Cottesloe Consternation

After feeling on the verge of a cold yesterday, I was glad for the evening off.  Last night Viiu was a real trooper and we found our way down to Piccadilly to find a vegetarian restaurant that sounded good on the internet.  And, it was.  Tibits was buffet style, sold by the weight, but in a really classy atmosphere.  I was amazed to find quinoa for the first time in London, and tried to sample lots of small bits on my plate (cream and chutney filled breaded hot peppers, glazed chestnuts, ridiculously good beans that tasted pickled,  and of course, plain alfalfa sprouts!).  

Even Viiu found something good to eat.  Well, at least it didn’t kill her, anyways.  The only drawback was that their espresso machine was broken, so she couldn’t have her black.  Here they ask for black coffee, or white coffee (coffee with cream – but no one seems to know how much.  This would never go with us Canadians, eh? And, the popular thing here is called a ‘Flat White’ coffee:  coffee, some cream, and a small bit of foam on top -  but not enough to make it cappuccino.)  I have tried a few espressos since here, but I have yet to have anything really good.   They like to argue about espresso and such, but it seems people are just picky about style – everywhere seems to have the same stale beans.  Yecch! 

            After giving up on the espresso, today I was resolved to find some good tea – which at this point I prefer anyways.   Online I found this prize-winning tea shop that Viiu said would be easy to find.  So after grocery shopping in the AM, when she went to her  1pm concert, I went the other way to find Post Card Teas.  I am so glad that I did!   I thought it was just a specialty tea shop, but it turns out that this is more of a connoisseurs emporium.  

They don’t have a place to sit and have a cup, but they will give you a cup of tea to try something if you are tasting before you buy the dry tea.  Their downstairs is a small museum set-up, where they display teas so expensive they have to be bought on auction, and teaware of the same calibre.  £75 for a tea cup anyone?  One of their teas, mentioned in this image, “sells for £20,000 per 100g” at every yearly auction.  I didn’t buy that one.  But, for £29 you could try a 2 oz cup of it!!  

The oriental woman working there was amazingly helpful, and educated me on some of the finer points of tea after I proved to her that I wasn’t a tea-idiot in the first place.  She brought some out for me to smell, and after I assured her I would buy something she made me two cups of tea to help my decision.

Probably the best cup of tea I have ever had.  It had this instantly refreshing quality to it, and tastes of grass and citrus overtones.  Do I sound like a snob yet?  Alright, well gobber off, then.  Really, though, it was very good.  It was such a nice experience there.  I was there only customer for the whole time I was there, and I sat and read some of their info, and they brought teas out for me to smell and chat about.  In the end I purchased the most expensive tea I have ever bought, which was one of their cheapest.  I had such a nice time there.  They travel twice a year to Japan and China to visit the small estates where they import their teas from – no middle man for them. 

            From there, I wandered on the tube while trying to find Cocomaya, a chocolatier that promised hot-cocoa that looked like it was straight from the movie ‘Chocolat’.  But, I couldn’t find it before needing to meet my aunt for lunch at Sirous, across the street from her flat.  I had this meal that I thought was going to be a salad and turned out to be this:

Fried artichoke?  Actually, it was quite good with that chunk of goat cheese melted on top.  Surprising, that’s all. 

So we made our way to the National Theatre to see 12^th Night.  We got there early so she could chat with friends.  We got to our seats.  We waited.  7:30 passed.  We waited some more.  Then, a very nervous couple women came out on stage and declared to the audience that a cast member had become seriously ill – and there was no understudy.  The show, apparently, must not go on.  Promised refunds, we were sent home.  We sat and had free drinks with Viiu’s friends.  They didn’t care much – most of them would see it again.  But I was disappointed, for sure.  So, Viiiu’s friend Nicolas, who works for the NT, is on the case of trying to fit me into another performance before the end of the week. 

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It sure feels weird not having regular access to the internet!  I know that I am not the most connected person, nor that social, but I do feel a tad isolated in that regard.  Good prep for India, I suppose.  Still, strange.  I hear that home is getting belted with cold weather, but London is enough.  I have smartened up and started wearing long johns, double socks, and the down sweater that Nicolas literally took off his back to give me when I was cold Saturday night.  Plus, I bought a souvenir scarf at the QPR game, and I am actually wearing constantly.  Even inside.  The cold is so deceiving here – it is very damp, and I guess I figured that 3 C was warm compared to Canada.  These brits are hardy folk, I gotta say.  They are all mostly without hats or gloves, some without jackets even.  They just rush from the tube to the next place, hardly outside much.  But you see them and think you can handle that.  Wait a second!  These guys are running in shorts!  Sheesh!  Canadians don’t do that in 3 C!  No way!  I dunno, man.   Must be all that oily food or something.  Beats me. 

Pelican @ St.James' Park

            I am feeling better late today.  Blasting myself with vitamins, eating lighter foods, sleeping a good long while, staying warm – these things are helping.  Thought I haven’t been feeling very much like my real self.  It is hard to meditate, since I don’t have my own room, and my brain has been a bit foggy any how.  I thought I didn’t get much jet-lag, but now I see that I had just caffeinated myself enough to have powered through it in the non-drowsy sense, but that mentally I have clearly been behind.  What is weird is the major pain in my lower back, hip joints, and legs that I had the first couple days here.  Now, I haven’t been getting any exercise (well, no running, soccer, or yoga classes) which surely plays a part.  Still stretching a bit here and there.  Also, crazy dreams.  Am I allowed to post that here? No body is reading this, right?  Hmm.   Maybe in India.  I can’t believe I am less than a week away!                               

Culture, anyone?

- St. Pancras Station,  3-story high or so sculpture

January 23rd, evening.  

The last two days have been really hectic, and I am feeling pretty run down at this point.  Thankfully it is an early evening, and I can sit here and drink pots of tea and try to get some energy back.  I have a bit of a sore throat, but I am not sure if it means I am coming down with a cold or if it is simply the terrible air quality.  Really, it is so bad you can taste it:  imagine cheap tobacco mixed with tire grease.  Mmm!   

            Yesterday Viiu and I went all over town, chasing down information about the fare prices for possible trains to Lille or Manchester for day-trips next week.  In the end, I decided only for Oxford on Wednesday.  The price to Lille was going to be about £90 and to Manchester about £50 and that just wasn’t worth it for the day.  Oxford has special student rates, so I am going there round-trip for £13, which is wonderful.  So, after we saw half of London going to various offices (because Viiu doesn’t have the internet and claims that phoning it too costly) we stopped by the British Library. 

I saw a pamphlet that indicated that the museum section of this place had some ancient Jain scrolls, so I thought it might be neat to see.  Little did I realize that this is a museum of rare manuscripts, and it was amazing.  I was absolutely floored to see some things.  First of all, there is a Shakespeare’s First Folio.  For real!  But when I got to Wordsworth’s original, handwritten copy of “I wandered lonely”, I think I actually swooned.  Holy crap, eh?  Written in his own pen!  There was some Milton, Coleridge, Samuel Johnson (Don, did you get to see the first dictionary on display?) and Darwin as well.  The music section was perhaps even more fun.  Manuscripts of Handel’s Messiah (complete with corrected spellings) and Purcell, a whole section on the Beatles (their hand-written lyrics and doodles) but what amazed me most was Ravel’s Bolero, written by the man himself.  I stood there and played the whole page out in my mind.  It was awesome.  A lot of people think that the Magna Carta is a big deal – but it means nothing to me.   Ravel and Wordsworth – woo hoo!  The sacred writings section was incredible too, for other reasons.  There were lots of totally gorgeous manuscripts, scrolls and hagadahs, some with ornate gold-leaf illustrations and the most gorgeous embellishments.  This is the stuff that you just never see in person.  But it is all there.  I wish I could have taken pictures, but that is not allowed.  There was a special exhibition on the lower level about how the English language evolved to what it is now – but that section had this huge line-up and a crowd poring over every part, so I didn’t take the time.

            From there, we caught some dinner at ‘Food For Thought’, a seedy vegetarian restaurant that is the closest I’ve seen here to Hippy-food.  It is right central, near Covent Garden, and has the tiniest little space that you have to go downstairs for.  But the food is good, and groovy-looking servers were a breath of fresh air to me. 

            After that, unsuspecting, we go to the Royal Opera House (ROH).  On the way there, on the tube, I was astonished to have recognized (previously ) Premier League Football manager George Burley.  I joked with his mates and wished him good luck in the season.  He had some fun with me, telling me he had beaten Arsenal that afternoon 3-0 (when I got home and heard on the BBC that it was the reverse!).  Viiu had to explain to me numerous ways why a millionaire would be taking the tube – but I guess it makes sense now.  Still…

So the ROH - Now, I wish I was allowed to take pictures here, too. Because the whole place is so glitzy and gorgeous, you become immediately aware of how under-dressed you are.   The women are all gussied up and the men, mostly, have the best suits on.  Everyone is sipping champagne and looking out over glass walls.  When I entered the luscious performance hall itself, I had to ask Viiu to be quiet for a moment – it was just so stunning, so regal.   

Oh, look!  I can link to images on the Web.  Handy!

It was pretty amazing.  Seeing Swan Lake performed in a place like that was a priceless treat.  It was really beautiful, and I was surprised how moved I was at the end – I actually got goosebumps in the final scene.  I don’t think that I would go see it 9 times (like Viiu will) but it sure was a nice evening.   

--

Viiu is such a character.  She is my only extended family, basically, but she is more than enough.  Everybody should have an eccentric Aunt, I say.  I have to report back home that yes, she has, after 40+ years, actually quit smoking.  I honestly didn’t believe it:  it was so much a part of her that it was truly part of her character.  Viiu and cigarettes were synonymous.  In fact, the reason she would not visit Canada is simply because she could not go without a cigarette for the 8 hour flight.  Yes, even if it were at night.  The longest she could go, she used to say, was for one act of Wagner.  Yes, even at night.  But as the first family member  to visit since her quitting date 12 weeks ago, she is really done!  And, she is not as cranky as she says.  In fact, she is totally delightful.  We are eating at nice restaurants, despite the fact that she cannot help but grimace and make fun of my healthy eating habits and vegetarianism.  Viiu’s quote of the day:

            “I believe that when we are born we have a certain amount of patience.  My students used up all of mine.  I have no patience left.”  (spoken when we had to wait like 5 mins for the tube)

She is something else.  Walking into the Royal Opera House, she was saying hello to people left right and centre.  One of her friends, who writes a ballet column for a dance magazine, was deferring to her knowledge on the subject.  There are maybe 2 days out of 2 weeks that does not have a performance to go to.   She has had tickets for November, 2011, since summer of last year.  This is a photo of her current stack of tickets:

            “This is not the biggest stack I’ve had, but if you want to take a picture, go ahead.”

Saturday afternoon I took the tube West to go the a home football game of QPR (Queen’s Park Rangers) v. Coventry City (see here).   God, what a blast!  It was so fun!  I had good seats about 7 rows up, in the corner.  I couldn’t really afford to go to a Premiership game, so I settled for the Championship league.  Man, I wish that my dad and Dave Murphy could have been with me – I know they would have appreciated and enjoyed it.  I made sure that I was sitting in the home team supporters section.   

They sang and cheered, and it was loads of fun.  Every time a player (King) from C.City got the ball, they booed.  Of course, I did too.   But then he was the first to score – a sloppy goal too.  QPR came back and scored just before half and it was awesome.  I wish to hell I knew the words that the home supporters were singing.  One was to the tune of ‘She’ll be coming round the mountain” but seriously, even being right beside someone, I could not figure out the words.  The second goal in the second half was right in front of me.  It was a  beautiful build up and ecstatic celebration. (try to find a video?) So, so much fun!  I really feel like in 24 hours I got the high class of London (ROH) and the popular class (football) and by the end I had really experienced the place. 

- St. Pancras Hotel

Not very Indian yet, is it?

First off - London is cold.  Colder than I expected anyways.  I have been here for a few days now and the temperature has danced around th 1- 4 C mark.  I have been trying to take pictures (thanks again Diana for the easy-to-use camera!!) and it is becoming more habitual.  At first I felt too much like a tourist.  Then, I realized that I am a tourist, so what the heck! 
Yesterday I "took a drive Primrose Hill.  It's lovely there and the view's so nice."  (anyone?  anyone?) 

Yes, I went there for the sole purpose of being able to say that.  It basically connects to Regent's Park which contains Queen Mary's Garden. 

I walked for hours, until my legs were sore, fingers numb, and it got dark. (".. London ice can freeze your toes.  Like anyone, I suppose you're holding on for tomorrow...")  Baker street at 5-6pm was, so far, the most intensely zoo-like experience of London.  So many people!  Everywhere!  Places have paces, and in London it is frenetic.  I have nothing at all to do, but I am dreaming that I am late all the time.  Everyone is rushing everywhere, talking on invisible phones, reading a thousand newspapers. 

This was taken Thursday night, from the steps of St Martin-in-the-fields, where I got a last minute ticket to see 'London Concertante' perform two of Bach's Brandenberg Concerto's, with a bit of Vivaldi as well.  it was quite good - the harpsichordist was incredible. 
(You know, it is incredible how much of my time here revolves around music!  I am making a point of listening to lots of blur and The Smiths, Morrissey,  MBV, - but it was Sigur Ros that took me through the park.) 
Last night Viiiu took me to the Royal Festival Hall where we saw the Orchestra of the Age of enlightenment perform pieces by Mahler, Wagner and Liszt.  It was terrific, and the hall and the view from it, across the thames (below) was spectacular.

Viiu's friend Nicolas lent me a 'down sweater' since he noticed how cold I have been, and I suspect it will come in handy.  He came and sat with us after intermission since we had better, empty seats beside us. 
Here is one for the folks back home:

Yes.  It was made on commemoration of my arrival.  Actually, it sells kitchen accessories.  At crazy prices. 

Viiu has such an amazing book collection.  I am trying not to get sucked into the desire to read all sorts of things while here.  However, I did find a copy of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations and have been greatly enjoying it.  I have read quotations in the past - why have I never taken up the whole thing?  It is gorgeous, and I downloaded it to my Kindle today so that I can read it on the rest of my journey.  I have found a number of passages already that I want to quote, both personally and academically:

p. 14 (sec 2.16) “For to set your mid against anything that comes to pass is to set yourself apart from nature, which embraces as part of itself the natures of all individual things.” 

Photos of London: day 2

 This is for Sarah.  Oh, maybe Diana too!

 Piccadilly.  Or however  you spell it. 

 coolest church window prize:  St. Martin in the fields. (add hyphens please)

My aunt Viiu's 'kitchen'.  Note the laundry machine instead of any sort of stove.  For those of you who know her, don't worry - the fruit is, of course, mine.

Giddy London

Sitting in a library across from Trafalgar square... I had an exhausting day yesterday, arriving in London before 7am local time, while my body still figured it was 2am.  Long day!  But it was wonderful to be greeted by my dear aunt, who lead me back to her flat in West Hampstead.  We had a relaxing day doing some grocery shopping and finding nearby restaurants that might serve food we can agree on.  You see, my idea of food is salad or a stir fry - something fresh.  However, her idea of food is coffee.  A little different.

Here is a pic of her street.

This is going to be harder than I thought!  Posting that picture took a dreadful amount of time - and finding free internet in London is not easy - everyone wants to charge you for it.

Well, I am going across the street to the portrait museum.  I have to meet Viiu for lunch, and I will have to tube it back to her place.

Leaving on a jet plane

 

Well, this is it!  There has scarcely been anything else that I have been able to focus on for that past couple months, and finally the day is here for me to leave.  First, to visit my dear aunt Viiu in London, then onwards to India!

What will this trip be for me?  It is hard for others to imagine its significance.  I pulled out one of my 'Learn Hindi' books the other day, and I realized that I had purchased it 11 years ago.  Man, I have wanted to go to India for a while, I guess.  I always knew I would go, I just never knew when.  It seemed so impossible for so long – even just a few years ago. 

            I wonder if this trip will conclude my fascination with India, or ignite it?  Will I come home wanting only to go back?  Or will I be satisfied that I have connected with that part of my soul there, and then put away my hindi tapes?  I can't be sure of much except the following:

            1.  I will love India

            2.  I will despise India.

            3.  India will change me.

            4.  India will bring me back to my self.

 

 

I want to take this moment to thank a few people who have been critically important in getting me on this trip.  Of course, probably any of you reading this have my gratitude, but a few persons very tangibly made this trip possible.

            First, I want to thank my aunt Viiu, without whose generosity I could not possibly spend any time in England.  Her promise that I not spend a cent of my own money in 10 days is amazingly generous, and I don't know how to ever pay her back.  Next, I want to thank Pat Slagowski for being a wonderful person and the best employer I have ever had.  Allowing me an extended leave from work has been crucial to me.  (And, if you don't know Full Circle Foods in Kitchener, please check out the best darn natural foods store in the region!)  Theresa Hanley also needs a special thank you, since beyond being a wonderful human being, kind friend and gourmet-raw-chef-preparing-roommate, she is taking care of my cat while I am gone.   Huge, huge thanks for that.  I also want to thank Prof. Darrol Bryant for generously helping me be a part of his 3 week journey in India.  Lastly, but of course not least, I need to thank my father for his financial assistance which has helped me do this, and my mom who continually helps both her sons in ways that put most parents to shame – thank you for helping in so, so many ways!

      

Rob is going to India!

Yes, it is finally happening.  And, to answer your first question, no, it is not a one-way ticket.  Stay tuned for updates starting the day I leave, and have fun counting down with me!  Please check the other pages for more information.   Love and Light to you all. 

If you want to get a feel for my preparations, download and listen to my 'Prepare-for-India" song:  Quiet

Travel countdown