Youth in Bloom

By Chuan Wang

22 Oct. 2011—it is the second day of the Bloomsbury festival. Having missed the opening ceremony in Russell Square the night before, I thought it would be a good idea to at least make an appearance at one of the many event centers located so close to home. I wasn’t disappointed. Although the weekend long festival took place all over Bloomsbury, I chose to stay around my flat and mainly take part in all there was to offer in the Russell Sq. location.

It was not even a 5 min walk between Bedford and Russell Square, and from my flat I could already hear the music and the excitement. I could smell the food, and feel the energy pulsating in the air. Despite the chilly weather, the usually relaxed square was alive with life.

Not only was the festival a great way for the community to get together, but it was a great time for tourists too. But this wasn’t a tourism ploy; this was about offering people a great cultural experience, by bringing together all the different cultures in London. Then again, it can be argued that the effort was acceptable, but not great. However, for the effort put forth by UCL’s SOAS committee I believe the events at Russell square made the day artistically stimulating and relatively pleasant.

First off, the food vendors were possibly the most popular. The BBQ pit could be smelled from all the way down the street, but that wasn’t even the half of it. There was Spanish food, Mexican food, burgers and hot dogs, Chinese and Malaysian cuisine, a churro stand, and a man with a machete selling fresh coconut milk—from actual coconuts! I, myself, had to try the churros, which were fried on-site, and served with a generous amount melted chocolate, cinnamon and sugar. A heart-attack waiting to happen, and what a delicious heart-attack it was.

There was a performance stage too, which had artists doing anything and everything, from Gregorian chants to jive music from Zimbabwe. It was music for all ages, which leads me to my main point.

The children.

And I mean this is a completely plutonic love for children. They were the real stars of the weekend. It was one thing to see young school children, out and about with their “boyfriends” and “girlfriends”, and it was another thing to see passionate uni kids trying to engage in political discussions, but it was the babies and toddlers who made my day. They were everywhere, and in the true spirit of a cultural celebration they were having the best time compared to everyone else. The fountain at the heart of Russell square was their favorite hangout spot. On more than one occasion did an adorable young boy or girl become mesmerized by the towers of water, and despite the cold, they were all incredibly drawn to it. Like moths to a flame.

They took over the park, and made everyone realize what it felt like to be a child again.