My Blue Heaven

I agree with most of this, but especially with points 1 and 2. It’s always great to find someone similarly-minded.

As for commuting in London, I hope I’m not one of the people you despise. I live 45 minutes away on the high speed line and regularly travel in in the evening to catch concerts. I think it’s towards the end of the rush hour when I arrive, and I’m usually in a hurry (I always walk fast anyway, and can’t stand dawdlers).

Inconsiderate people on public transport isn’t confined to London. People talking loudly on phones, playing music through their tinny phone speaker, and groups of drunk people (going back to #2) all detract from the travelling experience. I used to think what a waste of money travelling first class must be, but my ambition now is to earn enough one day that I can do so without thinking twice. It’s not the leather seats or extra legroom I’m after, but the chance to escape the people in standard class!

Fat people on transport annoy me too. Often it’s not possible for anyone to sit in the seat next to a fat person. If they overspill their seat, they should pay for two tickets! And on aircraft, everyone should have a weight allowance (body + bags combined) rather than a baggage allowance. If I weight 30kg less than a fat person, why shouldn’t I taken an extra 30kg bag, rather than subsidising their journey? It’s also very annoying in the sales to see all the cheap XXXL clothes, but nothing in size S – put a tax on large size clothes I say!

I think we diverge a bit when it gets to #10. I think spending money on fancy coffee is a waste (unless it’s when meeting someone, in which case the person, not the coffee, is important). We probably have different ideas about what constitutes dancing and music too.

Sorry, I didn’t mean this reply to be so long!

PS I like your videos!

Heh heh heh… nice!

This reminds me that I have a couple of blogs to write that I keep putting off… One about good versus crap coffee…

*slightly* bitchy, you say? 😉

tr00b

Sounds like London is having an effect on you.

Sending you a virtual basket which includes:

–Jazz Chillout III: 2CD (Vol3) (CD)
–Voucher for 5 night package at Camp Eden Health Retreat (in Qld) in a Valley View Deluxe Room (no caffeine/alcohol or processed food)
-Voucher for Jungle Expedition Tour in Honolulu “Board your 6-wheel drive Swiss Pinzgauer and rumble along jungle trails and up a lush, remote valley for fantastic ocean and mountain views”
-Voucher for a personalised TShirt ..”Individuality. That’s what Gail Schneider Designs are all about. Sassy, trendy, classic, … Contemporary T’s and Tanks that complement women of all ages. And because no top is ever exactly duplicated, you can be confident that you’re wearing a signature piece.Gail’s Designer T-shirts are worn by Britney Spears– 0_0 –and Demi Moore and has recently had her shirts in the Emmy Awards and MTV Goodie bags!
-Voucher for a Skin Softening Experience – A “Milk and Honey Cocoon” body treatment
-Gift Certificate for two, for a 2.5hr “Segway” tour (those motorised one person scooter things).. of the Arts district in Philadelphia, USA. (Includes wireless headset, training & equipment)
-Gift Voucher for a “Cranio Sacral Therapy” session. .more than a head massage
-Italian Lesson for two people (2 hours) with an Italian Professor from Genoa
-Voucher for two for a “Discover Harlem” Walking Tour (NYC)
-One Week Surf Camp for two in Brazil “Learn to surf from the best and most experienced instructors. Also included in your trip are: three meals a day, night outings, tours, one hour massage, one hour boat tour, and many other activities the hotel has to offer”
-One month “Private Concierge Service”
-Voucher for a ZERO gravity experience “Weightless Flight (also known as Parabolic Flight) “…
-Private Plane Charter (1 return flight within Europe)
-Stretch Hummer gift certificate (3 hours)
-Personal Chef for a week “Come home to personally prepared meals for the entire week. Your experience will begin with a consultation; where you will discuss and personalise your menu”
-Novelty Mug (in shape of turd) that reads “Is it me or is everything shit?”
-Novelty Swear Box (Tells you off after you put a coin in)
-2 cans of Silly String
-2 Inflatable Sumo costumes (Take someone on with some wrestling)!
-Basket of Body Butter’s (Coconut, Vanilla, Oatmeal/Cinnamon etc)
-Bella Cucina Artichoke Dip Set
-Tea Ceremony Gift Box (Includes 20 silken tea infusers. Comes with cups and ceramic tea trays for resting the infusers)
-One “Chocolate Lava Cake”
-Pear & Cheese Basket (Comes with 4 kinds of pears and 4oz of Cheddar Cheese)
-Chalkboard 7 oz candle. Candle Jar is a chalkboard you can write things on each time you light it – Soy Wax Candle, comes with 3 coloured pieces of chalk. Persian Fig scent.
-Indonesian Celebration necklace from redenvelope.com
-Natal Plum Bonsai tree
-Two x one way tickets to Australia, business class

Love,
Maria xo

Wow! I’m a bit surprised by this post Kazzart…it doesn’t sound like you at all. It definitely sounds like you were having a bad day at the time. Although I haven’t been to London (let alone most of Europe) I have lived in big cities before (LA, SF, Tokyo, NY) and I can understand that it does get rough at times. I’d trade places with you in a heartbeat. London may have its negatives but I’d kill to live there and experience life there (maybe I’m being a bit too wide-eyed and naive). I don’t know if I’d be able to handle all the fried foods especially all the meat dishes (I’m a vegetarian) but I’d be game to try. You’ve mentioned that the Japanese food is junk there but that Indian and European cuisines are not bad and that the chocolate is to die for. I don’t think you are alone in your complaints. People are the same anywhere you go be it Europe or here in the US and it’s funny how the fast food places serve the same crap. Cheers. – P.S. I really enjoyed your recent YouTube posts on your recent 29th birthday trip to Spain and the dancing classes. Definitely keep up the great work!

@Jonathan: Thanks for you comment and discussion. 🙂 Interesting take on the fat ppl thing.. probably further than I would take it, though I have considered the approach that perhaps overweight people should cycle to work rather than catch the train.. this would solve 2 problems in 1!

@tr00b: Ooh do write. I’d be interested to read. 🙂 And yes.. only slightly.. anyway you already see the brunt of it on a regular basis on twitter lols.

@Maria: Hahahah girl you are awesome!!! 😀 That virtual basket is just perfect and made me smile. 😀 You sure do know how to spoil… *hugs* You’ve even given me a few ideas.. where do I find that “Is it me or is everything shit?” mug anyway? Lol. Thanks again.. you are so sweet! 🙂

@JMaruyama: I guess it shows you don’t really know me very well at all. 🙂 Not surprising really, since you only see what I post on youtube, which really isn’t very much. But anway – honestly I think you are seeing London from a naive perspective. Which is only natural if you’ve never been here. I was like that too before I came here.. I had all these great visions about what it would be like to live in London – none of them bad of course.

As for comparing with other cities. Well you can’t really compare London with the rest of (non-uk) Europe because continental european cities have a MUCH better lifestyle.. there is just no comparison with London. The whole culture and mindset is completely different. I would LOVE to move there if I could speak the language. eg my experience of living in Frankfurt for 2.5 months & Kwai’s 6 month stint there showed us a lot about the differences – and many other expats from London who worked in Frankfurt and other parts of continental Europe understand this difference too. As for other countries.. I think it is commonly known that the only other city like London in terms of its high-paced hectic stressful lifestyle would be downtown New York. Except New York is a lot cheaper to live in than London!

And finally cuisines. You are right with the Indian cuisine – it is pretty darned good here. That is one good thing here. Other asian cuisine is otherwise pretty poor (japanese, thai, vietnamese, chinese, malay, korean etc). Also surprisingly, some european cuisine is actually pretty bad too.. like italian. It is VERY hard to find authentic, good italian food here. You can find very good french food – albeit at an EXTREMELY high cost. I think one newspaper article put it thus: it is cheaper to fly to New York and eat dinner at the Gordon Ramsey restaurant there than it is to eat at Ramsey’s in London. I think that pretty much sums up cuisine here – its great if you have LOADS of money. The gap between fine and cheap food in terms of quality and cost is very large. The saying “you get what you pay for” holds all too true here. Which is fine if you don’t care about what you eat and the quality of your food. If you’re willing to eat shitty sandwiches with ham and mayo everyday, then hey you’re happy as larry! Which is sadly the case with a lot of brits.. and to think about it.. it is actually even probably one of the causes of this food indifference. Many just don’t know any better because it’s how they were brought up. Afterall, which family struggling with soaring housing and living costs, demanding jobs, with barely time to cook more than microwave meals, can afford time or money to shell out on buying decent food or actually cook decent meals? (One of the reasons I would never EVER raise a family here).

I read your comments on public transportation in London. I think I got you beat with our beloved MUNI in San Francisco. Also known as rolling mental health clinics. Here is my top ten! http://www.ziorant.com/?p=8

Just a thought but…have you thought about maybe taking
language lessons,you’re young,you’re clearly not enjoying London life,the world is your oyster, yadda yadda yadda.Your dream of living on the continent could become a reality.People do it all the time.

These are some of the reasons why I hate (big) cities.
Beach and country are the healthiest thing for a human being live 🙂

Sending hugs.. even though I’m so behind on YouTube video’s… Hope you’re well xox

brahahhahaha, great job !!!!!!! I love this kinda humor… all points were so right !!!! ;-))) … sign the petition against stooooopid people right here n now… :-)) … LOOOOL@ human walls… we have a similar term here in germany, loool… they are the pest !!!! :-)) … laterrrrrr