Blogs from Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe - page 4

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Europe » United Kingdom » England » Hampshire » Basingstoke July 20th 2007

Americans who have only heard the British speak on television and movies may have been led to believe that there are only two British accents - one is the way the Queen and Prince Charles speak (officially known as Received Pronunciation or RP) and Cockneys like the actor Michael Caine (with Hugh Grant somewhere in between). So far we've heard a hundred different accents of native English speakers and that is not even considering people from India or other former colonies- like America. Jay and I thought you might find it interesting to read a few examples of words that have different meanings in British than American English: 1. Subway- In England it is an underground pedestrian passage or an underpass. Our concept of a subway is called the "Underground" officially, but commonly called "the ... read more
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Europe » United Kingdom » England » Hampshire » Basingstoke July 5th 2007

Leisa asked me to give you all an update of my job and what has transpired since our arrival. The first night we had dinner in a pub down the street form our flat. We are within walking distance of the town center. Basingstoke is not the most quaint place but has all the amenities. I had fish, chips and garden peas for my first English meal. Leisa had an Indian dish. My first day at work I took the train to Kingston-upon-Thames and walked to the office. I met my new supervisor who has lived in Canada and the US. We discussed my project and went to lunch. We went to a place called Joe Schmos and yes, it was American fare. That evening Leisa took the train to Kingston and we dinner with my ... read more
Westlands House

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Hampshire » Basingstoke July 3rd 2007

We had quite an adventure just getting here! Our housesitters, Sarah and Young-Jin, drove us to Chicago-O'Hare in plenty of time. We unloaded the luggage at the British Airways gate, only to discover that I had forgotten one of my suitcases. Horrors! I usually pack light and the car was full of luggage, so I blissfully assumed we had every thing. Sarah and Young-Jin kindly went back to our house, got the suitcase, and drove back to the airport. Because of increasing heavy traffic, the whole process took two hours. In the meantime, we kept watching the lines for the security check get longer and longer. By the time my bag arrived, the security check line was halfway down the terminal. Jay must have looked harried and worried when we checked in. The BA clerk gave ... read more

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Hampshire » Basingstoke February 17th 2007

And this one starts in good old Basingstoke...two days to go till I fly out to Fiji, so I decided to get started with writing this thing. Feels wierd. This is the first time I do something like this (write stuff that's going to go up on the web for anyone to read). Obviously there not much to say apart from I think the excitement is starting to manifest itself as a vaguely nauseous feeling in my stomach. But I still don't think I've fully captured that I am going out there for 6 months (maybe more!). I get the feeling I am treating this like yet another short work trip - I haven't packed yet and I'm not planning to take much more than essential clothes and shoes, my laptop and a good book for ... read more

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Hampshire » Basingstoke February 5th 2007

Hi Everyone, Just wanted to let you know that when I go off on my travels on 18th Feb I will be posting messages here on my blog so I can let you know where I am and what I am up to. Also you can post messages on here to me so we can stay in touch. So Keep your eye on here for updates of my travels. Love Debbie x... read more

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Hampshire » Basingstoke November 27th 2006

We thought we will have a leaving party "in style" that is why all celebrities were present ;) including: Freddy Mercury who broke free that night and finally confessed that he only likes cow girls, Gary Glitter who tried to hide his face in an Elvis costume and Gandalf who made it all the way fom Valinor. Thank you all for your effort! Take care and we see you all in a year!... read more
Pete broke free and eloped with a cow girl
Paul aka Gary Glitter aka Elvis
Maciek as Gandalf

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Hampshire » Basingstoke November 7th 2006

After various IFs and BUTs we decided to throw off the bowlines and sail away from the save harbour. We bought a RoundTheWorld ticket and are looking forward to 12 months of extensive survival training. Rough itinerary: Brazil - Argentina - Peru - Bolivia - Chile - New Zealand - Australia - Japan - China - Thailand - Vietnam - Cambodia - Laos - Burma - Malaysia - India Start - 03 December 2006 - Rio de Janeiro Despite the endless luck of being able to fulfil a dream of a lifetime and beyond the tremendous anticipation for what is next to come, our tummies remind us of the fear of the unknown. However, what we do know is that to follow our hearts is the only right thing right now. With less than 4 weeks ... read more

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Hampshire » Basingstoke July 26th 2006

We got up in the morning, ate breakfast, played with the resident dog (he really was cute), loaded up the car, and headed back to Inverness. We got into town in record time so we did a bit of shopping then headed to the airport (which we almost couldn't find!) and dropped off the hire car. My suitcase was right at weight...20 kilos (44 pounds). Like I said, I overpacked. We were allowed one checked bag each and one carryon. Everything that wouldn't fit in my suitcase without making it overweight, I put in my duffel which I'm sure weighed almost as much! Our carryon was only supposed to be maximum 10 kilos (22 pounds) so I had to make the bag look like it was a lot lighter than it was. I'm not strong, so ... read more




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