london love (a tribute to a royal romance)

It has been ten years since I first set foot on Oxford St. From the moment the plane left Port Elizabeth, South Africa, I knew exactly where I was headed: the shops. Things have changed a bit since then and my love of shopping has evolved quite drastically, to the point where I am more inclined to buy out of necessity…most of the time.
Growing up can be so cruel.
What hasn’t changed is my affection toward Oxford St. Yes, its renowned for being a site of mass human congestion and I do prefer to stay in the suburbs where I avoid being shoved from every side, like a human ping-pong ball. But then, when I do find myself here I get swept up, not just by the crowds but, by the London ‘vibes’. Here I sit in Pret, sipping my latte, laptop out because I’m supposed to be studying (exams in less than a week…procrastinating….who, me?), watching the happy people pass by the window. Conversations around me are dominated by the same thing that preoccupies the papers and the news channels: Royal Wedding FEVER. The world is captivated by a bit of real-life-fairy-tale cheese and who can blame us when most of the time it’s all just bad news? Kate and Wills stare out of shop windows, flutter happily on flags and remain poised on t-shirts and tea-towels. It’s harder than you think to resist getting caught up in it all. I’ve been coaxed into buying beautiful red, white and blue flowers for our living room and I have a British flag at the ready. Okay…AND I’ve bought my own commemorative mug. BUT let me clarify it does not have their faces on it. Just a very trendy Union Jack and a big CONGRATULATIONS WILL AND KATE.
Don’t judge me.
It’s a wonderful time to be in the Capital. So, I’ve drained the dregs of my coffee and I’m off to Regent St to see and snap the hundreds of flags hanging to celebrate the special day. But, then again, what day isn’t a special day in lovely London town?

let the sun do the smiling

It is the biggest, saddest looking dog in the world. It clearly takes after its owner, who wears terribly slovenly clothes and boasts a head of unkempt hair. They seem to spend their lives walking around and around the park. But then, maybe they think the same about me. They’re a stark contrast to myself and the others who seem delighted that the sun is beaming down on London for a third day. It’s impossible to deny the endorphins brought on by a rush of Vitamin D, replenishing a tank that has been emptied during the long winter months. Once again, I question how it is we all manage to get through the dreary days and long nights, the cold, the grey skies. It is surely in expectation of a day like today. 
I feel Fox may start to question my commitment to my studies when he returns home to find me an even deeper shade of pink than when he left for work this morning. It is perfectly acceptable to study in the park!
During my hours of solitary study, my only companions are Dickens, Austen, Shakespeare and their fellow literary ‘greats’.It is therefore advantageous that I am not at all distracted by those whom I may encounter in the park: children playing and the ‘cool kids’ returning from school; friends kicking a ball around; dogs chasing other dogs…owners chasing dogs, chasing other dogs; runners, joggers and those who make walking seem like a chore; guys and girls revealing their pasty bodies after months of hibernation, all in the name of a tan; and the quirky little man with his melancholy dog. And it is this pair whom I regard the highest, for they remain true to themselves, come winter or summer. It would seem that their mantra is, ‘Why smile when the sun can do it for you?’ Good for them. As for me, I just can’t keep the smile off my face.