Once again back in the land
of Shakespeare London ,
the time when I need not drive or run errands or plan my day. I can just relax
and let Sid decide while I partake of
Kivya’s delicious lamb biriyani. Once
more I can explore the nooks and corners of this wonderland which has coloured
my dreams and spurred my imagination right from the days of my childhood.
The fascination for England had started when,
as a kid, I read avidly, the imaginative adventures of the Famous Five and the Secret Seven .The marvels of the English country side came
alive in my mind when I memorised Wordsworth’s golden daffodils ' fluttering and
dancing in the breeze ‘ and Keats’
nightingale which sang of summer 'in full throated ease'. Glimpses of English
society impressed upon my mind through the classics of Dickens and the shrewd methods of Sherlock Holmes.. Teenage was
the time for Mills and Boons. My dreams were coloured by blondes with blue eyes
and handsome gentlemen with impeccable manners , living in grand mansions. The values and
culture were entirely different but my
young mind was agog with the sights and sounds of this foreign land which was
as dear as my own.
Learning English
Literature brought me closer to the master minds who used this language to perfection .
The passion for Shakespeare’s plays kindled
a passion to discover the world of the great bard . Teaching
Shakespeare’s plays in school was , in a way, the fulfilment of a mission. It was a treat to wax eloquent in the class unravelling the anguish of Hamlet , the ambition of Macbeth and the savagery of Caliban..
When Sid got the
chance to work in England
I found vicarious pleasure in his lucky chance to explore the land of my
dreams. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that my son would immediately
make arrangements for my visit. But that is what happened. In the peak of
winter in December 2005, my younger son Arjun and I set foot on English soil.
That was the beginning of a series of visits which made an indelible impression on my mind about
the country and the people.
Everything about
the place is fascinating . The barren trees coming to life in Spring with tender
green leaves and the sudden burst of
colour and fragrance as they wear a mantle of flowers of varied hues. The
meticulously planned roads , the green parks and gardens, the lakes edged with weeping willows
and the tall conifers lurking on hill tops. The perennial daffodils found
everywhere. The majestic Thames surrounded by Big Ben ,St.
Paul ’s Cathedral and The Globe . London Eye rotating at snail’s pace and Tower
Bridge
A walk along the pavements of Greenwich brings to mind the walk
from Ambalamukku to Vellayambalam in Trivandrum . The grandeur of Buckingham
Palace Trivandrum . This year once
again I witnessed London marathon
along with Sid and Kivya. As the
participants touched Greenwich we cheered along with the other spectators lining the roads. We visited the theatres of London
and thrilled to the mystery of the Woman
in Black, the suspense of The Phantom of the Opera and the enchantment of The
Lion King. It is a holiday to remember which I experience once a year before I am engulfed by
the routine of lectures and exams
A line from a nursery rhyme which I had repeated to my
children now comes to my mind.
‘I have been to London
to visit the Queen..’
That is a dream yet
to be fulfilled - to visit the Queen.
This year she appeared on BBC as she met the chosen visitors and made a public appearance on the occasion of
her 90th birthday. Graceful, dignified, regal…these are some of the
adjectives that came to my mind as I watched her. God has a strange way of
making our dreams come true. Perhaps one day that little dream may also come
true. But now the call of duty is strong and I have miles to go before I
sleep….
