Thursday, July 4, 2013

Checking in on London

It has been four years since the last time I was on a long distance plane ride. Four years since I was in another country, four years since I was in the UK and for years since I saw some amazing friends. And after about 30 hours flying I touched down on UK soil once again for some fun and games. 

The main reason I am here is for a wedding. You might say the wedding of the century. And as it will be the first wedding I will have ever been to I am going to class it as the wedding not only of the century but for the last couple of centuries. 

An almost 30 year old man and never been to a wedding you are asking yourselves? Well I blame my friends, get your lives together. 

So I want to talk about differences. Differences from the UK to Australia. The kind of things you would think, 'we'll gee whizz how have they not got/done this already'? 

Now for those many of you whom have already lived in the UK been to the UK or watch enough East Enders will know a lot of this will have already crossed your minds. But I feel it still warrants mentioning. 

Alcohol and places that sell alcohol. 

What I love is I can go into almost any grocery store and corner store and get myself a little bottle of something something. 

I had nipped in to Marks and Spencer on the way to get a train to Manchester to see my good old roomy I'd lived with in France. Inside I thought I'd also check out the booze section, I'm on holiday and felt like a little tipple. 

There on the shelf in front of me was purely the greatest invention I've ever seen. A wine glass filled with red wine only to be covered with a thin foil around the top. The kind of foil lid you would find on a yoghurt or jar of instant coffee. 

I've seen the bottle with glass attached to the lid but something so simple as a foil lid so all you have to do is tare and drink. Genius.

Why does Australia not have that already. When we can actually purchase booze from the grocery store then maybe, just maybe.

But fear not. Australia has one to make this 'who is better' more even. 

We have a simple name for a black coffee. I like to enjoy the taste of freshly made espresso, I don't like to spoil it with milks and sugars and flavours. And us simple folk call a black coffee with hot water a 'long black'. Simple. You know exactly what you are getting.

But here in this grey country they call it an Americano. WHAT? It has nothing to do with what it is. I will investigate this and come to a more educated decision by the next blog for y'all.

If you would like to follow the visual beauty of my journey hit me up on Instagram. @Jdog111