Thursday, August 10, 2006

Google-Addled and Familiar Sights from London

A couple of weeks back, I decided to make this website contribute a little to the greyscalefuzz get-rich-and-retire fund by adding Google ads. Making this blog a somewhat more commercially viable enterprise was just an exercise in seeing what that new-fangled Google tool could do. And I ended up being more interested in what ads they pulled out with the words written on my entries.

One thing that caught on immediately was my brief reference to the D_a Vin_ci Co_de - lots of links to Christian websites debunking Mr Brown's wild theories. Another one that was more recent gave me a link to a site that had a detailed theological explanation of Jo_hn chapter 1. Interesting stuff - I think it is good to know that a true reading of the bible need also involve some understanding of the context, and the language it was originally written in.

(Oh, in case you're wondering what explains those underscores... '_', I'm trying to see if they fool GoogleAds - I don't really want the same results returned again, like a broken record... that annoying thing)

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London.

I kind of liked and disliked London all at the same time. I've always liked old cities with a lot of history and culture behind it. Everything is in English - the signs, the announcements on the Tube, the maps. Everything is immediately understandable and not too much of a cultural shock. I can actually order a quarter pounder, fries and coke light without tongue twisting in excruciating French, or getting all signy-pointy with Spanish counter staff.

What I hated though was the whole hustle and bustle of a big city - I think any city with a population in excess of 2 million, and owning a subway system qualifies as a big city. And cities having subways are annoying in the way that they swallow individuals up and spew them out in mass quantities at precise locations within them. The crowding makes people short on temper and short on courtesy at times - I've never felt more small and insignificant. I've never felt more swallowed up than in London (perhaps I might feel the same in Tokyo; I've certainly felt that in New York)

Pics:

London Eye (clouds are all this eye sees) - Img2006-07-13-0147-1 (Southwest England & London)
The London Eye when your eye cannot see the whole of it from the bottom up.

Everything London (the Ben, the Eye, and the Double Decker) - Img2006-07-13-0125-1 (Southwest England & London)
A small pic to show you everything London: the double decker, Big Ben, part of the London Eye, and the unholy mating of the London Cab and Hello Kitty (pink cab, bottom right)

London Eye - Img2006-07-14-0029-1 (Southwest England & London)
Squinty-eyed me 'flying' on the London Eye. Didn't help that I seldom trusted strangers with my camera, so I held it by myself.

Tower Bridge - Img2006-07-14-0100 (Southwest England & London)
Kids, this is the Tower Bridge. NOT the London Bridge of that nursery rhyme fame.

Holding Hands - Img2006-07-14-0131-1 (Southwest England & London)
My favourite pic from London does not show anything Londony at all. :) A couple holding hands and walking away. Ahhh....

Double Decker, London - Img2006-07-13-0092-1 (Southwest England & London)
Picadilly Circus (did I get that right?) Busy junction et al.

Tube, London - Img2006-07-13-0101 (Southwest England & London)
Scene from one of those ubiquitous Tube stations. Someday, I got to go back and get a better shot at these places - damn hard with people walking all over the place and shoving you towards the tracks.

See other pics of London here

1 comments:

Unknown said...

I love London; it is my kind of town. Contrary to popular belief this is not some feeble attempt at plagiarizing advertising copy from other major cities in the world.
Bad times and good, I have lived and worked in London through them all.
London is full of History. History that it would appear that most Londoners take for granted.
Everything in London seems to be clustered: All the antique bookshops, all rich people who are owners of huge Limousine London vehicles are on the same street. All companies that make CG effects for movies are within few blocks of each other. The big web companies (except for Google, who have moved into a 'palace' near Victoria station) and web ad agencies are also within a small radius of each other. London will always be special for me as I met my lovely wife here.