an evening

It's 4 pm, and I can see the lights on the Vauxhall bridge turning on. An unobstructed view of the Thames is what I get from my window, and if I lean my head out, I can hear the small waves splash on to the barrier. I turn my attention to that last paragraph that needs tweaking before it gets uploaded, and am lost in thought. J approaches from behind, slaps my shoulder and gasps. "Look at that, will you." I follow her gaze, and am equally dumbstruck. The setting sun has taken the form of a big glowing orange ball against a deeply violet sky, and the silhouette of the towering MI6 building is adding to the aura. It's beautiful and for a moment, everyone's feeling warm on this chilly evening. We break into a happy chatter, and someone passes around a box of Thorntons.

A while later, we're talking holidays. P tells me that Xmas is just another day in front of the television for his wife and him. "There's no family, parents are long gone, siblings are busy with their own kids," his voice slightly choked. I look embarassed, mumble something about the economy affecting this festive season, and turn away.

In my head, I hear voices telling me to talk to him further. He's never spoken like this at work, he must be feeling really lonely. P, in his early 60s, has always been the silent kind, speaks only when spoken to, preferring to work on his own. These past few days though, he's been talking to me a lot more. There's a camaraderie we share - born out of several hours of Dreamweaver discussions, market talk, sarah palin bashing and you tube findings. He warned me that the monster would eat me up if I dared to go near Lochness, I teased him that the hurricane would gulp him down during his Boston trip. Neither happened and we returned to tell our tales.

On days when I feel far and away from home, I think about these new relationships that have become a part of my London life. Relationships that have become not on the basis of a common culture, race, language or country, but that's emerged out of simple conversations, and day-to-day routines. They tell me they owe me a lot for my contributions, I silently tell them they have no idea what I owe them. For this new perspective, for this renewed learning, for a shared round of coffee in the evenings, and for those simple joyous editorial discussions. I owe them more than a thank you. I have for them a smile.

my word

Okay, so that's it! This blog is tired of being abandoned. I can either leave it to die a slow death or rejuvenate it to bounce back. And since i'm very much pro-life (yo..palin!), I opt for the latter.

From now on, every little thought that is worth being plastered on the mighty walls of the blogosphere, makes an appearance here. Creative writing can take a beating, but my creative thoughts (?) will be treasured right here!

And with that, the rambling begins...