Monday January 23

January 23, Monday

It was a productive day of researching, reading and editing. I am a little worried about getting to university by 8:30 tomorrow morning.  I will have to leave her by 7:45—up by 7.  I have not used an alarm clock since I retired from my first career in 1999.  At home, I wake up when the sound of the finches’ dawn chorus makes it through my windows, the natural light calls my brain from its dreams and the dog starts his morning moan.  Here the sunrise does not happen until 08:00.  The only birds I have heard here are the mourning doves which range around my window mid day cooing and the blackbirds in the gardens whose song is a mellow trill—too soft to wake. So, I’ll be getting up in dark to heat the water.  I better learn how to set this funny alarm clock.

I stayed in Hampstead today working on an article, doing laundry, marketing and taking walks. The packs of school children are a joy.  They walk to and from schools in the neighborhood in gangs of 8-15 or so with no adults.  Little 6-8 year olds in uniforms.  They throw their jackets and hats around on the several-block walk and make up games as they go. Many of them carry stuffed animals as well.  I cannot imagine American kids walking blocks to school without parents—in fact, they are driven two blocks in SUVs to the school bus stop in my neighborhood. 

Later in the morning, there are lots Mums about with strollers (trolleys they say) and toddlers who get deposited in different school yards that have jungle gyms, swings, huge garden boxes full of veggies and spring bulb shoots.  When I took my last walk, all the schools were closing and it was a madhouse on every street in Hampstead.

Oddities.

Food.  The food selections in London are as diverse as one would expect in an affluent, global center. Much of the fruit and many of the vegetables come from Africa.  The salmon I bought to prepare for dinner is from Scotland, the green beans local and the Broccoli from Nambia.  

Heat.  There is central heat for the building which comes on around 7am and off around 8am; on again in the evening to about 9 pm.  I have never lived where I didn’t control the temperature before.  It is OK but requires frequent layering and unlayering of clothes to stay in the comfort zone.

Hot water.  I still cannot get used to having to heat water for shower or tub.  It is an extra 45 minutes prelude to any shower, tub or dishwashing.

Sunset.  It is 4:40 pm (16:40) and the sun has set, streetlights are on.

British television.  The news here is not aimed at entertainment; it is delivering updates that assume the audience knows what is going on in the global economy, with parliament and who the political players are.  It is different that they do not give the back story.  Thank God for google.

Otherwise, the TV programming is very similar: cook shows, house hunting and house repair shows, British versions of our sit coms, reality TV, game shows and shopping.  Many commercials are for OTC drugs that would require a prescription at home. CSI seems to be popular here, too, and it is the USA version.

Reflections:  The lifestyle here is very pleasant.  I suppose part of that is my reduced teaching schedule.  There is something so liberating about having five days of spaciousness: doing what I want when I choose with few time constraints.  It is also the simplicity that is very appealing.