Sticks

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It's not often I feel like I'm from sticks, but today I hail from the sticks of Austin, TX. London Heathrow is a "sexy" airport. High-end stores abound. All the technical gadetry one could ever desire. In the Sony "store", an HD tv that does something fantastic with the motion of a soccer ball across the screen. (I'm sorry but the magic of it all is lost on me. I did however see the shadow of the soccer ball on the field.) Check out the accompanying pictures. Some are catawompus because I was trying to take them inconspicuously by my side. Under the depatures signage there is a bar that changes colors, pink purple, blue, green (you get the idea). Not too far from the bar is one of the alcohol duty-free shops. The Americans could take lesson from the Brits here. Notice in front of the stacked televisions a tasting bar. Yep, free samples of hard liqour. I tried really hard to capture the two grey haired women sampling the wares.

I think I'm drawn to strange things when I travel abroad. For example, I have no desire to see what is on sale at Harrod's. I'd much rather check out the pharmacy. I'm baffled by the lack of selection of medicine brands. As far as I can tell, there is only one manufacturers brand of aspirin available, Boots. Actually, Boots makes most of the medications in this pharmacy. They also sell something here called, Paracetamol. What is this stuff? I thought I knew every over the counter pain reliever available. Could it be that the English have a miracle drug they are keeping all to themselves? I don't really have a headache. It's more curiousity than anything else.

As I step up to hand a $5 bill to the young man at the currency exchange counter, he says "That won't get you far here." As I shrink back, I do my best to defend my Jefferson and say, "It's ok, I only want to buy aspirin." "Do you want to spend it here?" comes the reply. "Yes." "They take dollars in the shops" says the young man. A bit confused, perplexed and amazed, I say "Thank You" and walk away. Sure enough, I approach the counter with my Paracetamol and my Jackson and walk away with Paracetamol and some pounds. Pounds?

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