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.