Which One Of Us Is the Boy?

Tired of asking and being asked the same questions over and over again at a Butler's Wharf social, a bloke named Pascal and I went from group to group asking, "If London and New York were lovers, which would be the boy, and why?" The answers and reasons given were varied and provocative. Here are some:

- As a former colony, London preceded New York (ok, ok, Amsterdam did, but as New York is a symbol of America, this flies), just like Adam preceded Eve.

- New York busier and more businesslike, making it the boy.

- London is more beautiful, making it the girl.

- Whichever one is the boy, Florence is the mistress.

- London would be the boy because he is older and more elegant (which answer provoked an angry reaction from a nearby gender studies student).

- New York would be the girl because her symbol is the apple, evoking Eve and original sin.

And my favorite:

- New York would be the boy because they have skyscrapers, and London would be the girl because a river runs through the middle of it, the symbolism of which should be clear.