East End | Beyond Retro

So I found the place I've been meaning to hit in London for quite sometime. And during my last trip to London a week ago, I just figured out that it was actually really close to the site for my assignment; which is in Cheshire Street, just off Brick Lane. That's the thing about the Whitechapel/Shoreditch area: you never quite know what you may find during each visit.

Being one of the most famous vintage shops in London, it's no surprise that Beyond Retro has an extensive amount of vintage clothing. Racks after racks of mens and womens clothing and accessories which, compared to some other vintage shops in the area, have been neatly categorized. But hunting through shops like these take plenty of time if you want to score something you actually like in your size and in keeping to your budget.

So, naturally, I left empty handed. I really love these shops with their massive inventory of seemingly random pieces of clothing, each unique and different from the other. But for the most part, I go there just for browsing and perhaps to get some inspiration. For a second-hand item, it's surprisingly not cheap.

...and watch this video which was filmed just outside Beyond Retro and in the surrounding area.

F*ck Me Pumps
by Amy Winehouse
from the album Frank

London | Borough Market

I have a thing for markets, whether it's Pike Place market in Seattle, the Wednesday market in Oxford city center, or even back home in Malaysia like the SS2 night market on Mondays or good old Pulau Tikus market which is just a short walk from home. It's a fantastic place to go to for an insight into the real life and culture of any city. They feature the freshest local goods, the commerce and interaction between people of different cultures and the sights, and sounds and smells of great food.

Borough Market in London is one of my favourite places to visit in London at the moment. It's right by London Bridge and the river Thames and is open from Thursdays to Sundays. It's a gorgeous area with stalls upon stalls of vendors selling everything from freshly prepared meals to locally produced cheeses, fresh seafood, and vegetables. The fact that it's tucked in between buildings with paths winding around the nooks and crannies where the vendors set up stall makes it all the better. And being tucked under railway viaducts also contribute to its urban, gritty fabric.

And the food? Delicious. So far I've only managed to try the Caribbean chicken with rice dish, the free-range chicken wrap and the duck confit ciabbata bread sandwich. And also cubes and cubes of samples of cheeses. I am already looking forward to my next trip there.

On those snowy days

On a cold December night at the Radcliffe Square, we played in the snow and made snow angels. That right there was about 20cm of powdery snow. Snow so soft it's like walking on flour. The frosty snow mounds seem to create a surreal landscape where every horizontal surface is highlighted with these soft marshmallow pads of white. Like how a simple stroke of white paint seems to give a painting depth, snow gives 3-Dimensional forms an added layer textural quality.

*Note to self: wear more layers when making snow angels.


Stay for more.

New Year's Pt. 2 | London

From One New Change, we zipped down the Strand in the seemingly swelling crowd which were already starting to head to the fireworks viewing areas along the Thames. We decided to have dinner at some random Italian restaurant where I had the ravioli. The prices weren't too high considering it was a sit in meal in the city of London. I have to know more places to eat cheap food in London.

After dinner, we took a brisk walk, used the tube and got ourselves pretty close to the Thames where we could just make out the London Eye from afar. And a few minutes later, 2010 ended.

As you would imagine, the fireworks were pretty spectacular and I would imagine it to be so much more if we were to see it upclose. But from where we were, we had the advantage of not being crushed in a crowd and managed to quickly leave after the show was over.

London at 1am on New Year's day was insane. You wouldn't have thought it was post midnight with the amount of people shuffling along the streets some drunk, some losing it, some being festive and others, like us, completely sober with aching feet. Alcohol would have helped my aching feet.

With the streets still blocked and the tube free from 12am to 4am, I got to walk in the middle of the roads in London, took a stroll down Saville Row and look at the ritzy stores. Just things I wouldn't ordinarily do on a normal day. After all, New Year's not really a normal day is it?

| outside the Savoy Hotel, the Strand; checking for directions



| dinner: ravioli



| the dinner table



| people swarming towards the fireworks viewing area



| view of the London Eye 12:03am 01/01/11



| post-midnight in the street



| literally in the middle of the street

With that, my New Year's eve experience in the city of London concluded. We managed to drag out aching feet, sore backs and stone cold fingers to the bus stop and headed back at about 3am. I ventured out to London the day before without a single plan, but ended up doing a list of random expeditions and pretty much took our own detour throughout the journey. It's one for the memories. And that was how I ended my 2010. How was yours? And remember:

| dare to dream

More next time.

New Year's Pt. 1 | London

London was plagued with a surge of people on New Year's Eve. The crowd along Oxford Circus was a tidal wave of bodies filtering through the sidewalk in and out of stores each toting 3, 4, 5 bags of goods on sale. Consumerism is scary when it's like that. And what's more scary, stroller parents who take their babies out on such cold wintry days in downtown London and practically bowl through the crowd with their strollers.

Then, we journeyed via tube through London's East End to my new favourite little bagel shop in Brick Lane for a quick bite at the old establishment which dates back to 1885. I'm still attempting to try one of everything from the shop. But there is just too many. And many of them are just so sweet.

From the graffiti-ed walls of Whitechapel, we went all the way back into the city to stroll in the vicinity of St. Paul's Cathedral. The sheer scale of the cathedral is astonishing in itself without even considering the detailed ornamentation of the facade. And the looming dome of St. Paul's doesn't fail to impress as does the strong axial presence running through the cathedral to Millennium Bridge, Tate Modern and even Jean Nouvel's new mall, One New Change.

| the shopping crowd at Oxford Circus.



| at the Beigel Shop in Brick Lane



| 'carved' graffiti near Hanbury St.



| graffiti laden truck



| in One New Change with St. Paul's Cathedral in the back



| stunning reflective surfaces



| the ornamentation on St. Paul's Cathedral



| under the portico of the cathedral



| tuppence a bag anyone?



| the front facade

More pictures to come.

2010 | A Year in Warhol-esque Pictures

It seems this is the third time I'm presenting a picture from every month of the past year. Sort of a review in pictures. I like it. It forces me to sift through files of pictures allowing me to recollect all the good times I've had.

But just to add that smidgen of wonkyness to the collection of pictures this year, I've edited them into slightly Warhol-esque pictures by playing with the colours.

January | We were together after such a long time. We need another meet-up



February | We drank the night away, by the beach.



March | We all wore green that day.



April | We took a group picture but in reverse.



May | We finished our crit! And started to part ways.



June | We took to Redang Island, and had the best time together!



July | We went crazy taking pictures.



August | We gave two people a tart.



September | I went abroad, a change of scenery.



October | We had our first few dinner gatherings.



November | I saw some Warhol



December | It snowed and snowed and snowed.

2010 was an interesting year. I'm not all that sure how I could sum it up. It was a mix of ups and downs. Bits I will keep in my mind forever and events I wish to purge from memory. Certain incidences may have messed me up but fuck it, that's just life. Things won't miraculously change for the better, there's a process that we all have to go through.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that just because the year is ending doesn't mean everything will change for the better. We're still in this continuum which at anytime, anything can happen. But it's the effort and the actions we take that can alter the course of our future. So, take charge of your future. Take a chance. And if it doesn't come out favourable, there's always alcohol.


Happy 2011 everybody,
see you next year!

Portobello

Just as I'm about to warm up to London, the temperatures spiraling down, as if racing against time towards freezing point. Oh wait, it already hit -1 a week ago. Oh well. Amidst this bitter cold, I still have the urge to explore more of this widespread city that like just an hour away. It's diversity in not only culture but spatial qualities have seemed to capture my heart.

I must admit before leaving Penang, I was very much looking forward to gallivanting around London doing only what the crazy youngsters will be up to. But when I got here, I started to dread going into the city. Perhaps it was the culture shock? Perhaps the weather? Financial woes? Who knows. I just know that I didn't really want to go there that often. But now, as the semester draws nearer and nearer to the end, I'm starting to harbour strong feelings of excitement and anticipation for the coming holidays when I hope to take in more of this city I'm just beginning to get to know.

One of the places that has captivated me: Portobello market. A gorgeous long stretch of vendors and stalls that seem to pour out from the shops into the streets during the weekends. A short walk down the road and I was already itching to but a couple of things. But I'll wait till the next trip when I will probably have more time to browse and make careful purchases.

Stay tuned.

PS: Yes, we'll have slightly bigger pictures from now on! Yay!

Urbanscapes | 26.06.10

I forgot I had these photos. Urbanscapes was pretty neat. Probably half of the young people in the Klang valley conglomerated on the KLPac grounds clad in summery outfits and festival attire. And some others looking somewhat out-of-place in beach wear. But this was the first time I was confronted with so many people sporting straw fedoras and seersucker shorts and gladiator sandals. It was a feast for the eyes.

There were heaps of items on display as well, artists presented their art pieces and performers kept the crowd entertained with tunes booming out of the speakers. And the (overpriced) F&B outlets sold their icy-cool drinks like hot cakes. Vendors poured their goods on tables and racks all awaiting a buyer of two. I found the stuff pretty awesome. I didn't buy anything because the selection for guys was limited and the stuff I liked was not in my budget. I would have been more interested to buy some of the things some people were wearing instead of what was sold.

And of course time was short and I had a big headache and a sore throat so I wasn't really in the mood to simply drop my money on an item at random. But browsing was good enough to keep me happy :)

Stay tuned.