Blogger Ali is loving London but not the cyclists

My blog’s late and that is just one symptom of a newly acquired disease. I’ve fallen in love. With London. As you may remember from my previous blogs, I was feeling the pain of leaving Devon behind. My circumstances dictated much of the change – I needed a job, I couldn’t seem to get one in Devon – and so whilst I was excited about London, I was worried that I may not be doing the right thing. Well already my doubts have gone. It feels like having been in a rut personally for some years, I am now living again. And a lot of that is down to London. I wish I could give you some deep and meaningful explanation of why a place can affect me so deeply. But I can’t and so you’re stuck with my usual shallow ramblings as I try and make sense of myself. So what is different. Well. Firstly I behave differently. I now walk faster, am irritated by people who can’t stand on the right in tube stations and have a fairly intense dislike for some (not all) cyclists. Now before you feel outraged, I have no problem with the mode of transport per se, but travelling on peak rush hour trains with bicycles has to be outlawed very soon and I will personally offer to prosecute every cyclist that believes red lights do not apply to them. Another change relates to a theory that I have had for some time but can’t actually evidence. I’m quite tall for a woman and have always been a bit self conscious about that. Often I feel like some ungainly giant, towering over most other women and a good proportion of men. Obviously I like the benefits it gives – at gigs I rarely have problems seeing acts, and if it is a predominantly female audience, well I can saunter in late confident of an excellent view. However my height has also consigned me to a life of flat shoes and awkwardness. Add height to my innate clumsiness and you can see why the Miranda comparisons hurt! What’s that got to do with London? Well my theory is that people in London are taller. I can’t back that up with figures (if anyone can, I would be eternally grateful as it has become a bit of an obsession for me) but for whatever reason, I no longer feel ridiculously tall. So heels are back! As is casually falling over as I get used to wearing them again... Then there is my day to day life. It’s changed beyond recognition. From being an unemployed loafer, struggling to fill my days with optimism or at least job applications, I now spend at least 12 hours every day working or travelling. My goodness that puts a stop to the anxious navel gazing I had begun to embark on! And I am amazed how much I love the commute. I’m sure the novelty may well wear off but at the moment the experience of gradually waking up to the sights and sounds of London in the mornings and the people watching opportunities in the evenings just beguiles me. Socially, I am still finding my feet a bit. Nevertheless my weeks seem packed. I am going to gigs (Alabama Shakes and Joyce the Librarian so far – both excellent. Elbow next week, can’t wait) and loving the fact that I can just decide to do something on the spur of the moment and have a range of options at my finger tips. I am meeting new people and visiting lovely bars and restaurants. And I am surrounded by the vibrancy and excitement of being in the capital. Now how long this love affair will last is another question. I’m not getting any younger and the pace of life here is frenetic. But for now, this is definitely the right place for me and I can’t wait to see what each new day brings. It feels like I am cheating on Devon, but London – I love you.