London - Part 3

7. Finally, I got to visit the Tate Modern… it has some of the best modern art collection in the world. I got to see Picasso, Chagall, Kandinsky and so many others. Tate itself is an impressive place… so huge and spacious… gives you another perspective … another way of having… “illusions of grandeur”. Some paintings can be disturbing… and I walk quickly pass them. I prefer to view ones that I only saw in magazines or art books before. Overall, its brilliant they manage to purchase these great works of art and hang them in one place. I also liked many of the sculptures and exhibits… it has profound effect on our senses. On first look, we may dismiss it as crazy… but reading the description and understanding the artist frame of mind… we cannot deny how inspiring these works can be. I was awestruck… another motivation for me to stop delaying and start painting again. I also got to meet Jackie on Fri and we all went to a local pub. The place was packed but with the new no –smoking rule… the crowd disappeared by 11.30. You cannot come into the pub if you smoke… that’s a local by-law. Anyway, the English Ale is nice and smooth… I like it. I really need to start learning to drink wine tho… beer and whiskey is so yesterday.

8. The whole of Sat I spent strolling along parks, sidewalks, Thames river bank and visited the Buckingham palace. Actually, I really like the fountain opposite the palace… it’s a pleasant area to sit and watch people. So many ppl from so many parts of the world… its amazing to see how they come from all over and the various languages they speak. Everyone seems happy and excited to be there… esp the kids. Its like a fairy wonderland… soaking in the grand atmosphere is like traveling back in time to another magical era.

9. One thing I noticed is how crowded London can be… its really VERY busy everywhere… you find ppl on the sidewalks… pubs, offices, parks, galleries, roads… everywhere! The attraction with London is also the many tourist events and how well they manage the tourist calendar all year round. You can find so many activities all over London and it never gets boring. Obama was in London too… how cool was that. There is something for everyone… but you have to spend in pound tho… and that’s expensive. Overall, travel makes us realize how small we are in this world and makes us more aware of how much more we have to improve our lifes as a whole.

London - Part 2

4. On the 2nd day… I walked around the Kensington area and saw the old part of central London… they have all these awesome lawyer offices too. Passed Lincoln’s Inn, Templar’s Inn, King’s College and lotsa historical office buildings. London has so many pubs… and every single one … is packed. Then I ‘discovered’ St Paul’s cathedral. It’s really an awesome building… rising from the city like a huge beacon. The surrounding areas are excellent too… lotsa classic old buildings… well refurbished and must be cool to work there. The public transportation in London… makes it so easy for ppl to move around fast and I believe its one of London’s great success stories. I could find my way almost everywhere (even if I prefer to walk) and I am also amazed at the number of superbikes on the road. Ducatis, Aprillias, Triumphs and MV Augustas all over the place… its really a bikers paradise. The summer in London … sun goes down around 9pm… so there is so much to do… parks are filled with couples, teenagers, friends and families till 8pm!!!

5. On 3rd day I visited the National Gallery… near Trafalgar Square. Its open on Wed till late evening. I was surprised to see so many great works of art from so many different times. Van Gogh, Matisse, the Italian masters and Renaissance greats were displayed in well arranged manner. I was also surprised to find so many British master painters … never have I ever seen the great works from UK itself… and this was an excellent experience for me.

6. On Thurs… I got to walk over to see the Big Ben, Parliament House and Downing Street. It was interesting and inspiring to absorb the great London architecture by slowly walking along the pavement and occasionally stop to feel the history behind these buildings. Its interesting to know that many of these old and historical places are still well used and house a lot of offices till today. In the evening, I manage to get some cancelled tickets for Lion King and what a show that was! I have never seen a world famous theatre production and this was really special… the costumes, props, music and set was nothing short of spectacular.

London - Part 1

1. Flight to London was good... great service from MAS. Flew 747-400 and the journey was pleasant... movies did not work tho. Am not really into fine dining or western food… so the meals were not to my liking. 13 hours can be a little long but flying Business Class can get addictive

2. First day in London was just sleeping in hotel room… trip from Heathrow to London city on a Sunday can be unpredictable.. took 2 hours to reach the hotel. I had a good driver tho… he kept talking about his life in London… well dressed Indian bloke (stripe pants) with Gucci sunglasses. Stayed at Hilton Waldorf… near the West End… surrounded by theatres and quite lively till late evening. The first thing that struck me was the weather… its so pleasant… not humid or hot. The occasional cool breeze… really helps when you daydream and kept me in a constant melancholy zone...

3. Visited Jeff on Monday evening… it’s a few station stops from central London. Jeff has a nice place… with a garden behind…. I like the quite and peaceful surrounding. He made chicken curry for me and we talked about life back in Msia