Economics

My last day in London. There were other things I would have liked to see, but I think I crammed a lot into my brief time here. Next time, I'd plan on going and staying in the countryside, especially Ely. It gives me something to come back for. Maybe I could get a job teaching at Hogwarts. I took a walk in an opposite direction from where I usually went today. I ended up in Notting Hill (no Hugh Grant or Julia Roberts). I was amazed at the people on the sidewalks. I thought they were tour groups, but they were mostly hordes of young people, taking in all the shops. I walked through a lot of residential areas. There must have been a lot of building during the Victorian era (she did reign for 64 years). They are stately buildings with several flats in them. The ceilings are high, and the walls are large. Many had very little decoration on the walls. Given the rent they pay, I'm not surprised if they can't afford anything else. I talked to a woman of middle age about the cost of things. She said people will work two weeks of the month just to pay their rent. She is an engineer and works all over the world. She said Americans are always amazed at how much more things cost here. She said she made a good salary (I didn't ask) but still pays a good portion of it for rent. She said she also has property in the country but prefers to stay in the city. I asked her whether teachers were paid well, and she said no. They'd have to live outside the city, but then that is balanced by transportation costs and commute time. I asked about taxes. She said employers can structure taxes around the pay; she said large employers like KPMG do better by employees. Apparently there is a property tax that goes by the size of your place, from studio on up. I'm not sure if this applies to rentals, as well. I remember that Priscilla had said that the tax man had even come up with a tax based on how many windows your place had, which was why there were so many windows bricked up (she pointed them out on the tour). One interesting thing Priscilla also said had to do with chimneys. Their use was banned because of the pollution (they burn coal). London was known for its respiratory illnesses. It's made the buildings much cleaner, too. Strangely, I came upon a couple of parks today in my walk that were gated shut and listed as private parks. One had to be a member to use them. Oddly enough, when I decided to come back to the hotel, I discovered I wasn't all that far away. I had somehow curved my way back from Notting Hill. I'm going to miss the health food restaurants around town (Pret a Mange). I've grown very fond of the aged cheddar cheese sandwich in wheat bread with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles (I still say they are cucumbers). They also have large, soft pretzels, but they have seeds instead of salt. I need to keep up this level of exercise and eating right. I suspect if I did I could reduce my medications greatly. That is especially true after seeing the news that Tim Russert died yesterday at 58 from heart problems. Tim and I went to the same high school in Buffalo. His best-selling book, Big Russ and Me, was about lessons learned from his dad and from Canisius High School. He was a life-long Buffalo Bills fan and always touted his Buffalo roots for making him what he is. As a political analyst, he had no peer. His being two years younger than I am gives me pause. Life is indeed fleeting. They say he's already up in heaven, debating inconsistencies in scripture with God. I hope he also asks Him what He has against the Bills.