London is like a nicer, more civilized New York. Even after the riots I still feel like this. It's got a longer history, was destroyed in the blitz in WWII, and has its British charms. This is the most expensive place I've lived thus-far. The tube is a lot smaller than NY's subway and stops running around midnight. At least london has a night bus system unlike most other world cities that leave late night partiers scrambling to make it home by the last train or are forced to party until the first train. The main qualm I personally have with London is that it feels so familiar, so close to New York life compared Asia. Spain and France are also western countries so they felt closer to New York life too. It was nice to be able to speak english where I live again but also seemed like cheating, like I was living abroad but there was no challenge to it. Am I a masochist and need such challenges? maybe a little bit. I just feel i gained less experience in London due to the main language being english there. People complain about the food in London. I have to agree a little bit, but if you eat international food there are lots of options. British food like minced meat pies, and fish and chips are good if you go to the right place. Its not like Japan where you can go anywhere and end up with something decent, its like America where you gotta go to the right place or you're gonna end up eating rubbish. The Brits drink too much. imperial pints (568ML compared to a 500ML american pint) are deceptive. combine that with the Brits love of the drink and you will find yourself rat-assed many a night. imperial pints are about 20% larger than american pints. The brits seem like jollier and friendlier bunch than Americans. Most people were very helpful. There is a large Black African, Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Black Carribean population in London along with Asians and all your other favorites. Except for Mexican and South Americans. Its like those were switched out with Indian, Bangladeshi, and Pakistanis. This all makes London a very international feeling city. Sort of like New York. In the end living in London sort of felt like living in New York, which is good if you want to feel more familiar, and not good if you want something totally new. I love NY and I love London, so it's on the list of places I could see myself living for a long time.
Borough Market is awesome and is on the must see list for London. thurs, fri, and saturday. of course it's less crowded on thursdays and friday's. Dessert wine soaked gorgonzola cheese is one of the many awesome things you can get there.
English breakfast is tasty if you get a good one.
game of unweildly branch ball in Battersea park with johnny, masako and ed.
johnny my old time SUNY Albany buddy, we lived in Tokyo at the same time too. Angel my old Beijing buddy. We were all living in London at the same time.
the infamous pink kitchen at Lucy's flat that I lived in. That Smeg refrigerator was the first thing she bought and then kept going pink from there on out.
we lived just off of brick lane, home of indian/bangladeshi/pakistani restaurants and shops. It's also party land too.
first smartphone ever made life easier, especially GPS mapping. it's unacceptable how the battery lasts less than a day though. HTC Wildfire S
Junk Store off of brick lane.
Tri-Wizard croquet tournament at Clapham common
Gorilla Blues, Illustration for a Spider Magazine.
tower bridge seen from the Thames Clipper. I love boat rides and this one down the Thames gives you plenty to see.
Lucy Tanner Photography studio.
Lucy, my beautiful and funny photographer flatmate with Betty at Vintage Emporium
One morning I awoke to a strange energy burst in the air. I read news about Libya and went downstairs only to find the incarnation of the late Libyan dictator Moamar Gadhafi was now living in our flat sitting on Lucy's bed staring me straight in the face. He's formerly known as Wilfred Tanner.
Betty, now one of Wilmar Gadhafi's guard hos?
fortnum and mason tea, pretty good stuff.
of this bunch doombar is the best
foxes in the night a'plenty
I was in Taschen's Illustration Now! 4. it's cool to be in this book that i used to look longingly at as a student.
Tayyab's. the best Pakistani food near brick lane. crazy busy all the time and cheap.
personal tour of the BBC with Zainib. She directs the live news amongst many things. It was crazy in there with everything needing to cue up and broadcast at the right time.
minced beef pie and mash(ed potatoes). good stuff
huge 33 x 47" art for the offices of Facebook in Singapore. These are archetypes of people i have seen in the countries i've lived in.
Scone, jam, clotted cream. cream tea time.
flowers from columbia flower market.
After the London riots, summer 2011
regent's canal narrow boats.
Beibei's rooftop on Old Street.
i liked riding in the top of double decker buses.
view from Primrose Hill.
London Bicycle Tour Company. Van Der Kock worked there. before Van Der Doodle went to NY we had good times in London.
stunning bar girl from Swaziland at Howl at the Moon
Mariya's flat. we met these party people randomly on the street one night.
painting i bought on a sunday at the brick lane market.
sketching at "Look Mum No Hands" cafe. I ended up meeting these girls I was sketching and hanging out with them.
the Pitt Rivers museum in Oxford is like a museum of curiosities. I went with Steven and it was the only only trip i took out of London. Wish I had more time to see more of the UK.
So my closing thoughts on London are that it is like new york in many ways which makes it awesome because New York might be the best place on earth, and just like New York I could see myself living there for a long time/forever, but maybe not just yet while I still have a little more fire for travel in me. It's sad that my time had to be cut short and i'll miss my friends. I'm sure I will see them again somewhere in the world. Many of them I know will be living somewhere other than London in the next few years. So this is London signing off for a while.
