Yesterday was an incredibly long day, in part because I woke up at 2 AM, after sleeping just four hours. So when I got to the train station for a 9 AM train to Manchester, I’d already been up for seven hours.
Manchester is two hours north of London, and the new home of an annual conference for HR professionals in the UK.
I was happy for a chance to get a look at the English countryside. I am a huge fan of English literature, and sure enough, I could easily imagine Tess of the D’Urbervilles walking through the landscape.
Best of all: the rolling green hills dotted with white sheep. Of course, this was in stark contrast to Safran Foer’s book about factory farming in America, where animals spend their whole lives in crates in buildings, only seeing the outdoors when being transported to slaughter.
Manchester is (or was) an industrial city of pretty significant size, it seems. The conference was held in a former train station — a beautiful old building. It was raining and gray, which is — according to the people we talked to — the way the weather in Manchester always is.
The conference was interesting — we met a good number of people, including a colorful contingent from the continent — a Dane, a Swiss and a German, all led by an energetic Dutch fellow.
I chatted with a vendor who told me that he had some issues getting into the US because his passport showed he’d just been in Israel. I didn’t know what to tell him — I don’t understand where a visit to Israel would pose a problem. But it did remind me of Kevin, and how HE would probably raise some suspicion in customs… Kevin’s a devoted traveller, but those visits to North Korea and Iran (where else did you say, Kevin?) are no-nos in the US.
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Just had lunch with an elder statesman of Reward in the UK. Delightful! He just had vegetables for lunch since his wife would be preparing a lovely fillet of Dover sole for supper. Can you tell how I’ve been rendered giddy by his British-ness?
I almost keeled over with glee when he mentioned that he has a subscription to The New Yorker, which he reads when he takes the train into London.
We discussed national healthcare and segued into politics. Yes, London is a liberal American’s HEAVEN! We’ve read the same books and laugh at the same politicians (*cough* Palin *cough* Blair), and shake our heads in wonder that issues like abortion and gay marriage are trotted out for political debate. Sigh. I love it here.
And a note to Mom: You’d be so happy — the Brits love Obama. 
Pictures of the hotel where we had lunch:
Well there was Syria, Saudi Arabia, Beirut as well in there!