Goodbye USA, helloooo England

Perhaps in a past life I was a well-off Englishman. I love this country (England), but I must say that to live here -at least in London- is to almost literally bleed money. Fortunately, the older I get the richer my friends seem to be. And whatever good Karma I might have allows me to get around okay on a student/part-time professor budget.

Right now I’m staying with Sjors, one of the very few remaining housemates from my time here in 2007-08. He and two other young people share a flat in a good neighborhood here (but by no means rich) paying about $3000 US a month in rent. Hard to imagine. But wages here are good if you ‘make it’ and if you don’t, well, you leave – and if you’re lucky maybe visit again later.

Last view of the US, from Dulles airport in DC.

Over the Thames, approaching London early in the morning.

A bit of the suburbs south and west of London.

Not the Thames, but a canal in Islington, my adopted home for the next few days.

And a canal-boat, complete with flowers. The name was a bit ironic, as it’s suddenly become quite cool in London, hovering between 50 and 60°F, a pleasant change for me from the 80 and 90°F of Taiwan (which is also the forecast for Bodh Gaya, little more than a week ahead of me).

And a cute little mini-Cooper with x-ray paintjob. It reminded me of my older sister, the proud owner of a smurf-colored mini; a one-of-a-kind in Helena, MT.

Happily, I’ve managed to recover about 90% from jet lag and hopefully will be in similar shape after the continued eastward journey to Delhi and Bodh Gaya. My time in London should be relatively lazy, with a few errands to run, some more prep for teaching, and catching up with a few more folks. I had hoped to visit Bristol for a day or two, but my good friend there, SJ, has a fully booked weekend and will instead make his way to London next week to see me before I go. 

I managed a great chat with my advisor yesterday, despite my having done little work on my thesis he is as supportive as ever, and just as much as ever a great ‘shot in the arm’ to get me going – or at least thinking of going – again. Our conversation meandered from our current adventures, the state of the discipline and the world of academia, and mutual friends and colleagues to genealogy and politics. And all the while he drops little gems of wisdom I eagerly jot down. Such conversations make me ever more eager to return to England, settle down, and finally finish the doctorate I came here for nearly 3 years ago.

After that, and a bit of running around, I managed to show up just in time to “Legally Blonde” – with another friend here who is interning with a theatre company. Checking ticket prices now, averaging £60.00, I see why I never saw any shows while I lived here. Good show, good times.

Now back to that lazy running around…