August 2005
… “oh excuse me”, “sorry, sorry, I’ll just go around”, “pardon me”, “ooops” … dodge, dodge, duck, twist. I guess it seems logical that in the UK, just like in Australia, you drive on the right side, so you should, of course, walk on the right side. Not something I had ever really thought about. This includes stairways, hallways, streetscapes and even jogging in the park. After spending time walking instinctively a la Canadian on the left side of everything and against the flow of traffic, it is quite interesting to notice what you take for granted and the small ways in which the city in which you live shapes you.
So anyhoo, here we are, finally in London, the big city, the smog, the pollution, the crowds and oh the buzz, the vibe and the pulse of a city in constant motion! With 7 million + people and 40 different ethnic groups London is an exciting place to be! I have never experienced the sound of so many different languages in the background at one time. It’s fabulous! People are everywhere, all the time! Lucky for us, my cousin Joanne has been taking good care of us, with Jo’s help and our Aussie experience to hone our expectations, the transition so far has been pretty good.
It has been an interesting time to be here, with the bombs and then the bomb threats. The first few weeks we were here we saw a few arrests, heard a lot of sirens and had our eyes peeled on the news each morning to hear the latest updates. What they say about the Londoner’s “stiff upper lip” does seem true, they don’t get too hysterical, they just get on with it. Since the arrest of the bombers, things have quietened down a bit, although there does seem to be an increased security presence in specific places. Upon reflection, we do seem to be more interested in “friends” reruns these days than in the news. Either we are assimilating or things are improving? Maybe a bit of both.
In between “perking” ourselves up for interviews, wringing our hands in despair about the perfect job that got away we’ve been doing a bit of sight seeing. Westminister Abby, Buckingham Palace and Big Ben are “been there, done that” and quickly fading into the back drop. We have spent heaps of time walking all over the city and taking in the cheap or free! tourist sites. That pound is not too easy on the Canadian dollar! There is soo much to see, some of the highlights have been:
Checking out the many unique areas, strolling in Nottinghill, hangin’ in Hampstead Heath Park, chinese grocery shopping and dim summing in SOHO, free summer shows in Trafalger square and jogging through Hyde park.
The many markets … Covent Gardens Apple Market (crafts and jewellery), Portobello Road (vintage, food and knick knacks), Petticoat Lane (trinkets and trash), Camden Lock (mucho markets strung together), Borough Market (gourmet foods! – love it!) and Old Spitalfields Market (crafts, fashion and food! love it too!)
Window shopping at Harrods, on High Street Kensington and Oxford street (H&M and TOP SHOP yay and yay!) and vowing I’ll be back … once I get that job!
Shopping at my Mom’s favorite, Marks and Sparks (otherwise known as Marks and Spencer) and the other supermarkets – they are so different here! All the veggies and fruits are lined up and packaged! Tesco has a self serve check out/pay counter!!
Museum strolling with the 10 most photographed people at the Portrait Gallery (Audrey H, Elvis, Ghandi to name a few), Frida Kahlo and the architects Herzog & De Meuron at TATE Modern, Centuries of fashion at the Victoria & Albert Museum and the impressive dinosaur exhibit at the Museum of Natural History.
Dale Chuhuly’s glass blown creations in Kew Garden
Soaking up the College life, enjoying the King’s College Chapel and going punting (flat boat propelled forward with very long stick!) with my cousin Laura and Warren (visiting form South Africa) and some of Laura’s friends in Cambridge.
Meeting the rellies on my Mom’s side at a lovely picnic in the park hosted by Debbie Liew, who I last saw in elementary school when I had some really fashionable and LARGE plastic glasses and a silver and pink snow suit! (She had the pictures to prove it! Yikes!)
Having the opportunity to hang out with my cousin’s Joanne, Jacqui and seeing long lost friends like our paddling mate Rose and my Uni friend Ami!
Checking out the world’s prime meridian in Greenwich where we hung out in the Eastern and Western hemisphere … at the same time!!
Definitely lots to see and do in London - if you had no need to eat or pay rent, London could just be the most interesting city to be in sans cash!
