My wife fell and broke her arm earlier this year and some weeks later, once it had started to heal, we went in the metro in London. It was crowded with no spare seats, but on several different journeys including changing trains, every time we entered a carriage someone would immediately stand up to offer her a seat and also as soon as they realised that I was with her, someone next to her would stand up to offer me a seat too.
I was very impressed at how compassionate all these people were.
Here in Devon, when travelling by train as I did for a couple of years recently, I was offered a seat several times when the train was crowded - though admittedly not always, but quite frequently. I think that it is to do with pace of life, which tends to be a little more relaxed away from the big cities.
There is a story here in Devon of a newcomer who asked one of his new neighbours whether there was a word here like maƱana. The answer, after a little hesitation and some sort, was āwell, yes, but without that sense of blinding rushā
Wow! A very sad ending! I would never do that! I could not eat anything that has not been frozen before in a supermarket.
Let me tell you a story - One day, I was in a restaurant in Tokyo, sitting in front of a counter, next to a fish tank. Being unable to read Japanese, so I pointed my finger to an attractive fish on the menu, a few minute later, at my glance, I saw a waiter came out with a net and he took something out of the tank, looked like a fish to me, however I did not think very much of it. Then a few minutes later, I was served a sashimi dish with a whole fish on it, the fish looked like the fish I saw in the tank, its eyes still looking at me, its gills still movingā¦ I was shocked, I lost my orientation, I felt drunk despite just having a 1/2 glass of sakeā¦ I ended up staggering out of the restaurant.
I still remember that event very clearly even it was more than 20 years ago.
Your story is true, not mine however. But i would probably react like you, eating alive fishes or other is not my cup of tea.
Here in France the culinary tradition is to put an alive lobster directly into boiling water. I canāt see that.
Plymouth is one of the most demographically diverse cities in the uk, that in itself, brings it own problems.
Given the same economic status, If you were to ask the average Janner if they would rather live somewhere else, you would likely get the same answer from most ā¦ no!
I moved from London to Devon over 11 years ago and living in Devon I would imagine would be like life generally in UK during the 50ās. You are correct life is more slower and relaxed. I feel lucky that I did the move as London now is becoming rather different from 11 years ago. Also the countryside and the sea is glorious.
@frenchrooster well observed, itās the same here. When I was a kid if you didnāt stand to allow an older person to sit you were shamed. Now no one (or most donāt even care they canāt take their eyes off their phones.
I remember my father in law saying when he got to 50 that the first young man who offered him a seat in a train was going to get a clip round the ear for impertinence.
Later when he wasnāt well and badly needed the seat, but still ever-gallant, he said he didnāt like to see women standing while he sat - so he closed his eyes.
I think London is OK still. Very multi-cultural, but I like that actually.
