My freshman year of high school opened another opportunity for a good adventure in a new country. My father received orders that we were moving again, to England. We were moving to R.A.F. West Ruislip, a small base near Ickenham village .
Before moving to England, we heard all the hype of how great a country it was and all the fabulous things we would see. After arriving, we stayed in the local Master Brewer Hotel until our quarters were ready.
Uxbridge Train Station was our entrance to London
Due to the confines of the Master Brewer Hotel room, we spent much of our time traveling into London. London is such a wonderful city, but I’ll never forget my first trip.
My family and I got up early and walked to the closest tube station which is Uxbridge. We paid for our day passes and each of us grabbed a map of the tubes. We were sure-fire tourists and the language barrier was definitive.
What language is this?
Language barrier? Yes, there was a barrier of English to English. Although everyone was speaking English, the accent was so thick and heavy we couldn’t understand what was said around us. It was as if everyone was speaking another language. We were absolute tourists in an English speaking country.
While on the Tubes, we decided to go to Bond Street; the epitome of tourist moves. We rode into London and got off at Bond Street and the entire world opened up for me. My brother, who is two years younger, didn’t see the beauty of the streets around us, but I did. In that first stop I found my haven. Suddenly, I saw every advantage of living in another country. The smells, people, styles and fashions were nothing like I could have imagined.
We walked Bond Street, like the tourists we were, until jumping on the tubes for another stop.
The wonders of Chinatown
My family jumped off the tube, and started walking. I cannot remember how far away we were from our first stop at Bond Street, but we were suddenly surrounded by Asians. Chinese to be exact. We had travelled to Chinatown, an area of Soho, and the heavily accented English barrier was now Chinese.
The streets were full of people and merchants. Exotic foods and bright colors were hanging in the windows and along the streets. We entered another world, and It was amazing. The smells were potent, and the merchants were loud and colorful. It was like no other place I had ever been.
My travels were just beginning
London opened my eyes to awesome journeys, and I took advantage of the city in every way. Although this was my first trip into the city, it was far from my last. I spent every possible second in London for the next three years of my life. I have never missed any city so much.