Sunday Supplements (and Sunday Puppy too)

This is her Grumpy Cat impression

EATING/DRINKING

This week I've been living on homemade smoothies, chorizo and melba toast. Not a bad diet if you ask me.

WATCHING

Eurovision - The Eurovision Song Contest is uniquely European. The only way I could explain it to my American family is that it's like the Superbowl, but with terrible pop music instead of sport. I'm going to have to do a full post on this one I think!

ADMIRING

Hybrid Animals - Bizarre, funny, but fantastic Photoshop skills. I have to admire!

READING

 

I've been reading The Great Gatsby on my morning commutes, amidst all the super-fun SEO, web design and marketing books I've been reading lately. Fabulous. What have you been up to this week? I must confess I haven't done much blog reading lately!

The Great GLadley

Sometimes I just make myself laugh, that's all.

But also I was told that when I moved to America I'd have to learn to sell myself. That is, be able to toot my own horn about my skills and achievements. Apparently Brits are too good at the humble brag and Americans don't get it. If I say I'm no good at something then my US peers are more likely to take it at face value than assume I'm just being modest. Oops.

So I pulled this funky little graphic together on Saturday and sat for a good long while laughing at my own joke. There's so much wrong with it technically (I mean, look at the font I used for "the great" for a start), but hey, that's ok. I'm proud of it!

A while ago I taught myself how to use Illustrator. I also taught myself how to use Inkscape, which is the open source equivalent. Originally nobody cared that I could use Inkscape, although they might now that Adobe is dropping Creative Suite and pushing Creative Cloud onto everyone (Inkscape is free, Adobe is not-free). About half the stuff I do on my blog is Illustrator, the other is Inkscape. Can you tell the difference? Probably not, right?

For a while I've wanted to make Mondays on this blog about all the cool stuff I'm interested in: media, social and online media, culture and cultural policy. You can see February and March's related posts. This blog was never really going to be exclusively about me and my husband (even though he's kinda cool): We just don't bake/craft like those other lifestyle bloggers do, sorry. But you knew that already, right?

Don't worry, there's be the usual expat chat, photos and the occasional recipe (maybe). Sunday Puppy will come back too, I was just distracted by another project at the weekend, which I'll tell you about soon because I think it's pretty great.

Strange things expats do: Get denied for store credit cards

I recently experienced the shame of being denied for a JC Penney's store card.

It was harsh. I feel unloveable. But I know it wasn't their fault. It's my fault. It's not them, it's me. I need to change.

I don't exist. To the credit bureau, that is.

Despite my amazing credit rating in the UK (paying off my student overdraft, paying bills on time, that jazz), that means diddly squat here in the USA. Expats like me end up in the annoying situation of having no credit rating. At all. And in the USA you need credit. You just do.

And everyone knows that to get a credit rating you need credit, and to get credit you need a credit rating. Fun, huh?

I knew this was an issue for expats, but for some reason I thought it wouldn't happen to me. Until I got banned from Amazon Payments. Banned!

That in itself is a real bummer because their customer service is terrible and they wouldn't tell me why and won't even let me access my account to shut it down. But that's a while other story I'll rant about another time.

I'd heard that getting a store card was one way for expats to build credit, but when JC Penney (very politely) denied me I realized I only really have one option.

Capital One has a Secured Credit Card for "newcomers" - ie expats and immigrants. It's secured by a pre-payment, and seemingly designed for people who don't exist according the federal credit bureau.

This isn't an advert or affiliate link, I'm actually really hesitant to get this card because I've read mixed reviews.

Do any of my expat readers have any other solutions? How did you start to build credit?

Strange things expats do: Confuse ticket agents on public transport

I'm pretty adept at traveling, especially on public transport.

I've navigated the London tube, the Barcelona metro, le metro a Paris, the DC system, Boston's T, trams in Prague, ferries to remote Scottish islands, Malta's emblematic buses from the 1950s, and local train services in Eastern Slovakia (using a bumbling mix of Slovak, German and Russian). I have never been to Asia yet (would love to) but I'm confident in my worldliness.

I can get about. I actually enjoy those moments in the first hours of arriving in a new country - wandering around like a bemused toddler, trying to figure out how the world works. Spending far too long struggling with ticket machines in transport stations and annoying lines of commuters behind you. Getting stared down by locals who know you have no clue what you're doing, especially when you get off a train and cross the platform to go back the other way, oops.

But when you move somewhere it's different. There's more pressure. You don't get the cover of being a pesky tourist. You need to start acting like a local. Stat.

So imagine my embarrassment yesterday: I stumbled to the ticket booth in a morning daze to get the train to Philly. I murmured politely, blithely, "Discovery Ticket please."

"What ma'am?"

"Discovery Ticket please."

And it dawned on me. I had made an expat faux pas.

Every city has an unlimited pass, sure. In Philadelphia it's the Independence Pass, with its nice Love Park motif.

Discovery ticket? That's Glasgow. You know, that city I keep comparing to Philly? The words had just slipped out, like it had for six years previously. Same nonchalant intonation.

Facepalm.

I know this is a minor trip of the tongue, but it is one of those many little things I really have to concentrate on when I'm doing. I have to reprogram my reflexes, use an extra braincell or two when the coffee hasn't quite kicked in yet. And when it happens it's like a sad reminder I'm not quite a seasoned local yet.

I corrected myself, paid, and slinked away in my own personal humiliation of trying to pretend I'm cool and know what I'm doing in America's funkiest city.

Sunday Supplements (and Sunday Puppy too)

 

Hey look at this - a cellphone special. I don't just take photos with an old beat-up DSLR. I do take photos with my cellphone, but I haven't quite dipped my toe into the Instagram pool yet. That may well change soon as I'm excited about using Instagram (and Vine) for some social media marketing purposes, not for me exactly, but I sense that might happen too… Tell me your thoughts on photo-sharing-socialite-marketing.

EATING/DRINKING

Rittenhouse fayre  - I attended the Philadelphia Art Alliance's annual fundraiser this week, formerly the Wetherill Ball and now re-branded as Spring at the Mansion. It was a sumptuous and bright affair, but this is the only photo I took:

This is Instagram fodder, right?

WATCHING

Portlandia - I think this show appeals to that certain kind of hipster who understands the whole premise of the sketches but isn't too hip to be able to laugh at one's self. And I'm not sure how I feel about being one of those people.

ADMIRING

Never Give Up: Covers of the Postal Service - found through Mooreaseal. As per my 'watch' of this week and all the stereotypes I embody, I really enjoy the name, purpose and sound of this EP. Always love a good cover of Such Great Heights.

READING

Across the Pond: Planning ahead - Fellow expat blogger Meg captures the essence of being Gen Y as she plans to move back from the UK (Glasgow, no less) to the USA. I felt exactly the same a year ago as I quit my job and planned my move, so this post really struck me.

Postcards from Rachel: The Trouble with moving  - Expat diaries host Rachel writes a slightly unintentionally hilarious account of having a meltdown from trying too hard not to appear like an identity thief.

To talk of manufacturing - Katherine from Of Corgis and Cocktails does it again with this account of why it's good to buy Made in the USA, even if it's more expensive. This is something I struggle with as a consumer, and hence why I did a few 'fashion' posts focusing on thrift, not just 'fast-fashion'.

Tell me what you've been up to, what you've read, and especially your thoughts on what works and doesn't with photo-sharing. I'd love to hear it all.

Time, Travel and Time Capsules: Keep, delete, or bury?

To anyone who's ever moved, travelers and expats especially, there comes a moment of sorting through the 'stuff' that represents your life, and deciding what to keep, delete, or bury.

Yes, bury!

After my recent post linking to the beautiful 100 year old time capsule, my own mum got in touch to tell me that she's been inspired to bury a time capsule. She asked me for suggestions of what to put in it, and even asked me to put out requests over social media for suggestions.

So I did. 

And the responses were fascinating.

What started as a list of items such as "photos of the local area" and "pictures of family" became a short debate over what format should go in a time capsule. Some people said only include hard copies of photographs and paper materials, others suggested hard drives, old laptops, video footage, etc.

Which is going to last longer and be most relevant in 100 years?

It reminded me of when I was packing to move to the USA for good. I sorted through all the stuff that I'd accumulated and the memories that it held, knowing I only had limited shipping space. I ended up packing an old VHS of a Snoopy movie, even though VHS is obsolete, I'm not sure the video still works, and it definitely doesn't work in the USA anyway. I just couldn't part with it.

We humans are funny and emotional like that. We like to hoard things that we think represent ourselves. And we do it online too. How many pins do you have on Pinterest for example? Or how many photos on Facebook? How many of your blog posts are going to matter to you in 50 years?

Some people think that we should regularly delete elements of our past, and that the internet is detrimental to our need to forget. I'm not sure I agree.

First of all, I think it's important to keep mementos of our past and present. When I worked on a project helping baby boomers set up healthy aging initiatives, so many of them were concerned with memories and reminiscence. Our memories are important, and they keep our brain healthy. Cool apps like the Museum of Me (which creates a visual museum from your Facebook page) could be really useful to help us look back, but could even help to delay forgetfulness in old age.

Secondly, digital is not quite as permanent as we think. Sure, the Way Back When machine is archiving the internet, and the Library of Congress is archiving Twitter, but formats get corrupted or deleted, and new technologies come along. Old film prints are slowly deteriorating and without funding to transfer them to new formats, we're slowly losing bits of history.

So when it comes to my mum's time capsule, should I put my Facebook wall on CD, or print it out? Should I send back my dated Snoopy VHS and put that in too?

This is probably not the kind of debate that would take place 100 years ago. It would be funny if the time capsule only contained emails, Facebook posts and this blog post discussing what should go into a time capsule, and nothing else. Imagine 100 years from now, digging up the most annoyingly post-modern time capsule ever!

What useless thing did you keep with you when you moved or traveled somewhere new? 
What would you put in a time capsule? What should my mum put in her time capsule? 
How will you feel in 50 years looking back at your old Facebook timeline?

Sunday Supplements (and Sunday Puppy too)

 It has been a good week (except for the Sunday Puppy who had to get annual shots and peed on the vet). After this bountiful and beautiful spring I'm suddenly excited about what the rest of 2013 will bring. 

I've also sneaked in an expat Q & A at the bottom of this post, it's another expat link up with some other wonderful expat bloggers, so be sure to check them all out!

EATING/DRINKING

Wings and Margaritas -  Honey Chipotle wings washed down with fruity frozen drink makes for a fun Friday evening.

Chicken Chasni - My first attempt at this authentic Glasgow curry was an overwhelming success. I'll share soon, I promise!

WATCHING

The Hour  - completely underrated noir 1950s drama set in the corridors of BBC studios. Totally overshadowed by Upstairs Downstairs and Downton Abbey.

ADMIRING

Time Capsule from 1913 - 100 year-old memories and artifacts uncovered in this wonderful series of photos. If there's only one link you follow today, make it this one.

READING

What not to do in England - I love Rhyme and Ribbon's regular expat feature 'What Not To Do' because they're all no-brainers for me and I love seeing an American's perception of British culture. This one is about pub culture.

EXPAT Q & A - Season and Culture changes!

 

1. What was your favorite season back home and is it the same now; why or why not? 
My favorite season back home (Scotland) is Summer because the sky barely gets dark. Look at Scotland on an atlas and you'll realize it's as north as Canada. During the solstice the sky goes dark blue, but never black.

Here in midatlantic USA though, it has to be Spring. The temperature is perfect, the sun is bright, and the blossoms are beautiful. All for a fleeting moment before the oppressive summer weather sets in!

2. Is there a place you would want to move to based solely on the weather?
I think I'm there! Anywhere New England/Mid-Atlantic is perfect because there are four defined seasons. It sounds nuts but I feel very in tune right now!

3. What is a piece an article of clothing that you had to buy for your new home due to the weather? i.e. galoshes, winter coat, etc
More summer garments, especially professional wear. I had no idea what people in the USA wore to work and meetings when the weather is 90F.

4. Have you found the weather stereotypes of your new home to be true?
Yes. Spring is amazing, summer is stunning, and Sandy was a little frightening.

5. Is there somewhere you would never live based solely on the weather?
I hate to say it, but the Deep South. I don't think I could handle having only one season, where my thick curly hair becomes a hot wet hostage to the humidity.

6. What are you looking forward to most this spring?
Getting stuck into my new job and spending more time outside again.

7. Where you live, what is your go to outfit for spring?
Uuuuh. I'm actually at a bit of a loss because this Spring has swung from 90F - 50F and it's been hard to keep track of what to wear. Jeans/blouse and short dresses with tights have seemed to work so far.

8. What is one thing or event that you miss that happens back home at this time of the year?
I really miss seeing newborn lambs jumping around the fields.

9. If your hubs could bring home a bouquet of any type of flower, what you pick?
I'm not picky! He's traditional though, so it'd be roses or lilies.

10. What does your perfect Saturday look like?
Coffee in my PJs and watching a show with my hubs in a late morning followed by a trip to a local Mennonite plant nursery and flower shop, and a drive through the country. Back home for bread making and curry making. That's actually how we spent yesterday, and it was lovely.  

Bonus:  Are there any special holidays in your new country in the month of May?
Cinco De Mayo (not strictly American of course), and Memorial Day Weekend, which is actually our wedding anniversary, and although it's our second one this year, it's the first we'll spend together. So that's very exciting.