a bit of London

Well here I am in Europe, in fact I've been here for a week already!!!

I didn't have time to blog from london so i'll post an edited e-mail I
sent to my parents... stuff in [square brackets] is explanation added
for the blog..

...
I have like 20 minutes to do all my online stuff at this internet
cafe. thanks so much for sending the stuff with Marie. The idea of
shopping is absolutely out of the question. [mom asked me to shop for
some stuff for her] We are all the way up in
Wembley. It takes about 15 minutes on the tube to get to Baker street
and another 15 minutes to Picadilly Circus. half an hour doesn't sound
like much, but since we've been here our longest break has been 2
hours and that barely gives us time to get something to eat.
This choir is unbelievable!!! The songs are amazing, the sound is
phenomenal. Me and Shirley and Marie keep saying how much Dad E [Dad
E, by the way, is the way my dad spells Daddy, which is what I call
him, even though I am 30 years old I still call them mommy and
daddy... mommy tries to ignore it in public, which makes me do it all
the more :o) Dad E took to signing his e-mails "Dad E." which caught
on right away. Mom E. hasn't really worked out so much...] would
love it! I wish he had been able to come, but I guess everything turns
out the way it's supposed to, right?
I met up with everyone on Saturday morning. I had to take a taxi to
the hotel since there is no way I would have been able to carry my
bags on the tube! Everyone had arrived by 2, so i checked in and then
went downtown to hang out a bit. If I had gotten the note and stuff
from Marie, I could have gotten your stuff then, but I didn't get it
until later. We had a meeting at 8 p.m. and then a short rehearsal.
finishing up at about 10:30.
Yesterday we went to the Guardian's grave in the morning. I had never
been before. My last trip here, the day I was planning to go I started
coming down with the flu, and it was pouring, so it didn't happen.
This time, I was supposed to meet Laura and Marco and go, but there
was a big group having breakfast and I finished too late to meet up at
the scheduled time so I got directions and planned to go on my own.
What ended up happening however, was that someone asked if I was
going, I said yes, and so we decided to go together, then there was
another group leaving at the same time, we all ended up together. 9 of
us. They had no clue how to use the tube, what tickets to buy, what
english money was, and instead of just figuring it out, they spent the
whole time talking loud, holding up coins like "what's this?" etc...
it was quite embarassing! I ended up leading them around "like
ducklings" according to one person in the group.... One of the tube
stations where we were changing was closed, so we had to take a bus to
the next station and catch it there, coming back i worked out an
alternate route (much to the wonderment of some of the people in the
group). When we got out, it was about a 15 minute walk to the
Guardian's grave and people were
complaining the whole time! It was unbelievable, 15 minutes on a flat
road... these people wouldn't last 2 minutes in Haifa! hehehehe
Anyway, we got there, the day was beautiful, it was really nice.
Laura and Marco came while were there. While walking from the tube
station, we ran into some people who were also going. I was way at the
back because I stopped at a Turkish grocery store to buy cherries and
speak Turkish. As we got closer to the gravesite, I realised that I
recognised the walk of one of the people in front of us. When we were
in the Baha'i information room, I saw him close up and gave him a big
hug. It turned out to be Dick Grieser (the second) whose family I
became very close to on pilgrimage 2 years ago, especially his son,
Aziz (a.k.a. Dick Grieser the third) It was great seeing him again,
and we took pictures together. All said, the visit was really nice.
There are some well-known Baha'is buried there as well. Time was
running short though, and we had to return for the rehearsal.
Coming back, I basically said, I'm leaving now, if anyone is
ready right this minute let's go. 2 people were ready, and about 6
people were like just a minute. I left with the 2 that were ready, and
some caught up, others went in another group, i guess. I was really
frustrated by then because I knew if we left any later we wouldn't get
back in time, so amidst all the complaints about the walk, people
trying to stop at the store, people looking the wrong way and nearly
getting knocked down crossing the road, etc, 6 of us got to the train
station together. We made it back just in time for the rehearsal which
went from 1 to 5.
The rehearsals have been out of this world. 80 people who have never
sung together singing songs that are so uplifting... and all
together... it's amazing. the spirit is just unbelievable. Van
mentioned that he's done these songs with other choirs including the
voices of baha, and it wasn't like this. When we stood up to sing a
song, everyone was moving, there was expression... it's different,
and good :o). Some of the songs have moved me to tears hearing them
done in the group. It really is soul-stirring.
We rehearsed again from 6:30 to 9:30 and then went to bed. (I had a
bubble bath first)
This morning's rehearsal was from 9:30 till 12:15. I got stuff for
lunch from the supermarket, and came back and had crumpets with smoked
salmon and mozarella and avocado. With some bing cherries and
kiwifruit. Nice :o)
We met back again at 2:15 and just rehearsed until 4:30. We just had
dinner, and I'm here now at an internet cafe around the corner from
the hotel, and we have to be back at 6:15... Time is short, but the
choir is going to be great. We perform tomorrow night and I think
we're going to blow them away :o)
Unfortunately there is a tube strike tomorrow though so attendance
will probably be low.
Oh yeah, before I go, I got a solo in one of the songs in the gospel
medley... we had auditions before dinner break :o)
shirley and marie [the other choir members from Barbados] have solos too :o)