Since I arrived in London, I continue to be amazed at the P.Transport..We arrived in the early hour of the morning. We hired two Mercedes Benz what I consider mini buses to bring the twelve of us with our luggages to our rented apartment in the city. We had a beautiful place near the Lancaster gate tube station. The apartment is facing Hyde park. Its just an ideal location in every sense of the word. Everyday I just cross the traffic light and immediately get into the park. Not a single day is left idle. I see so many people busy themselves walking or running in the park. The whole park covered an enormous area but its beauty is the shaded old trees, all kinds of bushy plants and flowers. This is the period of bright sun shine n fresh air. I can feel my lungs absorbed the oxygen happily...The smell of fresh flowers and herbs is an added happiness to me...not a worry in the world. The park has all kinds of habitats. A variety of species of birds chirping their individual version of sounds to add music to the serene environment. They are the only orchestra accompanying us on our morning walks. The ducks and swans enjoying themselves peddling round the lakes or waiting to be fed by children and their accompanying adults. They happily accept the humans generosity...everyone understood this relationship. Even the squirrels here is well fed, friendly and agreeable to come to you asking for food. The dogs are all over the place taken for a walk or exercise...fantastic scene...no one throws rubbish...the morning walkers would greet us with a friendly good morning...there are so many foreigners who feel at home and welcome...on top of that Muslims man n women in their own attires are not greeted with animosity.
In Europe, UK must be the most tolerant and harmonious country that enjoy its multi-culturalism....and gained from it..here you feel safe.. even their PT is so friendly... I and the rest of us a family of 12 all went up the bus and told the driver where we wanted to go only to be told we were on the wrong side of the street....we should take the bus going the other way...we alighted and cross the road. We got on the right bus but when we wanted to pay we were told that they can't accept cash anymore. We were about to get off when the bus driver saw so many of us, with my grand children and my special girl he said never mind I give u a free ride. An act of kindness. I was touched. So when we arrived at our destination we got off...I went to the front to thank him profusely...we waved goodbye....as if we had been friends..similarly when we take the London cabs the drivers were friendly and know every inch of the road...when they see traffic jam they take or find alternative routes..they never take advantage of us as tourists...or because they think we are foreigners...we are happy passengers that feel safe and satisfied...UK has so many places for tourists and all the year round you see plenty of visitors...here is the cosmopolitan London...you can get food n fine cuisine originating from all corners of the world..even money changers can be found everywhere.
Everything here seems to be catering for the tourists..in short as if there is a signage of welcome...at the railway station we wanted to buy tickets to go to Oxford...we did not have to go to the counters...there are friendly staffs moving on the platform meeting you with mobile credit card machines to advise us the price, the platform and the departure time n platforms. He was so courteous to have a small chat to ask us where we are from...very pleasant n friendly.with warmth and smiles.similarly when we arrived in oxford we were greeted with friendliness..we also got on the hop on n hop off bus...to get a fantastic conducted tour fitted with ear phones with information on the history of oxford n its colleges.. it was to us fantastic...we were there for nostalgia...I did my A level in a school in oxford...and my daughter graduated from oxford Brookes University..it was a nice walk...we met a Malay family whilst walking at one of the colleges of oxford university ..a Malay lady n her husband recognised me and greeted us...i forgot her name but proud when she said she teaches at the university n now is a supervisor for PHD students.. we have gone places n achieve a lot..what a short experience n encounters...
FB SHA@London@7 June 2015
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