Pubs, Clubs, Bars, & Lounges, What IS the difference?
After my previous blog entry, where I had been a little down on being here, I am since feeling more in control of my fluctuating feelings. The roller coaster ride of thoughts, highs and lows, has taught me something that is very clear to me right now. When moving into a large city, by yourself, with no standing friendships and no comfort zone, it is easy to find that there is no escape. You cannot allow yourself to deal with issues that arrise at a later date. If you don’t deal with them when they occur, when you fall, you fall hard.
I am really starting to enjoy writing in my blog, that is for sure. Injecting a bit of humor into what I go through here helps me deal with things easier, and it also allows for it to all come back to me at an even pace. Going through it all at once has proven to be quite overwhelming. In addition to that, it shines a different, motivating, and almost 3rd person perspective on things.
As for this last weekend, I had a really great time. It marks the first time I was drunk in the UK. Considering how I have spoke once or twice about the expenses that come into play here, you can imagine that alcohol is not left far behind in the mix of thing (no pun intended). I had the opportunity to have a few drinks in the first few weeks, but this last Saturday night proved to be different altogether. I found myself drinking at the hostel where I stayed the first night, just down the street from where I live. If your curious, or you want to get a visual, there were a few pictures of it in the last blog. So at the lovely Belushi’s of Covent Gardens, I was treated to an absorbent amount of tequila. It is the most financially friendly drink I have found in London thus far, sitting at a cheap 1 pound a shot. I came to the bar with my usual 5 pound in my pocket, not expecting to get drunk…again. But then, to my surprise, a few of the bar tenders had begun to remember me as the “Crazy American Guy Who Drinks Tequila Cause He’s Broke” guy. Now this was a great surprise to me, and it was even more of a surprise when my head was ripped back, and my mouth was smothered in 2 free shots of tequila. Did you catch that, “FREE,” now you try and tells me that’s an American concept. Well, it seems as though they respect my poverty-stricken position, and are doing their part to keep a starving artist on his feet (or at least enough to stumble his way back to his Mary Poppin’s flat). This beautiful habit of the bartenders continued through the night. You can see where this might of led me.
Now this bar is known for being full of Australians (Auzzies). As I sat at the bar, I realized I had spoken in the past with a few of these crazy bastards. I engaged myself in a high volume conversation, over the blaring American punk music, with a set of these Auzzies who had been at the bar seats next to me for quite a while. Somehow we discovered that they lived on the same street as me, and only a few doors down. They then proceeded to inform me that they were having a party after the pub closed.
Back to the pub closing, and the Auzzies having a party. So, I did indeed take my drunk self to this party across the street from my place after the pub had closed at midnight. It was nice to meet some of my neighbors, but I have to be blunt and honest, none of them struck my fancy. Kinda boring.
So as the weekend progressed, I realized I was getting awfully close to not having any money at all. Seeing as I needed to get new credit cards before I left the states, and I forgot to until the last minute, my lovely parents were so kind as to send out the new cards in a FedEx package at the end of last week. I have 90 pounds total left, and in the thick of the UK, you pay rent weekly (which is 80/week paid on Tuesday for me). It is really a great tool for making you feel as though you have no money at any time, as paying an exceedingly high rent tends to do to one’s financial esteem. The package has yet to arrive and so as of today, Tuesday, so I am officially down to my last 10 pounds. High hopes that it will get here soon.
Love You All I’m Sure,
-Blakester
I am really starting to enjoy writing in my blog, that is for sure. Injecting a bit of humor into what I go through here helps me deal with things easier, and it also allows for it to all come back to me at an even pace. Going through it all at once has proven to be quite overwhelming. In addition to that, it shines a different, motivating, and almost 3rd person perspective on things.
As for this last weekend, I had a really great time. It marks the first time I was drunk in the UK. Considering how I have spoke once or twice about the expenses that come into play here, you can imagine that alcohol is not left far behind in the mix of thing (no pun intended). I had the opportunity to have a few drinks in the first few weeks, but this last Saturday night proved to be different altogether. I found myself drinking at the hostel where I stayed the first night, just down the street from where I live. If your curious, or you want to get a visual, there were a few pictures of it in the last blog. So at the lovely Belushi’s of Covent Gardens, I was treated to an absorbent amount of tequila. It is the most financially friendly drink I have found in London thus far, sitting at a cheap 1 pound a shot. I came to the bar with my usual 5 pound in my pocket, not expecting to get drunk…again. But then, to my surprise, a few of the bar tenders had begun to remember me as the “Crazy American Guy Who Drinks Tequila Cause He’s Broke” guy. Now this was a great surprise to me, and it was even more of a surprise when my head was ripped back, and my mouth was smothered in 2 free shots of tequila. Did you catch that, “FREE,” now you try and tells me that’s an American concept. Well, it seems as though they respect my poverty-stricken position, and are doing their part to keep a starving artist on his feet (or at least enough to stumble his way back to his Mary Poppin’s flat). This beautiful habit of the bartenders continued through the night. You can see where this might of led me.
Now this bar is known for being full of Australians (Auzzies). As I sat at the bar, I realized I had spoken in the past with a few of these crazy bastards. I engaged myself in a high volume conversation, over the blaring American punk music, with a set of these Auzzies who had been at the bar seats next to me for quite a while. Somehow we discovered that they lived on the same street as me, and only a few doors down. They then proceeded to inform me that they were having a party after the pub closed.
Back to the pub closing, and the Auzzies having a party. So, I did indeed take my drunk self to this party across the street from my place after the pub had closed at midnight. It was nice to meet some of my neighbors, but I have to be blunt and honest, none of them struck my fancy. Kinda boring.
So as the weekend progressed, I realized I was getting awfully close to not having any money at all. Seeing as I needed to get new credit cards before I left the states, and I forgot to until the last minute, my lovely parents were so kind as to send out the new cards in a FedEx package at the end of last week. I have 90 pounds total left, and in the thick of the UK, you pay rent weekly (which is 80/week paid on Tuesday for me). It is really a great tool for making you feel as though you have no money at any time, as paying an exceedingly high rent tends to do to one’s financial esteem. The package has yet to arrive and so as of today, Tuesday, so I am officially down to my last 10 pounds. High hopes that it will get here soon.
Love You All I’m Sure,
-Blakester
posted by Blake J. Nolan | Tuesday, September 21, 2004
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