Back to Civilisation

Three continents in one week, phew.

Leaving Yemen, I had way too much stuff. In the end I had accumulated about 30kg. As I weigh 57kg you should be very impressed that I can carry that amount up and down stairs and for the 100 metres between where the taxi had to stop and where the airport trolleys started. Not only was it too much in weight, it was dispersed amongst various packs and bags, totally inappropriate for airline travel.

A little old Yemeni man in the airport saw me attempting to stuff various random articles into the flap of my backpack designed to hide the straps and after polite conversation asked me if I wanted him to carry anything to London.

Excellent, I got a mule to transport my excess baggage. And it worked out for him too, as he could buy 4 cartons of smokes from the on-board duty free. I carried two cartons for him through customs. He was travelling on a British passport, I think they must give UK citizenship away in cornflakes packets now, because I was one of the few people on the flight with a English speaker's accent... and the only one who had to queue through the foreigners immigration section. My poor mule had to wait an hour for me to get throughto the other side.

Ah London. I didn't really consider it to be pretty before. Tristam lives in Islington on the edge of Camden (the cool suburb with the alternative/punk/goth/rock shops). It's so green and the moment warm and sunny too.

The thing that takes away the pleasure of London for me is the underground. It's not a bad experience, but it just seems to drain time and life out of the city. It also robs me of my understanding of the size, scale and layout. So I made an effort to stay above ground as much as possible and also avoid changing stations with multiple junctions. This meant I spent a lot of time wandering in and out of shops in the sunlight and not that much time scurring around tunnels.

Tristam's flat is really high tec. he doesn't have a telly, or CD player, or radio, or satelite. But, he has internet: fast, smooth, unblocked internet on clean, efficient apple computers. He can do stuff like change music playing through the house speakers using his (i)phone.

I got the most important thing done: I got my new passport. I didn't manage to fill up all my pages in my last passport despite asking the Yemenese officials specifically to stamp the two remaining blank pages. Now I have another ten years, and another 48 pages to fill.

I had loads of grand intentions, I was going to write a resume, and re-learn how to use a Mac, learn the new design programs that have been released over the past decade, I was going to apply for an Iranian visa, sort out my photos and post stuff back to NZ. I didn't.

Instead I have spent the past two weeks doing nothing, and (despite feeling a bit guilty for not being more motivated) enjoyed the absolute pleasure of being surrounded by a city that really works. Where health care is taken for granted and respect for human life and others' property is innate. Where things are clean and beautiful and they work. Where if something is not right we complain because we expect better. Where there are rubbish bins, and people are hired with taxpayers money to collect that rubbish and deal with it. Where people do their jobs, and do them well. Where people pay taxes because we understand, support and have a choice in where our money is going. Where there are solutions, and ways to deal with problems. Where you know if you have a problem there will be someone there to help you, and if you see someone else with a problem, you can help them, because there are ways to get stuff done.

It works. and it feels good to be part of it.

London was brilliant. I'm now up in Cheltenham with Missy, I'm re-integrating from being a scruffy backpacker to a glamorous burlesque performer... I'm blonde, and clean and smell a lot better. All I need now is motivation to get stuff done. I think that will come when I reach the bottom of my limited finances. Nothing inspires me to work more than having to.