A-Z of living in London

this was written as a motivational guide for a friend in the USA... truth is I could write reasons all day.. and the negatives about L'don? who cares?
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Anything goes. whatever your fantasy, eccentricity or curiosity you'll find someone, something or somewhere to indulge it!

Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood. crammed full of toys and children's antiques from dolls houses to the PlayStation, you'll feel 8 years old again

Cinema. the Prince Charles still does £1.50 entry, the Soho Curzon has a great bar and The Notting Hill Gate has sofa's just like that one in Woodstock, NY! no other city in the world can compete for the range and depth of film on offer

Dance. between the Laban Centre & The Place you have the best contemporary dance schools in Europe, not to mention the countless theatres showcasing anything and everything dance related

Energy. 15 million people, the largest urban transport network in the world and more nationalities than a UN conference.

Fashion. the centre of the fashion world. best place for people watching = Shoreditch, full of style victims, models and futurists

Green Spaces. Some of the best kept and most beautiful parks in the world, the royal grandeur of Kensingston Gardens and Holland Park along the Serpentine to the rugged nature of Hackney Marshes... and all free!

Hidden gems. London is full of lanes, parks, squares and buildings that most people have no idea exist.. get lost to get inspired

Insanely expensive BUT strangely still seems worth it... however you can still live on £1 a day if you really need to (Tesco Value!)

Jubilee Line extension. it's the future, a vision of glass. steel and concrete speeding you across town.

Ken Livingtston. he may be a little shifty, but a he's good major and he's brought the city together speaking from the heart

Live music. there's at least 800 events a week, many of them free not to mention the countless summer festivals

M. Brick Lane and Portabello (best vintage clothes shop in the world and junk to die for), Columbia rd (flowers!), Spitalfields (handmade designer goods), borough (mouthwatering deli style stalls), Broadway (indie shops and treats)

No 5 Leonard Street. home of the Dragon Bar and 100's of friends you have yet to meet

Olympics are coming! good or bad the show will both hilarious and breathtaking

Plane... train or bus and you're in Paris, Amsterdam or Barcelona in before dinner! even a ticket to NYC is affordable

Queer, camp, gay, transsexual, bisexual, heterosexual or just curious London has clubs, bars and hangouts to suit anyone

Rivers and waterways. The Thames goes from countryside to concrete and has hidden spots at each turn (even a beach) and a walk along the regents canal or river Lee is a delight

Street Art. the best art in London is not inside on the gallery walls,sprayed, stenciled and plastered on the exterior

Tate Modern. the massive turbine hall alone is worth the trip but the main exhibitions are always worth checking (plus it's a great walk along the Thames from London bridge passing Shakespeare's Globe theatre and other smaller galleries

Unbelievable and Unexpected weather. no other city can do four seasons in four hours. nothing compares to a perfect summer's day in London because we REALLY appreciate it

V&A museum. has one of the best collections of art and antiques anywhere and a stunning courtyard.. and it's FREE + a stones throw from the Natural History Museum, Science Museum an the Royal Academy

Waterloo Bridge. looking west you see the London Eye & houses of Parliament, east skyscrapers, St. Paul's, the OxXOTower and the South Bank's imposing concrete monuments, nothing like it

X- make up your own reason here!

You'll never be the same again... London changes you for the better, you may leave but part of you remains

Zombie watch. monday morning on London transport is like dawn of the dead, both hilarious and entertaining to observe

Amsterdam in Winter

back from 10 days in Amsterdam, a city that is really my second home after London. my father has his music shop called 'Palm Guitars' on the banks of the Amstel neat the flea market and I often watch over the 'emporium' while he takes trips for business and pleasure.. always returning with another pile of curiosities.. the shop is like nothing else on earth, crammed floor to ceiling with all manner of music instruments. the business started on the old flea market 20 + years ago selling handmade leather bags and belts, Afghan carpets and random things he picked up on voyages. moved into the shop about 10 years ago and then the Internet came along and a whole new group of customers appeared. the shop now attracts all kinds of musicians and collectors, what's cool is that unlike recorded music, the musical instrumentsmarket is not harmed by the net, in fact the demand in niche markets is only intensified.

this time it was a welcome escape from the hyper commercial Xmas which permeates London, more focus on 'buy buy buy' then 'love love love'.. the difference between the euro and pound sink in, while London drains your wallet at an unbelievable rate, in Amsterdam you can still eat, travel and visit places without breaking the bank. the city retains it's fairytale charm, and will always do so. fortunate to escape the German bombs (apparently Hitler saw Amsterdam and was so taken by it's beauty he called off the bombing).. Rotterdam was not so lucky, although is is now considered one of the most innovative places for modern architecture. many old Amsterdamers will moan that it's not like it was back in the day (but then that's kinda the point no?). in the 60's the city centre became a hippy traveller mecca, where all passed through on the way to India or some far flung place.. many never made it passed a'dam due to the freely available drugs and squat style living.. in fact many are probably still there.

Holland is built for the bicycle, this alone gives the streets a sense of peace and tranquility. as you cruise around silently the bike paths and other cyclists flow seamlessly.. the traffic is often heavy (Amsterdam is one of the most densely populated cities in the world). anyone trying to drive in the centre will have a tough time, especially if they find a parking place (almost 20 euros per day). this creates a less hectic vibe, almost every Amsterdammer has a bike (700,000 at least).

the centre area of the city is dated from the 17th century and one of the largest in the world, the narrow streets are built around the main central canals (Singel, Herengracht, Kaisergracht, Princengracht and the Amtsel). you can't help but feel connected to the past centuries as you roll over the canal bridges and slip in and out of the passages.

it's a city divided between business and tourism, both of which bring in the money. the central Dam Square (which is incredibly dull), the museums (world reknowned) and red light district (not as sleazy as you mght think) keep the tourists happy, so you won't find many wandering around the Jordann (old residential neighbourhood west of the centre), if they are there it's usually because they are lost. the Jordann is crammed full of art galleries (often 'ateliers' or studios of the artists who live above), lovely cafes, curious independent shops and markets.. it's one of the best areas to wander in the world. check for Distortion Records, Paradox Coffeeshop, a multitude of cozy cafes and the old comics & film posters shops... easy to spend money but equally fun to browse! the Jordann was originally a working class area and home to countless strikes an demos if centuries gone by.. now it's moved up to house some of the most expensive and desirable housing in Holland.. still retains the old charm though..

Amsterdam has a fantastic free newspaper (English language) called 'The Weekly' which observes the city through delightfully tinted glasses... event listings, articles and reviews sit alongside humorous views of the city.

some restaurants and eateries I would recommend

Green Planet - lovely vegetarian, small and perfectly formed. check the specials for soups and drinks.. the menu is not extensive but should have something to please everyone. they also have lovely organic wines and beers
Spuistraat 122 (625 8280

Vlieegnde Schotel (flying saucer)
huge portions, very cozy and serving proper filling veggis grub in the Jordann. there's a resident cat who lounges around on the furniture. it's not a place to rush your meal, as in many dutch restaurants the speed and efficiency takes second place to atmosphere and chilling time.
Nwe Leliestraat 162-168

Moas falafel - delicous and cheap takeaway option, you fill your own from the veg and sauces on display. also quick and friendly.
can be found on the Leidseplein, Rembrandtplein or Dam Square, open 10am-11pm

markets are plentiful.. antiques, books, records, flowers and junk.. the flea market is nothing like it was, more expensive and less stalls make for rather dull browsing.. you can still find the odd nice jumper or jacket but you're better off in the cities second hand shops..

more to come on amsterdamage and Rotterdam..

thoughts of SE Asia

It's Christmas eve, a long way from Vietnam although it feels like only yesterday I was there immersed in the humidity and culture of that wonderful country.

the trip passed far too quickly for my liking, part of the sensation of seeing everything for the first time is that time itself seems to speed up, there's so many sights, sounds, tastes and feelings to absorb. after the first week, I felt almost at home there, the food was giving me renewed energy, the weather was a welcome change from the hugely 'changeable' and nearly always disappointing London greyness... although I could not speak the language and was just starting the learn about the culture, I felt safe and welcome everywhere we went.

if there was one place that resonated more deeply with me it was Hoi An.. the wonderful Chinese guesthouse, the absence of air conditioning (which i can happily live without) and the incredible food and clothes market meant 2 days was far too short.. this is a place I want to return to for 3-4 weeks in the future... to write, take photos and enjoy the delicious, cheap food.

Hoi An is also a place which has seen traders and traveller from every corner of the world pass along the river, stopping off to trade, swap, buy and fix their wares. there is much to be learnt here, about how a place can absorb culture from such diverse places as Spain, China and France.. why do the streets look like Havana? I don't think the Cubans ever made it here.. or did they?

Hanoi also left a deep impression with me, the old quarter is both froxen in time and being pulled along with the relentless pace of change felt everywhere is Vietnam. the beautiful lake, surrounded by locals at all hours... the tiny cafe which serves the best soup to be found in Vietnam (open to debate i guess)... the countless internet cafes, buzzing with teenagers chatting, playing games and seamingly oblivious to our 'real' world... the creamics village outside the city, steeped in history, a link to the crafts of old and the production of the new... the french cafes, an authentic tatste of Paris complete with the slightly arrogant air of the staff...

i will retrun, armed next time with the experience and memories of the first trip.. i will be more prepared and better edcated as to the development of Vietnam.. where the country is going and more importantly where it came from.