Good morning from London. Sorry for no photos--my hotel, such as it is, has wireless, but not exactly at the speed that facilitates photos. I found an alternative spot, but it takes a bit of technical slight of hand to make it work. Tomorrow, I promise.
It is different to be back in a city that I have not been to since 2005. No doubt any city would change, but a city that is still growing, that has faced terrorist bombings, an economic crisis or two, and two olympics very certainly has changed. In fact, just the neighborhood I am shows this. When I was here before, this neighborhood was far more influenced and populated by people from the Mideast, but that influence is now from the very large Southeast Asian population. The food has changed, the shops have changed, and the people have changed. This is the case in part because of the rapid gentrification of this part of the City. While once a close backwater to the central city, it is now hip and trendy.
An example? I am sitting in a Starbucks, abusing their wireless, and looking around, I could just have easily been in a Starbucks in Bellingham. Maybe a few more suitcases and a little more diverse, but there are far more similarities than differences. Watching people go by the storefront is a whole different story, though. The fact that I paid $7.50 for a vanilla latte means that the doorway is an economic bright line, as those outside are still far more ragged. But really, isn't that even the case in the US? Probably more than we would like to admit.
Yesterday was a typical wasted day as I fought jet lag. It will be nice once my sleep patterns mellow to the local time. I was wide awake at the appropriate time in Minnesota, but of course that is when you are supposed to sleep here. I am not sure if Guiness or a sleep aid is best. Today I was up early, and plan to stay up late--that will help. Also, the sun is up, and isn't sunshine supposed to help you adjust?
Geez, why did I forget to find a hotel room before I left? It is just before fall terms start for almost all college students, and the city is packed this weekend. I thought about it on Friday, but got busy and forgot. I found a place, but for those of you who only travel in three stars and above, let me tell you that they must have skipped this place. It is clean enough, and certainly inexpensive, but it is also 55 stairs up, very small, and when the window is open in the morning, it smells like a traditional English breakfast. So in other words, completely adequate. I think it a bit funny--really, for the very first time ever, I can travel without wondering or worrying about a pound or two, but this is where I end up. I better buy lots of fun stuff to make up for this!
So I walked the neighborhood, found a pub, and took a few photos. I was in Kensington Park near what used to be Princess Diana's palace. There is a renewal ofall things Diana here, and the palace was spits-shined and almost completely open to the public. I am sure that all this attention is in part from the recent wedding of her son, and also the olympics. The park itself is fun--England's version of Central Park. There are lots of places to walk and to play. It helps that the weather is so nice. It is just getting cloudy now, but yesterday it was sunny and in the high 50s--it felt comfortably like fall. I only wish the fall colors were as vibrant here as they are in Minnesota. I fear that I will miss fall in the literal sense--it will be gone when I get back, and I won't get to see it here.
I was going to run in Kensington Part today, and I still might. I have to say that doing so would intimidate me. The only runners I have seen have been sleek and very fast--I have seen no plodders here, and many of the fastest are Americans. They are the young and fit kind that staff overseas outposts of American firms, ex-pats who are clinging to their youth and culture while speeding past a population that is smoking and drinking themselves into the grave. You would think that with smokes at $15 per pack, and a pint at $8, moderation would be more evident. Not so much. But that does explain the make-up of the runners.
I better "run" for now. I have a ticket to Phantom for the 2PM show. I am more of a Les Mis guy, and I will go to that, too, if I can afford it and I can get a ticket, but I after being exposed to Phantom more of late, I have been mildly interested in seeing the show again. Last time was1998, when I was so uncultured. I am sure that as I have matured, so have my tastes. I already drink red wine, I am going to Phantom instead of Les Mis, and like coffee--all things that wouldn't have happened 15 years ago. Now, if I could only learn how to like dark chocolate, my evolution would be complete.
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