This post comes sooner than most, but because of technological advances in my flat, we’re back in business, baby! Also, some pretty exciting things happened this week.
I got the internet at my flat. And what that means is: CURRENT AMERICAN TV! WOOT!
Lost is freekin amazing (and even though the next episode doesn’t air until Feb 7, I’m still excited.
If you haven’t had the chance to check out HEROES (airs Monday nights on NBC) and/or The Office: An American Workplace (airs Thursdays nights, also on NBC) I recommend you all do it sans excuse.
Updates.
FRIENDS:
The one guy at work (from Egypt born in London) calls me his “accent brother”. What this really means, I’m still uncertain, but apparently he lived in America for a while and now just figures he sounds the part. I’ll admit, we ARE the people in the office who pronounce their Rs correctly, but when it really comes down to it, we’re just accent friends because we’re the only ones who don’t sound English, South or regular African or ESL. I think it’s kind of lame, but when it comes down to it I’ll take and make friends in pretty much any way possible.
ROUTINE:
Speaking of routine (which for the record is fine with me), everyone in the office has what they call “crews” and every Wednesday they have a “crew night”. Tonight we went bowling. And I absolutely put on a show – as usual. I bowled a pretty mediocre game in my books, but the fact that they all make more money than I do didn’t bother me after I wrecked them in the old 10-pin lane. The English also invented an 11-pin version of bowling too, but we didn’t play, because it’s actually made up and a couple of guys were just pulling my leg. The bowling alley we went to also has an ice rink…so maybe next week I can teach these blokes how to skate!
CULTURE:
Now, in 5 weeks of living in London I have covered a wide range of topics, from activities, sights, sounds and people, but have yet to acknowledge one very important topic. Sooooooooo, in the first of a [yet to be determined number] part series, I proudly present to you Cultural Topic Number One:
FASHION
Before I moved over I thought for sure no matter what I wore, not matter where I went, no matter who I hung out with, I KNEW for sure that I would be underdressed. A few of my friends even warned me with a “Really? You’re taking that shirt?” Well, as it turns out, Londoners idea of fashion isn’t much different than mine. Now, I’ll admit in the business world my one suit may not be the flashiest at the ball, but I can still hold my ground when push comes to shove.
After a great deal of thought, I have decided that even if I really want to fit in, I don’t actually have to change at all.
First, there are probably still a great deal of North Americans visiting for the fall season, because not matter how cold the Britons feel it is, it’s still warm for us Canadians.
Second, many people on the train still don’t realize that skinny ties haven’t been cool since the late 80s, if you’re wearing all black all blacks have to match and that no you cannot wear brown shoes with a black suit…even if it’s pinstriped.
Third, “ug boots”, no matter how short of a skirt you wear, are still not attractive. And no, the emo-trash look isn’t cool just because you have and English accent. Get a job, you hippie punk.
Fourth, if it’s cheap in London, it’s probably not very nice. I realized this when I fell victim to a “clearance sale” where I bought dress shirts for 5pounds. When I got home and took the tags off I didn’t like them anymore…go figure.
And fifth (and most importantly), the term “London High Fashion” is actually code for “wear whatever you want no matter how bad it looks because if you convince enough people wear the ugly style it will eventually become cool and if it’s cool then it will start to pick up in the rest of Europe, it will spread to Asia, and about a year later those damned Americans will start to like it.” So wait, does this mean that if enough Canadians come over to visit, GAP will continue to control the fashion world as we know it? (Even though people here think it looks cheap), the answer is infallibly yes.
I just hope that doesn’t all happen with sleeveless shirts and black leather gloves.
Until next week: Stay fit and have fun!
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