For shits and giggles

me: is there a UK version of zappos?
Lee: yes
in your dreams

After 5 markets, 4 visitors, 3 high teas, 2 fish and chips, and 1 Sunday Roast..

My butt has seen better days.

BUT, it has been a great 2 and a half weeks! We went to see a play (War Horse), movie (Alice in Wonderland), to museums (Tate) and galleries (Saatchi and Gagosian), had French, Spanish, English, Indian, and Thai food, went to Hyde Park, and to Borough, broadway, Spitalfields, Brick lane, and Portobello road markets, to name a few things. It was great to have old friends here and show them my life and introduce them to new friends. Plus they brought goodies from home like rice crackers (Jason, save it), Luna bars, blue painters tape, and stila eye liner!

Did I mention we also had our Interm show at school? I am not sure if I have to energy to write about it yet, but I will.

Highlights:
We were sober.
I think I was trying to show that by pointing out that my eyes were open.

Day trip to Canturbery with Crispy Creme:


Christie and I at Portobello on a sunny day (the past two weeks have been horrible weather-wise: surprise!)


Jaime, Camilla, and I went to Borough Market and the Tate Modern:


Abby and I gearing up for Alice in Wonderland in 3D with popcorn for dinner. You can, um, see the reflection in my glasses!

Brunch is not big here.

But Sunday Roasts are. Sunday Roast has some similarities to brunch: it is a long Sunday meal, often including alcohol. However, it is usually later in the day (you wouldn't want beef and potatoes cooked in duck fat first thing would you?) and clearly the food choices are different. It is all savory and no eggs. There are variations (pork roast, nut roast for veggies) and also other things on the menu like risotto. Another big difference is that Sunday roast is more family oriented than brunch. You go to the pub with the kids, and they relax along with the adults and their pints. Its quite nice.

The traditional roast, featured above, is beef, potatoes cooked in fat, yorkshire pudding (a popover like bread), and gravy as far as I am concerned. Bacchus, where Abby, Sean, and I went right around the corner, also added broccoli and a roasted vegetable mash. It was delicious.

You say stove top, we say Hob.

Lee is writing a blog about learning how to speak British English:
http://howtomovetolondonandhateit.blogspot.com/

I may have peer pressured her a little.

Gluten free English eating

I had three Gluten free meals in the past few days. Two were very traditional English meals that I was excited to be able to enjoy.

To start was high tea with Lee, Ellie, Liza, baby Alex, and Lee's cousin Davina at a little bakery called Bake-a-boo (okay, so the name is not as good as the food) in West Hampstead.

Here is the GF spread. Cucumber and egg salad sandwiches, raspberry and lemon cupcakes, scones (my favorite part), chocolate covered strawberries, and tea, of course.

One year old enjoying her tea:

One month old sleeping through tea:

Next up is my own English style breakfast sandwich that I ate for dinner. Buttered gluten free bread, a fried egg, and Heinz baked beans (I got the reduced sugar and salt variety which was better than the regular I think). Ps that is my mug that was won my first week here at a pub quiz (no thanks to me!).

Lastly, not English, but amazing and unexpected. I played tennis with Rebecka, Spence, and other friends yesterday afternoon and we went to a pizza place where I was unsure what I was going to order. Among the specials was the new gluten free option!! Only £2 extra and so good. Yes, that is an egg in the middle. Yum.

Art Update

Funny how I am in art school and hardly ever write about it. Life outside of school is way more interesting. Also, I hardly know what I'm doing at any given moment. But, alas, time for an art update.

I am making a bed to accompany my couch, which I am excited about. It is almost done, I just need to get on Natalie's sewing machine to make the pillows and the duvet. Oh and that is the blanket I knit on the side of the couch!

My progress review at the end of January went like this:

Me: I'm lost and I think my work is getting too nostalgic.

My tutors: Yes. Stop making all this repetitive/Dad/too-therapeutic work.

Me: I sort of hate you, but, you're right. Now what?

My tutor: Look at architecture.

Me: No.

Then came the couch. And then the bed. And then another tutorial with a new tutor.

It went like this: You are a painter and you should try painting again. Make 15 paintings on trauma in a month.

Me: Maybe you are right. Okay.

So now I am trying to paint again, which feels nice actually. Though, I forgot how expensive it is and how much I hate building stretchers. Anyway, that is the art update for now. If you see any traumatic photos online, send them to me. :)

"See you never" and a new piece.

I got a job! Finally, after applying to many over the past couple of months. I am going to be working part-time, which is all my visa allows, at Anthropologie. Of course as soon as I got the job I also got an interview at a school teaching art one day a week, but I think the flexibility of Anthro and the fact that even thinking about teaching a demo lesson on the Great Fire of London stresses me out makes it a good choice for now. I am oddly excited to be trying something new and totally different. I am not allowed to write about it on facebook or blog about it or anything like that so this is it for online sharing when it comes to work.

I am feeling like with a part time job and full time school I am going to be way busier than I have been but at the same time WAY more productive. So, my social life may suffer but maybe in a good, focused way. Here's hoping!

Also, I finally made something that I don't hate. It measures about 1 foot long or 29 cm. Here it is: