Relaxing in Cambridge
Trip Start
Jul 11, 2005
1
2
10
Trip End
Aug 12, 2005
Cambridge, United Kingdom
Saturday, July 23, 2005
I'm not next to a racecourse - the punters are on punts - gondola-esque boats that cruise around the Cam river. So I'm listening to the ducks and splashes and murmur of people relaxing on the lawns across the river on this mild English summer afternoon.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
I actually managed to sleep for most of the 20 hour flight over here,
which is a first. Usually when flying I behave like someone who's been
slipped a drug that makes them open to suggestion. I feel obliged to
watch the safety demonstration, particularly if I'm fortunate enough
to get an emergency exit seat, as I was on the way over here. I feel
as if watching the flight attendants blow into those little whistles
on the life vests will give me good karma, to get the last emergency
seat on my next flight. Then I feel like I can't pass up watching a
movie that hasn't hit the video store yet, for free. The warping of
time during long-distance travel is best demonstrated in plane meals.
Somehow it's decided that what is 4pm at your origin is the right time
for dinner, then when your body says it's 2am breakfast arrives. Once
presented with a plate of bland plane food I once again feel obliged
to eat as much of it as I can stomach, and always accept the drinks that they inevitably offer at least half an hour after my vegetarian meal has arrived. That means I have to eventually join the loo queue, which always seems to appear as soon as I'm absolutely busting.
These flights were different. I knew I was arriving at 5:30 in the morning and didn't want to be written off. So before we'd hit Singapore I curled up against the window, whipped out the blanket and told myself to sleep. I plugged in the headphones and set it to the classical channel and managed to half doze. Some time later when a flight attendant came and said 'supper?' I resisted the urge to answer, feigning sleep. Feeling triumphant I eventually managed to drift off, and from there it was easy. I must have slept for at least eight hours. I woke up around the mysterious 'breakfast time', and was pleased to find Million Dollar Baby was just starting. I watched the movie and finished breakfast just as we were starting our descent. Everything was pleasantly tolerable, although inevatiably after 23 hours of flying I was feeling a bit worse for wear. I half-listened to the captain's various announcements as we descended. When we finally sailed onto the tarmac the captain came over the loadspeaker again. 'Ladies and gentlemen I'm not sure if you're aware, but there's been some more terrrorist incidents on London's public transport system during our flight. So I'm afraid the tube is not operational, there will be information on alternative arrangements inside the terminal.'
A shiver went down my spine. Another 'incident'? How many people had died? Suddenly I was glad Lorisa had suggested I come to Cambridge on Friday rather than Saturday, the idea of being in London was losing its appeal. Once I'd got some money out of a cash machine I headed to the 'Heathrow Express' office, the train from the airport into London. The two guys working at that early hour were incredibly nice and helpful, one even lent me his mobile phone to call Lorisa, to let her know I'd get a bus to Cambridge rather than a train via the tube, which was out of action. Sitting on the train for the one stop to the bus station, things felt surreal. The window next to me in the new train was shattered, shimmering randomly as we passed lights. There was a TV screen built into the wall silently broadcasting BBC, and the newsticker at the bottom of the screen revealed that police had managed to avert four more bomb blasts in the public transport system. This wasn't my world. I felt like I was in some sci-fi futuristic movie. London was a safe haven for Australians, the mother of the mother country. The train was half-full with people fresh off the plane, and I met the eyes of an Arab man. I felt obliged not to look away, not wanting to give the impression I thought he was dangerous. Was he? No. I don't want to succumb to stereotypes. I pretended I needed to check my ticket.
Cambridge seems a world away from that feeling. I've met wonderful people from many nationalities who study and party together. I feel safe here. I have to dash as I'm logged in to Lorisa's profile at Darwin College and she's ready to go, but rest assured I'm not in London. I managed to bypass it altogether. I will be on Tuesday, so then you can worry!
