London Calling

Three days ago, I arrived in London from Nairobi.  In this time, I have noticed how quickly and easily I have been readjusting to the convenience of the western world.  When I first arrived in London, I took note of some of the things used to seem so normal, but I have not actually seen much of in the past months.  For example:

• Market stalls all have 4 walls
• You can't bargain with shopkeepers (I actually walked out of a store in the airport hoping the shopkeeper would lower his price.  When e didn't chase after me, it hit me that I was on my way home).
• All houses are concrete structure, not just some of them.  Many have driveways.
• ALL streets are paved.
• The vast majority of people are white (and I can't yell out any words like mzungu)
• People sit on the terrace drinking coffee...and its not instant coffee.  It may even be imported from Kenya. 
• Signs for available credit and financing.
• Hearing sirens on the street.
• People on bicycles and motorcycles almost always wear helmets
• No one smiles, says hello or even looks at me on the street...no children wave at me as I pass by. (I no longer feel like a local celebrity)
• Everyone is in clean and trendy clothing.  Not many people are wearing any bright colours. Most men are in business suits.
• There are garbage bins throughout the city.

On my first day in London, I saw a sight that actually required me to sit down and take some time to reflect on what was happening.  I was walking around a neighbourhood called Kew (where I'm staying) and next to a cute little coffee shop I saw my first....Starbucks!  I couldn't go in! It made me feel guilty for being home(ish)!  It stands for everything that Africa is not.  I think they even see Kenyan coffee, which you can't buy in Kenya because it's all exported!  I decided to see how long I can go without going into a Starbucks.


The next day, I failed at my challenge.  I was walking around Piccadilly Circus at 7:00pm.  I had just bought tickets to go see Wicked in 2 nights time.  I was debating on where I could pick up some dinner before going home, when I walked passed the Prince of Whales Theatre and a big MAMMA MIA! sign.  Dinner or play?  The play started at 7:30pm, so if I could get a ticket, what would I do for dinner.  I got the ticket (3rd row) and started my search for convenient food.  They only served little smoked salmon and cream cheese at the bar and I had just gotten exactly that from Harrods at lunch and ate it in Hyde Park (just wanted to be able to say that I got a Harrods sandwich, which didn't cost me my right arm, and ate it in Hyde Park).  I ran out of the theatre (7:15pm) and did a quick scan...Pleeeease let there be anything but....booourns! Starbucks.  I swallowed my pride and accepted that eating a Starbucks sandwich was worth it for Mamma Mia.  It was at that moment that I accepted my rapid return back into the world of convenience that I once knew.  I don't think it's going to take me as long as I thought it would for me to adjust.


London life has been really good overall.  I've been making my way around town on the Tube and by foot. I've been to: 

• The Victoria & Albert Museum
• Buckingham Palace
• Hype Park
• Harrods
• St. James's Palace (saw the mini changing of the guards- not so exciting and 2 of the guards kept chatting to each other)
• Saw Mamma Mia and Wicked- both great shows!
• British Museum
• Westminster Abbey
• A lot of other places that I've stumbled upon because I keep getting lost (4 consecutive left turns in this city does not take you in a circle!)

In order to make my transition a little easier, Iain (the friend I'm staying with) took me on a walking safari through a park in Richmond.  I saw:

• a squirrel on a garbage can
• dogs on leashes
• horses in the distance
• and like with every safari, there were lots of antelopes.  They were bigger than impala and had much cooler antlers.  In Canada, we call them deer.  There were so many, just chilling in the park.

I'm off today to see St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels.  

I'm back home on Monday!!! CRAZINESS!!!! That means pics will be up sometime in the next decade...kidding.  They'll be up soon.


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ps. Yes, rumours are true that I went rafting down the Nile, just like Baby Moses. (although he would have flipped on these rapids without our guide!)