The occasional correspondent returns…

Rachael Vorberg-Rugh

Although when I saw Kari last week he kindly didn’t comment on the sporadic nature of my posting, the guilt pooled in my belly nonetheless. I’ve been a very infrequent UK correspondent over the past 12 months, even pretty much ignoring the May re-election of Tony “The Lapdog” Blair. (To be fair, it wasn’t that exciting.) Now that I’m briefly back in Oregon for a visit, I thought I’d pass along a short list of things I’ve missed--and things I haven’t--during my sojourn with the Limeys.

Things I’ve missed:

Mexican food. Oh god how I’ve missed Mexican food. There is simply no Mexican food in Oxford, aside from a small stash of aging Old El Paso supplies on the bottom shelf at the market. I’ve found one decent Mexican restaurant in London—a 1½-hour bus ride away. There’s not even a Taco Bell to be found on the whole damn island. Thus, I fill my luggage with chipotle peppers and dried black beans. I’m learning to make my own damn chile rellenos. All you folks living within easy reach of a burrito cart, count your blessings.

Mountains. Sure, the Oxford skyline is gorgeous, with all those 14^th century spires…but I keep looking for the snowy peak in the distance. Since I’ve spent most of my adult life in the shadow of either Mt. Hood or Mt. Rainier, I’m having a bit of trouble adjusting to a place where the highest point is 3,210 feet--Scafell Pike, in case you were wondering. Actually, what I miss most might be a varied climate--most of Britain looks like the Willamette Valley. As a longtime Portlander I've been a bit spoiled by the proximity of coast, rainforest, high desert, etc. (I'm probably not allowed to bitch about this too much, though, when low-fare airlines can get me to the Alps, fjords, Mediteranean beaches, steppes, etc.)

Low prices. Britain’s not cheap. Last I heard, London was second only to Tokyo on the list of most expensive cities. Prices basically look the same in pounds as they do in dollars, meaning that just about everything is twice as expensive as it would be in the US. There’s that pesky 17.5% value added tax included in all the prices, for one thing, and then the exchange rate’s been terrible all year. A pint of beer in most places costs £2-3—and while imperial pints may be larger, you’re still spending $5 per beer. They also like their sin taxes—quitting smoking got a little bit easier in the land of the $10 pack.

Open spaces in cities. Driving around Portland this past week, I’ve been feeling rather exposed. The streets feel too wide. There are spaces between the houses. And I’d forgotten how much I missed that.

Bars that stay open late. Although this will be changing (finally) this fall, pubs in England still stop serving at 11pm, and you’d better be out on the street by 11:30pm. If you want to drink past that, you’ve got to go to a club—which usually means paying a cover, shouting over the thump of the house music, and wondering if they’ll ever turn off that smoke machine.

Friends and family. Sure, I’ve made lots of good friends over there. And yes, between email and IM and skype, it is both easy and cheap to stay in touch. But it doesn’t mean I don’t miss my Portland folks all the time. (Say it with me: awwwwww.)

Things I haven’t missed a bit:

Americans bitching about gas prices. Ok, I know gas has gone up a lot. But something about living where a gallon costs about $6 has reduced my ability to be sympathetic.

Drug commercials. The UK just doesn’t have those pesky “ask your doctor” ads, and I sure don’t miss ‘em. Come to think of it, I haven’t missed worrying about health insurance either, since the UK kindly covers me on the National Health Service. Now that I’m back in the US though, I’m one of the millions of uninsured.

TV news, both local and national. Nothing like a year of the BBC to remind a girl that most US media talks down to its audience, ignores the rest of the world if bombs aren’t going off, and spends a maximum of 45 seconds on any topic. Nor have I missed the local news with its ever-present teaser promos, pointless chit chat between the anchors, and inane animal stories on slow news days. In the UK, I actually enjoy watching the news. Here it is only a slight step up from having bamboo shoved under my fingernails.

Coffee. I haven’t had the chance to miss this! Whatever you may feel about Starbucks, I owe them a certain debt of gratitude. Their arrival in the UK finally cured the Brits of serving instant coffee in restaurants, and spawned coffee bars in every city and town. Sure, it is $4 for a latte at my local Café Nero on the Oxford High Street, but IT IS WORTH IT.

The “Moral Majority” element of the culture wars. Gosh it is nice to live in a country without an evangelical Christian right.

George Bush. Ok, I still have to deal with him, but a LOT less than you guys do.

By Rachael Vorberg-Rugh Aug. 24, 2005