Double D Takes On London

After seeing Ballet Rakatan (see post below), I rushed home to my flat to meet my friend/soror/god sister/sssssiiiiittter (the latter reference is a private joke) Modupe Akinola fondly known to friends and family as "Dupes."

Left: Hanging out in Covent Gardens after my dance classes.

Dupes and I have known one another since we were in college. She attended Harvard University in Cambridge and I attended Wesleyan in Middletown. My memory does not recall the exact moment that we met. It's kind of weird because if you are black and high school in Manhattan and later attended college in the Northeast (CT, Boston, New Hampshire, etc), a member a fraternity and sorority or a member of ABC or Prep for Prep, then you "know of" or are "known by" a very small group of people. So we knew "of one another" for a few years. Our friendship began with a chance meeting at a club in Boston, we later joined the same church (shout out to the Union Baptist Church), gave our life to Christ (along with our other Peeps Crew made up of JAM, Frantz, Marene, Ellyn and Shani) and became fast friends and sisssttters.

Prior to her arrival in London, I had not seen Dupes since our reunion with the Peeps in Atlanta. So I was looking forward to catching up to her and silently praying that we did not work each others nerves.

She arrived on Saturday evening and we spent the night talking and catching up. On Sunday, I attended my dance classes while Modupe walked around Covent Gardens. We met up later, did some shopping and went to church at Ruach Ministries. I was really excited about sharing my church experience with her but unfortunately, there was a guest pastor and she did not have the chance to experience the phenomenal teaching of Pastor John Francis.

Throughout the week, work was pretty hectic so Dupes spent most of day sleeping, working and sightseeing. However, we did have the chance to have dinner at Busaba, one of my favorite Thai restaurants. We also attended an arts opening that my aunt invited us to which was pretty cool. At the end of the week, we went to my aunt's private club for a champagne mixing class. We didn't stay there too long because Dupes could not take the smoke and the people got on her nerves but I love that private club which is located in a beautiful brownstone and I was happy to have the opportunity to hang out with my aunt for a bit because I had not seen her for a few week. Dupes left on Saturday to spend the rest of the weekend with her family before returning to Boston.

All in all, we had a great week together. We hung out, prayed in the mornings, shared meals, danced to gospel music until the wee hours of the morning and had a good time. I count it a blessing that God has allowed so many of friends to visit me during my stay in London. It's yet another reminder that He is thinking about me and that's because He loved me!