The Globe Theatre

A few weeks ago I was able to go to the Globe Theatre for the first time. My flatmate Emily’s birthday was in July and I wasn’t here to celebrate with her. So instead of buying her a gift I thought I should get her an experience that she’ll love and remember. Much better than a bottle of wine she’ll drink and forget about. So we went to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre to see Macbeth. 

Thankfully it wasn’t a cold day, and we chose to go to the matinée show so we were able to enjoy the show with the perfect natural light, and we didn’t freeze sitting in the stalls either. After entering from one side of the globe, we were in a cute little courtyard where you could purchase a pillow to sit on during the performance or a snack. 

They rung a bell about 5 minutes before the performance and everyone was excited for the start. The play was amazing. The cast would come out of different doors, and certain lines were spoken from the middle of the crowd, especially the scenes with the witches. At one point a helicopter was so loud that Macbeth even waved to it and we all laughed. It was as though we were part of the story with the cast and it was great. 

I’ve seen Macbeth several times and this was by far the best. The only negative thing about the Globe is that the roof is open, so you shouldn’t go see a show towards the end of autumn because you will be cold. But I really recommend you go if you can, because they are the best at what they do and that’s why they perform there. 

Here’s the website for the Globe Theatre: http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/

Doggett's

On my way to Waterloo Charlotte and I saw this interesting looking pub looking out on the river near Blackfriars bridge. So on our way back we had to stop by. At this point I was also quite hungry, so of course I looked at the food menu first. This pub (Doggett’s) had several floors where you can enjoy the view of the river and enjoy a pint at the same time. The middle floor is the dining floor where they serve you as though you’re in a restaurant. We chose to stay downstairs near the back of the pub so we could relax and speak as loud as we wanted without disturbing anyone.

Carol and I ordered food, a steak and a burger, and Matilda just got fries. But these weren’t normal fries. These fries were real and proper chips. Big and chunky with the peel and everything. And they tasted amazing. The staff also brought us all the condiments straight away which was great. 

Enough about the food... this pub has at least 12 different beers on draft, so if you want to have a lazy afternoon out with a few friends its a great place to go. And its easy to reach, just on the other side of the river to Blackfriars station. 

Here’s their website: http://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/doggettscoatandbadgesouthbanklondon/

The Scandinavian Fair

One rainy Sunday I went down to Wapping to the Tobacco Dock to go to the Scandinavian Fair. After living in London for a year I’ve noticed how much I miss certain things I have easy access to in Luxembourg. In a super market in Luxembourg I can get food from so many different countries, where as here the selections are very limited. I was really excited to go to the Scandinavian Fair to buy cheese, bread and liquorice I couldn’t find in super markets near me. 

Upon arrival I saw that the fair was much more about travel in Scandinavia as well as Scandinavian house ware. I looked around at every stand, and entered all the competitions to win trips to see the northern lights. The highlight of the first hour I was there was the liquorice stand. Growing up has made me enjoy salty liquorice more and more, I love it now. 

As I enjoyed my salty snack I watched one of the performances. They had set up a viking battle for children to watch and then take part in after the performance. It was hilarious seeing a tiny child slaying a viking, and of course the vikings toppled over after one jab of the foam sword. 

I then spent the rest of my time walking through all the different stands with cute home ware looking at all the different Moomins items they were able to sell at the fair. Moomins are a Scandinavian cartoon that have been around quite a long time and every kid has had some item with the Moomins on it. 

Overall, the fair was great. The entrance fee was a little bit pricey, but it was worth it for me because I love Scandinavia. I recommend it for families mostly, and obviously Scandinavians. 

Here’s the website for the event: http://www.scandinaviashow.co.uk/

How to get to know London?

It's really hard to say you belong somewhere, or that you "know" your city. People often come up to me asking me for directions, but they start with the phrase "Are you from here?" or other things to that effect. I never know what to say. I don't think of myself as a Londoner yet, I live in London, and I have for a while but I definitely don't know the whole city well. I know are few sections of the city. 

So how did I get to know those areas? 

- By exploring

- With the help of Google Maps

- With friends

- By being curious

- By following the groups of people (that's how I know where Columbia Market is)

If I'm walking around I tend to know where I am. Being in London has helped me a lot with my orientation skills. There are still roads I prefer to walk down than others, but I love finding the little path that has that amazing café or shop. I'm very fond of taking the tube. Understanding the buses in London is difficult without Google. (As you can tell I'm a big fan of Google) mostly because not all the stops are mentioned on the timetables so you need to guess the route. I don't know much about North West London, but I'm sure I'll explore that area sooner or later. 

How do you find cute cafés in a big city? Any tips or tricks?

&OtherStories

My friend Kristin continuously showed me photos of shoes from &OtherStories. So while I was in Milan I finally went into the store and took a good look. I didn't have the time to think about what I wanted so I didn't buy anything but a lot of their jewellery caught my eye. 

Last week I went into the store again. And I didn't buy anything again. But hear me out, its not because I didn't like anything. It's because there's too much stuff I like and I can't spend all my money on accessories and clothes and make-up. But I'll buy something from them soon, I'm sure. I think what I like the most is how all their products look together. 

So if I buy their shoes, I want their bag, and pants, and tops. So I'd end up just wearing &OtherStories clothes. I think I'll start with buying some of their beautiful make-up products and then get into their small items until I can afford their clothes. In fact there was a beautiful eye shadow palette I saw that I regret not buying now. 

In conclusion, &OtherStories is a girly shop, but not in an overly girly way. Every woman can find something she likes but she probably wont like everything in the shop. But if you ever have a spare hour around Oxford Street, look around their shop, you don't have to buy anything. Just soak in the fun creative design that is different from other large stores around.

Here's their website: http://www.stories.com/

Brunch

Having brunch is one of those things you see in movies that you wish you could do every weekend (or every day if you're me). Sadly, we only realistically have time for brunch once in a while. One day after spending a lot of money on constantly eating out my friends and I decided to have brunch at home and make it ourselves. 

I brought the fruit, Kristin made the pancakes, and we did it all at Daniella's house. We put some relaxing music on, each of us helping out for our yummy meal. Someone set the table, someone cooked, and someone cut the fruit. Within minutes everything was ready and we were all enjoying our breakfast-y meal together.

One of the many joys of brunch is that it can last as long as you like. Our meal lasted about an hour or so, but I think that's only because we were all so hungry, and the fruit we had looked really inviting. I think its really important to stay home and regenerate once in a while. Having a lazy day with a few friends is good for you. It helps you be social and recharge your batteries. 

I'm already planning the next time I have brunch, bacon and eggs? Yes please!

Belgo

I recently went to Belgo for the first time with my friend Dominique. Having lived in Luxembourg I'm grown fond of Belgian food, especially their mussels and their fries. So even when I looked at the menu I couldn't let myself choose another dish. Half a kilo of mussels is a good amount for one person, and their fries are amazing. But the best thing about this place is their huge selection of beer. They have about 40 different beers, and at least 10 on tap. They also have a good selection of wines for people who don't like beer.

One of my favourite things about the place was that you walk past the kitchen to be seated to eat. So you can see how they work and how quickly they get the food out to the clients. They also have a "fast menu" which allows you to have a quick lunch if you've got a short lunch break, which is something I really appreciate. 

The staff was very friendly, and they didn't cause any trouble when we wanted to pay for part of the bill with card. Also they were very attentive and they brought us everything we needed really quickly. Even when all the tables were full. The restaurant got a little bit noisy at times but I really enjoyed my dining experience. I know I'll go back there when I'm craving seafood. 

Here's their website: http://www.belgo-restaurants.co.uk/

Pass Out Clothing

I got invited to a launch party back in April that I wasn't able to attend, but I still kept up with the progress of my friend's brand "Pass Out Clothing". They make sweaters, t-shirts, raincoats, lighters, and duffle bags. Their clothes are photographed by an amazing creative photographer who shows the brand well. The models are all really interactive and everything just looks like a lot of fun. 

I ordered a t-shirt for myself and a sweater for my sister. Not only are the clothes really well priced (12£ for a sweater, yes please) but they're really comfy. The t-shirt I chose was the perfect amount of girly and my sister's sweater really suited her. 

They do free global delivery too! The package took about 9 work days to get to my house in Luxembourg which is actually faster than my last ASOS order. And when I opened the package my shirt was wrapped in a cute little printed cloth which made me even happier. It felt like I was opening a present even if I had bought it for myself. 

I think their clothing line will continue expanding since they just came out with a new set of t-shirts. Check it out. Here's their webpage: http://www.passoutclothing.com/home.html

(Look them up on Facebook too!)

Oxjam

This passed weekend my friend Niko's band (MOKSHA) played in Shepherd's Bush at Belushi for Oxjam. Oxjam is a day of music in association with Oxfam. All the proceeds of the event went to Oxfam. You had to pay a 10 pound fee for a wrist band which gave you access to 4 venues. In each venue there was a different line up for the day. 

We arrived there about 5 seconds before MOKSHA started playing. The bar wasn't full, but there were quite a few people that were looking forward to listening to some live music. We ordered beers and took a seat to take in the music without spending the whole time staring at the band. They held their own very well. And the singer (Luke) introduced each song well. 

My favourite part of their performance was a cover of "Ain't No Sunshine" which really impressed me because it was so different from all the other interpretations of the song. When they finished their set the next band started setting up and the organisers went around offering a £1 shot for charity. The mood of the whole event was very relaxed. It was the perfect thing to do on a Saturday afternoon. 

This was the website for the event: http://www.oxjamshepherdsbush.com/

And this is MOKSHA's facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mokshamusiclive?fref=ts

Urban Dialogues

While walking through Shoreditch with my mum we saw a small gallery space. We were welcomed in to "Urban Dialogues" a show exploring art, belief and identity. The rooms were all dimly lit so that your eye would focus on the piece in front of you. 

What I enjoyed most was seeing different media being used to express an idea. Most of the work made you think about what you were looking at and the thoughts behind them. Many of the pieces in the show were linked to religion. There was a video with a quote from the bible about God making your path straight and in the clip there was a winding road that became straight after a lightning bolt. 

The gallery continued downstairs where there was also a little cafe and a stand selling cards and badges from the show. Every was really peaceful. You wouldn't expect to find a place so quiet so close to one of the busiest roundabouts of east London. 

I really loved that for half an hour, you could get off the street, clear your head, and look at the bigger picture through visual arts. Working with religion is a very touchy subject but I think this show helped me look and think without imposing a strong religious opinion, so I was able to formulate a thought on my own with the guidance of the art.

Here's the link for the gallery and this specific annual showcase: http://www.3ff.org.uk/arts/

Street Food Europe

On my first day back in London I wanted to do something special and different. So I dragged my flatmate Charlotte and my friend Darrell with me to a street food festival in Dalston. It was called Street Food Europe and it was sponsored by Tweat Up and British St. Food. I had bought the tickets online before, but you could get some tickets on the door. The online ticket came with two free drinks, an Aperol Spritz and a Meantime Beer.

We got there at about 8pm, and it was full. We gave in the tickets, got a drinks card, and then got a stamp on our hands. We walked through this parking lot that had been transformed overnight. There were little caravan stands for each of the different food they were serving. Charlotte and I shared a prawn and pork bun, it was incredible. Definitely the right type of surf and turf. We also tried a vegetarian wrap which had "Indian cheese" in it. Very yummy. 

I do have a huge sweet tooth so I enjoyed the ice-cream we got towards the end of our meal. I got a flavour that was a mixture of salted caramel and peanut butter, Charlotte and I were both sad when we finished eating them. But we were consoled by our second free drink.

The music at the event was amazing too, the DJ mixed so many different vibes together, it was worth it being there just for the positive ambiance. Everyone seemed to be having the perfect Saturday evening, I was just smiling to myself the whole night. I hope events like this continue to happen because it gives a sense of community, and we all share a love for food. 

Here you can see what stands there were: http://britishstreetfood.co.uk/awards/awards-2013/finalists/

(One of the fun things for the vendors is that they get votes for their food and have the possibility to win awards)