Monday: Bit of a lazy day today. I was so tired last night and slept really well and found it hard to actually get my lazy ass moving this morning. So I thought, he why should I. Checked the bank balance: depressing. Washed and ironed and then sat and watched numerous episodes of Cordon. Someone was telling me about it. It is a Belgium drama on BBC Four and it is great. Walked up to the City and whilst I was there went to get some things in Boots and M&S then went to find yet another Meet Up group.
Now this group was slightly different. It is called the Scarlet Ladies and it was a launch party for this new group that aims to bring women together to talk about sex! Normal day then for me. When I worked at Buddies all we used to talk about was sex and I can remember my dear, sweet friend Steve coming into my office, dumping a huge pile of files on my desk and swearing every word under the sun ......... even the c* word lol lol. No c* word tonight but they did say vagina ....... like how radical is that .... sigh. I met up with a young woman called Ravi who said she wanted to spice up her marriage so I gave her loads of ideas lol. We swapped numbers and I wished her well for tonight when she gets home lol. I hope she keeps in touch. The next meeting of this group have guest speakers and said it will be like Sex and the City meets Loose Women ...... I think I will just go along as I am curious. But I also think it is a bunch of middle class women just talking about it. Jury is out.
Got the tube home and nipped into Tesco. This is one of the many great things about living in London. The shops are always open and there are people around all the time. I mean, I would never have been buying bread in Tesco at 9.45pm in Stoke. Moving to London has been one of the best decisions of my life for so many reasons: I met so many amazing people, I have met up with old school friends and friends that I have not seen for years, I feel alive, my whole life is structured completely different and will change again when I eventually start work, I have done some amazing things like going to the Globe and wonderful restaurants. Yes, all in all, life is very good.
Tuesday: Slow start to the day today then off to the gym, which I have to say I quite enjoyed. Actually found a Co-op today, I just cannot get used to Tesco and picked up a few bargains so at least if my dear old Nan looked in my food cabinet there would now be some food in it! Also, bought some sunflowers to brighten up the flat. On the way home I was wondering to myself. All the years I lived in Stoke I never once saw myself or wanted to see myself as a Stokie; I was proud of my Kentish roots. But now I guess I am feeling like a Londoner and here are a few things (in no particular order) why this is:
- Tourists Ian (not JF there are other people called Ian) you will get this. I know I am a tourist when I travel but I do hate it when there are eight in a row stopping at random places and taking eight different photographs with one person coming out of the group at a time to take the photo of the others. The Koreans are still the masters of this; smiling, v peace sign, self stick....... aghhhh. Get out of my way.
- Breaking my stride. When you live or work in London you have your stride. Andy is like he is powered by Duracell, I am not as fast, but I have a stride. So no one or nothing breaks that or they do so at their own peril. So I do not stop if someone as in the Koreans are taking 1001 photos, I just keep on walking.
- Waiting for the green light to cross - nope if it is clear you do not break your stride, you just keep on walking.
- Paying for your drinks in a bar on a tab, settling the bill at the end.
- Eating out at least twice a week - this is the 'norm' in London.
- Drinking far too much alcohol on school nights.
- Always having your iPod, sunglasses, Oyster Card and a bottle of water when it is warm.
- Getting really impatient when you have just missed the tube even though there will be an equally crowded one alone in two minutes.
- Never passing a supermarket without collecting two bags of shopping.
- Having no patience or little patience when you are in a bar or restaurant that is fairly empty.
- Never queuing for a bus, just get on it when it arrives.
- People bumping into you and just walking on by with no apology.
- Not queuing for one exit; use the other ones!
- Disappointed when someone smokes in the outside area as this rarely happens.
- When crossing the road you look for cars, bus lanes, taxis, bike lanes and then unmarked police cars who can go where they want and that includes on the other side of the road.
- Just because you are seven months pregnant does not entitle you to a seat on the tube (unless I am on it then I do give up my seat).
- People standing your personal space such as at a till when you are waiting to pay.
Wednesday: Walked up to Tower Hill today to meet a friend for lunch. London never stops giving. I love this city. All the years I lived in Stoke it was never home; London is home. I feel alive here, everything is familiar. I am just so lucky. I had a lovely catch up with Karena over a glass of wine then I got the bus to the end of the Walworth Road as I needed to collect something. Then walked back to the flat. But, I have just taken a phone call from my friend Donna in Stoke and she has made me cry; for all the right reasons. I am meeting her and her family on Friday morning at Baker Street and spending the day with them. She has tickets for me to go to Madame Tussauds, The London Aquarium and on the London Eye and then for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. I am utterly speechless. We have had to laugh though as I reminded her I am terrified of dummies and mannequins and sting rays lol. But hey, I have survived worse and will start taking the tamazepam and gin Thursday night. But seriously, how blessed to I feel? If any of you have met Donna you will know that she does not do crying and told me to stop and lol and then told me that it is sorted and I am coming. I am a very lucky person and we will all have a fantastic day.
Thursday: Last night, when I was looking out of the window (I do that a lot) and looked up to the night sky and missed seeing the stars and moon again. I used to love looking up at the stars and as many of you know I fell totally in love with the stars of the Southern Hemisphere and intend seeing them again before I die. But no stars in London, but that is not a surprise. I could see the moon tonight in all her glory but she was veiled by cloud. Then I looked, and smiled to myself. London is a building site at the moment and there are cranes everywhere. At night the cranes have to be light up and they are with red lights. So these are my stars, red stars. This is so symbolic to me as I used to say (and still do) to my Megan I love you to the moon and back and one day when she was at Primary school she come in and said that she did not love me to the moon and back any longer but to the red star and back as that is further away. So I am so happy to be able to look up into my night sky and see so many red stars, because that reminds me of my Megan. So all is well - I have a sky full of red stars. How blessed am I.
Spent the night at the Globe to watch some Shakespeare like (I really do think that one will stay and Drum and Bass Guy will always be linked to Shakespeare like lol). I watched Measure for Measure. Oh it was so, so good. So funny. Excellent plot and really wonderful. I am really getting the hang of this Shakespeare now. Funny, amusing play in a beautiful surrounding. I walked home with St Paul's light up across the Thames, my beautiful red star night and I thought how lucky and blessed my life is.
Friday: Busy day today. I caught the bus from outside of the flat to Baker Street and there I met my friend Donna and her family plus her sister and her family so there was 11 of us! I know Donna from my days in Stoke and we go back 11 years and I have seen her children grow up. Needless to say, I did fill a bit older than my 29 years. We went to Madame Tussuads. I was terrified. It really was quite bonkers as some of the wax works looked really good and others I did not have a clue who they were lol. However, I did see this gorgeous guy there and had to have my photo taken. But I would not get any nearer.
However, I did see this rather lovely guy and decided to be a tourist. Remember ...... every day is an opportunity!
After here we got on the tube and went to Green Park and along to the Hard Rock Cafe for late lunch. We had to wait but the children were very good (and the adults) and we were all looking forward to our food. It is ironic that when I left Kent all those years ago to go and live in Staffordshire I actually had my leaving do in the same place. I really am going round and round in circles. Whilst we were waiting for our table Donna's sister's young son found a £1 coin in the shop and were were walking down the road and he saw a young homeless guy sitting on the ground with a cup. Ashton said that perhaps he should give the pound he found to the guy as he needed it more than him. I was so touched. I watched this young, I think 8 year old, weigh up if to keep the pound or to give it someone who needed it more. In the end, Ashton and I went to speak to the guy and gave him the pound (plus some extra from me). I spent time talking to the guy and he was lovely. I looked at him and thought do you know, I am so lucky as that could be anyone of us sitting there. None of us know how life turns out.
We got back on the tube and up to the London Eye. Wow I have been on it before but years ago. The views are really spectacular. I pointed out to Donna my neighbourhood and I have to admit, I fell in love even more with London.
Me and Donna doing a selfie on the London Eye!
Back on the tube and up to Leicester Square as Donna and her family wanted to go to the M&M shop. At this point I have to confess Andy and I do not get the M&M shop. I mean it is a shop about sweets with faces. You can smell the sweet, sickly chocolate smell way before you get to the shop. However, Donna and her sister were pleased to be there and that is all that matters. I looked after the pushchair. However, I did wander outside and there it was. Jackie had mentioned it weeks ago but to be perfectly truthful I never gave it another thought. But hey, it was there.
Yes my friends, your eyes do not deceive you. It is the Swiss clock. Of course it is and because it was eight o'clock it was chiming in all it's glory. Words continue to fail me.
We walked up to Picccadilly and I saw them safely on the train and I caught the bus home. I was exhausted but on the way to flat I passed the community garden and it was open so I went in - because I am nosey. I met the guy I have been emailing and he remembered me (of course he did) and even pronounced my surname correctly; I was very impressed. We had a chat and I had a look around and will go back on Sunday for the open day.
I will post some more photos on Sunday but it looks brilliant. I eventually got home and decided that being a tourist in London is completely different to actually living here. It was expensive and crowded but such a brilliant day. I felt loved and part of the family and that was absolutely wonderful. I really do feel so blessed that people take time to include me in their lives.
As always, with my love x
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