Lunch at Bibibam Cafe

Lunch at Bibibam Cafe

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

Today, as a special treat, I decided to pick up some Korean food for lunch at a little place I had passed whilst on my way to the British Museum.

My classmate Evan had also recommended this place, the Bibibam Cafe. I decided to stop in and grab a little takeaway for lunch. I got the Korean pork and a little potato hash brown thing as a side, all atop a bed of rice. The pork was delicious, melt-in-your-mouth, and exploding with flavor. It was extremely rich, and the sauce soaked into the rice, leading to even more deliciousness as the pork was slowly depleted. The potato cake helped mop things up and was a pleasant and simple complement to the intense flavors of the pork. I will definitely be exploring the other delicious options the Bibibam Cafe has to offer. Cheap, convenient, and delicious? Count me in.

The Cafe

My Meal

 

Visiting the British Museum

Visiting the British Museum

by ericmistry ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Today, I decided to pay a visit to an old friend, one we haven't seen in awhile, The British Museum.

I made the Southeast Asia collections my focus for this visit. The British Museum has some phenomenal religious artifacts, especially in regards to their collection of Buddhist works. I roamed the exhibits, trying to capture the beauty and grandeur of these ancient pieces. They were all so incredible and interesting. It was an absolute treat to explore this section of the museum and to rediscover the grandness of the British Museum. Pictures below…

 

Ivory Buddha

 

Ravana, a demon from Hindu mythology

 

Shiva

 

Stone Buddha Image

Large Stone Buddha

 

British Money

British Money

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

Today was a pretty routine day (besides an amazing care package from Emily- THANK YOU!), so I decided to write about one of the more interesting aspects of daily life that I've come to enjoy: British coins.

A good deal of purchasing happens with bills (£5, £10, £20, £50, etc.), but a ton of important purchases happen with coins. In lieu of a £1 bill, the English use a coin. This round, golden coin is always being used for all sorts of things. Not only do you use it to pay for small purchases, but it is also used to unlock the key from public lockers. I always try to keep a few on me, because the pound coin is the most useful change to have.

There are quite a few other coins. Eight to be precise. Some are useful, others are annoying and used as quickly as possible to get rid of them. In order of value:

  1. The Two Pound Coin: while one of the largest and heaviest coins, this is undoubtably the coolest and most valuable. It has a silver disc inside a golden border. A few of these go a long way.
  2. The One Pound Coin: small, heavy, golden. This coin is used for everything. It is pretty much perfect. I wish we used the dollar coin as frequently. It's better than bills when you get used to it.
  3. The Fifty-Pence Coin: larger than all the coins, but thinner. Has seven distinct sides. Very useful in combination with the One Pound Coin.
  4. The Twenty-Pence Coin: Small, extremely useful. Also has seven sides.
  5. The Ten-Pence Coin: Round, about the size of a US quarter. Pretty useless compared to the Twenty-Pence Coin. (For a US equivalent, think of nickels to dimes.)
  6. The Five-Pence Coin: Tiny, silver. Relatively useful, but not terribly practical to carry in large enough quantities.
  7. The Two-Pence Coin: Nearly as large as the Fifty-Pence Coin, Copper, very beautiful. Also, totally useless. It is utterly impractical and I try to get rid of them as soon as possible.
  8. The Penny: Picture the US penny. Switch in Queen Elizabeth for Lincoln, change up the tails' side image. Used occasionally.

 

It has been pretty fun getting to learn a new currency. The best way I found to learn practically and pressure-free was to do self-checkout at the grocery and feed in the exact change if possible. It was a fun challenge, taught me the different coins rather quickly, and also let me get rid of those silly Two-Pence coins. It should be pretty interesting adapting back into the US dollar, but I'm excited at the same time. Currency is one of those things that one seldom thinks about unless traveling, and its fascinating to see how it shapes and reflects the lifestyle of its respective culture.

 

 

The £1 Coin

The Coins (L->R: £2, £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p, 1p)

 

The Coins Again.

 

Superb Sunday Shenanigans

Superb Sunday Shenanigans

by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

What a day! In short: woke up, gym, home, breakfast, Bricklane Market, Monument, St. Paul's, fancy Afternoon Tea, home! In more detail…

 

After a nice, long workout at the gym and a hearty breakfast of eggs on beans and rice, I joined Chrissy, Lauren, and Caitlin for a jaunt to Bricklane Market, my absolute favorite London market. It's a magical place filled with amazing food, creative clothing, and some other astounding goods. I started out the market with a steamed bun, and it was delicious! Next, I made my way to a stand selling leather briefcases, satchels, and purses. I have been waiting for months to purchase a briefcase from this stand. I have searched everywhere that I have traveled for something else, but nothing compared in price, quality, or beauty. I finally decided to get it, and I could not be happier. It's perfect, and definitely something I'll treasure for life. Check it out:

Well Worth The Wait…

Next, we browsed around the various clothing sellers, whose wares varied from vintage to designer to somewhere in between. I swung by the vendor who I had bought my leather jacket from, as he always has nice, but inexpensive items, and found an absolute steal. In a effort to reduce inventory, he was selling some items for only five pounds. Including… a perfect pinstriped navy suit. I tried it on and it fit me like it was tailored for me. Another market win!

Happy with that success, we made our way back to the food area, where I got some Thai food. (A mixed plate that included green curry and panang curry on rice!) It was delicious!

Next, we made our way via tube to the Monument! I had been before, but Chrissy was visiting, so I figured it was definitely something worth seeing. 311 steps later, we emerged onto the platform. It was stunning. We watched the sun go down (by 4:30) and then made our way down the stairs yet again.

We then walked to St. Paul's, which was gorgeous and illuminated at night. We walked around it, got some pictures, then made our way via tube to meet up with a larger group for afternoon tea!

Afternoon tea was a delight! We each received our own teapots and a range of finger sandwiches, scones, and little desserts. It was a wonderful way to top off the day! We shared plenty of tea and conversation.

Finally, we made it home. All in all, a good day.

 

Steam Buns at the Market

 

Thai Curries!

On Top of the Monument!

 

View from the Monument

 

Tower Bridge View from the Monument

 

The Shard and the Sunset

 

Illuminated St. Paul's

Tea Time!

 

Adriyel Enjoying Tea!

 

Nibbles

 

Tea Done Right

 

Portabello Road Market and More!

Portabello Road Market and More!

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

Today I explored the famous Portabello Road market, met up with my cousin, and cooked a group supper.

I started my morning with a big workout at the YMCA, which made sure I was hungry for the market. Ther was plenty of good food available, and from all corners of the world. I ended up getting an arepa (a Venezuelan dish similar to pita sandwich) stuffed with black beans, beef, and chicken! It as amazing and totally what I was craving.

I then walked along Portabello Road, looking at the various cool items available to buy, including every type of vintage and outstanding silver pieces. There were also various street performers, food vendors, and more!

After enjoying their market, I walked over to my cousin Alyssa's apartment to hang out and try some of her amazing pastries. (She is studying pastry at the Cordon Bleu.) We also watched some tv, video-chatted our Nana, and just chatted about life in London.

Finally, I made my way home, made some of my homemade Mac and cheese (a practice run for our Thanksgiving potluck offering) and enjoyed having my flat, plus neighbors in Teddy and Joe, plus guests in Chrissy and Lauren. It was a fun meal and we had some great conversation and some apple turnovers from Portabello Road Market.

All in all, a good day!

Market Stand

 

Street Performer

Bubble floating over the market

Market Donuts

 

Arepas Being Cooked

 

Alyssa's Creations- WOW!!!

 

Research and its Rewards

Research and its Rewards

by ericmistry ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Today was a very productive day!

I woke up this morning, cooked a hearty breakfast of eggs and beans, and headed down to the Women's Library at the London Metropolitan University to do some research for my paper. I worked alongside Professor Prevost while she did some of her own research. It was really useful to be able to consult with her on various routes my paper could take while I had the elements of my research in front of me.

I found a wealth of great resources related to my paper topic, which roughly deals with the role of India's gender segregation and its role in promoting professional medical education for Englishwomen. It was amazing to see some of the various artifacts in the collection. I handled microfilms of old newspapers and even managed to get my hands on an amazing original pamphlet from 1822 that dealt directly with my project. It was so rewarding to get to work firsthand with such an incredible piece of history.

Midway through my research, I took a lunch break at the nearby Bricklane and snagged some delicious Indian food! It was phenomenal as always and definitely a great reward for spending a day doing work.

Finally, with all that work done, I made my way home to eat a small supper and hang out with my flatmates and some visitors. All in all, a good day.

 

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My Primary Source from 1822

 

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My Primary Source of Food

 

Chinatown Adventures

Chinatown Adventures

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

Today, I spent a little while exploring the Chinatown area around my lunchtime.

It's a delightful area, nestled in a small selection of side streets near SoHo. As soon as one turns off the main road, the signs switch to Chinese and English, paper lanterns crisscross the street, and an array of colors, sounds, and delicious smells explodes into the streets. After a brief time meandering around the streets, I decided to snag myself a steam bun from a small, busy shop with delectable scents wafting from within. I chose the house special of chicken and Chinese vegetables, and it was absolutely glorious. I bit off a corner to let the steam within billow out. Inside was some amazing, deeply flavorful chicken and vegetables, which contrasted brilliantly with the starchy sweetness of the steamed bun surrounding it.

Next, I was craving some dumplings, so I walked around until I saw a small restaurant making them in the window. They looked incredible, and with a London Times article posted near the front door proclaiming its greatness, I decided it was a solid choice. I went with Beijing Chicken dumplings. They were scrumptious! It was such fun to nibble off a corner of one, let out some steam, dip it in soy sauce, and then chow down on it.

Finally, I explored a few grocery stores to pick up some ingredients that I had trouble finding elsewhere. At the top of my list? Sriracha, the classic red hot sauce with a green lid, and one of my favorite foods in the world! Luckily, I found some at a decent price. I also snagged some rice noodles, which formed the base of the massive, vegetable-filled stir fry I made for my flat tonight.

After my Chinatown adventures, I made my way to the teaching site, did some reading, then headed off to the gym for a nice, long workout. (Bonus! Today, I got to swim counterclockwise – American-style – for a little bit of my warmdown. It felt awesome.) Post-gym, I grabbed some vegetables from the grocery, and made some stirfry when I got home.

All in all, a good day.

Chinatown

 

Steam Bun

 

Dumpling Creation

 

Lanterns

 

Red Velvet

Red Velvet

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

Today was pretty routine and quiet, except for a phenomenal play in the evening.

 

Tonight we saw Red Velvet at the Tricycle Theatre. It featured the story of Ira Aldridge, a talented young black actor in London in 1833. He took over the role of Othello after another actor, Edmund Kean, collapsed on stage and was unable to complete the season. It was a beautifully moving performance, and the actor playing Aldridge was absolutely phenomenal. We saw his transformations throughout the play, and he was entirely believable, especially in the emotional scenes. I was thrilled to have seen the play, and to have yet another London theatre experience!

 

Advertising for the Theatre

Poster Outside the Theatre

 

Terrific Tuesday: London Style

Terrific Tuesday: London Style

by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

Today was an action-packed day! To show Georgia and Natisha the full London experience, we went to the London Eye, looked at Westminster and Westminster Abbey from the outside, took pictures at a classic phone booth, and even ate some awesome fish and chips!

 

We began the morning with a tube ride to Westminster. I chose our exit from the station carefully, so we would emerge directly below Big Ben, an awe-inspiring sight especially after emerging from the Underground. We then made our way over to the London Eye, bought tickets, and headed on up to our car in the massive Ferris wheel. It was amazing to see London stretched out below us for as far as the eye could see. The city looked absolutely beautiful in the morning light. Though it was a bit pricy, the Eye was absolutely worth it!

Next, we walked over to around Westminster and Westminster Abbey to see the exteriors. Both were beautiful as usual, but Westminster Abbey was also surrounded by rows of crosses and paper poppies to commemorate the veteran's sacrifices. It was moving to see the thousands upon thousands of miniature memorials.

On a lighter note, we then swung into a phone booth near the tube station to take another quintessential London tourist photo. After all of our Westminster adventuring, we were extra-hungry, so we ventured to The Golden Hind (currently holding the crown for best fish and chips in London in my book) for lunch of fish and chips with mushy peas, tartar sauce, and vinegar. It was as good as ever, and the massive portions of white, flaky fish and perfectly made sides reminded me why this was a great place for fish and chips.

Finally, I headed to class and the gym, per usual. I then made Mac and cheese for dinner, which we all enjoyed as usual. It was so fun to have an extra-packed house!

 

All in all, another great London day! Pictures below!

 

Walking to the Eye

 

In the Eye

 

Westminster from the Eye

 

Pods over London

On Top of the City

 

Hanging Out above the City

 

Another View of Westminster

 

Westminster, Again…

Hello Ben!

 

Westminster Abbey

 

Remembrance

 

The Classic London Shot

 

Calling Everyone

 

Fish and Chips

 

 

Fish and Chips : detail

 

Georgia and Natisha Come to Visit!

Georgia and Natisha Come to Visit!

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

It was fun arriving home from Spain late last night to come home to two of my friends visiting London and staying with us! Georgia and Natisha joined us from their study abroad experience in Denmark. It is always such fun to get to spend time with Grinnellians outside of our natural (Grinnell) habitat and to share London with visitors.

I spent the early part of the day doing homework, going to class, and working out, but we got to spend the evening together. I made the whole group (our flat plus our two visitors) some chicken fajitas for dinner and then we all relaxed in the apartment. Of course, no visit to London is complete without a nice visit to a pub, so we popped over to my favorite pub, The Exmouth Arms, and enjoyed a round of drinks and some great conversation. It was a wonderfully relaxing way to finish off the evening. Tomorrow, Natisha, Georgia, and myself are going to enjoy the London Eye, Chinatown, and whatever else we can find to do!

 

Georgia and I

 

Pub Time! (L->R: Georgia, me, Natisha, Claire, Caitlin)