Stairs are something Americans find ways to get around if we want to by using elevators or escalators or we use them and pat ourselves on the back for our healthy lifestyle choice. But if you get transplanted into another country, then sometimes we are faced with a whole new appreciation of flat living spaces.
Our flat (apartment) in this wonderful English manor is spacious for just the two of us. We are very appreciative of the space we have been allocated as we have a large “great room” style bedroom which is all on one level and has a bathroom, small second bedroom with a twin bed and desk, and the great room in the shape of an L has a small kitchenette, living room area, another desk and bed. This English flat is on the back side of the manor on the 4th floor and we have learned to really appreciate this personal space. There is still one floor above us that contains student rooms.
To leave our flat to go eat our meals on the first floor this is the path we take in the mornings: go out our door, walk up 7 stairs, turn left, walk down a short hall, and go through a door on our right, walk down 10 stairs, turn left, walk down 7 more stairs, go through a door on our left, walk down 4 more stairs, turn left and then go down 6 stairs, turn right, go down 15 more stairs, walk down a long hall, go through a set of double doors, walk down 16 stairs, turn right, walk down a short hall, turn left, go through another set of double doors and weave around to the cafeteria. And of course we reverse it to come back up to our room. We make this trip 3 times a day for our meals.
To do our laundry in the faculty laundry room, I take this path: go out our door, walk up 7 stairs, turn left, walk down a short hall, turn right and go up 4 stairs, turn left and walk down a long hall going down 4 stairs halfway down the hallway, go through a door, turn right, go down 4 stairs, turn left, go up 6 more stairs, go down a short hall, turn left, go down 10 stairs, turn left, go down 11 more stairs, turn left, 7 more stairs down and then I am there. The laundry room is off a staircase landing between the 3rd and 4th floors. It took us several days to find it. Today I have been doing laundry and this is my 4th load so you can use your math skills to see how many times I have been making this trip today. When each load is drying it needs to be stopped halfway through so the water can be emptied out of the water container. It is not so much of a dryer as it is a moisture remover. It is an interesting way of drying and also a slow one. It is not unusual for me to go down to check on the clothes in the dryer and to have to extend the time. But again, the price is right – free. Yea for free. I could go down to the basement in the manor (another interesting trip down lots of stairs) and pay to do our laundry all at once in the student laundry room ($1 per washer and 80 cents to typically dry a load) but I use that as a back up.
Those are just two of the types of roaming trips I take around the manor. To get to the faculty common room, it is another interesting weaving trip up and down stairs and around corners and through doors until I get to the other side of the manor on the 3rd floor. We also attend a class on the 2nd floor on the other side of the manor. The visiting faculty offices are on the 2nd floor on our side of the manor. That is where the printer is that we use. Ray has made the trip down there numerous times just today as he has printed off material for his classes and our upcoming trip. The classes that Ray teaches are on the 2nd floor and in the basement. The Boutique in which I work is on the 1st floor.
We also now use public transportation of buses, subways, shuttles and trains. What I have discovered though is that we never seem to be able to use them without a great deal of walking to go along with their use. Americans would be much healthier if we lived in England – but only if we don’t eat all those hot custards over the desserts.
Penny
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