1. Living in the Victorian Era
I frequently think about what it may be living in the Victorian Era. Here is how picture it:
‘I woke up. It was a beautiful sunny day outside. Good – I can finally try out my new dress. I called my
maid to help me get dressed and prepare my hair. After we were done, I gave order for my room to
be cleaned (the servants knew they would have to put some extra effort in it as to clean it the way I
like). When I got out of my room, the breakfast was already served. I satisfied my appetite and
decided to go out for a walk in the garden.
The sun was shining. The weather was perfect for a walk. It felt good but got boring pretty quickly.
Going to the city seemed like a good idea. Having lunch in a restaurant in such a delightful day would
almost make it perfect. Plus, I would probably meet some interesting people there, too. It’s always
good to be in the company of intelligent and educated people. I would maybe hear some interesting
gossip on the side, too. Sounded like a plan. It wasn’t, as I couldn’t foresee if they would actually be
there in the same time I went, but it definitely sounded like one.
I took a cab to the restaurant. It was an enjoyable ride – I saw some interesting things on the way –
there was a band of street urchins who were hanging about a vendor and he tripped and fell while he
was trying to chase them away. They laughed their lower posteriors off while they were running. It
was amusing. There was also a man on the street who was disposing of a previously consumed
product through his mouth. He was holding a bottle, so I assume it was alcohol induced. The working
class never understood how bad alcoholic beverages in excess qualities were for them. Plus, he didn’t
seem to care in the least about the disgusting substance he was leaving on the street. I wondered
who would clean that up (if anybody). There were a few more amusing scenes I do not care enough
about as to describe.
We finally arrived at the restaurant after the pleasant and entertaining ride. Alas, there were not too
many interesting characters present at the moment of my arrival. I had had a light breakfast and I
had become hungry after the walk and the ride, so I decided to have lunch, even though by myself. I
didn’t find anybody’s company present and I had gotten used to eating alone - due to my husband’s
military career he was frequently absent. I was a regular, so naturally, all the waiters knew me and I
just told them I would order ‘the usual.’ My food was ready in about 45 minutes, as usual – enough
time to drink a delightful cup of tea and think about where the world was going. Industrialisation was
now a capital part of the world. I was sure the world start progressing at much faster pace due to the
innovations in production and marketing.
After lunch, I felt a little tired so I took the cab the home. I called my maid to help me undress and
was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of my room – the servants had outdone themselves. I
would continue doing something after I rest a bit.’
Or something like that – remember – this is my view – it may not be historically accurate but this is
how I like to imagine it.