New Year, New Blog

Dear Readers

I have been unable to write my blog of late as the sheer amount of alcohol and christmas food I have consumed have made my fingers too fat to type. I hope you have all had a wonderful christmas. I am off to Holland in the morning and, due to the liberal attitude of the Dutch government towards certain errrmmm.... inebriating substances, I doubt I will be in any state to write until my return.

In that case I wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year and leave you with the promise of writing much more in 2010.

With love

GP xx

Home Sweet Home

One of the best things about families are that they make the most amazing houseguests, and when they come to stay they make you enjoy your own home all the more. Yesterday Ollie, Will, Claire and I all went Christmas shopping in Oxford Street which was extremely productive albeit very scary and then headed back to the flat for Harissa Chicken (Quorn) and an evening drinking more mulled cider and watching Spaced.

Have three more days in London then am off to Southampton for Christmas with the family. Getting pretty excited now.



Sorry - this is a picture from New Year's Eve last year. Am not as snap-happy as I once was xx

Christmas is Coming...and I Only Just Got It....

So have had lots of thinking time over the past few days and am feeling much better. I have also had the benefit of lots of speaking time courtesy of my most wonderful friends and have had some good advice with which I can move forward.

Thursday I was taken to Vanilla Black for my work Christmas celebration and had the most wonderful lunch: baked beetroot terrine with horseradish cream and pickled fennel; followed by celeriac and sage dauphinoise, bergamot braised leeks and spinach puree; followed by sugar and spice tart with roasted satsumas and finally huge amounts of coffee with beautiful chocolate cups filled with white chocolate and Baileys. It was absolutely spectacular and such a rare experience to be able to choose ANYTHING on the menu (I rarely frequent veggie restaurants due to all of my non-veggie friends). I drank lots of wine and stumbled home to fall asleep in front of the TV.

Yesterday Will and Claire arrived from Southampton, which was exciting. I cooked us all some risotto and then we headed to the Amersham Arms to watch the band play. The gig was ace but the drinks were ridiculously expensive. Every time I spilled a drop it was like pound coins falling out of my glass. How a place in New Cross can charge £5 to get in and then £3.30 for a CAN of Red Stripe is beyond me. One good review in Time Out and they think they're the Koko. Oh dear.

Today we had a lie-in and then walked down to Forest Hill to check out the Horniman Museum. We wandered around the music gallery, the African worlds exhibition and looked at the Darwin 500 Wildlife Photography exhibition, the review of which will be the first entry in my new travel blog which is being started soon (just as soon as I figure out the last few minute details!) So exciting.

However, far from travelling, right now I am curled up in my flat in my enormous Goldsmiths hoodie about to construct a cheeseboard to have with the lovely homemade mulled cider that Will and Claire bought us. Loverly xx

Rest

I have to get this out before normal service resumes.

At the moment I'm pretty tired and confused. It's been a heavy couple of weeks. I just need space and sleep. I will figure it all out in time but at the moment I just need to take some time to listen to my own voice and the voices of those around me. I'm not down or sad, it's just that something has shifted within me and I need to readjust. Rest assured, though, I am fine. For one thing I am way to bloody-minded to let it get me down. I apologise if this makes little sense. I'm going to write it off as some kind of self-therapy.

There.

Useless

Rest assured, I have not abandoned my blog. I have the worst case of Saigon Syndrome ever bought on by a week of fun, American and Canadian visitors and some excessive drinking. Aim to have a full account of this week in words by mid-week. Until then, my apologies.

LY xx

Weekend with the American

So I am totally procrastinating right now. I should in fact be writing my presentation which I have to give tomorrow morning on the subject of western psychiatry in colonial Africa. However, I am just not feeling it. I am pretty knackered to be honest, and I can't figure out whether this is tiredness through cooking, eating and drinking all day or sympathy jet-lag for Brock who passed out at around 9pm.

So this weekend was the long-awaited arrival of everybody's favourite travel buddy Brock and knowing that he had jet-lag, we thought instead of dragging him into London on a major sightseeing tour, we would have a weekend at my flat so that we could all hang out, catch-up and do nothing too energetic. Plus, it has not stopped RAINING the whole time he has been here. Sam and I went to Heathrow to meet him yesterday and took him on what must have seemed like the most complicated and ridiculous journey back to East Dulwich. There we hooked up with Ollie and Jen and trekked down to the Plough (which is where I seem to take all out-of-towners) for some London Pride, Addlestones Cider and large portions of pub-grub. Then we walked back in the rain to my flat for more drinks, some League of Gentlemen (what else?) and card games.

Today, Sam and Jen came back over to the flat and we drove up to Sainsburys for supplies before embarking on the most immense Sunday lunch I've had since I used to visit my Grandma in Devon as a child. We had olives, chips, sundried tomatoes and a cheeseboard of four different kinds of cheeses including Gruyere, Stilton, White Stilton with Apricots and Brie and crackers (Brock was amazed at how much cheaper it is to buy cheese here than in the States and went a little crazy at the cheese counter). This was followed by an enormous dinner of roast chicken (stuffed squash for the veggies), stuffing, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, carrots, broccoli and huge amounts of gravy. If this wasn't enough to put us in a total food coma, we then had treacle tart and cream with lots of coffee before crashing out on huge floor cushions to watch Miller's Crossing and complain about how full we were.

So now Brock has crashed out, Ollie is in the living room watching Top Gear and i am curled up in bed with my laptop and Africa course reader, supposedly doing some work but actually doing this. Ooops xx

Little Break

OK so I've been pretty useless at blogging this week. After spending the majority of last week pissed, I decided to take some time out. I haven't completely abstained from alcohol - have had a pint of cider and a couple of glasses of wine - but I have been taking it easy and enjoying simpler pleasures. Tuesday I went and had an ace and very cheap Thai dinner in New Cross with Sam whilst everybody else went and drank copius amounts of free wine courtesy of the history department. Wednesday I went to my lecture without a hangover and then had brunch and geeky discussions with Sam and Mike before travelling to Southampton to have dinner with Ollie's family. Today I walked little Baxter the dog all over Southampton common and am currently curled up on a couch with sleeping dog at my feet next to Ollie choosing recipes from the new Jamie Oliver American cookbook. Tonight I am going to see my Mum and Dad.

Of course, this is short-lived as there are already at least three drunken nights out planned for next week. The invasion of Americans and Canadians is nigh and I can't wait. Expect erratic hungover blogging.

The lovely Adrienne is coming to London from Toronto:


The lovely Brock is coming to London from Alabama:


And the lovely Keith is coming to London from New York:


Exciting times xx

If You Say Run, I'll Run With You...

Bowie Night was AMAZING. I drank too much and danced too much, but it was ace xx

The London Transport Revolution...Finally

After three years of living in South East London and enduring the ridiculous two-tier transport ticket system, it has been announced by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and the interestingly-named Transport Secretary Lord Adonis that Oyster pay-as-you-go will be introduced for overground trains from 2nd January 2009. For anybody who lives or regularly visits South East London, this cannot come too soon. To be honest, the fact that this confusing system has been in place for so long shows that the people governing London need to invest time and money into making the daily lives of Londoners easier instead of funding things which are no use to anybody (£400,000 on a certain Olympic logo springs to mind). For example, on Saturday night I travelled from my flat in East Dulwich, over to New Cross to have drinks with friends before we headed to Angel to a club. So instead of being able to do everything with my Oyster, I had to spend money buying a ticket at New Cross Gate station to get to London Bridge where I could connect with the tube. Why? New Cross Gate is in Zone 2, is a highly populated area and is closer to central London than many places on the southern end of the Northern Line such as Tooting or Morden, so why are we penalised it is a 'train' rather than a 'tube'?

It can be argued that forcing passengers to pay for additional tickets to use the trains, particularly in parts South East London where there is either no tube, or the tube is currently being built, widens the divide between North and South London. For example, I have received calls from friends at London Bridge on their way to my flat shouting in disbelief that they are unable to use their Oyster and asking the whereabouts of the ticket machines. And among some North London friends, the mere suggestion of a night out in Brixton or Dulwich is met with exchanged glances and tired sighs and I always give in and end up trekking up to Islington or Camden to pacify them. Is it a coincidence that most of the city's best restaurants and clubs are north of the river. Now, before I am met with protests, I LOVE south London, but it would be nice to get a bit more entertainment here.

As well as benefitting Londoners, this move will also be good for travellers. They can get off the plane at Heathrow or the Eurostar at Gatwick and buy ONE ticket which will take them anywhere in London and not have to figure out the present complicated system which could result a £50 penalty fare if they make one false move. The introduction of the London Overground stations on to the main Oyster map could result in more travellers visiting South London and its landmarks instead of spending their entire visit north of the Embankment. For example, a visit to Dulwich Park instead of Primrose Hill; Friday night at the Amersham Arms instead of the Old Blue Last; seeking vintage in Greenwich instead of Camden or slow food at Blackheath Common instead of Covent Garden.

It's about time xx

Village Bike

Cycling is my new thing. Ollie bought me a lovely bike for my 26th birthday so I am trying to get out and use it as much as I can despite the grotty London weather. Today we decided to cycle to New Cross to go to the Telegraph Hill farmers market. So in total I cycled about six or seven miles - not bad for a novice. I am completely drenched and ache, and the only thing that can cure this is a Lush bath with all of the goodies I received for my birthday from the gorgeous Jen Ven.

I bought these too:




Must start baking more cupcakes xx

If You Run Away, They Get You. And if You Stand Still, Well...They Get You Too.

Any film buff worth their salt usually has an opinion on City of God. This happens to be one of my all time favourite films. It is based around a true story, and the actual storyline and plot are not complicated or spectacular but the way the film is shot and the soundtrack beautifully captures both the Brazilian spirit and the tragedies of slum life. What is also clever is that the film focuses on the tale of a young man living in the City of God whose ultimate goals are being a photographer and losing his virginity, not on the gangsters themselves. Of course, the story of the gangs are what the film is about, but to have the straight guy as the protagonist not only adds humour and a different dimension, but also throughout the film you constantly question whether Rocket will become more involved in gang life. The film has three main stages: the early part of his life in sixties Brazil, all shot through a filter to make the long shots of the landscape look sunny and orange, the Brazil that exists in most people's minds. Then it focuses on his teenage years in the 70s, which is shot in what appears to be super-8 format, but isn't. Then finally, the 'war', which is all very grey and depressing. It needs to be seen to be appreciated. Plus, I don't want to have the responsibility of ruining it for whoever wants to see it.

And if you like it, watch Gomorrah, a film set in the slums of Naples.

The Return of Saigon Syndrome

Most of my week has been spent either drinking or recovering from the effects of drinking and therefore little time has been dedicated to doing anything vaguely productive, including writing this blog. The week has existed in a series of highs and lows, which I will attempt to explain, but you may have to bear with me as I haven't properly thought it through.

LOW: Tuesday morning I set off for work despite being decidedly unenthused by the prospect. I was running a little late due to dithering all morning, so got to London Bridge ready to hop on the tube and was faced with crowds of very angry commuters. They had shut the Northern Line. If only this meant I could have retreated back to my flat.



HIGH: After a completely shambolic day at work, I travelled down to Goldsmiths and spent the afternoon with Deric having a competition as to who could consume the most caffeine and smoke the most cigarettes in an hour sat in the very cold terrace of the Goldsmiths Cafe.

LOW: Had to sit through Medieval Monsters with a very full bladder and the caffeine shakes.

HIGH: Went to Pound a Pint at the Student Union, drank many many pints of cheap cider, laughed until my face hurt, Ollie came out and we all planned our upcoming trip to Holland. Then back to the evils for wine, menthol rollies and more trip planning.

LOW: OMG headache the following morning. I couldn't even get my head off the pillow. I suspect this was due to the rather silly combination of cider and wine which always succeeds in fucking me over. Couldn't go to Wednesday morning lecture due to said headache and the stench of booze that was seeping from my pores.

HIGH: Watched a couple of episodes of Tribe and ate leftover mexican food. Started feeling better.

LOW: Spent the day having a freak-out over my essay which I was completely happy with two days previously. When I am hungover I am not only grumpy, it appears I am also paranoid and neurotic too. Started to chain-smoke furiously despite my declaration earlier that morning that I would never let another Marlboro touch my lips again.

HIGH: Handed in essay Wednesday evening with over two hours to spare. Celebrated by going to Barry's to buy chocolate.

LOW: had to go to work on Thursday - same problems with the tube. Began to consider whether professional recluse is a viable career option.

HIGH: Free chocolate. Yay me.

LOW: I had to somehow try to make two hours worth of work last eight hours. Cue much time spend organising e-mails and trying not to fall asleep. The highlight of this day was going out to take the post.

HIGH: Met Sam in Old Street and went to Tay Do Cafe for amazing and cheap Vietnamese dinner of fried tofu with lemongrass and chilli.

LOW: Finally arrived at 93 Feet East after a long walk through Bethnal Green. It has possibly the most vile and disgusting facilities ever. Even worse than the Goldsmiths SU...if you ever conceive that to be possible.

HIGH: The band played and they were totally on fire. Everybody loved it, the manager loved it, the other bands loved it. The evening was on a real high. A glass of wine was never very far from my hand and the world was yay. Then Sam and I drunkenly stumbled back to Kennington to meet the guys at their studio for late night jams and more booze.



LOW: I woke up this morning still drunk and had to go to my Empires lecture which soon bored me into a hangover.

HIGH: Pizza with the evils for lunch and now sitting on my couch with a big cup of tea writing my blog.

So there you go. That didn't quite work out as I had planned but things very seldom do. Am having a day off from drinking as am going to Bowie it up in Islington tomorrow night. Love xx

SE22

My lovely little part of London...

Another Thing About the Heygate...

Many of my friends have endured sitting across from me at many a dinner table listening to my obsession with disused tube stations, derelict buildings and the blowing-up of multi-story tower blocks and will not be surprised to learn that the Heygate estate is a constant source of fascination for me. I first noticed it a little over a year ago when I went past it on the bus and saw that the majority of the windows facing the street had been welded up. I soon became obsessed with this derelict, largely uninhabited concrete ghost town right next to one of London's major traffic blackspots - the Elephant and Castle roundabouts.

Basically, it is just one of Britain's crumbling 'sink estates' and Southwark Council are in the process of evicting the last of the tenants before the estate can be demolished in early 2010. Some people still live there, although the number is slowly diminishing, and the whole place has an eeriness that is as alluring as it is terrifying.

A couple of months ago I found this wonderful blog detailing life on the Heygate and after. It's still updated from time to time, but the early entries are absolutely fascinating:

http://livefromtheheygate.blogspot.com/

Also, I really want to get down there and take some photos of my own before it is demolished completely, however here are a few that I have pilfered from Google Images for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy xx

Harry Brown

In an attempt to revive our old tradition of Sunday night trips to the cinema, Ollie and I ventured out into the cold from our very warm flat and trekked down to the Peckham Plex to see Harry Brown.

If you only see one film this year, make it this one. It is entertaining, emotive, but also manages to perfectly encapsulate a moment in time, which is easy to do retrospectively with the benefit of hindsight, but difficult to achieve as the said moment is still unfolding around us.

The film is set on an inner-London sink estate (beautifully shot on the crumbling Heygate Estate in Elephant and Castle - all the more poignant as it is set to be demolished early next year) where drugs, violence and gun crime are rife. A frightened pensioner is stabbed to death in an Old Kent Road underpass and his devastated ex-Marine friend and neighbour (Sir Michael Caine), disillusioned by the abilities of the police to find those responsible, begins his own campaign of vigilante justice.

Although the characters and storyline are largely fictional, Daniel Barber provides an insight into the world which has become the white elephant in the room for many politicians - this gritty underworld that, although they are frightened to deal with, is all too real and present. Whether it is realised yet or not, this film will one day have historical significance, although the nature of this significance will largely depend upon the actions of the next government - whoever they may be.

Back to an artistic point of view, the film is wonderfully shot and gives a real sense of the bleakness of every day life. It is complex enough to be interesting but simple enough to be entertaining. And Sir Michael Caine, in all of his usual brilliance, completely gets under your skin. Beautiful. xx

Walking Home in the Rain

Well, operation kick-myself-up-the-arse seems to be working - at least thus far. Yesterday as well as going to uni and coming home and doing loads of work I managed to spend some time hanging out with my friends, go food shopping, handwash all of my little delicate dresses AND be in bed by 10.45 so to get my eight hours sleep needed to survive today. They key to this new found productiveness is writing lists. Write down stuff you need to do, tick it off. Very satisfying.

Today was a typically boring Thursday. I tried to make three hours worth of work last eight hours. This involved re-arranging my e-mail inbox many times. I was so ready to go home at 5pm. Then I had to walk all the way back from Peckham Rye, in the wind and the rain, feeling very sorry for myself. I was about to give up for the day and dive straight into bed but when I got home the flat smelled wonderful - Ollie had made me an amazing veggie Spaghetti Bolognese. Love him.

Comfort food makes everything better xx

Busy Busy

So this week, as weeks go has been pretty busy. I went into uni on Monday morning for my Africa seminar thinking how lovely it would be to have a week off. Not just 'reading week' but a week of doing absolutely nothing but sleeping, having long boozy lunches with friends, going on bike rides with Ollie and watching box sets of League of Gentlemen, Father Ted and Extras. Whilst deep in these thoughts I haven't had time off for a VERY long time.

Some parts of this week have been ace - hanging out with the evils for a couple of hours today. Also last night I went for dinner with Ollie, Matt, Dan and Lucy to Pizza Express in Kennington and ate loads, drank a fair bit and listened to each other's ideas about what we would do if we were super rich. We then went back to the Peranics' for tea and a film made in the 1930s about a freakshow, which was the most bizarre thing I have ever seen. On the flipside there has been work and lectures and the constant troubled journeys from one part of London to another which are responsible for a large part of my daily stress. I think if I wasn't busy I would be bored, but it would be nice to have the option every now and again.

Despite being busy, I am smelling lovely. I got Lush boxes for my birthday from Sam and Lucy. Sam also made me a scrapbook of our South East Asia trip which I will probably flick through at least eight times a day remembering happy things. My friends are so lovely and generous xx

Berlin

Twenty years ago today since the fall of the Berlin Wall. I have very vivid memories of watching it on television with my mother as a six year old wondering what the big deal was. Not realising what a huge deal it was.

Berlin is one of my favourite cites in the whole world and I would love to be there right now to experience today.

Happy Birthday to Me

Yesterday was my 26th birthday, and I didn't even have time to wake up and have my annual freak-out as I was up in the FOURS. Something which I am usually violently opposed to except when it is for the purpose of travel - and yesterday it was. Last year I spent my 25th birthday in Amsterdam cycling along canals and had such a lovely time, I decided that all birthdays should be spent in another part of the world (I realised this rule had also been adopted by Jen Ven who spent her birthday in Siem Reap with Cambodian coconut cake and many rum smoothies). So this year I was up so early in the morning because I was going to PARIS!

We got a ridiculously early Eurostar and, having slept through most of the journey, arrived in Paris a little after 10am. First we walked through tiny and eerily quiet streets towards the district of Monmartre, so that we could see the Scare Coeur basilica and the famous steps, which are Ollie's favourite Parisian landmark. We walked up ALL of the steps, shunning the cable car, so that we could reach the top and get an amazing view of Paris. Following this, we walked all the way back down, dodging the guys selling bracelets and models of the Eiffel tower and went to find some lunch. We had lunch in this beautiful little organic cafe and gorged ourselves on soup and bread, vegetable tartlets, salads, cakes and yummy little French sweet things. Then we walked off lunch and went to the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower before spending the evening drinking in the Left Bank. Unfortunately we were unable to stay and fully experience Paris nightlife, but definitely some other time.

Remember Remember

Bonfire night has always been a bit of a tradition for me. Firstly, I love winter and relish any opportunity to stand oustide in the cold, bundled up in my favourite coat with a big cup of tea and a packet of cigarettes. Secondly, it's two days away from my birthday. And thirdly...well, who doesn't love big sparkly things that go bang. However, last night it all went a little awry.

Instead of being in the park, I spent the night in various pubs in Crystal Palace with Ollie, Matt, John and Heather drinking vast quantities of alcohol, playing table football and telling everybody who will listen about one of my hamsters ate the other one. Instead of paying the £5 entry fee, we stood outside the gates with all of the other fee-shirkers and spent the money on extra booze.

Saying that, I had an ace time. This morning my head hurt like a bitch and I had to finish off my Africa essay. Not the best / most exciting way to spend my last day of being 25. However, tomorrow is my birthday and I am going to Paris to wander around doing lots of lovely Parisian things and not thinking about work at all.

On the eve of my birthday I always have a little think about what I've done throughout the year. Lots and lots and lots. I think of all things I saw, this was one of my favourites:

This is What Happens...

So I am supposed to be writing my essay right now. No need to highlight the fact that I am the world's biggest procrastinator. There is always something dreadfully important that I would rather be doing. Right now I would rather be anywhere then sat in my spare room writing about disease patterns and healing practices in pre-colonial Africa, but that's what I signed up for so that's what I must do.

I started today hungover, which is never a good start. Last night Laura and Jade came over for dinner so I baked some squash with chilli and garlic and then stuffed them with roasted vegetables and goats cheese. We caught up and talked and laughed.

And drank two bottles of wine.

Then Ollie and Matt came back to the house and we decided that we hadn't drunk nearly enough so went off to Lordship Lane in search of more drinking venues. Then we ended up at the Bishop. Drank two more large glasses of wine, smoked a few cigarettes (NAUGHTY) and looked at scantily clad women on Laura's iPhone before Ollie, Jade and I stumbled back to the flat to top up our alcohol content with these amazing vodka-filled chocolates that Dan and Lucy bought us back from their recent trip to Vienna.

So this morning I grudgingly crowbarred myself out of bed and headed towards Bloomsbury to make use of SOAS's lovely library. (Another black mark against Goldsmiths I'm afraid when they had NO books I could use for my essay). A little trip to Pret was in order before I went in and I did so much work and thought myself all wonderful and productive.

And now I am sat writing a silly blog with a deadline on Friday. Idiot. At least I've managed to stay out of the kitchen. For now.

I have a feeling tonight will be a late one xx

I heart Laura and Jade

Work was boring so I won't bore you with that.

On the plus side, I am spending the evening with Laura and Jade for the first time in ages and am super happy.



I heart Laura and Jade xx

Breathe Deeper, Daydreamer

Spent much of today doing two things: daydreaming and trying not to fall asleep. Will probably go into work tomorrow to find that I've made some kind of disasterous error that it will take me all day to undo. Just cannot focus on anything real. Instead, have been thinking about Paris, entertaining Laura and Jade, my looming essay deadline and how easy it would be to travel the silk road.

There. Nothing whatsoever about environmental seminars. Should probably get to bed earlier tonight instead of staying up late with Ollie discussing how we could save the world from inevitable doom. I had great faith in human nature last night when I said that bankers should all give a little of their bonuses to helping disadvantaged inner-city kids, however that all changed this morning when I had a walk through the City and saw all of the flash suits and flash cars. Yeah, there are still 3 million unemployed - stop flashing it about, it's just vulgar.

My favourite part of the City is the little Lush tucked away in Liverpool Street Station. I went there this evening and bought this for my face:



and this for my bath:



Am waiting to find out about hosting my very own Lush party in the flat for all of my lovely Lush ladies xx

Breaking the Cycle of Laziness

This morning I woke up to the sound of rain, which is something that hasn't happened in a long time. That's the problem with living in a modern building with lots of aluminium and steel - it's LOUD. At times I do miss my old beloved creaky Victorian town house. Anyway, I really really wanted to take the bike out this morning and cruise around Dulwich buying lovely things, however considering I have spent two weeks suffering from the dreaded lurgy, I though it better not to risk it. By the afternoon the rain had cleared up and Ollie and I cycled down to beautiful Dulwich Park and did a few laps, dodging joggers, children and dogs - the three nemesises of cyclists. Then we stopped off at the Clockhouse on Peckham Rye on the way home for a glass of White Rioja and some olives.

Despite the problems stemming from rain, I am actually beginning to enjoy winter. There is something lovely about getting bundled up and going for walks in the park, kicking dead leaves and snuggling up with hot drinks. And although summer has fun things like festivals and trips to the beach, winter has Hallowe'en, Bonfire Night and Christmas - excellent excuses to meet up with friends and drink lots. Plus - I love winter food. It is almost worth becoming a bit of a fatty for. Tonight I am making spicy bean and veggie sausage stew which I intend to eat under a blanket watching Sunday night TV with my warm boy. Bliss xx

Hallowe'en

Despite the fact that I had to retreat back to Dulwich super early, Hallowe'en was lots of fun.

SAM


LAURA


LAURA & MIKE


NAT & TAFFY


AND ME....


(I think I might have done this somewhere before...?)


Oh yeah...

Tackiest Travel Souvenirs

OK, so three blogs in one day is a little excessive, but I just had to get this one in. Courtesy of my Wanderlust newsletter, here are the tackiest travel souvenirs that are sold around the world:

1. A gravy boat bearing a picture of Saint Therese de Lisieux - the 'Little Flower of Jesus', one of the most popular Catholic saints.

2. A Virgin Mary ashtray from Rome, bought, perhaps, in a bid to gain some divine help in giving up smoking?

3. A donkey that dispenses a cigarette out of its bottom when you pull its tail.

4. A wooden toilet seat with a Spanish flag on the lid - a male appendage pops out when it's opened.

5. A Betty Boo flamenco pottery doll.

6. A Chairman Mao cigarette lighter.

7. A gold waving cat from Hong Kong.

8. A leprechaun bottle opener/magnet with a rainbow, pot of gold and an 'I Love Ireland' banner.

9. An Apron with a picture of a naked Roman statue. (I have to admit that Ollie and I bought one of these for a friend on a trip to Sorrento)

10. An 'I Love Hawaii' fridge magnet in the shape of a surfboard.

My personal travel tat includes an 'I LOVE NY' fridge magnet with a hologram that switches from Manhattan Island to a subway train, Tootise Rolls from LA, manga postcards from Japan and of course some wooden tulips from Holland xx

Coughs and Sneezes

I wish this cold I have would FUCK OFF. Sorry, but crassness is totally justified. This week I have been through a whole family sized pack of Beechams, a zillion tissues and almost a whole Body Shop concealer trying to cover my red nose and the dark circles under my eyes. How attractive. Plus, today I sneezed on the bus and the lady across the aisle looked at me as if I just pulled a pin out of a grenade. I swear some Londoners think their is a secret band of terrorists targeting public transport to try and terrorise the public with...possible swine flu.

I have to admit that the cold is on its way out, but it is lingering around a little longer than I would like. If it lingers around much longer and ruins Hallowe'en, Crystal Palace Fireworks or my birthday trip to Paris I will be very unhappy xx

Hallowe'en Tomorrow

Last year -

Foxy

If you like a bath scented of fennel, peppermint and good deeds, go down to Lush and buy yourself a Fabulous Mrs Fox bubble bar. They smell amazing and all of the proceeds go towards the Hunt Saboteurs Association. Lush and the HSA have had a lot of bad press lately which has led to shops being vandalised and staff threatened.

This is not OK. FOX HUNTING IS NOT OK. Furthermore, it's illegal. If people were to uphold the law and not hunt there would be no need for hunt sabotage to take place. There's an old saying which says that you can judge a society by how it treats it's animals and hunting for sport is just barbaric.

Love You Short Time...

Following a long morning at work and a quite traumatic Medieval Monsters Lecture, I was looking forward to cheap cider about as much as the yummy mummies of Dulwich look forward to the opening of yet another baby boutique on Lordship Lane. Don't ask.

So I went to the Student Union and that was where the chaos began. £1.20 for a pint of cider and black and a full packet of cigarettes. I drank one, then Sam turned up and I drank another one, and then Kerry kindly bought me one for my looming birthday - that was the third pint. Laura was moaning about being hungry so after buying some raffle tickets to buy the Goldsmiths Rugby Team a new kit, we all stumbled perilously across New Cross Road for what was promised to be some good food.

Funny how that never happens.

There's a little blink-and-you'll miss it restaurant across the road from Goldsmiths college called Noodle and Rice. I think it once was an Indian restaurant that changed hands. In short - it was dire. I didn't resent too much paying nearly £5 for what can only be described as udon in stock with a teeny bit of fried tofu chucked on the top - this is London after all, I have paid far more for far worse, but the service was pretty awful. Sam and I ordered sushi to share which was forgotten, so we cancelled it, and then it turned up as we were about to leave, by which time we are in no mood to eat it. Everybody else's looked less than appetising and poor Fabio didn't even get fed at all.

Fabio and Matthew ran off and hid behind the Marquess of Granby which resulted in Sam and I being embroiled in a drunken war of words with the manager of the restaurant who insisted we should pay. We managed to wriggle out of it, but she still wanted the boys' addresses. Presumably so she can go round and collect the money? Doubtful. Following this, we all went back to the evils' house for more wine, cigarettes and tales of embarrassing sexual experiences. Lucky for us the Trivial Pursuit remained in the box.

The funniest part was when I woke up this morning to see that Mike had set up a Facebook group called 'Noodle and Rice: Love You Short Time'. The description is as follows:

For refusing to feed Fabio, serving chicken in yellow shit, forgetting Sam and Gemma's sushi, making Laura feel ill and making us all piss in the dark. Bad times.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=317443210575

Sleepyhead...

Is it just me or does putting the clocks back completely fuck with one's body clock?

I am SO tired.... too tired to write anything deep and profound.

Would just like to wish my very good friend Rowena a very VERY happy birthday. Miss you loads and loads. Can't wait to see you in Sydney December 2010. Mwah xx



(London Film Festival October 2008 - a rare moment of composure!)

One Exhausted Cook...

My lovely kitchen has been used and abused over the past few days as I have been on a cooking and entertaining frenzy. Therefore I am closing it down for at least twenty-four hours and am tonight going to indulge in the age old gourmet classic: cheese on toast. Perfect.

First there was Dan's birthday dinner for which I made a poached leek and dorset blue vinny tart with buttered potatoes and salad, followed by the biggest and stodgiest chocolate caramel cake ever.



Then on Friday it was butternut squash and paneer curry for Jen and Sam. And today I have made lamb rogan josh, tarka dal and mountains of rice and naan for my family who came to visit this afternoon.

It seems silly to just blog about food, but you may have noticed that I actually adore cooking. I am even a bit pissed that so many international foodie documentaries have been made as I myself would love to make a film just eating my way around the world. Bliss. I did a cooking course once in Siem Reap in Cambodia. The woman who was running it soon tired of my fussy ways and I'm sure at one point she wanted to make me into a Khmer Gem-Mok.

Anyway, my family came up to see the new flat today, which was lovely. A very chilled out day of eating, drinking, walking on Peckham Rye and watching Liverpool beat Manchester United. I never realised how many Liverpool supporters there were in East Dulwich. I might start calling it Little Liverpool. Just during football season.

So I am now thoroughly exhausted and need sleep. Ollie is watching Roger Moore as the world's most suave spy, so I am going to do my Medieval Monsters reading and read my brand new copy of Wanderlust xx

Mozza

Get well soon xx

Cold Coldy Cold

The weather today has been shockingly bad. So much so that I have ventured out of the flat precisely once to walk Jen to Lordship Lane and buy some milk. I'm starting to get used to the sad fact that autumn has very quickly become winter and have already packed away some of my wardrobe until the sun comes out again.

My flat is amazingly warm, partly because it's brand new and partly because the sheer amount of cooking and baking I do provides a never-ending supply of warmth. The chillies are still growing on the windowsill despite the bleakness of outside and everything is ace.

Sometimes when it's cold outside there is nothing better than curling up under a blanket, watching a great film with some yummy food and remembering how lucky you are to have such an ace home xx

Jen's Going to Borneo!!

So, the good news: I am feeling SO much better and my senses have returned, it is not long until I go to Paris, and my lovely friend Brock will be coming to London in just over a month.

And the bad news: The wars of words continue, although I am determined not to dwell on this.

Aside from news, good or bad, I had a lovely evening last night being local. Sam and Jen came over to the flat for one of our South East Asia reunion evenings. We ate some curry that I made from the new Anjum Anand cookbook (amazing), drank some Katy and watched a whole series of League, quoting the good bits and doing the voices. This may sound like an obscure way to spend an evening considering all that London has to offer, but they are the best times.

Jen has had some completely amazing news that Sam and I are so totally jealous of. Jen has obtained a bursary to go and work in Borneo for three months in building and environmental projects. The problem is that despite having a bursary, there is still so much money to be raised towards the expedition. So, Sam and I have decided to help with some fundraising to help Jen get to Borneo and continue some of the amazing work done by the Raleigh International Trust. The first part of the fundraising will be collecting sponsorship for a 5k run in Greenwich Park in December dressed in a Santa suit. I am going to be very persistent about sponsorship, so BE WARNED!! Also, I must stress that we are not fundraising to send our friend on a wonderful holiday, but help the Raleigh International Trust continue with their invaluable projects overseas. More details of what they do can be found here.





xx

Essential Film

Oh, and just one more thing...

Series 6 of Peep Show finishes on Friday (tear...) and when you all get bored of Strictly Come Dancing / X Factor / Britain's Got Talent and all of that other rubbish. Go out and rent/buy this film... it's amazing.



I saw it at the London Film Festival in 2008 and just got it on DVD. Even bought Ollie some Forest Hills...