I doesn't take much to knock my off my high horse and stop being a whining little bitch. It started with the nice lady at Toni and Guy who gave me a free haircut and ended with finishing a book. A book that would make anyone realize things aren't so terrible. My rut is actually nothing, nothing is comparison to other people in other corners of the world. Fiction or not, A Thousand Splendid Suns left me in tears and feeling guilty for whining. So in an effort to force myself out of my hole and remember why I'm here, I am going to write once a week about something I love about my new city.
So for starters here are just a few of my favorite things....
Tube Musicians: Hallelujah by Lenard Cohen pouring through the Central interchange on Bond Street makes my day, everytime. The man at Picadilly with the muppet playing the drums as he sings and plays the harmonica is a tourist and drunk favorite, I too have drunkenly wondered how he does it. From the Beatles to the Doors, I love everything about the 'buskers'. These musicians aren't random, they audition for licenses to play, sign up for peak times at heavily traveled lines. It might seem like a lot of red tape but at least it makes commuters feel like they are sitting at Britian's Got Talent tapings.
Pimms: The official summer drink of England. A red liquor mixed with tonic, apples, mint, oranges, lemons, and cucumbers. I understand why it's a big hit, there is nothing better than a pitcher of pimms by Tower Bridge.
Musuems: There is an endless supply of art, science, and history in London. Unlike America and other countries England believes that the public has a right to that art, a right to see it for free! You can spend weeks inside buildings as beautiful as the art they hold and still never see enough. And for a different view, away from class trips and annoying crowds, you can attend a 'Late Night', stocked with booze, food, quizzo, and free reign at the museum....no kids allowed!
Jonathan Ross, Mock of The Week, and Graham Norton: I know I don't understand everything they say, in fact I am pretty sure I miss 30% of the pop culture jokes but they are quite entertaining. There is little they leave alone, even less they don't make fun of. One day I will understand all their jokes, until then I will do my best at laughing at the right moments.
Dr. Who: I hate sci-fi, I hate things that are unexplainable and don't make sense. And there is nothing about a phone booth that is bigger on the inside that makes sense...but I am addicted anyway.
Tower Bridge: I fall in love with it over and over again. It is my icon of London and I hope I never get over the sight of it
Open Air Markets: Camden, Borough, Portobello...they all have their own style, their own specialty. From amazing cheese, chocolate and clothes under 10 quid to vintage silver and WW1 Nazi uniforms. It is my favorite way to spend a Saturday afternoon, pushing through the crowds, haggeling, and eating my way through the streets.
Accents: No list of mine would be complete without acknowleding my love for British accents. The way they walk is brilliant, especially when they are dressed smart. It's not just how they talk, its what they say, British English is colorful, descriptive, and sarcastic....don't even get me started on little British kids, even when they are being assholes on the bus, they still sound cute whining at their mums! It's not just the British, London is filled with accents, Australian, Irish, Scotish, Italian, Spanish, and every country you can imagine. I may have trouble understanding each word but I don't mind listening either way.
I have to save some for next week...I figure it's just like dressing for success, if I write about what I love once a week maybe I won't think about what I miss so much.
So for starters here are just a few of my favorite things....
Tube Musicians: Hallelujah by Lenard Cohen pouring through the Central interchange on Bond Street makes my day, everytime. The man at Picadilly with the muppet playing the drums as he sings and plays the harmonica is a tourist and drunk favorite, I too have drunkenly wondered how he does it. From the Beatles to the Doors, I love everything about the 'buskers'. These musicians aren't random, they audition for licenses to play, sign up for peak times at heavily traveled lines. It might seem like a lot of red tape but at least it makes commuters feel like they are sitting at Britian's Got Talent tapings.
Pimms: The official summer drink of England. A red liquor mixed with tonic, apples, mint, oranges, lemons, and cucumbers. I understand why it's a big hit, there is nothing better than a pitcher of pimms by Tower Bridge.
Musuems: There is an endless supply of art, science, and history in London. Unlike America and other countries England believes that the public has a right to that art, a right to see it for free! You can spend weeks inside buildings as beautiful as the art they hold and still never see enough. And for a different view, away from class trips and annoying crowds, you can attend a 'Late Night', stocked with booze, food, quizzo, and free reign at the museum....no kids allowed!
Jonathan Ross, Mock of The Week, and Graham Norton: I know I don't understand everything they say, in fact I am pretty sure I miss 30% of the pop culture jokes but they are quite entertaining. There is little they leave alone, even less they don't make fun of. One day I will understand all their jokes, until then I will do my best at laughing at the right moments.
Dr. Who: I hate sci-fi, I hate things that are unexplainable and don't make sense. And there is nothing about a phone booth that is bigger on the inside that makes sense...but I am addicted anyway.
Tower Bridge: I fall in love with it over and over again. It is my icon of London and I hope I never get over the sight of it
Open Air Markets: Camden, Borough, Portobello...they all have their own style, their own specialty. From amazing cheese, chocolate and clothes under 10 quid to vintage silver and WW1 Nazi uniforms. It is my favorite way to spend a Saturday afternoon, pushing through the crowds, haggeling, and eating my way through the streets.
Accents: No list of mine would be complete without acknowleding my love for British accents. The way they walk is brilliant, especially when they are dressed smart. It's not just how they talk, its what they say, British English is colorful, descriptive, and sarcastic....don't even get me started on little British kids, even when they are being assholes on the bus, they still sound cute whining at their mums! It's not just the British, London is filled with accents, Australian, Irish, Scotish, Italian, Spanish, and every country you can imagine. I may have trouble understanding each word but I don't mind listening either way.
I have to save some for next week...I figure it's just like dressing for success, if I write about what I love once a week maybe I won't think about what I miss so much.
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