The Neutral Zone

Hannah and I spent five days in London after our trip in Scotland. We were working for most of that time, so it's not like we were whiling away the hours at the Tate or Saint Paul's. Hannah spent her time walking across London from one client meeting to another, so she took in more of the city than I did (I used the tube to commute around), but nonetheless, I think we can keep this pretty short. Also, we've visited and commented on London before (see here , here ). Pedestrian Cross Walks Throughout the UK, and particularly in London, most crosswalks include an advisory painted into the street urging pedestrians to check for traffic by looking either to the left or right (always the direction you are unaccustomed to checking as an American). This is - I think - one of the strongest indicators that people in Britain are perhaps driving on the wrong side of the road. In effect, the British government feels that in order to keep some meaningful number of pedestrians alive a lit...

London, England - Hannah and I went to London this weekend. Hannah had work there and will stay on longer. I came to enjoy the weekend with her.  We arrived later Friday and passed out in our hotel, the Hoxton, which has a trendy hipster vibe. It was conveniently located for our purposes in southwark, near the Tate. The Hoxton has clean, new, comfortable accommodations that are on the snug side.  The Mother Tongue There is a certain measure of relief that comes when you return from a country that doesn't speak your native tongue to one that does. In Switzerland most people speak English, but I always prepare my crappy German for the unlikely eventuality that someone does not. When entering shops, I think carefully about what I want and how I would ask for that using the most boneheadedly simple grammatical phrase that matches the limitations of my German. Even if the salesperson speaks English, there's a decent chance it's a rough English, so I'll have to simplify...