Union leaders are calling for British workers to get three more bank holidays to bring them in line with the European average of about 11. A bank holiday, for you Yanks, is like Labor Day or Memorial Day – pretty much everybody gets it off and the banks/government offices are all closed. So not only does the average British worker get, like, at least three weeks of paid vacation, we’re also getting 11 work-free holidays. Just to make you even sicker, compare that with the U.S. system where you only get two weeks vacation (if you’re lucky) and roughly seven holidays (New Year’s, Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas). Take my advice: hop on a plane, come to England, and start livin’ the good life. (Link courtesy of Jann.)
brigita
August 24, 2001 — 6:23 pm
there’s a chance (admittedly, it involves both a snowball and hell) that J. might get stationed over that way…but then we’d probably still be working for american companies (does the government/military count as a company?)…
hmm. gotta rework that plan. 😉
Kris
August 24, 2001 — 6:44 pm
Dude, that would ROCK! Most of the military bases seem to be outside of town though. Nicole Mustilli, a Weasel fencer from my year, is over here right now and she’s stationed out near Cambridge. You’d love it over here though! 🙂
brigita
August 24, 2001 — 8:04 pm
i don’t doubt it. is it tough to be a veg over there?
Kris
August 25, 2001 — 9:53 am
Being veg is very “in” over here. (As is “organic” stuff too.) I think it got a big surge in popularity during the whole BSE thing. I’ve actually met a lot more vegetarians here than I ever did in the U.S. All the restaurant reviews say what their vegetarian options are. I’d say at the very least it’s no harder than it is in the U.S.
brigita
August 25, 2001 — 4:35 pm
excellent. i’ll put the good word in with the hubby-to-be!
😉
Max
August 26, 2001 — 6:33 pm
Or stay in the states and become a teacher. Mwahahahahaha! (Sorry–when you work for a public school, you so rarely get to gloat…)
Kris
August 27, 2001 — 8:20 pm
Gloat all you want Max. You deserve it. Seriously, the first thing I ever wanted to be “when I grow up” was a teacher. (Well, either that or an astronaut.) I’d still consider it, I guess, if I ever get the chance. Unfortunately my random trip to London junior year of college has led me down a seriously different path… 🙂
brigita
August 27, 2001 — 9:08 pm
funny…i wanted to be a waitress when i was in kindergarten since i thought they would make it big with all those tips they get. i’m sure my parents–both teachers–weren’t too keen with my youthful ambitions…but then i actually had an idea of what i wanted to be when i grew up back then. no such luck now.
personally, i think me and my sibs lucked out that our folks had vacations at the same time we did. we sure had some great vacations, most of those invoving a tent. good times.