My 11-year anniversary as a British resident passed this weekend. 11 years ago, I came to the UK without a job and without a plan of what I was going to do.
As I write this, it is Monday morning. I am heading into London very early because I have to make time in my schedule for a meeting with the Chinese British Business Council. It is 5:45am. The sun is already in the sky and it is a beautiful morning. Iâm always surprised with how early the sun rises here in the summer time. I know summer days are longer, but Summer days in San Diego are nowhere near as long as they are in London.
11 years ago, at this time of year, I remember going to bed in a very jet lagged state with a single plan â I was going to get up early, get dressed, and try to find a job. I woke up in the morning with the sun shining through the curtains. I went to the bathroom, took a shower, and got dressed. I looked a the clock and was shocked to find that it wasnât even 5 oâclock yet. No one would wake up for a few more hours. The streets were quiet, but the sun was shining. Outside, it looked like the type of day where you could have a picnic.
Today, on driving to the station (I didnât take the bike because Iâm in suit-mode), the Radio 1 DJ commented âNo one is awake at this time of morning because they want to be.â But, again, the sun is shining, the streets are empty. I donât know why no one would be awake at this time. Is there really a reason to ignore a beautiful morning because of what the clock says?
The English Summer is here. We get long days. We get optimismâbut still peppered with English pragmatism (venturing on pessimism) — âYeah, but it will probably rain this weekend.â We get beer gardens at the pub. We get daylight until 10pm.
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