Moisture in the air.
I'm so glad I now have an answer for people when they ask me what I miss about living in Ireland since I am asked this All.The.Time.
It's only December and the skin on my face already feels like it's going to break off. I use Dove Extra Moisture soap in the mornings to wash my face in the shower and by the time I get out my face is bright red and on fire. I apply my sensitive skin moisturiser and it feels like I'm dousing it in acid. Then I proceed to shock myself with everything I touch as I walk around getting ready for work or stand up from the couch. My clothes stick to me. I'll soon be in the market for a humidifier in the bedroom since it's only a matter of time until my nasal passages are so dry I can't sleep. I miss radiator heat which is warmer and not nearly as dry as central heat.
Oh yeah, I miss one other thing - M&S reduced fat hummus. Grocery store hummus here is nasty. We've tried a couple different kinds and we both agree that it's gross. Funny thing is when I first moved to England and was visiting friends, I specifically remember saying to them that I didn't like the hummus there and thought it was nasty. Oops! Fortunately, it's good at the local Greek restaurants, but I don't want eating hummus to be a special occasion!
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4 hours ago
Prrrrrrreach!!!! I feel the exact same way!!
ReplyDeleteHaving recently moved to England, I can relate on all 3 accounts.
ReplyDelete1. People ask me all the time what I like about England and every time I'm like a deer in headlights. There really isn't anything I like about England! I even wrote a blog post about it: http://yawninggetsyounowhere.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-four-month-anniversary.html
2. M&S hummus is fantastic. I hated hummus in the states and now I eat M&S hummus like it is the best thing since M&S's Super Seeded sliced bread or their #3 mature Cornish cheddar cheese. Mmmm.
3. Radiator heat does seem to leave the air more moist but I'm still not sold that it is warmer. Perhaps I'm not sold because our house literally has no insulation. This isn't the most energy efficient country to live in, that's for sure.
See Camie, there IS something you like about England - Marks and Spencer!!! Trust me, move back here and you'll miss that food hall something fierce! Honestly though, give it some time. Four months isn't very long and winter is definitely hard there with the short days.
ReplyDeleteYes, the days are short. My brother in law is visiting from San Francisco and he just said, "Wow, it's 4:30 and it's already dark." I said, "Yeah, isn't it great how long the day is? A month ago it was getting dark at 3:45!"
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I will be giving it much more time. Our plan is to live here for 2-3 years minimum. Well, that plan is also kind of derived from my husband's company's relocation package and the fact that we would have to pay a prorated portion back if he resigns within two years.
You should make your own hummus. It's really easy if you have a food processor.
ReplyDeleteIf you do miss the moisture in the air, remember what it does to your hair. I haven't had my hair out of a ponytail in a month.
We have radiator heat here at our house but it's oil so we're not using it as it's too expensive. We're just using electrice heaters in the rooms we need. In Mom's old place, we had a large humidifier for the lower living level and smaller ones in the bedrooms. You can also just put pans of water out to add some moisture.
ReplyDeleteI've had terrible experiences with Dove... have you tried anything else?
@Moe - That's what hats are for!
ReplyDelete@Caryn - I've always used Dove (the regular one) and never had a problem with it. The pans of water sitting around would disappear thanks to my cat. :)
On the British Expat boards I frequent there is always a thread going about something you remember from back in the UK that you just don't have in the US. And I always point out the massive quantities of dog poo all over the sidewalk back home. Failing that pigeons chasing you all over the place in case you drop some pastie.
ReplyDeleteThe dog poo thing in the UK is really extraordinary. I've never seen anything like it and I live in Baltimore, next to a park where tons of people walk their dogs. Dog poo all over the sidewalks in Bath is certainly something Jane Austen never wrote about!
ReplyDeleteWhat's funny about it though is that there is a breed of expat who are very annoyed when you mention it. That somehow it is badmouthing Britain to point out that there is an amazing amount of poo out there.
ReplyDeleteFYI: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/appliances/10-modern-colorful-humidifiers--163218
ReplyDelete