Our New P[a]lace

Living and traveling around in
Europe, we've seen the homes of a long list of royalty - ancient emperors, modern queens, and heaps of wealthy men in between. From Palantine Hill in Rome (from which the word "palace" originates), to Windsor Castle, to the Napoleon Apartments, these homes are adorned with rich tapestries, crystal chandeliers, and tiled murals, boasting enormous kitchens, spiral staircases, and luxurious gardens. They are ornate and expansive, delicate and yet completely grandiose.
Fit for a king, as the saying goes.

Well, rest assured, none of these palaces seem nearly as spacious, to us, as our new one-bedroom flat! That's right - after officially surviving 328 days living together in a studio (alternatively known as 10 months-24 days, or approx 46 weeks, or 7872 hours, or 472,320 minutes, or 28,339,200 seconds), we moved into a new place just a few weeks ago. Turns out the word "palace" is actually quite relative, and it doesn't take a whole lot of space to feel completely free and unrestricted after living for so long in a walk-in-closet-sized-studio. Here's a virtual tour of our new flat (a quick warning - this flat tour video is considerably longer than the last one, for obvious reasons)...

As cliche as it sounds, in all seriousness, the upgrade to a one-bedroom has completely changed our lives...

• The Washer/Dryer: given us a completely new lease on life, and made the chore of laundry much less cumbersome. Laundry Saturdays are a distant memory....
• The Full Kitchen: allowing us to properly cook dinner together, without having to resort to the DVD player as a flat surface for mixing ingredients.
• Interior Walls: enabling us to have our own separate morning routines, something we definitely used to take for granted when living in San Diego.
• The Stairs: or rather, the complete lack thereof. Need I say more about this?
  
• The New Neighbourhood: fit with plenty of new restaurants, pubs, shops, and a local play theatre, all begging for exploration and attention.
• The Morning Commute: with Brandina being able to walk to work, and Bryan now only having to take one tube line to work (as opposed to two), the days are starting off with a bit more serenity.
• The Grocery Shopping: living about twice as far from a grocery store as we did before, we've had the perfect excuse to buy, and sport, this lovely invention (horribly tacky, but so convenient!):

The challenge now, of course, is to not take these new-found freedoms for granted. As memorable of an experience as it was to climb 93 steps up to our studio flat every day, it is an experience that is so easily (and pleasantly!) forgotten. As an exercise of thanksgiving for our new upgrades, we'd like to revisit, and comment upon, "The Top 5 Reasons You Should Try Living in a Studio," which we posted on our blog last October.

5. Only takes about 2.5 minutes to heat up the entire place. - Very true; but it turns out that when you live in a space the size of a shoebox, it is always hot, even without the heating turned on. Lack of cross-ventilation + 5 stories above ground = a recipe for unpleasantly warm temperatures pretty much year-round.

4. You can see the gorgeous city view, from just one window, standing almost anywhere inside. - True indeed. Now we just have double the amount of windows from which to take in a view.

3. By the time you are finished cleaning the bedroom, the whole house is basically clean. - Probably still the biggest upside of living in a studio. Simply can't argue with having only one room to clean.

2. You can brush your teeth (and spit), wash your face, and almost turn on and warm up the shower, all while sitting on the toilet (not necessarily recommended practice, but nevertheless still possible). - Great for one person....VERY tricky to pull off when two people are trying to get ready!

1. And, our personal favorite - Not only can you eat breakfast in bed...but you can literally just about make breakfast from bed! - The flipside, of course, being that when your bed is right next to the kitchen appliances, your bedding constantly smells like whatever you've cooked recently.

We all know that hindsight is 20/20. Looking back, if we were to do it all over again, would we live in a studio? Hard to say really. What we can say is that living in a studio, in Notting Hill, did enable us to explore a lovely neighborhood, where we could be at Kensington Gardens in less than 5 minutes, go to £3.50 movies on Tuesdays, and visit Portobello Market with ease. It is an experience we truly will never forget.

So, on to bigger things! We apologise for the massive delay since our last blog post - September was an extremely busy, at times stressful month. We have ushered in October with open arms, and look forward to a gorgeous start to the Autumn season, where we can view the changing colours from our modest palace windows.

Lots of love to you all!

-B&B

"A throne is only a bench covered with velvet." - Napoleon Bonaparte

Home: A Working Definition

As our British Airways plane circled for an extra 45 minutes over London last Thursday, at the end of an already brutally-long 10 hour flight from San Francisco, I took a few minutes to contemplate the word "home." What is home anyway? Is it a place? Is it people? After a two-week solo trip to the West Coast (Bryan had to stay in London and work), spending a total of 14 nights in 8 different beds, in 5 different cities, visiting family and friends from various periods of my life (childhood, college, graduate school), clocking over 25 hours in the air, I am now home in London. But just last week, I was home in California, 5,000 miles from where I sit now, with a vast ocean in between. Home is a tricky thing, I've decided. Webster's Dictionary has several definitions for the word "home" - a place of residence, the social unit formed by a family living together, a familiar or usual setting, or a place of origin. London is my current place of residence, though my family lives in a few different states, all the cities I visited in the past two weeks were familiar, and California is my place of origin. Alas, perhaps home is none of these places, but simply all of these people. Home may well be, as the cliche goes, where the heart is.

So, there you have it. Home is where my heart is - all over the place. Just like my 2-week itinerary - all over the place. I began my trip in Seattle, for a good friend's wedding, where I spent time getting pampered (yay for my first pedicure since October!) and catching up with friends from college. I then flew to San Diego, for a quick four days, attending various medical appointments and visiting with friends, eating meals at my favorite restaurants, and having wine night with the girls, breakfast at the beach, and late night slumber parties with my mom. I ended my trip in Northern California, spending time around the pool with friends, visiting with my grandparents in the Bay Area, having a Morrison family dinner in San Francisco, helping my brother organise his new apartment, and seeing family during an overnight in Sacramento. And of course, throughout the course of the trip, I stocked up on various cosmetics and food (such as Secret brand Deodorant, Healthy Pop Kettle Corn, and Tide stain pens), and spent a couple lovely hours roaming around Target (ahh...bestill my heart) and Trader Joe's with my mom. A few of my favorite pics from the trip (regrettably, my camera did not make it out of my purse for all of my dates with friends and family...so for those of you that I saw, but don't have pictures of, I'm so sorry!)....

The Santa Clara Girls at the Pre-Wedding BBQ Seattle

An Amazing Pic of the BBQ Backdrop (Great pic Tyler!)
At the Wedding Reception
With the Bride
Ladies Wine Night Reunion in San Diego
My Family in San Francisco

Poolside with Dad
Mother Like Daughter
With Jana (Bryan's Mom) & My Mom
My Two Lovely Grandmas

Though the teary-eyed farewells in each city were reminiscent of those we experienced just prior to moving in October, the emotions and discussions were vastly different this time around. A lot has changed in the past 10 months:

• What I lack now in concerns about the unknowns of starting life in a new country, I've made up for in excitement about my work, my life overseas with Bryan, and all of our past and future travels.
• The internal dialogue is different, and I have new answers to my own questions. Turns out we are not crazy for giving up two steady jobs and a familiar, comfortable existence in San Diego. The months of unemployment and challenges of starting over and living abroad have been well outweighed by the sense of accomplishment we now have, turning our dream idea into reality. That being said, the internal dialogue is still running - there are always new questions to answer and mysteries to solve when living abroad.
  
• Your questions are different now too. Though the questions "where will you live?" and "how will you find jobs?" have ceased, new questions have arisen with great fervor and intensity. "Are you ever coming back?" "How have you and Bryan not gone crazy living together in that studio?" "How are things with Bryan?" Yes, we are coming back, eventually (hoping to stay through the end of our visas - September 2012). Yes, living in a studio with someone else does make us crazy at times, but we've learned how to handle it (and have decided to upgrade to a one-bedroom place next month!). And, as for the third question, we're absolutely loving our adventure together abroad, with all its challenges and opportunities, and have successfully survived 10 months together in a studio, which is a massive accomplishment for any relationship... :)
  
• As some of you noticed (and teased me about), my vocabulary has expanded to include some British-English. Yes, vacations are now holidays, lines are now queues, fries are now chips, restrooms are now toilets, and I adore the adjective "lovely." It's all part of learning and leading a new routine in a new country, and being able to communicate effectively with the locals. It won't last forever, but it's a necessity for the time being. Speaking of which, at what point do we become locals? :)
• I am a true Cadbury girl these days (sorry Hershey's), and have a new appreciation for the concept of working hard to live (versus living to work hard). I'm guessing no explanation is required for either of those!
  

But, some things will never change. Girls in San Diego still wear Ugg boots with mini skirts - perhaps I've taken for granted the fact that Londoners tend to dress more weather-appropriate. I suppose four distinct seasons will do that to people. Target still smells the same - that's right, Target has a distinct smell when you walk in the door, something I've just discovered after a 10-month long hiatus (let the withdrawals begin again). Perhaps it's just the first time I've ever walked into a Target, and paused to take a deep breath! Trader Joe's is just as fabulous as I remember - too bad only one bag of baked blue chips could fit in my carry-on bag. Like a fine wine, those will be saved for a special occasion. My place of origin will always be Northern California, regardless of where home is (or isn't). And, most importantly, good friends and family will always be good friends and family, no matter the distance - it just takes more effort to keep in touch. Fortunately, effort is something I'm so eager to give.

Much love, and many, many thanks. Hope to see you on our side of the pond soon!

-Brandina

"Where thou art - that - is Home." ~Emily Dickinson

An Adriatic Retreat

Charming, Romantic, Optimistic, Antiquated but Trendy, Inviting, and Azure

Croatia, for a lack of better words, is simply divine, and certainly fit for a Roman Emperor who once retired amongst its shores. Having just returned from a 5-night holiday in the beautiful Dalmatian islands, off the mainland coast of Croatia, we are slowly readjusting to the busy city life. After all, we spent 5 full days walking and hiking at a leisurely pace, basking in the sun on the rocky Croatian shores, eating local cuisine (fish, cheese, roasted vegetables, gelato), and enjoying the Croatian atmosphere, a fine mixture of terracotta roof tops, ancient Roman walls, palm trees, humid air, and boats of all kinds. Though we brought along a small guide book for good measure, our minimalist goals for this trip involved plenty of rest, relaxation, and sunshine. With the current exchange rate of British Pounds to Croatian Kunes at 8:1, we managed to squeeze in professional massages on the Island of Hvar, a bit of intense bargain shopping/bartering with the locals, and rented lounge chairs on the rocky beaches. We spent our 5 nights in 3 different cities, commuting via ferry and excursion boats, and found each to have its own unique ambiance....

Split, Croatian Mainland

Home to Emperor Diocletian's retirement palace, an international airport, and a well-serviced ferry harbour, Split is a bustling seaside town, often the entry and exit point for those visiting nearby Dalmatian islands (like us). It features several markets within the still-standing palace walls, where locals sell just about everything you can imagine, from produce, to jewelery, to handmade crafts. Bordering the harbour is a long, pedestrian boardwalk, laced with seaside cafes, dozens of white wooden benches for the devoted people-watchers, amateur entertainers, and plenty of shops:

Hvar Town, Island of Hvar

A short one-hour ferry ride from Split is Hvar Town, complete with the steep hills of Lisbon, spiced with the small-town charm of Cinque Terre, and boasting a daily routine possibly like that of Miami Beach - settled and sunny by day, vibrant and wild by night. Hvar Town smells of sea salt, sunscreen, and abundant surrounding lavender farms, and revolves around the bustling center square. Despite a lack of sandy beaches, the rugged and rocky coastline is more than suitable for afternoons of reading in the heat, combined with refreshing dips into the Adriatic. We spent our evenings walking along the water and looking for the local food hubs, one of which had no written menu, serving up two simple options of either the local fish or meat platter, furnished with rustic barrel tables. After dinner, thanks to some advice from our Kiwi friends, Ben and Louise, we found a local spot called the Jazz Bar, where we had a great time with both locals and fellow travelers. The bartender introduced us to locally-made cherry brandy, and without thinking twice, gave Bryan the bar's last Ozujsko Croatian beer pint glass as a souvenir for his collection. Hvar Town is overflowing with all things contrasting - weathered fishing boats and multimillion-dollar yachts, budget backpackers and elite party-goers, small hostels and expensive resorts, pebble beaches and rocky cliffs, sea-level attractions and aerial views from the town's hilltop castle. A simultaneous natural sea of blue water, and man-made sea of orange rooftops. Far from clashing, however, the contrasting features of this town lend to its inherent charm.

At sea-level....

Above and beyond....

Bol, Island of Brac

A longer two hour trip from Hvar Town (quicker by speedboat), Bol is most well-known for Zlatni Rat beach, a popular pebble beach that jets out into the sea, while also offering a large, wooded forest area for picnics, games, and shade. Bol seems to be less all-things-contrasting, and a bit more simple. Arriving by boat to Bol's quiet harbour feels a bit like arriving in Cabo San Lucas - the pedestrianized streets are lined with vendors selling children's toys, while fisherman are busy unloading, cooking up, and selling their catch of the day. Some children pass the time dangling their feet in the sea, while others are operating small motor boats throughout the marina. The town is invigorated at night, just like in Hvar, as ferry schedules enable youthful island-hoppers to arrive in Bol during the early evening, dance the night away, and depart for other destinations at 6:30 am. To us, however, Bol was about the simple pleasures - after all, what can possibly compete with a fisherman hauling fresh squid off the boat in tubs, tossing it into a frying vat, sprinkling it with lemon and sea salt, and selling it for less than £4.00 for a heaping plate?

As far as rest, relaxation, and sunshine was concerned - mission accomplished.

-B&B

"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop." - Ovid

Homeward Bound: #1

A fond farewell to Matt & Nicole, our Aussie friends,
who departed London earlier this week.

A MINI PROFILE

• Hometown: Sydney, Australia.
  
• Time lived in London: 15 months
  
• Our introduction: San Sebastian, Spain (Hospedaje Donosti B&B), May 31, 2010.
• Something we've shared: A love for tapas, both in London & San Sebastian.
• Something they've taught us: There is no such thing as too much travel, and good sushi does exist in London.
• Our newly acquired hand-me-down: A camping tent!
  
• Our next meeting place: Australia...
  

-B&B

"Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love; and then we return home." - Australian proverb

Lessons of All Sorts

From the amount of blog entries I post about our travels, I'm sure it's hard to believe that I do, in fact, work full-time! So, here's a bit of an update about my job front....

Since we returned from Italy in April, the official "summer term" (basically the third trimester) of the high school year began, running from April through July. My colleagues who are also part of the Transition Team gave me plenty of warning about summer term being the most hectic, but hectic was truly an understatement. As the British like to say, the past few months have been absolutely "mad." No day at my job is ever boring, sedentary, or the same as the day before. My record so far is visiting 4 schools in one day - walking or busing between each, eating my lunch en route.

In honor of my being "back in school," here are some of the lessons I've learned over the course of this term:

*****

Lesson #1) Multi-tasking is an understated art, and requires a genuine commitment to eating on the run

A small sample of my daily responsibilities over the past few months:

• Visiting 5 local primary schools, each at least once a week, to deliver whole classroom and small group workshops for the 6th graders, on issues related to the transition to high school - learning how to be organised, reading a timetable, making new friends, bullying and peer pressure, school rules and expectations, etc, complete with pre and post student evaluations (these workshops are geared to transition in general, regardless of where the students are going to attend high school)
  
• Visiting other primary schools in the borough (similar to a district in the U.S.), to meet and visit with specific 6th graders who have been identified as needing extra support through the transition to our high school (these meetings are specifically geared to students that will be coming to our high school in September)
• Meeting with teachers, special education coordinators, and social workers of 6th grade students, who will be transitioning to our high school
  
• Following-up with 7th graders at my high school, specifically those whose behaviour are being monitored by senior management staff - behaviour that has resulted in poor grades, strained relationships with teachers, and poor relationships with peers
• Co-facilitating a whole range of transition events at the high school (alongside my boss, who is the Manager of 7th, 8th, and 9th grade) - such events include personal interviews with the incoming 7th graders and their parents, induction mornings (when the new 7th graders spend a half day at the school in various lessons), and the parent information evening
  
• Planning ahead for September - outlining and designing groups and workshops for students, centered around self-esteem, social skills, conflict resolution, anger management, and healthy peer relationships. Groups with parents might be in the works as well.
  

*****

Lesson #2: A classroom has 4 walls, and sometimes
you just have to step outside the box

Two weeks ago, the student body and staff were off timetable for the entire week, and embarked on various field trips around and outside of the city (probably about 50+ field trips throughout the entire week in total). Given that all hands were needed, I too ventured off with the 7th graders, on their various trips throughout the week. Of all the trips, two in particular stood out for different reasons...

*****

Lesson #3: Teaching, protecting, and
managing pre-teens in public is not for the faint-hearted

THE LONDON CITY TRIP
On Tuesday of Interactive Learning Week, we took all 180 7th graders (in 3, separately-staffed groups of 60 pupils each) on a trip to London City, complete with a cruise on the River Thames, a tour on the London Eye, and a quick trip to Tate Modern Museum. This was definitely the most stressful trip of the week - imagine herding 60 12-year-olds on and off the tube (changing tube lines, no less), navigating through city streets, and trying to find the balance of allowing them to enjoy their day, while remaining safe in and respectful of the general public (eekk!). By the end of the day, I had my own small following of 7th grade girls completely enamoured by my American accent, and trying to practice their own (which came out sounding quite appalling - some sort of cross between relaxed surfer, deep southern drawl, and something Canadian). I quickly realised that their barrage of questions about America had nothing to do with actually learning the answers, and everything to do with just hearing me speak. Good fun indeed. Personally, having not yet been on a cruise of the Thames, or on the London Eye, this day was a learning, touristy experience for me as well. A few pics:

Views from the cruise on the River Thames:

Aerial Views from the London Eye

*****

Lesson #4: Like it or not, sometimes you have to get dirty to get real

THE RUSHALL FARM TRIP

On Thursday of Interactive Learning Week, we took all 180 7th graders on four big private coaches (combined as one huge group this time), and headed out to Rushall Farm, an organic farm about 90 minutes outside of London. This was, truly, one of the most amazing and eye-opening experiences I have had to date, while working with London's inner city youth. Initially, the entire farm experience was a bit overwhelming for many of the students - the smell of the farm, the animal poop on the ground, the hay flying around in the wind - not so popular at first. However, despite the rocky start, the remainder of the day was filled with meaningful conversations and revelations, ranging from quality of life on an organic farm, to my own American countryside upbringing (and for students whose sole understanding of America is Hollywood, the fact that farm animals even exist in California took some convincing on my part!). Some students saw sheep (in person) for the first time in their lives. Other students realised that products from KFC, and other similar fried chicken chains, actually come from live animals. By the end of the day, after we had hiked through the wooded area that surrounds the farm, made candles, tasted fresh honey, been pond dipping for bugs, and learned how to make charcoal, students were literally playing around inside the lamb pen. Being with the students, experiencing a day on a rural farm, was extremely rewarding, both personally and professionally - it provided me with deeper insight into the lives of the students at our school, and the very limited opportunities many have had to explore and conceptualise life outside of the city. It also made me nostalgic for rural Auburn, California, and grateful for the wide range of educational experiences I had growing up. One thing is for sure - some lessons just can't be learned in the classroom; few things replace first-hand experience and exploration.

*****

Lesson #5: Saying good-bye really is the hardest part

Last week was our End of Year Staff BBQ, and also staff farewell event, where we said goodbye to a handful of wonderful staff that will not be returning in September, one of whom (Kate, see pic below) has become a lovely friend of mine. Our staff lunch room tends to be a bit segregated (think Ross from Friends, and the museum lunch episode), forcing staff to sit in one of three areas - the science corner (dominated by the best couches in the room), the English corner (with a nice round table), or the general corner (where arts, PE, and social sciences have a mingle). As you can imagine, when I began my job in February, and didn't quite belong in any of the corners, lunch in the staff room was slightly anxiety-provoking, which is where Kate came in. A member of the art department for 3 years, she quickly invited me to join the general corner, and we've been fast friends ever since. I will definitely miss her at school in September, and as I have mentioned in previous blogs, such is the course of friendships in this town.

Oh, and for those of you that are a bit rusty on your Friends episodes...

*****

Lesson #6: Forget virtue - patience is an act of sheer heroism
when summer holidays are just around the corner

As of last Thursday, 22 July, 99% of the staff said their farewells, and took off for their summer holidays. But, for myself, my boss, and a select few of the truly dedicated, summer school started today - one last week of work until the holiday. The summer school program exists solely for the incoming 7th graders, who are partaking in various lessons, sports events, dance, and a couple of educational workshops led by yours truly; looks like I'll be able to tack teaching on to my resume :). So, 4 more days...and counting. Then Bryan and I will squeeze in a farewell dinner for our Aussie friends on Saturday (the couple that we met in San Sebastian) - followed by drinks with one of Bryan's high school friends on a stopover for the night, and then we jet off to Croatia on Sunday to recharge our batteries. Until then....

Love you all!

-B

"But Miss, if you lived out in the country when you were young, how did you buy clothes?" - One of my 7th grade students

Escape to the Seaside

Combine temperatures in the upper 80's, absolutely no air conditioning (in our flat, at work, on the buses, on the tubes), and a shoe-box sized flat, and the result is some sweltering sleepless nights, lots of sweating, and difficulty getting dressed professionally for work. Yup, we're in the thick of a HOT London summer. So, this past weekend we escaped the big, hot city (and more specifically, our boiling flat), and headed for Worthing & Brighton, on the southern coast of England.

After a quick 80-minute train ride from London, Friday evening after work, we arrived in Worthing, a quiet, small seaside town with a charming city centre, vast stretches of unpopulated pebble beaches, simple beach-side cafes, and excellent restaurants. We stayed for both nights in Worthing at a lovely B&B, about 2 blocks from the beach, and a 10-minute walk from the centre of town. After feasting on excellent Mediterranean food Friday evening, we woke up Saturday morning and took the bus into Brighton. A rather popular tourist destination, Brighton has a bit of an East Coast beach town feel - pebble beaches, salty sea breezes, wooden piers, all types of fresh seafood for sale, tarot card and palm readers, and of course, the typical beach boardwalk - shops, restaurants, candy stands, art exhibits, and lots of people! We found Brighton to be most suitable for shopping, people-watching, and absorbing the boardwalk atmosphere, a bit reminiscent of the movie "Big."

We returned to Worthing on Saturday evening, to get dressed up, go out to a nice dinner, and celebrate Bryan's new job! We had a relaxing drink at a cafe on the end of the Worthing Pier, sauntered across the street to a quaint Italian restaurant, and enjoyed a delicious 3-course Italian meal on an outdoor patio, with an unobstructed view of the beach. Over a celebratory bottle of wine, we had an opportunity to slow down and relax - time without the television (think World Cup!), without talks of jobs (Brandina's job being so busy at the moment, Bryan in the midst of the new job learning curve), and time without computers (and the never-ending online to-do list).

A few pics from our escape...

Busy & Vibrant Brighton

Quiet & Quaint Worthing

Hope you are all enjoying your summer, wherever you are! Cheers!
-B&B

"I'm going to go away on vacation, I'm going to try to get away from the phone, away from scripts. I think it's important to sit back and think about what you want." - Parker Stevenson