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Andrei Zmievski |
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28-June-2004
Not Moving
I decided that moving right now would be too much of a hassle and will stay in the current place for another year. A couple of weeks ago I was on a business trip to London. While there, some people from work, Mari and I went to have a few pints of beer in various pubs. I have to say that I admire British pub culture in general, and so my experiences in those establishments were very pleasant. The pubs in Britain seem to be much more of communal places that the bars here in US. They may vary from small unassuming pubs where people go to after work to ornate and expansive Pubs that are frequented by fast living crowds. But in all cases, you feel like there is a sense of, oh, I don't know, camaraderie? And even before I read Passport to Pub I noticed that people there follow "rules". What do I mean by that? Things like going up to the bar to order your beer, follow the queue, treat bartender as an equal, etc. The Social Issues Research Institute of Oxford conducted a study of the pub habits, behaviors, and etiquette and this is the result. By all means, click on the link above, it is a very entertaining read. Can't wait to go to London again. Posted at 21:45
Comments
From what I hear, pubs in Ireland are like that even more so. Posted by Gabe on June 29, 2004 11:02 PMI would go as far as to say that in U.S. the primary goal of going to a bar is to drink and socializing is secondary. In Britain it is the opposite. Posted by Andrei Zmievski on June 30, 2004 12:37 AMAs you move away from the more urban areas and into the country, you'll find that the pubs (and people in general) aren't always quite so welcoming (http://www.leagueofgentlemen.co.uk/ !). Pubs in britain are about socializing, relaxing, maybe catching a live band, and drinking. Ireland is similar, but more hostpitable and with more drinking ;-) Posted by Wez Furlong on June 30, 2004 01:35 AMI find most bars in the US incredibly boring - play pool, watch sports, play darts. You can find some pubs where socializing is the main focus. They're usually awkward for outsiders though. Posted by Gabe on June 30, 2004 01:58 AMSpeaking of high costs (like your rent) - I hear London is really expensive. More so than Silicon Valley? Posted by Gabe on June 30, 2004 02:09 AMYou'd have to ask one of the Londoners who's lived in Silicon Valley as well. Posted by Andrei on June 30, 2004 08:21 AMTaking the different value of currency into account, it's at least as twice expensive to live in london as it is in the valley, if not three times. Posted by James Cox on July 2, 2004 07:33 AMPub culture down here in South Africa is similar in towns like Paarl for example. There's a pub called Bossa Nova which I used to frequent on business trips to Paarl and surrounding areas. Posted by Jacques on July 3, 2004 04:57 AM |