Of course, most days I still say things that are prone to confusion. I was speaking with an American friend the other day discussing what she should wear to an interview. We got the outfit sorted, then I told her just to finish it off with a nice pair of court shoes. There was a silence so I realized that I'd said something not quite right. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you UK style court shoes:
And the US version of court shoes:
I guess I should have known, given what country I'm in, and it definitely wouldn't be a good idea to wear court shoes to an interview in the US. Lesson learned...
Speaking of sports, we've become diehard Seattle Sounders fans and have already applied for season tickets for 2016. We've been to a few games recently, and have tickets for a few more before the end of this season. All we need to do now is learn some of the songs/chants! To be honest, I think I've been to more soccer games here than I ever went to in the UK. The atmosphere here is amazing. It's also very family friendly so we can take the littles without worrying about the football hooligans or casuals that you sometimes get back home. Shame really. Although we did find a pie and sausage roll stand in the stadium that serves delicious, authentic Brit food - albeit for a small fortune. But it's well worth it for a taste of home and the Scotch pies were AMAZING! The beer selection isn't lacking at the stadium either. You can't beat watching a game, beer and pie in hand with the sun shining. Go Sounders, fight and win!!!
We've been to see the Mariners play (baseball) too, it was definitely a fun experience but not nearly as exciting as soccer. Sorry baseball fans, but the most exciting part for me is what celebrity gets to throw the first pitch! I love the patriotism before the games though, (both soccer and baseball) hats off and standing for the National Anthem. It gets me every time. I really feel lucky and proud to be both a British and an American citizen, and I love how Americans celebrate their country. 'MERICA!!!
Another huge bonus of living here are the many local breweries and wineries - and they're all fantastic! But man, I'm going to weigh 200lbs soon if I don't refrain. My favorites are too numerous to mention, but it's so cool to be able to visit the actual brewery of your favorite tipple whenever you're out and about, or just go and try a new one someplace you haven't been before. Oregon beers and wines are plentiful here too, and just as tasty. I think I'm slowly turning into a beer snob - although I still wouldn't say no to a good ol' mass produced Shocktop :)
Our neighborhood is also pretty fantastic. There's never a shortage of kids outside playing. Friday afternoons/evenings have turned into Fun Friday for kids and grownups alike, we enjoy our adult beverages, chuck some food on the BBQ, order pizza for the kiddos and everybody just hangs out. If this is the American dream, then I like it a lot :)
Has anybody else been watching Outlander on TV? I read the books last year after being pestered by a few friends for years. I had no interest because it sounded so cheesy - time traveling back to Scotland - umm, no thank you. But, I gave it a go and ended up absolutely loving them. In fact, I cried when I read the last one and I wish Diana Gabaldon would hurry her ass up and write book number 9!!! Anyway, there's been a TV series made from the first one and it totally did the book justice. My friend DD, who coincidentally is also a genuine Sassenach, lives close to where they're filming Season 2. She's been down taking photos and spying on the handsomeness that is Sam Heughan and some of the other characters. I'm more than jealous! Funny thing is, it's given me a renewed interest in Scottish history. It's not that I've never been into Scottish history, I have, but I will definitely be looking at places differently when we go home in the summer. Culloden Battlefield (which features heavily in Outlander) is not far from my parents' home at all, and I want my kids to know about my homeland's colorful and tragic history, so we will be visiting there for sure, amongst other places. I consider myself very lucky to come from such a small but beautiful country with such a huge history - and as patriotic as I am about America, Scotland will always have the number one place in my heart.
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| Sam Heughan as Jamie in Outlander. Phwoarrr!! |
Anyway, that's it for now, life is fantastic in WA and it just keeps getting better. I'm going to try to be more consistent with the blogging now too, so be warned :) Till next time from sunny Washington, folks!
