A brief taste of London and Ireland

I only had three days in London, and most of it was spent in interviews, or on the tube between interviews, at the Kennedy Institute, Mill Hill and Hammersmith Hospital. I was able to see just a little of London, staying with Luke, Shyla and Suma in their trendy new apartment in Notting Hill, a visit to their local, the Cock and Bottle, Trafalgar Square and a little plain old wandering. Walking around London is quite surreal to someone who had an English education but hasn't really spent any time there - every landmark and train station has a name that resonates, Paddington, Notting Hill, Trafalgar, King's Cross, Waterloo, the Tower of London, Piccadilly, Westminster. So much of our culture, so many quirks and habits, only make sense if you know the historical context - and that means London.