Mike’s book is simply delightful. I love reading about the exploits of Americans in the UK. Mike has joked that he’s like Bill Bryson, except without the fame or fortune. Postcards from Across the Pond is hilarious and provides an insightful look into the nuts and bolts of living in the UK.
What was most interesting about Mike’s story is that he’s not much of an Anglophile. He just happened to end up in England married to an English woman. Having no knowledge of England or it’s customs, Mike’s book chronicles his attempt to understand the strange land that he ended up in.
In typical English fashion, he talks about the weather a lot. Which is very interesting since Mike hails from Upstate New York where winters can be harsh and cold. He enjoys watching as the English freak out about an inch of snow during their comparatively mild winters.
Interestingly enough, Mike has even managed to make his daily bus commute to work interesting! As someone who wishes to live in England, I like seeing what it’s actually like on the ground, living there day to day. Mike gives a practical insight into doing simple things like going the post office, running down to the corner shop or dealing with temperamental kitchen appliances.
By far the funniest chapter is Mike’s attempt at having a traditional Thanksgiving meal in England. Such a thing is pretty much not possible, not least because it’s not a holiday in the UK and no one has the day off.
Mike has structured his book nicely, each chapter is usually only 2 or 3 pages long which makes them quick to read. This book is great for when you have a few moments to kill and want a good laugh.
Mike Harling’s Postcards From Across the Pond get 5 out of 5 Union Jacks for interesting and funny anecdotes.
If you want to read Mike’s posts on Anglotopia, click here. You can also read about Mike’s latest adventures on his own blog.
About Jonathan
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Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Anglotopia was started to get us back to the UK for a trip and it did that in 2009. Now, the goal is for Anglotopia to make our dreams of traveling to the UK whenever we want a reality.
I will have to get around to reading this. This past November I cooked Thanksgiving for about a dozen people and I will never attempt it again. I had to cook all day for three days straight, simply because everything must be made completely from scratch. There isn’t even stuffing mix, stuffing in England is more like breadcrumbs so they don’t sell bags of the pre-cubed bread. I made EVERYTH|NG completely from scratch, turkey, cranberry sauce, roasted vegetables, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pecan pie and apple pie but sadly there were no pumpkins in season so I couldn’t make pumpkin pie. Most people will make just one or two things totally from scratch, but there are simply no products in the UK that help with shortcuts. Also, in England it is not traditional for guests to bring a dish to pass, the host always cooks the entire meal so I couldn’t ask anyone to help lighten the load.
Lisa, from scratch? Everything? Send me your address; I’ll be up there next Thanksgiving
I bet the size of your oven was a factor in take three days for the preparation. I don’t think I could even fit a full-sized turkey in mine.
From scratch! Blimey!
At that point I think I’d need family in the US to fedex me my favorite foods in order to survive.
Yeah, I actually cooked the turkey in my mother in law’s oven, which was only slightly larger than mine. There wasn’t an inch to spare in the oven. We had the meal at her house, so my final day of cooking was in her kitchen. It was quite the challenge of my culinary prowess and I am happy to report that I met the challenge like a pro. My in-laws still talk about the meal, but I will never EVER do it again.
My parents came this week and I had my mom bring me some canned pumpkin in her suitcase! This year I think I will make a smaller feast, maybe just for 5 or 6 people and stick to turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, some easy vegetables and a pie. I will never make a meal like that ever again.