Oh, to be in England

So I’m back across the pond in the United States after a week in England for work. I was periodically posting to Twitter while I was there — being the only one of us with a working cell phone, it seemed — but this is the first time I’ve had a chance to really write about the trip since getting back¹.

I think I’m still recovering, actually. With the five-hour time difference and seven-hour plane ride — to say nothing of the lousy food they served us on the way back — I’m actually feeling a little under the weather. I spent almost all of yesterday evening through to this morning asleep, and I’d likely have called in sick to work today even if I hadn’t already taken the precaution of asking for the week off ahead of time. Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, I only had to take three vacation days to get a seven-day weekend! Plenty of time to recoup and (hopefully soon) feel better.

I’ve spent most of today just lying in bed, trying to catch up on e-mails and some reading, listening to BBC Radio’s delightful Bleak Expectations (available as an audio book in iTunes and elsewhere), and taste-testing a bag Jelly Babies I bought in Gatwick Airport² on the trip home yesterday. Not the most exciting of Mondays, but the week is still young.

Overall, the trip was a great success, even if I am glad to be back. It’s hard to pass up a free week-long trip to another country, even if there is a little work involved on the other side.

One of my co-workers and I were on the same British Airways flight, and we left from the office Monday afternoon. I had planned on catching the subway, and then the air train, to JFK, but another co-worker suggested we use the company’s car service. And who were we to argue with that? Our flight left at 6 pm and landed around six in the morning overseas. From Gatwick, we hopped on the train down to Brighton, where we’d be spending most of the week. It was a little strange seeing people starting out on their morning commute at what, to us, was about one o’clock in the morning, but we made it to the Brighton station without incident. From there, it was right next door to the Jury’s Inn, where we got our rooms and I proceeded to sleep for the next seven hours. I grabbed a quick “lunch” in the bar around 2 pm, and then realized I didn’t have the energy for anything but going back to my room to watch bad daytime television³. A little later that evening, however, we both headed downtown to explore the Brighton area and grab some dinner at a local pub.

Wednesday and Thursday were spent in group meetings, at the hotel rather than at the local office in nearby Hove. It was productive, I think, but not especially interesting for anyone who doesn’t actually work for the company. By then, the jetlag had pretty much worn off. On Friday, we actually went to the office. That proved to be my one and only chance to check e-mail, and unfortunately that was only for half an hour and only work-related. Then we talked some more, and I had a chance to see some the stunning textbook design the UK production team has produced, as well as the new course management system we’re starting to use. Again, not especially interesting to anyone outside our office, but developing new textbooks is a big part of why I was hired as a developmental editor.

Wednesday night, my other US co-workers and I went out for dinner downtown (surprisingly tasty fish and chips for me⁴) and a pint while we watched Britain beat Germany in football. Thursday, the whole group went out for dinner at a local Indian restaurant, which was also quite good. I didn’t have a chance to talk to many of the Brits during our daytime meetings, so it was nice to have the chance to chat a little over dinner.

On Friday, after lunch, most of us from the US headed from Brighton to London, where we would be staying for the next couple of nights. My boss and I were meeting with an author on Saturday, and the other three were using the extra day for sightseeing around town. My boss was also spending some time with his daughter, who lives in London, so we split up at Victoria Station and the other four of us went to our hotel, the Thistle Marble Arch.

Or at least, that’s what we thought. But a computer problem there meant that three of us were moved to the Cumberland, which was more or less next door. I didn’t love the hotel all that much, to be honest. It felt overly modern, with lots of glass and muted lights, strange statuary in the lobby, and the room was actually quite drafty. Still, it was only for two nights, the bed was comfortable, there were some nice amenities — room service, for instance, was very good — and it didn’t cost any more than the Thistle would have done.

I’d been sort of dreading the meeting on Saturday, mostly for logistical reasons, but it actually proved to be quite productive and relatively painless. And after it was done, I had most of Saturday afternoon left to explore London on my own.

I hopped on the Tube from my hotel to Westminster, which is where the only pictures I was able to take come from. I saw Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, as well as Westminster Abbey (which was unfortunately by then closed), then headed over to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, which is just amazing. I spent a couple of hours there, and I don’t think I saw even half of the incredible art they have on display. If you ever have the chance to visit London, I definitely recommend a visit.

By then it was already getting dark — and I actually had not eaten all day — so I took a quick trip to see Buckingham Palace, then headed back to the hotel for an early night of it. Besides, the touristy thing isn’t half as much fun when you’re on your own. I watched the passably interesting Einstein and Eddington, then an episode of Stephen Fry in America, which was a weird bit of disconnect, but I’ve always liked Fry and this proved no exception.

In all, I’m very glad I had the opportunity to go. I wish I didn’t feel like I’d brought back some British germs with me, but I am glad to be back.

¹ Well, actually, I had a chance earlier and was nearly done writing about it when I accidentally clicked the wrong button and WordPress ate my post. If you’re reading this, it didn’t happen twice.

¹ I encountered no trouble at customs, but there’s some question as to whether their import into the United States is strictly legal, because of non-FDA-approved food colorings and possible carcinogens. It’s just as well. No offense to the Doctor, but I didn’t much care for them, to be honest.

³ More game shows than talk shows, which is maybe the one genre where we still have them beat. The Weakest Link is still going strong over there, but I don’t think I ever did understand the point of Golden Balls.

⁴ Surprisingly only because I generally don’t like fish.