Less Space in London

I have become very used to the concept of space, mostly because I have taken for granted the amount that I have at home in the states. Sure, a little discomfort is to be expected when you aren’t used to living in an area far less massive than the U.S. However, it is the resident’s way of living in cramped conditions that I find most intriguing.

                 

From what I’ve encountered, it seems Londoners like to fit as much as possible into the smallest spaces. I mistake roads for sidewalks constantly here. Scooters and bikes clog the streets. The lifts (elevators) allow for plenty of invasion to my personal space, even by elevator standards. The kitchen door in my flat only closes all the way if I open the fridge door next to it first. It’s all quite a lifestyle adjustment.

               

The tube is an entirely different story. In fact, it’s a whole new blog entry in itself, but let me give you the Reader's Digest version. For some reason, Londoners like to pile onto the tube right near the doors, particularly during rush hour, and somehow neglect to use all the space available on the carriage (train).  Although I find this odd, perhaps they don’t. Londoners are very used to close quarters, as I have discussed. Still, I think there is a bit of tension in the tube these days, especially with the current RMT strike. We’ll only have to wait and see how Londoners adjust in the coming days.

                 

As a final fine example of spatial constraints, I have a video from a cabaret show I saw this weekend because surely you were curious about nightlife in London as well! This was held in an underground venue that is probably the size of an SUV back in the states. Note the table of people sitting directly in front of the “stage” and the others who pass through the tiny hallway just next to it. Enjoy!

 

Less Stress in London

Once one begins to live like a Londoner, with a bag of groceries in one hand and a brolly in the other, it is remarkable how quickly and openly one embraces this notion of being carefree.

For this work-loving American, I first found the whimsical conversation in my office throughout the day as well as plenty of breaks for tea and coffee to be bizarre, maybe even lazy. However, I have found there is something to it. Mind you, it may be summer, but I do like the idea of not worrying about every little thing.     

I truly could get used to this because here, “it’s ok, darling.” No worries. Anyway, I think I’ll leave this entry a little short (just to keep in the spirit of things) and go have a cup of tea!

     

Friends and I enjoy our first authentic afternoon tea

Cheers!

It is rather difficult to blog about a city like London. Here, inspiration whizzes by in every double-decker bus, inhabits every local pub, and flows throughout the area just as if it were the Thames itself. Perhaps that is why it has taken me so long to put together my first entry.

From the start of my venture, I was feeling thrilled, yet apprehensive and about a million other emotions before traveling to other side of the Atlantic. But since I have put down my heavy bags (Mind the pun, but this notion of packing lightly really should not be taken lightly) and I have maneuvered into the city using the Tube many a time, it’s as if I’m home.

The pace of the city is leisurely, but still very full of life. Each person I have witnessed is composed, even as they run to catch a train or wait in an impossibly long queue (line) to pay. Compared to the city I was just living in, Washington D.C., London has a much more refined and respectful sort of mood.

Londonders are also very friendly, helpful individuals, especially when they encounter very lost, confused Americans who are looking for directions. In the rare times when I have needed a little guidance around the city, local residents always bend over backward to help me reach my destination. If they don’t quite know where I need to go, they still try to help me figure it out, too.

However, living in London isn’t always a cup of tea and a digestive biscuit. Be on the lookout for my forthcoming posts to discover the many sides and sites of this city!

The London Summer Program 2010 group takes an outside tour of Buckingham Palace