I spent the last week in London on business. It was my first time off the continent and it was quite an experience. Unfortunately I don't have a lot to say about the trip because, true to its purpose, it was almost entirely spent working. But I did learn a little bit about getting around the city, and I got a good impression of what the city was like.
I really got the sense that they put a lot into the city. I noticed uniformed workers sweeping sidewalks and scrubbing store fronts. I didn't see any graffiti, though I'm sure I'd find it if I looked hard enough. And yet at the same time, I witnessed an apparently homeless woman urinating on the sidewalk right in front of an Underground station and plenty of people. I saw a police officer searching someone's pockets while that person just let it happen, all the while carrying on a pleasant conversation.
Not much more to say than that.