Shattered

The ten missed calls indicated something was wrong. As I had to run an errand in town I had given Sura my key to let herself in: we travelled from Glasgow this morning and she was carrying a suitcase around. We had only caught up on three days of London riots that we blissfully missed.

Then three text messages:  my road was full of police and all the shops on the high street were boarded up. All, apart from the shop beneath my flat. Sura was told by police to get off the street and thus urged me to find a new place to stay for the night. ( I later called my flatmate and she said the police woman in front of our flat said it were just rumours. Ah, the police woman in front of the flat you said?)

So here I am, writing you this from refuge in Mile End ( yes also shaky but at least less shops around.) There is a strange atmosphere around, people hurrying home before dark and there is an eerie quiet in the air. What a difference from the pretty Scottish place I woke up in this morning…

Sura and I have spent the last six days with our friend B who lives close to Glasgow. Highlights included:

• An amazing wine in Cafe Gandolfi that had to be excavated from the cellar but the memory still brings tears to our eyes. ( The following days we had to remind ourselves nothing could live up to it.)
• Sunshine – It Happened. We had 1 day of rain, we even had a drink in the sun, it was like summer had come to Scotland 😉
• The night view over Glasgow from the rooftop of the old BBC Scotland building, after having met a few of its residents in a pub and having been invited to share their whisky at home. ( “Well, aren’t you boys kind and generous souls…”)
• Super 8, the movie. It was a highlight, even with hangovers ( best quote that day came from B’s 10-year-old: “Are you hung over?”  We: “No, do we look hung over?” He: “No, but maybe girls cover that up with make-up and stuff…” *cue faces of disbelieve… )
• Edinburgh, the festival in the rain: 12 hours – 4 shows. The first was One Million Tiny Plays about Britain, quotes from the British public are made into theatre. The second was the mind-blowing Orlando by Cryptic, whose technical wizardry really should be toned down to let their one woman do her thing in the show. As we are applauding Ed Byrne’s comedy we’re halfway out of the hall, legging it to another show, The Golden Dragon. We managed to catch the last extra train and felt very happy with ourselves.
• Sura cooked dinner. I think that deserves a mention.
• Another cinema round, where B and Sura see Horrible Bosses and I see Sarah’s Key. This had to do with pre-booked tickets, a cinema card and a sold out show. As I took in all the horrors of WW II , I realised that we were having a completely different cinema experiences… but the question remains: Jason Bateman, Yay or Nay?

It was lovely, a happy relaxing time. Something I will hold onto as I lay myself to sleep tonight. My flatmate just texted: All’s quiet here.

Let’s hope it stays that way.