The Diary of Anne Ku

12 August 2000 Saturday warm

MEETING POINT

The well laid plans of mice and men. There's only one certainty - nothing is certain. This should be the motto of living in London.

I had arranged to meet inside the Green Park tube station tonight at 6:30 pm. So I synchronised my watch and left promptly at 6 pm, intending to catch a train to Vauxhall and then switch to the Underground. My colleague told me that the Victoria Line south of Victoria station was closed for three weeks. This meant that I had to change at Waterloo and then take the Jubilee Line to Green Park. However, once I got on the tube, I learned that it was not stopping at Green Park. Thinking there was something wrong with the Jubilee Line tracks, I got out at Bond Street and changed to the Central Line to Oxford Circus and changed again to the Victoria Line. The Victoria Line did not stop at Green Park either.

By then I was really worried. Ever since I received my my punctuality lesson in Munich years ago, I worried about being late. It is so distressing for the person who has to wait. I had no way of getting in touch with my friend. So I started sending out telepathic waves - please stay there. Wait for me. Even though I'm already half an hour late. I got out at Victoria Station to take a taxi. The English are such law-abiding citizens, particularly when it comes to queuing. No taxi would stop for me unless I joined the long queue. So I decided to take a bus. I arrived at Green Park station to find it closed and sealed off.

At 7:30 pm I looked for my friend. Luckily she waited for me. Even better, she was talking to someone who I had arranged to meet there. Neither knew each other - but my telepathic waves had moved them in the right direction. Plus it was more comfortable to wait outside, next to the real Green Park.

yesterday

tomorrow