Fortunately the travel deity was smiling on me during my trip to London, and I had an infinitely better flight. (Except for a little discussion I had with a security guy about the need for more than one Ziplock bag. Seriously, who can fit all the toiletries in one quart-sized bag?!?!) I couldn't sleep as well as I wanted during the flight, but that problem was ameliorated by the precocious German-speaking Swiss boy seated next to me. He was probably five or six, and at first he couldn't quite grasp the fact that I had no clue what he was saying to me. His mom explained to him that I spoke English, but I think we managed to be friends anyway. At times when I would wake up from my brief, sporadic naps I would find his head on my shoulder or his arm on his lap. I hope his mom was okay with that....
Because I had filled my umpteen suitcases and carry-on bags with treats from the States, I decided not to be that annoying passenger on the tube and instead took a cab from Heathrow to my friend Corina's house. Plus, I think taking one of those iconic London taxi cabs are part of the fun of visiting England. I must admit that I grinned to myself when the driver sat in the other side of the car. It's funny--I almost believed that driving on the right side of the car is just something the Brits do for the tourists, but after being on the freeway for awhile I realized that everyone drives that way, not just cabs full of American tourists.
Eighty-five whopping pounds later I arrived at Corina's apartment a little tired, but totally giddy. While Corina had a tea-date and some job searching to do, I showered and afterwards took a walk to get the blood flowing. I liked her neighborhood. It had charming houses, trees, and it was utterly and completely British.
I also ate a Star Bar, which officially began my goal to eat Cadbury every day on my trip.
I took a nap, ate some potato kale soup, and then Corina and I headed for some nightlife. The blessing of staying with a friend in a city like this one is that you get to hang out with someone who actually knows what to do once the museums close for the night. When I was visited London in 2002, I was completely baffled at the thought of entertaining myself at night. I'm not one for bars and clubs, so yes after a cheap meal at the hostel I would spend the evening alone in my room reading a book. Nerdy? You bet. But at least I saw a show one night.
Back to London Trip 2009. Corina and I took a bus (which also drives on the other side of the road) to some part of town and we went to an open mic night that one of her church friends organizes. We went to some bar that had a lot of Jamaican/African customers. We were two of the maybe seven white people in this very crowded establishment. Which, of course, made it even more interesting. There were some fabulous singers, and some not-so-fabulous singers, but it was so fun. Corina and I were even asked to have our picture taken for some publicity shots to show people that the open mic night draws a diverse crowd. I think it was the first time I added to the diversity of a crowd.
Corina and I are both tall people, and I don't know how it is for short people, but it is hard for both of us to stand for a long time without experiencing lower back pain, so we ended up leaving the bar before the mic closed. Probably for the best as I was tired, and needed energy for a full day of London sightseeing the next day.
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