We also experienced anti-USian sentiment in London (summer of 07). Still loved it and had a great trip, but it was a bit...chilly. The French we encountered while we were in Paris, OTOH, were wonderfully pleasant. Was the opposite of what I thought might happen.
I'm just trying to tell you that we have nothing in common besides both of us liking your penis.
Anya ,'Dirty Girls'
Spike's Bitches 45: That sure as hell wasn't in the brochure.
[NAFDA] Spike-centric discussion. Lusty, lewd (only occasionally crude), risqué (and frisqué), bawdy (Oh, lawdy!), flirty ('cuz we're purty), raunchy talk inside. Caveat lector.
Glamcookie - Jun 30, 2010 1:18:26 pm PDT #24326 of 30000
I know my own heart and understand my fellow man. But I am made unlike anyone I have ever met. I dare to say I am like no one in the whole world. - Anne Lister
Toddson - Jun 30, 2010 1:18:43 pm PDT #24327 of 30000
Friends don't let friends read "Atlas Shrugged"
I remember hearing that London cab drivers are required to know every nook and cranny of the city ... which, coming from a place where a comedian remarked that when you catch a cab into town from the airport you're both seeing the city for the first time, is a charming idea.
sj - Jun 30, 2010 1:20:31 pm PDT #24328 of 30000
"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."
Sean, how long are you in London? What do you plan on doing while you're there?
Trudy Booth - Jun 30, 2010 1:20:34 pm PDT #24329 of 30000
Greece's financial crisis threatens to take down all of Western civilization - a civilization they themselves founded. A rather tragic irony - which is something they also invented. - Jon Stewart
Heh. No, I don't think that's it. It has nothing to do with the actual words being spoken, and everything to do with smiles, attitude, friendliness/helpfulness.
Sure, but its easier to be utterly achingly charming to someone if you can cuss them out with them standing right there and they don't even know it.
I remember hearing that London cab drivers are required to know every nook and cranny of the city ... which, coming from a place where a comedian remarked that when you catch a cab into town from the airport you're both seeing the city for the first time, is a charming idea.
The Knowledge! [link]
DavidS - Jun 30, 2010 1:20:38 pm PDT #24330 of 30000
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
I remember hearing that London cab drivers are required to know every nook and cranny of the city
They have to take a test. It's called The Knowledge.
xpost!
tommyrot - Jun 30, 2010 1:21:29 pm PDT #24331 of 30000
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.
I remember hearing that London cab drivers are required to know every nook and cranny of the city ...
Yeah, it takes lots of study to become a London cab driver.
eta: also x-posty, except my x-post was lame....
§ ita § - Jun 30, 2010 1:22:10 pm PDT #24332 of 30000
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
London taxi drivers are the BOMB DIGGETY. They're so cool, they even had their own TV series. Seriously, 2 times out of three I have to give directions for ten minute cab rides from my house. In London, you have to study the entire freaking A to Z and pass the Knowledge.
Of course, this would make me very grumpy, if I had all that in my head, but surprisingly I never had that experience.
I did have quite the culture shock moving to the UK, though. Definitely not as randomly friendly as Jamaica. We got a lot of MYOB looks. In Jamaica, we'd just say hi to anyone walking past our house, for no reason (and I was technically a shy kid). In London I was soon disabused of that as a fun way to pass the time.
But people were rarely outright rude to me when I needed help or anything.
Though there was one time I got spat at for being American...which, you know, makes you get really vocal about not actually being American.
Laga - Jun 30, 2010 1:23:02 pm PDT #24333 of 30000
You should know I'm a big deal in the Resistance.
My Jamaican cab driver had a "gas grass or ass" sign above the rearview.
sj - Jun 30, 2010 1:23:13 pm PDT #24334 of 30000
"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."
It is nice in London to just be able to say, I want to go the the British museum, etc, without have to give them the address or tell them what it is near. They just know.
Sean K - Jun 30, 2010 1:34:14 pm PDT #24335 of 30000
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty
I'm only in London for one day. No specific plans for the day, other than seeing the play in the evening.
I also suspect at least some of the friendliness I experienced in Italy and (briefly) in Paris stems from the fact that I am able to say hello, goodbye, yes, no, please, thank you and "Sorry, I am an American and I don't speak your language very well" in Italian, French and German (for the few German tourists we ran into), with rather impeccable pronunciation.
Also, as an aside, I was very VERY amused by Italians speaking to each other. Pretty much every time I watched two or more Italians speaking to each other, I found myself wondering, "Is there gonna be a fight?"
And I strongly suspect that each time, they were having a friendly conversation about the weather, and were in complete agreement with each other.