Unrest to rest

It's amazing how an hour or two of outdoor therapy can relax the mind. Anu and I went to St.Katharine's docks by the Tower Bridge after dinner, and roamed around in the peaceful, serene area for a while. Sat quietly on a bench by the water, with tens of boats silently anchored in the water softly shimmering under lights, its gentle lapping audible and only sporadically interrupted by the sound of laughter or merry conversation somewhere in one of the nearby restaurants.
I wondered how different our view of London would be from an Indian who would come here, say in the late 1800s. Anu said it wouldn't be too different, only all the sights would be even more startling, as in those times there were no pictures in magazines and images on television to help prepare what to expect in a foreign land.
I believe there would have been more to it than just this. There would have been more terror, more fascination and a sharper alienating feeling.
The conversation shifted to him lamenting how tough it is to find such peace and quiet in Delhi, without the blaring of horns, loudspeakers or the general public and their children. It is true that this place is not aggressive as compared to Delhi. Hectic yes, mad-paced, fast, but not so aggressive. But that's because there is less anger here, and people are not competing with each other to survive. It is not the fault of that country or its people, it's just how it has shaped up through history, and in more ways than one, the unrest there has paid for the peace here.