London Day 2 to 4: Mass Panic
For my second evening in London, my plan was to
go to Blackfriars Pub, have dinner and a pint, then head across the wobbly
bridge to watch Shakespere's "Merchant of Venice" at the Globe Theater. All was
not smooth, however. Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London is in the process of
acquiring the failed company Metronet that owns many of the Underground lines.
The employees are under the RMT union and have gone on strike because
Livingstone has not guaranteed that jobs and pensions would not be affected.
The strike has shut down 8 out of the 10 Tube lines, and crippled the subway
system. An estimated 3 million people use the Tube everyday.
Its hard to describe the mass panic that engulfed King Cross Station at rush hour. It was apparent that many Londoners used the Tube exclusively for their day-to-day commutes. The station workers were present to answer the publics' questions as to which bus to take, how to get where, etc. but when I asked the first Tube employee I saw how to get to Blakfriars station, "That's a good f---ing question, mate" was the answer i got. They eventually helped me out, and directed me to the national railway system several blocks to the east.
I have been surprised, actually, to find that most people have no idea where things are. Either that, or they are unwilling to help out a tourist American, but I don't think that's the case. Those that do know are very polite, extremely helpful, and accurate in their directions. Maybe its the size of the city? The unwillingness to travel outside of one's own borough?
The national railway system, I discovered, is a wonderful train, but was not designed for mass transit. The seats are large and comfortable, but the walkways are narrow and without the supports required for standing passengers. Although everyone managed, it was quite hectic in the train as everyone struggled to keep their balance with the movement.
The obvious problem with shutting down the Tube is that it forces everyone to take alternative forms of transportation. While great for the respective companies, both the railway system and the bus system are stretched to capacity.
In fact, the busses that are full, and most of them are, do not stop for new passangers. At one stop, four busses spaced 10 min apart passed me because they were full. As a tourist, being forced to take alternative forms of transportation is somewhat stressful, but allows for new discoveries. During rush hour, for example, the bus ride from University of College London to Imperial College London takes 1h 40m (compared to 25m on the Tube), the walk takes an 1h 30m. Deciding to take a long stroll through London, I ran into two Euroglia attendees, Marcello and Anna-Paula, from Brazil, who would be become my friends for the duration of the conference.
Back to my evening...
Because of the strike, it took me 40m longer than expected, and I missed going to Blackfriars pub. I managed to take a picture and made a promise to be back.
However, I did get to the Wobbly bridge, and to the Theater on time. No time for dinner, but definitely in time for a beer.
The Globe is a recreation of Shakesere's orignial theater.
Here is an except from their website:
"Founded by the pioneering American actor/director Sam Wanamaker, Shakespeare's Globe is a unique international resource dedicated to the exploration of Shakespeare's work, and the playhouse for which he wrote, through the connected means of education and performance.
Together, the Globe Theatre Company, Shakespeare's Globe Exhibition and Globe Education seek to further the experience and international understanding of Shakespeare in performance.
In 1949, when Sam Wanamaker came to London for the first time, he looked for the site of the original Globe and was disappointed not to find a more lasting memorial to one of the greatest playwrights in the world.
In 1970 he founded the Shakespeare Globe Trust, dedicated to the experience and international understanding of Shakespeare in performance. Itrs work celebrates the fact that the greatest dramatic poet in the English language lived and worked in London and that the cradle of English theatre was on Bankside by the River Thames.
In 1987, building work began on site when the six-metre deep foundations were laid. In 1993, the construction of the Globe Theatre itself began."
The Merchant of Venice is a story of love, revenge, and money. The young Bassanio, hungry for love and marriage, convinces his good friend Antonio to lend him money to set sail to woo the love of fair Portia, a wealthy heiress of Belmont. To finance the adventure, Antonio, a merchant in Venice who has spread his self thin with numerous risky business ventures, asks the "venture capitalist" Shylock to lend him money. Shylock reluctantly agrees, but only after Antonio agrees to pay with a pound of his flesh if he defaults on the loan. Shylock, who has a hatred for Antonio, would rather see him dead than to have him pay back the loan. Though the story starts with the speculation and lending practices of Shakespere's venice, i was happily surprised to find that the true story is about love, faith, and an engagement ring. The cast put tons of energy in delivering the seriousness of the vengeful nature of Shylock, the despair of Antonio's failure in paying back his debts, the guilt of Bassanio, and the absolute comedy inherent in Shaeskpere's writings. There were moments of dead silence as Antonio or Shylock poured out their soul, and up roaring laughter during the funny bits. It was a great show and watching a performance at the Globe is highly reccomended for a night out in London.
Another view of the Wobbly Bridge with St. Paul's Cathedral in the distance.
Its hard to describe the mass panic that engulfed King Cross Station at rush hour. It was apparent that many Londoners used the Tube exclusively for their day-to-day commutes. The station workers were present to answer the publics' questions as to which bus to take, how to get where, etc. but when I asked the first Tube employee I saw how to get to Blakfriars station, "That's a good f---ing question, mate" was the answer i got. They eventually helped me out, and directed me to the national railway system several blocks to the east.
I have been surprised, actually, to find that most people have no idea where things are. Either that, or they are unwilling to help out a tourist American, but I don't think that's the case. Those that do know are very polite, extremely helpful, and accurate in their directions. Maybe its the size of the city? The unwillingness to travel outside of one's own borough?
The national railway system, I discovered, is a wonderful train, but was not designed for mass transit. The seats are large and comfortable, but the walkways are narrow and without the supports required for standing passengers. Although everyone managed, it was quite hectic in the train as everyone struggled to keep their balance with the movement.
The obvious problem with shutting down the Tube is that it forces everyone to take alternative forms of transportation. While great for the respective companies, both the railway system and the bus system are stretched to capacity.
In fact, the busses that are full, and most of them are, do not stop for new passangers. At one stop, four busses spaced 10 min apart passed me because they were full. As a tourist, being forced to take alternative forms of transportation is somewhat stressful, but allows for new discoveries. During rush hour, for example, the bus ride from University of College London to Imperial College London takes 1h 40m (compared to 25m on the Tube), the walk takes an 1h 30m. Deciding to take a long stroll through London, I ran into two Euroglia attendees, Marcello and Anna-Paula, from Brazil, who would be become my friends for the duration of the conference.
Back to my evening...
Because of the strike, it took me 40m longer than expected, and I missed going to Blackfriars pub. I managed to take a picture and made a promise to be back.
However, I did get to the Wobbly bridge, and to the Theater on time. No time for dinner, but definitely in time for a beer.
The Globe is a recreation of Shakesere's orignial theater.
Here is an except from their website:
"Founded by the pioneering American actor/director Sam Wanamaker, Shakespeare's Globe is a unique international resource dedicated to the exploration of Shakespeare's work, and the playhouse for which he wrote, through the connected means of education and performance.
Together, the Globe Theatre Company, Shakespeare's Globe Exhibition and Globe Education seek to further the experience and international understanding of Shakespeare in performance.
In 1949, when Sam Wanamaker came to London for the first time, he looked for the site of the original Globe and was disappointed not to find a more lasting memorial to one of the greatest playwrights in the world.
In 1970 he founded the Shakespeare Globe Trust, dedicated to the experience and international understanding of Shakespeare in performance. Itrs work celebrates the fact that the greatest dramatic poet in the English language lived and worked in London and that the cradle of English theatre was on Bankside by the River Thames.
In 1987, building work began on site when the six-metre deep foundations were laid. In 1993, the construction of the Globe Theatre itself began."
The Merchant of Venice is a story of love, revenge, and money. The young Bassanio, hungry for love and marriage, convinces his good friend Antonio to lend him money to set sail to woo the love of fair Portia, a wealthy heiress of Belmont. To finance the adventure, Antonio, a merchant in Venice who has spread his self thin with numerous risky business ventures, asks the "venture capitalist" Shylock to lend him money. Shylock reluctantly agrees, but only after Antonio agrees to pay with a pound of his flesh if he defaults on the loan. Shylock, who has a hatred for Antonio, would rather see him dead than to have him pay back the loan. Though the story starts with the speculation and lending practices of Shakespere's venice, i was happily surprised to find that the true story is about love, faith, and an engagement ring. The cast put tons of energy in delivering the seriousness of the vengeful nature of Shylock, the despair of Antonio's failure in paying back his debts, the guilt of Bassanio, and the absolute comedy inherent in Shaeskpere's writings. There were moments of dead silence as Antonio or Shylock poured out their soul, and up roaring laughter during the funny bits. It was a great show and watching a performance at the Globe is highly reccomended for a night out in London.
Another view of the Wobbly Bridge with St. Paul's Cathedral in the distance.
Posted: Wed - September 5, 2007 at 08:53 AM
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Published On: Sep 08, 2007 10:05 PM
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Published On: Sep 08, 2007 10:05 PM