Whilst I love being in Asia, there are a few things that make me wish I was able to visit London, just for a weekend. One of the things that we used to do a lot when we lived in the UK might be termed dérive, [literally: “drifting”], a term made famous by Parisian philosopher-insurrectionist Guy Debord. In essence, dérive involves wandering around a city without the usual rationale for proceeding in certain directors, allowing yourself to be attracted only by the terrain that confronts you. You might like the look of a certain street – if so, go down it. You might get lost, but that’s part of the intrigue. I think you get the idea. I used it as a metaphor in my PhD methodology for semi-structured interviews, but I think that that is a post for another day…

Anyway, I think one of the things that we miss about London is just wandering around little known (to us, anyway) back-streets and markets, scouting out shops selling anything from curiosities to cheese, and often simply curious cheese. London is a town that allows you to do that, and you can walk from one end of the city to the other and move through several very, very different districts. One of the areas we discovered just before we left was Old Spitalfields Market – well worth a trip, just for the wonderful British gourmet chocolate shop. Whilst you're there, why not try the famous S&M cafe (that's sausage & mash) if you're hungry.

Most of our wanderings began at St Pancras station.

I read to today about the re-developments of St. Pancras station in the UK, and its transformation from dank fume filled shed to a beauty of engineering. St Pancras station (and the attached Midland Grand Hotel) has been designed designed by William Barlow in 1863 and were very nearly demolished in the 1960s (a dark period for British architecture), were it not for the intervention of Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman (yes, he who wrote of friendly bombs on Slough). The original structure was a tremendous achievement (the arch spans 240 feet and is over 100 feet high at its apex), and was an icon of London.

Now, the station has been redeveloped. I remember walking through the station fondly whilst I was working in London. Whilst I hated the diversions at the time, the new station looks to be a wonderful achievement. The Foster-designed extension of the glass roof adds a new dimension to the station.

Those of you who are still in London, you can take a guided walk around the St Pancras area and learn more about its history.