Jumble Sale

Sometimes the English are very literal and a jumble sale is exactly as it sounds, one big jumble of sorts. Aside from the trendy cupcakes for sale, there was tons of bric-a-brac available for bargain hunters to rummage through. I participated in the jumble sale last Sunday to make extra pocket money but also to raise funds for St. Georges Hospital in London. The jumble sale was held at the Tram & Social in Southwest London.
This venue is another unknown gem because it's all the way out in zone 2 by Tooting Broadway. The vibe felt like Melrose meets Shoreditch with loads of urban hipsters milling about. The jumble sale aka flea market was super funky. I haven't had this much fun since I went to the American Apparel flea market sale in Downtown L.A.! There was live music by local musicians and constant beer on tap. Plus there were tons of new and used things to buy, which altogether created an uber hip atmosphere. My stall sold goods from previous travels. I made 40 pounds in the end (not bad for selling random things) and quite enjoyed chatting with the attendees.

What's with the lumber jack look? I guess it's catching on in London, LA too perhaps?



The picture above shows one of the local musicians. She was the best one in my opinion, sounded a bit like Yael Naim (but with a British accent) mixed with a bit of Adele.
This lamp post on the left is right outside Tooting Broadway station.

After the jumble my friend B met me for some amazing curry at Mirch Masala. I LOVE this curry place because it's the only restaurant in London that makes the BEST egg curry. For 10 pounds I got 2 veg samosas, 1 glass of sweet lassi, 1 glass of mango lassi, methi paratha (bread), and karahi egg (curry), and I didn't share with my friend :P! Yes, I'm a little piggy, a vegetarian piggy. :)

The Welsh

I've decided that my most favorite accent in all of the UK is the Welsh one. It's syncopated which I find lovely for some reason. A woman from Wales called at work today to ask about an event. She was just the most pleasant person I've ever encountered on the phone. She called me 'dear' and 'love' and was uber sweet.

Incidentally I also enjoy watching Gavin and Stacey reruns. It's about an Essex guy who falls in love with a Welsh girl. Funny show! And I get to hear Welsh accents...

Here's a clip from youtube: Bryn singing.

Might not be as funny since you need to know the entire plot, but you get to hear their accents!

Bits & Bobs

So we've entered the third month of 2010 and my friend E has a simple, yet effective motto for the year, 'Try Harder'. In doing so, E and I have been setting small goals and making mini-accomplishments that we hope in aggregate will equal bigger ones. E has been busy with a production house in Soho, meanwhile I've been coming up with a new theory on transnationalism. Last week I hunkered down in my flat and wrote my new theory in 4000 words and sent it to my supervisors for feedback. One wrote back, 'wow'.

I figured I deserved a treat because getting a 'wow' from this person is a BIG deal. I decided to book an appointment with the London College of Beauty Therapy. For £10 I got an amazing one-hour manicure with my therapist, Violeta from Lithuania (I only name names if I'm never going to see them ever again). For this price I got the usual cuticle cleanup/shaping/buff/polish, but there were extras which included a lemon sea salt exfoliation treatment for my hands and arms, along with a hand and arm massage! What a bargain! Lots of extras. I was happy with the results. :) They also have men's treatments. For my next treat, I'm going in for a facial or massage, only £20 each for an hour! I highly recommend this place if you're ever in London and it's right next to Liberty, which would make a nice day out with the girls, spa + shopping, you can never go wrong. Yes, I've turned into a girl in London...

On a different note, I randomly saw this bottle of Egyptian Febreze in the flat today. I quickly took a photo of it because I found it a little quirky and it reminded me of my former flatmate, M, who is currently in Cairo. I never even knew Febreze experimented with other scents. Apparently it was 'inspired by the sophisticated perfume heritage of the ancient Egyptian culture' (Giggling with delight). As I was taking a photo of the bottle, flatmate, A, walks in on me and I quickly explain that I thought the bottle was charming. She understood.

Month in Review - February

My friend E and I went to a fashion show on Feb 12 to see the launch of the new lingerie line by Nichole De Carle. It was a pleasant and random evening. They had the most amazing black berry Tom Collins-type drinks, delish! I had two of them and I was already tipsy, such a lightweight. I also had blood sausage canapes, first blood sausages ever...quite tasty!




On a random Sunday afternoon, D and I had the brilliant idea of exploring the eastside of London. This took us to a place called the Monument. For 3 pounds sterling, we gained entry to 347 winding steps to the top of...well...the Monument. It provided us with panoramic views of east and west London. I suppose north and south should be included in this paragraph so they don't feel left out. This is such an underrated tourist attraction! It rivals the views from St. Paul's Cathedral (12.50 entry) for a fraction of the price.



Lastly, I've discovered how to make 'pancit bihon' which is a Filipino dish made of rice noodles. I made it for C and E for the Eastenders live episode on Feb. 19. I don't know if they liked it, but it was a vegetarian version for lent as well as for E who does not eat meat.



Photos by: L.A. Girl Feb 2009
1. Model at Nichole de Carle Fashion Show
2. Monument stairwell
3. Pancit bihon at Bow Road flat