Pondhopping

With a foot on either side of the Atlantic, here are some observations about 2+ countries divided by a common language.

Cab Driver Wit and Wisdom

November 10, 2011
smelltherosesthumb

One thing I miss about living in London is the conversations I have with black cab drivers.  I always ask them if they’ve ever had any famous people in their cab, and I’ve yet to hear “no” for an answer.  It’s a good way to break the ice on a brief journey.  London cabbies are [...]

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You Can Take the Girl out of England…

November 6, 2011
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I distinctly remember the moment when I decided to give up sugar in my tea.  I was standing by the TV in my great-grandmother’s front room… aged five.  This should give you some idea of how long I’ve been drinking tea for. Today I am grateful that I am married to a man who knows [...]

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Found in Translation

February 20, 2010
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I think one of the joys of travel is having the experience of being a foreigner and trying to make ourselves understood. As a native English speaker, I’m fairly successful because my mother tongue is the most widely-spoken in the world – which means I can go almost anywhere and someone, somewhere will probably understand [...]

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Everything is Bigger in America

April 20, 2009
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I can’t think of a single manufactured thing that is physically bigger in Europe that it is in America, except for magnums of wine. I just returned from a week in Spain and lugged two back with me.  The only magnums I’ve seen Stateside are cheap, nasty bottles of plonk, retailing at less than 5 [...]

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Columbia Road Flower Market

April 9, 2009
East End Geezer on Columbia Road

My friends and neighbours in London introduced me to the rather wonderful slice of the East End. Columbia Road Flower Market sprouts every Sunday and its stalls sell a whole bunch of plants, trees, fruity things and flowers in pots down the actual Columbia Road, itself a small street lined with pretty shops selling books, [...]

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