Caren, London

I took a train ride to London Victoria station, To meet up with Caren. A very good friend of mine from Sabah. When I 1st saw her from far, she was wearing a dark overcoat, a scarf and a leather brown high boots, all this could not change her image of wearing our secondary school's uniform from my memories. We greeted each other with a warm hug. The entire moment is like a dream.

We sat down in one of a Starbucks in Victoria Station, wooden chair and table, halogen lights, crowds around us. Under a typical ambient in Starbucks, we shared a very comfortable conversations in our own language.

After our lunch we started our journey, exploring London in minus 2 degrees. A different London, from how I used to know it.

We started off from Portobello market in west London. a market similar to Petaling street in Kuala Lumpur. Portobello market is well know for it's 2nd hand clothes and antiques, and for the setting of one of the scenes in Notting Hill. A very famous street markets in the world. We glide through each stalls, while catching up with each other.

We went to a pub called the nag's head in Covent Garden. We had mulled wine, a traditional wine, combined with spices and served warm. To keep us warm the entire journey. After that, we went to Millennium Bridge, a steel suspension bridge crossing the River Thames, From St Paul's Cathedral to the Tate gallery. We did drop by in the Tate Modern Gallery, hopefully to take our interest in art to another plateau. Unfortunately, both of us are not talented in this field. We left Tate Gallery in less than 20 minutes.

Without wasting any time, we decided to have our dinner in Jamie's Italian restaurant in Canary Wharf. From here, we continue our conversation, catching up with each other, in a modern & pleasant environment. Even the people around us, they dress extremely well, in order to keep up with the standard of living in Canary Wharf. There is one thing I would like to recommend in this restaurant, which is the Olives on Ice. It's the freshest Olives I have ever tasted. The light green apricot's size olive, lying on ice, taste surprisingly well with the house wine.

Right after our meal, we took the tube. Since we were taking different lines, we have to separate inside a tube's cabin in Westminster's station. She left, with her same Caren's smile, 10 years ago, her signature cheerful smile. Right on the spot, I was wondering when will be our next meeting be, and how we will be by then?