17.10.98 - Cool and trendy but not if you're a tourist

I had planned for a long time to make this weekend a lazy one. I had things to do... I'm sure I did. Anyway a last minute change of plans meant that I went into London on Friday after work. It was a bit of a mad dash though as I had to be at Amersham station for 5:30pm and I don't finish work until 4:30pm. Luckily Pauline said she'd cover for me and I left at 4pm instead, justifying this by reminding myself and others that I had stayed half an hour late earlier in the week AND I had worked through my lunch hour that day. In all fairness I was owed that time back... and I took it.

I made it to Amersham and then into London. A friend had a spare ticket to the TV show recording of The Rory Bremner show (to be shown on Sunday) and asked me to go along. I had never been to anything like that and I am all up for trying new experiences so it promised to be good fun. I was right in that the TV show recording was quite good but the company was not exactly thrilling. I was bored with them before we went in to the studio and even more bored when we came out. I had to give them the slip somehow, especially as I had arranged to meet someone else as a backup plan. I won't tell you how I gave them the slip because it is just too horrible to mention and I don't want to relive the dreadful moment but nonetheless I did it. I phoned Julian (yet another player in the story of my life) and met up with him in Oxford Circus a little while later. We went on over to East London on the tube train and then the Docklands Light Railway system and to his local pub. It was a good night and I didn't have too much to drink but what I did have went straight to my head because I had not eaten any dinner. Still... I survived but had to stay on overnight because I could not make it to my Dad's workplace to get a lift home. I gave him a ring at work to tell him and he made some dumb comment about "I hope she's worth it". I can't for the life of me remember what I said in return but it was something like "I wish!". Hehe.

Julian's place is amazing. It's right in the heart of the Docklands overlooking the Millenium Dome and the Canary Wharf tower can be seen from his back window. He shares with two others but manages to get by on a decent rent for his room and bathroom. We went to Canary Wharf shopping centre (didn't know there was one!) and stopped off at a place called 'Cafe Fresco' or something for a cappucino and a bacon sandwich. Yum! We chatted loads and went on to the Tower Of London to get some fresh air by the breezy Thames river. It was great round there and really cleared my head. It was fun to watch the tourists having a nice time, taking photos and going on little guided tours. There was a souvenir shop and I thought about stopping off to get some things for my American friends for when I visit... but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. For some silly reason it felt too touristy a thing to do and I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of Julian. I will probably go back there.... on my own or maybe with Sri sometime. We stopped off at a pub called 'Dickens Inn' in St. Katherines Quays just down the road from the Tower of London for a coke and an orange juice as we were both really thirsty but couldn't bear the thought of alcohol at that time of the day. It was really nice and made a change from trapsing round Aylesbury town centre on a Saturday.

It's good to be home again around my familiar things but I have this yearning to be in London. The Docklands area of London is SO cool and trendy and just the perfect kind of place I would like to live. The problem is that it's so expensive and I would have to share with someone. Hmmm.... I really do need a job in London though whatever my living arrangements turn out to be. Actually I have just decided. I want Julian's life. I wonder if he'd consider swapping with me?

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