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This Friday I was in London for an invited dinner for the students who are awarded with government scholarship. I thought since I am going to London, why not go earlier and make the most it, and I did. On the bus to North Station, I even met Helios, who was on his way to Chelmsford for his work replacement job. We had a little chat about the difficulty to find a job here, but anyway, you just need to keep trying.
I arrived at the good old Liverpool Street Station around 11 am, and my first stop was O2 Arena in North Greenwich. The reason I went there was to try my luck to see if I can buy a floor seating ticket for National Television Awards in the coming January. However, spent nearly one hour queuing there, only thing I proved was that it is not worth to go there and the ticketmaster website did not play tricks to online buyers. Meaning that the ticket I brought in person from O2 box office is the same one I found on the website. Furthermore, it wasn’t cheaper to buy in person if you calculate all the costs of transportation and time of queuing; you will think it is better just pay the bloody postage then. Before the box office open, I spent some time wondering around the enormous O2 Arena. There were lots of people waiting to go to see a Titanic exhibition. But what attracted my attention were the barriers and securities on some part of the site. I did not acknowledge what they mean in the first place. Until latter, I finally connect the everywhere Barclays ATP Tennis posters with those distance ball-hitting sounds. There were tennis players doing routine practicing inside O2! Wow, see how HUGE it is! After the long waiting (I was keep thinking that such speed of processing must suffers great criticism and the company definitely going to receive serious complaining, if it was in Taiwan), I finally got my ticket, cannot wait to join this phenomenal event! (Although the shortlist and the guest list not yet announced, but still!)
Afterward, I headed to Green Park and had my little sandwich lunch there. The weather was enjoyable and the autumn scene has its own beauty, so I did have a relaxing time in the park. I was always surprised by the fact that always so many people, either on their breaks or just kill time, in any parks in London. You probably will never see such view in Taiwan. After feed my stomach, I successfully found the Halcyon Gallery on Bruton Street. It looked utterly posh and high-class (and indeed it is), and sort of scared my by the fact that it have a doorman. But I went in by following a guy who looked a bit arty anyway. First time of my life go to a private gallery, WOW, stunned by the very idea itself! I went there not because heard of the artist, Mauro Perucchetti, but because I am interested in two pieces of his work in this exhibition. One of them is a re-creation of a classical sculpture called ‘Modern Hero’. He replaced the original characters by two contemporary superheroes, Superman and Batman. This idea seems really interesting, and I am more intrigued after saw a photo of the work. The other one is ‘Garden of Eden’. Unfortunately it was removed from gallery window one day before. When I inquired about the possibility of re-exhibition to the receptionist by using my funny English (I feel I am always speaking it too hard when I try to ask something, and then felt like an idiot), she was very patient and told me that she can make a appointment for me to see the work if I want (nothing discriminating, but I cannot stop but wondering that she might reckons my Chinese face represents a potential rich buyer, or I am just thinking nonsense). Eh…no thanks, I just thought I was going to somewhere like a normal museum.
My next stop was Mortimer Street neighbourhood, where recommended by a lady in the Cultural Division office. She told me shops around the area are full of independent design brands, which are then the fashion trends that you will see on High Streets. Those shops are generally for wholesales only, but they open to public in particular period during November. After the first experience in October, the place soon became my favourite shopping spot for reasons: first of all, cheaper prices with basically the same design clothes if you are lucky; secondly, better quality and sometimes made somewhere in Europe, not world factory (however, the definition of ‘made in China’ is questionable since I read an article about Chinese workers in Europe); thirdly, for the fame of independent design, not massive production. The other good reason to go there is it also nears famous shopping streets like Oxford Street, Bond Street, or luxury Regent Street. So if you tired of seeing the endless reoccurrences of H&M, Oasis, Topshop, why not go down to Great Portland Street and Mortimer Street to find something different, plus saleswomen there are very nice.
I went to find my friend at Piccadilly Circus Station later and go to Soho together. Before we went to an Italian café where she is very keen to visit, we stopped by a tea and coffee bean shop called ‘Algerian Coffee Stores’. In its postcard it claimed to be an icon of London’s coffee culture and I believe it is. I was fascinated by its traditional display when I entered the store. What a beautiful little shop! You are surrounded by all sorts of sweets and big glass jars, which contain various tea ingredients or coffee beans that are lined up on the shelves. I was so eager to try everything, and not even mention that the price is unexpectedly reasonable! Better than Wittard or Twinning’s, I reckon. Definitely gonna visit next time and try whether I can see the cute guy again, ha!
After having a café latter (it was very good, but I am no expert on coffee), we went to China Town to look for groceries. The dinner was held in a Chinese restaurant, where I never been to. The dishes for that night were just fine, nothing really delicate. I was inclined to say that I had a great time, but, you know…well, it was OK. Eating free food, meeting and chatting to strangers, it was just…fine. I already felt tired the second that I entered this huge social event and involved in those chatting and introducing matters, really tiresome. The problem is not that people were not nice or unfriendly, but right because they were TOO fervent and only made it a bit insincere in a sense. I know I won’t make new friends there, because most people on my table are just not my crowed. Besides, I wonder what other further interactions you can make when you live in different circles and all you can do is only add each other as ‘friends’ on Facebook. Umm, dull. When I mentioned to my flatmates about the night, one of them directly spot on about my indolent attitude. Well, that is true. For me, it was like any other party, where you go in and have some fun and leave without burdens, that’s all. No matter what, I did have a fun time in London that day in general.
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