Chrisonomicon

Sunday, May 5, 2002

Well, forget principle. I suppose I ought to admit to myself that when I don't feel like writing, it simply isn't going to happen unless I'm in front of a computer with nothing better to do which, while the reason for a large quantity of writing on this site, isn't really a reason I'm particularly proud of. A quote by G.K. Chesterton:

There is more simplicity in the man who eats caviar on impulse than in the man who eats grape nuts on principle.

Work has been really light so I've taken it upon myself to tour as much of the city as possible, mainly catching the sights around SoHo and Central London (Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, etc.) and hunting out the gay pubs and areas. I managed to connect with a nice German fellow named Bjørn who was kind enough to take me out; Portabello Street for some antique shopping, bangers and mash (English slang for sausages and mashed potatoes), afternoon tea, miles of city touring, and dinner at Wagamama (Japanese noodle restaraunt). There are so many beautiful people here, it's dizzying.

The culture mix here is really incredible. It's about twice as diverse as any city in the States, with huge Indian, Pakistani, and Middle Eastern populations. In the U.S., it's mainly a conglomeration of black, white, hispanic, and asian but over here, in addition to those, there's a plethora of African ethnicities, South Americans, Europeans, and Middle Easterners thrown into the mix. Much due to the great impact of early English imperialism, but the location of London in relation to everything else in the world might have something to do with it too.

Driving is slowly becoming second nature to me and I'm finally to the point where I can drive on auto-pilot, manoeuvre roundabouts without a pause or second thought, and navigate this web of London. Some interesting things to note about driving in England:

• Traffic lights turn yellow before turning green again. Very handy.
• No left turns on red lights.
• Going "through" a roundabout means to go half-way around it and continue on the same road. Turning right at a roundabout means to go three-quarter's distance around, and left is one-quarter's.
• A crosswalk is denoted by a squiggly line in the road.
• All distances here are in miles, not kilometers.

Big circuit party last night at The Fridge. Great strippers. Lots of friendly people. It's been a while since I've been out clubbing on my own, and to do it in a big city like this felt rather awkward. After a Red Bull and a few long, sultry glances from a variety of shirtless, sweaty guys on the dance floor, however, I was finally able to get into the groove. Met a beautiful guy from South Africa who had short blond hair, brown eyes, and the thickest, sexiest... accent.

On the home front, it's been difficult being away from Chris not only missing him, but also being faced with the multitude of temptation here. I'm generally not very good about holding up under those kinds of conditions, but I'm making my momma proud. Keeping myself busy has probably had a lot to do with that.