What's Different

Pin It now! as i reach the middle of my 3 month stint in london, i really should post more than just all the food i've eaten. this is an adventure that i was lucky enough to have and i still can't believe that i'm working in london. i should be posting about what's happening to me here, and how it's changing me. i have a terrible memory (one of the reasons i started this blog), so i better keep writing!

ok, let's start with my thoughts on what is noticeably different here in london, other than the obvious fact that things are different since i'm in a different country. (i think it's my american-centric mind that forgets the US isn't the center of the universe or that NYC isn't the best place on earth. who am i kidding, i totally beleive that).

- there is no obsession with weather forecasting on tv like there is in ny. every basic NYC channel has a doppler or futurecast system that's seems to be connected to the government's space satellite and produces ridiculously hi-tech weather forecasts. sometimes they're not correct, but i still love to see whether i should wear my rainboots to work that morning or not. here in london, with the weather so unpredictable, you would think they would have a more advanced way of showing weather. instead the news show in the morning i watch has a cardboard map with stick-on clouds that have the temperature for the day for each region of the entire united kingdom. no radar, no doppler. i only point out this difference since i love local broadcast news, and that it's always on in the morning and again at 5pm, 6pm, 10pm and 11pm. americans love their local news, even it's just a repeat of the news that was on an hour before. i love it because i feel connected with the world. is that sad?

- things are always a little off here. i know that's a very broad statement, and again it's an observation coming from an american who hasn't traveled much. for example, when hubby and i went to a pizza place for dinner when he was here, they brought out a pizza pie without cutting it into slices. he asked whether it could be cut, and the waitress said it wasn't cut because he didn't ask for it to be cut when he ordered it. is that how it works? although someone told us that it's traditional not to cut pizza into slices in italy either.

- patterned black tights are all the rage with the ladies. fishnet, flowers, stripes, dots, you name it, they'll wear it. plus, the ladies, in my office at least, are much more stylish than in my office in nyc. it's not to say nyc isn't stylish (come on!), but in the workplace, the ladies of london dress much professional chic. more skirts and dresses. cuter button downs and sweaters. i'm loving it, and will be bringing some inspiration back.

- COFFEE! you already know my obsession with coffee. here in london and i think most of europe, they're fanatics about caffeine. they drink their espressos and lattes like water. try to find a regular cup of coffee though! for "regular" coffee, you have to ask for drip or filter coffee, otherwise if you order just black coffee, they look at you like you're a stupid american. i haven't found a good cup of local drip coffee yet, so i'm just surviving on starbucks. you can't go wrong since you always know what you're going to get.