h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

1. the palaver that is "buying a stamp"
2. lack of cranberry juice in the supermarkets (lack of Sainsburys, basically)
3. difficulty in obtaining aspirin, paracetemol etc (no Boots)
4. complete absence of anything resembling customer service (especially from phone companies and travel agents )
5. no sea
6. no charity shops
7. no call waiting/ minding (Bloody hell, I never thought I'd miss BT )
8. weird sockets on electrical goods that don't fit into each other
9. no decent Chinese delivery service. Or pizza.
10. no Simpsons, Friends, ER, Sky One, Channel 4
11. no Radio 4, Classic FM, Radio 1
12. abyssmal choice of biscuits - no hob-nobs or digestives
13. no concept of "Ms"

Ok so that's 13

why do you live there?

14: A distinct lack of a B&Q or similar - so you have to describe the most basic of things to the guy in bric-a-brois.
15: No where to get a curry/kebab (the closest they have is mayonnaise avec currie which is rank)
16: EVERYTHING closes on a Sunday
17: Labour is unionised, don't expect contractors to work after 4pm

Liam.

Thanks Liam

Er, I live here cos I get paid rather a lot to do so and it's a short term secondment! Plus there's quite a lot of good bits about it too - great restaurants, cheapest booze/ fags/ petrol in the EU, lovely scenery, ease of access to the rest of Europe.

But sometimes the bad stuff just gets to me

no kebab<!>

is there any point in getting drunk out there

i'll see if the UN wil send in any emergency supplies for you


no kebab

Liam, I did hear tell of a kebab joint in Limpertsberg! I'll find out the details for you..

*phew*

Feeling down, hon?

Please tell me why buying a stamp is difficult. I don't disbelieve you, I'm just intrigued.

B

Thanks B!

Yeah, stamps, well you have to go to a post office to buy them (rather than just at any old shop)

And they're not always open.

Or indeed, nearby.

So I often find myself using my whole lunch hour to drive to a post office to just to buy a page of stamps

But I'm not moving back to Belfast just for their ubiquitous kebabs and stamp-buying facilities

9. no decent Chinese delivery service. Or pizza.


i am pretty sure Belfast does those. what more reason do you need

Are the light levels getting to you?

sorry, Lux is the measument of light *bad*

-- DoctorMO --

Ha Ha! Funny pun!

No, as I say, I do actually like living here, most of my reasons for wanting to come have been ticked, it's only now and then that a pack of wee niggly things will gang up and ambush me

Light level's much worser in Belfast, btw

See, I've just come back from Sephora (cosmetic/ perfumey place)

There were 2 girls on the cash desk. One was busy wrapping a parcel, the other was on the phone. Two other assistants were hanging round the shop chatting to each other and playing with the goods. Meanwhile the queue just got longer and longer....

I 'member the last time I was home, at a late night Tescos (add that to my list!) and the queue was more than 2 people - so they opened another till! I was astounded (as was the poor 17 year old lad who I thanked profusely for his customer care)

hehe, I bet.

I miss not having all the things I'm used to. (Oh look a double negative, beware!)

-- DoctorMO --

Rather than try to untangle that double neg, why dont you give us some examples

Hmmm...be careful what you wish for.

Here I am, surrounded by stamps, having foolishly volunteered to assist in addressing and mailing a whole bundle of newsletters

some examples lets see:

I always having running water
I never worry about food in a bad way
I have access to chocolate
I can run out of money at any time I don't want
Abundence of the things you miss
NHS...

need I go on?

-- DoctorMO --

I have to give it credit where due - it is a very civilised country. Even the Limp Bizkit concerts are civilised

see separate journal entry coming soon....

wow thats upper propperness that is.

-- DoctorMO --

Trouble finding aspirin? Can't you just walk into a chemist's and ask for some? I'd advise you Benuron if they have it. Basically it's the one that works best on me.