The longer I spend time in this city the dirtier I realize it is. Now most big cities have grime, I would even go so far as saying that it adds character in many instances. The type of dirt can define cities in different way. But when I say dirty, London is pretty gross. I think I said this before but lots of places don't have rubbish bins, so there is litter everywhere. Unless you are in a nice part of town where they still have street sweepers the sidewalks are just concrete covered in dirt, and when it rains, they become slippery as all hell. I feel like I should buy hiking boots just to walk to the supermarket sometimes.
Another thing that really tips me off is the transit etiquette, or I should say the lack of any. It is the only way I get around, considering I have only been in a car once since being here and that was a taxi. Granted most people take transit in London, really the only way to get around. So back to my complaining about what people do. I personally think phone conversations should be banned on transit. I have heard more about sexual problems and diseases that I care to share with everyone. I don't mind if you are on your phone but is there a reason you are yelling? I don't think everyone needs to here about the bastard man you took home last night. My favorite so far as been a full fledged argument that occurred on a bus to the supermarket. I thought one of them was going to throw a punch!
Also those who have mobile phones and haven't turned the buttons on silence I damn you right now. That is by far the worst part of mobiles on transit. people texting and all you here is beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep or click, click, click, click, click, click, you should have mobile privileges revoked until you fix it. Everyone has a mobile now, even the 10 year olds, no reason to make it make noise.
Okay I just realized that this post is making transit look really bad, but I never had these issues in Seattle but I will continue anyway. Music on trains. So the underground isn't exactly quiet and I get that you want to hear your music and all but if I can hear it across the train there is a problem. One night on the way home there was a young women sitting at one end of the train and there happened to be about 6 of us in the middle and we could hear her music loud and clear. One of the ladies started singing and we could stop laughing. She looked at us a couple of times trying to figure it out but she never got the hint. Sorry if you can't listen to your music at a reasonable level turn it off, I don't want to hear your Euro trance trash.
In all honesty the transit system is pretty good in London. I zone out for periods on end listening to music or reading the free newspapers handed out before you get on the train. Not everyone smell, only about half. Not everyone is rude, there are a few nice people among the nutters. Just another aspect of London that makes it endearing for all the right and wrong reasons.
I will try to get back to writing random rubbish more often. Talk to you all soon.
BY
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Edinburgh
So here is my proper post on mine and Alan's adventure in Scotland. I won't go into great detail because I think it is some place that if you have a chance to go to you should. It is amazing and just BEAUTIFUL. No other way to put, I have never seen anything like it.
So for basic background Edinburgh is, I don't know because Wiki is still down because Congress is being dumb currently (so my first draft was during the protest I just decided its easier to keep the made up facts). I could get around it but to be honest I'm just that lazy most the time. So here are my wonderful made up facts:
Edinburgh is really far north, and when staring at a map is more northern than parts of Scandinavia. It is on the North Sea, making it extremely windy and very old. The population is smaller than Glasgow, but both are pretty small compared to London, but then again most most cities are pretty small compared to London.
The city itself is built around a castle
We couldn't get into the castle because the weather was so horrid while we where there, more to come on that later.
So it is built on 2 levels. We stayed below the castle and had to climb a steep close to get up to where the center of Edinburgh was. Much like this one:
It is basically a tiny ally that one can walk. Suffice to say the one we took was so steep that I almost fell a number of times. I have since remedied that and bought a better pair of boots.
So back at the trip, it basically rained the entire time, like pissing rain with wind. Clothes were soaked and my socks were wet. It was either that it was raining and windy or the buildings were really old but stuff was falling from the sky. Chunks of buildings were just laying about on the sidewalk. Neither one of us died which was the good thing.
So besides the dominating castle there is also a palace at the end of the royal mile. Apparently she spends a month or two up there in the summer and hosts a very large party. They have a newly built parliament that doesn't fit in at all. I don't think anything that would be built to have a commanding presence in the city would necessarily fit in. It just seemed weird to me, especially considering it was across the street from the palace.
The whisky was good, it helped warm you up from the weather. They have a thing called the King Rib which will kill you. Basically it is a McRib deep fried. So nasty but worth eating one. But they fry everything up there, cheeseburgers, pizza, mars bars, it was pretty gross.
That is Edinburgh, I know there is stuff I'm forgetting but I plan on returning before my time is up in the UK. I am currently looking into my dissertation topic being the difference in governance between England, Wales and Scotland regarding the planning process. England and Wales are under one planning law, but the Scottish Parliament has planning under is jurisdiction. If I do decide to do that, I will most likely either move up there for a couple months or at least be visiting for periods of time to interview different mp's.
So for those who can't view my photos on facebook below are more photos I took.
So for basic background Edinburgh is, I don't know because Wiki is still down because Congress is being dumb currently (so my first draft was during the protest I just decided its easier to keep the made up facts). I could get around it but to be honest I'm just that lazy most the time. So here are my wonderful made up facts:
Edinburgh is really far north, and when staring at a map is more northern than parts of Scandinavia. It is on the North Sea, making it extremely windy and very old. The population is smaller than Glasgow, but both are pretty small compared to London, but then again most most cities are pretty small compared to London.
The city itself is built around a castle
So it is built on 2 levels. We stayed below the castle and had to climb a steep close to get up to where the center of Edinburgh was. Much like this one:
So back at the trip, it basically rained the entire time, like pissing rain with wind. Clothes were soaked and my socks were wet. It was either that it was raining and windy or the buildings were really old but stuff was falling from the sky. Chunks of buildings were just laying about on the sidewalk. Neither one of us died which was the good thing.
So besides the dominating castle there is also a palace at the end of the royal mile. Apparently she spends a month or two up there in the summer and hosts a very large party. They have a newly built parliament that doesn't fit in at all. I don't think anything that would be built to have a commanding presence in the city would necessarily fit in. It just seemed weird to me, especially considering it was across the street from the palace.
The whisky was good, it helped warm you up from the weather. They have a thing called the King Rib which will kill you. Basically it is a McRib deep fried. So nasty but worth eating one. But they fry everything up there, cheeseburgers, pizza, mars bars, it was pretty gross.
That is Edinburgh, I know there is stuff I'm forgetting but I plan on returning before my time is up in the UK. I am currently looking into my dissertation topic being the difference in governance between England, Wales and Scotland regarding the planning process. England and Wales are under one planning law, but the Scottish Parliament has planning under is jurisdiction. If I do decide to do that, I will most likely either move up there for a couple months or at least be visiting for periods of time to interview different mp's.
So for those who can't view my photos on facebook below are more photos I took.
Looking down the Royal Mile
Looking towards the North Sea
Alan admiring the North Sea and the new city
Looking back on the old town
The Queens Palace
A grave marker covered in rubbish
The cemetery was something else, all the head stones named the person buried as well as their occupation
Friday, January 6, 2012
Sorry I was gone
I haven't been on here in a while and I apologize about that. School had me twisted in the middle of December and here are the other reasons.
I went to Brighton, when I arrived it was pouring. The 2nd day was nice and then when I was leaving it poured.
I did some school work and generally tried to relax and promptly broke my computer. It is no more, thankfully they were able to pull everything off the hard drive, didn't have to rewrite any papers. It being Christmas Eve I went until the 27th. It is a nice new laptop, odd though, it has a UK keyboard. I have to check to make sure I'm using the right keys sometimes.
On the 28th Alan came to visit. I took him around London, we saw the sights and went to many pubs. We spent New Years in central London with 250,000 people watching the fireworks go off while having a pint tinny in front of Buckingham Palace with the Queen.
Alan and I then left for Scotland on the 2nd via train. Spent 3 soaked days wandering around Edinburgh. All it did was rain and if it wasn't raining the wind was blowing, but most the time it was happening at the same time. We had some whisky and it was good. Edinburgh is a great city.
Took the train to Liverpool after Edinburgh. Liverpool sucks. Everything is Beatles and shopping malls. It is supposed to be the culture capital of England, I call bs. The buildings were either boarded up or brand new, basically just a shitehole. Sorry Liverpool, but it needs to be told.
Alan and I are now back in London, I was nice enough to buy an air mattress, he was originally sleeping on the floor. So anyone that wants to visit there is a sleeping space somewhere in my 10 by 10 room.
We are going to the Spurs FA cup game tomorrow at White Hart Lane, so he will get the proper footballing experience at WHL tomorrow. After which we are going to get Indian food on bricklane.
On Sunday it appears as if we will be going to the Tate museum and possibly London museum, we will see.
Basically I broke a computer and have been traveling. Regularly scheduled updates with photos to resume shortly.
I went to Brighton, when I arrived it was pouring. The 2nd day was nice and then when I was leaving it poured.
I did some school work and generally tried to relax and promptly broke my computer. It is no more, thankfully they were able to pull everything off the hard drive, didn't have to rewrite any papers. It being Christmas Eve I went until the 27th. It is a nice new laptop, odd though, it has a UK keyboard. I have to check to make sure I'm using the right keys sometimes.
On the 28th Alan came to visit. I took him around London, we saw the sights and went to many pubs. We spent New Years in central London with 250,000 people watching the fireworks go off while having a pint tinny in front of Buckingham Palace with the Queen.
Alan and I then left for Scotland on the 2nd via train. Spent 3 soaked days wandering around Edinburgh. All it did was rain and if it wasn't raining the wind was blowing, but most the time it was happening at the same time. We had some whisky and it was good. Edinburgh is a great city.
Took the train to Liverpool after Edinburgh. Liverpool sucks. Everything is Beatles and shopping malls. It is supposed to be the culture capital of England, I call bs. The buildings were either boarded up or brand new, basically just a shitehole. Sorry Liverpool, but it needs to be told.
Alan and I are now back in London, I was nice enough to buy an air mattress, he was originally sleeping on the floor. So anyone that wants to visit there is a sleeping space somewhere in my 10 by 10 room.
We are going to the Spurs FA cup game tomorrow at White Hart Lane, so he will get the proper footballing experience at WHL tomorrow. After which we are going to get Indian food on bricklane.
On Sunday it appears as if we will be going to the Tate museum and possibly London museum, we will see.
Basically I broke a computer and have been traveling. Regularly scheduled updates with photos to resume shortly.
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