March madness

Hard to believe its already March..

It's been a pretty good start to the year so far, especially with the UK hitting the record books with February being the "sunniest" since the records began.

In other news, what's new?

For the sake of record keeping, I have finished the first novel of the year, The God of Small Things. Its probably the most descriptive, most poetic, and vivid novels I've ever read. I wouldn't put it on my top 10, but its definitely an interesting read due to its poetic nature. I'm half way through another novel, Wild at Heart, a gift from a close friend. So, I'd say I'm at a good pace that I set earlier this year.

Have I golfed? No. Have I rode my bike. No. Have I picked up a new skill? Not yet. I plan on registering to some "Acting Classes" soon. We'll see how that goes.

Just like last year, with the change in living space, I think its time to "mix things up" again. Taking a page out of Obama's playbook, its "time for change". I'll keep you updated on that soon if things come to fruition.

Before I forget, if you still haven't seen Marion Cotillard's Oscar winning peformance in La Vie en Rose (La Môme) check it out!

Other than that, things are pretty amazing. Lots of laughs and good times.

Although, hopefully some of you will have a chance to visit sometime this year. Usually around this time, there's "buzz" about people visiting or planning a trip somewhere to Europe where I can meet up. Just let me know!

Earthquake!!

I must have been fast asleep, or too far from the epicenter, but I didn't feel a thing.

Yes we can.

If you haven't seen it, now is your chance. Will.I.Am - Yes.We.Can.

Hamburg, Germany

Why a visit to Hamburg, Germany? Mainly, cost! It was a cheap way to get out of the city. A long overdue post, thought I'd share a small bit of my experiences on the trip.

First, the facts:

• Hamburg was bombed heavily during WWII.
• Its the second largest city in Germany
• According to Wikipedia, Hamburg has more bridges (2300) than Venice and Amsterdam combined!
• In the early 1960s the Beatles use to play in several clubs around the Reeperbahn

The weekend was a nice getaway from the hectic, fast-paced chaos that is London. After living here for over 2 years, a weekend away to "catch my breath" is always a good thing. We did the usual things: enjoying the food, sightseeing, and checking out the nightlife.



But probably the most interesting and unusual thing was finding a Filipino pub/karaoke bar. It was like deja vu because a trip to Frankfurt a while back, a group of us came across a similar situation where we discovered a Filipino pub/karaoke bar as well!


Anyway, my mate and I walk in and I feel like I'm in a family party. The place is packed with Filipinos singing karaoke completely off key. We head to the back of the pub and play some pool and enjoy the beer with the Filipino accent soundtrack fills our ears! My mate wanted to leave because he was a bit annoyed by the American Idol wannabes. I, on the other hand, completely felt at home! Unfortunately, I wasn't bold enough, nor drunk enough to grab the mic and have a go!

February sun

The one of the best parts of living in London?

The winter.

A bright and sunny 52F in mid February and spending a day in the park with a spring jacket is not something you would do in Chicago!

I took advantage of this beautiful weekend by spending some time in Hyde Park on Saturday watching the sunset and hitting up Kensington Gardens on Sunday enjoying "cakes" from Patisserie Valerie

In the pipeline..
Still have to post my trip to Hamburg, Germany... and restaurant reviews! (Yes, there's some really good food in London!)