Tag: Unexpected Awesomeness

Bricklane Market

Bricklane Market

by ericmistry ♥ 4 Comments

Today my flatmates and I ventured over to the area known as Bricklane to visit the Bricklane market. It's open on Sundays only, so this was our first real chance to visit it. We reached the market by taking the tube to Aldgate East station, and then walked about five minutes through an Indian and Bengali neighborhood lined with incredibly-smelling restaurants and little sweet shops. (Both of which I will be returning to soon to try!) It still blows my mind how a quick tube ride and walk can completely transport you to a new world of sights, smells, and sounds. The people that define a neighborhood change from block to block, and the level of diversity is truly astounding.

 

In any case, we reached one of the indoor markets, and were immediately overwhelmed with a blast of heat and delicious smells. The market reminded me of the Des Moines Downtown Farmer's Market, but placed inside an old warehouse and with Indian/Thai/Chinese food dominating the scene.) There were some great clothing booths and lots of amazing little art stands.

 

At the market, I managed to accomplish three of my London goals in a matter of minutes.

  1. Buy some quality loose tea. (Great chai from a tea vendor who shared his favorite teashops)
  2. Eat delicious Indian food. (Yum! See next post!)
  3. Find a brown leather bomber jacket. (Not only did I find one, but it fit me like it was made for me, and the vendor gave me a twenty percent discount when I bargained. #winning?)

 

It was an overwhelming, awesome experience. We didn't manage to make it all around the market areas, but will return soon! As we explored the area, we also found some great street art. Enjoy the pictures below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Lessons from Life in London (thus far)

Little Lessons from Life in London (thus far)

by ericmistry ♥ 4 Comments

1. Walking around without too much direction during the day can lead to some amazing discoveries; little food markets, hidden art galleries, and amazing pieces of architecture are literally around the corner everywhere.

2. Get some foods from the market and talk to the vendors. The food is fresh, delicious, and has a great local quality. Great deals abound, especially with produce. Also, the stand-keepers are incredibly friendly and knowledgable about their products. A meat vendor who sold me some sausages told me how best to cook them, and an extremely enthusiastic Italian cheesemaker gave me samples of his various cheeses before I chose the cheese pictured below. It's a cheese infused with wine, giving it an initial nutty, sweet flavor that fades into a mild creamy taste. It's among the tastiest (yet simplest) things I've ever eaten in my entire life, yet I only found it because I decided to walk the market route on a whim.

The Best Cheese I've Ever Eaten

 

3. People love to have a little chat, and it makes the tube ride go more quickly. Londoners are quite generally friendly, and everyone we've talked with on our tube rides or in the pubs has been delighted to carry on a short conversation between the stations. Any topic will do, but the Olympics seems to be a great one, especially if you compliment the success of it. They are so very proud of their city, and rightfully so. Everything seems well organized and there is a festive spirit in the city. A well-dressed businessman whom we asked directions from was positively bouncing as he spoke about what fun it was to have the Olympics here. A side-note on conversations that we noticed quite early: your name and other personal information are rarely, if ever brought up in a conversation. The conversation begins, and names are exchanged later if the conversation is going incredibly well, but the casual tube talks don't ever last that long.

4. Speaking of Americans… Americans are loud. Really, really loud. Now that we have started to acclimate to this environment, we tend to blend in much more, talking quietly and not raising much noise. The Americans who are tourists, passing through for a matter of days, tend to stick out quite dramatically due to their volume. It's not a judgment either way, but just something that I wouldn't have noticed had I not been living here.

5. Adventure is out there! We have already engaged in so many spur-of-the-moment decisions, and they have led to great food, great experiences, and great stories. In London, if you don't act, you may not get the opportunity again.

6. Efficient public transportation is absolutely incredible. I bought an weekly travel card (unlimited use of the tube and buses) this week to last me until I can apply for a student one, and the sheer freedom it gives is incredible. I can get all around the city so quickly and easily. After a little over a week, I feel totally comfortable and confident reading the tube and bus route maps, transferring stations, and switching lines. I was surprised at how quickly it became almost unconsciously easy.

 

 

More lessons to come as I learn and adventure!

 

The Paralympic Torch

The Paralympic Torch

by ericmistry ♥ 4 Comments

We were walking to the tube station on by Bank Junction and heard the crowd waiting for the torch get increasingly louder. We rushed down to the sidewalk and I managed to snap this shot of the torchbearer. It was an amazing, unexpected sight that I will remember forever. The energy of the crowd and the shining, symbolic light of the torch literally sent goosebumps down my back.

 

Street Art Surprise!

Street Art Surprise!

by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

As I ventured home from the teaching site, I decided to walk a parallel route one street to the south and see what new stuff I could find. A large set of graffitied walls caught my attention. It turned out to be a free art exhibition by LA-based Mr. Brainwash. I walked inside the warehouse that was showing the pieces and was astounded by the amazing works of art that Mr. Brainwash had created. They were just astounding pieces that provoked wonder and laughter and smiles. It was an amazing exhibit that I plan to visit again tomorrow, and I found it just by taking an alternate route home. It's amazing what lays hidden within this city, and I can't wait to see what else I'll find. Enjoy the pictures below!