Simple things

For a number of reasons, i cant actually do anything this week.

But I've noticed something. London is the best city on earth for singing in the streets. Try it. Noone will here you, cause its so freakin' noisy. I did, I sang summer time consistantly all the way along oxford st to tcr, i turned only 4 heads on a 40 minute walk, and did they mind? No. They all smiled at me, and I felt free, and happy, and like id made the whole commotion of life sound a little less drab.

Even if they could, I reckon a song wouldnt mark anyone out as the nutcase on the bus, or the maniac on the tube. There's always someone worse off, and if you cant beat them, join them. You dont need to be loud about it. Embrace your inner weirdo, you cant do it everywhere.

Dingy Basements, Coffee, Trains...

This week saw in the return to work, the return to college, the return to "normal" life. this whole doing new stuff has gone from being weekly to almost hourly. I must not let it alter me completely, only slightly, and for the better.

I punctured the stress bubble a bit by buying a travel card. I have never done this before, and i dont know why! What a lease of life! I got to college in a record 15 minutes the other morning, which is preferable to the usual hour of mind numbing frustration at traffic and meandering pedestrians. I am yet to decide if this privilege is worth the expense, and anyway, my snot has gone black. I will make a pros and cons list and fathom it out at some point. I feel i have insulted the religion of bus users by breaking the age old mantra buses can be faster... They're just not. At least, not up the Finchley road. My bus route knowledge is still second to none, and long will it remain so as back up for shut down days.

I went to the 100 Club this week, not to see Jazz but to Limelight, the only truly balanced informal classical music night I've come across. The club its self is great, its like a village hall in a dingy basement, all fold out chairs and little candles with light switches on the bottoms, confetti stars on the table. If you don't like Jazz its worth going for a sneak at the graf in the toilets which makes for interesting reading at the very least. For all the photos of famous names on the walls, its not for a minute pretentious. I love that. I know how hard it is to transplant "classical" music into an "informal setting", but limelight really pulled it off. Maybe it was all down to O Duo, who were an immense introduction to the place. They are two super talented percussionists who put together a really great combination of interesting music from all sorts of genres whilst being thoroughly entertaining and not once did their musicianship drop.


Elsewhere in my life my mission to find London's perfect cup of coffee took me to the famous Flat White of Berick St. Its ok, maybe I went at the end of the day and the beans had gone bitter, but I wasnt that impressed. Much better was Scooter Works, a little coffee bar on lower marsh waterloo. Its warm, its comfortable, people in there play scrabble whilst the cats kick the pieces off the board. It has a pink glittery toilet, and a basement which is dusty and full of huge tables and tiny chairs and a projector screened by a dustsheet. It does beer and wine too, and the best bit is its not even a cafe: check the website for that story. The coffee is great, the hot chocolate is like mud-thick and dreamy. Its by my college, i will be back there to chill out.


To do next week: Wellcome collection. Maybe even Whitechapel gallery.
Not to do next week: cry in my room. At all. About anything. Particularly people. You cant trust people. People like coldplay and voted for the Nazis.

Yesterday was all a lie

You can turn over new leaves, even when you dont really mean to.

I ended up in the best place this evening. I danced with strangers, no, I twisted low with strangers, i drank organic cider which tasted like cardigans and wonderful at the same time,, i listened to songs about catholic girls getting off on bicycles, i met some kids from my home town. I was warm, I was welcome, there were photos on the walls, all neatly balanced with inexcessive fairy lights and a good amount of comfortable seating. It is the cafe i have been wanting to establish for myself for most of my life, only better. It has knitting evenings, and charity all tied up too.

Thank you Anne-Marie for being a friend who plays gigs and playing one there: please check out her songs cause they get better every time you hear them.

Lets not all go there all the time, because the bubble of happiness vibe might get popped, but should you ever venture to bethnal green, I strongly recommend it.

Things noticed on the way that i must do: Museum of Childhood

New Leaves for this week

There are none. I have had exams. This is a valid excuse.
No its not. I've had one exam. I spent the night before watching lolcats and texting people to tell them i loved them.

I also worked out that in my young life, I have sat more than 100 exams. Assuming each exam is about 2 hours long, thats a significant portion of time to be sat at a freezing cold desk reciting things you will forget a few hours later. Because that is all they are, memory tests, and thats why I am really good at them.

My new leaf for this week then, is not stressing over exams or coursework, because most of the time, someone other than your own temperamental memory, your pride, or that sickly devil who sits in your stomach singing songs about failiure and ingratitude, deserves your attention more.

First stop for new london leaf: Wellcome collection exhibition. It sounds fascinating. I have spent too years walking past the photograph of a giant armpit in a rush for piano lessons, and now I am going to go and see what its all about. I might even join the club. You get free coffee. There is good in the world.

A new leaf every week

I have lived in london for almost three years. Over all, I hate it, which is why I have to work to make hating it so much worthwhile.
This year, I am going to do something new and exiting in the city everyweek, and every week, try and make myself hate it a bit less, to dig a bit deaper under the dirt of crime and selfishness and pollution to see what good shit is going on for the sake of being damn cool. It must be here somewhere, its just got covered up, like your keys do when you get lazy and dont wash your socks.

This blog will document my challenge: to fall back in love with my home, they say theres no place like it. Well, that is certainly true. Amoungst the fly pits, amoungst the rot, my heart is still here. I want it back.