tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81371969452361359882024-03-04T20:15:54.425-08:00The Mexican AnglophileA meditation on all things English from Stateside.William A. Ruizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17036546154515447130noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137196945236135988.post-11662993661157063142009-08-22T05:07:00.001-07:002009-08-22T05:23:22.163-07:00The Road to London<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZOARztNe_Nwq7IXyX93PGV-fLDeQRoO3OOoKwHJazRxqHXNgCLalRGgQgeJ2Spc54JOwi4p52RRWyCl3XgF3Pg-otNjODtvGuKp51kiuSSAip0__1uZx89I7a2jk7nHvbNNGd-5eksY/s1600-h/images-5.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 121px; height: 81px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZOARztNe_Nwq7IXyX93PGV-fLDeQRoO3OOoKwHJazRxqHXNgCLalRGgQgeJ2Spc54JOwi4p52RRWyCl3XgF3Pg-otNjODtvGuKp51kiuSSAip0__1uZx89I7a2jk7nHvbNNGd-5eksY/s320/images-5.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372762636577741410" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Adventure Begins – London by Way of Calgary</span><br /><br />I have always enjoyed travelling, but, until late 2005, I had never ventured outside of North America. Luckily, my English friend, Paul, invited me to visit England with him. Just getting there was an adventure. <br /><br />First, the Air Canada equipment at San Francisco International had mechanical difficulties that delayed the flight around three hours. When we finally arrived in Calgary, it was a race to get through customs, pick up and recheck our bags, and get to the gate before the flight to London departed. If we missed the flight, we would have to wait even longer to get there. Luckily, we made it to the gate as our transatlantic flight was boarding. <br /><br />During takeoff, we had to deal with the remnants of a storm that was passing through the Calgary area. It felt like we were on a roller coaster. I had never been on such a long flight before. Since we were in coach, it got cramped pretty quickly, but we were finally on our way…William A. Ruizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17036546154515447130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137196945236135988.post-38365559633964759052009-08-06T04:47:00.000-07:002009-08-06T04:58:03.369-07:00I Am a Londoner<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">On the Street Where I Lived </span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">I lived in three different residences and neighborhoods in London during 2005 and 2006. The most homey and wonderful was at 166 Nelson Road in North London. I have included an image here. You can do a full 360 degree scan -- just like you are there. The weather and flora in the photo look very similar to the last time I was there, which was during the 2006 World Cup (June).<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <!--EndFragment--> <br /><iframe width="425" height="240" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/sv?cbp=12,147.64,,0,-1.21&cbll=51.581689,-0.117232&panoid=&v=1&hl=en&gl=us"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=166+Nelson+Road+London,+UK&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=59.856937,132.539063&ie=UTF8&ll=51.589443,-0.112524&spn=0.011654,0.032358&z=14&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=51.581689,-0.117232&panoid=Q6wqVyV-ANOJnyHNuidBLg&cbp=12,147.64,,0,-1.21" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>William A. Ruizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17036546154515447130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137196945236135988.post-61879076409837512752009-08-03T17:41:00.000-07:002009-08-03T18:09:30.477-07:00The Teenage Years/A Mexican Under the Influence<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Big Caslon', fantasy;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Big Caslon', fantasy;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><b><img style="text-align: center;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 139px; height: 96px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lfLfk0Nr71GM2qKGr9H84kfO3W_-7EZKhD29ph5bW7m0GbM8eKd7aE2b1u4PstI422pQIpFelu6QuPDJU5qtmaK2DbSAAb5Qo3UZroBVvrOG6Mi3ZSU9q00zrNl-ty7tJsFNPNMccS8/s320/images-2.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365906911328676626" /></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" text-decoration: underline;font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" text-decoration: underline;font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" text-decoration: underline;font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:15px;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49c-_YOkmMU" onclick="return resultClick(3, true, this);" target="_top" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); "><em style="font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Monty Python's Flying Circus</em> - Main Theme</a></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">The Monty Python Connection<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">In my introduction, I forgot to mention the profound effect that </span><span style="font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"><i>Monty Python’s Flying Circus</i></span><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"> had upon me. During my high school years (1972 – 1976), American public<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>television was overrun with British productions, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Masterpiece Theater</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Upstairs, Downstairs</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">International Animation Festival</i>, and, of course, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Monty Python’s Flying Circus</i>. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Once I had a taste of it, I was hooked. The accents, the settings, the simultaneously high and lowbrow humor. I was in heaven!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">From the unforgettable show opening to the classic sketches included here, I was very much entertained, but it never felt “foreign” to me. For me, I was home! Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:15px;"><a href="http://www.metacafe.com/watch/42973/monty_pythons_flying_circus_the_lumberjack_song/" onclick="return resultClick(5, true, this);" target="_top" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); "><em style="font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Monty Python's Flying Circus</em> - The Lumberjack Song</a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:15px;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:15px;"><a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=4199450" onclick="return resultClick(8, true, this);" target="_top" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); "><em style="font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Monty Python's Flying Circus</em> ~ "Nudge, Nudge" Sketch</a></span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->William A. Ruizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17036546154515447130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137196945236135988.post-36110540007483208992009-08-02T17:01:00.000-07:002009-09-02T13:48:56.819-07:00Whither (or Wither), Britannia?<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Union Jack or Union Jacked? </span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">This week, two competing articles in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Newsweek</i> postulate that the UK is either KO’d or OK. Is the UK alright, Jack? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; ">Read and decide for yourself:</span></span></o:p></span></u></b></p> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04VzHtc0kIzFDJtK8tAOPBom-BuLHmSTzAY0NIijzbwwfgSdwNNiIsvVQYe1PJiwfdL_BqiWw3DYH5bS45dE3qHqdBQ1iY442dFRh2XVvvZNHHOLaj-PvF-A_Jxx2c17q1ArT461vNxA/s1600-h/images-4.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 103px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04VzHtc0kIzFDJtK8tAOPBom-BuLHmSTzAY0NIijzbwwfgSdwNNiIsvVQYe1PJiwfdL_BqiWw3DYH5bS45dE3qHqdBQ1iY442dFRh2XVvvZNHHOLaj-PvF-A_Jxx2c17q1ArT461vNxA/s320/images-4.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366985511627491074" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDsiwofkKKeorWEsFClj2OdwGJvkSQhNGbEstlsQBXgSPU5zJTu_UjULy8F39T41z95N13w2H-3rhJMTPlBmxq2TB6jMwrEfoL48Vl2R6YOOUnK8tN19t-j06AI5dvX3tZL3ANPJaW54/s1600-h/images.jpeg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 82px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDsiwofkKKeorWEsFClj2OdwGJvkSQhNGbEstlsQBXgSPU5zJTu_UjULy8F39T41z95N13w2H-3rhJMTPlBmxq2TB6jMwrEfoL48Vl2R6YOOUnK8tN19t-j06AI5dvX3tZL3ANPJaW54/s320/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365525452009453618" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"><o:p> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; ">“Is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Great</i> </b>Britain Gone for Good?”</span></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; font-family:'Big Caslon', fantasy;">PRO: <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/209953">http://www.newsweek.com/id/209953</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; font-family:'Big Caslon', fantasy;">CON: <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/209895?tid=relatedcl">http://www.newsweek.com/id/209895?tid=relatedcl</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <!--EndFragment-->William A. Ruizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17036546154515447130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137196945236135988.post-81380816302525097412009-08-01T18:32:00.001-07:002009-08-06T06:27:10.393-07:00Geography Lesson - London Style<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglC45Lx3ZXH3SZqEq1qdZm-keEFmDCQ_wceV-iub-k7rAbKibnbJl2MCjUvOHVxI22N1Z_79m795LwdC7vC88t9qkpOV_qDDr1GCKr5r49GiXTso-prglM-38K5rpqRFtlfSNhNeCI5TA/s1600-h/The+Gherkin.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglC45Lx3ZXH3SZqEq1qdZm-keEFmDCQ_wceV-iub-k7rAbKibnbJl2MCjUvOHVxI22N1Z_79m795LwdC7vC88t9qkpOV_qDDr1GCKr5r49GiXTso-prglM-38K5rpqRFtlfSNhNeCI5TA/s320/The+Gherkin.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365173535005022642" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><u><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My Blog's Banner</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><u><span style="font-family:";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My blog’s banner comes from the Investec Specialist bank website’s home page. You can see the entire image here: </span><a href="http://www.investec.com/en_gb/#home.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">http://www.investec.com/en_gb/#home.html</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. Trust me, it’s worth it! It’s a lovely panorama, although it must be Photoshopped, because London’s main financial district, where The Gherkin aka </span></span><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">30 St Mary Axe London, England (see <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_St_Mary_Axe">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_St_Mary_Axe</a>) <span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">is located, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> is not in such close physical proximity to St. Paul’s Cathedral, as you can see from a review of either Google Maps here:</span></span></span></span></span></p><br /><iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30+St.+Mary+Axe+London,+UK&sll=51.581683,-0.117223&sspn=0.011654,0.032358&g=166+Nelson+Road+London,+UK&ie=UTF8&ll=51.522363,-0.076132&spn=0.011671,0.032358&z=14&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=30+St.+Mary+Axe+London,+UK&sll=51.581683,-0.117223&sspn=0.011654,0.032358&g=166+Nelson+Road+London,+UK&ie=UTF8&ll=51.522363,-0.076132&spn=0.011671,0.032358&z=14" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small><br />or the Google Earth image capture shown above. (I know it looks pretty small at the minute, but you can click on it to EMBIGGEN it, as they say on AICN. Then, you will be able to discern the details.)<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In the image, St. Paul’s Cathedral is midway down the photo near the left margin. The cathedral is marked by many blue dots. The Gherkin is midway down the photo near the right margin. The address is marked in the photo as shown above: </span></span><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">30 St Mary Axe. </span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Once you review the Google Earth image and then try to reconcile it with the banner image, it becomes fairly obvious that the banner image has been altered, i.e., it cannot be a true depiction of London's skyline. However, it does serve Investec Specialist bank's interests by appearing to connect London's past with its present and future as represented by The Gherkin.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->William A. Ruizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17036546154515447130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137196945236135988.post-13660491448090341282009-07-31T03:06:00.000-07:002009-08-06T06:35:32.336-07:00Introduction<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3alxkksUQGsGbSyUpZ9mkpim9iSBMSG2Z2SOR-9moNL4-w0eFSzdI_u1GuvuqwHv4ut897gS2ayFkjE4Z25TFZlIctPm8mwVSB8ZR4yv4iJsQprCReuB_plhOJ6JvqxFbr1zxZzttDnc/s1600-h/images-3.jpeg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 121px; height: 81px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3alxkksUQGsGbSyUpZ9mkpim9iSBMSG2Z2SOR-9moNL4-w0eFSzdI_u1GuvuqwHv4ut897gS2ayFkjE4Z25TFZlIctPm8mwVSB8ZR4yv4iJsQprCReuB_plhOJ6JvqxFbr1zxZzttDnc/s320/images-3.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366843890832907762" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" text-decoration: underline;font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">The Mexican Anglophile </span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">It’s sometimes difficult for me to understand how a sheltered Mexican-American boy from the suburbs of Los Angeles came to be such a passionate Anglophile. Although I grew up in a comfortable, middle-class home, my parents had never travelled outside of North America. There was no direct or obvious family connection to England – either by war, marriage, friendship or anything else. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Looking back, the first time there was some inkling I had a deep, personal connection to England was when I went to see “Mary Poppins” as a boy. It was an incredible epiphany. I loved the accents and the quaint settings. Later, I heard about the Titanic tragedy and read Walter Lord’s “A Night to Remember”. It all felt somehow familiar and even magnetic. Whenever I met someone with an English accent or saw someone on television or in the movies who spoke with a Cockney, London, or Northern accent, I was transfixed. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">As a middle-aged adult, I finally had the opportunity to visit England, and I ended up staying in London for six months. While it was a bit of a shock at first, since I didn’t know what or where anything was, once I got my bearings, I felt very happy and at home there. The row houses, the Underground, and the double-decker buses were all new to my actual experience, but they all felt very attractive and comfortable. In fact, if you ever see or have ever seen the film, “Shaun of the Dead”, with Simon Pegg, the scenes around his home were filmed in my old neighborhood in Crouch End along Nelson Road and Weston Park. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">When I finally had to leave to come back to the U.S., I was heartsick, because I really enjoyed the life I had in London, and I could see that I could easily spend the rest of my life there. London is extremely cosmopolitan and such a cultural, historical and transportation hub, so there are always new people and things to see. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Once I was back in the States, I continued working for the English company that first employed me when I lived in London. I even adopted a posh English accent to speak with the prospects I called. It just felt right and less distracting to do so. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">While in London, I also made a number of good friends with whom I am still corresponding. They are from the entire range of the British Commonwealth: the Seychelles, Australia, England, South Africa, Canada, and New Zealand. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Big Caslon"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">One day, I hope to get back to London and maybe even retire there.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->William A. Ruizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17036546154515447130noreply@blogger.com1