This post has been written for the theme “26 Places, 26 Memories” for the #AtoZChallenge.
W FOR WESTMINSTER CITY, LONDON:
London, the capital of England, is divided into boroughs or cities for easy navigation. The City of Westminster covers most of Central London, and is densely populated. This part of London includes Buckingham Palace, Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament), shopping areas like Oxford Street, the theatre street of Shaftesbury Avenue, the tourist hub of Piccadilly and Soho; making it extremely popular with visitors.
I lived in London from 2011-12 while pursuing my Master’s degree. My travel series contains many posts on England, because I consider it my second home; having accumulated wonderful memories from my visits to this country. The story I’m narrating today took place in April 2012, when I was a student.
WILD WINGDINGS AT SOHO, WESTMINSTER CITY:
Soho is the liveliest part of London, with an array of bars, restaurants and kitschy night clubs. The most exclusive party places are located here, the kind where you aren’t granted entry unless you’re on a guest list. One such place was ‘The Box’, which two of my Danish friends and I decided to visit, one fateful night.
We began with drinks at a cocktail bar in Soho, to save on the exorbitant prices of the club. Around 11:00 p.m. the three of us stood in line for entry to the club. Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long. The bouncer recognised one of my friends, who was a model, and allowed us to cut the line and enter.
Excited, we quickly bought drinks and joined the mass of humanity dancing to eclectic music. ‘The Box’ is a chain of nightclubs originally from Manhattan, New York; best known for its ‘variety performances’, including cabaret and various unique stage acts.
As the night progressed, we realised the advantage we had as three young women. We got free drinks from a waiter who took a fancy to one of us. Later, when I saw a turbaned Sardar, a fellow member from my religious community, I ecstatically introduced my group to him. He in turn, warmly welcomed us to his private VIP table by offering free drinks.
At about 2:00 a.m., a special star performance was announced. The famous American rapper Snoop Dogg arrived on stage! We couldn’t believe our luck. His performance hadn’t been advertised and we had no idea we were in for such a treat.
Later still, my friend charmed our way to the exclusive ‘Green Room’; an area demarcated for VVIP’s where drinks flowed free and security was at its highest. This part of the club was divided into three rooms and was scarcely populated. We first had our fortunes read by a fascinating drag queen, who predicted that I would study further before getting married (her prediction proved wrong!).
From there, we sauntered into the next room and gasped with surprise. Snoop Dogg was sitting on a bed receiving a shoulder massage. Completely star-struck, we giggled and told him how much we loved his work, only to receive a tired smile in return. Not wanting to bother him, we didn’t ask for photos!
After an eventful and enjoyable night, we left the club close to 6:00 a.m.; to scarf down food at McDonald’s on Piccadilly Circus, which had just opened for the day.
This night is the reason I love London- it’s the only place in the world where I could party with two Danish girls, a Sikh man and Snoop Dogg on the same night 😉
Come back tomorrow for the letter X and another story!
Memories of many fun nights with my friends in London, 2011-12
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A for Amritsar, B for Bhopal, C for Cambodia, D for Delhi, E for England, F for France, G for Gwalior, H for Hemkund Sahib, I for Italy, J for Jim Corbett National Park, K for Kamakhya Devi Temple, L for London, M for Munich, N for Naples, O for Odisha, P for Prague, Q for Qila Mehrangarh Jodhpur, R for Rishikesh, S for Singapore, T for Tarifa in Spain, U for Udhampur in Jammu & Kashmir, V for Velassaru in Maldives