Having though that traveling adventures were over for a few weeks, I found out late Monday afternoon that my boss wanted me instead of him to go to london for a conference. Normally I would baulk at a trip to hectic london full of people rushing along on the human conveyor belt, but there's a friend I want to look up, so I take the chance(I'm not sure I had the option)
London to a Scotsman is a god awful place. It's not foreign enough to be interesting, and it's too foreign to be home. Everyone moves too fast, it's too busy, and the locals are fond of that whiney english accent that sends chills up a Scotsman's spine - it's kind of an instilled racism
I've been to London a few times before. My father's brother's live down there, so I've seen most of the sites through family holidays years ago. Since then, I've attended the odd meeting or conference, and it's been okay - but ultimately it's still London.
I get a reasonably long lie before I head off to the airport. Saturday was the 15th Anniversary of Pearl Jam's first show, so I listen to the bootleg as the tram trundles along the familiar route to Amsterdam Centraal:
The bootleg I have starts with the Mamasan trilogy. This was a three track instrumental demo tape which Stone Gossard(PJ Guitarist and founder) gave to Jack Irons(Former drummer of Red Hot Chili Peppers) with a view to hiring him to join the band which was rising from the ashes of Mother Love Bone. Jack Irons gave it to a mate of his who he played basketball with called Eddie Vedder. Ed dubbed vocals onto the tape, creating the tracks, Alive, Once and Footsteps. He went off to seattle, and thus history was made.
The trilogy tells the story of a boy who found out that his father wasn't his real father, and that his real father was family friend who died.(Alive) That's what happened to Ed. After this we move into poetic license. "Once" tells the story of the boy who confused with life becomes a serial killer and can't find the answers to the questions which plagued him. Footsteps is a lovely acoustic B-side which tells of the serial killer on Death row who hears his mother's footsteps in the hall, but she can't make it all the way along to visit him.
These three songs show the strength of Pearl Jam; seventies based guitar rock with great musicianship and blistering solos(Alive), foot to the floor punk influence rockers(Once) and delicate beautiful acoustic which show that the emotion is real(Footsteps).
Anyway - it gets me from home to Schiphol. This is the first time since Copenhagen that I've been off travelling alone, and I have to say it feels great to be back on the road. The train's, planes and buses don't bother me, providing I've got something to read and and an iPod to listen to. Purely by chance, I picked a novel at random from my bookshelf of unread books and end up with "Tooth & Nail" by Ian Rankin:
It's main theme is that of John Rebus the scottish detective feeling out of place when working in London, so it's quite apt.
By now, I'm on the very quick(45 minute) journey to London gatwick, I barely have time to select a new album on my iPod before, we landed, and I'm shuffling onto a train to central London. My main objective on the train(Apart from tappping my feet to Guns N' Roses) is to work out where my hastily booked hotel is in relation to where my train lands(Victoria). My knowledge of London is terrible, but without any hitches, I manage to take the circle line to Notting Hill gate to reach my hotel around Portabello Road.
London is strange, it seems like you've heard almost every street, underground or district in a television programme or film, but you're not really sure of the significance of it. If I had lots of time, I would get off at various stops on the underground just to see what that area was about.
It's late by the time I've settled, so I head of to Marks and Spencer(British food!!!!), to get a snack before heading off to a bar with a scottish paper. It feels very British. I have a quiet pint and enjoy reading my paper, before heading back for an early night.
The next day, I take it slowly again. I need to be in hammersmith. London is manageable if you take it nice and slow and are not tempted to try to keep up with the rest of the communters. My whole london trip is like this, and it passes quite quickly.
My flight back is early in the morning and from London Luton. I need to make it back to Amsterdam for a meeting. I'm up at 5am, and heading by public transport to the North of London. It takes forever, but once I'm awake, I settle into it. Reading my book, grooving to pink floyd and generally people watching.
A real uper class tory comes on the train. He is a characterture of himself. He displays an air of authority and money. The blue blazer with the gold buttons and the daily mail under his arm. If he is as wonderful and upper class as he thinks... What is he doing on second class??
At one station two girls get on the train. They have clearly just come froma club and provide a stark contrast to the brain dead fast asleep commuters. I'm not sure where they had been, but although it is late October, they are wearing hot pants, bikini tops and feather boas. The Black girl has an absolutely wonderful bum and she's dancing and waving it around. I can't help giggling as Mr.Dailly Mail humphs and disapproves, while his eyes stray to look at her backside. London - indeed a cosmpolitan city.
..... well, it wasn't as bad as I thought, I'll have less dread in visiting London in the future.....
