Exploring Whitechapel

I met up with three girlfriends and we spent the day wandering around East London.  I'm a little embarrassed to admit that after one year in London, I had my first visit to Brick Lane...

After an hour of following a self-guided historical walk through the Whitechapel and Aldgate area, we decided it was lunchtime :) Brick Lane is known for its Sylheti/Bengali food and the choices of restaurants abound.  We settled on the Saffron.  

I had vegetable korma with naan and rice and oh my...it was fabulous :)  I finished every last bit even though I was so incredibly full!  

As usual when the four of us girls get together, we were in rare form.  I think we provided the waiters with more than their usual entertainment, with our constant chatter and frequent laughter. 

Now the day has ended and I'm back at home.  Always after days like this, I'm excited by this city.  There are so many little places, so much history to explore.  Walking down Brick Lane, you see street signs in Sylheti and smell the curry and the deliciously fragrant sweet shops....and thats London.  A few minutes walk and you will be back in the business district of the City, full of  black business suits and power ties.  Go a little bit another direction and you can be at Petticoat Lane Market or Fournier Street (where French Huguenots developed an industry around their silk weaving skills).  

Samuel Johnson, an English poet/writer from the 18th century, said that "By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show..." Perhaps its because a little bit of everywhere has come to London.

A Good Taste of Life

Today is one of those wonderful Saturdays where the entire day is a day off.  I lounged around before making my way to the kitchen to make my coffee and grab a bowl of mango, papaya and passionfruit yogurt (its AMAZING.).  I took it all back up to my room, which is much warmer than the kitchen.  

Four years ago, I wouldn't touch coffee.  I hated the taste.  Gradually, through hot chocolate mixed with coffee, I began to like it and the hot chocolate to coffee proportions shifted.  It became coffee with milk and sugar.  Admittedly, a lot of sugar!

Now last Saturday, I realized I can even drink coffee with a lot less milk and sugar.  I was at a friend's house and she offered me coffee and of course, she made my drink for me.  Personally, I would have added more milk and sugar, but out of politeness, didn't comment and instead enjoyed my first and second cups of coffee while we chatted.  And I did enjoy it.  

My tastebuds were challenged even more later in the afternoon.  Her husband made a lavish Iranian meal for us.  I've been a vegetarian for five years now.  My friend forgot this and I couldn't bear to mention it after they put together this beautiful meal.  "Oh Lord, please don't let this meat make me sick!" and I started eating.  We had mincemeat, fish, and chicken, as well as rice.  It had smelled wonderful as P and I sat talking and her husband O cooked, and the taste met the expectation.  I'm pleased to say that God answered my prayer!  

The reminder to me has always been to question my priorities in this ministry called life.  Which matters more, my preferences or my relationships?  People, of course.  But as I sat with my coffee this morning, I thought about how God blesses me in such little ways as well as big ways.  Had I not started drinking coffee four years ago, I would have missed out on endless talks with friends here in London, for whom sharing a hot beverage is essential to warming up to a personal conversation.  

I had a weekend away at the beginning of the month.  I was able to meet some wonderful people with a similar focus.  One gentleman shared his insight: "You can go into homes with your shoes on or your shoes off.  You can go with your shoes on and be greeted with a smile and be on your way in half an hour.  Or can go in and take off your shoes and be welcomed into the family.  You'll share cups of tea and after about the third cup, you'll find out what is really going on in their lives."  I choose shoes off, and yes, I'd love a coffee, thanks!

Love in London

I changed buses in Wembley, on my way the Centre to work today.  As I waited at the bus stop, there was a young Indian couple who were next to me.  The husband put their suitcase down and said (I assume) for his wife to watch it while he went to check the bus schedule.  She nodded, but kept watching him as he walked over the posted schedule.  When the 83 finally came, there was the usual crush to get in line, even though the drivers are patient about waiting.  I noticed that the woman was ahead of me, but her husband ended up a few people behind us.  She kept glancing nervously behind her to make sure that he got on the bus.  Their suitcase still had airport baggage ties on it, so I'm assuming they were either visiting or recently moved.  She kept checking, anxious to make sure he got on the bus and that they wouldn't be separated.  After he tapped his Oyster card and joined her at the seats she had claimed, she settled back, perfectly at ease now that he was by her side.  An Eastern European lady sat in the seat behind her with a small child, a cute little girl all dressed in pink.  The young wife kept looking back at the Eastern European woman, smiling at the child.  She nudged her husband and he turned his head and smiled too and then smiled a bit longer at his wife.  They seemed so young, even though they are probably late twenties.  They glanced at one another with such adoration.  It was beautiful to see love so apparent.

Rain, Rain...

London drizzle is back...I'm not envious of the snow that the USA is enjoying, but the drizzle isn't so much fun either!  It has me missing the dry African heat....

I was reminiscing with a friend who also grew up in Africa about home.  The heat.  The passionate colours of the sunsets.  The beauty contrasted with the harsh reality of life.  C. Emily Dibb's poem came to mind.  

When you've acquired a taste for dust,

The scent of our first rain,

You're hooked for life on Africa

And you'll not be right again

Till you watch the setting moon

And hear the jackal's bark

And know that they're around you,

Waiting in the dark.

When you long to see the elephants,

Or to hear the coucal's song,

When the moonrise sets your blood on fire,

You've been away too long.

It's time to cut the traces loose

And let your heart go free

Beyond the far horizon,

Where your spirit yearns to be.


C. Emily Dibb

I think I'll always love Africa.

Retreating :)

I just got home from a wonderful retreat!  The organization (for my internship) had their national conference/seminar and it was a really refreshing and refueling time.  I got to meet workers from Scotland and other cities in England, as well as individuals with partner organizations.  It was really encouraging to hear what God is doing throughout the nation!  

Also, I was just really blessed by the chance to be in the English countryside!  We were in a small English town...by small, I mean that it took about two minutes to walk along the high street!  I've put a few pictures of the old English home where we stayed.  I felt as though a ghost from Jane Austin's books might come around the corner!  

The highlight of the retreat was a Coptic priest who came to speak to us.  On Saturday, he spoke on the Hebrew word Selah.  A pause.  A rest.  A break during which we can see God's work.  He reminded us, "You must have a selah in your life."  At another point in his devotional, he stated, "We need to believe our prayers.  We need to see with the eyes of God, not with our own eyes."