London: The 'Holy Guacamole' and 'Its grim up north!' Episodes 4th July 99
Da na nanana, da na nananaaa, da na nanana TEQUILA! Yes the
impossible has been done and I'm now a fan of Mexican Fud, thanks to
Warrens trojan efforts in bringing me to Pacificos restaurant in Covent
Garden. The fact that they serve Margaritas in pitchers didn't hurt either.
Although the conversations following the devouring of a pitcher and a
half of the stuff would be best forgotton - my heart particularly goes
out to a certain innocent third party who couldn't help overhearing. I
won't mention any names, you know who you are Mr. Gavin (oops!).
Why is it that the residents of Earls Court seem hell bent on making
me interested in things that I won't have access to for another 3
months at least? There was the F1 last week and now Mexican food.
I've been staying with some friends nearer the centre of town recently.
Tim and Sorell are fast becoming candidates for sainthood
in my book. These people feed me and give me drinks and stuff and
rather consideratly live in zone 2 and I'm not let lift a finger
AND I get net access.
Sorrels old flat where I stayed
last friday night is 18 floors up and gave the best views I've ever had
of London. Especially since that very night there was a spectacular electric
storm which went on for hours. I was only sorry I didn't bring my new
binoculars and that I was too wasted from all that tequila to stay
up watching more of the storm. At this point Tim wishes me
to describe him as the sexy-ist man I've ever met - despite his
delusions my mate Sorrell seems to like him, and they've just found a
lurve nest (ahhh).
So there I was driving back to London yesterday in my cousins Richards
sporty car which goes to compliment his swanky Snaresbrook batchor flat
and generally flash lifestyle, listening to UB40 on the radio and reckoning
that life doesn't get much better than this. English DJs seem to have
gone mental on 80s retro type shows. Did I mention that
Rich is single, available and (probably) fertile? Any interested females
between 20 and 40 can contact me for more details ;-)
I'd been "up north" in
Leicestershire for a party in the town of Melton Mowbray, famous over here
for its pork pies and now famous for giving me a helacious hangover.
Bloody good party too! Its was a surprise party for a friend of my
cousins who I met about 10 years ago at some wedding. I'm not normally
obsessed with such things, but having put on about 3 stone since I met
Bea the birthday girl I was more than a little put out that she looked
exactly the same - completely infuriating when you take into account that
she had three kids in the intervening decade.
Anyway some features of the night were: getting to see some more
of the cousins and there various friends and families, talking with
an ex army guy about India at the end of the british Raj and getting
travel tips for Malaysia, managing to convince some kid that I was the
physical incarnation of Lara Whatshername from Tomb Raider(I have the
bruises to prove it) and playing Swingball in the rain with a woman
I didn't know. I'd had so much wine that by the end of the night I was
actually interested in the episode of Baywatch that was on TV in
the hotel. I was woken four hours later by my uncle telling me that brekkie
was on the go, this was a good thing but I'm sure there was a slight
tinge of sadism in the action. I didn't feel well, now its 11pm and
I'm beinging to feel better. And of course its not grim up north. The
people are more relaxed, the air is fresher, the landscape prettier so
its not surprising the SouthEastenders bad mouth it.
In other news I managed to catch up with another ex-galwegian in the
form of Toni last wednesday, I had delicious nachos in a trendy place
called The Match near where she works.
Hopefully I'll be able to see her again this
thursday when she gets back from NY. Will also be trying to get to
see Marion in London and Daragh and Nial in Oxford. And I still have
to pack.....with a bit of luck I might even to succeed in catching
the plane on friday.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, I've been getting to grips with modern
cameras. I got a new camera for my voyages and given that the last one
I had was 12 years ago and it came free with Readers Digest, technology
has been quite a shock. I'd been surviving on disposibles and borrowed
cameras for the last few years and still have a mistrust of automatics
but hey I'm getting there. And Joe was going to send me off with a
portable office?? ;-)
Given all this hoofing around, I reckon this is the last update I'll do
before africa and there they will be few and far between. I'm kinda
getting excited now that all the shopping is done but also nervous
about the two nights on my own in Nairobi. Also please forgive me
if my replying to emails is not always even, I can never remeber who
I replied to and who I didn't...
Coming Soon to a website near you : exclusive photo of me in Warrens
office. Also snail mail contact details for me for africa. Money, gifts,
money, more ORS, money, good wishes, money, news from home and money
are most welcome.
Bring on the Burritos! The Fajitas in your hand!
Arriba!
Aoife, Kilburn, London 23:50BST
Update Two : 29th June 99
Hey Folks,
I'm back agin and still in London as I'm sure ye know. I did check mail
yesterday but was unable to do much updating as I was tired from shopping
all day and had met David from Nigeria, who I'm sure wasn't very interested
in watching me replying to emails.
So whats to report? I spent a great and sunny weekend in Earls Court with
Warren. The weather was lovely and as he has a penthouse appartment I
spent the day sunning myself and watching a succession of planes flying
overhead to Heathrow. Also went for lunch in the "Prince of Wales" and
was rather morbidly I guess, discussing the meaning of getting older.
I
meant to get home saturday evening but it got a bit late so Warren and
his flatmate kindly put up with me for a second night.
I meant to get back to aunts for lunch on sunday when Warren went to
take part in the annual Tai Chi in the park day in Primrose Hill. But
again I was foiled due to Warrren's Aussie flatmate who fed me - Cheers for
the brekkie Antony! - and aquainted me with the intricasies and subtle
pleasures of Formula1. Although I have many friends in Ireland who are mad
into it I must say I could never understand the appeal but by the end
of the race (having been given the proper tuition of course) I'd turned
into quite a fan. Unfortunatly Siverstone takes place on the day I fly
out to Africa so it may be some time before I get to see it again ;-(
Right I must leave seeing as I'm blagging free access in the heart of white
stilletto land at my long suffering cousin David's house. I
reckon I deserve it after being set upon by his hyperactive but admittedly very cute
offspring. And there's a party going on and I'm in danger of becoming the
nerd of the herd sitting out here being terribly anti-social.
Adopo,
Aoife, Essex, 20:28BST
Update One : 24th June 99
After a very relaxing few days down south at the coast in which I'd all but forgotton the
hassles which almost made me forsake my sanity that Monday before I left Ireland,
I arrived in London yesterday.
Its been 3 years since I was last in London or indeed in england and not much has changed
apart from the Tube tickets going up in price and the roadworks near my aunts house being finished.
Right now I'm sitting in the same Netcafe I came into 3 hours ago, freezing my ass off near
the door (its 9:45pm and I'm in a t-shirt), wondering why I'm typing this, wheather any of
ye shites will read this and getting the gitters from the free coffee and the lack of food.
I had breakfast, a jacket potatoe for lunch and a bottle of coke today in total. Yesterday
I vegged out and today I had to come into town (I'm staying about 0.5 hours outside london center)
early to drop my passport of to the Tanzanian Embassy. Normally Irish people can get their free
visas at the border but not at the Ugandan one which I arrive at. Tommorw I have to collect it and
drop it off at the ugandan embassy. Its on trafalgar square but I had a hell of a job tracking
it down as I was (stupidly) looking for the ugandan flag rather than a whole load of gorillas
in the window.
The weather on the coast was lovely and I'm beginning to get a colour, other than deathly white that is
. Here in London its been cloudly and a little cooler but its better for going around town and getting things
done. I spent most of the afternoon wandering and getting lost in Covent Garden and Charring Cross and for
those of you interested in that sort of thing I found a really nice pair of sandally type things which are
lightweight and made entirly from nylon rope...
In other news, my enjoyment of London is being slightly hampered by the fact that I have no
one to enjoy it with. All the people I know here seem to be either incomunicado or out of town.
Matters are improving however as I'm going to get drunk with an old college mate tommrow (Warren) after
not being properly drunk since I left ireland (I had other things to do on the coast and the Anti-Malarials have
so far prevented me from enjoying a bevvy in the big city).
