Why I Love London

Despite the often depressing, gloomy weather, high prices, stressful living conditions, crowdedness, and impersonal people, London is still one of the greatest places on Earth. And let me tell you why (I pulled an Obama there, like that?!). I think one of its greatest assets is its diversity and culture. For one, I don't think London embodies typical British culture aside from the pubs and individual reservation, although the latter could be a product of any metropolis of mass population. Nevertheless it is this mass population that is rich in diversity and one of the main reasons I'm always driven back to this city. It buzzes with its own history while it makes history with people from all over the world. Unlike many Americans, when a person here says (s)he is Italian, (s)he is not just talking race but also culture. (S)he may know a thing or two about the customs aside from spaghetti, pizza, and a last name that ends in "i". There's something exciting and enlightening about being in a place where there are people from all corners of the world.

I played tourist this weekend as we had guests in town from Denmark. I showed them around a number of places I thought they would find novel such as Brick Lane, an authentic Japanese restaurant (which is hard to find where they are from), Columbia Flower & Spitalfield Market, and Tower Bridge, which okay, the latter three I'll hand to the Brits. Of course Big Ben and the South Bank was in there somewhere, and I'll admit that the House of Parliament is a glorious structure.



The main two occasions that really gave me the London buzz was strolling down Brick Lane. As LondonTown puts it, "Brick Lane Market is pure East End London, which means Jewish bagel shops, Bangladeshi curry houses, Indian sari silks - and Cockneys crying out their wares. This chaotic, bustling market is half way between jewel and junk heap. It attracts lots of young Londoners, in search of second-hand furniture, unusual clothes and bits of this-and-that." It continues to say that the joy of this market is that you never know what you'll find, anything from cheap leather clothes and old magazines to Art Deco. Places like Brick Lane make you feel like you've escaped the city.



The second event over the weekend was when I watched, and don't laugh, "Heartthrobs London UK 2008" at the London Palladium, the original venue for Sound of Music. Heartthrobs showcased what I would describe as a mix between variety entertainment Filipino style and basically the Brad Pitt of the Philippines singing and talking to the audience. Alongside the infamous pinoy audience, I felt like I was back in Manila. I also felt at home despite being thousands of miles away.

Even though London, or any big city, can give you feelings of lonesomeness, at times these big cities like London make up for it in its rich culture and diversity. There are secret places throughout the capital that can make you feel both at home and enlightingly foreign. Now...if only the sun would come out and the dollar go up!