I never expected to see a friend's face on the MSN front page, but I never expected a friend to be the victim of a terrorist attack either. Lately I've come across this photo of Liz (part of a larger collage of the 52 people who died in the London bombings on this day last year, which first appeared in the papers just after it happened) twice in the public domain, with no warning. It's very strange. I always knew that the first anniversary of the attacks would mean media coverage all over again, but at times I find it hard to process that Liz dying is part of a much bigger public tragedy. Even now a year later I don't know if it makes it easier or harder to deal with. There'll be a nationally observed two minute silence at noon today, which Liz wouldn't have had for her benefit alone. There's support and understanding and recognition. But there'll also be the fact that her face is public property. There's the fact that whenever people theorise, legislate, protest and argue about 'July 7th' and its aftermath, they're also talking about my friend's murder.I'll be going somewhere where there are other people to observe the silence, but I'll be remembering Liz in my own way at home later: with some cake and wine outside in my garden.Tags: July 7th 10:02 . . .
Unsolved mysteries of the week:1. Why do I have a cold when it is pushing 30 degrees?2. Why did our Spanish students complain it was cold in the computer room, closing all the doors and windows?2. Why did our teenage boys from the UAE spontaneously break into a rendition of Lionel's Ritchie's Hello last time they were in the Language Centre?3. Why was a Spanish student hoping to find Danielle Steele novels in our graded readers section? Why does she like Danielle Steele?4. Why did Andy Murray collapse like a deckchair when he should have easily beaten Baghdatis?5. Why can't Frank Lampard score a goal to save his life? Even a penalty? 10:16 . . .
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