Brazilians, Spray Tans and Hairy Goats

Hello Everyone!

Well, still no progress on my apartment internet situation so I am trying to catch you up around my work obligations. Not an easy task but trying to work it through. I hope to have some resolution on my computer situation by today. Fingers crossed.

Last week, I did end up going back to the Trinity Pub where I watched the World Cup final match and it was a pretty slow night. I think it was Thursday. I went and sat down at a table but then remembered that Lynette’s boyfriend said “You always know Americans because they come in and expect table service.” I walk up to the bar and ask the bartender if they offer table service or do I order at the bar.

He said order at the bar then sit where I like. There was a seat at the bar next to an obvious regular and I asked if it was free, he said I could sit there. I order a Magners (of course) then take a look at the menu.

Aside from regular sandwiches, they LOVE burgers here so you can pretty much get a gourmet style burger just about restaurant or pub that offers them.



At lunch one day, Lynette and Simon (my team mates from work) took me to a Brazilian/Argentine restaurant for lunch and although there were lots of Latin influenced foods, most everyone got burgers.

I decided to try something different since the food looked very good when I came for the game. I asked about the some of the menu and the bartender, I will call him “Angus”, He said that today’s special was Spaghetti Bolognaise and it was “quite nice.”


I have learned that “quite nice” means really good when Brits are speaking about food. So I ordered it. That is usually something I would never order in the states. I really can eat spaghetti at home.

I am glad I ordered it, it was AMAZING! I ate the whole plate, and I never eat that much pasta. I saw Angus eating some too. They boast that they use local and fresh for everything. You could tell.

This sauce must have used all fresh ingredients and obviously took hours to make. Can’t wait to try more on the menu.



I asked “Angus” if he knew Tony and Eddy and what days they might come in. He said there were lots of regulars that he didn’t know their names. I was seated straight down the bar from the kitchen and no artistically intense chef. I picked an off night I guess. But my food and my Magners were excellent.

The female bartender started working at the bar and she was much more friendly and we started talking about that night with “The Sisters”. She said that they seemed nice but young and probably “fancied themselves Spanish” with the glasses and everything. She said they must have come from the Techno festival in Leeds.

She was really nice and I think her name was Missy. She said welcome to the neighborhood and that she hoped that I would be a regular there while I was in town.


I left that night and felt a little buzzed. I can’t believe after all of that pasta and one Magners, that I felt a buzz. I really must have been drunk the night I went out with Lynette and Michael because I had two Magners, a shot of Tequila and a half pint of beer on top of jet lag. WOW! Again, it is easy to be a drunk in this town.

I am not sure what the alcohol restrictions are but every grocery store has the wine, beer and cider on the grocery shelves and the liquor just behind the cashiers. I guess what I saw in Lower Marsh is nothing out of the ordinary.

I am not sure if I mentioned before that the company here has a distribution dedicated to just sharing fun and funny things like jokes, events, if they want to sell anything. I think someone is selling a car and another person was selling kittens. Well, they also have invitations to things.
The also send emails about Joiners and for Leaving Drink events.

When a new person joins, they send a Joiner announcement. They sent out an announcement last week that I was in the office and to stop by and say “Hi”. Lynette and Simon were laughing because they used “Erika” about seven times and Lynette said, “They definitely will not forget your name.”

Don't know if you remember but I missed one of the Leaving Drink events for Natasha (on the left. Louise on the right)that was the same day I got lost trying to walked from the train station. But I did go to her going away lunch.



She was so great to get me set up here. She got a really good job with Paramount Pictures.



They really make a big deal about sending people off here and it is like a family so there have been lots of people who have already left but come back to say “Hello”. I have emails for both Adil and Natasha and we are all planning to keep in touch. That is really nice compared to how my "home company" handles it. They never mention that a person leaves. But they also are not very united around the people for the most part. It is a night and day difference here.

I also went the last weekend to Leaving Drinks for another guy named Adil.



He is really a nice guy and he actually worked for my company first, then got a job with the company we merged with then about a year or so later, we merged and he was working for the company again.


I met a lot of people that night and don't remember everyone's name but the do send offs very well.



These are just some of the people, I don’t remember everyone’s name but I did have my first Pimm’s. Like a British sangria.


Actually we had two pitchers of Pimm’s between Lynette, Jamie (pictured left) and me.

That building behind them with the missing windows is the side of Elizabeth House.

Can you believe it really is in bad shape. They are going to knock it down and build an upscale shopping center.



Jamie is also on Secondment but she is here for 3 months from Dallas. Lynette was in Dallas in March.

I think I am the only one here for less than 3 months.

The day of Adil’s Leaving Drinks, she decided to get a spray tan.

She gave me permission to use this picture but it is my FAVORITE picture so far.

She was right next to Andrew who is Scottish and must be part vampire. And Caroline is pretty pale also. But that is just ridiculous!

She laughs about it too. I guess they haven't perfected their spray tan technique here yet.

When Terry (who is from Texas but moved to London 4 years ago) took the picture and looked at the screen and said, “Jamie, what did you do? Did you get a spray tan? That contrast is shocking. "


We all decided that she might not want to go for the “Number 3” in the future. One girl from the office saw the picture a few days later and said, “That is just terrible.”


Camille (she goes by Millie) said, "It was really fascinatin' because as the day wore on, you just kept getting darker and darker, Jamie."

This weekend, I am going to a party with Louise and another possibly someone named Isabelle. And one other colleague, Filippo, is the DJ. This is the invitation http://www.legopops.com/invites/Jul10/disco1.php


Not sure if I am going for Foxy Mamacita or Ghetto Fabulosity but either way, I think a shopping trip is in order some time this week! H&M here I come.


It looks like this club has some 80’s ties too. Boy George will be playing there soon. (really, the 80’s? How unexpected) http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/clubs/dex-review-10167.html

I was mildly intrigued before but now, I am committed. I am not EVEN going to lie, I am pretty motivated because Filippo is such a charmer. There are some cute guys in the office (you already saw Adil an I hadn't even seen him until I went for drinks). But he sits on my floor in the corner and has been making me laugh because every day I have been here, he walks by or is speaking with someone in my proximity and he will just sit and stare at me. When I get up to walk to the kitchen or out the door, he always looks up and smiles. I get it, I am new, people have been looking at me for several days now. After that announcement, they know my name. This really isn't all that strange, people have been doing this but not quite to the level that he has been.

Now don’t get me wrong. He is from Italy and is a CUTIE PIE. GRRRRRR!! But you know how that goes, so not reading into it, just enjoying the ‘ttention. Yesterday I was speaking with Kostas (a guy I know from his trip to Dallas and he just got to this office on Monday) and Filippo took that opportunity to walk up and say, “I don’t believe we have met.”


No sir, we have most definitely not met. Kostas introduced us then paused and looked at him then at me and said, “Erika, he is our resident Lothario.” I think I might have picked up on that. LOL!

But you know what, I don’t even care (“kur”…that is not British).

So once we had an official intro, he was telling me all about the party and asking about my photography class but honestly, I don’t know what he said. I really was just watching his mouth. But I am selling him short, he really is a nice guy.

By the end of our conversation, he had me committed to the going, knew what time I was going to be there and he sat with me to write an email and to someone he lined up to make sure I got to the party. I am actually going with Louise because we have been planning to find a time to go dancing. And I can tell she is going to be THE quintessential haute mess.

So, I am in London, going to let my guard down and go with whatever happens. (I can hear you cheering all the way from here, Wine Night B’s!) There are going to be hundreds of people there and this party is from like 1 pm to 5 am so you know I will have some stories. I am not going until about 7 or 8. What is it with me and Italian guys? Okay, enough about my new eye candy. For now…. LOL

Just the other day, Michael , a guy that sits at my “protective table” asked me if someone was “looking after me.” And he seemed really concerned that I was pretty much left to my own devices.


I told him I was making my way around and trying to meet new people. So when he heard I was going with Louise, I think he feels better that I am making friends to do things outside of the office. Everyone really has been great but they have their own lives and plans. I get that.

Mike was trying to also get me to ride the bus, he says he “prefers the bus over the tube.” And I told him, “The cute guys ride the Tube, so…I will be on the Tube.” He didn’t really press that subject any further.


Actually this morning I got on the my second train and was facing out but was listening to my iphone. The doors had closed and for some reason, didn’t take off right away. This guy was walking by because he had missed the train. He was passing my car but stopped. He walked up to the window, got my attention, blew me a long kiss and waved. Then walked away. It was so random, that it made me laugh and made my day. He could have been a total lunatic but that was a nice start.


In the Tube station, people make eye contact but there really isn't any converstion. Or I guess I should say that is my experience. I might have to just video my commute because it is like a fashion magazine every day, around every turn. I really am partial to the "blokes in suites and dress trousers." There is not a pleated front khaki in the "whole lot". They guys usually give a little side smile when you face them coming and going on the cars, on the escalators and actually on the train. So...there is no way I am going to be on the bus, at least for my work commute. I seriously have seen old women with lots of bags and lots of clothes on the bus. And they usually have a dog with them. Which site would you choose?

Anyway, I will now tell you about the Hairy Goat. http://www.hairygoat.net/

Simon told me about this mystery photo tour that his wife took and enjoyed it and so I decided to “give it a go.” I looked at the site and I am doing the photography workshop followed by the mystery tour. For the tour and workshop, there are about 3 photographers that help you learn how to use the functions of your camera for more complex photographs and effects. You can have a regular compact camera up to a SLR, then after you take the class for managing the different effects, you go on a 4 hour hike around a certain part of the city to capture pictures using your new skills and working with the photographers as tutors.

Since that time, I read the bio of the founder, Corinna, and we have struck up a friendship via email. I am really inspired by her because she used to be a project manager (like me) among other things but loved to travel and loved to take pictures. So she decided to take a chance and create this company. She is really hoping it takes off and she can make a living at it and not have to go back to the corporate world.

So this Saturday, I am going to take the beginner class with tour. I have liked some of the shots I have so far but would love to make them much better. Plus, I will actually be crossing the river and into the city this time.


I told you I was going to try to catch you up. Last Friday after we went to Adil’s Leaving Drinks, Lynette and I went to a Brazilian restaurant to meet up with some of her South African friends.

It was really fun. Her friends are hilarious and many of them had not seen each other for about 10 years. At the restaurant, they had Brazilian dancers, a Capiera demonstration (Similar to this http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8514518157668120764#docid=-7496493444800521342
(Ebonee, I didn’t see you out there) then it was just open dancing, It was so packed!




Well, I will write about my Borough Market experience next time! As well as the church and park near me and my experience at Tate Modern.

Cheers!
E