Back to earth with a bump
I was out for about three hours this afternoon on a little shopping spree, getting tickets for the Fringe Festival (of which more at a later date), a bottle of raspberry liqueur from Valvona & Crolla (a gift for Luke when I go and stay with him in London), copies of next season's RSNO and SCO brochures (also for Luke, an incentive for him and his boyfriend to visit). The two minutes' silence observed in memory of the victims of the London bombings came as I was waiting for the Fringe box office to open, which was very moving but could have been more so: I was on the Royal Mile (very likely the tourist street of the city, though it was still quieter than Princes St) and there were lots of people milling about, puzzled by what was happening but carrying on normally.
I could have asked the family who paused by the shop window behind me to stop nattering, but it would have been impossible to do so without being rude, to say nothing of drawing attention to all of us, so I let it pass. As the two minutes passed and people started returning indoors, I glanced up the street (we were all facing east, which can't have been merely because there was a clock visible in that direction: it was five past before anyone moved) to see a good number had left their offices to commemorate last week's attacks and felt a little better. It was just a pity that the penny didn't drop for some people.
Got back home a couple of hours later with an extra bit of shopping in tow - a seriously gorgeous Paul Smith shirt (it's not on their website so I can't show you) I got in the sale, having balked at the price previously - and thence online, there to be brought back to reality with something of a jolt. An online friend of mine in Romania was feeling a bit down, the confirmation of a compatriot's death in London last week having got to him; I really felt quite shallow, being on a shopping-induced high, and as is often the case in these situations, was at something of a loss for what to say.
We chatted at some length, both of us feeling rather better for the company, but I still feel a little idiotic in my ignorance of others' plight.
An abrupt change of tone to finish with: I'm leaving for London in the small hours of the morning, not returning until the equally small hours of Monday morning, so this is it for now. Have a good weekend!
I could have asked the family who paused by the shop window behind me to stop nattering, but it would have been impossible to do so without being rude, to say nothing of drawing attention to all of us, so I let it pass. As the two minutes passed and people started returning indoors, I glanced up the street (we were all facing east, which can't have been merely because there was a clock visible in that direction: it was five past before anyone moved) to see a good number had left their offices to commemorate last week's attacks and felt a little better. It was just a pity that the penny didn't drop for some people.
Got back home a couple of hours later with an extra bit of shopping in tow - a seriously gorgeous Paul Smith shirt (it's not on their website so I can't show you) I got in the sale, having balked at the price previously - and thence online, there to be brought back to reality with something of a jolt. An online friend of mine in Romania was feeling a bit down, the confirmation of a compatriot's death in London last week having got to him; I really felt quite shallow, being on a shopping-induced high, and as is often the case in these situations, was at something of a loss for what to say.
We chatted at some length, both of us feeling rather better for the company, but I still feel a little idiotic in my ignorance of others' plight.
An abrupt change of tone to finish with: I'm leaving for London in the small hours of the morning, not returning until the equally small hours of Monday morning, so this is it for now. Have a good weekend!
posted by Anthony at
16:50
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