The Honeymoon Is Over

I know relationships aren't always easy. But what do you do when the rose-tinted glasses have come off and your love doesn't appear to be reciprocated and your love interest's bad habits are getting harder to ignore and tolerate?




Well, this appears to have happened with me and "The Big Smoke". I still love London but it seems I am currently not in love with it. However, in true style of a functioning relationship I guess we'll have to work on it and make this thing work, I am not a quitter (and I mean this not only in regards to not quitting chocolate or ice-cream).

First of all I guess I should try and remember the reasons why I fell head over heels in love with London in the first place: first and foremost the Royal Ballet Covent Garden, also it is such a cosmopolitan melting pot, all the cultural offerings (concerts, shows, museums, festivals etc.), the architecture, the history, the English language and last but by no means least the fantastic shopping opportunities. I am sure if I thought a little more I'd think of a lot more.


Well, all these factors are valid and haven't changed, so what is my problem???

It's the negative bits that are now more than niggling and are actually becoming very annoying.


London Transport: *Why is half the Tube network out of service every weekend and how much engineering work can you perform yet still incur severe delays and suspensions every single day of the week? *Is it really necessary to heat the carriages in winter with millions of people travelling on it, generating heat and actually sitting/standing there in their coats but in summer only managing feeble attempts to cool the trains and stations? *Is there actually any engineer assigned to the ongoing escalator works or are TFL just trying to cut electrical power cost by running less of them?

Tourists: I think visitors should pass a test before being allowed into this city. *Stand right walk left does mean exactly that and not filling up the whole escalator by standing next to each other and/or placing your bags all around you and at the same time ignoring polite "Excuse Me's" from people trying to pass. *Why do visitors get on or off the Tube and immediately come to a halt causing the person behind them to crash into them or also suddenly stopping in the middle of the street to look at something or take a photo; it's not too much to ask them to take note of your surrounding and step aside before stopping. Would they suddenly come to a standstill on a busy motorway? I don't think so. *Standing in line in a queue might seem old-fashioned but is in my humble opinion only showing respect for others, barging past everyone having arrived there before you is actually very impolite and ill-mannered.


Dirt and Noise: *Am I turning into an ablutomaniac? I don't think so, and yet I always carry a pack of wet-wipes with me and first thing I do when coming into the office in the morning is washing my hands (getting rid of newspaper ink and any germy Tube-grime) before I even get to my desk. *I believe washing yourself or your clothes isn't a hardship at all (washing machines have been a wonderfully practical and helpful invention) though apparently not everyone shares this standard of personal hygiene. Smelly people, let me tell you, the use of deodorant and brushing teeth goes a long way, not even mentioning wearing clean clobber. * I don't smoke and never have but my lungs must have suffered immensely in the past year, they are probably jet-black by now.

Housing: Way too expensive for the quality and space offered!!! 'nuff said!!!

Would therapy help? Possibly...
Anyway, for now I will kick myself in the butt and focus on the positive aspects of this relationship and start changing the stuff that isn't completely beyond my power.

I'll keep you posted.