connections

Ever since we've relocated, I've been on the quest for some nice people to hang out with. It's a bit hard for us to develop a social network in our city, as we both commute to our respective universities and establish our connections there.

There are these nice girls in Derby, who we've been having each other for dinner every so often. When we go over to their place, I always offer to bring dessert -- or pudding, which is more commonly known as here, even if it isn't doesn't contain any tapioca or have the consistency that people without teeth can consume with ease. I think my baking reputation has become quite established on Radbourne Street, as the last time we were there, somewhere in between the hellos and the handover of the coconut chocolate cake, one of them exclaimed "I've been thinking of your pudding all day!". Whenever we visit them, I have a mental list of British quirks I need to ask them. A constant discussion is the interchangeable use of tea to refer to both a hot beverage -- always with milk and tons of sugar -- and an evening meal. Most recently, I had to ask them about people on the train reading a newspaper that has a picture of a less-than-scantily-clad woman on page 3 (I'll let you google that if you want).

I've also met this nice Canadian girl at school. It's great to find someone who shares my love for coffee. And not only that, we went to the same alma mater and lived in the same neighbourhood. We share a passion for knitting and can often be found at the local coffee shop sizing up each other's projects and comparing the size of our double-pointed needles.

This weekend, we're hosting a British friend from Vancouver now living in England again. Not only do we share a Vancouver connection but we also share the same birth day. I'm definitely looking forward to shopping in Nottingham and catching up over glasses of wine and chocolate cake.