After taking a cab to a "bar/club" that wound up only having a dozen or so people drinking casually, my future roommates and I wandered past shops and closed restaurants for blocks. Things were looking pretty grim when we came upon what must have been the theatre district, lit-up by a Dirty Dancing poster and the Lion King musical's venue. When it seemed like our night out was doomed, we turned the corner and found a small but busy pub filled with music, young 20-somethings, AND cheaper pints!
We were about to settle in to a little table, when we got up the nerve to go talk to some locals. Thank goodness for liquid courage! Our new friends were completely cool with the fact that we know nothing about their country. I expected the Brits to be a bit snotty, cold, and unwilling to give directions or recommend restaurants, but these guys invited our whole group to sit down, bought us a round, and took out a map. They circled all the spots we should see while we're here, then got out our Tube map and showed us how to get there.
Before we left, they asked how long we were visiting for. "We'll be here until December," we told them. "You're not tourists," one said. "You're residents now."
