Where in the World is Markmen Radtkiego?

No, I didn’t get help up at gunpoint; it’s a song by The Clash, and the source of my only knowledge of Brixton, the area in SE London that saw race riots in the 70’s. After a rainy walk, I arrived at Plan B, a “bar” by European standards, although it would definitely be considered a “club” in America. The techno was thumping, and I realized it was exactly like I pictured a club in Europe would be. Lots of people on exotic drugs and expensive drinks with blown eardrums. All in all, I managed to have a good time.

Woke up to rain. Fish & chips for lunch. Today might be a wash; I’m thinking about seeing a movie. Lindsay has a few friends from Jersey coming into town today — BU girls (SED ’98, for those who are in the know). It figures.

Also, I am happy to report that I went the entire vacation without eating in any American chain restaurants. McDonald’s owns the world, and Londoners can’t seem to get enough of Subway and KFC.

Rome was excellent. The hostel was the most social I’ve stayed in. The city had more to see than you could do in a month. St. Peter’s is unimaginably massive. My only problem with the city is the Coliseum; if I were Caesar, I would restore it to its original splendor and use it for football matches or public executions (or the public executions of footballers). Walked up to the Gianicolo, which overlooks the city. Nice view, but not as good as some other overlooks I’ve seen (the Piazza Michelangelo in Florence comes to mind).

It’s good to be back in an English-speaking country, even if they do call fries “chips” and chips “crisps.” My hostel is right around the block from one of the Tube stations that were damaged in the attacks. The people of London seem to be handling terrorism exactly the way the US didn’t. The people are on the lookout for threatening packages and suspicious people; I even saw several people studying the faces of some “people of interest” — I would bet most Americans couldn’t pick Mohammad Atta out of a lineup. So, despite the recent failed attacks and the gunning-down of a guy unconnected with terrorists, I don’t feel in danger. Instead of the “the police will take care of us” attitude we have in the US, Londoners feel like they can take an active role in preventing future attacks. (Mind you, I don’t blame the American people for our attitude, it is entirely due to a lack of real leadership from our elected officials in all parts of the government.)

Today I visited the Tate Modern, Britain’s latest and greatest modern art museum built in what used to be a power plant along the Thames. It’s connected by the Millennium Bridge (the foot bridge that wasn’t complete until after the new millennium) to the area around St. Paul’s. The wings are organized by themes such as Still Life instead of the period they were painted. The unusual organization works perfectly for a modern art museum, and paintings by Dali are in the same room as Jackson Pollocks. I can’t remember ever having such a good time in an art museum; several of the pieces actually made me laugh out loud. I think some people found this surprising, as if the Surrealists wanted everyone to frown at the art and nod thoughtfully. Case in point: Dali’s Lobster Telephone. I think it’s a very thoughtful piece, but anyone who looks at that without laughing is taking the world of art too seriously. Another one of my favorites was An Oak Tree by Michael Craig-Martin. The object has the form of a glass half full (or is it empty? — a question for another time) of water sitting high on a shelf. At eye level is a Q & A with the artist where he explains how he turned the glass of water into an oak tree, and many other FAQs. Very clever stuff, from both well-known artists and more contemporary ones.

Now I’m off to Brixton to down a few pints with Lindsay and company. I hope it stops raining.

Three days since I've arrived in London, and I think I've done everything I wanted to do (except, of course, find a sugar-princess). Many of my meals have been in pubs, and I've got to say, I haven't been disappointed ... [Continue reading this entry]