Foreign National

Back in London, well, not quite yet, I am standing in the long queue marked as "other foreign national" in the passport control area at heathrow airport. This is my third time coming into London from overseas. It seems this time I got lucky again - my flight from Copenhagen happened to arrive about same time as two flights from Mumbai and one from Bangkok, so there is a big crowd waiting at "other nationals" to get through the passport control.

Maybe it is just me being sensitive, but I kind of feel there is probably no other airport than heathrow airport that makes you think we still live in a world that is divided by first, second and third world countries. There are three different paths at passport control - UK and EU citizens, commonwealth countries and other nationals. And even Japanese natually should fall into other nationals but as some sort of exception, they can stand in the line for commonwealth countries.

Standing in the long line consisting mainly of Indians, I can't help to think why they don't get any special treatment for once being the colony of the British empire. I guess that is one of the differences between a colony and one of the "commonwealth" countries.

After one hour waiting in the queue, finally it is my turn, the officer in charge didn't give me a hard time. She looked at my work permit visa on the passport and asked me "so which company do you work for?" After hearing my answer, she gave a "Ahh" with a grin. I was cleared through within a minute.

Now I am back in London, a place I could almost call home, and yet it is a long way to come home!

Spring in London

I like taking a walk in hyde park on a sunny day. It makes my mind completely free.



This year spring comes quite late in London, now it is mid April but weather wise it still feels like March. But if you walk around the London, even with the chill in the air, you will feel the spring is here, and it is very lovely with the cherry trees and the green everywhere.

this is the green in my neighbourhood, every morning I pass it on the way to work and every evening on the way back home. I like it there, there are always people walking their dogs, kids playing balls.

Immigration

Immigration seems to be a hot topic these days. There is upheaval by the latinos (mostly Mexicans) in the USA and there are occasional anti-immigration moves in Europe as well. Immigrants, whether cross the borders or between different regions within one national border, is a natural phenomenon fuelled by economic needs. Cheap labours go to more developed countries for better pay. And in the USA, the immigration policies have shifted so much over the recent years, a few years ago when Bush just came to office he was talking about giving green cards to thousands of illegal Mexican workers in the USA and now they are taking a step back – a 600 mile wall might be built near the US/Mexico border.

I always have mixed feeling over immigration issues. I have lived overseas, so I understand fairly well the identity crisis for immigrants. I can’t imagine myself working under illegal status, but I do admire their courage. After all, people are stretching their limits for a better life should be respected. I have a lot of sympathy for them, but of course those illegal acts should not be encouraged, partly because there are always crimes and mobs involved in those illegal labour trafficking.

The economic benefits of those immigrant workers should not be undermined, unfortunately it could be in conflict with nationalism a lot of times. There is no easy solutions, if you open the door, they will come, both legal and illegal ones, if you close the door, they might still come driven by the prosperous of living in a land of opportunities. For people living in poverty, there is not much to lose really.

Maybe we should have a more liberal view about the world. Who is to say that Europe has to be “pure” Europeans’ Europe, and America should be dominated by the descents of Anglo Saxons. The globe is round, and people can move easily thanks to the modern air line industry which revolutionized our lives. People should be allowed to choose where they want to live as long as they are contributing to the society and community and help to build a more dynamic, open minded and diversified world.

You are beautiful

It was Friday evening, I was taking the tube to Piccadilly Circus, on the stairs going up to the street, I heard this song by James Blunt “You are beautiful”. The singer was a girl with a guitar, standing in the middle of the platform, her voice was very pure but also profound, drifting in the air. For a minute, my eyes just turned misty. Not that I was so much touched by the song, I have the CD and have listed to it many times, I actually didn’t think it was my type of song. Somehow I have to admit I am in a sentimental mood right now, and easily get very emotional about things.

I had a stroll in Hyde Park one evening after work, it was a day of tremendous emotional turbulence in the middle of crazy work trying to meet the deadline. I was stressed and sad, walking along the green in the Park. It was early evening, a fairly relaxed atmosphere in the park, I can see the white birds flying over the pond in the distance. Kids are playing on the grass, people walking their dogs and there are some serious joggers sweating themselves on the track. Then strangely enough, I feel my mind start to feel settled, for a second, I feel free and become part of the beautiful and peaceful nature.

Then little by little, this soothing effect kicks in, all the emotional ups and downs and endless struggle in my life start to disseminate. Life as the way it is, you have to live it to the full but at the same time not to push it too hard. Nature has its own rules, and so does life. You can join the force to influence and enrich it but you can’t fight against the rules. Certain things are meant to happen, when it happens you grasp it and enjoy the ride, when things have to go you can’t take it back.

There are people and moments in your life that are so beautiful, it is so hard to let it go, especially when they become part of you. But you are who you are and they are who they are, it is a game with no winners if you fight with it.

London is beautiful, and its beauty is not limited to skin deep. Sometimes, its charm, class and sophistication are not so obvious, but you will find them when you walk around the backstreets with old buildings, little stores around corner, the gardens illuminating in the sun and its unpredictable English weather which could change from sunny to drizlling in one hour.