In England again

I don't know how many times I have checked through the British borders.

The first time I arrived at Heathrow Airport, it was September 1985. I was 23 years old. I dragged my bags to the Victoria train station trying to get the coach to Leicester.
Leicester was home to me for the next two years. But I was not inspired by the town, although I enjoyed the market in the city centre. I frequented London every two weeks and my weekends were filled with laughter and the feelings of closeness with my friends in Shepperd's Bush. I loved London, so I managed to get my Part 1 training year job at Store Street, five minutes walk to the AA School of Architecture. Most evenings were filled with attending lectures at the AA given by, as I recalled Thom Mayne of Morphosis, Hermann Hertzberger, Peter Cook, Zaha Hadid etc. I continued with my RIBA Part 2 education in London at the Polytechnic of North London. My mentor, Steve Lightbody, who was an associate at Rock Townsend when I did my Part 1 gave me insights on how to be a better designer. These times were the best years when I was in London as I was flourishing both spiritually and mentally. I came into 4th year (1st year at North London) with passion and designed like there was no limitation and the lecturers just let me be. I graduated with a distinction although my 5th year was frought with difficulties in the middle of it. I left in 1991 and returned to London to do my masters at UCL in 1995-96. The year that I spent was not that great as I was in transition then, physically and mentally. My mid 30s were not the best years of my life. But I guess it was necessary in the Plan of things to come. Maybe, most of my 30s were spent in Malaysia and only 2 years in England compared to my 6 years when I was in my 20s?

I spent 3 1/2 years in England in my early 40s. This time I decided to go to Salford, near Manchester. I would say that my stay in England this time was at the very least extremely influential when my development as a person eclipsed when I finally came to terms with myself, spiritually, mentally and physically. The year 2005, my 3rd year doing PhD was so eventful in my life, that when I come to think of that year, I was greatly blessed. The breakthrough that I had was tantamount to me fighting my biggest fear and with it came a responsibility that I never thought I would have to do, which I accepted and still am coming to terms with.

England is my spiritual home, my beginning of many things, and I am proud of this surrogate country of mine, for it bore witness to the many milestones in my life.

So here I am in England again, facing another huge challenge. Facing my truth, yet again.