American Football = the real football?

The Superbowl parties are finally upon us, but for those Canadians & Americans in the UK, watching the Superbowl can be a real challenge.

Help your fellow ex-pats out by sharing where you’re watching the Superbowl in the UK this weekend.  Leave your comments below!

And if you’re rooting for one team over another, share your allegiance here too.

So this is my final call out to fellow bloggers – especially Canadian & American bloggers who are living anywhere in the UK.  If you want this blog to keep going, and you think you have something to add – please send me a sample blog post to victoria AT classroomcanada DOT com.  If I don’t renew www.canadiansintheuk.com by February 4th, it goes out to the world as a domain for sale.

I’ll post your article, with a brief bio & your headshot & even link back to your blog if you like.  I’m happy to post for you!  I just don’t want this blog to die a miserable blogger death.  But I am producing independent movies these days, while also running Classroom Canada while also doing workshops, seminars & workshops across North America. Help!

Thanks all. I really do love the fact that you still keep coming back here.  Makes me realize how much of a community of expats we really do have in the UK.

Dear Victoria,

I am writing to you from The Garden Productions, an independent production company founded last year by the team who made the BAFTA award-winning series One Born Every Minute and more recently, 24 Hours in A&E on Channel 4.

We are currently making an exciting new documentary series for Channel 4 about love, and are looking to talk to couples where one person is planning to make a big change in their life to be with their partner, for example relocating to the UK from abroad.    This intelligent and sensitive series will reflect relationships throughout a lifetime – from the first kiss to the final farewell and everything else in between.

We are trying to spread the word as widely as possible and as people from North America that are planning to relocate to the UK may well visit your ‘Canadians and Americans in the UK’ blog, I wondered if it might be possible to mention

our search so anyone interested can get in touch with us direct?  I’ve attached a flyer which outlines who we are looking to talk to and includes some contact details.

Any help you could offer is much appreciated.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,

Anna

Are you changing your life for love? Are you leaving your home, family, or friends to be with your partner?

The BAFTA award-winning team at The Garden Productions in the UK is making a new
documentary series for Channel 4 about love and relationships.

We are looking to talk to people who are planning to make a big change in their life to be with their partner.  Perhaps you are relocating to the UK from another country?
Maybe you’re changing your lifestyle or giving up something important?

Whatever your story we would like to hear from you.

Please email anna.dangoor@thegardenproductions.tv or call Anna on (44) 020 7645 3324  to find out more.

Calling does not oblige you to take part in the series.

We have quite a few Canadian and American readers who move to London to be with their partners, so I hope a few take part in this unique opportunity.  Please spread the word to others as well.

Check it out:

If you are currently looking for or have recently bought a home abroad, we would like to put your story on TV!

Our hit show is looking for energetic individuals, couples and families to share their story about moving abroad and buying a home. Participating in our show is a lot of fun and a great way to document your exciting search for a home and new life abroad. Contributors should be fluent in English.

If you are interested in participating with our show or learning more, please send an email to househunterscasting@leopardfilms.com. Please include your contact information, the locations you are moving from and to, and a picture of your family and your property.

How cool is that?  I  watch the show, and must say, if I was buying a house in England, I’d put myself forward for sure.  If you do, please let us know so we can be sure to tune in & watch your episode.

Oh boy. Hallowe’en in England.  Just what’s that aboot eh?  Watch the video above, it’s worth getting past the annoying advertisement to hear this kid (with a very strong accent I might add! Listen carefully) explain what really happens in England on Hallowe’en.  He uses a whole bunch of typical British slang, so if you don’t understand anything, leave a comment below & I’ll try to translate into American or Canadian English for you.  But do watch. Because it’s funny.

Anyway, back to the reason for this post.

I just received this email from one of my Canadian teachers in London with Classroom Canada, the Teacher Recruitment Company that helps teachers move to work in London, England.  Ilona wants to invite all the Americans & Canadians in London to celebrate Hallowe’en:

Hi Victoria,
I wanted to send this invite/message along to you because it’s a big social event for Halloween that is put on by a huge club with DJ’s including an old friend of mine from Toronto. He’s a photographer, who got into DJ stuff 5 years ago and lives here in London-has been here for 7 years.

It will be a huge party!

Tickets are 13 pounds, it’s at a huge venue-700 people capacity and is a Halloween costume ball that runs all night.

So here’s the link:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=139366856099731&ref=ts
Please let me know what you think…
Thought it might be something interesting for Canadians & Americans in London missing Halloween

I actually arrive in London on Hallowe’en but will be terribly jetlagged after being in Austin (for the Austin Film Festival - how lucky am I?), then Chicago for 24 hours to see some good friends, then eventually I’ll land in London.  So, I’ll probably skip the event myself, but you never know – I could get a burst of energy & want to be out dancing in a costume all night.

If you go, please let us know and send some photos of the event so we can share them here. I love Hallowe’en, and I have to say, it’s not that great in London because the Brits just don’t celebrate it the way we do.  When I was teaching in one school in London, I had a colleague tell me that Hallowe’en was devil-worship (no joke!) and that I couldn’t do anything in my classroom for it.  Seriously, the Brits just don’t get why we’d all want to dress up & eat candy.  And sadly, some folks in England have really taken the whole “trick or treat” thing far too seriously.  Watch that video above & see what I mean…

So, given the opportunity to get dressed in a silly costume & dance with other American & Canadian expats in London for Hallowe’en – I’m all over it.  Have fun everyone!

For all those Canadians in the UK this weekend:  have a fabulous Thanksgiving!  Let me know if you manage to find any pumpkin pie…yummmmm….

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

Canadian Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so if you’re a Canadian living in the UK then you’re probably trying to figure out how you’ll find pumpkin pie and turkey. 

Well, look no further my friends. I just received an email from the Maple Leaf Pub Team in London about Canadian thanksgiving and thought you’d like to read it too:

As I’m sure all of you know, Canadian Thanksgiving in on Monday 11th October! Rather than having our traditional Monday Wing Night, we will be holding a very special Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner the evening of the 11th! If you will be missing Mom’s delicious Turkey this year, please come and join us at The Maple Leaf, and give ours a try!
We will be having two sittings, one at 6:30pm and the next at 8:30pm. Each sitting will last two hours. For only £12 a person, you will receive a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and a piece of pumpkin pie for dessert! And of course the company of many other Canadians! What could be better on Thanksgiving?!
If you would like to join us for this event, PLEASE call us and book a table ASAP as we are expecting this event to be very popular! Ring us on 020 7240 2843 to book a table. Hope to see you here!

- The Maple Leaf Team

LUNIDEA, a Franco-Canadian production, has an offer for you to attend their wonderful show «Once Upon a Thames» for a short run only at the West End Leicester square theatre, 6 Leicester Place WC2H, London, between 15 and 17 October 2010 before touring Europe.
…
One of the highlights of the show is the sand animation live performance, which is an absolutely amazing form of art, originally from Canada! A well-known Canadian filmmaker Caroline Leaf who invented it, has been collaborating with the production!

OFFER TO THE CANADIAN COMMUNITY
A £5 discount on each ticket purchased. Please see attached the flyer explaining how to purchase the tickets using the promotional code « WALLY ». The number of seats at a discounted price is limited by the theatre, so hurry up, don’t miss the opportunity!

In addition, to the first 20 who send their names and date to victoria@lunidea.com, a glass of (excellent ) wine is offered at the bar of the theatre and the opportunity to attend an after show cocktails with the artists (offer available only Sat 16 Oct and Sun 17 Oct nights).It is also an opportunity to get together with your fellow Canadian friends!

«Once Upon a Thames», an enchanting twenty-first century fairytale based on the shared emotions of millions of around the world who watched the plight of a stranded whale in the river Thames in January 2006. It promises audiences an unforgettable theatrical experience, on the edge between laughter and tears, using innovative ideas and performance concepts to tap into an emotional thread as old as time itself.
This powerfully emotional production has brought together top artists in a unique array of art forms. From the French side has come the original idea of the show, the enchanting music, a touching mime, one of the best students of Marcel Marceau and a stunning live sand animation artist. From the British side there is a wonderful young dancer, an angel voice singer signed Warner Chappell and a well-known journalist starring…as the Journalist

For more info: www.lunidea.com

I remember when that whale was found in the River Thames. What a crazy day!  If you go to see this performance, please let us know how it is.

Questions? Comments? Other events to share with Americans & Canadians in the UK?  Please leave your thoughts below.  Comments keep us writing!

London River Thames At Night

The London 2012 Olympics have opened up the applications for volunteers already.  Have you signed up yet?  I signed up right away, and am excited to see if I actually get selected.  I won’t get a free flight from Canada, nor will I get free accommodations, but I know I will enjoy the experience 100% and then some more.  You see, I was here in Victoria, British Columbia during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and missed out on all of it.  Yup, I never got off Vancouver Island.  Pathetic right?

So, I’m not missing out next time!  I plan on volunteering as much as possible to get in on all the action of the Olympics!

For Americans & Canadians moving to London (or just thinking about how awesome that city is),  volunteering seems to be the best way to get involved.  It’s easy to make new friends, crash on acquaintances’ couches and see the games from up close.  That’s my plan anyway.

Hopefully, you will join me!  I hope so. I’m going to need a couch to crash on. And a friend to have a pint with at the end of the day.  Who’s with me?

Here’s Kristin’s very first blog post for “Canadians & Americans in the UK” blog:

Shopping in London

If you’ve recently relocated to London, chances are you won’t be shopping with much of a budget to speak of (if you’re lucky enough to have a “quid” to your name at all).  Even if budget is limited, London has great shopping options- and even better browsing. Of course, shopping isn’t limited to just clothing- London is also home to amazing food markets, furniture stores, and any other category imaginable!
One of the most fun places to explore is Borough Market.  This food market is home to excellent fresh seafood, meats, produce, artisan-crafted prepared foods, and even cheap lunch! A couple of tips: try the fire-melted raclette with pickle for a decadent lunch and go at Christmas time- it’s positively a page out of Dickens!
Different neighborhoods in London offer very different shopping vibes. Join the well-heeled shoppers of Chelsea on Kings Road for a variety of shops including names familiar to Americans (Anthropologie and Gap) and those with a distinctly British flair (Cath Kidson and Jigsaw). Recommended shops of interest are Bluebird (trend-right mix of designer clothing, tasty restaurant, and spa) and Designer Guild (the print-mixing interiors store filled with modern furniture, wallpaper and bed and bath decor designed by Tricia Guild). These might fall into the “just browsing” category for most of us, but they are great fun nonetheless!

 In Notting Hill, the famous Portobello Road antiques market might be more tourist fun than an antiques- lover’s dream. Regardless, it’s still a cool place to stroll away a Saturday and perhaps pick up a bargain in the meantime. Most vendors, selling anything from jewelry to vintage fly-fishing treasures are willing to haggle… Portobello Road is also lined with storefronts that offer anything from sewing and craft supplies to edgy fashion to home goods. Definitely worth a visit.
It would be easy to go on forever about different neighborhoods that are great in London (Brick Lane in the East End- so cool!), but you know that London is cool- that’s probably why you’re here in the first place. So what about just some recommended stores? 

- M & S (Marks and Spencer)- what you’d expect from a department store, but hipper (is “hipper” a word?), with a great food department. Sticky toffee pudding… Sublime.
- Urban Outfitters- yes, UO exists in Canada and the US, but in London it’s even cooler. They do a great job mixing the funky Urban labels with “boutique labels”… labels like Paul and Joe Sister and Anglomania by Vivienne Westwood, well-selected to compliment the Urban collection.
- Topshop and Topman- this uber-trendy shop has made it’s way to the US, but again, the British version just seems better. Count on having to spend time weeding through the racks- some pieces are cheap (read: trashy) looking, without a cheap price tag. Others are extremely well-priced, spot-on trend, and beautiful. Topshop also boasts a supermodel Kate Moss-designed line.
To even scratch the surface of shopping in London it would take a lifetime of entries, so stayed tuned for more shopping posts. In the meantime, let me know your questions, I’m glad to keep shopping in the name of “research”!

Hey Canadians! Does it get any better than this?