Drinking, Eating, and Football.

It's been a pretty crazy couple of weeks here in London, which caused a backlog of blog postings, so I apologize. 

Adapting to life and work in London isn't nearly as different as the other interns working in Tokyo or Barcelona, even if you ignored the language barrier. Nonetheless, in my first few weeks here I've learned that the Brits... they love grabbing a pint at the pub on the corner, tea trumps coffee, and get pretty excited for a football match. These are obviously generalities, and just like not all Americans are loud, rude, and obese, I'm sure a ton of Brits could provide examples refuting every single one of the above stereotypes. So after that little disclaimer, on to my explanation of the incredible blanket statements of an entire country.

First off, the obvious. The English love their pubs. It's no big exaggeration when I say there's a pub on every block of London. The pub across from my offices (see above) seems to be overflowing with business people at all hours of the day, all with pints in hand. Instead of grabbing a cup of coffee at the neighborhood coffee shop, most Londoners seem to prefer to grab a pint with coworkers for happy hour. Having a glass of wine during the last few hours of the workday isn't unheard of either. It's not a particularly noteworthy event either.At my office, it's become a weekly event of wine/beer on the roof with a side of poppadoms and mango chutney. I'm not complaining.

(Below: my coworker couldn't even wait for me to take the photo!)

For those times when having a beer isn't a valid option (however few they seem to be), the English still go for their old favorite, tea. Instead of keeping a pot of coffee at the ready throughout the day, the tea kettle should always be full of piping hot water ready for that tea bag. It's not about brewing the most fancy of oolong teas though. A simple Tetley (or PG Tips) teabag, splash of milk, and you're back to work. I will always prefer a cup of coffee, but I have to say that I've developed a growing, newfound love of a hot cup of tea. Besides that, the only coffee in the office pantry is instant...

  (The all important office kettle. Head even tweeted it's arrival.)

On to the next grossly exaggerated stereotype... the food! I can't count how many people warned me about English food as some of the worst imaginable. Well after almost 4 weeks here, I haven't really made up my mind yet. It hasn't gained the highest or lowest accolades of food I've had (China or France may win on both accounts). With so many pubs around on each block, the simplest and easiest meals come from a rotating menu of fish and chips, mushy peas, and the occasional burger. Quality varies from place to place, but I'm under the firm belief that pub food should never be held to a higher standard than a good snack while watching a game. For a bit of variety, London's incredibly diverse population gives just as many options. Kebab shops are almost as plentiful as pubs. Brick Lane is the most well known option for great Indian food, and Camden Market has an incredible area devoted to all kinds of foods I have yet to try.

(Above: a photo of the classic fish and chips, mushy peas, and in the very top corner, a pint of beer of course.)

Finally, one last stereotype to confirm/deny before I end this post.

The British, in fact everyone but the Americans, love soccer/football. The US is well known for its inability to get excited about football, whether Beckham is playing or not. But just like my enthusiasm for the Super Bowl (and despite my compete disinterest in the sport during the normal season), not watching the World Cup while I was here in England was never an option. Don't tell me who to vote for, who's favored and who's the underdog of the game and I'll sit enthralled with the rest of the fascinated pub. The atmosphere of a pub during a game is fun and infectious, which can have a negative effect when England gets pummeled by Germany 4 

The only good photo of the Cup fans I could find was from a coworker's album... of the Spanish fans. This may have to do with the English never doing particularly well enough in the games to warrant celebration in the streets the way Spaniards managed throughout the games. This group was so excited about Spain's victory that when they saw Jim's camera they all gathered for a photo, without any suggestion from us whatsoever. Now that's pride.