So it's been a couple of weeks

Been here now a couple of weeks and there's some things I've realised.

1. People either perk up and get MORE friendly when they hear my accent, or they do a complete 180 and try to get rid of me ASAP. Lol
2. I don't know how to order just a regular cup of black coffee with no flavouring added.
3. I don't know what they call general or sesame chicken when ordering Chinese food here...
4. I miss outlets in the bathroom.
5. I NEED RANCH DRESSING!
6. Skype is trash. That's a "I need you for now, but I'll drop you when something better comes along" attitude.
7. People are so dog friendly! I miss mine terribly and cannot WAIT to bring them over. How do I train them to press "Answer with video" on a touch screen so I can Skype them? Lol, kidding.
8. Why did I even build credit again? Everything has had to be in my boyfriend's name because I have no reputation here. Completely understandable, but annoying nonetheless. (What would I have done without him?)

Will probably add more later. Despite the mini rants, I do love it here so far. If you could help me with my coffee, ranch dressing, and Chinese food ordering problems, I'll love you forever! (And any tips on coping with missing my dogs, haha.)

Just thought I'd give an update. How's everyone?

2. You should ask for an Americano or black filter coffee
3. Good luck, most don't make that here. ONE time I got to talking with the take out guy and I was able to get some american-style things that weren't on the menu (lo mein, fried dumplings)
5. You can get Ranch here: http://www.usafoodstore.co.uk/category-s/72.htm Also possible to get Hidden Valley in Partridges shops in London (not sure about Newcastle) and you can find Newmans Own Ranch in Waitrose
7. I Skype with my parent's dog all the time! It's totally normal!

Yeah, i pretty much stopped eating Chinese food in the UK because i could never get any i liked. I could get a gorgeous Indian takeaway, so that became my new favorite. Now that i'm back in the US i miss a nice Indian takeaway and i'm back on the Chinese! You can order your ranch online or definitely suggest the packets to anyone interested in sending you a care package!

Hehehe Completly normal adjustments I think, especially for only a few weeks in.  You'll get used to things and you won't have to think about anything much anymore.   I think you've got a healthy attitude though 

Coffee- agree with Danielle

Credit, well some of us didn't have other-halfs to lean on and we still made it ok.
Ive been here just about 5 years now and I've got credit cards and mobile contracts.  I had a personal loan (now paid off). I don't have issues withh BT/Leccy/Gas, etc.   So just because things are in your boyfriends name now, doesn't mean they always will be.    Again things take time! You'll get there!    

Instead of an Americano ask for a lungo....it is an espresso where the barista runs the steam through twice as long.

Pret sells filter coffee (99p a cup) but look at the little gauge on the side before ordering - you can tell by the level of the coffee how close to the bottom of the tank. 

Hmm, I love the Chinese here, but it is very different. I can remember hubby ordering Chow Mein in the States and being very perplexed. Come to find out....our Lo Mein is their Chow Mein. Well, at least it is where we live here.
I have gotten Newmans Own Ranch in Morrisons so it is there too.
I'm slowly building my own credit. I got credit with a catalogue company..and I make sure I pay it plus a little extra every month. Slowly building it up. Many places wont even look at you if you haven't lived here for AT LEAST 12 months. BUT, I've been told to be VERY careful with the catalogue finance as they will mark your record badly if you're late on a single £5.00 payment.
Skype to me is hit or miss. It all depends on the connections on each end and ours really stinks a lot of the time. We still use it, but I have a calling card to call my folks every Sunday. I find it a lot easier to keep in touch if we have a set time to call every week.
As for coffee....I'm so sick of instant! But, I typically order an Americano. If we're out in the pub I just order a coffee black.

kbeech- what about a French press at home ("cafetiere" as they usually call it there)? I picked one up for less than 20£ and have trained the Dh how to use it (so he makes actual coffee for us when I am there vs. his normal instant!) You can find ground coffee at the supermarket marked specially for cafetieres. I use the same amount of coffee/cup as I do for regular brewed.

Also, wouldn't Starbucks have regular brewed coffee, too? I usually only go to Costa or Nero and have learned to love Americanos (half hot/half cold milk!) so I actually haven't looked to see if Starbucks does have it like in the US.

I love the Chinese food here, but it can sometimes take a bit of shopping around... just like everywhere else, some places are better than others, and some places are just plain YUK.
Unfortunately, though, I don't know what 'general or sesame chicken is', so cant give you any ideas on similar dishes.  I was just looking round the flat to see if we had a takeaway menu... to see if there was a sesame chicken on there, cos it sounds like a fairly basic thing, but we haven't got one at the moment. 

I found this thread from 2008 on General Tso's Chicken.  Hopefully this will help?

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=49366.0

2. I don't know how to order just a regular cup of black coffee with no flavouring added.

8 years ago I was exactly in the same place! About a week into moving, I went into a Coffee Republic, asked for a black coffee and the guy looked at me as if I were speaking German. I almost cried after trying to explain what I wanted. Now I don't order my black coffee any other way. We even make our own Americanos at home with a fab hob top Bialetti.

4. I miss outlets in the bathroom!

Sadly this will always be the case, but like anything, you will get used to it. They don't do GFI outlets like the do in the US. My hair dryer and brush stayed next to the full length mirror in the bedroom since there was never enough space in the loos for it anyway. 

I can't understand how everyone has so much trouble getting black coffee.  I mean, yeah... it has a name: Americano.
But even if someone doesn't know the name, I can't understand how these coffee places can't understand what 'black coffee' or 'coffee with no milk' means!    Mental.

Americano in the US is a watered down shot of espresso. Not the same as filter / drip coffee. Different beans for one thing 

I can't understand how everyone has so much trouble getting black coffee.  I mean, yeah... it has a name: Americano.
But even if someone doesn't know the name, I can't understand how these coffee places can't understand what 'black coffee' or 'coffee with no milk' means!    Mental.

But black coffee does not equal americano. Americano is watered down espresso, not actual drip/brewed coffee. But in terms of taste, it's pretty good (and it's all I order when I'm out!)

Thanks for all the suggestions! Been going mental on the whole ranch thing, really. I WILL find it though. Lol. Looks like I'll have to experiment a bit with the coffee. I do prefer the good old filtered drip coffee. Maybe I can order a small brewer and grounds and just stick to keeping it at home.

I've been experimenting with other dressings and such, but I think my standards are ranch. And nothing else. Hahaha. DB gets a bit upset at me because I won't do vinegar on chips, and I don't like brown sauce (I think I almost got broken up with over that one, LOL! KIDDING!). He gives me weird looks because I'll dip plain, original potato crisps in ketchup (really, it's just like dipping french fries!), but he's since started doing that himself. Hahahaha.

I really love it here. Know there are some adjustments to be made, but I'm having fun with it anyway.

Trying to organise a Skype date with my canine girlies back home tonight.

I worked as a barista in both the US and the UK (Glasgow). An Americano and a 'Black Coffee' are pretty much the same thing in the UK (and the same as an Americano in the US), at least where I worked. It's all watered down espresso. This is because most places, as I'm sure you all know, don't have filter coffee and not everyone wants a full-on espresso/cappuccino/latte/macchiato.

If someone came in and asked for a black coffee, we gave them what everyone knows to be an Americano. If they asked for a white coffee, it was an Americano (or 'Black Coffee') with milk.