Comments on: What Happened to the August Holidays?

By: Maya

Maya — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:50:23 +0000

I do know “pulling” from my days in UK… and Ladies do sip a “pint” from time to time… regardless of what is said. Of course, I thought “English” was my native language until I moved. When I returned home to the U.S. everyone wanted to know if I had learned a language during my years of working abroad. My answer is simply, “Yes, English!”

By: Laury Bourgeois

Laury Bourgeois — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:58:32 +0000

I chuckled at your “dark ale”-I went to a wedding in Cambridge with my friends from the village who are originally from Ipswich! Standing with their grand-daughter and her husband, he ordered a pint of dark, asked me what I wanted and said I’d have the same. I had a couple…maybe a few-and was later told that everyone was in awe! First that I could drink so much and hold my liquor, but secondly…”Ladies don’t drink “pints” of anything!” Excuse me…I was not informed. They love picking on me over here-do you know what “pulling” is?

By: Maya

Maya — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:10:04 +0000

HA! I understand your story! I worked and lived in UK for 8 years and I can tell you for sure there was a cultural difference. While all of us tranplants were hustling to get ahead and meet deadlines, living under stress and feeling the pressure to succeed, our British counterparts worked fewer hours a week, seemed to be under less stress and absolutely stated that holidays were not negotiable. And, to our dismay most of them were more productive.

Once I started riding my bicycle to the office — as the Brits did — I felt less stressed, enjoyed my work more and learned to stop by the pub — without a briefcase full of work to take home. I got pretty good at darts, and finally learned to drink dark ale without finding myself under a table or dancing on top of one.

Laury, you do bring up old memories that may be better left in the mind-vault.

By: Laury Bourgeois

Laury Bourgeois — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 10:43:29 +0000

Actually Maya-it’s brief-during my employee’s first year on the job, he insisted that my boss and the medical director had told him he could have a month off every year. They didn’t remember it that way, but were willing to compromise at 3 weeks the first year with some leave without pay. But that year, and every year after that for the period that I supervised him…he would call from the UK with some reason as to why he couldn’t get back on time. Needless to say, it was very frustrating. Eventually he had to be reprimded in writing, and I transferred his supervision to another staff person under me. That appeared to work, and when I left that job, he actually apologized to me for the hassles! Thank God, I don’t do that kind of work anymore!

By: Maya

Maya — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:39:55 +0000

Laury,
You are invited to share your story of the young Brit. I am sure it will be most interesting. I do believe in one post I shared my first real experience with a Brit. He picked me up at the airport, dropped me at the hotel, and announced that he would be by at 6:00 to “knock me up” before dinner.
I swear, I was in lust. Then, I discovered that I don’t understand “English-English.”

Email me if you would like to tell your story. I will set you up to contribute.

Thanks for your warm story. Enjoy. I am envious!