Soho – Prepared to be Scandalized

Soho is London bathed in innumerable colours – the centre for food, music and sex. Clubbing can’t get more lively or sinful than this.

This is a small section between the main city and Westminster. In the seventeenth century, it used to be a hunting ground for dukes and princes. Lore has it that the name arose when princes on hunts screamed ‘Soho’ their dogs would chase and pin down shot birds. We believed it when we saw one of the pubs we visited, a really old one, having tiles depicting it.

China Town is here – replete with Yum sum, Chim Cham, Ging Gang, Jim Jam, all sorts of Thai, Chinese and Japanese restaurants. They came here when tea was introduced to Britain and stayed on. Great people have stayed around. Karl Marx, J.L. Baird, Mozart, poets, authors, statesmen.

Initially intended to be developed as a fashionable place for the rich, it turned into a sprawling, dirty slum ground in the nineteenth century. In order to clean up this burgeoning slum, Soho was cut through by a road called the Shaftesbury Avenue. This street today has all the famous theatres in London, collectively called The Westend.

All said and done, what attract are the numerous brothels (with their ‘Models’) and ‘licensed sex shops’ you can see around. Soho has been the centre of London’s sex industry now for the last 200 years. It is so notorious, that residents have invented novel methods to ward off unwanted attention.

Finally, I tasted the English country beer. Our guide told us it was supposed to be flat, it hardly had any gas and it was pumped up like you can see the happy girl do it for me. I dislike beer, but this was palatable.

Long live the queen! Hic!

Start from Leicester Square, cross the road and roam around.

Lost in London

I blame London Transport. They closed all major lines this weekend and I was so completely lost.

I wanted to take part in the London walks. I did manage to take a few of their walks and I recommend it highly to anyone visiting London. The guides are extremely knowledgeable, funny and friendly. This is for people who dislike the usual tourist buses and would prefer to discover on foot, and learn a lot of anecdotal history in the process.

I wanted to attend the walk to Greenwich in the morning. But
1 – Circle line was closed for repair
2 – I stood in the opposite direction at Liverpool stop and buses went past while I waited
3 – I am terribly direction impaired

You have to be GREAT with directions if you want to have anything to do with London. Else you would need to have really sturdy legs. Sometimes, I want to stand on the map to know where I need to go. It can get really frustrating.

Specially, when you need to go to the toilet.

I started with a polite, “Do you have a rest room?” wandering into Pret A Manger and Subway with the intention and buying something first to legitimize it. Neither had any. Soon I was asking people, “Ok, where is the toilet?”. Finally managed to get into one of the portable standalone ones in the middle of the road which needed 20 pence to get in – that after much running around with conflicting directions from people and an even worse sense of where I was to go.

The good thing of missing the walk in the morning? I wandered into Petticoat Lane Market at Middlesex, perpendicular to Liverpool. It is similar to an Indian Haat, which is nothing new for us, but it is a bizarre sight in an otherwise prim London. Many of the shopkeepers are Asians and the shoppers Blacks. Walking through it felt like home. I also bargained! ;D

I sat there at Café Nero, with a map laid out in front of me, sipping a large vanilla frappe, planning where to go next. I felt like a true traveller, lost, legs aching, with the whole day ahead of me to plan where to go – and I was truly happy.

End of Season Pains

Not sure if I should feel happy or sad that I arrived in time for the sales at Oxford Street. Happy is obvious. Sad because I just had the last day and much of it was already gone. And there is only this much one can walk in painful shoes, among zillion people, with heavy shopping bags and a hungry stomach. And now that I am back, I am wondering if I should have shown more resilience. Maybe I missed some of the good parts? Ah well….

St. Paul's Bus Stop

The day began at the St. Paul’s bus stop. This was my first ride on a London bus and I was not sure where to swipe the Oyster card once in. So, I watched a woman do it before I stepped to the bus. The buses are spacious, people rarely stand and the seats are the kinds we see on luxury buses. It was better than the Tube because one can look out into the city. I should say, distances in London are hardly anything. It took me just 15 minutes to reach Oxford Circus, while the two places looked really far apart on the map.

The journey begins here

There was the Mecca of all shoppers in London – tourists and locals. There is Mango, Zara, Topshop, Next, UCB, GAP, Oasis, Accessorize, Monsoon, Selfridges, FCUK, so, so, many. And all of London seemed to be here. People were bumping into each other all over the place. In all this, my shoes tore. I bought one from Topshop, but not before the femme guy at the counter warned me, “If you are going to walk Oxford street in that and come back for an exchange, I am not sure I can do it.”. Ok, Ok. Just give me the damn shoes.

Zara

For myself I can buy. What do I buy for the aunties and friends back home? (Please need ideas here). Scourged through many stores and found some stuff worth taking back. I am hoping chocolates and cosmetics can fill in for the rest.

My legs ache. And no bucket to put them into! Sob!

London on Friday Night

In the mornings I smell warm coffee and bread, at every corner, everywhere. In the evenings I smell beer. And smoke.

Friday night, so you can well imagine!

Look at the number of people waiting in front of this pub at Finsbury Square. Almost every pub I saw was like this. Liverpool was like a carnival, with people plenty, chatting, shopping, drinking, and cozying up (sigh!).

One of these days I will get chased for clicking snaps like these. Note how careful I was to keep a non intrusive distance.

This is a typical English pub - all with the flowers, black exterior and lights.

Every curve (and I mean of the road) springs a surprise.

Is it Vulgar? It does make me cringe, but I can’t say why. That is art my friend.

Tomorrow is shopping day! Yippeee!

Walking Round and Round

I walked round and round office. The idea was to explore but after a while I was panicking. Luckily I found Moorgate station – but not before spending a few pounds in the Next showroom close by (I retraced my steps back twice!)

Bank Underground stop – Such fantabulous buildings! I can gush on and on about just how majestic each structure is - Victorian, baroque and overwhelmingly Gothic.

Everyone on the streets is rushing past always, with long, purposeful strides, and of course, the roads and traffic allow it too. The men in their dark coats and tie, the women in their short skirts and stilettos.

I am so wary of asking people in London anything. Back home it was always, “Uncleji, yeh kahan pe hai?”, or “Bhaiyya, Churchgate kaunsi bus jayegi?”. Here, you first get a confused glare at being stopped in a sprint, then a pause at trying to understand my Desi accent, then a crisp reply which you would repeat in your head to decipher back into its Desi version. Much trouble! I rather move round and round.

But I have realized, no matter how much you walk around, you always reach the destination if you walk long enough.

London – Sense and sensibility

Everywhere you go in London, you will notice
1 – Just how clean the city is despite the number of tourists
2 – How beautifully dressed people are
3 – How well maintained every building is
4 – What sense of beauty and fashion people have. Even the billboards and the graffit! So tastefully colour coordinated, so very pleasing to the eye.

Also, you will realize
5 – Just how many Indians (or Asians) there are! I never miss being in India. There are Asians every 500 yards, and while I walked yesterday I heard Hindi, Tamil, Telugu all around me.

London has some amazing architecture. As I read in the guidebook, much of it is attributed to great monarchs like Edward the Confessor, the various King Henrys and Georges and their amazing architects such as Sir Christopher Wren (St. Paul’s Cathedral), Inigo Jones (Covent Garden) and Sir John Nash (Buckingham Palace).

St. Paul's Cathedral

Westminster Abbey (The two churches are very different - this one is catholic)

Coat of Arms at Buckingham

People are always coming up with new ways to attract tourists. London Eye is one such attraction. While it rotates, people have a bird’s eye view of the spectacles in the city. Mostly, to click snaps. I wonder, is that why most people actually travel?

As for me, I have to choose well now – cannot afford to wait in hour long queues like at Madam Tussad’s that I saw yesterday.

In London – First Impressions – The good parts

I never thought I would ever say this one day, but there is actually a more vibrant city than Bombay – a cultural and financial hotbed. London is in one word, smashing!

I am glad Sam stays here. I think in six hours of relentless walking he showed me most of what there was to see – at City and Westminster. All buildings are beautiful, the roads wide and clean, the traffic pretty (well, what else can one say about those immaculate red buses and little beetle like black cabs?!) and the people, plenty. It was a gloriously sunny windy day (Sam says one of the best he has seen for a long time, well sometimes I can be lucky too!J) After a while though, all building begin to look alike. But they are smashing nonetheless.

I noticed lots of flowers. They are on every sidewalk hanging under street lights. Sam in his two years had never noticed them (men!)

The Thames Bankside is a perpetual carnival. There are street performers galore, and the sights and sounds inundates the senses. Beautiful women with wild clothes, hugging their men tight, jugglers with knives, pasty woman in Kimono, robot man – each yard springs a new surprise.

Too much to take for a day actually. But I took plenty of the typical touristy snaps – Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Bank of England, Piccadilly, Coven Garden, London Bridge, Tower of London, Monument, St. James Park. Walk, walk. That is the best way. Your legs will ache like mine are now, but nothing could give you a better perspective. Definitely not those tourist buses.

I noticed Theatre is a big draw among Londoners. Their posters are on every bus, every tube station. Though they cost anywhere between 20 to 60 Pounds, by most accounts have heard they are amazing. Most are in the West end around Piccadilly. I can’t wait to see one of them. Another reason to love London!

Shakespere's Globe

Piccadilly

I ate my first Brit softy (paid 2 pounds), used my first tube pass (Oyster card) and found my way back on my own to Barbican. Things are getting better.

Now to wait for my suitcase. God, please send it to me on time. Please!

In London – First Impressions – The bad parts

No, it did not begin well at all. First in Mumbai airport I was told my flight was overbooked and would I like to volunteer to go in the next flight? The incentives were – an overnight five star hotel stay and 250 pounds compensation. Wow! That would almost cover my shopping expenses in London (Ok! At least a little bit!). So, I waited patiently, mentally calculating how much money those pounds converted to. But all hopes were dashed when with ten minutes left for the flight to depart they told me to rush to the aircraft because they did have one seat left after all. I ran, albeit with a heavy heart.

In Heathrow, my worst nightmare came true.

Immigration took nearly two hours of standing in the queue and trying to while away time by guessing the nationality of those around me. Then was baggage claim. After an hour of straining my neck for my bright blue Samsonite, when I could not spot it, I panicked. Loads of people had warned me how BA treats baggage. All my clothes, my jewelry, my shoes! Mere jeevan ki jama punji! And what will I wear tomorrow to work?!

The complaint section told me my bag was being sent through the next flight (the one I might have been in along with the 250 pounds, the irony!) and it will be sent over at my place of stay. Till then, I have just the clothes on my back.

I don’t like particularly where I stay either. I am sure I would like it after a few days, but not yet. Sandra at the reception is curt, the appliances unworkable, no one to teach me how to use them, the internet does not work at my room and the guy who came to fix it does not follow a word of English. Well, neither does Sandra. I asked her for a mug, and she said,

“Sorry what is that?”
“Something you put water in and pour over your head while you bathe”
“I am sorry, we don’t have that here”

It takes getting used to…

My first meal

What I wouldn't do

To be Queen....

Pour le visa français

I was not sure if this was the French Visa Centre. But there it was! The Eiffel Tower!

After much persuasion (They claimed they were full for many days), I had the appointment at the French Consulate. The French were apparently the most generous in giving out the Schengen Visa. At 8:15, I was at the counter, flashing my warmest smile at the officer -in-charge. My pocket was lighter by 3,700.

I have to go there again for finger printing tomorrow. So much pain!

Wacky street art – I remember it causing a lot of controversy some time back. But, though the creations are not particularly aesthetic, I think it’s a unique distraction from the mundane. We could make this a tourist attraction. Or one of these painters could become famous!
I also watched as this man cleaned pan stains from the white board on the rail tracks. It felt strangely sad. The way it feels when I see the family who collects our garbage everyday.

Bound to their fates.

Hanging out and moving away

They all look the same after a while. The dimmed interiors, wooden ceilings, smooth music, and beautiful people. The only thing different is where they build ‘em. That’s Zenzi (Bandra) on Saturday and 11 Echoes (Juhu) on Sunday.

Zenzi is often in news - sometimes for a page 3 party, sometimes for the stars that frequent it. We saw few camera crews around. Some artist was having an exhibition and I think he was sitting right next to us. But one in his group had put on a lot of perfume, and it was nauseating. The food (lasagne - my fav Italian otherwise) was not very great either.

A not as well known hangout, Eleven Echoes is a small place by the Juhu beach. It's neat and sparse - a nice place to just hang out and talk. At least we could hear each other without having to shout too much over the music. I would have loved to go to the terrace which overlooks the beach. Pity it was closed.

I am a member of this rocking film club (If I may call it that) which screens old movie masterpieces. I enjoyed Godfather on Sunday morning. Also, saw a few stars - Bikram Saluja, and Mahesh Manjrekar (was it him really?). Pity I won’t be there for the next month and half to watch the others.

Yippeee, I am going to London for a month. (For work obviously, don’t have that kind of money as yet). And then on a short Euro trip (This one self financed, unfortunately). And yes, then I am going to blog everyday.

Did I also mention I will be homeless Saturday onwards? So, since my lease was expiring, I had to renew it by end of July. And I realized that would mean an extra month's rent as brokerage to Subi (a guarantee he won’t have me thrown out) and an increase in rent by another thousand. Blood sucking leeches all! I decided to shift luggage for a while, be back from London and look for a place. Better to find someplace more worth my money (and some air!).

It’s odious how tenants in our city are treated. Well, just grin and bear!

All that Jazz by the Bay

On a Coaster

I came face to face with Usha Uthup yesterday. Not that I am a great fan of hers. But she is quite something else, with her resplendent sarees, overwhelming huge Bindis and a shocking bunch of white flowers in her tightly tied black hair. Her persona makes up for the lack of memorable songs. Which ones do I know of? Mmmm... Jalwa? the new Hattrick one. Some song on Calcutta. Mostly, forgettable.

It was Naturals ice cream after a long time.

Coconut and Musk Melon

That is, by the way, the first thing to try out(in terms of food) in Bombay. Try the coconut flavour. Yumm...

Not Just Jazz by the Bay/Pizzeria - This is a place right by the beach on Marine Drive and has some very popular karoake nights. It has been full each time we went there earlier. Yesterday, it was all reserved, but we managed to wring out a place by making sorry 'disappointed' faces. Just for two hours. Please, please.

Well, it works most of the times you know :)

http://www.ushauthup.com/
http://www.mars-world.com/restaurants/jbb.html