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UK trip - a belated report.
So I'm a useless bastard and have been delaying on this for, what, a week now? To my defense, I've been out late almost every evening of last week, which would tend to show I have more of a life than I tend to think. Eh.
So. I've been to England to visit![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
makali, because he's nice and I like him -- and, truth be told, I was in a mood to grab my bag and go someplace foreign, for the heck of it.
Here are a collection of thoughts collected on the way, before I forget.
* God did I choose the right week to fly. Just one week later and things would have been a heck of a lot less pleasant. Not that we didn't have our share of terrism! Some poor dude forgot his luggage somewhere, and the area was immediately cordoned off so the security personnel could safely detonate it. The French, being French, thought that very cool and all gathered around the cordoned area to gleefully watch the proceedings. This is the sort of stuff that still makes me like this country. *g*
* I so love taking the plane. I managed to get a seat next to the window both ways, which is the way I like it. Somehow being above the clouds consistently makes me happy. This is something that never ceases to amaze me. We, as a species, mustered the power to fly above the clouds. You'd think we'd be enlightened enough to stop bashing each other over the head by now.
* So what's the big deal about London's public transportation? The tube trains are clean, the maps are clear, and you always know, by LED panels or voice announcement, where you are and where you are going to. Okay, so they're small and consequently too hot, but gee. Come take the metro in Paris, people. One thing, though: the tube is not so terribly well organized, and when there are renovation in the works on some line, getting where you want is a pain. Otherwise... Seriously. Paris needed the Olympic Games money a heck of a lot more. :P
* I have never, to this day, puzzled out why foreign foods -- Chinese, Japanese, etc -- vary so much from country to country. You'd think they'd be, you know... Japanese. Chinese, respectively. But no. There's French-Chinese, French-Japanese, English-Chinese, English-Japanese and so on. Makali took me to some Chinese restaurant with some wonderful stuff I've never, ever found in France. Now I'll have to visit him again to get more of it, feh. :)
* Oh, speaking of food: someday, fish'n'chips will be the death of me. Fish'n'chips is GREASY LOVE. Wasn't it for my arteries, which are already banging against my chest in protest, I'd have more of it.
* And speaking of English traditions... You know what they say about England spending its time in pubs? It's an understatement. During the few days I was there, we've been to, what... Seven, eight pubs? (Speaking of which -- Rimou, if you read this, Chris Hawks says hi. Tambako, Kiroo says hi.) Makali says it was exceptional, and nonono, he doesn't spend that much time in pubs usually, not at all. Right. :) Good thing I like beer! Oh, and also, random English girls in random English pubs find it awesome that I speak French. No, I don't get what the big deal is either, but eh, I'm not going to disdain something that interests girls in me, am I. :)
* But England also has a lot to it beside pubs and a weather that makes you love the rest of the world! It has great TV series. And Makali introduced me to that Doctor Who thing I've been hearing about so much. The werewolf was cute. :) I've also start watching Life On Mars, which I want to see more of. Dayamn. Aaaand I want to discover Red Dwarf, too, as I've been hearing a lot about it as well.
* Oh, I found Oblivion in its non-sucky English version (with Patrick Stewart, mrrr). After looking all over the freaking place. It was sold out everywhere. Tsh.
* My English seems to have improved a little bit more still. I'm now able to have, like, half a conversation withgareth_rehal on the phone. I kid you not. A major step up from last year, where I could understand, what, 10% of what he said (up from 1% the year before). When I can understand him perfectly, I'll declare myself fluent in English. :) But, really, I feel like I've made progress. Makali, Morpy Queue and I went to the movies, and I understood about all of Over The Hedge. Don't mock me! Last time I went to the movies in another country without handy subtitles, it didn't go over so well. I've also proved able to go on about camels for a good 10 minutes without stop (which I'm blaming entirely on English beer). It's true! Camels are vastly underrated creatures, and I learned a lot about them in Africa. Perhaps I'll post about them someday, should I find a sufficient supply of English beer.
There's a reason why the above is not trivial at all to me. See... Due to my trouble with understanding spoken English, in addition to being half-deaf, when I find myself in any English speaking social situation, all it takes is people beginning to speak a bit too fast, and I quickly find myself way outside of the conversation. The first few times, you can try to have people repeat a bit slower; then you're too concerned you'll be a bother, and you give up, and you just laugh when the others do. It's insanely alienating. If I've ever been in such a situation with you, and I ended up stalking off in silence to go sit alone, there's the reason. It's nothing you did; it's me.
But hell, I've improved, and I can almost, almost manage it now. And someday, someday, I won't have to laugh because the others do anymore.
* Informal furmeets are cool. Makali and I stayed over atgrowf's place, along with kimbalion and laha; good times! It's not often that I get to meet people so wonderfully weird that I get to feel normal in comparison. :) You guys are great, I hope to see more of you! Oh, and next time I find myself with leftover... stuff... You can have it, Laha, no prob. 0:)
Also, Bruce, you're very awesome, and I won't forget that I owe you something. :)
In unrelated news... I've started making up with a formerly very close friend with whom things had been pretty bad lately. I'll put it chastely and say this is a bit of a relief.
So. I've been to England to visit
makali, because he's nice and I like him -- and, truth be told, I was in a mood to grab my bag and go someplace foreign, for the heck of it.Here are a collection of thoughts collected on the way, before I forget.
* God did I choose the right week to fly. Just one week later and things would have been a heck of a lot less pleasant. Not that we didn't have our share of terrism! Some poor dude forgot his luggage somewhere, and the area was immediately cordoned off so the security personnel could safely detonate it. The French, being French, thought that very cool and all gathered around the cordoned area to gleefully watch the proceedings. This is the sort of stuff that still makes me like this country. *g*
* I so love taking the plane. I managed to get a seat next to the window both ways, which is the way I like it. Somehow being above the clouds consistently makes me happy. This is something that never ceases to amaze me. We, as a species, mustered the power to fly above the clouds. You'd think we'd be enlightened enough to stop bashing each other over the head by now.
* So what's the big deal about London's public transportation? The tube trains are clean, the maps are clear, and you always know, by LED panels or voice announcement, where you are and where you are going to. Okay, so they're small and consequently too hot, but gee. Come take the metro in Paris, people. One thing, though: the tube is not so terribly well organized, and when there are renovation in the works on some line, getting where you want is a pain. Otherwise... Seriously. Paris needed the Olympic Games money a heck of a lot more. :P
* I have never, to this day, puzzled out why foreign foods -- Chinese, Japanese, etc -- vary so much from country to country. You'd think they'd be, you know... Japanese. Chinese, respectively. But no. There's French-Chinese, French-Japanese, English-Chinese, English-Japanese and so on. Makali took me to some Chinese restaurant with some wonderful stuff I've never, ever found in France. Now I'll have to visit him again to get more of it, feh. :)
* Oh, speaking of food: someday, fish'n'chips will be the death of me. Fish'n'chips is GREASY LOVE. Wasn't it for my arteries, which are already banging against my chest in protest, I'd have more of it.
* And speaking of English traditions... You know what they say about England spending its time in pubs? It's an understatement. During the few days I was there, we've been to, what... Seven, eight pubs? (Speaking of which -- Rimou, if you read this, Chris Hawks says hi. Tambako, Kiroo says hi.) Makali says it was exceptional, and nonono, he doesn't spend that much time in pubs usually, not at all. Right. :) Good thing I like beer! Oh, and also, random English girls in random English pubs find it awesome that I speak French. No, I don't get what the big deal is either, but eh, I'm not going to disdain something that interests girls in me, am I. :)
* But England also has a lot to it beside pubs and a weather that makes you love the rest of the world! It has great TV series. And Makali introduced me to that Doctor Who thing I've been hearing about so much. The werewolf was cute. :) I've also start watching Life On Mars, which I want to see more of. Dayamn. Aaaand I want to discover Red Dwarf, too, as I've been hearing a lot about it as well.
* Oh, I found Oblivion in its non-sucky English version (with Patrick Stewart, mrrr). After looking all over the freaking place. It was sold out everywhere. Tsh.
* My English seems to have improved a little bit more still. I'm now able to have, like, half a conversation with
gareth_rehal on the phone. I kid you not. A major step up from last year, where I could understand, what, 10% of what he said (up from 1% the year before). When I can understand him perfectly, I'll declare myself fluent in English. :) But, really, I feel like I've made progress. Makali, There's a reason why the above is not trivial at all to me. See... Due to my trouble with understanding spoken English, in addition to being half-deaf, when I find myself in any English speaking social situation, all it takes is people beginning to speak a bit too fast, and I quickly find myself way outside of the conversation. The first few times, you can try to have people repeat a bit slower; then you're too concerned you'll be a bother, and you give up, and you just laugh when the others do. It's insanely alienating. If I've ever been in such a situation with you, and I ended up stalking off in silence to go sit alone, there's the reason. It's nothing you did; it's me.
But hell, I've improved, and I can almost, almost manage it now. And someday, someday, I won't have to laugh because the others do anymore.
* Informal furmeets are cool. Makali and I stayed over at
growf's place, along with kimbalion and laha; good times! It's not often that I get to meet people so wonderfully weird that I get to feel normal in comparison. :) You guys are great, I hope to see more of you! Oh, and next time I find myself with leftover... stuff... You can have it, Laha, no prob. 0:)Also, Bruce, you're very awesome, and I won't forget that I owe you something. :)
In unrelated news... I've started making up with a formerly very close friend with whom things had been pretty bad lately. I'll put it chastely and say this is a bit of a relief.