31.12.07

A Year in Reflection

New Years Eve not only is a time of celebration but a chance to reflect on the last year. Last year this time I made a huge list of New Years Resolutions and where I wanted to be. Well, looking back I can say that not a single item on my list was completed. The year was probably the most difficult and dowright painful I've ever had since moving to London. However, instead of listing my failures and struggles these last several months, the only thing that I can do is move forward. This year is gone and there's nothing I can do to change the things I have had to deal with. I feel that life is made up of opportunities to learn from the challenges and I definitely feel like I've grown this year and learned a lot about myself. I hope that the New Year will be somewhat easier than this last one, but if not that I will be able to cope with whatever comes my way.

Instead of a long list of resolutions this time round, my one goal this new year is to have more compassion. Compassion towards myself, compassion towards James, compassion towards others and compassion towards my environment/world. I really think this one thing will make so many other things that are insignificant in comparison fall in place. Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone changed their perspective/focus to things like compassion & gratitude? It makes you think and personally I can't wait to see the potential for change it will bring to my own life.

So watch this space and hopefully this next time next year I will have a much different report to give! In the mean time, Happy New Year to all of you as well and I hope that the new year will bring blessings to you and your family.

28.12.07

Christmas in the Country

Again this year we spent Christmas and Boxing Day in the West Midlands (the Shire) with James' family. It was a great break and nice to get away from the hectic worries of London. It was nice to go running along the lanes in the countryside and was even better to catch up with friends and relatives. I feel there's something really great about being in the fresh air around horses, chickens and other 'live' animals. It can do anyone the world of good. Anyway, here are some pictures from our trip:


James' niece and nephew
Views of the Countryside

17.12.07

Drinking in England

Being the holiday season, the never-ending problem of drinking in England becomes even more apparent than it does the rest of the year. The last two to three weeks in December, most people in this country are either drunk or in the process of nursing hang-overs. Its got to the point that James and I won't even go out on New Years because there's just too many drunk people around who are annoying and cause trouble.

Binge drinking is officially a problem in England. Many government initiatives have been started, with little positive results to squash and regulate this. I'm not surprised though because pub life is a huge part of the culture. When you think of pub's you think of seedy little bars with flashing neon lights, the smell of smoke and weird creepy men eyeing you up. Well, its not like that (for the most part) here. Pub's are a place you take the family for Sunday lunches out and is where friends and work colleagues meet. The government banned smoking inside pubs and most are old Victorian style, with beautiful interiors. The entire social networking is centered around visits to pubs and even if you don't drink alcohol, you still go to the pub and have a huge choice of alternate beverages open to you. In a way, pubs are very similar to cafe's, but a lot more 'homey'. So, based on all of this you can see why its so incredibly difficult to not grace through the doors of a pub in this country. If you don't you can pretty much kiss any chance of friends goodbye.

Being fond of 'the drink', the English have learned the art of making alcohol. Besides tea (that's a completely different subject) the amount of beer that this little island makes is astonishing. Alcohol in Europe has more alcohol content than the U.S. and your lucky to find anything for beer below 5%. (Beer in America is around 1 1/2-2%) and wine is ludicrous at 12.5%. The term 'alco-pops' is a big thing as well. There's a huge choice of sugar-laden alcohol related drinks that you literally cannot tell they are alcoholic as they taste of soda-pop. Its unfortunately become a problem for young teens obtaining these 'alco-pops' before the legal age requirement of being 18 years old. Its very common seeing teens standing around drinking because they have little else to do with their time.

The country caters to this 'abuse' and then is surprised when they have more problems with anti-social behaviors and other problems. Too many use alcohol as a coping mechanism, which only covers the real source of the problem in my opinion. I don't think a downright ban is necessary but more education should exist about the effects as well as alternate coping skills in dealing with stress. Alcohol should be approached with a very very mature attitude or completely avoided if not possible to drink in moderation. This has been my approach to it since I've lived here and James tries to do the same. On a positive note though, a lot of people it seems are starting to become more health conscious and binge drinking is getting better. I don't think that this problem will ever go away entirely but I think that there is hope for the future.

15.12.07

Training: Ten Mile Marker

Well since my last post, I've managed to break over that 6 mile hump finally. Slowly but surely, I have been adding the miles and today for the first time in my life I ran for over 2 hours, non-stop making the grand total 10 miles. I was having serious doubts I could ever get to this point and funny enough today I enjoyed every bit of the way. Blackheath and Greenwich (near where I live) are beautiful before 8 o'clock in the morning, bloody freezing this time of year but make absolutely beautiful running routes. We've seen a family of swans in a nearby lake and a couple of times we have even seen fox's! Anyway--the next hump is 15 miles and getting the ol' speed up. Hopefully it will be early in the new year when I can write again about how this who process is going.

In the mean time, I would like to mention that my partner James and I are required to raise sponsorship money for charity in order to run the London Marathon. Although there is plenty of time to think about this (its not until April), we would both be grateful for any assistance in reaching our goal. Please see the button in my side-bar for 'JustGiving' for more information should the mood take you!

The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army


One of the best reasons for living in London is the incredible once in a life-time exhibitions that come here. Today was one of those great experiences as I had the privilege to see at the British Museum , the largest exhibition to date outside of China of the famed 'Terracotta Army".

The exhibition was housed in the Museum's library, famous in its own right for having reader's grace through its doors such as Karl Marx and Arthur Conan Doyle. It has a dome ceiling which adds to the grandness of what you are seeing. You walk up a set of stairs and immediately its overwhelming, so much to see, read and absorb.
The first part of the exhibition was learning about the man behind the Army: China's very first emperor, Quin (pronounced 'Chin' which is where the name China comes from). He came from a family of horse breeders, I believe he was poor and after uprising he pronounced himself leader. The 120 artifacts included in this section were normal every day items of the time--things of significance like bells, clay roof tiles, money (including what they used for money before a form of currency) and items used during rituals. One thing I found interesting was the fact the emperor wanted to consider himself ruler of not only China, but the universe (heaven & earth). He actually planned the spots for his temples based on the stars. His idea's of death & being ruler of the spirit world led to him making the artifacts (including the Terracotta Army) that surround his tomb.
A farmer found the Terracotta Army in 1974 accidentally, not realizing that it would become one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th Century and be considered now the 8th wonder of the world covering an area about 56k/36 miles. Apparently only 1/3 has been excavated so far and to date they have managed to put back together approximately 7,000 (they were broken obviously) of the Warriors, have found 40,000 arrowheads, found about 87 pieces of armour (each has about 500 pieces, they have put back together two), found horses, chariots, acrobats, Strongmen, musicians and animals and man made rivers of mercury. The actual tomb these items surround, has not been touched. Some say the emperor created an entire replica of China inside the massive mound. There is no plans on opening the tomb just yet and they are focusing on the pits surrounding it first. Who knows whether this will be opened in our lifetime.
In the last part of the exhibition I was able to see 20 of these warriors, including some of the horses, one of two in existence of the pieces of armour, some acrobats, archers, strongmen, as well as some of the birds and musicians. Obviously only a tiny, tiny fraction of what exists but a good sampling of the items anyway. It was great because although the actual warriors were surrounded by a heavily alarmed motion sensory bar, we were able to get incredibly incredibly close. Each warrior if you would believe is made unique, with different hairstyles as well as facial and physical features. The detail is exquisite and they look so life-like. Apparently 700,000 people worked (including convicts) over 38 years in making this mausoleum for the Emperor. Many obviously died unfortunately in the process.

Although I hope to go to China one day and see these again in the country of orgin, I doubt I would ever be able to get up as close as I did today. If you can't tell by this post it was an amazing experience to see them and one that I will honestly never forget the rest of my life.

10.12.07

Christmas across London

I love the Christmas decorations this year in the city. In years past it seems like they haven't put much thought into them, but this year its different. This year its been fantastic and it really sets the mood for the whole holiday season. Here are a few shots from the city:


Trafalgar Square

If you click on the picture to enlarge you can see the details and the twinkly lights of the tree better. The tree in Trafalgar Square is a gift given by Norway every year as a thank you for England's help in WWII. The views are great here at night when the fountains are lit up and you can see Big Ben in the background.



Setting up in Greenwich Market

I live about 10 minutes away from this market and although this picture doesn't do it justice, the decorations are beautiful this year. Greenwich Market is fabulous for buying artisan goods of everything you can imagine- particularly beautiful hand made bags. The stall directly to the right is selling mulled wine and apple cider, traditional English drinks for the holiday season.


Covent Garden
Covent Garden is absolutely beautiful this year. All the lights are decorated with icicles and it looks like a winter wonderland. Covent Garden dates back to the 1600's and was generally a place where people sold things. It became famous for its flower sellers and was the inspiration for Eliza Doolittle in My fair Lady. It is also well known for the street puppetry of 'Punch and Judy'. Today it is full of musicians who perform, great shops, open stalls, great food and street performers of all sorts. Two of my favorite places of the market include a vintage toy shop called Pollock's and of course the Royal Opera House which is right in the main square. You can never go wrong with a day at Covent Garden and I personally find it a lot more manageable shopping here than some of the busier places like Oxford Street or Bond Street.

21.11.07

Training, Day 22: Six miles or Bust!

Until marathon day in April I thought every once in a while I could chronicle how my training is going for the big day--the frustrations and particularly the little achievements. I figured it would be a neat way to look back at my journey to complete this thing. So anyway here goes:

Well we're nearly 3 weeks into running again after Morocco and it feels like a lifetime. The weather has been cold and dark. Can I emphasize the word dark? Because it gets dark so early now 95% of our running is after the sun has gone down. Our run on Monday was in the pouring rain and whilst I was completely soaked running in the mud and freezing, I kept asking myself now why am I doing this? If it wasn't for James' relentless positive outlook and motivation I honestly think I'd still be curled up in bed on a Saturday morning.

We're up to 6 miles per run, about 3-4 times a week (the other days per week we do yoga or weight training). Last week we did about 15 miles. As we get closer and closer to the time we'll be doing about 40-50 miles a week to train--about 15-20+ miles per run. From what I understand from James and his dad (who've both done marathons) this torture to my body is necessary so that the 26.2 miles won't be such a shock to my system.

At the moment, getting over this six mile mark is a huge psychological barrier for me. I've never run more than 6 miles at a time in my life. The longest race I've done is a 10k and I can feel my body being pushed in ways that its frankly just not used to both mentally and physically. I think mentally this race will be very hard because when you hit that wall of sheer physical exhaustion its the mental that has to carry you through to the finish. I know that it will be a huge barrier to get over especially with my history of self-doubt. I'm up for the challenge though and have wanted to do a marathon for so long. I was always the fat kid growing up and I want to do it to get over this stereotype and finally loose that last little bit of weight. With the amount of running I'll be doing and the calories it burns I'm sure I'll finally do it!

So---Watch this space and hopefully by my next 'training' entry I'll be over the six mile hump!

25.9.07

Best of London

Not much is new in our lives at the moment so I thought I'd give my two cents about what I believe is the best of London. A lot of these are my favorite places, things to do,etc and I'm sure nearly every Londoner will give you a different answer for each. This is what is so great about the city--so many options for every type of personality. The list could go on and on but here are just a few:

Best............

place to eat out on a budget- Carluccio's in Canary Wharf

place to buy groceries- Waitrose

park- Greenwich

au natural smoothies- Crussh

museum to get lost in- Victoria & Albert

overall shopping experience- Selfridges

shopping for everything
including the kitchen sink- John Lewis

Clothes shop- Zara

art- National Gallery

food market- Borough Market-London bridge

crafts/outdoor market- Greenwich

place to watch movies- The Empire in Leicester Square

place to make fun of tourists- The tube (subway)

View of the city- Royal Observatory, Greenwich

Ice-cream- Movenpick/Green & Blacks

Cultural Experience- A play on the West End

place to hear a concert- Royal Albert Hall

Touristy Spot- Covent Garden

Place for a cup of tea- Organic Cafe, Greenwich

Thing to do on a Sunday morning- Walk through Blackheath Common to Greenwich Park

place for peace and quiet- Greenwich Park on a weekday morning

16.9.07

Two weeks & Running

I've been going extra extra gung-ho on the exercise the last few months or so . This is due to a lot of reasons but mainly I need to get my weight down quickly for my health. I've been doing running races every year since 2002 but the last two weeks I had the bright idea to do two 5k (3 mile) races back to back. My total mileage including the race since last Sunday is 10 miles and this doesn't include my usual time I clocked at the gym and doing yoga this week. I've just got a few more weeks to keep this routine up (if I don't pass out first) and then I've got trekking in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco to look forward to in October as well. 4-5 hours of hiking a day in the high mountains of North Africa will be definitely a challenge. So, keep your fingers crossed and end of November/December I should hopefully have dropped at least a little bit of weight.

The races these last two weeks were the same distance but two completely different worlds. The first one was the London Peace Run through Greenwich Park. About 100 people participated, 80 of them professional runners. Mentally I found this one horrible because half the people darted way ahead at the start, the heat was draining and the difficulty of the hills were unexpected. My time was crap but James did it with me and that made it a lot more worthwhile. Here are some pics of James and I at the end of the race:

The second one, the Hydro Active Women's Challenge was quite humorous due to the amount of people involved. 20,000 runners just in London participate every year to do a little 3 mile race and professional runners come from all over the world to run as well. Its an absolutely huge event and highlights are even shown on the 5 o'clock news. You also get a great goodie bag and medal at the end full of t-shirts, organic food and samples galore of everything you could imagine. I swear people do it more for the stuff at the end than the actual challenge of the race. My time was a lot better than the Peace Run cause the route was easier. In the end I managed to do it in about 34:00 which is a personal best for me (My very first 5k I did it in about 46 min). You can see from the sheer amount of people in the pic below how popular this run is. Also, although the expression of my face at the end makes me looks out of it, I was just glad to get these darn races over with.

29.8.07

Wales

James and I spent the last 5 days in Wales. We've been here many times before as his parents own a summer home here but it has been two and a half years since we last went! Everyone goes to Wales to get their fill of camping, hiking and outdoor adventures. Its absolutely stunning, a lot of people speak Welsh (think lots of consonants) and most drive like maniacs on roads only wide enough for one car. The food aint bad--similiar to traditional English food and sheep are absolutely everywhere. If you don't see these balls of fluff--you are guaranteed to walk in their remnants if you know what I mean. We went to the ocean, Portmeirion and did two amazing hikes where the views kicked ass. There is absolutely no way that I could post all my pictures (WAY TOO MANY!)--so these are my absolute favorites and then if you are desperate to see more you can check them out on my Flickr account.

This is one of many views from the cottage we were staying at. The mountains in the background included "Cader Idris" (on right hand side--tallest peak). I had the bright idea to hike this thing and I am still sore two days later from it. The total time hiking this peak (up & down) not including time at the top was 4 hours and I believe its about 3,000 ft which is a lot considering everything in the surrounding area is at sea level. The top was quite a challenge as it was incredibly rocky and it felt more of a climb than hiking. I am not a professional hiker or anything but I have done more than a lot of people. Anytime I ever do any hiking though I am a bit of a wimp on the descent. It really challenges my confidence and I always prefer going up because you can hug the mountain a bit more, etc. etc. It felt great getting to the top though and the views were well worth the pain.

Here is a very horrible picture of me on the other hike we did up behind the cottage. If you look in the background beyond the mountains, that is the Atlantic ocean!!
Sheep!!! (yes it really is this green too)

This is part of Portmeirion (built I believe between 1920-1970). Its a coastal village in Mid Wales that's really strange because its done in the Italian/Mediterranean style complete with palm trees. There are swanky hotels here and they are world famous for their pottery. It has great views of the sea and really good icecream.


Views of the Atlantic Ocean!
Harlech Castle, which is right next to the ocean. Wales has many many castles in order to offer coastal protection on the West Coast from any invaders in the past. I've been to this castle on previous trips as well as Caernarfon Castle.
I hated leaving Wales but it was nice to get away from the stress of London for a few days especially at the moment. We also got a chance to see James' niece and nephew and spend time with his parents. Its amazing how fast the little rugrats grow and I had a good time playing with them and their collection of my little ponies and reading stories. Its a bit of a bummer being back in London but unfortunately nice things have to come to an end I guess. At least we have another break to Morocco in I believe about 6 weeks to look forward to!!!

7.8.07

James and I as Simpson characters

Can you tell I'm bored? Today I found this free site and although its sponsored by Burger King (can't stand fast food) its a bit o'fun to see what you look like as a cartoon. If you look at the picture of James and I in the sidebar this is what it went off of. I think James' one looks more realistic than mine. What do you think? Anyway--if you are bored check it out.



6.8.07

Proms, Palaces and Picnics

James and I had an absolutely glorious weekend. It was the first weekend that there was not a cloud in the sky and it actually resembled the summer. We got out and took advantage of the weather and managed to get some pretty decent sunburns in the process.

Friday we went to:

the PROMS

Every year during the summer London has a 3 month classical music festival where every single day there is a different orchestra performing. Some of the best orchestras in the world play and the last night of the Proms is a national show of patriotism where flags fly for the national anthem and other English songs. Since moving here I've been every year and this year was no exception. We heard the BBC Symphony Orchestra--they played Russian music Stravinsky and Rachmaninov. I particularly liked the Rachmaninov piece---very beautiful smooth melodies. Anyway--we're going next week as well to the Proms so looking forward to it.

Saturday we went to:

Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace is just in the outskirts of London next to the Thames river. It was the home of Henry VIII (the guy with the many wives). It was absolutely huge and magnificent and reminded me of the palace of Versailles in Paris because of the sheer size of the Palace and gardens. They have activities throughout the Palace such as minstrels, guided costumed tours, etc. They also have a working tudor kitchen which is the oldest 'working' tudor kitchen still in existence. The chefs were making marzipan and bread and it was great fun watching them and the smells were divine. The palace has a deer park (the deer are original descendants of the flock belonging to Henry VIII), the largest and oldest grape vine in existence (planted in the 1700's and still living, produces a grape crop of 600-700 lb a year) and one of the biggest outdoor mazes in the world. In just under 4 hours we managed to see everything except the deer park. It was wonderful and a really great day out. Here are some pictures from the day (there are more on my flickr page):



We ended our weekend by having a picnic in Greenwich Park and reading our books whilst catching some rays in the sun. It was an absolutely wonderful weekend and I wasn't very happy it had to end!

23.7.07

Totally Sick of Harry!!

Sorry Potter fans--forgive me for this little rant!

Living in the birthplace of Harry Potter its impossible to not know when a new Harry Potter book is coming out. Its plastered all over the news, all of the bookstores have midnight openings, every shopping centre seems to have 'wizard weekends', you get random people in the grocery store dressed up as Potter characters and even the pubs have 1/2 price pints for potter fans. It seems to go away after a while until the new movie comes out or the next book installment.

I figured it would be the same this time for the last book. Boy was I wrong though---It has totally completely gotten out of hand. You would think the Beatles landed or something. Most bookstores are completely out of stock already due to the (I kid you not)--2 to 3 mile long lines to get your greasy little hand on one. People apparently came from all over the world to stand in one of the lines here in the birthplace of Harry!! Why spend your only vacation time standing in line to get a book? Was a trip to the Taj Mahal too much money?

Saturday we did a bit o' shopping at Canary Wharf and I saw about 5 complete brownie troups getting their faces painted and then standing in line to ride the huge broom ride. Are they even old enough to read the darn thing? Of course the usual dressed up people and by the end of the day I thought I was going to barf if I saw another little kid dressed up like Harry or Hermione. That and the thought of how much money is being made off a little book.

If you can't tell I'm sick of the hype around Harry Potter. Seriously I think its great that it gets kids and adults reading and excited about it. However, I doubt that most of the hype is due to the fact that these books will win the pulitzer or some other award for their amazing good writing. I think its because everyone is doing it because its the 'cool' thing to do at the moment. I've never read any of the books and actually walked out of the first movie cause I thought it was rubbish and have never turned back since. Call me strange but I'd rather read a book or go to a movie cause I want to not because everyone else is doing it. I am sure its great mindless fun but at the moment I just would rather do other more worthwhile things. Maybe when I'm retired I'll buy my first copy of a Harry Potter book, I just don't know. In the mean time I'm really sick of this whole thing and can't wait until this whole thing passes.

8.7.07

The Tour de France in a Minute or Less

The Tour de France started in London this year. Every year they do the Prologue and Stage 1 in a different country before moving to France and this year we're lucky enough that it was here. The route was actually scheduled to go through Greenwich which is only 10 minutes from where I live. This was an incredible opportunity to see something like this so we stood waiting for about 45 minutes just to see the riders. This is actually the first time we've seen the beginning of the race. A couple of years ago we by default were in Paris on the Champs Elysee at the very end of the race when Lance Armstrong won his 6th title.

It was crazy watching the race though as there was more entourage than cyclists on the route. Buses, Sponsors, French and British Police, Cars with extra bikes and Race Officials were the majority of what we saw. When it came time for the hundred or so cyclists they were so fast that they were gone in like less than a minute. Even though it was short and we had to deal with rude people trying to push into our view--it was definitely worth it. I really admire people who do this kind of thing which is the ultimate test of endurance and strength of character. I feel really grateful that I live in London so I can have these opportunities to be a part of experiences like this!

27.6.07

Rain, Wimbledon & Strawberries with Cream.


I love the weather in England. The weatherman is never right and usually its the exact opposite of everything predicted. As you go through your existence here never "quite" knowing what to expect, you dress in layers and plan for every minor calamity--whether it be rain, snow or mini tornado. We Londoners are resilient this way though and you can rest assured that whenever a spot of rain hits "brollies" of every shape, size and fashion will be popping up everywhere.

Why the sudden fascination with the weather? Well its been raining a lot you could say at the moment here to the point most of the countryside seems to be flooding. Funny enough last summer there was a drought. If only mother nature could figure out a happy medium so that there would be plenty of water but still enough sun to work in the occassional BBQ. Maybe she didn't get the memo eh? Anyway, whilst I'll never seem to understand the British weather it sure gives me an excuse to catch up on watching movies under nice warm duvets. I've managed to fulfill my duty in this area nicely recently, favorite recents: Last King of Scotland and The Queen.

On another note I do have to say the rain this time of year also means its time for Wimbledon which started a few days ago and goes for two weeks. Have been a couple times now but don't know if I'm up for the journey all the way out to SW19 (SouthWest London) this year or in the mood for strawberries and cream*. We shall just have to wait and see how the weather holds up. Unfortunately, this year I may only make it as far as watching it on t.v. with my duvet!

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* Its a tradition at Wimbledon going back like a LONG TIME to have strawberries and cream whilst watching the tennis. English strawberries are very much in season at the moment and its just another excuse for people to be posh at a 'social event' like Wimbledon. They charge a fortune for them at about £3.50/$7 a pop but it really is the thing to do when you go.

28.5.07

Paris Pictures

These are a few of my favorite pics from my trip. I didn't take masses but if you want to see more there are some more in my Flickr folder. They are of Montemartre, the area around my hotel in the left bank, Batignolles and Marais.

Paris when it Drizzles

J'adore Paris--so much so that James and I go at least once a year minimum. We've been so many times now that we don't spend our time doing the tourist spots anymore and just relax. Sitting in cafe's, running 'round the parks like the locals and eating bloody amazing food is what we like. Don't get me wrong, we still love to grace the top spots occassionally and catch the odd museum but there's not the pressure anymore to get any of it in before leaving.

You could say we were looking forward to this trip for Bank Holiday weekend a bit. We bought the Eurostar tickets in January and booked our hotel in February. We're weird this way I guess as we like to save up as long as we can for things and have things to get excited for when other things in our life are difficult. Its our way of plodding through.

The Eurostar was its usual excellence of amazing food and a really quiet train journey. I love looking out through the windows at the French countryside on the way and not having a care in the world. When we arrived the weather was hot and humid and it was great to be back in the city that feels so much like a second home.

Of course we took advantage of the weather and walked around. Our hotel is near the Notre Dame and on the way to do some shopping and getting icecream at Berthillon (the best place for icecream in like all of France) we stopped by to light a candle and look at the rose windows. The rose windows are one of my favorite things in Paris, so beautiful and humbling at the same time. We did loads of shopping at Sephora, Galeries Layfayette, Comptoir de Famille and L'Oliver and explored the area around our new haunting ground on the left bank. Thank goodness shopping was on our to do lists because the good weather only lasted only that afternoon. It rained a heck of a lot for the remainder of the weekend. Even when it rains though, Paris oozes with romanticsm.

We were limited on places to eat the first day because of the rain but it managed to be bearable enough the next couple of days we could at least get out to some of our favorite restaurants. The second day we went to Aubergine--a place near our old hotel and on the last night we went to Le Comptoir, near our new hotel we switched to this trip. The food at both places can only be described as intense exotic pleasure. You seriously don't think food could taste this good and then they exceed any expectation you may have. Its a complete experience and the crazy thing is that its reasonably priced. My favorite was the grilled salmon & cheese sandwich from Le Comptoir and the Chocolate fondant from Aubergine. Definitely one of the best things about Paris is the food and we try to do our best to eat as well as possible whenever we go.

We never managed to get out for a run due to the rain. Thank goodness the hotel was nice and we could catch up on reading, writing postcards when it was unbearable. Despite the weather, we did get out enough to enjoy ourselves immensly and as usual Paris never is disappointing. I could go on forever about the trip but it was great to get away for a long weekend. I'm always sad at the end of my trips especially leaving Paris cause I never want them to end. However, there will always be next time though and I guarantee you that I'll be brimming with enthusiasm until another trip comes our way.

5.5.07

Knick Knacks and Dinosaurs

Today we had a glorious day out in Central London. Its Bank Holiday weekend (no work on Mon.) and we figured heck lets do something different. So we went to the Natural History Museum and Notting Hill. Never been to this museum before and Notting Hill never when the market on Portobello Road was open.

The building the Natural History Museum is in is incredibly beautiful. It is very Victorian, has stained glass windows, lots of carved animals on the outside and grand wooden floors. The inside was even better. We went to see the Dinosaurs and the ecosystem section. Particularly for the Dinosaurs it was great to see all the little kids so darn excited seeing everything and even some making growling noises. The best part of the entire section was a life-size robotic T-rex and it seemed a bit too real if you know what I mean!

Notting Hill--very posh part of town and incredibly cute. Portobello Market is actually featured in the movie Notting Hill and you can definitely see why as its one of the best markets in the world! It was so much fun to look at all the incredible antiques, the quaint boutiques and smell the outdoor food being cooked for the masses. Things like this is why I love London and don't know how I ever could leave!

(The Natural History Museum)

(Notting Hill)


4.5.07

Shopping

London is one of the best places in the world to shop. Some of the most amazing designers, quaint boutiques and high street shops can be found throughout the city including places like Carnaby Street, Covent Garden, Oxford Street, Bond Street and around High Street Kensington and Knightsbridge. Its a fashionista's dream to be at the center of such a place home to Burberry, Paul Smith, Top Shop, Hackett and others. Many trends have been born (as well as died) here and its hard to ignore the fact the influence London has had on the world of fashion.

This reason I believe is a huge fact to why so many Londoners dress well. Another reason is I think it must be down to the European thing (Italy in particular--my gosh even the babies wear Dolce and Gabbana!). Most wear suits and ties to work and you will never find people wearing baseball caps and if its T-shirts and Jeans they will look amazing. Never a wasted moment for a chance to make a fashion statement!

The downside to London's world o' fashion is the price and the sizes. Sizes for clothes are rated a lot bigger than in America, for example: A UK size 18 is a US size 14/16. Shoes--I love what they do with shoes because they make you feel like you have tiny feet. In the US, I wear a size 9--here its a 7! Why can't they do that with the regular clothes? Anyway, price-----now this is the hard part. I seriously cannot get away with getting a decent shirt for cheaper than £30 ($60), pants/trousers usually average around £35 ($70). These are the cheaper options as most things are more than this and by the time your looking at entire outfits you're at least set back about £150-200 ($300-400). This would all be great if your job paid well and you are skinny enough to fit into the clothes!!

As you may have guessed, shopping is a bit of pain in the ass for me in London because I don't have an endless supply of money and I'm not yet (still working on it!) a size that is "easily accommodated to." What I would give to be able to walk into a shop and buy something I like and not have to worry about whether it will fit and if it costs more than my monthly grocery bill. I know that I should focus on my triumphs particularly in the weight arena as I've come SOOOOOO far and I'm so much healthier and happier. I also know that self-confidence comes from within yes, but I do think the clothes should help you get there a little as well. In the end all I really want is a chance to be a bit of a 'girl' and be able to get clothes that exemplify the person I am on the inside. Unfortunately we live in a superficial society and although its wrong you are judged by how you look.

Anyway, nuff said on this. Everyone is entitled to a little whinge session and today is my turn. I know that sometime very soon I'll get my weight down even more so I can fit into some of the amazing clothes you can find in London. I'm doing everything possible to make this happen and its just a matter of just smiling, putting one foot in front of each other and plodding along one day at a time.

6.4.07

Happy Easter

Easter in London is always a delight. The weather is better, people are happy (having a 4 day weekend helps) and there's a never ending supply of chocolate eggs to indulge your sorrows. People occassionally give each other presents but mostly its off to Costa Del Sol, Spain or some other European retreat to down gallons of cheap beer. Those of us fortunate to stay in England over Bank Holiday will feast on Sunday on the traditional British garb of hot cross buns with a boiled egg for breakfast with mashed potatoes, roast chicken with some type of veg. (usually asparagus) for Easter dinner after church. Its then a mad dash to some sort of park to walk off the calories with the family!

I do miss the jellybeans and the countless Easter egg hunts in America but celebrating it here is wonderful as well. This time of year is always a sign that the tourists will be soon popping out of every corner and that the warm summer months are nearly here. However this said, I feel truly blessed to see spring and that only a few minutes away I can see ducks, and other birds and smell all of the pollen from the blooming flowers!
Hope you all have a blissful, relaxing Easter weekend.

24.2.07

Me from A to Z

I have been "tagged" so in fulfilling my duty here goes:

Available or single: Neither, engaged--no date yet unfortunately
Best friend: James
Cake or pie: Chocolate cake (fresh, not from a box)
Drink of choice: Pomegrante Juice (Not from concentrate), Alchoholic--I'm a red wine girl (healthier)
Essential items used daily: Body shop lip gloss and lotion
Favorite color: Dark Blue
Gummy bears or worms: Neither, don't eat sweets anymore
Hometown: Lacey USA
Indulgence: Chocolate fondant from Carluccio's, Green & Black's Vanilla & Caramel organic icecream.
January or February: neither, prefer warmer and less 'rainy' months like May.
Kids and names: None--like the name Rachel or Emily though.
Life is incomplete without: Travelling, friends and family and yoga
Marriage date: When our job situation is fixed
Number of siblings: 1) Spencer 2) Scott 3) Miranda
Oranges or apples: Apples--less messy
Phobias or fears: 1) failure 2) heights
Quote (favorite): I have many but one I like in particular that I've actually had put in my blog heading is "Anyone who lives within their means suffers a serious lack of imagination" Oscar Wilde. I really think this says that you should always be willing to take risks and challenge yourself and improve in life. Its something that I'm always trying to do better on taking risks.
Reason to smile: Going to Paris again this May via the Eurostar (woo hoo!)
Season: Springtime
Tag 3 people: Jenny, James and Thomasina (Sorry I'm cheating and sending this via e-mail for two people)
Unkown fact about me: Unfortunately I don't know how to ride a bike or swim (hope to learn before I turn 35)
Vegetables you don't like: Love my veggies, particular favorite is steamed broccoli
X-rays: Last year (2 very expensive and painful root canals in one year, not a pleasant memory!)
Your favorite food: Too many to choose from--love mashed potatoes, anything warm and chocolate (DARK-70% or above and organic)!
Zodiac sign: Saggitarius

14.2.07

Free London

Apparently London is considered one of the most expensive cities in the world to live. Housing-you can't find anything habitable for under £250,000 ($500,000), Public transport is now £98 (about 200$) a month and I won't even get started on what it costs to feed or decently clothe yourself in a city which prides itself on being really stuck on "image". Even something simple as going to the movies seems to drain the penny jars with tickets going for £15 ($30)in Central London and my local cinema is now up to a whopping £6.50 ($13.00). Sometimes I get so fed up with what it seems like endless ways someone can take all of your money somehow in London and how they all do it with such smiles on their faces too. Its like they secretly know they are going to go to hell for doing this but are keen to do it anyway just to see the pain on your face as you part with your last crisp note. Oh well--I keep telling myself its all part of the gig.

This is why you grow to appreciate the few free things in London. I've already touched on Sunday walks in an earlier post but another secret hidden gem is nearly all of the major museums here are Free! (British Museum, National Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum, etc) No I'm not kidding--no charge, Free, Gratis, Nada, Zilcho. Most other European cities charge --Paris, Venice, Rome all charge. So to my delight London is setting itself apart by making the great art and treasures it holds available to us lowly people who don't make £100,000 a year like most of the city. Snaps for Free London!

So, I in my 'time of recent unemployment' (long story dont ask) today decided to venture out into the city to take advantage of the National Gallery, one of the FREE museums. The National Gallery is the main art gallery in London and one of the most famous in the world. You can see Canaletto, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt and all the greats. It was so wonderful to be able to walk through and see wonderful 'artsy' things without worrying about cost or budgets or anything of this sort. Its amazing how human this can make you feel again especially if you've struggled a lot like I have recently with the job front. So, I say thank you to whomever or whatever made this decision--probably some fellow geek stuck in an office somewhere in the city. But anyway-- I thank you and my pocket book thanks you too.

My final thought is that art always should be shared so here's some of my favorites I saw today:



Canaletto



I think the blue one above is Titan and this drawing is by Leonardo da Vinci