Blog Archives
You know you’re back in America when …
Katrina Witt/Getty Images
I enjoyed reading this “You know you’re back in America when …” posted to the Matador Network.
If you’ve ever lived abroad for any amount of time, this will appreciate these – for me, I remember vividly being struck by #1, #3 and #15 after spending my first few months in the U.K. and then returning to California for Christmas.
What’s your best “You know you’re back in America when …” tell-tale sign?
Numbers confuse Americans
It’s a simple fact. Numbers confuse Americans in the U.K. Watch and see!
Thanks to @ukyankeedotcom for the lead!
BritWeek Festival event tomorrow!
If you’re in San Francisco tomorrow, be sure to pop by Union Square! BritWeek, an annual celebration of UK creativity and innovation in California which takes place May 3-11, will kick off with a day of fun and British-themed festivities including a BritArt gallery, live music, theater, entertainment and a typical British beer garden serving British beers and Pimm’s cocktails from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event is presented by British Airways.
For more information, visit http://current.britweek.org/san-francisco-events.
Interview with author Pauline Wiles
Pauline Wiles
I’ve had the privilege of meeting some delightful anglophiles and expats online through my blog – like Pauline Wiles. Pauline is a Brit by birth, but has since settled in the San Francisco Bay Area. Last week, she released her first published novel – “Saving Saffron Sweeting,” which is a quarter finalist in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.
I asked her a few questions about her British homeland, her love of writing and this American life. Here’s what she had to say:
Q: What prompted your move to the States?
A: My husband was working for a U.S. tech company in the U.K. They re-organized his area and an opportunity at head office came up. I was miserable in my job at the time, so moving to the San Francisco area was an easy decision!
Q: What do you miss most about British life?
A: Apart from friends and family, silly things like National Trust houses and their tearooms, John Lewis, the BBC and bonfire night. And many unhealthy foodie items, of course. It’s no coincidence that most of those found their way into my book.
Q: What do you love most about American life?
A: We’re lucky to live near the San Francisco Bay where the climate is wonderful and being outdoors is a joy. Since moving here I’ve definitely become more active and healthy. San Francisco is a great city to have on our doorstep: whenever I’m there, I have to pinch myself to believe I’m a local.
Q: Tell me about “Saving Saffron Sweeting.”
A: The very short description would be: Leaving her cheating husband in California and fleeing home to England seemed like the obvious choice for Grace, but putting her life back together in the charming village of Saffron Sweeting isn’t as simple as she’d assumed.
How I became an anglophile
“I haven’t always been the tea-drinking, Boden-shopping, Bond-watching anglophile that you see before you. In fact, my first 19 years were spent in relative ignorance of British culture and customs.
My knowledge didn’t extend beyond Princess Diana’s latest designer dress and what I could gather from “Are You Being Served” reruns on PBS.
But everything changed my junior year of college when I took part in a study abroad program in the U.K.”
And so begins, my first guest blog post, published this week, on another blog — SmittenbyBritain.com, another great site dedicated to anglophiles. I’m so excited to share this with all of you!
Check out my blog post “How One American Became an Anglophile” and have a wonderful weekend!
2011 Pressie Guide … Tomorrow!
Don’t forget to return here tomorrow for Britrish.com’s 2011 Pressie Guide, my top 10 gift picks for the pickiest of anglophiles (and their kids)!
