"The storm over London should be passing sometime in the next decade..."
That's the general consensus of how the weather in London has been -- rainy, sunless, a constant source of material to complain about. For me, however, it could not be more perfect. A native New Yorker, I cannot begin to explain to you the horrors of New York City in the summertime. The sweltering subway platforms; being drenched in sweat two seconds you leave your house; the constant near 100% humidity that makes it so yourarely never have a good hair day. And, of course, the tourists. Always the tourists, who step on your feet, sweat on new shoes, and always ask you questions like "How do we get to Green Witch Village?"
Now, although there are plenty of tourists here in London, and I take the tube pretty much every day, the lack of intolerable heat and constant feeling of being in a sauna makes it, well, tolerable. Even the rain thing, which, though also a killer for hair (there's a theme starting to develop here...) can be easily remedied. (See photo below).
Although this is a great look for me, I do get some funny looks on the street, but that is the beauty of being in a big city without knowing, well, anyone. Speaking of not knowing anyone, I've gotten pretty good at being by myself here in London. Granted, I am not by myself that often, but living by myself -- after going straight from home to Penn, where I've always had room/flatmates -- has been an adjustment. At first I was a bit scared of going places alone. A museum, okay, that's not too bad. But a restaurant? A bar? Never. That is, not until last week. Last week I braved the pub nearest my house, forced myself to order a glass of red wine, and sat myself at one of the many tables. Purely by chance, there happened to be a jazz "jam session" going on, and it was honestly some of the best jazz I've heard in a while. I ended up staying at the pub, listening to the music, for over 3 hours -- yes, completely by myself. I of course made some acquaintances that night, but overall this night was about me, and it was probably one of the best nights I had in London.
That's the general consensus of how the weather in London has been -- rainy, sunless, a constant source of material to complain about. For me, however, it could not be more perfect. A native New Yorker, I cannot begin to explain to you the horrors of New York City in the summertime. The sweltering subway platforms; being drenched in sweat two seconds you leave your house; the constant near 100% humidity that makes it so you
Now, although there are plenty of tourists here in London, and I take the tube pretty much every day, the lack of intolerable heat and constant feeling of being in a sauna makes it, well, tolerable. Even the rain thing, which, though also a killer for hair (there's a theme starting to develop here...) can be easily remedied. (See photo below).
Although this is a great look for me, I do get some funny looks on the street, but that is the beauty of being in a big city without knowing, well, anyone. Speaking of not knowing anyone, I've gotten pretty good at being by myself here in London. Granted, I am not by myself that often, but living by myself -- after going straight from home to Penn, where I've always had room/flatmates -- has been an adjustment. At first I was a bit scared of going places alone. A museum, okay, that's not too bad. But a restaurant? A bar? Never. That is, not until last week. Last week I braved the pub nearest my house, forced myself to order a glass of red wine, and sat myself at one of the many tables. Purely by chance, there happened to be a jazz "jam session" going on, and it was honestly some of the best jazz I've heard in a while. I ended up staying at the pub, listening to the music, for over 3 hours -- yes, completely by myself. I of course made some acquaintances that night, but overall this night was about me, and it was probably one of the best nights I had in London.
No comments:
Post a Comment