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Whilst being cured of the misconception quite a while ago that it is worth being involved in a political party, during my student days I was involved in European politics. Again, my attitude has changed a little since then. My attitude now is that Europe is pretty much beyond its use by date and climax and over the hill, as far as its influence and making a difference in the world is concerned. However, because of my involvement in European politics for the FDP, I had the opportunity to grace London and Liverpool with my presence a few times. The purpose of the exercise was primarily to catch up there with representatives of other European parties that claim to be liberal as well. Whilst the political drivel going on there qualifies for the category “a whole load of bloody rubbish” and is not worth rehashing, it is worth chatting a little about London and Liverpool. London London is one of a kind. As far as my humble self with my – at least sometimes – provocative arrogance is concerned, London plays in a league of its own. The name London suggests everything. London stands for history and world class entertainment. You find both loads of chaffeurs and beggars there. Let us just chuck a few names around and they do ring a bell: the river Thames, which runs through central London, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street. You will associate all these names with London. However, London also includes South London. South London means to a large extent a bunch of poor and run down suburbs like Brixton. But these suburbs in South London enjoy vibrant subcultures. The easiest
way to get around in London is by taking the tube, the underground train
system there. It may be a little run down and not very efficient. But if
you go by car, you will never get anywhere. In case you feel like doing
the tourist thing, take a black cab or a classic red double decker.
Here we go with a few illustrations: Believe
Adam and Eve
Stairs
apples and pears
Brahms and
Lizt
pissed (like drunk)
Soap
Bob Hope
Arse
Khyber Pass
Dance kick and prance Sister
skin and blister
In case you are really advanced speaking Cockney Rhyming Slang, you only use the first word of the phrase – e.g. we will kick with your skin. When bumping
into POMs all over the world I cannot resist taking them by surprise with
my unexpected language skills. It has turned into something like a knack.
For that weekend, I stayed at Hotel Adelphi, said to be already the top notch hotel in Liverpool before the home turf of The Beatles started going south. Again, let us put it a little provocatively: The Adelphi certainly deserves to be described as “up to standard”. Anyway, twenty years ago I was by far not as fluent in English as I am now. You will not be surprised to learn that I encountered a few difficulties with “scouse” during my weekend in Liverpool. “Scouse” is the name of the accent spoken in the city at the river Mersey. “Scouse” goes more or less like this: Dee do doh don de doh they do though don’t they. Yer arright den, la you all right then, lad. As I am always
fond of pointing out to students in my classes – English is very easy.
Second, the Channel Islands are constitutionally not part of the United Kingdom, even though they are British since 1066. They have their own parliaments and laws. In the course of time they have turned into tax havens, a fact which makes them appealing to folks who are inclined to reside in Europe and are fond of doing their banking there without being harassed by meddling bureaucracy. By the way, the main islands there are Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney and Sark. It may be worth sussing out Alderney and Sark in particular. Alderney is the quietest island there (which tells you something about the spot). On Sark there is neither traffic nor income tax, which sounds even more appealing. However, let us wait and see. There is no hurry. For the time being, I am quite happy in Colima. In case you have ever wondered what Colima means – the word Colima is derived from the “Nahuatl” word “Coliman”. “Nahuatl” is an Indian language. ”Colli” means mountain, volcano or grandparent. “Maitl” means hand or domain. The Other End Of The Lifeboat Otto Scott is not everybody’s cup of tea. Who cares? Neither am I. Bill Cosby got the credit for the phrase “I do not know the key to success. But the key to failure is trying to please everyone”. Anyway, Otto Scott enjoys a stellar reputation among a special audience. But he is not well known outside this circle. Otto Scott is an Associate Scholar for the American Council on Economics and Society. He is a former corporate executive and has written numerous articles and essays. Otto Scott has also penned ten books. One of these books is “The Other End Of The Lifeboat”. “The Other End Of The Lifeboat” revolves around South Africa in the 1980’s. The book explains the history of South Africa. It also consists of interviews with influential Afrikaner, who – to a large extent – were then cold shouldered worldwide. The book makes eye opening reading today with Mugabe loving and AIDS denying Mbeki in charge of the country. The following is a list of articles written by Jurgen for the magazine:
To contact
Jurgen Click Here
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Some
Thoughts On Living In Latin America ~ 