Bits and Bobs
Bits and bobs.
What a fun expression.
I have heard it several times here and have decided I am going to add it to my own list of expressions.
It means 'this and that.' 'Odds and ends.'
That's what this post is about. Bits and bobs.
* THE GROCERY STORE
You may recall from a very early post that they have shopping carts here with four wheel drive. They are so much fun to shop with! They glide along so easily - until you try to turn. Then you really have to manhandle them. Here, shopping carts are called 'trolleys.' Of course, in the US, a 'trolley' is an open-air, often electric, bus-like form of transportation. It sounds funny to hear moms ask their young child to sit in the trolley.
The grocery stores are kid-friendly. At least Tesco is. At the front of my local Tesco, there is a stand with at least 3 kinds of fruit in it. It is meant for children. Isn't that a great idea?
When my children were young, we loved going into Sam's Club, where they would give each child a cookie. That would hold them while I strolled them past aisles and aisles of food in mass quantities.
But more often, when at the grocery store, I opened bags of goldfish crackers, or graham crackers - and every once in a while, possibly candy or cookies. But never ever did I think of giving them fruit.
Maybe that was because fruit is sold by weight and if it is eaten, then it cannot be weighed and paid for. Whereas, things like goldfish crackers are sold by the bag and just one price. Or maybe it was more like I never even thought about it. (Or maybe it was really whatever I wanted to snack on....?)
Eggs are mostly brown here. You may already know - but I didn't - that egg color is determined by the type of hen it is. It has absolutely nothing to do with the flavor. And brown eggs, although they seem healthier than white - are not any more so. The flavor - and also the nutritional value are determined by what the chickens eat.
Here in the UK, eggs are not kept in the fridge. Quite the surprise to me. And a little weird to find a whole section of eggs in between the bread and the baking items. Or on the outside end of an aisle.
Now again, some of you may already know why they are not refrigerated here and why the US is SO concerned about it in the US. But I did not.
The reason eggs don't have to be refrigerated is because eggs here are not washed.
There is a natural barrier on the outside of the egg. Washing removes that natural protection and the inside of the egg is compromised. Because the eggs here are not washed, air and bacteria cannot enter and can remain on the shelf for weeks. Whereas, if the eggs are washed, they must be kept refrigerated.
Think of all the extra effort to wash and then keep them refrigerated through transportation and delivery.
Butter is sold only in 1/2 pound blocks instead of individually wrapped 1/2 cup sticks.
The grocery store cashiers all have stools they sit on (!) and the first question they always ask is, "Will you need a bag?"
You see, if you don't bring your own bag, they will provide a plastic one for you, but it will cost you 5 or 10 pence for each one. So, you learn pretty quickly to bring your bags with you.
Or, if you came unprepared, which we did on our first big shopping trip to the BIG Tesco in Wick - you can just put it all back in the 'trolley' and then pile it all into your trunk. I'm sorry. I mean the 'boot.'
Digestives - called 'biscuits' here, but otherwise known as 'cookies.' The name 'Digestives' makes you think of something like Tums instead of the yumminess they actually are. Basically a graham cracker with a coating.
They come in many flavors, but dark chocolate is the best.
* DRIVING
New drivers have to put a big red letter L (for Learner Driver) on their cars - front and back. I happen to think this is one of the BEST ideas! My children did not think so.
This is one of my memories from when I was a living in England as a child.
So when my own children got old enough to start driving, I printed out a large L from the computer, put it into a clear vinyl page protector and taped it to the back windshield of the car. I told them, "This is so other drivers will be more patient with you and will not honk at you or get mad because you are going too slow or braking suddenly. In fact, they will give you space and extend you grace."
I am not sure they appreciated the effort on my part, but I believe it saved them some grief. If nothing else, it made me feel better. And I only used it for the first 2 weeks.
What I learned after getting here is that there is also a green letter P, which stands for "Probationary" driver, which means you recently passed your test. (I would also give these drivers a little wider berth.)
I have not seen a stop sign here. There is a solid white line across the lane when you are to make a complete stop. Otherwise, it really seems to be intuitive. That, and all the roundabouts, seem to keep traffic flowing. Traffic. That's funny! Like we have any here in the Highlands!
'Petrol' (gasoline) is sold by the 'litre' (liter).
Petrol is sold at the 'filling station.'
Cars and trailers are 'for-hire' not 'for rent.'
Camping trailers are called 'caravans' and park at the 'caravan parks.' If it is a trailer without wheels, it is called a 'static caravan.'
There are tons of bed and breakfasts, but if you are renting a house with a kitchen, it is called 'self-catering.'
* RESTROOMS
There are not a lot of public restrooms. I heard that every town is supposed to have a Free Parking lot and a public restroom. I just used the one here in Thurso last week when I was out walking (the restroom, not the free parking lot - LOL! )
Otherwise, public restrooms can be difficult to find.
MOST places that serve food also have a restroom. But then, you sort of have to buy something.
All of these sightseeing places don't necessarily have them. Ruins are particularly bad about providing them. ;)
And there are NO roadside rests with restrooms!!! Not even on the highways!
But what they DO have is PAY toilets. Yes indeed. It might cost a mere 20 pence or as much as a Euro (in Salzburg).
They did have these when I was a child in England and when you put your coin into the toilet stall door, the door would open. But we women got around that by holding the door open for the next lady.
The authorities must have gotten wind that they were not making as much money as they could be and decided to pay someone to sit at the entry point and watch people put money into a turn stile. There's no sneeking in now!
People don't seem to own water hoses here. There are no outside nozzles to hook up to anyway. I know you Americans are wondering, how in the world, then, do people wash their cars here? I know. I was wondering the same thing.
While I cannot speak for the rest of the UK, in this part of Scotland, I find that there is not a lot of need to wash the car, actually. There is enough rain - and it rains often enough - to keep it pretty clean. However, when we were in the Orkney Islands, we saw a man washing his car. He had a bucket and a 2 liter bottle. He was filling the bottle and pouring it over the car.
Now, here in Thurso, we do have an outside car wash, and I have actually seen people using it.
But I saw this last weekend in Wick - a portable car wash!! Tucked in behind the "Pound Stretcher" store. Cars pulled up and a man washed them.
Here is a picture of Mike buying a hose at Home Base (like Home Depot). At first, he didn't realize there were no hose fittings. They had to be purchased separately - LOL!
Don't let the fact that Mike is wearing shorts in this picture lead you to believe that it is warm enough to wear shorts here.
* PUBS
In most pubs, you seat yourself, check out the menu, and note your table number. When you are ready to order, you go to the bar and place your order. You can pay right then, or - if you think you might want dessert later - they may ask if you want to run a tab.
On our second night in Thurso, we ate at the Y Not Pub here in town. We sat down and looked over the menu and waited. We watched waiters go by with trays of food but no one came to take our order. Finally, Mike asked. And that's how we learned the Pub system.
All food places greet you with "Is this to eat in or take away?"
* LANGUAGE
Everyone here greets with "hi ya," - pronounced "high-yeah." "Cheers" is said a lot when you depart, instead of "have a nice day," like in the US. And I love that when you thank someone for anything, their response is always, "no worries" or "no bother."
Something not quite right is 'dodgy.' A small thing is a 'wee' thing.
It still cracks me up to hear grown men use the term 'wee' in regular conversation.
And a positive response to something often elicits a response of 'brilliant.' A person's self-esteem can be raised quite a bit in one day by all the 'brilliant' affirmations.
Another word I am working into my vocabulary is 'keen,' as in, I am not so keen on driving fast.
However, I AM keen on those new Gu desserts I recently discovered....
Life here continues to be enjoyable. And entertaining. While we are still trying to take in the local sights and sounds, life has slowed down a bit.
The days are getting shorter and between that and the weather, Mike's opportunities to golf are getting fewer. If he does not take advantage of a nice day, he misses it, because we don't often have two back to back. We have full darkness now, which makes sleeping more enjoyable.
There has been a definite change in the air and the leaves on the trees along the Thurso River are starting to change. I think fall is here and that means that winter is right around the corner.
I am not looking forward to mostly dark days combined with wind and rain and cold.
But I am looking forward to seeing the northern lights and experiencing twilight for most of the day. I am looking forward to putting on heavy sweaters and thick socks and snuggling into quilts that I made and brought from home.
And I am looking forward to wearing these plastic shoe covers when I walk in the mornings!
What a fun expression.
I have heard it several times here and have decided I am going to add it to my own list of expressions.
It means 'this and that.' 'Odds and ends.'
That's what this post is about. Bits and bobs.
* THE GROCERY STORE
You may recall from a very early post that they have shopping carts here with four wheel drive. They are so much fun to shop with! They glide along so easily - until you try to turn. Then you really have to manhandle them. Here, shopping carts are called 'trolleys.' Of course, in the US, a 'trolley' is an open-air, often electric, bus-like form of transportation. It sounds funny to hear moms ask their young child to sit in the trolley.
When my children were young, we loved going into Sam's Club, where they would give each child a cookie. That would hold them while I strolled them past aisles and aisles of food in mass quantities.
But more often, when at the grocery store, I opened bags of goldfish crackers, or graham crackers - and every once in a while, possibly candy or cookies. But never ever did I think of giving them fruit.
Maybe that was because fruit is sold by weight and if it is eaten, then it cannot be weighed and paid for. Whereas, things like goldfish crackers are sold by the bag and just one price. Or maybe it was more like I never even thought about it. (Or maybe it was really whatever I wanted to snack on....?)
Eggs are mostly brown here. You may already know - but I didn't - that egg color is determined by the type of hen it is. It has absolutely nothing to do with the flavor. And brown eggs, although they seem healthier than white - are not any more so. The flavor - and also the nutritional value are determined by what the chickens eat.
Now again, some of you may already know why they are not refrigerated here and why the US is SO concerned about it in the US. But I did not.
The reason eggs don't have to be refrigerated is because eggs here are not washed.
 |
| Man-sized Kleenex!!! |
Think of all the extra effort to wash and then keep them refrigerated through transportation and delivery.
Butter is sold only in 1/2 pound blocks instead of individually wrapped 1/2 cup sticks.
You see, if you don't bring your own bag, they will provide a plastic one for you, but it will cost you 5 or 10 pence for each one. So, you learn pretty quickly to bring your bags with you.
Or, if you came unprepared, which we did on our first big shopping trip to the BIG Tesco in Wick - you can just put it all back in the 'trolley' and then pile it all into your trunk. I'm sorry. I mean the 'boot.'
Digestives - called 'biscuits' here, but otherwise known as 'cookies.' The name 'Digestives' makes you think of something like Tums instead of the yumminess they actually are. Basically a graham cracker with a coating.
They come in many flavors, but dark chocolate is the best.
New drivers have to put a big red letter L (for Learner Driver) on their cars - front and back. I happen to think this is one of the BEST ideas! My children did not think so.
This is one of my memories from when I was a living in England as a child.
So when my own children got old enough to start driving, I printed out a large L from the computer, put it into a clear vinyl page protector and taped it to the back windshield of the car. I told them, "This is so other drivers will be more patient with you and will not honk at you or get mad because you are going too slow or braking suddenly. In fact, they will give you space and extend you grace."
I am not sure they appreciated the effort on my part, but I believe it saved them some grief. If nothing else, it made me feel better. And I only used it for the first 2 weeks.
What I learned after getting here is that there is also a green letter P, which stands for "Probationary" driver, which means you recently passed your test. (I would also give these drivers a little wider berth.)
I have not seen a stop sign here. There is a solid white line across the lane when you are to make a complete stop. Otherwise, it really seems to be intuitive. That, and all the roundabouts, seem to keep traffic flowing. Traffic. That's funny! Like we have any here in the Highlands!
'Petrol' (gasoline) is sold by the 'litre' (liter).
Petrol is sold at the 'filling station.'
Cars and trailers are 'for-hire' not 'for rent.'
Camping trailers are called 'caravans' and park at the 'caravan parks.' If it is a trailer without wheels, it is called a 'static caravan.'
There are tons of bed and breakfasts, but if you are renting a house with a kitchen, it is called 'self-catering.'
* RESTROOMS
There are not a lot of public restrooms. I heard that every town is supposed to have a Free Parking lot and a public restroom. I just used the one here in Thurso last week when I was out walking (the restroom, not the free parking lot - LOL! )
 |
| This was outside of Dunrobin Castle. |
MOST places that serve food also have a restroom. But then, you sort of have to buy something.
All of these sightseeing places don't necessarily have them. Ruins are particularly bad about providing them. ;)
And there are NO roadside rests with restrooms!!! Not even on the highways!
They did have these when I was a child in England and when you put your coin into the toilet stall door, the door would open. But we women got around that by holding the door open for the next lady.
The authorities must have gotten wind that they were not making as much money as they could be and decided to pay someone to sit at the entry point and watch people put money into a turn stile. There's no sneeking in now!
People don't seem to own water hoses here. There are no outside nozzles to hook up to anyway. I know you Americans are wondering, how in the world, then, do people wash their cars here? I know. I was wondering the same thing.
While I cannot speak for the rest of the UK, in this part of Scotland, I find that there is not a lot of need to wash the car, actually. There is enough rain - and it rains often enough - to keep it pretty clean. However, when we were in the Orkney Islands, we saw a man washing his car. He had a bucket and a 2 liter bottle. He was filling the bottle and pouring it over the car.
Now, here in Thurso, we do have an outside car wash, and I have actually seen people using it.
But I saw this last weekend in Wick - a portable car wash!! Tucked in behind the "Pound Stretcher" store. Cars pulled up and a man washed them.
Here is a picture of Mike buying a hose at Home Base (like Home Depot). At first, he didn't realize there were no hose fittings. They had to be purchased separately - LOL!
Don't let the fact that Mike is wearing shorts in this picture lead you to believe that it is warm enough to wear shorts here.
* PUBS
In most pubs, you seat yourself, check out the menu, and note your table number. When you are ready to order, you go to the bar and place your order. You can pay right then, or - if you think you might want dessert later - they may ask if you want to run a tab.
On our second night in Thurso, we ate at the Y Not Pub here in town. We sat down and looked over the menu and waited. We watched waiters go by with trays of food but no one came to take our order. Finally, Mike asked. And that's how we learned the Pub system.
All food places greet you with "Is this to eat in or take away?"
* LANGUAGE
Everyone here greets with "hi ya," - pronounced "high-yeah." "Cheers" is said a lot when you depart, instead of "have a nice day," like in the US. And I love that when you thank someone for anything, their response is always, "no worries" or "no bother."
Something not quite right is 'dodgy.' A small thing is a 'wee' thing.
It still cracks me up to hear grown men use the term 'wee' in regular conversation.
And a positive response to something often elicits a response of 'brilliant.' A person's self-esteem can be raised quite a bit in one day by all the 'brilliant' affirmations.
However, I AM keen on those new Gu desserts I recently discovered....
Life here continues to be enjoyable. And entertaining. While we are still trying to take in the local sights and sounds, life has slowed down a bit.
The days are getting shorter and between that and the weather, Mike's opportunities to golf are getting fewer. If he does not take advantage of a nice day, he misses it, because we don't often have two back to back. We have full darkness now, which makes sleeping more enjoyable.
There has been a definite change in the air and the leaves on the trees along the Thurso River are starting to change. I think fall is here and that means that winter is right around the corner.
I am not looking forward to mostly dark days combined with wind and rain and cold.
But I am looking forward to seeing the northern lights and experiencing twilight for most of the day. I am looking forward to putting on heavy sweaters and thick socks and snuggling into quilts that I made and brought from home.
And I am looking forward to wearing these plastic shoe covers when I walk in the mornings!
I see you are really getting into life there. Chocolate covered digestive biscuits are really one of life’s best inventions. Next to McVitties HobNobs and shortbread. When we lived in the IK, we were told that you couldn’t run a sprinkler because you would be taxed for it. You could stand and hold the hose and water your plants but not use a sprinkler. We also didn’t have screens on the windows because they were taxed too. Hugs! Enjoy Fall!
ReplyDelete