author of the incredibly successful blog, Stuff White People Like, (now also a book published by Hardie Grant, £7.99), will be making his first visit to London this month.
He will be giving a talk and signing books at this FREE event on Thursday, October 22 at the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE, 54 Lincolns Inn Fields, London WC2A 2AE.
I met Margaret Atwood in London and let me tell ya’, this was BIG. She’s such a Canadian icon, and to meet her in person in London was very cool. The best thing to do is to read the Guardian newspaper books section every weekend and you’re bound to find an author coming to town that you’d like to meet. I also met many amazing American authors, but that will be another blog post one day soon.
Tegan and Sara are performing in London at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire (where I saw Cat Empire, a really fun Aussie band, and a Japanese Ska band whose name I forget – it’s a great venue anyway) on November 13th.
That’s it for the shows and events I know of for the next couple of weeks anyway. Anyone know of other Canadian artists in the UK that we should post? Please let me know by leaving a comment below. Thanks!
Ahhh, shopping for Canadiana while abroad. What is Canadian food anyway?
Well, we all know it’s poutine, and the chances of finding cheese curds & gravy on french fries while abroad are very slim. In the UK, you can go to the Maple Leaf Pub and order their version of poutine, but they use shredded cheddar instead of curds (“P’shaw! That is NOT poutine!” as I have declared every time I’m there, all the while stuffing my face).
What else will you miss while abroad? Tim Horton’s if you’re a die-hard Timmy’s fan, which isn’t actually Canadian by the way. Tim’s is owned by an American company – Wendy’s. I can’t stand Tim Horton’s myself, but I know loads of Canadians jones for their Timmy’s while in the UK. So after searching everywhere online, including Canucks Abroad, I finally just called Tim Horton’s here in Canada and got the up to date list of places you can purchase Tim Horton’s in the UK.
It’s a big list, but for those of you out there who are desperate to find your Tim Horton’s in the UK, I hope this makes your day! The formatting is hideous, but I just don’t have time to fix how Tim Horton’s sent it to me, so I hope you can find your location on here.
1 TH ROI Spar Dunboyne Main Street, Dunboyne
2 TH ROI Spar Grafton Street Grafton Street, Dublin 2
3 TH ROI Mace IFSC IFSC Dublin 1
7 TH ROI Eurospar Killorglin Co.Kerry
10 TH ROI Spar Eastgate Cork Eastgate Industrial Estate, Little Island, Cork
11 TH ROI Spar Blacklion
13 TH ROI Spar Kilkenny Newpark Shopping Centre, Kilkenny
14 TH ROI Spar Killarney Tralee Road, Killarney, Kerry
15 TH ROI Spar Bolton Street Bolton Street, Dublin 2
25 TH UK SPAR – TYWYN SPAR 16 High Street Tywyn Gwnedd LL36 9AD
4 MS ROI Costcutter Galway Eyre Square Galway
Don’t ask me what the numbers and codes mean. I have no idea. I guess this is just what Tim’s does when customers ask where to find their shops.
As for beer, I know you can get Moosehead, Sleemans and Keith’s at the Maple Leaf Pub and the Porter House, both in Covent Garden. You can also purchase most food items (like Shreddies, Crispy Crunch and Coffee Crisp) at the Canada Shop, but don’t expect to pay what you would pay in Canada.
You can also purchase Kraft Dinner in some grocery stores in Scotland. I’ve heard a few of my teachers with Classroom Canada say that they are desperate for Bick’s Pickles and that the pickles in London just aren’t the same as back home. I’ve personally never noticed, but hey, I guess I’m not much of a pickle conosseur.
Any other food and drink items that I’ve missed? Please share your thoughts below!
Lately, I’ve been really impressed with all the networking happening online for Canadians and Americans in the UK, or who want to move to the UK. They’re on facebook, twitter, delicious…and now Ning.
What’s Ning right? Well, it takes all of the best bits of social media and lets you create your very own community online, where members can message each other, blog, participate in discussions, add videos, photos, links…kind of like facebook, but better for networking with a specific reason – ie, Canadians and Americans in the UK!
So, right now there are a few different groups on facebook for Americans and Canadians in the UK, and they’re pretty good – but I think this Ning thing will take those discussions and just add more depth, more understanding and more of all the great stuff we love about social networking. Here’s my previous post about networking online where you can find these facebook groups.
What do you think? Will you be joining this Ning group and adding your questions and two cents? I’d love to see you there!
What does Thanksgiving mean to you when you’re living in the UK? Well, first off, the British don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, so don’t get too excited about eating Turkey and Pumpkin Pie. You also won’t get a 3 day weekend, nor will you watch heaps of American football on television, although you can always stream it online if you are a die-hard fan.
So, what are you going to do? Well, if you’re anything like my Canadian teachers in London this past weekend, you’ll figure out a way to have your pie and eat it too. Loads of them blogged about their Thanksgiving feasts and the struggles they had in finding turkey (they couldn’t) and pumpkin (some did, some didn’t). The Canadians seemed to want to be around each other, so they had fabulous dinner parties in their various flats and accommodations and posted pictures on facebook and their blogs for all to see. I’m sure they talked to their families at home and used skype to feel more connected.
You see, the holidays can make you miss your life “back home” even more, so it’s important to gather your new friends and family together and carry on the traditions you have in Canada or the USA. 4th of July in London? Sure, why not? Canada Day in London is a huge event in Trafalgar Square, and while Canadians are generally received a bit better than Americans in Europe I’m sure there are Americans out celebrating Independence Day on July 4th every year.
To help you understand what other Canadians and Americans do in London, here are some of my favourite blog posts from this past weekend:
After you book your flight from the USA or Canada to the UK for your big move across the pond, you might want to start thinking about other places to visit in Europe. You’ve probably heard that flights within Europe cost pennies. Betcha’ don’t believe it right?
Well, it’s true! I booked a flight to Barcelona for a 5 day adventure that cost me one pence each way. That was about 2 pennies in American currency at the time. Now, I didn’t actually pay that little, because there are taxes and fees, but all told the trip cost about 50 GBP (Great British Pounds). That was about $100 US. Cheaper than taking the ferry from Victoria to Vancouver. Cheaper than going from Toronto to Ottawa. Cheaper than getting anywhere in the US I’m sure. And it’s Barcelona baby!
So, how do you do it you ask?
You look on RyanAir and EasyJet. Try to book while schools are in term time so you get the best deal, and fly during the week (Tues, Wed, Thurs) and at the oddest hours (6am for London means taking night buses at 4am to make it to the airport in time).
Kind of like taking the Greyhound bus, these are cheap, tacky and really quite obnoxious flights. I took a flight with Ryan Air from London to Bratislava, which is close to Vienna and I swear, my seat smelled of vomit. It was nasty. But it cost me pennies. So…you get what you pay for. The flight attendants will try to sell you raffle tickets, food, duty free and all round spend the entire flight selling. You pay for your luggage. They drop you off in cities outside of the city you want to go to, and then charge you to take the special Ryan Air buses to get into the actual city you’re visiting. It’s not unlike the video above.
Smart business? Dang right. But it’s worth every penny you spend just to see these amazing places in Europe for the cost of a night out anywhere else.
The other option is to pay more for the higher end airlines like British Airways (Love British Airways compared to Air Canada! So much better). You will feel safer and not have the scents of Ryan Air, but you will pay an arm and a leg to get anywhere in Europe with them. From pennies to hundreds of pounds sadly.
Now, if you care about the environmental impact of all these cheap flights, you could always just take the chunnel from London across to Europe and travel by train. Trains in Europe are well known for being fast, efficient, on time and an experience on their own. I love taking the train anywhere in Europe and highly recommend that you do at least one journey by train. You can book first-class or second-class seats, and sometimes even 3rd class tickets.
Watch Before Sunrise to see Ethan Hawke’s amazing movie set on a train in Europe. That will get you excited I’m sure.
Questions? Ideas? Experiences to share? Airlines to recommend? Please share your comments below.
PS) To book a flight from Canada or the USA to England, be sure to call Jonathan at Flight Centre on 1 866 552 4050 and mention “Classroom Canada.” He’ll match any deal you can get elsewhere and give you at least $25 off from that price.
