Pasaje del Terror

So when my newly refurbished friend suggested that we celebrate Halloween at a haunted house, I scoffed at the idea. However, in the spirit of compromise, I obliged and entered the Pasaje del Terror. The haunting began with a 30-minute Jack the Ripper film after which we were led into a creepy maze complete with an exorcist, Freddy Krueger and "pop-out-from-nowhere" crypt keeper. Heavier on the spoof than the spook, this was definitely the best haunted house I’d ever seen! Caught up in the fervour of suspense, I found myself running down hallways, screaming (or laughing) with strangers and feeling the intensity of childhood hijinks. It was a rush I hadn’t felt in a long time. 

Tomorrow, I'll have lunch in a crowded cafe and ask the person sitting next to me if they want to trade. 

London's Green Markets

I love to eat. I'm learning to love cooking.

This has led to my getting very well acquainted with the local growers and markets in the neighbourhood. It's also led to my disappointment as I was accosted for bad behavior at my local Green Market (aka. fresh produce store). 

Ever gone to a grocery store, picked up a plastic baggy and filled it with produce? Well, this is not how it works in London.

Here, the shop-keeper will walk along with you and pick and pack your desired selections. Unaware of this state of affairs, I was received as yet another impatient and demanding American whose wrist should be slapped for over-anxiously rummaging through the produce selections. The apron clad shop keeper at the Green Market closest to my home definitely does not care for me... But he hasn't seen the last of me either!

Landing in London

I blew into town at 7:30am on October 23rd, 2010 and immediately rode the rail into Central London.

As I waded through the bustling Victoria station, I was confronted with the fact that I didn't know anyone in this big, busy city. Even more daunting, I noticed that there were no elevators to help me haul my over-sized luggage underground into the tube station (the Tube is London's amazing metro system). Feeling alone and exhausted from a long journey, I screamed when I literally bumped into a familiar face - Sarah!!!

Sarah is an old high school friend I lost contact with immediately after graduation. She arrived a month earlier to pursue her Masters in Healthcare Administration. Always a smart cookie, she introduced me to My So Called Life and Nirvana when all i knew was Beverly Hills 90210 and MC Hammer - Thank god for this woman!

Friend #1 - sweet :)

London eh? Or London Oye?

Just to clarify, I'm in London, England. Ya know, the UK. A few people were under the impression I had moved to London, Ontario.

Moving to London

So for pretty much my entire adult life I've carried with me a desire to live and work abroad. Not a vacation - I spent nearly half a year travelling across Western Europe - but my real life transplanted into a new city.

The plan was clear, yet it never became more than an idea lurking deep in the crevices of my mind. A parenthesis that only garnered serious consideration after vacations or upon meeting expats who had made the move. After a while, the plan got shelved and life went on.

As I entered my 30s, everything seemed great on the surface - promising career, good friends and a supportive family. Life wasn't bad, just a little bland. Interestingly, I'm a huge over-reactor, so I freaked at the daunting prospect of posing the "What If..." question for the rest of my life and decided to move to London!