LONDON
1978–1979
International Trainee Exchanges
On Oxford Street, finding my way around town
with the help of Nicholson's legendary London Streetfinder.
My "au pair" home was in Marble Arch which is located near all the amenities of Marylebone, Mayfair and the West End, plus the huge greenery of Hyde Park.
I had my own private room in the former servants' quarters, on the top floor of Bryanston Court; famous building because of its onetime resident Wallis Simpson!
My stay was such an extended one that official registering was required.
I
took care of a 3-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl as well as household duties, while learning in practice some
more English – American English, to be precise, since milady was an artist from California.
Through her I also learned a bit about est, a set of ideas of personal transformation, and its Hunger Project, an organization committed to the end of world hunger.
Special guest seminar and fancy dress party at the Café Royal with Kat and Airi.
In
my freetime I explored the fabulous museums, art exhibitions
and historical sights and sites of the city. Most often I visited the Museum of Mankind, the enchanting ethnography department of the British Museum displaying collections from Africa, Oceania, the Americas and Asia.
I enjoyed going to movies, one of them nothing less than The Last Waltz; seeing plays and also the musical Jesus Christ Superstar; attending some great jazz and blues concerts at Rotherhithe Civic Centre, featuring Heikki Sarmanto with Maija Hapuoja, and at the legendary Hammersmith Odeon, first to see The Crusaders and then B.B. King, twice.
London being such a melting pot of nations, I met and befriended some very nice people from around the world. We loved going out together, roamed the top markets like Portobello Road, drove down to Brighton, went to see Concorde at Heathrow, had house parties, and sometimes even dined out, especially in etno restaurants. It was then that I totally fell in love with the insanely good Indian food!
This excerpt from Hilaire Belloc's "Dedicatory Ode" was in my Scrap Book with all the addresses, phone numbers and many messages:
From quiet homes and first beginning,
Out to the undiscovered ends,
There's nothing worth the wear of winning,
But laughter and the love of friends.
Of course, I scoured bookshops and bought e.g. Virginia Woolf and Mark Twain plus especially Hemingway
and Steinbeck, my favourite reads at the time.
I have missed it all very much ever since I left; revisiting just doesn't do the trick... A time worth reminiscing, Thursday after Thursday!
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If the post provoked some thoughts, ideas or, better yet, memories for you – especially if you were in town at the same time – do drop a line in the comments section below. I would just love to hear from you!
