London ~ Miami

Many people may not see the connection, but then, many people have never lived in both places for an extended period of time. To the untrained eye, there may be nothing in common between the two cities; London is way up north at about 51.5 Degrees north of the equator
(...though it has an unusually high concentration of tropical plants for being this far north!), Miami is (as Jimmy Buffet puts it) down there in those little latitudes at about 25.5 Degrees. So what do they have in common you ask?

Well, there is the obvious, they are both big, sprawling metropolises that have gobbled-up all the smaller surrounding towns. They both have varied ethnic backgrounds to their populations. They are both towns filled with a bewildering array of people who talk funny. But that is not it. This place reminds me of Miami for reasons that it would take someone observant to pick-up on; that reason has to do with coats.

People start wearing coats here when it is really too warm for them. There is an old riddle that goes: Q: How can you tell that it is fall in Miami? A: Autumn is "Prowling Season." The widows on Miami Beach take the minks out of cold storage and go on the prowl.

To quote Homer Simpson: "It's funny because it's so true!"

The other night as I was taking my after-work ride I passed a number of people in a light jacket, the sweaters (or "Jumpers" as they call them over here) have started showing-up everywhere you look. (Oh, god! And some of the jumpers I have seen over here are so ugly even the Huxtables wouldn't be seen wearing them!) But the prize goes to the woman I saw as I was entering the park at Hampton Wick.

I took a moment to stretch and to loose some of the buttons on my outer layer, allowing the cool evening air to hit me through only my tee-shirt. It was cool, but the six miles I had already ridden made it seem much warmer. I was just about to reach for the gate when this lovely young lady came riding up to the cage from the inside. I motioned her through, "Ladies First."

I was astonished by her outfit. She was wearing long, black boots, a full-length parka with a fur collar that went from her ankles to her neck ruff with fur trim at the cuffs as well. The puffiness of it told me that it was either hollow-fill or down. She was also wearing gloves an a ski cap.

Let's put aside the obvious discomfort of riding in such an outfit, it was ungainly for her to get on and off her bike, but that wasn't the thing that made me wonder about her outfit. C'mon! The temperatures the other night didn't drop below forty! And it was just after sunset so the temperatures had to still be in the high fifties. Oh well, I guess it takes all types.

One of my siblings (the one who will remain nameless - but still lives in South Florida) probably would be similarly bundled up over here. That sibling does curse the unbearable cold of 50 degrees. Okay, I guess I will cut the woman on the bike some slack.

I hope that wherever you are, you are comfortable today!

Don Bergquist - 19 October 2006 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK