The rough side of London

I taught in a different area of London the other day, one generally considered to be 'rough', and it was as if I'd stepped into a different world. Some aspects were familiar to me: the streets looked the same, with poorly aged buildings and garbage on the ground. Street signs, as usual, were inconsistently located up high, down low, on the walls of buildings and on separate posts. Trying to find the school among the maze of roads and roundabouts was the usual challenge.

Except this time I didn't feel comfortable taking out my phone to use the GPS. The atmosphere made me uncomfortable, and I didn't want to carry my most expensive possession out in front of me, flashing my out-of-place status like a beacon.

I'm not sure I can accurately convey what it was that made me feel so uncomfortable. But this was a place where the faces of the residents were hardened into unapproachable scowls. The body language of every person I passed very clearly warned of aggression. Everywhere I looked I was receiving a message, loud and clear: I belong here and YOU do not. Just stay clear and melt into the background and I'll leave you alone.

So I did just that. I avoided eye contact, tried not to look at anyone for too long, lest it be construed as staring. I kept my handbag shut and zippered. And when someone spoke to me, I flinched, reflexively clutching it tighter (turned out that was a bit of an overreaction - he was just asking for directions, which I obviously couldn't give him).

Actually, I think, in hindsight, that my reaction to this place was largely unnecessary. I think I let my preconceived notions of what this area WOULD be like dictate how I felt. And when I was given a very few indicators to support the rumours, I generalized and let my imagination run, scaring myself into seeing and assuming things I needn't have. Gangs. Hidden guns. Pickpockets. Aggravated behaviour towards me.

But then again, I kind of look like an easy target. I mean, if I were a bit more "street", I'd probably pick on someone like me. White chick wearing very uncool clothes walking around looking up, down and everywhere like she's CLEARLY not from around here, clutching her purse like it's going to sprout legs and run away from her? Yep, like taking candy from a baby. Or lunch money from a nerd.

So I thought about all these things throughout the day as I taught in a VERY lovely, brand-new school (which, by the way, I ended up finding without incident) that seemed a bit out of place in the low-income surroundings. And I decided to just relax and play it cool and largely ignore everything and everyone around me as I retraced my steps back to the train.

And then I started hearing the growling.

I could tell immediately that it was a couple of dogs, and the sounds were getting louder with every step I took. Quickly, I came upon the two very tough-looking canines just up ahead of me. And it turned out I had cause to feel my initial concern. Both dogs were scowling and growling agressively. The muscles in both of their bodies were tensed for an attack. Both were straining at their leads and their bared teeth were about six inches from each other.

The only thing preventing the dogs from absolutely destroying each other were their owners, holding them back by their leads. But the guys were as relaxed as their dogs were tensed. They stood leaning back on their heels, arms crossed, faces expressionless. They both watched the dogs, but looked a bit bored doing it.

If I could have taken a picture without fearing I'd been beaten up (or worse) I would have. As it was I only dared a few glances. But the whole scene was quite a bizarre thing to behold.