ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
United KingdomPOE / X-Ray / Goodbye UK!
Okay, you ARE supposed to hand carry it through POE. However, there are various reports from people interviewed who have had officers tell them to pack it in checked baggage as it won't be asked for.

In all my time at VJ I have only known 2 members get asked for it. LuzyC was one and I can't recall the other name.

I look at it this way - there is no one at POE qualified to interpret an x-ray. They are Immigration not medical officers. Plus ALL of the information on the x-ray has been translated into the medical report which is in the yukky orange or yellow mysterious envelope.

I packed mine in checked luggage and had no issues - and I don't know of any UKers who've had problems either. But, do be aware that it IS supposed to be hand carried. wink.gif

Have a safe trip...and if you get the rude stewardess again I think it's time you reported her!
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-04-05 15:05:00
United KingdomDo K1's need to bring their x-rays with them?
My reply is in that other thread that another member has posted above me. I don't feel the urge to retype it twice in the space of a week or so. wink.gif
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-04-12 16:09:00
United KingdomCreme Eggs -- How do you eat yours?
QUOTE (*Marilyn* @ Apr 3 2009, 04:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Zoe and Hal @ Apr 3 2009, 11:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Stinky Monkey @ Apr 3 2009, 07:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I love em , used to really like the tofee mallow ones but not seen them for years

Give me a bag of mini eggs any time

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm chocolate


make sure to bring plenty with you... chocolate here just isn't the same sad.gif

I have had the Cadbury mini eggs in the US and they taste the same as they do in Canada


First of all - I love your siggy pic, Marilyn! biggrin.gif

Secondly, the Mini Eggs they sell over here around this time of year are the same as UK ones. I've had to conduct numerous taste tests to confirm this, mind you. tongue.gif



MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-04-03 15:52:00
United KingdomCreme Eggs -- How do you eat yours?
QUOTE (mr and mrs @ Apr 3 2009, 02:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
who LOVES cadbury creme eggs? not very many of us!


I LOVE 'em!

MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-04-03 08:01:00
United KingdomCreme Eggs -- How do you eat yours?
That must have taken ages to make - I'm impressed!
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-04-02 17:46:00
United Kingdomswine flu
I say everyone should lock themselves in their homes until this pandemic is over! I was in Wal-Mart the other day and someone sneezed! Amid the screaming and the rush of everyone making for the entrance, I managed to claw myself out of there, leaving heaving masses of bloodied bodies behind me, returning to the sanctuary of my own home!

Stay safe!

MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-05-03 18:22:00
United KingdomTo the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?

I've never the eaten ready meals that often so it wasn't them. It would be things like spaghetti sauce (the ones with the lowest sodium content and no HFCS) and sauces in general. Some sauces I find hard to recreate in the home, but I did make a damn fine spaghetti sauce of my own the other night that hubby loved.



Ahh :yes: that makes sense. I always found those kind of things way too sweet in the UK too. Ragu and all that kinda stuff. Disgusting! I make those kind of things in batches and then freeze them cos they do need to be cooked for ages to taste any good.


Yup, I tend to start them in the morning and let them simmer all day. My Mum used to make the best curry sauces and spaghetti sauces. :thumbs:
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-07-19 12:22:00
United KingdomTo the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?

I'd actually gotten to the point of getting exasperated recently just because I'd cook an evening meal and it tastes bloody sweet. So, I've just simply started making stuff from scratch (which is excellent and long overdue). I don't add any salt or any sugar to it and, I'll admit, it is a welcome change.

Hurrah for non-sweet evening meals! :thumbs:


Now I'm curious what you were cooking that tasted sweet? I'm nosey and wanna know. :P

We've never been convenience food freaks and have (on the most part) always cooked from scratch. Some foods need salt, so search out something like Celtic sea salt. It is not refined and has all the goodness in salt that has always been taken out of evil table salt. It is actually good for you in small doses -- the minerals are excellent.

BBQ is a damn fine way to cook from scratch and tastes great with salads. We make our own marinades -- none of that crappy sauce from bottles. We eat from the BBQ nearly every friggin' night in the summer. Saves cleaning the kitchen too. :thumbs:



I've never the eaten ready meals that often so it wasn't them. It would be things like spaghetti sauce (the ones with the lowest sodium content and no HFCS) and sauces in general. Some sauces I find hard to recreate in the home, but I did make a damn fine spaghetti sauce of my own the other night that hubby loved.

However, now I'm going to raid my cookery books and actually USE them.

With the salt I just can't add it to anything; even the tiniest smidgen tastes WAY too much, mainly because I have NEVER added it to anything I have ever cooked - even when the ingredients of recipe calls for it. The exception is home made bread; simply because yeast needs it to activate.

Edit: The only things I do that are never sweet are stir frys. Luvverly!

Edited by mags, 19 July 2007 - 11:19 AM.

MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-07-19 11:05:00
United KingdomTo the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?
I'd actually gotten to the point of getting exasperated recently just because I'd cook an evening meal and it tastes bloody sweet. So, I've just simply started making stuff from scratch (which is excellent and long overdue). I don't add any salt or any sugar to it and, I'll admit, it is a welcome change.

Hurrah for non-sweet evening meals! :thumbs:
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-07-18 09:12:00
United KingdomTo the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?

Well about the quality there is obviously a difference of focus from French shelves and American shelves : French companies focus on tasting qualities, American companies focus on the time it can stay on the shelf and the difference is so obvious to me it makes eating a huge dilemma (when I don't have time to cook). I will be the snooty and obnoxious French personn on the quality of the food in America because it is a reality. There are excellent products here, the meat, the fish and produces are good. Other than that it doesn't meet my expectations. My husband can't stand waht he used to eat and find pretty much everythign crappy after he spent 3 years eating my groceries and cuisine.

I do go to farmer's market, grow my own veggies, have chickens and shop at stores like Top food, Trader Joes etc etc to find at least thing that deserve to be cooked. Because a good dish starts with good ingredients. I have my routines and now enjoy my table again.


I think that there is nothing better than French bread and cheese. I remember once I went over to Le Touquet in a four seater Cessna plane and the whole of the tail fin was filled with french bread on the return trip. :blush:

What's even more embarrassing was that I managed to stuff two french sticks into my gob within a hour. I was only 13 and it WAS delicious!

The only bread that has ever come close to French bread for me is the traditional Maltese loaf, sold in Malta - of course! Made from basic ingredients, there are no preservatives, no additives, just basic flour, water and yeast. They are something like 20 pence each and last just a day. But that's the design of them, you buy a fresh loaf every day and discard what you don't use. Crusty, light and bloody wonderful. There is no equivalent in the world.

Wonderful. I really miss bread like that (even with my breadmaker). Whatever anyone says I have yet to find an equivalent to a decent loaf of bread. But tastes differ, I guess. What one person might find acceptable another might not.

That's why there is so much variety in foodstuff. None of us like the same things so I just accept that. ;)
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-07-15 12:43:00
United KingdomTo the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?

Beans tend to be loaded with brown sugar in the USA, so the higher calorific content doesn't surprise me. I expect when you eat them you'll notice that they're far sweeter than UK beans.


Plus you could always get "reduced sugar and salt" beans in the UK. I've yet to find an equivalent over here; does anyone know if you can?
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-07-14 17:29:00
United KingdomTo the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?

:P My english hubby is tooooooooooo sweet, he gives me cavities!


I was going to type something here, then thought again. :blush: :lol:
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-06-08 12:35:00
United KingdomTo the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?

I ate a gherkin out of a jar lurking in the fridge door the other day. Then promptly gagged. Then had a look at the jar, and found out what the chief component of the alleged 'vinegar' in which the things were supposedly 'pickled' was...Sigh. :unsure:


I had to laugh at the idea of a gherkin "lurking" in the fridge. I had great visions of it jumping out and going "boo!" every time you opened the fridge door. Sorry, brain overdrive and all that. :lol:
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-06-05 10:49:00
United KingdomTo the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?
Yup, I have an avid dislike of HFCS, it is in everything and is the bane of my existence. As a rule, Organic stuff tends to be HFCS free (like the Ketchup D mentioned) and, although it is pricer, I'd rather have these items instead.

The other day hubby and I were food shopping and I wanted to get some kidney beans. Just plain kidney beans in a can. I stood there in the aisle reading the ingredients....HFCS!! In the fluid that the kidney beans are in. I mean...#######? WHY? I did manage to find ONE other brand that didn't have it in, just old plain water, so bought a few of those.

Still shocks me, really does with the sheer amount of stuff it is in. Needless items, things that don't need to be sweetened.

*tuts in her British manner*

Edited by mags, 04 June 2007 - 09:18 PM.

MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-06-04 21:18:00
United KingdomTo the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?

Having been here 5 weeks now, I am being driven just slightly crazy (again) by the HCFS in EVERYTHING. I expect SOME foods to be loaded up with unnecessary #######, but when I have a mental idea of what will and won't be packed full of sweeteners etc, only to find that over here, even the savoury stuff is full of it.... arrrrgggghhh!! The other night I discovered that HCFS was the main ingredient in some blue cheese dip we were eating, and when my husband opened some hummus yesterday and took it upon himself to tear off the ENTIRE label (which must have taken some doing) from the tub... well, I bet I'm right in thinking that was to prevent me taking a look at the ingredients and going 'gaaaaahhh!!!' about the fact that HCFS was featured among them. Poor guy, he's sick of me pointing it out, but... I'm just stunned at how the bloody stuff is in absolutely everything. Instead of knowing roughly what (and how much) I can eat if I want to stay at the same weight and not accidentally end up ingesting waaaay more calories than I'm used to, I have to attempt to remember that everysinglebloodything is packed full of totally unnecessary syrupy stuff! Mmmm, agricultural bi-product, yummmmy!

As for the bread... I've taken to eating bagels instead of even bothering with bread, as bagels at least toast properly! I'm going to get a bread maker sooner or later though, I think... having almost fainted at the sight of loaves of bread selling for between $4 and $6 in local shops (um, hello?!) I think I've finally cottoned on that decent bread is most definitely a luxury item here!! :wacko:

God, I sound so moany... you'd never guess that I actually LOVE most of the food here, would you? :lol:


Looks like you got a spoonful of Mags in your tea this morning. :lol:
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-06-04 18:48:00
United KingdomTo the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?
My husband can't understand beans or cheese on toast. Nor eggs on toast, or egg and chips. He's missing out on some damn fine culinary classics I can tell ya!
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-03-08 15:53:00
United KingdomTo the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?

G gets upset about our baked beans! He is very much a fan of your basic Heinz beans in tomato sauce and cannot come to grips with things like brown sugar or molasses in our versions.


Kroger's "vegetarian beans" are very close to the UK ones.
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-03-07 13:23:00
United KingdomTo the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?

I refuse to eat anything that has corn syrup in it. If it's too sweet, don't eat it! We don't eat anything processed and only eat at restaurants that are part of a "Fresh Food" network. The other problem over here is the sodium content. It's very scary! The only thing I buy that comes out of a can is tuna in spring water. Everything else we make from scratch. We're very lucky enough to have a good local co-op (oh, how I wish we had a Trader Joes!) and a vegetable garden in the summer months which almost feeds us through the winter (we freeze the veg). The only other shop we use is the offie. ;) Supermarkets are for buying loo roll now. Nowt much else I want in there. :no:


I look at the back of most things. If it has HFCS in it....I tend to avoid it. The stuff without it IS there, you just have to look very hard. I have found some bread that doesn't have it in, plus I have my own breadmaker, which helps.
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-03-07 08:57:00
United KingdomTo the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?

It's the corn syrup :)


Yup it's in pretty much everything. Diabetes here we come..... :lol:
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-03-07 07:44:00
United KingdomPiggy Flu
H1N1 has been hugely overplayed. Recent tests have confirmed that in its current form it's actually milder than normal 'flu.

Don't fall for the hype! wink.gif
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-05-07 13:02:00
United KingdomConsulate question concerning K-2 visa London
Is the father's name listed on the BC?

If so, I think she will need legal documentation (from a solicitor) stating that she does not know the whereabouts of the child's father and that he has never been a part of his/her life, and so on.

The UK has differing laws concerning child responsibility, however, when applying for a USA visa which involves the child American laws are followed by the consulate.

I know of quite a few K-1/K-2 applicants that have come unstuck at this point (including myself) so I'd cover all bases if you can, beforehand.

Edited by Mags, 09 June 2009 - 10:36 AM.

MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-09 10:34:00
United KingdomI see that TOSSER Bob Crowe is at it again
Fast moving? What tube line did you use, then? tongue.gif
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-09 18:23:00
United KingdomI see that TOSSER Bob Crowe is at it again
Yeah, he used to piss me off too when I lived in London. I didn't know a single person who sympathised with the tube drivers - they already got way more than people in similar (or more deserving) jobs.

A nurse starts off at around 20k, as do teachers. Even top level nurses and teachers are lucky to see 40k like the tube drivers.

So, I hear ya, mate.
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-09 16:45:00
United KingdomAfter the Tube Strikes.. Its now time for the Posties.
Actually, an ex of mine was a postie and, knowing what I do about their jobs and stuff, I can see why they are striking. They don't get paid very much, have a huge workload and last time I heard their pensions were being threatened.

Very different from the tube drivers.
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-12 19:05:00
United KingdomThe Joys of the US medical system
QUOTE (primahen @ Jun 22 2009, 11:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
greaaaat!


#######.

MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-23 19:04:00
United KingdomThe Joys of the US medical system
QUOTE (primahen @ Jun 20 2009, 06:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
did I say YOU??? I said some americans. Its not everyone. sheesh. I was using some of the statistics from that film Sicko. lol i probably jujed them a little but its around that mark. CALM DOWN!!

sorry to hear about your father its really sad, and MRSA will attack someones immune system that has been compromised, but especially so if they are elderly.

My mum has been working in the NHS for nearly 35 years, as yet MRSA cases are not epidemic proportions in the NHS not that we would want them to be, even one case is one case too much however in proportion to the thousands of americans dying or infirm from serious illness, the old, the poor, because they cant afford healthcare in the USA its like comparing a mouse to an elephant.


I know for a fact the issues that Tracy had with the NHS and, in her case (or hubby's) she is pretty justified in her POV.

I myself, who also worked for the NHS for 10 years, have nothing but praise for the system, but I've not got my blinkers on with regards to it. There are issues in the system, especially depending on where you live and what NHS trust you belong to.

The American and British systems are so different I actually don't think we can compare either of them to one another. But, the majority of us moved to the USA and the healthcare system isn't going to change, so I suggest that we just get used to it and adapt. wink.gif

MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-22 10:42:00
United KingdomThe Joys of the US medical system
I have nothing but praise for the NHS.
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-21 15:53:00
United KingdomThe Joys of the US medical system
QUOTE (TracyTN @ Apr 7 2008, 04:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Gaby&Talbert @ Apr 7 2008, 03:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (illumine @ Apr 7 2008, 03:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (TracyTN @ Apr 7 2008, 12:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Bottom line - some people prefer the NHS, some prefer our system - yet both have obvious flaws. No way we're all ever going to see eye to eye about the nitpicky details.



Nope. But the bottom line, one is free (for many people)/very cheap & one is not. HUGE difference.

Neither is free, it is only in how you pay for it.


yes.gif At least not free for the majority.

Also a HUGE difference in access to care. I want to see my doctor when I'm sick, not 3 weeks later. But I'm funny that way!

PS stuff like this is sort of what I meant by details that we won't see eye to eye about - what's important to me in a health system isn't important to someone else, and vice versa. Doesn't make mine right and theirs wrong - it just is what it is.

*edited for clarity*


Now you know I am very pro-NHS, Tracy, as we've had this discussion before and I agree with you that on many points we will never agree! biggrin.gif

(there's too many agrees in that sentence! lol)

However, I do want to mention that I've never had to wait 3 weeks for a docs appointment in the UK. I was always able to get in the same day. wink.gif

Edited by Mags, 07 April 2008 - 04:23 PM.

MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-04-07 16:21:00
United KingdomThe Joys of the US medical system
I've just taken out private heath insurance and for myself and my son it will cost $266 a month. Not as bad as I had feared (I had geared myself up to it being nearer the 400 mark). Still, even with insurance, I have to pay the $30 co-pay on prescriptions and a $30 fee for a doc appointment.

I had NO problems ever with the NHS. I worked for them too and yes, you do hear the horror stories, but I think that happens with every hospital system. American healthcare is not exempt from MRSA and other infections.

Take our local hospital here in our town. The beds are so old the plastic on them has cracked and they are filled with human "juices" of many different descriptions. They haven't had new beds for 20 years. Our local hospital also has the doctors who finished at the bottom of their classes and couldn't get jobs at bigger city hospitals. But they do have a nice new copper roof. How's that for prioritizing?

Basically, the staff are poorly qualified and the equipment is old.

Edited by Mags, 06 April 2008 - 04:54 PM.

MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-04-06 16:53:00
United KingdomBritish food stores
QUOTE (Jeraly @ Jul 16 2008, 03:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
My gran always made her own with dried marrowfat peas soaked overnight - they are soooo yummy biggrin.gif


My Nan had this thing she called Pea Soup that she would make. It was like a slightly more liquid mushy pea concoction, which you served with dunplings. It was bloody yummy. Unfortunately, both she and my mother are dead, so I can no longer find out the "secret" recipe. sad.gif

It's one of those things you regret not finding out before it's too late.
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-07-16 22:08:00
United KingdomBritish food stores
QUOTE (rkl57 @ Jul 16 2008, 12:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Mushy peas dead.gif


It's an acquired taste. I think what I dislike is the look of them. They don't actually taste half bad if you ignore the fact that they look like something that came out of a four year old's nose.
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-07-16 12:53:00
United Kingdomyou can get all your taxes back
QUOTE (*julez* @ Jun 8 2009, 12:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Also, not all banks will clear a check paid in a foreign currency in 3 business days. For example, the bank I work for sends foreign currency checks "for collection", a process which takes a few weeks.

If you need the money quickly you might be better off having it paid into a UK account and then wire it to the US.


Yup.

Agreed - it isn't always an easy process to deposit foreign checks over here.

I got my refund paid into my UK account and just took it out using the debit card over here.

MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-08 19:45:00
United Kingdomyou can get all your taxes back
Some banks will charge you around $25 for a foreign check - it isn't always free. Check with your bank for their regulations as they all differ substantially.

Incidentally, you don't get all your tax back - I think there is a maximum they pay out.
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-06-07 14:14:00
United KingdomI think it'd be cool if...

Thanks mags!! I just reinjured it about a week ago. I'm going to let it heal, of course, but then I'll ask my dr if I can at least try those!


Hey how's C's fingers btw?


And Mags...did I understand it right that you said squat thrusts are good for a knee injury? Or do I need another coffee?


They are recommended for building up weak ligaments that are a side effect of knee damage. The knee cap is held in place by two ligaments, these can atrophy when you rest a knee. Any muscle building exercise for that area can be good. It is better to start off gradually, of course, AND check with your doc beforehand. I am sure there are some injuries that it could be made worse by exercise though, as with all things!

I think the best exercise I was given by my physio, was to stand with my back straight against the wall. Then, to slowly lower myself into a 90 degree squatting position (you basically look like you are sitting down and the wall is your "chair back"). Then the best thing to do was try to hold it, gradually building up to five minutes at a time.

Builds up thighs beautifully! :)
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-01-13 10:53:00
United KingdomI think it'd be cool if...

No doubt those work! I'm not sure my injured knee could handle it, though. :(


I have a knee condition called Chrondomalacia Patella and these sorts of exercise are highly recommended for knee injuries and stuff. Builds up the muscles really nicely. Course, you should always check with your doc first... :thumbs:

Good luck with that tight butt and toned thighs!

Edited by mags, 13 January 2007 - 10:38 AM.

MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-01-13 10:37:00
United KingdomI think it'd be cool if...

I wonder what Victoria Beckham will think of moving to the USA when she has to go to the embassy for her interview and queue up like everyone else. Guess that's one thing money can't buy!

What a great claim to fame that would be tho.. I only saw Bill Bailey at mine.


Ooh you should have asked him to do his Chewbacca The Wookie impression! It is REALLY good!!
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-01-12 16:58:00
United KingdomI think it'd be cool if...

Now back to the UK goss!


My pal sent me the Heat 2007 annual last week. I loved it!
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-01-12 16:46:00
United KingdomI think it'd be cool if...

says there are pics of fat Cher so I googled and i got:


I saw video footage of fat Cher on tv last weekend - she was basically wearing the same outfit as the video with the sailors but about 30 lbs heavier -- not nice!


I think I just vom'd in my mouth a lil


OMG that's her dental floss costume! Irk!!
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-01-12 16:33:00
United KingdomI think it'd be cool if...

I love seeing the cellulite, the wrinkles and the "early morning" photies... :lol:


Yep, cuz I can relate! :P


Awwww poor D!
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-01-12 16:27:00
United KingdomI think it'd be cool if...

*sigh* I miss Heat magazine. None of the USA ones compare.... :lol:

None of the USA "rags" are as good as the UK ones!! lol


And overall the UK mags airbrush far less which I find very comforting!

Signed-
36 years young & feelin' it


I love seeing the cellulite, the wrinkles and the "early morning" photies... :lol:
MagsFemaleUnited Kingdom2007-01-12 16:25:00