Back in London

I really wasn’t expecting to be back here until June, when I’d be catching my flight home. Fate had different plans for me, apparently. I ended up catching a Eurostar from Brussels to London on the first of the month in order to meet my cousins from Israel, who were staying by the Marble arch for a week.

It’s a good thing they’ve been a few times already, because it meant that I didn’t have to go see the usual sights again. Not that I have anything against Big Ben, but I just saw him less than a month ago!

It’s also a really good thing that Apratim’s (the guy who roomed with me in Dublin) family is so amazing and welcoming. I stayed with them for about a week, and they didn’t even bat an eyelash. I ended up extending my stay, up from the original three nights, and they remained warm and inviting. They didn’t waste any time making fun of me, however. (To be fair, I deserved it.) Apratim’s mother Mira took to calling me ‘Professor’, the Harvard physics student who got lost on the London trains and ended up having to take a cab home at three in the morning… Seriously, though, they were absolutely awesome, and if anyone can think of a better way of thanking a family than pie and donuts, I’m all ears.

London is really great. I could easily see myself spending a lot more time in this city. (The fact is, I might have to, what with my Eurail train pass expiring weeks before my flight home from Heathrow airport!) With my cousins, I hopped onto the metro and got off at random stops to experience London. Like Covent Gardens, for example:

or the markets at Camden Lock:

or Chinatown:

Or Trafalgar Square:

They also took me to see a play – Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Pretty awesome – tells the story about drag queens on a road trip in the Outback in Australia. I definitely recommend it, if my opinion is worth anything to you.

I spent quite a bit of time with Apratim and Ankita’s family, as well. This stop (in London) felt much more like ‘coming home’ than being on the road traveling, and I really enjoyed it. It was nice to have phone numbers to call and people my age to hang out with and not feel under too much pressure to see sights and find where to live. London is a pretty awesome city, as well, so I really don’t have much to complain about.

Londonism time!

-Diet Pepsi is called “Pepsi Light” here (and, I suspect, in much of Europe as well):I’ve noticed many marketing differences like these, and I find it interesting how international companies seem to think that certain things just can’t be marketed the same way to different people on the other side of the world… even though we’re all just human anyway…

-A Shell gas station:
 I haven’t seen too many gas stations around, but this is the first I’ve noticed with a brand I recognize! And, apparently, gas is ridiculously cheap at it!

-A restaurant by a Dr. Seuss fan, I guess:

-Speaker’s Corner: It’s an amazing concept – every Sunday (and Easter Monday), people can go to Hyde Park and stand on a box and yell out their thoughts. I think it’s an amazingly powerful democratic ideal, but the day I went, at least (and hopefully not too often), it was only being lead by a bunch of crazies.

Right now, I’m on a 10 hour train from London to Paris. I’m going to spend the day in Paris, and then ride an overnight train to Madrid. While traveling around, I’ve met a few people in Madrid, so hopefully one of them will reply to my e-mails.

Oh, an update on me? Well, I’ve lost about 15 lbs since I left home, and I’ve started actually budgeting properly. I broke my camera (documented), busted my GPS (it won’t charge – I must have fried it)  and have left behind half a dozen socks and a tube of toothpaste (all restocked, so far). I’ve been trying to compulsively back up my images online, in case my laptop croaks as well. (Try and get a good night sleep tonight, Mom. :p)

I’m beginning to learn when it’s worth it to bite the bullet and spend more money on travel (no Ryan!) and about how long in advance is late enough to book hostels. I’ve also learned that every “city center”, though interesting and most accessible, is not where the real heart of a city is. (It’s almost impossible for a tourist to find that without any help, though, as both your intuition and your guidebook always steer you towards there.)