Passing through Incheon on our way to and from London on Korean Airlines had me noting the trust that Koreans have in each other — the “social capital” that is so impressive. Carts with luggage, purses and man bags were left outside the duty-free stores and restaurants at the airport with complete trust.
In England, people continue to smile more at each other since COVID.
The downside is that crime is on the rise.
At our favorite telecom store, the door is locked when we arrive to turn on our phones and MiFi. We are told that gangs — sometimes armed, sometimes with a machete, are targeting high street (main street) telecom stores for their phones, so entry is monitored.
What else is trending? Go to a restaurant or a store in London and you are asked for a review.
In a local Italian restaurant, our waiter thanked for the tip, but said the review was more important, and handed over a card with a QR code to Trip Advisor. I nearly took the tip back.
So here we go: By luck, we found a great restaurant in Soho in the center of London. Prix Fixe Brasserie in Dean Street delivered a fabulous meal (I can recommend the duck confit). The service was efficient and friendly, and nobody asked for a review. The receipt thanked us for our custom and invited us to please call again. I would go back there in a heartbeat (and we will).
Rosé wine is seeing a resurgence in England.
Ask for a glass of rosé, and you get a dissertation on the options from the barman, and more, at least in one of our local pubs.
I’m told that rosé has a perceived association with a carefree lifestyle, and that wine drinkers and seeking lighter and fresher wines.
Rosé is having a moment elsewhere — everybody from Dolly Parton to Megan Markle has branded a line.
If you knew what U.K. residents are facing in tax increases (and the increase in property tax), you’d understand the preference for anything that gives the illusion of a carefree lifestyle and the popularity of rosé.
The cost of living is a factor in English life. Supermarket wars in England are alive and well. Shoppers can get leaflets on special deals and signs that say the “lowest price is guaranteed” are on the shelves.
As to the newspapers, perhaps due to a need for a taste of the carefree lifestyle, every publication to include the Times, the Telegraph and the local paper has puzzle pages — four on the weekend. There are crosswords, Sudoku, and more. Also, in the supermarket publications.
In one paper, the puzzles were way ahead of the page on rosé varieties.
Also having its 15 minutes of fame are the Cotswolds in England. The area was our destination this year to play tourist and visit a part of England for the first time. Composer Gustav Holst was born in Cheltenham in the Cotswolds, and we visited the house he grew up in. I had no idea Ellen DeGeneris had moved to the Cotswolds, or that Vice President J.D. Vance is planning to vacation there. On trend — that’s the Maratitas.
It’s great to take a break, but it’s also good to be home. mbj
— Maureen N. Maratita is the publisher at Glimpses Media. Glimpses Media includes the Marianas Business Journal, Guam Business Magazine, The Guam Guide, Wave 105.1 FM, Power98 and Route99.
