Thursday, April 17, 2008

Your Guide to the British Bathroom

Lots of things are different here, some better, some decidedly worse, some just different. Bathrooms are one place where it seems American ingenuity hasn't quite made the passage yet.

The Loo



Key Features:
  • Lever seems to require about three pumps before it actually decides to flush
  • Square shape impedes water from swirling
  • Seat has sharpish inside lip that hurts to sit on and (one imagines) leaves quite a mark


The Sink



Key Features:

  • Separate freezing and scalding water spigots to make washing hands in warm water impossible without filling the sink
  • Extra wide basin to keep separate spigots as far from eachother as possible, lest you be tempted to try mixing the water in your hands
  • Low flow helps you conserve water!


The Shower









Key Features:

  • Red switch outside the bathroom controls whether or not the shower is capable of providing hot water - great for getting back at housemates!
  • Shower apparatus requires you to push a start button, at which point cold water will immediately shoot forth onto you, becoming hotter in a few moments.
  • Multiple ways to end up with a cold shower: adjust any dial for a most refreshing frigidity
  • Or, adjust it to WAY TOO HOT!
  • Yes, you're seeing that bottom pic right - there is a shower wall only halfway out along the tub on one side. Note that this makes it impossible to bend over to pick up your shampoo without water splashing off your back and all over the room.
  • Half wall swings out of the way at the slightest touch, allowing for more chances to get your dry clothes wet
  • As with the sink, there are separate spigots for freezing and scalding water, making it risky to put a kid in the bath while still filling it without some chance they will get burned.


Also, as I am planning to do lots of "Britain is Different: Good" and "Britain is Different: Bad" type posts; I need a name for these. Shall I steal "A little Brit different" from BBC America, or can you give me a better name?

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Our sister, er, uxoral blog

Those of you anxious for news and views of our family should head over to the just-launched

http://shellsandthegang.blogspot.com

Saturday, April 12, 2008

We're Here!

We made it to Britain. We are safe, sound, and starting to get used to the time change. Right now we're staying in a 2-bedroom flat while we look for a home. More to follow.