A Real English Mass

It was a cool sunday morning warmed up by some christian love I would say. I had slept on an empty stomach the previous night - I had cooked food but fell asleep on the wrong side of the meals and had to toast a couple of breadslices at two o clock in the morning half way through sleep. The rice was already frozen. So waking up early was not difficult. I woke up at 7.20 and the mass at the church was at 8.00 am as I had noted 4 days ago while my roommate and I had an evening walk.

St Dunstan and all Saints,Stepney is the oldest church in East London. It stands in an other worldly charm beside a Garden. In the spring season it looked all the more beautiful. By the time I reached it was sharp 8. There was a lone lady waiting there. And all old ladys have a grand mother hidden inside them. Just like how I have the boy inside me. We started conversing. Do you know what she called me after we became friends .. 'Darling' :) Oh my granny youre so sweet..

She had been to India but only northern parts - actually many English tourists confine themselves within the golden triangle.

The service started comfortably late and there were just 8 of us in the church.4 ladies , the Reverend Chris Burke, myself an old man who looked like an old carribean cricketer and a Latvian youth. He seemed lost because he didnt speak english. It was so warm - we drank from the same cup..! The holy blood.. The interaction was really powerful. We stood in a semiarc of 3 meter(ahmm about 3 yards :)) during communion. Chritian faith is an asset for life.




After the mass ended , the priest came down to meet us. When i said i was from India he asked:
" Which part? "

I : Kerala


" Which part in Kerala ? "

I : ( What the!! an english man concerned about the kerala Geography? )
I : Kottayam..

Then he started a beautiful speech about the beautiful times he had in Kerala - Alappuzha, Trivandrum, Kollam, ootty..

He said Kerala is so amazingly beautiful. Then I told him , England is better..His high bass laughter reverberated in the church..

He said : "The grass is always brighter on the other side"




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I saw a narration of being British:

Being British is about driving in a German car to an Irish pub for a Belgian beer , then , travelling home , grabbing an Indian curry or a Turkish kebab on the way, to sit on Swedish furniture and watch American shows on a Japanese TV. And the most British thing of all ? Suspicion of all things foreign !