Bus Fun

Yesterday on my way home from Oxford Street I was sitting on the bus behind two Australians, one living here and one visiting. They were talking about various things and the one who lives here happened to mention that he had no idea London was such a "city" before he moved here. His friend, the visitor, said "really?" As you would if someone said that to you. The unaware Aussie then said that he watched The Bill (a British police show) and he just assumed that London was all outer suburbs, like the ones in the show. He had no idea the city was really a city, and he admitted that was stupid. Surprisingly his friend did not press him on this, or tell him that admitting his stupidity was an understatement. Therefore I was tempted to poke him and ask "are you kidding?" I mean if my friend moved to London and then told me she had no idea London was such a CITY, I would stop her right then and there and ask a few more questions.

     You had no idea London was a city?

     Really, you hadn't considered it? It's in the same vein as say...Paris, New York, Tokyo, Mexico City, Hong Kong...

     No really, had you not heard much about London? Did you not know it has a big population, around 8 million people? A city that size is not strictly suburbs.

     And you based all your knowledge about London on a TV show? So before moving here you did absolutely no research aside from watching a cancelled police drama?

     You really thought it was just suburbs? Really? No city whatsoever?

I would probably stop there, but believe you me I would be tempted to press a bit further. How does someone move so far from home without knowing something as simple as whether he is moving to a proper city. And he's from Australia! It's not like Australia doesn't have a close relationship to the United Kingdom. Did he assume the Queen lives in semi-detached? So many questions.