Finally, after several years of planing and preparation, we have achieved our goal and have landed in a surprisingly sunny London. Wearing Tee-shirts in the sunshine at 8pm was an experience that I didn’t expect so soon after my arrival in the UK- it was, however short lived. Friday I went out completely underdressed. I am still recovering from my near-fatal mistake. I understand now why Britain is a tea drinking nation. It is both tasty, and toasty.
Usually, people describe London as ‘grey’, but after a very brown drive to the Brisbane Airport (and given the fact that it is spring over here), I am completely delighted by the vibrant colours- the greens are amazing, and the gardens are so colourful- Anne and Fred have beautiful Tulips, Bluebells, and Apple blossoms in their garden. Julian and I were very impressed by squirrels frolicking in the back garden- that is, until we found out they were an aggressive imported species, who virtually wiped out the native variety. They are still cute though.
London Transport is expensive, but efficient (so far). It is so easy to get anywhere, from anywhere. The tubes are frequent and it is so easy to switch and change directions to get to where you need to go. I feel very confident in my ability to get places here. The Tube stations are a constant reminder of the ‘threat of terror’ however… every 2-3 minutes, a booming voice descends from the speakers “SECURITY ALERT, SECURITY ALERT.” (at this stage, you begin to feel alarmed). “Please ensure you have your baggage with you at all times, and report any suspicious behaviour”. Phew, we live to see another day.
Finally, after several years of planing and preparation, we have achieved our goal and have landed in a surprisingly sunny London. Wearing Tee-shirts in the sunshine at 8pm was an experience that I didn’t expect so soon after my arrival in the UK- it was, however short lived. Friday I went out completely underdressed. I am still recovering from my near-fatal mistake. I understand now why Britain is a tea drinking nation. It is both tasty, and toasty. 
Usually, people describe London as ‘grey’, but after a very brown drive to the Brisbane Airport (and given the fact that it is spring over here), I am completely delighted by the vibrant colours- the greens are amazing, and the gardens are so colourful- Anne and Fred have beautiful Tulips, Bluebells, and Apple blossoms in their garden. Julian and I were very impressed by squirrels frolicking in the back garden- that is, until we found out they were an aggressive imported species, who virtually wiped out the native variety. They are still cute though.
London Transport is expensive, but efficient (so far). It is so easy to get anywhere, from anywhere. The tubes are frequent and it is so easy to switch and change directions to get to where you need to go. I feel very confident in my ability to get places here. The Tube stations are a constant reminder of the ‘threat of terror’ however… every 2-3 minutes, a booming voice descends from the speakers “SECURITY ALERT, SECURITY ALERT.” (at this stage, you begin to feel alarmed). “Please ensure you have your baggage with you at all times, and report any suspicious behaviour”. Phew, we live to see another day.
No comments:
Post a Comment