Next Destination: London

When I arrived at 4:30 pm in London's Heathrow airport, I was mentally prepared to spend the whole night here, waiting. My connection flight to Boston wasn't until next morning and I had the laziness to not check my flight details carefully beforehand. Fortunately, I decided to explore the city and remained totally blown by the beauty of this Western European capital.



I guess I have always underestimated London, Paris and Berlin -- the western European cities everyone visits. As my former roommate once said, "France is for pussies," and she chose to study abroad in Lebanon. But in my attempts to avoid the mainstream, I realized I had neglected some wonderful sightseeing destinations.

I was charmed to see the colorfulness of London, which as opposed to New York, wasn't reflected in people's street fashion but in other, more creative forms. Refreshing were the small car models, classical building architecture, red telephone booths and famous double-decker buses. Attractive were the diverse passers-by with their British accents. The city was rich in cultural heritage, filled with humid warmth and open for explorations. Somehow, it seemed to present the perfect amount of public and personal space. Go in a pub or to the movie theater, and you will be surrounded by people. (A huge crowd had gathered and cheered in front of the cinema across from the Leicester Square Garden. I think it was the movie premiere of Chandni Chowk to China.) Enter an antiquarian bookstore or walk along the romantic Hungerford footbridge, and you will find privacy.

London definitely charged me with positive energy and prepared me for the hours of waiting left at the airport.