Day in the Life...the Summer Life

Yesterday, the weather in London was as hot as the weather in Trinidad and Tobago. It made for a great day out. And while the 2 days of UK summer may be over, I will always have the memories! I took the boat down the Thames yesterday because the weather was too perfect to have it go to waste. Nothing beats being out on the water when it is 32 degrees Celsius - especially in a city as beautiful as London.

I spent the rest of the afternoon in Greenwich, just relaxing, cooling down and people watching. I also had an encounter with an Indian tourist who felt it worthwhile to abandon his own plans in order to try to stalk me on my day out. Needless to say, I beat it really quickly when I got to Greenwich Pier and left him in my dust.

Just a few photos. Hope everyone else had a great start to the week!

Great day for a ride down the River Thames

London City Hall and others - the river view

Tower of London - river view

Sunbathers in Greenwich Park

The beauty that is nature on the way to the National Maritime Museum

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Summer hits the UK...at least for a day

Summer means watersports...even in the UK!

Summer finally came home. Even though I recognise it may be a very short visit, I really aim to maximise each sunny day for fear I may not see another one. It has been a great weekend. I am totally knackered this morning. From drinks on Friday evening with the Swiss, to drinks on Saturday afternoon and some very amusing French people, to drinks on Sunday with a Brit...hmmm...sensing a trend here. Cosmopolitan, I am! lol.

In any event, when the sun is out, happy people play! Yesterday, with the weather being absolutely gorgeous I decided to take a day trip to the seaside town of Brighton. The adventure began with just getting off the bed since I really lived up to the term "Happy Hour" at my bar. The warm shower picked me up and off I was to meet my friend and catch my train. It seemed like everyone had the same idea because not only were there picnic baskets, rugs, swimsuits and suntan lotion at every turn, but the train was crammed past capacity. People were standing, rear ends were squooshed against my face (I was lucky to get a seat) and the air con had to be ramped up to high to keep an already grumpy crowd happy.

So we get to Brighton and I need to use the loo and bravely made my way to the Brighton train station loo. Clean yes, but I was not ready for the naked girls in the middle of the room. I mean seriously, could you not have worn your bikini under your clothes instead of stripping to nothing in the middle of the bathroom in full view of unsuspecting patrons? There I am trying to fix my lipgloss and these two girls are in the reflection, stark naked and chatting as though they were in a bar - totally non-plussed.

But the day was splendid. Started off a little shaky though. I mean, THIS was not what I had signed up for!

Mist mist and more mist.

The weather forecast did predict mist until around 1pm, so we decided to visit the Royal Pavilion first. The skies had gone from grey to blue by the time we got there.

The Royal Pavilion in Brighton, East Sussex

The people were out in their numbers. Fat people, thin people, old, young, white, black, gay, straight - everyone loves a summer day. A real summer day!

The people came out in their thousands to enjoy the sun in Brighton

And I love drinks. We had some wine and people watched and I worked on my tan. lol. And I did in fact come home with a slight tan. Can you believe it? Not that black people tan, cause we do, but that I could tan in England?? The shock!

Vino! Really nice rose for a warm Sunday in Brighton

Great view from the Pier. Lovely day in the end.

The view from off Brighton Pier - so beautiful I almost cried. I missed summer!

We ended a great day with dinner on the warm terrace of ASK in Brighton, where I prayed seagulls would not attack me for my Ravioli di Marittimo. Perfect end to a really fun day...in the sun! This Trini loves sun you know.

I did not need to sleep in layers and layers of clothes last night. Bliss. I am just totally knackered but today is sunny for a little while so may take the bus to somewhere. If I can pull myself off the bed.

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Fake Friday Fun

After a dissertation all-nighter, I need my morning fuel

Sunny day. Great morning for coffee, toast, a brioche, eggs and cheese in the front room, with the sun streaming in through the open windows. Get it while it's hot...literally. The weather forecast spells rain at around 1pm.

I have confessed that I am not the most gadgety person in the world. I love technology but I am not a slave to it. When I buy a phone for example - I don't go through all the features. I am simply looking for excellent call quality, and maybe cuteness. The other bells and whistles do not interest me, if it's a cheap phone. So in the height of  boredom, I started going through my phone this morning and there it was - the fake call option.

I have now activated my fake call option

Have you ever been trapped in a conversation with someone and you just needed to escape, and you hope and pray that your phone will ring so you can beat it? You do not want to risk sending a text to a friend to call you, for fear of offending your "aggressor". I have been there and Fake Call is for me. lol. For the daft like myself, the fake call option allows you to record your fake call voice, so you can simulate a phone call while in the depths of an "I need rescuing" moment. I love how Samsung describes it as an option for emergencies.

With the simple press of a button, you can activate your fake call, even if your phone is locked. So in my case, I can slip my finger on the hot key, and after 30 seconds, without it seeming too obvious, my phone rings, with my fake voice on the line, in case my companion is farse (nosey) and is listening in. At this point, I quickly excuse myself to take my emergency call. Gone are the days when you had to pretend you were on the phone, and hope to dear God that your phone did not really ring while you had your phone on your ear. lol.

I set up my fake call this morning and I am set now for any eventuality. I cannot believe this has existed all this time and I never knew! Hurray for technology.

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Single Gal Observations: Trinidad vs London

"Mums, is that your daughter? Oh gosh, like yuh take yuh time when yuh was making she".

This was a one-way conversation a random man on the street was having with my mother, as I ran ahead in my fitted jeans and platforms, to the tax office to see how many people I would need to push out of my way. In case you are confused, it was a compliment, suggesting that I was a fine specimen. lol. Trini men have special ways of saying nice things about women. This was about 5 weeks ago, when I was at home. To say I miss these random Trini man moments would be an understatement. In London, one can be virtually invisible - except to the Africans, of course. They see you in 3D, so much so they channel their inner Diana Ross and reach out and touch, much to my annoyance. Admiration - accpetable. Aggression - not so much.

But I now understand why some of these chicks don't even bother to look decent and why they wear wings on their eyelids and call them eyelashes, or pantyhose with holes, or pantyhose with no pants. Noone cares! It is clear to me now. Random strangers do not compliment you or approach you. Hell, they don't even say good morning. If they manage to pry their eyes away from their iPhones, Blackberries or Androids, they stare at you blankly, rather than in admiration. It is really very odd to me - a Trini woman used to blatant adulation and public "affection" and I admit, I loved the amusement of it all, not so much the flattery. I really miss the daily amusement and ego stroking. Thinking I am great is all well and good, but it can only go so far.

Call me spoilt, but aye...every now and then you need a little reminder that you are ON like boiled corn, especially because I am sure I have not morphed into some unsightly creature in 5 weeks!  I mean, I even went on a date the other day, and while I was not expecting the dude to fall at my feet - a little recognition would not have killed him either, especially as I was rockin' a sunny look. I mean, after you take your time to choose a cute outfit, and look fab-u-lous  - nada.

I just needed to get that off my chest, as I think about my life. lol.

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Translating Christmas into Summer

A glass of chilled sorrel, and in the absence of Crix,
I also had some poppyseed crackers
with extra mature cheddar

When one thinks of summer, one usually thinks of sunshine and sunshiney type drinks like daiquiris and mojitos. Not rain and cappuccinos. Nevertheless, I was not to be derailed in my taste of summer plans today, despite the downpour here in London.

I had brought some dried sorrel with me back in September, to ensure I had a little piece of Trinidad with me at Christmas time. Sorrel is traditionally our Christmas drink but because I was ill for the most of the holidays and a bit lazy, I never prepared the sorrel, instead having loads of Rexona and orange juice. Today though, as I whip up a pelau, and despite the summer thus far being a soggy mess here in London, I was in the mood for a tropical, summery burst of joy.

It's really very easy to make once you have the main ingredient - the sepals of the sorrel flower. Usually you can buy these fresh, but since I was away from home, I bought some dried sorrel. You also need spices, typically cinnamon and cloves, and sugar to taste.  My mother told me to steep the sorrel but I did boil it a bit, cause I am impatient. The smell was heavenly and after it had all cooled and was sweetened, the taste was even more heavenly. If you have Angostura Bitters, dash some of that in it too. And add some stronger spirits, like rum, if you really want to spice up the ting, which I did! It was a piece of Trinidad in soggy London.

My pack of dried sorrel; the dried sorrel in the pot with the cinnamon and cloves; boil boil boil sorrel;
the beautiful scarlet coloured concoction, ready to be sweetened and "spirited"

I took my sorrel and my yummy poppyseed crackers to the couch, where I proceeded to flip through the hundreds of channels, looking for one show that would hold my attention for at least an hour, while my pelau did its thing on a low heat. Instead, I got Dynasty, Murder, She Wrote, Law and Order episodes with Chris Noth (ancient!!), Diagnosis Murder (really??), Dawson's Creek - wow, that one really took me back. I mean, can you believe paying money every month to see shows as old as the road? Is it any wonder why, trapped indoors because of the wind and rains, and at the mercy of corporate London,  I am incredibly bored?

Still, I had my summery sorrel! And after a long day of grocery shopping, kitchen prep, cooking, with a terrible shoulder pain, having slipped in the bathroom this morning, I needed a sorrel break!

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Books Cannot Fill My Belly!

Shopping at Waterstone's
Photo credit: The Guardian

Once upon a time, there was a girl who used to be able to strut into any store and buy anything she wanted. Not because she was rich or anything but because she believed that working hard, 5-6 days a week, for long hours, should have some perks - like vacations, cute shoes and other such treats. Not saying she splurged on expensive and useless things. No. However, working surely did not mean just stashing the money into annuities, pension plans, insurance, car payments, bills, groceries and savings and not treating onself to a nice dinner, a nice vacation or bookstore porn.

Today I walked into Waterstone's and surrounded myself with the fresh smell of new books. There they were - all around me - calling to me. I quickly found 3 books I wanted, which went nicely with the store's 3 for 2 summer special. Ten minutes later, I left the store empty-handed - the beautiful books back on the shelves. Why? I was weighing the pros and cons of buying books that were not school-related, on a student's salary of £zero!!!!

I kept seeing carrots and juice and chicken that could be bought with the £20 the books would have cost me. Or the multiple printed drafts of this dissertation, once it gets off the ground. Travel card renewal which always sets me back about £135. But for £20 I could buy not just books, but sanity.

All those lovely books at Waterstones
Photo credit: The Guardian

I then came home and started idly searching for books online, where they were significantly cheaper (cue harps), but still, my neurotic sense of financial responsibility made what should have been a routine purchase, a 3 hour nightmare, because now I was weighing the cost of the book against the literary value of the book and whether I should get two books or one, and whether the books were worth my hard-saved pounds sterling. I mean, really...can £3.99 buy you a Nobel Prize winning novel? I doubt it. Yet, here I am -bookless, cause I am worried that the £3.99 book may be shit.

I used to complain about my job - the long hours, the commute, the silly people in and out of the office - but it gave the opportunity to buy silly stuff, without all this number crunching. I could buy a silly book and not worry about it being silly.

I am a bit frustrated with the dissertation, and it has been a weird couple of weeks and thus, I am having an "I am ungrateful and greedy" day but seriously...I am allowed to sometimes.

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Taste of London 2011

Photo credit: Taste of London

Taste of London is currently on here in London town, giving foodies an opportunity to come out and experience haute cuisine at its best. The festival, which started on Thursday, is being held in the ever beautiful Regent's Park, which was fabulous, except for one small problem.

The weather. I had been hoping all week that the rains would cease and not derail my foodie hopes and excitement. But alas, the rains still came. However, despite the rain and the extremely muddy conditions, we had a blast.

I was fortunate enough to snag freebies for this event, and my fellow foodie, Nic and I were off - boots on feet, brollies in hand. One was definitely spoilt for choice, with a wide array of Michelin-starred restaurants on site preparing and serving fantastic samples of their award winning menus. Student life of course, does not afford me these luxuries so this was a real treat! With festival currency (crowns) in hand, I was off - hungry and excited.

Clear winners included the Churrasco de Lomo and corn temoles from Gaucho, the erotic decadence of Malaysia Kitchen's Chicken Curry, as well as the fried dim sum platter from Yauatacha. I also tried the Chicken Tikka pie from Benares, after reading great tweet reviews, but sadly my crust was a bit burnt.

Chicken Curry from Malaysia Kitchen at Taste of London 2011

Chicken Tikka Pie with Berry Compote from Benares at Taste of London 2011

I cannot even remember some of the other things I had and from where, though truffle risotto comes to mind, not to mention the wide assortment of wines, cocktails and desserts - including gelato, sinful tarts and cakes and an assortment of cheeses.

Yummy desserts at Taste of London 2011

Nic's Espresso Martini and my Mai Tai at Taste of London 2011

I tried to get into the masterclasses to actually get my apron on and work in the kitchen alongside master chefs but this proved to be the expectation of hundreds of other people as well, so I could only look on as some of the patrons joined the cooking classes, learning from the best. I did, however, manage to pick up a tip or two from the sidelines.

I also had to support the island crew, and kudos to the Barbados booth for the amazing seared tuna and great hospitality. Barbados went full hundred with their presentation, as they should have. And this leads me to...

Of course, this blog entry would be incomplete if I did not mention the Trinidad and Tobago booth. I was expecting the premium chocolate from the Tobago Cocoa Estate but instead got Angostura, with their rum punch and assortment of rums, and... cassava pone. That was it. While the team explained that this was the first year and they were "testing the waters", I still felt a bit let down by the offerings. In terms of culinary wonders, we have soooo much to offer, with some amazing culinary talent, and the best we could do was a bite-sized piece of pone? I think if one cannot do something well, one should not do it at all.

The rain, mud and the thick throng of people trying to get to and from the booths were the only issues I had today. There were so many people, even with the threat and eventually, the heavy showers of rain. As a result, I could not fully enjoy a lot of the taste experiences as the crowds were a turn off and a real physical obstacle to getting close to a lot of the food. Oversubscribed?

The weather, in general, held up better than I expected, especially after the forecast mentioned hail. I kid you not - summer HAIL. We did have some brief moments of heavy showers and blustery winds which made the uncovered areas a virtual mudpit, but still, everyone was enjoying the day. And as my girlfriend said, if Londoners still cannot come to terms that their summer lasts a week and still insist on going out to areas prone to muddiness in flip flops and heels, then they deserve all the mud caked on their toes and feet at the end. I mean, wow - I saw one lady in a maxi dress that was way past floor length and the hem was a brown muddy nightmare. Really?

My own shoes - well, I will be cleaning them out in the backyard, that's for sure.

Ugh. Muddy boots are not cute.

But my first Taste of London was splendid. I had an amazing time, got to taste some truly fantastic food (and drinks...lots of drinks!!) and got to meet some great people, have some laughs and shake off the funk that had been following me all week. Good times, friends. Good times! Thank you, British Airways for an amazing time!

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Good Men - Falling Like Rain from the Sky...or Not

Is it raining good men where you are in the world?

My overseas Masters student partner-in-crime, Gerry and I were talking earlier about how it is somehow expected that when you go abroad you are automatically expected to meet this elusive Mr Right...or whatever. When you have a conversation with well-meaning aunts, uncles, co-workers or friends, it's always "So you pick up?" - which generally is them asking if you have met anyone.

Sure. I have met plenty guys here. I am not dead. But is that the point? To amass a bucketload of anykinda men to appease the husband hungry relatives and friends in some demented and twisted way, with no thought of compatibility, sanity and chemistry? No. The point is, it has nothing to do with geography. I realise the man recession is not limited to Trinidad and Tobago - it is indeed an international phenomenon. And I don't mean recession to mean scarce in the true sense of the word. However, these well-wishers also feel I can just get dressed and open the door and voila - compatible, good men just drop from the sky - like rain!

I should probably categorically state - it is not raining good men in London either. You still have to go out and make the effort to find them. I have met all kinds and yes, some may say I am picky but a MAN told me I am not picky enough! So what do you have to say about that?

In any event, please, well-wishers, while it may seem like fun to pounce on me everytime you get me on the phone, or via email, or in person about this man from your visions, it is not fun for me to have to hear the same questions over and over again. Furthermore, I am not singular in this man-a-thon. There are millions of me out there, so maybe you can ask them too!

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Rainy Day and Movies That Make Me Cry

View from my bedroom window

It looks like summer is really over here. The weather continues to not disappoint. That's right - not disappoint. When you think of London, you don't think of sun and women in cut off jeans, do you? You think of grey and rain and trust me, this week - London't got it! I had planned on taking another trip to another part of the city I had not been to before, but the weather is not encouraging. I hate rain on a good day in Trinidad. What about London rain is endearing? Nothing.

But rainy days can be the best times for snuggling up on the couch or in bed with a great movie. That's when rain becomes great. Thanks to the Bug, I decided to post 8 of the movies which make me cry. I get emotionally invested in a good movie with great performances and these movies - no matter how many times I watch them and I have seen them all more than 5 times - always make me bawl. So in no particular order.

This movie had an entire post dedicated to it because it was that emotional. I love a dog movie but Hachi: A Dog's Story is the King of dog movies and tear jerking emotions.

Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)

Staying on the canine theme, I went to see Marley and Me with a guy I was seeing. I thought to myself, the movie is about a "bad" dog. No tears. I was wrong. At the end, I was a hot mess, with my perfect makeup a streaming mess. I waited until the cinema was clear before leaving and being a dog lover as well, my date understood. lol. My mascara application did not!

Marley and Me (2008)

Sean Penn won an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Mystic River and the scene where he learns his daughter is dead never fails to make me cry - it is so powerful. The entire movie is simply amazing and while Clint Eastwood may not be the blond Adonis he was back in the day, he sure can direct a movie!

Mystic River (2003)

Russell Crowe is one of my favourite actors and when I first saw A Beautiful Mind, the twist shocked me. What makes this movie sad for me, is that intellectual brilliance was mirrored by mental instability. The paradox made for something truly emotional and made me sad on a basic human level.

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

A man slipped into a catatonic state as a child, missing decades of his life, until a doctor tried something new which brought him "back to life" as a man. The simple joy of taking a walk, something many of us take for granted, made him happy. And then, it was all taken away again. Robert de Niro and Robin Williams, in one of his rare non-comedic performances, are truly exceptional. I cry every single time I watch Awakenings.

Awakenings (1990)

He may be pretty but the boy can act as well, and Brad Pitt was really great in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I don't need to explain how emotional this movie is. It just is.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Steel Magnolias is a great movie about women, friendships and family, with stunning performances, especially from Sally Field. Such a touching story.

Steel Magnolias (1989)

Finally, Beaches. I first saw this movie as part of a high school class trip to the cinema. It was already an old movie by then (yeah, we were not always progressive...lol) and we (Trini students in general) had sung Wind Beneath my Wings at many a graduation  by then. But this was the movie that gave us the song and the enduring story of friendship despite all odds, and is one I can relate to so many years later. You only understand how powerful the song is in that classic scene at the end.

Geez. I cried just watching that!

There are many more, but these were the 8 that came to mind first. What are your sobfest movies?

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Beating the Funk

I have been in a funk the past few days - a funk I have been unable to shake. I think between this dissertation, this shitty weather (thanks for summer, London!), and other miscellaneous stuff, I am just a bit tired emotionally. Sitting in an office, making tedious and mind numbing RSVP calls to people who clearly did not want to attend the event in question, for the better part of my afternoon, did not help to put any spunk in my step either. I have also had to tolerate the rudeness of people here via phone, email and in person all week. I don't do well with rudeness - not well at all and I often really have to take a moment, or two (or 50!) to compose myself before responding to or interacting with people who have no manners or who do not understand common courtesy.

Yes. I am a bit stressed. I don't like the word "depressed" cause there are people out there with REAL problems. I am a bit stressed for sure, and maybe a bit bored. Uninspired. Not even these little babies could cheer me up, which spells big trouble. I only had one, which is a major first!

Chocolate covered mini doughnuts. They are literally bite-sized!

Still, the weekend should be promising, once the weather changes. Taste of London starts tomorrow and I will be attending the Saturday sessions with my girlfriend. I love culinary festivals - just anything involving food really. I love great food and I appreciate people who take time to really prepare something awesome, creative and divine. And socialising with food as the nucleus is just a great time!

Some of London's top chefs will be on hand at Taste of London
Photo credit: Taste of London

The demonstrations and masterclasses will hopefully be exciting, the food should be fantastic (!) and most importantly, once God grants me sun, which usually perks up my mood, it will be a fabulous opportunity to pick myself out of the funk and look cute! No...fabulous!

As an aside, I noticed under the list of exhibitors, under "T" (cause you know I went looking after I saw Barbados and Jamaica), there was indeed Trinidad and Tobago! But just that - Trinidad and Tobago. So I have no idea if it is the Tourism Development Company, the Ministry, a company. Please...I don't want the suspense to kill me.

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Medieval TV Pleasure: Game of Thrones

Sean Bean is...was Lord Eddard Stark
in HBO's Game of Thrones

I don't watch a whole lot of television here in London mainly because I previously did not have time for tv and I try not to get too involved in too many shows for fear of being tied to a television all day and all night. The must-see shows of my life are really Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

I will now unabashedly add HBO's Game of Thrones to the list. I have been hooked for a while now, but after watching last night's episode, I just thought I would openly say - I am a believer. I have not read the books yet but HBO has done an amazing job roping me in every week. It is probably the only show that grips you every single week, with each episode having the drama and suspense of a season finale.

It also does not hurt that besides fantastic performances from every single member of the cast, the man candy in this series is STELLAR. I mean, that Stark family alone has some great genetic blessings. I love Sean Bean - always have, always will - so last night's episode was rough on the tear ducts. As an aside, to the whiners who are claiming they will not watch another episode because of last night's "shocking" twist - get over yourselves. I have not read the books just yet, but I am always happy when the cinematic version sticks as close to the book as possible. Sean Bean is awesome, yes, but please - get a life. Seriously. It's amazing what some people would get their knickers in a knot for. If they put half of that energy into..I dunno...looking after the world's sick and destitute, then the world would be a great place. God! I mean, it's tv!!

Anyway - man candy. The Stark kids also have it going on, notably of course, Robb Stark and his "bastard" brother, Jon Snow.

The Stark men - Jon Snow, Bran Stark and Rob Stark in HBO's Game of Thrones

While not on the same level or in the same stratosphere as Game of Thrones, I am also loving Camelot. I mean, Joe Fiennes is in it. Duh. Even as a bald sorcerer, he is the cat's meow.

Joseph Fiennes as Merlin in Starz's Camelot

Eva Green is exceptional though as Morgan le Fay, and is beautiful yet deceptive and dangerous.

Eva Green as Morgan le Fay in Starz's Camelot

The casting of Arthur, in my opinion, was a tremendous and epic fail. The dude grates on my nerves, but hopefully he may prove me wrong in upcoming episodes.

In any event, this needed to be said. Back to our regular programming. I cannot wait for the real season finale this Sunday. Oh...the suspense, HBO. God damn you!

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Sluts, Balls and Boobs: Another London weekend

Naked Bike Riders in London on Saturday
Photo credit: The Independent

It's unbelievably cold and gloomy here in London. Yesterday's weather was also bleak. Thank God for Saturday. There was a lengthy period of sun and warmth and of course, one should make hay while the sun shines. So while I had no hay to make, I did pick out a cute, albeit, rain-ready summer outfit and jumped on a train into the city.

The aim was to go check out the Naked Bike Ride, which speaks out against the car culture and oil dependency, as well as highlighting the continued vulnerability of cyclists along London city streets. Somehow though, there was some serious wire-crossing between myself and the dude I was meeting and the plan did not work out just as well as expected. Well, clearly he was thinking in man-mode and not woman-mode because why he thought I would forfeit the convenient and quick way to Hyde Park, i.e. the train, in favour of walking, is just beyond me. I like to walk, sure...but not over a mile, in crowds, in platforms. And especially when this walk was sure to make us late for nudity! Well, needless to say when we got to Hyde Park, the naked people were gone and I was a bit annoyed (you can check out the video below though, if you really want to see it).

However, London is never short of activity and on the way we had run into the Slut Walk - about 3,000 people or more strong. This walk is aimed at speaking up against those who cast blame against victims of sexual assault.

It’s amazing to think that a global movement was sparked by one policeman’s foolish comment. The first Slutwalk took place back in April in Toronto, where the fateful statement “avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised” was made, and sister events sprung up all over Canada, the US, and Britain. - Londonist.com

Well, the sign said it all!

The sex workers also got in on the action

I love the ummm...creativity behind social activism these days.

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The Latest Dating Hot Spots

Love and marriage?

While having drinks last weekend, and somehow spoiling a good day with talk about my dissertation, my girlfriend mentioned that her friend had actually met her husband while doing her dissertation. Yes. She too was conducting interviews in and around London, and met the man she would marry during one of these interviews.

Needless to say, my luck is never that great when it comes to single girl adventures and wedding planners around the world can breathe a sigh of relief. It ain't gonna happen here. My single girl adventures are usually heinous. However, I will admit, today's interviewee was as close to hot as I am probably going to get during this dissertation exercise. Not only was he cute and well dressed, but friendly - nothing better than that. But there was also a very large gold band on the ring finger - not that I was looking or anything. It was just rather large. :)

So where does one meet single guys anymore? It seems as though one can meet people anywhere these days - be it on the train, in the jerk chicken shop (personal story...lol), in the vegetable aisle, or online. Cosmo ranks the top 10 places women can meet men. Among them are the Apple Store, the gym, political rallies and grad school coffee shops. Hmmm...

• I can cross out grad school coffee shops immediately - at least MY grad school coffee shop. FAIL.
• The Apple Store? Really? While this is definitely a man hub, are the men inside an Apple store really focusing on anything other than the gadgets in the Apple store? Do women even compute while they are focused on the bright lights of iPads and the like? And personally speaking, being a non-gadgety person myself, and not a slave to every new trend, I am not sure this is the type of guy I would want in my life. 
• The gym. Been there, done that. No. I have found that the guys at gyms think they are hot shit and thus think they can get any girl in the place and most of the times do. Who wants a sweaty, "think he's all dat" weight room playa?
• Political rallies. Unless it is a non-TT political rally, not interested. If it is a UNC or PNM rally, forget it. Not interested. 

While I am enjoying the many ways of running into man candy here in London, be it over drinks, while trying to open your front door, on the bus, over carrots in the veggie aisle, or over a box of jerk chicken, the question still remains - where have you met your guy or where would you recommend for the single ladies of 2011? 

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The Suit Maketh The Man

So you will probably be hearing me rant about my Master's dissertation over the next several weeks. While I will not bore you with the mechanics of it, my sample is comprised of FTSE 100 companies. This means that I will probably be heading down to The City a few more times before this nightmare is over.

For the non-Brits, The City is a casual way of referring to London's financial district. It's akin to Wall Street in New York, I guess. The best part about this neck of the woods is that generally, my eyes are not assaulted by grungy fashion. Indeed, I am a sucker for a man in a suit. Sucker! So just sitting on a bench for 5 minutes, admiring the well dressed men first, and the people in general, second is a joy.

It's a huge deal. While I am wholly supportive of people expressing themselves through their clothes and so on, some of the fashion statements can be pretty darn scary. I don't get for example, why any woman would leave the house in a pair of ripped tights (pantyhose), or men wear t-shirts with obvious stains or wear their pants hanging off their asses. And worse than the pants hanging off their butts, is the yucky, grungy looking underwear which assault my optical senses. If you must participate in urban fashion statements, can you at least invest in clean, non-crusty looking underwear?

And speaking of tights, they are not pants, ladies. So unless you are wearing black boy shorts under them, please cover your ass with a skirt or dress (note, I did not say shorts - I never could wrap my head around the concept of wearing tights with shorts. It looks stupid!). I have seen too many white or coloured panties in the street under nylon hose pretending to be pants! And it was like the Daily Mail had read my mind, or just that the trend is so popular that it is everywhere!

So I sat on a bench on Tuesday and just enjoyed well dressed people, specifically the men I admit. It was like Christmas!

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Danger: A Trip Into Trininista's Handbag.

Today I asked my Facebook friends - what's in your handbag?

I then decided that Pablo and I would show you what was in my handbag! It was a long journey. lol.

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Wedding Minx or Wedding Jinx?

Is it bad luck to try on wedding dresses as a single, "no man in sight" woman? Or to go ring shopping?

Is it bad luck to not wear white for your wedding?

Growing up, if my mother caught me wearing a ring on my (engagement/wedding) ring finger, I would be reminded that it was bad luck and I would never get married. Well, I am living proof for sure that the old wives' tale is true! lol.

That being said, I think I have crossed the jinx line years ago and so, maybe trying on wedding dresses for fun would not do much more damage to my already tainted and irreparable nuptial fortune.

Weddings and brides and couples and rings and dresses were all around me today for some reason. I took that as a sign to say my piece on the whole thing. I think I am way past the age of the virginal white frock and I already know what I want - IF this grand occasion ever takes place. Colour. It's all about colour. I won't go as wild as a totally non-white dress. In my world of traditional women, this will definitely not go over well, especially with the maternal unit. However, something like this ...no...exactly like this, will be perfect.

Photo credit: David's Bridal

I have liked this style for a while now - the shade of blue may change but I defo want blue in there.

And of course you need the ring to match. I love sites like  thatallow you to design your own rings. I could spend all day doing this stuff! All day!! I just love bling! And bling loves me!

Sensing a blue trend here? It's my favourite colour.

And then there is the case of the black wedding dress.

Photo credit: Crystal Clear Imagery
Source: Style Me Pretty

This bride (above) chose an exquisite black dress to say her vows to the man she loves and I can already see older women around the world making the sign of the cross in absolute horror, but I don't know - I think she pulled it off. Maybe it would not work for everyone and I would not wear a black dress, and not just because my mother and aunts would bathe me in holy water if I did, but because it is not to my taste for my wedding. But I think she looks lovely.

So...would you wear black to your wedding? And do you think it is safe for me to grab a girlfriend, make up a wedding date, slip a ring on my finger, and go squeeze my booty into some lovely frothy wedding numbers for kicks?

Why not! I think it's a great girly day out. What have I got to lose? Well, according to some women and to old wives' tales - EVERYTHING!!!

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