Monday 29-09 - First night

Went over to Karens. Tonight would be first night of Rosh Hashannah, the Jewish new year. I had left most of my good clothes at Karen´s, but still brought some bits and pieces with me. At the flat every thing was already arranged. The living room had been transformed into a space that would hold 20 people comfortably.

There was still some cooking to do but nothing for anyone to stress about. Josh and I had the job of fetching the last food from the shops and picking up the preordered fruit tart. First I had to charm the chicken guys to cut our chooks into 8 pieces, instead of the usual 4. The grumpy older lady who served me the first 2 chooks wouldn´t budge. When she popped out the nice young guy diced our last chook up extra tiny.

We picked up fresh salad ingredients and then to the amazing tart. It looked even better than its online picture (found at http://www.patisserie-valerie.co.uk/)



In the evening we went to shule. We took Karen´s friend´s child with us. He had never been before and we were happy to look after him. All dressed up for the high holiday we got to the tube station. Right in the middle of rush hour. We threw ourselves into the living human mass that is rush hour tube traffic. Slowly, slowly we moved.

Finally through the underground and a short walk later we found the synagogue. It was sadly empty, but beautiful. Like an old church it was decorated. The pillars and the ceilings and the stained glass windows were all intricate, made with care. The arc at the front was topped with an enormous structure not unlike a mini Taj Majal. This place felt like it had real history. A sense of presence. We stayed for a short evening service.

By the time e got back to the flat all the other guests had arrived. Lots people drinking wine and chatting away. It as nice to see many of them again, especially my cousins. We went through the chicken and salad I had fetched early that day. What I couldn´t wait for was the dessert. The fruit tart was worth the wait. So amazing. The Cupcakes,now with their honey icing, were just as good.

Everyone left feeling full and happy. Dani and I bid farewell to the rest of the family and went home.

Sunday 28-09 - Making cupcakes

Slightly hung over.

We started baking cupcakes.



Well, Dani did the baking. I was the sue chef. I did the apple cutting and flour sifting.



The first batch was just vanilla. They were flight and fluffy. Perfect.



The second batch was for Rosh Hashannah. She decided to use the apple and honey theme of the festival. So the cupcakes were spiced with apple pieces in the base. The icing was honey butter cream. So good.

We slowly made our way to the flat, were we spent the rest of the day and the night.

Saturday 27-09 - Night out

I woke up still overstuffed and drunk from dinner. We slowly got dressed.

We went to Brunswick mall to find our Grrandparents. They were planning to see a movie there. There was no success in phone them so we assumed they had already gone in. We decided to wait for them with a light soup at the amazing Japanese place The Hare and Tortoise. We walked in the door to see the grandparents, eating laksa. They just hadn´t heard the phones. We all got a big table and ate big bowls of soup.

The afternoon was spent in the park, blowing bubbles to Aiden. We sat amongst the crowds of people. Strange,there weren´t usually so many people around. Also, not usually so many hippies doing yoga and meditation. Turns out down the street was a annual festival of life. The street was full of veggie powered cars and organic coconut drinks. We walked around, watching the festival goers. Then to the local pub to poison our bodies with cider and wine. Karen, Dani, Josh,Aiden and I sat in a tiny walled beer garden. We looked for the sun behind the walls. With it the garden was cold,so we went to meet the others at the grandparents´ hotel. There we had some more drinks.

That evening Dani and I went to afterskool club. It was full of young hip things dancing away. We were going there to meet at least a dozen Perth originated people. We took over a chunk of the dance floor with our silly Perth dancing and good times. I had my second ever snake bite (larger, cider, red cordial), but my first snakebite in London. Dani kept telling me stories about the lethal Afterskool snakebites and now I finally got a chance to try one. It wad a good night.

Friday 26-09 - la gavroche

My father having had just arrived, we walked to the park to have a nice brekkie outside. It was Russel Street park. Dani and Josh and I all had fried egg sammichs. Except that I had baguette, Dani had bap and Josh had toasted bread. We sat, the whole family outside. The weather was gorgeous.

After breakfast we split up. Gran and Grandad and I went to Knightsbridge to shop. I wanted to pick up some things. We started at ...nicks. It was more upmarket than I was comfortable with, so we looked around for only a little while. Grandad got tired of waiting for us so he went on ahead to Harrods. We got to the street and walked until I saw a shop I was very comfortable with. H and M. That place is dangerous for me, I keep seeing things I want to buy. We spent a while there.

I soon discovered it is also dangerous to shop with my gran. She is the adorable devil sitting on your shoulder saying 'just buy it'. She got me to try on things I never would have looked at otherwise. But some very nices choice. I had stopped in only looking for a jacket. I ended up buying a navy jacket, stockings, an argile V-neck, a white cardie and a grey dress.

Next stop was Harrods. We had fun looking at the ridiculous extravagance we found in that store. Thousand dollar cardies that weren't even that nice. Awefully tacky shoes. Disgusting shower fittings. It was all in good fun. It was nice to spend time with Gran. We didn't often get a chance to hang out just the two of us.

We headed back and had a light lunch. We really didn't want to fill ourselves up. For tonight was a night we had been looking forward to for a long time. For joint fathers and grandfathers birthdays we were all booked into La Gavroche. A restaurant with 2 michilan stars, owned by none other than Michelle Rue Jr. So exciting.

We got dressed up in our finest. I wore an amazing black dress I had bought before, plus the grey stockings and boots I had recently acquired.





In our shiny best we had some champagne and cake. We toasted to the birthday boys and drank champs. We didn't cut the cake.





We stood for an eternity on High Holborn waiting for a taxi. There just weren't any free taxis, being a friday night. Eventually we found two and made our way. From the moment we walked through the door I could feel the atmosphere. La Gavroche means street urchin, with a big drawing of an urchin boy by the front desk. They took our coats and lead us with sincere smiles down the ornate stairs.

The room was large and dark and full of tables. The wait staff were dressed up down to every last detail. Actually, everything was perfected down to the last detail. Metal centre pieces of different animals (ours was a lobster). The handles of the cutlery were in the shape of the urchin boy. Above us chandeliers swayed.

We were served apertisers with duck and some sort of pastry. We drank champs.

We got up to go to the bathroom. We were led to the door and when I got back my serviette had been refolded and waiting for me. After searching the amazing menu we all decided on the degustation. Each course had a wine served with it. I would have to be very careful not to drink too much. I didn´t want to be that person who passed out and missed the amazing food. But there was so much booze! At any one time we each had 3 to 4 different glasses of wine in front of us. It was a sea of glass.

Food highlights:

The first plate was seafood in a boat of some like of lettuce. With this most incredible sauce dabbed around it. I really liked that one.

The second was cheese soufflé. It was like air. I´ve never tasted anything quite like it before. It it disappeared in your mouth.

The meat was a duck thing is pastry and a braised beef with parsnip mash. Incredible. It was served to each person under a big round silver cover. Then all were lift at the exact same moment.

Cheese course was choices from a huge cart of cheese. Then a truffle with so much chocolate it could cause a blackhole.

We taxied back to the flat and then Dani and I were sent back to hers in the taxi. It was so much better then taking the tube or bus. We rolled in the door and collapsed into bed.

Thursday 25-09 - perth times

Shoe shoppig at Neil Street. I needed some, and rather really wanted, some new boots. All my past boots had been flats or big chunky platforms. I wanted something sleek. I wanted something sexy and modern. All the girls minus Dani went to Neil Street near seven dials. I started off at Mr Shoes, the place I found my wellies.

My feet are inpracticaly tiny. Finding shoes to fit becomes so much of a chore I usually end up at a kids shoe store. This shop has so many shoes in my size. I found some potential shoes and settles on the most perfect pair of boots. The most perfect pair of boots I have ever owned. Tall heels, but not too tall. Thin points, but not too thin. Pointy toes, but not too pointy. A sleek black leather looking finish and a good price. So much love.

Lunch was at Itsu again, where I was introduced to their awesome chicken teriaki noodle soups. We ate their until mum wasn't feeling too good. She left early and I left doon after to see if she was ok. Back at the flat mum went to sleep off the sick feeling. We hung out.

In the evcening we headed off to see the Perth band The Bank Holidays. They had come to London to tour. We were lucky enough to be able to see them. I was so excited. I hadn't seen them play in such a long time.

We got to the bar and it could have been any Perth pub, except that we new less people. We had some cider as we watched the opening act. The front woman was incredibly charismatic with a spectacular voice. She had great short black hair that made me want to cut my hair short again.



Slowly more and people I know showed up. Lots of people I knew from Perth who all happened to be in London. We were all drawn together by the adorable pop of the Bank Holidays.

They played an excellent set. All the old favourites we had come to know. I sang along to myself. Of course I knew all the words. I felt excited and giddy like a teenage girl who just spotted her favourite popstar walking down the street. They danced around the stage. I just hoped that the Londoners would grow to love them as much as we did. The final song (Greatest game, my favourite) had Dani and I singing along out loud.

Aftet the set the now enormous Perth crowd sat outside in the chill. We caught up and shared our plans for the near future. Everyone started to get tired of the cold, so we all headed together to the tube station home.

Wednesday 24-09 - bday 1

Today was our Grandad´s birthday. So the day started with a setting up birthday cards and waiting for the birthday boy to join us. We all met up and started the walk to the Tate modern. The sky threatened to rain, but only threatened. It was cold today.



I love the Tate modern. It has such wonderful things to see and do. Plus an amazing bookshop. The walk was long enough that some of our party was getting sore legs. We all decided to break for lunch before walking around. We went to the upstairs restaurant and got in the half hour wait for a table. While we waiting we had wine with olives and nuts. Not a good idea for me to start drinking so early in the day. But oh well.



Lunch was nice, with the same pesto and pumpkins and pinenut penne I had the last time. We fed Aiden, whom we were babysitting at the museum. We put him down to sleep. By the end of lunch I could feel the alcohol.



We walked around the Surrealist section. I lost track of everyone but found an abstract expressionism exhibit focused on this Australian painter (have forgotten the name). I think he perfectly captured the feel of the Australian Landscape.

We didn´t stay too long, but first popped into the bookshop. No visit to the Tate is complete without a visit to the bookshop. I love the design books and the photography books and the illustrations. I kept Aiden busy by running his stroller up and down the hill of the enormous turbine hall. I was exhausted afterwards. But mostly sober.

We put the GPs on a bus back to tho hotel and then we walked. Back at Karens there was a visitor from the flat above.

Grandad´s Bday dinner. We got to the Japanese style restaurant we had planned to eat at only to find a queue far into the street. So we walked in the direction of the flat. Everywhere was full on this bustling Wednesday night. There was a Thai place no one had tried yet with room, so that where we went. I´m glad we did, the food was great. After all the wine at lunch I decided to stick to water. Everyone else thought I was mad, but I didn´t care. The high light was the banana fritter and ice cream dessert.



I slept at Dani´s house.

Tuesday 23-09 - movie day

First, to Bethnal Green to have breakfast with the granparents in Dani´s area. We took the Granparents to our favourite fry up place. The servings are huge and cheap, the food is good. I had omelette with vegetables. It came with the sides of salad and the most chips you have ever seen in your life. We all enjoyed our enormous meals.

Everyone bussed to Brunswick to meet Mum, Karen and Aiden. There we saw a Turkish coming of age film called Winds and Times, I think. It was 2 hours of the most beautiful shots ever taken with a camera. Lots of long spaces without any speaking and slow music. Kids sleeping on rocks and walking through crooked streets. Any real storyline was more of an after thought. I enjoyed it though. I don´t know how much everyone else did.

After the movie we went back to Karen´s to have some dinner and hang out. Then it was off toanother film at a different cinema. Dani was meeting her friend Novak there. We were all going to see Hellboy 2. It was a very different sort of movie. From the word go there was, action, action, action. Cars exploded. Buildings exploded. Complicated plots to follow while crazy special effects flashed infront of the screen.

It as also Guillermo Del Toro, whom I love. He did one of my favourite films, Pans Labyrinth. Many of the crazy creatures in the film could have easily come from Pans. Slightly creepy but amazing at the same time. I can´t remember the last time I saw so many movies on the same day.