Hey Everyone,
I just wanted to write an email and let you know that I did indeed make it to England. The past five days have been quite busy, and I have not had much time to update anybody on anything.
The picture, however, represents what happened to me today: I was stung by a bee. Everybody keeps their windows open in England to cool the house, so that means occasional visits from bees. It is odd that I have to come all the way to England to be stung by a bee, but I have done it.
Anyway, Meg started classes Wednesday and seems to be enjoying them. I am applying for jobs and trying to put some structure into my new life, but it is a bit difficult. Getting a bank account without a job over here is frowned upon, so I have to get what is called a cash card. Essentially, it is a bank account with a different name. My mobile is a pay as you go that has what appears to be the most ridiculous pricing scheme ever. I am in the process of fixing that. Finally, there are tons of competitors for things such as broadband, so that process is taking a long time because each company has their own little deal.
The weather here has been amazing. Most days it is around 62 degrees, or 18 as the Brits would like to say. We have had no rain since I have been here, but I am told that will change within the next month or so. It is significantly cooler at night here, though.
Finally, an interesting tidbit about British towns; they close early. On Sundays everything is closed by 5, and on the weekdays it is 6. Pubs close at 11, so you pretty much have to go to a club or a "unlicensed" to stay out any later. In addition, wine and beer is sold at grocery stores and most convenience stores, but liquor is heavily taxed. For me that is good because I can concentrate on Spanish and French wines, which are amazing.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know that I miss you very much. I am certainly not used to things, so it makes the process a bit more difficult. I will be fine, however. Also, Meg and I have a
Skype account that allows us to call cell phones and house phones from our computer. It is quite convenient and very, very cheap (2 cents a minute or $3 unlimited calls to U.S. per month). However, the catch is that my number will likely appear as "unknown," so you need to keep your eye out for that or just check your voicemail every now and then.
Until next time, cheers.
Rhett
