How Farmer's Keep Up With The Western World's Turkey Demand: An Explanation

I realized that England and America consume turkey differently only within the last few days. This is likely because I haven't been in my home country around Thanksgiving in several years. But now after spending that holiday in America, and now Christmas in England, I see one very big difference.

We eat turkey at different times. It explains how the bird farmers manage to keep up with the demand of all the Western countries turkey needs. American consume the largest amount of turkey at Thanksgiving, the last Thursday of November. There goes several million (a guesstimate) of the world's turkey's all in one day. We need our turkey because it is bonded with the Thanksgiving tale of the pilgrims and Indians (which is false, but tradition holds), we have to maintain our yearly Presidential turkey pardon, and it goes so perfectly with sweet potato casserole and pie.

But in England, they don't have a Thanksgiving. What would they be thankful for in November? Thank you Americans for leaving us, and lighting the spark that led to the separation of the UK and USA? Not likely. So instead, the Brits get their gobbler cravings satisfied on Christmas, or Christmas Eve. For the English, it isn't a Christmas feast without their giant bird. In America, the Christmas meat might be a big chicken, a honey baked ham (my personal favourite) or maybe a turkey. But one meat doesn't define the holiday meal for us Yanks.

Canadians eat their turkey on a different day from Americans as well. They have their Thanksgiving several weeks before America, and months before the Christmas turkey England indulges in.

By having these three turkey feasts weeks or months apart, farmers can breed different aged groups of turkey to keep up with the demand. For a good turkey it has to grow to 25 weeks. With the separation, this allows farmers to begin prep for the Canadians early, then start a new flock for the Americans, and a final flock for the Brits. All the turkey the world needs, meeting the demand, all thanks to a difference in holiday traditions.

Merry Christmas everyone, and enjoy your turkey!!

You Can Now Rent-a-Jew, Who Knew?

Image from Wikipedia Commons

By far the oddest thing I have read in the news in the last few days is the programme out of Germany that allows people to "Rent-a-Jew". It isn't as bad as it sounds, this education outreach programme aims to teach people about what it is like to be a modern Jewish person living in Germany. The ultimate goal is to show that Jewish people are no different from anyone else in the country.

Anti-Semitism has a long history in Germany. After all, it is was the capital and founder of the Holocaust, it played host to the most vicious and murderous dictator in recent world history. At one point Germany was responsible for the mass genocide of most of Europe's Jewish population. So the need to educate the German people about how its Jewish citizens are more than the victims of the Holocaust is not surprising.

What does come as a shock is that anti-Semitism sentiments has tripled in recent years. That is both sad and astounding. To combat the racism, the German government came up with the rent-a-jew programme. The Jewish people participating are from all walks of life, they are not professional speakers, and they simply want to show who they are. They are more than just their religion. 

Image from Wikipedia Commons

It is this connection that people often miss. That while religion can be important, even defining to who a person is, it is not the entirety of that person. Jewish people in Germany are more than who/where they worship. They have jobs, they have relationships, their religion is only one piece of their puzzle. 

While I hate the name of the programme, I like what it is doing. (And it is worth noting that the name is what has gotten it so much attention in the media) I think that America, England and other nations could do with this sort of thing. Maybe not geared towards education about the Jewish population, but about the Muslim religion. With ISIS constantly making the news, people are growing more distrustful and hateful towards Muslims and people from the Middle East in general. America especially, so Rent-a-Muslim might be something that could do a lot of good in schools, the workplace, etc. Just something to consider.

If you want to read more about this rental program, here are some links

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/12/rent-a-jew-service-now-available-germany/

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/germany-rent-jew-program-hopes-combat-anti-semitism-article-1.2914344

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/221876

Chuff, Chuffed, Chuffing: The Meaning Behind the Word

My horse chuffing with love

Did you know that chuffed has two different meanings? Like many words within the English language, what they mean depends where you are when the word is said. If you say "pants" in America, you mean trousers. In England it means underwear. A batch in Britain is a type of bread roll, while in America and Canada, it is a group of something. A batch of cookies for example.

My newest addition to the list of confounding words that change meaning based on geography is "chuffed". I came across this word at work, a colleague approached me to say I "would be chuffed to hear what ____ child did". I followed her into our daycare room with apprehension, because I really didn't know what chuffed meant. I thought it could mean that I was going to be angry with a kid for bad behavior. Turns out instead the boy had done something good. Confusion ensued.









Chuff, Chuffed, Chuffing, Etc

Chuffed (America): The sound a horse makes in greeting, or a sound tigers occasionally make. Kind of like a vvvv vvvv noise.
My horse chuffed with affection at me.

Chuffed (United Kingdom): To be excited, proud, happy with a person of action.
You will be well chuffed with the beer I bought.

Navigating the world of vocabulary in two different countries across the world from each other can be hard.

Bridget Jones Baby: A Film Review

My film review might be a little late in coming out, but better late than never! I am a hardcore Bridget Jones fan, but I didn’t find the first two movies relatable. Possibly because I was a kid/teenager when I watched them. And teens can’t really relate to being 30 without a husband and struggling with their new TV career. However, as a now 20 something adult, I found Bridget Jones Baby extremely relevant and tremendous!

I’m not going to write a review like Rotten Tomato’s or a regular newspaper. Yes the movie was funny, on the nose, hip, full of hot guys and entertaining. The soundtrack was hands down the best ever for romantic comedies in 2016. Instead, I am going to review Bridget Jones Baby in from the perspective of the films ability at showing an accurate perspective of modern British culture for outsiders. The film utilizes modern slang, shows proper British attitudes and overall paints a very clear picture of England in the 21^st century.

Bridget Jones Baby also highlights the many cultural differences between the US and UK. Viewers are able to experience this most poignantly in observing the difference between Bridget’s two potential baby daddies. One is her long time on/off boyfriend Mr. Darcy from England. The other is her music festival hook up who is from America, named Jack. Mr. Darcy is very straight laced upon discovering his fatherhood. He explains very stoically that he is overjoyed, but displays no outward emotions (very British). While Jack makes a grand romantic gesture and throws himself into his upcoming paternity by reading baby books, buying furniture and trying to be by Bridget’s side through every little prenatal experience. 

The difference in these two men is most clear in a scene where they both bring Bridget a drink before a birthing class. Mr. Darcy is true to his English roots and brings Bridget a cup of tea, which symbolizes British comfort and tradition. Jack opts for a new age, high in nutrients healthy green smoothie that is supposed to stimulate the baby’s growth, demonstrating the American vitality and willingness to embrace new things.

My primary reason for recommending this film to my readers is that it will show you, in a hilarious way, how different America and England is. And how the two cultures often clash for their very differences. 

The Breakfasts that Bred the Top Olympic Nation

I tend to write my blog posts with my American readers in mind. My goal being to inform them on the very many extreme differences in England. I do always try to mention how things are in America, in a compare/contrast fashion. But I plan to start incorporating more blogs that describe life in America for my British readers.

People say you shouldn't buy groceries on an empty stomach, and the same goes for writing a blog post. It is just before my dinner time in England, and I am starving! So I found myself fantasising about American breakfast dishes that I miss, and can't get here in England. Below is a list of my top American breakfast dishes that I believe highlight the American culture and delicious cuisine.

1. Pancakes: Us Americans are pancake crazy. I am not referring to British or Scottish pancakes that are thin and more like a French crepe. I mean the American pancakes, that are more akin to a flattened thick cake. We love to get a huge stack of pancakes (made with blueberries or chocolate chips inside) lather it with butter, then smother it with maple syrup, and top it off with a dollop of whipped cream. That to me is a true American breakfast. One of the best places to sample this delicacy is IHOP, which stands for the International House of Pancakes.

2. Scrambled Eggs and Bacon: The Brits like their eggs fried, and sunny side up. Americans like them scrambled with all sorts of mix in like cheese, onions, peppers, tomato, whatever you can dream up. To round out the dish, a side of "streaky bacon" (fatty thick slices of pork) with perhaps a bit of maple syrup to sweeten the deal.

3. Doughnuts: For a quick on the go breakfast, Americans love a good doughnut. We have so many types, cream filled, jam filled, chocolate filled, red velvet doughnuts, bearclaws, glazed, frosted, blueberry muffin doughnuts, maple glazed with bacon, my list could go on and on. Top doughnuts shop are: Krispy Kreme, Tim Hortons, and Dunkin Doughnuts. Most people have a favorite shop and stick to it like a religion, shunning all other doughnut makers.

4. Sweet Cereal: The American cereal aisle is massive and sugar laden. My two favorites are Lucky Charms and Captain Crunch. Lucky Charms are an oaty cereal with mini marshmallows shaped like rainbows inside. Captain Crunch is a square shaped peanut butter cereal. We also have many cookie based cereals. I think that most Brits would go into insulin shock if they ate our cereal on a daily basis.

5. Pop Tarts: These might be last on my list, but I saved the best for last! This is favored by kids, students and young adults that live life in the fast lane. Pop Tarts are a toaster pastry that are filled with icing cream on the inside. They started off with fruity flavors like strawberry and blueberry. And as their popularity grew so did the flavor choice. Now there is PB&J, S'mores, Sundae, Chocolate, Grape, Sugar Cookie, Red Velvet, etc. These are sold in England, and they are generally well loved, especially by university students.

The Great British Heat Wave

Snow in April

A British stereotype that has been steadfast throughout my time here has been the constant discussion of the weather. And I’m not referring to the basic small talk we all engage in to avoid awkward conversations at work or with acquaintances. The Brit’s actually talk about it like it isn’t something that occurs and changes as a natural requirement every day. They consider a few inches of rain a flood. A sprinkling of snow is worth a headline in the paper, and anything over 25 degrees Celsius (between the 80’s-90’s Fahrenheit) is going to melt their British flesh off.  

The British react this powerfully to weather in an average climate year, so 2016 has taken it to a whole new level. It snowed (briefly) in April which is stunning and caused great excitement. Furthermore, this summer has been the hottest in Britain in decades. With temperatures in the 30’s Celsius! Something unheard of, people actually got tan without going to Spain or a beauty shop. British beaches were enjoyable and the ocean was swimmable. The “British heat wave” has been all folks could talk about, you hear it on the TV, radio, in your Twitter feed, and every time you greet a friend.

Oh My God, it is weathering outside!

“Hi, how are you?”

“Great! Can you believe this weather! It’s so hot!”

The excitement got extended into this week when we experienced an Indian summer. An Indian summer is a British term for when the hot weather of summer gets pushed into traditional autumn times, like September. It makes them Brits go wild. In America, this only happens with the temperatures are in the 100’s degree Fahrenheit and we happen to have a drought going on at the same time. Or if a city has been snowed in, without electricity for multiple days. Otherwise the weather is like taxes, something we deal with but don’t discuss unless something is going seriously wrong. 

The American Food Series: Top 5 Weird Pizza's

One of the great American marvels in the eyes of the Brit’s is our food. Not only the portion sizes, but our never ceasing inventiveness. We have our range of deep fried foods; cheese, Twinkies, Snickers, pickles, pie, to be honest we will deep fry anything at least once. As well as our varied traditional holiday cuisine; sweet potato casserole, party corn, green bean casserole, corn bread and honey baked ham. And let us not forget our experiments with the weird such as colored ketchup (it was a big thing in the early 2000’s, I personally had a bottle of the Heinz Green), pumpkin flavored donuts, and barbeque flavored candy. America is always willing to try new things when it comes to edibles.

This is the start of a new series for the blog. I realize that a majority of my writing caters to explaining and demonstrating British culture to others, so I will now include explanations of American culture for the Brits. As America has a huge range of odd food, I decided to start the series off with something easy, our creative pizza toppings and pizza mix-ups.

In England, there is Pappa Johns, Pizza Hut and Domino’s. So the British already have some familiarity with unique pizza toppings such as the; Barbeque Pizza and Peri Peri Pizza (it is a type of seasoning and chicken) as well as putting sweet corn (regular corn kernels) in with vegetarian options or Ham and Pineapple Pizza (now that is weird to me). So the odd American flavors might not come as such a shock.

 1. Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza: It’s exactly as odd as it sounds. It has bacon, ground beef and cheese, all the makings of a burger, but on a pizza crust.

2. Taco Pizza: This was common a few years back. It had shredded beef, cheese, crunched up tortilla chips, shredded lettuce and cubed tomato, while sticking to the traditional pizza base.

3.Chicken Alfredo Pizza: Alfredo pizza is personally my absolute favorite! In replacement of the tomato sauce base, there is a white cheese sauce. Then on goes more cheese and chicken or various other toppings. It can be made perfect by having cheese stuffed crust!

4. Bacon Spinach Alfredo: Yummy Alfredo sauce with bacon and spinach. The real surprise however is that it is all on top of pretzel crust!! (American’s do like to add pretzel bread to everything, burgers, pizza, whatever you can dream of!!)

5. Philly Cheesesteak Pizza: It is a sandwich in pizza form. Shredded steak, onions and green peppers on top of a typical pizza base.

Now I know people build their own pizza’s that are a lot more unique then my list above, but these are just a sample of the different, odd, American toppings we put on our pizzas in the USA. A lot of these are only around for a few months before they disappear for something else equally odd.

Festival Fever: The Scotland Fringe 2016

I was lucky enough to get a break from work over the last week, and I used it to go with my partner to visit a friend who lives an hour outside of Edinburgh. For the entire month of August, Edinburgh transforms from a quaint British city to a performing artists heaven, The Fringe Festival. Every day of the month, there are multitudes of various shows put on by musicians, poets, comedians, magicians, burlesque dancers, mime's, and every other kind of performer you can imagine. The best part is that a large number of the shows are free (with a recommended donation) and nearly all of them take place in bars. Since all of the Fringe venues are in the city centre, visitors can walk to them all! Meaning you can drink to your hearts content, and laugh until your sides hurt.

A gorgeous Scottish Castle

I attended The Fringe for two days in 2015. The first show I saw happened to end in female nudity and involve an awkward American poet doing live 'film noir'. It was jarring. I saw several good shows last year, but unfortunately my friends and I also saw some duds. I chalk it up to us being Fringe virgins.

This year was entirely different. I put in the time every morning to select the performances we went too. My group also branched out and saw a poet/rap battle called "The Harry and Chris Show" (check it out on Youtube, very impressive stuff, and it was free!!). I participated in a walking Harry Potter tour of Edinburgh. Did you know that it's actually the basis for a lot of J.K Rowling's scenery in the books? As well as home to several cafe's where she wrote the first three books of the series! I had a good geek out. Overall, The Fringe is amazing, and if you can manage to make your way up to Scotland in August 2017, you should. It is a cheap way of seeing talents from around the world and have tons of laughs.

The Wandering Blonde's Top Fringe Activities from 2016:

1. Operation Dead Drop: One of the escape rooms in Edinburgh designed a special city wide escape game exclusively for The Fringe Festival. In teams, you and your friends are given a map, log on to an app, and run around the city trying to answer questions about Edinburgh to earn points and solve the mystery. The team at the end that has the most points, wins! My group (Team NoChris) came 2nd on our night, and placed in the top ten teams of the entire Fringe Festival. In order to participate you need to be good with working out riddles, able and willing to run around and dodge "chasers" (people hired to steal points off of you and make you run around even more), and up for lots of fun. Note to the wise, you cannot google the answer's to all the riddles. The makers designed the game to work around that. (Not that I didn't try)

2. Andrew Roper-Superhero Secret Origins and Battle of the Superhero's: If you are a nerd like me, any show that have the word superhero in the title is a winner. Andrew Roper's show was an informative comedy about Wonder Woman and women in comics. He highlights the issues with costuming, posing, constant rescuing, all while making me laugh until I couldn't breathe. Battle of the Superhero's was a combination of comedians from shows around The Fringe taking on hero (or villain) persona's and trying to persuade audience members to vote on them as "The Best Superhero". I was lucky enough to see the finale, and I can tell you that Jericho won (google him, he is an interesting, if odd, hero).

The inspiration for Diagon Alley

3. Any of The Fringe Walking Tours: I mentioned that I partook in the Potter tour of the city. It only took an hour, walked at a reasonable pace, was super informative, and it cost my group of three a tenner (roughly $12-$14). You get to see so much of Edinburgh, and it is cheaper than if you signed up for a tour through a tourist agency or by other means. I know that they offer free underground tours, haunted tours, and various architecture tours.

Finally, while in the city, whether you are there for The Fringe or not, visit Scoopz Ice Cream Shop. It is so cheap, has HUMONGOUS milkshakes, and unusual flavors such as; Iron Bru.

The Top 5 Imported American Chain's in Britain

As much as the Brit’s make fun of America for our over indulgence in food and the super-sized meals that we eat on a regular basis, they secretly LOVE our food. All one has to do is glance around at their service stations (rest stops with food) and see that they are full of American joints. The menus may differ slightly, but a burger is a burger no matter what side of the pond it’s made on. I have compiled a list of the top five most common fast food joints I see in England. This list purposely excludes pizza restaurants because that is a whole separate conversation.

1. Surprise, surprise, the most common American place I see is McDonalds. The Brit’s may mock the big portions, but they sure do gobble up the fries. It is hugely popular among teens, kids, university students and adults. The menu is pretty much identical, serving your basic McNuggets, burgers, fries, pies, and the token salad. There is however some variation in portions. A large Coke in England is the size of a regular in America. The children size fry in the US is actually a small in Britain. So, I guess I have to give them credit for indulging in our delicious delicacies, but doing so in a more reasonable way.

2. The shocking second most common US place I see is actually Starbucks. They are everywhere!! Not that I can blame the UK for loving it, having tried tons of coffee and hot chocolate all over England, I still think Starbucks is the best. They serve pumpkin spice lattes for a shorter time than in America. The cup sizes are all the same. And overall, I would say it is like a little slice of Seattle (where Starbucks was founded) dropped into the middle of quaint ole’ Britain.

3. KFC also has a big market over here. If there is a McDonalds on one street, you can be sure that a KFC is within a few blocks. They don’t serve quite the same food, England experiments a bit more I would say with seasonings. They do not offer mac and cheese as a side option. But the original recipe wings are still the mouthwatering goodness we all adore.

4. Britain likes to think of itself as a healthy country, so it isn’t a surprise that Subway has done well over here. There aren’t many sandwich shops that let you build your own, so Subway pretty much has that market sector cornered. It has most of the same subs, but also offers ‘chicken tikka’ as a meat option. Which is a British Indian food usually accompanied with rice as a curry. However, Subway puts it on bread. I myself only occasionally visit this shop. I find that the pre-made sandwiches and baguettes I can get from British places are cheaper, and usually more to my palate. But it is reassuring to pass by a Subway and get that waft of cooking bread smell that I associate with home.

5. Picking my fifth restaurant for the list was a challenge. England has a lot of our food. But I decided to go with Five Guys. It is a bit more of an upscale fast food place, but widely popular. I believe it is because of the Cajun fries served there (and the free peanuts). Cajun seasoning is something exclusively seen in America, especially the south. So the Brit’s flock to Five Guys for a taste of it. The burgers are also a higher standard than you can get from a lot of pubs (in my opinion). Never burnt, not too greasy, and with unlimited toppings. Plus it has the drink machines that offer fifty different soda’s for people to try (and free refills to boot!).

If you ever visit the UK and find that the bangers and mash, fish n’ chips, black pudding and English breakfasts aren’t too your taste, rest assured that you can easily find any one of the American businesses serving the food you are familiar and comfortable with. 

You Should Watch Ladies of London and Here is Why [TV Review]

The Ladies of London Season 1

I've admitted a reality show addiction. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I have a subscription to Hayu. A streaming site similar to Netflix, except that it only offers reality television such as; 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians', 'Don't Tell the Bride', 'Snapped', etc. One show I stumbled across was called 'Ladies of London'.

I am a firm believer in trying to learn about the culture around me. When I moved to Missouri for a year, I attempted to watch 'Duck Dynasty' which was really popular in the area. Naturally, I decided to give Ladies of London a try.

'Ladies of London' is a Bravo show that is filmed primarily in London.The show follows the lives of three aristocrats (like the upper class of the elite) British woman who live around the capital of England. It focuses on their social lives, the parties and restaurants and excursions that occupy the time of the wealthy English. But as a twist, it also follows the lives of several rich American expats living in London and mingling with the same posh British woman.

United States v. United Kingdom

Initially, in the show their is a very big divide between the Brit's and Americans. The Brits find the Americans very loud and uncouth. At a horse race the American's are shouting loudly and dancing around to cheer on the jockeys, as the British watch on judgmentally. Meanwhile the Americans are baffled as to why the British woman are so closed off. When a Brit insults an American, the American very publicly calls her out on her actions on the street. This is common in the States, but as I have written about previously, in the UK you simply do not cause public displays of any emotion.

While the wealth that surrounds these woman is not truly representative of life for most of us in England, the cultural clashes and differences shown though out the show are actually really on point. Almost every issue the Americans face with the Brits, is one I have dealt with as well.

An Elite British Star of Ladies of London

I recommend watching this show, and looking past the obvious scripted cat fights. Because when you do, you will get a brief peek at how many differences there are between British and American women. Plus, I just love this show and think everyone should at least give an episode a try!

Do You Take Nappies, or Change Them?

These are nappies and or diapers

As a much needed supplement to my writing career (which isn’t much of a career at all) I work part time at a nursery (daycare) as an assistant. Yes, in England daycares are called nurseries. In the US a nursery is the room where babies go when they are newborns in a hospital, or the area they have at their house. Babies sleep in the nursery, parents sleep in the master bedroom. The place where they go while their parents work is a daycare. Because they care for kids during the day. Super clever, right?

 This is something I am constantly explaining to friends and family in America. Otherwise they might get confused and think I work in the medical field and find me far more impressive than I actually am.

Anyways, at my nursery (daycare) I occasionally have to deal with soiled infant bottoms. However, this is not called changing diapers. Instead it is called changing nappies. The first time I was asked to do it, I just stared at the person blankly. What’s a nappy? Do I need to put the baby down for a nap? A nap means going to sleep in America. Perhaps they just call it nappy in the cutesy way people talk to all babies.

However, that is incorrect. They were asking me to change the baby’s diaper. I was completely fine doing that. This switch in jargon is one I struggle with severely. Almost every time I ask the staff for more diapers for a baby, I almost always use the incorrect term. I continue to speak in American, despite working a British nursery (and yes one of the staff members is almost a carbon copy of Mary Poppins). My coworkers look at me all confused, and I look at them expectantly….it is an awkward situation. Until I catch on that I used the wrong word. 

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Keeping Up With the Kar.....or is it Coping With The Kardashians?

One of the few reality phenomenons that I have not become addicted to is the Kardashians. I find it aggravating that a whole family is famous, has launched brands, gotten modelling campaigns, because one of its members had a sex taped leaked, and then decided that made them famous. Infamous would be more accurate. I think people deserve notoriety for doing something impressive. It irks me even more that unfamous women are regularly frowned upon for doing similar things like sending nudes, but here the world is admiring the Kardashians for the same behavior.

Anyways, while I might not like what the eldest three Kardashian sisters represent, I did admire them for their acceptance of their bodies. Kim and Khloe especially because they had curves for days and they were fab-u-lous. I thought that while they might be famous for doing a whole lot of nothing, at least they demonstrated a different type of body ideal. Not only did they represent it, they made it desirable. Suddenly big hips, booties and breasts were sexy again! And I applauded them for flaunting their unique shapes! I think they helped make curvy women more accepted in the media. They had episodes on their show about the big butts and the curves and showing them off. Now we have women like Ashley Graham and others continuing their work.

Which is good, because recently the Kardashians have gone mainstream. Kendall Jenner is now a model, known for being in the Victoria Secret fashion show. Not exactly showing an average woman's body shape. And then Khloe lost a bunch of weight in a bid to get healthy. Being healthy is great, but I felt disappointed that she suddenly stopped tooting her own horn for how wonderful her curves were and started to shrink them down closer to the ideal body shape.

Meme made at https://imgflip.com

And last but most certainly not least, Kim Kardashian West has jumped aboard the thin wagon. Through diet and exercise she has gotten herself down to 124 pounds. With her drop in weight, she has also dropped all respect I had for her. I don't mean to sound like I am saying eating healthy and working out are bad, they are great! But when you do it to the extreme that she has...it is no longer doing it just for health and but also doing it for appearances and fame.

The Kardashians unfortunately have the power to influence people. For a time they used that power for good and demonstrated that different body shapes are worth having. But now....they have crossed to the dark side and joined the masses that believe all women need to be skinny. I'm disappointed. But I will add that it is their personal choice to change their bodies this way.

 But we still have models and actresses like Blake Lively and Anne Hathaway preaching body acceptance. And me. Can't forget that this Wandering Blonde believes all female bodies are perfect in their natural way.

For proof that Kim has officially sold out to the thin industry look here

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-body/news/kim-kardashian-drops-to-124-lb-jokes-about-photoshopped-waist-w433865

Ya Can't Teach Old Dogs New Tricks

In America, it is welded into our minds that we have the Bill of Rights and Amendments and they will never ever go away. One of the most major of which is, the right to freedom of religion. It was why the colonists left Britain in the first place. Puritans, Quakers, and others left England to practice their beliefs, their way without the king attacking them. And it has been something we have built our country around. Freedom of religion, separation of church and State, all designed to protect our individual rights.

Private schools designed to teach along religious guidelines are protected and even promoted among some people. I myself went to a private Christian school for several years. (I was taught that my single mom was going to hell as was her fiancé who had a Buddha statue). Churches are allowed to preach what they believe, whether it is homophobic, or completely liberal, or anti-evolution, people are allowed their beliefs. And the American public would never dream of altering that.

The United Kingdom is an entirely different story. The Church of England is deeply embedded in the country, the Queen is the Head of the Church and involved in the government. The Girl Guides pray and often meet in churches. Religion is sort of everywhere. But I’m not sure it is as protected as in America. Or perhaps not protected as equally across all belief systems.

Take this possible government party leader for example, Lisa Duffy. She has publically said that she would consider, even support an all-out ban on Muslim public schools. (Public schools in the UK are the same as private schools in America, confusing I know, just think in opposites) I know Trump has said he wants to ban certain minorities, but the American people would go wild if a politician said they wanted to get rid of a certain type of religious private school. The right to choose a religious education is one we have had since our founding, and one we will never give up.

The reason is because Lisa Duffy believes these schools radicalize children and might contribute to terrorism, or causing children to be banned from or against participating in more Western cultural activities. Her reasoning is violently flawed, as a very select few pupils are radicalized in schools or elsewhere. And shutting down all of them won’t really change that. If a person is going to go down an extreme route of belief, they find a way to do so one way or another.

Fundamentally, I think this idea of banning Muslim schools is a violation of human rights, awful, and just impossible to imagine. But I hope this will not happen. Otherwise it will be very similar to what happened a few hundred years ago when people fled England because of religious persecution and went to America. Which worked out better for us, but still, not what the Brit’s want to happen. 

Give the article a read, and feel free to share your opinion in the comment section. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/03/ukip-leadership-hopeful-lisa-duffy-wants-total-ban-on-muslim-sch/

A Very Harry Potter Week

My academic look

This will be my first book review on the blog, and I will keep it brief. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is amazing, awesome, fabulous, and any other adjective for great that you can imagine. J. K. Rowling never ceases to surprise with the wonderful twists and turns she can develop in her magic wizarding world. I love that she opted to bring in some characters that were more on the fringe in the series, such as Draco Malfoy. It was an added benefit that he was portrayed in an admirable light. Furthermore, Rowling played on the classic father son struggle that was lacking from the series. Parents were finally allowed a role in the book instead of just being ghosts hanging around. It lent a sense of reality to the book. Plus she included several modern aspects such as diet’s (Harry’s forbidden sugar), Ron’s weight gain, etc.

I admit that the script style of the book was hard to adjust to, because of it I felt that there was less background descriptions and ambience to the story. But those details will be left to the director and crew of the play. I will say that this book hasn’t beaten out Book 5 as my favorite, but it was still a wonderful addition to the Harry Potter collection.

Now for some UK-USA differences

The first book is called ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ in America. In England it’s actual title is ‘Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone’. But publishers didn’t think that would be as popular in America so that was changed. Wonder how J.K felt about that?

England got ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ first!!! I had it read before my friends and family in America could even get their hands on a copy. Ha Ha! A benefit to living in the UK. We got the book first, but we usually get American films and TV shows much later.

Hermione is pronounced wrong in America. It is supposed to be Her-moy-i-knee.

I always thought the names in the book were common to J.K Rowling’s birthplace, and were typical British names…not so. I have met very few Ron’s, no Hermione’s, no Harry’s, no Neville’s and no Draco’s. Now I have come across plenty of Fred and George’s. 

I'm a Buzzfeed Lover so I believe this is worth browsing through

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jemimaskelley/more-holes-than-a-sieve

The Difference Between Visiting a Bar and a Pub [An American Explanation]

I came to the UK one week before my classes began because I wanted to participate in the Warwick International Week. It was designed to help recently arrived international students navigate their new lives in England. In reality  it was really just a week to party (which I had no problem with).

In America when you go out, you either go to a bar or a club. A bar is a place that serves drinks, and occasionally food, has places to sit, sometimes music, sometimes TV’s showing sports and all the time booze. A club is a place with alcohol, dancing, booths and partying.

So I was asked to go to a bar on my second night in England. It was on the Warwick campus and seemed exactly like every other bar I knew of in the USA. So I assumed that was what all drinking places were called bars(same as America). It wasn’t until several weeks later that I was educated about the difference between a bar and pub and taught that I had been committing a major tourist like faux pas.

A pub is a venue that serves drinks, but people usually consume beer, cider, ale or other more light alcoholic beverages. A pub serves food, typically consisting of burgers, fish and chips, chicken, beef and sausages. A pub generally caters to locals, doesn’t usually have music blasting, has tables and booths and is more of a restaurant with an attached bar (think Chili’s or Applebee’s in the USA).

A bar is a place that serves only booze, with the occasional bag of crisps/chips to soak up all the alcohol. It has some seating that is usually full. People do not sit or stand around the actual bar counter to drink or talk (something commonly done in America, to allow for quicker access to refills I think). You rarely make conversation with the bartender. And a bars main purpose is to allow the customer to get inebriated.

I admit to making the mistake of calling a pub a “bar” on several occasions.  Personally I think the American way is slightly easier. We don’t require a separate word for a pub and bar. Bars can come in all shapes and sizes and we still know it is a bar. Maybe it serves food, maybe it doesn’t. Maybe you just sit/stand around and drink while mingling. Maybe you watch Sunday night football while throwing back some beers and eating chicken wings. IT IS ALL A BAR. The less confusion the better.

OTHER DIFFERENCES TO NOTE   

                                                                                        

A British shot is about the size of a thimble.Seriously, I laughed the first time I saw one. To get a normal US size, you have to order a double shot. And we wonder why everyone says America does everything bigger and better….

Cider is far more popular here…..There is no Mikes Hard Lemonade or other like drinks. They are all about the apple alcohol

Lager, Ale and Beer are like a religion. Most universities have a Real Ale Society where you just sample all the different kinds…I was a member last year. 

What To Wear To a British Church

I must begin by clarifying that I am not religious. However, I have attended a variety of services at different faiths in America, including; Catholic Mass, Baptist services, Protestant, Presbyterian and Quaker meetings. I attended a private Christian school where church attendance was mandatory on Wednesdays. And I got my undergraduate degree from a Catholic university that required all students to take a minimum of three religious courses. So while I am not expert, I would say I have a good handle on religious traditions of various sorts in America.

One thing I can say I have noticed as universal in all types of American churches is that when attending, you wear your "Sunday best". Meaning that church goers would dress up for God, usually in something a step above their daily garb. For men this meant button up shirts, maybe ties and a casual suit jacket. For women and girls it usually meant a conservative dress or skirt. Whenever I attended church with friends or family, I was always reminded to dress nicely and respectively.

Now I thought this was a religion wide thing. The thought never crossed my mind that dressing in your "Sunday Best" for church was actually a very American tradition. I have gone to several Catholic services in England, and I am always astounded by how casual the dress code is. At first I thought it might be just that specific church, but then it was explained to me that "Sunday Best" was actually a very American way of thinking. And in England, it didn't matter what you wore, but that you were attending church.

So while I would be shocked to see a teen wearing a graphic tee at a service in America, in the UK it is more acceptable. T-shirts, jeans, shorts, and everyday wear are normal and completely allowable. This is yet another striking difference between the USA and UK. A rather surprising one I might add, as many of the American churches have British origins. But as is common knowledge in America, the first settlers moved to flee religious persecution. So perhaps the original colonialists and later descendants thought it was more respectful to dress up every time they went to the house of God.

I appreciate and enjoy the more relaxed mentality towards clothing in church in England. However I don't think I will ever be able to break my lifelong habit of dressing with more care when on Sunday. 

Is It Safer to Pull Out, or Stay In?

image taken from https://imgflip.com/memegenerator

The first thing that cums into my head whenever this topic is brought up is....why the hell would anyone, ever, want to leave the European Union? It standardizes rights, gives countries fiscal support in times of need (ahem...Greece), it ensures allies in case of a major attack (like the Paris terrorist attack) and it brokers peace across the entire continent. Not to mention the major economic benefits the UK gets from the EU countries, like trade, university funding, scientific funding, etc.

image taken from https://imgflip.com/memegenerator

So...why leave? I wish America could be part of a similar kind of group. I think it helps keep all the member countries accountable for their actions and makes each country more stable as a whole.  I know that the proponents of the "Out" side say that they dislike the lack of British input into European Union laws, the excess taxes (feminine hygiene product tax for instance) and the implied lack of sovereignty it gives the UK.

But GB isn't the powerhouse it was in the 1800's. England couldn't afford to risk cutting ties with all the EU member countries. And believe me, it will sure piss off more than a few of the members. NO ONE HAS EVER LEFT THE EUROPEAN UNION. There is a reason for that. AND
ONCE THE UNITED KINGDOM PULLS OUT, IT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO CUM IN AGAIN!

image taken from https://imgflip.com/memegenerator

If GB really has an issue with finishing in the EU, then lawmakers should look into other forms of protection, such as abstaining as much as possible from EU involvement without actually leaving (Abstinence). Or working on creating more barriers for individual countries within the EU so they have more freedom of choice and personal protection. (Condoms/Birth Control).

Bottom line is, I am not a fan of the GB pull out method. It is unreliable, unpredictable, not always performed correctly, and it sabotages the end game. GB will not reach it's political, economic, social and personal climax without the assistance of the European Union. In my humble American opinion, the UK needs to keep itself buried deep in the EU.

I think this is an apt song for the whole situation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqH21LEmfbQ

***all bad and inappropriate puns were intended, if you found any of this post offense, I apologise...but come on...it was funny

Fatty McFatCountry

Something that my homeland is known for universally around the world is being fat. In China, people all thought Americans were huge and my family was the exception. In France, we were the pun of many a fat joke. And in England, it is the #1 biggest (haha) flaw people call America out on, aside from gun control.

I constantly hear about America's obesity epidemic. I am mocked for my unhealthy eating habits, and how "American" that is of me. My massive sweet tooth is because I'm from the States. Everyone in the US is fat, blah blah blah. Sometimes I almost feel as if I am being held responsible for the weight of my fellow Americans.

I've been getting really sick of it lately. Yes, American's CAN be fat. But is the entire population?? No! Should we live healthier lifestyles, yeah if we can. But America is a huge country, it is unfair to attribute all 50 states with being fat. Especially because the size of our country is part of the problem (I think). We are a car based society, in Europe and Asia people walk a lot and burn more calories. But when I worked in the US I had to drive a 50 mile round trip to get to work, every single day. There were no buses, trams, trains or subways that could get me there. It wasn't feasible to walk. So I had to drive.

The most important thing that I constantly feel the need to point out when people call my birthplace "Fat" is that the UK isn't far behind us in obesity rates. In fact England is the second most obese developed country. So really, who are the Brits to mock?

I will probably write more on this topic later, about how America has a very large and dominant fat stereotype that is blown out of proportion. But for now, I will leave you all with this,

The worth of a country is not determined by the weight of it's people. America and Americans are no less valuable than the British because we happened to have a little more curves. Stop body shaming my country!!

Bugs, Spiders, and a Case of Mistaken Identity

The differences between the USA and UK never cease to amaze me. I have lived in England for nearly two years now (my oh my, how time has flown!) and just when I think I understand all our differences, I am once again, surprised!

It is June, and it's as close as Great Britain can get to summer weather. Which naturally means that the bugs have come out to play.

(One quick observation is that England has far fewer bugs than America and even less poisonous ones. They literally have no poisonous spiders, no Black Widows, no Brown Recluses, all normal non deadly critters.)

During the day we leave our windows open to cool the house down, so a few bugs manage to slip in. Tonight one happened to be flying around my room. My partner told me to kill the "Daddy Long Legs". I looked around, and didn't see a daddy long legs in sight.

My partner again pointed to the wall and said kill it. I finally noticed that he was pointing to what I would call a mosquito, the giant ones that don't really bite or sting but fly around annoyingly. I proceeded to laugh and inform them that it wasn't a Daddy Long Legs which I know of as a spider, but a mosquito.

This led to a heated argument over the proper scientific name of this specific insect. (Which I never got around to killing) When we were unable to agree, I turned to the most reliable source or information, Google.

Turns out, both of us were wrong. A Daddy Long Legs is neither a spider, or the mosquito like thing. In England they do actually call the flying thing a Daddy Long Legs, but it is in fact a Crane Fly. And in America, we think Daddy Long Legs are spiders, but are actually Harvestmen. and are not a spider.

How to Clean Your British Kitchen

I got into an arguement with my housemate yesterday. She is a bit obsessive and she kept going over the same problem again and again, despite my reassurance I would clean differently AND my partner telling both of us to back off. Looking back on the disagreement, I think I found another small difference between Americans and British.

When I have dirty dishes, instead of leaving them stacked next to the sink, I immediately put them in. I might not wash them that instant, but then I don't have to look at filthy plates all over the kitchen. As far as I am aware, a majority of my American friends and family are like this. In some cases we leave unwashed dishes in the sink because we want to fill up a whole load in the dishwasher. Other times, it is just because we want to do ALL the dishes at once. Either way, it is the norm in America.

But in living in a house full of English, I observe that if the dishes are not washed right away, they are left scattered about, BUT not ever in the sink.

I was cleaning our kitchen and proceeded to put all dishes that weren't in cabinets into the sink because I assume they are unclean, and I needed to wipe down the counters. Enter my housemate: who lost her mind. She had left clean dishes out, and blamed me for them being put in the sink. When I attempted to point out that she should instead put her things away, she only got more upset. (Didn't you know that is an unreasonable request/notion).

Now in the future, so as not to upset this one precious housemate, I must leave all dishes piled on the counter, clean or not.

Now this is probably a generalization about the treatment of dishes in both America and England, but I can't help but notice the difference. And be extremely annoyed that I actually was chewed out because I cleaned.

An Elite Upbringing and it's Issues

Upon beginning to live with six different people in one house, I developed a bit of a neat freak streak.....Or what must seem like a obsessive cleaning issue to my housemates. In reality I only deep clean the house maybe once a week...which isn't often enough in my opinion.

Anyways, literally NO ONE else in the house cleans. They will leave recycling on counter tops when the recycling bin is within arms distance. They will set another trash bag beside the full garbage can rather than empty it. They don't even bother to buy toilet paper.

So  last week, I decided that the dust problem in the house needed to be dealt with. So I bought two different dusters to tackle the onslaught. The only other girl I live with found the stereotypical looking feather duster, held it up, and asked WHAT IT WAS.

Seriously, what kind of posh life have you lived where you don't know what a feather duster is? She then went on to say it looked like the prop you use for a French Maid costume...... She actually thought that the duster in that was just a prop...that it had no purpose or didn't derive from the actual cleaning product.

I've been taught to tidy, dust, and keep my room and house clean by my mother my entire life. She didn't clean up after me, in fact, once I got older I was expected to clean up after my siblings and parents. Which is fair, as a member of the household where they paid the bills, I should contribute something.

But the people I live with have clearly not experienced that sort of lifestyle. I think they were raised with parents who magically cleaned everything, did their laundry, scrubbed their dishes and overall gave them a cushioned lifestyle. And I don't mean to stereotype

, but for the most part I believe British people are more accustomed to a higher quality of life and house than Americans.

The Newest Vending Machine for the "Educated" Consumer in England

This is a joke right?!!!

It has been a while since I have written a post...so I thought I would begin my submersion back into the blogging world with a funny Englishism.

This picture is of a vending machine full of candy, chips/crisps, gum and the usual assortment of unhealthy junk food found in these dispensary devices. I have nothing against vending machines, in my undergraduate days, I was a FREQUENT user of the vending machines in my dorm.

What I find most...hilarious about this picture is the fact that it is labelled "The Educated Consumer". What about this machine is educated? It implies that this vending machine is somehow healthier, better than others...but it was full of the same junky food you can find in any vending machine. This is what I would call a hipster vending machine, it is trying to be cool and healthy but completely not succeeding.

I will make a quick observation that vending machines are far less common in the United Kingdom than they are in America. They are not outside every store, mall, and rest stop. They are actually kind sprinkled randomly around. At the University of Warwick, the gym and the library are the only locations I can think of having any. The UK does seem to enjoy the Ben and Jerry's venders, for a high price you can get a small individual serving of your favorite ice cream.