Driving in the UK...

We have been driving in the UK for nearly a year now. It is legal for up to a year using a valid foreign driving license. After a year, you must obtain a British license in order to continue to drive legally. Thus, I come to my current blog entry, about getting my driving license for the UK.

I feel like I have a good grasp for the rules of the road and if in doubt I have always asked someone for help. Today, Dale and I went to a driving class and we had to pass a written test in order to get a British license. As we went through the material for the test, I found my confidence waning a bit as I realized that I was not absolutely sure what several signs meant. I feel rather defensive about it because if you looked at some of these signs, it is not immediately obvious what they are meant to state. Therefore, I want you to look at several signs and see if you can figure them out.

Here are a few of the signs that you would need to know the meaning of in order to pass your driving test in the UK,
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The first sign... hmmmm. A blank circular sign. Seems obvious, doesn't it?

The second sign you see all over the place. It means don't do something, but the question is what is it you are not suppose to do?

The sign with the red "X" you see on all the divided roads and motorways. They are commonly at the end of the ramps as you merge onto the roadway. I panicked the first time I saw one worried the road must be in someway closed!

One would think that the pictures on the fourth sign means that cars and motorcycles are allowed.

Finally, the last sign is often posted at the end of villages and towns. Hmmmm.... what could it mean?

Well, a few of these signs I had to look up, a few I had to ask other drivers about and one (the first one) I never knew what it meant! I feel so much safer now that I know the meaning of these signs! Just in case you are curious to the meaning of these signs, they are as follows:

1. No vehicles except bicycles being pushed

2. No waiting

3. No stopping

4. No motor vehicles

5. National speed limit applies (30 mph in developed areas, 60 mph on back county roads and single lane, 70 mph on divided highways)

All, I can about the national speed limit is that is a base to start from for most drivers here. As for the road signs, I am constantly learning. :O

As a parting note to all, I would like to leave you with this sign which you would encounter at least thirteen times if you had to drive to work with Dale (26 times round trip). Notice the direction of the arrows.

Yes, these are cows...

In honor of my favorite blogging friends, I am posting these pictures of the "Highland Cows" that I pass regularly on my bike rides. Since my friends think pictures of cows are blog material, I had to get in on the game!! :) Actually, I love passing these cows on rides and I must admit that this is definitely one of the reasons I like riding my bike (too)!

Colorful girl...

Alyssa attended her first "pamper party" held by one of her friends from school. The results were quite colorful, so I had to get them on film. :)

School started on September 5th after a six week break. Alyssa is a 5th year this year (4th grade). She is excited that this year she gets a locker all for herself. Her class is "mixed" meaning that the class is made up of 5th and 6th year students. This is the case for all the classes at Hardwick Community Primary School. The school is only half the size of our previous elementary school in Maryland, so they mix the years in order to achieve proper class sizes. The younger classes are much larger than the older classes, so Nathan's year 3-4 class is nearly 30 students!! However, both kids seem happy with their classes, so we are off on another year of English education.

billboard in Belgium

This was one of many billboards on the way to Brugge. It's in Flemish... "Te snel rijiden blidjft je achtervolgen" means driving too fast will always haunt you.

-Dale

Blackpool

Blackpool is the UK's answer to Atlantic City and Wildwood, New Jersey. You take the M6 north passing between Liverpool and Manchester to get there.

Folks in northern cities have a noticeably different accent to those in East Anglia.

The sea was angry that day, my friends...

Big Sporting Weekend

I was in the vicinity of two big London sporting events over the last two weeks... Wimbledon and the Tour de France. Wimbledon was a tube stop on the way home from a day at another work site in Feltham, a bit southwest of London. It was 30 minute walk to the walled tennis compound. I was surprised to see a world-famous tennis center right in the middle of a very nice residential neighborhood! It had rained on and off the entire day and when I got there (around 4:30 pm) everyone was streaming out. Payed £2 for a cab ride back to the tube station.

The whole family went down to London for the Tour de France prologue. My strongest impression from the day was that bike racing is probably better viewed live on a really nice TV at home. It was very crowded over the entire 8km course. Cory somehow managed to find a very nice spot in front of Buckingham palace. Although it required constant vigilance to keep people from sliding in front of us. One funny thing did happen while we were watching... There was a young Australian couple next to us and they had a big inflatable hand that they waved when the riders came through. Seems pretty normal. Near the end of the day a lady stormed up to him and said that he should not be waving that hand because it's probably scaring the riders! "Not to worry" he said, "They are professionals and they are really good at tuning out distractions." She seemed OK with that.

Just so you know, the kids' last day of school is Friday the 21st. I have actually enjoyed having more frequent, but shorter breaks throughout the year. I'm not sure what the kids will think when school starts in 6 weeks!

The first game of the Premiership football regular season is less than a month away!

-Dale

English education...

Alyssa and Nathan are nearing the end of their first year of school in England. July 20 marks the end of term and the kids are looking forward to their summer break. I have watched them adapt throughout their school year. Alyssa talks with her friends with a full British accent, but speaks to us using her usual American phrases. Nathan feels changing his accent is not true to his character, but he uses a lot of English phrases not used at home. However, what amazed me most was the writing project that Alyssa brought home from school today. It was if a British child had written it. It uses words that no American child would even know. So, I have pasted a copy of it in the blog so that you can see for yourself. If nothing else, the story is very entertaining. Amazing what a little international influence can have on a child.