Time flies
It's been so long since I've written here that I'm actually having to use my diary to remind myself what I've done. Sorry Looney Lauren fans!
So time really has been flying by lately. We had a hot spell which kept me pretty lethargic for awhile. My flat becomes an oven in the heat.
Andy introduced me to my first official World Cup match, done the proper way - in a pub. We watched the USA get spanked by the Czechs. He also explained to me the rules of cricket, which I have promptly forgotten. Lauren's brain has little sticking power when it comes to sports.
We also saw another taping of that BBC radio show It's Been A Bad Week. Not as funny as the first time, but entertaining nevertheless. After we did that, I headed over to Soho to meet with the sister of an Aussie friend of mine who's in the country. It was spectacular fun hanging out with her. There was an England match on that night, so the streets were nearly vacant save for the crowd of people gathered outside every pub with a satellite TV.
So we did a pub crawl around the various pubs NOT showing the game and had a blast as these places were mostly vacant. Had my second celebrity sighting at The Ship pub, as Foo Fighter drummer Taylor Hawkins popped in for a pint. Then we had a dinner break at a tiny, cheap Chinese restaurant that wasn't showing the game, although our waiter insisted on yelling next door every 5 minutes for the score and then reporting back to us.
I had a lovely Saturday afternoon in Notting Hill visiting Christine. We did a little book and music shopping at some secondhand stores. Her flatmate works in a bookstore there and so I got a book I wanted for only £1. Very sweet. Then we hit a pub and an Indian restaurant, where the staff outnumbered the patrons (just us two) 3 to 1, though they were all crowded around a small TV set watching the USA v. Italy game. Every once in awhile one would grudgingly breaking away to serve us our curry. As they were cheering for USA they got very excited to find out I was American, and then insisted on telling us everything that was happening during the game and making sure the TV was at a perfect angle for our table. We got extra chocolate at the end because the USA scored and ended the game in a draw.
Sunday brought another visit from Graham. We meant to do a lot of things, but spent most our time watching movies he brought with him. We did get out a bit, with plans to see some of the England v. Sweden match and go to the cinema. Instead we hung out in a pub and had good conversation. We walked around Soho, Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square a bit in the dark. England fans were crawling the streets but because it was a tie there wasn't too much excitement. Neither celebrating nor brawling. Leicester Square was set up as a large, temporary ambulance service and was swarming with police, none of which was being used, but illustrates how wrong it could have gone if they were that prepared. It was all a bit surreal...being in the middle of something that almost happened.
My week away from reality is over now, though, and I must focus. Time for dissertations and job applications and seriousness.
Summer, however, is not a good season for seriousness. Blargh.
So time really has been flying by lately. We had a hot spell which kept me pretty lethargic for awhile. My flat becomes an oven in the heat.
Andy introduced me to my first official World Cup match, done the proper way - in a pub. We watched the USA get spanked by the Czechs. He also explained to me the rules of cricket, which I have promptly forgotten. Lauren's brain has little sticking power when it comes to sports.
We also saw another taping of that BBC radio show It's Been A Bad Week. Not as funny as the first time, but entertaining nevertheless. After we did that, I headed over to Soho to meet with the sister of an Aussie friend of mine who's in the country. It was spectacular fun hanging out with her. There was an England match on that night, so the streets were nearly vacant save for the crowd of people gathered outside every pub with a satellite TV.
So we did a pub crawl around the various pubs NOT showing the game and had a blast as these places were mostly vacant. Had my second celebrity sighting at The Ship pub, as Foo Fighter drummer Taylor Hawkins popped in for a pint. Then we had a dinner break at a tiny, cheap Chinese restaurant that wasn't showing the game, although our waiter insisted on yelling next door every 5 minutes for the score and then reporting back to us.
I had a lovely Saturday afternoon in Notting Hill visiting Christine. We did a little book and music shopping at some secondhand stores. Her flatmate works in a bookstore there and so I got a book I wanted for only £1. Very sweet. Then we hit a pub and an Indian restaurant, where the staff outnumbered the patrons (just us two) 3 to 1, though they were all crowded around a small TV set watching the USA v. Italy game. Every once in awhile one would grudgingly breaking away to serve us our curry. As they were cheering for USA they got very excited to find out I was American, and then insisted on telling us everything that was happening during the game and making sure the TV was at a perfect angle for our table. We got extra chocolate at the end because the USA scored and ended the game in a draw.
Sunday brought another visit from Graham. We meant to do a lot of things, but spent most our time watching movies he brought with him. We did get out a bit, with plans to see some of the England v. Sweden match and go to the cinema. Instead we hung out in a pub and had good conversation. We walked around Soho, Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square a bit in the dark. England fans were crawling the streets but because it was a tie there wasn't too much excitement. Neither celebrating nor brawling. Leicester Square was set up as a large, temporary ambulance service and was swarming with police, none of which was being used, but illustrates how wrong it could have gone if they were that prepared. It was all a bit surreal...being in the middle of something that almost happened.
My week away from reality is over now, though, and I must focus. Time for dissertations and job applications and seriousness.
Summer, however, is not a good season for seriousness. Blargh.
posted by Lauren Matson | 3:40 PM
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