Sammy Update

My good friend and personal icon Samantha "Sammy" Davis is studying abroad in London this semester. A bit of background on Sammy: She grew up in the bowels of Amish Country -Lancaster. She loved it there, but my personal impression is that it was far too small for the like of Sammy. Last year I had the pleasure of working with Sammy at the Temple News when she was the editor of Out&About, the TNews equivalent of the weekend section. This summer, she interned at Life&Style in New York, which was a fabulous opportunity. She is a Scripps' scholarship winner, a terrific writer and an inspiration. This semester, Sammy is studying abroad in London.

Although the majority of the world could care less, I have found her accounts of London spectacular. I love that I can personally feature Sammy for all of her insights into the cultural economy of the UK through the eyes of the average American.

The following is an educational excerpt from her last mass email:

...In addition to my classes I'm interning with a fashion tradepublication much like Women's Wear Daily, called Draper'sRecord, for three days a week (http://www.drapersonline.com/). It's 14,500 circulation consists mostly of subscribers who workin the fashion or retail business.

The majority of my work lies in researching and writing 'The Indicator,' which is a statistics-based look at a trend forboth men/women for the week. One other intern and I call 50 different businesses and ask store managers and owners a setof questions on what has been selling and what they've beenbuying. The answers are then calculated to stats for thepage. In my interviewing, I've spoken with people from allacross the UK, and they've had as tough of a timeunderstanding my accent as I have theirs- the Scottish are the worst!...

(This is so true. Don't believe me? Check out Robin William's and his description of how golf was created.)

...When a trend or design is hot, it goes fast- especiallybecause many of the magazines here act as advertisements forwhen clothes arrive in the store. I can read about a dressat H&M, and the magazine also tells me exactly what week itwill arrive in stores. Talk about passion for fashion!...

Although fashion is not my passion, I know that it is for Sammy. And, I have to admit that this is encouraging. For an aspirign journalist, it is interesting ot note the relationship that is developing between industry and the trade magazines. If you have a passion, whether its model airplanes or tennis shoes, there is a trade mag for youto write for. And if there isn't, there is certainly a market for you to create one.

...Some interesting London tidbits: Mayonaisse is served withfrench fries (called chips here) and the coke is made withless sugar for a slightly different taste. Many peopledrive "Smart cars," two-seat cars (as seen in the movie ThePink Panther with Steve Martin) that look like matchbox carsnext to a SUVs. You don't have to worry about parking withSmart cars- you're small enough to practically make your ownspaces on the street!

Strip bars are rare; you can't really put pound and two-pound coins in the g-string of a table dancer. When someoneasks "Are you alright?" they aren't concerned for yourhealth- they are simply asking how you are doing, much likeour standard greeting of "How are you?"

That's it for the London update for the day.
Thanks Sammy.