bye bye frizzy

I really don't know how to explain this but sometimes you see scenes that really summarise a state of mind or (in this case) a city. I don't know how to call this thing, but you'll understand as soon as you read the next few lines. I saw a scene the other day, on the way back from work, that really summarise the mentality of people over here. A young couple waiting for the train at a tube station. Both smoking (even though you're not supposed to smoke in the tube). Train approaches the station. They look at each other and ask whether to wait for the next train to finish their fag first… That's quality mate! Compared to the email I received from charlie (see below) it really makes me think I am clearly in a different environment.

Well guys you'll be happy to know that we've moved in all of our stuff in the new flat! I say happy because it means we won't exploit you as we did use some of our "local" friends. It wasn't too bad and we've thrown away quite a lot of stuff. The thing is that we still need to buy a lot of furniture. Not really a lot as the flat isn't that big really, but we have a few things on our shopping list. It's just a matter of agreeing on the priorities… (wifi music broadcasting around the flat being a top one of course!).

Concerning other news, there isn't much time for anything else really. When you spend your day in the office and your evenings opening boxes you wish you never opened… I know it's a natural process but getting rid of stuff after it's followed you across Europe isn't just that easy. For instance we used to have a very old fridge in Mozart street. I really loved the old thing. I bought it when I was still a student in Lyon for £30 and it followed me from Lyon to Brussels, then on to London and now Barcelona. But as we now have a new equipped kitchen, there is no need for the old fridge. I know it's old and we did use it for a while (even though according to teresa, it just doesn't work anymore) but how can I dump something that has lived in as many countries as me? It hasn't been an easy decision and I only gave up because I already convinced teresa to keep so much rubbish (starting with my trainers) that I couldn't really manage to convince her on this one… and our terrace is definitely not big enough to justify a dedicated beer fridge. Sniff sniff.

Geeky corner
Well, won't bore you with more house moving shit. Just one last thing before I go. Tomorrow apple is announcing some new products apparently. Some say it's the new powerbook range others say it's going to be the video iPod, just in time for the holiday season. Whatever it will be it'll be something I really need and can't live without. I can tell you!
Here's something I've seen on a site and I can't resist sending this around. Probably the best way to carry your laptop around here


Test to know it's time to leave London...
1. You say "the City" and expect everyone to know which part of town you are talking about.
2. You have never been to The Tower or Madame Tussauds but love Brighton.
3. You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Shepherds Bush to Elephant & Castle at 3:30 on the Friday before a long weekend, but can't find Dorset on a map.
4. Hookers and the homeless are invisible.
5. You step over people who collapse on the Tube.
6. You believe that being able to swear at people in their own language makes you multilingual.
7. You've considered stabbing someone.
8. Your door has more than three locks.
9. You consider eye contact an act of overt aggression.
10. You call an 8' x 10' plot of patchy grass a garden.
11. You consider Essex the "countryside".
12. You think Hyde Park is "nature".
13. You're paying 1,200 a month for a studio the size of a walk-in wardrobe and you think it's a "bargain".
14. Shopping in suburban supermarkets and shopping malls gives you a severe attack of agoraphobia.
15. You pay more each month to park your car than most people in the UK pay in rent.
16. You pay 3 pounds without blinking for a beer that cost the bar 28p.
17. You actually take fashion seriously.
18. You have 27 different menus next to your telephone.
19. The UK west of Heathrow is still theoretical to you.
20. You're suspicious of strangers who are actually nice to you.
21. Your idea of personal space is no one actually physically standing on you.
22. £50 worth of groceries fit in one plastic bag.
23. You have a minimum of five "worst cab ride ever" stories.
24. You don't hear sirens anymore.
25. You've mentally blocked out all thoughts of the city's air/water quality and what it's doing to your insides.
26. You live in a building with a larger population than most towns.
27. Your cleaner is Portuguese, your grocer is Somali, your butcher is halal, your deli man is Israeli, your landlord is Italian, your laundry guy
is Philippino, your bartender is Australian, your favourite diner owner is Greek, the watch seller on your corner is Senegalese, your last cabbie was African, your newsagent is Indian and your local English chippie owner is Turkish.
28. You wouldn't want to live anywhere else until you get married.
29. You roll your eyes and say 'tsk' at the news that someone has thrown himself under a tube train.
30. Your day is ruined if you don't get a copy of Metro on the way to work.

One last thing. I got the date wrong for Baby Swarup. Apparently he's more like his dad when it comes to be on time ;o)