nostalgia pt.1
Posted by popkitchen | Filed under everyday life
Tomorrow morning, I am leaving London after second three-month sojourn.
I will miss so many things….
• The sense of space. Though I spent hours on the tube, it is good to live in a truly big city. And I got to read some books too.
• The sense of autonomy. That however you look and whatever you are doing, you will be able to do it in this place. The guy last night in the pub was knitting, but in my case, that just means being left alone to read, listen to music, watch out of the window.
• Different variants of English, languages that I can not even identify.
• People saying “darling” or “luv” to you.
• Culture. High and low. Pop culture the most. All the music live.
• Weird people you meet. The guy on the tube completely dressed up, a business suit and pink and black stripped socks, Jamacan dancing to in the middle of the train, people playing music in public spaces, girls putting make-up on the way to work.
• Very thick newspapers that take a day to read.
• Guiness beer on tap in a pub with beer-stained carpet.
• Drizzle, instead of a real rain. Sunny weather in October.
• Going out in East London, having late breakfast on Sunday in Gail’s in Nothing Hill, being able to buy every book you ever wanted to read (on the occasion of which you buy many you actually didn’t).
• Four channels of BBC (not just BBC World).
• Class system. Seriously. Where I am going no one knows who ASBO, chavs or WAGs are? Talking about all these things, since as a foreigner you are quite out of it, is thought provoking. Proof that you are quasi-domestic.
• My Rory Gilmore lifestyle. Studying at the library all day. Watching TV shows afterwards. Drinking coffee all the time (though I will continue to do that wherever).
And Waterloo Sunset, though I never actually experienced it. But sounds nice, does’t it?
What can I actually live without?
• Too much political correctness.
• People stumbling drunk over each other on Friday/Saturday night.
• Girls wearing flip flops, flats and open sandals in mid-December. Man, it is almost vulgar.
• British food. Fish and chips are ok, but what else is there. Roasted parsnips? What? Pre-cooked food in supermarkets.
• Coffee chains. People want Starbucks to come to Eastern Europe. I have nothing against it. But I don’t like chains as the only choice, with no one to serve you and people around you reading papers, books, studying, discussing business and browsing the net. Unless, I am doing the same thing.
Regardless of all these things, man am I going to miss this place….
Tags: london
December 17th, 2008 at 3:20 am
i know how it feels. it’s been a year since i left london and i miss it. welcome to a new chapter in your life.
December 17th, 2008 at 11:53 am
darlin, reading your post caught me almost feeling sad and nostalgic myself for your regular london reports…
we will also miss london from popkitchen corner…
December 17th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
The is a lot to be missed, indeed.
You plan to enter Serbian labor market?
December 17th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Wanted to say ‘There is..’:)
December 18th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Erasmusa you are right, a new chapter. I guess I will let everyone know how it goes. the usual way. Via blog.;
Yes, I am entering Serbian labor market. Words of encouragement, please.
February 28th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
[...] wrote about nostalgia, it is about to hit me [...]