ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
United KingdomEastenders!!
I got a free DVD player through a credit card and it plays all regions. You can also buy region free DVD players so don't panic. Last I read there was some talk of getting them for around $40 on a special offer. Of course, there are other methods of getting your player to become region free if you search :whistle:
Lou LouFemale02006-09-05 11:17:00
United KingdomEastenders!!
britishsoaponline.com

You have to donate each month to keep it running.
Lou LouFemale02006-09-02 09:47:00
United KingdomVaccination Record?

I would hope that the UK has changed its slapdash approach to vaccination records...if anything else to avoid the expense of having to re-vaccinate already-immune children and adults because someone forgot to write down what shots little Ian and little Emma have already had.


It's not a case of forgetting to write down what shots each child has. In fact, if they did forget they'd be in a huge amount of trouble. They actually document it very well. Each child also is given a record to take home with them. The problem is that people of a certain generation had their records computerised at some point and such records were not deemed essential information anymore. It makes sense as once you've had your childhood shots, when you get to adulthood, they are rarely needed to be documented apart from cases like ours.




Exactly the same thing happened to me. I had to have them all again - the painful Tetanus knot is still there almost three weeks later!


The only shot I needed was the tetanus as it runs out after ten years. All the others I was highly immune to, and if I had gone ahead with another shot it would have made me quite ill.
Lou LouFemale02006-09-25 10:22:00
United KingdomVaccination Record?
Same happened to me and 1000s of others. I was told no childhood records were kept by the surgeries after a certain age. Pretty darned stupid if you ask me, but there you go. Your only option would be to get the jabs or go for titres. Maybe you could persuade them to do free titres seeing as they didn't keep hold of the records properly. Well, worth a try, eh? ;)
Lou LouFemale02006-09-22 09:35:00
United KingdomVaccination Record?
I'd get them to print it on the clinic's letterhead if you can, and if at all possible a doctor's signature, or at least a clinic stamp.

When I used titres instead of jabs, my clinical results were on headed paper but with no signature.
Lou LouFemale02006-09-17 17:14:00
United KingdomJust had a sudden craving

Not really...I just don't like Cadbury's chocolate. I never have. I've found a lot of British sweets to be too cloying for my tastes. The British are spectacular at making potato chips, though. :thumbs:


There are plenty of other reputable brands of chocolate available in the UK. Personally I like the Rococco or Montezumas brands. Organic, and just perfect IMHO. I guess that corn syrup in cursies is just too much of a temptation for you ;) I don't think it could be legally labelled as chocolate in the EU due to not enough cocoa. Quality stuff :whistle:
Lou LouFemale02006-10-01 09:12:00
United KingdomJust had a sudden craving

Hershey's rocks. I hate Cadbury's chocolate...far too gooey. :whistle:


You do love trying to wind up Brits :lol:
Lou LouFemale02006-09-30 08:33:00
United KingdomJust had a sudden craving



I would kill for one right now.
Especially the curry flavoured one.


Have you read the ingredients on one of those? :blink:

I don't think I've eaten one since I was a student. Hmmm...I have a fiver left...Beer & fags? Food?
Deffo beer & fags. :yes:


Pack of 20 of most brands of cigarettes costs more than a fiver these days.


Well, I was a student some time ago when an ounce of rolling tobacco was nowhere near that price. And yep, I know how much fags cost. I'm friggin glad I gave up. :yes:
Lou LouFemale02006-09-29 12:23:00
United KingdomJust had a sudden craving

I would kill for one right now.
Especially the curry flavoured one.


Have you read the ingredients on one of those? :blink:

I don't think I've eaten one since I was a student. Hmmm...I have a fiver left...Beer & fags? Food?
Deffo beer & fags. :yes:
Lou LouFemale02006-09-29 07:32:00
United KingdomWhen will I get aproval!!!!


I don't know what will happen at your interview since we did not apply for a K-1, but I hear that they ask a lot more questions of K-1 applicants than they do of couples like my husband and I, who have been married for 5+ years and obviously aren't in a sham marriage for immigration purposes.

I'm surprised that you have not yet observed that your "I hear"s are largely incorrect.

K-1 interviews in London are surprisingly question-free.


At my K1 interview, the 'ole man nipped to the loo, and when he came back, not only had I been called, but approved as well. No questions asked apart from "how the hell are you gonna stick a Vermont winter?"
Lou LouFemale02006-10-03 20:46:00
United KingdomQuestion: Shipping from the UK, freight forwarders ...
http://www.visajourn...amp;hl=shipping

Here may be a good place to start, and then search on the moving to America forum next.
Lou LouFemale02006-10-09 09:23:00
United KingdomOff Topic: Cool things for teenage boys....
Clothing sounds like a good bet then. Cheers Welsh :thumbs:
Lou LouFemale02006-10-18 13:06:00
United KingdomOff Topic: Cool things for teenage boys....
A big request to all you mums out there in the UK. I have two nephews, 12 & 15. They live in London. I've asked them repeatedly what they want for their birthdays and christmas and I usually just get a grunt from them. One of them did mention they'd like a basketball shirt. Are they trendy over there at the moment or something? I have no clue :wacko:

So what other ideas does anyone have for them? They haven't even asked for money, the obvious one. I don't buy computer games as they have a slurry of them. I have access to all this cheap schit out here. There must be something cool for them, right?
Lou LouFemale02006-10-18 07:58:00
United KingdomLast day for surface mail to the UK for Christmas
If I remember rightly, October 31st is the last 'safe' day for shipping surface mail parcels to the UK to get there in time for Christmas. So all you folks sending heavy stuff home, now is the time to do it. Or you can be like me and forget, and pay through the nose the week before :whistle:
Lou LouFemale02006-10-18 08:03:00
United KingdomShipping Advice
For someone who has been here nearing on 3 years after shipping my stuff, I would warn people to take a serious look at what you think you need to bring over. I shipped 7 big boxes and I would say I have got rid of at least half of what I brought over. What you may think you can't live without is soon forgotten in the back of the cupboard. One box took me six months to even open up. Forget hefting loads of books. I got rid of 100s of books before I came and I still shipped too many. Support your local library -- they have plenty of books!

So, what you may think is precious to you now, and you can't possibly do without, be warned it may be sitting in that thrift store in a year's time and you have spent all that money to ship it over.

Ebay selling and charity shops will be your friend. My Ebay profits paid for my shipping fees. :yes:
Lou LouFemale02006-11-10 09:49:00
United KingdomShipping Advice
Depends how you ship it. I sent my stuff via UPS and didn't need any visa. I stated exactly what was in each box and why I was shipping it, and that was good enough for them. Customs wanted to know when I would be joining my stuff and that form went through easily enough too. I did all this about 4 weeks before coming to the US.
Lou LouFemale02006-10-31 09:03:00
United KingdomFirst Direct are going to start bank charges
I have been with this bank for years, and use the account from over here. This is a pain in the #######. :( Watch the other banks follow suit soon no doubt...

http://news.bbc.co.u...ess/6148776.stm

Edited by Lou Lou, 15 November 2006 - 11:05 AM.

Lou LouFemale02006-11-15 11:04:00
United KingdomNext level

I guess your life doesn;t include helping people out on this board or cheering them on in the process? :no:


I have helped plenty on here and have for the past 2 years. You just don't frequent the forums where I do. :) Beyond that I'm afraid my life is put to better use. Each to their own. :yes:


oooh, harsh!

:P


I wasn't being harsh, was I? :innocent: If people's feathers get ruffled over a silly comment, then maybe I have a point. ;)
Lou LouFemale02006-11-15 19:05:00
United KingdomNext level

Thousands and thousands of posts to get to that level. Years.



You will probably notice it doesn't take them years. Sometimes it's just a matter of months. I've been here years and will probably get nowhere near any of that post level. I have a life. :yes:
Lou LouFemale02006-11-15 18:40:00
United KingdomNext level

Crazy. I have a long long way to go!!! I'll just have to start posting congrats to every one you to the next stage of there visa journey. That should rack up a few posts.


:huh: Umm, does it matter what your post count is?

Quality, not quantity counts, surely?
Lou LouFemale02006-11-15 14:04:00
United KingdomGP/Medical records
They told you a load of #######. Every patient has the right to access their records and have copies. I can't remember where I read it, but I will dig it up at some point.
Lou LouFemale02006-11-20 10:01:00
United KingdomGP/Medical records
If you have enough of a record that you want to transfer, you can ask them to copy it, though I think they charge a fee. I don't think they are able to release the original notes. The US quack won't usually ask for your old records but will go through your medical history when you first see them. I skipped getting my records, and just typed up a brief history for my new doc.
Lou LouFemale02006-11-20 09:49:00
United KingdomLondon Airports?



Delta has just been added as another International airline into Gatwick, so Gatwick isn't your teeny charter flight airport by any means. US Air are a crappy airline but if you upgrade they have the most fantastic shower rooms when you arrive. Feels great to get back home all clean and refereshed. :thumbs:


Delta has been flying into Gatwick North for a while. Flies into/from Altlanta and Cincinnati.

I have used them to fly to Cincinnati a couple of times. Excellent service. :thumbs:



Use that Cincy-Gatwick flight quite often - have since 2003 - not recently as implied above.

Gatwick is HEAPS EASIER & I will not do Heathrow.


Sorry folks, it's the new route of JFK-LGW that's the big news from Delta. I don't diddle with the mid-west routes to know they already have one for years. Oops. :blush:

We're all in agreement that LGW is the way to go. Stress free. :yes:
Lou LouFemale02006-11-21 10:15:00
United KingdomLondon Airports?
I'm a Gatwick fan too. Heathrow is a pain in the ####### and slower to get to central London on public transport. They may have an express train to Paddington but it spends more time sitting on the track than going anywhere, believe me. Victoria to the Embassy is a much cheaper cab ride. I once lived in Maida Vale so know the cab fares like the back of my hand.

Delta has just been added as another International airline into Gatwick, so Gatwick isn't your teeny charter flight airport by any means. US Air are a crappy airline but if you upgrade they have the most fantastic shower rooms when you arrive. Feels great to get back home all clean and refereshed. :thumbs:
Lou LouFemale02006-11-21 07:25:00
United Kingdombuying clothes in the USA

Problem is Greencastle is Wal-Mart heaven...and I've seen the women walking around there with jeans just under their armpits. :lol:

Scary, really scary! :P



:lol: Same here with bad frizzy hair on top. Not a good look. :no:

And tapered jeans? :o Everyone wears those here too. Just no. STOP IT. :help:
Lou LouFemale02006-11-19 11:19:00
United Kingdombuying clothes in the USA

Sammy -- totally off topic, but where is that picture taken? It looks like Kings Canyon or Yosemite, but I am curious!


Looks like Yosemite to me too. Gorgeous place. :yes:


Oh, man, don't even get me started on clothes over here. I've never had such an empty wardrobe. I stock up every time I go back to London.
Lou LouFemale02006-11-18 08:15:00
United Kingdomsending games to UK
I've been perusing Ebay and see a lot of sneaky sellers from the east providing a way to turn it into an English language game. Not sure I can be arsed to risk it.

Thanks for that. :thumbs:
Lou LouFemale02006-12-02 19:06:00
United Kingdomsending games to UK
So if my nephew asks for a Gameboy DS game, I can get it here and sent it to the UK? I can't keep up with all these damn things. :wacko:
Lou LouFemale02006-12-02 18:03:00
United KingdomArrived Safely!
Glad the kitties survived well.

Welcome, and good luck with your new life! :thumbs:
Lou LouFemale02006-12-10 09:33:00
United KingdomI'm sooooooo scared and overwhelmed
You know what? With everything you have on your plate right now, AND being 7 months pregnant you really should just stay at home. It sounds like a nightmare for you, so maybe your husband should be a grown up about it and go by himself. Either that or you stay in the hotel so you're not trudging around London in pain. Everything will be fine and you can breathe in a few days, but more improtantly take a deep breath now. I would say looking after yourself and that wee one inside you is the most important. Everything else will take care of itself. (F)

Oh, and I agree. Ice cream and riding on a busy tube is not a good idea. ;)
Lou LouFemale02006-12-12 08:38:00
United KingdomLondon medical experiences

Yep, and if they make you wait a long time, that's to remind you of the healthcare system in the UK.

Although here's hoping they don't make you wait for 3 days. :hehe:


I dunno. I've waited just as long to see a doctor here as I did in the UK. In fact, it has always been quicker to see a doc in the UK for me including specialists. I guess it depends on where you live in the US...just like the UK.

Sure, I've had my bad times with the NHS. I've waited 10 hours in A&E to get treated, but in the end it didn't bother me. I saw all sorts of people come in for emergency care that day. Sick babies, elderly people, heart attacks etc...and by god they deserved to jump the queue in front of me. I've also waited 10 hours in A&E while they treated my father with a heart attack and saved his life. I guess those people sitting in the waiting room were pretty pissed they didn't get their sprained ankle seen to as fast as they liked because he came in that night.

*shrug* I just prefer a system where everyone is treated the same. Free healthcare and education should be a human right. No system is perfect, but it's so screwed up here and expensive to boot. To top it off it's not even high quality care...according to the World Heath Organisation ranking anyway.

-------

Apologies to Hayley. :blush: Like everyone has said, the medical is much easier than you imgaine, so don't be worried. Good luck. :thumbs:
Lou LouFemale02006-12-15 10:48:00
United KingdomLondon medical experiences

The most painful part of the whole procedure was the bill.


That's to get you used to the US healthcare system. :thumbs:
Lou LouFemale02006-12-15 08:08:00
United KingdomPlanning an "English Night" for David's Birthday
Agreed on the pineapple and cheese on toothpicks. :yes: Cut them in similar bite-size cubes and put them on the end of the picks, cover a large grapefruit or small melon with tin foil and stick them in it like hedgehog spikes. Every 70s kid's birthday staple. Twiglets and coctail sausages on sticks was another popular thing too. Mini sausage rolls! Trifle might be a pain to make, but that would be another idea. A big fry up for brekkie.

That's all I can think of right now. I'm sure there are LOADS more things...

If he wants rugby on in the background, I'm sure a keg of beer, curry, and drunken mates will be adequate for an authentic birthday. :P ;)
Lou LouFemale02006-12-13 09:41:00
United KingdomChaging Interview Date
I moved my interview by a month because I wanted it later. They obliged with no trouble. I figured someone more eager got my place which probably made them happy. :yes:
Lou LouFemale02006-11-29 20:32:00
United KingdomWhat do you miss the most from the UK?
I don't miss the telly cos I get all the UK programmes I like from certain sites :whistle: You'll have to message me for the sites cos I'm not allowed to post them in public.

Food is not missed anymore. We have a fantastic Indian place right in town (we're talking as good as Chutney Mary's - I'm so lucky!)...better than the usual ####### Indian food I had in the UK. Plus I can nip up to Canada to get a decent chocolate fix or a wonderful French dinner.

I still miss a good pub with real beer, decent public transport, decent clothes shops and hairdressers, London markets, and getting to the rest of Europe so easily. Oh, and snowless winters. :ph34r:
Lou LouFemale02007-02-17 10:43:00
United KingdomHow Did You Move Your Stuff?

I've just done a (very) quick search and the converter things cost something in the region of $300! Worthwhile if you have TONS of DVD's but not for my very limited collection.

I shall just stick to watching them on the PC!!


That's a pain! I guess having a knackered old telly is desirable after all. If you wander over to BE and ask they may have some ideas of what to do as I'm sure there is a way around $300, and I've never read anyone having trouble over there.
Lou LouFemale02007-02-25 16:04:00
United KingdomHow Did You Move Your Stuff?


I can play UK DVDs on our TV. We have some thingamy wotist plugged in the back that enables it to play any region fuzz free. I'll ask the ole man what it is as I'm not a gadget freak. The DVD region free player was actually a free piece of ####### that came with a credit card, though there are plenty of other methods to make your DVD region free... :whistle:

Ooooh yes, please ask the old gadget man what it is!

:lol:


Ok, shows how much I know...
The thingy that is plugged in the back is because our TV is so old it didn't have a socket for a DVD player. :whistle: Try RadioCrap and ask them what to do...there all sorts of gizmos and gadgets to plug in for that kind of thing. I've never heard of people having trouble viewing them. Otherwise a bit of googling will come up trumps.
Lou LouFemale02007-02-25 10:34:00
United KingdomHow Did You Move Your Stuff?

Its human nature then to be convinced that you absolutely must have all of it despite whether or not you actually watch half of them. I know people who shipped large volumes of goods, and most of those things still sit in unopened boxes in garages and attics. I was so ruthless when I moved and as I said earlier in this thread, came here with two large suitcases and two cats (not in suitcases!). Just keep the sentimental things that cannot be replaced, heirlooms, photos, jewellery, etc.


Wise words. :thumbs:
Lou LouFemale02007-02-25 10:23:00
United KingdomHow Did You Move Your Stuff?

DVDs ~ Yes you can get a region free DVD player...but ALL the TVs are NTSC compatible ONLY in the USA. Ergo, your picture will look all funny...

You'll be resigned to playing them on the PC.



I can play UK DVDs on our TV. We have some thingamy wotist plugged in the back that enables it to play any region fuzz free. I'll ask the ole man what it is as I'm not a gadget freak. The DVD region free player was actually a free piece of ####### that came with a credit card, though there are plenty of other methods to make your DVD region free... :whistle:
Lou LouFemale02007-02-25 10:21:00
United KingdomHow Did You Move Your Stuff?
Back to topic:

I brought over an extra case and also used UPS which took 4 days door to door. I had to list everything, sign a statement that it was all my personal goods, and that they were over a year old, and I had no intention of selling anything. I didn't need to supply a copy of my visa or anything. Of course, rules could have changed since then.

Really take a long hard look at what is important to you. I shipped 7 HUGE boxes over and nearly 3 years down the line, I would say I have got rid of at least 3 boxes of the stuff. Then again, I am always aware of not building up a bulk of ####### as we intend to move back in a few years.
Lou LouFemale02007-02-17 10:54:00