London Town

My best friend and business partner Melany and I arrived in London on Tuesday morning (for the Fertility Show) after a loooooong 12 hour flight.  After taking 2349798734 hours to clear customs, get our luggage, find a cab, find the hotel etc, we finally offloaded our luggage and could relax.  For about 0,5 seconds.  We were going to take a nap and then we decided ARE YOU MAD! and decided to hit the shops instead.

OMG!  The shopping in London is unbelievable.  Seriously, you Londoners - I hope you appreciate what you have here. The choice is amazing. There are 17 different variations on everything. I have never seen so many different choices in sandwiches, hair mousse, shirts, shoes, CDs, designer wear, shampoos, deodorants... just everything.  Melany and I were like the village idiots with our mouths open.  The first day we spent about an hour in Boots just admiring the variety and choice in the haircare products.  

It is not that we dont have lovely shops in Cape Town, it is just that London has the lovely shops x100 in a 1000 different varieties. And I have heard America is even better (worse).  

Bottom line: shopping = awesome.  Expensive, but awesome.

Also, public transport system in London = awesome. You Brits are so lucky!  In South Africa there is hardly any (reliable, cheap, safe) public transport system. Here in London you just jump on the bus, hope on the tube, and there you are.  Except of course when there is a tube strike on and it takes you an HOUR to travel 10 kms. Grrr. 

** Aside:  Guy Fawkes night in London tonight. Fucking loud.  Never going to be able to get to sleep **

What has been so interesting for me to observe is how many foreigners there are in London!! Mel and I can't stop remarking on it.  In the 876'ish shops we have been into so far, about 875'ish of the shop assistants have been foreigners. Some of whom can't even speak English. It is crazy!  Where are all the English people?  So many foreigners here.  

London is an amazing place.  So hip and happening and cosmopolitan and cool etc, but I miss home. I am not sure I could live in London. The houses are so small, there are no gardens. And there is no sunshine!  I miss Africa, I miss the sunshine, the outdoors, the wide open spaces.  

London must be a fantastic place to live when you are footloose and fancy free.  We have had a great time while we have been here, one of the better trips I've had in a while, but I can't wait to get home.

Only two more sleeps till I see my husband and my kids!

PS met two fantastic blog readers today Rachel and Nicola - lovely meeting you girls :-)

PPS I have had a seriously fantastic time in London.  So lovely being here.

xx

Comments

[Kirsty]

So glad you enjoying it!! Next time you come (!!) you have to come visit us in suburbia-- we even have a garden ;)

[Beth]

So, when are you coming to America, Tertia? :-)

[Nina]

You better not be having an even lovelier time there, than you had over here!!!

[Michelle Robertson]

Glad you're having a good time. I love London, but also couldn't live there. What a shame our exchange rate prohibits us from visiting often.

[Marcia (123 blog)]

I also love London - only thing is you have to plan a gazillion hours to get anywhere by Tube. Fine when you're without kids though.

I don't actually know how people with babies schlep them around

Have you tried the sandwiches at EAT? They make a nice brie and cranberry baguette. Yummy!

P.S. the foreigners sound like Dublin - we could hardly find real Irish people in the shops :)

[Coral]

I found fast food, sandwiches etc, expensive, but the rest reasonable. A change from the last time I went to England and brought back hardly anything! (-\+ 18 yrs ago). The bus fares were exorbitant, but the convienience? great! But I wanted to wet wipe the buses down (yucky sticky). And I also loved my trip, I am back 4 weeks and would love to go back! (Did you think Terminal 1 in Heathrow was like a morgue? I was freaked out by it).

[Megan]

A random thought: in America when I am talking about a 1/2 second, I'll say it only takes point 5 seconds. But we would type that 0.5 seconds. You do it with a commma, how would you say that??

[Jean]

We Americans have variety to put it mildly. The cold medicine aisle alone is enough to make your head spin.

[Nicola]

Tertia, it was so wonderful to meet you too! I was so excited when we left the expo I was like a kid with a new toy. I realised only when I'd left (of course) that I didn't get to say many things to you, the most important being that I think you are just fabulous and amazing. Truly, you are one of my heroes. I love love love your blog, and even when you aren't posting, it's still my all-time best blog to be at!
I think of the small hurdle I have had and how hard it has been to recover emotionally, and then I think of everything you went through on your journey to motherhood, and how you just kept going and kept going and kept going... I am humbled by your strength and resilience.
And, yip, London rocks, but South Africa is the best of the best. It's just home.

[Jessica]

I also love the variety they have in London. Dig the clothes shopping, especially Top Shop. and Starbucks :). Nothing beats Cape Town though ;).

[Methyl-B12]

I always feel very happy to visit ur blog ,Nice That you are having a very good time.... I love London, me wanna go there soon ...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQVTXSgd2Cg To be honest you are the best heroes.....I Like your blog very much...Iam having my best time with ur blog...