London Calling

I was originally a bit hesitant when I saw the neighborhood I'll be staying in during my time here in London. It's one of the few un-re-gentrified areas of the East End, Hackney, in an area in which I hear very little English and see very few Anglo-Saxon faces. There are immigrants from China, Vietnam, Pakistan, Jamaica, Africa, and India, and a lot of barbershops that seem to cater solely to one nationalitiy, a lot of fast-food restaurants with names like 'Bess Bite Takeaway' and 'Perfect Fried Chicken'and a lot of signs warning about CCTV cameras watching you. There are also occasional signs asking for anyone with information about this-or-that stabbing to come forward, and something of a propoganda blitz of goodwill posters, which I'm noticing is typical of London. " I love Hackney! 800 new officers on foot patrol this year!"

Yes, I was initially hesitant, until I spent a few hours wandering around central London, in the swirling seething mass of touristy, globalvillage, hipsterdoofus, yuppie shoppingmalls.

Terrified, I retreated into a Borders bookshop and read graphic novels (comic books, to you uninititated) for an hour, then retreated back to the third world, where I'm more comfortable.

Actually it's not that bad. Compard to Vodkaberg, I'm sure it's safe as houses. The people in the shops have been very nice to me, anyway.

The place I'm staying is a tiny and not especially nice, but it's hardly the worst, or even the smallest, dump I've ever stayed in. It's a 'student residence' with a fabulous view of the Hackney housing estates across the street.