“It’s too bright,” Sophie said. “The sun won’t set!”
I thought we had some sleep masks from the flight over (when, on a four-fifths empty 777, we had a row each and those of us who weren’t so excited that we photographed Iran in nauseating detail could actually lie down), but by the time I got around to looking for them she was asleep.
One of the things that struck me about living in Sydney was the length of the days. Being closer, much closer, to the equator than we are in the UK, the days were of a more uniform length, and it never stays light long enough to keep children awake much past their bedtimes. I missed the drawn-out crepusculum; twilight in Australia being almost non-existent. (Incidentally, next time someone complains about the weather in the UK, point out to them the difference in rainfall between Sydney and London, and then—especially if they complain how cold it is—compare London’s latitude with, say, Nova Scotia.)
I don’t ever recall seeing anyone famous in Australia either—by which I mean someone who would be recognized by an average person on the street (Peter Doherty doesn’t count; and if you want a real chuckle at the desperation of Australian science read this attempt to re-define ‘Australian Nobel Prize winners’). I heard U2 play from a couple of miles away, but that’s about it.
On the other hand, within three days of arriving in London to live, this conversation took place as a certain shock-haired gentleman was herded, surrounded by television cameras, towards the Tube:
Kate: “Who’s that, Rachel?”
Rachel (12): “It’s the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.”
Kate: “How do you know that?”
Rachel: “I saw him on Top Gear!”
I’m so proud of her.
Sophie, too, is settling in. It was her first day at school yesterday, and she was mobbed by her new classmates. They’re doing a project on Natural Disasters this half-term: this week it’s ‘Earthquakes’ but after that it’s ‘Volcanoes’.
“Oh,” Sophie said, “I stood on a volcano in Auckland.”
“Cool!” chorussed the class. “Impossible!” according to one smart-arse.
“It was dead, duh,” Sophie said.
“Cool!” chorussed the class.
Also yesterday I had coffee with Ishta’s wife, and talked about schools and how her son loves science (his science teacher is apparently amazing if somewhat unconventional), and how it might be possible to get him or his class to see a real lab. In the afternoon I met up with a TV producer (thanks to Matt Brown), and talked about doing green-screen interviews for a graphics-heavy science TV show.
My feet haven’t touched the ground. The only down-side is Vista’s propensity to lock me out because the ‘security log is full’ and to randomly reboot at least once a day. I really wish they’d let me connect my MBP to the network at work.
And a final difference. It does my cynical heart good to see this:
Cry ‘God for Harry, England, and St George!’
Admit it, Grant, you’re a big softie.
Quiet Gee, or I shall be forced to
buy you beerbeat you at arm-wrestling. Again.Ken Livingstone used to actually ride the Tube to get around, instead of just using it as a photo-op.
I’ll let you and Henry argue over that… I want to know what Ken’s lap time was on Top Gear.
The fact that Ken Livingstone rode the tube to work didn’t stop him being a total wanker. Just sayin’.
Boris Johnson was awesome on Top Gear.
We’re at latitude 29°N (or thereabouts) here, and also suffer from a relative paucity of twilight. A few years ago I was in Stockholm in late June, and it seemed to me as if it never got dark. The light was beautiful though, especially in the archipelago.
When I was fossilin’ in northern Kenya (3°N) it got dark at 6-ish, as suddenly as flicking a switch. Dawn at 6-ish next day was just as sudden. One minute, total darkness. Next minute, egg-fryingly hot. But the stars were amazing – first and only time I’ve seen the Southern Cross (which would no doubt be Old Hat to rpg)
the days were of a more uniform length …//… I missed the drawn-out crepusculum; twilight in Australia being almost non-existent.
ahh… someone else who miss(ed) the idea of a looooong sun set…. twilight and dawn that are several hours. It still is one of the things I miss the most in summer time. (winter has its moments here but no snow… so it is kind of gloomy longer). Never really rembmer that “the sun is setting” means “in 15 mins it will be gone and night is here”. I will be able to bask in the long sumer nights this summer though – conference in Sweden in June!!! 😀
Richard: I am happy you seem happy to be in the mothercountry again. It is a warm fuzzy feeling 😉
and the beer is so much better too!
The mayor of Toronto waved and smiled at me at a party Monday night, and I have spotted him on the subway before as well, but it was just him and no cameras, so I actually wasn’t sure at the time that it was him. I said to my mom (who was there) “I think that’s the mayor”. She didn’t think it could be, but also didn’t know what he looked like. Then my mom broke her ankle (not instantly) and while waiting at the ER the local news came on TV, with an interview bit with the mayor, and my mom, still in excruciating pain, said “Hey, you’re right, that IS the guy we saw in the subway station!”
I have always suspected that Top Gear was even more educational than it seems. Another good reason to watch it (on YouTube, sadly, since it’s woefully unavailable on cable over here).
Vista is teh devilness (ok, Office 200-whateverthey’reuptonow is worse). Typical evening conversation chez Wintle:
L: Can you help me with this?
R: [exasperated sigh] Ok. [looks at computer for a bit] I have no idea how to do that on Vista.
L: [annoyed noises]
It’s a barrel of laughs. I suggest you get a Mac. 😛
Eva, do you still have the mayor who didn’t know who the WHO were during SARS?
Our new mayor wore a kilt at his inauguration, which was enough to win me over. I’ve never seen him though, despite working about 3 blocks from City Hall. I did get stopped by the police yesterday while trying to cross a main road, so that a blacked out police SUV with an escort of 8 police bikes, 3 ghost cars and 2 marked cars could come through, with full sirens and lights, and motorbike police peeling off to block the 3 or 4 intersections ahead of the whole spectacle. I think they’re practicing for the Olympics.
Cath – oh, thank goodness, no, we got rid of him a couple of elections ago. I can claim the moral high ground by stating that I never voted for him in the first place.
He was also the one who called in the military when it snowed, you may recall.
bq. the mayor who didn’t know who the WHO were
I must admit, my first thought was ‘Roger Daltry’.
Glad to hear it. Although it was good for a laugh from a distance (sorry). I remember a friend reading us parts of a newspaper interview with him and laughing so hard he could barely speak.
Cath, NO! We have an awesome one now.
The old one (best understood by the controversies section of his Wikipedia page) is now just advertising furniture.
Heh. And if you scroll up a bit you’ll find a reference to one of his successes being the establishment of the new Sheppard subway line – which goes nowhere useful, and is in imminent danger of being shut down due to lack of ridership. It was built instead of other proposals (linking York University to downtown, and creating a bus station hub for outlying regions, which would have been useful; or linking to the airport, which would have been more useful and is now going to be done by overground train).
Twit.
I’d like to see a subway from York to Canadia. I’d use it.
I have always suspected that Top Gear was even more educational than it seems
Top Gear is my favorite TV program and I don’t care what that says about me. 😉
Richard W., I guess that you wouldn’t have access to BBC America in Canada. Most of the programs are dreck, but they do show Top Gear AND Dr. Who. We’re about 6 months behind for both programs, but hey, I’m not complaining.
No – we have various BBC variants here (world news, for example, and BBC kids) – I think that whatever version might be showing Top Gear is probably additional to whatever digital cable package I have.
Dr. Who is shown on the CBC, also at least 6 months behind. It’s easier to beg/borrow/steal it on DVD.
Kristi – this one is one of my favourite Top Gear episodes. Amusing things at about 1:00, and some good Clarkson footage at 1:34 and 2:34.
the new Sheppard subway line – which goes nowhere useful
Well, now, I use that line to go to IKEA once a year!
@ Richard: HAHAHA! I love that episode. I’m pretty sure I have it recorded. Clarkson’s face is pretty funny at high speed, in an open car.
I think it was the fiery caravan episode, in which the lads went car-spotting near the motorway. They no longer needed Ladybird guides, however.
@ Eva: A subway line that goes to IKEA is extremely useful. I have to drive three hours to Houston, to get to IKEA.
Did I say three hours? I meant three and a half hours, officer.
There is even a little shuttle bus from the subway station to IKEA’s front door! But when you get there and you spontaneously decide to buy something big, the subway suddenly isn’t so useful anymore and you wish you’d have rented a car… (I don’t own a car because I don’t own a parking spot. Cities are fun.)
I do have a parking spot (and a garage)… but no car.
The going rate for parking spots in Toronto is about $75,000 per year, and London is a more expensive city, so you could have made good money already by renting out your empty spot!
I know this rate because I’ve played with mortgage calculators that tell you based on your savings/income what price range of housing you can afford and which houses there are available in that range, and all that I can afford is a parking spot. The cheapest houses are 3x as expensive and way out of my league. It’s funny, because I don’t feel poor, and I can afford everything I need, but I still don’t earn enough to own a house, which in many parts of the world is the basic thing to own.
@Eva and Kristi> A subway line that goes to IKEA is extremely useful. I have to drive three hours to Houston, to get to IKEA. There is even a little shuttle bus from the subway station to IKEA’s front door!
ehh…. there is one in Atlanta… like 8 hour drive from here. That is the closest. 🙁 Going to a conference in Chicago landed me the most expensive taxi ride evah… air port – IKEA and then IKEA – hotel down town. They didn’t eally have any other options….. but it was worth a new bag full with goody stuff like ‘knäckebröd’ and chocolate 😉
Ha. I can get to Ikea by car in about 10 minutes (sorry, twenty minutes, officer).
Eva – I used that subway line to get to my family doc, who’s next to North York General Hospital, about three years ago. The train was pretty much empty.
As for houses, you could move way outside the city like I did. Doesn’t save you any money, but at least the unaffordable house is a bit bigger and comes with a driveway.
But then I would spend a fortune on transportation! It’s a balance-thing, and I guess I’d rather live in the expensive downtown and close to everything (my transportation costs are under $30 per month, sometimes even $0) than far away in the
middle of nowheresuburbs.