Monday, March 21, 2011

breaking news: sun


It's amazing what a clear sky can do. The only drawback are Brit's with milky white thighs taking their clothes off to tan in public areas in their underpants.

Jesus. Saturday morning, I awake to the bluest, cleanest and sunniest sky I can remember ever hitting Britain, ever.

Now I know I'm getting old prioritising sensibly, when I forsook my Saturday lie in with a "Hark! Look at this frightfully beautiful unBritish day! I shall go out and loiter in the park, on the streets, and smile at every nutter that I walk past. While singing the lyrics to Usher's 'I Wanna Make Love In This Club'".

I found myself standing in the middle of Northcote Road, with sunnies on, smiling at red buses at 9:00am in the morning. Wearing Ray Bans in London? At that time in the morning? Unheard of. My corneas didn't know what to do with themselves.

It's amazing. The sun will, out of nowhere, go "Surprise!" and everyone will tumble out of their houses. No one takes sun for granted in this funny little country. Chairs will be pulled out onto sidewalks, cider will be drunk, people actually smile at each other, the parks are filled with pissing dogs and pretty flowers.

When the sun shines in England, it's a slice of perpetual heaven. You don't want to be anywhere else. If someone said to me, "I have a free ticket to Malaga this afternoon, want to go?" I'd have said no. And ordered another Pimms.

Summer? Is that...you?

I celebrated the day by getting my hair done and having this conversation:

Hairdresser: Yes the central heating has taken all the energy out of your hair.

Peas: Probably. Can you fix it? Also quickly? I don't want to miss out on more than half an hour of this sun.

[Twenty minutes pass, filled with hair treatments, a quick cut, a blow dry]

Hairdresser: Oh my God.

Peas: Oh my God what? Dude, you're a hairdresser what have you done?

Hairdresser: It's uncanny.

Peas: What is? Where are the scissors, you can't say 'Oh My God,' after cutting someone's hair and not explain why? What in fuck's name have you done to my...mane?

Hairdresser: I gave you a Kate Middleton.

Peas: [look in mirror.] Christ..... You actually have.

Hairdresser: I haven't done a Kate Middleton on anyone, you're my first and you now look exactly like her.

Peas: Well well well...I really do.

She'd styled and cut my hair exactly like Kate's. Is that scary or ridiculous or ever-so-slightly fantastic?

I put a neckerchief and a tea blazer on, then walked around pretending I was Kate all day.

In the glorious sun. Meeting friends for drinks at various outdoor beer gardens, snogging the Brit in Battersea Park.

Loved having a Kate Middleton but behaving like a Chelsy Davey.

I digress.

The sun put me in such a great mood that I actually managed to have a full on and amazingly upbeat conversation with the Australian. That's saying something.

2 comments:

Nicole B said...

The way you feel about the sun is the way I feel about the rain we are having right now in Cape Town!

Rain, glorious rain!!!

(Plus, my card desperately needs the "wash" :))

Cassey said...

I hope you get more sun :)