Another “fresh” day as they say in London. That means it is really cold. The temperature today ranges between 28 and 33 with last night very, cold. Walking around is tricky with every corner puddle frozen and the uneven, stone walks icy in spots. Nonetheless, I went out for five hours with one respite in a warm bookstore and one break in a moderately cold meeting room.
There are large yellow trucks driving around dumping sand, salt and grit on the pavement and corners to help keep things less slick. It is still easy to lose your balance. Luckily, I didn’t take any tumbles, but I did have a few occasions of partially losing my balance. Sliding on the side of one show while shifting like a skier to tip back upright.
Today, the farmers came in with artisan cheeses, all kinds of poultry eggs, and vegetables. I swear the fish shack is the most expensive place I have ever shopped, but it is really fresh product and he does fillet little pieces of this and that (salmon, halibut, sole, bass, perch) for me.
The lifestyle here is truly brilliant. I suppose if one worked 40+ hours in an office, it could be inconvenient. For me, teaching 8 hours, in the office for another 6 hours, and otherwise working from home during a week is very doable. The little things that keep body and soul together take a little more deliberation and planning, but that makes for a deeper consciousness of living.
The transportation system puts ours in the U.S. to shame. One is never more than a 15 minute walk to a tube stop that connects to anywhere in the city or suburbs. Same for busses, there is never more than a 6 minute wait for a connection to wherever you are headed. Now that I have determined how to avoid the smelly “night" bus (transportation for drunks after the tube closes down), the busses are all right, too. I have had no moments of concern about crime, either. I am perfectly comfortable walking around alone at night with no “over the shoulders.” Of course, nobody carries a handbag unless it is a cross body one.
Reaching in my coin purse for exact change is finally second nature. Given that there are eight denominations of coins—takes some getting used to. It adds up, too; these eight coins here are worth
$ 6.19
Found a delightful Italian deli in the neighborhood where they make pasta, ravioli and bread. The ham was out of this world. Overheard at the corner bakery as my loaf was being sliced: “Are you keen for a lash of BOO-tah n jam with your SKO-nah?”
There is a ubiquitous phenotype here that I don’t see often at home and never would have guessed was British. It is honestly shocking (and a little off-putting) at how many Don Imus prototypes are walking about. It regularly gives me a jolt. There is also one chap who looks like Ozzy Osbourne except sporting a full, tall Mohawk; he is frequently with his buddy collapsed in one or another stoop on my street—yesterday he was rolling a blunt and asking his mate, “are we home yet or still in Siberia?” He looks really old, but moves like a middle aged person.
The fashion is very serious, too. It is fun to see the windows on high street changing every few days with the latest “looks.” If I had lived here in my 20's, I would have been seriously in debt for these cunning little outfits or doing something illicit to support my clothes habit.
The students are planning a super bowl party with “American” food tomorrow night. The University London Union (ULU) will have the game on live (starts here at 10pm). So they have divided up pot luck items like guacamole with chips, wings, bean dip, mac'n cheese, hummus (easy to find here), etc. I suppose it is nostalgia for American connectedness. SO far, the biggest challenge is finding or making tortilla chips.
Settling down for a read in my new novel. Enjoy your Saturday and send a thought this way for a warming trend. Hasta manana, mi amigos queridos.
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