It is almost 7pm and it is all bright and sunny! I am in Brighton, (in the UK) where the headquarters of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance are situated. Almost nearing the end of my 10-day visit out here. Work meetings have run along quite well. So did the “brown bag” discussions (held yesterday and today) on the work we have been doing in China and Thailand.
I was in London on the weekend. Took the train out on Friday night and met up with Jeyda who lives in East Central London. Chatted on until late in the night. Then woke up late on Saturday morning to resume even more chats! Afternoon was back on the tube to get to Rachel’s side of town, on the Western End. We went out for Lebanese food right off Picadilly — not before circling around the block to find the right place, which ended up to be a few steps away from where we began! Fabulous food and even more fabulous conversation. Sunday was Chinese lunch, met a nice bunch of Rachel’s friends – a guy from Colombia, a Japanese woman and her English date. They were all from banking and finance backgrounds, so they threw on some curious questions on me, being the odd one out in terms of career modes. Rachel and I went out for a 3-hour walk through London parks, roads and one department store… and while we were at it, decided to walk all the way back to her flat instead of taking the tube.
Monday morning found me on the train back to Brighton, and off to the first of two “brown bag” (lunchtime) discussions. Today is Tuesday, still here at the office on a sunny 7pm. Strange to have the sun up this late in the day!
More meetings tomorrow, and then off in the early evening to Heathrow airport for the flight back to Bangkok. And then to more meetings…
