2008 Woodie Awards
Bursting the Bubble
Sian-Pierre Regis
Issue date: 1/21/05 Section: Arts & Features
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12/1/2005
Style. I felt it immediately as I walked aboard British Airways, to my seat in the "World Traveller" cabin (obviously, the term "Coach Class" is no longer fashionable.) Bright pink and orange seats glared at me, and I glared at the British people sitting in them. They reeked of style. The women, mostly petite, with thick turtlenecks, dark blue jeans and loafers, exuded class. The men wore similar outfits, but accented their's with a scarf. "A scarf on a plane," I thought to myself with excitement and trepidation, " this will be an interesting five months."
Upon landing at Heathrow Airport, I heard a cell phone ring. One man, with a scarf, answered his phone and as I listened to his conversation, another phone rang, and then another, and then another. Cell phone rings filled the air. Ordinarily my jetlag would force me to lash out at the annoying cell phone scene. But, instead, the voices of these Londoners, together, were unlike anything I had ever heard before, and I was in heaven. Their accents were beautiful and made me want to capture each word and repeat it endlessly. Suddenly a man swore, and instead of breaking the splendour of the symphony of voices, all I could think was: "That man just made swearing sound classy!"
My Tube ride from the airport to Farringdon Station was made more exciting thanks to the automated woman who repeated the words: "Mind the gap." I truly respected the fact that the British took the time to remind me not to fall into the gaping hole between the train and the platform (and they even managed to say it in an incredibly hip way!) Utterly lost, I hopped into a taxi, a Rolls Royce, (how's that for style?) and discussed the temperature differences between the two countries with my cabbie. Arriving at my door, I glanced down the road at the rest of the neighbourhood. There was a brick fire station, complete with dog, to my left and an elegant English pub (the Eagle) to my right. In between, lay numerous trendy restaurants, all with their own vibe, nestled underneath brownstones. The English definitely know how to do it.