Let's go TESCO!

Good morning all! Today was quite an early start to the day with having to return the rental car at 8:30 am. I was really becoming attached to the Opel Astra. A nice little sturdy car it was... Hatchbacks are a big thing here and it seems like most people have them. Just having a car to get around was really nice. After looking at a few other flats yesterday afternoon, I stopped by the huge grocery chain here called Tesco. I was so excited to finally see a stand alone store, as opposed to the little express pop ups all around the city. Honestly, even though the food doesn't taste great I do like the food sold in the grocery stores because the UK has strict food regulations. Sometimes, I feel like maybe the GMO foods in the US give me bad indigestion. Ha!

Tesco

Fridays at work are always Fish and Chips days. I didn't try it last week, but decided to go for it this time. People love their Fish and Chips here--extra battered fried white fish with a side of fried chips. I guess the mashed peas balanced it out a bit? As you can tell, it was a lot of food. I couldn't finish it. It was alright. The battered fish and chips weren't crispy enough. I'll have to find somewhere that specializes in this dish and try again.

The 20's-30's group at church is having a wine and cheese event tonight. Looking forward to meeting new people and grubbing on some fine "chezz", as my husband would say. :)

Keep Calm and CrossFit On

Finally! I have an appointment to look at other flats tomorrow. It's nearby, which is convenient. Almost two weeks have now gone by and I am getting a little more acclimated to the area and accustomed to where things are.

Tomorrow will be my first experience driving in the UK. I rented a car so I can get myself around. Everyone drives manual transmission cars here, and I am not so great at that. Basically, every person who has ever tried to teach me ended up giving up because I tend to stall a LOT. I just took the $$ punch and rented an automatic. Count on me signing up for driving lessons next week because I really want to finally learn how to drive stick shift... and on the other side of the road.

It has been quite a while since I got in a nice workout. I did Crossfit in New York for about 3 months before coming out here, which kept me
fairly active and fit. Crossfit is definitely another love-hate relationship of mine. The feeling before and during the workout is pure dreadful hell. I get the same feeling I get before a huge presentation, exam or scary ride. It is a mish-mosh of chemical reactions that happen in my brain--part fear and part adrenaline. However, at the end of every workout, on top of feeling extremely sore I feel accomplished and refreshed. Crossfit is really challenging for me because I am not naturally built for strength. My body is lean and long, and my metabolism is pretty much the speed of light so it's hard to maintain any muscle memory and mass. But anyway, for the sake of challenging myself and building what strength I can I decided to try to keep on with it during my stint in the UK. I checked out a free trial class at Crossfit Leicester. No surprise the people and coach there were superbly nice. The WOD was Elizabeth, which is 21-15-9 reps of squat cleans and ring dips. After 3 weeks of being out of commission, the workout was mad killer. I was only doing maybe 40 pounds for squat cleans and struggling so I ended up decreasing it a little. Unfortunately, I don't know exactly what weight I did because they only use kilo's here. I'll get these unit conversions one of these days...

I am highly considering joining. It's not too bad in terms of cost, and actually a little bit cheaper than in the US. I think overall fitness and strength training is never bad... especially if some nut tries to mess with me. I'll have some muscles to sludge him in his face or sensitive bits and actually do some damage.

Here's my sad frozen dinner tonight. It was getting dark after Crossfit so I didn't want to eat out anywhere. Surprisingly, it wasn't so bad-- Roasted turkey with potatoes, carrots and broccoli. What I really wanted was a protein drink or bar, but couldn't find it anywhere in the grocery store. I suppose this will do for today.

Almost Friday! Cheers!

Delicious South Indian Cuisine

I had the absolute hardest time getting up this morning. It is a sign that I really need to start getting to bed earlier, and stop stalking/pestering my family and friends in America when it's too late for me. Quick post today... a little about my dinner. FINALLY I ate something worthy of being called delicious!

Leicester is central of Indian and South Asian food and culture. My peer buddy at work took me out to a really nice place that is known to specialize in South Indian cuisine called Kayal. We went at a little past 6 pm, and there was not one diner in the restaurant. As our meal went on further into the night, the dining room certainly filled up and for a Tuesday night had an impressive quantity of guests. The decor and setup was quite nice and welcoming, and the wait staff was very friendly and patient since we took our time to order.

Kiwi, Strawberry and
Mango Juice

I started off with an absolutely amazing juice drink that was a blend of fresh kiwi, strawberry and mango juices. The picture speaks for itself and the juice was exactly what it said it was.

Pre-meal Snacks

We were then given some pre-meal appetizer consisting of crunchy, crispy rice flour, potato, aubergine and banana slice snacks served with a side of 3 chutney sauces. Though the snacks might have been fried, it was very light and quite tasty.

We ordered a couple fish entrees and side orders of Naranga Choru, rice tossed in lemon, curry, mustard seeds and dried chillies, and Appam, which reminded me strongly of the spongey, dough-like bread you get at Ethiopian restaurants.

One fish entree was the Kayal Fish Curry. It had chunks of boneless king fish dipped in a
coconut-flavored curry sauce. It was very good and enjoyable. In this photo, you can see also the lemon rice and Appam bread.

The Tilapia Pollichathu was delicately wrapped in banana leaves and seasoned with spice paste and lemon. The presentation was quite stunning and the fish extremely tender and flavorful. I was so much in awe of this dish that I forgot to snap a picture of it after the banana leaves were opened. There were also a side of potatoes, almost like an Indian version of a curry potato salad and a chopped cabbage salad. I really enjoyed this one!

The night concluded with a warm cup of Masala tea, which was a black tea that included spices and milk. We opted out dessert since we were so full, but the tea was just the perfect finish to a stunning dinner.

This place deserve my first A rating. The food was a bit different from any other Indian cuisines I have had before, and was a really positive experience for my palate. The power of recommendations surely trumps trying to find places myself. I am really trying to tap into our corporate chef's mind for other fine restaurants. He's worked in Michelin-star rated eateries, so he's certainly one who knows where to go. More to come when that list arrives into my inbox!

Time to hit the hay and get some rest. Goodnight. Cheers!

Never Thought I'd Say This

I have a love-hate relationship with New York City, as I am sure most New Yorkers feel the same. With the busy hustle and bustle, outrageous high cost of living, smelly summers and reputation of rude people, there is no doubt it can get frustrating from time to time. There are tons of lists and memes about how NYC sucks out there like this one (50 Worst Things About Living in New York).

But here it goes... I really can't believe I'm saying this... I miss New York! I can provide a lengthy list of dislikes, but today I certainly have no hard time thinking of the things I love.

8 Things I Don't Hate About You, New York:

1. The FOOD - You can get any kind of food you want, from cheap dumplings for $1 to Michelin rated, internationally acclaimed restaurants; also cuisines from all around the world. Because there are so many restaurants, there really is no room for bad food here. Boy, do I miss good food!
2. ETHNIC DIVERSITY - WOW! I MISS DIVERSITY SO MUCH! People say that Leicester is considered the most diverse city outside of London in the UK, however I have yet to really see it. I can certainly see that there is a high population of South Asians, however beyond South Asians and Caucasians it's a little bland. Being a "minority" myself, and by saying "minority" I mean a non-Caucasian, I am starting feel different again. The same way I felt out of place and different in Elementary school where my kind was not prevalent. New York consists of people from all around the world of all different physical feature, and people didn't mind that. It seemed like Caucasians were starting to be the minority in the big city.
   Speaking of which, congratulations to the new Miss America. How sad it is that there are people saying "but this is America". Yeah, well America is not the land of Caucasians. It was never meant to be that. No surprise she's Miss New York! ;)
3. CENTRAL PARK & HIGHLINE - These are my hot spots that I can easily just relax at by myself, with my hubbs or with friends. New York has plenty of really great free parks and events. 
4. SUNLIGHT AND CHANGING LEAVES - Fall is my absolute FAVORITE season in New York! It's too bad I won't be able to see beautiful changing leaves and cooler sunny days. It's mostly just cold, windy and overcast skies here.
5. PEOPLE WATCHING, the CRAZIES and HIPSTERS - They know you're watching them and they really don't care. There are people who talk, sing, dance to themselves and it's fine and accepted. It's something about them that makes me feel like being weird is okay. It's actually quite comforting to me. Maybe there are plenty of these in London, but I'm not in London. I'm in Leicester.
6. TELEVISION - I do miss American TV and comedy. There are some shows here like Seinfeld, Friends, Mad Men... but I didn't watch these shows at home. Where's my Community, New Girl, Modern Family, Big Bang Theory? Most of all I miss my Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Jimmy always made me sleep smiling (hope my husband isn't jealous, because he does too!). English humor is different, and I'm still working on getting it. The only English show I've been entertained by is Top Gear (which I am watching now). OH WAIT! They do have Big Bang Theory... YES!!!
7. DRIVING ON THE RIGHT SIDE - Okay, this isn't just a New York thing but an American thing. Riding on left side is still strange and I've been trying to pay more attention to the road when people drive me around. I really want to take driving lessons so I can learn. I really miss my car!
8. BRIDGES AND SKYLINES - You really can't beat the NYC skyline. I see it all the time, and I am still so fascinated by it.

Maybe when I get back to New York next year, I'll be able to make a list of things I miss about Leicester. We tend to take good things we currently have for granted, that I am very guilty of like ALL THE TIME. We'll see in 6 months...

Dinner tonight was at a Thai restaurant a few blocks away called Emerald Thai. I had walked past it a couple times before, and found it usually pretty empty inside. I decided to just go for it tonight. Since it was pretty chilly and windy outside, I started off with a pot of Jasmine tea to get myself settled and warmed up. I slowly sipped the pleasantly warm beverage as I looked through the menu and listened to another American man speaking loudly a few tables away. He was with his colleagues and they were the only other diners in the restaurant.

Tom Kha Soup

I started off with the Chicken Tom Kha soup. Usually, I'd go for Tom Yum but I wasn't in the mood for something too tart and spicy. I just went with the creamier version and slightly toned down version. It had a little bit of heat to it... just the right amount. I was a little disappointed with the lack of veggies and meat in the soup. I counted around 5 mushroom slices and 3 chicken pieces, some random chili pieces and a couple sprigs of herbs. It did not have as much flavor as I remembered other Tom Kha's to have.




The main entree was the standard Pad Thai. Yeah, I know..

Pad Thai

boring. There were plenty of curry and other stir-fry options, but I went with the ol' PT simply because I didn't want my mouth to be on fire. Some days I'll go for it, but not tonight. It was nicely plated with a carved flower out of something... not sure if it was veggie or fruit. The usual me would have taken a bite out of it to figure out exactly what it was, but tonight was a risk-adverse night. I'm tired.
It was a bit more sticky than I know Pad Thai to be, and it was missing something that I just couldn't quite figure out. I felt like there wasn't enough of the richness in flavor, I would say something that came from balance the Tamarind flavor and the sweetness. It just seemed the complexity in flavors were a little muted, and the texture was different from what I was used to. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad... just okay. The portion size was good for me. Not too much and no too little. I wasn't overly full afterwards, which is just the way I like it.
Overall I'd give the place a C+. It was just okay. I was very happy to see a Thai girl, the waitress at the restaurant. Diversity!

Week 1 is done. I am feeling a little homesick, can't you tell? And where is the good food?!?! Hopefully, I'll find some A+ worthy eateries in Leicester very soon.

My pilgrimage to find fellow Jesus-lovers

Happy Sunday! Throughout my whole life, this special day in the week is dedicated to refilling my mind and soul with the powerful words of God and being in the presence of other Jesus-followers. Many of you readers may not feel the same way about God, Christianity or Sundays, but no worries. I do want to say that believing in Jesus makes me certainly no better than you of a person, and by declaring myself a Christian does not mean I look at you negatively or anything crazy like that. I am not perfect at all, and those who know me probably have seen me in ways that bring a lot of shame. No representation of Jesus there, it's just me being a jerk and an idiot.
Anyway, much respect to all of varying beliefs and religions! For realies. But if you wonder about Jesus, just ask too!

So I learned today that the Youth and Gen Y of UK are not much church goers. At the high end, only about 6% would consider church at all on a Sunday (this is all according to the pastor I spoke with today). However, for me finding a spiritual home during my stay here was really important. So I did some online church research prior to coming to the UK. It was not only important, but I knew church would be an excellent place to make authentic and trusting friendships around one common thing - love for Jesus Christ. I really think I was able to do exactly that today at Leicester City Vineyard Church.

Empty streets and
warehouses

Finding this church was certainly an adventure. It met in a football stadium about 1.2 miles away... a little far, but I just thought "aw heck, I haven't been exercising much in the past couple weeks so I'll just walk". It was a long hike through some very interesting neighborhoods and what seemed like a warehouse area. Good thing it wasn't the evening! I finally get to the location that Google maps pointed me to, but unfortunately there was no stadium. Apparently it was the football club?... didn't see that either. I kept walking, maybe another good half mile, and finally found the place. Hallelujah!

King Park Stadium

As I walked in, I was greeted by lovely people who were eager to show me the way. They had just begun the music worship portion. My heart absolutely melted as I was welcomed with familiar praise and worship songs-- Your Love Never Fails and Cornerstone among many others. It was actually pretty emotional for me, and I was so thankful to God that he safely delivered me there to spend some time worshipping Him. It was a sign that despite being so far from home across the Atlantic Ocean to the other side of the world, He was still there with me - loving and caring for me. Also, that all of this - the experience and opportunity - was for a reason and was a blessing from Him.

"You stay the same through the ages

Your love never changes

There may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning

And when the oceans rage

I don't have to be afraid

Because I know that You love me

Your love never fails"

This first week has been a transition and honestly speaking, it hasn't been easy getting used to living outside of my comfort zone. As exciting as it is, it's been rough too. I stood with the rest of the congregation singing praise to God, and at that moment felt true relief. I had no longer felt alone like an outsider in an unfamiliar land, but rather a peaceful sense of belonging. I might be a foreign American citizen living amongst the English and considered a minority because of my skin color and race, but I was a citizen of a greater nation of the Holy God. How wonderful and comforting it is...

Soar Point

After service, I met a ton of really wonderful people much of whom were students in "uni" (obv means university) and other young professionals like myself. They invited me to several events going on in the week, including a Welcome Dinner in the evening at the pastor's house. I joined the students afterwards at a local pub situated right on a canal called Soar Point, which for the longest time I was hearing as Subway or Saw Point. Gosh, I really need to work on listening with the English accent (woe to my accent-handicapped ears!). It seemed like a really nice place to hangout with lots of beer (obv), plenty of seating and arcade games/pool table. On our walk over, I saw beautiful swans, ducks, pigeons in the water... oh! and don't forget about the wild blackberries growing in the bushes that I was totally eye-ing and salivating over. You can count on me picking/tasting some next Sunday, hopefully they will still be there. Pray that I'll still be alive after eating them. If you know me, you know I have a thing for eating mysterious berries on bushes and trees...

Souther Fried Chicken

The food was your typical pub food, not that I really know what that is. Most people got the Southern

Fried Chicken, which was more like hard chicken tenders. A big hit was also the Bangers and Mash, sausage over mashed potatoes drowned in gravy. It's not something I would typically go for, but people seemed to love it. I will have to try it next time.

Snuck a picture of Bangers and Mash
across the table

The students were a really nice and quirky bunch, which was entertaining. They were all a few years younger than me but I suppose I still fit in alright. There was plenty of joking around and quite a bit of "Englication" (meaning education on England) for me. All of them were from other parts of the UK, whether it was north or south and was only there for "uni", so they understood what it was like to be away from home. 

"Christ alone, Cornerstone

Weak made strong, in the Savior's love

Through the storm

He is Lord, Lord of All"

A nice first weekend, now prepping for a new week of work. Cheers!