In London

My husband and I are in London. We are to visit an old relative of his - one he hasn’t seen for years.

It’s early in the morning. We need to take a bus to get to his relative‘s place. As we are both new in London (well at least I am), we have to resort to a street map. My husband finds the bus station from the map - it is three intersections away. He grabs my hand firmly to walk on the busy streets as if he is afraid of losing me. After the second intersection, I see a bus station and ask him if he is sure that this is not the bus station we are looking for. He says of course not. Finally we come past the third intersection and find a bus station.

There are not many people waiting. I notice however there are two traffic police at the bus station. They both wear bulky, thick long coat. It must be winter.

While we are waiting, more and more people have turned up. In a few minutes time there are at least fifty to sixty people arrived at the bus station. I begin to understand why the two traffic police are there - to keep order.

The bus turns up. But no way all the people can get on the bus. With the help of the two traffic police, people are lined up in a queue. But what a long queue! As the bus is already almost full, someone comes up with a creative solution, which is, to add an extra carriage to the bus. It turns out that this added part is a container-like carriage. We have to climb a ladder to get onto the carriage.

I am the first one in the line. By the time I get to the top of the ladder the bus has started. I look underneath and see my husband is right below me and a few other people still hanging onto the ladder. I am most surprised that in London a bus should take off with people still on the ladder.

The carriage is enclosed at the top, front and both sides . As I am facing the front, I can’t see anything. Suddenly I realise that I should pay attention to the streets sceneries since it is the first time I am in London. I manage to climb over the ladder and get into the carriage, and turn myself around so I could see the streets.

The road has three parts and is divided by two rows of short trees. Basically it has a pedestrian lane on each side and a main part. I think the main part perhaps has four lanes altogether - two on both sides. Traffic is not bad at all. The road is very broad and open (as opposed to congested and narrow). The buildings on each side are mostly flats and low-level buildings.

I see two girls in their late teens or early twenties walking together merrily. They both wear a pink short sleeve shirt. The sleeves however are white. On their upper chest there is a ribbon - a very animated looking! They almost look like twins but after carefully observation I come to the conclusion that they are probably just friends having similar dressing tastes. They both wear short skirts - same style but different in colour.

When we get off the bus and are on our way to my husband’s old relative, we realise that we haven’t warned them that we are coming. We begin to worry a little bit as to if they will be at home at all.

The next thing… we turn up at my brother’s place. He and his wife are having breakfast. While my brother looks like his usual self at home, I notice that my sister-in-law looks a bit too ‘refined’ considering she is only having breakfast with her husband at home. Her face is very smooth and flawless - the effect from a perfect application of makeup. Somehow I feel a little odd with her looking like this at home.

I know my brother has to go to work in a hurry and feel somewhat guilty to just turn up like this