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March 9, 2000
Been here eight days now and loving it. I flew in a week ago from N.Y.C., after having traveled
for six weeks across the U.S. and up into Canada and back with my son Matt. Finally it came time for him to fly
home to Arizona and for me to leave the States for here.
I am staying with a friend of a friend, who has become a friend... sound familiar? Thanks to my friend Marcie in
Phoenix, I was offered a "night or two" with her friend here named Anabel. And...after I conned Anabel
into thinking I was a nice guy, she extended her invitation and it's been great staying with her and her 14-year-old
daughter Billie (yep...named after Ms. Holiday!). Anabel is a practicing Buddhist and artist, and has helped me
meet several people and get oriented here.
The first three days I walked my ass off. London is quite amazing, but not small, and is also laid out in a confusing
fashion. But with my trusty map and the help of the locals I have gotten around very well. Public transport here
is great, though the Londoner's do complain about it, and I soon became a master of the bus system.
One of the first things that really impacted me was the local jargon. When Anabel volunteered to pick me up at
a nearby tube (subway) station that I had taken from Heathrow, she informed me on the phone that she was on her
way "to collect" me. Since I'd never been "collected" before I was pretty excited about that.
And on the buses, I heard the London Blacks (I guess they are African-Englishpeople?) talk jive with an English
accent. That was new!
Here's a quiz for Americans:
- 1- What is dosh?
2- What is a WC?
3- What is a loo?
4- How much is a stone?
5- How can getting pissed be a good thing?
Answers in next On the Road.
London has to be one of the cultural centers of the world. Culture is everywhere, and much of it is free. Just
one example: I have twice gone free to the Tate, a wonderful museum, that just happens to have an exhibition starting
now on Pre-Raphealite painters, my favorite style. The exhibition is 7£, which is about $10, but the museum
itself is free.
Last Sunday, I attended a free concert at the Royal Festival Hall, home of the London Philharmonic, and probably
the center of bourgeois art in London. It was a jazz quartet, with 3 female singers (Andrews Sisters style) who
did 40's period jazz. They were excellent, and there were swing dancers all over... all ages and all hues, all
dancing together with each other. As it was in the foyer, next to the bar, I savored a Guinness while eating some
cheese and bread I brought in with me. It was fine music and great fun…and they do it there all the time!
Walking the streets is like being in a festival, especially at night. There are street performers all over: painters,
mimes, jugglers (take note Matt!), and musicians of all kinds. In a two block stretch, I heard music from the Andes,
Beatles covers, blues, jazz and a Jimi Hendrix clone that was very impressive.
This town is so alive... so vibrant! And diverse, too. About one-quarter are people of color, and evidence is everywhere.
And they seem to get along quite well. Although I'm sure there is hostility and racism somewhere, I've not seen
anything except a very high level of acceptance and tolerance. After all, the Brits are famous for being civilized,
and I must say it fits.
One incredibly interesting experience was going to Hyde Park on Sunday, where one can find Speaker's Corner. This
is an area where anyone can go, set up a step ladder, soap box, etc. and voice their opinion about whatever. Boy,
is this a trip! Of course, as you might expect, there are numerous Christian fundamentalists there espousing their
God-fearing message. But there are others... Muslims... Marxists... self-proclaimed prophets from God, and even
a comedian who enjoyed insulting people... he informed me that because I have an earring, I must be a "homo"
(he thought that was an insult), and that my beard made me look too old, and that my clothes were what the Brits
wore 30 years ago. :-]
London has a tradition of tolerance, free speech and democracy. Among those who have found a safe haven here are
Karl Marx (wrote Das Kapital in British Library in 1848 and is buried here), Charles DeGaulle and Ho Chi Minh.
There are now quite a few dissident groups here from many parts of the world, including Peru, Burma, Tibet, Chile
(Carlos Reyes is there, famous journalist who Pinochet jailed for many years) and many from the Middle East. I
was amazed at how the speakers, and others among the crowd, could lash out verbally at each other, and yet there
never seemed to be a display of anger... even when "their God" was outright insulted. The only time I
saw a problem was when the "comedian" told a heckler that he was a "pediphile"...he was then
mildly chastised by the bobbies. I guess that's what it takes to cross the line.
It is, of course, not all wonderful. There are the everpresent beggars and bums, the streets are not the cleanest
I have ever seen, it's outrageously expensive (I have only eaten in a restaurant once...East Indian, of course!),
it is difficult to strike up conversations (they are very reserved here), and it's not the sunniest place either,
though it's been pretty mild.
I hope to be exploring other parts of the Isles soon... waiting for a couple of things to come together. There
is much here I have not seen yet since I've been down with a cold the last couple of days. After driving 6,200
miles thru 16 states and 2 countries with Matt, and then catching a redeye here and walking my ass off, my body
told me in no uncertain terms to slow down. That's OK... got lots of reading in, and took in some British telly
too.
That's all for now
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Peace and
love
