Boxing Day marked my one month anniversary in London. While I can't believe it's already been a month, I sorely demonstrated how I'm still quite a newbie to this city. My mistake? Visiting Oxford Circus in the middle of the afternoon.
Wow. How naive I was to think it'd be fun to see the crowds! I felt like a country bumpkin in the big city watching the waves of shoppers and their unwavering commitment to shopping. Laden with bags, children, purses, phones, and take-away food, the shoppers carried on shopping: in and out of stores, queuing for fitting rooms, queuing for cashiers, flagging down buses. They weren't even phased by news that a stabbing had occurred just a few blocks away!
It was a pleasure coming home to a cup of tea, big bowl of homecooked food, and the promise that I'd never, ever do that again.
2 comments:
Yikes. Oxford Street on Boxing Day. Yes, not something that should be attempted unless you are (a) seriously shopping for bargains but aren't really fussy about what those bargains are; (b)have no qualms about wasting a non-refundable portion of your lifetime standing in queues that run up and down the length and breadth of each store; (c) a pickpocket; (d) well prepared with a full map and schedule of where you're going, what you're looking for and how long you're prepared to wait (such shoppers usually travel in packs); or (e) completely and utterly barking mad.
A cup of tea is not only the most sensible option, but the most English one - welcome!
I miss you.
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