[cont'd from Part 1]
7. Trust... Maybe it's just the folk in my local area, but to me, a hardened Londoner (well, not really, I was from West Hampstead) the sight of people leaving $1000 prams and a collection of children's bikes on their porches overnight makes me feel like we're on Walton's Mountain. Where are all the thieves? People leave prams outside coffee shops, too - I mean, how long do you think a Bugaboo parked outside Starbucks in North London would last? Lovely, crazy, trusting Melbournians, I hope you don't think me rude for leaving nothing on my porch, but I come from a land where people would steal the milk from your doorstep.
8. Speaking of the porch, it's very common to find porch furniture here - wicker chairs and tables, maybe a quirky hatstand or a wooden bench. It's so wonderfully foreign to me. The most you'd get in a London front garden would be an empty can of Special Brew someone had tossed over on their way back from the party outside the public urinal. The only thing I can't understand is why I've never, ever seen someone sitting out on their porch on their beautifully arranged porch furniture, having a gas and singing some blues (oh no, that's more Kentucky...).
9. Meat... Australians think we can't afford to eat meat in the UK. Several people over here have said: "Oh it must be nice to afford meat again, I've heard about how pricey it is where you come from." I just shrug and say that everything's expensive, but you can tell by the sympathetic looks on their faces that they think I've raised my children up till now on gruel. Ha, little do they know we eat fois gras for breakfast.
More random, useless thoughts when I've written 'The End' on my novel...believe me, you'll know when that happens.
6 comments:
enjoyed this emily. i want a porch with furniture - i'll sing on it too!
Ooh, I hadn't read the last few posts. What a treat! I think you should get some porch furniture and a hat. You could sing, 'Woke up this mornin' da-da-da-da..Put on some Uggs, da-da-da da...'
I like sitting in the furniture on mum's porch in the morning: you get the morning sun. All of it, in fact, meaning that within 5 minutes of book reading while sat there I'm nearly blind and have to retreat back inside. However it's nice to sit there and wave to everyone walking or driving past, who also wave to you, whether you're acquainted or not. That's "the country" for you though.
We haven't had anything stolen in Newtown either. Mind you, our porch furniture isn't exactly high class.
We did have someone try to shoot up on our front porch once though...
I used to think that in the States too (in the suburbs) - everyone was so trusting, and nothing seemed to get stolen from porches. As a fellow Londoner, I remember the shock!
Caroline, I love the song! Emily, you should definitely sing it. :)
Irene, somehow I just know you would :-)
Caroline, thanks for the song! Speaking of Uggs, I went over to see some friends last week and one said he'd NEARLY worn his Ugg boots just because I was coming. Um, but he didn't. Clearly I am not very influential.
Andrew, I like the idea of the waving, but you can't take the city out of the girl.
Ross, yeah that's not really the kind of porch activity we're after.
Luisa, interesting that's it's not just an Aussie thing...but I think my cynicism is too deeply ingrained *looks around suspiciously and closes door*
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