From Brussels, London and Amsterdam

Lilly, London

June 18, 2006

I'm back in Liberia - safe, healthy and sound but already missing the places and particularly the people I met on my holiday. Thanks and greetings to everybody who could fit me in.

As well as meeting many marvelous (and uber-marvelous) people I ate well, drank lots of fresh milk (I already miss it) and saw a fantastic show: Fuerzabruta at Roundhouse Studios in London. (It runs until August 31 and I recommend it.)

Although it's was a great holiday I'm following up on two disappointments. The first was the service I received at the photography shop in Amsterdam (as I described last month) and the second was about a street performer in Covent Garden. This is a letter I sent Mayor Ken about it:

Dear Mr. Livingstone,

On a recent and very wonderful visit to London I was distressed by a street performer in Covent Garden who had an audience member
wrap him entirely in plastic wrap - including brief complete tight wrapping of his face. (The performer than escaped to great applause.) The point of course is that children might imitate the performance and suffocate.

I urge you to ensure that this performer be asked (or required?) to stop covering his face during the performance.

Please keep up the great work in London.

Tom Haythornthwaite

This is the response:

Dear Tom Haythornthwaite

Thank you for your email.I note your concerns about the street
performers act in Covent Garden. However, it is not in our remit to issue their licences or have any control over them or that area.This responsibility falls under the local authority for the area which could be Westminster. You can find their contact details via the website www.direct.gov.uk.

Regards


Nicola Dunderdale


Public Liaison Officer

I'll pursue it and report back in a future blog entry.

So now it's back to the crazy life here. Frustrations continue to pile on but I'll stick it out until my contract ends at the end of December. There are currently a lot of Merlin jobs advertised around the world and I hope there will be then. But I'm certainly going to need another break.

I really like my new camera. The lens focuses so quickly. But I have to admit I'm surprised that I'm finding 70mm a bit too short sometimes. I do love it wide though. I'll probably buy a longer lens before my next holiday... which is going to be Kenya in October!!

I've updated my reading list.

That's all for now but I'll try not to wait so long before my next update.