Interactions
“Will Liam Neeson be there to protect and keep you safe?” For the millionth time, my mom interrogated me about my safety in London. I knew she was kidding about taking a fictional character with me, but at the same time a part of me worried on whether or not I would survive.
After traveling in London for a few days, my experience started out wonderful. But as the overcast fell on one gloomy night, I wished that Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson from Taken) was escorting me on my forsaken walk through Queensway. My friend and I walked into a souvenir shop, where a man offered us deals…not only on the souvenirs. Goodness, my mom’s words remained true. Maybe, I didn’t have street smarts after all. How could a place so beautiful be so filthy and disgusting at the same time?
A few days later, I found myself in the inner city district of Camden. Out of all the boroughs that London had to offer, this one made me feel at home the most. With a gigantic sign that said “The Camden Market,” it had a bazaar like feel, which people in the Rio Grande Valley would call a “pulga.” An array of vendors spilled out of the tents and dragged potential buyers into their makeshift shops. Whatever one sought to buy, it lived in Camden. From shoes to clothes, to artwork and pipes, the market offered anything one might desire.
“You like? I got your size.” The shop owner asked my friend and I.
“How many pounds for the shoes sir?”
“Thirty-Four Pounds, but for you twenty five”
Like a billion fruit flies on a sweet cake, the shop owners attacked us. They offered us deals better than the prices listed, and led us down weird alley ways to find the top of the line items. We were being treated like Queen Elizabeth II herself. My eyes feasted upon all the beautiful and imported clothing. It ranged from all over the world. Whether you had a free spirited style or classic style, Camden sold it all. The shop owners had a magical way to get you to buy anything.
Besides its reputation for selling clothes and knickknacks, Camden partakes in one of London’s greatest eatery locations. With an innumerable amount of different aromas, my stomach growled in delight. The tangy twist of a lime combined with the sweetness of a freshly squeezed orange, just made sense in Camden. In only one section of Camden, one could find Spanish, French, Dutch and American food all for a reasonable price. If you didn’t have time to dine in, you could grab a quick bite to eat at one of the various puestitos.
Although tourists flocked to Camden for the market, I enjoyed every aspect about it, even the things that went unacknowledged. The floor that crawled with disgusting grime showed me the years of walking and dirt that had added a layer to the concrete that I had never seen. Like many other areas in London, Chalk Farm teemed with millions of people from around the world. They spoke different languages like Portuguese, Spanish, French, English, Chinese and basically any language known to man. People were walking in all different directions, with nowhere to go and everything to see. Amidst the crowded jungle of people, stood one interesting character, a hippie of some sort. Her age didn’t surpass her twenties, and she dressed in jeans, sandals, and a crop top. She adorned her head with a flower headband and offered free hugs. Unlike the others, she wore a smile from ear to ear and danced freely to some music playing in her ears. I quickly ran up to her and we hugged like best friends, took a quick photo and left.
After exploring the area, we noticed a group of friends had joined the free hugs girl. They all wore free spirited clothes, and offered free food to anyone who wanted to try it. They called themselves The Oomun Group, who aim to promote a structure that bases itself on logic and love. From what I could see on their makeshift sign, they offered vegan food. It looked like a ball of maza, stuffed with some vegetable delight. To be quite honest, it didn’t appeal to my eye. It looked like one of those play dough balls you make as a kid covered in dirt and sand. As they handed out the food, a lady came up to the free hugs girl and asked what they were doing.
“What is this? The woman asked.
“We are giving free food.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because, it’s a basic human right and not everyone has it.”
As she said those few simple words, my eyes filled to the brim with salty tears. Out of all the places in London, I found the most beautiful person in the roughest area of London. Although Camden has a reputation for being an area of drug dealing, danger and illegal acts, the truest and most sincere London inhabitants I met resided in the tough side of town. From out of the filth of Camden, arose the most memorable and meaningful experience. Camden gifted me the realization that I did possess street smarts, and that the most beautiful people in this world could come from the ugliest parts of town. Without even looking for one, I made The Impossible Made Possible. How could a place so filthy and disgusting be so beautiful at the same time? https://youtu.be/7P8Qj2HjPzA
