The Burden of The Pound

While there are many things about England that I do like, the prices drive me up the wall. In economics there is a concept known as the purchasing power parody, which basically states that a good in one country will cost relatively as much as the same good to a person in another country. While this theory is not completely true, in loose terms it is true that people usually pay more where the currency is stronger and the cost of living is more expensive. With the pound sterling trading at roughly 1.7 times the dollar everything in London seems painfully expensive; everything seems to cost twice what it does in the U.S. For this reason, if I ever lived here I would have to be getting paid in pounds.

This however, would not resolve the whole problem. Apparently, it isn't simply the exchange rate that makes things seem expensive here, many Londoners also have been complaining, and even protesting, regarding the prices.

For some reason, this seems to be the case with strong currencies. Prices in many parts of the Euro Zone are too high to stimulate adequate growth, due to fiscal policy that is innapropriate to all but a few of the most devloped and economically sound of it's members. While the recent British austerity measures and their current monetary policy are necessary for the country's long term financial health, the fact remains that it causes unavoidable difficulty for people on the ground.

Pub Food Revisited

British food is often thought of as, in a word, bad. While I was here, for the most part I did not find this to be the case.

One of the first places I went after my arrival in London was the food halls of Harrod's department store. While the buildings of some Russian grocery stores I have been in are more impressive in detail, they cannot compete for sheer size. I was impressed not only by the amount, but also by the variety of foods they have. In many cases a french cheese stand is situated next to a dim sum counter.

During my time here I have eaten almost exclusively in pubs. In addition to having a good selection of beers and ales, the vast majority of the pubs I ate in viewed their food as more than merely something meant to settle your stomach between pints.

Despite what is apparently a recent trend toward improving the quality of cuisine in pubs, the food remains rather simple. It relies on high quality ingredients and preparation, instead of complex combinations of spices. The result of this is that traditional dishes such as steak and Guinness, and cottage pies, actually are a pleasure to eat. Some of the pubs have even ventured into creating their own culinary fusions. For example, when I ordered beef lasanga, what I got was a fusion between the traditional Italian dish, and a British meat pie.

As I have mentioned, these gastro-pubs do not focus on the kitchen at the expense of the bar. A pint of one of the many varieties of bitters on tap is the perfect complement to a simple but delicious meal.

Its Own Island

Most often, when I travel to Europe, I go to either the central or eastern part of the Continent. As a result of this, I am more familiar with cities such as Kraków and Ljubljana than I am with the western Europe. When I do go to western Europe, I find that while cities such as Berlin and Paris are nice places to visit, they also are not places in which I would like to live. So, on my trip to London, my expectations were actually not that high. That said, what I found pleasantly surprised me.
On the way from the airport into the city, our driver told us that the U.K. is "Europe but not Europe". This is a very apt way to describe London. While many physical and cultural aspects of the city are very informed by Europe, many aspects of it also remind me of some eastern American cities such as Chicago. The result is completely unique. Even more interesting, and sometimes a bit odd, is the fact that the Brits have preserved many of the stereotypical aspects of the city that Americans think of when they think of London. There really are double decker buses, and all of the taxis look like they came out of a time warp. The city fathers have even maintained the famous red telephone booths even though everyone has a cell phone. This is not something Londoners simply do for tourists and there seems to be a sense that these things are part of their history and must be preserved.
While in London, I took the time to play tourist. Over the past 4 days I have seen many of the major sights, such as the Tower Bridge and Westminster Abbey. However, my favorite part of the city is the strong presence of theater and opera. In my short time here I took full advantage of this by taking in the sequel to "Phantom of The Opera", "All's Well That Ends Well" at a re-creation of the Globe Theater, and my favorite, Verdi's "Macbeth" at the Royal Opera House.
I am currently in the process of applying to various master's programs, one of which is a joint degree between Uniwersytetem Wrocławskim in Poland and The London School of Economics. If I am accepted to this program I think I could be very happy studying, and possibly working in London. Maybe it is because of its unique flavor, but I find London to to be one of the few western European cities that I simply enjoy being in.