Godaya goes to London

Last time I was visiting here, things didn't go very well. During the walks that I take around this place, I wanted to know the time. I asked a bloke in one of those souvenir shop places, who promptly poked his head out, took a glance at the tower which houses the Big Ben, and gave me the time. Embarrassing!

And the last time I was flying through the place, things went massively wrong. The plane which was supposed to take me out of London, was struck by lightning on its way in, which resulted in me getting stuck in some random hotel for an extra day.

Not fun, when the only set of clothes you have on you is the one you're wearing, and the airline has no idea where your bags are. And the closest place to shop for clothes is around half-an hour away, and even there, the clothes are bleeding expensive.

But still, I like the place. Okay, that's a big fat lie. I love the place. Please note that these travels of mine to far and exotic places, are not funded by self, nor parents. I work for an organisation that insists on taking me around the globe quite often, and they pay for it. Who am I to complain no?

The place is clean, it's people-friendly. The cabbies are nice. Instead of asking for your identification when you pull out a camera, cops either pose with you for photos, or ask if they can help you take the picture.

And that's probably why every time I have to come here, I put up with the long-haul flights, the pain-in-the-proverbial-hind-quarters visa application process, the packing, the unpacking and the jet-lag which manages to make my body clock go absolutely bonkers.

By the time you read this, I will be at my hotel by the Thames. A packed schedule (The organisation insists on working us to death, since they pay for the thing) awaits, and I would probably gain some weight as a result of gluttony. I will be trotting around in one of those uncomfortable business suits (Oh, the glory of jeans and short sleeved cotton shirts!), going for meetings, dinners, cocktails, and then coming back to my room and working my head off to prepare for the next day.

But underneath all that, I'll be missing my friends, missing the food, missing the noise and chaos, missing home. But I'll still be a Godaya.