ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
United KingdomTickets!

basically my fiance is in Luton. I flew into gatwick once and it was a helluva road trip >4 hrs from LGW to Luton.

But again, if I get a good discount, I dont mind the traffic

random thought : "mind the gap" lol tht is just funny if you hear it the first time!


We had the same problem. After the overnight flight to LHR, we had to wait for a coach and then have a 3.5 hour ride to Bath. The nearest airport is minutes away from Bath but for some reason, they insist on having the flight go to Amsterdam first.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-03-24 15:25:00
United KingdomI made it!
I think the sugar is the same as ordinary sugar. When I asked if "that was castar sugar", my husband looked at me confused, and said it's just regular sugar, and he uses that to bake cookies, etc.

Enjoy :)
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-03-26 11:26:00
United KingdomI made it!
Congratulations!
I remember your first posts on this forum, all in a confused daze about what to do. And there you are! :D
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-03-23 12:57:00
United KingdomMoney, money, money
I took cash for everything, and had a credit card for emergencies.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-03-24 11:58:00
United KingdomTravelling
You can go to the US at any time in the process (keeping in mind the risk of denial), as long as you're there for the medical and interview.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-04-05 10:07:00
United KingdomCR1 filed in march!
It depends on where you are in the US, but there are places to get British foods. We have Shaws which sells Ribena, chocolate, PG Tips, Heinz beans, Hobnobs, etc. The downside is that it is expensive and they don't refill the stock that much, so if they're out, they probably will be for some time. So get them while you can! There's also some private shops around that sell home-foods, we have a British shop half an hour away that sells all kinds of tourist stuff, including food.

The bread is the worst part, but we've been buying European crusty rolls from the local Stop&Shop. If you get VERY mature cheddar, it's as good as English cheese. I also tried American sausages for the first time last weekend and they were actually quite good.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-04-14 11:16:00
United KingdomHealth care reform, anyone?
I remember my family complaining that they had to pay 6.50 for prescriptions at the time (because when you're on low income or over a certain age they're free) and having a good old moan about the NHS. But now I see that this is NOTHING. :lol:
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-04-07 10:35:00
United KingdomHealth care reform, anyone?
Has anyone seen Saw 6? John's entire point in the movie is that private insurance companies are playing God and deciding who gets to live or die based on health and wealth (he has cancer and is denied coverage for treatment based on this... basically being told he's going to die because he's costing them). That's exactly how I feel. I feel incredibly sorry for those parents who have kids born with disabilities and have to go through more life changes just to pay for it. At least in the UK, everyone is covered no matter what, and you don't worry for your entire life when you lose a job, get pregnant, get sick, etc.

Edited by Gemmie, 30 March 2010 - 02:42 PM.

GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-03-30 14:42:00
United KingdomHealth care reform, anyone?
I would rather pay 11% of our salary than 25% in insurance (which is what we're looking at now).

Plus, as much as it sucks, I would rather have to wait a little longer when I need care than having to pay so much money in 'case' I need it.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-03-26 11:29:00
United KingdomHealth care reform, anyone?
It's obviously a lot more complicated than YES PASS IT or NO DENY IT. There are so many things to work out, including the insurance companies, taxes, even immigration (who deserves this health care? I know in the UK, foreigners are treated just the same way as Brits).

But I will say that I support the reform. When I was in the UK, I never even thought about it as luckily I've never been sick. I've only ever had one surgery to remove some teeth. But since moving to the US, getting sick is a constant worry because frankly, we can't afford to be. I don't understand why people are scoffing at paying more in taxes - insurance is so much more expensive! A $400 p/m bill for the possibility of being sick (and that's with the employer paying some) is frightening. It's just scary that there are so many people in this country that can't afford the health insurance, and thus can't afford to get sick. Something needs to be done about that.

Is universal healthcare the solution? I think so. It works well in the UK - poorer families pay less taxes to pay for it. My mother had lots of care on the NHS as she suffered with IBS and other bowel illnesses, as well as gull-stones. She also had heavy painful menstrual bleeding and had a coil inserted. We were lucky to have this done with no hassles and not much waiting. In America, if you can't afford to pay for health insurance and need care, you're pulled even deeper into debt with huge bills. I've heard how families that fall pregnant without insurance are left with absolutely ridiculous hospital bills. My MIL is 100% Conservative, but her fears of not being able to afford this universal care are already here, as her father suffers from Alzheimers. They're having to practically sell everything just to get him care as they're footed with a $8000 p/m bill.

Of course there will be people trying to scam the system (i.e. taking advantage of their "poorer" status) but they're always going to exist. Just as right now, there are people taking advantage of social welfare - you're already paying for that in taxes.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-03-26 11:21:00
United KingdomFlight cancellations and mispronunciation
Guilty... unless talking to/about something important.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-04-20 12:29:00
United KingdomFlight cancellations and mispronunciation

I have a crazy aunt who lives in Natick (I'm from MA originally). To be strictly correct, the American pronunciation is "Naydick." You have to make sure the t sounds like a d. ;) It's taken a few years, but this aspect of American English is starting to annoy the husband. He and my mother had an amusing discussion about whether she saw the movie "Ghost Writer" or "Ghost Rider." Not that the topic was that funny...just that the discussion deteriorated into both of them using bad language (Jon saying, "If only you Americans would pronounce Ts properly," and my mother saying, "Too fvcking bad," or something to that effect, him saying "For **'s sake..." etc.). They like to antagonize each other, which keeps things interesting.


I have the same problem.. I had a great time trying to figure out why my husband was calling the wall of stone a "jeddy" and then I asked if he meant "jetty". It drives me nuts. We tease each other now whenever he asks for "budder". My MIL couldn't believe I had never heard of the perfume "Yaddley" because it was a UK scent (I've still never heard of it, but I think it's one of those things where people expect you to know of everything from your country), and finally when she handed it to me I saw that she was trying to say "Yardly". Those damn Bostonian accents! :lol:

Anyways I feel really bad for the damage this ash has done, not just for flight travel but for the economy.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-04-20 10:02:00
United KingdomFlight cancellations and mispronunciation
With the Gatwick thing.. in MA, there's a town called "Natick" and I was pronouncing it as the Gatwick-soundalike ("Na-tik"). But then I found that the local Americans were saying it as "Nate-ick".

So maybe that's just how they pronounce those kinda words over here.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-04-16 14:30:00
United KingdomI can't breath
Good luck! And relax :)
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-04-26 10:33:00
United KingdomLeaving The UK

(We left notifying BT until the very last day since we were paranoid about losing our internet before we left -- just needed some idiot flicking the switch a few days early and we would have been screwed. Considering that it took nearly two weeks to set it up when we moved into that last place, I wasn't taking any chances.) I told them we were moving away permanently and we gave them the US address for the final bills but since I was on direct debit for them all it wasn't a huge deal.


I too left it until the last minute to let BT know that I was leaving because I didn't want them cutting me off. I needed my land line to contact my husband! My year contract with them was ending in a week anyway. However when I called them a few days before I was leaving, they told me that because I didn't let them know 2 weeks in advance, they were charging me 25 pounds extra on top of the final bill that wouldn't be sent to me until the normal date. I tried to argue that the contract ends in a week anyway so rather than officially cancelling it, could they just let it expire and not re-new it... they were having none of it. If I had just let it expire and not signed up to another year, I wouldn't have been charged!

So be careful when dealing with companies like BT. Everyone I know has problems with them, they'd rob their granny for an extra pound.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-05-03 10:16:00
United KingdomContraceptive Pill -

I'm struggling to find any equivalent for my pill.

I am currently on Cerazette, (brought from the UK), which is the POP pill and it has the active ingredient of Desogestrel, which as far as I can tell, isn't used over here.

I have found 3 other kinds of pill in the US which are POP:
Micronor
Nor-QD
Ovrette
..but none of these are anything like the pill I take now.

I am researching ahead of time, as I still have 4 months supply left, but I think I will probably just let the doctor tell me what is best.

Out of curiosity, has anyone had experience with any of these brands?


I used to be on Cerazette (but stopped because it gave me MAJOR mood-swings and painful boobs), but when I was prescribed, I asked my GP if I could find the same thing in America and he said yes. I think you should talk to Planned Parenthood or a GP here in the states, if you haven't already?

And I agree, weescotlassie, but we wouldn't want to appear to be socialist. :P
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-05-03 10:07:00
United KingdomUpcoming PM elections...
It's funny how Blair was seen as the devil when he was PM, and now Brown has taken over, he's seen as even worse - and people are wanting Blair back. I went many years not liking him at all (because of his policies on immigration, the lack of crime control, and the war) but I slowly changed my mind towards 2008.

Btw, does anyone know how we're able to vote from America?
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-04-09 10:35:00
United KingdomUpcoming PM elections...
I posted about the elections of Facebook to see who my Friends were voting for.. I got three joke responses. I then got into a debate about why it's important to know about politics, even just a little, and important to vote. Only one person on my list gave me agreement and a genuine answer. I hate that no one cares in my generation (and some of them were generations above).
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-04-08 10:25:00
United KingdomUpcoming PM elections...

Whereas in the UK, campaigning last at most 6 weeks, with the entire country bored with it and back to watching Eastenders and/or Corrie after the first couple of weeks, terminal apathy setting in with 2 weeks to go and a voter turnout that means even if the total number of voters voted for the same party it would still represent a distinct minority of the country.


:lol: I know, I have to admit, even though I wish more people cared about the UK elections (only one of my friends knows about politics which I think is a tragedy), I found the Presidential election irritating after a while. I was just like "why are we getting so much advertising for American politics when people here barely know enough of our own?" Towards the end, I just wanted it to be over.

I'm going to keep my eye on it. At the moment, I don't know who I would vote for. My instincts say do NOT elect the Torys but I read an interview with David Cameron the other day and he described a lot of things that actually weren't that awful - under his "compassionate Conservative" union - while other parts of it was just way too idealistic. I know that Gordon Brown has done a lot of damage but saying that, I know people that ###### non-stop about Labour, but will still vote them in because they don't research the opposing sides.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-03-29 15:43:00
United Kingdomhey, hey, hey!
I always hear the term "special relationship" being thrown around politically, but I don't know many people personally that like America's political ideas. :unsure: It's just like in the playground when the little guy sticks near the big guy because of what he gets out of it.

Edited by Gemmie, 13 May 2010 - 02:49 PM.

GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-05-13 14:48:00
United KingdomBeing questioned at customs?
The thing is, you can ring the customs agent all you like, they don't actually have any final say on the matter. The person that lets him in is the immigration officer at the border. They don't know anything about the call you made, and probably don't care. They just want to know why he's coming, how long for, and if he's a 'red flag'.

2-3 months between trips isn't long if you're talking weeks/months of visiting at a time. The one time I had problems was because I was returning to the US 2 months after I just left.. and I was there for just 4 weeks.

I know it's difficult for you to go and visit him, we were also in the same situation, with my husband looking for work and not wanting to risk an interview cropping up while he was away, or not wanting to take time off from a new job. But we decided that we couldn't have it all, and risked it. He happened to get an interview/job while he was in the UK, as his mum kept in contact to let him know about any responses. Maybe you can do that; put out some job applications and someone can let you know if you get any responses. You can always give them a call and explain that you're in the UK until X date, but would love to come in for an interview when you're back.

If it's really important for you to see each other soon, I would rethink the possibility of you coming to him. Yes, you might miss out on a job opportunity, but you could also miss out on him entering the border if he tries again after a few warnings.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-01-19 13:00:00
United KingdomDoes your S.O. go on VJ?
My husband doesn't post here, but it would be cool if he did. Because then I wouldn't have to bore him rigid every week when I update him on funny conversations and arguments I saw on VJ.

And yeah, I also did all of the obsessed research during our K1. He just sat back and listened to what I told him we had to do, and then when people asked about the process, he'd act like he'd done the research himself. :lol:
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-05-12 08:05:00
United KingdomIs it too soon to start worrying?
I found the date you're given in your VJ estimate is usually pretty close.

Ours took 141 days and fell just before the estimated date. I found the wait easier by telling myself it would take the 4-6 months (and it did, so I wasn't disappointed).
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-05-12 08:08:00
United KingdomGrade Transcript Evaluation
I'm sure they can transcribe A Levels seeing as they're our "stepping stone" into college in the UK.

An Associate degree is generally the equivalent to a British Foundation Degree or a Higher National Diploma (according to Wikipedia and word of mouth). Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think 3 A-levels might allow you to get into a Bachelor degree programme in the US, just as it would in the UK. Obviously you might not want to do that anyway, and I would advise getting that checked out.

Also, I shouldn't think you'll have problems studying when you stated you had no intentions. Plans change. I'm thinking of doing my ph.D and I also said I had no intentions. :)
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-05-21 16:04:00
United KingdomUSD-GBP exchange rate
Why do you say that?
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2009-05-22 12:48:00
United KingdomUSD-GBP exchange rate
That's it, I'm taking all my dollars out NOW. ohmy.gif
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-11-13 07:37:00
United KingdomShipping / Air mailing of possessions
If you have lots of heavy boxes, I would recommend sending by ship.

But be warned. When I sent one huge box that way, I was told I wasn't able to track it like I would be able to via air. I said that would be fine as it doesn't matter when the stuff gets there, as long as it does. I was told it would take 4-6 weeks. Well 3 months after my arrival in the US, I was sent a piece of the box with a message saying all of the contents were lost and if I could write down everything that was in it, plus the cost, source and manufacturer they could refund me if they're unable to find it. There was no way I could do that with all of the books and things I had in there, so just counted my losses (quite literally). Luckily there wasn't anything really valuable in there, just books that I wanted to keep from uni, stuffed animals, cosmetics etc.

See if you can get SOME kind of guarantee (like tracking) and make sure you list everything that's in it, including all of the information they might ask you for in the future if something should happen. You have a bit more security with air-mail but it will cost lots. They quoted me about 36 pounds for the box I sent by ship (which I paid 16 for).
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-04-05 10:13:00
United KingdomWhat is the latest anyone from the UK has been leaving the embassy?

I ended up booking the 20:55 flight (latest there was). Unless they keep me there until 17:00 i should be fine (although a little fed up waiting so long ;)).


I think for the best, so you can relax a bit.

I had a 9am appointment and left about 1 or 2pm.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-05-31 12:05:00
United KingdomUmmm, maybe another stupid question!
Yes, we're all overwhelmed by jealousy. Why can't my husband constantly remind me that I have nothing without him, that my apartment, my car, my friends, all simply won't do? :(

By the way, Julian. What makes you think you have the right to tell people to leave your personal affairs alone, and then make personal attacks on another member here, one that has met Melissa and offered to help her? What gives you the right to dictate to Melissa who she can be friends with, when you know how much your own best friend pulls her down? Why do you constantly berate her as an adult and treat her like a puppy that gets rewards and punishments? You're in no position to criticize anyone here for not being worthy of a partner.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-06-03 11:59:00
United KingdomUmmm, maybe another stupid question!
If you're consistently stating 'facts' like those when no one has mentioned the subject, I deem it bragging.

And I don't need any help with sarcasm, sweetie. I think you're confusing me with Melissa, who apparently 'doesn't understand subtlety'.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-06-03 11:49:00
United KingdomUmmm, maybe another stupid question!

You left out, by the way, the internet police like Jules who accused me of being a braggart about my personal finances even when not a single person has been able to produce the post where I supposedly did this.

Here are a few things I got from clicking your past posts.

"Since money should not be an obstacle in our (my) case, self-sponsorship seems a reasonable course. "

"Yes, 'a little money,' being the operative phrase. Once we're together again we shall have to be a bit more 'British' about saving money, won't we dear?"

"And just so I understand: your objection is that I mentioned the make and model of the cars, which reveals a little about my financial means, is this correct? "

"I happen to be in a position to pamper my fiancee a bit, and I've yet to hear her take issue. Perhaps you or your husband are one of the millions of Americans unable to hold a job in this terrible economy, and for that I am sympathetic. But I will not lie because my financial situation makes you uncomfortable"

"Well flame away 'rhymes with hits,' I'll try not to lose sleep over it, as I lie in my mattress stuffed with money, covered with a gold-threaded duvet. All this of course after I've drunk from a 1960s vintage Macallan single malt Scotch and smoked a few Havanas, lit of course with a handful of ?100 notes."

"No wonder America has such a horrid reputation. If I don't live in a trailer, don't carry a gun in my waistband, and have enough money to take care of myself and my fiancee without having to rely on massive credit card debt, then I must be a horrible troll, is that it? "

Is that enough evidence of being a 'braggart' (when no one had even suggested anything about your finances?)

Or the others like perfectly awful Gemmie who liken our relationship to some sort of Jeremy Kyle situation.


I've been promoted? :star:

Edited by Gemmie, 03 June 2010 - 11:42 AM.

GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-06-03 11:41:00
United KingdomUmmm, maybe another stupid question!
I LOVE the UK forum again. :luv:

Edited by Gemmie, 03 June 2010 - 10:37 AM.

GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-06-03 10:37:00
United KingdomUmmm, maybe another stupid question!
I'm also hooked on the blog.

I think I'll change my Homepage. :unsure:
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-06-03 10:21:00
United KingdomUmmm, maybe another stupid question!
I know... what with our complaining culture, our fixation with soap operas and Jeremy Kyle, I think we're just a nation of morbid curiousity.

Edited by Gemmie, 01 June 2010 - 10:15 AM.

GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-06-01 10:15:00
United KingdomUmmm, maybe another stupid question!

Fourth, maybe you should kindly remove yourself from my relationship.


Seems you have a habit of wanting people to remove themselves from your friendship (Sean, Maven..). It's OK for your best friend to have at her, though.

Melissa, I don't think you're doing this for attention at all, I think you innocently spilled some details on what has happened and how you feel, and people have been rushing over to tell you how you should start to look at the entire contents on the cup, and realise that it's actually quite moldy. Excuse my analogy. :lol:

I really hope you're happy in yourself and in your relationship, because when you're married and living together 24/7, things always look different. While I'm happy with my husband, we haven't been without relationship issues. And I can see that looking back, there were habits that I wasn't happy with right back at the beginning when we were dating, but I explained them away as silly little things... but they could have become serious problems had we not caught them out early on and worked to solve them. And I worry that you'll keep explaining things away as either your fault (acting stupid, or like a child) or as no big deal (Sean being his best friend, and he DID forgive YOU in the past...). I'm not a relationship expert, and I'm still really young, but I do know that it's easy to get caught up in love, and behaviours that seem tolerable - and then become serious later on.

Anyways, I wish you good luck. You can send a message to the Moderator on this forum and ask them to close it for you, and they will.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-05-28 15:44:00
United KingdomUmmm, maybe another stupid question!
I've just been reading Melissa's blog, and I'm utterly shocked. Now before you run off and tell her off for being stupid and posting stuff about you in a bad light, it's obvious that she does everything she can to explain your behaviour away and put herself down instead - and you STILL look like a douchebag. That takes talent.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-05-26 10:55:00
United KingdomUmmm, maybe another stupid question!

Honestly, your snobby attitude has been - well, like nothing I've seen on VJ in quite a while, I must admit. It's kind of interesting to watch, really. Never a dull moment!


I'm enjoying the male version of Hyacinth Bucket. :D I even hear his posts in that voice.
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2010-05-25 09:45:00
United Kingdom~Off Topic Thread~
QUOTE (English Muffin @ Aug 7 2008, 01:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Alex & Rachel @ Aug 7 2008, 04:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I'm going to be living in a big city and I'm still concerned about getting to make friends. I'll be out on the very edge of the suburbs so few places around, and I don't drive yet. Learning to drive is going to have to be a priority or else it's going to become extremely boring extremely quickly!


Getting a car here really changed my life! The first few weeks here without one were awful, particularly because it was January and some days the snow on the pavements was 3 or 4 feet deep. I was very lucky because I could already drive and had the money to be able to go out and buy a new one - I understand not everyone is as fortunate as that. I would recommend to anyone moving here to make learning to drive and getting the use of a car a priority - unless they live in the centre of a major city with good public transport.


I agree.

I can't drive but want to wait until arriving in the US to start learning - figured it would be easier to learn everything rather than try to "unlearn" at the same time. But I know from the few days that Bill would go out to work and I would be left sitting at home waiting for him to come back that it does suck... just to be able to go for a coffee or go to the mall would be nice!
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-07 09:26:00
United Kingdom~Off Topic Thread~
Well the costs of living in Bath are extremely high so I hope they don't come as a shock.

I am a little worried that MA will be a bit "boring" as I'm used to being surrounded by lots of people and shops etc. From what I've seen of Bridgewater, Middleboro, Brockton etc; it's very empty! I don't know how I'll make friends. Bill tells me that I'll make them through neighbours or working but I'm not so sure. I would rather live closer to Boston, if it weren't for the expense.

Anyways, I hope we can keep in contact, wherever you end up!
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-06 16:57:00
United Kingdom~Off Topic Thread~
Either Bridgewater or Middleboro! (somewhere around there, whatever is cheaper!)

What a coincidence!!
GemmieFemaleUnited Kingdom2008-08-06 08:14:00