Way of the British

Traveling around London opened my eyes to the ways of the British. On the whole, I found the British to be sincere, friendly, pleasant and accommodating. Here are some instances of unforgettable encounters.

After watching the Electric Light Orchestra Experience in the seaport town of Folkestone a few days ago, my wife Menchu and I waited at the train station for the one-hour ride back to the city. There were about 30 minutes to go before the train was scheduled to pull in. Beside us on the waiting bench was a man who had also come from the concert. He was alone.

We asked the man if he enjoyed the show. He did, showing us the program and shirt he bought as commemorative souvenirs. We spoke like we had known each other for years. The man introduced himself as Clive. He shared his life story. He said he worked as a postman since he was 16 and after 32 years, asked to be declared redundant last March. Clive said he wanted to enjoy his separation benefits. With what he got, Clive went to Las Vegas to attend the annual Star Trek convention where he had a picture taken with actor William (Captain Kirk) Shatner. He bought two rare collectible Star Trek figurines at the convention and another not-so-rare. Unfortunately, they were crushed in his luggage. Fortunately, he was reimbursed for the damage of the rare collectibles.

Clive said with his money running out, he decided to look for a new job. He was to start work on the production line at a food factory in a few days in Ashfield where he lives a simple life. Clive said he watches a lot of TV and DVD movies but stays away from finding out what goes on in the outside world. He’s a music lover and that’s why he bought a ticket to the ELO tribute show. Clive enjoys life, avoids stress and does what he has to do to make both ends meet. He said he’s not lonely without a wife or family of his own. He likes the freedom of being able to do things at the spur of the moment.

Before we knew it, the train pulled in. We got in the same coach as Clive and continued our conversation until he got off at Ashfield, one stop from Folkestone. We promised to stay in touch by e-mail. We said who knows, maybe one day, he’ll find a Filipina wife.

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Another Englishman whom we met out of the blue was Sanjiv Kumar, a tax partner with the accounting and tax firm Bluerose Associates. Menchu and I were at an eating counter outside the doors leading to the O2 Arena for the Barry Gibb concert last Thursday and Sanjiv was next to us with a friend. It turned out that Sanjiv was treating his friend to the show for her birthday. Sanjiv is a bachelor.

Like Clive, Sanjiv talked to us like we were long-lost friends. We told him we tried to get tickets for the Fleetwood Mac concert but weren’t successful. Sanjiv, who watches music concerts of all genres, said he could’ve scored tickets for us if he only knew. Sanjiv, who is of Indian descent, was born in Kenya where his father was assigned for work and later moved to London.

On another occasion, we were walking down the streets of Bournemouth when we saw a store with the signs “Imelda Wardrobe” and “Imelda Shoe Boutique.” It was 7 p.m. and the store was closed for the day. We were in town for the Crosby, Stills and Nash concert with our dear friend Ravel Nejad. I quickly took out my camera for a picture of the store. An English passerby stopped and volunteered some information. “Do you know that store is named after the former Philippine First Lady?” He didn’t explain if it was because the storeowner was a fan or did it satirically. When we said we were Filipinos, he said no wonder, we were taking pictures.

In the London Underground, commuters never failed to offer assistance. Once, Menchu and I hurriedly tried to catch a train during rush hour. We were on the way to Kennington on the Northern Line but couldn’t be sure if we were on the right platform. At least three commuters assured us we were on the right train. And when our stop came up, one of them called out to us just in case we missed it. On another Underground trip, a man gave up his seat for Menchu and I to sit together and he went to sit elsewhere. That kind of friendliness is so encouraging in a world that is wracked by dissension and conflict.

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Our London experience wouldn’t have been possible without the kind hospitality of our close friends Peter and Katherine Camp and their sons Louis and Emil who live in Kennington.

Katherine or Corky, who is from Texas, lived in Manila for three years during her teens as a student at Maryknoll, now Miriam College. Her father Russell Virgils was an engineering consultant with Meralco at the time. The Virgils family lived next door to our home in Makati and Corky was Menchu’s schoolmate. Corky is an accomplished multi-media artist who specializes in paper paintings and intricate thematic collages while Peter, an Englishman, is a successful architect. Their son Louis, newly graduated from Trinity College of Dublin, once did an apprenticeship with a microfinance company in Tarlac. Emil is finishing high school and will attend university next year. The Camps welcomed us to their home like family.

Our dear friends Ravel and Jing Nejad and their children Eliane and Sasan who all live in London were also gracious hosts. Jing, who is boxing guru Hermie Rivera’s niece, took care of booking our tickets to concerts and Ravel drove us all the way to Bournemouth. They introduced us to Jaime Oliver’s place on Portabello Road and reintroduced us to Nando’s, a Portuguese chicken franchise. The Nejads came to our rescue in arranging a balikbayan box for our things.

No doubt, the world would be a much nicer place to live in with more people like the Camps, Nejads, Clive, Sanjiv and the wonderful Britishers whom we met on our trip.