Real Life

So now that I'm done blogging about our holiday I suppose I'll have to go back to blogging about real life. Not as exciting, I'm afraid.

John has been working on his term papers. I have been applying for jobs. I did go do some storytelling at the Dereham library last Saturday. There weren't many takers but the kids who did listen were sweet. I'm going back on Friday to talk about Americans in Norwich during WWII (that PowerPoint presentation I've been working on) at a school. (It is America Week, a celebration connected with Abraham Lincoln's bicentenary. Lincoln had some relatives from Norfolk.)

We have a really bad clog in our shower drain. I cleaned the bathroom before we left so that the mold wouldn't take over. But it did anyway. In the drain. We have tried lots of chemicals and a home made coat hanger snake (once I figured out how exactly to jam it down the pipe) but alas, nothing has worked thus far. We have been using the downstairs bathroom for days (thank goodness it is warmer, at least - the downstairs bathroom isn't heated) and last night slept in another room because of real or imagined fumes.

Paper Airplanes Day 2

The groups that came in today were a little noisier but had more questions for me. One girl talked to me for several minutes while the rest of the children were trying out their airplanes. I tried to answer her questions about World War II planes as best I could, but finally she said, "I would think if I came from the country I would know more about it."
I'm pretty sure she meant that she thought I should be more of an expert simply because I am American. She didn't say it in a snotty way, just like she couldn't believe I couldn't tell her more. I searched for an explanation and finally admitted that I didn't learn about World War II in this detail when I was in school. I've actually learned much more about it living here than I ever did in America.
I hope she will come back to the library to get answers to the rest of her questions.

Imperial War Museum

John and I visited the Imperial War Museum today. We took a train to Cambridge and then a bus to Duxford. We walked through a couple of hangers with airplanes and other machines from various wars. We also got to see the display of American aircraft which, fortunately, just reopened after renovations today! That was the best part because you could get a lot closer to those airplanes. I think John was really excited just to spend a day at a war museum, and I enjoyed seeing the WWII airplanes I've been reading about in person. I now have a much better concept of how much larger bombers are than fighters.

People watching:

When we arrived at the Cambridge rail station I waited in a very long queue for the bathroom. It was out the door. When I got to the point in the line where I was the one holding the door open, someone pushed against it from the other side. I moved over to let a woman out from behind the door! I looked around and saw that there was no other entrance back there. She had just gotten stuck behind the door somehow and had been back there for at least as long as I had been in the queue.

On the train back to Norwich a drunk and rowdy bunch of young men were standing in the aisle, singing, teasing each other, and hitting on the single women in the train car. They were more amusing than anoying.

All over Norwich we saw young women in pink tutus, furry leggings, and...not much else. Some event at UEA?

1940s

So, for this 1940s Christmas at Ancient House I need to look the part. I didn't bring my full wardrobe with me to England, so even if I own something 1940ish, its not here. I looked in a few thrift shops and even regular clothing stores and haven't found anything to my liking.







It occurs to me that dressing like Rosie the Riveter might be the easiest way to go, but maybe she's too American? I'm open to suggestions...or clothing donations.

Memorial Trust Meeting

Libby, the librarian with the Second Air Division Memorial Library, invited me to come to the Annual General Meeting of the Trust this morning. The library is a living memorial and so funding and memorial related events are run by the Trust. She told me several times that I was by no means expected to come, especially since I had been given rather short notice. But I'm sure, thanks to my rather lack-luster blog posts of late, my faithful readers are painfully aware that on the average day I certainly have nothing better to do.

I met with Libby and the library director at the Millennium Library (where the Memorial Library is housed) and traveled with them to County Hall for the meeting.

Parts of the actual meeting I enjoyed:

Learning about the group that makes this library possible.

The stockbroker's report. I know this sounds boring, but he explained the reasons for the recession really well. I've never been much good with economics and I think I actually get it now.

The summary of their recent trip to Dallas for a convention with the American Second Air Division group.

Listening to the memories of one of the Trust Governors who was retiring. He was ten years old when Americans starting coming to East Anglia to fight in World War II. He and his family befriended many of them only to hear about their deaths weeks or even days later. It is truly amazing to hear about the impact that Americans had on this area and on the individuals who lived here. Those pilots were every little boy's heroes.

And lets not forget the fact that both the Chairman and Libby mentioned me and spoke highly of my volunteer work for the library. (Although thus far, I haven't done that much. But I have big plans!)

Parts of after-the-meeting I enjoyed:

Free lunch.

Pretty much every person there came up to talk to me during the informal lunch. I talked to at least two British lawyers, and two American World War II veterans. One of the vets started talking politics and I just smiled at him until he was finished.
Finally he looked at me and said, "But you probably voted for Obama."
"I did."
Then he said to me, "Well, now he's our president and I will support him."
This man (who was, by the way, wearing a tie with small outlines of the state of Texas all over it) was the most polite person I have ever disagreed with.

Americans in East Anglia During WWII the Trivia Game

What does "GI" stand for?

The "cockerel" crows in Britain. What is he called in the US?

Name one type of of high flying bomber.

What does Dr. Who's space ship look like from the outside?



This is another one of my ideas for possible school visits. Games are usually pretty popular. I'm thinking that if we talk a little bit about World War II and Americans first they should be able to answer the questions. Dr. Who? I like to include a "fun" category.

The Squadron

These are some of the paper airplanes I made today trying to find the design that looks the most like a WWII bomber.
































This one is called a bomber in the paper airplane book. And it is much harder to make than it looks. Took me probably an hour to figure out one of the steps.




















I created this design trying to make a plane with more defined wings.

Aeroplanes

I've had a busy couple of weeks but after yesterday's interview I don't have any more appointments this week. So that means getting down to business on planning programs to take to the schools with the Second Air Division Memorial Library.

I have read most of The Friendly Invasion and in the process have learned a great deal, gotten lots of ideas, and had a good time. My favorite passage so far:

Lt Jack Bryant recalls how very basic was the first pub he visited near his Sadbury base. "After partaking of various beverages over the course of the evening it was necessary to make use of a facility euphemistically called a "water closet". A closet it certainly was not. It was outside in the back of the building and consisted of a partially enclosed slate wall with a diagonal through at the base. There was no lighting because of blackout requirements and overcast clouds limited any natural light. It was not quite pitch black, but it was close to it. Two or three local customers were occupying the available space, facing the wall while I waited my turn. Then one of the Englishmen spoke to another beside him, showing a forbearance impossible for an American. What he said was, 'Pardon me old chap but you're urinating on my leg'." (pg 42-43)

One of my ideas is to talk about the bombers and escort planes used by the Americans flying from East Anglia and then have the kids make paper airplanes in a few different styles to represent the different types of planes. I visited the library to get some books on World War II planes and paper airplanes. It's a lot of work, but pretty fun so far.