So my line of work has led me to have to engage with quite a lot of the rubbish that's written about social networking and how it's going to transform our world... it's not that I don't believe it, but more that I find the zealot-like nature of some of the main advocates of these arguments a little creepy. And I can't escape the suspicion that the vast majority of them (with a few honourable exceptions like him and him) are basically socially awkward freak boys.
Anyway. I have found a site that I genuinely think is excellent (thanks, S). Scarlet Mist is a site for fan-to-fan ticket swaps at face prices. What'll all those touts at Brixton station do now hmm? I am *hoping* that the site delivers on all the various gigs I appear to have missed out on whilst in hibernation... things like Goldfrapp at RFH, or Vampire Weekend, or Robyn. Was amused to spot gigs by Joe Satriani and Terrorvision whilst perusing, although I think I can live without those ones... even if G can't...
Sunday, 30 March 2008
Eastern promises
I spent large amounts of yesterday trying to deliver on my promise of organising a date, and kicking myself for forgetting that other Londoners are uncannily savvy and always getting in there first, doing annoying things like booking up all the places i'd like to go. However, looking on the bright side, (a) I spent lots of time checking out places that I intend to return to, and (b) I reconnected with the wonderfulness that is Time Out after a couple of months of ignoring it.
And as it happened, eventually a cunning plan came together, which proved to be lovely despite the inevitable lateness-caused-by-rubbish-traffic that always characterises my interactions with any area near Liverpool Street. We wound up at the Eyre Brothers restaurant, where I apparently ordered the thing on the menu designed exclusively for girls (herbs and cress and walnuts, yum) whilst S consumed a steak bigger than my head. This restaurant is text book good - dark wood, delightful waiters who forgave my earlier rudeness on the phone, well-spaced tables, great loos. I gather it is part of the chain that also runs Cigala so I unwittingly have been handing them fistfuls of cash in recent weeks. But I don't really mind cos they're lovely.
From there we went on to Green and Red, which I can't stop calling Green and Blacks, even though I don't even like chocolate much. N was full flow at her leaving do, and it was lovely to see her, and various other former workmates, as well as a surprising number of thinktank boys who all appeared to be there as the arm candy of their girlfriends who were in N's book club. A little out of place amidst music bordering on cheesy in a Mexican basement bar, but still...
It all got a bit messy thanks to sherry mixed with wine mixed with margharitas mixed with rum and cokes, but that was probably a good thing given we more or less walked home thanks to the serious lack of taxis (what was it T was saying about no one taking taxis since Bear Stearns???)
And I now have a whole bank of other nice bars and restaurants i need to pay a visit to in that area... including the Great Eastern Dining Room which looks gorgeous and would contribute to my mission to eat my way round the world without leaving London. Similarly, and coming highly recommended by L, the East room follows the Milk and Honey concept with the whole impossible to find entrance, deliciously dark and sexy interior, and top quality cocktails (not that I particularly want to think about that today). Slightly further afield is the Buen Ayre steak house in 'gritty' Hackney... er... or upmarket Broadway Market, depending on what you're reading... and according to this review, 'a good place to take fat friends to'. genius.
And as it happened, eventually a cunning plan came together, which proved to be lovely despite the inevitable lateness-caused-by-rubbish-traffic that always characterises my interactions with any area near Liverpool Street. We wound up at the Eyre Brothers restaurant, where I apparently ordered the thing on the menu designed exclusively for girls (herbs and cress and walnuts, yum) whilst S consumed a steak bigger than my head. This restaurant is text book good - dark wood, delightful waiters who forgave my earlier rudeness on the phone, well-spaced tables, great loos. I gather it is part of the chain that also runs Cigala so I unwittingly have been handing them fistfuls of cash in recent weeks. But I don't really mind cos they're lovely.
From there we went on to Green and Red, which I can't stop calling Green and Blacks, even though I don't even like chocolate much. N was full flow at her leaving do, and it was lovely to see her, and various other former workmates, as well as a surprising number of thinktank boys who all appeared to be there as the arm candy of their girlfriends who were in N's book club. A little out of place amidst music bordering on cheesy in a Mexican basement bar, but still...
It all got a bit messy thanks to sherry mixed with wine mixed with margharitas mixed with rum and cokes, but that was probably a good thing given we more or less walked home thanks to the serious lack of taxis (what was it T was saying about no one taking taxis since Bear Stearns???)
And I now have a whole bank of other nice bars and restaurants i need to pay a visit to in that area... including the Great Eastern Dining Room which looks gorgeous and would contribute to my mission to eat my way round the world without leaving London. Similarly, and coming highly recommended by L, the East room follows the Milk and Honey concept with the whole impossible to find entrance, deliciously dark and sexy interior, and top quality cocktails (not that I particularly want to think about that today). Slightly further afield is the Buen Ayre steak house in 'gritty' Hackney... er... or upmarket Broadway Market, depending on what you're reading... and according to this review, 'a good place to take fat friends to'. genius.
Thursday, 20 March 2008
Blogs wot I should have wrote
Blimey. What a couple of months. Less said about them the better. So rather than dwell on the utter misery of being overworked, homeless, and frankly a little directionless job-wise, here's quick round up of the good moments that kept me from a nervous breakdown...
I've got good at going to the cinema (warm, dark, not dusty, easy distraction by way of a big screen etc). Clearly I've been in the market for soppy films, loving both Juno (booed my eyes out, but it's ok cos no one was looking) and Be Kind Rewind. On the latter, I think I may be in love with Mos Def, and of course Michel Gondry, whose brilliance gave us this film AND Eternal Sunshine. Beautiful.
Cultural activities have suffered somewhat, although I've got good at finding cheap places to eat out. Top of that list is my lovely local Bonnington Cafe. Each night a different member of the community cooks (a mere tenner for 3 huge courses); it's BYO and no corkage; they have a pianist that could give Ciao Bella's a run for their money; last time I went, they were packed but still gave us a seat in the upstairs kitchen, bless them. We ate our food watching the tango class leaving the community hall nearby. Honestly, it's enough to make you want to wear sandals and buy a goat.
I also had the pleasure of experiencing Time Out's favourite cheap-end Chinese restaurant, Dragon's Castle, with S&A&R. It tasted good (so did the huge amounts of beer we got through) and gave us the courage we needed to then head to the hardcore Spanish drinking den - can't remember the name so no link - actually in the pink monstrosity otherwise known as the shopping centre. Here, you can get 5 litre bottles of beer (see a theme to our evening?) which we resisted in favour of gawping at the semi-pornographic content of a random music channel being screened.
Pubs have also featured - two in particular that I like despite slightly snippy reviews from others, including the Duke of Cambridge, a beautiful organic pub in Islington (biggest downside) that sells great English wine and has fit bar men. I spent election night 2005 warming up there before the BBC party (dahling) but haven't been since... will be back there for food, and soon. The other pub is a little closer to home, the Mason's Arms in Battersea, where I tried to go before for an ultimately disastrous 27th birthday. My usual jinx applied and the oven was broken. In the event, all my friends fell out anyway, the man of the time couldn't come because he had an infected tongue (no joke) and all round I vowed never again to have a cosy dinner for my birthday...
The next few months are going to be much more fun. I know it. Just v glad to be out the other side of these last few...
I've got good at going to the cinema (warm, dark, not dusty, easy distraction by way of a big screen etc). Clearly I've been in the market for soppy films, loving both Juno (booed my eyes out, but it's ok cos no one was looking) and Be Kind Rewind. On the latter, I think I may be in love with Mos Def, and of course Michel Gondry, whose brilliance gave us this film AND Eternal Sunshine. Beautiful.
Cultural activities have suffered somewhat, although I've got good at finding cheap places to eat out. Top of that list is my lovely local Bonnington Cafe. Each night a different member of the community cooks (a mere tenner for 3 huge courses); it's BYO and no corkage; they have a pianist that could give Ciao Bella's a run for their money; last time I went, they were packed but still gave us a seat in the upstairs kitchen, bless them. We ate our food watching the tango class leaving the community hall nearby. Honestly, it's enough to make you want to wear sandals and buy a goat.
I also had the pleasure of experiencing Time Out's favourite cheap-end Chinese restaurant, Dragon's Castle, with S&A&R. It tasted good (so did the huge amounts of beer we got through) and gave us the courage we needed to then head to the hardcore Spanish drinking den - can't remember the name so no link - actually in the pink monstrosity otherwise known as the shopping centre. Here, you can get 5 litre bottles of beer (see a theme to our evening?) which we resisted in favour of gawping at the semi-pornographic content of a random music channel being screened.
Pubs have also featured - two in particular that I like despite slightly snippy reviews from others, including the Duke of Cambridge, a beautiful organic pub in Islington (biggest downside) that sells great English wine and has fit bar men. I spent election night 2005 warming up there before the BBC party (dahling) but haven't been since... will be back there for food, and soon. The other pub is a little closer to home, the Mason's Arms in Battersea, where I tried to go before for an ultimately disastrous 27th birthday. My usual jinx applied and the oven was broken. In the event, all my friends fell out anyway, the man of the time couldn't come because he had an infected tongue (no joke) and all round I vowed never again to have a cosy dinner for my birthday...
The next few months are going to be much more fun. I know it. Just v glad to be out the other side of these last few...
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