London is in many ways a globe; a theatre and a world where one is requested to take off one's shoes or to put hand luggage inside a restrictions-frame for bags when entering, in order not to be labeled a terrorist of cultural meassures or violating the standards of social behaviour. Everyone should know that they indeed are an audience to this capitol. When you'd ask londoners for direction, they'd very well guide you to the nearest tube or tell you about the important landmarks of the city, but not politely, rather with a great deal of suspicion. London is imprisoned in its fear for strangers. Its inhabitants are waiting for the next unavoidable concenquence of being in an american leash of forced warcrime against countries most british school children can't even spell. Remarkably, modest scandinavians are concidered a threath to the land of queens and kings as well as others. One can never be too sure, it seems.

In this particular globe, there is an act taking place. It's a play of forgotten conciousness, of trying to keep a long lost empire. London is very far from the romantic idea you've seen portrayed on postcards. It exceeds logic how this country, historicly, has maintained one of the most influential superpowers of the world, and then again it doesn't. Everywhere you'll look, on compact large buildings, unmatched but never the less standing close to eachother, on the old corridors of Heathrow airport, or more recent contributions such as ironbridges over the river Thames, you are reminded this was once the cradle of industrialization - and now unmodernly trapped in its own history.

One is expecting a bigger version of the cultural intimacy left inside the gate of Scandinavia Copenhagen airport, and is rewarded a city without soul, lost in its reputation as the highlight of Europe, more culturally decomposed than culturally significant. Overrated and overpopulated. I am indeed among the crowd, in the audience to this capitol, but the truth is that out from its closed borders London peaks with great deal of envy.

London is imprisoned in fear. The attacks on british soil has become etched into every corner of Britain, with threaths on 12 british planes over land and seas yet to come. Here, there is an ongoing campaign named "We are Londoners". You can't miss it, every street in central London is covered with its signs, but this, aparently, does little to comfort the silent anxiety that grows in everyone's fresh memory. The tube's network stretches from the inner town to the airport and all around suburbs like a gigantic nerv system. This may be the reason that the assault on London mainly concentrated on attacking public transportations; striking towards major subway stations and christian symbols such as Channing's Cross and King's Cross. This is a war more than anything caused by the modern crusades the western world has forcely carried on in remote regimes. It may be that politicians didn't see it coming, but it's not pure coincidence that these transportation points are inflicted and that the people try to live through their daily rutines with their fearful awareness.

So what does London have that other cities don't except bad weather and english formality? More than anything else a unique way of recovery. But the wound achieved in the british system is still not a healed one. Ads shown in the subway reminds people of the current situation and commands the public to emidiately report suspicious things to the policeforce. London is advertising its vulnerability. And above all, people don't seem to know their capitol geography, as most of its inhabitants daily uses the subway underground, away from daylight and sidewalks. In a large metropolis like this it's easy to see why that is creating panic. People simply tend to forget who and where they are.

It seems to be a shaken city. The role the british government's been playing on the international arena is a dangerous one, and has taken many sacrifices and victims.

Noone is really uninterested of these facts, as the bombings are printed in the minds of every londoner, but noone wants to discuss it. I try to, continuesly regected. Life goes on, though a distante worry gives itself away on everyone's face. "Why did it happen?" is in fact the incomprehensible that flashes whereever you go about as a shady foreign visitor, and London at the moment is a city with more questions than answers. You would fall over several signs and be sure to cross many borders on the walk to the nearest subway-entrance, affirming that this city is still standing still, stiffened, closed, like catching its breath from a lethal stroke.

---"The Royal court of law is closed for the public".

Yes, there is an ongoing campaign, infact, we can't miss that we are all Londoners in the presence of the might of this city. Central London is covered with its signs; a community's need of strenghtening its identity after damage. But the advertising is limited to certain parts of the capitol, these of which authorities feel worthy to show to me and other visitors. Outside the flourishing finance districts around Liverpool Station, far from the popular chinatown or Soho districts, another London is rising. There walls are still not covered with signs proudly presenting a feeling of being a proud londoner and a valuable part of this city, but rather blocked with a large amount of For rent-posters. As usual, the basic idea of a grande city is made of popular landmarks and attractions, and paid by the poor and the maladjusted.

Luka Vestergaard
London