English squirrels are best … or at least they have a lot of self-confidence

Okay, this one’s just for fun. I’ve been under a constant barrage of squirrel attacks during my walks through the parks of London. After one particularly aggressive squirrel sat jumped on my pants leg, I decided to get the camera out to record my last moments, if nothing else.

Misconceptions, part II: No way a southern Yank will fit in

If I’ve had a concern about this trip, it was the anticipation that I would feel like a Neanderthal walking into a village of Homo Sapiens for the first time.

I’ve traveled a bit within the U.S. and don’t always feel comfortable in parts of my own country. I once worked for a company that was headquartered in Oregon and on each visit, a “y’all” would slip and I’d immediately be surrounded by a small group of folks asking me to “say something else.” Just give me an organ grinder why don’t you.

How in the world would I handle a land where people drive on the opposite side of the road and don’t pronounce the letter “R”? The media tells me everyone hates Americans. What’s the best way to hold my luggage if I need use it for self-defense?

The answer is that Londoners really, really don’t care. Diversity is the rule here. With so many cultures and accents, everyone is doing his or her best to understand one other and get through the day. At no time have I been received with anything but a desire to help, no matter how obviously clueless I am. Even when I’m abusing the Wi-Fi at McDonald’s to write this blog!

And I have to say–addressing another misconception–I’ve been graced with a lot of beautiful, genuine smiles this trip.

@weather: it’s what makes London timeless

I mentioned in a couple of previous posts all the pretty flowers in bloom here in England. They are indeed beautiful because, along with these old stately buildings, they’re part of the permafrost. Things that are frozen don’t rot, after all.

{Note to Chris F.: That global warming thing you keep talking about? Ain’t happening, darlin’… Or could be it’s already peaked and has now transitioned into the next ice age?}

I’m kidding, of course. But the 40°F temp plus 20 mph wind gusts that rob your breath is a far cry from home where it’s 89 degrees with 98 percent humidity, which just smothers you all the time. In Louisiana, the weather overwhelms the senses. Anyone ever smelled New Orleans?.

I’ve been walking. A lot. Little wonder that folks are so fit here. Walking lets you see the small things you normally wouldn’t from the Big Red Tour Bus. And London is so pedestrian friendly, it’s quite enjoyable. What I don’t enjoy is having to duck into shops every 15 minutes to let the icicles on my beard melt. This I’m NOT kidding about.

I’ve got to give the store owners credit (and have, quite a lot actually)–they leave their doors open so the blast of heat compels passersby into their lairs. And I always feel guilty when I walk into a store and don’t buy something, so I’m the ideal sucker. Or it could just be that they’re trying to help global warming along? I don’t blame them a bit.

One thing I’m seeing a lot of that’s shocking and hilarious to me is all the kids–babies even–dressed in knickers and eating ice cream. I hope the American social workers never have a convention here. I have a vision of them running around the streets of London, “rescuing” the wealthy children of Kensington Borough.

Right now, I wish someone would rescue me before I either max out my credit card or freeze into a permanent statue in Hyde Park.

Visiting Trafalgar Square & The Impromptu Review: “That Hamilton Woman”

I’m not a war buff, but I’ve always had a fascination with the story of Horatio Nelson and the events surrounding the Battle of Trafalgar. There are so few heroes left to history, and Nelson is one legend that persists beyond his highly public personal affairs. This trip to Trafalgar Square was a bit of an homage to that legacy.

I mention That Hamilton Woman in this video. Featuring Laurence Oliver as Nelson and Vivien Leigh as Emma Lady Hamilton, it’s an old favorite of mine. It was a favorite of Winston Churchill too, who reportedly saw it over 100 times.

The story centers on Emma Hamilton, a woman of unfortunate upbringing who uses her beauty and charm to marry into high society. Along the way, she and Nelson fall in love and maintain their relationship against great odds (like being married to other people!) to become England’s most famous couple.

Vivien Leigh filmed this role three years after her turn as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind. She is noticeably less convincing in this role, which spans Lady Hamilton’s time as a fresh young beauty just entering society to an impoverished middle-age drunkard, dying of liver failure. Then again, every work in her long-running career was doomed to mope in the shadows cast by her Oscar-winning bookend roles of Scarlett and Blanche DuBois.

Olivier approaches the role with his usual magnificence. He rides the line between heroic dignity and desperate self-effacement in his relationship with Hamilton. At the time, Olivier and Leigh were mirroring these roles in real life as a couple who had a famous affair and divorced others to be together.

In both realms, these were people who knew what they wanted and transparently pursued it. Maybe it’s the autobiographical element that is so compelling.

The story itself was made for Hollywood, but perhaps a bit too ambitious for a standard cinema feature. Too many lives, years, and tragedies whiz by for adequate treatment or comprehension. One wonders how differently the story would be portrayed in the hands of someone like David O. Selznick.

Still, for someone who likes classic film and skilled acting, That Hamilton Woman is well worth adding to your movie queue.

Russell Square

One neat thing about the cold weather here is that bulb flowers last a lot longer. These would have faded months ago in Louisiana. I took this at Russell Square, on the way to the British Museum. There’s a nice fountain at the center, which you can just see in the top right. Many families frequent this area.