London rocks!

MANILA, Philippines - I was 19, carefree, and kinda naïve the very first time I went to London. Back then, traveling for me only meant partying, shopping, and just taking a cursory look at the most popular tourist traps with a matching camera to snap photos away as proof of my travels to show to my incredulous (and sometimes jealous, hahaha) friends upon my return.

Memories of my London teenage sojourn are just a blur of a huge clock tower called Big Ben, a London Bridge that was definitely not falling down, red double-decker buses seen again in Harry Potter movies, red-orange brick buildings, clammy, rainy weather, English pubs teeming with artists in bizarre attire, humongous parks, rickety and confusing underground train system called the Tube, palaces, and very, very expensive everything. (Oh, yes, I also remember visits to scary mansions with my then UP Concert Chorus roommate, now famous comedian, Nanette Inventor.)

Even with such a superficial overview of London, I always kept London in my heart. I idolized Princess Diana so much that I cried for one whole day and locked myself in my room when she met an accident and died.

I preferred BBC to CNN for the simple reason that I loved to listen to the British accent of its London reporters. I avoided coffee but drank tea (with milk and sugar please, as the Brits do!) like water. I watched Notting Hill starring Julia Roberts about a hundred times. I was so proud that the Beatles, Charlie Chaplin, James Bond, Alfred Hitchcock and even the Spice Girls, all started in London.

I read each Harry Potter book even before my son got hold of them. I wanted to join Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow when they both decided to make London their new home. Loving London so much, I even went to the extreme of dreaming of becoming a nanny for any of David Beckham’s kids. (Hahaha)

My recent trip to London with my husband Paul opened me up to the London that it really is now, a multiracial, historically and culturally rich, vibrant and exciting city. The Tube and the maps are still as confusing as before but this time I realized that during rush hour you can be packed in there like sardines with different people from so many different countries and cultures, so much so that you would think the passengers are representatives to a United Nations gathering. You hear different kinds of music at every corner; even the underground stations would have great musical performances for those just passing by. You also feel at home because there are so many Filipinos willing to share tips on how to enjoy London. (During our visit, acclaimed Filipina singer-actress Joanna Ampil was starring in a West End musicale.) At the very reasonably-priced President Hotel where my husband and I were fortunately booked, hardworking and friendly Filipino receptionists and staff gladly gave us these tips which we followed to the letter:

1. For education on British history, visit the Tower of London and make sure you see the Crown Jewels and the torture chambers (remembering the recent movie The Other Boleyn Girl, I also went to check on where Anne Boleyn was actually beheaded and felt chills down my spine).

2. For more of British history, go to the Westminster Abbey where British Kings and Queens have been crowned since 1066 (so make sure to see the Coronation Chair).

3. Visit the Buckingham Palace during the changing of the guard.

4. Go to the National Gallery (not only once but several times; it doesn’t matter because admission is free).

5. Stroll along Hyde Park and Kensington Park on the way to the Kensington Palace where Princess Diana resided (I saw her fabulous gowns on display; it took me so much will power to stop myself from breaking the glass display cases and trying them on).

6. Take a River Thames cruise, (which we took with our friend, England-based Filipino doctor Noy Dario).

7. Eat fish and chips in an authentic English pub.

8. Avoid shopping (for buying pasalubong, a must for us Filipinos, we went to Primark — recommended by good friend Helen Cifra — where everything, and I mean everything, is incredibly cheap).

Lastly, our new-found friends in President Hotel told us not to miss a West End musicale. As our budget could only accommodate two shows, and since Wicked was already pre-booked, we decided on another musicale that my bar top-notcher classmate Joy Peña, a recent London visitor herself, highly recommended. Her words echoed in my ears when she reminded me frantically before we left Manila, “Don’t you ever miss it. Watch it! Watch it!!!!” And we were very glad we did!

We Will Rock You, which gives life to the songs of the very popular band Queen and pays tribute to its soloist Freddie Mercury who left this world so young, is a whole lot of fun but more so for people like me and my husband who grew up (or rather, grew old) with songs by Queen. Although the storyline is very simple, it is the experience of listening and actually singing along and reminiscing Queen’s songs that make it highly enjoyable and unforgettable. It is different from other musicales we have watched as the background music is not by an orchestra but by a real live rock band. Expecting to see only people my age, I was pleasantly surprised to notice different people from all, and I mean all, age brackets really enjoying the show, clapping their hands, stomping their feet, and dancing wildly to the music of Queen. Truly, words are not enough to express the exhilarating feeling of singing with the cast unforgettable Queen songs such as We are the Champions, Lady Gaga and, of course, the never-say-die harmony-filled-aria Bohemian Rhapsody. The two major actors sang and acted well. The choreography was amazing. The costumes were fabulous. The fantastic sets made wonderful use of lasers, a huge plasma screen that projected great images, and an elevated, revolving stage. At the end of the three-hour show, the audience would not leave but begged for more, more, more! I myself wanted so much more of the musicale... and so much more... of London.

(E-mail me at [email protected] or text 0927-5000833. Help build houses for the poor through the Gawad Kalinga by calling 718-1738 to 41 or texting 0917-5239777).