Hooray!!! Congrats, you two.

(*scuttles off back to writin' and researchin'*)

Congrats!!! Happy for both of you!!!!

Congrats Mark and Hannah!

I have written 250 words, so I deserve a break. Or so says me. Anyway, I have a question for you UK VJ folk...

A family friend just dropped by to visit. As he walked in the dining room, where I'm working at the moment, he asked what I was doing. I said, "I'm at the coalface." He looked at me quizzically and said, "At the coalface? What does that mean?" I said it meant I was working, dealing with problems up close, etc. He had never heard this phrase before, and my mom swore it was a British idiom. Is it? Do Americans say "at the coalface"?

I have a lot of these moments, where I have no idea of whether people understand what I'm talking about. It's really rather embarrassing, what with me being American and whatnot.

I've heard of it but that might have something to do with coming from 'oop north'. Someone may prove me wrong but I've a feeling it might be more of a northern saying so anyone from the south may not have heard it.

Gillian

Never heard it in London (or America). It actually sounds racist...

I always thought it was a Britishism in the way that you were using it. I could be completely wrong, but I always thought it was related to the coal mining culture up North (people who "do" things rather than think about them abstractly or whatever).

I think I have heard it here but as a racist term

Racist? It never would have occurred to me. It means that you are not just faffing about in the office or an ivory tower but really down there in the trenches, in the coal mine, as it were. It may be something that is particular to working in the City -- I heard it a LOT, mostly by people who were stuck in an office but thinking otherwise...

Hmmm...going off to ask Bruce what he thinks about this. (He will tell me to go back to work, at the coalface or wherever.)

Wasn't coal used by blackface performers? I think that's where the negative connotations come from, in the US anyway.

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/at+the+coalface

at the coalface (British & Australian)
someone who is at the coalface is doing the work involved in a job, not talking about it, planning it, or controlling it. You sit in your office looking at consultants' reports, but it's the men and women at the coalface who really understand the business.

---

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=coal+face

See, this is my problem -- from the context, I would think it would be very clear that I am using some sort of strange idiom, and not making racial slurs. If I left out the "at the" in the phrase and inserted "a", there could be some argument that I was, even accidentally.

Just consulted with Mr. Bruce -- blackface was done primarily with burnt cork or shoe polish. I can understand the confusion, but no offence to anyone was meant!

I have never heard anyone described as a "coal face" -- just looked at the urban dictionary link there. Huh.

I have heard that used MANY times - I would have guessed in the UK as well, but definitely in Australia... and have NEVER heard, or even thought, of it being racist

in teaching, it often gets morphed into 'chalkface', for obvious reasons

and I have to say, seeing it as a racist term strikes me as thoughtlessly kneejerk (tautology? ) - rather like making a fuss about 'niggardly'

One of my uncles married a woman from up north... and I've heard this expression often, as well as the chalkface variant, although that is used less now that wipeboards have mostly replaced chalkboards (blackboards in the days before political correctness).

And I think people worry too much about being politically correct - making everyone stress about accidentally saying something that might possibly be misconstrued does absolutely nothing to address actual racism. I had a guy accuse me of being racist once purely because I turned him down... which was due to the fact that I disliked his personality quite intensely (he was always being unkind to one of my friends) and had nothing to do with his skin colour or anything else about the way he looked physically.

oh, it used to drive me NUTS when kids at school would say 'it's because I'm black' when they got in trouble for doing some damn fool thing
I had a few responses...

1. 'Why are you being rude? is it because I'm white?'

2. 'Are you accusing me of being racist? that's a very serious matter... I think we should take that to the head teacher right now' (surprisingly enough, they never wanted to do this )

3. *mutely point to another child - not black - who was in trouble for the same thing*


your point about 'making everyone stress about accidentally saying something that might possibly be misconstrued does absolutely nothing to address actual racism' is spot on

and g'morning to uk!

I'm so sad about Kez - I had no idea she was still sick. She was such a cool lady.

I have heard the phrase "coal-faced mammy" which is why I immediately thought it was a ministrel/blackface term. I remember it was one of those phrases when I first arrived in the UK that tripped me up a bit because I didn't wasn't familar yet with the other usage!




I know, I don't even know what to say on that other thread I am so shocked. Kez was one of my first friends on VJ when I joined the summer of 05 and was always so helpful. I obviously never met her but am still devastated.

Gratzies!!

I just saw the thread about Kezzie... I can't really believe it.

I know! I had no idea she was so ill. And here she was, always still helping others on VJ. What an amazing person! She will be missed.

what thread?!

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=125518

I am pleased to report that the first section of my white paper is DONE. Only 4 more to go... I'll be kicking off with the crowd-pleasing topic of "Providing adequate resources to proxy voting" -- it's utterly compelling, I swear.

g'morning uk. how's the paper doing, maven?

Morning Charles, afternoon too

Dawn.

I did more research and then...I kinda shut down mentally around 9.30pm. Mega writer's block. I have GOT to get this thing done -- the conference it's being presented at is in 4 weeks. Oh, and to my eternal delight, because the presenter pulled out of the session where it's being launched and debated, now I have to present it. To 400 people. I am an AWFUL public speaker.

Aww hun... that really sucks *hugs* I'm sure it will all go swimmingly though

In other non-exciting news, I am playing on Facebook ><

Ugh.. 400 people?? and i thought my book signing was bad.. But you'll do fine. My thoughts will be with you when it comes about.

Facebook.. i've yet to go there.. Myspace.. well i have 3 of those now

Morning all

Just thought i'd pop in and say that I got here safely. My POE was completely painless, all over within about 5 minutes!! The first guy at immigration even laughed and joked about the effects of marriage on his hairline Secondary inspection was literally a 5 second ordeal All he said was, 'you know you have 90 days to get married, right?' I said yes, and he said well, congratulations! You can go now!

Our apartment is reallllly nice! Needs a bit of cleaning, I had all the windows off yesterday I am settling into domesticated life rather well... I even shocked myself

I am in a state of shock that I have my very own American front door key and weiss card

Oh oh oh! AND I am now 'officially' engaged We were in our back yard the day before yesterday and Chris dropped down on one knee (Under a BIG cherry tree!) and gave me the most beautiful ring!

We are at my Dad's at the moment going through wedding plans etc!!

Argh! So excited!!!

Hope everyone is doing well!!

Will try and pop on later.

Speak soon! xxx

CONGRATULATIONS!

and Welcome to America.

Gillian

Yay! Congrats, Tash!





400 people = Xanax

congrats on the apartment and the proposal...i spent most of today catching up on this thread from about the page 60 mark...i haven't been on this thread since mid march...but now that we got our noa2 on thursday...for some reason i wanted to check it out...

Yay! Tasha!! You made it!! How are you feeling now? I know you were really nervous I am going through that nervous thing now Been packing things up and it is making me sad

Aww Jeraly... you'll be fine! Kris is already beginning to go through his stuff now. He's exited, anxious and nervous. He was happy to figure out he could get his favorite chocolate in the states though.

Not sure if this has been mentioned elsewhere on the forum, but I'm contemplating selling my computer before I move over and transferring my personal documents/pics etc through some online middleman:

Tourists visiting the US face even tougher security checks now airport officials can search through mobile phones and laptops.

I heard about the laptop checks... Damian is backing everything up on cd and sending it to me then totally reformatting his laptop so its cleared out. rather them not go through all of our pictures. they already know tons about us and our personal life.

I'd do that, but are customs likely to inspect cds (or dvds... I've got an awful lot of digital camera pics) when you mail them over with DHL or similar?

g'afternoon uk, g'morning tosh and welcome to the usa

Damian has a lot of downloaded movies so he doesn't need any problems with customs on these. and the digital camera photos we have all backed up already. he's backing up some of his programs and other files he might want to keep. he usually just sends them royal mail. we've never had a problem before and we aren't in a hurry getting them here and royal mail is a lot cheaper. I don't think many people's checked luggage is even gone through. we're just doing it to be safe. if its just pictures you'll have no problem with them on cd/dvd.


I've had an awful time with customs in England!! they went through every belonging I had and even my scrapbook and photo albums. read letters...... and if it turns out to be anything like that they will check cds/dvds.. but thats England and thats why we're being safe.

kevin is planning on wiping his computer too...he's just going to upload his pics to his server...he suggested people can buy webspace, upload it...and then re-download from it when you get home to the states

Hmm yeah, I've got anime that I'd prefer to bring over but would probably be frowned upon by the powers that be. If you just bung them over via Royal Mail and say "CDs" on the customs sticker, that'd be enough for them to slip through the net?


Stu

We haven't ever had a problem with customs and sending anything with royal mail... We even sent pocket knives that are illegal here in the US.. so I wouldn't worry too much about mailing. just put cds. you should be just fine.. Damian will be sending his out sometime in the next 2 weeks so i'll let you know how it goes.

That'd be brilliant, thanks


Stu

Alex and I have exchanged many a burned CD/DVD through the postal system before. Our packages always arrive unopened by Customs. I think it'd be quite safe to ship data that way.

g'morning everyone.

Hi all, absolutley beautiful day in London, just got back from a gorgeous weekend in Dublin

Ain't life grand

I hope the weather continues for this weekend!

Ditto! Beautiful today in New Haven -- last week was the pits.

About 90F in Orlando...far too early to be so hot!!! At least the humidity isn't at 100%...Darren would melt!!!