Countries I've visited via MapLoco

By Jack Brummet, Travel Ed.


China, Mexico, Canada, Greece, Italy, Spain, Morocco, England, India, Colombia, Russia, Turkey

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Calvary training in England, circa 1935

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Hyde Park and the Italian Gardens

Speaker's corner at Hyde Park--a traditonal gathering place
for speakers, and protests in general

I did go for a couple of walks in Hyde Park--it's across the street after all. I didn't hit Speaker's Corner, which I liked so much when I was here in 1982. It was filled with cranks and even some normal people bellowing invective from the corner.




The fountains and pools of the Italian Gardens

I stopped by the Italian Gardens, which are wonderful, extremely orderly, and old. A Belgian architect built them in the 1800s, and they have recently been restored to their full glory.
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The Beach Boys (and Back Street Boys) "When I Grow Up To Be A Man" (with lyrics)

This is without a doubt one of the great Beach Boys' songs. Only Brian Wilson could have written this song, although his cousin Mike Love later sued him and was granted credits and royalties. If you know the songs Brian wrote solo, you'd know a knucklehead like Mike Love could have never written this. [1] If he DID write the lyrics, they were clearly channeled straight from Brian's skull. I am in London, at two at night in my hotel room, and I naturally thought about the Boys. For a long period of time, they completely owned England, and often outsold concurrent Beatles releases. They influenced the Beatles, and pushed them forward to new frontiers (particularly with Summer Nights and Pet Sounds). These moving man-child lyrics that capture the soul of Brian Wilson.



Incredibly enough, the Backstreet Boys have covered this tune. I don't know much about them, being a little outside their target demo, but they have incredible voices, and this is an incredibly respectful and interesting cover...



When I grow Up To Be A Man

When I grow up to be a man
Will I dig the same things that turn me on as a kid?
Will I look back and say that I wish I hadn't done what I did?
Will I joke around and still dig those sounds
When I grow up to be a man?

Will I look for the same things in a woman that I dig in a girl?
(fourteen fifteen)
Will I settle down fast or will I first wanna travel the world?
(sixteen seventeen)
Now I'm young and free, but how will it be
When I grow up to be a man?

Oooooo Ooooooo Oooooooo
Will my kids be proud or think their old man is really a square?
(eighteen nineteen)
When they're out having fun yeah, will I still wanna have my share?
(twenty twenty-one)
Will I love my wife for the rest of my life
When I grow up to be a man?

What will I be when I grow up to be a man?
(twenty-two twenty-three)
Won't last forever
(twenty-four twenty-five)
It's kind of sad
(twenty-six twenty-seven)
Won't last forever
(twenty-eight twenty-nine)
It's kind of sad
(thirty thirty-one)
Won't last forever
(thirty-two...)
When I grow up to be a man
Will I dig the same things that turn me on as a kid?
Will I look back and say that I wish I hadn't done what I did?
Will I joke around and still dig those sounds
When I grow up to be a man?

Will I look for the same things in a woman that I dig in a girl?
(fourteen fifteen)
Will I settle down fast or will I first wanna travel the world?
(sixteen seventeen)
Now I'm young and free, but how will it be
When I grow up to be a man?

Oooooo Ooooooo Oooooooo
Will my kids be proud or think their old man is really a square?
(eighteen nineteen)
When they're out having fun yeah, will I still wanna have my share?
(twenty twenty-one)
Will I love my wife for the rest of my life
When I grow up to be a man?

What will I be when I grow up to be a man?
(twenty-two twenty-three)
Won't last forever
(twenty-four twenty-five)
It's kind of sad
(twenty-six twenty-seven)
Won't last forever
(twenty-eight twenty-nine)
It's kind of sad
(thirty thirty-one)
Won't last forever
(thirty-two...)

[1] According to the Wikipedia, (and my own earlier research) "In November 1969, the Wilson's father Murry Wilson, sold the copyrights to the band's songs to Irving Almo for approximately $700,000.[1] Many years later in April 1992, just after Brian Wilson had won a lawsuit which recovered many of the copyrights to his songs, Mike Love filed a lawsuit against Brian Wilson claiming that he had not been given credit, and therefore hadn't received royalties, on over thirty of the band's songs, many of them hit singles.[2] One of these songs was "When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)". The song was originally credited solely to Brian Wilson but Mike Love claimed that he had a hand in writing the lyrics. Mike Love won the lawsuit and the song-writing credit was amended, therefore ensuring future royalties on all of the songs that he had claimed he had a hand in writing.

Recording
The song was recorded over two sessions in 1964 at Western Recorders. The instrumental track was most likely recorded on August 5 with the vocals being overdubbed five days later on August 10. The instrumental track, arranged by Brian Wilson, features Carl Wilson on lead and rhythm guitars; Al Jardine on electric bass guitars; Brian Wilson on acoustic piano & harpsichord; Carrol Lewis on harmonica and Dennis Wilson on drums. The song features both Mike Love and Brian Wilson on the lead vocals with backing vocals by Brian, Carl & Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine.
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Back in London

Click the photo of Hyde Park to enlarge

I am back in London, after a road trip and 44 hour stay in the North Country. The trip took four hours this time. Above is the view from my room on the 15th floor of the Royal Lancaster Hotel, directly north of Hyde Park. I am about to stop by a pub and then go to a nice looking Indian restautrant I spotted about two blocks away, about which, more later.

Jack 8PM, London
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Looking snappy in Great Britain, and other notes on visiting the Motherland

You probably didn't know this, but any self-respectable, dapper, and upwardly mobile hotel in Great Britain includes one item you won't find in the States: The Corby of Windsor Trouser Press. Now, if you're like me, you find yourself often needing a trouser press when you're on the road. And like all electrical appliances in the UK, this baby heats up fast because we're talking 240 blowtorch volts. The water in my teakettle boils in about thirty seconds. Now I get this whole 240 thing--it's for more than just heating up your hot tub or your oven.

OK, so they don't have a hair dryer, and they don't even have bad drip coffee (it's all instant freeze dried crystals, baby, unless you go to a "proper" coffee shop). The hotel room does stock little tubes of instant coffee, reminiscent of Greece in the 80s, some nice teas, and some sweet biscuits. But the trouser press is something else entirely. I wanted to fire this sucker up and give my jeans a proper pressing, but I don't have the nerve. Since I brought one pair, I really don't want to end up trouserless in Britain!

From the Corby of Windsor website: "See for yourself a solution popular in Europe and sweeping across the United States that saves time, money and possible damage by unnecessary dry-cleaning. The solution is a trouser presser that also serves as a complete garment organizer and admired piece of furniture.

"Recognized world wide first by the hotel industry with affluent patrons with a need to travel light and reuse a suit and is quickly becoming a common household item and gift idea for those who value both their appearance and their time. "



"Easy to use with a common sense design and automatic timer. It's as quick and easy to use as placing pants on a hanger, pushing one button, and walk away. Knockoffs and imitations from mass producing countries do not compare to the quality materials, assembly and importantly the functionality found in the models offer here. " [ed's note: they may have invented English, but check out the grammar in that first sentence. AND the second sentence!]

And finally, despite whatever else you've heard, the food here is worse than I remembered. Pathetic would be a generous description. It is cooked indifferently, and even when the ingredients are great (which is a rarity based on my limited experience this time), it is bland and weak, and often really sad. You pay about $12 for a glass of extremely run of the mill wine--on the order of something you might get at a stateside Chinese restaurant. A basic breakfast at my hotel is $32.

I made a friend here--a Japanese-American who is a translator, and speaks perfect northwest English, although he grew up in Japan. And this guy from Tokyo is also complaining about the prices here! He has been here for months now from Tokyo, and when I told him my 34 hours here so far has given me an insatiable craving for sushi, he said "don't do it!" I asked why. "You have to ask?," he said. "They cannot even cook rice here." I believe it. They can't cook potatoes either. Or toast. I like these people a lot, but I wouldn't wish this cuisine on even George W. Bush. Maybe I'll have better news to report when I get back to London tomorrow night... Namaste! /jack

Overnight to London

I am sitting in my hotel room in Sheffield, swaying at the desk--these long flights always leave me rocking (how long does it take when flying to get your sea-legs?). I sit here still swaying and rocking as if I were still on that 747.

Speaking of which--I haven't been on one in years. Seattle's finest! These 747s rock! After all this flying on 737s and Lockheeds, and our enemy AirBus, and even Bombardier prop planes, this seemed like a monstrously huge lumbering beast. When we took off, it seemed like forever to get airborne, but when we did it was a magnificent roaring beast. And you can walk around
, and even go upstairs! Even the food and drink was good.

I arrived in London about 4 AM Seattle time, and then took a limo out to Sheffield. Once you leave London, it is absolutely amazing how the countryside turns immediately to farms and sheep for the entire trip to Yorkshire in the North Country.

We passed through dozens of towns I've read about it like Derby, Chesterfield, Coventry, and Nottingham (where the driver convinced me NOT to stop...I wanted to see what sorts of Robin Hood swag and souvenirs that might have kicking around... /jack, heading to bed at 10 PM (2:00 west coast time
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Off to the motherland!

I leave Seattle at 6:30 and arrive in England at around noon (UK time) tomorrow.
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War is over for The Brits?

According to The Sun, war is over for the British troops. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has saidhe wants his troops home. Soon. Click here to link to the full article.


click to enlarge
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