Living in a bedsit,
Riding on a tube train,
Working all day long,
And you know no one,
so you don't go out,
and you sit at home
and watch television
That's been running through my head all day! (Solitary Confinement - The Members)
All came from sitting on a tube waiting for it to move, somewhere between Earl's Court and High Street Kensington. It kind of spliced with Sound of The suburds (also by the members). I guess because i (technically) live in the suburbs, but man...it's far from tree lined avenues and people mowing their lawns. It becomes more and more like a shitty part of London everyday! I kind of envy people that live in America (I know i'm gonna get ripped by US and UK members alike) but...i dunno, people in London (and in my experience, most of the country) don't talk to anybody...there's no such thing as polite conversation anymore...because if someone talks to you, you assume (and i'm guilty of this too) that they
a) want something
b) are a nutter and/or psycho
c) are gonna mug/kill you and wear a body suit of your skin.
OK, maybe i exaggerate a little, but i had more conversations (brief or otherwise) with a stranger in 9 days in Boston than i've had in 21 years in my home towm...or even the whole country for that matter.
The worst part was that i didn't know how to deal with it...sort of smiled politely and bailed. Don't get me wrong, i love London (well, parts of it) but it really lacks a sense of community unless we are faced with tragedy. And that really saddens me.
Oh and someone put up an A4 poster in the kitchen at work (well, it has a coffee machine, fridge and microwave...does that constitute a kitchen) that basically says "Join The Christian Group"....i'm gonna stick a post-it under it saying "Free Thinkers Not Welcome".
Peace
I was in London a couple of months ago, and the thing that struck me as so bizzarre was the tubes. Like, they are so crammed, and you're right up on top of these strangers, almost indecently, and nobody says a word, or makes any eye contact. Like, here, if you're squished up on top of someone you either apologize, adn joke about it, or you hope to be getting some. But not there.
Odd.
A couple of months ago i was getting these messed up emails about how to be a good muslim, which involved being a good wife. Hmmm, imagine me a good obediant little wife, ha.
I just noticed in your profile, where, in the rudey bit, it says you're still with you're girlfriend from when you were 16, awwwww. Tell me about her. That is so amazing.
I noticed when I studied up North that everyone was seemingly friendlier. But you can get a bit in London too if you`re open to it and haven`t got your, `I`m busy keep the fuck away from me` face on.
Personally I like the anonimity.