London Postcards - Day 3
I had no drunken serenades last night but slept peacefully sans the musical. I have a very comfortable room here at Guesthouse West. It might be difficult to get me to leave.
I am sitting in bed writing on my lovely, and very sexy Averatec laptop. It is ultra lite weighing in at 3.3 pounds, it has a 10 inch wide screen monitor and I love it. It is so nice to have something compact and light to cart around and I love the size. I was worried I wouldn't be able to see the writing on the screen but its been great. I've a mobile office, everything I need is here in bed with me. The wireless connects me to the outside world. I can sit with my mic and headphones and talk on Skype to the States. Its great
I'm sitting here in bed writing and looking out my window as London whirls by outside. What great people watching. I can see a house across the street where an elderly man is doing the same as I am watching the world go by. I fancy he is also watching me just as I am watching him.
The most surprising thing to me is how many mothers strolling prams (baby carriages) and buggies (strollers) there are. Over the last few days I've seen more mothers and children out and about than I see in L.A. in a month. I'm wondering if a year or so ago there was a blackout or something. I mentioned this to a Londoner and they suggested it may be because people walk everywhere here and they drive in L.A.. Personally I'm going for the blackout theory.
An ambulance has pulled up across the street to my elderly friends' house and it is a woman not a man coming out for a doctors pick up. So much for my fancying of a neighboring voyeur. Ah well, that's the fun of people watching. They can be anyone you imagine them to be.
I could sit here all day and be quite content. But there is shopping to do. So I'm off to see what delights are in store, in the stores for me.
Well shopping was a bust. I got rained on trodden and disheveled. Don't worry though I'll keep trying.
For educational purposes, I thought it might be fun to include a little British to American dictionary.
Aubergine - Eggplant.
Bob's your uncle - This is added to the end of sentences and could be likened to the American use of the word 'voila'! For instance if someone is giving you directions: 'Go up the street, turn left at the church, walk 20 feet and Bob's your uncle..you're at the pub!'
Courgette - Zucchini
Berk - Idiot or jerk. Another word used is 'wally'.
Chuffed - If you are chuffed, you are happy with something. 'I was chuffed with the results!'
Gobsmacked - Incredibly amazed. Your gob is the same as your mouth and if you smack your gob, it would be out of amazement.
Jammy - Used in place of lucky when describing someone else. 'You jammy bastard' is how it is commonly used.
Knackered - Same as tired. You could also use the word 'shattered' for tired.
Luvvly-jubbly - Just another way of saying 'lovely'.
Scrummy - When something is scrummy, it is delicious. Shortened from scumptious.
Suss - If you heard someone saying they had you sussed they would mean that they had you figured out! If you were going to suss out something it would mean the same thing.
Stonking - Meaning huge. 'I had a stonking headache this morning after drinking too many pints!'
Wonky - Not quite right. Something a little bit off about it.
This evening I went to the West End to see 'Sinatra at the London Palladium' (click for full article). Love Sinatra, loved the show. If you are a music fan I highly recommend it. The Palladium is a lovely old theatre, very ornate and beautiful. I love London theatres so many of them remind me of cakes in particular wedding cakes. With tier after tier of scrummy frosting piped on smooth fondant, simply luvvly-jubbly. Now did you suss all that out?
Another thing about London theatres I find intriguing is concessions. At intermission they always sell ice cream inside the theatre and they will pour you drinks into plastic cups so you can sip them during the show.
I am going to go on a tirad here for a minute. What has happened to dressing up? I remember as a child part of the thrill of going to the theatre was dressing for it. Spending the time deciding just the right outfit, feeling elegant and refined. I'd be so proper sitting up straight in my seat with my hands folded neatly in my lap. Showing off my ensemble as I glided up to the front of the stage, gazing at all the beautiful ladies dresses. I didn't care so much about what the men had on, one suit looked like another to me then.
I mentioned this dressing issue to a Londoner and they felt similar saying even at the Opera people weren't dressing up any longer. It's just wonky! Come on folks you can always wear those jeans and T's, make an effort to look nice, it'll make the evening far more glamorous and exciting.
Sorry, this has been bothering me for a long time and I thought it was just an L.A. thing but I've seen it in New York and now London and it saddens me. Dress up and let's bring back some glamour to our lives.
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