Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
Last week, I was invited to the divine Rachel Vosper shop in Belgravia to try my hand at candle making. Three things made me want to give it a go: 1. Christmas is coming and this is a great gift idea. 2. I do love to get a bit arts n’ crafts every now and then and 3. It’s in Belgravia which is like, well posh innit. So off I went to play with some wax.
Tags: Belgravia, Candle making, christmas, Gift ideas, london, Rachel Vosper
Posted in life | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, August 10th, 2011
I was born in Canada, raised in Leeds. From the age of 13, all I ever dreamed about was living in London. So much so, that when it came time to apply for University, I applied for one and one only: The London College of Fashion. I wanted nothing else. It was there or nothing – which made it all the more embarrassing when I didn’t get in. But after a slight glitch and a year of begging, they finally changed their minds and off I moved. I was finally here. I was 19 years old and every day I was in awe of the city, everywhere I went I felt like I was on a movie set. I was in love with it. I was home. I’ve since lived a few places around the world, but I never shook the ‘London’ out of me and have finally gravitated back. As I type this now, helicopters circulate overhead, faint sirens can be heard in the distance – the full impact of the London Riots have only just begun to be felt.
Tags: london, London Riots, love
Posted in life | 10 Comments »
Tuesday, June 14th, 2011
Sunday started out like any other day. Some chores in the morning, a spot of lunch, then headed to meet a friend at her house that I hadn’t been to before. Armed with Google maps (my saviour), I set off, found her flat, then suddenly Sunday took an odd turn when three boys tried to mug me as I entered her building.
Tags: Crime, london, Mugging, Street Crime, Teenagers, Young Offenders, youth
Posted in life | 27 Comments »
Monday, May 9th, 2011
It’s that time people. Time to start training to run a half marathon and cross the finish line in style. I know what you’re thinking though: you’re unmotivated, you don’t think you can do it, you don’t want to do it alone. Well, hows about you join a team of badass chicks who will support, guide and motivate you the whole way through? Join Team Bangs on the Run!
You may remember, I put together a team of 20 girls to run the Paris Half Marathon. We had a blast during training and on race day and throughout the whole thing I had ladies contacting from all over wanting to join the team. So, this time around, I’m looking for 13 girls to run the Nike+ Run to the Beat Half Marathon with me in London on September 25th. Want to be involved? Details below:
Tags: london, Nike, Nike+ Run to the Beat Half Marathon, running, Team Bangs on the Run
Posted in life | 6 Comments »
Monday, January 12th, 2009
On New Year’s Eve, something terrible happened in London. A girl decided to urinate in the street. Sadly, this incident was caught on video and this being the age of the interweb, the girl, and her urine, have become somewhat infamous over the past couple of weeks.
Tags: chicks with no class whatsoever, dumb bitches, london, urine
Posted in life | 7 Comments »
Tuesday, January 6th, 2009
Well, it’s come to an end. My vacation, that is, not my life (though you may be forgiven for thinking so, due to my lack of posts the past few weeks). As you read this, I am on a plane headed back to Toronto (probably desperately trying to resist the urge to put some screaming infant in a choke hold).
- For those that are wondering, no, I did not go see this guy.
- Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year, ain’t it?
- Packing is a mother bitch. Seriously, I hate it. I’m having to leave two of my coats in England because I just can’t fit them in. No doubt my mother will adopt them and make sure they are cared for by wearing them at every available opportunity – I see you Mama!
- My British boys know how to dress. It’s so refreshing to see guys who give a crap about their appearance. Turn it out fellas. I ain’t mad at ya!
- To all my friends and of course, my fabulous family, thank you for showing me such a wonderful time. I miss you all desperately and I won’t leave it three years the next time, I promise. Love you long time.
Tags: england, life, london, the brits, The Wire
Posted in life | 5 Comments »
Sunday, November 30th, 2008
Uh oh. I think I’ve got that feeling again. I think I might want to move. Hand me that atlas!
Tags: home sickness, london, moving, the travel bug
Posted in life | 6 Comments »
Thursday, August 21st, 2008
My gypsy blood keeps me moving around. I love Toronto, but I do miss the other cities I’ve lived in, for various reasons. If I could combine all the best bits from these cities to make one big mega-ridiculously-cool city, well, then I’d really be onto something.
Here’s what I miss about my homes away from my current home:
Things I miss about London
- My friends.
There’s just no one quite like them.
- Portobello Market
I love the sights, sounds and smells of this place. Rarely did I miss a saturday here. Start at the Ladbroke Grove end and wander through the streets to finish with lunch at Manzara in Notting Hill. Perfect way to kick start the weekend.
- Marketplace on Thursday nights
Great music, great people. great vibe. And the cheapest night out you’ll ever have.
- Roti Hut on Shepherd’s Bush Road
Roti for £2.40! And it’s the best I’ve ever tasted. I recently had a roti in Toronto that cost me $8. What kind of shit is that?! I realize it was Caribana, but c’mon Toronto, that’s just wrong.
- The ‘don’t be a sinner, be a winner’ guy
This dude would stand at Oxford Circus with a mega phone, trying to preach to passersby. ‘Don’t be a sinner, be a winner.’ was his line of choice. I always intended to get that printed on a T Shirt.
- Topshop
Can’t even reminisce about this one too much – it brings a tear to my eye.
Things I miss about New York
- 110th Street
and all the craziness that came with it.
- The Holy Trinity
Me, The Koom and Nat Nat – three in your face British chicks. We toughed it out together through thick and thin, when no one could understand us and when we just couldn’t get our heads around Americans. I don’t know how I would have made it through without them.
- Crazy people
New Yorkers are balls out crazy and I love it. People in Toronto preserve their crazy. If we had a higher proportion of craziness here, it would give Toronto a lil more zing. Let the crazy go!
- The Vibe
can’t be explained. It is what it is.
- The summertime
and the guys who play basketball on that court by West 4th, oftentimes shirtless – thank you.
- $2 pepperoni rolls in Coney Island
worth the 2 hours and price of a subway ride to get there.
Things I miss about Tokyo
- The hilarious situations that ensue from the language barrier.
Like one of my students who told me he was going to ‘eat out’ his wife that weekend. Several embarrassing moments later, I realised he meant eat out with his wife.
- Nads.
My partner in crime. It just wasn’t the same after you left homie.
- That certain someone.
He knows who he is.
- Daikanyama.
My favourite area to just roam around in.
- The 7th floor of Tower Records in Shibuya
The only place to get english language books and magazines. It’s like Mecca when you first move there.
- The peace and quiet of temples and shrines
Proves that religion has nothing to do with it. I had some fairly profound moments in Japanese shrines.
- Heated toilet seats
Best. Thing. Ever! I fully intend to import these bad boys. With how cold it gets here in winter, a heated toilet seat that warms your tush and plays music could be just what the doctor ordered.
- Being a celebrity
Being a foot taller and ten shades whiter than the rest of the population garnered some attention. People would stop me in the street and take my picture, or sneak one on their camera phone while on the train. Frankly, I’m disgusted I don’t get the same treatment here in Toronto.
When I get ‘home sick’, I think about all these places, people and things. And I guess I’m pretty lucky I can.
Tags: city living, london, new york, tokyo, toronto, urbanite
Posted in life | 8 Comments »
Sunday, May 4th, 2008
Being just north of the border, we’re exposed to a whole lot of American media. Sometimes this is good (I’m very thankful Jon Stewart comes into my life on a nightly basis), sometimes it’s bad (I could really do without Al Roker). American news shows, in particular, are pretty in your face, but over the last couple of weeks, they’ve been nothing short of a giant high school girl bitch fit on steroids.
First there was the rice shortage. With all the food in America, I doubt the lack of a little bit of rice will lead to a famine. But of course, the way it played out in the American media, it was the end of the world. Sam’s Club (which I believe is some sort of CostCo type outlet) was limiting purchases of rice to four bags per person. It should be noted that these ‘bags’ of rice are more like sacks of rice that require a fork lift truck to carry them. How hungry do you have to be to buy four sacks of rice? I imagine one sack would keep you going for an entire year. But yet, the news showed people stocking up on rice like it really was going out of fashion.
Then there was the Miley Cyrus controversy. OK, um, news flash America: it was an Annie Leibowitz shot with her back exposed, not a centrefold in Playboy. Calm the hell down. It garnered hours and hours of debate on every show going and the general consensus seemed to be that this was the worst bit of child pornography the world had ever seen. One show had a segment with mothers called ‘what should you tell your kids about the Miley Cyrus photos’. Well, I would tell my kids to have better taste in music and I’d tell the mothers to get a grip.
And then of course, there’s the story that refuses to die: Reverend Jeremiah White. First off, I thought the States had that whole ‘separation of church and state’ thing going on. So, technically, the church Barack Obama chooses to attend should have nothing to do with his campaign. Oh, but I guess it’s a different rule book when there’s a black man running for president. As for what the Rev said about 9/11 being karma for the states – is the USA really that unaware that the rest of the world kind of shares that view? And no, that doesn’t mean, in any way, shape or form that anyone deserved to die. It just means that America had been going around bombing the crap out of other countries for years and it’s a little unrealistic to think that no one would bomb America eventually.
So, US of A, how about you just chill the hell out. The rice ain’t going anywhere anytime soon. Miley Cyrus’s back will not corrupt the youth of the country. And don’t just focus on the craziness of Jeremiah White. The man has great robes that can definitely rival those of the Pope and the Polygamists. C’mon – credit where credit’s due people!
Earth to London, Come in London…
Ahhh, LDN, you know I love you right? I do, I really do. From the moody shop assistants, to the most knowledgeable cab drivers the world has ever seen, I love it all. So, when it came to the mayoral elections last friday, well, what happened? I feel like I missed something and woke up to a really bad practical joke where Boris Johnson is suddenly mayor. Except it’s not actually a joke. Boris Johnson? BORIS FRIKKIN’ JOHNSON??!! That’s the best we can do? Seriously? Did you all just forget to go out and vote or something? Words kind of fail me. What kind of crazy, topsy turvy world are we living in where that mumbling, bumbling mess that is, Boris Johnson, can be mayor of London town? Answers on a postcard please.
Tags: drama, Jon Stewart, london, mayors, overreacting, the US of A, tv
Posted in life | 3 Comments »
Monday, April 7th, 2008
Yesterday, the city of London did its best to extinguish the olympic torch on the UK leg of of the quest to get that bitch to China. With all the protests about human rights violations in China, seeing if the torch actually makes it to the destination has become an olympic event in itself.
As west London is my former manor, I take pride in the fact that Ladbroke Grove initiated the crazy. Because it’s the most gangsta of the boroughs, some dude somehow managed to weasel his way through a 50-deep crowd of people and police to attempt to wrestle the torch out of the hands of Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq. I understand the cause and all, but did he have to tackle the kiddies TV presenter? Not to worry – if things had gone sour, she could have fixed the torch with some sticky back plastic, two bits of cardboard and an egg carton.
Further along the route, two people broke through the barricades, busted out a fire extinguisher (I don’t know about you, but I always keep one stashed in my handbag) and tried to put out the torch that way, but instead, they only seemed to fan the flames of police rage as the boys in blue threw them to the ground and brought out the handcuffs.
It was getting so rowdy they had to switch to a bus for a while, so no one could even see the torch at that point (which I’m sure the throngs of people waiting in the rain to see it were thrilled about). Someone then jumped in front of the bus wielding a ‘Free Tibet’ banner, disrupting the journey yet again. All the interruptions seemed to throw everyone off as the tour went the wrong way down a one way street at one point – what a complete clusterfuck.
More police had to be called in, some protesters were peaceful, others didn’t stop making running jumps to douse the flame. They never did manage to extinguish it, but it was some great entertainment watching them try. Keep it gangsta, London.
Tags: london, the brits
Posted in life | 5 Comments »
