It is difficult to describe the feeling of being unsettled in a situation that you expected to handle with such grace and eloquence. I did not expect the transition of moving to a new city in a different country halfway around the world to be easy, per se, but i’ve historically been a pretty tough cookie. I also had the advantage of being moderately familiar with London and having a cohort (note 1) or two on call in the city. In the grand scheme of things I was incredibly lucky and my transition went pretty smoothly but damn, I think i’ve cried more in the past month than I have in the past three years. Don’t feel bad, it’s normal and if i’m honest it was kind of freeing.
On the flip side, in the past month I have felt surges of happiness and love that I can only attempt to describe. Walking across Southwark bridge to the South Bank in the evening and looking at the city lights: Big Ben, the London Eye, MI6, St. Paul’s, the lights glittering in the Thames. Sharing a favorite band I’ve listened to for years with a relatively new friend. Catching a snowflake in my eye lash while walking to work. Being overwhelmed by the number of things to do at any given day or time. I’ve definitely been busy and without trying to overwhelm you all, I’ll give a short overview of what I have been getting up to.
Oh my, how many there have been! The Head and the Heart at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Two Door Cinema Club at Alexandra Palace, Tegan and Sara at the Roundhouse in Camden, and Izzy Bizu back in Shepherd’s Bush. It’s difficult to even keep track of everything that is going on in this city. Thank God for Songkick alerting me of upcoming shows and when tickets are going on sale. I’ve already got a few lined up for the coming months, like Adele and Lady Gaga, and I’m sure more to come. The great thing about the shows i’ve been to so far is that they have all been different. Different crowds, different vibes, different music. Most importantly i’ve now been to three new venues. Experiencing a new venue is one of my favorite things about going to gigs, besides the music, of course. Old victorian theatres, radio halls, railway maintenance roundhouses. Moving on to the “etcetera,” not quite a concert but a crossover of music, art, and dance, I attended a flamenco performance as part of the London Flamenco Festival at Sadler’s Well. The Spanish guitar, outfits, and pure talent and stamina of the performers was incredibly impressive.
I spent an entire day with a relocation service taking me around flats across Clapham and Brixton. I think we saw about 12 in total and I was absolutely knackered by the end. I went into the search thinking it would be fairly easy and I would find several places I loved. That was not the case and in fact I didn’t see a place that I even liked enough to occupy until about the 4th place. By the end of the day I had three that I were on the shortlist and ultimately I think I ended up with my favorite. Now that I’ve finally moved in, I’m starting to feel less like this is a trip but that I actually live here. This is an especially great feeling as I have been homeless (that’s a strong word but I had been living off the generosity of friends and family) since October. So at the end of February, after 5 months of living out of suitcases I’m finally in one place.
A few anecdotes with links to cool places:
WC: Two of my good friends here in London are a married couple that i’ve known since high school. How we all ended up living here, in the same borough no less, is crazy. A couple of weeks ago another Chicoan (Chico is where we hail from) was in town for a wedding and we had a bit of an ad hoc reunion. WC had been on my list of places to check out so when it was suggested as a meeting point I was all over it. Located in an old toilet for the Clapham Common tube station, WC doubles the name for ‘water closet’ but more cleverly is Wine & Charcuterie, the latter is a bit more appetizing. It’s adorable, cozy, and a fun bit of history right in the center of Clapham Common.
http://www.wcclapham.co.uk/
69 Colebrooke Row: We checked out this bar after the Flamenco show, it had been on my radar and I like being a little mysterious in leading friends to random spots. It’s tucked away on a side street in the general vicinity of Angel station but technically in Islington. It feels like walking into 1920s New York or London. There’s live piano music and a solid cocktail line-up. We stayed in the main small room but it looked like there was a bit more upstairs. It’s also called “the bar with no name” as 69 Colebrooke Row is the address. This is something i’ll need to investigate more and that’s fine with me as I will definitely be going back.
http://www.69colebrookerow.com/
This one is going to get it’s own write-up on my sister blog, Craft Beer for the Modern Woman but I had to give it a shout out at least. In it’s fifth year (I think - will confirm) this is a helluva craft beer festival housed at the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane. A good mix of London, British, Scottish and International breweries are on show. My best friend Ellen and I attended the preview night, which was a Thursday and in retrospect possibly a mistake in that we both had work on Friday. Sierra Nevada was the first booth we saw as we entered so I felt immediately at home. We made loads of friends and learned a lot about a ton of new and old breweries. Check out the ‘Craft Beer’ button at the top of this page in the coming days to get my full assessment.
http://craftbeerrising.co.uk/
Our new Scottish cider viking brother friends.
Note 1 - this is a word i’ve learned from Ellen, my super smart PhD obtaining friend, and am going to commandeer it as it makes me smile. I’ve since consulted a dictionary and realized it has some interesting meaning such as: an ancient Roman military unit, comprising six centuries, equal to one tenth of a legion. However, I think i’m using it more in the sense of: a supporter or companion.
