It’s all about context

MangosteenWhen we were in London, we stopped into Harrod’s. My sons loved the food hall that had a large selection of exotic fruit. If you were willing to pay, you could sample all manner of fruits, flown in from very far away.

I had to take a photo of the mangosteen – £32 for a kilo – or about US $ 52, as of this writing. My dear friends in Southeast Asia pay quite a bit less. But sitting on a tropical patio eating mangosteen is a lot different than sitting in a cramped apartment in grey London, enjoying (nearly) the same taste. And maybe to someone who sorely misses their home near the equator, that taste would just about be worth it.

We also saw an unbelievable number of exotic cars. The highlight was a Bugatti Veyron, worth about $1,500,000. Just driving on the street. The guy behind the wheel was maybe on his way to get a litre of olive oil at the nearest supermarket. Driving that car was an ordinary part of his day. For me, it would be an experience to remember for the rest of my life.

Context.

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One Reply to “It’s all about context”

  1. When Colin and I lived in Maida Vale, we were St. John’s Wood adjacent, which is quite a posh area. Once we were walking down a street in that area and Colin says: “Well that answers the age-old question… Where should I park the Lambroghini? Answer: Next to the Bentley.”

    We noticed we had size perception adjustment for cars… so for example all the cars would be parked along the road and suddenly we’d notice one that seemed HUGE compared to the others.

    And it would be a Honda Accord. Or a Jeep Cherokee (not even a GRAND Cherokee). They just do not have big cars.

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