Friday 13 September 2013

The Curious Incident.

After an eventful Monday night at tiki bar Mahiki in Green Park, a slow afternoon in West London was much needed. Getting into Paddington early afternoon we walked our usual circuit around Piccadilly to Trafalgar Square and over to Covent Garden. 




We snooped around Somerset House looking at the installation for London Fashion Week and went to the elBulli exhibition, which was awesome. 




This was an installation when a dining table was projected onto a table showing each plate being served, enjoyed and removed. The content of the exhibition was really interesting and something that i do not usually have an interest in, however the way this exhibition was constructed and displayed was amazing.


Attempting to use my new telephoto lens, to the best of her ability.


We went to the Shake Shack for a early dinner in the square, which was a first for me and such a good choice. We sat inside as the weather was just beginning to turn miserable and scoffed our ShakeBurgers with a Shake made Lemonade. So yummy and not too greasy. Just enough to send us on our way. Also they got my name wrong, which i expect now but they genuinely seemed to think my name was ‘Cray’ not Gray...







We then headed back on over to the Shaftesbury Avenue an got a bubble tea, killing some time before the show started. As per usual i played it safe with a Lychee and White Peach mixer, but will also recommend their Passionfruit and Cucumber mixer. 
Tickets in hand we went in the side entrance to take our seats on the balcony in seat 17 (a prime number) and 18. 
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, was the first proper book i read aged 10 (roughly), i could relate with the main character more than i would like to admit and the book was so logically and simply written that it was something i read two or three times a year til aged 14 or so. When it opened at the National Theatre i knew it was something that would appeal to me, after being moved to the Apollo Theatre we booked it. After that i tried not to read it before we went to go see it, because i did not want to keep comparing it to the book. I think now we have seen it, i will read it again.


 I found in the end it was better being in seats on the balcony because they drew and projected pictures onto the floor, as well as building a train set. And for such a small stage they created a large environment as each scene would come forward and then move back for the next one.



 A calm day was just what was needed and now having a temporary phone to use makes everything so much easier, even though it may not be a smart phone.

Thursday 5 September 2013

Traipsing in Hyde Park.

Monday was so hot in London, just when i think the Bristish summer is begging to fizzle out the heat cranks back up again. We met in Paddington just after eleven and went to the tube line to Bakerloo. Being my usual self when topping up my Oyster card I dropped my phone. Crashing to the floor it went, me thinking nothing of it as I drop it every other day. But today my phone was not feeling to invinceable and smashed, but not just skin deep exposing the LED and making the screen unresponsive. This rocketed my anxiety for the rest of the day. Not ideal.




We went to the Breakfast Club in Soho, which just seems to be my first port of call always when i go into town around midday, for my fix of american pancakes, berries and maple syrup. Unfortunately, i accidentally put my camera on to a weird setting which made all my photos near black. After another little fit of panic and regaining the peace of mind i realised that i had not broken my camera lens, no. 
We then wanted to go to a book shop, but later found it was closed due to refurbishments. Nevertheless, we went to Hyde Park and walk the entire width of the park along the Serpentine in the late afternoon sun. 
Since i was not in London last summer, and i missed the atmosphere of Londoners whilst the 2012 Games were on; but if i were to imagine what is was like, then that day walking through the park is  was what i would imagine. 





On are last stop in the park we went to the Serpentine Pavilion, which i always go to each summer but almost missed it this year. I am glad i did not because it was one of my favourites (and one on the smallest), although the red glass structure from 2010 would be my all time favourite because inside they had red smeg fridges to match behind the bar.








When i got back home i was very tired because i had spent a lot of the day panicking and getting hysterical because i had lost control and contact without my phone. i had always hoped i would not react to hopelessly to being without my phone, but i am not. 
And i am also very aware that my writing style has dramatically changed and i think this is because i just finished reading the Perks of Being a Wallflower, which i loved.

Sunday 1 September 2013

Quick Catch Up?

Long time, no see. Or so it seems. Having not posted since getting my new job which; few things seem to have changed. In my absence i received my a level results, of which were below my expectations at BBC, although i was still accepted to Queen Mary’s for two weeks time which i am ecstatic about. However at the moment it still does not seem a reality, and i am in no way prepared. 
I think i am just beginning to come out of a ‘dark’ phase again, this being what i use to refer to the parts of my life. It is always difficult to explain to people what these dark phases are, but i mostly just compare them to how Charlie (from Perks of Being a Wallflower) describes his ‘getting bad’ again; where overall you are sad and lonely but you can still be happy all at the same time. I use the word ‘dark’, the way one would describe an agent  going dark - no contact or response to the outside world. 
I hope that going to university which a fresh environment will help and i will stand on my own two feet again. I went to visit a friend who had already moved into her dorm at Central Saint Martens, as they start really early. I have also started posting photos on another blog stream called The Shutter Gunner (because shutter bug just seemed to feminine when referring to myself), this is where i hope to share single photos with less of an essay attached.


I also had a break in Rock near Padstow in Cornwall. This gave me opportunity to try out my new lens and new subjects as rural settings are not something i am usually keen on photographing. I am sure there will be a litter of post to follow of snaps i want to share of that trip and an update on how my photo album is coming along (keeping putting off sending a batch of photos to the developers in fear of how big the bill will be when i go pick them up).
Tomorrow, with a day off work i took up the opportunity to go for afternoon tea with a friend i have not seen all summer and then hope to meet with the Master’s Mate (if we can strangle her away from her new life at CSM).