Basically, I know that loads of you came to the Thanksgiving party and signed in, but I don't really want to submit your names to the org without your permission, it feels a bit sneaky or something. unless you put your name on a form (like Suzy did) that said DAUK, I don't have your info.
So what I'm asking is that if you're American (or can vote in the states)live in the UK, and want to elect someone other than Bush on 2004, you email me with your full name and the last state you voted in. if you've never registered, or moved around a lot, just say that. no big deal. if you want to get their quarterly newsletter, send your postal address.
send it to me at gendean@deanforamerica.org.uk
why should you do this? a couple of reasons. DAUK will help register voters over here, and get absentee ballots in the easiest way possible, starting jan 2.
the reason i'm asking now is that our 'official membership numbers' get sumbitted on 31 dec. the number of members that we have on that date corresponds to how many delegates we get at the international caucus. fairly complicated, but let me know if you want more info, and i'll explain as best i can. this is your chance to remind the democrats in the states that people over here do vote and do make a difference in elections.
also, if you're interested in joining the generation dean UK(which i run) mailing list (3 or less emails a week) or want more info on that, just let me know as well.
thanks so much!
― colette (a2lette), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 10:56 (twenty-one years ago)
However, Catty, you should totally do this.
― Kate 22 (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:01 (twenty-one years ago)
― Noah Webster, Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:01 (twenty-one years ago)
― Kate 22 (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:02 (twenty-one years ago)
― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:03 (twenty-one years ago)
― Noah Webster, Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:04 (twenty-one years ago)
As a GENERALISATION, they're generally more classic than the ones that stayed in America. But that's because, as a permanent ex-pat, I tend to just like ex-pats better than any other nationality they may originally have done.
Though in practice, it really depends on how long they've been here. I really just can't deal with YET ANOTHER American who spends the first six months going "OHMIGOD THERE ARE WASHER DRYERS IN THE KITCHENS HERE!!!" and complaining about the beurocracy they haven't got used to yet and how the UK isn't the US and on and on and on... Once they get over that stage, I tend to like them.
― Kate 22 (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:06 (twenty-one years ago)
although, i agree with kate that there is a certain breed that isn't so cool. they seem to be people that are here to do a semester abroad or something else short and spend all their time talking about how much better it is back at home.
the only thing i do this about is food. specifically breakfast. i'll never get used to that here...
― colette (a2lette), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:13 (twenty-one years ago)
― chris (chris), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:14 (twenty-one years ago)
― Kate 22 (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:16 (twenty-one years ago)
― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:16 (twenty-one years ago)
― chris (chris), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:17 (twenty-one years ago)
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:17 (twenty-one years ago)
― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:19 (twenty-one years ago)
― colette (a2lette), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:23 (twenty-one years ago)
(Well, actually, seeing as how I only count as 3/5 of an American since I can't vote, it was erm... 87% American!)
― Kate 22 (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:24 (twenty-one years ago)
― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:32 (twenty-one years ago)
― Kate 22 (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 11:33 (twenty-one years ago)
― colette (a2lette), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 12:45 (twenty-one years ago)
(Though yer a midwesterner and you DEFINITELY talk funny!) ;-)
― Kate 22 (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 12:49 (twenty-one years ago)
Now back to scheduled getting expat Americans to vote.
― Pete (Pete), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 12:51 (twenty-one years ago)
― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:03 (twenty-one years ago)
― Kate 22 (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:14 (twenty-one years ago)
― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:21 (twenty-one years ago)
― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:22 (twenty-one years ago)
― Rob (possibly) (starry), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:22 (twenty-one years ago)
― Dizzy Steinway (starry), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:22 (twenty-one years ago)
― Kate 22 (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:23 (twenty-one years ago)
― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:23 (twenty-one years ago)
― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:24 (twenty-one years ago)
― Kate 22 (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:24 (twenty-one years ago)
― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:25 (twenty-one years ago)
― chris (chris), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:26 (twenty-one years ago)
― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:27 (twenty-one years ago)
Tuque
A tuque is a knited hat, originally usually wool, that is designed to provide warmth in winter. Sometimes considered Canada's national hat, all tuques are tapered and brimless, and they are often topped with pom-poms.
The tuque is decended from the toque, a fashionable sixteenth century women's hat worn in France and generally made of velvet. The French-Canadian Voyageurs borrowed the term and applied it to the somewhat similar knit hats that were a necessity for warmth. During the 1837 Patriotes Rebellion a red tuque became a symbol of French-Canadian nationalism. Today some consider tuques to be somewhat lacking in sophistication, and they are most often seen on children.
― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:30 (twenty-one years ago)
Though I nearly collapsed with shock when I met another Canadian - and someone from my old neighbourhood in Toronto no less - at a birthday party in Levenshulme. Golly.
I like living here. I miss a lot of the food, and spacious living, and people not acting like complete morons because they binge drink - but overall I'm much happier here. I've also managed to track down or create substitutes for most of the food I was missing. The sleuthing makes it taste all the better I'm sure...
― elisabeth k, Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:35 (twenty-one years ago)
― Spontaneous Existence Failure (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:35 (twenty-one years ago)
I seem to constantly run into people from Toronto here. And I just realized this thread has completely deviated from being an "Americans in the UK" discussion.
― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:56 (twenty-one years ago)
http://www.fancyapint.com/thepubs/pub611.htm
Had some the other day. Yum!
― Spontaneous Existence Failure (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 13:58 (twenty-one years ago)
― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 14:10 (twenty-one years ago)
― Spontaneous Existence Failure (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 14:16 (twenty-one years ago)
for anyone reading this thread that isn't american, pretty please help with this process and ask anyone you know that is american for the state they last voted in and if you can sign them up for a great group, and send me the details. we need a few hundred more members...that way you can help without actually voting!
― colette (a2lette), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 14:20 (twenty-one years ago)
― elisabeth k, Wednesday, 10 December 2003 14:58 (twenty-one years ago)
― Spontaneous Existence Failure (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)
Colette, it was nice to see you again the other night too. I have tried to canvass for voter registration among my small American acquaintance at college and they all replied proudly that they (unlike me) had gone to the trouble of sorting out registration before leaving the US.
― sgs, Wednesday, 10 December 2003 15:43 (twenty-one years ago)
No cheese curds?!??! Well, forget it then. It ain't poutine without those wonderful stringy curds. Grated cheddar/mozzerella/whatever just doesn't cut it.
― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 15:58 (twenty-one years ago)
Personally, I could never get into the cheese curds, although I like the whole idea of poutine.
But I'm all for cheese on fries in some format. Like the "aussie" fries from a pub in TO near Varsity stadium (name escapes me now...) which is fries covered in melted cheese and served with ranch dressing for dip.
― elisabeth k, Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:29 (twenty-one years ago)
― HRH Queen Kate (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:32 (twenty-one years ago)
you gotta admit that's keen. WASHER-DRYERS, Kate! WASHER-DRYERS!!!
― Catty (Catty), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:32 (twenty-one years ago)
― Catty (Catty), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:55 (twenty-one years ago)
― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:56 (twenty-one years ago)
― HRH Queen Kate (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:57 (twenty-one years ago)
― marianna, Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:58 (twenty-one years ago)
sgs to thread (again)!
― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 17:00 (twenty-one years ago)
― HRH Queen Kate (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 17:01 (twenty-one years ago)
― Catty (Catty), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 17:03 (twenty-one years ago)
― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 17:06 (twenty-one years ago)
I've been reading up a bit on stuff like setting up bank accounts, landlords, and all that, but what do I need to know that they're not going to tell me? In another words, what (on any relevant subject) do you wish you'd known before you came over?
― Girolamo Savonarola, Wednesday, 10 December 2003 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)
Have your last three months bank statements, proof of residency/studentship, proof of address and any references you can get hold of ready in paper form as soon as you go to a bank.
― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 17:27 (twenty-one years ago)
Umm...uhh...??? How does one overcome this Catch-22, then?
― Girolamo Savonarola, Wednesday, 10 December 2003 17:34 (twenty-one years ago)
― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 17:37 (twenty-one years ago)
― Girolamo Savonarola, Wednesday, 10 December 2003 17:45 (twenty-one years ago)
― Mandee (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 17:51 (twenty-one years ago)
Girolamo, are you going to be a student?
― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 17:58 (twenty-one years ago)
So, I need the letter sent from the university to where I'm going to be living in the UK (which won't let me live there w/o a UK bank account) so that I can get a UK bank account?
― Girolamo Savonarola, Wednesday, 10 December 2003 18:01 (twenty-one years ago)
(just to cover all bases, don't be Girolama c/ The Smith family at the address, in case that isn't good enough either)
― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 18:03 (twenty-one years ago)
― Girolamo Savonarola, Wednesday, 10 December 2003 18:05 (twenty-one years ago)
― HRH Queen Kate (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 18:06 (twenty-one years ago)
OK, rant over. I should give up on this "working late" thing and just go home.
― HRH Queen Kate (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 18:08 (twenty-one years ago)
It's probably best to call your university and ask them which banks they hve a tie-in with, then call the bank(s) in question. If you can pssibly avoid it, don't choose NatWest.
― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 18:08 (twenty-one years ago)
― Ed (dali), Thursday, 11 December 2003 00:27 (twenty-one years ago)
― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 11 December 2003 00:30 (twenty-one years ago)
― charltonlido (gareth), Thursday, 11 December 2003 00:31 (twenty-one years ago)
― Girolamo Savonarola, Thursday, 11 December 2003 03:14 (twenty-one years ago)
there was a branch of shepherd's foods on drury lane that sold american foods, but it's closed. there's other branches, but the selection is pretty slim.
and you should send me your full name so i can sign you up! and your friends as well...it's easy!
― colette (a2lette), Thursday, 11 December 2003 10:41 (twenty-one years ago)
One thing I got (on the advice of the bank before I moved) was a letter from my bank in Toronto stating how long I'd been a customer, and that I had always had a decent balance etc. (They charged me $18 for that - fuckers) This made Natwest very happy. I also registered with a temp agency the day before I went to Natwest, and just gave them their comp slip as proof of working with them.
I sense it might be harder to get an account in London - just sheer numbers of people maybe?
You might want to try the Co-Op Bank (or Smile, even better) as they're supposed to be more flexible about opening accounts. I work with asylum seekers/refugees and they are the only bank I know of that will let people with that status open an account. (but that's a whole other story!)
Back to washers - mine must have known I was bitching about it, because I got home and it was dead. It had blown the fuse/circuit breaker thingy (not a problem, you just switch it back on) but even then it wouldn't turn on again. Now we have to put in a call to our lame-ass letting agent for a repair. I have very little hope of them sorting it out before xmas...
― elisabeth k, Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:02 (twenty-one years ago)
― chris (chris), Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:03 (twenty-one years ago)
Lesson learned: take your passport/visa with you EVERYWHERE YOU GO.
As for banks, a lot of people seem to like Halifax. Citibank requires you make a certain income before you can get an account with them. Avoid Barclays because not only are they fuckers (well, I think they're fuckers) they give you an Electron card and you can't use it anywhere, unlike Switch.
I believe you need the following:your passportyour visaa utility bill with your name on it demonstrating proof of address (no cable, no phone, no internet - must be gas, water, electric, or counicl tax too, I think)a letter from your employer stating how long you've worked there and how much you makeif you have already have a bank account where you currently are, bring in at least six months' worth of statements and your driver's license or whatever if it has your picture/address on it. I think HSBC can open an account at your non-UK address and then you can switch it over to your UK address.
― Catty (Catty), Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:10 (twenty-one years ago)
― Catty (Catty), Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:11 (twenty-one years ago)
Avoid the NatWest cos they fuck around people I love.
Incidentally, I bank with Smile, who are great, but when I approached them to ask if Sarah could get an account they wanted 3 months worth of statements plus two prrofs of residency. Which is fine if you've got all that. Maybe if you have been settled at an address witha good relationship with your bank etc. etc. it wouldn't be so complicated.
― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:19 (twenty-one years ago)
I don't think this is a very likely scenario.
― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:22 (twenty-one years ago)
― NatWest (nickdastoor), Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:23 (twenty-one years ago)
― colette (a2lette), Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:24 (twenty-one years ago)
― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:25 (twenty-one years ago)
― Catty (Catty), Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:26 (twenty-one years ago)
― Catty (Catty), Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:27 (twenty-one years ago)
You can get a very basic account with them if you are in receipt of benefits, but wages can't be paid in.
Sounds like it's consistently harder to get an account these days... but I do think there's a fair amount of random problems as well. Branches are often untrained or have the wrong information about what is needed to do anything out of the ordinary, even opening accounts. It's worth complaining to head offices in that case. I had a big problem with some insurance I had with Natwest when I had a change of circumstance, and complained to head office - who sorted it out, promised to re-train staff at my branch and also refunded me two months of premiums.
― elisabeth k, Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:46 (twenty-one years ago)
I'd had a busy time of it since notifying my bank I'd moved last autumn, what with rebelling builders, the move, and stress about work because the $800 I was expecting over Xmas from an art magazine never arrived. It was ages before I did a heads-up and realised I'd only had one statement from my bank since the move. NatWest not only lost my address, they carried on a direct debit after I'd stopped it, charged me admin fees when the money wasn't there, never sent me a statement, letter or took any action when a monthly loan payment started to bounce. When I eventually called to ask where the fuck 8 months worth of statements were, they rang me back to tell me I'd missed £650 worth of payments - news to me, because although I'd had no statements, I'd had occasional pieces of mail from the bank at this address, and because it was an internal loan payments should have gone through as long as it didn't go too far over my limit. Obviously I couldn't help them sort it out until I'd seen my statements, which took a few weeks to arrive. When I was in the middle of making a complaint and had made some headway, they began to default my SMALL loan and froze everything. And although I've made good the arrears, and they've refunded me over £200 in charges and interest, and snidely apologised for some of the mishaps, they won't put my account back. I think 'bank guidelines' went out the window a while back, and the bank are culpable in this situation at the very least.
NatWest SUCK. They suck so bad I'd like to ask ILX to help me sort it. I need someone who can spout legalese at the fuckers slightly better than me, who knows how to hog-tie middle management schmucks into doing what they should have done. As ever, when one is underemployed one is always flabbergasted to see just how badly the gainfully employed do jobs some lunatic lets them keep. HELP!
― suzy (suzy), Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:49 (twenty-one years ago)
― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:51 (twenty-one years ago)
Actually teh majority of our overseas students bank with NW in Tavistock Square and have never had a problem as they are used to overseas students. This is the truism, go for the one nearest your University, especially if there is a link. (I have once wandered to the Brixton branch to lay the law down to one manager who was being very pissy to a student. It was a very satisfying experience to watch the petty pen pusher crumble).
NatWest do give you their bank phone number these days, but in the end the key point is sitting in there all the time. That and copying all correspondance and unfortunately checking your balance regularly.
― Pete (Pete), Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:57 (twenty-one years ago)
― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:59 (twenty-one years ago)
Pete, Bank of Scotland is not the same as RBS. A lot of Scots either don't dig the 'Royal' in it and so go elsewhere on point of principle, or they are of the generation who protested at RBS' administration of student loans by boycotting it, when only Scots had to have them.
People who have a salaried job tend to have less problems with banks, as a rule. Freelancers get no respect. I gave up calling my bank to say the checque I'd been promised for the 15th was going to be a fortnight late when I could visualise the ning on the other end rubbing their hands in glee at anticipation of all those lovely bounce charges.
One thing UK banks have over US banks is the whole free chequeing/free overdraft thing.
― suzy (suzy), Thursday, 11 December 2003 12:09 (twenty-one years ago)
― Catty (Catty), Thursday, 11 December 2003 12:14 (twenty-one years ago)
― Catty (Catty), Thursday, 11 December 2003 12:17 (twenty-one years ago)
The proof of UK address thing is a bitch. My suggestion is to have your former/current bank elsewhere send you a statement/account summary/anything to your planned UK address. Having a gas/water bill if often not possible or quick enough. I had Bank of Montreal back 'home' do this and it really helped. But I didn't have a job and that certainly slowed things down. I wound up getting a shitty temp job and SIX WEEKS later I had a proper account with HSBC, who I'm reasonably happy with, although I was mad about only having a 'solo' card to start and not a 'switch'.
Now I have a good job and of course HSBC are all over me like white on rice about new cards, services, etc. Where was this love when I was desperate to deposit my money so I could LIVE, goddammit!
― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Thursday, 11 December 2003 12:20 (twenty-one years ago)
― suzy (suzy), Thursday, 11 December 2003 12:39 (twenty-one years ago)
So tell me something I don't know.
― Pete (Pete), Thursday, 11 December 2003 13:02 (twenty-one years ago)
Actually I'd probably be just as huffy about it - I hate people thinking I'm stupid about things I'm not actually stupid about, especially when there's so much real stupidty pickings.
― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 11 December 2003 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)