addicted...

So there is nothing like leaving the comfort zone of home to make you realize to what types of things you are addicted. Now, those of you who know me well will know that without question, I miss my chips and salsa. No shock to anyone there. But there are other things I miss, and I didn't realize how much I depended on these comfort items until I got away from them. Here are a few things I miss:
1.) microwave popcorn and m&m's
2.) shoes (i brought 2 pair and have already bought 2 pair)
3.) sweater/jacket (it's so freakin' cold here and i didn't bring enough warm clothes because it was 95+ degrees in TX!
4.) my car (i love using public transport -- but it takes quite a chunk of time out of one's day... how spoiled am i??)
5.) dryers (for hair and clothes... but I can get ready to go in a much shorter time here, even if my clothes are a bit crispy..)
6.) cooking my own food ("WHAT??" some of you exclaim -- "you don't cook at all anyway!" But I DO make food at my house and am quite tired of eating out or eating sandwiches all the time).
7.) free refills on sodas.
8.) limitless computer access and wireless access (that's why my posts are so few and far between -- i often don't have access to a computer..)
9.) being warm
10.) town lake/baby a's margaritas & chips/salsa

Now all the things above are totally unneccesary things, and I've survived perfectly well here without them. It's just been interesting to note how much I take for granted and how spoiled I am. It's been an eye-opening experience.

But there are also things I love about being in London and that I will miss when I come back to Austin:
1.) Riding the tube (it's ALWAYS an adventure of some sort..)
2.) walking EVERYWHERE (i have eaten more ice cream and cookies here than I EVER eat at home and actually have lost a couple of pounds simply because we walk so much)
3.) international influences (soooooo many people here from so many countries -- over 300 languages spoken here and i think i've heard at least 20 in the last few weeks... Also, the food choices are endless)
4.) cool looking, colorful money with pictures of folks like Elgar, and Darwin on it (and I love the sound of the change clinking together -- it sounds different from our money)
5.) fashion (I have seen so many interesting fashions here...)
6.) English game shows (many games around vocabulary and word-smithing)
7.) news programs that give a world-perspective (how much have those in the states heard about all the EU stuff?? It's a huge thing and here we hear about lots of countries -- not just England.)
8.) packed parks (on sunny days EVERYONE comes and sits in a square nearby... it's like a community even though folks often keep to themselves.
9.) Waterstone's Bookshop. (oh my gosh i love this shop)
10.) being out of my comfort zone (i learn things and think about things i'd never noticed before, simply because i'm out of my comfort zone).

So we've a few more weeks here and around Europe, and I will enjoy them. But it will be both a joy and a sadness to come home.

socialist and capitalist

Okay so I'm not really going to wax eloquent on socialism and capitalism here (mainly because it would become quickly apparent how gormless I am on such subjects) but we did have a bit of an introduction to the differences between the US version of social services and the UK/EU version of social services just the other day. (This is where you might want to jump off ... it could be terribly boring and dull to read any further, but I want to include not just sight-seeing stuff, but also learning stuff.)

So we went to Oxford the other day (quite a lovely town) and we were given a lecture there (and cookies and tea -- which we all promptly scarfed down..) about the UK/EU social aid services (particularly to workers and concerning health care). It was a fascinating talk because I began to realize how very isolated are my understandings of social services in countries other than the US. For example, because of the EU, there can be a transfer services, goods, people, and capital from country to country. This means you can go buy a case of wine in France and bring it back to England with no customs tax (as long as you aren't going to sell it). Now that has little to do with social services, you say,but the same is true for things like health care as well. For example, we were told the story of an Italian who went to work in Germany (legally -- imagine if it were true between Mexico and US...), went back to Italy to visit family on his six week vacation and got sick at the end of the vacation. The German company paid for his healthcare in Italy and was required (there was a lawsuit, but the guy won) to allow the person to have paid sick leave (also a perk of the German system) in Italy while he recovered. We also learned about the differences of 3 types of citizenship (as outlined by T.H. Marshall -- i think) including 1.) liberal citizenship (protects you from the state -- the state cannot steal from you); 2.) political citizenship (voting rights, free speech, right to demonstrate, etc); 3.) social citizenship (giving all a decent standard of living). The point made was that the third one has to be in place before the first two types of citizenship can TRULY occur. I wonder, do we have that third type of citizenship -- i mean really have it for all -- in our country??

We also learned about how countries like Denmark and Sweden have a much higher percentage of public social assistance expenditure (based on GDP) than the US. I'm reminded of the movie "Elling" (which is quite funny by the way -- you should really rent it because it's much more interesting than the rambling I'm doing here) in which two mentally challenged (what is the PC term??) men find their way in the world after being given an apartment upon their release from a mental facility (it's set in one of those Scandinavian countries..). I remember watching that movie and thinking, "Wow, they have their own apartment furnished by the government!"

Of course it is much more complex than this, but it has really set me to thinking about our own way of doing/running things in the states and our own issues with truly serving all people. I'm really thinking about how many folks in the US do not have healthcare or adequate social services. I'm thinking about how it would be possible to ensure everyone services in a capitalist society which seems to shudder at even a whisper of any kind of socialist bent (take note of all the voucher stuff in education... what some say is the last socialist institution in US). Not that EU countries don't have their own issues, but it is interesting to begin learning about the differences.

i still have TONS to learn...

a museum

In continuation to the previous post, I visited a museum today called 19 Princelet Street. You walk through the Spitalfields area, down Brick Lane past the zillion deliciously inviting Bangladeshi and Indian restaurants and shops, turn onto a tiny lane called Princelet Street and there you are. It's a museum celebrating diversity and they are only open to the public for certain periods of time as they try to raise money for operating expenses. I know some of you are travelling here, and it's an interesting spot (and has a room -- though now closed -- upon which the book "Rudinsky's Room" was based) that tells the stories of the various immigrant populations who have lived and worked in the house and the surrounding areas for the last 380+ years. The next public dates are to be June 19-27, 12pm-7pm, free admission with donations encouraged. They partnered with local school children, artists, poets, historians to develop some of the simple exhibits -- and believe you me, I've some great ideas for my own classroom (if I ever get a job, that is). The website is 19princeletstreet.org.uk. Check it out! :)