Another busy week

In this update I look back and recall the events of last weeked, which I have as yet been too preoccupied to do. On Saturday, I spent the afternoon meeting some new people in South London at a gaming group meet up. Other than at work and at home, I've not really had any social contact with people and it's very easy to feel lonely in such a big city so very far away from all your old friends. It's especially important for me to meet people here that I can get along with, as I do believe I intend to stay here long term. I really do love it here - it still does my head in sometimes when I think about where I am and where I'm living.

Sunday was a bit different, because there was no real plan to anything, other than to go into town and check out a sale somewhere in Covent Garden. We got off the central line at Holborn, which brings back some very strong memories. When I first arrived in London, scarcely believing I was here, we had got on the underground and finally emerged with our heavy suitcases at Holborn station.

There was a slight gray to the sky and drizzle had cleared the streets of all but the tourists, so it was not nearly as busy and bustling as my first London experience. Or is it just me that has changed? The way this city appeared to rise on all sides and gobble me up when I first arrived, now feels somehow less imposing. Still breathtaking and impressive, just not scary and imposing anymore.

We headed down towards the Strand, which took us by the amazing buildings which curve around Aldwych St. We milled around the entrance of London Fashion Week, just to see the people. It was literally breathtaking seeing these people dressed up in their fashion week finest.

We tore ourselves away and walked through the Covent Garden market and over to an art supplies store, where we went a little crazy buying things. This accomplished, we figured we'd continue on to Picadilly Circus, which is really just one of those places that I love to walk through because it's ingrained in my mind as a place that doesn't really exist. Only it does, and I'm here, and there's the big Sanyo sign.



I found myself instinctively leading us up Regent to Oxford and thought to myself, 'No, we're going to walk down Picadilly today'. I never walk down there, which is a shame because it's a damn fine street. Only, I can't really afford anything down there. Still, that's we're Fortnum and Mason is, which we've always meant to visit but never actually have. So we went today and I have to say it is quite probably more appealing to me than Harrod's. The bottom two floors are like a supermarket for incredibly rich people. More so than Waitrose. I don't know why I get such perverse joy looking at all these things I'd never buy. The fresh fruit section with fruit I've never heard of. Jars of French somethings I can't pronounce the name of.



I got myself some Gentleman's Relish, which is something I'd never heard of a month ago, but seems pretty much like a good idea.

Oh and also, we saw The King's Speech last night. It's pretty good, kind of like a well acted history lesson - which I have no complaints about.

[caption id="attachment_175" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="Bonus pic: Me trying to figure out how to eat this meal."][/caption]

The week that was...

Just a quick update really, so I don't forget where I've been. I've actually been very busy with work, having just worked the weekend and had a couple of sporadic days off. I've also been sick with some kind of mysterious stomach disturbance brought on by a dubious pork bun from Chinese New Year.

I had a day off last Friday in which we went over to Oxford St to do a quick bit of shopping. I bought Kristen a watch from Liberty, which uses the famous Liberty print fabric as a watch strap. Here it is.

From there we walked down to Westminster and past the horse guard square, where there are a couple of bored looking horses hanging out with men on their backs in a crazy get-up. We joined up with the Thames near Big Ben and started walking along it.

The river is a big thing, not just in size, but in what it represents. There is a real feeling for Londoners on the North side of the river that they are somehow more important or special or there something that makes them more authentic Londoners. To be fair, most of the best shopping and attractions are on the North side, but let's not forget the Tate Modern and the Globe and Greenwich, which are all to be found on the south shores.



Walking down the river is a kind of relief to me, who is used to the comfort of the nearby sea lapping in and out. The river flows on and on to the East, though somehow appearing on the surface to flow every direction at once. In fact, my workplace all the way out in Maidenhead to the West of London is on the banks of a much smaller Thames river.



So we walked on and eventually came to Tower bridge and also the old castle known as the Tower of London, even thought there's not much in the way of a tower.



Sunday night had me exhausted after work walking over to Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen to see Sharon Van Etten play live. It was a beautiful gig as she has an amazing voice and the ability to belt out amazing folk songs. The next night, I went over to see Bright Eyes at Scala. The combination of the small, intimate venue and the awesome band made this one of the most incredible gigs of my life.

Chinese New Year

I meant to talk about this one last night, but my brain gave out on me while I was still writing the post about Saturday. What can I say? It was a busy and exhausting weekend.

It's my lunch break here at work and I'm having my usual sandwich from Tesco, packet of prawn cocktail crisps and can of pepsi. It's a funny little eating habit I've fallen into. Sandwiches and chips seems to be an overwhelmingly English thing. If you order a sandwich at a pub or cafe, you'll probably get a handful of chips on the side.

So, yesterday was Sunday and the celebration for Chinese New Year. Kristen and I caught the tube to Tottenham Court Road and headed into Soho. I have to bring up my crazy coincidence of the month now, as walking through Soho, we ducked down a side street and ended up on Greek St. It's not anything special on its own, it's just an unimportant street. However, this morning on the train I was reading Oscar Wilde's Lord Arthur Saville's Crime in which the protagonist wanders down that very street. What are the chances?

It's got to the point that I don't think I can walk through Soho now without going to Hummingbird bakery to get one of their amazing red velvet cupcakes or whoopie pie. I'm actually in love with that place.



We headed down into the hustle and bustle of Shaftesbury, where the streets were crammed with people. To just be negative for a moment, there wasn't really enough going on to warrant the huge crush of people down those streets. I would have like it be more of a parade or street stalls. To me it seemed everything centred on Trafalgar Square, where a stage had been set up on the monument. The various acts were incredible; we must have stood there for 2 hours watching dancers, a Peking opera singer, an expert er-houist and more performing all for free.





We finally left there in search of food and made the snap decision to head on the tube over to Manor House where our favourite restaurant in London is: Anteplilar. Kristen had the lamb chops and I had a kind of kofte with pilaf rice and pistachio nuts on top. Every time we go there, they throw down complimentary side salads and breads and the place is always packed with Turkish people, even at 4pm.

This city is becoming more and more comfortable to us, but in saying that, it has lost none of its excitement or charm.

aLord Arthur Saville's Crime

Waitangi Weekend

It's nearly midnight on a Sunday, meaning another weekend in London town is over. This one, Kristen and I opted to stay in the city as there was quite a lot going on.

Firstly, there was Waitangi day celebration on Saturday, which involved getting up early to find our flatmates had already left to get drunk down the road. We caught up to them in Shepherd's Bush and started our drunken pilgrimage eastward.

Our first stop was Belushi's pub and from there we went on to Notting Hill, where hundreds of kiwis crammed into the streets and bars of the affluent suburb. It's hard to imagine what the locals thought was happening with the steady stream of misbehaving antipodal colonists drinking and peeing all over the place.

From there it gets a bit hazy, but I do remember becoming separated from everyone and then finding the South Kensington tube station and popping out the other side at Westminster, which is directly opposite Big Ben. The masses started arriving and soon packed out Parliament Square.



It was all remarkably well behaved and the police really didn't mind us all crowding the streets and drinking everywhere. I'm sure the many tourists had no idea what was going on. All in all, a pretty crazy way to spend a Saturday.