Lurker > grimhilde00

Glob posted...

Im originally from the UK but I live in Vietnam.

gooootcha that explains that

Glob posted...

Yeah, Easter really isnt a thing here. Theres no stuff in shops as a general rule.

I must be confusing you, thought you were in the UK for some reason

there's definitely chocolate eggs and hot cross buns everywhere here but that's the extent of my realizing it's Easter time lol

the only reason I know is easter is because I'm reminded midweek I have Good Friday off at work lol

and all the Easter stuff in shops let me know it's coming up

IDK growing up Easter was always very religious, like Christmas was too somewhat but again in many ways also very secular. So once I lost my religion, I just haven't done anything for Easter since then.

I did paint and roll some Easter eggs my first year here but the was more cultural exchange related lol. only thing I've done for Easter in the past 16 years

with kids maybe I'll do some secular celebration but yeah hasn't been really a thing for me since leaving home

didn't do much this past weekend but I have a long weekend coming up.

Think we'll go see Goblin Ha / Goblin Hall / Yester Castle.

need to get my cables sorted but about to move so lol not doing that right now

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/b/b7eb2e4e.jpg

plenty of third places here at least.

Wouldn't want to live in American suburbs though.

Cacciato posted...

I just spent $2800 on a new water heater :)

I used to just like hoard money and save it all and now I have a thing that I want/need to put so much money into

ahh well. it will be mine and somewhere I can raise a family and have a nice life

https://www.instagram.com/share/p/_n93LeaFL

actual inspiration for catio

teddy241 posted...

Congrats. It's good to hear someone on the come up given today's economic situation

I'm trying to not think about that since it's terrifying going from having so much savings to having this big mortgage debt...

had fun with the Sims for my future house

please keep in mind this is actually very big for places we're looking at in our UK city in our budget most places are so much tinier, like seriously closets for some of the bedrooms

I posted this to tumblr to try and organize things better rather than just posting a ton of screenshots directly

note: tried to include all my furniture I currently have, then fill out the rest

note: went by vibes for some things since obviously the game doesn't have exactly everything

note: roof/weird angled rooms couldn't do, close enough

note: i gave up on decor pretty much when I got to the bathrooms (tiny in sims lol) and office besides furniture

1. current state + furniture (stuff I have + extra matching the vibes)
https://ambergrisian.tumblr.com/post/780249201991892992/my-future-house-an-overview

2. living room change: make it green
https://ambergrisian.tumblr.com/post/780251085542735872/living-room-ideas-before-blue-improvements-green

3. dining room ideas: wall mural!
https://ambergrisian.tumblr.com/post/780255740559507456/dining-room-ideas-before-yellow-after-wallpaper

4. kitchen ideas: I'm going to skip this cause I couldn't get something I like in the Sims, but make it less modern/white, more boho Mediterranean I guess if I had to describe it.

5. laundry room!
actually probably make the laundry room a neutral colour...just can't be arsed to change it again lol. but a laundry room is the idea
https://ambergrisian.tumblr.com/post/780256240322396160/downstairs-small-room-ideas-before-second

6. outdoors, catio project! (lol not a lot available here with the sims, just again, general idea/placement)
https://ambergrisian.tumblr.com/post/780256315656306688/catio-project

other ideas I have
- extend guest bedroom with a box window area like the master bedroom to make it bigger (idk if we can but feels like we can?) (would probably be a better master bedroom then)
- change flat roof area to pitched roof (going to see how much the difference is since we're already replacing it...)
- living room / kitchen swap (not entirely sure I even want to do this, but the kitchen is so big. but the chimney is in the living room so would lose that. this is a big idk if it's a good idea but an idea. plus so much work for all the appliances. just a random thought)

josh posted...

My own settlement/closing is on the 16th of May, wow! Have a good move. I'll move in on Saturday 17th.

If you're able to make regular extra repayments (outside of a fixed loan) you'll be able to plug it into some home loan calculators and watch years fall off which is a bit encouraging

moving buddy! that's funny it's the same day!

yeah if we do the 10% annual allowed consistently it decreases the interest _significantly_ and reduces the loan by 5 years. We can also go above that maximum doing lump sums every time we have to refinance (which in the UK is like every 2-5 years)

Bones decompose more in soil that's acidic which is why it's a really cool find to find fully intact tiny feet bones in Belize for the Maya period.

adjl posted...

It's not all building equity, since a sizable amount of your mortgage goes toward paying down interest and not the principal (especially for the first few years), but getting anything is better than getting nothing from paying rent.

yeah this is what is making me feel better (that and my downstairs neighbour screaming like a lunatic at us and purposely blasting music to antagonize us -- it's a story there but helps the buying anxiety like ah yes no more that)

Seeing the amount of interest I am paying is gross, but now I'm paying just a bit more than rent (for a big house versus a flat), and with rent 0% went toward equity and now some does.

I'm making the house in The Sims now

josh posted...

there's also probably some kind of home owner or land tax that you're paying too

there's council tax but we paid that as renters too

otherwise tax on purchase and sale

Update: they agreed in a price reduction for the roof to cover the difference of what we anticipated!

we also got a second quote for 11k. Doing my own research (which was detailed with sq m for each roof type and a lot of details and extra costs) says it should be 12-27k so both quotes are extreme one way or another and it's probably in the middle / high end of my estimate. Which is fine.

Should be able to move in May 16th

Far-Queue posted...

Oh and congrats on the house

ugh it needs 45k in roof repairs by Autumn next year ..

which is like, fine to do it. it's just at the end of its term and it's showing and should be good for another 60 years. but I was hoping it would be closer to 20k or not as soon. _every_ house we looked at needs roof repair but I don't know how much until we offer and pay 450 to find out. another coworker made an offer on one needing 60k...

they did word it as here's the full repair cost but only said some were needed that immediately so going to have a call to discuss options and maybe negotiate down the offer though that makes me nervous....

I just want to move into it

I've been told people do it more often in Scotland.

But yeah all the crazy people had to ruin it. Probably there was a time it was more common in the states cause it was new so not enough time to see how it could be abused. And less people had cars. And with like someone said, classism, people are wary about picking people up too rather than just being wary of who is picking you up. It is unusual for someone to be traveling without a car these days where they need one in the states. So why are they?

In Scotland, it's a very small and safe country, a lot of people don't have cars, and hiking is a regular past time, so I could see it being less uncommon for those reasons.

already have 25 things on my new house project checklist

nothing _has_ to be done (other than new fridge cause theirs is faulty and they said the guy said it can't be repaired) but to get it in like my style and everything

buuuut I'm not going to have money for that for awhile lol (don't want to touch my savings I've kept aside)

Super exciting, in budget, way better than others I've seen in budget for a similarly good location and size. Can't wait to move in cause downstairs neighbour is nutty and driving me insane.

It's at a budget I'm comfortable with even if I have like a 60% pay cut (my current pay is very much not the average for this country).

Wooo

looked up what the interest amortization would be

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/ff04352b.jpg

guess it's better than renting at least

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/904c6a68.jpg

I don't even want to visit and I'm American lmao

Difficult to choose. I drink herbal and white most often in the evening since I have many with flavours I like and they're low caffeine.

But I also have a matcha latte almost every day (made at home) in the morning.

captpackrat posted...

I don't think I've seen anyone mention Manchego. It's a sheep's milk cheese from the La Mancha region in Spain.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/1/1e5d73a5.jpg

manchego is quite nice

there's just so many good cheeses and so much variety

we're actually thinking we might do a tiered cheese wheel thing for our wedding "cake" alternative lol

1. Going good, work is becoming manageable. Had a weekend trip to Ireland which was nice.

2. Very good. Got engaged on said weekend trip.

3. Find better work life balance, make some healthier decisions. Get my money (well the money I want to use soon for a house purchase) out of the US before it crashes.

how about I just got engaged to a Scotsman vibe?

blue

the stinkier the better

the Hobbit Shire game.. God I hope it doesn't suck

only poly ones

just a small house party

past few years I was lucky to get a free balcony perfect view across the castle for the big hogmanay show and fireworks cause my office was right on the street of it, got a pass to go behind the crowds to get into the building.

but 1. company left that building this past year and 2. I left the company.

was a good perk while it lasted though.

wwinterj25 posted...

Normally I'd put butter and jam on a scone. I wouldn't eat them without as they can be a bit dry unless it's a cheese scone and then I would eat them with just butter if I fancied it.

oh yeah I put clotted cream and jam on it but even without it was moist on its own

I'm in the mood for a simple brothy soup

so making a meatball soup with leeks, potatoes, celeriac, carrots, dill, sour cream, and lemon

Olld-Onne posted...

Scotland pretty cold. Like nearly all year round cold.

You get used to it.

I now find the perfect temp is 15c (59f) and I start getting uncomfortable at 20c (68f) lol. I'm originally from Texas.

I'd say it's more chilly or mild and comfortable being used to it here now with some Baltic cold windy days in the winter.

Yellow posted...

Scones are stale tasteless bread

I thought scones were dry terribly tasting stuff based on having them in the US but I had some here and they're way better than any I had over there. I had one that was basically a sweeter US biscuit (not the flakey kind but the crumbly kind), buttery and moist.

Solid_Snake07 posted...

Its really not that hard if you really want to. Buh bye

lol yes it is

believe it or not, other countries also have their own immigration control policies and Americans can't just up and move anywhere they like

also, it's expensive and you'd be leaving behind your entire social network

Scotland

I moved here :p

also yeah the food is fine. UK and US people shitting on other people's food is silly. There's very good and very bad everywhere, though in the UK good quality is cheaper at least. I love going to fancy tasting menu restaurants and have also grown fond of the more stereotypical haggis, black pudding, and marmite lol

I even found some decent tacos here, though I miss other Mexican staples (pozole, tamales, decent enchiladas, chilaquiles, chile relleno, mole, etc...). That's the biggest thing I miss, which isn't so bad. I can cook, but sourcing certain things (fresh poblanos and tomatillos) is difficult, though there's a Mexican grocer with dried chiles, masa, and canned stuff.

But anyway lots to enjoy here too. Love how many restaurants have game (venison, grouse, pigeon) and foraging ingredients, and so much fresh delicious seafood. Also samphire is something I never even heard of until I moved here which is neat.

I already left the country

wasn't planning on moving back. Glad I'm not there.

that's not a realistic option for most people. Deeply sad for those trapped.

SinisterSlay posted...

Baseboards in the bathroom help.
But truthfully my body hair makes the difference.

one nice thing is heated towel racks are like the norm here

been in quite a few flats with heated bathroom flooring too

SinisterSlay posted...

15c is nice sleeping temp. That's what I use too.
I'll also leave the house at 15c and just use a space heater in my office. Saves money that way.

yeah it's not bad when I'm under the duvet, but when I wake up and have to get out of the bed and shower I'm like no lol

Blightzkrieg posted...

17C? Are you a snowman?

yeah my bf is ridiculous with this. he keeps it at 16c but turns it off so it gets to 12-14c during the night.

idk if that's just how scots are or he's exceptionally frugal, but I have gotten used to it lol...

OneEyedShinobi posted...

I rarely get cold and I still wear long sleeves in the summer.

if you rarely get cold why are you wearing long sleeves lol?

I guess you just also don't get hot? damn are you the ideal temp body person everyone dreams of being? cause that's pretty cool.

My bf runs hot so he's wearing sleeveless tops and shorts all year (in a colder weather place)

sun is all fucked up here I don't think an hour one way or the other makes much of a difference lol

in the summer there's too much sun and I wake up at 4.30am with it and then it's still sunny at 10pm so I'm not tired

in the winter I want to sleep until 10am as it's still dark then the day feels over at 4pm

spring and autumn are nice

once I buy a house next year I'll get nice curtains to help in the summer, and automated smart lights to mimic the sun in the winter

but yeah the sun is the most difficult thing about moving here

Metaphor ReFantazio

captpackrat posted...

Fahrenheit works better for weather, since the normal range of temperatures has a longer span compared to Celsius. The difference between a very cold day and a hot day is only 60C, but it's 108F.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/361a5779.png

you just kinda adjust to what you're used to

nowadays I'm like 0c is cold, 5c is chilly, 15c is comfortable for me, 18c starts getting warm, 20c I'm a bit uncomfortable, above that please stop, omfg how was a running in 44c weather before I moved here

inside (where I'm dressed more lightly) my heater on 16c is fine, 17.5c is more comfortable, 18-18.5c if for some reason I feel more chilly and want to amp it up, 19c+ is overdoing it (though when I first moved here I had it set to 25c lol)

I'm in a weird place where I understand what F feels like and what C feels like but I struggle really converting between the two other than some specific ones I've memorized

but I know what various degrees of C feels like, I know what various degrees of F feels like

they're really both fine for weather. I'm not going to complain about 56f vs 58f so that granularity is a little much. Really with F I feel like you talk about 10s or 5s degrees anyway.

Keanu Reeves seems nice

first class domestic (so like, not that fancy)

business international with own pods

my mom was a flight attendant so we just had to pay tax on it which was barely anything

now I pay for economy plus for just a wee bit extra space of it's a long flight, otherwise coach cause yeah I'm not spending money on that lol

usually nothing unless it's bad other than wash it

if I feel I need to do something, something like neosporin

growing up we used hydrogen peroxide a lot and I loved the bubbling and tingling and little burn from that lol, though I think I read recently it's not actually very useful

well I'm an immigrant, US -> UK and basically much of the rest of the world uses WhatsApp so that's why lol. everyone here uses it.

got my US friends and family on it too. no international calling or texting fees with that.

so lots of people across the world use it, it's a good app, and it's free.

was funny joining and seeing which US friends were already on WhatsApp. was a bunch of people who have international connections.

adjl posted...

I'm not exaggerating at all when I say that the only reason I knew what day it was for those 2-3 months was because Daisy-Mae came on Sundays. It really cannot be overstated just how much that game did to maintain structure in my life during a time that otherwise would have had very little. It really was a perfectly timed release in every possible regard, aside from the fact that Nintendo wasn't able to keep up with the demand for new Switches because of it (combined with major manufacturing delays, of course).

seriously

we were in a pretty weird state for over a year until vaccines. no gyms, after like half a year could go eat outside with masks, and do other outdoor things, but not a lot.

Animal Crossing helped my sanity. had holidays and festivals there. concerts on Saturday lol. best timing it could have had..

AltOmega2 posted...

I've been eating a lot of fish lately
hopefully I won't get lead/Mercury poisoning lol

you can look up mercury poisoning levels of different fish

higher up the food chain is worse. Tuna, bad. Sardines, not. Though I've seen a few posts in /r/canned sardines that uric acid can be another problem (gout) if you eat a shit ton and other factors lol..