Observations Abroad

Blankets, books, wine, sun tan lotion: what a glorious Sunday afternoon! I overhear the loud voices of two American women discussing a recent juice purchase at the Whole Foods Market. They proceed to talk about getting drunk the night before and laugh. I know these kinds of conversations; after all, I am an American. Directly in front of me, but far off in the distance is a woman the color of a brown leather couch soaking up the sun in her bikini. She should probably stay out of the tanning beds for a while. Do they even have tanning beds here?

I notice a cute couple walk over near me and set up camp for the day. They lay out a blanket and crack open a bottle of wine. The wine seems to be an odd color. In fact, it looks more like beer. I guess that’s normal here. The woman is wearing a pretty sundress and the minute she sits down on the cool grass, I can see right up it; she doesn’t seem to notice. As I turn my gaze to the trees for a moment I breathe in the fresh summer air. It’s so much better to be outside in nature than stuck in a dorm room all afternoon. I turn back to the couple and am startled to see that the man has stripped down into just a speedo. Actually, now I’m noticing man bikinis all over the place! Tons and tons of sun tan lotion atop tons and tons of tattoos.

Hyde Park is apparently the place to be on a Sunday afternoon in London. Everyone seems to be drinking all day, every day. As I casually eavesdrop, I continue to catch bits and pieces of conversations. This time, the chat is between five friends sitting in the shade of a willow tree. They are discussing the use of a certain curse word. I giggle to myself and think of junior high moments in America almost identical to the conversation I’m hearing now.

I love the simplicity of Sunday afternoons. Though there are various cultural differences between the locals and myself, we are very similar as well. We all share basic human joys such as Sunday afternoons in the park with family and friends; we all talk with each other and laugh; and we all enjoy sunshine in the summer.

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