15 February 2011

London - Day 2

The day started off pretty mellow. I had a really good sleep, only woke up once. The cat, Chunky, came in and jumped on the bed. It walked up to me and sniffed my hand. I think it was saying hello. After a while it turned around and lay down at the foot of the bed. Then I fell asleep again. In the morning it was still there,  still sleeping. 

P woke me up suggesting breakfast. I agreed and it took a few minutes for me to understand where I was. Downstairs toast and everything was being prepared. We had some peanut butter bread and P said he didn't feel like going to work today,  and I told him I was going to nap for another hour before really starting my day. I didn't mean it that way, but sometimes I feel like I'm a bad friend.

I checked emails, sent greetings to a few friends abroad and slowly left home. I walked to Brixton Station and made it to Picadilly Circus. I got out and made sure the Samsung ad was still up there. Then I walked down Regent Street towards Charing Cross. P told me to walk along the Strand and we met up at the corner to Lancaster Place. 

He brought a collegue, Ah Reum, she took us to a Thai restaurant, which was very good. We had a really nice talk and I learned a lot about the city. When they had to go get back to work, I took another route and walked towards Chinatown, like they suggested me to. It was basically just around the corner, but had a super different feel to it. Really colorful and, I don't know, lots of Asians. Crazy.

After Chinatown came Soho, and I recognized a bookstore and a supermarket that I had been to before. It was a funny feeling, because I saw them ten years ago. Actually I think it was my birthday trip the year before I went to Munich for the first time. 

As I walked on, I passed another Thai restaurant, and I recognized that as well. In '07 I came to London to visit my friend Yoon, who used to study here. I wonder how she's doing these days, but I bet she's happy and busy, that's how I remember her. 

After that I got back to Oxford Street. I crossed it and followed Bond Street, which I found out is much like Tokyo's Ginza, clean and luxury, but not umcomfortable. I found my way back to Picadilly Circus and slowly walked back to the Strand to meet P again.

We passed Covent Garden and took seats in a bar called The Verve. I told him about my wandering, he told me about work. I keep thinking I should be having a proper job, too. Not even necessarily a fancy one, just some stability. I mean, translating stuff is great, and not only because I can decide to come to London and visit Patrick in the middle of the week. But it's nothing I can live off from permanently.

For dinner we had burgers and a program about crazy Gypsies. I had no idea, but Gypsies and traveling folks are super proud people who aren't really accepted by the rest of the Kingdom. Interesting shit, really. P said he'd like to try, whereas for me it seems to be too rough a life. I mean, they travel by horse.

Also, I had my first cup of tea with milk. It's a bit weird, but actually not too bad.

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