Category: London Day to Day

I celebrated my 32nd birthday with my 5-year standing tradition: drink a glass of Scotch that was aged longer than I’ve been alive. This sounded like a very good idea when I was 27, but it gets surprisingly expensive as I get older. I was impressed that I was able to find a 30-year old Scotch in Los Angeles airport on my 30th birthday, even if it was US$250. Fortunately this is one thing that’s become cheaper since I moved to the UK.

Sylvia and I were planning to go away this weekend to celebrate my birthday but that’s been pre-empted by a 2-week business trip to California. We’re still thinking of getting to Scotland however; hopefully we’ll be able to make our planned trip to Inverness the last weekend in October. So, unlikely my 29th birthday, I wasn’t going to have the luxury of purchasing my Scotch in Scotland.

So, I picked up a bottle at local Whiskey shop in London. This year I chose a 32-year old Speyside from Convalmore Distillery; admittedly, a distillery I had never heard of. As it turns out, Convalmore closed in 1985, with this particular Scotch being distilled in 1975 (one of 202 bottles from cask #4246). This bottle was a great purchase as it turned out to be a nice, smooth Scotch with a slightly smokey aftertaste. It reminds me of my daily cups of Taiwanese Lapsang Suchong. An excellent topper to my 32nd.

a freight train flips, a fire breaks out in the chunnel and no surprise the eurostar is shut down for a few days.  Glad I wasn’t on that train.  I was on it a few days earlier coming back from Brussels and have to say if I was to be evacuated by foot through the tunnels, I would not be pleased.  Even the 20 minutes in the tunnel at train speeds makes me nervous.  <shudder>

It’s cool out, my heating kicked in today, fall is definitely here.  summer?  ya, it was that one saturday a few weeks ago when my brother ad sister and law were in town.

best thing about it the cold weather? (no not sweater puppies dave) my towel racker warmer is back!!

I spent most of last week back in Canada for my best friend’s wedding (strangely not at all like the movie). Whilst (enjoy that Jaime!) back in Toronto I watched quite a bit of the olympics. Now back in the UK I realise how good Olympic coverage is in Canada. In Toronto I can watch the Canadian coverage, the French-Canadian coverage and American coverage.

Here? I have minimal British coverage. No joke, we have 37 channels and only ONE has the Olympics, BBC1. And it’s mostly talk show format in which several dolled up ‘journalists’ lounge around a couch discussing results, not showing results. Come on UK, you’re 3rd in the medal standing surely you can do better to promote your athletes.

The best part? At 8pm coverage ends because Eastenders is on!!

The weather has turned.  It was just 1 day after Lindsay headed back to Canada that London burst into summer.  The sun is out, the weather is warm and on any given day of the week at almost any given time there are people out drinking on the patio (patio = sidewalk here).  Maybe my memory is fuzzy, but I don’t recall this many people in Toronto outside with beer in hand on say, a Monday.  But here, people drink like there’s no tomorrow, which truthfully, based on weather patterns is pretty accurate.  It may be 27 and blue skies today, but tomorrow it could just as well be pissing rain and 12.

I’ve continued my lunch tim exploration of Mayfair.  Last week I went to see the Drawing Blank Exhibit by Bob Dylan:

Interesting work, reminiscent of Degas.  I think he should stick with singing.
Later that I week I went to Sotheby’s to a proper auction.  There, paddle in hand, I sat and watched people with seemingly nothing else to do with 5000 pounds on a Wednesday at 2pm then bid on Rare and Vintage Wines.  It was exciting for the first 10 minutes.  The auctioneer sputtered out bids at gunfire pace, 4 people sat in a row perpendicular to me taking orders from telephones, and my fellow attendees, clutching their pens, carefully took notes of each lots final price.  After that it got a bit monotonous.  The excitment of holding a bidding paddle quickly faded so instead I choose to study the people around me and guess what their lives were like that warranted purchasing 36 bottles of 1991 red wine from chateux somewhere-snooty.   Surely a few of these people were in the restaurant business.  Otherwise, just how many dinner parties can you have before you get the reputation of serving that SAME wine.  Maybe they were shop owners? 

Then the lots of champagne came around, and my ears perked up.  Fresh from my trip to Reims I studied what was on offer.  16 bottles of a 1986 vintage.  Not bad.  3 magnums from 2001.  Magnum!  I snickered to myself.  I’ll never forget magnum now.

Did I bid?  no.  As tempting as it is to join in the fun and raise my paddle too, at 2,400 pounds I can’t really afford my bluff to be called!

No, not “Oh, Canada!”, “Hockey Night in Canada.”

As you may have heard, Canada’s most important theme song went through a bit of a controversy recently. After CBC refused to pay the $2 million requested by the royalty owner, CBC/TSN picked up the “perpetual royalties” to save the song. To any Canadian reading you understand that this was really big news in Canada: after many decades Hockey Night in Canada on CBC is going to to have to get a new theme song!!!

Being the resourceful people they are, CBC decided to run a contest for the new “Hockey Night” theme song. Great idea, until the part where they decided that entries could be submitted on the Internet and voted upon by people online.

Which bring us to SomethingAwful.com – the people who brought you “All Your Base Is Belong To Us,” among other Internet memes. Nothing good can come of this.

Enter “Hockey Scores,” the brilliant theme created by one of the SomethingAwful message board members. A fine mix of animal sounds an crying babies described as “A beautiful theme encompassing the heart of hockey.” Go ahead, listen to “Hockey Scores” here. Here’s the original thread about it at SomethingAwful.

So, of course, the  monkeys over at SomethingAwful go over to the CBC anthem site and vote it up, and it’s currently the highest rated entry with almost 100,000 views.

It was temporarily removed from CBC’s site (I guess somebody though it was a joke? no way), but was put back after vicious oposition from Internet netizens and protest videos on YouTube.

But it gets better: last week CBC television ran a news piece about the anthem contest and featured the “Hockey Scores” composer:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYeQCyTQFGA]

I don’t know how he managed to keep a straight face through this interview. “If you think this is one big joke, you’re wrong.” Pure comedy gold.

Thankfully CBC were smart enought to state in advance the anthem content is not a popularity contest: their judges will choose the winning theme.

Interesting thing today was a lunch time pilates class in Soho (sorry mayfair, your expensive real estate make your classes too expensive).  Instructor was sufficiently militant.  I liked it.

Post work was dinner at a gastro pub with Paul and Linda.  Today is their last day in London, it went by fast!

With the big project over, work is definitely stress free (well for me, others not so much).  Which leaves me time to finally get to know my neighbourhood.  Mayfair isn’t just about fancy shops and high priced tailors, no you can also spend your money at one of the many art galleries too.  Today at lunch I went to the James Hyman Gallery to check out an exhibit of Linda McCartney’s photography.

It was actually very good work:

The past few months have gone by far too quickly. Work has dominated my life for most of that time, but thankfully the big project is over (for now). So, aside from cheese on on Saturday it’s been a great weekend in the city. Friday evening I met Paul and Linda at Blackfriars for a pint in a traditional pub. The weather was good so they got to experience the British habit of drinking outside the pub in the ‘garden area’. Translation: sidewalk. I also took them to Wagamamas, a London institution and then to a classic british pub: Ye Olde Chesire Cheese. A pub since the 1500’s it has a solid classic british ambiance. And, if it’s good enough for the likes of Mark Twain and Charles Dickens, then it’s good enough for me and my guests!

Saturday was the cheese shop, then a wander through the Pride festivities and some shopping in Soho.  Later (possibly inspired by Wimbledon)  I ventured south of the river (gasp!) to meet some coworkers for a doubles match.  All I’ll say is that I’m rusty, and in need for a few more practices before I attempt that again.  Penny, my kiwi coworker and I had dinner near the courts in a nice part of Clapham.  I can see why so many people our age live here, it’s quite nice, but a bit too subruban for my tastes (sorry Adrienne!).  And then later still, after a change of clothes, I met Penny at the Absolut Ice Bar.  Surprising to me, only 15 minutes of our 4 hours there were in the ice bar.  Something about health and safety?    My carbon footprint didn’t feel to good either.  (did I just say carbon footprint??  Wow, this entry just screams mid 2000’s).

 Today, the weather turned on us (again).  After brunch at the Wolesley I actually had to buy a sweater, I was that chilled.  And it stayed that way most of the day.  I stayed in doors at various shops and department stores, elsewhere in Hyde Park Paul and Linda were at the outdoor O2 concert festival, probably soaking wet, but probably quite content with listening to Ben Harper live.

I finished my weekend with a trip out to Angel to the trusty old Tinderbox coffee shop.  There I read most of this weeks Time Out London magazine so I think i’m up to speed on what’s happening in the city this week.  Hopefully now that I am long-hours-at-work free, I’ll be able to enjoy some of these things.  At least I hope.

Sylvia and I were in Canada this weekend for my cousin Jeremy’s wedding. On the road down to Windsor we stopped at a good ol’ Canadian service station for a snack.

A Tim Horton’s medium double double and box of 10 Timbits.

Very Canadian. Though I was reminded that Tim Horton’s coffee is crap.

I also went to Canadian Tire to buy some duct tape.

And now we’re drinking Bloody Ceasers. Pretty authentic weekend.

Being good Commonwealth citizens and residents of the United Kingdom, Sylvia and I are eligible to vote. So we tried some good old fashioned X-drawing on for size today as we cast our ballots for the London mayoral election. The polls close in 3 minutes. Let’s see if our horse comes in!

their accents are too hard to understand.

That is all.

March 12th. One year.
In many ways, a year already? And in many other ways, only a year?

1 year
2 different flats
2 different jobs
4 new umbrellas
9 countries
17 visitors

You know it’s been a year when tube names don’t make you giggle anymore and you acknowledge that there is a level of rain that must be achieved before bothering to take out your umbrella. I now like my beer as an ale, medium colour, kind of flat and kind of warm. My skim milk latte is called a skinny latte, my cream is soured, not sour.

Here are some more thoughts, in a list.

Things I can’t beleive I ever lived without:

1. Towel rack warmers

2. The Tube. Love it, hate it, spend loads and loads of time complaining about it, but at the end of the day I still love the sheer amount of possibilities and the extensivness of the network.

3. Cheap flights to “the continent”. Most flights were on the god awful services of Ryan Air, but i still keep coming back for more because, well, I just can’t resist the travel.

4. Sunday Roast. And Sunday afternoon in the pub for that matter.

5. Pomegranates. Seeds removed from the peel, neatly packaged with a little plastic spoon? If this existed in Canada, I never saw it.

6. Weekends in England (Bath, Cotswalds, Oxford, Brighton, Leeds Castle, Canterbury, Windsor Castle, and that’s only half of the recommended day trips)

Things I miss:

1. Family and friends, obviously.
But in one year our visitors (for work or pleasure) were: my parents, Jason’s parents, Jason’s brother John, Scott, Dave and Kasia (thanks again for crawling on your hands and knees looking for my cats under parked cars, kings cross isn’t the cleanest, that will never be fogotten), Lindsay & Kynan, both Cerniks, all the Oxford ex coworkers: Jaime, Claire, Mike, and Shelly.
Lots of visitors makes it that much easier.

2. Having any sort of pedestrian rights. In London, they are non existent. In fact, I would say vehicles speed up when they see you crossing the street.

3. Closet space

4. Brunch (because I apparently I can’t help it. Everyone’s working for their breakfast

5. A credit rating. 500 pounds credit card limit is a cruel, cruel joke.

6. Owning property

7. Walking to work

What’s coming up for the next year? Lots of travel of course, new things to love and hate, and hopefully more visitors! And maybe some more cheese. It’s been a while…

Welcome to cultural learnings from living in Lodon.
What’s St. Davids Day you say?
Exactly my thoughts.
Explained to me by my friend, the girlfriend of a Welsh man, “it’s like St. Patrick’s day, but Welsh” . So basically a piss up in a Welsh pub where they serve Welsh beer, have daffodils all around (the national flower), play Welsh music and have lots and lots of singing. Boy do the Welsh love to sing. And to the untrained ear it doesn’t even sound like separate words, more like slurred chords. Even the English songs are tough to make out. Have a listen:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3NmBjjjhuw]
Bless their patriotic pride! Especially Paul who belted every song out.

By the way, biggest lesson I learned: Tom Jones is Welsh!

Turns out a life of leisure is hard work! I need my rest!
I start my day around 10:30

By noon I’ve dragged myself out to Marylebone High Street for what was supposed to be breakfast but given the time, lunch.
Marylebone High Street by the way is one of my favourite high streets in London. The shops are a bit too poncey (Madonna does live in this neighbourhood after all) but aesthetically it’s quite pleasing.

My plan for the afternoon is really just to go visit the National Portrait Gallery. But I strategically map out my walking route to hit up a few other stops. First stop the Timothy Taylor Gallery:

I’m not sure where the name of that exhibit comes from, there is no mouse, no bird and no sausage to be seen. Instead there are mixed media art works (mostly canvas with some splotches of paint with a few loose buttons and threads glued on).

Over in Soho I’m curious to see Carnaby Street and the near by Berwick Street Market:

As for the market? Quite mangy. Maybe 7 stalls all selling limp looking produce. Yuck. As if this place made it into one of my guidebooks! But the street did take me past all the seedy parts of Soho Londoners talk about:

I’ll be honest. I’m pretty sure my craving for the portrait gallery came from watching an episode of The Colbert Report the night before where Steven manages to convince the American National Portrait Gallery to hang up his portrait (above a water fountain beside the toilets). Regardless of my motives, this was a great gallery. Although there sure are a lot of British people hanging up in that gallery that I have no clue about! The Beatles, Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill, and Richard Branson? No problem. But some BBC news presenter from the 1960’s? Um, no.

A few hours later I cut through the Convent Garden Market, stopped at a tea shop and then followed the signs to the British Museum.

Having never been to the British Museum I was completely blown away! Seriously, this is THE museum to visit in London. I actually came in only to scope out the ticket situation for the Terracotta Warriors exhibit which has been sold out for months. I want to line up Monday morning for the small batch of same day tickets that are released each day, so this visit was purely reconnaissance. It was supposed to be a 5 minute stop on my way home to figure out where to line up and how many old people will I need to elbow, but out of the corner of my eye I spotted the Egyptian room…

An hour and a half later I headed home and then out again for drinks with Kerwin (I left Jason at home to enjoy his eye infection and probably a birthday party for Mips). Kerwin came to Kings Cross to meet me so I took him to Camino, a very cool wine bar in a converted brick warehouse that makes you think Kings Cross isn’t that bad.
I think i fooled him.

Day 3 starts with our continued education in the UK’s National Health Care system. After registering yesterday with a GP we’re told that we have to wait until we’re in the system to use their services. But with Jason’s eyes still blood shot red, we head off to a walk in clinic. My seeing eye dog duties continue.

Later I’m in Notting Hill having some morning coffee and doing some reading. Can you tell this is a wifi hot spot?

There are 4 laptops in this shot alone, and I spotted 3 others at the other end of the coffee shop. With an old school paper book I’m a bit out of place.

I head down the street towards the Queensway where I meet Adrienne for lunch. We have mexican, and I forget to take a picture. It’s quite nice to meet up with friends for lunch. In a city the size of London you generally you don’t work anywhere near your friends. I suppose the same can be said for Toronto (downtown vs. say Richmond Hill) but when I was at York & Adelaide I knew quite a few people all in the financial core within walking distance to me. Perhaps, the difference comes from having more friends in Toronto and the larger pool to choose from working in my favour. Anyway, here in London I have Jenny up at Paddington, Adrienne in Notting Hill, Kaila and Kerwin in The City, Heather, Jeff and Andrew in Mayfair, Dan in Canary Wharf and my ex-colleagues at Victoria. Oh and a husband in Cambridge! So it’s nice to visit a few while I can.

After lunch, Adrienne begrudgingly heads back to work and I head into Hyde Park with plans to go visit the Serpentine Gallery. After yesterdays repetitive assault of rain I’m relieved to be getting a bit of sun. Nice January weather eh?

The Serpentine Gallery is much smaller than I expected. On right now is an exhibit about British artist Anthony McCall and includes 3 of his light installation exhibition exhibits from the 1970s. These were truly amazing. I only managed to get one photo before the phota-nazi police scolded me:

Basically the artist uses light from a projection screen and smoke screens to make giant dynamic cone like shapes. If you stand inside the projection you feel like you’re in the heart of a monochromatic nebula … until some visitor pops their head into the light, cutting through the cone. It’s a fascinating experience. And I’m doing a terrible job of describing it.

Taking Exhibition Road south I pass the Science Museum and that Natural History Museum – I’ll save these for another day when Jason can come with me. Instead I choose the Victoria and Albert Museum of Art and Design. The building alone is worth a visit as is the giant glass sculpture in the main lobby:

I could probably spend a day or two in this museum; it’s absolutely huge. But I focus most my efforts on the Islamic Art Exhibit. After visiting Kuala Lumpur’s Museum of Islamic Art I’ve grown a fondness for this style (and 3 prints that I purchased there that Jason accidently trashed in our move to the UK and threw out because he just assumed it was Ikea junk. Yes, Jas, this will be just like “that Thanksgiving”. You won’t stop hearing about that until i go senile)

Up next, my half ass attempt at house wife duties.

With Friday being my last day of work I am now officially a Lady of Leisure. Well, for the next 2 weeks at least.

What does the life of leisure in London involve?

* A solid sleep in (or lie in as the Brits say).
* A trip to the Columbia Road flower markets for some fresh (and cheap) orchids.

* An afternoon visit to the Photographers Gallery to take in 3 very strange exhibits (the weirdest really was the Seeing is Believing exhibit. Think Dr. Venkman from Ghostbusters doing pseudo science on paranormal behaviours except in the 1940’s and photographing it all)

* Dim sum in Chinatown with a husband you haven’t seen in 2 weeks
* fussing with cool gadgets at the enormous Apple Store (because coming from MacWorld Jason hasn’t seen enough Apple products)

Stay tuned for the rest of the weeks activities. There are loads of touristy things I haven’t done. My friend Dave who was here in September has seen more of London than I have! It’s time to catch up.