I ran out of work at lunch today. Fortunately for me I had not broken the shredder, nor made kettle explode. I was simply ready for fresh air!
I walked eagerly along Pall Mall, passed the imposing gentlemens' clubs flanking one side of this grand thoroughfare. I quickly found myself in the hustle and bustle of Trafalgar Square. A stiff easterly breeze ensured I maintained a brisk momentum and I continued unabated through the swarms of tourists with my gaze fixed on Charing Cross. I sloped down Villiers Street - a grubby pedestrian alley that runs parrallel to the station. Here life itself never stops as office workers hurry about their daily routine - whether it be grabbing lunch or a brief chance to loosen up with seemingly sadistic on-street Chinese masseuses.
Through Embankment station I glided, hurried up the steps to Hungerford Bridge spurred on by what awaited me. At the top I gazed in awe as from here is one of the greatest views of London. A thousand times I have trodden this bridge but the scenery never fails to whisk my breath away, for it is a scene that reconciles all of London's history and modernity, jumbled together to present a city that's very presence booms power and might.
As I reached the other side, I turned and crossed again but this time I walked the other side with a fantastic view of the London Eye accompanied by Big Ben striking a quarter past one. Before long I found myself in Trafalgar Sq again but hurriedly burrowing my way deeper into the West End's labyrinth streets, I was met with all possibilities of diversity and life in just a few short metres as I wound my way through Chinatown and Soho. I was suddenly out in the open again, now under the neon lights of Piccadilly Circus - again working the crowds, trying in vain to get anywhere quickly. I paused on Piccadilly and sloped past an antiques market in St James Church. By this time I was peckish so I sauntered across a delightful landscaped park saluting a robin on the way and made it back to my desk in time to relax and recover from the sensory assault that is London.
What a marvellous trip! Taking in so many sights and all in half an hour. I really do love London because it displays all of life in its inexhaustible ways - and for that I can never be bored.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Twenty-Ten
It's a new year and a new decade, perfect for people who believe in the symbolic significance of the occasion to renew and renovate, to make resolutions and to start afresh.
2010 is made all the more symbolic for me because it marks the passing of a period of life that must now be resigned to my past. Leaving education and embarking on one's 'graduate' life is symbolic enough - in many respects it means a coming of age . Those graduates lucky enough to find a job will revel in the opportunity to earn their own money, accumulate experience and gain status in society. With all these positives also comes the daunting prospect of so much change and transition all at once. Learning how to wade through the quagmire of office politics and emerge on the other side not bitten down by fellow colleagues - well that's one thing. Having to adapt to multi-tasking, and adopt a consistent 'office persona' is another. It all takes time.
It has taken me the best part of 5 months to reach a point where things have finally begun to click and my life starts to seem somewhat routine in my eyes. Suddenly before you know it, things that once terrified you or seemed impossible are done without breaking sweat. I am not boasting, I think it is the same for everyone.
And so I start 2010 after a much needed rest and somewhat tumultuous reflection over the past intense few months and I hope to go forward with a somewhat clearer vision for the next decade. Perhaps a vision for the decade is a bit optimistic -best to deal with the here and now but one thing I am going to keep as my new mantra is to always have little projects on the go, with the hope that these will serve to expand horizons and provide enriching experiences.
I am aware that many people rush through life constantly distracting themselves. I don't want life to be one constant distraction. I want the things that I do to carry meaning and slot into an overarching vision. Perhaps I am an idealistic 23 year old but I am too restless to settle for the same everyday experiences, especially when I know that there is so much to get out of life. I do believe though that it is up to the individual to enrich their life and that is why this year I am setting myself a series of targets so that I can start that process.
If you think it all sounds cliched and idealistic, well, the proof is in the pudding. It will be interesting to see how I get on throughout the year, how often I lose this symbolic optimism and whether during such times I keep it going, or let it slide. Essentially, I am setting myself a challenge.
Well, we will see this time next year - god knows where I'll be or what I'll doing. Scary? yes, mildly but also ever so slightly more exciting.
2010 is made all the more symbolic for me because it marks the passing of a period of life that must now be resigned to my past. Leaving education and embarking on one's 'graduate' life is symbolic enough - in many respects it means a coming of age . Those graduates lucky enough to find a job will revel in the opportunity to earn their own money, accumulate experience and gain status in society. With all these positives also comes the daunting prospect of so much change and transition all at once. Learning how to wade through the quagmire of office politics and emerge on the other side not bitten down by fellow colleagues - well that's one thing. Having to adapt to multi-tasking, and adopt a consistent 'office persona' is another. It all takes time.
It has taken me the best part of 5 months to reach a point where things have finally begun to click and my life starts to seem somewhat routine in my eyes. Suddenly before you know it, things that once terrified you or seemed impossible are done without breaking sweat. I am not boasting, I think it is the same for everyone.
And so I start 2010 after a much needed rest and somewhat tumultuous reflection over the past intense few months and I hope to go forward with a somewhat clearer vision for the next decade. Perhaps a vision for the decade is a bit optimistic -best to deal with the here and now but one thing I am going to keep as my new mantra is to always have little projects on the go, with the hope that these will serve to expand horizons and provide enriching experiences.
I am aware that many people rush through life constantly distracting themselves. I don't want life to be one constant distraction. I want the things that I do to carry meaning and slot into an overarching vision. Perhaps I am an idealistic 23 year old but I am too restless to settle for the same everyday experiences, especially when I know that there is so much to get out of life. I do believe though that it is up to the individual to enrich their life and that is why this year I am setting myself a series of targets so that I can start that process.
If you think it all sounds cliched and idealistic, well, the proof is in the pudding. It will be interesting to see how I get on throughout the year, how often I lose this symbolic optimism and whether during such times I keep it going, or let it slide. Essentially, I am setting myself a challenge.
Well, we will see this time next year - god knows where I'll be or what I'll doing. Scary? yes, mildly but also ever so slightly more exciting.
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