Arrival

Arrival in London proved a bit more complicated than flying. The signs and schedules are all written in code familiar to the people of Europe, but quite standardized from the Captain's early sailing days. First, one must figure out the destination in the language chosen by the train or bus company. The captain studied the possible choices for quite some time before identifying where he wanted to go. But he wasn't alone. London is so full of people "on holiday" from other parts of the country or the world that focusing on a schedule in a very public place for a very long time appears absolutely normal.

Second, one must track time in what Americans call "military time" and Europeans call "normal" -- the clock never stops. At 12 noon, one might eat lunch. Then one hour later, rather than 1 p.m., the time has simply continued and become 13:00. 30 minutes later, time will be written as 13:30 and spoken "half past one."

Then, the currency and equipment had to be navigated. Though everything is written in English, careful observers could hear periodic Pirate mumbles... "Blimey, that!" England is on the currency system called "pounds" (or more formally, "British Pounds Sterling") and written as ₤. One pound equals approximately two American dollars. This particular ticket machine also listed currency in euros, the currency of the European Union. One euro equals approximately 1.65 American dollar, or approximately 1.2 British pounds.

Had he not gotten caught in the machine attempting to retrieve his ticket, the little Captain would have been just fine.

His final challenge was "simply" keeping alert to the instructions so cleverly written on the platform. The trains and the tube (London's subway system) are slightly more narrow than the platform could allow --- helpful for avoiding train accidents. However, the gap seems to be sufficiently challenging for sufficient numbers of people that "Mind the gap" is quite commonly announced. Other helpful instructions such as "Look Left" or "Look Right" are painted on many busy street crossings to keep everyone clear about who is coming and who is going which direction.

Soon, the Captain will be issued a travel pass for the tube called an "Oyster card" allowing him unlimited travel within two zones of London's public transportation system. This should encourage him to explore freely throughout his few months here. We'll see how he does.