L is for London. And also LOUD.

Right now I am at the temporary apartment sitting in bed, trying to relax and perhaps finish my Netflix movie entitled Tower Block (featuring that Estate/Council housing I was talking about in my last post, coincidentally). But I can't, because two very obnoxious people are singing crap renditions of The Bangals and Avril Lavigne. I mean they are pretty much singing [screaming] this at the top of their lungs. I put earplugs in but I can still hear them. 

Which brings me to my point. London is LOUD. My goodness. It is so loud all the time everywhere you go. There's sirens constantly. One just literally went off while I was typing this. My guess is that it's tourists getting hit by cars because (oh, there goes a helicopter flying by, which I can hear inside my house) they keep forgetting you have to look the opposite way before you cross the street (oh and now a dog is barking). Anyway, there's construction everywhere and noisy people and music and it's just crazy and loud. If I'm outside I can never hear anyone on the phone and have to yell for them to hear me. I went with my dad to a pub today to meet some of his colleagues and it was very enjoyable until the 5pm rush of people came in, mixed with the pub music, and they're all talking so loud and I stopped being able to hear most of the conversation despite the fact that I was right next to them. 

Or maybe I was hearing this 130 car pile-up that happened today (it's the big news in Britain, in case you haven't heard). Apparently Brits drive super fast in the fog even when they can't see. I haven't a clue as to why.

 

Along with it being loud and people being hard to hear (especially certain accents)(hey, there goes another siren) Londoners also don't pronounce things the way that they are spelled. For example, these locations are spelled completely different from how you actually say them:

Southwark is pronounced Suthuck.

Leicester is pronounced Lester.

I'm sure American English has that too, but it's kind of complicated when need directions from someone and can't find the place on the map because you're pronouncing it all wrong from how it's written. But alas, I am a modern day Columbus, so I always find my way. 

Speaking of Columbus and finding my way, a London transit pass is £116 a month. Which is $258.79. A MONTH. Students get a small discount but still, what the heck, London.