Travelogue #4

About wrapped up. I’ll likely not be online tomorrow until night (if then!). But worry not! CronDave will be on the case!

1. Breakfast here at the castle wasn’t quite as good as at the hotel in Reading. That said, it was nothing to sneeze at — especially starting off with porridge, brown sugar, and cream. Thick, thick cream, al most as thick as the porridge …
2. Long, intense day at the office. Good, though. I ought to have pushed harder for travelling to visit with my staffers hear a lot sooner. Good stuff.

3. A less good day for Prince Charles, as a memo of his was brought up in a court case basically saying, “Jeez, how come students are being taught they can do anything, regardless of whether they have any talent?”

   And in other news, Commons has pushed through the hound hunting law ASAP (three months), which isn’t exactly what Blair’s government wanted, given how it’s liable to make the upcoming election fractious. And now it goes into the courts.

   And in other news — Brits are torqued at race-baiting and racist epithets directed at black British soccer players in Spain last night.

   And, in other news — oh, boy, US in the British news! Another foreign policy issue? Trade matters? No, Hardees Monster ThickBurger. 1420 calories, 107g of fat. Two huge patties, mayo, bacon, cheese.

   Crikey, ITV news makes US network news — even Fox — look as stolid and neutral-sounding as BBC news. Lots of editorializing, on practically every subject, by the reporters.

4. Some notes on British language use:
   • “Kit” = “Equipment.” (“We had to buy some additional kit for that phase of the project.” “The aircraft carrier
   • “Chuffed” = “Enthused” (“I’m totally chuffed about going to the club!”)
   • “Surname” = “Last name” (the former word is, in fact, standard English, but it’s rarely heard in conversation in the US, whereas I’ve run into it couple of times over the last few days).
   • “Crazy Golf” = “Miniature Golf”
   • “Excluded” = “suspended” (“He was excluded from school for assault.”

   And, in the area of public safety:

   • A warning label on a soda can: “May stain if spillt.”
   • Big sign over a lot of bathroom sinks in public places: “HOT WATER MAY SCALD.”
   • All the offices I’ve seen have had signs for fire assembly points outside. Interesting.
5. I’ve run across an amazing number of free newspapers. It seems standard in hotels and in airports — racks of free newspapers, all sorts (Independent, Times, Telegraph). Very different business model, I guess.

6. It’s dismaying looking at a vending machine of snacks, and only recognizing two brands (Doritos and Twix) and not recognizing about two dozen others. I wonder if that’s what Alzheimers is like.

7. Five minutes of BAND-AID 20 (“Do They Know It’s Christmas?”) on TV, 5:55p to 6:00.

   On every single channel.

   All five of them.

8. Gaelic programming, here in Scotland. Some sort of kids show. The tweenish hosts certainly were fluent.

9. Had a pint or two, and dinner, with Ian, my Aunt Carmen’s husband (Carmen is in California at the moment, but it was nice to meet Ian, and we had an enjoyable time). Went off to a Brewsters (ironically where I’d called the hotel to find out where the frell it was/I were). Brewsters seems to be the Denneys of pubs — standard menu, but a bar, but order at the counter, but …

   Still, it was decently tasty, and I finally got some fried mushrooms, which I’d been sorely lacking.

   The actual restaurant was formerly a pub in its own right. On the side was a large sign, “BOWT EE FAR.” Ah, how Gaelic, how regionally authentic, how …

   … how come, off on the side, where some of the letters haven’t fallen down, it says, “Bowtree Farm”?

And so it goes. Time to pack.