An Anniversary

One year ago today was the beginning of my London adventure—the date of our departure.

It seems both longer ago—like in a different lifetime—and at the same time it's hard to believe it's been that long. Since the memories, and the very flavor of that time, are very much still with me.

Although I like where I live [it's been a little too hot this summer for me to be able to say I love it], and I love my country and my job, occasionally I miss my time in London so keenly and profoundly it almost takes my breath away. It's an experience I wouldn't trade for anything and in many ways was the most exciting time of my life. I have a very strong desire to return to the city, and I imagine I will, at some future point, but—unless I opt for another teaching gig, which is unlikely—I'll be there on vacation, not living there, and it just won't be the same.

Many of my feelings about London I recently found expressed better than I could hope to in a wonderful book that my ever-thoughtful sister found for me—Imagined London: A Tour of the World's Greatest Fictional City, by Anna Quindlen. I've admired Ms. Quindlen's writing for many years, so how magical to find that her feelings were so similar to mine, upon finally visiting in reality the city she had so often visited in books! I only wish I'd read it before I left, although I'm not sure if her observations would have had the same resonance for me before last September 4th. However, if you're planning a trip to the "greatest fictional city," and you've read any English literature at all, you should definitely read Imagined London.

My London memories are being kept alive in a very real way as I work on my website, the title graphic for which is above. I struggled for quite a while to find what I thought was an apt title phrase for the collection of photos and reminiscences [that I hope to have finished by the end of the year]. But since the experience, while still vivid in memory, becomes more and more like a dream as the time passes, "Dream Season" seems to express this magical quality the best.

When the website is ready for viewing, I'll post an announcement here, and hope you'll enjoy reliving my London experience through it.

But for now, I'll close this anniversary remembrance with a quote from Quindlen's book that I could use as an introduction to any retelling of my London story:

This is the story of a woman and the city she loved
before she'd ever been there.
The city, of course, is London, and the woman is me.

European shopping trick

The best way not to spend too much at the grocery store—not to mention avoiding buying a lot of miscellaneous stuff that you don't really need—is to know that you have to haul it all home without benefit of mechanical assistance.

My shopping expeditions when I was living in London were perfect examples of this concept. I was limited to the volume I could fit into two shopping bags and the weight I thought I could carry home (one-way streets made bus rides to the store easy but from the store not so helpful).

I practice this European way of shopping [at least it's the traditional European way] occasionally here in the heart of the USA by riding my bike to my local HEB whenever I can. Especially if I find I need a few things on the weekend. And every time I do I'm reminded of those self-limiting trips to Sainsburys and Tesco.


Now I'm limited to what will fit in my bike basket, since I'm lucky to have a grocery store within biking distance (also walking distance, but biking's more fun).

I readily admit that I don't ride to shop as regularly as my friend JaPRA, but I did make a trip today and here's my trusty steed upon arrival back home, on the left. In the basket: half gallon milk, large yogurt for smoothies, 2 pints blueberries, 1 lb. strawberries, a tub of hummus, a package of bread mix and 3 apples. Not a bad haul! For human-powered transport, that is.

Fun with Google Maps

I have been having so much fun in my spare time the last few months, constructing this map, which I'm calling a "geographical diary" of my time in London. [which is seeming more and more like a dream all the time] I've tried to identify the places in London where all of my photos were taken, even those just showing street scenes, and have been remarkably successful in doing this after the fact (wishing, however, that I'd taken more notes about the shots). Just identifying which church is which was quite an undertaking!

Here's the result of my work—probably not totally complete yet, but close enough to unveil to the world. Maybe it will be useful to folks planning a trip to London as well as being a record of my ramblings there.


View London Rambles in a larger map

Working on the map has been a very useful exercise, as well as fun. It's helped reinforce my London memories enough that I hope they are permanently imprinted on my brain in some detail. I really wish I could never forget a single moment!

I have also begun work on a larger project that will include many more of my photos, including those taken on my trips outside of London. I plan to add links to appropriate markers on the "London Rambles" map when I have more photos and information up on my website—my idea is that the website and the Google Map will work together to make a fairly complete record of my wonderful time in the U.K.

Stay tuned!

Local Rugby: who knew?

Sign spotted outside a local eatery*. I assume this is the team's website, although if so it hasn't been updated yet to show the state championship. Perhaps they're is too busy celebrating.

My students (and my kids) and I became instant rugby fans when we saw a London Wasps match last October. [I could kick myself—no pun intended—for not taking any pictures there.] An exciting try scored right in front of you, just after you sit down after an exhausting bus ride, is the way to win new fans! So we wish the local team luck, and hope nationals are being played somewhere cooler than San Antonio.

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*The Olmos Pharmacy part of the sign has an interesting story. A long-time local landmark (serving the best chocolate milkshakes in the world, bar none) it has morphed into a wine bar in the evenings, and is now known as the Olmos Bharmacy.

Showing my colors

I've been thinking about today's big event for a year—graduation at St. Mary's when I get to wear my study abroad sash with my academic regalia. The whole get-up (minus the dorky hat) is on display here.

You see all kinds of flags on sashes during the ceremony, since we have official programs in Austria and Spain as well as the UK, and kids go to all kinds of other places on their own. I saw one from Egypt today, and one of my colleagues sports the extremely colorful South African flag on hers.

The colors on the hood are significant, too. Yellow velvet is for my library degree and orange and white are UT's colors where I got that degree. I'm certainly proud of those colors but the Union Jack is extra special. Only one of the London students who was with me last fall graduated today, but there will be a large group next year, I think. Congratulations to all graduates everywhere!

Leveraging

Not that I need any other incentive to find my London experience worthwhile, but I did just get to put a new blip on my cv as a direct result.

I presented a little talk at the Spring Federal Depository Library* Conference in Tampa, Florida, on Monday. It was mostly pretty technical librarian stuff, passing along highlights of the workshop I attended at the British Library in November. But I also included some sightseeing photos and amusing anecdotes from my London stay. I was very gratified with how well-received it was—not too surprising, though, to find a good number of Anglo-philes among librarians.

*Don't know what a Federal Depository Library is? You're not alone! But this has been my day job for more than 30 years. The graphic at the top of the post is the Government Printing Office logo; GPO are the folks who put on the conference and run our program. For a few pictures of Tampa, see my Hometown Tourist blog.

Spread of smartness?

It wasn't too unusual in London to see these little vehicles, although seeing two in front of the same house in Kensington was eye-catching enough to inspire a photo:

But I figured it would be years before I saw anything this small on the streets of San Antonio.

This week, however, I saw Smart Cars on my way to work on two different occasions. And they were two different cars (I'm sure because they were different colors). They're still 'way outnumbered by big, honking, impractical SUVs, but I find it very encouraging that there are any at all.

To put the whipped cream on the Smart Car sundae, my neighborhood HEB is actually giving one away! Which I would think is just a publicity stunt, had I not seen those others in actual action.

Seeing all these little guys lately has really made me think of London. Can American drivers finally be getting smart about vehicle size?