Flick of the Day

A Slice of Life

London-town. I had been left to my own devices to explore the metropolitan city, since I wasn't meeting up with my friend until the next day. I didn't want to see anything too touristy, since I was sure we'd hit all the major sights together. So I walked around aimlessly, just taking in the city's vibes. I had heard great things about their salsa dancing scene, but that wouldn't be for at least another 6 hours.

It was raining, but I wasn't complaining since that was part of the London charm; always dreary and lively at the same time. After only having arrived fresh off the train a couple hours ago, I could attest to the vibrancy of the place. People were hustling and bustling, and it was swamped with tourists like myself. But I wanted to avoid them, and snatch a peek into the everyday life of a Londoner.

That's when I found it. Somewhere in the midst of the tourist-saturated path was this skate park, if that's what you'd call it. The graffiti pulled me in first, then the teens on their skateboards and bikes are what kept my attention. It was like they didn't seem to notice or care about all the commotion around them, they were just here to do their thing. And most of them did it pretty well. I knew it wasn't a show or tourist trap, because there wasn't anywhere to leave a tip for the amazing show they were putting on. I just watched, snapped a few pictures, and shouted some compliments when I decided it was time to move on to my next destination.

As someone who is blessed to travel quite often, I am always looking for that window into the heart of the place I'm visiting, a slice of life that they're accustomed to living. I found it that day in London, and later on that night when I went salsa dancing somewhere off of Tottenham Rd.