On the train today
Eastbound
I felt my life slowly changing
my perceptions shifting
I suddenly felt like something other than a tourist
Not exactly a visitor
This feeling crept up on me
Surprised me in a way
The question of Where is Home
didn't seem so relevant
for a second
Less significant
But instead I thought
What am I doing
Who am I
The questions don't get easier I thought
I believe questions like these are always lurking around
for all of us
But we aren't always forced to answer them
Questions like these hover
Just above the atmosphere of my day-to-day routines
in the CO2 layer
at the tops of Parliament and St Paul's and Tower Bridge
Still
though I felt overwhelmed for a moment
Eastbound
on the train
I also felt warm
Like if I can be ok with this
than I can be ok
I felt a kind of content
Serenity
after a long day
Peaceful in a buzzing city that's always changing
A city of travelers and visitors and wanderers
People come here to get something
find something
learn something
And then they leave
"And the ones that stay (men she meant at the time)"
My friend Kati said
"You have to wonder about"
Anyway I thought this over again
on the train
and it is strange that the closest thing to home for me
is a massive collection of villages
made into a city
full of transients
from all over the world
And I'm asking myself
Am I one of them?
But then questions like these are far too difficult to answer on a diet of
alcohol
Jamaican food
and espresso
after a day of Carnival.
So I settled for feeling good
peaceful
serene
Because after all
I spent the evening surrounded by two strong amazing female friends over espresso
admidst a carnival
in a city of transients
like me.

VIVE LA FRANCE!

J'adore Paris!


Notre Dame

La Sorbonne

i feel like this some days


cynthia's famous paparazzi pic

Arc de Triomphe

Tour Eiffel

paris' "redlight"

Daneen et moi in front of Moulin Rouge (apparently it looks cooler at night, but that's it)

melting building. pretty cool.


Basilique du Sacré-Cœur

Ville de Nice!

C'est Magnifique!

C'est Belle!

cythia's feet resting alongside my super dorky water shoes after suffering the trauma of pebbly beaches

my new room

before decorating. i have now added a bonzai tree & a rug :) And, check out the view from my balcony...that's the thames!

Hiya!

Thanks for the comments everybody despite the fact I'm officially a blog slacker and deserve to be banished to "crappy blogs that rarely get updated land". :)

Aunt Stevie, it's not just you...my Mum happens to be notoriously horrible at returning phone messages/e-mails in a timely manner. In fact I think it must run in this branch of the family tree because I'm about as bad (sometimes worse)...hence my delay in updating the blog! I think it's about wanting to have the time to do a perfect job replying/the time to give one's full self to a conversation or e-mail... and NEVER having that kind of time! (But our intentions are good!). At least, that's what I think it is for me. Bad->zilch internet connection doesn't help either. Anyway, it's really nice to hear from you! Things are good and busy here-work, moving house, fun, travel, etc...I definately take after you :) I hope all is well in beautiful Cali!

Aunt Patsy, I have been a bit MIA. Sorry bout that :/(see comment above re: my good intentions) :) :). Hope all is well in VA. I miss HOT HUMID SUNNY VA summers so badly, though I know you're probably totally over it by now!! Oh, one can only dream. Hope all is well there! Say Hi to everyone! How's your trip planning coming??

Anonymous, Thanks for your comments, much appreciated. It's hard to say much more than that as I don't know who you are! :) Stay cool.

LOVE AND MISS xxxxxxx

ps: pic below is of a rickshaw...road around the block in one a bit more modern than the one shown here last weekend in soho (cost £2 for a 5min ride, but was totally worth it!)