Thursday, July 05, 2007

LDN two years on...

Shopping in Oxford Street, trying on new clothes, realising that my body is changing and the fashions are not making me feel any better about it as everything makes me look pregnant, I got a call from a friend. "Channah get out of the city there has been a bomb on Park Lane!"

I chuckle to myself and think 'oh how typical' and carry on picking out clothes for my new wardrobe. Another call from the same friend, "Channah seriously I am worried about you! They are closing off Oxford Street, you are going to get stuck in town!"

Resisting the urge to remind my friend that she was an Israeli and should not be so quick to freak out about these things I continued to take the items I had found and proceed straight to the changing room. "Look if there has just been an attempt in London then the last thing I want to be doing right now is getting on a tube. I think I'll just wait it out in the my haven of fashion."

After whittling my allowed 5 items in the changing room to the one item that didn't look like a moomoo, I went to purchase my single item.

Considering what was supposedly going on outside the store still seemed very calm. The same drab music was playing in the background, and the sales people were still walking around with the fake smiles and name tags.

Next customer to check out number 1

"Good day madame. Did anyone help you with these... I mean this item?"

ME: No.... Sorry I don't mean to sound weird, but have any of you heard about the bomb in Park Lane?

The guy at the check out looks startled and his boss behind him suddlenly shifts and moves towards her walkie talkie to speak to the security team.

ME: Aparantly they are closing off Oxford Street... My friend just called me in a panic.

"Lord! Well I haven't heard anything, but we'll look into it."

ME: Yeah. Sucks really last time I was in London it was the July 7th bombings.

"Where are you from?"

(Wha do I say? The truth? A lie? Ok how about a white lie?)
ME: Leeds
(Well I am originally from Leeds!)

Some say you always take the weather with you... Seems like for me it is terrorist activities!!