February 24, 2003 - page 2

• London is a cross-section of the world. Walking into a random restaurant, attending the theater, and sharing a conversation with a fellow tube-goer – doing normal things, that is – heightens one’s cultural awareness and builds a broader context around one’s own life. This has to be one of the most important forms of education in today’s world. And it’s great fun.

I’ve lived in large cities before, and I certainly knew that London was a big one. But I wasn’t prepared for how hard it would be to find my way around without a good bit of help. (OK, I’ll admit to getting lost when running on the first morning here. At least I found some interesting new places along the way.) You think you’ve oriented yourself, but then you cross an intersection and the streets have decided on new names. A little head-scratching is followed by an appeal to the locals, who are quite familiar with the drill.

Even the locals need help, though. That’s why everyone carries a copy of London A-Z, an unbelievably detailed book of street maps that people generally swear by. It was one of my first purchases here, and is now a fixture in my backpack.

So with some hesitation, I’ll claim to have most of the basics under my belt. But I look forward to even the blunders during the weeks ahead – they will indeed come – and am glad to have you along.