Dienstag, 11. März 2008

Oh Canada....

Thames and ferris wheelI slept well in my in the basement room i got, spent my last money to get to Westminster, Elephant&Castle and for a steak pie with a half stout. I realize it has really been a long time since i have been the last time to London, and after so long a time in Tokyo this metropolis rather looks small as for the buildings as well as the dimension.
I am experiencing reverse culture shock, which isn't too surprising, but funny anyway to be enstranged by something you have known for your whole life. Here is a list:
  • People are open and emotional.
  • People are loud and noisy.
  • People are dressed casually.
  • Blond women catch my eye (especially my very own one...)
  • There is so much more space, people blocking entrance/exit areas anywhay (just an international phenomenon)
  • Eating with knife and spoon at every meal.
  • Meals are large, and there is so much meat and no rice and I am having a hard time.
  • Everyone speaks english.
  • I have to think about how to do and say when I want to pay in a restaurant.
  • You better tip.
  • Waiters putting the change on the table rather carelessly. (Probably because off having forgot above)
  • No shoes off/slippers on inside living spaces.
  • So many really old houses..

Ottawa The flight from London to Ottawa was very relaxed. Rather spacious seats, good meals, only no window at my seat, so i head to look out of the one to the front seat, and i could as there was now stupid shutting policy. More frozen landscapes. I saw the southern tip of Greenland, attached to an iceberg stiched polar sea, then the vast lands of New Foundland, patterned by frozen lakes, great, but couldnt take any pictures.


Now in Ottawa together with Kathi again. -4 degrees and lots of snow, and that where I just had welcomed spring temperatures.

3 Kommentare:

Anonym hat gesagt…

yeah, reverse culture shock can be rather strange ;) for me it always takes some time to get adjusted again to things which were supposed to be "familiar" or "my own culture", but with every travel i'm learning to switch faster, both ways.

it's funny that you mention not having been in london for a long time. i just realized the same thing myself, as i'm now planning to go there probably in may or june, and i thought "hey, it's been ages since i've been in the uk!" and it's only just around the corner, relatively speaking.

have a nice time in canada, and kisses to kathi! :) vienna is very much in a spring mood already, though it can still get a little bit cold at nights.

Nikolaschnikow hat gesagt…

culture shock YUP!
experience this here also quite often, flying form Yangoon(Burma) to Bangkok and then to Kuala Lumpure is quite a challenge...

But going back to Vienna (finally) that will be rather hard, gonna be interesting how you will experience living there again...

Grettings from steamy hot Penang (Malaysia)

hcf hat gesagt…

Hi Albert, hi Nicola!

The strange thing now is that everything is so familiar now that i am back. And everyone speaks german. And i somehow slip to the carinthian dialect somehow...