london i write to you tonight from jolly old london! my initial reaction when i got on the tube (underground train) from the airport was that london looks just like any US city. as i did more people watching, i was reminded of countless movies about britain, such as 'bridget jones' diary', and 'the full monty'. later, walking through neighborhoods i felt like i was in singapore again, thanks to the double decker buses and skinny roads.
over the past two days i have noticed a few little quirks about london. in every tube station, there are countless ads for live plays and musicals. restaurants and packaged foods all have 'organic', 'vegan', and 'free range' written all over them. people here seem to be obsessed with health and saving the environment! people here dress nicer than what i'm used to, too. there are a lot more men wearing suits, and a lot fewer people wearing jeans, shorts, and sneakers. everything here is ungodly expensive. other than that, london is your typical globalized big city.
my first day here i went to the park with my
couchsurfing host, william. he lent me a spare bike so we could ride there, and then we just kinda wandered about and ate some sandwiches we'd bought at the local grocery. after that we made a trip to the london tower to take a look and stroll along the thames path. i wanted to walk all along the river, but william got tired after a bit so we stopped for some starbucks (good to know that i can keep my coffee addiction going anywhere i go in the world). after that i called my friend rob from NUS who said he was going to be in london for the night. william and i met up with him and his friend sean at a bowling alley, which was cooler than you'd think... apparently amy winehouse goes to this place sometimes. we had a couple of pints, but unfortunately, the tube stops running at midnight, so we had to cut things short to head home. seeing rob felt really good, though, so i'm eager to move on to other places where i can meet up with old friends.
today was incredibly lazy. i succumbed to my jetlag, and took a nap as soon as i was done with breakfast and a bath (there's no shower here!). william and i finally left the house around 6 to meet up with some other couchsurfers at a sandwich shop. the couchsurfers were three girls, two from oregon and one from london. we took turns telling stories about our trips to various parts of the world, and poor william sat by bored - as he'd predicted. after about an hour, the girls left to see 'wicked' (i'd have gone too, but tickets were £40!), and william went off to find his sister. for the first time since i'd arrived, i finally had time to myself. i spent the rest of the evening walking along the thames path, where i saw westminster abbey, the parliament buildings, the london eye, and the globe theater, among other things. it was too late to go inside any of these places, but i didn't mind since i'm sure the costs would have been exorbitant anyway. it was nice having time to myself, as i finally got the chance to think about everything i've encountered over the last two days. on the other hand, i also had time to think about all the people i miss, and how i wish they could be sharing this with me. i guess i'll just have to take lots of good pictures and keep this thing updated.
finally, just before coming back to will's apartment, i stopped at a little meat pie vendor and bought one that had pork and cider in it. that was the most foreign sounding thing they had, so of course i had to give it a try. it was really delicious. i think america should try this whole meat pie thing, i think it would catch on. throughout the rest of my journey, i will make it a point to taste and review delicious european foods for you, my readers. after all, i'm not sure there's any part of travel (or life) more delightful than sampling new comestibles!
tomorrow i'm going to manchester where i will meet up with my friend
khoa, and maybe even get a chance to see my friend alicja, too (both
friends from singapore). but now, time for bed. hope you're all doing well. cheerio!
Comments (6)
Wow! Already in London? That was quick.
Yay! I'm glad you're updating about your European adventure! You should have asked sooner and I would have been all over tagging along for this ride. As it is, I suppose I shall just live vicariously through you. :)
sounds like a great time, have extra fun for me!
fun! i done gradiated. which is not nearly as exciting as this. i am jealous! keep up the posts!!!
Wow, Laurie, I am a prisoner of jealousy. I spent a weekend in London many, many years ago and loved it. I am sure that about the only thing that your London and Mine have in common is the weather. I recall vividly some of the places you have mentioned. My heart is warmed. Thanks.