London’s Hidden Gem

London is the global city mixing old and new, luxury and thriftiness, cheers and solitude, voice and noise.

I was a bit blue in the early morning because the handle of my backpack which holds my personal electronic belongings was broken yesterday. Although it’s a small issue, it caused inconvenience and could cause big trouble for travelers like myself. I need to find a fixer in big London. Is there still somebody who can take care of those logistic issues for the customers during the holiday season?

One of the global stranger ladies in a shop where I stopped by told me, I could go to a chain store for doing dry cleaning across the street, they might be able to help out. Surprisingly, they do have sewing machines there. However, the lady said she only sewed the fabric, not the backpack. But she suggested to me kindly to go to a nearby shop who does some shoe repair close to the subway station; I went there, but the gentleman said his machine didn’t work, and suggested I could go to South Kensington. There is a shop near the subway, they might help me fix the problem. I held my bag and took the subway to get there. I did find that shop, doing some repairs but their minimum charge is twenty pounds plus, truly over-charged for about five minutes work. They are also busy with other things, not very warm-hearted. My backpack looks fashionable but cloth-made, not very expensive, why should I overpay to fix the handle? So I didn’t use their service, try to find better solutions or buy a new backpack.

Just a few blocks away, I entered the local dry cleaning chain store bearing the same name as the store I stopped by in the early morning. The gentleman was also very friendly, and suggested to me that I could go to the neighborhood repair shop or the nearby home supply store. As the repair shop was not open, I found a nearby shop which sold all sorts of home supplies. I asked them for suggestions. They had a sewing kit for sales. They even sell large needles and strings for sewing bigger household items. London truly has everything, with all sorts of hidden gems.


I decided to do the self service -sewing the handle on my own, cost effectively, I bought the

necessary supplies and went to the nearby cafe, ordered fresh English tea to soothe my anxiety and sat there to fix my problem, just like making the holiday craft. Although I am not very good at sewing, I still made it, putting the handle back to my bag. It works and I also finished my tea with good taste. When I got out of the café and carried my bag again, it felt so light.

It was noon time; the Sun came out and my feelings turned from blue to sunshine. Now we know how our experiences impact our emotions; how our emotions impact our productivity and creativity. Especially since we have emotional connections with our own stuff, I carry my bag everyday. I am so glad I can keep using it. Thanks to global strangers and business people with the right information, resources and supplies, I can fix my issue and make my day more productive and enjoyable.

I am impressed in big London, business associates, entrepreneurs are hardworking, friendly and

detail-oriented providing all sorts of products or services to satisfy different needs and wants. There are quite many hidden gems here, you just have to discover them. Only days away from Christmas holiday, shops are still opening, people are friendly and helpful so I can have more enriched life experiences here. As an entrepreneur myself. I appreciate all great business people who can help others solve problems effectively.


London is the global city mixing old and new, luxury and thriftiness, cheers and solitude, voice and noise, etc. There are lots of hidden gems we can discover. When exploring deeper, I like it here better, as we can find what we need and people with professional capabilities do their best to help others and cheer up their days.

Posted in: Global Trips