Quick updates.

The new friendly homeland security look: Homeland security and TSA are not these impersonal offices anymore. At Washington DC Dulles airport from where we left for the UK, now you can read  mini biographies of several employees of the TSA — it is posted all around the security gates. They are just like you and me–they are from all over the world, except Afghanistan.  Now you also have a choice: “Want to be screened in private? Just Ask.” Reading these biographies and the ability to request a private screening and the overall wonderful feeling at the long queues made me wonder: is the next step where we can pick our own security screener? I want to be screened by you just you nobody else but you I want to be frisked by you alone shoop dooby doo I want to be quizzed by you poked, prodded and catalogued by you I want to be searched by you alone.

A fine day in London; we are staying  in the leafy suburbs of Gidea Park; beautiful place and there are many trees and plants here that just pleases me to no small extent.  Hundred year old chestnut trees! Gorgeous. D who has not slept in two days played so much with her cousins that she has finally crashed into a deep slumber. She made friends on the plane with this little girl on her way from San Diego to Paris via London– a lovely French family–and the kids played games and colored on the plane — she never once complained of being bored. Good. I hope the same windfall happens on our way to India on that much longer flight later.  We are eating and catching up with family news; it is nice.