Holy Cow -- a year!

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Hey! I just discovered that the characters b & ) put together makes this B) !

Hee hee! You're cool, then, I guess! B)

[Jeraly 4]

I re-christen this thread: General UK VJ Chit-Chat!

And in that vein, ugh! They are actually making me work today at this here job! Don't they know I come to work to go on VJ?!?!?!!?

YAY!! I like general chit chat!!

Speaking of work, how did everyone break the news to their employers that they were emigrating?

I work for a very small (7 employees) company and we're all pretty friendly with one another, but I've been hesitant in bringing up the prospect of moving abroad. I'm sure my boss won't mind (his daughter is in California and he teases me about visiting the US a lot) but I was going to wait until I had a firmer idea of when I shall be moving.

Also: The only food requests I get from Alex's family are Jaffa Cakes - and lots of 'em! I have, in fact, sent out over 15 Jaffa Cake parcels to various people in the US. Everything else I may miss I've either managed to find in a store/British food store or have found a good equivalent for, but there's nothing to match Jaffa Cakes.

Just noticed your siggie - YAY!! Let's bring VJ to the facebook masses! Or vice versa Jeremy's case is normally filled with cheese rather than jaffa cakes...

As for working - I am working as a temp so I only have to give a week's notice - it is good but of course they can also get rid of me with a weeks notice It's all ok at the moment though

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Like Krikit, no one at work knows I am engaged yet either. I'm wearing an engagement ring but no one's noticed - I think it's probably because they're all men.

Although the office is small and friendly, I've never found a good time to say that I have a fiancé. The trouble is that I started dating Alex really soon after breaking up with my ex - and since they knew all about my ex I was too embarrassed to say anything in case they thought it was strange or made incorrect assumptions!

Every time I've been to California (all of two times, so not often) it's been to visit 'friends'. So I guess that I'm afraid it will come as a huge surprise, and I'll be bombarded with questions I won't know how to answer! I'm probably worrying about nothing, though.

[Jeraly 4]

You don't have to tell them that much - you can just say that you are moving away and that you will no longer be able to work there Say you had a job offer in Cali or something

[bakofoil 27]

VJ has been a lifesaver for me. Well, not at first. People were pretty mean. But then a whole pile of really nice people joined and now I have virtual friends! It's weird.

TOTALLY OT but..... I'm online with my sister in West Yorkshire. Well, not online. She's at work and we're emailing. She and her husband arrive in two sleeps! She's doing a last shop this evening and is asking if there's anything else I want. My order's in for:

• Yorkshire Gold tea
• Weetabix honey nut minis
• treacle
• curry ketchup
• stem ginger biscuits, dark chocolate digestives
• Cadbury's, Toffee Crisp, Maltesers
• Everton mints
• Lovely soaps (the kind you wash with. lol)

Is there anything I'm forgetting? Or have I got it pretty much covered?

You just made me realise something! There's no Yorkshire Gold tea in America *cries*

A nice cup of Yorkshire Tea is not right without the near equivalent of the Aussie's tim-tam slam - penguin biscuits (bite opposite corners off and suck your tea up through the chocolate) YUM!

I felt pretty much the same about VJ at first. I don't know what's up with people and the meanness - but I too found a great bunch of people here that have kept me sane particularly over the past couple of weeks.

Like Krikit, no one at work knows I am engaged yet either. I'm wearing an engagement ring but no one's noticed - I think it's probably because they're all men.

Although the office is small and friendly, I've never found a good time to say that I have a fiancé. The trouble is that I started dating Alex really soon after breaking up with my ex - and since they knew all about my ex I was too embarrassed to say anything in case they thought it was strange or made incorrect assumptions!

Every time I've been to California (all of two times, so not often) it's been to visit 'friends'. So I guess that I'm afraid it will come as a huge surprise, and I'll be bombarded with questions I won't know how to answer! I'm probably worrying about nothing, though.

As far as work is concerned I always visit 'friends' too I have no idea how long I'm going to need this job for so I keep quiet about it.

Edited January 16, 2008 by babblesgirl

[Jeraly 4]

Hehe - well this time I am saying I am visiting my boyfriend so I hope they don't give me sh*t for it...

[Alex & Rachel 78]

I took a packet of Yorkshire Gold tea along with the Jaffa Cakes to California last Christmas. Alex's family drink tea, just not the British breakfast kind.

Anyway, I noticed that although the his parents opened the pack, no one was really drinking it. Then a day or so after I'd left, Alex announced that he'd tried a cup. He said he didn't like it and that it was way too bitter.

It then occurred to me that I hadn't told his family that it needed to have milk added - they'd all had it black and decided it was too strong!

That list looks good - mm, especially the biscuits, we definitely have the world's best biscuits. I sometimes bring minstrels as well as maltesers. Treacle's a good one - I probably wouldn't bring it myself, but I would take Golden Syrup as I use that in baking - hard to make decent chocolate caramel squares without it!

[Jeraly 4]

Ooooh - you make chocolate caramel squares?!?!?1 Ok - you're invited round to tea when we both end up over there!! What part of Cali will you be in again?!?!?

[Krikit 1,164]

A nice cup of Yorkshire Tea is not right without the near equivalent of the Aussie's tim-tam slam - penguin biscuits (bite opposite corners off and suck your tea up through the chocolate) YUM!

You just made me LOL!

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

PG Tips Rule, OK?

[Krikit 1,164]

That list looks good - mm, especially the biscuits, we definitely have the world's best biscuits. I sometimes bring minstrels as well as maltesers. Treacle's a good one - I probably wouldn't bring it myself, but I would take Golden Syrup as I use that in baking - hard to make decent chocolate caramel squares without it!

You absolutely need to bring golden syrup! They don't have it here. I tried modifying my recipes to the stuff they have here but they didn't turn out. I ended up bringing some back from my last trip to Canada.

[Jeraly 4]

I'm not a big tea drinker - I like my herbal tea and coffee but normal tea gives me tummy ache - I just don't get it :/

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Ooooh - you make chocolate caramel squares?!?!?1 Ok - you're invited round to tea when we both end up over there!! What part of Cali will you be in again?!?!?

Haha! You'd be welcome to visit. Alex and I aren't any strangers to internet meet-ups - I've met over 30 people that way, and they've all been lovely!

My mother has a good recipe. My brother also makes them - his usually turn out a little better than mine. My caramel's a little too soft. I think I may need more practise!

To be honest I don't drink tea much, either. I won't refuse a cup if a friend is making one, but if I'm making a hot drink for myself, it'll be a herbal. I used to drink tea in my early teens, though. My parents drink whole vats of the stuff.

[Jeraly 4]

Haha - ok well you can practise on me - I will happily be guinea-pig to your chocolate caramel squares

[MissusM09 1]

Oooh - we have a hostage situation here!!

Yeah - I know it will take time to settle - I know I will find it hard and I just want to make sure that I persevere long enough to give things a chance for me to adjust!! This place will be a huge help I am sure

hello. there i am a yesterday filer so i have all that to come. i just wanted to add, that you can get all that stuff in the USA, i saw a "british " section in Meijers in Michigan, it was so cool, it had kit kats, pg tips hp sauce, it actually brought a tear to my eye. lol. dont know what state you re in though.

i will turn to you all for help when my time comes for the adjustment, i know i will miss some element of british life, but i'm ready for the change.

Edited May 2, 2008 by prima and jay