Misery rain

They say Eskimos have 27 different words for snow; I just invented a new word for rain.

Today it drizzled all day, accompanied by a cold, blustery wind that made an umbrella both futile and frustrating. Apparently this isn't unusual, as most of the locals went without, walking about like it wasn't raining at all. I'm sure I stood out in my heavy coat and inverted umbrella.

In America the rain is more decisive--it either is raining or it isn't; in England, it thinks about raining.

Today was Memorial Day in the US and Spring bank holiday in the UK, which meant that everything was closed. As a result, my only accomplishment was getting a new sim card for my cell phone. When I got back to the hotel, however, I found I had zero coverage, so tomorrow I have to get a new sim card. Meanwhile, I made a couple of calls over the computer (using VoIP), which was like screaming at someone on the other side of the Grand Canyon, and did nothing to end my sense of isolation.

On a whim, I also got a mobile broadband account, which gives me 1GB of data for 10 pounds. However, given that I have no signal at the hotel, I'm not sure when I'll use it. Fortunately, I can generally get a wireless signal from the hotel next door.

I also spent a couple of hours at the store buying toothpaste and tissues. Most of the time was just spent looking around, since I recognize almost none of the brands, and very few of the products. Cheese here is not a food, it's an institution. Crackers take up two aisles. Cereal has the most unappealing names, such as "oaty breakfast." And they have "Kleenex for men," which is just an over-sized tissue, as if men had bigger noses. (Of course I bought it--I wasn't going to have some store clerk question my manhood.)

I was actually quite depressed today, partly because of the rain, partly because of the culture shock, partly because I can't talk to anyone, but mostly because London is much more expensive than I expected. With the weak dollar, my spaghetti dinner last night cost US $22! ($6 was because I forgot in Europe asking for water means a bottle of expensive imported water. I think the biggest industry in the EU is countries selling water to each other.)

Tonight was a US $10 take-away at a Lebanese restaurant, in the sitting room watching the UK version of "Weakest Link," finishing the rest of my bottled water. (For $6, you're damn right I took it home.)

Tomorrow I can finally get my mail, hopefully open a bank account, and start looking for a job...