No Language Barrier
I left Oslo on 29th June, 2019. And I booked a ticket to London. My 21-day European journey officially kicked off. I had a backpack, a medium and a big luggage with me. To be honest, I did not really plan what to do there. I always travel without a plan.
Landing in London, I was so excited because it was my first time to travel to an English-spoken country, which means there would be no language barrier! All (or say) most of the European countries have their own languages, and German or French are the two major languages being spoken and used. That really freaks me out. When I was in those German or French spoken countries, I would spend so much time in front of an ATM or a ticket machine just to understand the instructions on the machines. But here in London, I have nothing to worry when it comes to language. (hee-hee)
Without any plans in mind, I just pretended that I was a local, wandering around in the streets. I had a map in my hands at the beginning, but that was not what a local would do. So, I threw it away in the trash bin nearby me. Suddenly, the iconic red double decker bus showed up in front of me, honking horns to alert the passengers. “THE RED DOUBLE DECKER BUS”, I screamed out in my head. I have always been eager to see it in person since I was little! I am so obsessed with English double decker bus without any reasons. Then, I walked onto the Tower Bridge, and passed by the Shard. There, I saw a bar decorated with little green tennis balls. “It’s Wimbledon season!” Though having no plans in mind, I still had one ultimate goal-visiting Wimbledon!
Wimbledon
Let me give you a short introduction of Wimbledon. Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. The tennis fever sweeps through the country for the last week of June and the first week of July every year. Players can only dress in white to play on the courts, which is the strictest dress code of all the major Grand Slam. What’s more interesting is that the crowds traditionally feast on strawberries and cream; that's 28 tones of strawberries and 7,000 liters of cream annually, to be precise. You may also wonder how to get the tickets if you are also a tennis fan. To watch Wimbledon, you do not have to buy the tickets first. Instead, all the visitors have to queue for the tickets. (This ticket system is literally designed for me who travel without a plan.)
So, on the spur of the moment (after passing that bar with tennis decorations), I hopped on a double decker bus to the venue of Wimbledon on my second day (1st July, 2019) in London.
When I arrived there in Wimbledon Park, there were already numerous of people queuing in line. Some people even camped there the night before. According to the accountable online information, “the numbers of the tickets can vary slightly each day, but generally, there are 500 tickets for Centre Court, 500 tickets for Court 1, 500 tickets for Court 2 and then a large number of Ground Passes available.” So, for people who want to go to the Centre Court, or Court 1 and 2, they have to camp there to get the limited tickets. However, if you just want to experience the vibe, you can go buy the Ground Pass on the day you go there. Queuing may bore some people, but it is quite fun there. I saw people reading, sunbathing, and playing ping-pong or tennis there. I once heard on a column, and it said that Londoners have the obsession with queuing. It is true, indeed. (I was waiting in line for about 2 hours, from 9 to 11.)
I got a Ground Pass. With the Ground pass, I could go to the mini Show Courts to watch the games. The moment I entered the venue of Wimbledon, I almost cried. This year (2019), I went to Roland Garros and Wimbledon! Can you imagine that? How amazing and unbelievable it is to celebrate the two major Grand Slams in the same year! (But I was hoping that Bob Lin would be there with me. It would be a lot of fun!)
I found a place in the meadow, lying there with strawberries and cream in my mouth, and watching Novak Djokovic playing on the Centre Court on a large screen with other tennis fans. After that, I went to the other minor Show Courts to watch Monfils playing. Suddenly, I heard it broadcast that Heish broke serve from Ostapenko. “Heish is playing right now?!”, I could not believe that I missed it. I rushed to Court 13. Heish won the game. I am so proud of Heish, who is a talented and hard-working Taiwanese player.
The British Museum
The next day, Grace finally arrived London from Netherlands. We visited British Museum first, and it was FREE entrance! There are numerous exhibitions in the British Museum, some of them are about Ancient Civilization. I was so obsessed with Ancient Greek, Ancient Egypt history. We went to the Ancient Egypt exhibition first.
The following is a short introduction from the official site of the British Museum. “Ancient Egypt holds an enduring fascination for audiences around the world. This exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to join the British Museum research team on their journey of discovery and introduces six mummies who lived and died in Egypt between 3,000 and 1,800 years ago. New generations of CT scanners provide sophisticated images of the human remains and objects contained beneath mummy wrappings and determine more accurately key pieces of information such as an individual's sex, age and health at the time of death. The extraordinary funerary tradition of preparing the body for the afterlife provides us with a unique insight into what life would have been like along the River Nile several thousand years ago.”
It was so amazing to see real mummies in person. I get goosebumps when I was standing there. I felt I was traveling back to the past. I still have a strong doubt that if the bodies are still there beneath mummy wrappings even though the CT scanners have proved that body remains are underneath the wrappings. A lot of questions were running in my head. What if the scientists unseal the mummy wrappings, would the bodies still remain intact, would there be stinky smell of the remains and objects, or the most ultimate question is that would the mummies still be alive?
London City Center in One Day
The next day, we got up very early to wait in front of Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard. The Guards in their traditional red tunics and bearskin hats were so cute. When I was little, I always saw the pictures of these guards, and I even collected some stickers of them. I called them “big-head baby guards”. They are so cute and adorable. To me, they are London.
When it comes to famous tourist attractions in London, you may shout out Big Ben, The London Eye, Tower Bridge, London bridge, The Shard, and Westminster Abbey, and on and on. We, for sure, visited these places. But you know what. London Bridge disappointed me and twisted my imagination towards it. When I was little, I always hummed the song, “London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down…” I thought there would be grand towers or some medieval statues on the bridge, but no. None of these exists. There is just simply a bridge.
One BBC newspaper column describes London in this way, “London is a world in one city -- a city where over 300 languages are spoken; a city that takes the best from the past and turns it into a dynamic future. In one day in London we meet the man who has revolutionized the iconic red double decker bus (the most perfect balance of innovation and tradition) and take in the extraordinary economic impact of the annual Wimbledon tennis championships. London makes the most of its tradition but looks into its future.” Just in a short three days, this city already proved the truth of the description from this column.
But my trip in London was not over way, and it still had so many stories going on.
We joined the LGPT parade. I really enjoyed and appreciated the positive, passionate atmosphere of the parade. I have participated in the LGPT parades in Taiwan and Norway. It is so happy and cheering to see people standing up for the minority groups and asking for the freedom and equality.
Outside London
There are so many places to visit in the UK. Among our 7-day trip in the UK, we spent six days in London and we planned one day for Cambridge. Cambridge is an actually a special place for Chinese descendant. I believe every Chinese has read a poem, Zaibie Kangqiao, Xu Zhi-Mo. Xu Zhi-Mo is a well-known poet in modern Chinese history and he is one the most important figures that shapes the style of modern Chinese poetry. The memorial stone was established to Xu Zhi-Mo with the first and last two lines of his poem Zaibie Kangqiao.
London is a hustle-and-bustle city. People are always hurrying and travelling. In the contrary, Cambridge is slow and quiet. You can see people punt merrily in the river. I guess the difference is a must after taking a train for about 2 hours from the city center to this town.
Musicals
Grace and I also watched two musicals, Les Misérables and The Lion King, in London.
Les Misérables
Les Misérables was played at Sondheim theater, as known as the Queen’s. The design and the decoration inside the theater are so stunning. The vermillion carpet, the crystal chandelier, black velvet seat covers all made it fashionable and splendid. Moreover, ta bar outside the theater offers people drinks and snacks during the break.
Let’s talk about the musical. “Jon Robyns mesmerizes as Valjean, the ex-prisoner who cannot outrun his fate. His voice has great depth, strength and tenderness. When Valjean sits among the barricades and sings that most delicate of songs, Bring Him Home, the theatre holds its breath. Carrie Hope Fletcher is a memorable Fantine; pure and vulnerable but strong and defiant too. Bradley Jaden is a suitably slippery Javert and Shan Ako, as Éponine absolutely owns On My Own. Alongside these stunning solo performances are the surging ensemble numbers, which get the whole body tingling. They are inspiring, too, at a time when all of us – in our own ways– are hoping for a brighter tomorrow.” https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/jan/17/les-miserables-review-sondheim-theatre-musical-west-end
After the show, the notes “do you hear the people sing?” kept racing through my head. Les Misérables triggers the feelings and emotions in the bottom of our hearts. It brings us to experience the pain and the sufferings of those characters, but also shows us a glimpse of warmth and hope in lives.
The Lion King
The Lion King played at Lyceum Theater. Upon entering the theater, I was astonished by glorious colors, stunning effects, and enchanting music. Around me are Londoners speaking English with that sexy accent. Some of them are a whole family coming to the musical together. Watching musical is something luxurious in Taiwan, but here in London, it is just their daily routines and casual pastime. Art, music, and beauty are ingrained in their culture.
Back to The Lion King, it is set against the majesty of the Serengeti plains to the evocative rhythms of Africa. At its heart is the powerful story of Simba, his epic journey from wide-eyed cub to his destined role King of the Pridelands.
Let’s “Carpe Diem” with the show, I guarantee you a feast for eyes and ears.
After a feast for eyes and ears, it is time to satisfy our mouth. You may think that “afternoon tea” is our first choice, but Fish and chips come to the top of the list.
“Irresistible mixture of steamy, crispy fried fish and chunky potatoes, humming with salt and vinegar, is up there with London’s best dishes.” There are numerous of Fish and Chips restaurants in London. Since we stayed in the heart of Covert Garden, we chose to go to the nearest one, which was Rock and Sole Plaice.
As a food lover, my happiness came from Fish and Chips, but my nightmare also came from it. It was the last day of our trip in London. Grace and I decided to have our last Fish and Chips. We randomly picked a restaurant. Everything was as usual, and we were planning the trip in Netherlands. And I noticed that my phone was almost out of battery, so I was going to get the charge bank from my backpack. Just right at that moment, I could not find my bag. I even suspected that Grace hid my bag away. But hell no! I realized my backpack was stolen by someone. I was so freaked out and I asked the waiters for the CCTV. But they said they did not catch the image of it. I was crying and running out of the restaurant to look for my bag. I even went to the metro to ask for the police, but they could not do anything with this. There were so many cases like this every day. “It is what it is, nothing I can do for you”, it was the answer I got from them. I was really enough of European stealing and rubbery culture.
