Sixth (?) Weekend in London

Hanging out at "The Light" with some Ny and London co-workers on saturday night.

Family Dinner on Sunday

Hanging out with the boys on Sunday at the family dinner

I believe that I have been in London for at least 6 six weeks. Time flies so quickly. It brings home the fact that you really need to make the most of everything and every experience in life because you can never get time back. I had a wonderful weekend. As always it was too short. Friday, I went to a firm party and then came home at chilled. "Chilling" is a word that is not in my vocabulary but I am working on it. I did have moments of panic on Friday evening because I had nothing to do and nothing to fret about and nothing stress out about.

Saturday, on the other hand, was a busy day. I woke up and took my dance classes which were simply awesome awesome awesome. They get me moving emotionally, spiritually and physically in a way that nothing else does. After dance class, I intended on doing some sightseeing but that didn't happen. Instead I ran around London (window) shopping (sorta). It is quite embarrassing that I do not know where most of the well known sites are located in London (ie Trafalgar Square, the Tate Museum, etc) but I do know where every single high end and low end department store is located (Harrods, Selfridges, Top Shop, Primark, etc). I need to work on doing more site seeing and less shopping while I am out here. I am closing soon and my budget needs to be tightened a bit. Saturday evening, I went to a birthday party and hung out with some work friends. It was cool. It was nice to catch up with people instead of running pass them in the halls on the way to a closing or conference call. Pretty much any activity that I engage in out here is fun because it requires me to travel to various locations in London and this gives me the opportunity to see more of London, learn about the different neighborhoods and take the oh so complicated train system called the "Tube" which really should be known as a the "Maze." I do not think I have ever had so much fun taking the train in my life.

Sunday, I went to church which is always a blessing and then I had dinner with my family. I met yet another cousin who was visiting London from Florida. I had and always have so much fun with my family. Even though I've only met these people within the last few weeks, I feel so comfortable around them and I feel so much love. It's kinda weird because up until now, I only had female cousins and over the last few weeks I realized that I have several male cousins-- all in my age group. I have so much fun hanging out with them because they have jokes jokes jokes. They are always up to something odd. Their humor has taken me a bit to get used to because it requires that I stay on my toes and always have quick comebacks. They are crass, borderline rude and definitely tactless (I mean this with love) but after you get over the shock of what has come out of their mouths you cant help but laugh because they are so silly. Definitely great lessons on not taking life or yourself so seriously. This weekend they all had their digital cameras and found great fun in taking pictures every 10 seconds. The worse one looked in the photo, the more funny they thought it was. Family time was a wonderful way to end the weekend. All in all, I had a great great great weekend. To God Be the Glory!

My Linesisters & I in London

Left: Astrid and I at dinner on Friday evening

Two days after my mother's departure, Astrid and Nira were scheduled to visit me in London. Astrid and Nira are my linesisters and we pledged the Pi Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta in 1993. Astrid attended Yale undergraduate and Harvard Law School and she is a practicing lawyer. Nira attended Yale undergraduate and is a writer. We have a great friendship and I was looking forward to seeing them. While we have taken local trips together (ie Martha's Vineyard and the Hamptons), it was the first time that we had traveled internationally as a threesome. I was definitely worried because I did not do ANY work while my mother was in town and I had so much to catch up on. I worked until insane hours (like I always do) with the hope that I would catch up on all of my assignments so that I could spend quality time with them. We haven't had a "sleep over" since we were college and I was looking forward to seeing them. Unfortunately the plan did not work. On their first night here, I ended up spending 30 hours at work (yes, that would mean no sleep) trying to finish a document which had major errors that I had only discovered at 4am in the morning. When I got home, I was so exhausted that I could barely engage in a decent level of conversation with them. Fortunately Astrid and Nira came to London together so they could entertain one another during the day which left me feeling less (although not much) guilty about being emotionally and physically drained. Despite my work schedule we did manage to spend some time together. While I did not have the opportunity to do any site seeing with them, we did manage to have dinner every evening and even hit a few clubs. It was definitely nice having company and being with my long time friends!

London, Mommy & Me

Upon returning from my recent visit to the states, my mother accompanied me back to London. Since 9/11, my mother has been very nervous about flying. She has flown a few times for business trips but each trip was made with a huge amount of fear and trepidation. As result, I sincerely appreciated the fact that she was willing to travel to London to spend some time with me.

My mother and I are fortunate enough to have a very close relationship (when I am in the states we talk about 5 times a day-- everyday) and I was looking forward to spending time with her in London. We traveled a bit when I was a child but it had been over a decade since we have taken a vacation together. So, last Monday morning at 5am, as we traveled in the cab to JFK, I was filled with extreme excitement-- just like a child going to Disney World for the first time.
(to the left is a picture of us with my mother's first cousins)

Upon arriving in London after our 7 hour flight, she stayed up all night helping me pack (truthfully, she did all of the packing) my apartment because I was moving into a new flat on the next morning. There is nothing like a mother's devotion. After moving into the new flat, she spent the first day or so relaxing, recovering from jet lag and checking out the surrounding neighborhood to "'make sure that her baby was okay.'" I had a ton of work to do at the office but I was determined to spend some quality time with my mother this weekend. Easter in London is a big deal so everyone had off on Good Friday as well as Monday (the day after Easter known as "Easter Monday").

(to the right is a picture of the my cousins from my mother's side)

It was challenging to organize my mother's schedule. She is a very low maintenance woman (I have no idea how she ended up with me) but it was really important to me that she a great time in London. I have 11 cousins from my dad's side who live in London and my mother has 9 cousins and a bunch of nieces and nephews whom she had never met before. In addition, a friend of mine was in town and I really wanted to have the opportunity to see her as well. Furthermore, there is so much to do and see in London, I at least wanted my mom to experience some of it. So, planning a productive yet fun schedule for her became a part time job for me.

The efforts that I put into this weekend were worth it (I hope she feels the same way). We went to the Museum of London which is located across the street from my flat to see an exhibition of the 200th Year Abolishment of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The exhibition documents the slave trade that took place in England as well as current forms of slavery taking place around the world today. We also visited Buckingham Palace (which is amazing!) and took a tour of the Queen's Art Gallery located within Buckingham Palace (totally boring). I clearly had to squeeze a trip to Harrods (of course) into her schedule as well as some of the other well known shopping areas in London. Harrods is like no other department store I have seen before. It really is a department store located in a museum. The architecture within the store is absolutely stunning. There is an Egyptian theme which runs throughout the store. The ceilings and walls are etched with pyramids and various Eygptian figures. Harrods also has a memorial section dedicated to Princess Diana and Dodi. Though my mom and I both agreed that with the current exchange rate, London is entirely too expensive, we could not help but buy clothes, bags, and little trinkets for friends and family members.

On Saturday, my first cousins from my dad side planned a dinner for her. They had not seen her since I was 3 years old. I was a little nervous because I was not sure what the vibe was going to be like but they welcomed both of us with open arms. Watching my mom hang out with my dad's family was truly a work of God and once again it revealed the fact that God will honor our heart's desires. Sometimes you may not know all of the desires of your heart until they happen before your eyes.

On Easter Sunday, we had dinner with my mother's first cousins. She had not seen her cousins in 3o years. As children they shared a very close relationship which entailed spending weekends and holidays in each other's home. Seeing the excitement on their faces and my mother's truly warmed my heart. Several years ago, one of my uncle had been diagnosed with cancer and was told that he wasn't going to live for more than a year. As children my mother and my uncle spent alot of time together. The love and joy that they share for one another after 30 years of being apart, was a privilege to experience. We had a wonderful Easter dinner around the table. I had the opportunity to get to know my cousins (I met them a few weeks ago for the first time) and my mother and my uncles attempted to catch up on everything under the sun. Sunday dinner truly felt as if my cousins had always been a integral part of my life.

My parents immigrated to the states before I was born. While immigration provides wonderful opportunities for many families, one negative effect is that people settle all over the world thus making it very difficult to stay in contact. Because only a small number of my family members live in the states, I count it as a tremendous blessing that God has given me the opportunity to meet and form relationships with my family members in London that I never knew existed.

I love hanging out with my family members. They are fun, funny and good hearted folks who are hard working and honest. I also enjoy hanging out with them because I get a peak into what life was like for them while growing up in a different country. I could spend hours upon hours listening to stories about my parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and great grandparents. Each story provides insight which gives me the opportunity to know my mother a little better and have a deeper understanding of my family and their history. These stories are also very important to me because if I am ever fortunate enough to have children, it is important that they know that they have a history, a legacy and a heritage that they should be proud of.
(the picture to the left is of family members from my dad's side)

All and all the week was fabulous. We did however, have a few bumps in the road. . on Saturday someone cursed at my mother on the tube (rest assured, you know I handled that with the quickness). On Sunday morning, on the way to church, we were being followed in the tube by a strange man who looked crazy. After we got rid of him, we arrived to church only to discover that Easter service was being held at another location. When we arrived to the location (half an hour later), there was a weird vibe going on and I didn't feel comfortable so we left. On our way back home from church, we took the wrong bus and continuously had the weirdest encounters with what had to be every crazy person who lives in London. However, inspite of these few stumbling blocks, it was a weekend filled with good food, laughter and much love.

I am so honored that God has given me the chance to spend time with my mother over the last few days. I have wonderful memories of the time that we have spent with one another and with our family members. I will hold these memories and experiences dear to my heart forever and ever.

From London to NY to London in 96 Hours

I have ALOT going on in my life right now so this is definitely not the opportune time for me to be in London. Among many things happening, one of the most important is that I am closing on my first home any day now. I am moving back to my old stomping ground--Harlem USA and I have been in contract for the last year. If you currently own a home then I am sure you can imagine what a challenge it is to close on a place from a different country. Last weekend, I flew back to NY in order to get some things in order on this front. I have also been doing some press for the developers of the building that I am purchasing so in addition to packing my apartment, talking to lenders and looking into movers, I spent some time conducting interviews and taking pictures for various newspapers. I am sure this sounds exciting but in the midst of all that I have going on, I found myself asking on more than one occasion exactly how I "had managed to spread myself so thin. . . again and again."
(to the left is a picture of my friend Simone, a member of Allen, and Jamila a former colleague of mine from the firm who I invited to attend the retreat.)
In addition to tending to matters relating to my purchase, I had also planned to attend the Greater Allen Cathedral Women's Retreat. Thoughts of the retreat had me so excited that even though I was so exhausted from work, the excitement about experiencing all that God had in store for me at the retreat, kept me a wake every night
(to the left is a picture of my friend Yolanda who is also a member of the dance ministry)
I have attended the Women's Retreat every year for the last 5 years and I didn't plan on letting the fact that I am in London effect this commitment. Everyone thought that I was crazy for taking a 14 round hour trip back to the states and over the last several weeks, even I had moments of doubt but as I prepared for the 7 hour flight after working 72 hours during the week, I knew that the timing of the retreat could not be more perfect. I had been physically, emotionally and spiritually drained and I needed the solitude of dwelling with God and only the retreat could provide what I so desperately needed.

Unfortunately, the retreat did not totally go as I had planned. I am definitely a planner. . . things in my life are organized a certain way and when plans do not work the way that I intend them to, I tend to loose it . . . and loose it I did. The Word for me this weekend was that I need to "stay focused." Things happen. Life happens. The important part is not the details of "what happens, happened or may happen" but how you respond to the chain of events can make all of the difference in the world.

Although I battled various attempts to steal my joy, the retreat was a blessing. It was several days filled with teaching, preaching and meditating. It felt so good to be in the midst of God and His people. . . the members of Allen who have become like family. I miss ministering with the dance ministry and I was looking forward to seeing the piece which they had been working incredible hard on the for the last few weeks. I had the opportunity to dance with them during praise and worship during the retreat and also during service on Palm Sunday. It was a tremendous blessing to minister with them and praise God through dance. For me, dance ministry is truly the highest form of unadulterated worship and honor that I have to offer to God. The last few weeks have been rough but the retreat rejuvenated me, restored me, encouraged me and gave me the tools to engage in life more powerfully.

In addition to having a wonderful experience at the retreat, my mom is returning to London with me. It's been several years since we have had the opportunity to vacation together and I am looking forward to sharing a little piece of my life in London with her. She's also going to have the opportunity to see some of her cousins that she grew up with as a child. They have not seen one another for about 30 years. It should be an exciting time for my mom, and I am looking forward to all that God has prepared for us.