walks&friends in london&bath

riley & buffy
ollie buys ice cream
lunch in frume
out for a walk with wellies on
ollie with the dogs
in camden town with maddie and jo

a friend. a shetland.

this fella came over to meet me during my afternoon stroll the other day. i like the picture.

i want some webbed feet. or wings. anything really...

tonight on the BBC my grandparents and i watched and thoroughly enjoyed the 2nd part of attenborough's new series, LIFE. in all my days i have never seen such impressive camerawork. watching while, in slow motion, the beads of water jump from the basilisk lizard's feet i suddenly thought of a world champion figure skater. i'm not sure if that really compares but, you know, i imagined something with exemplary elegance.

i understand that of all the creatures on this earth, humans are probably the most impressive in what they can achieve both physically and mentally. but sometimes i wish that what set us apart within the species had evolved into something more exciting. i know that i'd much rather be categorized by an amazing trick that, like some of our neighboring creatures, defied...no, CRUSHED all logic and reason. how about, instead of differing in skin color, temperament or religion, we each were given physical abilities that made us unique? maybe i could stay underwater for up to 6 hours, for example. perhaps you're able to leap 30 feet from one branch to another. (is this is how the x-men concept started?)

anyway, for those who've always dreamed of being something more sensational than a well-developed chimp, this one's for you. nature never ceases to surprise.

home again?

the last time i traveled to england was in 2005, when chris browne and i endured a 6-week-long marathon tour of the entire UK in a rented renault megane. in addition to a summer vacation, the trip became an odyssey of sorts to explore the land and culture in which i was raised; a chance to reaquaint what was left of my english ways with the roots of my upbringing.

although chris' company was irreplacable, i found that having an american with me at all times during the trip left me feeling split between two familiar worlds. at that time, my life had been divided almost precisely in half: 10 years in england, 10 years in america. my british accent and diction always tends to slip back once i leave the airport. "better give home a ring to let them know we're safe," i'd say once we'd landed. or "bloody good film that" when discussing the movie shown on the plane. others that return easily include "that pint went down a treat!" and "i'm knackered. time for a kip." but with chris in tow, his speech was a constant reminder that although i was back in england, america was where i belonged.

on this venture, it's just me, myself and i. one would think it'd be simpler but it's not. this past week my persona has identity crisis written all over it. my choice of words and accent is all over the place and i find myself constantly correcting my sentences. i'll say, "i need to look into getting a cellphone...i mean mobile," or "i think these pants are too tight...i mean trousers." things like that.

truthfully it doesn't really matter whether i get it right or not. people generally know what i'm on about either way, especially if they're family. but there's this part of me that really wants to blend in as best i can. i think a lot of people share this feeling when they're traveling, especially with the recent misconception that all americans are money-hungry warmongors. it's almost as though i'm an american spy doing his best not to give away his identity.

the question that remains is which way i'll lean once i reach the continent. i'll have had two weeks immersed in the english ways but it's quite possible the american accent will ease its way back. what really tickles me is how in america i'll be at a bar and people will do their darndest to get a british accent out of me. when i'm under pressure and all i can hear is americans telling me to "say 'i want some fish and chips!" i can't deliver. it's a struggle. my american accent is much more comfortable now. however, the other night while out drinking in newbury with a childhood friend, i experienced the same obstacle but in reverse. here i was, standing outside the pub with two british girls hollering "SAY 'FANNYPACK!'" "SAY 'I WANT FRENCH FRIES!'" although i really tried to give it my all, it came across soundly british. not one hint of american twang. but still they just giggled and screamed "FANNYPACK! HAHAHAHA!". so i laughed too and replied, "well luv, it sounds better than bumbag."

fun on avon beach

lift off

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ready set go

my railpass finally arrived today. i've begun musing over possible routes. staring at the map and getting lost in a daydream. my flight to london leaves in 96 hours.