So after 5 days of being in and around London, alone and with Marla, I looked back and the things that were English, that were not, and that were just plain a little strange...
As soon as I got off the plane and into the airport I saw this sign when trying to get to the tube...
I'm not really sure what level "-1" would entail, nor if that would change if I were on a different floor, but it made me chuckle at the least. Once I actually made it onto the metro I noticed that it just seems the Brits are used to reading things written differently than they are in the states.
I also found these signs quite interesting. Never have I seen a sign telling you simply not to be concerned with it on the day you are reading it (see bottom of sign)...
... and who in their right mind ever got excited for quizzes and tests in school? I guess I would have been as well if they were accompanied by adult beverages..
Just after I left London rioting broke out. It seems that there are similar socioeconomic problems worldwide. But don't let the media fool you, I found out while there the real widespread crime wave sweeping the UK: fake beer (Lord help us).
Arriving at my hostel I was happy to find a quite lovely place. Not only was it the cheapest place (how I chose it), but it was centrally located (in zone 2), close to a tube station, and super nice...
When I was looking for a place to stay Marla suggested a few places, and though I appreciated the advice I shared with her that no matter where I stayed it would surely be nicer than the "hotels" I stayed at throughout India...
... and the shower was one button activated (no user temperature control) which meant that the first button cycle was almost guaranteed to be a cold one (the water sitting idle in the pipes). Since the shower head was a little crazy and the shower was enclosed by a door there was no way to turn the shower on before actually getting in and under it.
Needless to say mornings started a little sharply...
I did find the British to be a little too proper for my liking at times...
... but the city was thoughtful enough to make photo friends available for travelers like myself traveling alone. These are the buddies I met while walking around. They were really nice and great listeners...
Also endorsed by the culture is to follow your heart...
Oddly this very sign was located directly below a "Les Miserables" sign. Reminds me why the slogan "Keep Calm and Carry On" makes sense there.
They also are big into the royalty and spoofs upon it...
Apparently Duke Nukem is a popular character there as they cater to his slogans...
... but when all said and done I found it to be my town.
London is also a town that constantly seems on the go. Sometimes so fast paced that running out of your shoes is not completely uncommon...
... except Marla and I never got caught up. Maybe we've got something different in our veins than the Brits...
No matter what it was the various signs around the city that were perhaps mini highlights of my trip there. Some were funny and clever...
Some explained expressions that I never knew before (why the cash registers at Sears in Chicago are called "cash wraps")...
Some seemed a little goofy for unknown reasons...
... but they still have some similarities to our culture...
They could all sit and drink and since they weren't technically driving it was legit. Genius...
The strangest thing was that the English have a different concept of time. Hours of operation for businesses do not indicate a specific time of closure, but rather the more appropriate till late...
In London there is really only one time of day they are interested in...
I was also treated to perhaps the worlds longest escalator...
... and the world's smallest...
That's most of the reasons why I preferred to drink
... just in case it really was
Hey Kyle:
ReplyDeleteSigns, signs and more signs - loved them AND your commentary on each!!!! Lovely, just lovely!!!
xoxxooooxxxx MoM