London 5: London Grub

Fish and chips and sausage with mashies and peas. These are typical (and cheap) english meals. (Yes, they still use coke glasses and coke bottles over there.)

One can have his meals at pubs, too. London Chinatown is a bit different from the other chinatowns. More soul? Their lechon kawali (or oven) was really mouth watering, but the prawns were a bit tasteless (frozen??).

And don't eat at those Chinese buffets elsewhere. I did at a joint close to the Victoria and Albert Museum despite my daughter's warnings. Blaah!

London 4: Shoreditch and the Saatchi

I will always remember the Saatchi Gallery for the giant red print of Che(r). Also of the sculpture which I had to make sure was really one - the huddled group in one corner. And of one arrangement of speakers which reminded me of the basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway.

After she finished work on Thursday, Kim and I walked from the Liverpool Street Station to the area known as Shoreditch. We passed a lot of shops, bars and restaurants, some odd, like a bar on an actual red doubledecker in a big parking lot. (across the three black and white wall drawings.)

It was a place for the young, Kim told me like a warning. I could see for myself and I was already thinking, where did all these yuppies come from?
The bars could not even contain them. They spilt in the corners and filled the sidewalks. The males in white shirts with half unknotted ties and jackets on their arms, a drink in one hand.

Farther were a concentration of Indian restaurants where 'sales reps' accost you to persuade you with their specials, much like in the halo-halo days of Central Market in Manila. We tried one and we discovered a very healthy (lots of turmeric) and tasty dish-Biryani. So no regrets. ( At Dishoom in Leicester Square, a more expensive place, it wouldn't be that good.)

(September 6 and 9, 2010)

London 3: The Osborne House

The Osborne House was only meant to be a summer home but Queen Victoria and her family found it a perfect refuge from the trappings of royalty that they spent a lot more time here than was expected. In fact, Victoria spent most of the rest of her life here in seclusion after his prince's death at the age of 42. Upon seeing Windsor Castle and the State Apartments, my reaction was 'Wow', here however it was a feeling of sadness and eerieness especially when I was in the bedroom where the lonely queen died (1901) and the dining room where a wake was held before bringing her to London. On a positive note, at least one realizes that she and Prince Albert and their nine children and some grandchildren were able to live as normal as they could and enjoy each other in this lovely home with its vast grounds and gardens. Most of the giant oaks and other trees were planted upon the behest of the prince when they acquired the property and have always been silent witnesses to history. The terraces, the Swiss House and the walled garden are all worth visiting. Photography inside is not allowed but I was able to take pictures of the outside from the upper level windows. At least I was afforded a view of what royalty saw when they looked out their windows.
(September 12, 2010)

London 2: Across the Solent

We were on our way to the Osborne House in the Isle of Wight in the southern part of England. From London Waterloo we took the train to Portsmouth Harbor Station and the Wightlink Ferry was right there to take as across the Solent to the town of Ryde in the Isle of Wight. Here we would have to transfer to a small train to town then take the green double-decker to East Cowes where the royal house was. It was a beautiful day, sunny blue skies with dabs of white, fluffy cotton clouds. The sea wasn't mediterranean blue, it was pale greenish grey, but it came out alive because of the sun and the sky and the tiny dots of white sails and the path of white froth left by our ferry behind. Ah, the excitement that a boat ride can generate!
(September 12, 2010)

London 1: Dover Beach

the sea is calm tonight

the tide is full ...

I don't know if this was how it was in Matthew Arnold's days, but what amazed me with this beach is its immense density, pebblewise. The vertical height of the stack of pebbles may be two meters at its highest, one other tourist guessed. I thought the mostly gold and russet stones were clean and nice to look at upclose.

(September 8, 2010)

Lee Anne and the Bride

Lee Anne is only thirteen going on fourteen but looks so grown up in this photo. This was taken at the grounds of Leonard's of Great Neck in Long Island before we went in for IAAI's annual dinner-dance. I love the composition of this picture. And the contrast of the black and white dresses.

(August 27, 2010)

Fearless Lyla

Star City is an amusement park in Manila that I think lags far behind the ones here in the US in terms of size, modernity, variety and safety, but for some reason my grandchildren love it and want to visit again.

Lyla, 7, tried the bubble when we were there this May. She didn't hesitate one bit, walked up and waited for her turn, went inside the giant plastic contraption, knelt quietly while it was being filled up with air and when sealed and thrown in the water, just kept it rolling and rolling on. I, the worrier, as usual was concerned if there was enough breathing air, etc., though her Mom wasn't. On another day, in Eastwood, Lyla went bungee jumping as fearlessly. She was bouncing up to the treetops. Walang takot, talong-talo ang Lola.

(May 2010)