Blue View - The British Loo

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Blue View - The British Loo

The word 'Loo', which is a bit foreign to most of us Americans, is the British slang for what we call a restroom or bathroom. The origin of the term is not known for sure, but the most plausible theory is that it is derived from the name 'Waterloo', which was the trade name for a very common cistern used in British outhouses in the early twentieth century. Go into any pub in England and ask for the loo or the toilets, and you'll be directed to the little room that has toilets and sinks.

The differences between our restrooms and their loos go far beyond just the name, however…

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Blue View - British Food

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Blue View - British Food

I've never had a high regard for British food. Some of my bias, I have to admit, comes from the generally bad rep it gets, and some is based on airport food I've had as I passed through London Heathrow on the way to business meetings elsewhere. I have to say, however, that either the food here has dramatically improved since our last visit, or my memory is even worse than I thought.

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Blue View – Driving Styles

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Blue View – Driving Styles

As I watch the taxis, doubledecker buses and lorries navigate the congested, narrow roads here in England, I am reminded of how differently people drive in various parts of the world. We also noted that the most important part of a car in many parts of the world is the horn. The tires may be threadbare, the doors might be missing, and the windshield totally crazed – but none of these would phase a driver as long as the car has a working horn. There is a complete horn vocabulary as well …

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