Keep Calm and go to London

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And that was that. What a gap, huh? Two years. It’s been a long time since I’ve written anything. The truth is, I’ve been so out of my funk that I feel like I’ve lost all sense of creativity, a little of who I was. In fact, I had lost myself completely and, to be honest, I haven’t been entirely sure about how to get it back. It wasn’t really until recently, when I accompanied some students to sit an exam and met a very friendly Nepalese woman whilst waiting for them to finish, that I had felt any kind of inspiration to write. I had lost my drive to do anything: to write, to do photography, to play music … many things that made me … well … me. It’s like my world had lost many of its colours, the only one left being grey. But she helped to paint a little more colour into it, even if she only painted herself and the London around me was still grey. The basic message that she conveyed to me was that I was good at something before, so why not do it again?

Well, let’s try. A new chapter (and land mass) is just around the corner again, giving me something to look forward to so, for the next few weeks, I am back on my home turf.

The Smoke. I guess the old saying that goes something along the lines of ‘you don’t really know what you have until it’s gone’ is kind of true in this sense. London never really appealed to me before (you know, me bein’ a country girl an’ all), but the more I thought about other peoples’ perspectives, the more it made me realise just how interesting the city really is. The more I think about it, the more I recognise that London is the only city I’ve been to in the world where the old and the new sit perfectly side-by-side. It. Just. Works. Walking up Gipsy Hill and sitting outside The Royal Albert (an old-fashioned, typically English Tudor-style local’s pub with charm housed between bog-standard chain pubs), having a couple of beers and a laugh with good company and looking down the hill at the London skyline was the moment that made it clear to me. That walk up Gipsy Hill was worth it: to see St Paul’s cathedral dwarfed by the likes of the Shard and the Gherkin, yet still maintaining its majesty somehow. Writing inspiration: check.

It took me a while to understand why tourists find London interesting, but now I see it. London has surely got to be one of the most multicultural cities in the world, where the old and the new really do mix in every literal and figurative sense. A walk from London Bridge, or even Waterloo, to Tower Bridge will show you that. A few minutes away from the London Bridge tube, you can find a big screen next to the Thames where you can chill and watch the Wimbledon with a glass of prosecco or, in my case, a good old ginger beer. Great for the rare days of English sunshine with a real sense of bringing the community together! Further down, the HMS Belfast steals the show for a while with its military display, and on the other side you have Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre (a haven for fanatics like me) and the Tower of London followed by the iconic Tower Bridge. Whenever I see the Tower Bridge, I love to try and take a photo of a red bus going over it. This isn’t me being a tourist; it’s me being a goofball because it reminds me of a scene in the Spice World movie where the Spice Girls heroically drove their red tour bus at such high speed that it magically jumps over the opening of the bridge … Photography inspiration: check.

Anyway, back to what really matters. If we’re talking about walking along the River Thames, you shouldn’t miss Southbank, another cultural district of London where there’s a lot of stuff going on. It’s kind of hipster, but it’s ok by me; it has a skatepark in the undercroft full of all kinds of amazing street art and skilled boarders and riders. It’s pretty much the beating heart of London skateboarding and is known to be the birthplace of British skateboarding. There’s a constant battle between the Monopoly Man and the people over this place but, when it comes to the skatepark in the undercroft, the people always win. Especially when Tony Hawk is on their side.

Also, if street art interests you, you should visit Graffik Gallery where you can take part in some workshops or empty your wallets on some canvases or prints by famous artists, and stop by Notting Hill’s blue door while you’re at it, made famous by Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, or take a walk down Portobello Road and check out the vibrant atmosphere, colours, street musicians and markets (if you don’t mind slow walkers and crowds, that is. It tested my tolerance. It made me want to unleash my mental giant, human-sized fly swat). If you’re one for street art and culture, you should head over to Brixton where there is street art galore mixed with a relaxed Afro-Caribbean feel. The gospel singers in Brixton have been the only appreciation that I have shown for religion recently; if more churches practised using gospel, it might even push me to be the slightest bit interested in religion. Also, there is a cool little corner in Brixton called Pop Brixton where start-up businesses can rent a small space for a small sum to help them get a leg-up in the business world. Go along and show your support!

Finally, because we’re talking about the arts, let’s talk about the West End. During my time in London, between working and catching up with friends, I will have seen these musicals: <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Lion King, Motown, Chicago, Les Miserables and Mamma Mia!. The best one by far has been Les Mis, hands-down. It even beat The Phantom of the Opera, and that is saying a lot; since I was young, I have owed a lot of my passion for musicals to Boublil and Schonberg, as well as my love for piano. Now I finally realised a dream that I have had for a long time (y’know, I dreamed a dream and all that jazz). The moment the orchestra stuck it’s first few notes with Look Down, I cried tears of sheer joy and disbelief because I finally had the opportunity to see it. Even though I knew the music and story by heart, I am not ashamed to admit that I cried like a child. Several times. Elena Skye’s portrayal of Eponine reminded me of something that I have wanted to do for a long time: invade the stage and push Cosette off it so that Marius would never see her and so that he would marry Eponine instead. Kudos to Victor Hugo, Boublil and Schonberg for creating such a strong character.



And, on a final note, kudos to London and to the woman who broke down that mental wall.



You know what’s coming next. Musical inspiration: check. Life sure does have a funny way of working out.

Keep calm and go to London.

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Photos

Tower Bridge
The most iconic part of the Spice World movie.

Portobello Road
A street like a rainbow!

Motivational Quote of the Day
Shia LaBoef says "JUST DO IT!"

HMS Belfast
Lookin' ship shape ;)

Blue Door Notting Hill
My life is now complete.

Graffik Gallery
Graffik Gallery

Street Art Brixton
Now this is what I call art.

Pop Brixton
Support the Start-Ups!

Comments

[Home and Away]

Welcome back...
and I'm pleased you are rediscovering yourself and the inspiration that London can provide. This year is Italy for me, but next year I plan to visit the south of England from Kent to Cornwall, but mostly in Devon. It's been to long...last visit in 2010. I won't be looking for inspiration but long dead ancestors.