FROM LONDON WITH LOVE

It was an exceptionally beautiful weather for the season when we visited London between 1 and 6 December, except for Wednesday when it rained almost the whole morning. There’s seemingly an odd feeling of déjà-vu when one is caught in a heavy traffic during the rush hours and completely be lost in a crowded downtown street where he doesn't expect why he was there in the first place.

Suddenly, the landscape would appear so fascinating that one couldn't help but to stop for a moment, then admire the sight and explore its unusual beauty from different angles. Nonetheless, many tourists seemed to be too preoccupied with their priorities to get to the specific places that they would like to be.

Sara and I bought a season pass that was valid for the duration of our stay so that we could hop in or out of any bus when the traffic could be stacked for quite some time. Fortunately, the entrance to many of the famous museums was free of charge and we could just change our itinerary and go to the nearest one where the bus would eventually take us. There was too much to see but hardly enough time to accomplish everything in a few days. On the other hand, I just couldn't believe to find myself in a huge crowd wherever we went to as if I got caught in the middle of a carnival celebration or worse yet, a circus. Even shopping at Harrods on a gray and cold Saturday morning could practically be a hassle. Yet, the people seemed to enjoy so much from the pleasure of buying anything that they didn't mind being pushed around on their way to the counters or standing in line.

At almost 11.00 a.m. on Dec. l, we left Brussels South Station aboard the Channel train. We arrived at the Waterloo Station in London three hours later, with more than 15 minutes beyond schedule. David, our eldest son, was already at the station to fetch and take us to his place. While waiting for the bus to arrive, we posed in front of the Parliament and Big Ben for a picture taking.

After lunch, Sara went downtown while I took a nap because I was very exhausted from the trip and the few hours’ sleep I have had after our office party dance on the eve. At 5 p.m., David and I went to meet my former colleague, Tom Yong, in front of a metro station for a series of drinks at a pub called Churchill Arm.

The next day, I had a lunch at the Barbican Centre with David Lawrence, a colleague from our London office. Afterwards, I went straight to Knightsbridge in order to meet somebody who has the same name as mine that I accidentally came across in the signature book I was updating at work.

While waiting for him to appear, I suddenly felt so uneasy and intimidated as to how I'd react or address him when we come face to face at last. I was having a second thought whether or not to give him a bear hug or shake his hand when I saw him coming. Somehow, I was relieved to see him so cool and natural as he approached and greeted me spontaneously with a big smile and a warm handshake. He invited me to join him for a walk to the park nearby so that we could get to know each other better. Before we parted our ways that afternoon, he invited me for a drink two days before my departure.

Meanwhile, Sara and I went on a series of wild goose chase tours to all the important museums in the city. I was highly overwhelmed by the impressive quantity and high quality of the exhibits we saw, particularly those at the Greek and the Egyptian sections of the British Museum and the old masters' paintings at the National Gallery. During breaks, however, I met and talked to some locals and tourists in the museums, pubs and buses.

Somehow, I found it a very wonderful and unique experience to see and explore personally the many well-known places and at the same time to meet and talk to people from different countries. How I adore traveling! However, I wish I could have stayed longer in order to learn more about the local people, their customs and their tradition