Wednesday 22 May 2013

When things don't feel right

I don't think I need to jump up and down shouting to tell you that this blog hasn't quite worked out how I'd hoped. My posts are uninspired, unoriginal and wholly lacking in character. I'm not documenting my adventures, which was my intention, and the basic act of brainstorming is giving me headaches. Put simply, I want to blog, but I don't want to blog like this.

So I'm starting completely afresh. I know you're not meant to do that, it disorientates people, etc etc, but this is all wrong. I'm moving to Wordpress, first of all, and I'm changing formats to a photo-a-day (I hope!) with comments deal; short and sweet. I mean, writing these posts, while distracting, sure, is ultimately a chore for me. And if it's boring me, God knows how I'm meant to find the motivation and entertain you. Not to say that I'm unhappy with what I've produced here... I just think my "dedication" to ASW speaks for itself.

I've been trying to blog like other people, people I admire who inspired me to blog in the first place, and -- surprise, surprise -- it hasn't worked. So I'm going to try something else, see if that's better; I'm actually going to try and blog like myself. And you know, it feels good.

So why not have a look at

Adventures Etc.

With more self-deprication and less rambling.

I may even have the guts to tell my relatives about this one.

 

Saturday 11 May 2013

I ate all your bees

Looking back, Black Books was a terrible choice for early-teen inspiration. Bernard Black, protagonist extraordinaire, is arrogant, cruel, crooked -- a real bastard. Not the stuff for impressionable youth to subscribe to. We have Kate Moss for that.
But, Black Books is the greatest show in the history of the earth, and the exterior location is just round the corner from me (I wish). Still, it's close enough for a day trip -- insomuch as it's about twenty minutes away. Did I go? What do you think?
Despite an apparent inability to open my eyes I was thrilled. M and I went and made an afternoon of it, which included actually entering the store (it's a lot smaller than the set) and learning that the majority of Black Books tourists are Czech. It must translate well, like Shakespeare into German. I even took a souvenir: the delightfully meta 1948 Book Handbook.
M and Nifty Gifty.
There were even wine bottles out on the doorstep, just like there should be; although rubbish bags full of them would be preferable.

Black Books, or Collinge & Clark, is at

13 Leigh Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1H 9EW

 

Tuesday 7 May 2013

Lovely London: One Month In

As always, via Pinterest

The pigeons are so amiable. I've never been more charmed. You'll be paying attention to a squirrel, or even just walking along, and then a few dozen pigeons'll decide they want to be where you are. Not in a pushy, busy way; they mind their own business. If you want to poke at them with your foot, that's cool. Crumbs'd be nice, man, but only if you've them on you. Don't sweat it. We're all about the journey.

Londoners are pathological jaywalkers. There are these cute little figures on most corners. They alternate: sometimes there's a little green man and other times a red one. As far as I can discern, they exist for purely decorative purposes.)

Do not ask for stockings based on their opacity. This is not the town to bring up 1D in. And on that note...

You're going to learn about One Direction. Liam is afraid of spoons. Harry has four nipples. There are five people in the band. I can't remember when or how this information made its way into my head but it makes me uncomfortable to know it's forced something useful out.

Hey, that train you wanted? It isn't coming. Because your line splits into two and the side you need is down.

The Mormons are plucky. Piccadilly Circus is plastered with posters. They aren't pushy or annoying or anything remotely along those lines; they're nice stories about family men and lawyers who triumphed over adversity. These people are also Mormons. The part that I like is that Piccadilly Circus is where you go on the tube if you want to see Book of Mormon on the West End.

You're suppose to stand on the right side of the escalator. And for God's sake, do as you're told. Tourists!

 

Thursday 2 May 2013

Holm sweet holm

I'm not going to say a word about how ashamed I am for never blogging.

Going to do a decent post on what's been happenin' lately, but for now I just want to let on about my exciting news: I'm going to Stockholm! (You know, as in Stockholm Syndrome.) I know, I know, I'm doing my supermassive European romp in... well, July, but I couldn't wait that long and got my act together for the first week of June. Stockholm has kind of been my dream utopia since I learnt that Sweden, land of fika, is importing garbage from Eastern Europe as they need more to fuel their (relatively) clean energy source. Badarse. Also, it's hard to follow along with Elsa Billgren and Emma Sundh and not feel inspired.

Omg.

I'm a little beside myself, especially since I fee I've really earnt this. The adjustment to London hasn't been an easy one, nor is it resolving itself easily. But walking home from work through Trafalgar Square in golden hour, when everything was so neat and crisp and Georgian and grand, just feels so right. Even if the work is hard, even if self-motivation is tough. I'm feeling good.

Credit where credit is due.