(Re)Vision

Perhaps I ought to clarify that last post. It strikes me that it might be the teensiest bit negative about my life over here, and lead people to believe that I'm a)not enjoying myself at all, and b)detesting London with a passion formerly unknown in me. So I figure I need to explain a little bit.

I do enjoy myself, quite a bit. Work is far more bearable over here than it has been at home since I graduated - and probably for a good couple of years before that, as well. I have a good group of people around me who are both friendly, and open to meeting new people with only the slightest of giggles at the name I'm so careful to hide here (yeah, thanks Mum and Dad for that one...it's special enough to have earned me a special award at the hockey team awards...). I go out, I take far more short holidays here than I ever would at home. I see more shows. I spend far more money on general living, and far less on clothes and shoes, but don't go without anything. I even survive the joys of house work. Just.

And London is a great place to visit. The main thing I have against it is the it isn't Melbourne, and it isn't filled with people I've known for at least 5 years who I can call at any time of day for a catch up. There are some compensations for living here, and they are easier to find when the weather is fine, like it is now, and there's one of the many beautiful parks nearby in which to enjoy the sunshine (and to try and sheild your eyes from the almost inevitable sight of a man well past his prime without a shirt on as he sunbakes - or worse, a woman in the same pose). The trees are starting to regain leaves, blossom is in flower all over the place and magnificent magnolias are found where before there seemed to be just a collection of twigs. And even though there seems to be a high incidence of both crime and personal abuse, you find that in pretty much every city. Once you get out of London, the English are amazingly friendly and helpful, as a rule, apart from one old man's inexplicable question (as I lugged a large backpack with a kangaroo embroidered on the side as part of the manufacturer's logo) "Are you American?"

I think I'm just in the grips of a mood that is as black as the grime that encrusts London buildings. I've been feeling a little neglected by some friends who have been rather busy at home (and yes, Ralphie, that includes you, auditors or no auditors), tired from listening to the never-ending stream of yelling people who wander my street at all hours, and the buses that rumble by through the night to get thse same people to my window, and the fact that it is a whole month, almost until I have another long weekend to spend out of London. Jaded is not the word...But I'll leave anyone foolish enough to have read this far with a snippet that sums up the wonderful people of London, in my humble opinion...

Most would be aware that London is to host the Olympics in 2012. The site of most of the work is in East London - much to the disgust of many. Among the many arguments against the chosen location is a reason that goes back to the days of the Blitz in the Second World War. East London had a huge number of bombs dropped, in an attempt to destroy the docks that were the heartland - or rather lifeline - of the English. A fair percentage of those bombs never exploded. There is more unexploded (and unmapped) WW2 ordinance on the Olympic site than almost any other part of England. The response of Mayor Ken Livingstone? We don't know where it is, or how much of it there is, but we've budgeted for it anyway. With a budget of £12 billion, you'd certainly hope so...