Subject: London report
Date: Sat, 10 Feb 1996 22:47:08 -0500
From: KramerW@aol.com
To: benbubba@aol.com
LONDON, ENGLAND: I never did find a decent cup of coffee, but I have long since resigned myself to suffering in London.
The Globe Theatre is in the midst of a huge reconstruction project. It’s nearly finished. Seeing drama at the Globe is a wonderful way to see Elizabethan Theatre, the way it was meant to be seen. If in London, a trip across the Thames River will take you to Southwark. You’ll see the reconstructed Globe, believe me. Just walking down the cobblestone streets approaching the structure gives one a strong sense of deja vu. You’ll be absolutely certain that your soul has walked these streets before.
If you’re in London, a trip on a double-decker bus is a must, if not for the experience, then the conversation. I heard this exchange between the driver and another passenger in the mostly empty, red double-decker: “If we’re two minutes early, we don’t exist. Two hours late? It isn’t a problem,” he said. Sorta sums up the British way of looking at things.
Later in the conversation, the bus driver explained English bureaucracy, which is not an adventure for anyone to take, but his initial comment stuck — two hours late, no problem. My father was with me. I have a witness.
During one late night, an Irishman wanted to know all about political upheaval in the United States. I quizzed him about his war-torn land. The problem, we agreed, was religion and government. A strict “hands off” approach was the best way, we further agreed. He wasn’t allied with a particular cause, just wanted to live his life the way he chose. My only strong belief system is astrology. And I don’t really believe in astrology, I just see it work, day after day.
