It's nice to be part of it too

So I spent the whole day along the banks of the river Cam just in front of Trinity College's Wren Library. The sunny weather was just to gorgeous to be spent indoors and the place was absolutely beautiful. The library overshadows the green lawns which border the river as it takes a bend beneath two willow trees. I like it there.



There's a bench which I've already claimed as my own after spending hours on it writing up my coursework. From it, I can see the hillarious antics of novice punters tackling one of the hardest bends of the river. More so because the furthest edge of the riverbed isn't covered by gravel resulting in a lot of stranded poles.


~


So I struck up a lively conversation with an elderly lady sitting next to me. I like talking to the elderly. They have such a jaded view of the world - one that comes from wisdom and experience after having lived for so long. We both shared the same love for the river - for the reassuring sound of the pole striking the gravel. And after having talked for hours about family, punting and life in general, she said:

"It's amusing to see the world go by, it's nice to be part of it too."

and the world suddenly seemed so different to me.

~

I think people are getting more spoilt by the generation. In Hong Kong, I witnessed a maid carrying a student's bag in one hand while holding up an umbrella for her royal highness in the other in order to shade her pale skin from the sun. And back in my time, my parents couldn't afford to fly with me to England. Back in my time, they couldn't drive up from London to Cambridge. Back in my time, they couldn't help me unpack and decorate my room, sort out bank account applications for me or buy groceries for me. It's quite clear what the world is coming to and it doesn't look pretty.