Why Google +1 Stinks For Social, Business, Ranking or Otherwise
The latest hot topic is the launch of Google’s +1 feature. While some are singing the Facebook ‘Like’ killer song, others are professing it to be a smart business tactic and others are having blackhat dreams. Of course, not long after it was announced, I received an invite to a Facebook question on the subject.
This poll led to some great discussion and I added my two cents as well (I’ll let Mike tell you about that on his blog) . The truth is, I’m just not that excited about it. I don’t see it doing well, and while it may rope a few businesses, and a number of sites will likely use it, it just doesn’t have the power.
Is +1 Really a Social Thing? No, but Yes
When people originally started picturing +1, they compared it to the Facebook ‘Like’ feature. There’s no denying the similarities, at least not after it is out in the wild and on your favourite sites.
Unfortunately, for social media lovers, +1 is missing a key feature known as aggregation and conversation. Facebook does this, and does it well. So, other than seeing an ad that some guy from Tuktoyaktuk I know through Twitter clicked or +1′d (which is a social failure all on its own), it has no real purpose.
That isn’t the only role +1 is speculated to have on the Web, however. And really, iIt isn’t exactly meant to be social.
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+1 As a Business Thing and Cash Grab
Not long after it launched, Search Engine Watch published several speculations about the real purpose behind +1. Aaron Wall and Loren Baker said it’s purely a business thing, created specifically to push Adsense ads, Google Accounts, and other features. I completely believe it. Anyone who read the Adwords blog that day would too, and let’s not forget Google is in this to make money.
By launching +1, it can push businesses to use Place pages and other local, business specific features it has been known to monetize in the past. This is fully their right, and just may work, but I highly doubt they’ll be successful.
Ruud Hein of Search Engine People also spent some time speculating how the data gathered through +1 could be used for ranking purposes. Ok, I could maybe see that working too, but…
Google Forgets About One Important Thing
There is no doubt in my mind that, if business owners see their ads will be found more easily because someone clicked a button, they’ll pay to opt into the feature. This side of the feature will likely fly.
What they did forget about, however, is that people actually have to click and use the +1 feature, and they have to be in your social network. Will people really use it? I honestly can’t see it.
Facebook’s ‘Like’ and Twitter buttons already do this and have already been adopted by users. Why would they switch now? I sure wouldn’t. Right now, I have two groups of people I share things with. Business associates, with whom I share things on Twitter, and family/friends, who I share with on Facebook. What incentive or benefit do people have to switch?
The other issue is that people actually have to go back to the SERP at this point to +1 something. Now, I don’t know about you, but I spend a fair amount of time wandering online. I jump from link to link, switch tabs, and do a fair bit of digging. Why in the world would I waste time researching something or pressing the back button repeatedly to find a stupid button that may or may not be seen. Others, such as Lee Odden and Jon Henshaw have expressed similar concerns.
Here’s another conundrum Google has: I have three distinct social circles: 1) Friends and family who don’t know and don’t care about what I’m mumbling about, using, and sharing online because it’s usually work related. 2) Work related people who actually may be interested in the things I share. 3) Friends and acquaintances, who understand and may be interested in the odd tidbit, but really could care less for the most part.
Why would I share personal things I like with group #2? Why would I share work related things with group #3? In the SERPs, they get it all, even if it’s research for a client project. On my social networks, I can share it with people who are already looking at what I have to say. If it’s personal, I share it on Facebook. Work related stuff gets shared on Twitter. Why would I need a third?
I would also like to add that what I find relevant, quality, and interesting is only shared by a small percentage of my social connections. Many times, I pass up the links they share elsewhere because they simply aren’t that valuable, in my opinion. Having these same links show up in the SERPs isn’t going to make me any more interested.
What Google Needs To Do If It Ever Hopes To Go Social In Any Way
I think marketers and Web-savvy people pretty much agree that Google sucks at anything social. They just don’t seem to grasp the concept, and either mimic things other companies already do well, or create something so disjointed it’s essentially useless as a collaboration or social tool. Google has yet to decide where it stands in a world out of its control.
The way I see it, businesses are jumping into social media with both feet and figuring out what to do with it all afterward. Many of them post without any real central location or any way to access it all. They fail to create a hub of value.
Google, one the other hand, has already been including features such as tweets and status updates in the search results. What it really needs to do is aggregate all social content and serve it up much like it does in the search results already. However, give users an option to filter it globally, within their social circles, and divided by lists.
Give users a global dashboard, much like some social apps already do, where they can see all of their social networks at once, search their content, and find what they need. Create a hub that consumers can use to see a company’s social interactions and reviews all in one place.
Greplin is already very much like this for your own social stuff, and Trunkly is great for aggregating several sites into one place, but they both still have a long way to go, if they intend to become an aggregated social hub. Sadly, they need access, power, and money. Sort of like what Google already has, but has dedicated mostly to neat toys. In short, Google needs to stick to what it does best: search.
The other thing Google needs to do is connect all of its services together so that they play nice with each other. My Motorola ATRIX phone automatically picks up all of my contacts, including those stored in Google contacts, and puts them all together in one central location where all of my apps can access and use them. Why doesn’t Google do that?
Of course, I’m not sure I’d want Google having quite that much information about me, but it already has way more information about me than any other company on the planet, most of which it can gather without permission or a password. Make things like Google Docs easily sharable and workable right from the major social networks. I’d love to be able to share a calendar or item from Google Docs with a quick push of a button or two, or define groups for collaborative work, without having to set up each site separately. Remove the repetition! And for goodness sakes, make sure all it’s current offerings are integrated and work together!
They have true potential here, and simply are failing to use it.
The New Year Update You Don’t Want To Miss!
So, another year has flown past, leaving behind a path filled with successes, failures, and growth. We’ve hopefully all learned from our experiences (both positive and negative), and have made plans for the upcoming 365-day marathon. It’s going to be fun, exciting, and hopefully, full of many more achievements.
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Angie’s Copywriting is no exception. The company and I both experienced exponential growth last year, which has prompted me to make a number of changes in order to serve you better and achieve even more success.
Angie’s Copywriting Brings On Some Extra Help
Currently, Angie’s Copywriting has a full workload, and with upcoming changes, it’s simply more than one person can handle alone. So, I’m thrilled to announce that Annetta Ribken of Word Webbing is joining Angie’s Copywriting. She’ll be taking on much of the article and blog post writing, as well as editing and researching tasks.
I’ve known Annetta for a number of years, and am honored to call her friend. Her delightfully creative flair is unmistakable. She has an amazing ability to make the boring topics interesting, and is an excellent researcher. She works hard and knows her stuff. I can’t wait for you all to meet and work with her!
I’ll still be editing and approving all pieces before they go out, but I’ll be able to dedicate more time to various other projects and plans, as well as the sales and web copy.
On a side note, we’ve also partnered with a number of product, software, and service providers over the last year, so watch for these announcements (and maybe even savings) soon!
Your Very Own In-House Copywriter
You know how you need an in-house copywriter, but you don’t have enough work or the budget to hire one full-time? Angie’s Copywriting has the solution.
Starting January 1st, 2011, Angie’s Copywriting began offering a Copywriter-On-Call service. You can get a copywriter when you need one, without paying for one when you don’t. As an added benefit, the work is done as quickly as possible, sometimes even immediately. It’s the affordable alternative to hiring a full-time, in-house copywriter.
Here’s how it works: You pay a flat fee per month, and in return, you’ll get a copywriter who will edit your documents, assist with emails and internal memos, create correspondence, and much more. You’ll love this fast, flexible service.
The End Of Discounts
Discounts have caused a lot of headaches, and after examining them and their effects on everyone, I’ve decided they’re not providing the value you deserve. So, after a lot of thought and consideration, Angie’s Copywriting will no longer offer discounts to new clients. No exceptions. This is effective immediately.
The only discounts offered will be to loyal clients who regularly support Angie’s Copywriting. We feel this is the way it should be, and think you will too.
Customer-Specific Service Packages Now Available To the Public
Previously, certain packages and products were only available through special promotions, sponsorships, and arrangements. No longer!
Soon, all packages and services (as well as a few new ones!) will be available to everyone. This should better meet your needs and make it far easier to order. I’ll be sure to publish more on this later.
Pricing and Communication Changes
Yes, we all hate the idea of price changes and I hate to bring it up, but along with all the new information, skills, conveniences, and offerings, prices have changed. On the bright side, you’ll receive an even better value for your money than you receive from Angie’s Copywriting.
During the last six months, I’ve enjoyed speaking and interacting with you all very much. However, I’m working a lot of odd hours and have a very busy schedule, which makes it extremely difficult for me to take everyone’s calls. I’ve also found it much easier to have a record of our correspondence in my email where I can refer to it at a later date.
So, to reduce the number of interruptions and allow me to be better prepared, phone calls, instant messages, and direct meetings will only be available by appointment. However, you are free to leave a message via Twitter, Skype, or email, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
The Soon-To-Be-Famous Angie’s Copywriting Email List
In case you haven’t noticed, Angie’s Copywriting now has a mailing list. If you haven’t signed up already, you’ll want to do so right now. Very soon, people on that mailing list will start receiving monthly content you can’t get anywhere else.
Mailing list members will also receive free copies of books I release, tips, hints, news, special products, services, and much more. Most of them won’t be offered to the general public, so you’ll want to make sure you get on that list as soon as possible.
I promise not to spam you, share or sell your information, or use it for anything else other than sharing news, information, offers, and tips that I personally approve of and wouldn’t use/enjoy myself. Plus, it will only come out once per month, so it shouldn’t stuff your already full inbox.
Angie’s Copywriting and Search Marketing Wisdom
Alan Bleiweiss recently honored me with a position on his elite team of search and internet marketing experts at Search Marketing Wisdom. This amazing opportunity will have me appear alongside people I both enjoy speaking with and admire a great deal. I promise you this site will be publishing some amazing content, so make sure to add it to your RSS reader and follow the site’s Twitter account. (The first two posts are already up.)
To kick things off, Alan is giving away an iPad and some other amazing stuff, so get your name in for them while you’re having a look around!
I have many other great announcements coming soon, along with some huge changes I can’t wait to tell you about. Those will come as soon as I can safely share them with you. You’re going to love it!
Before I end what was supposed to be a quick note, however, I’d like to thank you all for your support, patronage, interactions, and giggles over the last few years. I’d have never gotten here without you!
Here’s hoping your holidays were amazing and 2011 is even better.
Is Google Getting Into Flight Comparison Shopping?
While looking up the distance between my hometown and Vancouver to find out how far away a friend was from me, I came across this:
If you look at that, you’ll notice there is a spot for you to enter your departure and return date. It seems Dean Cruddace was able to reproduce the same results with his query:
Google now selling flights? No! They’re pushing travel sites. When you click the link, you get this:
Interesting right? But wait! There’s more!
The site links below the title link are as follows:
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Expedia – Travelocity – Priceline – Orbitz – Hotwire – Kayak – CheapOair
Now, the title link has several referrers: http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll?qscr=fexp&flag=q&city1=YXH&citd1=YVR&time1=720&time2=720&cAdu=1&cSen=0&cChi=0&cInf=&infs=2&date1=10/29&date2=11/05
The site links? As Thomas Fjordside pointed out, some have ref=googleflightlink. Others have what looks to be affiliate codes, and others have nothing really substantial aside from tracking codes.
So what’s the deal here?
Are these sites simply authority sites? Has a deal been reached with the companies? Or is this something they’re just testing and those are the sites they picked out of their magic hat?
Google Beating Up On the Small Guys By Profiting Off the Big Guns?
This has me asking lots of questions:
- Has Google entered into partnership with Expedia?
- What about the little guys who are missing out on the profits?
- Will this spread to hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, and other competitive niches in the travel industry?
Not sure I like what’s going on here, but I’m sure we’ll find out more in the near future. I’m going to do a bit more digging around, and I’ll get back to you when I find out more. In the meantime, have a look yourself and let us know what you find!
What are your thoughts on the new feature? How could clients use that to their advantage?
Think Visibility: Why I Traveled 15,272 Kms For My First Conference — Part 5
A Guide For Canadians Moving To the UK or Brits Moving To Canda
There are some huge, notable differences between our two cultures. They might not seem like much, but boy do you notice them when they’re gone! (SarahCarling, this post was inspired by you. In it, I’ve included all the big things you’ll need to know.)
All Those Dang Buttons! AKA “Y’all Are Nuts”
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First of all, Brits have buttons for everything! If you want to enter a business, you simply walk in like you normally would. If you want to get out, however, well good luck buddy! It’s got to be a marketing ploy to keep us Canadians in the store longer. You press the button for the door and nothing ever happens…nothing opens, there’s no sound, nothing. Odd. To make matters worse, they seem to get some sort of perverse pleasure out of making you look for the stupid button. It’s almost like a treasure hunt fetish.
In Canada, the only time you have to press a button is if you’re in a wheelchair, and even then, we reward you for finding and using the button by automatically opening the door for you. We don’t want to stress you out too badly though, so we usually make them jumbo and in a shiny silver colour, or we make them a bright shiny red. Some of them even light up!
If this sounds like a minor detail to you, let me tell you my story…
During ThinkVis, I had snuck back to the flat to have a shower and wake myself up. I got into the flat just fine. (Their door handles are all funky too, now that I’m thinking about it. You can’t tell whether you should push or pull.) I had a shower, and I was feeling a lot more awake, so I figured I’d better hurry back to the casino.
I called the cab, gather my stuff, and headed to the elevator. I got down to the main floor, and I nearly killed myself by running into the door. First, it was a pull door, not a push like it looks. Secondly, I forgot about the stupid button on the wall, so I went to push and it didn’t move.
I eventually get myself out of the building without anyone too many people noticing and managed to find my way out to the waiting cab. I get in, tell him I need to go to the Alea Casino. When he asked where that was, I knew I was in for an interesting evening.
Never fear, however, he did manage to get me to the casino, albeit the back. Rather than walking all the way around this big building, I figure I’m going to be smart and get in the exact same way we had gotten in earlier that morning.
No big deal, right? Go in the door, take the elevator to the second floor, and go straight over to the double doors where everyone would be gathering and enjoying a few drinks.
Well, I get in the building no problem, get into the elevator, go to the second floor, and just before I got out I thought ‘gee, I wonder if I can remember which direction the double doors were in.’ I was so proud of myself when I managed to find them right off! Score for me! (This will make sense when I get to my next story.) Push on the door and nothing happens. Well! What the hell?!?
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Ok, stay cool. Maybe you were wrong ‘chuk. Maybe you got off on the next floor up last time? Get back into the elevator, go up a floor, get out, and score! I find the double doors leading to the conference. Imagine the bad words that came out of my mouth when I realized that door didn’t open. Let’s just say the words sounded a lot like ‘what the firetruck’.
I’m starting to panic a little, but I figure there were 2 more floors I could try…and I did. Imagine my stupidity when I realized after 5 or 6 trips in the elevator that I wasn’t pressing the freaking button all the way over on the right side of the doors! Like, waaaaayyyy over there. How the hell am I supposed to know that I have to look for a stupid button to open the door?!?! I composed myself and pretended nothing happened.
You’ll be glad to know that I eventually started to remember to look for a button, but part of me always took a deep breath each time I pushed one. You just never know if you’re pushing the button for the door or if a trap door is going to open up underneath you and you’ll be transported to Australia or something. Besides, why the heck would you try to keep me IN? I promise you that’s the first time someone has tried to keep me indoors.
Y’all are nuts.
I Just Want Food!
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You’ll notice there’s a huge difference in the menus in our respective countries. As a Canuck, I go into a restaurant, order what I want, and the food magically appears. The UK was a very different story. I wasn’t sure what most of the concoctions were, although I’m sure they were all mouth-wateringly tasty. In most instances, I couldn’t figure out how to say them even if I was going to try them!
I figured it wouldn’t matter what I chose to eat because it was all new to me, so I either closed my eyes and picked a spot on the menu or ordered whatever someone else was having. Besides, some of them might have been saying cheeseburger, but because they have such a heavy accent, it was virtually impossible for my simple Canadian brain to translate.
Let’s Take a Drive
Once you arrive in Canada, you’ll quickly understand how much land we have and how small our population is. This also means that my idea of a quick three-hour drive to the city is very, very different for a Brit. To them, 3 hrs is like going clear across the country. It IS going across the country in some instances, and it’s just far too busy, complicated, and downright expensive to do on a regular basis.
Now, you wouldn’t think this would be an issue, but it does really mess with your planning and internal scale. You’re never quite sure what Brits see as reasonable and what they don’t. I drive three hours to go to the nearest major city for a break. Over there, it’s just not done.
(Credit — Funny enough, if you follow the credit for this photo, you’ll discover the photographer noticed the same things I did about driving in the UK in an earlier post.)
Their road systems are all screwed up too, and I don’t just mean driving on the wrong side of the road or their odd infatuation with roundabouts. In Canada, most communities and roads are divided into a general straight line, which then makes square parcels of land. Of course, we still have rivers and all sorts of other things to contend with, but they usually work the same way.
In the UK, it’s just wherever they happened to fall. Walking around Leeds, it was instantly apparent that I’m going to need GPS and a map if I’m ever going to find my way around. Roads change names at will; they stop and start it the oddest of places and sometimes they’re for cars, sometimes they’re not for cars. How can you tell?!? It’s like giving me a strawberry cheesecake blizzard, walking away for an hour and telling me I wasn’t supposed to eat it when you get back. It’s cruel!
My personal favourite is the narrow little road that looks like the right one until you get past the point of no return. They put up large pillars that look wide enough for you to go through, but aren’t. If you did think you could make it between those posts, don’t worry. You can tell from the dark BMW paint on either side that you weren’t the only one who tried.
Every time I turned around, I wasn’t sure where I was. Everyone else seemed to know though, so I just went with that. I figured worst case scenario I’d have to phone Tim and Carolyn to come pick me up. You can totally hear that phone call coming right?
Me: I’m lost. Come find me?
Carolyn: Where are you?
Tim (in the background, of course): You mean to tell me she’s lost AGAIN?
Me: I don’t know! There’s stone buildings and a big ol vine over there.
Carolyn: What’s the street name?
Me: I don’t know! You guys don’t have normal street signs. They’re always hidden on a building somewhe…Oh hey! Look! A Starbucks! I’ll just have one of those till you find me.
Say What?
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My other issue, and one I KNOW Sarah is going to have, is accents. As soon as I open my mouth, it’s like saying ‘She’s an idiot. She’s Canadian’. Of course, I prove them right when I do something stupid or am simply not aware of seemingly common things, but that’s not the point.
My personal favourite situation: they speak quickly, using strange words you’ve never heard in normal conversation, while facing the opposite direction. There is a solution, but it doesn’t always work. It also requires the help of a local.
You see, Tim and I had this worked out. As soon as he’d see that blank ‘huh?’ look on my face or I’d get that ‘Are you serious’ look, he’d jump in with some sort of explanation or just repeat it so I could translate it back into Canuckian. It wasn’t foolproof because sometimes our blank look makes us look like we’re deep in thought, but it helped 9/10 times.
The next little thing I noticed occurred to me after visiting the grocery store.
The Trick To Getting In a Grocery Store With a Cart
In the UK, they have huge revolving doors that look a lot like old-people flingers. If you close your eyes and imagine an elderly lady about to be flung by a slingshot laying on its side, you’ll get an idea of what these are like.
So Sarah, I’ll give you one of the most valuable pieces of information you’ll need while buying food:
- Get your grocery cart first. (You might better know them as a ‘trolley’, which over here means a car that runs on roads, but looks like a train. San Francisco is famous for them…Is it San Francisco? Well, never mind. The US is a different country, fyi
) - You’ll find that you’ll either need to insert a quarter or looney into the slot at the front and push the giant key thing in the front.
- When you get to the door, use the cart to push open the door, if the doors don’t automatically slide open. There’s none of this Macgyver diving out the door before it closes on you so you don’t have to make another revolution.
All goofing around and oddities aside, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. My unique, natural ability to demonstrate my freakishness made it feel like home…or rather ‘home’ with enough surprises to ensure your day is going to be interesting.
Dealing with everything really isn’t so bad.
Sarah: If I could give you one piece of advice, I’d tell you to pay attention to all the little things around you and embrace the differences. See it as an adventure exploration and you’ll do fine. Wishing you all the best!
Other Posts In the Series:
A Canadian in the UK: An Introduction (Part 1)
The Official “Think Visibility” Conference Coverage (Part 2)
A Day Spent In Leeds (Part 3)
Visiting Harrogate and York (Part 4)
Think Visibility: Why I Traveled 15,272 Kms For My First Conference — Part 4
Welcome To York
York was truly beautiful. Being a touristy place, I was quite worried that the modernization would have taken away from its rich history and culture, but I was really impressed to see how much preservation and care was taken to maintain the look and feel of the city. It didn’t take much effort to imagine dukes, princes and princesses making their way down the main street in their guilded carriages.
I could see William Wallace and his gnarly crew as they poured through the gate, and I’m pretty sure I could imagine Robin Hood and his Merry Men cautiously making their way through the city, disguised by heavy woollen cloaks that have seen better days. Of course, that could just be the lack of coffee.
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Our first stop in the great city of York was the Minster. Now, if you’ve never been inside a European cathedral, I strongly suggest you take a virtual tour of one online. The cascading arches and intricate stain windows stand in stark contrast to the cold stone floors, many of which mark the resting place for a religious leader, member of royalty or an elite member of society.
They’re cryptic and have a way of giving you a sombre, reflective feeling that usually seems to stick with you long after you’re rescued by the sunshine. They’re simply stunning pieces of architecture that have to be experienced to be appreciated, and that’s truly what it is: an experience.
We were fortunate enough to arrive at about the same time as a German choir, which added a rich warmth to the place as we wandered through the exhibit and identified familiar names. It definitely fed the musician in me anyway. The harmonies were spotless and not a single voice waivered the entire time. I was a bit concerned that I could possibly fall to my doom in the tower, but once I realized this wasn’t the case, I was quite disappointed that we missed the last tour. No matter. There were plenty more sights to keep us amused. It just means we’ll have to make a repeat visit!
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We walked The Walls, which prompted quite a bit of chatter about the huge drop off the side, the odd sprinkling of fence, and the fact that I suggested we bring Carolyn in a wheelchair.
We walked past the remnants of the great castle, which time has withered away to nothing more than an empty shell of the great palace it must have once been. We visited the famous Shambles, and as we went, Tim fed my imagination with a multitude of historical tidbits and tales of what used to be. Of particular interest was something that also has a reputation for being the smallest in the country.
Whip-Ma-Wop-Ma-Gate or Whitnourwhatnourgate in Anglo-Saxon is the smallest street with the longest name. A whopping 3.5 metres! Believe it or not, that’s what I’m standing in front of. (It was windy! Give me a break! I hate pictures…)
It was definitely a full day by the time we got back to the flat. My feet had their own heartbeat thanks to walking on uneven stones, months of sitting on my backside, and an obscene amount of climbing. I was tired, but content. I’m sure I dreamed of knights and ladies that night. Oh! I also had the most delicious lamb sandwich. Should have gotten two!
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As if they hadn’t spoiled me enough, Tim and Carolyn managed to outdo themselves by giving me a trip to Harrogate’s Turkish Baths. Talk. About. Heavenly! Well, I had to get over a few things first.
My primary concern was my terrifying fear of water. I can’t stand it. Just the thought of that water getting close to my neck makes my blood run cold even now. If that wasn’t scary enough, I have to do it in a swimsuit! I know right? I’m sure Karyn Fleeting heard the screams coming from the locals for miles before they ever reached her. Blame my proper Canadian upbringing, but I’m just not very comfortable with public nudity. It just feels…odd and makes me horribly self-conscious, and in a swimsuit, I may as well be naked cuz…never mind. Let’s just say, it’s not a good thing for any of us.
Hot and Cold
Tim, being the smart guy that he is, knew better than to get involved in this, so he dropped Carolyn and I off and headed to the pub. After registering, Carolyn and I were eventually escorted off to change into our suits, get our instructions & tour the spa.
The first step in this mysterious set of female rituals is a rest in the steam room. Perfect, I thought. The heavy steam was just what I needed to get used to the idea of wandering around half naked in public. I eventually started to relax until I looked to my left. I was starting to think the lack of coffee was hitting me worse than I thought.
I looked again. Then looked a third time to make sure I really was seeing what I thought I was seeing before blushing like stupid because I realized I just looked three times at what I looked at. Let’s just put it this way…this girl was just as much of an…uh…enthusiast as I was shy. I wasn’t sure if I should ask her name, so I never did catch it, but let’s just call her Cheeky, shall we?
Anyway, by this point, Carolyn and I were getting pretty restless and were ready to go on to the next step, which is fondly referred to by the staff as the ‘Plunge Pool’. In Canada, it’s eerily similar to what we call a ‘polar bear dip’. Before I get to the excitement of that, however, let me introduce you to a fun game Carolyn and I played called ‘Surprise!’
In this fun little exercise, we have to get under the shower and rinse off. But here’s the fun part: ready? You don’t know if it’s hot or cold! It was a bit like doing a blind taste test, but with a lot more sharp inhaling and cringing.
We left the showers, hung up our towels, and braced ourselves for the inevitable experience. And holy crap was it cold! I wasn’t sure if I was shaking more from fear of the water or the cold. We were supposed to stay there until our bodies reached the temperature of the water, but I was ready to get out. Good thing too. My legs were all rubbery from the heat change and threatening to give out on me at any second.
We then proceeded to the first of three hot rooms. We roasted there, played Surprise, froze in the plunge pool, and got into the second room, with Cheeky right behind. Once we couldn’t take sitting still any longer the heat, we played Surprise, took the plunge and ended up in the last room, which was held at a steady 160C heat.
Carolyn and I both noted that, even though it didn’t seem like we had really done anything, we both felt terribly relaxed. We agreed that, next time we go, we’re going to order massages. If you ever make a trip there, be sure to get it.
We collected the lost boy from the pub and walked over to the famous Betty’s Tea Room.
(Credit)
Again, being in a fancy place like this is nothing new, as it wasn’t my first time, but it was my first official, lady-like English tea. Well, screw the tea, I had coffee! The best coffee I’ve ever tasted. Hands down! Tim and Carolyn also ordered these towers of odd looking sandwiches (with no crusts! *sniggle*), treats, and goodies.
I have to admit that it really was tons of fun. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like some of it and was worried I WOULD like it if I tried it. It took most of the tea to relax enough, but those towers of treats! Wow! I couldn’t believe it was all for me! I don’t think I’ve eaten that much sugar since my mom left me at home alone with an unattended brown sugar pail.
In the end, I decided I could definitely get used to that kind of thing. It was also decided that I’d need a butler of my own and I’d need to marry a rich old guy who could afford to send me to Harrogate and Betty’s Tea Room on a weekly basis. (By the way, the Turkish Baths left my hair and skin so silky smooth and soft! It was great! You had to be there…Anyway…)
We did all sorts of other things I didn’t mention here like going to my first 3D movie (Toy Story 3!) and I don’t think we could have fit in any more activities if we tried. But, before I knew it, I was back in *shudder* London being kicked sent back to reality home.
I cried, Carolyn cried, and while Tim would never admit it in a million years, I’m pretty sure he would have cried too if no one else was around. (We’ll just let him maintain that macho image. You and I know different )
Again, I just want to thank Tim and Carolyn for everything, from the bottom of my little maple leaf shaped heart. It was truly the trip of a lifetime, and one I’ll remember forever, particularly when I’m old and losing my marbles. I’ll never be able to repay your kindnesses, but I’ll certainly do my best.
This trip was also highly educational for someone who has lived much of her life in the Canadian Prairies. Sarah Carling, this is where you’ll want to pay close attention. I know you’re moving to the city, but there are still some important things you need to know about us Canadians.
You see, this might come as a shock to you, but you’re weird! So, in an attempt to help make your move a little easier, I’ve created you a ‘how to tell the difference between a Brit and a Canadian’ guide you’ll have to check out tomorrow.
Other Posts In the Series:
A Canadian in the UK: An Introduction (Part 1)
ThinkVisibility Conference Coverage (Part 2)
A Day Spent In Leeds (Part 3)
Brits VS Canucks: What I Discovered (Part 5)
