Comments on Particulars

As I begin my third (and final) day in London, I would like to comment on the particular things:

MONEY: the exchange rate is almost exactly $2 to £1, although I have planned well enough so no problems. The bills are pretty enough. The coins take getting used to. They all have pictures of the Sovereign (Queen Elizabeth II) on them, but that is not the unusual thing. I cannot make any sense out of the size. Their penny is copper colored, like ours, and about the same size. Then they have the two pence ("tupence") which is also copper colored and about the size of our quarter. Their five pence piece looks almost exactly like our dime,it is silver,too. The ten pence looks like our quarter, but is silver rather than copper. The 20 pence piece is silver, about the size of a penny, but is seven-sized (you need this if you want to get into the public loos - these odd things that are somewhat like a telephone booth (no glass of course) and are stand alone, like in a traffic circle.)

They do not seem to have a one pound note - at least I have yet to recieve one. What I always get in change is a coin which is about the size of a twenty pence coin, but gold and thicker. Then there is a two-pound coin which is the biggest of all.

NATIONALITIES: there are, of course still many Anglo-Saxon types, but many Pakistani/Bangladeshi/East Indians (and think this was an older immigration),and, surprisingly, a noticeable number of Eastern Europeans (mainly Poles, I think) - you hear Polish spoken on the subway, in fact the gal sitting next to my on my flight out of Washington Dulles was Polish, but a British citizen. If there are many Middle Easterners, I have not yet seen them, unless they are blending in with the Pakistanis.

LANGUAGE: I still find the accent charming and am beginning to recognize the variations. In more formal situations, esp. from people of a certain status, the King's English is used. I heard this during the priest's homily (although it was funny to hear him mention counseling a newly married couple who had their first "row." (pronounced "rahw"). It is also funny to hear the recorded voice of the elegant British lady on the tube say, "This is a Picadilly line service to Cockfosters." Strange. Also, because there is a slight gap between the train and the platform they say, "mind the gap." I think we would just say, "watch your step." Also, it was announced that a particular stop was closed for "refurbishing." ("Sybill, I wish you wouldn't always be refurbishing yourself!")

Most ordinary people use something that is closer to Cockney (not anywhere near as bad as Eliza Doolittle), but there are many variations on this. But it is closer to the "'ello, 'ello" stereotype.

Certain words are accented differently. For them it is the week-END and the GA-rage. It is not just a shift of accent, it is a different type of an accent: more tonal than dynamic. We definitely are more flat and unmodulated in the way we speak. They do not speak in a sing-songy way like the Chinese, but there is definitely more pitch.

STREET SIGNS: I have seen none in London or Westminster. What first appear to be street signs (and definitely not on every corner) are signs pointing to important landmarks. The "street signs" are on the sides of corner buildings - when they appear (which is about 80-90 percent of the time). It took me almost an entire day to figure this out.

THE PEOPLE: Overall I have found them friendly and helpful. I have had four people approach ME asking for directions! Two of them were obviously tourists, but two of them had strong English accents ("'ere mate, can you help a bloke out."). They must not have been from London. Funny, I have had this happen in strange American cities. I don't know if this is something about me, or if everyone experiences this.

FOOD: I finally had some actual English food - at a cafe run by Pakistanis (whom I have found to be friendly). I had the traditional "full English breakfast." The "heart attack on a plate." But I only did it once - and am limiting myself to one major meal a day, anyway-and I didn't overly enjoy it. It was messy, sloppy: two sunnyside up eggs, baked beans, cooked sliced tomatoes, mushrooms, bangers (sausages), bacon - all mixed together. I preferred the French restaurant, which was more of an organic, gourmet cafe/bakery.

MEDIA: it is this odd combination of high class and low class - but that is not unknown in America (the New York Times AND the Tabloids). Some of the television is perfectly vulgar (at least we still have reticences for certain things, although it may not count for much, they seem to have none), but some of it is not so bad.

Well, that is all for now. I must get on the tube and go to the national Gallery. I will try to check in after Westminser Cathedral.