Since moving here, I have really missed listening to music from back home and the entertainment culture of the US. I feel cut off in a way. I go back and I don't recognize music on the radio, faces on TV or know about big news stories that are in the papers. The only American news station we get here is the fair and balanced spin of FOX News and I can only stomch it in small doses (what I wouldn't give for MSNBC or US CNN). I still want to feel like an American. It's who I am - no matter where I live. Being here, is really like another world sometimes. I hate not knowing all of the current events and I miss a lot of American TV and news channels, but the lack of American radio has been a significant void (although I don't miss the commercials AT ALL).
We get a great deal of American music here, but there's a lot they don't play. People that have never lived outside their home country can't really relate to this, but imagine what it would be like to turn on the radio and not recognize one song you hear. No singing along in the car, no DJs that have become a part of your daily life - just unfamiliar voices and music. That's what it was like when I first arrived.
I have come to really like BBC Radio1 but I still miss music from back home and listening to the NY DJs (Scott and Todd on PLJ in the morning really tickle me and here, I HATE Chris Moyles on Radio1). I have checked and re-checked since my move to see if they put my favorite station online and today - I finally got it! I'm listening to it right now! OK, so they're playing Cher - I'll try not to hold it against them! Oh no! I hope my taste in music hasn't changed too much! Wayne always did tell me I had dodgy taste in music when we lived in NJ...
My in-laws just left after a five day visit. I don't mind it being a five day visit, but then again, five days of your house not being your own is always a bit unsettling and although I don't look forward to their departure when they are here, I can't say I'm sad to have things go back to normal. As a treat for my son's birthday, we took him to the Museum of Natural History in London on Thursday. He chose to go because we took him last year (he's been crazy about dinosaurs since he was three years old). They give out adventure packs at the museum which consist of a back pack, safari hat, and binoculars with an adventure to follow during their visit. The back pack has clues in it to solve a mystery. Last year it had a dinosaur claw, a tooth and a sample of dinosaur skin he had to match up to one on display. He had a great time solving the mystery and even remembered which dinosaur it ended up being. Last year's trip was wonderful. We walked right in,
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