First Week in London

Between jet lag and being so busy the first week has been a very strange block of time. It's almost overwhelming how much information is coming and going. to start, the city itself has a much different feeling than anywhere I've ever been. The landscape, I think related more to our bodies than it does in a place like New York. When you look down the street, you can actually see the sky, and building, lights and signs aren't towering over everything. There is also a really interesting mix of architecture, classical and modern, very formidable stone buildings next reflective glass domes and towers. The city is bustling, but not in an overwhelming way, it is more comfortable and welcoming. I've seen a huge range of things, from the "treasures" of the British Museum/Library and creative directors talking about the future of advertising. It was interesting to start the trip with two places that hold artifacts so significant to human history, our language, assertions of power, and transition to what is going on at the very moment. In one week, I've seen books that were hundred's of years old, these ornate, consuming objects that were intended to make the reader feel small and powerless--a history of design in China (which has only existed for about 30 years, and in which women have only recently been included) and heard talks from two of the largest international design/ad firms. All these things are certainly connected, the past informs the future...