tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64737187764119543432024-02-07T20:10:37.039+00:00gladleylife & culture from the UK to the USAgladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.comBlogger278125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-51760421589902699452017-12-24T16:43:00.001+00:002017-12-24T16:43:39.676+00:00Queen's Speech Bingo 2017<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sLUpD5e9JsGIlOlBpJsHQpZ3UfK5088b/view" target="_blank">DOWNLOAD AND PRINT YOUR BINGO CARDS HERE!</a></h3>
Well, it's been a while. In the past three years I got a new job, bought a house, and had a baby, and all that fun stuff.<br />
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Amazingly, I remembered to make some bingo cards for you to download, print, copy, and use to play as you watch this year's Queen's Christmas Message.<br />
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You should know the rules by now. If not,<a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2014/12/queen-speech-bingo-2014.html" target="_blank"> check out this past blog post</a>, and you'll soon get the gist of things!gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-63775620069027175962014-12-24T15:16:00.003+00:002014-12-24T15:16:49.990+00:00Queen Speech Bingo 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_z2XbHwQOG1a1o5MVR3NzRfckE/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRuvRG0pNrXeZiBEveizGW6zMq01388AMY6iZG_TdfZUzkzF6ML-egb0NaBv65LmOmU9s0b6CES24J4xpwWIFRCUKoANw79zQgK_cEaYsyLUJZv64H6WH6Pb9p1Cr11HAbG8UbGeZNoas/s1600/queenschristmas2014.png" height="640" width="546" /></a><span id="goog_1278357079"></span><span id="goog_1278357080"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
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<b>DOWNLOAD & PRINT YOUR CARDS HERE!</b></div>
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<b><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_z2XbHwQOG1d0VlSFg4WkRPeUU/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Queen Speech Bingo Cards Set 1</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_z2XbHwQOG1a1o5MVR3NzRfckE/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Queen Speech Bingo Cards Set 2</a></b></div>
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I don't JUST make bingo cards, really! 2014 has been exceptionally busy (in a good way) and I've been really looking forward to these few days of eating, drinking, and being merry to recharge. </div>
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We recently moved into a new apartment, and we're only just settling down into it (there are still boxes everywhere, and I don't mean Christmas boxes). I feel awful because we've been really underprepared this year. Sorry to everyone (and I mean everyone) that I didn't send a card to (that's everyone). I hope that you'll accept these bingo cards as a small token of my apology and appreciation. Friends and family have really made 2014 for us, and I know I haven't repaid that generosity and support to you yet.</div>
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The first task of the holidays, though, was to sit on the couch in my PJs and finish making the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_z2XbHwQOG1a1o5MVR3NzRfckE/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Queen Speech Bingo cards</a> for 2014! We have two sets this year, and there's no 'free space' because I forgot to put one in.</div>
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As ever, the word list is created from the most commonly used words in the Queen's Christmas message from the last 30 years (this keeps it reasonably relevant, but also gives a good indication of common words). I take out some of the boring words (like part, just, some, way, etc) and ask friends and family for suggestions of 'wildcard' words. Additions for 2014 include twerk, abdicate, independence, ostentatious, and sherlock.</div>
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By now you probably know the rules, but do check out my posts from <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2013/12/queen-speech-bingo-2013.html" target="_blank">Queen Speech Bingo 2013</a> and <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2012/12/queens-speech-bingo.html" target="_blank">2012</a> if you need a refresher. Basically grab a drink, grab yer granny, <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_z2XbHwQOG1d0VlSFg4WkRPeUU/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">print your cards</a>, and watch the speech - it's at about 3pm GMT I believe. You can catch it on <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p005g6kq" target="_blank">BBC iplayer here</a>.</div>
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone, and let me know how well you do at bingo!</div>
gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-15164704785599196932014-09-18T13:05:00.004+01:002014-09-18T15:00:21.262+01:00Scottish Referendum Bingo!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://bit.ly/1o3W8rv" target="_blank"><img src="http://employ.joepevans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/rect3097-672x372.png" height="354" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bit.ly/1o3W8rv" target="_blank">My collaborator and friend Joe did this image of Donald Dewar, the first First Minister of Scotland.</a></td></tr>
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Of course I've been following the build-up to Scotland's big day, albeit from afar. It's been strange to see Americans and other international buddies weighing in on the referendum, and then catching myself and realizing "oh, I'm one of those foreign folks too now."<br />
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Engaging in the debates and reading articles has never made me feel so close and yet so far from my friends. And then just yesterday my good friend <a href="http://employ.joepevans.com/blog/independence-referendum-bingo/#.VBrHhvldU1Y" target="_blank">Joe</a>, now living in France, sent me this message:<br />
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In a panic, has someone sorted election night Bingo?!?</blockquote>
OH GEEZ, was my reply. How could we forget? <br />
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So, in the jovial spirit of <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.fr/2013/12/queen-speech-bingo-2013.html" target="_blank">Queen's Speech Bingo</a> Joe has created a special feature for tonight: <a href="http://bit.ly/1o3W8rv" target="_blank">Scottish Independence Referendum Bingo</a><span id="goog_489683392"></span><span id="goog_489683393"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>!<br />
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I helped, a bit, so I like to think of myself as an international collaborator. And as Joe pointed out:<br />
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I think as expats it's the biggest contribution we can make.</blockquote>
We will both be watching with vested interest from our respective home countries. I have it on good authority that BBC World will be broadcasting the results from 5pm - 10pm (EST). So sit down with a glass of Irn Bru, Malt Whisky, or Scottish Blend, and join us in this <a href="http://bit.ly/1o3W8rv" target="_blank">momentous bingo game</a>.<br />
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Oh, and until the results are called, you should check out Joe's other work. He's a graphic designer, originally from Scotland, and now living in Paris. He's been <a href="http://employ.joepevans.com/blog/#.VBrKG_ldU1Y" target="_blank">redesigning the Paris metro signage</a> in a fantastic project: <a href="http://employ.joepevans.com/blog/#.VBrKG_ldU1Y" target="_blank">Metrographie</a>,so check out his other work.gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-47036625918639291952014-09-17T17:23:00.002+01:002014-09-17T17:23:27.626+01:00On Independence,Citizenship, and Identity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8GRU_72CPyPlh9cf3ycRXK0AuhKVoHQqI8v_mL25ZuO4guh4MrqLzxkSvIUnI31NIIvGKvCDRWWO1CoukC8PzYTcGvS-NeGVQa70AgFM3ijR5gD-x8js5yS-jtfQwWZXq5qUNWHTx0g/s1600/indyrefcitizenship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8GRU_72CPyPlh9cf3ycRXK0AuhKVoHQqI8v_mL25ZuO4guh4MrqLzxkSvIUnI31NIIvGKvCDRWWO1CoukC8PzYTcGvS-NeGVQa70AgFM3ijR5gD-x8js5yS-jtfQwWZXq5qUNWHTx0g/s1600/indyrefcitizenship.jpg" height="320" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></div>
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Today, September 17, is Citizenship (AKA Constitution) Day here in the US, my home country (it still feels weird to say that!). Tomorrow, September 18, my former home country, Scotland, will be voting in a referendum on becoming independent or remaining with the United Kingdom.<br />
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This post has been forming in my mind since before I first stepped onto US soil as a Permanent Resident.<br />
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It is not just a post about Scottish independence. It is about expatriation and what that does to an expat's concept of self and country.<br />
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I made a fleeting appearance in the movie <i>Britain in a Day</i> explaining that choosing between my husband and my country had been a (surprisingly!) tough decision to make. I knew when I moved that I was effectively disenfranchising myself for a bit. I can't vote in the US because I'm not a citizen, and I can't vote in the UK because I'm not a resident. And for now, I think that's absolutely the way it should be. I have been very privileged to have had the freedom to move from one democratic country to another just because I wanted to.<br />
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And technically, moving to the US is not the first time I have moved country either. I moved from England to Scotland when I was a young kid. Moving from one part of the UK to another might not count when the passport is the same, but it wasn't easy. Throughout growing up I would meet people who didn't like me because of my English accent, who hated me simply because of where I was born. It was, and still is, and always will be, absolutely crushing, <i>especially </i>as I became more Scottish in my own identity.<br />
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In January a friend now living in continental Europe interviewed me over my Scottish identity. I meant to post it here back then, but here is the crux:<br />
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<b>I'd be really interested in knowing how you think of yourself in terms of national identity. Do you feel you have a nationality and if so what identity/s do you identify as?</b> <b>Has this/can this change at all?</b> .</blockquote>
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…My national identity often depends on where I am/where I am not. Now I live in the USA and people interchangeably call me British or Scottish, which I don't mind at all. But when I'm in Scotland people never call me Scottish and I feel very awkward about laying claim to having any Scottishness... which is funny seeing as my maiden name is a Scottish clan name and my family in England think I have a Scottish accent!</blockquote>
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I always knew that I would not be able to take part in Scotland's referendum, and accepted that as part of the process of expatriation. I had (and have) my personal feelings on the issue, but also recognized that it was not my decision to make anymore. In a way, because I chose to leave Scotland, and because I wasn't actually born there, I believed that my opinion on its future was unwarranted. I became a bystander.<br />
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Until a few days ago. When a friend in Scotland posted on Facebook:<br />
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<b>"Right ranty bods, here's your chance. I'm undecided. I have the facts and I have a vote."</b></blockquote>
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My friend wanted personal reasons for voting one way or the other. Not facts, they're already out there. And it hit me: This is a huge moment for my country, for my citizenship and my identity. And I really care. And what's more, not only am I <i>allowed </i>an opinion as an expat, I <i>should </i>have an opinion. National identity, as Americans know so well, is something to cherish, and even nurture. So I responded. Here is <i>part </i>of what I said:<br />
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I was born in SE England, grew up in NE England, and spent most of my life living in Scotland. I know I am one of a minority (about 10%) who self-identified as British in the last census. </blockquote>
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My stepfather was a miner in NE of England in the 80s. I got free school meals because my mum was an unemployed art student. Neither was a fan of Maggie. </blockquote>
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We moved to Scotland when I was 8. When I started high school I was bullied a little for being English.</blockquote>
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I fell in love with Scotland regardless and actually love to identify as Scottish. But every now and then I'd get into a taxi in Glasgow and be told "you're not from round here..." And I wouldn't know what to say. Was I? Could I say I was? </blockquote>
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Now I live in America, and I can be what I want because, frankly, that's America for you. People call me Scottish, and I take pride in being Scottish, teaching Gaelic phrases to Americans, discussing Scottish art and culture and geography. I am also English, and proud of that too, even though I was often made to feel ashamed of it at school.</blockquote>
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The lead up to the referendum has been a very exciting and engaging demonstration of political debate and discourse. My friends are fairly representative of the debate happening in the UK, and are pretty evenly split on either side. Both sides are deeply passionate about their beliefs and their identities. People are debating economics and politics, and they are also discussing - and questioning - the very concept of identity.<br />
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It has ignited in me a deep awareness of my identity. It is a fuzzy concept, but highly emotional and compelling nonetheless. Identity can be a unifying factor, and it can also be a dividing factor. I consider myself British, both English and Scottish. But it took the prospect of leaving my country to discover my identity, after growing up with unease over whether I am 'Scottish' enough and allowed to be 'English'.<br />
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In a day or two we should know the result of the referendum. If independence comes to pass my British passport will no longer represent both elements of my identity (it seems likely that I will be eligible to apply for a Scottish one, and so could become multi-national citizen).<br />
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By Citizenship Day next year I will also be eligible to apply for US citizenship. That will give me a US passport and the right to vote, possibly even in the 2016 elections. I won't take the decision to apply for a US passport lightly, because citizenship, and formally adopting a new dimension to one's self-identity, is something that should be a carefully considered decision.<br />
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Applying for a Green Card was emotional because it entailed moving transatlantically, leaving friends and family, and being reunited with my husband. My conditional Green Card expired a few months ago. I was granted an extension while waiting for my full 10 year one, and those forms and the process felt like a formality compared to first time round.<br />
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Applying for citizenship and a passport feels different though. I'll literally be saying the pledge of allegiance to the United States, a statement of who I am and who I will be.<br />
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And in a way, that is a similar statement that each person in Scotland is making at the ballot box tomorrow. Some, I know, are making decisions purely on economics and governance. But I also know that personal feeling and identity plays a huge role. For some, who don't feel represented by Westminster, it is a notion of not identifying with what <i>Britain's </i>governance represents. For others, there is a feeling that Scotland is strongest <i>as part of </i>a union of identities and governance systems, that can converge and diverge at times.<br />
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Whether Scotland becomes independent, or remains in the Union (and it seems too close to call right now), citizens are determining the future of their country.<br />
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Self-determination is not <i>how </i>you vote, it's that you <i>do</i>. Whatever the result, the hard work begins on Friday to regather. And whatever the result, I'll still pure love ye, Scotland, mon.<br />
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<br />gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-19496207144954299122014-04-28T08:12:00.000+01:002014-04-28T08:12:00.352+01:0029<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">I turned 29 recently. I guess I really can't pretend I'm early to mid twenties anymore, right?</span></div>
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Turning 29 actually got me excited about turning 30 next year. It gave me great cause to reflect back on the past ten years or so. There's so much I want to achieve, personally and professionally, that I haven't done yet. And sometimes the "haven't dones" can overshadow the "have dones".<br />
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I almost wrote a bucket list (I hate that phrase, sorry), but instead decided to remind myself of the past decade and what I <i>did</i> achieve.<br />
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Here's how I summed it up:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I'm entering the twilight year of my twenties, and that's cool. I graduated, got a job, left a job, lost a job, graduated, wedded, worked, and emigrated, switched careers, faced fears, made friends, saw bands, learned my faults and the worth of my salt. I also took a thousand photos of fibreglass cows, visited the grave of the man who invented the word 'robot', lived in Harlem, and was published in an academic journal for a subject I never studied. My new goals are to work harder, play softer, and pay more attention to my family. Have at it, 29.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRhpee4Nq2gDrTaZ4iMKNNKoCoCVVE8iYDWf_6FkrJCEFHyuMdv_XatKm1WXjRUAZkISpEV1zZuHo5TmtOomhgokchYummMlnNWQ-4o7KmrNCV62RifCwrStZrief72vh2c9NmvjQFPU/s1600/1978661_10151941454217031_1143673376_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRhpee4Nq2gDrTaZ4iMKNNKoCoCVVE8iYDWf_6FkrJCEFHyuMdv_XatKm1WXjRUAZkISpEV1zZuHo5TmtOomhgokchYummMlnNWQ-4o7KmrNCV62RifCwrStZrief72vh2c9NmvjQFPU/s1600/1978661_10151941454217031_1143673376_n.jpg" height="320" width="312" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">*The typeface here is <a href="http://comicneue.com/" target="_blank">Comic Neue</a>, a brand new reinvention of the world's worst (and most misused) font: <a href="http://bancomicsans.com/main/" target="_blank">Comic Sans</a>. Comic Neue is kind of genius and even a little bit beautiful. I thought it perfect for a short piece about realizing that you're grown up. It's free, so <a href="http://comicneue.com/" target="_blank">download and share it</a> with everyone who needs a friendly, accessible tone in writing - from your kindergarten teacher to the dentist's office!</span>gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-2125401088810761302014-02-03T20:10:00.001+00:002014-02-03T20:10:04.352+00:00The Big Game's Biggest Tweets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Once again I successfully predicted the Super Bowl winner (okay I said the Seahorses would win, but you know what I mean).<br />
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As a Brit, I'm still not really too clear on how American Football works. But I do understand how social media works, so spending an evening watching Twitter drama unfold, over wings and beer, was just as entertaining. So instead of a usually Monday media post from me here, read this run down I wrote on the <a href="http://iriscreative.com/the-social-bowl-how-brands-shifted-their-big-game-ads-to-social-media/" target="_blank">8 Top Social Moments from the Big Game</a>.gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-27350773415604580712014-01-28T07:38:00.000+00:002014-01-28T16:13:06.079+00:00How to be a Successful Blogger (by breaking all the rules)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Know the 'rules' of blogging before you start, they say. There are <i>steps</i> to successful blogging. I know these 'rules', and I follow a lot of them, just not at the same time.<br />
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Most of the time I'm breaking the rules.<br />
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And there are very good reasons for breaking the rules of blogging, both in corporate <i>and</i> personal/lifestyle blogging. It really depends on your goals.<br />
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I tend not to define myself as a 'blogger' because blogging is just one part of what I do, both personally and professionally. Here I am, blogging, but this blog here is not my career, it's not my <i>business</i>, and it's not my entire lifestyle. And yet this blog has been hugely successful - by my own terms!<br />
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So here are some 'rules' of blogging that I know I break, and why I break them:<br />
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Broken Rule # 1: (Don't) Find a Niche and Stick to it</h3>
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Personally: I'm an expat, millennial, career-changing digital native, and for a long time I couldn't decide how to narrow my niche. I love the differences between American and UK cultures but I didn't want a <i>pure</i> expat blog. The blogs I read on a daily basis cover a broad range of interests, and rarely overlap. So for 2014 I'm picking <i>three</i> themes and running with them: Building (and re-building) a career as a millennial, blogging/marketing, and my expat life. They're not as distinct as they might seem and I have several blog posts planned that fit into more than one theme.</div>
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So if you can't choose a specific niche, or don't want to be pigeonholed, <b>don't choose a niche!</b> Try picking a few key themes that interest you, and you'll soon work out how they can tie together into one overall <i>brand</i>.<br />
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Broken Rule # 2: (Don't) Share your Blog Posts all over Social Media</h3>
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You've written a snappy, relevant, or thought-provoking post and you want to share it with the world. But stop: Where are you going to share it, and when?</div>
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Don't feel like you should just blast it all over every social account you have. Use your social accounts wisely and mindfully. Twitter is the place to craft an irresistible headline or two and share throughout the day. Pinterest and Facebook both drive traffic with visual content, but at opposite times of the day. And sometimes more is not always better - too much can be <i>less</i> effective than not enough.</div>
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For every post you craft, <b>determine the best social accounts to share on</b>. This works equally for personal and corporate blogging, especially when you're clear on what you want to achieve - whether it's traffic, sales, or shares.<br />
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Broken Rule # 3: (Don't) Be an Expert</h3>
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Sometimes the most interesting blogs are about people learning their way. Whether it's a new mom, a new blogger, a new lawyer, a new fashionista, or someone who's in a new country, sharing first-time experiences <i>can</i> be more genuine and engaging than advice from thought-leaders. And that goes for pictures too - photos from 'behind the scenes' give a fascinating insight. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59-oaW78K3EL4RZ_wgPCVO9mgU53UWy8Wws9bAckdhPm-RHOe8dAtvmMMPhc3FbnWom1vRWFYw2vNo5FTe63dYBlvRXNFvPsEaZsZ-nnbH1vfg46jhUWks3-p8zCNl5kyYVVlqZhFL-I/s1600/bloggingfromhome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh59-oaW78K3EL4RZ_wgPCVO9mgU53UWy8Wws9bAckdhPm-RHOe8dAtvmMMPhc3FbnWom1vRWFYw2vNo5FTe63dYBlvRXNFvPsEaZsZ-nnbH1vfg46jhUWks3-p8zCNl5kyYVVlqZhFL-I/s1600/bloggingfromhome.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unpolished: Behind the scenes. NOT what I wear professionally!</td></tr>
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<b>Don't forget that blogging is allowed to be immediate and a bit unpolished!</b> That includes, writing, photography, your outfit, your baby - whatever. Some personal blogs look professional, and some professional blogs look homespun. And that's totally ok. Life's like that, so go with it. Share what you don't know, as well as what you do.<br />
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Broken Rule # 4: (Don't) Break all the Rules</h3>
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Read all the 'rules' of blogging that you can find, and read all the rulebreakers (ahem). Then decide what <i>you</i> need to do. Knowing how and why tricks and tactics work in social media and blogging helps you to discover what works for <i>you</i>.<br />
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So the one rule I recommend you <i>do</i> follow is to set out a goal for your blog. Even if you've been blogging for ages. And when you achieve that goal or your goal eventually changes, take a step back and re-evaluate, because your tactics will alter depending on what you want to achieve.<br />
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Some people like sharing memes and pictures, some people like essays and ideas, some like a mixture of both. Some people want to sell products, others want to build an audience, and others still just want to explore and have fun whether anyone's reading or not. Catch-all rules or rule-breaking won't work for every blog the same way.<br />
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Broken Rule # 5: (Don't) Define Success According to Others</h3>
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And finally, remember that everyone does have a different goal. Me? I'm not a fashion blogger, so I don't do outfit posts, even though I tried them. I'm not into giveaways or sponsorships, even though I tried them and they absolutely <i>work. </i>They're 'rules' I don't want to follow<i>. </i></div>
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I don't blog every day, I don't have a huge readership, and I feel <i>successful</i>. </div>
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I've met some fun people, switched careers, learned and expanded skills. I get to test ideas at 'play' in my personal blogspace, on projects with no real deadline and no real purpose, then test ideas out at work. </div>
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So here's how I'm defining my (personal) blogging success this year: I'm going to take my three themes, and try to create a cohesive personal brand. Even if my brand <i>is</i> millennial expat career-changing digital native!</div>
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What blogging rules do you follow? Which ones do you break? How do you define your blogging success?</h4>
gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-23470145655607668212014-01-25T15:27:00.000+00:002014-01-25T15:27:58.952+00:00A Pennsylvania Blogger Meet-UpThis post is way overdue. Months and months ago I responded to a blog post by one of my favorite bloggers, <a href="http://www.ofcorgisandcocktails.com/2013/09/bewitched-eastern-pennsylvania-blogger.html" target="_blank">Katherine from Of Corgis and Cocktails, inviting PA bloggers to lunch</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ofcorgisandcocktails.com/2013/10/outfit-bewitched.html" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkrE2TY3L16_xw4HVthNelDtaCuXNt08XcnxlLdrw0y-_a3wJcoTmzMbw-BKzFSoIv3QSOlR55Z8bkg5bQS7Oe_Ps-5GbAN52sfe6eH_YHoNS0phK6X3NpH-ajFtIDJG4IWH4ul7KQXI/s1600/BewitchedABloggerMeetup.jpg" height="406" title="Bewitched - a blogger meetup" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's me on the left! Then <a href="http://peonyforyourthought.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kate</a>, <a href="http://geekinglasses.typepad.com/a-geek-in-glasses/" target="_blank">Stephanie</a>, <a href="http://www.bisforbecky.com/" target="_blank">Becky</a>, <a href="http://www.ofcorgisandcocktails.com/" target="_blank">Katherine</a>, and <a href="http://shadesofmonetmd.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Marisa</a>! Photo courtesy of Katherine.</td></tr>
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And so in October I borrowed my husband's car and drove down to <a href="http://www.shopterrain.com/glen-mills/" target="_blank">Terrain in Glen Mills</a> to eat lunch with some lovely girls I'd never met before. The journey down was an adventure. The car was literally falling apart due to some bad repairs carried out by a garage (which we later got fixed at no charge because the garage made so many mistakes). Scooting down the highway was a bit scary as I needed to avoid potholes and braking too hard. Plus it was the furthest I'd driven by myself since moving to the US, and I had no clue where I was going, or where I was meeting my fellow blogettes!<br />
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But it was a very nice afternoon, meeting some lovely local ladies, and poking around a gorgeous store.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">From the buttery bread served in flower pots and fresh water in mason jars, to the beautiful displays and delicious aromas (check out their soaps…mmm), Terrain was a great place to meet up.</span></div>
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And as it was nearing Halloween (hence all the pumpkins), we gave each other little treats, most of which my husband and I snarfed immediately when I got home. Let me tell you, these bloggers have <i>skills</i>. </div>
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When my husband saw the photo at the top of all of us, he asked how I managed to find the five girls in Pennsylvania with the same style as me. I told him it made complete sense - we all follow the blogs that attract us the most, and blog the things that interest us the most, or that we hope others <i>like</i> us will find interesting. People on social media, and bloggers especially, get knocked for <i>image crafting, </i>but to me that's entirely the point. I'm going to talk more about this in a future post, so watch out for it.<br />
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Of course I'll do my due diligence and link to <a href="http://www.ofcorgisandcocktails.com/2013/10/outfit-bewitched.html" target="_blank">Katherine's outfit post</a> and <a href="http://shadesofmonetmd.blogspot.com/2013/10/terrain-blogger-meetup.html" target="_blank">Marisa's outfit post</a> so you can find out where they got their cute dresses (and see more photos of Terrain). And my dress? It's from UK store <a href="http://www.trollieddolly.com/" target="_blank">Trollied Dolly</a>. I wore it <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2012/06/queen-elizabeth-iis-diamond-jubilee-was.html" target="_blank">here</a> too. Their dresses are so fabulous that I have several, and my husband even proposed to me while I was wearing one!gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-37598280497580533952014-01-22T07:39:00.000+00:002014-01-22T07:39:00.117+00:00Snow in Pennsylvania<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This winter we've had plenty of snow days, including yesterday and our last few days before Christmas in the UK.<br />
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Luckily I wear a number of professional hats, so it doesn't create too much turmoil for me. I currently work for a cute little country club in the ruralburbs, and I also do freelance work for a creative marketing agency. When I'm not doing one I'm doing the other, and a snow day gives me a chance to catch up with copywriting, reports, and walkies.<br />
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gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-21952837960440359042014-01-20T08:18:00.000+00:002014-01-20T08:18:00.538+00:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Max Ehrmann's Desiderata is one of those pieces of writing I often return to for a moment's meditation. And the holiday season (especially the week between Christmas and New Year) is a perfect time to collect and recollect, and plan for the year ahead.<br />
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Last year I did a series of photographs named <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/search/label/12%20days%20of%20gladness" target="_blank">12 Days of Gladness</a>, reflecting on the year when I up and left my job to move to be in the US with my husband.<br />
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I thought Desiderata would be the ideal way to reintroduce myself to blogging in 2014. All these photos are mine from the past year or so (except the first one which my husband took!)<br />
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I didn't learn much more in the way of photographic skills last year, but I did learn a lot about myself, the world I live in, and what I want to achieve for 2014. So I've spent most of January making considered and decided plans and goals for this year, and I'll share these ideas with you over the next few weeks.<br />
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I've also made some decisions about the kind of blog I want. I've always felt a little stuck between expat blogging, 'lifestyle' blogging, and blogging about more solid things relating to my career aspirations. I've decided that it's okay to mix all three!<br />
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I threw these photos together last night, and my husband found me at my desk as I was working on the last one. It's a photo from Camden in London, taken a few weeks ago. He'd never heard of Desiderata before, and he also didn't know that I'd taken that picture. The whole thing struck him much more profoundly than I expected - so I hope you enjoy it too!<br />
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Which poem or piece of writing inspires you? Or where do you take inspiration from? I'd love to hear. For now, I'm going to get back to reading my Bloglovin backlog…gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-31690884809104360032013-12-24T19:07:00.000+00:002013-12-24T19:09:26.144+00:00Queen Speech Bingo 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_z2XbHwQOG1OHdKZERxVFRidWM/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Download and Print your Bingo Cards here!</a></h2>
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Hey guys!<br />
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I know it's been a very long time since I made an appearance in the blogging world. The last few months have been busy (in a good way) and I have a lot of wonderful posts and photos to share with you. I just need to make time to do it. I'm currently in the UK having a very British Christmas (yay!) and it's a bit of a whirlwind tour visiting loved ones.<br />
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Anyway - <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/queens-speech-bingo.html" target="_blank">this was one of my most popular blog posts of the past year</a> so of course I had to do it again for 2013. I'm sneaking it in late this year, but here goes: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_z2XbHwQOG1OHdKZERxVFRidWM/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Queen Speech Bingo 2013</a>!<br />
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<b>How to Play Queen Speech Bingo</b><br />
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The full rules are available <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/queens-speech-bingo.html" target="_blank">here</a> but really it's very simple:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Print off a few bingo cards</li>
<li>Watch the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008rpnp" target="_blank">Queen's Christmas message</a></li>
<li>Argue with your family</li>
<li>Have fun!</li>
</ul>
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<b>How it Works</b><br />
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I use a list of the most common words from previous Queen Christmas speeches, and throw in a few extras (wildcards) to reflect recent events. Extra words for 2013 include George, information, internet, and independence.<br />
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Let me know if you decide to play, and of course, who wins!gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-71710872725673228302013-10-22T07:26:00.000+01:002013-10-22T07:26:00.114+01:00Expat Q & A - Perceptions of Expat Life in the USAThe great thing about the expat Q & A hosted by the lovely <a href="http://foundlovenowwhat.com/wp/category/british-musings/expat-musings/">Belinda</a> and <a href="http://hemborgwife.wordpress.com/">Bailie</a> is that it makes me realize that my expat life is, well, normal.<br />
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This month's expat Q & A is about how others perceive expat life. It's been fascinating to read the other responses because there seems to be some universally shared experiences. No matter where a blogger moved from or to it appears that their friends and family think they're living a fairytale life abroad, a constant vacation.<br />
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But really, it's just life.<br />
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Everyday, boring, normal, quotidian, mundane life. And sometimes (most of the time) that life is pretty good. So here are my answers to this month's questions, but don't forget to <a href="http://foundlovenowwhat.com/wp/2013/10/15/expat-qa-october/">check out the rest too</a>!<br />
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<b>Question #1: How does your family and friends back home perceive your new life, and is it accurate?</b><br />
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Actually, I think most of my friends and family have a realistic impression of how life in the USA works now. I talk about ordinary things like my commute to work, buying a car, nights in with my husband, networking, etc.<br />
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But when I still lived in Britain and first discussed moving to America, I usually got one of two responses:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Wow! That's so glamorous! America, that's cool!</li>
<li>So, how do you <i>really</i> feel about moving to a country without public healthcare?</li>
</ol>
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I won't go into the second response here (yet) but the first one is interesting, because it's kind of related to what I said in <a href="http://www.bonnieroseblog.co.uk/2013/09/why-being-brit-in-suburban-usa-isnt-so.html" target="_blank">my guest post on A Compass Rose about the UK impression of the US</a>. It's often one-sided, but America has so many sides.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two very different sides of America</td></tr>
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There is a side of America that's fast-moving, cosmopolitan, urban, and exciting. And then there is the side of America that is vast, open, rustic, and fascinating.<br />
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And I live slap bang in the middle of both. Yes, I live very close to two of the biggest cities in the country (Philadelphia and New York). But my daily commute involves <i>all</i> aspects of US living: driving past corn fields and cows, along multi-lane suburban pikes past shopping malls, through little towns, and even a stint on a highway for good measure.<br />
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So while my friends know that I'm not on a constant vacation, and I don't live on fast food, I'm not sure they get a whole picture of the contrasts of American living.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTqKlpyF-3cjxBlIrZ2Hb13cYaikBVMooRiRVJE_c06GS391Tm5l2aZJTBI7n-KyeF4SOMlor2T48ec2F_su_-uhscq5gmWPOBBUbXnLq646D9vP6em1xzglsWRIkampvYtirqecHGYQ/s1600/philadelphia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTqKlpyF-3cjxBlIrZ2Hb13cYaikBVMooRiRVJE_c06GS391Tm5l2aZJTBI7n-KyeF4SOMlor2T48ec2F_su_-uhscq5gmWPOBBUbXnLq646D9vP6em1xzglsWRIkampvYtirqecHGYQ/s640/philadelphia.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Murals in Philly</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5mqN5QprxHJkogfaqraK1BtXASZuIGJ4gcVZu6lf67yG4VR4uap29UgTCNoXE_Pozy-09gS7KSe5UZXc7x6l8ScWtvcd-8opUkVN2LFXIRBMy78SBLRymkqRIxBYd6RBVys3VuR3QmY/s1600/NewYork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5mqN5QprxHJkogfaqraK1BtXASZuIGJ4gcVZu6lf67yG4VR4uap29UgTCNoXE_Pozy-09gS7KSe5UZXc7x6l8ScWtvcd-8opUkVN2LFXIRBMy78SBLRymkqRIxBYd6RBVys3VuR3QmY/s640/NewYork.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot Dogs in New York</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY26b0skhib2Anb7t6y0b7vRxIDslPFhAeHUZt5NV5p0l9nOV_a1ixZxgs8P2gtxx5Q4gOnPV0_LZScfxeAFhpIegi83R0-g7OJ578WvQ8-i7IxqtEKhtZFAPIh7HSlBLUSUzs39pxm18/s1600/cabelasoutdoors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY26b0skhib2Anb7t6y0b7vRxIDslPFhAeHUZt5NV5p0l9nOV_a1ixZxgs8P2gtxx5Q4gOnPV0_LZScfxeAFhpIegi83R0-g7OJ578WvQ8-i7IxqtEKhtZFAPIh7HSlBLUSUzs39pxm18/s640/cabelasoutdoors.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabela's - the outdoor outfitters</td></tr>
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<b>Question #1: Do you find the need to edit your life from friends and family? </b><br />
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At the beginning, I definitely did, for fear of disappointing them!<br />
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I know that's silly, but after my friends and family had been so supportive in the lead-up to my emigrating from the UK to the USA, I didn't want them to think that I wasn't living the American Dream.<br />
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The truth is, those first few months of immigration and expattery can be really hard, and after all the hype and expectation, I didn't want people to worry, or to think I'd made a mistake.<br />
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But now, now I'm settled and life is normal, and wonderfully so, I'll confide and talk about my daily frustrations. Recently I had an hour long Skype chat with a friend in Scotland because we're both looking at buying used cars, and that's a universal pain!<br />
<br />gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-57182467629364549512013-09-15T21:05:00.001+01:002013-09-15T21:05:50.989+01:00Sunday Supplements (and Sunday Puppy too)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZqKRM3aPJEUjFchRzzjpbWRcYra-WYyXlUL31qEcBqADnG4Rlmy1KIJlGNpwq1WGdusWSyrGD2bTPKLhAXiqFQG6qyjOgGyyiZZsZkoe2OCg6gRILIH36XJRVXNDGG-vUPQuRWAgLro/s1600/gladsundaysept1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZqKRM3aPJEUjFchRzzjpbWRcYra-WYyXlUL31qEcBqADnG4Rlmy1KIJlGNpwq1WGdusWSyrGD2bTPKLhAXiqFQG6qyjOgGyyiZZsZkoe2OCg6gRILIH36XJRVXNDGG-vUPQuRWAgLro/s640/gladsundaysept1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's been a while since I did a <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/search/label/rustic%20weekend" target="_blank">Rustic Weekend</a> feature. Yesterday I had a <a href="http://www.bonnieroseblog.co.uk/2013/09/why-being-brit-in-suburban-usa-isnt-so.html" target="_blank">guest post over on Bonnie's A Compass Rose</a>, titled "Why being a Brit in suburban USA isn't so bad", and writing it reminded me of some of my favorite things about living here in Nowheresville, PA.<br />
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Originally, <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/search/label/rustic%20weekend" target="_blank">Rustic Weekend</a> was a quiet celebration of being able to enjoy doing nothing with my husband, something I hadn't been able to do at all for our first year of marriage. Then both our schedules filled up, even at weekends, so the feature became <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/search/label/sunday%20supplements" target="_blank">Sunday Supplements</a>, a quick round-up of my favorite finds.<br />
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We didn't go anywhere or do anything <i>particularly</i> exciting this summer. And that was kind of wonderful. We did however, do plenty of other lovely things…<i> </i>(sorry vegans/vegetarians, close-ups of meat are imminent!)<br />
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So roll on Fall and all its tasty rustic bounties! And yes, that's a <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2012/10/five-pumpkin-beers-you-need-to-try.html" target="_blank">pumpkin beer</a> right there. If you hold on, I'll be happy to share our recipes for honey glazed BBQ chicken and basil pasta salad later this week!<br /><br />I don't think I'll manage <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/search/label/Octoberfest" target="_blank">a whole month of posts just on pumpkins this October</a>. What would you like instead?gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-79569180917985147732013-09-12T15:55:00.002+01:002013-09-12T15:56:27.839+01:00Ad Space Giveaway with A Compass Rose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bonnieroseblog.co.uk/2013/09/travel-q-september-sponsors-giveaway.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKtLmUhhPHGwuxykEbPJUzkGkBOxRiDKPPb8Dd7-ay0Mlb2RgXa8yoh0DTuFOz-SWrJ2Y0uqAV9qhWYoj-FCVkDjW3-I2oOPkJH0LfHTBUtHWgoEFhXgayKOxQzr3HyB8Td8EER7jEUw/s640/travelQAsept.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hey look at this, I'm part of an ad space giveaway for bloggers! This is being hosted by the wonderful <a href="http://www.bonnieroseblog.co.uk/2013/09/travel-q-september-sponsors-giveaway.html" target="_blank">Bonnie from A Compass Rose </a>. She will treat you <i>very well</i> as a blog sponsor, so it's worth it just for that. You'll also get a spot on my blog here, and alongside all these other lovely faces. </div>
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Enter below, or directly on <a href="http://www.bonnieroseblog.co.uk/2013/09/travel-q-september-sponsors-giveaway.html" target="_blank">Bonnie's site</a> (if you comment on her post you get an extra entry, and you get to see what landmark I want to visit next). </div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/91c27d0/" id="rc-91c27d0" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script><br />
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A few months back I myself won some ad space on a variety of different blogs. It has been great fun, and I got to connect with some excellent bloggers. But it also made me realize how amazing and hardworking these bloggers are. </div>
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Over the past few months I've been adjusting to a whole new career and work schedule. It's been fantastic so far - I've got some great paying clients and I'm learning a whole array of new skills. But it has meant that I had to step back from personal blogging for a bit. I struggled to keep up with some of the great opportunities that come from blogging - I've ignored PR requests that I'll get back to at some point, I haven't kept up with comment replies and reading other blogs. And I'm just a teeny tiny blog!</div>
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So hats off to all my favorite super bloggers. You are truly excellent. And if people have tips and hints for multitasking and project management in this web 2.0 freelance world of ours, you know where to leave the comments!</div>
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<i>PS - the ad space I'm offering is 200px wide, however tall you want (within reason, ok?) and it'll probably end up being up for more than 30 days because I'll forget to take it down. </i></div>
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gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-36789484267467082232013-09-11T12:55:00.000+01:002013-09-11T12:55:38.013+01:00Labor Day, Philadelphia, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3zenwN0oqHgC3YI2P4V1fHHHH_JwQVmpv_60BTwF558nQ7tipQD18LVmh-oXYtdWAT8dottPhNs6r1cCe_cLGZFRyMjV53K8qYgU_iD1PJWYap3p4WIDRb6Mjo1fNvpfPj4T6VzLCzo/s1600/2013phillylaborday1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3zenwN0oqHgC3YI2P4V1fHHHH_JwQVmpv_60BTwF558nQ7tipQD18LVmh-oXYtdWAT8dottPhNs6r1cCe_cLGZFRyMjV53K8qYgU_iD1PJWYap3p4WIDRb6Mjo1fNvpfPj4T6VzLCzo/s640/2013phillylaborday1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Last year for Labor Day, <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2012/09/rustic-labor-day-weekend.html" target="_blank">we stayed at home</a>, baked cookies and watched <i>Newsies</i>. This year I had the honor of witnessing Philadelphia's Labor Day parade. Just like <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2013/07/just-small-town-parade.html" target="_blank">July 4th</a>, I thought I'd share some of my photos from the beginning of the parade.<br />
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Now the tricky part about this was the rain that hit just as the event got going. It was <i>torrential, </i>but it didn't deter those who marched - which was truly awe-inspiring. People grabbed plastic ponchos and kept on walking. I grabbed one myself, although I used it to cover and protect my camera, while I got drenched from head to toe. My shoes took days to dry. I didn't mind though - it was much warmer than the same kind of rain in Glasgow!<br />
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So that's why these photos aren't the best, as most were taken through the armhole of a free plastic poncho.<br />
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What did you get up to for the holiday weekend? And what are you looking forward to this fall?gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-25072173660038650622013-08-20T18:40:00.000+01:002013-08-20T18:40:18.861+01:00Expat Q & A August: The Basics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been an expat for over a year now, and when I think back to my arrival I realize how hard on myself I was. I thought a month would be more than enough time to adjust to life in the New World. In reality, it took almost that whole year for me to feel settled, and well, at home.<br />
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But now I know my way around (more or less) so here's my rundown of day-to-day life somewhere on the outskirts of Philadelphia. Be sure to check out <a href="http://foundlovenowwhat.com/wp/2013/08/15/expat-to-expat-qa-august/" target="_blank">the other expat Q & A's over at Belinda's blog too</a>, to see how expat life compares across the world.<br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><em>1. What is your favorite food store in your city and why?</em> </strong><br />
Okay, first things first - I don't live in the city.<br />
Shock! If you thought I lived in Philly, I'm sorry. I live very close to Philly, but not quite.<br />
So my favorite food store is hard to choose, because there's an excellent variety of family owned markets and supermarkets. One of the most fun to visit is Wegmans, which I talked about before <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2013/01/one-week-of-us-cuisine.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<em style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><strong>2. For your answer to number 1 is it ok to buy the store brand items or do you pay extra for a name brand?</strong></em><br />
Wegmans is a high brand store - a bit like Waitrose or M & S in the UK - and there's so much to choose. You can try their food in their restaurants or their take-out counters, get fresh deli counter produce, name brand goods and imported products (including Jaffa Cakes, Irn Bru, and Ribena for likes of me). They also sell beer which, <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2013/04/glad-notes-license-to-swill.html" target="_blank">for a supermarket in PA, is a pretty big deal</a>.<br />
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<em style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><strong>3. What do you think is the best way to get about your city? i.e. bus, bike, car, etc</strong></em><br />
If you live on the train line, then the rail system isn't too bad. Otherwise, out here, you need to drive. No question about it. One funny observation is that the closer to the city people live, even if they have a car, the less far they're willing to drive. My husband and I are very used to driving all over our county and the neighboring counties to get to where we want. What we save by living away from the city we spend right back in gas, but thems the brakes, and we get to see some great scenery to boot.<br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">4. Which store do you turn to for basics like toilet paper or cleaning supplies?</strong><br />
I'm not going to lie, it's Walmart. We prefer to go to other stores for most things, but I'd challenge any American resident to truthfully say they don't make several trips to Walmart a year.<br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">5. Where do you think is the best place in your city to get a cup of coffee (or beverage you prefer) and catch up with friends?</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><br />
Like I said, we're happy to travel across the counties to see our friends, and there's no one place that we go to on a regular basis. A lot of the small towns and cities have cute independent coffee shops, and Philly has brilliant bars, but the numbers of times we just end up in chain restaurants out in the suburbs… I still haven't visited <a href="http://www.thewhiptavern.com/" target="_blank">this place</a> yet. Can you believe it?!<br />
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<br />gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-72685580710020947832013-08-15T13:07:00.002+01:002013-08-15T13:10:14.295+01:00Six Things about Gladley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Did you catch me on HuffPost Live last week? <a href="http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/long-distance-couples-are-emotionally-closer/51edc2b3fe3444738300063a" target="_blank">Here it is</a> if you want to take a peek! It was great fun, and who'd have thunk you could be on a live chat show panel in the comfort of your own home, just hours after breaking down in the middle of an expressway? It was a pleasure also to meet the inspiring Kelli and John from <a href="http://thesustainablecouple.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Sustainable Couple</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bonnieroseblog.co.uk/2013/08/six-things-you-should-know-about-me.html" target="_blank">On Monday the wonderful Bonnie Rose</a> tagged me in a quick Q & A. This little blog meme is springing up all over the place, but I actually like these sweet things because it shows what blogging is all about. So without too much more of a fanfare, here are six (oops, seven) things about me.<br />
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<b>1. Who or what inspires you?</b></div>
The poem <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=desiderata&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS548US548&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Q4QLUt9iyPvIAdGmgdAN&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1212&bih=706#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=Io8FaNWiwjgxfM%3A%3BXGIqJ3b72eLYXM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ffineartamerica.com%252Fimages-medium-5%252Fdesiderata-subway-style-ginny-gaura.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ffineartamerica.com%252Ffeatured%252Fdesiderata-subway-style-ginny-gaura.html%3B233%3B700" target="_blank">Desiderata</a> by Max Ehrmann. It's universal, and a wonderful guide to living life.<br />
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<b>2. One goal you would like to achieve before 2014.</b></div>
I would like to buy a car. In cash. Regular readers of this blog already know that new immigrants to the US leave their good credit scores behind in their home country, and I've been considering the pros and cons of using a car to build credit.<br />
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Will I get a fancy car if I save and pay in cash? Nuh uh. But it'll be <i>mine. </i>Who knows, I might even get a stick so none of my US family and friends can use it ;)<br />
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<b>3. What is something you love about yourself?</b></div>
It's hard to define, but what I truly love about myself is that I'm dynamic and curious. If I don't know something, or don't know how to do something, I'll learn it. I love to learn as much as I can about something so I know what I'm doing.<br />
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It's something I always try to pitch to new employers because it makes me a really useful person to have around, especially in marketing and digital roles. I taught myself CSS last year. I'm currently learning some new tools for work purposes.<br />
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And then, when I broke my husband's car last week, I read up as much as I could about car maintenance and the model of the car. I didn't fix it myself, but I felt much more confident about talking with the mechanic. Next time, maybe I'll fix it!<br />
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<b>4. Who has been your role model?</b><br />
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Pretty much everyone on my Facebook friend list. That's a strange thing to say, but I really admire so many traits in my friends and family. Sam's tough and wise. Judith's bright and adventurous. Jamie's driven and purposeful. They are all great motivators, even if they don't realize it.</div>
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<b>5. Which blog are you in love with that you only found out about recently?</b></div>
Probably <a href="http://sillygrrl.com/">SillyGrrl.com</a> - but I need to have an afternoon to myself to catch up on reading my favorite blogs, I've been on the go so much lately!<br />
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<b>6. When you struggle in life, what keeps you going?</b><br />
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Blah blah blah, cliche, my husband. We keep each other driven, which is - to me - a great sign that we work well together.</div>
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<b>7. What hobby would you love to pick up? </b></div>
A couple of years ago I learned a few chords on the ukulele, and I'd love to do that again!<br />
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Now, I think everyone under the blogging sun has done this feature now, but if you haven't, and you're reading this - consider yourself tagged! And you should comment below to tell me so I can go read it.gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-9539226723012797772013-08-09T12:15:00.000+01:002013-08-12T03:34:16.800+01:00Gladley's going live, HuffPost Live!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First things first, I'm going to be live on TV (kinda) … tonight! It's a panel discussion <b>tonight on <a href="http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/long-distance-couples-are-emotionally-closer/51edc2b3fe3444738300063a" target="_blank">HuffPost Live</a>, 7.30pm EST</b>. We'll be discussing the many advantages of long distance relationships, so do feel free to tune in online!<br />
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You'll also be free to laugh at my accent. It's gotten ridiculous these days, Americans often ask me now "where are you <i>from</i>?" out of genuine confusion. Where am I from? Suburban PA? England-then-Scotland? Whatever works.<br />
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I'm looking forward to my HuffPo panel appearance, which is soon to be
followed by plenty of other fun things that I have in the pipeline. Life certainly has sped up in the past couple of months, and I have a lot of expattery to tell you about, from my experience so far with US healthcare, the differences between UK and US driving tests, that other time I was kind of an expat (that I forget about), and more.<br />
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In the mean time. I<a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2013/07/sunday-supplements-and-sunday-puppy-too.html" target="_blank"> lied a bit when I said that our Sunday puppy wouldn't pose for us</a>. Behold, our awkward family photos, 2013.<br />
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These were taken the same day, and were the best of the lot, believe me.<br />
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<i>Oh, and the George Washington quotation - that was on one of our table settings at our wedding. </i>gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-23934656842667765292013-07-16T14:17:00.000+01:002013-07-16T14:17:10.439+01:00The new burger joint Brits should get to NOW (and it's not Shake Shack)There's a quiet revolution happening, and Brits might not be aware.<br />
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The old rivalry, McDonalds versus Burger King, is over. There are two new pretenders to the throne. Wimpy is crying in the corner (Brits: Remember Wimpy? I love Wimpy). <br />
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This month <i>two</i> American hamburger joints opened their new flagship stores in London. The first is <a href="http://www.shakeshack.com/location/london-covent-garden/" target="_blank">Shake Shack</a>, wonderfully modern Americana hailing from the center of Manhattan, dishing out fine fast food and delectable milkshakes.<br />
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I've already seen Facebook chatter and instagram pics of this tasty place. But I'm not impressed. You see, to me, there is another. And it's right around the corner…<br />
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It's <a href="http://fiveguys.co.uk/" target="_blank">Five Guys</a>: Less fancy, more basic, and dare I say, more American. And they proved that by opening the day before the London Shake Shack, on July 4th. What a statement to make to those pesky Brits, eh? Happy Independence day, have a burger!<br />
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The thing is, Shake Shack UK is currently beating Five Guys UK in Facebook likes. And I'm not happy about that. So here are some reasons you need to get yourself up, out and around the corner… <br />
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<i>Oh, and just to let you know: This is NOT a sponsored post. The true story is this: I have driven past Five Guys almost every day for the past six months and have never been in. As soon as I heard that it opened in London, I had to get my burger-loving butt down to my own local branch to try it before all of my UK friends. Hence, a new love affair began.</i><br />
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1. Free freakin' peanuts!</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR757KbsQFJTWTKnvh_6uDv0OQXhEgkgl0vMjOveo6-bkd-8_mFRMn8MSQldr2mgK1TDRDj4MXsiqV9mP84XIV6_hlNeSk95BZG7aCPwgO0jzPvSAbdwN5sYm137_1OFyBd2oFB0hXLdQ/s1600/fiveguyspeanuts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR757KbsQFJTWTKnvh_6uDv0OQXhEgkgl0vMjOveo6-bkd-8_mFRMn8MSQldr2mgK1TDRDj4MXsiqV9mP84XIV6_hlNeSk95BZG7aCPwgO0jzPvSAbdwN5sYm137_1OFyBd2oFB0hXLdQ/s640/fiveguyspeanuts.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Okay, let me just say first that if you're allergic to peanuts, you're going to have a bad time in this place. Stay away. If not, you'll love this. Free peanuts while you wait for your burger. Why? Because their food is cooked in peanut oil, and also, why not?</div>
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2. Big and Little Burgers!</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8WkBUkRo2uLFPhb_xuud6RcUTxLCknvIbixo5sqXlwQi8137ZWcJV_6Y4nK84hbGKKwtAAX3cB5Njez4H82qO7RYhyphenhyphenWat6UMFEkPBNnC1BvyAbtGDkWR4SV64e1tviwnqOGM7lVALSA/s1600/fiveguysbiglittle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8WkBUkRo2uLFPhb_xuud6RcUTxLCknvIbixo5sqXlwQi8137ZWcJV_6Y4nK84hbGKKwtAAX3cB5Njez4H82qO7RYhyphenhyphenWat6UMFEkPBNnC1BvyAbtGDkWR4SV64e1tviwnqOGM7lVALSA/s640/fiveguysbiglittle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I know <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2013/06/expat-diaries-three-things-i-say.html" target="_blank">Burger King's "Have it your way" was too much for us Brits to deal with</a>, but you've got to make some choices. Five Guys happily provides different sizes of burger for different appetites. I'll choose the little bacon burger for a princely meal of 560 calories, whereas my husband may plump for (pun intended) the 920 calorie big bacon cheeseburger. </div>
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3. Free Toppings!</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgch6uaAA8stbIkOD_JZEnqpHeUMS6-_0lz3Cm62xgdMdIlFqAdoU5o3z7G6yw_1J79kQz8ydK5weCE0sbNxuaSIMVNIUwAWm9S7OuTKB1JovWhVBONt07dnilm5ECHuEPOVbPpt8aDjEo/s1600/fiveguystoppings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgch6uaAA8stbIkOD_JZEnqpHeUMS6-_0lz3Cm62xgdMdIlFqAdoU5o3z7G6yw_1J79kQz8ydK5weCE0sbNxuaSIMVNIUwAWm9S7OuTKB1JovWhVBONt07dnilm5ECHuEPOVbPpt8aDjEo/s640/fiveguystoppings.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yes, I know, more choices. But go for it, they're all free. You can have a pile of healthy stuff as big as you like. Oh, and the pickles/gherkins? Sweet and crunchy. Not the slimy token gesture other fast foodies try to get away with.</div>
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3. THOSE FRIES!</h3>
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Five Guys fries are a big deal for me. They are the only American 'fry' that comes anywhere close to a British 'chip', and that's including those paltry 'steak fries' offered in some restaurants. </div>
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If you live in the UK you can pop down to your local chippy and they will almost always serve a better chip, but these are the best effort I've tasted in a US burger joint. </div>
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Watch out though: A regular is for two people, and I swear the servers just free pour these fries into the bottom of your bag. That's a good thing - you get loads of them, and they're great. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ac09Vi5Ssq9wJ0ROGbV5rhvkdYL6uJYTlwOGzjMtJqq1-t4mlCxE1TX7f3spR0m4B2DwAzccNFjKoA86a0jyViVZAarUHTuXLMw7KDUnElKheqrw8Mt1zoCIt1XieNd6sZfI6bNp18o/s1600/fiveguyslargefries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ac09Vi5Ssq9wJ0ROGbV5rhvkdYL6uJYTlwOGzjMtJqq1-t4mlCxE1TX7f3spR0m4B2DwAzccNFjKoA86a0jyViVZAarUHTuXLMw7KDUnElKheqrw8Mt1zoCIt1XieNd6sZfI6bNp18o/s640/fiveguyslargefries.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If a regular fries is for two people, these must be the large.</td></tr>
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And that's all I have to say really. I know I must sound a bit 'nuts' (sorry). Especially when I try so hard to convince you that <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2013/01/one-week-of-us-cuisine.html" target="_blank">American cuisine isn't always just burgers and fries</a>. It's just that sometimes, just sometimes, American cuisine <i>is</i> just burgers and fries. And they do it so darned well. </div>
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<i>Okay Brits, Americans, and everyone else, where's your favorite burger? </i><i>And have you ever been to Wimpys?</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvx_-bLAX9kZbBKh5MV8SLFNrK_kQyM72Df2XMyYjOcfMlHefar8VhxWYnPjyzcmEI_Pd0eibB5kN4rDYnx6frT-_-QhY8d-gt_QFz5iedKJ-BiCGECRKFGedy4vuYj5ug63plyaPoqQ/s1600/fiveguyseatbeef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvx_-bLAX9kZbBKh5MV8SLFNrK_kQyM72Df2XMyYjOcfMlHefar8VhxWYnPjyzcmEI_Pd0eibB5kN4rDYnx6frT-_-QhY8d-gt_QFz5iedKJ-BiCGECRKFGedy4vuYj5ug63plyaPoqQ/s640/fiveguyseatbeef.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-61476534867656629732013-07-08T00:45:00.000+01:002013-07-08T15:38:33.248+01:00Sunday Supplements (and Sunday Puppy too)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQ9nEw1hx7kSce4dTaUMyb6PT3zWANQcYT9OD2cTSHG-sCZ4JAS21QIT-DY7gVE7KISwl00AAr9Wqzn-cjiJV8gy5A8rqxdsOz33NUC300FkGLxrT1cL5ciAvh5cC1qVRDq5RdHrDZH0/s1600/sundaypuppyjul713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQ9nEw1hx7kSce4dTaUMyb6PT3zWANQcYT9OD2cTSHG-sCZ4JAS21QIT-DY7gVE7KISwl00AAr9Wqzn-cjiJV8gy5A8rqxdsOz33NUC300FkGLxrT1cL5ciAvh5cC1qVRDq5RdHrDZH0/s640/sundaypuppyjul713.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpsLuw7Zj1BaZ1Zk3YfyIU8sWsqiPgIQEttI7DAMopiXkpeP45fvJs0URlJ4YG3wGx6WV51T76oGd6RcWxn9ohIhCem014bv-EcApLn8gzaFSrQOgVxC8_YjmH1mkWKOyf4l2V2EbCMz0/s1600/sundaysupplements.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpsLuw7Zj1BaZ1Zk3YfyIU8sWsqiPgIQEttI7DAMopiXkpeP45fvJs0URlJ4YG3wGx6WV51T76oGd6RcWxn9ohIhCem014bv-EcApLn8gzaFSrQOgVxC8_YjmH1mkWKOyf4l2V2EbCMz0/s640/sundaysupplements.png" width="640" /></a></div>
Here's a lesson in the stubbornness of English Bulldogs: They are very stubborn. <br />
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You want them to turn and face the camera? Well, that's going to take a bit of cajoling sometimes…<br />
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There's no treat here. We were just fooling her. She wasn't fooled. Anyway, here's what we've been up to this week…<br />
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READING</h3>
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<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahljacobs/2011/12/14/how-to-make-money-without-a-job/" target="_blank"><b>How to make money without a job </b></a><b></b>- For the first time in my life, I'm self-employed, and it's a whole new exciting world for me! This Forbes article is like a quick guide to earning money on your own terms. I'd love to hear from and meet other young professionals doing similar things.</div>
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<a href="http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2013/06/26/15-ways-philly-communal-portland/" target="_blank"><b>How Philadelphia out-Portlands Portland</b> </a>- Haven't I been telling you for months that Philly is on the brink of becoming too cool for school? How can we compare?</div>
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Well now Yelp will do that for us! Here's <a href="http://www.yelp.com/wordmap/philadelphia/hipster" target="_blank">Philadelphia's hipster heat map</a>, and here's <a href="http://www.yelp.com/wordmap/portland/hipster" target="_blank">Portland</a>'s. Do you think they're accurate? </div>
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ADMIRING</h3>
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<a href="http://www.good.is/posts/the-five-most-clever-redesigns-of-the-stars-and-stripes?utm_campaign=goodtweet&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social" target="_blank"><b>The five most clever redesigns of the Stars n Stripes</b></a> - I enjoyed that good dose of American patriotism this holiday weekend. Here are some smart re-interpretations of the most famous piece of sewing the haberdasher Betsy Ross probably ever did.</div>
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<b>My own handiwork!</b> Here's a little known fact: As a student I was President (and founder) of the Glasgow University Stitch n' Bitch group. I was also Vice President of the Student Union, which had just launched a new coffee shop, and it was a great way to combine the two. The group helped drive traffic to the new meeting place, plus I like to think that I helped to make knitting cool on campus.<br />
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It'd been a long while since I brought out my knitting needles, but I recently made a pair of booties for a family friend's little cutie:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JkgxiffpVHV9oYbc8SLOVrjvnY8JnG57D-N7uESnpm44q0C4IL73YuIdtr5smXg42fdnUboYDHsTke5DhqvKRNt7WqOAhI72pQYu1KpQ68EcQyWck_4gtjUDCkyHtHOJB08GhI94_Wo/s1600/babystovler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JkgxiffpVHV9oYbc8SLOVrjvnY8JnG57D-N7uESnpm44q0C4IL73YuIdtr5smXg42fdnUboYDHsTke5DhqvKRNt7WqOAhI72pQYu1KpQ68EcQyWck_4gtjUDCkyHtHOJB08GhI94_Wo/s640/babystovler.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The pattern is based on <a href="http://calistayoo.blogspot.com/2009/07/my-version-of-babystvler.html" target="_blank">Babystovler</a>, a Danish bootie pattern from the 1940s. You know what I want to do now? I want to make an adult version. Hello friends, you're all getting slippers for Christmas. I just need the patience to make them all.</div>
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And speaking of patience, eventually this was the best our pooch was going to give the camera this week. "You want me to face the camera? Here you go. One shot. Where's my cookie for being so cute?"</div>
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gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-15693876510018446562013-07-05T17:13:00.000+01:002013-07-05T17:13:15.682+01:00Just a small town parade…<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgmaFZS0UYW_A7an6lsgPMHfx5JEr6KB0Ql3HEi7vNHuzswfknQYyc407_jKGgbclX1b5vf77TVg4rwIdvwv7lR9wikNhbT6z2-AzJAAjQNl_V6GZt0kq_dMUdrFMcjHJOUO5prH3Gbo/s1600/expatjuly4th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgmaFZS0UYW_A7an6lsgPMHfx5JEr6KB0Ql3HEi7vNHuzswfknQYyc407_jKGgbclX1b5vf77TVg4rwIdvwv7lR9wikNhbT6z2-AzJAAjQNl_V6GZt0kq_dMUdrFMcjHJOUO5prH3Gbo/s640/expatjuly4th.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2012/07/go-4th-part-1.html" target="_blank">Last year </a>we went to a teeny tiny parade in rural PA and then <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2012/07/go-4th-part-2.html" target="_blank">headed to Valley Forge</a>, but this year I walked (yes! walked!) in a parade closer to the city. I was technically working though, taking photos of the parade, and of course I had to share some with you! These are from the warm-up just before all of these colorful characters marched through Smalltown USA, handing out candy and warm feelings to local onlookers. <br />
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July 4th is quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays, and I mean that in earnest, even as a UK expat! American patriotrism itself is so wonderfully earnest, it's hard not to appreciate.<br />
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In the evening we stayed home, ate wings and watched fireworks. We live on a hill and had a spectacular view of fireworks all across the county and beyond. The horizon was ablaze with large and tiny specks of light, and we had fun guessing which displays we could spot. We reckon saw fireworks from Philadelphia to Allentown, and even as far as New Jersey. <br />
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At the Philadelphia fireworks along the Parkway last night <a href="http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Shots-Fired-From-BB-Gun-Not-Gun-During-Parkway-Celebration-Police--214363091.html" target="_blank">there seems to have been a gunfire hoax</a> (mirroring <a href="http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Rumored-Gunshots-Cause-4th-of-July-Stampede--125078684.html" target="_blank">a similar incident two years ago</a>). If you headed to Penn's Landing, you would have missed that,<a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2013/07/happy-july-4th-er-july-2nd-wait-august.html" target="_blank"> but you would have also missed the fireworks</a>. <br />
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By the way I have no idea who the dog is, but it sums up the day, don't you think? gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-57888363046420259512013-07-03T13:42:00.003+01:002013-07-05T16:26:35.069+01:00Happy July 4th, er July 2nd, wait… August 2nd, or 30th?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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John Adams wrote, and I quote: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“the Second of July, 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the
History of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated, by
succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.”</i></blockquote>
Okay America, what's going on here? This time last year it was 90F and sunny. Last year I sat in the sun and watched the local July 4th parade go by, and cultivated a nice tan in my first few weeks adjusting to my new home country.<br />
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Today it's almost 90F, cloudy and muggy as hell (is hell muggy? I'd guess so).<br />
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But wait a minute, now you're telling me that <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/why-july-2-is-really-americas-independence-day/2012/07/02/gJQABsMHIW_blog.html" target="_blank">July 4th isn't actually Independence Day</a>? What mockery is this? John Adams reckons it should be celebrated on the 2nd (actual vote of independence) but those pesky Brits didn't even <i>know </i>about US independence for another six weeks!<br />
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Philadelphia, where it all happened, didn't celebrate until July 8th, and that was just with a parade and some gun fire, not a whole boat load of fireworks. <br />
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Incidentally, I also found out from Emma at <a href="http://phillylovenotes.com/" target="_blank">Philly Love Notes</a> that every July 4th in Philadelphia thousands of people head down to the waterfront at Penn's Landing and wait for fireworks. And wait. And wait some more. <a href="https://twitter.com/phillylovenotes/status/351861270120632321" target="_blank">Because there are none</a>. They're <a href="http://www.visitphilly.com/july-4th-in-philadelphia-fireworks-map/" target="_blank">on the other side of the city</a>. <br />
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The mental image of hoards of people bemoaning a lack of firecrackers cracks me up almost as much as <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2012/11/remember-remember.html" target="_blank">when fireworks prematurely explode</a>.<br />
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I tested this out on my US family and asked when the last time they saw July 4th fireworks on the waterfront.<br />
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<b>Them</b>: Hmm, several years ago at least.<br />
<b>Me</b>: At least thirteen.<br />
<b>Them</b>: No, not that long.<br />
<b>Me</b>: No, I'm telling you, they haven't had fireworks there for at least thirteen years.<br />
<b>Them</b>: Really? No. They happen there every year. Do you want to go this year?<br />
<b>Me</b>: Uuuhh…<br />
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Philadelphia seems to have this collective false memory about the
location of their fireworks. Is this the plot of M Night Shyamalan's
next movie? As <a href="https://twitter.com/phillylovenotes/status/351864362690031618" target="_blank">Emma later tweeted</a>: How do you convince 1000s of people not to show up to a fireworks show that doesn't exist? <br />
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If you're planning to head down to Penn's Landing tomorrow and take photos/video of disappointed patriots, please share the photos with me. I'd love to see them. As for me? I'll be at another parade this year. I promise to share some photos with you.<br />
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<i>What are you doing for this most red, white and blue of holidays? </i><br />
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<a href="http://www.postcardsfromrachel.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj583/postcardsfromrachel/ExpatDiaries1_zpsc8244472.png" width="200" /></a> </div>
gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-7168081748510012602013-06-30T22:58:00.004+01:002013-06-30T23:19:44.943+01:00Sunday Supplements (and Sunday Puppy too)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-h1dVXZQ0txKtut6BczkfsMWXgAg7Es1GUJtdSWljULLP766PvcnSuwj6PlVLWBRDjTNPPBoXYQcaKk4FXp9VBKqA4WYSbkRqPl8A0dfzDHPFyFuFesnhZ70X3fTZ5vb7hxF9GWisDs/s864/englishbulldogjun28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-h1dVXZQ0txKtut6BczkfsMWXgAg7Es1GUJtdSWljULLP766PvcnSuwj6PlVLWBRDjTNPPBoXYQcaKk4FXp9VBKqA4WYSbkRqPl8A0dfzDHPFyFuFesnhZ70X3fTZ5vb7hxF9GWisDs/s640/englishbulldogjun28.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The Sunday puppy? She knows where it's at. It's dank, muggy and gross outside, and she's lying on the cold tile floor, right where the air conditioning is. This is her business card: If you need a napping consultant, she's the one. <br />
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As for me? Well, between work for clients, writing proposals, volunteering at the soup kitchen, here's what I've been up to! <br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
WATCHING</h3>
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<a href="http://www.texastribune.org/directory/wendy-davis/" target="_blank">Wendy Davis filibuster the Texas State Senate</a> - Excellent journalism from the Texas Tribune, and the best piece of political theater since Aaron Sorkin wrote the words "Walk with me…"<br />
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I was one of the 150k people around the world who watched it live: US state politics at its most, er, American?</div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
ADMIRING</h3>
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<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/24/katrina-ohstrom-photography-philadelphia-schools_n_3492511.html#slide=2610556" target="_blank">Abandoned Schools in Philadelphia</a> - Sometimes people, photographers included, question the value of urban exploration photography. Why trespass in abandoned and sometimes dangerous places for the sake of photography? These photos are different. They show what's been happening to the Philadelphia public school system, and drive a very strong point.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/gallery/2013/jun/27/dogs-dressed-as-owners-in-pictures" target="_blank">Dogs dressed as their owners</a> - Slightly surreal, but I'm very tempted to do a mash-up of my husband and the Sunday puppy. Just wait until I brush up my Photoshop skills…!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/24/a-beautiful-body-book-project-jade-beall-photos_n_3467178.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular" target="_blank">Mothers' real bodies</a> - This is truly admirable. </div>
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<a href="http://imgur.com/a/D5Zzh#0" target="_blank">Lazer is short</a> - A really cute booklet a father made as a favor for guests to his daughter's birthday. I can already think of mine: "Sunday Puppy is lazy…"</div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
READING</h3>
<a href="http://www.delightfully-tacky.com/2013/05/candid-thoughts-on-bloggers-perfect.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DelightfullyTacky+%28Delightfully+Tacky%29" target="_blank">Candid thoughts on bloggers' "perfect" lives </a>- From blogger Delightfully Tacky.<br />
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Let's be clear - blogging has many faces. We all know that right? And one part of that is marketing. It's just like magazines, which have a mixture of promotional material and solid content. The tricky thing in blogging is to get that balance right.<br />
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As I said in a comment on this piece - 'perfect' picture are common: Promotion means showing the best of something, plus it's natural to want to capture our best moments. It's the reason we hire professional photographers for weddings and not moments of sickness or sadness.<br />
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Don't let it wind you up or bog you down - there's a blog out there you'll enjoy, for sure.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
AND, FINALLY…</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And on that matter, here's a bit of promotion. A dear friend of mine is starting a boutique fashion company. She's really excited to get started, but she needs your help! Please take a moment to complete this <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VHLVF6V" target="_blank">Five Question Survey</a>. It's super quick, and your input will be really appreciated! Please feel free to pass it along to any fashion-conscious friends too.</div>
gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-42794550676706173992013-06-27T16:04:00.001+01:002013-06-27T18:48:35.133+01:00Glad Notes: What does the DOMA repeal mean for immigration?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizf6Bwxiyh5ktB33UiAilQzk8e5hI-K1kH5NSAWSoIC8e8zyr2pPVl1hLLxfJva9njivhzO1geFy98ImufXODvPsLp4fBt0g3WkUM8blVrALduU8ay0kgz4bVf2fYsZ9ZUowm1I7vHawg/s1600/gayborhood1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizf6Bwxiyh5ktB33UiAilQzk8e5hI-K1kH5NSAWSoIC8e8zyr2pPVl1hLLxfJva9njivhzO1geFy98ImufXODvPsLp4fBt0g3WkUM8blVrALduU8ay0kgz4bVf2fYsZ9ZUowm1I7vHawg/s640/gayborhood1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
A few months ago <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2013/03/glad-notes-matter-of-justices.html" target="_blank">I blogged this photo</a> of one of Philadelphia's murals. This mural was completed in 2002, and the mural arts website states <a href="http://muralarts.org/collections/projects/pride-and-progress" target="_blank">"It's a street party in an idealized Philadelphia"</a>.<br />
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The issue that the repeal of DOMA brings to the fore is that of <i>equality </i>between all of the residents and citizens that live in this big broad country. The New York Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/27/opinion/the-long-road-to-marriage-equality.html?hp" target="_blank">published an excellent history</a> of the cultural and political movements that led to where we are now. <br />
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The DOMA repeal is a <i>step</i> towards equality for all married couples in the eyes of the government. As Michael Barbaro from the New York Times noted:<br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/mikiebarb/status/350221187395235840" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEk7xzN3jn4HzbjrSx9hgEMSn4W1yy9NyuXVFGlpz1O421EkTDyTSLIb2UhNKu4wSbMADIMtkPkEvRg6aynSXxiqb4ISPKcWqIhGY5dir0IoKdLhO4KczGq96IDu4WJS2ZjgnBk0BKnmY/s640/domarepealtweet.png" width="640" /></a></div>
As far as I understand it, repealing DOMA gives equal benefits access to couples who are married and live where their marriage is recognized. It does not force (or even encourage) other states to recognize all marriages, or give equal benefits access to all couples. Incidentally, gay marriage is banned in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and most of the US states, so the mural in Philadelphia is still an "idealized" street party.<br />
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Now, as I'm an immigrant to the US, and an immigrant purely because of my marriage, I'm interested in understanding what this means for US spousal immigration. <br />
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There was originally language to cover same-sex marriages in the latest US immigration bill, <a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/06/26/how-overturning-doma-changes-the-immigration-debate" target="_blank">but it's been removed</a>. However, US spousal immigration requires a marriage to be legal and recognized in the state or country where the marriage took place. Now that DOMA is being repealed, the federal government does not determine the legality of a same-sex marriage, the states do.<br />
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Previously, gay binational couples could not settle in the US at all, as reported in <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2013/02/sunday-supplements-and-sunday-puppy-too_24.html" target="_blank">a NYT article I linked a while back</a>. Now, it seems, <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/samesexmarriage/ci_23547691/doma-repeal-will-keep-orinda-husband-from-deportation" target="_blank">they can</a>.<br />
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Can anyone let me know if I've understood this correctly?gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473718776411954343.post-47597175356913156462013-06-24T17:38:00.000+01:002013-06-24T17:40:16.386+01:00Media Monday: A more effective blog design!If you're a regular visitor you might notice a few changes to my blog today, or perhaps you came by at the weekend and saw the blog during one of its many stages of undress. I put this new header together live, and there were a few ugly moments, including when I realized I'd deleted the entire "Header" widget from Blogger and couldn't get it back…eek!<br />
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I hope you like the new style, please let me know if it doesn't work on your browser!<br />
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I've been working on building and redesigning this blog template for a while. I had hoped to do a big fantastic "relaunch" but then decided that designing a blog is a little bit like writing one - the process is always a little unfinished, so why not tweak and tinker it live rather than roll out huge changes in one swoop?<br />
<br />
And this way, I can talk you through some of the changes as I've made them.
It's been really satisfying to get into the anatomy of the blogger platform and exercise my HTML and CSS skills, which <a href="http://gladley.blogspot.com/2013/06/media-monday-when-coding-became-cool.html">as I explained recently</a>, I've been trying to do more and more.<br />
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As promised, I'll explain some of the things I've learned, and also <i>how</i> I learned them. This will include:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Why I did certain things, and what they mean.</li>
<li>What I did to (re)learn how to do everything, and which resources were the most useful.</li>
<li>Explaining why I'm sticking with the Blogger platform (for now) and not migrating to Wordpress…even though I'm <i>very</i> tempted. </li>
</ul>
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Today, I'll keep it simple and show you the difference between the old design and the new one.<br />
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I'm a big fan of clean design - simple but a little bit fun. The original heading did that, with just the name, headings…<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFl56YI1S7FLr7aYYNae57u71nt4oUUajL74KnG_9Bul-ib3EmCUg0Dt4jQ2tVisAS78fRWeGKnoUT65Dpbimrf6Q_7kwcKzLbdxwVC8F_mtq6t8hBfPq4m-jhiU8l7DzhCzaZXvk69GA/s1600/gladbloglove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFl56YI1S7FLr7aYYNae57u71nt4oUUajL74KnG_9Bul-ib3EmCUg0Dt4jQ2tVisAS78fRWeGKnoUT65Dpbimrf6Q_7kwcKzLbdxwVC8F_mtq6t8hBfPq4m-jhiU8l7DzhCzaZXvk69GA/s640/gladbloglove.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfDMK0x-R2wExYmCEzr_YK2ncLOZqO9nip3yjEHhfx3O1LzQLQdRdSQbTs9U5ln5pJPDnBZ9mF2r71YJovdaDEceDMRlbkV_Ti5aMluozqNlIbpsv-mfq-k-GeQt4wgcwhUqCpsmPiqs/s1600/christmasphillylove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfDMK0x-R2wExYmCEzr_YK2ncLOZqO9nip3yjEHhfx3O1LzQLQdRdSQbTs9U5ln5pJPDnBZ9mF2r71YJovdaDEceDMRlbkV_Ti5aMluozqNlIbpsv-mfq-k-GeQt4wgcwhUqCpsmPiqs/s640/christmasphillylove.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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…and a play on the Philadelphia Love Park statue to tie in my theme! Here it is:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16HEAwaB6lLMdWyrozgmsk_yUoJuF_EjKsciFooIbq3AAxiCo1Bsgx_Dm4Ztiu_DFgRYzjU0KQmI0uvabIEfcLMEbzRhjFavTz4EMXx7ShqRjhs0FlzoR_oqS_tU85goZM3IFFmdhcIk/s1600/gladblogheader.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16HEAwaB6lLMdWyrozgmsk_yUoJuF_EjKsciFooIbq3AAxiCo1Bsgx_Dm4Ztiu_DFgRYzjU0KQmI0uvabIEfcLMEbzRhjFavTz4EMXx7ShqRjhs0FlzoR_oqS_tU85goZM3IFFmdhcIk/s640/gladblogheader.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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But it was a <i>cheat</i>. Okay, it wasn't <i>really</i> a cheat. But it was just one large graphic made into an image map. I didn't even create the image map myself, I used <a href="http://www.image-maps.com/" target="_blank">a free website</a> to do it for me. </div>
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What was great about it was that I could create the exact design I wanted for my header really simply and quickly, and just plug it into the Blogger template. To do that I had to delete Blogger's Header widget and replace it with an HTML widget, but otherwise it was very easy to do. If anyone would like to know how to create an image map header for their blog, let me know, and I'll be happy to make a tutorial.</div>
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<i>However</i>, it was just a quick fix for me. It has some serious downsides, including absolutely killing SEO, and meaning that if I wanted to change any wording in the header, I'd have to change the whole image and re-do the image map. </div>
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So what I really wanted was a fully functional text-based header that looked as much like the image map as possible. And this is the result:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj297a23I9Ev40ErciwECpZFsepZnsd0Eb5dyw9yQkYyYOHSU3HkIliMT_NcVKWgXDI5-yDEQ3sRMZ52hdQ6plBWDBe7aU4t7VVtJGTNvhDHpHAbw59RIjVlNAgk3sBVqRHfP4Nq9KzEWg/s1600/gladleyheadingnew.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj297a23I9Ev40ErciwECpZFsepZnsd0Eb5dyw9yQkYyYOHSU3HkIliMT_NcVKWgXDI5-yDEQ3sRMZ52hdQ6plBWDBe7aU4t7VVtJGTNvhDHpHAbw59RIjVlNAgk3sBVqRHfP4Nq9KzEWg/s640/gladleyheadingnew.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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The only image in this header is the design on the right (and its border) - you can test it by highlighting all the text in the real thing up above. </div>
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Now I have fully customizable text and headings, along with a clean, simple design. The design on the right is supposed to be a slightly art deco motif inspired by <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=philadelphia+art+institute&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=OG7IUcmHDMHc0QGCvoCYBA&biw=1223&bih=670&sei=Om7IUZDJIPGL0QG-qYHABA" target="_blank">Philadelphia's Art Institutes building</a>, including a keystone, to represent the Keystone State. My husband says it also looks a bit like an <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=mennonite+quilt&client=firefox-a&hs=1k&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=bG7IUayKNqGg0AHlhoHQBQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1223&bih=670" target="_blank">Amish/Mennonite quilt</a>, which is no bad thing seeing as we live somewhere in that space between Philadelphia and Amish country!</div>
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On my image map design, I had used two beautiful typefaces, Pistilli and Balham. But for the text-based version I've used two of Google's free web fonts, Abril Fat Face and Antic. </div>
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You might also noticed I dropped "glad blog" - there are a few other blogs with that name, and I'd never realized before I moved to the States that I'd be comparing myself to trash bags: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIb1_0wtMkFezvcAYVhLBLtnmhQwkUeAyr8lkM19Lstuf0YrOSmk5kuCPZ-l0j7UqRzDYsdXzdDDQtEAOuc2TLRIM-DywzeXFq5-e9EpQOryJKwDzVcbzsQsC4uNoG6ASyQnXtG0L1JTk/s1600/gladbags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIb1_0wtMkFezvcAYVhLBLtnmhQwkUeAyr8lkM19Lstuf0YrOSmk5kuCPZ-l0j7UqRzDYsdXzdDDQtEAOuc2TLRIM-DywzeXFq5-e9EpQOryJKwDzVcbzsQsC4uNoG6ASyQnXtG0L1JTk/s400/gladbags.jpg" width="341" /></a></div>
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Life as an expat. It's a cultural minefield, every day.</div>
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So that's that, and I hope you like it! Next week I'll talk about how I went about re(learning) web design so I could get this header pulled together. As always, any comments and suggestions are forever welcome! </div>
gladleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16603955636771429512noreply@blogger.com0