a new post

Well, it's been a long time since I last posted.
Truth be told, life has been busy.
I wasn't sure what to insert into this very public white space, but I felt like I probably should put something here.
So I have decided to do a little guide of some of the places I've been recently, for those of you not familiar with London, all with the aid of some fantastic photographers off of flickr.

My trip to work everyday takes around 30mins; I get off at Canary Wharf tube station.

If I'm working early or on a close, I'll make time to get to my gym in West India Quay - it's a 7 minute walk from where I work and you cross a floating bridge on the docks to get there.

The gym is next door to a Cineworld. I have a good friend that's a real film buff, so I've ended up in Cineworld more times than I'd care to admit.

I've been playing a lot of tennis recently, mainly in New Cross in South London.

It's a great community, mainly afro-carribean - I'd never been there before until recently as I hardly ever go south of the river.
New Cross is also home to the only African-Japanese restaurant I've heard of.

Last week I went to see a new exhibition at the Tate Modern.

Urbanism - a fantastic artistic look into the growth of urbanism and urban culture around the world. I'll probably go back for another look before long.

Most of all, my mind has been full of the "what nexts'?" You know, the usual pre-marital thoughts and ponderances.
I'm quite excited for Audge to come and visit, although nervous at the same time... what if she doesn't like it? Will she enjoy herself here? Will she feel relaxed? Settle in?

The first few days back from Japan were really hard, although I have grown accustomed to the long periods of separation; one day they will end.
Until then, I wait.

a cut above

Apart from a trip to the cakeshop, one of my most favourite things to do when visiting a new country is to visit the hairdressers.
Getting one's noggin worked on in a strange environment is surely one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to interact in a new environment.

In Thailand, my scalp was caressed and massaged whilst my coiffure was whipped and sculpted into a frightful exposition of grandiose proportions.
South Korea was memorable particularly for the pampering and buffeting - administered by three seperate attendants. One girl's job was purely to hold a sponge on my forehead lest a shorn hair stray into my sightline.
I'm not sure exactly what happened in China. It was all a bit of a blur after I passed out on hairspray fumes.

I went to get my haircut here in London yesterday.
Audrey suggested I get it cut "...like David Beckham". I have no idea what David Beckham's hair looks like this week.
When I got to the hairdresser, I asked her to cut it "...like David Beckham. Or something."
I could tell she could barely contain her indifference to my request, and approximately three seconds later she was hacking away (one hand on hip), attacking my pate with her razor in much the same way a small child might torture a dying animal with a pointy stick.

I just checked online.
My hair looks nothing like David Beckham's.

completely unnecessary blog post here

No post for ages, incredibly busy etc etc...

The weather for the last month has been outrageously splendid.
Last weekend I found myself out and just kept walking... Oxford Circus, Holborn, Strand, City, Blackfriars, Bankside, Southwark, London Bridge, Upper Thames Street, Lower Thames Street, Monument, Aldagate... just kept going.
It's the simple things that keep surprising me.

I also spoiled myself last week with a new toy, which I will be taking with me on holiday this year. I can't wait!
*apologies for completely unispired and undetailed blog post.

More chin stroking intarnet geekery

Whilst the thought of another Meyers-Briggs test inspires as much excitement within me as an invitation to have my toes steamrolled by a large man in laderhosen yodelling the Namibian Anthem off-key, I did for some reason decide to take this test.

I actually found it to be quite accurate and somewhat helpful. *strokes chin in thoughtful and artistic manner*

It also gives you a neat looking square full of colours which represent something (not sure what yet) to purposely advertise your self-prescribed characteristics all over the intarnets OMG!!1

What's that? Can I hear the languid, fetal yelps of someone being "placed in a box"?!! *whimpers softly*

Our 2 year Anniversary.

When i first signed up for this Blogger thing, I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do with it.
Everything was new and exciting - I had barely heard of "html" or "css", and I have to admit I was smitten with my lovely blank digital workbook.

You know what it's like when you're with that new blog platform? You're loving the feeling, wanting to spend more time with them - even thinking about what you're going to say next time you see them.
Those are some tell-tale signs.
You're in Kim Chi Stew territory, right there.

But before too long, far away in a different land I found myself on lockdown, away from the modcons and conveniences that The Internets provided.
And ashamed as I am to admit it it, I acted like a rabidly emotional schoolgirl. I forgot about blogger.
Blogger was no longer on my mind.
We were already in deep Marmite, and we both knew it.

I'm not proud of the what happened, God knows I would have changed things if I could have... but that all happened in the past, and after a few months Blogger and myself were reunited.
Wow! Buzzing with excitement, we hit an all time high - blogger and me are 100% Lamb Rogan Josh all over each other.
This time, things will be different. We know we're going to make it.
We had our superficial high, we had our depressing low, but we're still together and we're determined to make something of it.

For a while, there's a flurry of posts and activity. Asia is exciting and interesting, and there's no one to talk English to except Blogger!
Yet before too long, we're slipping back from Lamb Rogan Josh high and before we knew it we were Grilling Mackerel...

With nothing much interesting happening in day to day life, I wonder whether I have something interesting to say... or do I?
That's when I resorted to writing absurd stories about old Chinese Ladies and the such.
Yet even ridiculous posts that confused the hell out of my friends could do nothing to brake the impending slide into the Badlands of Blogoshpere known simply as Boiled Cabbage.

During Boiled Cabbage stage, posts are a rare occurence.
Blogger starts to get jealous.
"Is he seeing that Mysapce tart behind my back?!" Blogger wonders silently to itself.
You know what Boiled Cabbage stage is like. We've all been there, and it's not fun.
The less said about Boiled Cabbage stage, the better.

Recently however, Blogger and I have been on the up.
We're totally in that sitting-on-the-couch-all-evening-phase, content to be Grilled Mackerel together.
Things don't always have to be Lamb Rogan Josh in order to enjoy a healthy and fun posting relationship with your digital blogging platform, and we've both come to realise that more than ever, for us Blogging is about leaving a digital trail of rubbish and drivel that hopefully someone somewhere on the otherside of the world will read and not find you to be a complete moron.