London: Bird fever, not flu

South Kensington Park in a crisp late autumn morning is just serenely beautiful. In just two short weeks, I witnessed the change of the colour from greenish yellow (which disappointed me- it looked dirty!) to all shades of yellow and the occasional dash of red in some trees. The lawns are composed of grass that is still very green and pattern with shades of yellow leaves which had fallen. With some “hairy” dogs (I swear the dogs here are much more fluffy and hairy) runny across them, it was a very beautiful picture.

My significant other and I headed to the Round Pond, wondering whether we will be catching someone playing some miniature controlled boats.

The pond was obviously busy, but not with boats. There were so many swans and ducks of all sizes and colours. The primitive “China Man” in him immediately thought of the sweet, tender and juicy roast goose we had at Yung Kee and wondered whether the swans would taste that good too. The fat ducks will surely be yummy, may be as good as those at Four Seasons, the famous Chinese restaurant in Bayswater. And oh, look at the pigeons, aren’t they FAT!! Wouldn’t they be perfect for a roasting!


These “rats with wings”, as Londoners call them because of the mess they make, were everywhere. Unlike us urban Asians who shy away from all things that fly and are wild because of the bird flu scare, the Londoners do not seem to be affected. In fact, the papers just reported an increase in “bird feed”- balls of seed, vegetable oil and all things that are delicious for our winged friend. If I were a pigeon, I would fly here too- where we would be fed till fat instead of being fed to some fat tummies; where people feed me with mouth watering seeds instead of salivating at the sight of our fat and feathered bodies.

Children and elderly alike seem to derive much pleasure in feeding the feathered friends (soon to be turned fiends when bird flu strikes). Coming from a place where the reports of bird flu in neighbouring countries resulted in the “precaution” through “culling” of anything (whether wild or domesticated) with two legs and feathered wings, we were pleasantly surprised and at the same time a little worried about the “ignorance” or “recklessness” of people here! Of course, SARS have not struck here and the animal activist would probably equate any of such mass culling to Auswich in animal world.

Other than some cases of bird flu in Romania, I have not heard much of it since I came here. Until the danger of bird flu become really near and obvious, I too would join Londoners in admiring these beautiful feathered creatures, and enjoy guessing which greyish white dots on the pavement is a gum and which are the pigeon “bombs”. My other delight is of course, laughing at my SO paranoia of bird shit.

I guess, I just had to enjoy the serenity before throngs of tourists come to town in spring. With the popular stretch of hotels in Inverness Terrace and Bayswater Road, the place will be crowded!