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September 24, 2004
barriers
Last Sunday I got up super early and rode on the back of the bike for an hour in the chilly air in order to witness a scheduled closure of the Thames Barrier. I had never been out that far east before (well, you can't really get much farther east and still be in London anyway). I went just to see the barrier itself, which is a wonder of 1970s mechanical engineering and design. The city of London and beyond is protected from tidal surges in the North Sea by these colossal widgets. There is a cool labelled diagram on the environmental site where you can see how exactly it works.
I drank some really strong coffee at the café overlooking the Barrier, and we walked around exploring and taking pictures. Alarms would sound when one of the walls was being raised, and the water would start to foam and rush around the closed gate. The upstream side of the barrier was calm and quiet, as if the waters no longer felt the urge to rush out into the sea. It was kind of exciting to watch at first, since we didn't really know how it worked or what to expect. After a few of the sections were closed off though, it felt like the show was over. The barrier was to be closed the rest of the day, so the river remained calm and the industrial docksides got a rest. (Except, of course, for the Tate & Lyle sugar refinery, which is just downstream of the barrier, on the opposite side of the bank. The largest sugar refinery in the world doesn't take breaks from fattening the globe with its vile grain!) I took a few photos if you are curious to see what its like.
I am finding hard to do much of anything these days. And I don't even have a full time job. It's been so long, I don't know how I would manage with one anymore, how do people do it? It has got me thinking more and more now that I want to start my own business. I know I can do it, I'm just not sure it's what I want. And you have got to really want it. I do know though, that whenever I am working for my own gain I tend to work a lot harder and be much more successful. I have an idea or two but that’s about it.
I worked at the Museum a bit last week and have more to do next week. The last event I did was a bit surreal. It was for a Japanese bank. They had a reception and private gallery viewing for around 400 people in the Egyptian, Roman and Greek section. They had a red carpet set up in front of the Rosetta Stone case which led to a receiving line where guests were announced (by a special announcer guy dressed in coat tails who loudly read their names off cards a stiff British accent) to two Japanese couples (two men of importance to the bank and their wives). After being formally announced, the guests shook hands or bowed, depending on their custom and had their photo taken. All this happening over the classical music of a 4 piece string quartet while servers swarmed in identical grey serving jackets with trays of champagne, beer, wine, organic lemonade & water. Then the food came, pretty trays of mostly sushi but the occasional tray of sausages. Even though most of the crowd were speaking Japanese, you could tell most people were busy schmoozing: exchanging business cards, bowing profusely, smiling way too hard and trying to look interested in their conversations. (Or maybe they were just being Japanese?) Hardly anyone ventured out beyond the main room where the guests arrived and into the many galleries that remained open just for them.
Posted by shannon at September 24, 2004 09:58 PM