A Brith moment in the bus

I went to the shopping center today to buy some gardening stuff. When I went down to the busstop, the bus was already there and I started running but the bus left. When it was already halfway back on the street the driver stopped, opened the door and let me in!
This is something quite unusual for Swiss bus drivers and so I did something quite unusual for Swiss bus passangers. I left the bus through the front door with a: "Thank you! Have a nice day!" And the driver smiled.

I'm quite used to buses, here in Switzerland and in the UK. And so I'm not able to overlook the differences.
Most Swiss bus drivers drive busses cause they have to work something. Not cause they like to drive passengers from A to B. Of course, there are some really nice ones - mostly eldery ones - who where helpful and friendly and so on. But most of them are grumpy and do not really care. In the UK it is the other way round which is great!
But it is not only a difference in the way the drivers are, the passengers are different too. When a Swiss bus is delayed - and delayed means more than one minutes late...! - everybody is complaining. When a bus is overfilled, people still put their bags on a free seat and try to use as much space as possible. Oh and try to teach Swiss bus passengers to queue to get into the bus...
When a bus in the UK is delayed there is just a comment like: "Well, most likely it is stuck in traffic." and everybody continues to read a newspaper. Sitting in a crowded bus is not half as annoying as it is here, as everybody takes care, people who stand make space for the ones who have to go off and everything is much more civilized than I'm used to.

It may sound all a bit too clichee-like and of course it is not always like this, but it is more or less my experience.

However, there is another reason why I love busses in the UK. Is is because of all the nice incidents... There are bus wheels on fire, missing bus drivers and engine problems. And nice people I met while waiting for a delayed bus. Oh and something else... Switzerland does not have any doubledeckers and there is nothing better than sitting upstairs in the front row!

Yours bus-loving P

Downton Abbey

Is there a better way to feel English than by watching British series? We are not that spoilt here in Switzerland with good series so we have to go back to English ones... Normaly H discovers something new (well, better old as we watch series from the seventies and eighties) and then starts with things like: "You simply have to watch it!" So the DVDs wander to my flat.
But this time it was the other way round. When I was googling for Maggie Smith I came across Downton Abbey and had to buy the DVD of the first series. The DVDs then went for a holiday at Hs place. And then the wating for the next series started. And here we are now, Downton Abbey 2 is on for four weeks now.

We watched the first and second episode two weeks ago and the other twos tonight. What sould I say? I can't wait for next week! I have to know thats going on and I have to know why O'Brian wakes up Cora in the middle of the night cause something is going on downstaires. I have to know! Really have! And I'm so glad Mr Bates is back! I just love howvAnna says: "Mr Bates" And I like so many of the characters and really worry sometimes when some things are going on.

Beside Downton Abbey I'm watching Yes Minister right now and the first series already went over to H and I'll start the second part tomorow. it is so incredible good fun and I really like to watch it. 

So, and now I'm off to bed.

yours P of HP

The singing bins

Hello again...

A few weeks ago i read a funny article in the newspaper about singing bins beeing installed in London.

what a cool and great idea.. and honestly.. only the british could come up with such a classy english idea..

the bins will be installed in the beautiful city of London around mid of October 2011 and stay there for 2-3 months before they go on a tour across the country...they will be back in good old London on time for the big events next year.. like the olympic games.. (which are for me honestly not a big deal as i'm totaly not interested in it.. :) )....

the singing bins will start singing (who would have guessed ;) ) when you put something in it.. they will thank you for your help keeping the city clean.. and some of them will sing you songs like: i'm singing in the bin.. or rubbish keeps falling on my head....

so now guess what.... i do have to see these singing bins.. i do i do i do..
so for next year.. i have to visit London again.. thats for sure.. :)

Big hug

H from HP.. :)