I guess I still have the actress in me afterall. Or perhaps it's Philippe's influence.Well, I'm back in London, and enjoying the Bayswater and Notting Hill area quite thoroughly. I've started addressing people as "love" or "darling" a lot again. I think it may be annoying, but I'll only be here until the 10th, so I will live it while I've got it.
A couple days ago, after a wonderful meander through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, I took a stroll through the Victoria and Albert museum. Wow. What a collection.
Much of the exhibits were not displayed with any rhyme or reason, but instead I found the Precious Silvers Collection next to 'Modern Drawing Techniques' and followed by 'Oil Miniatures.' And, of course, 'Japanese Civilization' was right between 'Islamic Civilization' and a special exhibit on DaVinci. The section on modern social and artistic movements (1920-1980), the only, as I saw, chronological section in the place, preceeded a room full of Baroque furniture. Needless to say, it was a fabulous museum to explore on one's own, wandering in and out of rooms, smiling.
I didn't smile, however, at the stolen foreign histories (although the British Museum has a worse rep of this - Greece exceedingly angry, for example, because England won't give back the stone-carved murals once found along the walls of the Parthenon. Egypt also has significant cause to be peeved re: tomb plundering...). But, as my mother says, how else would Britain-bound museum-goers grasp a concept of the world around them if they didn't have these exhibits (or the means to visit Egypt, Greece, or Iran)? There's also the "protectionist" theory that, if the colonial powers had not taken many of the pieces, they would have been destroyed during times of national and international conflict (which, in opinion, is too often reminiscent of the "white man's burden" for "civilized society"). Anyway, something I can't help but think about when seeing mummies, tombs, and massive ancient architectural pieces in the middle of London. The jury isn't out yet in my mind.
To give you a smidgeon of a sense of the museum.....
(this one's for you, dad)
In other news, as a celebration of our Mid. Eastern heritage, Amanda and I went out for delicious Lebanese food the other night. I always manage to find the Lebanese restaurants anywhere I go.. (Yes, even in Brussels.) We stuffed our tummies full of fattoosh, green olives, spicy fish, sauteed okra, Lebanese sausage (I'm weaning myself back onto meat in preparation for the places to come), and of course, hilwiyat. But don't worry, Sittoo, your batlawa (baklava, for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about - just don't call it baklava in front of my family) is ALWAYS better. We were quite full. Very very full.
We also experienced the joys of Camdentown and the Camden markets on a bustling Sunday. Since the markets in that area are one of the main tourist attractions open on Sundays, we often felt like salmon swimming upstream.
Amidst the hustle and bustle
PRETTY CANDY!!
Along the street - this giant boot moved back and forth. 
Do you poke badgers with spoons? Amanda does.
Inside one of the marketsQuite a lot of friends from Exeter happen to be in London now, which has made for many enjoyable gatherings and dinners out. More to come in the next week, too!
Other activities have included multiple walks in and along Hyde Park, Sainsbury egg sandwiches, a frightening stroll through Harrods (gluttonous consumerism at it's worst), long, heartfelt conversations over shisha and mint tea, kebabs (and being winked at by the cute kebab man every time), debates regarding the kafiyyah as a style accessory, meeting Philippe's lively actor gang, perusing the art fair along Notting Hill Gate, spending too much money on the Tube, spending too much money in general, hating the 2-pence coin (it has no purpose!!), exploring London's many monuments + museums, exploring London's many pubs, mentally recording various English accents, hyper-analyzing British society...
Harrod's @ night (it's prettier on the outside)
The Natural History Museum
Schoolkids in the park (they were gathering leaves for their teacher)
monument to Albert...complete with representational sculpture depicting 4 parts of the world (Africa and America are rather interesting)
I like shop windows 
God Save the Queen.Well now, off for a walk across London towards Oxford Circus!
Love to all,
2 comments:
there is a great ethiopian restaurant in camden about a block away from the market. they roast coffee beans right there.
yup. i was in germany and found three lebanese restaurants. i was in my glory even on the other side of the world!
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