I had an occasion to visit Golders Green (London) last Sunday. For those in Europe and the US I should like to explain that it is one of London’s several Jewish districts, possibly the largest one. I needed to see a specialist to get a tricky cleaning job done, which I successfully accomplished — and of course they work on a Sunday in Golders Green, so I’d got an appointment. However, this involved driving in London, which is only possible in two modes: (i) arrive VERY early and have time to kill, (ii) arrive late. The traffic is always a murder, and it is highly volatile, too, making punctuality synonymous with magnanimity. Indeed, saving someone’s time is only possible at the expense of your own, paying well over the odds….

So I arrived early and took a stroll around Golders Green. Last time I saw it was probably more than 10 years ago, and even then only very briefly.

What impressed me about the place was its quiet leafiness and the sense of introversion amplified by tranquility. Once you get used to it (it is London, innit? why is it so clean and so very quiet?!), you begin to smile.

Once upon a time, there was a Russian chanson about a Chinese pilot named Li Si Tsyn. Those in the know can hear in it the classical Russian surname Lisitsyn (Лисицын), son of Fox, i.e. an astute and cunning person. I instantly recalled that when I saw this oriental restaurant:

Not sure if it was indeed מצוין, didn’t have the time to try it, but there we go! I only wish to say that kosher and oriental …. well… think of pork spareribs, prawn spring rolls, oyster sauce… mm…

Another piece of the eclectic mosaic presented itself right opposite:

It is a [Greek] Orthodox church of Holy Cross and St Michael’s. This time I stepped in and listened to kyrie eleison for a minute (it was a Sunday), so it was real! Gives the classical “neither Jew no Greek among you” another meaning…

Next time in Jerusalem.