-
No, I get exactly what you mean. The chances of connecting with people on a random scale have totally diminished for me.
I like the spontaneous contact. Believe it or not, I miss walking down a heavily congested road.
There was an over abundance of stimuli that just engaged me, so your Old Kent commute is, in my opinion, as valid as sweeping countryside and wildlife.I'm by the sea. It's 29c outside now, crystal clear skies, and I'm sitting inside, because being outside just means watching people lounging, continuously feeding, drinking and ponderously moving between hotels and bars.
I am fucking bored. If you're snobby, then I have no qualms about being so too.
Chak-
There's just so much less friendliness or desire to get to know people here, in my experience; more of a cult of the individual, or family at least, maybe down to everyone having a garden and not congregating in the lovely local parks which litter London. Also the unutterably shit public transport, which of course you come to take for granted in a city. Again, that brings people of all backgrounds together and quietly creates a sense of community and acceptance of difference. Here, everyone gets in their car to do anything.
-
I'm by the sea. It's 29c outside now, crystal clear skies, and I'm sitting inside, because being outside just means watching people lounging, continuously feeding, drinking and ponderously moving between hotels and bars.
I am fucking bored.
Sometimes away from the big cities I would say that you have to be active in getting out and finding things to do, routes to ride, people to do interesting things with etc. There is more of a need to make things happen because it isn't always just there like it is in big cities.
Hope this isn't coming over as patronising btw. I don't know where you are and what it's like there so I might be talking out of arse!
-
The chances of connecting with people on a random scale have totally diminished for me.
+1
I am generalising massively here, but I reckon that most people who've managed to dig their heels into London for more than the minimum "get a degree and leave" period, typically acquire outstanding social skills. I will miss that for the rest of my life.
Timmy2wheels
jdp
starfish&coffee
So much this. Wife and I feeling really torn after a weekend in the smoke - not for the first time. There is so much to like about where we are now (south Cambs) - great school on the doorstep, endless countryside, wildlife, family nearby - but it's all just so homogeneous. Can count the number of people we've met and really gel with (Hi Sam!) on the fingers of the hand of my former woodwork teacher.
It's very hard to articulate without sounding snobby or self-important, but there's something very different about people who've never lived in a big city, particularly one as diverse as London. Maybe it's not about that, rather that those we live near now just haven't had the same interests and experiences growing up, but the London thing has become my reference point.
Then I think of my former commute down the Old Kent Road and think I'm being daft.