Exmouth Market, London
Calm before the storm

Home Alone


Moblog: gas leak on New Oxford Street
Originally uploaded by TwoCrabs.

From Coconut aka Lil' Joe aka Ceasbo aka Cheeky Monkey: It's been a long hot week in London. Pineapple Princess, her SanFran friend and my Parisian sister are on a week-long camping trip through Holland. So I've been having to fend for myself for food and entertainment. Mostly I've just been working longer hours and hanging out at the local pub, The Islington Tap, chatting with the bar staff.

London is still sweltering from a heat wave. I've avoid taking the Tube or bus anywhere during the day because it means having to take another shower after every trip. London's public transportation system is efficient and fast, but it's also not air conditioned. Five minutes on the Tube and you are immediately drenched in sweat. AC just wasn't on the drawing boards when the Underground first opened in 1863. And it would be too expensive to retrofit all 275 stations and hundreds of trains.

Our office was evacuated twice this week, once for a gas leak, and yesterday because the power was cut during a rolling blackout. And I thought they only had those in California! Yesterday the power was even cut in Picadilly Circus -- London's equivelent of NTC Times Square. The tourists and locals were gapping and snapping pictures of the dark buildings void of their usual neon lights and jumbotron advertisements. Then yesterday on my way home, a woman was hit by a car right in front of my building. I saw her lying on the ground being attended by paramedics, her left arm and food covered in bandages. Sorry, no photos.

We're officially moving on Aug. 1 to our new UNFURNISHED flat. That means we need to buy everything, from plates and forks to a bed. We don't have much money to spend, so we've been scouring CraigsList, Loot.com and some American expat websites for stuff. A good friend of mine who is moving back to America gave me her microwave for cheap, and another American bird sold me some lamps and an iron. I've even resorted to examining trash piles for salvageable furniture. Woe is me.

Meanwhile, for those who haven't heard: I've officially resigned from my job. My last day is Aug. 15. More on that later.

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