Aradhna

If you come to London to experience the true English culture, hear the British Language and make some British friends, you are in the wrong place. London is about a multi-cultural experience. You meet people here from every corner of the world and everytime you get onto a bus you will hear a different language or accent. You will hear music and sounds from all over the world, and there is a neighbourhood, a pub and a church for almost every nationality under the sun.

Yesterday Danie and I went to Streatham. It is far South on the Northern Line and quite a travel from Canada Water. By the look of it, I would guess that it is the Indian part of London. I heard about a band called Aradhna, making their tour through London and thought that it would be an interesting experience to see them. They are three white Americans, who spent most of their lives in India. They sing Khrist-bhajans or Yeshu bahjans, which are Indian devotional songs to Jesus - an interesting blend of East and West. The four instruments on stage was a guitar, a violin a sitar and Tablas (indian drums). Although we couldn't understand the lyrics of the songs, they handed out the words and translation and we could sing along to some worship songs if you can manage to pick up the strange indian melody and hindi language.

And so we traveled all the way to the Streatham Baptist Church in the Indian community, a long walk from Tooting Bec station, to see Aradhna, and we enjoyed it so much that we ended up buying two cd's, having some indian food, talking to some of the band members and I even got to play (or tried to play) the sitar. What a great musical, cultural and spiritual experience.

1 "Gaao gaao re ambar dharti, gaao gaao re, gaao mere sang. Aaj Prabhu aagaman huaa hai, Yeshu ji sang milan huaa hai, Aaj honth ruk na paaye"

Sing, oh Sky, sing, oh Earth, sing with me. My Lord Jesus has come today and I am united with him. I cannot stop my lips from singing, sing you angels and birds of the sky."

2 "Bhajo re mana Yeshu ka naama bhajo re"

Worship, oh my soul, oh worship the name of Jesus.

South African Talent

Maureen (my roommate) and I in the crowd at the Goldfish concert



I had the priviledge to go to a Goldfish concert here in London...for free - VIP tickets! I met a guy by the name of Chris Dunlop through one of my housemates. He's a South African from PE or East London or something. He does video recordings for bands and concerts and he was working as the photographer at the goldfish concert in Elephant and Castle ( South London). For those of you who don't know goldfish, they are two Capetonian Musicians with a saxaphone, flute, double bass and a DJ box/mixer. I never knew that they were so popular in London, though! The tickets for the concert cost 25 pounds and the people were standing in long lines outside of the venue, but Chris organised VIP tickets for us so we didn't have to stand in the line, and we didn't have to pay for the tickets!





An amazing pride came over me, standing amongst a huge crowd of people that night, knowing that the guys up on that stage in the spotlights that's got all the Londoners screaming and jumping, are South Africans. Home bred musicians from my own country! It's a kind of pride and patriotism that only a South African far from home can experience. It is not something that the people back home would truly understand. Here in London something happens in a South African's heart, something that you didn't really expect. I guess it all comes down to a simple saying that we all know so well. After all the traveling, exploring and wonderful experiences that you would have in this world, you would come to the simple realisation that there's no place like home.

more Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire (continued)

Oxfordshire (continued)

Oxfordshire

Henley-on-Thames, Hambleden, Marlow, Turville, Frieth, Skirmett... so many names, towns, villages, farms -It was all too much in one day to keep track of everything so please don't ask me to tag the photos. I remember the names, but I can't tell you which is which. What I do know is this: I took the train (The National Rail train, not underground, DLR or overground - it is quite confusing) on the Sunday afternoon from Marylebone (in London) and got off at High Wycombe (West of London). Lieze-Mari was waiting for me at the station, with Mrs. Mathieson's little automatic, red car parked outside in the parking lot. From there we drove through Marlow, just to see the town and get off at the riverside and further on towards Frieth (I think). Mrs Mathieson lives in a little farmhouse near a village. For my Afrikaans friends who are confused with the terms farm, village and town, as I am: She basically lives on a plaas in the platteland, but not all alone and secluded from everyone as we would know a plaas in the Vrystaat. It is almost like a small town with big open gardens and fields all around the houses. Her sister-in-law lives right next to her and her daughter and son-in-law also lives there. They drive through from London every weekend. They live in the bigger house right next to her.

Lieze-Mari is there to take care of 92 year old Mrs. Hermione Mathieson, bath her, cook for her, drive her and take her for a walk every day or so. It seems like a very peaceful life, though the towns and villages are all very close to each other and they are not as secluded as you would maybe imagine. Rural England is so beautiful and you really experience a real English culture out there, not like the International, multi-cultural City of London. Mrs. Mathieson was married to a English conductor and musical director, and she herself was a proffesional ballerina until the age of 25. It seems like the whole family is very artistic and it was wonderful to meet her and talk to her about her life and experiences. I took my violin along to play her a bit of music as a thank-you present.

Lieze-M and I had a looooong walk through the hills, the woods and the villages on Monday morning, then we drove to Henley-on-Thames, had a pub lunch and a starbucks coffee, sat in the library for a while and walked through the town until it was time to go home. I drove back to London with Mrs. Mathieson's daugher on Monday night. The day was too short, but at least I got to spend a whole day with my friend, share her bed, have long walks and explore a part of England that is completely new to me. It was a good recharge before going back to work on Tuesday. She will only be working for Mrs. Mathieson until the end of August. I imagine that it won't be a easy goodbye. Wish I could go back to visit her only one more time before she has to leave that lovely part of the country.

Postcards

Ok, so I get a little frustrated with my phone camera. The beautiful picture that I see with my eyes is never the same picture that eventually ends up on the small little screen of my 3.2 megapixel phone camera. The camera can't zoom without digitally distorting the quality, the colours is never quite the same, the dimensions don't look the same and somehow I can never get the exposure exactly right.

So I rather settle for postcard photos, taken by proffesionals. I can't seem to keep myself away from postcard stalls. Postcards portray London in so many different beautiful ways and if you buy from the right place you can buy a postcard for 20 or 30 pence, or sometimes you get a special, like 3 for 50 pence, 6 for one pound. The previous set of postcards I bought was 3D pictures of London. They were obviously more expensive, but it is a different way of looking at London sights. I sent those away to South Africa, though and didn't keep any for myself. The other day, walking home from work, I bought a few postcards at a stall by waterloo bridge. The photographers of these photos played with the light and the colours of the picture, giving a unique feel and colour to the London view. So before sending them away, I took a picture of each one. I do feel like I cheated a little, taking pictures of pictures and posting them as my own, but then again, because I took these pictures of pictures with my phone camera, all of the above mentioned problems are present again... I just can't win. Note, therefor, that the original versions of these pictures look better anyway.

water (continued)

Water

Coming from the flat dry, binnelandse Vrystaat, I am not used to so much water around me! Because I live in the Docklands right next to the river, I see water everyday. If it is not a dock (usually full of boats), a pond (usually with ducks and swans) or even a fountain in the middle of the city, it is the Thames river itself or simply just a lot of rain. I took some cute photos at More London (on the southside of Tower Bridge) on a hot summers day. I was working at the Hilton Tower Hotel and arrived early, so I went to sit down at the fountains. The fountains are located near City hall, amongst all the office buildings and restaurants, with a view over the river and Tower Bridge. I was smiling at the two kids playing in the fountains with their swimsuits and sunhats. Their mother took them to the city to have a swim, like a parent would take her kids to the beach or to a public swimming pool! After work that afternoon I walked past there again and couldn't believe what I saw! The fountains was suddenly crowded with people, old and young, bathing in the sun and running through the water. Some kids were wearing swimsuits, but most people ran through the water with their clothes on, until they were soaking wet, and then went to lie in the sun to appreciate the scarce sunny afternoon in London.

21-25 June, Lieze-M and I (continue)

Portobello Road

The-Big-Bus-Company-Sightseeing-tour-of-London Bus

Thats me! On the boat during the river cruise

This was not our boat, but it gives you an idea...


Hostel 639 in Kensal Green. Our humble, crouded, low budget residence for our first week in London.

21-25 June, Lieze-M and I (continue)

The tube map...

Trafalgar Square

Portobello Market

21-25 June, Lieze-M and I (continue)

Little Venice is near Kensal Green. The name says it all. Unfortunately, when we came upon this Miniture English version of Venice, it was already 'after hours'. The Canal 'residents' had crept back into their boats and all the cruises and little restaurants on the water was already closed. I would love to go back there sometime during the day to see what it is all about.


Buildings of Parliament

On the tube