Optimism a world away...in an English pub....

Thursday night, Nov 20th, Earl's Court, London, England.

Do English pubs offer a good sampling of the mood of the times? I am in London, England for a number of weeks for holiday and work, and my friend, Claudia, who decided to travel to Europe at the same time, is joining me in an English pub. She is staying in the Earl's Court district, in London, England, and we find ourselves drawn into the warmth and bustle of an English pub. After looking over the menu, we decide to share a plate of good 'ol fish n' chips. A man sitting at the bar takes a seat near us and strikes up a conversation about the fish n'chips. 'This is 'bout the last good fish 'nchips in London. Used to be you could grab some hot in a newspaper. Newspaper soaked up the grease and kept it warm. It was the best. But not any more...with the goddamn health regulations....' he says, trailing off.


Claudia gobbles up the fish. I find the fish a tad fishy and greasy for my palate. I eat a few of the large lukewarm fries, dipped in Heinz' ketchup and wash them down with a Corona. Claudia boldly drinks a dark ale. I taste it....and wince, once, twice. The man looks at me and smiles. 'Don't have the temper for it, do ya?' I shake my head. Yugh-uck. He tells us he is from Rhodesia originally and has a house in California but moved to London to be with his ailing sister. I ask him how he was feeling right now about the economy. He had worse things to say about the weather. A young man with a hoarse voice standing behind him said the economy was just fine. 'It can rattle you if you let it, ' he said, smiling at me, 'but I don't let it.'

As we are leaving, two men sit down, both as it turned out from New Zealand. One man, an owner of a Subway franchise strikes up a conversation with Claudia. The other began talking to me. We never got around to exchanging names before we dove into a conversation about President-Elect Barack Obama, the economy, and the necessity of looking at everything as an opportunity. 'Seems we could talk all night and save the world by the end of it, ' he said, laughing. It was only 6pm -- and by that time, jet lag had set in for Claudia. We left the pub feeling joyful -- happy to have met some like-minded souls -- and happy to be embarking on a new adventure.