Loving London

This city delights every waking moment. What a joy to ramble through the neighboring areas, each with its distinct character. Spent Monday and Tuesday doing lots of reading and some writing/planning/thinking. Got quite an education about my history from C.G. Henning's THE INDENTURED INDIAN IN NATAL and Uma Dhupelia-Mesthrie's FROM CANE FIELDS TO FREEDOM. Dhepelia, btw, is Gandhi's great granddaughter. I was surprised to learn that the first boat load of laborers from Madras were escaping famine. Poor Indians were lured by lofty promises of a great life in Natal. When they arrived a British Official sent to meet the people was astonished at how upbeat and excited they were. Of course, life for these people was anything but rosy and suicide rates were significant. Interesting too, to me, how after serving their term, Indians who chose to remain in Natal, quickly prospered as growers and hawkers living frugally and working hard. I also learned that every Indian upon arrival had their name recorded and these are still available in Durban. Of course, I would have no clue what names to look up to research my own ancestry.

Monday afternoon I ambled over to Camden Town, a chaotic, crowded area teaming with markets and shops. The Regents Canal runs through and a huge market with numerous stalls and eating places is beside Camden Lock. Asian food of every type is served here, but pizza and pasta, and Middle Eastern fare is available too. It was fun to walk around and browse and take in the lively atmosphere. The weather was gorgeous, bordering on hot. I had masala tea and Bhel Puri at an Indian cafe near the lock and started JM Coetzee's YOUTH. The book surprisingly, came out in 2002. I'd imagined it was an early book. It's an autobiography covering Coetzee's early 20's. It's written in the 3rd person which I found disconcerting at first, but quickly adjusted. I found myself pulled into Coetzee's life at once. I identified so much with his dissatisfaction and need to escape from family and provincial thinking. I hated to stop reading, so I headed back to Belsize Park, went into a pub - The George - ordered a pale ale and continued reading. I was quite comfy on a leather couch by the open doors which looked out to the street.
I hadn't expected most of the book to be about Coetzee's time in London. Imagine my surprise when I started a new chapter, sitting in this bar, and it opens with Coetzee waking up at his friend's bedsit in Belsize Park! In the next chapters he talks about doing things that are completely familiar to me - walking in Hampstead Heath, browsing bookstores in Charing Cross, going to the Everyman Theatre (Angie and I are about to go there to see a French movie), going to the Tate and British Museums, etc. But most surprisingly, he is in London to express the artist he thinks he is. In Cape Town he majored in math and had no passion for the sciences. He is extemely analytical and knows that he admires poets, writers, thinkers, and aspires to be one himself. So in London he has to get a job for survival, but his main goal is to find himself as a writer. He makes several failed attempts, first dabbling in poetry, then trying to write in the style of Henry James.
I'm so thrilled to be able to own my time, doing the things that I enjoy. I'm so lucky.

Yesterday Angie took me to the Neasden Temple. This temple is famous - built in a style almost identical to some famous temple in New Delhi. Its walls - wooden and marble - have intricate carvings. Marble sculptures of Indian gods and goddesses adorn the outside walls. The place had a spacious, airy feeling with skylights and large windows. Quite a breathtaking place, with no expense spared. We then shopped at the Indian grocery store across the street. Oh, we loved that. All those unusual lentils and legumes and dried snacks. The freezer had an assortment of delights too - samosas, patha, breads, Indian veggies - wow! Then there was the snack bar to order hot, freshly made food, and sweets. We bought semolina savory bread (what's it called - dokra, maybe?), samoosas, and some burfee like sweets. Angie gives me daggers - "You keep sabotaging my diet plans!"
Next stop was Ikea - just up from the temple- to buy wine glasses for everyday use. No need to elaborate here as all Ikeas around the world are identical.

As the weather was so pleasantly summery I insisted on a walk on the Heath when we got back home. The sky was mostly bue and the air quite warm. We did our loop up Parliament Hill (where you get the best views of the city), then around the cafe and back. We had Indian food for dinner which I washed down with Old Speckled Hen beer. Daryl, stop smiling!