Mad city this London

need job. Need Gym. Need a new life basically.

Got visa date from embassy for the 3oth of May.
Danke.
My tickets are for the 22nd of May.
Do i really care?

Super New York designer exhibition at the V& A . New breed of American creators have made it big. Especially a fan of Proenza schouler if that's how you spell it , cannot be asked to google for spellings at precisely 05.46 GMT.

Saw organic cotton pants from a new denim brand for 280 quid. Is it really going to that village in Uganda? or do they get 2 quid and the advertising the rest??

Musings

I've been out in Soho for quite a few lunches with my classmates. Loved Busaba, Thai cuisine for really cheap. Have mentioned the Blue room before and discovered a new falafel joint.
More often than not, when the sun in out we sit in the sun discussing things in general.
I've also booked tickets to Palma in Spain. Really cheap on Ba , it's 64.90 pounds. I don't know how because it said the minimum fare was 33 pounds each way!!
Now, a problem for someone from the third world - a visa! I can't apply for them in India, one can't call the appointment no. from mobile phones, Bt landlines or Payphone. One wonder's aloud then - where can i call to make an appointment then to the strong German voice booming on the other side of the telephone, 'Welllll Madame, have you tried zee corner shoppe??? '

Have been on Skype a lot, with my friend Kuntal in Singapore. Every evening I'm home at four bored out of my senses thinking what should I do next and there he is in the same situation, just a few time zones apart. I help him find Thai restaurants that deliver food in Singapore, while he checks some silly bits about London out for me. What would one do without Google?

Technology is brilliant. In fact the other evening, I was chatting on the free internet phone with Andreas, (Italian guy i met in Hard rock cafe in Bombay) and he was asking where he could buy some ingredients to make a pasta. I suggested Big Bazaar in Phoenix Mills, only to spend the next 15 minutes talking to his driver in Hindi, 'Bhaiya tumko Tulsi Pipe Road mallum hai??'
Amazing this technology, that helps me give directions to someone from Italy, going shopping in Bombay all from the comfort of my little couch in Hammersmith.

Drinking lots of JD cola at Distillers last night, with Ankeeta who just missed a flight to Barcelona. Tonight it's hitting the crazy bylanes in East London. ShoreDitch is calling.

Love me
Hold me
Kiss me

Sub cultures in London

The teds. The mods. The rockers. The Punks

Hippies were mainstream, not really a sub culture but a counter culture. I love the hippies.

Weekends and Monday

Jazz was the music for the weekend. Saturday night, in a red basement club in Soho with a strange atmosphere, very smoky and girls with red lipsticks wearing swing dresses while the men lounged around looking very lost with gelled back hair. It was so small and loud, we didn't hear any music.
Sunday night was lovely, at a pub called Boaters. Swing and lovely jazz. Drank JD cola in the balcony and watched the moon reflect in the Thames.
Today was so cloudy and gray. I slept until 11 in my aunt's home. I feel so cozy and tend to forget all my everyday worries there. Bliss.
It rained a bit, the slight chill in the wind biting into your face. Why doesn't it smell the same as back home. In India when the first drops of rain hit the surface of parched dry earth, there wafts a fragrance so sweet, it takes me to heaven and drops me gently back.

Lines on a kiss

Under the power station’s high ceiling white,

skin by quickening skin, we leaned into a Russian past

And in the blood hot heat the vapours of your perfume did

ignite,

And burned into my flesh and mouth and nose and taste,

And then free from the tyrant bare white hall

By the river, by the wind, in minute after minute

Drink made story, and made hours double and fold

And for an animal life your breath beat was within it.

I pace there still, beast and water and tide without end

Chasing phrase and word, pulse on pulse, blind on blind

And once and once and twice again

My invention brings your neck behind my hand

So I pledge a spell made words made belief

It is: your lips on tilted head mine will receive.

- RICK BENNETT

Fairy tale

I woke very sleepy this early Saturday morning, and had a quick glance at today's headlines from a Mozilla Firefox shortcut Ville, so thoughtfully downloaded for me!

PRINCE WILLIAM AND GIRLFRIEND SPLIT!!!!

Maybe just maybe, just like the dumb teenage princess movie?????????

Holiday breaks and a zillion plans

Shiva peak near Har Ki Dun in Uttaranchal (Nothing to do with this posting, just love the peak)


The best thing about being in London is you are only an hour away from mainland Europe by plane or Eurostar. The bad thing about having an Indian passport, I need the F**king Visa. Even worse scene, cannot apply in India anymore. Talk about bizzare.
I've been invited to visit several friends this spring and summer. Italy tops the charts, and have even been invited by Simone (Read birthday posting) to visit him and go to a lake near Verona with some friends. Am thinking about it. Might be super fun. On the other hand my conscience would not let me have that much fun. The bad bit about following Karma.
Will also spend weekend in Bologna, have already been there but totally adore the couple I'm visiting.They're very old friends and stay with my family in Bombay when they make a yearly trip to Goa each year. Have never met two people so much in love with each other, even at 40!
Late June will take me Spain with my ex flatmate, this one I cannot wait for. Endless nights of partying and having a lot of fun in the sun.
Sometime in may or june, I might have to visit my close friend cordi, her husband oli and my sweet little nephew Nico in Zurich. My mum's coming to visit so we'll go then.
In July am still hoping for the pillion ride, if not then a trek to Jomsom would be ideal.
It's amazing planning all these holidays on my own even though it might be a lot of fun to go away as a couple. Like a friend says , "I'm single in London" well in this case, "I'm single in London and the rest of the world too!! (Maybe leaving one little place in the Welsh countryside)."

A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~Lao Tzu

I found an old diary writing from my experience looking at this peak -

"Our job done and matches bought, we crouched behind one of the boulders, hidden from view of campsite. Stoned with some pure hash made fresh by the locals we looked in silence at the wonder around us. The peak ahead of us had the silhouette of Shiva. Its amazing how hashish and Shiva go so well together. Looked left and right and top and bottom trying to find more similarities. Was a thrill to our flying minds. The peak is eerie. 5 meters in front of me lay a clean white goat skull complete with horns and teeth. Its bones picked clean by insects or microorganisms. The river gushes deep down below. Thundering in this majestic silence."

Pearl Shah - 16 May 2004

Trees have bloomed!

Ah back in my little space looking out at the branches have little buds of green sprouting up. It seemed only some weeks ago it was all barren and dry and now the miracle of life is taking place once again. It's been glorious sunshine every day.

Nature has begun to inspire me once again. In fact some of my fondest memories have been walking amidst Deodars in the upper reaches of the northern Himalayas. This weekend was spent whiling away time in a pretty garden complete with an apple tree. It is another thing, that the apples are the most vile sour apples one has ever eaten. Ladybirds crawled across my cold fingers while i sprawled on stone steps reading Madame Bovary. Hay stuck on V's lovely warm jumper but then that's nature for you.

I was in Wales for the weekend for Ville's birthday.

Relaxed some more on Pennard cliffs with B and V. The landscape was so beautiful. Sharp edged cliffs, strong gusty winds and a blue sky reflected in the choppy blue sea. The hello magazine and photos of Wayne Rooney and Camilla Parker Bowles came handy for saving my 7 for all mankind jeans from the grass! Drank cheap white wine.

Travel tip: catch the green bus that says Pennard Cliffs.

I haven't had anything to drink since that evening. I'm turning a new leaf. I'm trying to look at the other side of materialism. I haven't felt the pull from a Starbucks every time I walk past it. I practice Yoga, breathe in and breathe out. I haven't walked into a single ZARA. I was looking at the history of consumerism. George Bush, inspired people to go shopping post 9/11. It's a complete brainwash. I realise I come from a world where organic is 'in' and 'fair trade' and 'community share' are the closest you'd come to doing something good for the environment.
This is my bit to explore the other side of the fashion world. How we yearn for Dior sunglasses the minute we enter duty free even if we've never entered a Dior store. It's all about want.

I want too. But now I'm learning to appreciate and revel in simpler things. I yearn for simple pleasures. giving love, receiving love, books, opening my mind, learning about the Chakras, travelling ( I think the pokhra jomsom or somewhere in Arunachal would be perfect) Jedi - you promised a pillion seat!!

The white shirt I so wanted is already boring, the photos from my holiday in Barcelona with Bhav still make me happy.

Here's to happiness in spring.

Top happy tip :Mix lempsip (the lemony flu powder), with yoga and some times sips of alcohol.