March 05, 2006
Taking a colourful dump
This ad is for one of the very new, shiny high rise development pods going up along Wandsworth's swath of lovely river side. At first I thought the large billboard image was slightly funny, trying to be hip with some obvious stock photo. But I pass that way a lot, and the more I looked at it, the more I saw it as the perfect image for what it is selling. It’s a dolled-up slut of a showgirl building taking a dump all over everyone else's river view. All the resident's get to enjoy the fresh breeze along the waterway while everyone else can't even jog along it. Grrr.
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February 14, 2006
From work
This morning I get into my crazy-ass scooter and fight the rush hour traffic to get to work. The guys on the motorcycles are a bit too fearless this morning, zooming at break neck speeds for the two seconds it takes to get to the next traffic light. Its wet out so I don’t go nearly as fast. I let the death-wish boys go ahead of me. While stopped at the lights on Borough High Street a man in a huge black-top crushing machine is tearing up the road as a cigarette dangles from his lips. As I watch smoke swirl around his cab I imagine what it will be like in England after they vote on this smoking ban today: pure delight!
Its nice to have a steady job and yet not be here every day of the week. I get out of the house and see the same people and the same places, but its not a grind. I think that makes it more pleasurable. I can stop and look around, enjoy a deserved lunch out, even enjoy the hours spent working on a mindless task, the office banter, the instant coffee.
Last week I walked a bit further away from the office so I could have a nice view at lunch. I went to the EAT. chain coffee shop, and I was a little freaked out by the man behind the counter. He seemed very familiar to me and it took a second to realize he was the same guy that worked at EAT. on Canary Wharf back when I used to work out there. Either that or he has a twin brother. It kind of confused me for a second because it felt exactly the same—having a break at work, being served by the same guy—and yet the rest of my life now feels completely different.
I felt transported back to last year where I was in that cafe almost every day. I remembered looking forward to and dreading those breaks at the same time. I would be alone, eating my lunch at the odd hour of 10AM if I was on an early shift, staring at the video displays in Toni & Guy across the way, watching the sleepy masses of smartly dressed workers or bored shoppers trudge across the faux marble tiles. My life is so different now. I can take a break pretty much when I like. I can sit and watch the boats on the Thames, enjoy the fresh air and views of the City and St.Paul’s. Its amazing the little things we take for granted. I wonder about the guy working in the café. Is he better off? Did he get a promotion? Even if it was just a relocation, its surely better than working in the Wharf’s basement all day. I know I surely feel better off, not having to ride out there anymore.
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January 19, 2006
been busy runnin' around
So tired. Worked yesterday and today. Yesterday I didn't get up early (again) to run, so instead on went on my lunch break cause the office has showers (and a wee little gym that I used today too). It was the first time I have ever ran that part of the Thames path. It was misting with rain, (or as they say here, "spitting") so I got completely soaked, but the views along the Southbank were great and the temperature was mild. I went from London Bridge to just past Westminster and back. Ran past all the touristy spots: the eye, Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben which looked picture perfect set against the grey skies and mist. I will have to do that again next week. Its even worth dodging the tourist traffic, although I suppose if it wasn’t raining there might have been more people about.
Nothing else exciting happening. Last week went on my usual long bike ride, this time a three-hour cruise along the Grand Canal path. I did most of the Paddington stretch and was surprised to find the canal being used quite a lot by barges. Most of these colourful boats were being piloted by hearty looking people in woolly hats. They also all seemed to have a large dog on board, watching the scenery as they floated slowly down the waterway. I was confounded by the stretch of the canal which went OVER a 6-lane motorway. Madness. (Its called the north circular aqueduct, and I didn’t take any photos, but he did). I took the train out to where I could get to the start of the path, and learned yet another hilarious silly British town name. The station announcement called the next train with stops at various locales, including "Old Haw," which in-and-of-itself is a bit silly. BUT. I heard it first before I read it on the platform info sign. Pronounced with an English accent it sounds exactly like "Old Whore." I had to go over and read the platform sign to see if I was hearing it right. I was a bit disappointed to find out it was only "Old Haw." Won't be going there anytime soon. Although who knows, I'm sure it’s a charming place.
Also, two days using a PC and I'm completely flummoxed by my mac keyboard. Keep doing the wrong shortcuts. grrr.
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January 12, 2006
shiney and new
I guess my gym is doing well financially. Yesterday one of the corners was with blocked off and stacked with boxes and some new equipment. At a glance it looked possibly like Pilates Reformers machines, but I didn’t spend much time thinking about it. Today all the machines were assembled. There must have been at least 10 or 12 of them. The fitness staff was having some kind of training session, I only overheard a bit of it as I was stretching. Turns out the machines are something called a "Gravity Training System". According to their web site ours in the only gym in the country to have them. Upon reading their web site I am a bit dubious, since most of it goes on about the benefits to a clubs bottom line, doesn’t say anything about any health features of the product. But the more that I look at it it does look kinda fun. I'm sure they will be charging extra for the classes, or schedule them at peak times when I can't attend. Maybe I will fork out some cash for personal training just so I can have a go on one.
In other news if for some reason you forget to bring a clean pair of panties with you to the gym, and you have literally just sweat your butt off on the lifecycle? My advice would be to take your pants into the shower with you. Then wash them with some shampoo, throw them in the bathing suit wringer and dry them out with the hairdryer. All the while humming softly to yourself as if it was routine and you always clean your pants this way. That is, if such a thing should ever happen to you. It would never, ever happen to me! How embarrassing that would be, holding your underwear up in front of a hairdryer. No one would see you anyway because they are all changing in the private little cubicles.
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January 09, 2006
Follow the green line
This post is a bit long. If you want to know in detail what I do with my Sunday mornings (or in this case, most of my Sunday) read on.
Yesterday was fun, if a bit mad. I left the house for my usual Sunday leisurely bike ride planning on being out a few hours, and I ended up being out all day. I was hoping to see the sun as I haven't seen it in days, but I was out all during daylight hours and it never showed its face. (I have yet to see it today either). Instead I got rained on halfway through my journey.
The morning started out simple enough:
I get up early, as usual not as early as I would like, but since there is no sun to guide me it is hard to determine when to get up. I didn't take my lights because I just assumed it would get brighter out, and anyway I would be back before dark. The air isn't very cold, but the wind feels chilly making my eyes water. Thankfully the streets are empty so I'm not too worried about crashing due to my teary eyes.
I see people delivering the papers: some by bike, others by shopping cart (ah the charms of urban life). There is a stillness in the air that only happens early on Sundays. As I pass near the waterfront developments I look up at three high cranes hovering above me ahead. It seems as if they are swaying in the breeze, yet I know they are completely still. When I get to Putney Embankment I pass the large Thai Restaurant on the corner. A man dressed in black from head to toe is whacking large blocks of ice with a shovel out on the pavement. The blocks are in the early stages of two ice sculptures, perhaps shaped as fish or mermaids. The man looks like a Ninja pretending to be a sculptor, kind of like John Belushi's samurai on SNL.
When I get to the café I have a coffee and waste an hour reading the Observer.
I don’t know why, but I find that I need these pointless, aimless rides on Sundays. It relaxes my body and energizes my brain for the week ahead. Its like a brain wash, rolling along muddy paths just looking at the scenery. If I miss my weekly ride I'm not as happy until I get to do it again. I take a photo of my bike, the little invention that gives me the opportunity to escape for a few hours once a week.
My beloved relaxation machine
I resolve to go a new route this time from here. Instead of going to Richmond I will go over Kew Bridge and follow a bike path that goes along some kind of waterway, looks like a creek from the map. The sky is still dark but its not raining. I peddle around the Stag (Budweiser) Brewery. It is a huge hulking low slung factory, and from somewhere inside it belches loudly as I pass. The building makes me imagine Laverne and Shirley working in there. It is a stark contrast to the other brewery I passed earlier: Ram's (Young's) Brewery in Wandsworth. That place has a bit of history to it. It’s the oldest site in Britain on which beer has been brewed continuously, since 1581. It takes up one small block in the town centre and it is a fraction of the size of the sprawling Bud plant. I pass a cute Young's pub as I rejoin the river path. There are still rowers on the river and I go by pink and orange stone cottages before crossing Kew Bridge and into new territory.
I make a wrong turn and end up on a dead end industrial estate, with rotting warehouses and piles of tyres before I find the path. Turns out the path going along the Grand Union Canal, one of Britain's historic canal routes, which runs 137 miles to Birmingham! It even has side routes to other towns. It is part of the longest single canal in Britain.
Another day at the office, another chance to stare at the bright orange thingy pooping out front?
After passing a few ugly corporate buildings complete with ugly corporate art, I feel like I'm in another world. Although very close to the motorway at times, the path along the canal is very quiet and green. Completely paved too, which is great when you're on a bike. As I got farther along I kept encountering locks, at one point where the path got steep there must have been 10 in a row. It was all very quaint and picturesque so of course I started snapping pictures and spent way too much time there. Once I get going I'm afraid I get a bit obsessive with the snapping. I'm not used to the new camera settings either, so I spent some time playing around with some of those. The new camera is a joy to hold and use. Looking through a view finder instead of at a LCD screen feels much more natural. There is also a very satisfying click as the shudder releases (although why they also add an electronic sound to verify this is beyond me).
When I get to the top of a hill at a lock called the "Norwood Top Lock", I stop because its where my map ends. Also I was hungry, so I take out a little snack and think about the journey back as it starts to drizzle. By the time I'm done eating my little slice of cake (Nigella's dense chocolate loaf cake, btw, yum!) it's raining much harder. Well, so much for taking more photos. I decide to go back along the path and then through Syon park to Richmond where I can take the train most of the way home. That was a mistake. Never rely on the train unless you check ahead of time! I rode and rode getting wetter and wetter. It wasn't too cold, which was good. By the time I got to Richmond almost 45 minutes later I was cold, tired and hungry. I stopped at a café and had some scrambled eggs on toast while I put my mittens and hat and jacket on the radiator to dry out. Tested out my camera more, hence the egg photo.
Lunch!
I left there thinking I could get the train, so I stopped into a few shops looking at shoes and handbags. As I got to the station I saw a large run-down looking bus parked outside. Bad news. I walked up to one of the Southwest Railway staff and asked if they were running a replacement service to Waterloo (my direction). He took one look at my bike and said, yeah, but you can't take THAT on THERE (titling his head at the bus). Such friendly service! Thanks Southwest!
I grumpily decided I needed a latte to help me make it home and went into the Starbucks across the road. Their toilet was broken and since I really needed to go I decided to skip the coffee, hit the head in the train station and just ride on. I rode back, the rain not stopping, the wind not letting up. I wasn't that tired but considering I had been mostly riding or walking around since 8:30am (it was now 3pm) I really just wanted to stretch my legs out on a nice sofa. I went slower than usual the last leg of the journey, worried about cars hitting me, as it was now getting dark. I did stop at another Starbucks closer to home and got a tiny latte as a reward and also to get out of the rain for a few minutes. When I got home it was 4PM.
I drew a hot bath and thawed myself out. Ahhhhh. Completely reborn. Ready to explore again next week. Now I have a buncha photos to edit.
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January 03, 2006
the grind
This morning I planned on getting up super early to go running before work, but when the alarm went off it still felt like the middle of the night, so I skipped it for an extra hour of sleep. Was so worried about getting there on time forgot to bring my made-the-night-before lunch with me. Spent all day typing and clicking, checking and rechecking. Changed into my cozy bike pants and rode home. Even though it was cold, dark and raining when I got home, I went for my run after I walked the dogs. (Hey, it was cold, dark and raining in the morning anyway.) I forgot what it felt like to sit on my ass all day in front of a computer screen, and the run felt really nice.
Won't have any time to go to the gym tomorrow since I have to work all day and my membership is only during non-peak hours. Don't really mind because yesterday it was packed with tons of people I've never seen before. I tried once to upgrade to a full time membership, but I learned that my gym is really quite busy during peak times and I don't enjoy it. If I was ever going to shell out more cash it would have to be for a posh place with less members. As it is I feel like I am going to a small place because I usually only see the same five people when I'm there.
Need to get going on my samples. I am really stressing over the logo. After trying to get someone else's help I decided just to do it all myself but its not really my thing. My goal for the end of the week is to have some samples I can bring around starting next week. Don't have to work next week so it is the best time. Baking and label making. woo.
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January 01, 2006
New Years
Didn't go out for new years eve again, just stayed in sipping Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label and watching Jool's Hootenanny. That is some damn fine champagne. Not too many fireworks going off in the neighbourhood. When I took the dogs out early in the evening I did see plenty of people wandering the streets drinking beer or alchy-pops. It still bothers me for some reason, people drinking on the street. Really I could care less, but when you are raised with a law being a certain way it can really get jammed into some deep place in your brain. Like I am thinking, sheesh! at least put it in a paper bag for heavens sake.
Even though I don't celebrate Christmas, it kind of feels like it a bit. It turned out that the temp agency didn’t overpay me like I thought, but rather they were giving me my tax refund. (Taxes are different here, most people don't have to file them, it gets done automatically.) So after I paid off my Visa bill I rang it up again by getting a super rad digital SLR camera. It was on a rebate deal so I had to get it before the end of the year. Hopefully now I can take daylight outdoor shots and not have a burnt-out sky. Yay filters! I also got a new winter coat. Its a super long white down coat from Uniqlo, very cheap (only 9,990 yen! Sorry, they only had that coat on the Japanese site). Cheap meaning its not good quality down, but it was the longest coat I could find that was thicker than 2 millimetres. The coat will be good for when I am riding around on the scooter, cause it covers the tops of my legs. And I love white in winter. Everything is so dark and dreary, you need some kind of a lift. Yeah, white will get dirty but whatever, that’s what dry cleaning is for. Also I would be surprised if this coat lasted more than 2 seasons.
Made up a batch of Misha treats yesterday and did a few test shots with the new toy. I think the aspect ratio is slightly wider than my old camera.
hearts for my sweetie.
Blurry snap of Misha in her natural environment, her easy chair.
According to the Chinese calendar, the new year starts on the second new moon after the winter solstice, which would be 29 January this year. And 2006 is the year of the Dog! Yes, this is the right time for starting my business.
My only New Years resolution is to listen to more of the Asian Network and rent some DVDS from the local Blockbuster in Tooting. I am diggin the Bollywood tunes.
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December 23, 2005
celebrate good times
Things have been happening. All kinds of good things. First, I got a small loan for my business, so I can get started on some niggling details right away. Hopefully I will be pedalling the biscuits to park cafes around southwest London in the new year, as well as at Richmond farmer's market. Tons of baking to do. Plus I need to work on the logo.
So after I got this loan, my agency managed to get me an interview for a long term temp position. And I got the job because its mostly an online company and I have bags of experience in that area. (I'm pretty much completed overqualified for the job, but its only temp.) I am really happy about this position because I love what they are about (health consultancy) and the people there all seem super nice and the location is awesome (easy to get to by tube, easy scooter parking, awesome lunch & coffee places). The job itself is a bit simplistic, but in a way that’s nice because I won't be draining my brain, I need it for other stuff! Besides its only 2-3 days a week. Oh, and even the pay is good.
Some say good things come in threes? Well while waiting for the third thing I got a flat on my scooter on my way to the first day of my new job. At least I broke down next to a tube station. I still got to work on time. (Way to go Northern Line!) And speaking of the underground, I saw a big billboard yesterday saying that Nat West was sponsoring free public transport in the city on New Year's Eve. This would be great except for the fact that workers are threatening to strike on that night. Oh well. At least cabbies will have something to celebrate.
Things I'm looking forward to on Christmas: Alien invasion in the new Dr. Who & baking gooey magic bars.
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December 18, 2005
Treading
Didn't imagine this post would be all about running, sorry if it bores anyone. The thing is that in order to write more I need to write about things that I think about on a daily basis. And running is one of those things. Feel free to wait for something more interesting to you while I ramble on:
Got up late again this Sunday but still managed my bike ride. It was frosty and very cold this morning. We are back to winter temps. On a trail passed a man on a white horse in Putney Heath, had coffee at the usual place where people were wrapping gifts at the tables, came home along the river where I cycled past boat houses full of people dressed in tights and flip flops relaxing after a morning of rowing. Thankfully when I got home my toes were not too frozen (I can't imagine how those people in the flip flops fared.) Made some blueberry pancakes for lunch.
Yesterday I went for a run in the cold afternoon. Its so hard to get outside in the mornings because of the chill. I have to remind myself that last December I didn’t have the luxury of running at all, and I should take advantage of the crispy air. I actually prefer running in below zero temps than pretty much anything warmer than 60F. Running outside in the summer is all about carrying tons of fluids and trying not to pass out from the heat. The sun stings your eyes as does the tons of sunblock you need to rub into your skin. Running in the winter is about enjoying the fresh air in your lungs, the clear skies and the empty paths. People who run indoors on treadmills are really missing out. Personally I loathe running on a treadmill. I don’t know why but I must be the only person that runs slower on a treadmill than outside. I find it hard to relax, the movement doesn’t feel natural at all to me. I don't think a person's stride is exactly the same speed constantly, and unlike other machines you don't get much leeway to adjust, you have to keep going or get thrown off. When I'm at the gym every other machine is fair game, (even the damn the treadmill if I'm walking on an incline.) But as a runner I find it a bit embarrassing that I hate those stupid things. Thankfully I don't live in an extreme environment where it would be necessary. There isn't much weather that I won't run in. It's one of the pleasures of running, being outside in all kinds of conditions.
Crazy runner in Minsk. I usally opt for some more appropriate winter gear in the snow, but the snow won't stop me just like it didn't stop this dude. (Photo from AP/Yahoo news last year that I just had to save.)
Speaking of constant stride, recently I seem to be hitting the same mile at exactly the same speed consistently. Does that mean within that mile I am running at the same pace? Probably not, its just an average worked out over that distance. I have been using it as a way to measure my relaxed pace. I am very pleased that I have increased by speed considerably without any extra effort by working on my form. I can now comfortably run 9-minute miles at what feels like an easy pace. That is a whole minute a mile improvement! Although I am not following it to the letter, the Pose Method of running has taught me a lot. Its funny because when I began running over 16 years ago, I was probably running more efficiently than after reading about and adjusting my form over the years to fit various theories from different runners. I used to do things like concentrate on my arm swing (which is stupid, pumping your arms doesn’t make you go any faster. I'm sure it gets your heart rate up though.) posture (you don't want to be straight up and down, you want to be leaning forward,) or footfalls (do not land on your heel and roll through). I'm nowhere near having perfect Pose Method form, but just having a different perspective on running has really improved my speed. I found the whole Pose thing a bit cult-ish at first, but its hard to argue with the time improvements I have experienced. I wonder how fast I could go if I really got serious. Can't really think about that right now though, I'm just trying to concentrate on getting back into shape. Speed can wait.
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December 15, 2005
Booty
I have been having a footwear issue as it is winter and walking the dogs through the muck of the common gets awful messy. I have a very comfortable and warm pair of low hiking boots. (Or shoes? I dunno if they would be called boots because they only come up to my ankle. But they are fat: huge luggy sole with large treads, hooked eyelets and reinforced toe.) They are excellent for walking because they are very supportive, but because they are low they don’t cover my cuffs. As a result my trousers get dirty within seconds of stepping foot on a trail. What I usually do is wear the same old ratty pair of tan cords and not be bothered about muddy cuffs. I throw them in the wash every once and a while, but since I only wear them for dog walking its not like I need to wash the mud off every time.
The issue is appearance. If I am going to be approach Café owners in parks I don't want to look all muddy. But I do want to look like a dog owner, like someone who takes good care of her dogs and this means muddy walks. If you want to appear countrified and hearty in this country, you wear wellies: big, tall, ugly, rubber boots. To me they look cold and clammy, and also not very supportive for long walks. I see people wearing them all the time though, so they must know something I don't. Looking online I could compromise and be all urban by getting a pair of "funky" pattered boots. I quite like the animal print ones, or the plain pink. Perhaps a good insole could make them wearable for long walks.
Animal Print Wellies.
A more sane approach would be to go for comfort with the ultra-modern Muck Wellingtons. They have what appears to be more supportive features as well as warmth, although the central feature is that they are made of neoprene. Synthetic materials and my feet are not a good combination. If my toes get too warm they start to sweat. Sweat in cold weather = brrrr. Not good. Maybe I just need to find a decent pair of leather boots or some work boots? I dunno, what kind of boots would I sell the most dog biscuits in?? Its not like I can afford any boots at the moment. Problem solved!
I had my third driving lesson with Effie of BSM yesterday. It is a bit humbling to be having driving lessons at my age, after 20 years of driving. But if I want to get a British licence I need to pass the driving test, so I need training in doing things the way I should in order to pass the test. Things like not crossing your hands when turning the steering wheel and using the hand brake when you are stopped at a light. Also, riding a scooter for over two years puts you into some weird habits that aren't consistent with car driving. (Like not realising that your car takes up a bit more space on the road than a bike.) Driving around in a tiny Vauxhall for two hours with a big sign on the top that says "Learner Driver" with a big red "L" isn't my idea of fun. I did notice another learner driver from a different school motoring around in a Mini. Man did I feel jealous. Perhaps riding around in a cool car would somehow take a bit of the sting out of the learner car stigma. Still have a few lessons to go before my test, which is scheduled for Jan 10. Wish me luck! Also, got my loan application in today, have a meeting about it on Monday... fingers crossed for that too.
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December 12, 2005
Wintertime
Legs and arms feeling better today. Went running on Saturday and then went to the gym in the afternoon for a very abbreviated upper body resistance work out. Which was a good idea, I wasn't too sore the next day. Sometimes it is so hard to hold back. Lifting 4k weights doesn't feel like much, but I have to remember to start slowly.
Got an email from my yoga instructor/studio informing me this week will be last classes before Christmas break. It seems everything slows down this time of year. I haven't been to that particular teacher's class in quite a while, guess it will be quite a while longer! It is a husband and wife team, and I really like the guy's style of teaching, but not his wife's. I hate it when I would go there and she would be subbing for him, so I just stopped going. They started doing semi-private instruction, which I really wanted to do but I just can't afford it. I know I should just do yoga on my own, but I find it very difficult. I have been doing it for years but not ever with any kind of regularity. Its so hard for me to find instructors I like too. Damn I'm picky.
Sunday I stayed inside in the morning and went for a bike ride in the early afternoon. Instead of going along the river this time I headed up hill directly west to Wimbledon. Even though it was late in the day the air was still chilly and the ground was thick with fog. It created an eerie effect along the paths in Putney heath and Wimbledon common. I haven't explored the paths there as much. I will definitely go back there again next week. I have a tendency to be drawn towards the waterfront and that blinds me to some of the other great wilderness places in London. Even though I was fairly close to a major roadway, I felt as if I were in some vast woods.
I tried to capture the shafts of light highlighting the fog through the trees
Today I am trying to concentrate on my business loan application and working out the web site. I spent all morning chatting and playing with various web sites instead of working. At least I got in a run before breakfast.
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December 09, 2005
temptress
It feels good to be wanted. Even if it is from recruiters who only see you as a big pile of cash. This past week I have been playing the temp game. Seems there are a few part time jobs that I might actually be able to get. Which feels nice when I haven't felt very qualified to do much of anything but bake dog treats lately. The whole dog treat business has stalled. I want to go ahead but its all about money of course. What isn't?
This one temp agency has this policy of standbys where you can come into their office in the morning and sit around in their "web café" and wait for work. If an assignment comes in they will go to you first. I did this on Monday and actually got a job for the day. I just haven't been able to bring myself to do it again this week. It seems that no one is really hiring any long term contracts until January, so I really should just put myself out there in the mornings and see how it goes. I promise I will do that next week. The same agency is having a Christmas party on Monday night at a restaurant in Covent Garden. I think I will go as its free drinks at least. I will make up a ton of business cards to pass out. Well Bred Treats get ready!
In exercise news (please feel free to skip if this bores you): I went to the gym on Wednesday, and did a quick lower body resistance workout followed by a short interval ride on the lifecycle. It was the first time I have been there since, according to my workout log, 2 and a half weeks ago. (Although the last time I did a lower body weight workout was a bit over 5 weeks ago!) I tried to take it easy on myself, but really, there is no way around THE PAIN. Yesterday wasn't too bad, I tried not to grimace walking up the stairs on the underground on my way to yet another interview/recruiter meeting. I want to run today but its so hard with the soreness. I think its actually better to just rest. The pain does stop for a while when you're running and about an hour afterwards, but then the warm glow wears off and I'm left with an extra day of aches. I could go to the gym and do upper body, which would mean more pain. Staggered pain is best I suppose.
I know. If I hadn't stopped I wouldn't be in this situation. Getting back into the swing of things is the hardest part. I think the winter is sometimes hard to resist. It gets darker and darker, colder and colder. Makes you want to stay home and eat piles of toast and watch reruns of The Practice on ITV3. But I know I will get back into it again. My aerobic capacity is still there, and once I got to the gym I remembered how much I actually like my particular gym. Its very good for being a cheap gym, they are constantly improving things. Still I wish I could afford a fancier place. One without too much Gwen Steffani on the TVs.
I wish people would leave comments on this blog and the main one. I reset moveable type so now you don't need to register, but I'm not sure that’s been made clear. Either that or I just haven't put up anything comment provoking. Have to work on this site a bit more still. Not nearly where I want it to be.
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December 04, 2005
rituals
This morning I decided to get back into the habit of my Sunday morning bike ride. I haven't done it in a few weeks for various reasons. (One being the past few weeks it has been super cold out.) I really love doing it, and I always kind of do it the same way. I developed this ritual a bit by accident. I had had a different sort of ritual of going for a long run on Sunday mornings, but then I hurt myself and couldn’t run for a while, so I decided to ride my bike instead. It was then I discovered how much better a bike ride can be compared to a run. I don't have to wear special clothes or worry about being covered with sweat and freezing to death when I stop (not too much anyway). I can eat a normal sized meal and still be able to ride (I find it hard to run with much in my stomach). I can carry a camera with me. I can stop anywhere I please and have a look around. I can go a lot farther which leads to investigating different places. And Sunday is the best morning for run because no one's around, its also the best for a long ride because the roads are nearly empty. Of course its not really the same level of intensity of a workout but that’s ok. I kind of prefer my bike rides to be slow and laid back. People with lighter, more aerodynamic bikes in brighter, more aerodynamic gear are constantly passing me. I don't mind.
So even though I got up kind of late for my usual ride, I thought it was still early enough and headed out without too much fuss with a banana for breakfast around 9:45. I wanted to get out as quickly as possible so I could get in plenty of sunshine since the days are so short now (sun sets at around 4:30). It was sunny for most of my ride, which was great. And morning sun is the best. Dunno why, but it is. I headed north to the river and then followed it west through Putney. I stopped at my usual place in Barnes for a coffee, and since I had all the stamps necessary for a freebie on my loyalty card, I got a grande vanilla latte and a pastry (usually I just get a small cappuccino). I had to sit outside because all the tables inside were taken, but it was nice because it wasn't too chilly and I had a huge drink to keep my hands warm. Steam came off my cup and out my mouth every time I took a sip. I listened to Kate Bush's Aerial on my iPod. I watched people walking along the charming little high street. Ah, Sunday. I imagined I lived in Barnes for a bit until my coffee was finished and then I hit the road again towards Richmond.
I took a different turn and went a bit of a different route. I ended up going past this pub with this crazy name and cheeky little sign. I had to take a picture. Found my way to Richmond after crossing the river twice. Had a nice little croc monsieur for lunch at the top of Richmond Hill. Coasted back through Richmond Park. Went a new route through Sheen and came across another cheeky pub sign. Weird. Again I just had to take a photo. I hope I don't become one of those people who compulsively take pictures of one certain thing, in my case, cheeky pub signs. But I can feel it coming on. Took a few other photos. Hopefully have a few to post soon. In the meantime please enjoy the pub signs:
Pull my finger? What kind of a name is this for a pub??
Is this a depiction of the Landlady? Its a bit too detailed for my taste. At first I thought it was just an Angel with big boobs, but on closer inspection its just made to look like an angel, when really its just a busty bar maid standing in fron of some cleverly placed windows and clockface.
I only included this photo because of the street sign on the right. I wonder how many people come there for the Funday MEAT RAFFLE!
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December 02, 2005
Audience Monkey
BBC Television Centre, White City
The other night I went to be a part of a television audience at the BBC. It was for a topical news show that airs on BBC4, the boring grown-up BBC channel. The show was "The Late Edition" and stars comedian Marcus Brigstocke. Its kind of like a British version of the daily show, only not as funny. One reason its not as funny is because Marcus takes the interviews semi-seriously. Another is because I haven't lived here long enough to get all of the jokes. [don't think I ever will to get this level of stuff] But its still very amusing, mostly because Marcus is a funny chap.
After enjoying the previous season several months ago, when I noticed that you could get tickets online to be in the audience I thought it would be fun. And it was. The show runs about 30 minutes but they do over an hour of material, because, as they put it, some of its shite. But most of it was still good, so it felt like you got a lot more show than normal. And Marcus made every effort to be funny, even when the cameras weren't rolling. One of the interviews was fairly serious, being with a British (well Irish actually) ex-military leader but the other was pretty damn hysterical, because it was with spoon bender Uri Geller. What a loon that guy is, he was going on about how he created world peace through mind control with the help of the CIA and Al Gore. Yeah. OK.
I also found it fascinating being in a TV studio. I guess my interest in broadcasting has never fully gotten out of my system. And BBC's television centre is a huge, aged, monolith of broadcasting. It was neat watching the actors improvise from the script on the teleprompter, watching the four cameras different angles, ogling at the array of lights hanging form the ceiling. And being part of the action, even though it was only to provide applause and a laugh track. Once, one of the actors messed up while doing one of those fake on-the-scene interviews, and of course everyone laughed even harder at the mess up. The actor, Steve Furst, jokingly chided us "audience monkeys" for laughing at his gaff, which of course only made everyone laugh even more. Now whenever I see him on Little Britain or in an Orange advert, I will momentarily remember my short time as an "audience monkey!"
I may even sign up to do it again before the series is over. White city, where the BBC studios are, isn't that far away, and it was a fun, free night out. I recommend it to anyone, go out and watch some telly!
Posted by shannon at 09:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 29, 2005
Oh the places you'll go
After writing this whole thing I realise its sort of a circular argument. But maybe paradoxes are what life is all about? Anyway, I apologise for the footnotes, but I find them easier to work with than parenthesis when I go on for longer than a few words. Hope you can forgive me.
I do a lot of commenting in my daily life. I think there is a misconception that I am complaining. But I'm not. I have had a misunderstanding recently about my enjoyment (or lack thereof) of being an ex-pat in London. I think because I like to comment on all the differences between the US and the UK, one may get the impression that I don't like it here, that I prefer things to be the US-way. Nothing could be further from the truth. Although at times differences can be surprising, it is why I'm here in the first place. You don't move to another continent just to have everything be the same. What would be the point?
What is so great about being from another country is learning the ways people are different. Seeing the broad expanse that is the human experience. To understand that we are more than how our culture defines us, and also understanding how our culture does define us.
All the small details that make cultures different though, ultimately fall away because, as Paul McCartney once put it: people are the same wherever you go. Understanding that we are all the same in some way makes it easier to let go of all those little details that once felt so important. (And at the same time embrace new ones.) When I first moved here, and many people have had this same terrible experience of culture shock in varying degrees, it was difficult not to want all the little things I was so accustomed to having. For instance, I really missed enjoying half & half in my coffee. Not having it was a daily disappointment. After unsuccessfully trying numerous ways to replace it¹ , I finally settled into the taste of milk in my coffee, the way most English people drink it. I actually prefer it this way now, but I wouldn't say it is the same thing. The more you go through this process the more you learn that things you think you need you really don't. That existing in another place isn't really so hard. That you're more resilient than your culture has led you to believe. That new whacky and strange things really aren't that whacky and strange, because after all, aliens from mars did not create them, people did. People like you, or sorta like you. Then you begin to enjoy a new world, with even more details in it than before. More things enjoy.
(And OK, milk in coffee isn't whacky or strange. But maybe beans for breakfast is a bit whack? Being that the English founded America, nothing here could be that strange to us. Cept maybe Marmite.)
It is funny that I have learned this lesson here though, in England, because I think the English are pretty poor at adjusting to other cultures themselves. They have tended to bring their culture along with them, which is why cricket is so popular in India, or rugby in Australia. And they still do this today. Which is why you can get a "Full English" breakfast at most places in the world. Or why there are so many all inclusive package holidays to exotic locations where you never have to leave your resort and can probably have bangers and mash for tea every night. Yet I am blessed that I live a very open and tolerant place in England: London. London is probably the most diverse place in the UK.
London, being a large wealthy city, is a strong magnet for immigrants from around the world as well as for people from all over the UK and the Commonwealth (I didn't realise how large and diverse the Commonwealth is and how strong the UK's ties are to the many counties that make it up.) Living in London offers a chance not just to experience another culture, but many cultures. In my short stints at various jobs in the capital, I have had the opportunity to work with people from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Columbia, Ireland, Denmark and even Liverpool. I have enjoyed immensely learning about these different places through their people and their reactions to living in the new shared culture of London. It is what I enjoy most about living here, meeting people from all over the world². I only wish that somehow I could figure out a way of turning that into some sort of job-skill.
So when I talk about all the little differences between America and the UK, its not about complaining, its about being able to have such an observation. Its neat that things are different. I love it!
¹I tried mixing milk and cream, which after all is all half& half is, but the cream was too thick and it was a hassle. Just cream by itself presented a world or problems, one being was that it was too rich, another being that it lasted approximately half a day in the fridge before going bad, and it was messy and difficult to pour from the container it came in.
²Or, by contrast, meeting born and bred Londoners who enjoy the diversity and don't see a need to go anywhere else, since they feel they have the world at their doorstep. Mostly I believe that’s true, although I also believe that living outside your comfort zone can bring a deeper experience.
Posted by shannon at 06:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 14, 2005
the business
This site has been a mess because it got moved to a new server (back to the US from London, these pages sure do get around) and I had to upgrade MT. They threw in a bunch of new MT tags which messed up my stylesheet, the nerve! So there is still some stuff that needs to be cleaned up but everything is still readable (yay for stylesheets!)
Watching too much reality TV somehow pushed me into actually doing this business idea I have had for a while. (Thank you D. Trump! Or thank you Mark Burnett. Whoever!) I have been very busy sorting everything out to get going. There is plenty to do. Here is a little hint of whats to come:
Samples
We also have a new edition in our house. His name is Joey and he is completely cute if also completely untrained. He seems to be learning fast though.
Joey asks: "Play with me?"
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August 16, 2005
various
This is a picture of my desk! And a reflection of the dog and the big mess on my desk and its all sort of out of focus because I have yet to sit down and read the manual on my camera and memorize what all the settings mean.
I have split up this site a bit. One part for 'serious' photos and one for writing AND photos. Because really, I can't live without the picture taking. But sometimes it is not the greatest photo in the world, but I still want to use a picture to illustrate various things. I am trying not to worry so much and just take pictures. Today I took the dog for her usual morning walk but I took my camera with me. I tried to look at all the things I see every single day to see if I could see things differently. I also walked down a few streets I have never been down before. Its funny how we always take the same paths and sreets, even when we have nowhere particular to go.
Looking like its going to be a very sunny day on the common.
I walked on this little alley way that runs along the far side of the railroad tracks. I found it to be a mini industrial estate, with all these businesses hidden from view. There was a florist, a beer and wine distributor as well as a business caterer and a drain cleaning service.
Some big ass truck with strange neatly wrapped hoses.
Is this where ladles go to die?
Then, almost back to the house, I decided to take a picture of this damn huge cricket grounds that I pass every single day. The sign always strikes me as strange. At least being grammarians they know where to put the apostrophe. I wonder what an old grammarian is exactly. The second picture just attests to the attitude that place puts out. Although its always very busy, I just hate the tone of those evil signs.
I posted another photo on my "main" site of some builders getting lunch at this tiny cafe in the station. Can't decide whether I like it or not. Feel free to comment on it!
Posted by shannon at 11:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 02, 2005
Rushin
Man I hate rushing around. Why is it when I have plenty of time it all seems to disappear and I am left running out the door with nothing I actually need for the day? Maybe its just me. Or the internet. I have been playing with a new site, a London Wiki that has some cool potential. (potential for disaster, Craigslist is enough of a nightmare and that has some extensive moderation). We will see. I signed on for the "geek girl dinner". Guess I will have to go sans contact lenses for that one.
Here is a grafitti photo I took one day I my way to my old job. Nothing whatsover to do with anything, but there ya go. That's why I have such a hard time organising my site, sometimes things just do not fall neatly into any category or place.
Vauxhall Eyes
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July 17, 2005
Learning Curve
This site is still hovering in disarray, and for that I apologise. I don't know when it will all be fixed, hopefully sometime before the end of summer. I have been spending my time catching up on housecleaning, two months of laundry as well as getting back into my exercise routine. And also making homemade dog treats for my dog (she can't have regular ones due to her renal condition).
I also apologise for this long boring post, I will try to animate it with photos to break it up. I am testing out the photoshop web gallery feature, which I still need to tweak in a major way....
I finally passed my practical motorcycle test! This is big news. It was the last hurdle in the whole drawn-out process of obtaining a full motorcycle licence. For those of you who don't live in the UK or don't know, this is what I had to do:
First, before you can ride at all, you must take a one-day training course called a CBT (Compulsory Basic Training). While the instructors stress that it’s not a test, if you can't demonstrate by the end of the day basic manoeuvres and safety procedures, they won't give you a certificate. Once you get this, you can drive with "L" plates for up to two years, with a few restrictions (you cannot carry a passenger, ride on motorways or ride a bike over 125cc). Before the two years are up you must get your full licence, which entails taking a computerised theory test and a practical riding test. If you don't get a full licence in those two years, you must start all over again.
Michael, my cycling instructor.
So most of my two years went by unnoticed, and it wasn't until about 2 months before my CBT was to expire that I started to get in gear. It takes a few weeks just to get an appointment for the theory test, and I failed it the first time due to the very annoying and retarded "hazard perception" part of the test. In this part you watch movie clips on a PC and have to click your mouse when you see a hazard "developing". You get points based on how far ahead you see them. Of course if you click too much you get no points (nul poin!) for that entire clip because, according to the test's designers, you could just be clicking randomly in the hopes of scoring without really paying attention. I got all of the multiple choice questions right but failed the second part because of overactive clicking. So then it took an entire month to get another appointment, the second time again I scored perfectly on the multiple choice and then barely passed the hazard perception, but passed I did! Although I really really hated the second part of the test, I did enjoy the clip where you had to slow down to avoid sheep crossing the road not once, but twice. I'm sure that will come in handy while riding around town.
Ok so theory test aced, I needed to pass my riding test. Of course the great country of the UK has decided that I am not allowed to take my test on my very special (and awesome) motorbike, so I had to ride on a regular 125cc scooter. I paid for one day of riding lessons on such a bike before I took the test the following afternoon. This was a few days before my CBT expired. On the first driving day the weather was horrible, it rained and even hailed (oh how I wish I had my bike then) and we kept losing other riders in our group. The second day the weather was better, but with stakes riding so high I made a few stupid mistakes and failed the test. Disappointing because I hate failing tests, and after failing the theory test once it was even more frustrating. It was also unnerving because I got stuck with a car-driving examiner who followed behind me in a car, a bit too close for my taste.
Gilera 125, bike I took my tests on.
So then I had to take the train to work for a week before I could take a full day and do another CBT. And then, finally, on Tuesday I had another half a day on a wee bike before passing my test with a biker-examiner. He put me at east right away when I met him. His office was trimmed with a long row of tiny model bikes and he had plenty of tattoos and what looked like a few teeth missing. He even made me feel better about failing the first time because of a comment he made about the other examiner. "Oh you had DW, Mr. Cheerful? That guy never so much as cracks a smile." He was a fair grader and marked me down for a few minor things that a biker would notice a lot more than a car driver.
Fellow student's crash helmet.
So now I can ride an automatic motorcycle (which means scooter, under UK law there is no difference between a motorcycle and a scooter, only between automatic and manual transmission. Of course all motorcycles are manual transmission, and scooters are automatic.) in the UK! Woot. Who knows how long it will take me to get a driver's licence in this country! I will have to go through a similar rigmarole again. I will have the advantage to knowing the road rules and riding on UK roads. One thing that is very different from driving in the US, other than riding on the left and roundabouts is that there are very very few stop signs. Most of the time there is just a dotted line painted at a junction (unless there is a traffic light of course). At these places you don't have to stop, you can just roll through (if no one's coming of course). The dotted line just means you have to give way to traffic. I can think of all the tickets that my friends or I have gotten in the good ol' USA for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. Signs that are littered all over the place, just there for a cop to nab you on. Nothing like that here, and it takes a little time to get over the habit. Another thing that messed me up while taking my tests, was turning left instead of right. I think part of this was due to some advice I read somewhere about learning to drive on the opposite side of the road than you're used to. It said don't think of left or right, just think of 'easy' or 'difficult' turns. And this is what I did, of course on the test when I was nervous automatic habitual thinking took over. So when he said right turn I thought 'easy' turn, (duh), which of course is left. My advice is don't mess with your brain, there are no short cuts and its surprisingly easy to switch from riding on one side of the road to the other.
Posted by shannon at 07:42 PM | Comments (0)
July 08, 2005
Panic on the streets of London
Hi there. I am trying to get this site back up and running. There are so many things I want to do with it, I wasn't going to post until I could get it fixed but now I am thinking that I can fix AND post all at the same time. So I apologise for the mess in advance.
To everyone I haven't been in touch with—just in case you were worried everyone is all right here. After yesterday’s events I must say how comforting it is that most Londoners are taking everything quite well. Its amazing how calm Brits can be in the face of such terrible events, but I guess maybe they are used to it with the IRA and all. I can still hear sirens every now and again but I know its just police or ambulances (there is a hospital nearby) trying to get through the mostly normal traffic congestion.
On the other hand the media are doing everything they can to spread panic and fear. I must say I couldn't drag myself away from the TV for most of the morning and afternoon. The photostream on flickr was half full of shots of people’s TV screens, so I guess it wasn't just me (Although - Hello! A picture of a picture is lame!! If you want to record it for prosperity use a proper DVR for heavens sake.) I know it's the biggest news story of the year but do we really need the sky news camera trying (in vain I might ad) to zoom in on the blood splatter on the building next to the exploded bus? Score one for the terrorists. I guess shots of people walking home, their noses in their London A-Z maps doesn't make for as exciting viewing.
I was supposed to take part in a three-day audience research thing for the BBC, but it has been postponed until who knows when. I was to represent a "blogger" and talk about how I spend all my time blogging or whatever instead of watching the BBC. Of course one can do both, maybe I should tell them that! It seemed kind of fitting that I should get a request to do such a thing after I decided to revive this thing after a short hiatus. Also this domain name came up for renewal again. So I shelled out some Euros for another few years. I can't believe that I have had this site for 7 years! I suppose I will have to celebrate by working on it a bit more.
Posted by shannon at 01:02 PM | Comments (0)
September 24, 2004
barriers
Last Sunday I got up super early and rode on the back of the bike for an hour in the chilly air in order to witness a scheduled closure of the Thames Barrier. I had never been out that far east before (well, you can't really get much farther east and still be in London anyway). I went just to see the barrier itself, which is a wonder of 1970s mechanical engineering and design. The city of London and beyond is protected from tidal surges in the North Sea by these colossal widgets. There is a cool labelled diagram on the environmental site where you can see how exactly it works.
I drank some really strong coffee at the café overlooking the Barrier, and we walked around exploring and taking pictures. Alarms would sound when one of the walls was being raised, and the water would start to foam and rush around the closed gate. The upstream side of the barrier was calm and quiet, as if the waters no longer felt the urge to rush out into the sea. It was kind of exciting to watch at first, since we didn't really know how it worked or what to expect. After a few of the sections were closed off though, it felt like the show was over. The barrier was to be closed the rest of the day, so the river remained calm and the industrial docksides got a rest. (Except, of course, for the Tate & Lyle sugar refinery, which is just downstream of the barrier, on the opposite side of the bank. The largest sugar refinery in the world doesn't take breaks from fattening the globe with its vile grain!) I took a few photos if you are curious to see what its like.
I am finding hard to do much of anything these days. And I don't even have a full time job. It's been so long, I don't know how I would manage with one anymore, how do people do it? It has got me thinking more and more now that I want to start my own business. I know I can do it, I'm just not sure it's what I want. And you have got to really want it. I do know though, that whenever I am working for my own gain I tend to work a lot harder and be much more successful. I have an idea or two but that’s about it.
I worked at the Museum a bit last week and have more to do next week. The last event I did was a bit surreal. It was for a Japanese bank. They had a reception and private gallery viewing for around 400 people in the Egyptian, Roman and Greek section. They had a red carpet set up in front of the Rosetta Stone case which led to a receiving line where guests were announced (by a special announcer guy dressed in coat tails who loudly read their names off cards a stiff British accent) to two Japanese couples (two men of importance to the bank and their wives). After being formally announced, the guests shook hands or bowed, depending on their custom and had their photo taken. All this happening over the classical music of a 4 piece string quartet while servers swarmed in identical grey serving jackets with trays of champagne, beer, wine, organic lemonade & water. Then the food came, pretty trays of mostly sushi but the occasional tray of sausages. Even though most of the crowd were speaking Japanese, you could tell most people were busy schmoozing: exchanging business cards, bowing profusely, smiling way too hard and trying to look interested in their conversations. (Or maybe they were just being Japanese?) Hardly anyone ventured out beyond the main room where the guests arrived and into the many galleries that remained open just for them.
Posted by shannon at 09:58 PM | Comments (0)
September 11, 2004
try to remember
There is a perfectly lovely café in the common, and today it was quite nice to sit outside. There was the slight end-of-summer early evening chill in the air accompanied by a nice breeze. Bowlers dressed in spiffy whites were playing on the perfectly manicured green below the patio where I sat with the dog and had a coffee. [Why is it that so many British sports require one to dress all in white? Tennis, cricket, bowling are three that come to mind, and they also are played (or can be played) on a green. The contrast of white on green now makes me think "summer". I tried to take some photos with my phone, but they came out a bit wonky so I made them all arty and stark looking with photoshop.]
Sometimes it is impossible for me to shut out every conversation going on around me in a café. At least when I'm sitting outside I don't have to tune out the tunes that filter through the air as well. So I was wise and brought my iPod with me this time, which I don't use that often for a number of reasons. For one thing it is too loud to use headphones in the tube, the decibel levels of the trains drown out the music. And if I listen for more than a few hours my ears ring for a day afterward, which can be relieved a bit by not using the earbuds and using regular headphones instead. Plus I like to be aware of my surroundings, I feel safer. But what a difference a spot of music can make at this café, whose location I love, but the screaming children, people loudly yapping away on mobiles and cackling gossips I can do without. So I relaxed with the Postal Service and grooved with the Black Eyed Peas while watching the world go by. Or bowl by.
I have come to the conclusion that most of my photography is graphical rather than story-based. I know that it may not be as exciting as other kinds of photography, but I really enjoy doing it so I am going to continue doing it, even if I bore the crap out of everyone else. If you click on the above photo you can see a few photos I have taken recently. They almost verge on the abstract, but not quite.
Sorry I haven't posted in such a long time, I guess I just haven't had anything to say or seen anything I wanted to photograph. I have a new solution for those of you (if indeed there are still any left, I know everyone has unlinked me from their sites!) who are tired of showing up here and not seeing anything new. I am going to set up an email notification list, so if you would like to get a notice every time this page is updated with shiny new stuff, please send me your email address. Of course I will not use it for any other purpose. And don't worry about getting tons of mail either, as I don't post very often!
Also, hopefully when I move this site to a new server (soonish) I will clean out all the comment spam and perhaps update moveable type too. But who knows maybe I won't! I am tired of the colour scheme here, but as long as it works at the moment is good enough for me.
Posted by shannon at 10:04 PM | Comments (1)
July 08, 2004
spinnning
Yellow, green and pink polka-dotted cycling jerseys blur past a rain-splashed lens on the TV. Out with one major sports competition (Euro 2004 where the Greeks surprised everyone), in with another (the Tour de France, Go Lance!).
I'm not a big sports fan in general. I don't follow anything with too much vigour. But something about pinnacle events like Euro 2004, the Olympics and the Tour de France peak my interest for a bit. I have been watching the Tour every year since we moved to Europe (so that’s three years now) and it never fails to inspire me. And it couldn't have come at a better time because for the past few weeks my running schedule has gone down the tubes. With moving and being in a less than scenic spot to run in, I just haven't felt very inspired. With the bike race going on now, someone mentioned to me that Lance Armstrong's resting heart rate is 30 beats per minute (!). It got me thinking, and the other day at work I took my own resting heart rate. (That's how exciting working at a museum can be: so boring you have to check to see if your heart is still beating). I was surprised to discover that my resting heart rate is under 60, which is still very good. I thought since I have been slacking with my exercise that my overall fitness would have suffered as well, but I guess all that hard work hasn't been for nothing. So it's been much easier to get back into the swing of things, knowing that I haven't lost everything I have worked for.
Posted by shannon at 12:50 PM | Comments (0)
June 22, 2004
early
This week started off fabulously. I got up at the early hour of 6AM in order to be at the museum by 8AM for the beginning of a marathon 13-hour shift. The only problem being I was a week early. When I got to the Clore Education centre in the bowels of the museum, instead of the usual sounds of the catering staff clamouring with cups and saucers and mammoth coffee urns, it was dead quiet, dark and empty. Doh! So I was sort of relived that I had a whole long day "off" ahead of me, but kind of bummed that I still had a 13-hour day of work ahead of me next week.
I was so early that my favourite coffee shop didn't open for another hour, but I decided to wait it out and get a nice cup before going back home. I walked around for a bit and then settled in Soho square on a bench to wait, watching the 9 to 5ers rushing to work through the park, and the nicotine junkies stopping for a fix before going into the office. I saw three people dressed as brightly coloured hippies passing out stuff. Of course being so brightly coloured immediately gave them away as fake hippies, as real ones never seem to be truly Technicolor. Somehow you can't get really bright hues with hennas and hemp, or maybe its just that thin layer of dirt over everything? For a minute I thought they might be making a Freeserve commercial*. They turned out to indeed be fake hippies, passing out coupons for free Ben and Jerry's ice cream in honour of "World Peace Day". I guess the solstice would be the best day of the year for such a thing, since sunshine makes everyone happy, (even people who say they don't like the sun). But it being London in June, there wasn't much of it in sight anyway. It was rainy and cold, not a good day for eating premium fake-hippy ice cream in the park.
What am I doing these days? Looking for work. Watching Euro 2004, mostly routing for the home team, unless Thierry is involved, then its Viva la France! (I'm sorry, but he is just so hot! plus he has that super sexy voice/accent.) Sold my expensive city bike and got a slow town and country deal with a wicker basket on the handlebars. Celebrated my 3rd wedding anniversary with Bill. (I am glad we got married in June, it is always such a beautiful day on our anniversary. Unlike World Peace Day this year!) We had a nice lunch at the local Michelin-star restaurant, Chez Bruce. (It only has one, but that’s still saying a lot.) Puttering around the new house. Planning to make potato salad and iced tea for the Brits for a fourth of July BBQ, using a borrowed grill but in our own backyard.
All moved in and settled into the new place. Besides what I previously mentioned, here is a quick outline of the good and the bad of it.
New place pluses:
• Can sit in lounge without feeling like the walls are closing in on you.
• Can look out the window without having to crane your neck.
• Cats can go outside.
• Dear husband has own room for playing screechingly loud computer games.
• New couch long enough to stretch out on without having your feet hang over the edge.
• Café on the Common has much better coffee that Gondola Café in Battersea Park.
• Very quiet, lots of green around.
• Self-contained two-story unit with own entrance makes the place feel more like your own.
• No horrible carpet in the bathroom.
New Place Minuses
• Cats can go outside (Mrrrooooww! Let meeeeoooooow in! at 4am)
• Can cook entire meal in tiny kitchen while standing in the same place.
• Water pressure non-existent, takes 20 minutes to fill tub for a bath. (and yes, I timed it.)
• Fridge had huge freezer, but 2 liter-sized bottle of soda will not fit in it. (In the fridge, not the freezer.)
• Shallow sink in kitchen and as a consequence cannot do too many dishes without getting soaked, or taking twice as long to compensate for turning tap down so as not to splash.
• Can no longer walk 5 minutes to grocery store. (Nearest prolly 20 minute walk?)
• Even with extra bedroom, nowhere to put books, other crap, as this place came barely furnished.
Strange things:
• Little window/hatch thing that connects kitchen to lounge. Always makes me feel like shouting orders through to Bill when he's in there: "two eggs, over easy, side of home fries." Or saying "order up" when I am in the kitchen.
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*( I found this advert which I thought was a bit more amusing, if not a bit disturbing. I just didn't think it was appropriate for the above description since the people I saw weren't naked.)
Posted by shannon at 09:38 PM | Comments (1)
May 17, 2004
Holidays in the Sun
I know I haven’t written anything in here for a while, but I'm not going to apologize for it. We all have dry spells and prolific spurts. Stuff happens.
It is finally starting to feel a bit summery here. The billboards are splattered with women in bikinis lying in the sand. Friday afternoons the tables on the pavement in front of the pubs fill up quickly with workers starting their weekend early, getting in a pint and a cigarette, squinting into the sun. I no longer need to wear a jacket when I take the dog out in the morning, but I do need to slather on the sunscreen again. A friend of mine went surfing last weekend in Devon. Really wish I could have gone.
I keep meaning untangle my bicycle from the hundreds of others in the bike shed of our building, but never seem to get around to it. But very soon I won't have to, because we are moving. Our landlord informed us about a month ago he was selling the flat, and that we needed to move. It was kind of a bummer, as I really liked this place and felt settled here, but we have actually found somewhere even better. So there!
Our new place has its own back garden, so I will have a place to store my bike that’s easy to access. The new place is on a quiet cul-de-sac compared to the busy street we presently live on, and it’s on ground level instead of on the fourth floor (no more lugging groceries up four flights of steps!) It’s a bit further out of town than where we are now, but its actually closer to a tube stop (Tooting Bec) yet is also still close to overland rail. More importantly it's closer to many of my favourite parts of London like Putney embankment, the leafy south western part of the Thames path and Richmond park). It's also practically on Wandsworth Common, so there is a whole new green space for the dog to explore, as I think we are both kind of tired of Battersea park. And, (and!) for all of my friends and family out there, it has two bedrooms, so we now have space for a guest to stay with us! So what are you waiting for?
Posted by shannon at 04:15 PM | Comments (2)
April 03, 2004
why photography?
Last evening I was in a bar called "the Bunghole". Yeah, I thought the name was pretty funny too, haha!. Turned out the place was actually a very nice wine bar (bungholes having something to do with wine barrels). Very well dressed businessmen mostly populated it. Upon leaving, two of these three-piece business-suited men at the next table tried to get us to chat with them and started up a conversation:
"You're not CITY people, ARE you?" one of them leered. "Um, no" I said "we're photographers." I thought this was the best way to maybe get them to shut up. Of course it wasn't, and they proceeded to ask us many questions, of which I managed to get out of by saying I had another engagement and fleeing the pub. Their line of questioning was the usual sort of photography talk I cannot stand, which was why I left so quickly. "What kind of camera do you use?" was the first thing they asked. Gear talk bores me to tears, and I can only stand it if I happen to be in the market for a piece of equipment at the time. It's really disappointing that most people only want to talk about cameras. I joined a few photography communities on orkut, and sadly these have only gone into the same areas.
There is one community though, that encouraged non-technical talk about photography, but it stands nearly empty. So I posted this in response to a thread that began with these questions: Why do you carry a camera around? Why do you take pictures?
I like to be able to create art of out thin air. Taking a photo is freezing a moment in time and turning it into a two-dimensional image. It's not about capturing anything, its more about creating something different. A photograph is not real or true to life, it is only a very tiny piece of it. A picture is my own view of the world, or how I would like to see it, not how it is. A photograph is a way to edit out the world around me, and just take the bits I like. Taking photos is a way of being able to see the everyday art and beauty of the world. And then be able to put it in my pocket.
Posted by shannon at 01:37 PM | Comments (1)
March 31, 2004
spring forward
The summer time change this week has been so dramatic. Not only does it stay light out later, but all of the sudden it has gotten warmer and sunnier, as if nature abided by the man-made spring-ahead time change. Not that I'm complaining much! I just hope the weather will stay like this.
I have been so busy the past week, between working at the museum and working on my project for my picture research course, I haven't had much free time. The course ends next week and it has really been one of the best courses I have ever taken. I have learned so much about the industry. Even if I never find a job in that industry (I will though!), just knowing all the stuff is neat. I guess I am a bit of a geek, I like learning new things just for the sake of knowing them.
Working at the museum has also been a bit of an education. Standing around for two hours in the Kings Library while patrons swill wine and listen to a sting quartet as they are getting personal lessons from the curators, who bring out artefacts for them to touch (with gloved hands), can be interesting. Although I could do without having to look at the two mummified heads in glass jars at the far end of the room. Every time I walked past them all I could think about was the heads in jars on Futurama. But then again lots of things in the museum feel they belong in a cartoon: mummies, totem poles, stereotypical masses of Japanese tourists with cameras…
Thanks to everyone who replied to my last despondent post. It made me feel better knowing that you all care! (*wipes away tear*) Sometimes it just helps to get the bad stuff out. I am feeling much better now, I don't hate it here as much as that post implied.
Posted by shannon at 01:41 PM | Comments (0)
March 24, 2004
fodder
I try to keep this log positive, not wanting to sound like a whiner. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all, right? Well the past few weeks have been really crappy. Things felt like they were going so well. And then I get sick, like really badly sick, for over a week, which blows my entire gym/running routine to hell. And none of my job prospects works out and on top of that my scooter gets broken into (while I'm at a second interview, after which I was turned down for "not having enough experience" HELLO? Why call me back a second time if you don't think I am qualified??) and ALL of my stuff is stolen. Which means no photos for a while, seeing as how not only did they get my wallet, mobile phone, leather jacket, motorcycle helmet and all my notes from my course, but they also stole my digital camera. Its like I fell into some big black hole, and I'm just slowly climbing my way out. I postponed my bookclub meeting last week, I just didn't have the energy to leave the house or talk to anyone. When things get really bad I also get super homesick. I hate living here with all the extra crap I have to put up with when I could be back in San Francisco with my friends and nice weather and possibly even a job. That’s the worse part about interviews: lying about how much I LOVE London and whatnot. Really I can take it or leave it. No actually I would prefer to leave this shitpile for someplace on the seaside where I can go surfing and breathe salty air and sell sea shells for a living.
Posted by shannon at 03:22 PM | Comments (4)
March 06, 2004
Springy
Spray of crocuses peeking through the ground.
Winter is almost done. The daffodils are popping up all over. I've been very busy lately, which is nice. I've been going to the gym in addition to getting into a more regular running schedule, which has made me feel healthier. When I say "gym", I don't mean a fancy club with white fluffy towels and a juice bar, I mean the local leisure centre which is full of screaming kids and smells like feet. The chlorine fumes from the pool alone make me gag, and for some reason you have to walk through the pool area (and café and kids play area) to get to the gym. It makes me miss going to a grown-up health club, but at least the equipment is never too crowded.
I have been applying to jobs and even getting an interview or two (fingers crossed). I am enjoying my picture research course, which, if nothing else, has taught me some things I can use to impress people in interviews. Next week I have my first full day working at the museum, which I am looking forward to, yet also dreading because I have no comfortable shoes that I can wear for 8 hours.
I had lunch with a friend in Soho the other day, and then went to Seven Dials to get some coffee beans from my favourite coffee shop, Monmouth Street Coffee. (I find it funny that a google search for Monmouth Street Coffee brings up a link for the House of Coffee in Red Bank, probably the first place I ever experienced good coffee. This was long before Starbucks popularized decent coffee. At least in NJ.) It was a grey cloudy day, but Earlham Street was full of colour as usual, due to the cheery street vendors. I don't know why, but I always manage to end up on this street whenever I am in the area. Maybe it has something to do with the good motorcycle parking spots.
Here are a few photos of the colours of Earlham Street:
Beginning at the seven dials roundabout with the sundial in the centre.
I have been trying to do something in my photography which I usually avoid: portraits. Hopefully you will be seeing some photos of people I know, maybe even people I don't know (though I doubt it). I think since London is usually my subject that it would be nice to see the faces of London as well as its streets, parks, and buildings. But this is fairly new area for me, so don't expect anything spectacular. Just asking if I can take someone's photograph is difficult enough. Oh, and if by chance you live in London and want your portrait taken (FOR FREE!) drop me a line.
Posted by shannon at 02:16 PM | Comments (1)
February 01, 2004
better late than never
Posting
I wrote this lastnight, but since my server was down, I am posting it now.
Today was my birthday, AGAIN! Since my birthday fell during the middle of the week, my husband couldn't take me out and celebrate properly till the weekend. We had a lovely time this afternoon. First we had a gourmet and overpriced Champagne lunch at Bluebird. Then went to see Lost in Translation, which only came out a few weeks ago here. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Its interesting to watch a film that doesn't have much of a plot: you have no idea what is coming next, everything is a bit unexpected. Also, your brain isn't working in the background trying to figure anything out, it is free to just relax and enjoy the moments that seem to tumble out at random. Which is pretty much what I did. Good flick.
According to some new market research, my area of London, Wandsworth Borough, is the trendiest, most urbane spot in all of the UK! I find this amusing, as do many other Wandsworth residents. I can't seem to find an American equivilant for the phrase "chattering classes" that me and my fellow residents supposedly represent. Yuppies? I have a feeling thats not quite it, although I am guessing there are negative connotations, just as there are to the term "yuppie". Like I care. Trend isn't important to me, which is why I didn't mind moving to South London in the first place. But maybe thats how I ended up in trend-setting central? I would rather be on the cutting edge than the trailing edge, and any follower of a trend is already being influenced by an urge to belong, rather than an urge just to do what they desire. Of course sometimes its hard to know the difference. To me, Wandsworth is all about plenty of green spaces to play in and a roomy flat (one that doesn't have a closet-sized kitchen). Doesn't sound very cutting edge, does it?
Posted by shannon at 10:36 AM | Comments (0)
January 30, 2004
beauty is sleeting
New London 2004 Index of Images.
It snowed on my birthday for an hour or two, a brief blizzard that blanketed the city in soft white, only to melt completely by this afternoon. I took a few photos and let the dog romp around in it, howling at anyone she happened to pass. I was going to post the photos yesterday, but my Internet connection was down all day yesterday (thanks, Colt Telecom for your wonderful DSL!). Also, I was trying to find an easier way to post photos while still having complete control over how they are displayed. I tried a few little shareware programs, but nothing really did the trick. So, until I get things running right, I will just have to be satisfied with less than perfect.
Posted by shannon at 09:10 PM | Comments (2)
December 20, 2003
Christmastime
Building in Bloomsbury gets a bit festive.
Since I have no reason to celebrate Christmas, not being a Christian, I always find this time of year slightly irritating. And it feels like Christmas is even longer here, as there is no holiday in November to hold back the flood of decorations and advertising. I won't get into all the reasons I dislike this holiday, mainly because it is uncool to do so, except for the big one which is that everyone just assumes that you're a Christian, which again feels even more so in here London, for it seems as if everyone here is Christian, at least all the white folk. Not that they are all that religious actually, these British Christians. But I haven't seen any other religious displays that somehow always creep into December holidays back home, no Jewish Menorahs, no weak references to Kwanza.
I do believe, however, that a holiday this time of year is desperately needed, as the natural surroundings are cold, dark, and rather gloomy. The winter solstice is upon us and everyone could use a dose of cheer. So I can't be a total scrooge, because I do love all the twinkley lights, the festive treats and fancy dress. Winter can be a beautiful time of year, and there is nothing wrong with just celebrating that, as well as having survived it.
crazed santa trying to reassure impatient shoppers,
yet I'm a bit scared as to what he means by "next".
On monday I went to Argos, which is this crazy store where you order stuff through a catalogue via the telephone or online, then wait in a line to pay and then wait in yet another line to pick up your merchandise. It is a complicated, stress filled way to buy anything, but they make up for it in price. Anyway, I went through all that so I could finally get a bedside lamp. Now I can actually enjoy reading in bed instead of squinting and trying to hold up the book at the right angle to capture enough light from the dim overhead fixture. Reading in bed is more important now, as the book I'm reading currently, Quicksilver, is too large to carry around with me. Someone went so far as to have the book rebound into smaller pieces, but I am content to get in a few chapters before bed each night. So far I am really enjoying it. The river itself is rather like quicksilver these days, it looks very slippery and thick in the pale light of winter.
Just by chance I had the opportunity to assist a photographer this week. His assignment was for one of the daily newspapers. It was for a profile of eligible bachelor's for Valentine's day, so we went aboard some guy's Dutch Barge that was moored in the middle of the river, where he lives, in order to capture the creature in his habitat. Although we found out he doesn’t as much live there, so much as have parties there, as he also has a place on dry land just like everyone else. We had to ride out in a tiny little dingy from the dock for about a half mile to get to the boat, and it was a long, cold, white knuckled journey as I had to sit on the front edge of the thing as it cut through the dark waves. One false move and I would have been in the water. It wasn’t much more comfortable aboard the boat, although it had a posh and comfortable interior, it still swayed back and forth violently at times, due to either the traffic on the river or just a rather gusty evening. The photographer did his work quickly and efficiently, considering the surroundings it would have taken me much longer to get everything right, and I was back home where it was warm, dry and unmoving under my feet before too long. I hope I get the opportunity to go on more jobs again.
Recently I have been trying to do more photo stuff. I have been working on getting back into some of the online photo communities and I have been contributing to an online project called
Wikipedia. It is a free online encyclopedia, and contributors also make photo requests for articles. I provided a photo of the Savoy Theatre, and also of some Egyptian hieroglyphs from the British Museum. They are not the most exciting photos ever, but its still fun to be able to contribute in some way.
Taking a break from Christmas Shopping to soak in some culture at the British Museum.
At the end of this week, a friend of William's was in town for a few days, so we went and saw a play, something I have shamefully never gotten around to doing since moving here. The play wasn't really that great, but I managed to be entertained despite being in the crappiest seats in the very last row and despite the street noise ruining the mood at regular intervals (nothing like a wailing siren to unsuspend your disbelief— you would think these aging buildings would have better soundproofing). The best line in the play was actually a meta comment: "people don't go to the cinema to be depressed, that’s what the theatre is for." The best part of it was the performances of the two actors, who played all of the characters themselves, although really it was just a kind of theatrical showing off, a sort of spectacle in and of itself. Maybe next time I'll go to a musical so I can indulge in a louder spectacle that drowns out the street traffic.
Posted by shannon at 06:59 PM | Comments (0)
December 10, 2003
Arch de Triumph
Sunflowers on Stone.
Yesterday I had to make a choice between going to a new yoga class two blocks down the road, or attending another Bookcrossing bookswap, at a pub a bit farther away in Central London. I'm glad I got up enough energy to get out and meet some people at the Bookcrossing event. They only meet once a month, whereas the yoga class meets every week, so I have another chance to get all stretchy at relaxed next week.
I went to last month's Bookcrossing event, and had a good time, and this one was just as good, maybe a bit better even. The people were really interesting and it's amazing how many things you can talk about when you get a bunch of readers together. Sometimes I am afraid to go out and meet new people because I don't have a job. I feel like I don't have much to say about myself. So many people define themselves by what they do for a living. With this group however, we had far more interesting things to talk about, which was great. I brought a few books, which no one took however. I think the books I brought were either too thick, too American, or both. I picked up a few books too, however I doubt I will read them anytime soon, my reading list is very full at the moment since we picked Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver for my book group next month, and its HUGE, nearly a thousand pages. And that’s only at the top of my list.
After the book swap, I left a bit early so I could get a picture (seen above) of the Wellington Arch, which is being specially lit in an attempt to cheer dreary Londoners in the wintertime. This afternoon with the sun out, the temperature was near freezing. I'm not even going to check what it is now that its dark and I need to hit the park and go running.
Posted by shannon at 06:05 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
November 04, 2003
There goes the sun.
I haven’t done a photo post in a while, so I went out two days in a row looking for something to shoot, and both times the battery died before I got anything good. So here are some mediocre sunsets. Now that we are on wintertime, the darkness comes very quickly.
Some observations:
Drinking black coffee out of a black cup is not as enjoyable or satisfying as drinking black coffee out of a white cup. Coffee in a black cup looks like water. Presentation is more important than you realize.
Sending a picture message instead of a text as an invitation for coffee date will guarantee a yes instead of a maybe. Again, looks are important!
Now that our second cat is back, its like he's never left. Spike spent the first night Ace was back following him around the flat like a groupie, and they sleep together every night, hogging the bottom of the bed. I need to get them their own bed, I miss my foot space.
Posted by shannon at 12:34 AM | Comments (2)
July 25, 2003
NHSness
My house keys click against the specimen jar in my pocket as I walk home the 6 blocks from the surgery. The sound reminds me that I've done it! I've registered with a GP. Nevermind the permanent looking laminated sign hanging in the receptionist's window which read: "DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO PROCESS ANY NEW PATIENTS TODAY. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVIENCE THIS MAY CAUSE." Thank god I called first and asked if they would take me. On the phone I was grilled about my address, and then once I got there, when I pointed to my address on their map (I live well within the red tape they had laid out outlining their "coverage area"), they still stood there behind a cubicle chatting amongst themselves and shaking their heads for a good ten minutes before they finally decided to give in. While waiting I stood staring at a rather graphic poster of a man with a black eye, warning people that NHS employees "don't have to take it". The poster listed the punishments for indulging in your violent fantasies against the NHS, hoping to act as some sort of deterrent. I thought it was really sad that they had to have a poster campaign for this. While I was thinking this I heard someone shout into a phone in a really nasty tone: "I'M SORRY MISS, YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED WITH THIS SURGERY AND THEREFORE I CANNOT HELP YOU! PLEASE CALL ANOTHER SURGERY."
After I got my appointments and walked out, I felt confident that I had dealt with such an enormous bureaucracy without too much trouble. I had to insist on the fact that I was within their coverage area, even though they were wary. I think my heartiness is partially due to the training I received while attending a large university. My first time out on my own in the world I had to wait in endless lines, make countless appointments and deal with red tape just to be able to register for classes, see a doctor, pay my tuition, park my car, change rooms in my dorm and even eat in the dining hall. I thought this was the way everything in the world was: that you waited in long lines, dealt with unhelpful people who would then tell you that what you needed wasn’t their job, and then you would had to go wait in another long line somewhere else. Pay in one window then go across campus with your receipt for services to anther window. Maybe all schools operate like that on some level, but in a school the size of Rutgers, it was like living in another country. I'm glad I got something of an education there if only it was learning how to be patient and not always take "no" for an answer.
Posted by shannon at 05:23 PM | Comments (0)
July 14, 2003
its never enough
Has anyone else ever noticed that the chime used by MSN messenger (mac OS) to signal that one of your contacts has signed on is the opening chord for "shell shock" by New Order? I swear I get that song in my head every dammed time, and yet, I can't bring myself change the settings.
This weekend was lively. I went out dancing again on Friday night, even though I really can't afford it. It's just that I enjoy the company so much, as well as the music and being out at night in the summer. It's very difficult to say no when you still have a few pounds left in your bank account. Even the cab ride home across the city with the sun just beginning to lighten the horizon is a wonderful treat.
Then Saturday I spend most of the day nursing a hangover. I don't know why I forget that drinking to excess causes bad things to happen to you the next day. Maybe because I don't do it enough! Saturday night me and Bill went to a little get together in Clapham, not too far from our house. It was cozy and nice. Meet some crazy English people, listened to cool music and nearly froze to death on the way home. I must remember that after the sun goes down it can get quite chilly on a motorcycle.
Today was boring but in a nice Sunday kind of way. Listened to npr via the web to try and create that weekendy feeling (wait wait & TAL) while having my morning coffee. Had to go pick up the scooter from somewhere in West London, so I rode on the back of the bike in the warm summer air and then back again on the scooter. There are some really big ugly buildings out that way. Went shopping, running, watched 6 Feet Under and finally got around to putting all my CDs into a huge book thing so I can throw away all their jewel cases. I don't have very many CDs anymore. I found myself wanting to listen to Summertime Rolls by Jane's Addiction for some odd reason, which I don't own it anymore. (Well I went and downloaded it of course. I would have bought it the nice and legal way through iTunes music store, but hey they won't take my money, its dirty and foreign.) That whole album (Nothing's Shocking) always makes me feel like I did the summer I listened to it a million times, and did stupid things like go skinny dipping in the ocean, half drunk, in the middle of the night. Damn that was a good summer.
Tomorrow I am meeting someone about doing a web site. I am kind of nervous about doing it because it's been a while since I actually did something like this. (Doing my own web site doesn’t count. I don’t have to follow anyone's rules, and it doesn’t have to work perfectly.) Have to get my brain back into "work" mode somehow. Rather be in the