"Are there no good jobs in New Zealand?"
Have since learnt this is the standard warm greeting for a UK Immigration Officer to a Kiwi upon arrival into the country after a 13+ hour flight + hour terminal wait. I figured after some confusion it was also his way of asking "why are you here?". Funnily, he found my "change in lifestyle" answer equally baffling, before stamping my Visa and letting me through.
My friends Ann Nee, Andrew and Kelley (backturned... which is a good thing)
Greeted by Ann Nee and Kelley warmly at the airport, they guided me through the maze of various Tube stops to the home station of Balham where I was ultimately reunited with Andrew and invited into the flat. Man-hugs exchanged, we had a quick meal and I took to sleep.
I came into the UK with a few presumptions, so was extremely curious to see how many of which would be affirmed or not. To round up these expectations in a general sentence, I guess I was expecting to see a cold, grey city void of any light, filled with a populous of miserable souls dragging their heels along the scarred cobbles of a place exhausting them of life. Which I would've been fine with. I'm a man of the moon (according to the palm reader). The darkness in things are often more interesting to me than the bright. Within my first week of raw impression however, I have deduced from my observations this statement to be insufficient. Here's why.
Sure its cold. Its been snowing, and snow is cold. We've known this longer than we've known language. That's why we wear clothes and live in houses that offer variants to warm fire. No big deal.
The sun does exist in England (captured above)
Okay its a little grubby. They could hire a few Malays to scrub the streets, but at least you don't get caned for littering... Actually, I'm all for caning for littering... why can't people use bins? I don't understand.
So the English don't walk around with smiles brimming ear to ear. Who wants to be in a place like that anyway? Wouldn't be able to stand it myself. That much happiness is sickening and unholy. And they're not all miserable cellar dwellers either. Often enough I've smiled, or been courteous, and received the same gratuities in return. They do hustle and bustle about, but London is busy and vast and it does take time to get to places, so it requires some jiggyness.
And lastly, there are far more paves than cobbles. Think the years of cobbles are largely done, but I've still much to see so will get back to you on that. So its exciting to me, that these pretences have largely fallen through. It clears the slate of what to expect, which makes the adventure that much more endeavouring. Because its uncharted territory. In my mind it is anyway.
Big Ben, between the gates.
In my first week I've been down Oxford Street, Soho, Chinatown, Leicester Square (which I can't spell still), Trafalgar Square (a little easier), Wimbledon, Clapham, Shepherds Bush, Embankment, St James Park, Buckingham and Hammersmith to see Jimmy Carr Live. Probably a few more places too, and all have been enjoyed and appreciated and is such a minute segment of what there is to see. The highlight I'd have to say is being caught in the Friday blizzard at St James Park. As it was a first for me, I laughed and strolled deeper into the storm, probably looking a little deranged to the locals that passed by. Its funny how distance can change the way you see people, but not the way they see you.
Blizzard at St James Park
No comments:
Post a Comment