Nicole and I landed at Gatwick airport on December 5th. The skies were crystal blue, and gentle breeze blew, but the cold stung at the very core of our bones. We may not have brought enough clothing for the trip, time will tell.
This was our heroes journey in to what Joseph Campbell called the "special world", a far cry from our small city of Victoria, BC. Though I grew up in the UK, 12 years living in Canada has reshaped the synapses within my brain, and the language, values and rules of the land seem foreign to me. Luckily I am able to understand enough to be able to interpret for Nicole. Dialects vary quite considerably within as little as thirty minutes of travel in this country, but in London, the variety is awesome with such an array of languages adding to the vibe the city offers.
Our first days in London were a little on the hectic side. I grew up in small towns and Victoria is a small city, so it took a conscious effort on my part to maintain my composure. Like the Wombles of Wimbledon, we actually spent most of our time underground, moving from one locale to the next courtesy of the "tube" service that seems to cover all of London. When we did surface above street level, it was often to great noise and hustle and bustle.
On the first couple of days we did look in to some of the shopping districts in London. I know why it is called Oxford Circus now, I had always wondered. There is so much going on, so many lights and sounds, that the only thing missing was the big top to cover it all. I was secretly hoping that Dumbo would swoop in and relieve me of the overwhelm. People scurried past in cliques or on their own, determined to reach the next store, seemingly oblivious of the thousands of other people whose lives they were crossing paths with.
At one very unnerving point I was standing inside one of the clothes stores and being the silent observer. It was pandemonium. And there was a thud thud of music with no words, only a beat that surely was designed to encourage the pace within the store. I have seen enough in the world of marketing and sales to know that there is nothing accidental about the way they set up the stores, including the music. It would not surprise me if the music contained subliminals judging by the zombie -like nature of the people lining up at the counter.
It took me some time to remember what I normally do in these situations. I envisioned a big bubble of light around me and held the intention that only peaceful energy entered in to that bubble. It helped, and thankfully we made our exit from the busy areas to more peaceful locations. Camden market was full of the creativity of Londonites, and I know Nicole had a lot of fun checking out the dresses and goodies that these talented artists were creating.
This was our heroes journey in to what Joseph Campbell called the "special world", a far cry from our small city of Victoria, BC. Though I grew up in the UK, 12 years living in Canada has reshaped the synapses within my brain, and the language, values and rules of the land seem foreign to me. Luckily I am able to understand enough to be able to interpret for Nicole. Dialects vary quite considerably within as little as thirty minutes of travel in this country, but in London, the variety is awesome with such an array of languages adding to the vibe the city offers.
Our first days in London were a little on the hectic side. I grew up in small towns and Victoria is a small city, so it took a conscious effort on my part to maintain my composure. Like the Wombles of Wimbledon, we actually spent most of our time underground, moving from one locale to the next courtesy of the "tube" service that seems to cover all of London. When we did surface above street level, it was often to great noise and hustle and bustle.
On the first couple of days we did look in to some of the shopping districts in London. I know why it is called Oxford Circus now, I had always wondered. There is so much going on, so many lights and sounds, that the only thing missing was the big top to cover it all. I was secretly hoping that Dumbo would swoop in and relieve me of the overwhelm. People scurried past in cliques or on their own, determined to reach the next store, seemingly oblivious of the thousands of other people whose lives they were crossing paths with.
At one very unnerving point I was standing inside one of the clothes stores and being the silent observer. It was pandemonium. And there was a thud thud of music with no words, only a beat that surely was designed to encourage the pace within the store. I have seen enough in the world of marketing and sales to know that there is nothing accidental about the way they set up the stores, including the music. It would not surprise me if the music contained subliminals judging by the zombie -like nature of the people lining up at the counter.
It took me some time to remember what I normally do in these situations. I envisioned a big bubble of light around me and held the intention that only peaceful energy entered in to that bubble. It helped, and thankfully we made our exit from the busy areas to more peaceful locations. Camden market was full of the creativity of Londonites, and I know Nicole had a lot of fun checking out the dresses and goodies that these talented artists were creating.
My personal favourite thing to do in big cities is to check out the history and the architecture. At one point we followed our noses and took a little detour from the direction we intended to go, and we stumbled upon a scene I have seen many times before, Trafalgar Square. Nelsons column seemed to go on and on, up in to the heavens, and I am not entirely convinced that his statue is up there. I could not see it in the haze of the blue skies that day. With Canada House on one side, the National Gallery on another, and a mass of other buildings around, it made for an enlightening detour from shopping.
From there we were able to check out the National Art Gallery, where I spent time checking out the multitude of paintings adorning the walls. And as we did so, it did not escape my attention how many teenagers, seemingly disinterested, were sitting in huddles in the centre of the rooms, texting away on their hand held devices, oblivious even to the person next to them. I can understand them maybe not being interested in the paintings, but it is amazing how technology is both a connector and a disconnector in our society. They were not even engaged on conversation with the person sitting next to them.
After a few days it was onwards to Scunthorpe, where my parents live. It will not be as eventful in terms of the local attractions, but in my next blog I will surely share about some of the lesser known ancient sites that surround this little town. Sites that I did not appreciate as a disinterested teenager, but which I am appreciating more now, as someone who has been absent from the town for 13 years. Now it is time for a little reconnection with family, meditation, writing and preparation for the free online event that Nicole and I are hosting on December 19th.
To be continued.......
From there we were able to check out the National Art Gallery, where I spent time checking out the multitude of paintings adorning the walls. And as we did so, it did not escape my attention how many teenagers, seemingly disinterested, were sitting in huddles in the centre of the rooms, texting away on their hand held devices, oblivious even to the person next to them. I can understand them maybe not being interested in the paintings, but it is amazing how technology is both a connector and a disconnector in our society. They were not even engaged on conversation with the person sitting next to them.
After a few days it was onwards to Scunthorpe, where my parents live. It will not be as eventful in terms of the local attractions, but in my next blog I will surely share about some of the lesser known ancient sites that surround this little town. Sites that I did not appreciate as a disinterested teenager, but which I am appreciating more now, as someone who has been absent from the town for 13 years. Now it is time for a little reconnection with family, meditation, writing and preparation for the free online event that Nicole and I are hosting on December 19th.
To be continued.......
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