Friday, April 06, 2007

First spring walk

What a pretty day it was. Although I woke up with a migraine and some deafness (still congested), I decided to get rid of the laundry I haven't done since before I went to Dallas. In the afternoon, I went for a walk in Regent's Park. I love how it's just round the corner from my house, and every spring I take my first uplifting walk through it. The paths were packed because a lot of people get Good Friday off, even though Easter Monday is a public holiday.

I was bombarded with sounds and images and snippets of life:
Tiny green buds on the ends of branches.
Blossom petals on the ground.
Groups of geese flying over the bridge.
Pigeons doing the courtship dance.
Lady feeding the squirrels and a robin joined in after singing in a bush.
Italian greyhound arcing across the pathway at full bound.
Couples of all ages laughing, chatting, holding hands, kissing.
Mixed groups of adults and children kicking a ball around.
I saw a duck dive and not surface for over 10 seconds.
Children on bicycles have no sense of direction.
A football rolled towards me across the path so I stopped it and kicked it (perfectly directed, may I add) back to its owner.

Standing by a bush looking at some tulips and topiaries, I spotted a robbin who popped up from behind a tulip, peeping at me with his big beady eyes and little red breast, so I stayed there and next minute he'd flitted over into the hedge, and a second later he popped out right at my foot! I had my phone out, but was so excited I couldn't turn the camera on without moving. He hopped about for a bit looking cheeky and then flipped over onto a bench. Sweet!



On my way back home, still enjoying all the sensations, I started sniffling and my eyes got sore, so I decided to pick up some allergy tablets. On a rather empty bit of pathway on my way out, I passed a couple of Middle Eastern men in their late 20s-early 30s, bowling about on the pathway like they owned it. As soon as I was level with them, one of them said something that sounded like, "Hi." In the big city, people learn to ignore what other people say sometimes, so I did. Then his mustachioed companion said it louder and his friend said, "Too much". I was at least 5 steps past them by now and still going. Then I imagine they turned around a bit and the first guy said, "Scuse me!" and his companion followed with, "Hello, scuse me!"

I mean, what am I supposed to say? English guys do not do that unless totally drunk. Italians do, but they are kind of laughable. One time I was waiting at the Tube turnstiles for [the first guy I nearly dated when I came to London] when an Italian man standing near me said, "Would you like to go out for a drink?"

How do they come up with that stuff?

So yea, the only attention I get is from [you fill in the blanks] instead of the guys I am interested in. When I am interested in a guy, I only get as far as "being friends". (See rant below, yes it is happening again.) I will let you know if that ever changes.

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regents canal sjw side

11 comments:

Nabeel said...

awww I loved the video .. so nice to hear the birds singing and chipring. It is soo cleansing, these walks in the nature .. we do the same .. and visit this garden called Aldridge Garden .. an afternoon well spent.

Anonymous said...

hey, I will email you some pics of our spring

-jia

The Moody Minstrel said...

That was lovely! Thanks for sharing a bit of your spring pleasure with the rest of us.

Being a Westerner in Japan means you sometimes get spoken to by (Japanese) strangers eager to try out their English. I was NOT brought up in a big city, so I have no problem with that at all...and in fact, I even enjoy it. To be honest, I sometimes greet people I don't know when I walk past them (and often get strange looks in return) simply because it's normal to do that where I come from.

Anyway, what's really funny is all the gaijin here that go so far as to write letters to newspaper opinion columns griping frothily about how discomforting, annoying, "unbearably rude", "a violation of [one's] privacy", "an infringement on [one's] rights", blah blah blah, it is to have a stranger in a store aisle dare to ask them something like, "Do you like Japanese beer?"

I once had Middle Eastern-looking guys (actually, they were probably Iranian) say "hi" to me when I walked into a supermarket here in Japan. First I didn't think they were talking to me, so I didn't respond, but when they said it again louder, I smiled, said "Oh, hi" back, and went on my way. Didn't hurt a bit.

Of course we weren't on a lonely trail in a park...

Sorry about the long counter-rant, m'lady. I'll try to post some spring pictures if I get a chance to take some...

Beenzzz said...

Spring is a lovely season. I enjoyed the video very much and now I have spring fever. The weather in Utah has been perfect. Not too hot, not cold, just right. I think we are all finally out of winter hybernation. At least for now.

I'm currently listening to relaxation music, hence the all the "love" in my comment. :)

AmitL said...

Hi,Olivia.Pretty day is indeed the right description for your descriptions of the day and the video.I felt quite enchanted by the greenery.I did wonder how pigeons do the courtship dance,though.:)(hopping along,I guess)..here's wishing u good luck at finding the right 'more than being friends' guy,rather than people on the street who go 'Hullo,excuse me'.:)

Olivia said...

Nabeel - I ought to post more videos, like you do, hm?
Thank you :)

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Jia - yes, no snow, finally for you.

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Minstrel - I have nothing against chatting with my fellow Londoners - in fact I did so yesterday, griping with a few ladies that we had to pay 50p to use the public loo.

And then an hour later, my companions and I were accosted by a drugged up tramp asking for money, and he wouldn't go away for an eternal 5 minutes, then passed again some time later spewing obscenities.

Fine line in big city, again.

As for the guys in the park, I know the type, usually they make sounds when I pass, and I thought speaking was bold of them.

***

Beenzzz - Is Utah green in the spring?
Have you lived in other states, and what do you think of them?

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Ayeayeal - welcome. I am glad you enjoyed the video. When pigeons do the courtship dance, they walk. The male puffs up his neck and makes deep cooing sounds. He struts about chasing the female who looks like all she wants to do is run fast enough to get away. So they just go in random circles, he pursuing, her fleeing. It's quite funny.

A "more than being friends" guy, yes, I hope so. Thanks :)

Anonymous said...

gosh liv, I really need to start blogging again. or something...I have been so busy...with school...I feel like I am missing out, trying to get a online portfolio up...

jia

Anonymous said...

and I did email you some pics

jia

Dan said...

Walks through nature are wonderful. If we lived closer to each other, my wife and I would invite you to go hiking in the mountains with us. No rude people out there ... because it's too hard to get there! :)

Happy Easter or Passover or whatever holiday you may celebrate! :)

Olivia said...

Jia - well, only if you have spare time. Studies and portfolio come first, chica.

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Amit the Observer - you anonymous posters...!

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Dan - The Adirondacks, by any chance?
I've hiked on hills, but mountains would be a new one for me.

Happy Easter/Passover back to you!

AmitL said...

Hi,Olivia...nee..I'm not any of the anonymous posters.:)I always post via one of my gmail ids.Now,u know all of them,except one.grin.:)