In London

I am back in London for my exams, a town which has the most Bangladeshi flavor in Europe. If you don't believe it just walk through the Bangla town. You can feel the known Bangladeshi faces popping up everywhere in all shapes, sizes and attires and speaking in various languages. Don't be surprised to see a Shahid Minar in the Whitechappel Road. A bustling community. Fully multicultural and quite unique.

I visited some local Bengali shops in Shadwell, for the ingredients of the Khichuri and fried Hilsa my friend cooked for me. The shops had fishes from Bangladesh in awesome sizes some of which are even rare in Dhaka. A popular commercial in TV shows a big size Ruhi (carp) being caught fresh from a pond in bangladesh. A guy asks the price. The fisherman asks "do you have British Visa"? He was telling the perplexed buyer that that fish was bound for UK so he has to buy it from there. The theme couldn't be much befitting.

Dinner was in the Lahore Kebab house courtesy of my friend who came all the way from Luton just to visit me for a couple of hours. The environment was Bangladeshi (or South Asian to say) but it was packed with Sahibs (Britons) and some odd South Asians.

London is a busy city. You get the glitters and shabbiness packed in one box. Accustomed in left-hand-drive road direction I got honked for not watching right in an intersection with a lane on the left, while a car could just brake to save me. Even the taxis are typical British, new models old looks, with two folding extra sits behind the front seats. The tube was crowded, some moving like a sloth and special boards for the service status of tubes are vital if you have to reach somewhere in hurry and find a non-existing fast alternative.

But I like the British people in general, for their cordial behavior, courtesy and most importantly being catalyst of a friction free (almost) multicultural society.

And what do you know we will be having a London bloggers meet again. If you are in London and happen to be free tomorrow evening feel free to join us.

I will be here a few days more. But I feel like going home as my little one is terribly seek. She was crying loud for papa over phone. I am missing her, she is missing me. I wish I could go back right now.

Photo: Farid Akbar. My snaps will be uploaded on the next available opportunity.