More random London/UK questions

[UnderProtest]

So now that I've been here almost three whole weeks, I have more strange questions.

1.  Why does beef taste different here than in the US?

2.  Is there something different with the cheese here?  I've made a couple tried and true recipes with grated cheese and they have failed miserably. It's like the cheese isn't as oily.

3.  How do you find a private doctor here?  And why do you have to register with a nhs doctor days before you have an appointment?

[Deleted]

1. Do you mean supermarket beef, or beef you get at restaurants? My impression is that hamburgers and steaks here aren't seasoned as much as Americans are used to. As for supermarket beef, I haven't really noticed a big difference (probably because I season it enough that I can't really taste any difference). Or maybe it tastes different because it's horse meat (kidding! unless you're paying a pound for ready-made lasagna, then I'm not kidding).

2. Cheese here is actual cheese, and not processed like Americans are used to. Which means it might not melt as smooth and creamy, and probably has a stronger flavor. You may have to try a few different varieties in your recipes to find what you like.

3. I'm not on the NHS so I'm no help here...

[UnderProtest]

1. Its supermarket beef, cooked the same way I would normally cook it. It tastes almost gamey to me. Hopefully I will get used to it. It doesn't seem to bother the kids or my husband.

2. I made mac and cheese (shut up, I needed some comfort food) and it was really dry. I used the mildest grated cheddar cheese that I could find. Does anyone know how to adjust recipes? I need my carbs.

3. @villianv I'm confused, are you on nhs or not? I'm looking for non-nhs doctors. Well, at least I think I am. My husband's company says we still have our US healthcare insurance and therefore won't need to see nhs doctors.



Oh, and any product recommendations for dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent or shower cleaner? I'm not familiar with the pods or hard water so I don't know what is best to use.

[Deleted]

Mar 18, 2014 10:22:42 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

1. Its supermarket beef, cooked the same way I would normally cook it. It tastes almost gamey to me. Hopefully I will get used to it. It doesn't seem to bother the kids or my husband.

2. I made mac and cheese (shut up, I needed some comfort food) and it was really dry. I used the mildest grated cheddar cheese that I could find. Does anyone know how to adjust recipes? I need my carbs.

3. @villianv I'm confused, are you on nhs or not? I'm looking for non-nhs doctors. Well, at least I think I am. My husband's company says we still have our US healthcare insurance and therefore won't need to see nhs doctors.



Oh, and any product recommendations for dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent or shower cleaner? I'm not familiar with the pods or hard water so I don't know what is best to use.

My mac and cheese comes out dry too (I use a combo of gruyere and goats cheese). I think maybe I need more goats cheese to make it creamier…and maybe more milk.

I'm stationed here with the military, and we have our own health care system with our own doctors, so I haven't had to deal with the NHS or with private doctors.

For laundry detergent I like Persil.  I will admit that I still haven't noticed any difference between "bio" detergent and "non-bio" -- I think I like the bio better?  It seems like everyone has some kind of preference.  You may want to add a water softener like Calgon.   For dish detergent I don't really have a favorite because they all seem the same to me. Just make sure you have salt (again, water softener) in your dishwasher (it should have a receptacle for it) and rinse aid.   I will admit that our cleaning lady cleans our shower, but I'm pretty sure she just uses a regular Dettol spray (comparable to Lysol).  You'll find that a lot of US brands have almost direct equivalents here, sold under different names.  You just have to figure out what the different names are.

Dettol = Lysol
Wilkinson Sword = Gillette
Andrex = Cottonelle

And for drugs:
Paracetamol = Acetaminophen (tylenol) -- be careful because some formulations might contain codeine!
Nurofen = Ibuprofen (advil)
Lemsip = a warm lemon drink mix with no real US equivalent, but it DOES contain actual cold medication (kind of like alka seltzer cold, except it's warm and not fizzy).

[frlcb]

OMG the cheese is SO much better in the UK. Like, hands down, no comparison.

Can't answer the beef because I don't eat it.

I know when we had private insurance we still had to go through our NHS GP to get a referral to a private dr but we weren't on US insurance so it was probably different.

[Deleted]

UnderProtest My understanding is that the cattle here are grass fed for a good portion of their lives and that affects the taste. Most of the Americans I know here complain about the beef. I thought it tasted different too but now I am used to it. Plus, from everything I have read it is better for you.

That's actually one of the perks of living over here: they seem to have less factory farming. I find the eggs here are way better than supermarket eggs in North America. So much more flavor and it's both easy and somewhat cheap to get free range or organic.

[UnderProtest]

I do love the cheese here, but gosh darn it, I want my mac and cheese! It's one thing that I can usually get the kids to eat!

I have found out the hard way about the naming convention differences on drugs. Nothing like a trip to the hospital to get you initiated into a new healthcare system.

Any other product recommendations?

[UnderProtest]

Mar 18, 2014 12:14:30 GMT -5 neeps said:

To add to villain's list. Fairy = Dawn (dish soap)

My favorite cleaner is Cif. I seriously import the stuff back to the US.
Dish detergent I use finish. The tables with the salt already in them. But there is a spot in your dishwasher to add dishwasher salt - look on the bottom of the interior.

Does your US insurance have global coverage? Otherwise I don't see how still having your US insurance matters.

Yeah, this insurance thing is a mess. He was promised private coverage as a part of his package, but the assignment coordinator is a complete idiot. They underpaid our housing allowance by 20% and don't seem to care about fixing. 

[oneslybookworm]

Depending on what you use to make macaroni and cheese, I used a mix of aged gouda (like a sharp cheddar) and a creamy swiss cheese (Emmental or Gruyere). I miss the aged gouda...sigh.

[UnderProtest]

Mar 18, 2014 13:44:27 GMT -5 oneslybookworm said:

Depending on what you use to make macaroni and cheese, I used a mix of aged gouda (like a sharp cheddar) and a creamy swiss cheese (Emmental or Gruyere). I miss the aged gouda...sigh.

Would those make it creamier?  I *might* try to get over my hatred of both those cheeses and make it. I usually use sharp cheddar. 

[mrsukyankee]

Here's my recipe from my blog (you can skip the garlic):a-bit-of-this-a-bit-of-that.com/2012/11/09/roasted-garlic-stovetop-mac-cheese/

You are going to want to register for a GP as private health insurance still means you have to be referred by the GP - so you will go see them, ask to be referred on private health insurance (let them know what sort you have) and then get the referral.  It's the way the NHS works along with private healthcare.  And you may want a GP anyway as you can get in pretty quickly for the most part if you are quite ill one morning (I can call mine at 8am and get a same day appointment most of the time).

The beef is raised on grass and not grain which is the main difference.  They are also not fed hormones or other ick and aren't as 'watery' as in the States.  It's much healthier for you and now I don't really like the beef in the States.

[anna7602]

Mar 18, 2014 12:14:30 GMT -5 neeps said:

To add to villain's list. Fairy = Dawn (dish soap)

My favorite cleaner is Cif. I seriously import the stuff back to the US.
Dish detergent I use finish. The tables with the salt already in them. But there is a spot in your dishwasher to add dishwasher salt - look on the bottom of the interior.

Does your US insurance have global coverage? Otherwise I don't see how still having your US insurance matters.

I loved Cif, too, when we were in France. And ditto the Finish, if you have limescale issues (I forget if that's hard or soft water, it was an issue in Paris, but isn't in NY).

On the cheese front, my favorite homemade mac & cheese recipe uses evaporated milk instead of regular milk. I swear this makes it creamier. For all the "au gratin" dishes I made in France, I used Gruyere cheese and found that it melted extremely well. But, the taste was a little strong for DD.

[anna7602]

Mar 18, 2014 14:05:03 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

The beef is raised on grass and not grain which is the main difference.  They are also not fed hormones or other ick and aren't as 'watery' as in the States.  It's much healthier for you and now I don't really like the beef in the States.

My local farmer's market beef (at 8 billion dollars per pound) is grass-fed, hormone-free, and tastes delicious, thank you very much. Don't knock all beef in the U.S.!

[mrsukyankee]

anna7602 - I was talking about typical grocery store stuff. I know that there are some great options in the States if you want it - including cheese, wine, beer, etc which I love over here in London.

[UnderProtest]

Mar 18, 2014 15:27:51 GMT -5 neeps said:

Mar 18, 2014 13:06:15 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

Yeah, this insurance thing is a mess. He was promised private coverage as a part of his package, but the assignment coordinator is a complete idiot. They underpaid our housing allowance by 20% and don't seem to care about fixing. 

I've had global coverage under a US based plan, straight up global coverage outside the US (British based plan), and US insurance at different points in our expat career. If your US plan does not have global coverage then it's not going to cover treatment in the UK. If you don't expect to personally pay for private treatment then I would not start going to a private GP until you get this sorted. Unless you think his company will reimburse you directly. The insurance most certainly will not. 

Yeah, just adds to my frustration. I keep meaning to call our insurance company because I highly doubt it will cover us as residents over here. But my husband got rid of my US phone plan so I wait until he comes home to use his phone and then I forget. 

[UnderProtest]

What kind of cleaner is Cif?

[irish]

You can get Cif to do anything you like! They do various sprays - kitchen cleaner, bathroom cleaner, toilet, general, glass... Also a cream cleaner for the kitchen (wouldn't be a fan of this one)

There are lots of brands of cleaners which have products that do different jobs around the house - Cif, Dettol, Mr Muscle, Flash, Cilit Bang. They all basically do the same thing...

[UnderProtest]

Mar 18, 2014 18:08:45 GMT -5 neeps said:

Mar 18, 2014 16:24:54 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

Yeah, just adds to my frustration. I keep meaning to call our insurance company because I highly doubt it will cover us as residents over here. But my husband got rid of my US phone plan so I wait until he comes home to use his phone and then I forget. 

Just curious what your US phone plan has to do with making calls from the UK?

The only phone number I can find is a US toll free number. I don't want to rack up huge phone bills when I could do it when he gets home (on his work phone).

[UnderProtest]

Mar 18, 2014 18:20:09 GMT -5 neeps said:

Mar 18, 2014 18:13:10 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

The only phone number I can find is a US toll free number. I don't want to rack up huge phone bills when I could do it when he gets home (on his work phone).

US toll free numbers are typically only toll free for calls within/from the US, not international numbers. But if it's his work phone and they pay for it then NBD.

You can always use Skype to call as well if you're looking for a cheap daytime option.

It should work out including timing wise for me to call when he gets home.....assuming I can remember and he isn't on the phone for more work stuff.

[anna7602]

Mar 18, 2014 16:24:54 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

Mar 18, 2014 15:27:51 GMT -5 neeps said:

I've had global coverage under a US based plan, straight up global coverage outside the US (British based plan), and US insurance at different points in our expat career. If your US plan does not have global coverage then it's not going to cover treatment in the UK. If you don't expect to personally pay for private treatment then I would not start going to a private GP until you get this sorted. Unless you think his company will reimburse you directly. The insurance most certainly will not. 

Yeah, just adds to my frustration. I keep meaning to call our insurance company because I highly doubt it will cover us as residents over here. But my husband got rid of my US phone plan so I wait until he comes home to use his phone and then I forget. 

I don't know if you've already said this, but are you there on a short-term or permanent assignment? Our U.S. insurance continued to cover us because it wasn't considered a permanent assignment. We just faxed all of our receipts back to an HR person in NY and she took care of forwarding it on to the insurance company. In some cases, though, what we paid out of pocket in France ended up being less than our co-pay would have been in the U.S. (like $4 for antibiotics and $10 for blood tests).

Is there a relocation coordinator or HR person you could speak with?

[Deleted]

Do you have a home phone plan set up? We have a bundle through Sky (TV, phone, internet), and for an extra 5 pounds a month we get unlimited calling to any US mobile or landline, and almost any continental European mobile or landline. It's great for calling US toll-free numbers and for calling our families in the US. I think BT has a similar add-on.

[pittpurple]

Mar 19, 2014 0:03:43 GMT -5 @villainv said:

Do you have a home phone plan set up? We have a bundle through Sky (TV, phone, internet), and for an extra 5 pounds a month we get unlimited calling to any US mobile or landline, and almost any continental European mobile or landline. It's great for calling US toll-free numbers and for calling our families in the US. I think BT has a similar add-on.

Yup, we do this too.

[UnderProtest]

Mar 19, 2014 0:03:43 GMT -5 @villainv said:

Do you have a home phone plan set up? We have a bundle through Sky (TV, phone, internet), and for an extra 5 pounds a month we get unlimited calling to any US mobile or landline, and almost any continental European mobile or landline. It's great for calling US toll-free numbers and for calling our families in the US. I think BT has a similar add-on.

We do have a home phone, although I'm not sure what the plan is. We held off on getting an international plan for my cell phone since we mainly use FaceTime to call people. They tend to want to see the kids anyway.  

[UnderProtest]

Mar 18, 2014 20:40:21 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

Mar 18, 2014 16:24:54 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

Yeah, just adds to my frustration. I keep meaning to call our insurance company because I highly doubt it will cover us as residents over here. But my husband got rid of my US phone plan so I wait until he comes home to use his phone and then I forget. 

I don't know if you've already said this, but are you there on a short-term or permanent assignment? Our U.S. insurance continued to cover us because it wasn't considered a permanent assignment. We just faxed all of our receipts back to an HR person in NY and she took care of forwarding it on to the insurance company. In some cases, though, what we paid out of pocket in France ended up being less than our co-pay would have been in the U.S. (like $4 for antibiotics and $10 for blood tests).

Is there a relocation coordinator or HR person you could speak with?

Technically it's a long term assignment (3-4 years), but the way they have structured it is a short term (5 month) assignment and then everything is redone starting in July. This is because there is the potential that my husband will get promoted in July. So some people are only reading the paperwork which says five months and not understanding the complete intent of the assignment. 

There is a relo coordinator, but she is the one that is a complete idiot. I did try to call her last week about insurance and she has still yet to call me back. She is the one that said our US insurance is what we are covered under. She is also the one that doesn't seem to care that our housing allowance was underpaid by 20% or that his per diem isn't correct. 

[GilliC]

Mar 18, 2014 18:20:09 GMT -5 neeps said:

Mar 18, 2014 18:13:10 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

The only phone number I can find is a US toll free number. I don't want to rack up huge phone bills when I could do it when he gets home (on his work phone).

US toll free numbers are typically only toll free for calls within/from the US, not international numbers. But if it's his work phone and they pay for it then NBD.

You can always use Skype to call as well if you're looking for a cheap daytime option.

I've found that toll-free US calls are actually free through Skype. Don't know if this is just a fluke, but I have a small amount of calling credit on my account, and it doesn't go down when I call a 1-800/1-888 number.

[GilliC]

As for the insurance, you should really talk to your HR/benefits people about how it's supposed to work.

I was on a US-based ex-pat insurance plan for a while, and we would just go and pay out of pocket for whatever we needed and then have it all reimbursed. If we were going to be spending a bunch (e.g. when my XH had knee surgery) then we had to deal with the insurance company to get things pre-approved.

However, there were other people in our company who were on an international insurance plan, and they were supposed to go to certain places that had agreements with the insurance provider.

So there's no single answer to how your insurance is supposed to be working. Only the insurance company itself can really answer that.

[blushing]

Don't buy ready grated cheese! They put some powdery stuff on it so it does not stick together. The blocks are better.

My washing powder of choice is Surcare because of my sons eczema. Washing up liquid is Fairy, general spray and kill germs is Flash and my favourite kill the limescale in one bathroom cleaner is Viakal. That stuff is amazing.

[loira]

Mar 18, 2014 13:56:22 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

Mar 18, 2014 13:44:27 GMT -5 oneslybookworm said:

Depending on what you use to make macaroni and cheese, I used a mix of aged gouda (like a sharp cheddar) and a creamy swiss cheese (Emmental or Gruyere). I miss the aged gouda...sigh.

Would those make it creamier?  I *might* try to get over my hatred of both those cheeses and make it. I usually use sharp cheddar. 

I use gruyère or gouda in my mac and cheese too, since they melt quite well, combined with a little sharp cheddar so it has more of that cheesy taste. 

[lolo]

I also had a hard time adjusting to the flavor of the beef in the UK. It also tastes different to me than organic, pasture raised, grass fed beef in the US, so I don't think that's 100% of it.

However, I did find lamb and pork to be much more delicious (speaking generally) in the UK, so enjoy those instead!

Never had an issue making mac and cheese, and I did make it often. I just used the NHS also (I'm a fan, although my experience didn't involve much beyond a routine well check and a sick visit).

As far as product recs go, I love Ecover for detergent and fabric softener. They have a fragrance free one as well, and it's biodegradable which is SO MUCH BETTER for the environment and your machine. I also like the under the sun/sunny day scent. I like their spray cleaners too. I was going to give you links to Ocado, which apparently doesn't work, BUT I see that the Ecover products and some others are buy 3 get one free. So that's an awesome deal.

[UnderProtest]

Any idea where to buy inexpensive, but still nice fabric? John Lewis in Sloane Square had some, but I don't know where else to look. I want to recover the ugly fabric headboard that came with the house but don't want to spend a ton since it's not my furniture.