Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Where is Coronation Street?

I didn't get my cat-nap before we left for England, though I dont know if it would've helped anyway.  I slept on the way to the ferry - well the upper half of my body was on the two seats in the back of the cammper while my legs were resting on Dan who was snuggled nicely on the floor wrapped up in our duvet - but it wasn't the most comfortable sleeping arrangment, and everytime Dan moved I had to adjust my legs.  The ferry ride was alright, 2hrs, nice views as we left France as well as nice views as we entered England.

Customs was easy.   They just said "you are only aloud to stay 6 months" and stamped my passport - yay new stamp!  After we drove through customs we had to pull over so a police officer could check the van - incase we had any stowaways - and check our passports.  "Who is the Canadian" he asked "Hi that's me!"  I said popping my head out the window.  "Where in Canada you from?"  "Toronto, Ontario."  "Oh ya"  "Do you know it?" "No.  Not really, but I have been to Victoria."  It was one of the nicest experinences I have had going through customs, friendly and no intimidation.

It doesn't look like what I pictured England to look like with small little streets, little cars and little town-house-like residences.  I kept saying "Where is Coronation Street?  Where are the little streets with the row of little English houses?"  But to no avale did I get to see a Coronation-like street, though the houses are smaller here.  They are built out of concrete and are quite narrow which makes them look taller then they are, and they are built quite close together - England is a small country and quite overpopulated so they need to squeeze together (so Dan says) - however, they are quite spacious and not a little cramped; well Dans parents place isn't, which is where we are staying.  It's the house that Dan grew up in! Kind of cool, we are even in his old bedroom.  I asked him "did you ever think you would be living in this room with your wife?"  "I never thought I would be living back in this house, ever" was his reply.  He is not overly keen being back in England,  he hates it,  even though it's only temporary he is still not happy about it and he can't wait till we can leave again; we have no idea when that will be yet.

He is enjoying seeing his friends again but if we had the money I know he we would be on a plane to Thailand tomorrow lol.  I have met a few of his friends.  The day after we got here we went for dinner and then drinks, well, I of course played Mother Hen while the others got smashed.  Mike (Dans best mate)  was always wandering off  and popping up randomly throughout the night. Carli (Dans other best mate) doesn't like going to public toilets by herself so everytime she had to go she was like "Emmie, come wee with me"; and Dan, well he is just something else altogether when he drinks, though getting him to leave was easy as it was his idea to go home, and the cab was one of the little English cars you see in Coronation street,  loved it!   The bar itself was alright, sometimes I feel my bar-nights, are slowly concluding; young girls dancing in too-short skirts grinding against eachother, songs are played more then once and guys trying to get late and everyone absolutely mangled with no communication or walking skills.  It's really cheap to drink here as the economy is quite bad at the moment, but I guess cheap drinks means cheap service.   We waited at the bar 25 minutes for our drinks!  I know, for a night club it happens but the place maybe had a hundred people in it and at this point no one was really buying anymore drinks due to their intoxication levels.  The bar was just a line of people, not even two people deep and 4 bartenders.  The bartender kept serving everybody but us, and when I tried to tell her we were next she ignored me and served someone else.  She finally served us and when I complained and she says "we are really busy and there are only 4 of us working tonigh"  I just looked at her!  "Busy?"  I replied "I dont know about you but a line of people along the bar not even two people deep is not busy, and there are 4 of you.  If you cant handle that you really shouldn't be a bartender."  She just looked at me.  "Oh and with my drinks could I have a manager?"  I explained the situation to the manager, I said I didn't want a free round or to get anyone fired, but there was absolutely no reason for us to stand at a bar for 25 minutes when it's not busy. Grrr....I hate incompetent bartenders.

A few nights later Dan wanted to go to a drumb and base rave with some of his mates so I stayed in and had drinks with his sister (she lives in the house as well), and we got to know eachother.   We've been shopping in Bournemouth Centre.  It kind of reminded me of The Grove in LA except it's not as enclosed, but it's got that high end sort of feel to it.  It was buzzing with people and had live entertainment going on,  maybe others dont dont feel the vibe the way I do, it could b3e because I found France so quiet with it's ghost  towns that swarms of people and noise is exciting more so now than usual. There is a shop called Primark it's kind of a mix between H&M meets Urban Behaviour meets Forever 21 except it's super cheap!  T-shirts are 1 pound = $1.60, it's awesome and it's my new favourite place, I got some things as all I have is summer clothing and I needed some warmer stuff for here.  We have walked to Boscome Town Centre a few times,  the layout of it reminds me of Darwin CBD with its walkway down the centre with benches and lined on either side with shops, but where Darwin CBD was almost void of people Boscome is full on busy with people, and some quite sketchy people I might add, but Dan keeps me safe lol.

The other morning we walked down to Fisherman's Walk Beach.  It stretches for miles down either side of the coast; one side stretches to cliffs which are small black silhouettes in the far distance and the other stretches to the expensive area with it's mansions.  The weather wasn't the greates but there was still quite a few people out enjoying the English sun that only shares its heat when it feels like it.    The beach is lined with beach huts, there must be 200 of them.  The just stretch all along the walk way, different colours, and some bigger than others; there was nothing overly remarkable about them but I get excited in new countries so everything seems awesome to me.

We have settled in quite nicely here.  Dan is waiting to hear back on a job sometime this week, so we are keeping our fingers crossed for that and we still have more money coming from Australia - not gonna get ino that,  its our Superannuation Funds and we are going with a different company - so hopefully after a few months we can head off.  I like it here I'm comfortable, and I think it's good for Dan to spend time with his family as we have decided Canada is going to be where we settle and we don't know when he will get to see his family and friends again; but he still wants to leave asap. LOL.  Oh well, it will happen, we just have to be patient.

As for me I am off to London next week!  Yes without Dan.  He actually didn't want to go - as I said he hates England - with me and was going to convince his sister to take me, but it just so happens that my friend Kate is coming out from Austrlia and we haven't seen eachother since eachother since California <---check out blog - so it has been quite a long time;  I did see both her brother and sister in Austrlia but her and I never got the chance to meet up.  So it's London town next week. Do you think I will find Coronation Street?

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