London's Law of Attraction

Anyone who’s read ‘The Secret’ will know that according to the Law of Attraction, you attract into your life whatever it is that you put your attention (and psychic energy) to. I may not have been a firm believer before, but I am now since going to London. It would appear that blogging about the trials & tribulations of Italy has now come to sort of follow me wherever I may go. In spades.

Arriving in London, I was met – not with a 1 day strike of a few non-rush hour hours like that which befalls Italy -- but an all out, all points 4-day Subway (Tube, Metro, whatever you want to call it) Strike. Appointments were canceled West End, East End & center.

While in Italy, most of the population usually sides with the strikers, the Londoners were having none of it. With job losses at record highs, these workers reportedly earn about 50000 pounds pay per year and 8 weeks vacation for merely pushing a button and making sure they don’t drag old ladies caught in the closing doors from one stop to the next. I don’t know what the rate is for these drivers in Italy, but even considering the exchange rate, it’s probably a pittance in comparison. Bank tellers here garner something around that rate (when you add in all the social costs, etc.) and while vacation time is high, I can’t imagine it reaches these heights.

In any case, with the London strike in full force, I pondered whether, like the infamous strike which hit New York, woman would trade their glitzy pumps for comfy footwear. In Italy, that would probably never happen, but I enjoyed entertaining the vision of seeing women actually repair to their desks to change out of their Nike’s. In fact, given that the dress code here these days is tattoos and bare tummies (just look at the politicians and newscasters), probably adding a pair of Nike’s would not be much of a Brutta Figura.

As for me, I was sure I was losing weight at record speeds whilst hoofing it up & down the hills of North London where I stay. But sadly, it would appear that in the case of weight loss, the Law of Attraction, however, does not apply – or is the Law negated by the negative effect of endless Cadbury bars scarfed down with scones???