Great Friends, Great Times

We had hoped to spend more time with our friends Susan and Mitch on this visit. They live just outside of London. But because of unforeseen circumstances, we had only one day together. However, thanks to Mitch's and Susan's incredible hospitality, it was a spectacular day. 

We began by visiting in their home. They both look great!

We've known Mitch and Susan and their family, daughter Cherie and son Lee, for 30 years, since Kevin and Mitch worked together on a contract for British Telecom (BT), and we've visited each other often in either England, the U.S., or in Trinidad and Tobago, where Mitch and Susan grew up. 

Over the years, Mitch has obtained an MBA and continued his success. With the convergence of telephony and IT, he now has an extensive background in multiple aspects of the communications field and has worked in managerial positions all over Europe.

Susan, in addition to being an excellent mother, worked as a teaching assistant, and later a volunteer, at the local school, so she has contributed a lot to the community. She is also one of the world's best cooks, and if you haven't had her stewed chicken, you are missing out on one of life's greatest pleasures. (We don't visit just for Susan's cooking, you understand, but it is a big draw!) 


What a pleasure it has been to see their family grow over the years and get to know the bright and talented adults whom we first knew as children.

On this visit, we didn't see Cherie, who is now married with three daughters--one only a month old at our visit--but the proud grandparents shared photos, of course. Cherie and her husband also have achieved success in their careers.

(Mitch and Susan's son, Lee, who lives in London, stopped by to have lunch with us one day. Lee and Kevin have always hit it off, so it's not surprising that they still do. Lee has a very successful business as a consultant, with clients that include hedge fund managers.

But I'm getting ahead of the story...)

We must have talked all day at Mitch's and Susan's, recounting funny stories* about the training the men had so long ago, and discussing mutual friends. And then, that night, we were in for another treat.

Our friends took us to a pub/restaurant that not only offered delicious Indian food, but also modern Indian music. 

That night, the pub hosted the 80th birthday party for a beautiful Indian woman (or a British woman of Indian heritage). She truly was the most attractive 80-year-old woman that I've ever seen. Her large family was gathered around, and the mood was happy and infectious. (I wish now that I had asked to take some photos for my blog, but I'm a little reluctant to intrude on people's privacy, and it was her big night.)

And then the fun began. The music swelled louder and people began to dance to its insistent, driving beat. Two singers, a male and a female, who alternated their performances and a keyboardist kept the place hopping!

Susan took my hand and led me onto the dance floor. She is slim and graceful and fit very nicely into the group, which included ladies dressed in richly colored saris and flowing, spangled dresses. (I was a little under-dressed in my jeans and sweater. Having heard it was a pub, I had visions of the old half-timbered dark venues with horse brasses, and that place was far from that!) Still, I tried to make up with enthusiasm for what I lacked in grace, and everyone smiled in welcome, as we moved to the loud, pulsating beat, all bathed in a warm, pink glow. I almost felt that I was in a Bollywood musical! I enjoyed it thoroughly!

Later, some members of the family came over and thanked us for participating. I thanked them for letting me be part of that celebration--and I continue to be grateful to Mitch and Susan for that extraordinary experience.

It must have been close to midnight when we said our goodbyes and Mitch and Susan dropped us off at the Tube. I really hope we see them again before too many years have passed--and maybe I should practice my dancing?

---

Their son, Lee, had invited us to come with him the following Saturday to tour Borough Market, and we could not pass that up. Borough Market, located in Southwark is said to be one of the oldest--if not the oldest--market in London, and it is quite large, dwarfing Seattle's Pike Place Market. There has been a market at or near that site since the 12th Century, and some say even earlier! The current buildings date from the mid-1800s. And oh, the gourmet delights!

Lee began by introducing us to his favorite coffee.

Such a handsome young man!

And then we began to scout the stalls and sample the goodies.

As Lee went about gathering supplies, including some tasty olive oil and cheese, I asked him, "Are you a gourmet cook?"
"No, " he replied, "But I'm a good assembler."

Not a bad answer for a young, hard-working bachelor. And I'm convinced if you can gather the right food and ingredients from Borough Market, you could create a meal that would impress anyone. Thank you, Lee!

Friends make our lives rich.

*For example, during the training by British Telecom, Kevin pondered an engineering drawing that was marked "Unkerbed." Kevin asked the instructor, "What is an unker-bed?" Everyone in the room laughed uproariously! It was then that Kevin realized that in the U.K.--and in the Commonwealth--the "curb" at the side of a road is spelled "kerb." It wasn't an unker-bed at all! It simply meant "un-curbed."