London Calling
Well it's certainly been an eventful week. Wednesday: we get the Olympics; Thursday: we get bombed; Friday: aid to Africa doubles (and satisfies Geldof, which is unheard of!)
It's been a weird couple of days. Yesterday I got into work just before nine and sat there bemoaning the fact that my lazy colleagues were not yet in work. In fact they were all trapped in various tube tunnels in what TFL (so much faith we have in our own transport system) blamed as a "power surge." So I hung around and helped groups of confused/scared international students call their parents and figure out their routes home; then I went to Mass and wandered home.
It's very bad taste to take the piss out of something that has killed 50+ people. But here goes:
I feel if my contract is not renewed I could make myself a new career as a "terrorism expert". Loads of them were wheeled out yesterday (incidentally how do they find their jobs? You don't see ads in the Standard with "terrorism experts needed. Excellent benefits, good job satisfaction, email Les at..." do you?) and were making superbly profound statements like "Well, it seems clear that these attacks were designed to coincide with the G8 summit" (hey, no shit) "clearly these attacks took place at rush hour in an attempt to kill and maim as many people as possible" (genius!) "It is likely the bombers were either home-grown or came from abroad" (No!) and even "they have succeeded in causing disruption: the fact that the tube has closed down completely means that many people won't be able to get home."
It's also amusing (in the loosest sense of the word) how little people know London. They get on the tube where they live and get off where they work, and occasionally they get pissed somewhere in between. But yesterday they were all wandering wide-eyed through central London with A-Zs as if to say "it's...it's light....but when I come this way on the Central Line, all I can see is dark...there are actually...shops...and things..."
Seriously, though, I am amazed so few people died, I am amazed at how great the emergency services were in coping with it, I am touched by the messages abroad, and, though I shouldn't be, I'm amazed at how chilled out people seemed to be. My boss, for example, dumped a TV on the front desk and bought us all sandwiches ("When there are bombs you get free sandwiches.") He has lived here all his life and remembers the IRA. But for me, flitting round the office making tea for everyone because I'm unimaginative and can't think of a better response, it's the first time. And it's all a bit spooky.
It's been a weird couple of days. Yesterday I got into work just before nine and sat there bemoaning the fact that my lazy colleagues were not yet in work. In fact they were all trapped in various tube tunnels in what TFL (so much faith we have in our own transport system) blamed as a "power surge." So I hung around and helped groups of confused/scared international students call their parents and figure out their routes home; then I went to Mass and wandered home.
It's very bad taste to take the piss out of something that has killed 50+ people. But here goes:
I feel if my contract is not renewed I could make myself a new career as a "terrorism expert". Loads of them were wheeled out yesterday (incidentally how do they find their jobs? You don't see ads in the Standard with "terrorism experts needed. Excellent benefits, good job satisfaction, email Les at..." do you?) and were making superbly profound statements like "Well, it seems clear that these attacks were designed to coincide with the G8 summit" (hey, no shit) "clearly these attacks took place at rush hour in an attempt to kill and maim as many people as possible" (genius!) "It is likely the bombers were either home-grown or came from abroad" (No!) and even "they have succeeded in causing disruption: the fact that the tube has closed down completely means that many people won't be able to get home."
It's also amusing (in the loosest sense of the word) how little people know London. They get on the tube where they live and get off where they work, and occasionally they get pissed somewhere in between. But yesterday they were all wandering wide-eyed through central London with A-Zs as if to say "it's...it's light....but when I come this way on the Central Line, all I can see is dark...there are actually...shops...and things..."
Seriously, though, I am amazed so few people died, I am amazed at how great the emergency services were in coping with it, I am touched by the messages abroad, and, though I shouldn't be, I'm amazed at how chilled out people seemed to be. My boss, for example, dumped a TV on the front desk and bought us all sandwiches ("When there are bombs you get free sandwiches.") He has lived here all his life and remembers the IRA. But for me, flitting round the office making tea for everyone because I'm unimaginative and can't think of a better response, it's the first time. And it's all a bit spooky.
posted by RLS at 7:17 pm
1 Comments:
Hi Polly! How are you?
I'll be in London tomorrow, and I think I'm going to want to go to King's Cross, and DEFINITELY Tavistock and Russell squares. I remember coming out of Russell Square station once and thinking, "Wow, this has to be one of the safest stations on the whiole underground. No terrorist would bomb here - they'd go for Holborn or Westminster."
*Sigh*
Anyway, on happier things, or at least things that aren't so sad, do you find that your new posts don't always appear at once but sometimes take a while? I just posted something and it didn't appear - though it does if you add "www." to your blog address... Weird.
Ah! It's good to be back on-line!
Peace be with you Polly!
Take care and God bless,
Peter
X + :)
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