Rotary vs. Roundabout vs. Traffic Circle

Rotary
noun
5. Chiefly Northeastern U.S., traffic circle.
Roundabout
noun
6. Chiefly British, traffic circle.
Traffic Circle
noun
A circular arrangement constructed at the intersection of two or more roads in order to facilitate the passage of vehicles from one road to another.

Sunday, UK

On the way to the airport the directions said to take M62 Signposted Liverpool. But that's not the way it is: M62 is signposted Leeds, Manchester, Etc; M58 is signposted Liverpool. So I choose Liverpool because I knew that's where the airport is, but that was wrong. I guess the airport is at a corner of Liverpool best reached by going around it. It was especially nerve-racking because there is another airport in Manchester, and it is posted for maybe 20 miles before the Liverpool airport is posted, so I thought maybe the guy who gave me directions mixed up his airports.

And by then it was dark. I even got off the motorway again when I saw another service sign, but then at the roundabout about I couldn't see the service station; I would have had to travel down another motorway, so I just got right back on the one I was on. Then soon enough the Liverpool Airport signs began, and I rejoiced!

Then came the mystery roundabout. I exited the M62, I think that's where it was. The first exit is signposted to keep going for the airport. But then there is no signpost for "exit here for the airport" or even A561 or whatever it was. I went around three times trying to find A561 painted on the road. Luckily there wasn't any traffic. But then on my third lap there was traffic, multiple cars began honking at me and I was forced out of the roundabout. But then as soon as I got off I saw a sign for Liverpool airport. Hooray!

Moldy Cheese

Moldy Cheese
noun
Cheese that originates from regular cheese when it gets too old and dies, giving birth to a new, more evil form of life: Moldy Cheese.

UK, Friday

Today was souvenir day. All I did was read books and go souvenir shopping, most notably for chocolates, moldy cheese, and ladies hats. Interestingly, the best of the three, moldy cheese, was also the cheapest, at about £17.50/kg. The chocolates, second most appealing, were right in the middle at £46.00/kg. The ladies hats, least necessary, topped the scales ranging from £60-600. That's right. £600 for a bloody hat!

Homework
What kind of souvenirs do you prefer?

Tea

Tea
noun 
1. The dried and prepared leaves of a shrub, Camellia sinensis, from which a somewhat bitter, aromatic beverage is prepared by infusion in hot water.
3. The beverage so prepared, served hot or iced.
7. British. Any meal, whether a light snack or one consisting of several courses, eaten in the late afternoon or in the evening; any meal other than dinner, eaten after the middle of the afternoon.

Thursday, UK

I've always told my students there are not many opportunities for Americans and Brits to misunderstand each other. That's true, but the more time I spend here the more things I hear that make me stop and think, such as, "Have this sausage for your tea."

Now you're not going to misunderstand that, right? I mean you're not going to put pork sausage into your tea cup and drink it. But you might have to stop and think. Here are a few other examples from today; keep in mind some of the may be Cumbrianisms not heard all throughout England:

loo = bathroom
loo paper = toilet paper
kitchen paper = paper towels
sweet shop = candy shop
gammon = ham
biscuit = cookie
windscreen = windshield
single cream = cream
pudding = any dessert
ta = bye
pip = seed
pleas = it's my pleasure
bloody = fucking
bugger! = fucking shit!
streaky bacon = bacon
bacon = back bacon
well done = uh huh/ok
hot up = heat up
luck (pronounced look) = luck (pronounced luck)
spot on = great 

Don't worry, there are not spots on anything.

Homework 
Do you know of any regionalisms in Lithuania (or Latvia)?

Curry Powder

Curry powder
noun
A pulverized blend of up to 20 spices, herbs and seeds, usually cardamom, chiles, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, fennel seed, fenugreek, mace, nutmeg, red and black pepper, poppy and sesame seeds, saffron, tamarind, and turmeric.

Wednesday, UK

Today i went to a spice shop. A few text messages later I found out that this place is cheap! I bought three kinds of  hot sauce, MSG, extra hot red chilies, tandoori masala, extra hot chili powder, jerk seasoning, hot madras curry powder, and a bottle of Super Malt original non-alcoholic beverage. Should be interesting!

Homework
What is your favorite spice? Tell me about it.

Fibonacci Sequence

Fibonacci Sequence
Noun. Mathematics.
The unending sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, … where each term is defined as the sum of its two predecessors.
 Noun. Music.
Now in its eighteenth year, the Fibonacci Sequence is considered one of the UK's most distinguished chamber ensembles with a wide-ranging discography and impressive reviews.

Tuesday, UK

Last night I went to a Fibonacci Sequence concert. It was pretty good!

Homework
Click the link for the ensemble (Noun. Music.). At the top left of the page there is a link called Sampler. Click and enjoy.

Podcast

Podcast
noun
A digital audio or video file or recording, usually part of a themed series, that can be downloaded from a Web site to a media player or computer.

Monday, UK

Ieva goes to the University of Cumbria, and I didn't have anything to do, so I went into Carlisle with her where her campus is. She had to finish a thesis by 4 o'clock that  she was almost half done with, so I went souvenir shopping and got lost in a ginormous bookshop. If you think Barnes and Noble is big, you haven't seen nothing yet. If I'm ever rich and bored I'll spend a week there.

Homework
J.K.: Listen to this parenting podcast. What do you think?
O.R.: Listen to Episode 9: Create Urgency for Better Marketing. What do you think?
S-Z: Listen to BJU Podcast 1: Sunny Jain. What do you think?

Steamer

Steamer
noun
Something propelled or operated by steam, as a steamship. 

Sunday, UK

We went for a trip around the lakes. I drove down to Ullswater and got on a boat for about two and a half hours; I drove to get some more practice driving on the left side of the road, which was okay because my compatriots' hair is already gray.

The trip around the lakes is quite nice. The way out the wind was with us, so it was not cold. On the way back the wind was against us, but Maynard found a very warm spot to sit without going below deck: the steam shaft, made of metal, conducts enough heat that it will keep you warm, but not too much to sit on.

Homework
When's the last time you were on a boat?