London greeting: Hiya, Haw ya goin den... ah roit?‏

What comes to mind when you read "LONDON?" Trifles? Big Ben? William and Kate? Perhaps many of you have visited, and your experience would probably be totally different from mine, for there's certainly much to do and see. Over the last two months, London and I have spent some quality time together, and here are a few stories:

First, I took a walking tour around London, and our tour guide Trevor-with-a-lisp revealed many interesting facts. Did you know that galoshes in England are now dubbed "Wellies" because of the Duke of Wellington's combat boots? They're all the craze here right now. Fashion has such a bandwagon effect doesn't it? I also learned that London tops the charts for the number of CCTV surveillance cameras. I may have been on CCTV 10 times every day, though I suppose it's still a far cry from Big Brother. Di you further know that St James Park has a resident Pelican population, begun as an exotic gift from the Russian ambassador in 1664? Silly history of politics... All in all, its great to walk 'round the streets of London, crowded though it may be.

One morning, Paul, Charlotte, and I got up in London and went to the nearby cafe for a "working man's breakfast," bacon, jumbo sausage, beans, mushrooms, fried egg, fries. *Burp* The waitress actually recognized Paul, and asked "will you be having the usual?" Then we drove in the afternoon to "Go Ape!" If any of you have been on my zipline over the pond, multiply that by twenty and imagine us climbing up rope ladders and across hanging ropes, swinging into nets (named the Tarzan Swing), and going down four ziplines! My hosts are so adventurous! Every high ropes feature is built on a series of pine trees in a beautiful English glade, an authentic atmosphere for a Nature Boy like me. I even read the novel Tarzan of the Apes last month. That evening, we finished off a splendid "Man's Day Out" with a medieval war film.

Upon arrival at Go Ape, we of course signed a release of liability, but this time they actually meant it because we were briefly trained and left on our own! Each feature had a three-clip system to remain safe at all times and we did it ourselves. As I mounted the final platform for a final line-zip, I glanced at the lightning in the distance and heard thunder, clipping my carrabeaners with rain-covered hands. Frankly, I was grateful to accept responsibility for my own self, rather than have someone over my shoulder worrying that the situation screamed 'Lawsuit' in ten different ways. Ha ha! (for the record, Go Ape was evacuating the course right behind us, and I wouldn't have sued them if a 300-pound attorney had struck me, let alone a mere lightning bolt) If the London Times reports a frivolous lawsuit, the Brits comment, "We're getting as bad as the Americans!" It seems to me that we can buy insurance to preserve our financial stability when bad things happen rather than suing. I hope we can learn to wisely discern what money is a suitable compensation for.

Charlotte and I watched "Yes, Prime Minister" in London's West End theatre district. Poking fun at nearly everything under the sun, especially the European Union and the humanity of politicians, it implied three other American stereotypes: 1 - Americans are independent, societally and individually 2 - Americans think prayer is the answer for everything 3 - If the answer isn't prayer, Americans probably just shoot somebody to solve it. So how true are these stereotypes?? Well, I try to pray without ceasing (rather unsuccessfully I might add), I took a defensive handgun course 4 months ago, and now I'm traveling on my own thru Europe. Sing with me... "Oh beautiful, for spacious skies..."

You probably know what the Americans do when they visit London, but what do the British do there?? Well, 40,000 of them go to the last night of the Proms in Hyde Park!! (and one American does as well) So I got a ticket and plopped down in the grass for a four-hour musical extravaganza. Here's the lineup: Classical musicians: Katherine Jenkins, Russell Watson, Rolf Harris, pianist: Lang Lang, Pop Guys Group: Westlife, and the BBC Concert Orchestra and Royal Choral Society, which were great!

At the Last Night of the Proms, I was surrounded by British, English, Scottish, Australian, and Welch flags, and I was fortunate enough to make friends with 6 people close-by. To my left, Susanne, a huge fan of... Nascar of all things random, suddenly produced an American flag from her Mary Poppins bag for me to wave. So we all linked shoulders and swayed in the slight drizzle, singing "Rule, Brittania! Brittania rule the waves..." and me trying to sing the British Anthem "God Save the Queen" which, interestingly is the same tune as "My Country Tis of Thee." Even though it

wasn't my country, I relished the excitement, and appreciated the way that my flag and I were entirely welcome there, as my neighbors made clear. I can't help but esteem the USA's unity as a nation. Despite a civil war, terrorism, and political dissent, how terrific that we stand under only one flag! The next day, I spotted myself on catch-up television in the crowd shots, although I needed extra high definition to distinguish my facial features. Well, I'll check "appear on British Tele" off my to-do list.

Also entertaining on London's West End was the show The 39 Steps, a cast of only four playing lots of characters in a spin-off murder mystery. I also was a commoner in the yard of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre twice for All's Well That Ends Well, and Much Ado About Nothing! The excellent acting made Shakepeare ring with interest like never before in my experience. How gratifying to stand in line for last-minute returns and lean against the stage for five quid! (pounds). It's an authentic replication of the experience in the 1600s, with the exception of distant Jumbo Jets roaring across the open skies. And perhaps the crowd is a bit more respectful.

After standing so long at The Globe, a 25-mile bike ride along the Thames to central London is just the ticket to loosen the muscles. The Thames is a meandering river in the country, and a swift-flowing icon in downtown London, and the Thames Clipper boats provide an enjoyable alternative to the underground for commuters and 25-yr-old American tourists. I saw lots of 40-foot houseboats, which provide a charming escape from society for a cruise up the Thames and even along the canal behind Charlotte and Paul's house. I had to stop and take a picture when I saw one named, "Tell Me Tomorrow," a succinct description of the activity. I'd rather be playing Ultimate frisbee, myself, but they're cool boats.

And so I'll wrap up this note and my European experience with a ridiculously philosophical comment about experiencing things once: It seems to me that every new experience teaches us something about life. Those new experiences need not be in another country, nor even another county. I appreciate both the opportunity and learning, yet simultaneously it reinforced now naive I am about the big truths of life. It struck me the other day that knowledge of good and evil was even the downfall of Adam and Eve. So I shall return to Wichita tomorrow, and if God wills it, continue to live, work hard, pursue God's will. The next mini adventure is running the 5K Race for the Cure Sept 24! For now, God's will may be 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances."

Hope your not knackered, peckish, stitched up, or wound up. Wishing you all the best in your endeavors, challenges, and joys.

Seth Pro