Brighton, East Sussex

Brighton is a hour and a half train ride south of London. I couldn't let a three day weekend pass by without a trip somewhere, so I was off to the southern coast of England. Known to be the "vegetarian capital of Europe," 60 percent of its population are under the age of 45! It is also known for its thriving gay and lesbian scene!

I actually didn't know these facts before my visit, but experienced it myself! Well, except for the gay and lesbian bit. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

When eating at a restaurant, I did notice the large amount of vegetarian options and when walking around there were a lot of "Vegetarian-like" restaurants. And indeed, there were a lot of younger people!


The picture on the right is Brighton Pier! Unfortunately it doesn't come close to Navy Pier. It has an old feel to it with carnival rides at the end of the pier. You know the kind of carnival rides that travel from suburb to suburb back in the States.
And what would a set of carnival rides be without carnival games. You know the ones that rip you off because they look so easy to play but really they're not.

Then there's the beach. I have a new visual when it comes to a pebble beach. See below:



Imagine a beach with small pebbles. The last beach I went to was South Beach. This beach doesn't compare. (Well there was a "nude beach" section, but no nudes!) Imagine laying out on small pebbles like this! What about sand castles! Or burying yourself up to your neck in sand! I guess the only good bit is that you don't get sand in places you don't want!

I think the best part of the city is the large amount of bohemian, independent shops in a section of the city called North Laine. Its a network of cobbled streets, otherwise known as the "Lanes" and its basically full of different shops that have this "urban outfitter," wicker-park, artsy type feel.

Unfortunately it wasn't as warm as it should be so there wasn't a lot of people enjoying the beach.



Maybe next time I can get small pebbles stuck in my underwear as I sit on the beach. I'm sure it won't itch as much as sand does.

Dreams That Money Can Buy

You know those contests where you fill out those little postcards with your information and drop it in this shoebox with a slit to put the postcard in?

I never win. But this time I actually did.

It was a contest for work and I actually won two tickets to a concert at the
Tate Modern
I was quite excited since I never win anything.

When I picked up the tickets the ticket read:

"Hans Richter's Dreams That Money Can Buy With The Real Tuesday Weld"
"Unreserved seating on floor cushions."

It was funny because we were trying to decipher the ticket to figure
out the name of the band.

Was it?

"Hans Richter's Dreams That Money Can Buy" and "The Real Tuesday Weld" would be the band starting the gig off ?

Or was the band name the whole name printed on the ticket?

Was it British Hip Hop? Indie music? Good ol' fashioned Rock and roll?

My coworker and I had no idea. And the fact that this was taking place in a Modern Art Museum, we were never too confident in our guesses.

The fact that we were sitting on floor cushions and surrounded by modern art kept us guessing.

We get there fashionably late and pick up our "Gourmet Food Boxes" which came with a small bottle of champagne.

We sat down on our floor cushions and our guesses never came close.

"Hans Richter's Dreams That Money Can Buy" translated to a Director and a movie.
and "The Real Tuesday Weld" was the name of the band.

Movie and a band you ask? Exactly.

It was one of the weirdest yet thought provoking performances I've ever watched. Also, sitting on the floor of the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern on a floor cushion to watch a movie and a band is an interesting first time experience.

First, the movie itself was quite interesting and disturbing at the same time. Its about a guy who starts a business selling dreams his own dreams! The actors in the movie didn't interact through verbal speech, but instead, interacted visually (by staring at each other) and a voice over would describe what they were thinking or saying to the other person.

Each of the dream sequences would involve surreal images. Different colours, shapes, and objects were displayed on the big screen and during this time the band would play.

Overall, it was quite an interesting experience, especially with 4 glasses of chamagne and missing a proper dinner. =)

Happy Birthday Blog!

Ahhh.. just a year ago I made my first entry. Thanks Blog for listening.. and thanks to all the friends and family that read my ramblings about life in London.

I hope you've learned a few things about London culture, about my trials and tribulations of leaving home, and maybe you've learned a little bit of me you didn't know before.

In any case, here's to another year of blog posts. I hope you've enjoyed reading some of my posts as much as I have had fun writing them. (My favorite post was of course this) I only hope to continue to use this medium to keep in touch with close family and friends.

And to contrary to popular belief, yes, we do have Monday off! So here's to the three day weekend!!

Weather and Football

The top two topics of conversation are no other than the weather and of course, Football.

Talking about the weather is an everyday thing. Its almost an ice breaker with any Brit. Talking about the weather comes right after saying hello. It's small talk and almost a greeting of sorts. Also, Brits aren't happy if you make fun of their weather. I've made fun of it a couple times and just by reading their faces I could tell it was a sensitive topic. I've learned to simply agree to whatever comment is made about the weather and say things like: "At least its not raining!" when there is severe overcast. (Of course it rains like an hour later.)

Football or Soccer is another huge topic of conversation. I usually get left out of these discussions because I am not affiliated with any specific team. Everyone seems to be affiliated with a football team but me. Its public knowledge on which team you are cheering for. You get made fun of if your team loses and get praised if your team wins, almost as if you personally had to do with the outcome of the game. People ask me who I'm affiliated with and I say I don't have a team. People are shocked by this and even give me recommendations on what team I should be cheering for. I think I'm leaning towards Arsenal, mainly because where I live. My area is full of Arsenal fans. I guess It would be like not having a baseball team and choosing the Cubs because you would be living in the Northside of the city. I guess the French are big Arsenal fans as well. That's what my colleague tells me at least. I guess because the coach and their top player, Thierry Henry is French.

Should be interesting with the World Cup starting in a few weeks. At least I'm starting to learn the teams to look out for and who the big names are. Just wish it would stop raining.

100th entry

100 entry. Sweet. The blog's 1 year birthday is coming up too. I wanted to time it right and get 100 posts after 1 year, but then I'd have to wait until the end of the week. And why wait?

Have you ever read something where, for some reason, you think you were meant to read it?

I NEVER read my horoscope. (I'm actually don't know much about astrology, all I know is my sign.) I can't even remember the last time I read it. But for some reason I did.. today.

"Keep focusing on alone time -- do not let social expectations drive you out into the world if you're not feeling it. Your charm doesn't react well to pressure, anyway. If you really want to have fun, make social decisions based on what would make you happiest. It sounds simple, of course -- but it's only simple if you remember to do it. Work pressures will ease, so expect a lot of free weekday nights. Enjoy them alone or with your favorite person (which could be you too). "

Well damn. That hit it right on the dot. Scary. I felt like it was talking to me.
But it really is capturing what I'm going through.

So it says I have to make social decisions based on what would make me happiest. Hmm.. still trying to figure that out. Because honestly, that would involve people back home right now! 18 more days!

The power of feedback and coaching

There's nothing like people telling you what they think of you especially if they are complete strangers that you have no prior relationship with.

You have this whole perception of yourself, but its not until you collect constructive and positive feedback from people that you really realize your strengths and weaknesses.

You also can't underestimate the power of coaching either. You may not have any experience with a specific topic or issue that an individual is dealing with... but if you simply ask the right questions, resisting the temptation of offering any advice, that individual can eventually work out the issue on their own.

I think its so easy to offer advice to people, but sometimes, the answer that individual is looking for may in fact be within themselves.

Where is this all coming from? I took this management course and I'm so empowered. ;-)

The Fix

I was afraid it would be weird, uncomfortable, maybe even awkward, but it was the same feeling as I remembered. The fix began the same way it ended: Laughter.

A brilliant ice breaker to began it all, and as with any true friendship, we simply picked up where we left off. Yet again, a spectrum of topics were covered and I didn't want it to end. What has only been 2 days, its like I've known her for 20. Perhaps it’s the fact that she reminds me of "back home." Maybe it’s the connection that we have that I have yet to experience since moving here. Whatever it is, I didn't want it to end.

But it did end and who knows when we'll cross paths again. I remain hopeful, but realistic. But I ask myself sometimes, when is it all worth fighting for?

If you believe in this concept of "fate" then things find itself working out on its own and "written in the stars." But if you believe in creating your own destiny, then its your actions that dictate life's outcomes. Everyone has their own view.

My view? There's a balance. There are certain things you can control and must accept and certain things you cannot change. The key is knowing the difference.

I'm trying to figure that out right now.

Sliding Doors

It just amazes me sometimes on the impact of the decisions you make will completely change the rest of your life.

I think there are "critical forks in the road" in your life where your decision alters the experiences you will have.

Do we really have complete control? Or is there a predetermined plan for all of us?

I only ask this because I will always wonder... the other "What if.."

"What if I never made the move here and stayed in Chicago?"

I wonder how my life would have been..

I'll be quite honest, and I've expressed it before:

Initially, I didn't want to make the move.

Perhaps it was because I was scared? Maybe I was afraid of change?
But I wasn't completely 100% sure that it was the right decision.
I even had long conversations with some of you on what I should do...

But I gave it a chance. And to this day, I'm still giving it a chance.
With the decision I'll have no regrets and at least I know now how its like
living here instead of wondering how it would have been.

I can't say right now that moving here was the best decision of my life because
I honestly don't know that right now.

Maybe later in life I'll realize how great of a decision it was. But right now I can't say that. I guess I can say that it wasn't a bad decision.

Am I glad I moved?

Yes. I'm glad I did because I know I've done things I would have never experienced if I stayed in Chicago. Perhaps I'm changing as a person right now but I don't even know it. But making the right decision sometimes doesn't always lead to happiness.

I'm not saying I'm all depressed or anything, I'm just saying.. I know I can be happier. For some reason I notice this more than I ever did when I was in Chicago.

Maybe because I miss being comfortable around people I've known so long. Or in some cases, people I've just met on the first day..

Maybe its the weather.. maybe its the people.. maybe its just me and the stage
I am in with my life.. I don't know.

Sure, from a career mindset this is probably the best decision I've ever made.
But I guess sometimes, after a while, you realise all of a sudden what becomes important to you.

And I guess, for me, right now, there's a lot of social aspects about Chicago that I really miss.

The people, the weather, the food, the city itself. Perhaps I'm just really anxious because I'll be back in less than a month.. who knows!

But If I could experience the UK with any one of my loyal readers,
it would make a world of a difference.

Anybody wanna move? =)

But seriously, I'm not one to second guess my decisions, its just fun to ask "What if" once in a while, that's all.

I think it would be very interesting to see at this moment, what I would be up to right now, if I did decide to stay in Chicago, just like the movie Sliding Doors.

Yoga master
Still in yoga.. after 15 sessions I actually had a conversation with someone in the class.. but then again, maybe its because I went to the pub before yoga.. dangerous.

3 weeks later...

There are a few occasions in my life where I can completely and totally connect with someone. I've gotten to know a lot of women in my life that have come and gone. Some have made an impact in my life; others would be best left forgotten. =)

There are a small number, and you know who you are, that I have had a total connection with and still keep in touch to this day.

With each connection, this sometimes leads to some kind of relationship. It could be the best of friends, or perhaps something more intimate such as a serious relationship, and sometimes it just doesn't work out.

As human nature would have it, there's a tendency to compare your new current relationship to your previous ones. And as a check, there always this idea that you would want something better than you did in the past. You take what you've learned from the past and apply it to the present. With that it mind, it can only get better.

There's always this yearn to experience a feeling that you haven't felt before in the past. Or perhaps you have, and you just don't know how it feels like anymore because it has been so long.

You eventually want to work it up to the "higher level." You want to meet someone that you can completely and utterly connect with. Sometimes you meet someone that, in a matter of seconds have an instant care and admiration for. You can't explain why or how, but it just happens. This person completely "gets" you. They can look at you and read what you are thinking and hear a lot of the words that are left unspoken. They just feel what you are thinking. They finish your sentences. They get your humour. And there is nothing in the back of your mind that makes you worry about what they will think of you. Because its easy. You are not afraid to hold back and be yourself. You get into this natural high with them, and its this excitement that you feel that makes life so much worth living.

Sometimes this understanding, this connection, may take months, even years to establish as you get to know one another. Sometimes people may not even get to experience this at all and the relationship doesn't work out. But magically, others get lucky and this is established with just one day of meeting. For reasons that cannot be explained its like both of you somehow knew each other in a past life and it almost seems like you two were soul mates right from the beginning.

This feeling is a complete endorphin rush. Almost intoxicating. Euphoric.. It's Addicting and you never want it to stop.

But then things get complicated. The reality of life and its uncontrollable circumstances take over. Frustration surfaces. You begin to question why fate is such a tease.

Then you realise..it was simply a taste.

A taste I want to experience again, but not sure when or how or if I'll get a chance again.

Its very rare and hard to find and I appreciated every single moment of it. It's a level of connection that I didn't know could exist so quickly and so easily.. until now.

This was 3 weeks ago... and the buzz still hasn't left me. I need another fix soon... but not sure how long I'll have to wait.. or if it will happen again.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo - This day commemorates the victory of Mexican forces over the French in 1862.

In Chicago, if I remember correctly, this is one of those days were proud Mexicans drive around waving their Mexican flags. (The other day being Sept 16 when the Mexican's claimed independence from the spanish) Sometimes you'll see flags taped to the hood of their cars as they drive up and down the street, honking their car horns. It's also another reason to party as various bars hold Cinco de Mayo parties!

Unfortunately, I really don't think I'm going to see proud Mexicans driving up and down the street with their flags taped onto their hoods. Why? Mainly because I believe there is a direct relationship between the number of Mexican food restaurants and the size of the Mexican population in London.

Since I haven't exactly come across any good burrito places, nor many Mexican restaurants for that matter, I'm pretty sure coming across a car with a Mexican flag pinned to its hood wouldn't be very likely. Nothing like I would see "West of Western" back home that's for sure.

Oooo.. Maybe someone will tape a flag to the train in the tube. That would be awesome.

I wonder how India Independence Day (from the UK) is celebrated here in London? (Aug 15) With the large amount of Indians in London, that would be a party. I can see it now. Flags taped to the hoods, horns honking up and down the streets of London, playing Beware of the Boys by Panjabi MC and Jay-Z. Brilliant.
That would be one hell of a sight, and one hell of a party. I almost can't wait.

Keswick, Cumbria, England

I didn't know anything about this little town until my coworker said he was going to spend the weekend there. Nor did I know anything about the "Lake District." It was going to be a three day weekend, and there was no chance that I'd be staying in London.


We stayed at a bed and breakfast called Bagsend. It was my first time so I didn't know what to expect. It's really strange because you literally are living in someone's house. It's the strangest feeling. But the breakfast was good and the bed was perfect. Not only that but there was a shower in my room! How convenient, but weird at the same time! I guess it would be similar to living in a studio but it was just strange just having a shower right next to my bed!

We spent the first day taking a "walking tour" around the area. I bought a map for 60p at the tourist center and it gave me this "Lonely Planet" type walking tour around the area. This tour ended with a view that looked over Lake Derwentwater.




The second day we spent most of the day mountain biking. We left around 11AM and what was frustrating was that for the next four hours there wasn't any food/water along the way that we could buy! I was so tired, thirsty, and hungry. But we made it. It was probably the most technical ride I've done. Not that I'm all hard core about mountain biking, but there were 45 degree climbs and we had to ride over crags. Crags you ask? I had no idea what they were either until I tried riding over them.

It was funny sometimes because we'd get passed by hard core mountain bikers. We tried to look all hard core but it didn't help we were wearing jeans while they had their proper biking shorts, cool helmets, etc.

At the end of it all, even with the hard physical work I had put in, we were rewarded with awesome views of the country and made me appreciate England a little bit more.

I leave you with one of my favourite images:

Sunglasses

I wore my sunglasses this morning because it was sunny. But now its not. Even when its super sunny, not a lot of people here wear sunglasses. I believe that not many people even own a pair. Except for maybe the cool fashionable people. Like me. Even though mine were only $10. But they look cool.

Happy May Day!

Happy May Day. And to celebrate, I'm not going to work! Actually it was a bank holiday today and have just gotten back from another trip! Gotta love the 3 day weekends.

Instead of hitting a popular European city, this time I went into the country!
Destination: Keswick, Cumbria, in what is known as the "Lake District" in England, north of Leeds but still south of Edinburgh.

I spent the weekend with another coworker enjoying outdoor activities such as hiking and mountain biking. Pics to come soon. It was a nice change of pace to enjoy nature and the weather rather than hitting museums, churches and other historical landmarks. I've never been outside of London for a holiday and it was long overdue. It was also my first time staying at a Bed and Breakfast and I would definitely do it again!