Collection of short notes in UK 2009

 Just a collection of short notes I wrote when I was in the UK. Re-posted with permission.

The quiet life in Britain

by Farrari Davis on Wednesday, 28 October 2009 at 22:21 ·

I was awake the other night listening to the sound of soft rain tapping on my window. It's funny how you seem to pay attention to small detail when you think you might never experience it again. It suddenly dawned on me how quiet life in Britain is. Apart from the sound of soft rain, there was nothing! Is there such a thing as the sound of nothing? I heard intermittent sounds of traffic passing by swiftly but in between there was nothing.

It was strange how I never noticed it before. I was raised in Malaysia and I remembered the sound of crickets at night. Then, after a heavy rainfall there was always the croaking noise of toads. Sometimes there will be cats miaw-ing in the background especially during mating season! Then, there's always some dog barking or my least favourite sound, the buzzing of mosquitoes.Occasionally, you'll hear a very strange sound possibly from a bird - and you wonder am I in the amazon? When I used to visit my grandmother at the 'kampung', I woke up to the sound of cocka-doodle-doooo and quacking ducks all ready for breakfast but not here, not where I live anyway. Even the chirping birds have migrated south. It is all quiet.

When I first came to the UK, I was told how the British people love peace and quiet. Finally after 18 years I understood what quiet means. Still waiting to find out what 'peace' means.

Back to where it all began.

by Farrari Davis on Friday, 16 October 2009 at 00:18 ·

Last Tuesday I went to Central London for a meeting. On the way home, I stopped by Marble Arch. As the doors of the Underground train opened, I felt a sense of dejavu. This was where it all started around 18 years ago, my life journey in the UK.

Marble Arch platform greeted me. "MIND THE GAP" it says. I stepped out and looked around. It was almost exactly the same as it was 18 years ago except it was looking rather bare due to renovations. Still, the same old squeeky elevator greeted me (renovations hasn't done the elevator any good!). I came out to the busy bustling Oxford Street and went into one of the London Souvenir shops for the very first time.

I'm leaving this place POSSIBLY for good so, might as well get a souvenir. I wouldn't have thought about it if I was staying here another 20 years. How many times have I gone to visit family back home and not bothered to buy them any souvenirs from a London souvenir shop? I looked at all items on display, miniature double decker buses, red post-box, red telephone box, underground signs, houses of parliament, Tower bridge, soft cuddly toy of the 'bulldog'.

I bought myself a miniature red post-box and a little double-decker bus. My friend told me to get something from UK that I won't get in M'sia but...disappointingly, it was still Made in China. Still, I felt that it was these little things that will remind of the UK.