The US verses the UK. Similar but different.
At first glance, birds, squirrels, knobs, switches, levers, handles, toilets, breakfast, trains, blackberries, hotel lights…. seem the same. Quickly, they turn out not to be the same.
Right away, crows are different. Or, rather, they have Jackdows, which look like crows. They are among the crow family.
Their squirrels are red and they are very concerned for the stability because of the gray squirrels. They do not like the gray ones. I saw some traps set up in trees to catch them (in Ireland specifically, as they are equally concerned).
I watched red squirrels playing in Bloomsbury park.
Smell. I don’t know how to explain it, it simply does not smell like home there. Even out of London, the countryside, has its own smell, kind of sweet, old, English. I inhaled a lot of air deeply, let it roll around in my olfactory stations. It was new. It was fun.
I learned some terms. One nice/gruff older taxi driver (he said he has been in London “since a lad”) taught me the term, “bolshy.” It is short for Bolshivec. He said it was for people who are jerks but think they are superior. He enjoyed using the term, and I liked his flair and gusto with it. Later, I looked more into the term and realized I was probably bolshy.
This term was used with malice against Eleanor Roosevelt, probably because she was too socialist and kept bringing up the poor. So, that was super bolshy.
You know what’s the same in both places? Qigong. Yep, exactly the same. A group of us were gathered early, from 7-8 a.m. to warm up for the day by doing Qigong. The leader said that the image or character for “relax” is a pine tree. He recommended that we “be” the pine tree: tall, still, strong. If you actually do this, you do feel more relaxed as well as grounded. This was great to do as I was still out of it from jet lag.
I was clumsy in the UK. I am not clumsy in the US. In England, and later, Ireland, I tripped over and into things. Being there is like being in a dream where regular life objects don’t mesh. It’s as if the gravitational forces are a few degrees off.
There are a lot of decisions to make about moving through space. You have to try this, not at home.
In Ireland, they have signs in the parks saying, “bin the poo.” If a house is sold, the sign says “sales agreed.” In the UK, they call flu shots “flu jabs.” Both places have foxes, tons of foxes! No raccoons.
Wrapping it up, traditional breakfast in the UK is eggs, sausage, pig bladder, beans (of no flavor) and tea. I quickly found the best alternative: porridge with yogurt, fruit, and tea. I will say the Indian food there is wonderful! I had chickpea something nearly every day.
