Adventures in London: Issue 24

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

It is amazing how quickly we fall back into the routines of work. I dropped Mom off at the airport at 7:30 and went straight into work. I think it took me to 11:00 before I wished I had another 2 week break from work. Looking back on matters, I don't know if it was the fact that Mom was leaving or that I had to go back to work the next day that got me so down. I am sorry for writing such a depressing email - did not mean for it to be that dire.  Thank you very much for your kind words and phone calls. I am continually thanking the stars for blessing me with such amazing family and friends. 

When I came back home on Monday, the tube quote of the day read, "A smile is a light in the window of the soul indicating that the heart is at home" - believe me when I say...my heart is always home :-)

We made the most of Mom's last week in London.  On Monday, I took her to the Kensington area for some shopping and site seeing. If there was one lesson that Mom learned during this trip it would be, don't believe Tini I tell say something is just around the corner.  With me, "a 5 minute walk" will generally take 3x as long.  I am just good like that. 

While in Kensington, we swung through Harrods at Knightsbridge to meet a co-worker from the NY office. Despite the crowd and the tourist hell that exploded in there, it was a pleasure to catch up with a friendly face over a latte and biscuit. Harrods is definitely an experience. I feel in love with the Foodhall, but the luxury rooms of perfume and handbags - those were just too much for me (and too expensive). 

Contrary to the agenda, on Tuesday went to Clapham Junction to have lunch with one of Mom's childhood family friends. Funny, Clapham Junction is probably 3K away from my flat, yet because of the public transport here, it would be faster for me to run there than to take the bus or over ground train. What was supposed to a quick lunch turned into a day of sharing stories, photographs, memories and laughs. 

To celebrate New Year's, we went to a friend's place. Si had made a buffet of canapes including sushi, salmon tartar, english sandwiches and of course a delightful cheese board. 7 of us gathered around the dinner table and...well did what we always do - laugh, eat and drink. Shortly before midnight, we walked over to the Thames to see the NY fireworks. Certainly was a change from counting down with Dick Clark and the Times Square ball. 

The next morning would have been ideal for a movie marathon, but instead Mom did a cooking lesson of chicken curry, roti, and dal. Not quite what I wanted to do, but I was not going to argue as the key benefit of the lesson was I got a freezer stocked full of delicious food. 

On Saturday, Mom and I went back to where is all started 24 weeks ago - Portabello road and Princes Square. I thought the antique market was overwhelming because I had just taken the red-eye to London, but I was wrong. The market is simply overwhelming, but the Electric is well worth the trip. I am sad to report that 24 weeks later and I still have not developed a taste for black pudding. Perhaps in another 24 weeks, I will try again. Only a matter of time, I am not giving up on it - on the other hand is it really worth pursuing? 

A dear friend of mine wrote me saying, "Just remember that the reason you want another 18 days is because you just had the previous 18. And wasn't it nice to have those 18 days?" Boy was he right! Thank you dear for making me smile :-)