“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” ~ Greg Anderson
I have discovered that there is a huge difference between how people behave on the Tube (Subway) in London compared to how they behave on the subway in Philadelphia. In London the place is like a library. I am not exaggerating, everyone tends to sit (or stand if it’s busy) very quietly. There is sometimes a low hum of conversation but often even couples and groups fall silent. In Philly I discovered that people happily chat away not only to the people they are traveling with but often to complete strangers. It is very different vibe to the silent, eyes down, insular world of the London Underground, where chatting to a stranger would most likely make people uncomfortable. In Philadelphia that would be a completely normal thing to do. As for greeting people good morning, in London it would never happen, in Philly it is a routine experience.
London sounds a lot like New York. I had a culture shock when I moved to Greece. I was always used to walking around with a book to read if I had to wait at a bank or on line somewhere. Even on a train or bus. But here people do not read anything not even the paper they just people watch. And they think I’m strange for reading. Of course now everyone has a phone in their hands.
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