Finding Mr. Darcy: Israeli soldier vs. English Scholar; The Rugged vs. The Refined

Dear Ladies and Gentleman,If you are married consider yourself to be lucky, dating is a chore and a job. If you are single consider yourself lucky too, because being married is a job. But,I'd rather be single and a spinster than unhappily married.

Dating in London: Israeli soldier vs.English gentleman. There could not be two races of men, or two species of men more disparate from each other that I couldn’t resist writing about it. I have dated English men in America and English men in England. I have dated Israeli men in America and Israeli men in London. What I haven’t done thus far, is date an Israeli man in his own country,Israel.

Where the English man is quiet, reserved unassumingly polite, The Israeil man is insensitive, rude to the point of being obnoxious. The English are famous, the world over for their impeccable manners, their coyness, their indirect manner, subtlety, tact and gentleness. There over all, certriain composure in public places. And, don’t like a lot of PDA, public display of affection. Where the English man courts you, wines and dines you and takes you to chic restaurants and classy hotels for afternoon tea,and sends long emails to express his affection,the Israeli man’s idea of a date is to have coffee in his flat on his bed. His idea of communication, writing a missive note and sending you 5 texts as to why you should come over to his house, even though you already told him you didn’t want to come to his house for the tenth time.

Where the English man is shy about revealing his feelings and sometimes has to drink 3 pints of Guinness before he does so, the Israeli man will move full speed ahead and make his physical attraction and feelings known quite fast and early on. The Israeli man will take you to visit his family right after the first date. I once dated an Israeli man in Los Angeles, and after the first date, he invited me for the second date for dinner at his sister’s house, followed by a party at the synagogue the same evening. I was quite flattered, and though wow, he must really like me. I did some research online, to find, that this is a common custom of Israeli men. The family is so close knit that they include you in their plans even when they first meet you. I thought it was sweet. Apparently, Israeli are very keen on finding a woman and settling down to make a family. That’s a very nice quality and I think saves a lot of time. English men, on the other hand, would shy away from any kind of family meeting until well after they have established that you were going to be the woman that they were going to marry. It’s pretty much the same anyway. But, come on, it’s very flattering if a man you just started dating wants to introduce you right away to his family. I love that shit! And, women are suckers for that because we start thinking of wedding bells right away and that’s how are brains are programmed. (My American Jewish boyfriend back home, waited at least 1 year to introduce fly me to Boston and introduce me to his family. We aren’t together anymore, but I am still friends with his parents. Why not, they raised a cool son.)

I have to admit that the confident braggadocio of the Israeli man can be very sexy. I once met an Israeli man at a café, he was interested in Buddhism and said that he chanted my same mantra before ( Nam Myoho Renge Kyo).I took him to the Buddhist meeting and told him we would only be friends. After about two weeks of his calling, texting me, and emailing me , and wearing me down, I FINALLY agreed to go on a date with him. During our date, we were on our way to the concert venue, he saw that I was scared to cross the street, he grabbed my hand with such force and walked so confidently across the street, that I thought that he was a general in the army. He did it and I was quite impressed. Women, I think all over the world, like a man, that shows some manliness and bravado. I believe, Israeli men have that kind of brave front from serving in the Israeli army.( It’s compulsory training that all Israeli’s including women serve for two years.) It’s quite sexy, but in small doses. That same kind of bravado can whirl into shades of machoism, which is a big turn off and can send a feminist woman like myself running the other way.

Another clear distinction of these two male animals, is that where the English man is progressive and modern about women’s rights. The Israeli is the opposite and downright macho and sexist. On the second date with the same Israeli man, he started telling me how I should dress to please him. I said wait a minute," I am not your girlfriend, I haven’t even kissed you. What right do you have to try and tell me what to do?" Whoa! The chutzpah of this man.

I think the best man for me,would have the would the manly bravado of the Israeli man, with a balance of the refined, cultured, intellectual English gentleman. Is there such a man?

Tom Poulton: The Secret Art of an English Gentleman







More Tales and Adventures in Sabrina's London Diaries

Is it Fair to Say English Fare is just Fish and Chips?

Many people when they think of English fare, they think of Fish and Chips,Shephards Pie,Sausage and Mash,mushy peas or overcooked vegetables. It doesn't sound very tantalizing, does it? Most people deem English fare to be lacking in taste and blase.I must say that English food is not bad food. I have to demystify this presumption for the rest of the planet and Americans. Since there are so many different cultures in London,there has been a long standing trend of English chefs to combine the spices and flavors of other cultures in thieir cuisine. There are the likes of famous chefs, like Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver.They have combined traditional English food and made it more global and ethnic.Hence, a burgeoning fusion revolution has emerged.There has been many immigrants from India,China, Jamaica, Caribbean, Italy, Spain in London, and surely their influence has migrated into the food.But apart from that, I find English Food I find quite pleasant,and especially comforting on cold winter nights. Some dishes I enjoy are Chicken Roast, Coronation Chicken,Lancashire Hot Pot, Bubble and Squeak,Prawn Sandwiches with Watercress Soup, and so on and so forth. So, don't you dare think the English don't know how to cook, because they DO !!

I personally love Jamie Oliver. Apparently, he's now doing a food revolution, Campain in the US. I don't really care much of Gordon Ramsey and his F******G Show, where every other word is F***K This, and F***K that! I really don't think all that F*******G language is appropriate in this day and age, and it's a bad influence on society and children.I think it's stupid, and is waste of intelligence. I will talk about this later in another blog, but for now, I would like to say that Fish and Chips are a big staple and has been English fast food, since the times of the Romans. Actuallly, the first FISH and CHIPS restaurant dates about 1853.

FISH and CHIPS are wrapped in newspaper

Everywhere you go in London, what you get for food is CHIPS, CHIPS, CHIPS, and more CHIPS!!!There are around 8,500 fish and chip shops in the UK, with fish and chips probably being Britains most long-standing popular fast food. FISH and CHIPS shops are to be found in just about every part of the UK.The way the English eat their CHIPS, fries, or pomme frites is very hot and with vinegar and salt.

It would be fair to say, what you get in England for food is FISH and CHIPS, and then something else. The way the English do CHIPS is with FISH. But I can't say the same for other cultures.The way they do their CHIPS is quite different. Still, the English love their CHIPS,and apparently so does EVERYBODY else that immigrated there.When you go to a Middle Eastern Lebanese Falafe fast food place, you can order a Falafel and CHIPS. When you go to get Chinese Take out, you can get Egg Rolls, Fried Rice and CHIPS. When you go to an Italian Restaurant, and you maybe just want a pasta or a pizza, you can get Pizza and CHIPS, and then of course, a coke.

Frankly, that's a lot of greasy food, no wonder I gained weight. Oh, don't forget to down the CHIPS with a pint of Guinness. A little oil every now and then is great for your hair, nails and skin and scientist say does wonders for the arteries and has great healing properties.

Not all FISH and CHIPS are this greasy, so if the chef hands you this ask him to cook it again for you. Cheers !

10 Best Fish and Chips Restaurants in the UK
Ten Best Fish and Chip for London
A Recips on How to Make CHIPS


More Tales and Adventures in Sabrina's London Diaries

History of the Pubs in London

The History of the Pubs

The arrival of the Romans and the establishment of a sound road network in the U.K. contributed to an increase in travel, and a demand for the establishment of simple ale houses where a traveler could stop and find shelter whilst quenching their thirst.The pub as we know it has its origins in the abbey breweries and monasteries, which emerged shortly after the Norman conquest of Britain in 1066. The Normans, upon conquering Britain set about building a huge network of places of worship throughout the land. Not long afterwards, many monasteries and abbeys began to brew their own beer, for sale to pilgrims. This led to the later development of ale houses, where travellers and locals could sit in for a drink or two. Temporary living accommodation was often sought by the travellers close to the ale houses, which led to the development of inns. Inns have, in turn, by and large developed again into simple drinking houses (though rarely attached to an abbey or monastery) called 'public houses' or 'Pubs' for short, often themed for novelty value, and central to entertainment and community life.

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Some Interesting Pubs:

The George Inn

The George Inn, just off Borough High Street, survived the Great Fire of London, 1666 (as it was just south of the River Thames), only to be burnt to the ground in a large scale, lesser-known fire, just one year later. It was rebuilt, and continued to serve pilgrims and tradesmen on this bus route from Northern to Southern England. The architecture is still pure 17th Century, and in the courtyard you can almost touch the atmosphere, where travellers used to drink olde-English ale, their horses and carts tied up alongside them.

The Interior of the George Inn


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For more gruesome drinks,The Ten Bellsin Spitalfields, is known to have been frequented by at least one of Jack the Rippers victims, whilst up the road in 'The Blind Beggar' the Krays carried out their most famous murder.

The Ten Bells in Spitafields. In the 1800's, the time of Jack The Ripper.

The Interior of Ten Bells

If you have a passion for the arts try 'The French House' in Soho, London where gangsters, sex workers and artists such as Francis Bacon rubbed shoulders in the 1950's and '60's.

Hauntings

Theory has it that pubs attract ghosts of the dead, for much the same reason that they attract many of the living; they go there to find a shoulder to cry on! So next time you are in a pub and feel a ghostly chill, don't fear, just lend an ear!

The Mermaid Inn in Rye, East Sussex is said to be the most haunted pub in England, with a history of duelling ghouls in the main bar, and several other sceptres that haunt the inn bedrooms. The inn serves excellent food, and has a genuine fire in the bar.

Pub hauntings are synonymous with old pubs. Perhaps try a ghost-pub crawl
with the London Walks people around your local area for a change: chase off your beer tasting evening with a different kind of spirit! Ha ha! London Walks has a different pub walk practically every night, I strongly recommend them.

Some Interesting Pub Sites

http://www.fancyapint.com/
http://knowledgeoflondon.com/pubs.html

More Tales and Adventures in Sabrina's London Diaries

Cemeteries in London

One of the many things, of the many things,that I loved about London is the parks. Some of these parks, residential or otherwise have gravestones. I have to admit it's a bit eerie and Goth, and I kind of like it(that's what happens when a mind is raised on Gothic Literature like The Bronte's Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, which I've read 4 times and loved every page of it and plan to read it again in my old age).I wanted to wait until Halloween to post this blog, but a bit of spookiness in the middle of Spring never did anyone any harm. Besides,looking at graves reminds us of our mortality, and a dose of that every now and then,without being moribund and Gothic-like, is in my humble opinion,a sign of good mental health.

To me,the fact there are gravestones in parks is what makes London so charming and of course, so intereseting. Everywhere you go,everywhere you walk,just as soon as you walk out of your flat door,and sometimes, when you least expect it,you have history staring at you in the face: mews, old alleyways, parks, pubs, cemeteries, city streets, canals,underground tunnels, Churches, palaces, museums, secret buildings, the underground, and all sorts of tantalizing and delectable gems of London's ancient past waiting to be discovered.The fact that Londonium is such an old city,(dating back to the Romans)it has an ABUNDANCE of graves, it can't help it. In the twenty first century,most of the cemeteries are so overcrowded that they have to put them alongside the kids play area(which is fine by me, if the kids don't mind,why should I).The interesting juxtaposition of the old gravestones, alongside the newer swing sets, I find most poetic and thought provoking.

These are some photos I took right next to the SGI( Soka Gakkai International)Buddhist Center in Russel Square. This little residential park was located just next door, so after a meeting or a meditation, I would go to the park for a minute to gingerly contemplate the seasons,drink my tea and have a chat with the locals and bribe them into taking their photo for this blog that you are reading.

Cemeteries in London Lyrics by Cold Play








More Tales and Adventures in Sabrina's London Diaries

More Tales and Adventures in Sabrina's London Diaries