Quips from Kay

 I must say, just because we Americans have a basic language in common with the British doesn't make us able to comprehend what one or the other is saying or what signs mean. After I had been in England for about a month I realized the communication problem was much like what my Brazilian friend said. "She been over here for years and she still don't spik so good de English" I asked about a train to a village called Claygate and the guard told me to take the one "viyahCobham". I thought that was yet another town I had to go through. When I got off the train I saw a sign that said "WAY OUT".  At first I thought it was some leftover hippie description of the place but soon discovered it was the exit. If they want to tell you about a great "scheme", which to us Yanks sounds like some nefarious plan, it's not that, it's just a plan they think is great. If you order streaky bacon, it's like ours with fat running through it. Just ba...

 I want to share some more about my trip to England and this time it will be about the British Museum. First I have to tell you that I was very proud of myself when I went because I bought my train ticket to Waterloo Station in downtown London. Got on the correct platform, got the correct train and got to the station just fine. Got off, inserted my ticket into the little gate thingy that pops it right out on the other side, went through the gate and found the ATM my son-in-law had told me about. Then I marched myself right out the correct door and got in a queue (that's what they call a line) for the taxi and told the driver to take me to the British Museum. So much traffic and so many people! When I arrived I was "gobsmacked" (another British phrase) by the size and beauty of the museum. I bought a map which is absolutely necessary unless you intend to just to stand in the middle of the rotunda with your mouth hanging open. I saw artifacts from Crete, Cyprus and Rhodes w...

 On September 23, 2020, I wrote about some of my experiences on my first trip to England, and today I found some things I'd like to add to that so here goes. I mentioned in that previous writing that I got confused about the bus schedule back to my daughter's neighborhood. Well, bus schedules are not the only thing I get confused about. One day I worked up enough nerve to take a train to Claygate, a small town that my son-in-law had recommended so he dropped me off at Effingham Station telling me what train to take, helping me buy a ticket and settling me down on a bench to wait. I got on the train, "minding the gap" of course, and after several stops I realized that they had not announced Claygate but instead kept saying that this train was going to Waterloo Station! DOWNTOWN LONDON! I called my son-in-law and he said just get off and get back on the train to Effingham Station and pay attention to the train to Claygate. (here I am tempted to call it F....ingham) I di...