How-doo-yoou-doo~~ again!

Why One Country Two Systems Don't Work - EVER & ANYWHERE

On the evening of 9th of August I arrived in London with Scottish money and Scottish accent.
The first thing to reject me was the Oyster card machine. Well, p'Ahhhh!

Pit Stop & much hugs

I am back at Wendy and Deno's place in Hackney, on my comfy little fold-out couch with pretty bright linen from IKEA. I could almost feel like Fogg returning to the London Reform Club, back to the beginning at the end of a crazy run and feeling a bit breathless and a bit tired and just want to have a good sleep. Thank goodness that some of the food I left here three months ago is still sitting in the fridge cos that is saving me a bit of dosh (did I hear you say 'oooh gross'?) since I am spending pounds again and doing numerous social engagements with mates I am catching up with, including Jeremy& Anna, Melissa& Ryan (the kiwis I met in Vienna), Debbie, and Wendy's cool workmates.

I caught up on a bit more sight seeing and exploring around the place, including

Markets in Notting Hill; ancient cemeteries in Stoke Newington;

Subway hopping & Paddington with Debbie

And then I was shocked speechless
I will be heading off on Friday to Bangladesh to catch up with Templeton. Apart from the numerous travel admin to sort out on English-speaking soil, I thought I'd also drop into Brick Lane, aka Bangla Town, for a bit of a warm up to the subcontinent. It was all quite cool and interesting and proceeding in theme with the piping hot spice smell steaming out the windows and the Bollywood music ringing the streets, until I witnessed a blatant case of racism not seen thus far in Europe right in front of my eyes, when, in a fastfood joint hoping for a small snack, an ethnic-African couple in line before me was told by the Bangla shopkeeper that "We don't serve Blacks". They were absolutely repulsed and walked out, and I walked out with them so that this horrid man won't have the chance to say what he might say to me when its my turn. I just didn't think that people who have been subjected to racism themselves would have the ignorance to subject it to others, particularly spending so much time in Hackney where every race just gets along side by side, but maybe I'm wrong. There had been really bad ethnic violence in London in the past, but hell, an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. If its not going to stop somewhere it would never stop. This is a sad day for London.

But Bob Marley@ Buckingham saved the day
On a brighter note and in solidarity with our Caribbean brothers and sisters, I went to a rather amusing Changing of the Guards yesterday at Buckingham Palace. It turned out that the Jamaican Regiment is doing a bit of summer exchange over in the UK, and are taking regular turns guarding the Queen and have their military band play during the ceremony. They looked pretty smart in their military attire which blended in ethnic gear such as head bands and leopard skin (I didn't know that Jamaica had leopards... but maybe just 'not anymore'...) and some had traditional instrument. But this best bit for me was them breaking into reggae to Bob Marley's 'One Love' and the hoards of tourists rocking away forgetting where they were. And I caught one of them scratching his arse with his clarinet. Eat yer heart out Empire!!