Why London Doesn’t Stop Amusing Me — Even After Years?

The kind of things that can happen on a casual walk outside.

I moved to the city permanently in 2017, one because I dreamt about living in London (at least for a while) since I was 17 (although part of that vision was also having my own, outright owned penthouse apartment —which I know now is not that easy to achieve in the next decade — but that’s how I’ve seen living in the city as a fresh-idealistic adult). And second, actually, love has brought me there. Although not a sweetheart kind of together-forever-love, more of a passionate and disruptive love, a love to learn from. But hey, that’s why I am here now!

So, since I moved in, I had experiences of whichever kind that so far didn’t make me tired of this city for a day — I may name a few just to keep this piece juicy.

Although this year started to feel like the excitement that London so greatly feeds on, was slowly fading.

Especially as the COVID hit us — me, my household and the city. Well, no one got to experience much of it anyway as we couldn’t properly go out, travel, and enjoy the diversity of fun and joy given by its culture, vibrant social life and exploring quirky places as that was (and in fact still is), all banned. Although, and I know I shouldn’t say this if I don’t want to get in trouble with our government, there’s still a way out. It always is.

What fun stuff I’ve experienced here?

Straight upon moving I started my self-employment and dived deep into the pleasure and freedom of working from home, while living in one of the best areas we have here, Angel, Islington. (For Londoners, 2 mins walk from Sadlers Wells. For the rest of you, it’s one of the well-known theatre venues visited by all over the UK daily.) So I spent my days getting up late, working half-a-day (because it was actually enough), and spending the other half by visiting markets, walking in the centre, biking by the river canals (sounds creepy, but they’re actually amazing — like Angel one, going all the way to Regent’s Park through Camden, or the other way towards Victoria), or just sitting in a nearby cafe somewhere at Exmouth Market. (Now, as I am remembering it, it feels like ages back!) I just loved it.

I used to spend a lot of time in the evenings and weekends with my boyfriend (mainly) exploring the city, nature, parks. We’ve seen some great West Ends shows together (one of my top was the Follies, with Janie Dee, who’s performance I loved and later on, ended up conversing with and even got invites to some new shows). Gone to horse races (dressed like a duchess with a hat), concerts, exhibitions, boat parties, rooftop garden parties — sophisticated, average to wild-hippie raves. Had some of the most magical dates here that go long way back (even before I moved in), from simple and perfect to posh and imperfect.

Like going to see a million-dollar show dressed million-dollar-like and then wrapping the night in a local takeaway shop eating chicken wings with local gangsters.

Seen the rich and famous (one of the actors I had a big crush on lived just across the street and we even had a little conversation), less famous but great stand-up comedians, tried triads of restaurants, bars, the hidden gems, juice and tea rooms etc.

Out of the less orthodox memories mapping my history with this city, I often got asked out (or to get cheap drugs) on the streets or bus stops. Went to tribal gatherings (with the actual leaders from the Amazon). Participated at and organized multiple mindful events and classes, quirky ones like reiki and energy healing or ‘Free Hugs’ (where you randomly hug strangers on the streets), and less quirky — women circles for connection with monthly meditations. I’ve studied some ancient spiritual practices here, became a member of a few spiritual sects (and unfriended them), had a group and VIP art exhibition myself, was invited to practice naked group trance or vagina meditations, all sorts of stuff. And life was fun. London was fun!

Those were the good old days when everything was exciting, especially as I moved in the spring. Although what I described above is not a summary of a few months of my adventure (I’ve not been that fast and wild!), but the years that I’ve lived here, some going even before 2017.

How did my journey continue?

Somewhere in August the same year, I was recommended a trader (by a friend of mine), who owns an organic cosmetics business in Camden. After one meeting I started working with him, helping him to market and sell his products as well as to learn about aromatherapy as most of the products are aromatherapy based. I’ve never worked with actual cosmetics before (and even natural!) from the very production stage to distribution, neither had any experience with how producing in batches work, how they are prepared and packed, or directly interacting with customers — selling stuff. Anyway, it was a great experience, mostly because I really loved what we were doing, how and loved (and still love and use) the products, so it overall taught me a lot. (If you’re interested, check them out— Read The Label.)

I didn’t have to work with more people, the truth is, I wanted to.

I wanted an actual face-to-face interaction which was missing in my self-employment, that was earning me well, but heavily depended on an online (non-personal) work — HR Consulting and Recruitment related, that didn’t require regular face-to-face interaction and meetings as I was advising clients geographically far away from me. When it was needed, I did travel, but that was not more than four times a year per client.

Towards the end of that year, I was sick of being a freelancer and working from home, and so decided to give the city job a chance. But to balance the odds, we moved to a little village within London, the famous, Highgate.

Famous as it’s a well-known creative area with plentiful of artists and creatives from movie directors, singers, actors, but mostly painters and writers, living locally since centuries back. Like Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Malcolm McLaren, George Michael or Jude Law till this point. There’s also been a lot of movie shooting as the area is one of the prettiest in London. I may sound like I am actually just chasing actors and artists, and although there might be some truth in it — meaning I am attracted by the creative energy, so that takes me places artists go. It’s mostly that I like beautiful and peaceful areas, and clearly, I am not alone. Beyond, artists are everywhere. Some of them lived close to us, some we used to meet in closeby cafes.

So I got myself this corporate role in the city (in Consulting) as I wanted to upskill myself and feel like I am a part of something bigger than our household on normal days.

That took one whole year of my life and taught me a hell lot about corporate working patterns and work/fun culture in the UK. As well as about how to survive the morning tube rush hour, but mostly — that I don’t want to go back there, ever again.

A big highlight of that year was the time when I helped India’s Ministry of Tourism facilitate WTM in ExCel. I’ve actually taken days off work and sort of volunteered, but also was paid for it. (I didn’t mention it yet, but I am quite keen on Indian culture.) So I got to wear sarees and other Indian traditional dress for three days of the global conference, hosted journalists, businessmen and ministers and met at least 200 super interesting, smart, funny, great, intellectual people from the travel industry and beyond all around the world. Many of whom I am still connected with today.

In 2019, I was back in the game. I quit my city job and knew what I wanted — which was to establish a business and invest in building it. I am still there by the way. COVID, non-COVID, it’s my baby and I am glad I’ve done it.

The whole 2019 feels like it only lasted 2 months and it was a mixture of my new working patterns and business partnerships, travelling a lot, establishing my coaching and enjoying life generally speaking. Finally, I got to feel alive again and the city was back there for me. At the end of 2019, I moved from the North to the West. Mainly for logistic reasons. But also because this (my current) area is beyond magical!

I am based in Kew Gardens now, in between Richmond and Ealing. Only a few steps away from the charming ‘Royal Kew Botanical Gardens’, which is the world’s biggest botanical garden that initially belonged to the royal family as their private land and properties, that’s why the name is still there. Although it’s been used more for recreation than living. Until King George III of the 18th century moved to Kew with his family that was of 18 people — his wife, Queen Charlotte, and their 16 children. Charlotte is an interesting persona in the British history as she was an assertive, intelligent woman who got heavily involved in politics and that’s why she often got caricatured by that time media as women and politics of that era didn’t go well together. And beyond the home and foreign affairs, she was home-schooling the kids and looking after her mentally ill husband, the king, whom the vibrant plant life and fresh air of the botanical gardens benefited well at the time.

That’s to the history. Now for the present, as you can see, there’s still a lot to London. Past 3 years that I am actually settled here were a proof of that. Although, in these past 3 months with COVID, I was starting to feel that the magic and surprises are gone for now.

But then, yesterday happened.

Why London still doesn’t stop amusing me?

The story behind it is that yesterday, I went for a casual evening walk and ended up somewhere about 15 mins away from home.

And, I came across Pocahontas.

You know Pocahontas. Not the animated Disney character but the actual native Indian who saved starving and sick English colonists from death, provided them with food and medicine as well as got married to an English man eventually. Yes, it’s not just Disney, it did really happen.

So yesterday I ended up in Brentford, because of taking a side I don’t usually walk by and then on the way I’ve seen this big government board with loads of information about the distant history of the area. Pocahontas was a part of it.

It said Pocahontas, after moving to London with her husband, John Rolfe (real-life John), spend years living in Brentford, a place close by that’s now been converted to a post office.

So the real-life Pocahontas not only moved and lived in London, but it turns out she lived literally 15 mins away from me! I was perplexed and surprised beyond words.

I used to be addicted to this story as a child. I literally loved everything about it, from the beauty of the tribal culture, their natural habitat, the cooperative self-sufficient society as well as their different way of seeing the world. I was puzzled and astounded. I wished that I could live in such a world. (And if I once get to share the experience from my past-life-regression therapy, it seems that I may have well lived that life, back then, a few lives back.)

I loved the tribal connection to nature, to themselves and their ability to live in the moment and living fully. So I loved Pocahontas.

And clearly part of that is still alive within me as I’ve been attracted to tribal spirituality ever since. And now, I am attached to the story even more that it somehow crossed with my real-life path. Surprisingly, as an unexpected wind on my relaxed mindless evening walk outside. Oh, by the way, I did wear Indian dress yesterday. I wonder whether that could have somehow invited this experience? Who knows. Maybe once I’ll know and maybe I’ll never know.

But one thing that I know for sure is that London does not stop to amuse me indeed, even after years. And I am pretty confident that this trend will continue for as long as I live here.

Here’s what I do when I am not causally walking or contemplating London. Feel free to Connect With Me for a personal conversation.

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