Loving London: My farewell to thee


After 8 glorious weeks in Old London Town, it was finally time for me to tip my hat and close the first chapter of my year as a traveling gypsy-girl. Although I am looking forward to Asia (never mind that my money goes from being worth 1/2 as much to 3 times as much), I must say I absolutely fell in love with London. Here is what I already miss, what I've learned, what I would do again in a heart beat... (In no particular order)


♥ I learned that I made the right choice. I was afraid I would regret my decision to quit my job and travel, but the second I stepped off that platform (minding the gap) I knew I had escaped Corporate America scott-free.

♥ I learned that London is the most beautiful city I've ever laid my eyes on. I enjoyed the English love for columns, their sense of history, their winding streets and their ornate post boxes. (What can I say, I love bright red!)

This is St. Paul's Cathedral, which looks like the US Capital building... Until someone pointed out this one has been around much, much longer. Look, in this picture I can see thirty-two columns alone!


I have no idea what this wrought-iron ornament is, but I love it. I'd love to have one installed at my front door, which will be a bright and glossy cherry red, you know, with my orchidrium and extensive library. (Another reason I need to make it on my own, no sane man would put up with the crazy spontaneous things that cross my mind).

I spent many a day at the National Gallery, which I think is one of the most classically beautiful buildings in London. Again, look at the plethora of columns.

I even love the reactions to London architecture from visiting friends:

Ceda Xiong talking about some buildings near Regent's Park in London. "They are so blaaaah. As if they were carved out of mayonnaise. They are grand without being distinctive."

Kostas Sakellis talking about the London architecture. "They really like their columns here. I mean, we've seen Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns in one building before. But I can't really pinpoint the central theme for London's architecture. You go to Paris, to Prague, to Milan, you can see it right away. London's more like a hodge-podge array of buildings."

This building (also known as the Erotic Gerkin) is the only new sky-scraper to be built in London since the 1970's. Its very existence is controversial, but I think it's beautiful and adds to the charm of the city.

Piccadilly by day, which is usually bustling with tourists and activity. It's a great place to sit and people watch, not so good if you want quiet time. (For that, walk past Westminster and turn left into the small secluded park. It has great views of the Thames and enough room for you to relax).

♥ I learned that I love to walk (facilitated by learning how beautiful London is). I walked around the city just about everyday, getting to know every intersection, every cool cafe, every patch of park littered across the city (now in full spring bloom). In all my walking, I managed to lose about 2 dress sizes. I refuse to weigh myself, so no concrete numbers, but I'm fitting in clothes from my freshman year of college. If the walking doesn't do it, the sticker shock will at least reduce your caloric intake.

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I walked around Regent's park with a friend after a long morning in Camden Town. I mentioned how I loved the flowers of spring, and consequently got my photo taken in the gorgeous foliage.


♥ I learned that I have an infatuation with scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Polish it off with a pot of Royal Blend tea from Fortnum and Masons and you have a perfect Sunday afternoon high tea experience. (I even have milk in my tea now - how English of me!)

♥ I learned that London has amazingly beautiful men dressed up in suits EVERYWHERE. On the tube, in the streets, in the Starbucks, in the parks... All wearing gorgeous tailored clothes! A city where pink is the fashionable color among the men folk. I LOVE IT.

♥ I learned that London attracts women with backbone. I've met many wonderful, strong, focused and intelligent woman that I am honored to call my friends. Ceda Xiong, Camilla Macapili, Philippa Cornish,Val Wei, Carey Nickels, Charlie and Chris Boyce and Rika Games come to mind…

Camilla, Ceda and I hanging out together. You gotta love strong Asian women!

Ceda and I hanging out with the lions in Trafalgar Square.

Erika and I hanging out, she's practically my little sister... I miss her already.

Philippa Cornish and I after 10 years of not seeing each other!!!

Valarie Wei and I, hanging out at the Sports Cafe during March Madness.

Carey Nickels and I, hanging out at Harrods.

Charlie Boyce and I hanging out in Northampton (about an hour north of London.)

Chris Boyce with her lovely husband, Steve, who (I must admit) gave me a run for my money in the knowing-random-facts-category. I could listen to him for hours, while Chris shakes her head and laughs. I haven't had family fun like that in years...

♥ I learned that London water is CRAP and the only way to make it drinkable is by filtering it, and then masking it with dollops of Ribena. It's amazing that I didn't blow away as dust - thank god for Ribena, blueberry juice and cups and cups of tea!

♥ I learned that you can't escape from the Investment Bankers in London. I'd meet people on the tube, on the bus, in bars and clubs, even my fave bookstore and they were all in finance. (It's actually funny I met any at all, since they are usually strapped to their desks.) Even Tony Dixon, my old Singapore schoolmate has "fiscal" in his title. In the old days, they used to try to impress you with their pocket protector and slide rule... Now, it's their crackberries. Nothing sexier than "lets Google-map it." Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Here are some awesome jokes from my IBing friends:

How to Explain What You Do for a Living
It's the time of year you have to repeat who you are and what you do about a billion times. For most of you out there, even those who don't work in some obscure area of finance, this can be somewhat of a difficult task. Which is why we've come up with a handy 20-seconds or less response - tailored to each person you might encounter over the holidays.

Enjoy!

Parents: "I have a job."
Uncle Marty: "Buy Google."
Grandparents: "You want more cake?" (Them: "What?") "I said, do you want more cake?"
Younger brother: "Whatever you do, don't do what I'm doing. People will tell you it's awesome but it's not."
Friends from high school: "Investment banking's great because I'm learning a lot - the learning curve is really steep. And my MD is awesome. I mean this guy is such a badass. Dude, this one time ... "
Person at party you want to get rid of: "You ever see American Psycho?"
Hipster/trustafarian: I work at JPMorgan - just like your Dad.
Girl at a house party: "You come here often?"
Girl at bar: "I was in banking, but I'm in vertically integrated manufacturing now. I quit to start my own line of t-shirts. We just got picked up by Barneys so it's really a breakthrough year for us. Hey ...maybe you'd be interested in modeling?"
Girl from Staten Island: "You're my f*cking assistant. Don't you know what I do?"
Another banker: [secret handshake]
Default answer for anyone outside of NYC: I'm in finance.
Investment banking Joke
A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. Descending a bit more he shouted, "Excuse me, can you help? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago BUT I do not know where I am." The woman replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 Feet above the ground. You are between 40/41 degrees latitude, north, and 59/60 degrees west, longitude." "You must be an investment banking analyst", said the balloonist. "I am", replied the woman, "How did you know?" "Well", answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct but I have no idea what to make of your information and the fact is, I am still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help at all, if anything, you have delayed my trip."
The woman below responded, "You must be a Managing Director" "I am," replied the balloonist, "But how did you know?" "Well," replied the woman, "You don't know where you are or where you are going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise which you have no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problem. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it is my fault."
♥ I miss walking up and down the Thames, late at night watching the buildings blink and hearing the soft rush of the water. I even miss the wretched east-European gypsies begging for my change, gesturing to the borrowed baby in their arms. (Did I really just go that far?).

Somerset House at 11pm, there was no one there, but the lights and the water show was fantastic. Go with some hot chocolate from Apostrophe and you'll be set, it's a wonderfully romantic place no matter what time of day (or night).


♥ I miss all the public places... Trafalgar Square (when the sun is out), the Parks with their waterfowl, the courtyards and the musuems... AMAZING.


The ducks reminded me of my sisters - colorful and adorable creatures.

Me in Traflagar Square the day before Chinese New Year.

Flowers were out everywhere, making London even more beautiful.

I walked through Regent's Park a million times... You can see why I never tired of it. (They could stock some cute boys for me to look at though, like they do the waterfowl. Then I would have more beautiful things to look at).

♥ I learned that the English have a very interesting sense of style... While most of the time I really enjoyed it (the boots, the 3/4 length black coats, the scarves) there were some instances where I asked myself, what the pho?

Yep. Red tights and blue flats WITH a striped skirt. The horror.

♥ I also learned that London is full of (crazy) people with big hearts. I have to make a mention of Alex here, who was insane enough to take me in for TWO MONTHS while trying to start a new job and get used to a new city. I left towels on his floor, ate his food, flooded his bathroom, took over half the closets and ran amuck... All while he's slaving away at work (allowing me to enjoy the fruits of his labor).

Alex, what I think what I will most remember is:
  1. Having dinner together at home, and our trips to Tesco's.
  2. Watching Heroes and House - and me usually running away at the scary bits.
  3. You trying to speak Indonesian to me, and failing miserably.
  4. Me trying to speak Indonesian to you, and failing miserably (but since yours sucks more than mine, I usually got away with it.)
  5. Seeing my clothes folded neatly into a little pile after I tore my cupboards apart trying to find a certain shirt. How did you not want to kill me?
  6. You eating all my chocolate. You bastard. (I guess I should mention you did buy it for me, but STILL.)
  7. Listening to the strange noises the washing machine makes.
  8. Leaving post-it notes everywhere. DON'T FORGET YOUR OYSTER CARD!
  9. Sharing electrical adapters, since we didn't have a million around the house.
  10. The fact that there's a man with more clothes than me. I felt like a failure as a woman.
  11. Running away to Northampton for an awesome weekend.
  12. Talking while I iron your shirts, with you collapsed on the floor. (Why was ironing so relaxing to me? Why the hell does this sound so domestic?)
  13. Drinking lots of Ribena (hot and cold) and cups of tea.
  14. Slumber parties with Erika consisting of all of us on our laptops.
  15. Lunches in the Park with yummy sandwhiches from Pret a Manger (I LIKE it, ok?)
  16. Whoppers at Burger King.
  17. Going to see theather shows (they both ROCKED.)
  18. Lots of hugs.




    ♥ Last but not least... I learned more about myself. I'm more confident of my capabilities now, and I feel like I'm slowly opening up to the world again. I thought this trip would be very hard, but it has been nothing but amazing and spirit-lifting. The memories I'll carry and the friends I have made will last me a life time. I know that when I'm 60, I'll look back on this time and know I made the right choice. I won't reflect on my life and say, "Damn, I wish I spent more time at the office." I'll laugh to myself, smile, and think, I am so blessed to have such an amazing and rich life. Thanks to all of you who contributed, you know who you are.

    With love and affection and deepest gratitude,
    Riani Townshend

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Fortnum and Mason: Tiffany's of Food

Friday, March 23, 2007 8:03 PM Posted by javagold
Edible window dressing at Fortnum and Mason's.

While visiting my fave professor a couple of days before my trip to London, the subject of must-visit places came up. Wolf's eyes lit up like roman candles and suggested a visit to Fortnum and Mason. "Every scrumptious and delectable edible can be found there," he proclaimed, and I have not been disappointed.

Fortnum and Mason is like the Tiffany's of food, where you can find Roasted Artichoke, Nonpareil with Muscat Marmalade and Major Grey Fresh Mango Chutney. If you're in London, I would stop by this over 200-year-old store (1707) and pick up some lovelies to munch on during Sunday morning breakfast back home.

Great on scones with clotted cream, or in PB&J sandwiches (for those die-hard Yanks out there) the blackcurrant preserves are mish-delish.
Easter is almost here, so as I walk through the store, it's chocolate chocolate chocolate!


Another window dressing, who ever is their visual merchandiser is, they REALLY know what they are doing. It reminds me of steam-ship yesteryear, picnics with crisp white linen and polished silverware... Amazing!


Here's a video from my wonderful Sunday high-tea visit with a fellow transplanted Londoner... Although I'll be losing that title as of Tuesday. =(




Fortnum and Mason: Tiffany's of Food
Watch all my videos


So if food is your cup of tea, please check out Fortnum and Mason... They are up the street from Piccadilly Circus, across from the London Academy of the Arts. Look for the pale green awning and prepare to be blown away.


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Party in Prague like its 1499

I'm back in London already, but wanted to share a couple of photos of the pcrew (Prague Crew) from our last night out in the Czech Republic. Also, just wanted to remind you guys to check out my videos, since they really help you see what I've been up to. =)


This is the astronomical clock again, but I thought it was an awesome photo... So I wanted to share it. I also have my facebook photo albums, which you can check out here:

Prague, Czech Republic Touristy Photos
Party in Prague like it's 1499



Here's the crew on the train into town...


My hosts, Marina, Kostas and Billy. All Greek-Canadians.


Kostas and I having too much fun.


Billy and I trying for the haute-couture model look.

I had a great time in Prague, and now my new (and old) friends will be coming to see me in London... they arrive in about an hour, and I can't wait to show them around town.

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Prague, Czech Republic


I know, I know. I am dreadfully behind in my blogging. I've been living it up and keeping you in the dark. My apologies. As a concession, I have uploaded all my videos and posted them on the left-side of my blog for easy navigation for you... Check those out at www.javagold.blogspot.com. For now, I'll cut my losses and pretend I'm on track. =)

Since I've devoted this year to exploring new places and learning new things, I was delighted to add the Czech Republic to my passport stamp collection. I visited Praha for five days, with a good friend from my former life at Amazon.com. Here's my low-down on the city of a thousand Spires.

1. Saw a drunk Czech guy take his clothes off in the underground...
2. There is dog poo on the sidewalks - people don't pick up after their pets.
3. There is a communist-style communications tower with black babies crawling up it. I AM SERIOUS.
4. The cash exchange guy sat there smoking his cigarettes in a beater, counting the money.
5. The escalators are sloooooow until someone gets on them - energy saving!
6. There are Texan widow-millionaires that feed you copious amounts of food. Tex-Mex style.
8. Czech women are gorgeous, Czech guys on the average, are not.
9. They have the best after-partying junk food EVER. Eurodogs and Fried Cheese with Mayo.

But, that said, here are some awesome my trip in pictures and videos for you to check out. (Yes I know I am a lazy, lazy girl).

There were a million beautiful buildings everywhere. Prague is the only European city not to have suffered much damage due to bombing raids in WWII. Actually one of the only bombs dropped was by the Americans (yes, us) on the Praha town hall. Damn we're stupid. The image above and the videos below are of Cathedral St. Vitus... Looks like nothing I've ever seen, why can't we build like this anymore?








Charles Bridge by dusk on the Vltava River. There are a lot of cafes up and down the river banks. I would suggest getting some THICK hot chocolate and imagine yourself there a hundred years ago, or five hundred. It's quite amazing if you use your imagination.

It's like a crazy dream. I felt like I was at Disneyland, except it was real. In Old Town, you could see cobbled stone roads, century-old churches and beautiful statues. Please watch the video (still uploading, I'll add it to my next post), since my photos really don't do the square any justice.

Walking down one of the streets in Prague, Kostas takes a quick snap of me. We both loved how the buildings and the street curved, allowing you to see down them from an interesting angle.


Here is Kostas and I, ready to party like its 1499... His little sister was living in Prague, so he took some time off to visit her. I obviously tagged along, and I'm so glad that I did.

Waaay too young for old me, but I always like a man in uniform. It seems that no matter where you are, London, California, Czech Republic, the uniform always translates to "HAWT!!!".

Me in front of the Astronomical Clock in Old Town.


Here are a couple of the first videos that we took. It's from a hilltop overlooking the city, so it's totally worth your time. If you're getting this post via email, please click on the links or go to my blog to watch them. I really believe my videos are the best part of my blog!











Alright, that's all for now. One more post on Praha, and then it's back to old Briton for me so stay tuned. For those of you in Seattle, I hear that the cherry blossoms are out at the UW Quad. PLEASE go see them for me. =)

Love from Prague,
Riani

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Sumatran Earthquakes: Digging a deeper hole

As many of you already know, there was a huge earthquake in Sumatra a few days ago which struck near to the city of Padang in the south-western part of the island. I thought I would forward some photos I recieved from a friend of mine since they illustrate the magnitude of the destruction. I don't think any commentary is needed, since the images speak for themselves.

The New York Times


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Tragic Social Networking Incident

My friend Alex forwarded this to me, and I thought it was pretty hysterical. The guy in question works for a non-profit organization in D.C, enjoy!


So I thought I volunteer a really funny and scary and sad story about my morning.

My friend Hank sends me an email with something called WAYN. I think it looks cool so I sign up and hit a buttom that says, invite your gmail friends. Problem was, the whole gmail contact list was addded. Even bigger problem, work email was down last week so I used my gmail to correspond with a few people. So, this morning, the following people, inter alia, recieved a WAYN invite.

Leonard S. Spector, Director of the Monterey Institute (my boss who is currently filling in my paperwork for extending my VISA)

Ambassador Suto, former Japanese Ambassador to Iran who visited here last week

Peter Eriksson, Political Counsol at the Swedish Embassy

Eva-Britt Svensson, Member of the European Union Parliament

etc, etc, etc...my day so far...not that good.

Johan

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It's a Walk in the Park (My Perfect Day)

Ever find $20 in a jacket pocket you forgot about? Or wake up to a 7:30am alarm to realize its Saturday? Ever have a day that was just, perfect?

Well... Here's the rundown on my perfect Day in London.

8:30 am : Yeah that's right. I was up at 0'dark thirty. Don't ask me why, or how on God's great earth I was up that early. But I was, and it was glorious. (And for those of you getting up for work before 8:30, please keep in mind I'm on permanent vacation).

9:00 am : Took a loooooong hot shower. Unlike my wimpy shower in Seattle that surrenders to cold water after 10 minutes, this shower turned the bathroom into a misty tropical paradise.

9:30 am - 12 pm: Did girly and dorky things:

Girly: Hair and makeup while listening to Beyonce Knowles Irreplaceable.
Dorky: Reading BoingBoing and uploading my previous videos.

12 pm - 1 pm : With blue skies, I ended up walking to Trafalgar Square, about 45 minutes walk from my place in St John's Wood. I walked through Regent's Park, down the high street, Oxford Street, through Soho and then through Piccadilly... It's getting warm enough that I was even able to take off my leather jacket and gloves.



Trafalgar Square




1 pm - 2 pm: Lunch with Alex in a pretty park with blooming flowers and rustling trees.

2 pm - 4 pm: I'm a big fan of wandering around, getting lost and exploring. I ended up at the National Portrait Gallery, which had portraits of everyone from Princess Diana, Kate Moss and The Beatles. There was even a portrait of these two artists, naked, with poo magnified 1000 times in the background. Interesting.

4 pm - 6 pm: Hanging out with Erika at an American Diner. Yes, and American Diner in London. Check out the video but please excuse the Elvis music, fake red leather seats and tacky chrome.



American.diner



6 pm - 7 pm: Impromptu tea with friend from my past. Last time I saw Maria Hettel, we were 12 hours out of Manila in the remote mountainside... This cute Anglo-Ifugao woman and I had a delightful time catching up... But I do think the video really captures the mood of our visit. =)



Tea.with.friend




8 pm - 11:30 pm: Dinner at a friend's place out in Canary Wharf, which is London's new financial district. Compared to the rest of old London-town, it looks modern and Matrix-inspired. I took the London Tube to get there, and took a great video for you to watch... Check it out below.



London.tube



My day was action-packed and full of surprises, and I ended up going home and sinking into the sofa with a cup of tea and a huge smile. I find that when you're open to just about anything, your life becomes easier and your experiences are richer. Hopefully I continue to remember this as I continue on this trip, and also in my life.

More to come.





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