Sphereing Shananigans

After months of planning, it was finally my sister's hen night yesterday. As chief bridesmaid, the onus had been on me to find a fun afternoon activity and evening event for her and her 15 or so best mates to enjoy...no pressure then! A while ago I came across sphereing, aka zorbing, on t'internet and, lacking any other good options, i signed us up for that. Had been feeling pretty nervous, seeing as its a bit of a random thing to do and i didn't know of anyone else who had experienced it, so had no idea if it would be rubbish or not. As it turned out, it was awesome! We went along to the site in Stevenage, in a beautiful location out in the countryside. After getting kitted out in harnesses, we each took turns climbing into the giant inflatable balls and being rolled down a hill, just for the fun of it! You can either do dry or wet sphereing, and the wet one is like being in a washing machine and was definitely my favourite. I'd really recommend it to anyone looking for a fun afternoon activity that's a bit different from a walk in the park. Zorbing is definitely going to be the next big thing...

Glasto Gloaters

Those jammy dodgers at Glastonbury  must have been feeling so smug all weekend, knowing that the usual mud wash out was not on the cards for them this year. I was put off going to Glasto because I just didn't think I could hack the messiness of the mudbath, but now with the amazing weather and the fact that The Metro reported that 1000 spare tickets were being sold for only a tenner, I'm feeling really rather jealous...to say the least.

Taste Of London

A great event is going on in London tomorrow. Taste of London is an anual event, being held this year at Marylebone Green in Regents Park. It brings together a selection of world famous London restaurants in a unique outdoor food and drink festival, showcasing cuisine from some of the country's best chefs. Go along and taste some of the best dishes and most interesting and original food you've ever had. 

Taking A Break

Does anyone mind if I take a break from waxing lyrical on life in London and talk about Greece for a minute? No? Good. Because I just got back from a week of doing absolutely nothing in a beautiful resort in Crete, and it was so much like heaven that i want to talk and talk and talk about it. The aim of the holiday as simple - get a tan.  Shallow i know, but there was a deeper meaning behind it. My sister is getting married in 3 weeks and it's fairly crucial that she is bronzed and beautiful for the big day...as the bridesmaid my tan is less important, but i feel it still warrants close attention. So months and months ago we hatched a plan to book a week's holiday preceding said nuptials, so that we would not have to rely on the British summer to get our skin to the colour it should be (And thank god we did - have you ever seen a more rainy June??). Because we booked so long ago it was cheap as, and all we did was wake up, lie by pool, eat yummy food, lie by pool, go to bed. Like I said, heaven.

Oh, and it sucks to be home.

Red Sky At Night

Just wanted to bring to your attention Shepherd's Market - a great part of London that until last night I hadnt really given the attention it deserved.  What's great is that it's got lots to offer and it really isn't as expensive as you'd think, in fact you can get quality deals at restaurants where starter and main course will only cost you £8.50. The pubs are really buzzing round this area so it's a great place for going out and meeting a new certain someone...  

Flug what now?

Just wanted to draw everyone's attention to Flugtag - it's the second annual Red Bull sponsored event that takes place next Saturday 7th in Hyde Park. It's an event where crazy showmen and Jackass wannabes have made their own man-powered flying machines, and they compete to find the best one by flying them off a 6m high ramp.  It will take place throughout the whole afternoon, and although all tickets have been allocated, it doesn't take a genius to realise that even if you are just near the Hyde Park area, all you have to do is, er, look up and you'll be able to enjoy the spectacular as much as anyone. It's definitely one of the more unusual things that goes on in this town, but then that's the beauty of London - there's always some crazy new event or activity to go along to and be entertained...

...things took a turn for the worse...

I had arranged to go and meet my friend Tash outside the cinema 10 minutes before the 7.30 start because I had to give her her ticket that I'd pre-booked on my card. By half past she still wasn't there and I couldn't call for an update because she'd left her phone at home.  I started to get a bit anxious when my friend in the cinema texted to say the trailers had started, and when she still wasn't there 10 minutes later I was really getting annoyed. You must understand, I'm not a horrible person or anything, but when you've been waiting to see a film for about 6 months, it's kind of annoying to miss the start. I went back in to check the progress of the film, and to my horror saw that opening credits had been and gone and the film was well under way. I ran back, ditched the ticket with the cinema attendee and prayed that Tash would be smart enough to work out what I'd done with it...if she ever arrived. She DID finally arrive, and we all enjoyed the film together...I won't go into details for those unfortunate souls who haven't seen it yet, but it didn't disappoint, which was impressive considering all the hype.  It wasn't an incredible film, but then the programme wasn't the best thing on tv either - it was always just a guilty pleasure that made you smile, and that's exactly what the film did for me. I'd really recommend it to everyone (well, ladies only probably), although if you do go, make sure you get your friends to by their own tickets... ;)

Yes it's Ladies Night

I took it upon myself at the beginning of the week to contact all my lady friends (via the medium of facebook obviously, what else...) and start a dialogue about the best day, time and place to go to see the must-awaited Sex And The City.  We've all been talking about it for months and I've said to about five different sets of friends that we'd see it together, so in the end I decided the best thing to do was to combine everyone for a big ladies night.  The date was set for thursday; location: the o2 centre on finchley road.  It was a 7.30 performance but not wanting to take any chances I went there straight from work, had a pre-performance hot chocolate with a friend and then we placed ourselves in the queue for the cinema 40 minutes before start time.  We were pretty happy that there were only a handful of people in front of us, and within a few minutes we were feeling throughly pleased with ourselves when the queue all of a sudden grew to stretch all the way through the lobby and out the door. Wearing smug smiles, we were soon let into the theatre and carefully selected the best seats in the house - not too close to the screen, not too far away. We sat chatting and eagerly anticipating the start of the film. With all the reports about sold out performances and people elbowing and tripping people up to get good seats, we couldn't believe how lucky we'd been.  But then things took a turn for the worse...

True Favela Chica

Another great night at Favela Chic.  Got there earlier this time - free guest list, thank you very much - so was there in time to see the place with the lights on...hadn't really looked at the decor last time seeing as it was a) dark and i was b) drunk.  It's a wicked place - loads of random kitchy things hanging on the walls and from the ceiling, and i got to have a proper nose around the private area this time too. The jugs of capirinha were flowing and the brilliant dj was again on the decks, and a great night was had by all the favela chicas.  

Indiana Jones and the Let Down of the Century

I have't even seen it yet and I'm already disappointed. The reviews have been so underwhelming, and all reports from friends./co-workers/loud people on the tube have been decidedly less than enthusiastic. I just don't understand why Spielberg, Lucas, Ford et al would make such a hullabaloo - i like that word - about making a fourth film in what is one of cinematic history's greatest collections...and then go and balls it up royally.  Surely, SURELY, it wasn't all about the money, was it? 

Sure, it's wrong to judge a book by its cover, and so obviously I should go and see it before I knock it, and I will.  Afterall, it's still Indiana Jones.  But then that's just what they want isn't it. I'll be playing straight into their hands, the greedy little money-grabbers...

I'm Holding Out For A Hero

You'll have to excuse me, I'm a little bit fluttery in the heart, weak in the knees, rosy cheeked, giggly and girly...you know the drill.  I saw Iron Man last night, and haven't quite recovered from the experience.  I've always been an ardent fan of Mr Robert Downey Jnr, ever since the Ally McBeal days, and more recently in the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang days, but it wasn't until I saw him in all his iron-clad glory on the big screen that my obsession really took hold.  He's just such a wonderful specimen of a man.  And I don't just mean physically, although that alone is more tha enough, but he truly is a superb actor.  He pulls off the handsome and cocky billionaire that is the character of Tony Stark with aplomb, and brings a warmth, wit and sincerity to the role as a whole.  The film carries itself well - tight script, impressive action sequences, polemic narrative - butit is the main man himself that gives it its edge.  I recommend that anyone who hasn't yet seen it gets themselves down to the local Vue asap, but (and it seems strange to say this about a comic book movie) particularly all the ladies.

Reggae Roast

Had an awesome night last Sunday.  Reggae Roast is a night that I'd heard about a few months ago when my mates first went, and at that time it was held in The Grand Union in Kentish Town.  Last week hwever it was moved to the bigger/better location of The Big Chill in King's Cross.  It was a nightmare to get in because the queue stretched all the way down the road and round the corner - they even had a separate "smoker's queue" for those who had just popped out for a cheeky fag to be able to get back inside.  So you can tell already that it was a popular night.  Inside was, er, cramped to say that least, but my cunning friend Mollie found us all a secret room downstairs to chill out in.  Good music, good drinks, and a buzzing atmosphere means I'll now be a Reggae Roast regular.

Uptown Girl

I've just moved into my brother's flat for 3 weeks while he's on holiday in Australia.  I am now the happy resident of a a swanky apartment in West Hampstead.  Life is good.  And now that the sun is shining, it's even better.  I'm really looking forward to enjoying all that this part of town has to offer - The Gallery, the proximity to town/Kenwood/work/GBK - not to mention the safe distance from my parents.  Seriously, living with them since Uni finished has been a bit of a strain, so I think a break from it all is well-deserved...by everyone.

Boob City

I have just begun work for Zoo magazine, the notorious lads mag.  Please understand that I am not talking about the kind of work that you see on page 3, but actually that I'm covering for the editorial assistant while she is on holiday.  Today was my first day and I already feel that I have been educated in, well, let's say, the ways of the world.  My eyes have been opened, through a constant stream of emails, to the twisted, slightly perverted men of the world and the, uh, curvaceous woman of the world.  At the moment my opinion is pretty low of these types of magazines - full of cheap, trashy nudity to help men get their jollies and rubbish editorial content in an attempt to legitimise the sale, and purchase, of these things weekly.  But I wonder if my mind will be changed after working there for 3 weeks...

    

East End...ers

So saturday was a good night...eventually.  It started badly, with me getting frustrated because my friends were being indecisive and annoying, when all I wanted to do was go out, have some drinks and a good old fashioned time.  My idea was to head to 93 Feet East because they were having what looked like a good club night on, but others were not so sure and were basically pissing about.  By the time 9pm arrived I was only half dressed and I had given up in favour of a vodka and lemonade - when my friend came through the door she was a little surprised, but I soon poured her a glass and she got into the swing on things.  Eventually three of us made it up to Brick Lane, but while waiting for others to join us from far flung places, we had some drinks in the Truman Brewery.  Now I don't usually come to the Brewery...well that's not true - I go there quite a lot because my friend's boyfriend owns it (yes, that's right, I'm bragging ever so slightly) but I'm usually only there in the daytime.  I hadn't realised until Saturday night quite how popular it is there now.  Apart from being slightly intimidated by the ultra trendy people, it was cool to just chill out outside the bars and cafes having drinks and chatting to strangers (some welcome, some not so much).  In the end, we didn't make it into 93 Feet East.  Instead we enjoyed the fact that for the first time in ages you could sit outside drinking and not get freezing cold in the process.  Then we got pancakes and made the long (bus) journey home. 

All hail the Lutheran

Apparently it's Luther Vandross' birthday today.  I know this because I was just out at Pigalle's in Piccadilly (more on the locale later) and they were having a special night with lots of different singers paying tribute to the big man himself.  I didn't actually go for the Luther Vandross tribute band you understand, I was there for a private party - my friend was celebrating the premiere of his new movie, Three And Out (go see it).  I hadn't heard of Pigalle's before, but it's a fairly popular club right by Leicester Square, and although I don't know what the music is like on nights when they aren't paying tribute to a late singer, it seems like a pretty cool place.  I mean, I ASSUME that normally the music is more "clubby", and they don't always play easy listening 105.4 type music...that would be kinda weird, right?

Mean Streets

I have been a little too preoccupied to write this week - first there was the excitement of getting a job (hooray for me!) and then there was the trauma of my car crash.  It was outside my house, and I was just turning into my drive from our notoriously hazardous road, when some madman came screeching up behind me way too fast, couldn't brake in time and so went smashing into the back of me.  And then, to add serious insult to injury, he took one sideways glance in my general direction and then sped off up the road.  Luckily, there was an ambulance parked just a few houses up and she saw the whole thing and caught his license plate and called the police.  It was a bit of an ordeal I don't mind telling you, and even though you don't think it will something like that kind of shakes you up for a little while.  To top it all off, the b*****d doesn't have insurance and they haven't arrested him yet, so it looks like my first month's wages will be going on my car repairs.  Just brilliant.  

Leatherheads

I went to see George Clooney's latest directorial offering the other night at Camden Odeon, which by the way is a very nice cinema, much better than other Odeons that's for sure.  Leatherheads is good fun, but far from a masterpiece.  It looks great - lots of sepia tones and stylish 20s costumes, and obviously George Clooney in the lead role is easy on the eye too, and he never misses an opportunity to stare into the camera with the famous Swooney gaze.  But as a director he certainly misses a trick or two - there are moments of brilliance and true comedy in this film, particularly the moments that are clearly influenced by the Screwball comedies of the 30s, but in other places he let's the scene down.  There is the potential for a laugh out loud moment or a memorable line, but instead it is filled with a quiet titter or some mediocre dialogue. Leatherheads is perfectly pleasant, but it's missed its potential.

Stand up and make me laugh

I went to see the stand up comedian Michael McIntyre at the St Albans Arena the other night, and laughed my little socks off.  If you haven't heard of him then get yourself over to Youtube right this minute and check him out...I guarantee he's going to be huge.  He takes some inspiration from the greats like Izzard, Evans and Connelly, but he's also got his own style.  He's been around for a few years, doing the Edinburgh circuit and the like, but I think this year he's really going to make his mark.  You heard it here first...    

I'm in the mood for dancing...

It is a truth universally acknowledged that if straight men can't find a lady friend to dance with then they will just grind up against each other...say what now??!  But it's true - or so it was in Loop Bar on saturday night this week.  This is not the classiest establishments anyway, basically just two huge levels of cramped dance floors, expensive drinks and bad music, much as I imagined it to be when my friend told me she would be celebrating her birthday there.  But the man on man action I really wasn't prepared for.  Seriously, give boys a little bit of alcohol and they sure can get friendly.  With each other.  All very bizarre.  But kindly some of them didn't leave us girls out, and even though we are all platonic friends they didnt have a problem with rubbing themselves up against us when we were least expecting it.  All well and good when you've been making eyes at a guy across the room all night, but when it's just your friend...? At one point in the strange night my friend came over to me and she whispered (or shouted, as it were, over the deafening music) "Ugh, I felt his whole anatomy!" I think that might have been the highlight of my evening.

Uneasy Protest

Today is definitely not a quiet day in London.  Since 10.30 this morning the Olympic torch has been carried through the streets on its journey to publicise the upcoming Olympics games in Beijing this summer.  Several notable personalities have been involved in each leg of the torch's journey - Sir Steve Redgrave, Kenny Logan, Konnie Huq, Amara Karan - and they have proudly represented all the good that the Olympic torch stands for.  But running alongside them have been thousands of Free Tibet protestors, rallying against the violation of human rights in China. The protests have, on the whole, been peaceful and the torch has been able to continue its journey while the protestors have definitely had their voices heard.  The situation presents a troubling dichotomy, and for that reason I decided not to take my friend up on his offer when he invited me to protest with him.  On the one hand I very much support the Free Tibet campaign and have done so for many years, having previously got involved in action to fight for Tibetan rights.  But on the other hand, I support the Olympic games and salute the good the event brings to the world, in terms of uniting nations and races and encouraging sport in young people.  So is it right to boo and hiss in the streets at the symbol of something that I also support?

But on the whole I think it has been a good day for London.  The sight of peaceful rallying and protesting is a bit of a thrill, and light has been shone on some very important causes.  It's definitely given everybody something to talk about.

"Free Ticket Holder - Race For Life"

I spent 12 hours today saying this phrase over and over again.  No, I don't have a bizarre obsessive compulsive disorder - I was doing promotions work for Cancer Research UK.  Five of us were posted in Euston Station from 7am handing out pink oyster card holders to advertise the Race For Life campaign.  The Races raise money for Cancer Research and are taking place all over the UK this summer.  It's a really good cause and after an exhausting but successful day, I'm definitely going to be taking part come the summer.  And you should too.  And if you were in Euston Station today, then I hope you took a free card holder from me and weren't one of the meanies who just walked blankly past...

The Macbeth

I investigated a new bar in Shoreditch the other night.  Naked and the Boys were playing a set in The Macbeth, a little bar slightly off the beaten track of Old Street, and my friend is a fan so I went along to keep her company and pretend to know their music.  The music was nothing that special, and I actually preferred the warm up band whose name I can't remember.  The bar is cool though - there is a nice sofa area with a pool table as well as a dancefloor/standing area in front of the stage.  There is also a gallery upstairs but this looks more like someone's living room to me, and it's really just a through passage for smokers to get to the balcony.  

Ashamed no more

I have just seen The Diving Bell and The Butterfly, and now feel that a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.  You see, it's been plaguing me for a while that even though it was out in the cinema for all to view, I hadn't got round to seeing it for myself.  Call it laziness, call it lack of funds, but there really is no good excuse, and being a bit of a film buff and what with it being the hot topic of conversation and all, I was starting to feel the slight pangs of shame.  But no longer. It has been seen, and I can now talk knowledgably and knowingly on the subject should it ever come up in conversation.  Incidentally, I'm not just happy that I've seen it, but that I really enjoyed the film as well.  I'd highly recommend it, but be sure to read the book first.  That would be a cardinal sin.

  

grumble grumble...

How unfair is it that the Easter weekend is blighted by rain and snow and harsh winds?  This is not the natural order of things, not the way God/Mother Nature intended things to be.  Two extra days off work but no decent weather to be able to enjoy them to their full and proper extent? It's a scandal, and if there was any recognisable authority (the weatherman doesn't count) then I would write a harshly worded letter of complaint...

Vanity Fair

If you're bored in London and looking for something to do, allow me to recommend the Vanity Fair exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.  Plenty of glamorous pictures on display to interest you, and it makes you feel intellectual and culturally-minded without actually having to go to a stuffy museum...

Room For Another?

I have just been basking in the cinematic delights of Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana et al in The Other Boleyn Girl.  Having heard mixed reviews from both amateur and professional audiences, my expectations were modest, which always bodes well for the film on trial.  With such talented actors the film seemed to be on the right track, but then this wouldn't have been the first film to boast a star-studded cast yet be branded an underachiever. Fortunately, the performances didn't disappoint, and the plot was tense and engaging.  Perhaps it was the fact that I watched this with my sister that made the story of two sisters torn apart all the more poignant, but either way I was surprised to find myself wiping away a little tear at the end (just one, mind - I'm not a big crier).  With such depth of emotion, I'd happily sign myself up to be part of the Boleyn clan.  If it wasn't for all the beheadings, that is....

Glitz and Glamour

You'll have to excuse me if my spelling is a little off and the general calibre of this post is not up to standard - you see I've been asleep most of the day.  And if not asleep then in a kind of zombified state.  Last night was the Empire Awards and the Wrap Party, which didn't end until the wee hours and which was a bit of a marathon event.  As I was working, I was there from 11am, pretending to look busy and important while everyone else rushed round with clipboards and ear pieces and I went on a sandwich run to M&S.  When guests starting arriving  I was in prime position, front of house, to greet them and take tickets, thus enabling me to see all the stars up close and personal like.  It was a very surreal event, having James McAvoy, Ewan McGregror and Matt Damon stroll right by me, and James Corden saying unmentionable things about Keira Knightley on stage.  The highlight of the night had to have been standing next to Guillermo del Toro, Paul Greengrass and Alfonso Cuaron while they chatted together, and then joining in on the conversation.  Incredible.  The free bar at the Wrap Party wasn't bad either...

Setting your mind as ease...

For those of you who were panicking on my behalf, all is ok - I'm off to the Awards! Hooray! I may be going in a working capacity, but I'm going, so it still counts. I'm sure I'll be back on here to tell you all about it...

Comedy Shmomedy

Just got home from a BBC Comedy night.  It was held at the Revue bar in the seedy backstreets of Soho, and Noel Fielding was top billing.  The bar itself is a funky place, with huge mirrors and leather sofas, which become more understandable when you learn that it is a strip club by day (well, by night actually, but other nights, not tonight...).  The food and drinks are fantastically overpriced, so that's a let down.  As for the comedy itself, my friends and I were up for a night of "getting sloshed and having a chortle", as one of my friends put it, and while the price of beverages meant it was a little tricky to carry out the former, we succeeded in the latter.  3 comics preceeded Noel, each with their own style and degree of funniness.  I enjoyed them all in different ways.  The low point wa the compere, who fudged his way through the breaks in talent with his, well, lack of talent.  As for Noel, he was wonderfully weird and did some excellent Mighty Boosh pieces, but he was badly thrown by a revolting woman in the corner who just would not shut up throughout the entire performance.  She was terrible, but he should have handled it better.  But all in all, a great night, and I'll be there at the next show next month for sure.

Celebs on the Brain

Right now my mind is occupied with one thing and one thing only - how do I sneak myself into the Empire Awards ceremony, which is going on next Sunday? The chance of this happening is not as improbable as it sounds, as I'm actualy helping out at Empire this week and next, sending out invites and filling gift bags. It seems to me that the only decent thing to do would be to reward my unpaid efforts with an invite to the main event, but numbers are very tight and my place at the ceremony is by no means assured. I need to think of ingenious ways to convince the guys here that my presence at the Awards is essential - but how? Learn off by heart the name of every guest? Demonstrate my unique ability to present an award? Come in to work in my ball gown?

London 1, Elsewhere 0

During my gap year, my travel buddies and I used to rate the towns we visited using various categories.  In Friends, Phoebe keeps a tally score of how the Vegas trip compares to the London trip.  These two ideas make me think that I should come up with some kind of score sheet for London, rating it by lots of weird and wonderful categories and then comparing it to other places I've been.  

Hmmm, this will take some serious thought...

Come on you Spurs!

That's all I have to say about that.

One OAP ticket for Juno please...

Was excited about going to see the much-anticipated Indie flick Juno this week, but wasn't prepared for the two full rows of chatty youths that occupied the back rows of the cinema. Especially when I was seated in the row in front of them.  Forgetting a bit of annoying chatter through the trailers, these kids were verbose throughout the entire film, driving other viewers from their seats and causing a constant sea of 'sshhh' to float round the auditorium.  I tried a range of tactics to get them to desist, from loud tuts to disparaging stares, but nothing worked. These young 'uns were made of tough stuff, and they had the arrogance of youth in bucketloads. So the film came to an end, and I don't think I enjoyed it as much as I should, thanks to the troublesome teens.  I was very tempted to complain to a member of staff, mainly because I was hoping to get a free cinema ticket out of it, but also because I genuinely felt vexed. But, as my friend pointed out, we're not that old...yet.

Favela Chic

Had an awesome night at this club last night.  Had never been before but had heard good things and wanted to try somewhere new, so checked it out. The 2 hours of queuing in the freezing cold was painful, not only in the physical sense because we were freezing our noses and toeses off, but also on some kind of higher plane because i find queuing morally and ethically wrong. It just shouldn't be allowed.  Anyway, after 2 hours of drinking wine out of a brown paper bag a la Dolphus Raymond, we got in.  It's only £5 for entry which is almost unheard of in London, the drinks aren't ridiculously over priced either, and the music is amazing - really eclectic and great tunes to show off your moves to on the dancefloor- we didn't want to sit down once.  So all in all the mind-numbing, toe-numbing queuing was totally worth it.  Well not really, but it just means that next time we'll know to get there MUCH earlier...

Things on my mind

1. Which area of London should me and my friends rent a flat in? (when we can afford to move out of parental hell)

2. What's the best topping for a cupcake?

3. Do I really need to get a job?

4. What's the verdict on going to the cinema alone?

5. Is Tony dead?

Yes, I've made the fire all about me...

Made the massive error of going to camden on saturday night even after hearing about the fire.  Yes, I'm an idiot, but it couldn't really be helped - I wasn't the shepherd, I was the sheep, and it was the shepherd's birthday, and he wanted to go to a bar in camden, and he was drunk, and there was no reasoning with him.  And I'm a sheep.  Getting there was fine, and the bar was at the chalk farm end of the high street, so that was all ok too.  But getting home - oh boy.  Missed the last train from chalk farm, tried to get up to camden, street cordoned off, station closed anyway, rubbish policeman with no idea what we should do, moronic London transport man who made us walk for a million miles, getting on the right bus but going the wrong way, and finally making it home by getting off the bus (the right one this time) and sprinting home because I'm a scaredy cat and don't like walking home alone.   

Others waxing lyrical on London...

"London, that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained" - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

"By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show" - Samuel Johnson

"London is a roost for every bird" - Benjamin Disraeli

"The man who can dominate a London dinner-table can dominate the world" - Oscar Wilde

All Things London That I Dislike:

people who dawdle on the underground

expensive hot chocolates

moody shop owners

dark days

the lack of comfy sofas in cafes

in fact, the lack of good cafes full stop

horrible high streets 

not being able to wangle student discount in Topshop

getting chucked out the Lock Tavern garden far too early

roadworks

touching something, anything, on the tube

litter

(phew, this list is shorter...)

King's Cross Two Step

Had a funny encounter today.  It occurred in the large space in King's Cross tube station, you know, the bit at the top of the escalators from the Northern Line where you have to cross over the over-crowded area to get to the met/circle etc lines? Well anyway, like I said, it's ridiculously crowded, but experienced London commuters somehow manage to criss cross each other in all directions seamlessly and at a furious pace (I'm sure some kind of simile should be inserted here, but I can't think of it...). Well, not all commuters.  A well-dressed gentleman and I, coming from opposite sides of the chasm, seemed to be on a crash course for each other, and instead of expertly manoeuvering around each other and carrying on our separate ways, we engaged in some kind of awkward, dithering series of side steps and body jerks, which went on far longer than it should.  We were like two awkward teenagers at their first disco - not daring to look one another in the eye while our bodies wiggled close together but not quite touching (...knew I'd get a simile in there somewhere).  Anyway, finally we disentangled ourselves from each other's personal spaces, acknowledged the ridiculousness of the situation with a quick catching of the eye, and carried on with the rest of our journey.  It's funny - all those people, and that's pretty much the extent of human interaction that you can expect...a shy little dance on the station floor...

All Things London That I Like:

Walking along the South Bank

Flying my kite in Kenwood

Sitting by the water in St Katherine's Dock

Yoghurt raisins in Baker St tube station

Cheap theatre tickets

The never-ending novelty of my Oyter card

My garden

The trop d'oeil in Gabriel's Wharf

The lady's voice on the Tube announcements

Tunnels at London Bridge

My sister's house

Cold sunny days

Hot sunny days

Jeremy London

Camden stables market

The heater in the indoor area at West Finchley tube stn

Discovering new places

Free parking

The London Eye

Outdoor ice rinks

St Christopher's Place

Secret Gardens

Coming Soon: All Things London That I Dislike...

Bento Bonkers

Right, that's it.  I'm sorry, but I can't go another minute without talking about Bento.  It's the Japanese restaurant I went to for the first time recently, and quite frankly I haven't stopped thinking about it.  At first I thought it was because I was happy to have found somewhere new to eat, and that I was there with good friends whom I hadn't seen for a while, and that I was excited to tell other people about this cool new place...but now I think it might be something more.  I think it may be an obsession.  You see, I haven't quite been able to stop fantasising and salivating about the succulent flavours and exciting dishes.  And although I've raved about it to everyone that I've seen and spoken to, I'm still not satisfied.  And the friends who I went there with, well, they're great and everything, but not that great. And it's been two weeks now.  Or more precisely, 2 weeks, 2 days and 3 and a half hours.  But hey, who's counting?  I think the only thing to do is return to the scene, have a meal and realise that this obsession is all in my head - that no chicken can be that tasty, or vegetable that pleasing, or rice that fluffy...can it? But what if it can? What if going again only heightens the obsession? What if it drives me mad and I can't sleep? Or work? Or, god forbid, eat?

Stuff For Free

Nothing is sweeter than when you get it for free.  So you can imagine my sheer joy and delight when I found myself with lots of free tickets for a preview screening of the new Working Title rom com flick Definitely Maybe this week.  I invited a bunch of my mates along (all girls - surprisingly the boys weren't too keen...) and we had a merry old time at the Odeon West End watching Ryan Reynolds getting jiggy with Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz and that pregnant lass off Scrubs.  It's out in Feb and I'd really recommend it - Working Title are the people behind Bridget Jones and Love Actually, and while their latest offering doesn't quite match up to its predecessors, it's definitely worth a look...maybe.

Pubtastic

Discovered a good new pub on saturday night (well, new to me anyway).   The Old Red Lion Theatre pub in Islington.  It's a cosy place - comfy sofas, big tables, friendly staff, old-fashioned furnishings.  The 50 seated theatre is upstairs and I didn't check it out because I was cornered on the sofa all night by various drunkard attendees of my friends, but I understand it's just lovely.  

The only drawback to the place was an over-friendly Rottweiler who took a particular fancy to me, but I don't believe she's a permanent fixture of the place, so if you're also a 20-something curly brunette with an aversion to the canine, you should be ok...

Hanks for the memories

I met Tom Hanks last night.

That's it really - I just wanted to brag that I met Tom Hanks.

(I managed to score some tickets to the Charlie Wilson's War premiere.  Red carpet glitz? - Good.  Political flick? - Good.  Hanks throwing popcorn in my face? - Still good, after all, he's Tom Hanks.  And it was an accident.)

Lunchtime trauma

It's the age old question - why is it that the comfy chairs are in Pret, but the better sandwiches in Eat?? Why must I be forced to choose between eating a sub-standard, over-priced tuna baguette sitting on a plush mini sofa, and munching on a tasty, spilling-from-the-edges sandwich on a cold, hard, backless stool?  And what's more is that Pret and Eat are next door to each other, making the tantalising chairs or the sumptuous sandwiches (depending on which lesser of two evils I've chosen that day) just an outstretched arm's length away.  The drudgery of 9 to 5 is harsh enough, without having this anguish thrown in my face everyday.  That's it - tomorrow I'm making a stand.  Either I buy an Eat sandwich and brazenly sit down with it in Pret's luxurious surroundings, or I drag a Pret recliner through the street and enjoy it in amongst Eat's otherwise stringent furniture.  Hmmm, how to decide...    

Pressure of entertaining

I had my old uni mates come to stay this week. We had two days in London, and as the only Londoner the pressure was all on me to work out how to spend our time.  Now London's not exactly short on things to do and places to go, but when you're all students/unemployed bums, it's a bit of a challenge to be entertained on a budget.

As it turned out, we had an awesome time - wandering around Borough food market, flying kites in Kenwood, hot chocolates in cheap little cafes that aren't Starbucks, and, the best bit, ice skating at the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park courtesy of Oyster 2 for 1 deals.  Seriously, I think the Oyster deals are my new favourite thing (since I discovered Dairy Milk Shortcake that is) - it's great to be able to do loads of cool stuff in London on the cheap.  Plus you get to say "the world is our oyster" a lot, which, worryingly, never fails to amuse me.