biggish data

To add an international variation it might be nice to put Ben & Jerry's Schweddy Balls on top of a nice big spotted ####### to give it a uniquely American flavor.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-01-11 18:36:00

Today I learned there could be a full discussion on the quality of tinned spotted ####### including 'spot placement and accuracy'... If we applied the same level of dedication to other things....

There would be no end to the great things we could achieve.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-01-11 17:49:00

The husband grew up near Cockpole Green. I bet they have excellent spotted #######!

Wot?! That's an outrage! I hope you reported it to the authorities.

I'm betting they have excellent spotted ####### in Cockermouth.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-01-11 16:50:00

But not too sogggy

Oh no a soggy one would make me gag.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-01-10 20:21:00

It's gotta be moist before I let it near my mouth.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-01-10 20:16:00

CR1 Interview questions

We hardly got asked anything. She asked if I'd ever been in trouble with the police or had problems entering the US. A few questions about how we met and what job I intended doing in the US and that was about it. It was more like an informal chat. We were there around 2 hours most of it waiting. At first you are called up to a window where they check they have all the documents and the x ray from the medical. Then more waiting for the interview. Good luck.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-09-27 16:58:00

The Thread for Songs You Left Behind in Britain

I read your post to my fiance (I'm the USC) and without hesitation he told me that I have to nominate Mr. Blobby. I have to agree, it's pretty awful LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h37KQu64RY4

Blobby blobby blobby!

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-10-07 13:51:00

The Thread for Songs You Left Behind in Britain

Wow,people actually like this song? It's so bad and unfortunately now it is stuck in my head!
David had me listen to" We love the Boaby" which no one here would think was funny unless they knew a brit!
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2_TQU137a4&feature=youtu.be

I think you wanted to add this one. If you're not Scottish this will probably go over your head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2_TQU137a4

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-10-07 13:48:00

Visa Waiver Query

Aha, Thank you both very much =)
We did call British Airways....Guy was as useful as a wet fart.
I know it's only $10 for the Esta, but that $10 can go towards the kitty for a Newcastle Brown Ale.

A wet fart! :rofl:

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-10-07 15:48:00

Visa Waiver Query

Hello all

I have my two year Green Card.
Planning to fly to the UK in a few weeks time for a visit.
The Visa Waiver i applied for, before we got married has expired.

Just managing my booking on the British Airways site and it mentions Visa Waiver.
Am i safe to assume, i dont need to apply to Esta for Visa Waivers anymore?

You don't need ESTA if you have a green card. When you fill out your Advanced Passenger Information you put your country of residence as US and your country of citizenship as UK (I'm assuming) and it'll ask for your alien registration number. ESTA is only for people visiting the US not residents. Just don't forget to take your green card with you!

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-10-07 14:44:00

When to Arrive at Embassy for Interview??

The US loves the ticket system. Whether it is at an embassy or the DMV or the deli at your local supermarket. Appointment times don't seem to mean much. You get a ticket and have to wait your turn regardless. If you arrive early or on time or even a bit late you'll probably still be waiting the same amount of time once you get inside and get your ticket.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-10-09 15:03:00

Tax refund from UK income

I've been here for nearly 3 years and haven't told the government I've left yet. The first year I had my mail forwarded and I got a letter from HMRC telling me I was entitled to a tax refund but it was only for 40 odd quid. I didn't bother claiming it. I will be entitled to part of the pathetic UK pension when I retire because I contributed 25 or so years of NI contributions so I'll probably get round to telling them I've left before I'm 65.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-10-06 21:46:00

Moving money from the US to the UK

Yeah, they have a UK version of their site: https://www.paypal.c...ebapps/mpp/home

Don't use paypal. They are a nightmare to deal with and have a horrible exchange rate. I used them once and about a year later someone tried to steal $300 from my account. Paypal didn't do anything and I had to get my bank to stop it.

I use xe.com. Good exchange rate and no fees. They don't have minimum limits. You can us them to transfer money between your own accounts or to other people's accounts.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-10-16 19:30:00

Visiting the UK

Alright, I've gathered the needed documents, and I'm on the last portion of planning! Would you all say $2000(1239.00 GBP) is enough? I can possibly get it up to $2500 but that would probably be my max.

That should cover your beer bill for the first week! :lol:

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-10-07 17:47:00

Virgin Booking question?

Are you entering the US on your K1 visa for the first time?

If you are you are still a UK resident and your visa number is not relavent. You only need to fill that in if you are a US resident and until you enter on your visa you're not.

For the future the number you need is the A(9 numbers) one.

Edited by scotinmass, 09 December 2012 - 10:44 AM.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-12-09 10:41:00

When to schedule Medical?

The vaccinations aren't needed for the K-1, but you will need them for once he's in the US and adjusting status. Thus, it's better to get all of the vaccinations in the UK and have them recorded by Knightsbridge to save you time and money in the US. Otherwise, you're going to have to find a USCIS-approved civil surgeon and that will cost you.

On when the schedule the medical, per what I wrote above, he should go once all of the required vaccinations are done by his GP unless he wants to pay for them at Knightsbridge. Also, if he had chicken pox as a child, you can get that waived...just make sure the Knightsbridge doc records that.

They take your word for it if you tell them you had chicken pox. So.......

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-12-13 20:06:00

Your experience sounds exactly like my husband's in Texas. He didn't even read the front of the book about teen licenses and penalties. Then he found out the test was geared heavily for new teen drivers and guessed his way through to barely passing. The driving test was in a small town neighborhood...a few turns around the block, then the lady said "you're an excellent driver" and drew lines through a lot of the sections on her checklist and wrote "passed."

It's not just in MA then.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-12-16 09:05:00

Yeah i'm in MA, i've been driving all week.

Applied for SSN on Tuesday and informed it will be mailed to me within two weeks which seems pretty quick.

I was told by the drivers license place in Boston that i could not apply for my permit without my SSN, so will go back when that arrives

How easy is this test then ?

Thanks

The permit test was ridiculous. I studied the driver's manual till I knew it backwards. But I didn't study the stuff that didn't apply to me. I am in my 40s so obviously all the stuff about the junior operator's license (under 18s) doesn't apply to me so I skipped that.

The test is multiple choice done on a touchscreen computer. 25 questions. You have to get 18 or more right to pass. I got 5 or 6 easy ones and was feeling good. Then I got asked one about a motorcycle. I was thinking #######? I'm taking the car test. I got that one wrong. Then I got 7 or 8 questions in a row about what the penalties were for breaking various driving laws while on a junior operators license. It wasn't even anything I could guess. (How long do you lose your license for if you get a speeding ticket on a JOL? A 30days, B 90 days C 6 months D 1 year) That kind of thing. I had no idea and was getting rather annoyed. I got most of them wrong and must have been down to my last strike when finally I got 4 questions on road signs and managed to get them all right.

So study everything. Even if it has nothing to do with you.

When you take the road test you can make the appointment online and you can take it at any RMV in Mass. I'd advise you to not take it in Boston. Take it somewhere with quieter roads. I took mine in Willmington. I drove out of the parking lot, down the street 50 feet then turned into a very quiet and empty residential area with a 20mph speed limit. The cop told me to take a few left and right turns. There was no other cars on the road. He told me to stop at the side of the road and then back up. I went no more than 5 feet and he said that's enough. I then did a 3 point turn and drove back to the RMV across the street. That was it. He never even got me to park. Just stop at the door so he could get out.

He asked me before I started if I'd had a driving license before and I said yes so maybe he went easier on me.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-12-15 20:15:00

yeah it does suck.

I'm sort of just sat around. having found out i have to take my drivers test again

i just hope my ead comes through as soon as possible.

with aos being submitted next tuesday i just hope everything comes within days, i know this isnt going to happen, but as quickly as possible

Are you in MA? From the day you become a resident you need a MA license but the cops don't know that! I drove on my UK license for a year.

It sucks taking the test again but it is ridiculously easy.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-12-15 17:14:00

Thanks

He seemed completely convinced and trying to help.

He gave me the address and said to me, head down there and they will be able to do it for you.

Worth a shout anyway with this time off

Scarily the people who deal with immigrants don't seem to have a clue about immigration law!

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-12-14 19:42:00

Driving help - MA!!!

Once you have established residence in Massachusetts, you must
obtain a Massachusetts driver's license to retain your driving
privileges. There is no grace period.

RMV link

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2013-01-03 20:08:00

Driving help - MA!!!

Can you show a link showing 90 days? I was trying to find that one that talked about becoming a resident of MA because I think that would be the same for people with out-of-state licenses (but the out-of-state link didn't mention a timeframe just "until you're a resident")

The link I provided clearly states a year for visiting, and technically you could try saying you ARE still visiting until you actually get your EAD because you don't have a legal status... but I wouldn't really want to risk that either :S

They certainly don't like to make it easy for K1's...

There is no grace period in MA. You need a MA license from day 1 of becoming a resident. Only residents of MA can apply for a MA license so the fact that people on a K1 are allowed to apply for one means they are considered residents so your foreign license is not valid to drive here.

But the police do not know much about immigration law.

I drove for a year on my UK license but I was never stopped and asked for it. I felt it was worth the risk and if I had been asked I'd have played dumb. I've now had my MA license for 2 years. The road test was the easiest thing I've ever had to do. The permit test is harder. You have to know everything that is in the driver's manual. Even stuff that doesn't apply to you. I was asked a lot of questions about the junior operator's license and I'm in my 40s.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2013-01-03 19:59:00

UK soap characters moving to America

Nobody seems to get how difficult it is to get a visa unless they've gone through it.

My wife's family didn't seem to understand why we got married and she came home alone. They thought I wasn't serious and I had no intention of moving over here. They just didn't get that I had to wait for a visa. She got comments like "Paddy Smith just moved here from Ireland. He didn't wait for a visa" Yeah but Paddy Smith is an illegal and risks being deported and banned for life. I couldn't live like that.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-12-20 16:52:00

UK soap characters moving to America

For those of you who still watch British soaps. Have you noticed how many characters just head to the airport to start a new life in America? In Corrie Peter and Carla are about to head back to their new life in LA.

All of us on here are aware just how difficult it is to obtain a visa and for people who are not related to a US citizen it is damn near impossible. I wish someone would tell the scriptwriters this.

Anyway that is my random rant for the day. Thanks for listening!

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-12-20 11:22:00

The "Where can I get X in the USA" thread

They've moved, they're in Greenland NH now. They've changed their format too, they have a small store front that you can browse instead of the warehouse.

Moving on ... HAGGIS! We bought one from Scottish Gourmet USA last year. Very nice. We went to the NH Highland Games this year and Scottish Gourmet had a stall there. They have some great stuff.

I'll need to go back and check out the new store. It's been 2 years since I was last there.

We went to the NH highland games a couple of years ago. I thought all these "Scottish" Americans would be pleased to see a real live native born and bred Scot but not so much. They have this romantic version of Scaatland in their heads and someone who was born and lived there and knows what it's really like was just ruining their version of it so they didn't want to know. The fact that I was wearing jeans and not a kilt like everyone else probably made them think I was lying and I wasn't actually Scottish at all. I was told that Irn Bru is a Scottish energy drink and that Dumfries (where I was born) is actually pronounced Doomfreeze! I've been saying it wrong my entire life. Silly me!

I love New Hampshire tho. The White Mountains area looks so like the Highlands it is like going home.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-12-07 23:30:00

The "Where can I get X in the USA" thread

I don't think this will help anyone, but.. I have a shop called Mr G's discount warehouse nearby (NH). They buy pallets of food that has been 'dropped' and some items are damaged. Occasionally they have Heinz baked beans, the last time they had 20 cans, priced 39 cents each. I bought the lot. Pretty sure they cost more than that to buy in England.

We have a large Shaws in town, that has a foods of the world section. They have an English section and would you believe Irish too! However everything was overpriced, 2.79 for a can of Heinz baked beans.

Does anyone know a store that sells English chocolate? I've been getting by on twix which just about tastes the same or swiss chocolate. There is a small sweet(candy) shop in my town that sells a few bars of English chocolate, but it's $2 a bar for a twirl or dairy milk.

Have you been to British Aisles in Nashua NH? It is a big warehouse that sells British goods. They are geared up to sell in bulk but they let you wander round and buy whatever quantity you want. It doesn't have any prices displayed tho. We picked a lot of stuff and took it back to the office and when they told us the prices we put a lot of it back.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2012-12-06 19:08:00

hiw do you feel about new fee starting on feb 1st ??

Reads to me like you are still able to pass through immigration and get into the states before paying but I'll probably just pay it as soon as my visa arrives. I'll be asking when I'm down for my interview to see what they advise

Get used to paying fees and taxes because once you get to this side of the Atlantic it never stops.

The US is 35trillion in debt. you wanna move here, you should have to pay.....if you can't afford the cash you probs shouldn't be moving.

It was 15 trillion last I heard. Has Obama spent another 20 trillion on shoes for Michelle already?

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2013-01-21 19:58:00

Norris's stag night when he was marrying Derek's ex-wife. The scary Angela.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2013-01-28 19:06:00

But not his paperclip!

This is not Norris. It's Derek Wilton. Mavis's husband. He was Norris's arch enemy.

How sad is it that I know that?

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2013-01-28 18:59:00

Ashley's DEAD? I say, Ashley's dead?

I miss Norris and his paperclip. And I used to love Curly Watts and Reg Holdsworth at Bettabuys.

Norris is still there. I say Norris still there.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2013-01-27 21:15:00

OMG I thought it was just me! he commercials get right up my nose!!! I see no need for it whatsoever! Never quite understood the beginning and closing commercial advert/credit thing though!

@Penguin....I miss fred as well lol I SAY I SAY ASHLEY!!

Both Fred and Ashley are dead so I don't suppose they'll be coming back. Unless they do a Bobby Ewing!

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2013-01-27 20:38:00

I watch American programming, but not the soaps. Corrie and Eastenders may not be super realistic, but it's at least sort-of normal people, not like US soaps, never watch those.

Gail does remind me of a cockroach, that is so true! She is the one character I'd have no problem with them axing. I miss Betty, and my US husband still grouches about them having done away with Fred the butcher, that was his favourite character.

Is Dev Allahan and his wife Sunita still around?

Yes they are both still there but they've split up again. Sunita had an affair. Dev moved out and the boyfriend moved in.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2013-01-26 20:23:00

Because unfortunately there is nothing else on. I might still be in the UK but luckily for me come March I will be leaving and can look forward to missing a Lola and her baby

I've been here for 3 years and I still watch it on my laptop. I've not really got into American programmes. The adverts drive me mad. They have the opening credits then commercials. Then 5 minutes more then commercials and so on. Then at the end they have commercials and then come back for the closing credits. It is ridiculous.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2013-01-26 19:42:00

Ahhh yes the brannings! Its amazing that there seems to be land/property for sale (eg the gym that jack bought), that was behind the club the whole time yet it was never mentioned...nor was it anything else before!
Its true that no one is ever at work and if they are they are talking to other characters and ignoring the customer extra!

Tell me why do we watch this ####### again.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2013-01-26 19:35:00

Wow. That's super huge and scary! Sorry about that.

That is so funny. It's her double! :rofl:

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2013-01-26 19:32:00

What really gets to me is that they all spend their whole lives on the street or the square. No need to go out of area for a supermarket, pub, hairdressers, clubs, laundrette, tube station, take aways etc ITS ALL THERE!!!

And jobs. Everyone works 10 yards from their front door and there's always enough jobs for everyone.

On the square they all have low paying jobs or no job at all but money is no problem. Max Branning never seemed to have a job at all for years but he could afford to buy a half million pound house in London and support his ever growing family and girlfriends and can always hand out money like sweeties to anyone. Now he owns the car lot but never seems to be there and never sells cars but the money comes rolling in. I wish my life was that easy.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2013-01-26 19:19:00

I've been in NZ on vacation for a bit so I've missed quite a lot but I did see it the other day. Got very confused why he was still around and all of a sudden so very nice!

I love the fact that no one in EastEnders has a washing machine and still uses the laundrette! Not to mention the fact that if anyone leaves its always to spain, out the back in a black cab!

They should combine corrie with eastenders!

Lewis came back to get revenge on Gail for splitting him and Audrey up. After all the ####### she's been through and all the abusive men she's still as trusting as a child.

The washing machine thing has always been a mystery to me. They cost a couple of hundred quid yet people who can afford to live in big houses in London can't afford one.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2013-01-26 18:56:00

Just for fun id love to see Richard Hillman come back and try and drown her again! I love the fact that as a supposedly doting grandmother we never hear of little Bethany any more!

They are both rubbish but its good ol British tv for ya!

You're right I completely forgot Sarah and Bethany existed.

We don't need Richard Hillman. It looks like Lewis has a nasty plan for her.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2013-01-26 18:42:00

Oh I hope I've not started a Corrie vs the Square debate

I watch both and they're as bad as each other. I keep telling myself I'm gonna stop cos the story lines are so stupid but I keep doing it. It's my only fix from home. I just can't seem to break the habit.

scotinmass

Male

Scotland

2013-01-26 18:14:00