oh, London town (part three)

I only have 6 more sleeps in London. EEEEK! Its scary but my brain doesn't want to believe that I am leaving. I am in denial. and I haven't packed yet.

Here is the third installment in my London retrospective written by my dear friend Mary. In the cold, frosty winter of 2008/9 Mary spent some time living and working in London and then traveling around Europe. Many of her experiences of living in the city influenced my opinion and knowledge even before I arrived here. I remember being shocked that Tesco sold Vodka and that the pubs closed at midnight. You can read Mary's delicate ramblings and poignant socio-pop commentary at saving ink and paper.

1. Why did you move to London?

I moved to London for a bunch of not-that-impressive reasons. 1. It’s not Adelaide. 2. It’s not Melbourne. 3. It’s further away than Sydney. 4. People speak English there and it’s actually possible (in theory) to get a working visa and then a job. 5. And of course all of the interesting culture which London seems to possess.

Like everyone else I had the optimistic plan of ‘living in London and saving lots of money while I worked.’ Like everyone else I found out too late that it was about a easy to save money living in a fancy hotel as living in London and being paid five pounds an hour.

2. What were your first impressions?

My first impression was mainly that it was really super cold and grey; my friend and I had just come from 3 weeks in NYC (which was also cold but less grey) and it was so strange going from the crazy loud unruly subways there to the lovely civilised quiet tube where everyone stared at us for talking too loudly and taking up too much room with our backpacks.

It also immediately occurred to me that if you stand in a corner for 5 minutes in London you will see more attractive people than I have EVER seen in Adelaide the entire time I’ve lived there.

3. Where are your favourite places in this city?

Well I think the Tesco Metro in Elephant and Castle was definitely a winner. That’s definitely where I spent a lot of time. No not favourite.

But there was this amazing little Italian restaurant just down stairs from our apartment with the friendliest Italian men who worked there and it was cheap and nice.

But apart from that (the only good thing in elephant and castle likely) – I loved Burrough markets, Covent Garden - and wagamamma - and of course the whole Shoreditch/east London kind of area for shopping purposes.

4. What has surprised you most?

Ummm that 5 pounds an hour is supposed to be a good rate?? And that people can actually live off that when the rent and tubes and things are so expensive.

At least alcohol is cheap.

Also that everything closes even earlier than in Australia – I had previously thought that we were the most uptight nation in the world. And that you could buy homebrand spirits and things from the supermarket.
5. How has your idea of the city changed since being there?

It has probably become a little less glamorous. But in other ways it has become very much the opposite – there are more things happening in London than I could have comprehended ever happening anywhere. It’s just hard to get in on them without a direct link because they’re so ‘underground’.

6. If you could transport one piece of London back to Australia with you what would it be?

That’s difficult I don’t know if I could choose one thing! The plentiful good looking men? If that counts as one thing? Except the only problem with that in London was that there were an equal number of good looking women to take them all. Or the bar I worked at – I would love to work there again now and to do a better job than the mess I made of waitressing last time. It was such a fun job, after service had finished – free cocktails and dancing on the bar to Brazilian/indie music.

7. East London Boys: Love them or hate them?

Most of them are basically jerks. and I like it when they are fashionable but still ugly – that makes me feel better about my life.

However I must admit to loving them a fair bit deep down inside - reluctantly. Good looking people aren’t usually all that nice people as far as London is concerned is what I discovered. But there are exceptions of course

Images via fuckyeahhackney and another Hackney photographer.

writers only

I've been getting into the short story of late, via some london publications and some interesting blogs. I recently found this gem on the awl and though I would re-post it. 

Diary of an Unemployed Class of '10 Philosophy Major in New York City, Part 1  by Sam Biddle

At what point do I stop checking Craigslist? Why is there an ad for "MYSTERY SHOPPING" in the "writing/editing jobs" category? How much is their purported “nominal compensation”? A ten dollar per diem? A bag of buttons? A punch in the throat? “THIS IS NOT A FREE MEAL!," the ad warns. Well, then. Forget it! Why does this company leave the ‘i’ in ‘iNC’ uncapitalized? Perhaps this is some sort of test—for a prospective mystery shopper-slash-editor? What other horrors can I spot? I wonder if the person who wrote “boutique mystery shopping company seeks strong writers” felt as sad writing that as I do reading it.

When I think boutique, I think of lots of little hanging crystal beads, baskets with pearls in them, stacks of folded crimson scarves, a dour woman with cropped hair staring into a cold vacuum. I imagine myself saying “No thanks, I’m just browsing,” which is my anxiety response at any store, boutique or otherwise. I know it will probably be a long, long while from now, but the first thing I’m going to do when I get a writing job here in New York City is march into the first J. Crew I see and, beaming, reply to the robot working there, “Why yes, I do need help. Bring me some moon-proof socks—I’m covering the Space Election for theObserver!”

But for now I’m just going to stick with looking at my feet and saying “No thanks” before the clerk says “Hey! You! You idiot! You moved to New York to be a writer! Have you even looked at Craigslist?! Ten thousand people just applied to fill out forms at a boutique mystery shopping company!”

I’m pretty sure "boutique" has become a business-world euphemism for "insignificant and unsuccessful"—the quivering in my friends’ voices when they describe the boutique hedge fund or boutique consulting firms they work for indicate as much. Would that make me a boutique recent college graduate? I just realized I’ve been in New York for a full week!

You're gonna break a lot of hearts

Look at my red hands and my mean face... and I wonder 'bout that man that's gone so wrong.

Tonight I watched The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. It was a slow, brooding type of film, constantly alluding to action but never entirely reaching the hollywood climax. Instead the film moves away from the action-image and on to an engaging and intellectual level- something you don't see so much in outlaw movies. Directed by Andrew Dominik (who also did Chopper), the film puts its cards on the table in its title allowing the action to sit second saddle to the relationships between the characters.  The tension is built around the moments of action through a very beautiful cinematographic aesthetic, impeccable pacing and perfectly played performances (Pitt won Best Actor at the Venice film festival). I wasn't surprised to find the DP, Roger Deakins, was also responsible for a string of fantastic films including a number of Coen Brothers works. Nick Cave's soundtrack is also a major highlight, I have it on a compilation of his work with Warren Ellis called White Lunar. Although this probably isn't a film for when you are struggling with your attention span, it is definitely worth putting the effort in to follow. Every scene has a palpable sense of conflict felt through dramatic and framed compositions (without ever the feeling of it being over-thought).  It was called majestic by critics, and I have to agree. 

fifteen to twenty

WOW! I heard this song on the radio a few days ago and again tonight. It is so reminiscent of hot, carefree summers and and good pop tunes. Its all filmed in NYC too. Loves it.

Ghost Light Junky

I am very much looking forward to being on holiday and having the time to go and see some great art. New York City has been a haven for artists since the war caused mass exodus from Europe. Perhaps it isn't the ART CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE that it was in the second half of the 20th C, but NYC is still full of great art and living, working artists. I am definitely heading across the Brooklyn bridge to Williamsburg so I can get a look at Bill Saylor's new exhibition a the Journal Gallery. It opened this Wednesday and looks absolutely fantastic. I love the playfulness of his compositions. Images via OC. 

Ghost Light Junky | June 23rd — August 15th

The Journal Gallery

168 North 1st Street (at Bedford)

sonata

Modern romanticism: we go in search of one person who will spare us any need for other people

tweet by Alain de Botton

image via recordis

by Lily Hoang, exerpt from “Sonata for a Ragdoll Without Eyes,”

image via sabino

broadsheet

It was pay day today and I splurged on this. LC bought the last issue and really loved it. Even though its inconvenient I will probably end up carrying it all over the states with me. After the rather disappointing last issue of Dazed I am really looking forward to reading some decent articles. I can't wait to get stuck in. 

Oh, London town (part two)

The second installment in our London farewell comes from the wonderful, enigmatic LC. She has been traveling with me for the past year and so a lot of our experiences in London are shared. We have each had the chance to show each other the little gems that we discover around and about in the city. You can follow her personal adventures at if wishes were kisses. 

1. Why did you move to London?

wanted to travel the world with my bff. and it was a place where we could work and save money so we could keep travelling. except the saving money bit really didn't happen. 

2. What were your first impressions?

my first impressions were lovely. it was summer and it was hot, and i saw lots of fun touristy things. but i really had no idea how much i would come to love it as i have. 

3. Where are your favourite places in this city?

columbia road flower markets,  pretty much anywhere around shoreditch, marylebone high st, lamb conduit st, st james park, st pauls cathedral, abney park. oh so many places...

4. What has surprised you most?

how much it feels like home now

5. How has your idea of the city changed since you have been here?

i feel like when i first got here i thought of london as a big city. but now i just feel like really appreciate smaller areas that i have come to know really well. like around holborn and marylebone - the two areas of london where i have worked. and all the streets around adele's work in shoreditch. london doesn't feel so much like a big city to me now, just a series of really amazing areas...

6. If you could transport one piece of London back to Australia with you what would it be?

its a tough decision. its between columbia road and pret a manger. flowers or sandwiches?! i can't decide! adelaide is going to be sad without fresh sunday flowers and delicious sandwiches. (also pret's tomato soup is the BEST, the BEST!)

7. East London Boys: Love them or hate them?

LOVE. how can you hate on pretentious hipsters that are just so good looking?!

Images from Vic's walk to work via lost

All these things

This film clip is so kitsch it almost makes me feel sick, but the sesame street backdrop and their really Australian accents just make me pine for home. Part of me wishes I was that girl singing along with Darren Hanlon and his sweet, gawky dancing. Ah, to be so carefree.......

Ro/Lu

I have recently fallen deeply in love with Ro/Lu's divine aesthetic. They, from what I can gather, are an architecture/design team and blog a rich tapestry of art, design, architecture, culture and inspiration. I love their philosophical glance, which I guess is a way of saying that aesthetics are in the heart/eye/mind. I really loved their post about cyclist Eddy Merckx, that focused on the idea of determination against the odds. They also featured a series of works by Barbara and Michael Leisgen named memesis. It is absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful in its wild simplicity. Check it out. 

oh, London town

I'll be leaving this great city in just under two weeks, so i thought it would be a good time to reflect on what London means to me and to my friends. I asked a few of my chums to answer some questions about what they thought about London. The first installation is from the lovely Lola. She Lived in Paris originally, but then moved to London for a year and has now been back in Australia for 5 months. 

1. Why did you move to London? The best way to answer this is to say why I decided to leave Australia in the first place. For me it was a personal thing, I just felt that I had come to a point living in Adelaide where I wasn't going anywhere as a person. I was stuck going out to the same places, doing the same things, seeing the same people. I felt stagnant and bored. Ive always had an interest in traveling (I was lucky enough pretty much to do 2 world trips before the age of 21) and venturing out and seeing the world seemed like the thing to do. I think I always had this whimsical, fairytale view of an amazing life, gallivanting through Europe and I got to the point where I just needed to do it for myself. To see what the world could offer me and what I could offer the world. London probably wasn't my first choice to live but would be the easiest place to go in terms of work and not having to face any language barriers. In the end I loved it and am so glad I chose to base myself there.

2. What were your first impressions? My first impressions of London weren't that good actually. I think it was because I was pretty much alone and London was one of those places to make the most of-you need to get out there and make a life for yourself. So first impressions were cold (I arrived in March), grey and lonely. 

3. Where are your favourite places in this city? Oxford street, Spitalfield/Sunday up markets, Nottinghill, my lovely West Kensington flat, Borough markets, Punk.

4. What had surprised you most?  I think I was surprised how much I loved it by the end and how much it just felt like home to me. I even got to the point where I didn't care about the weather!

5. How has your idea of the city changed since you have been here? I think when I first got there, and having my pre conceived notions about it, I thought life would just happen. You go to London and exciting things happen. Its more you have to work for that. You need to put yourself out there, look for things you like doing, seek out events and places to go. Nothing just comes to you in London. I think by the end I just realised if you want to be the party girl, or make a career for yourself, or just simply be the most fashionable person you can be, it was all achievable. Maybe it's nostalgia, but London makes you want to branch out and be everything you can and I don't know if I believed that would be the case to begin with. 

6. If you could transport one piece of London back to Australia with you what would it be? All the amazing shops, bars and restaurants. I know that's 3, how could one person narrow it done to one.?! Ok, category-recreational aspects.

7. East London Boys: Love them or hate them? Love. boys are way too cute for their own good there. If only I were single at the time...

artworks by Natsku Seki via her website

two in the wave

can't wait to see this.

I Read

In the back of Pen Pusher magazine they have a little section asking interesting people about what they read. I thought I'd give it a go too. 

1. Your favourite genre of reading mater: fiction, poetry, biography, comic, other?

Science Fiction, I love short stories by Phillip K Dick and J G Ballard and of course Frank Herbert's Dune. 

2. Your favourite book about Art?

It has to be Art in Theory- a collection of writing about art and correspondence between artists from 1900-2000.  I also rate the 1974 edition of ART NOW and I Love Dick by Chris Kraus which is about art as life. 

3. The book that has influenced me the most?

I must have read Joan Makes History by Kate Grenville about 10 times. It taught me that I could be anything, that being a girl means things are different but I shouldn't let it get in the way, especially not in the modern world. I love Grenvilles playful style of writing and also the Australian setting. I have to say, I really love contemporary Australian writing. 

4. Your favourite character(s) in literature?

Lucinda from Carey's Oscar and Lucinda. His characters are always so flawed and the story is woven so beautifully around them. I have also always had a soft spot for Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice. 

5. Favourite place to buy books?

The Shakespeare and company bookshop at Saint Michels in Paris. An absolutely beautiful bookshop and a haven for fantastic literature in English in Europe. No longer will you be forced to read vampire fantasy trash while on 8 hour train rides. 

6. Best book cover?

Charlotte Roche's Wetlands, the pink with the avocado. You have no idea what you are in store for. 

7. Most well thumbed?

John Marsden's Tomorrow When the War Began series. 

8. Your favourite childrens book?

Nobody. It was about a skeleton and all of the images were fantastic, dark, terrifying photographs. I also loved my grandma's girl guide Annuals. 

9. Favourite place to read?

In the sunshine. 

Empire state of mind

I am going to be in NYC in two weeks. Can't wait!

Images by iconic NYC photographer Helen Levitt circa 1940

Relationship in Two Parts

I

If I open my eyes
Outside the sun
Will sluice away from them

Like water from the deck of a ship.
This morning you accused me
Of making too much toast.

I hung my head, guilty
Of your previous accusations.
Outside the sun hoisted up

And burning hugely in a cold sky:
The bus wheezes and shuffles it's feet,
Turns me this way and that

Like a bored photographer.
Silence in the kitchen, silence behind me:
Dim awareness of the morning light

Flaring across the tabletop,
The two half-empty coffee cups,
The pot of jam translucently red

Likea jellied heart in a glass

II

I'll bring you out here, to where the cliffs
Pretend a lethal drop
But harbour little playroom of themselves
Beneath the lip.
Scrambling down
The thrift and saphire shrug and dip,
Virgin to sight:posession

Of a persistent live
Has brought them through the rip
And preoccupied the whinny
Of the conquering wind.
I will not point out the lesson.
The boulders sleep likelichened seals.
The gleeful water ferries back and forth.

By David Sergeant via Pen Pusher Magazine vol 15

Sent from my iPhone

baby, It's You

on friday night I am going to face my fears and get up on stage at the birdcage and sing karaoke. I'd like to sing this song, either this version or the Beatles. No doubt I will need a little dutch courage before hand. And maybe will try to get there before all the indie fags rock up. I'll let you know how it goes. 

think i'm in love

What happens when the Musician son of a presbyterian minister and an artist who danced for the Velvet Underground have a baby? You get Beck. 

I can't believe it has taken me 23 years to realise that I am absolutely in love with his musical genius. My friend Marty will cringe if he ever reads this. He will say something like "gosh Adele, I told you that you would like Beck" only in a more sarcastic, witty kind of way, and then recount the fact that he put two Beck tracks on that mix tape he made me. Well, despite everyones best efforts I only just discovered how much I like Beck. A LOT. I really love pop music, but not just any pop. I really like indy, grunge, blues, electronica, hip hop. I like clever lyrics. I have found all of that in Beck. It makes me so happy that I tap my fingers and try to dance inconspicuously on the tube. I mouth the lyrics and had this hoppitty boppity step-to-the-beat kind of gait about me when I went for an evening stroll. I even found myself thinking things like 'Isn't life beautiful'. 

deepwater horizon

BP wants Twitter to shut down a fake BP account that is mocking the oil company. In response, Twitter wants BP to shut down the oil leak that’s ruining the ocean.
JIMMY FALLON

Fia Backstrom, Recycle (Hanging proposal for sculpture by Kelley Walker), at Murray Guy, photo by Marina Galperina
via AFC

Since I have been in London I have barely read a newspaper and I have not once watched the news. I don't go out of my way to find out what is happening in the world. In a way my life is incredibly self centered, self serving and in some way self-deluded. I live in the bubble of my personal life, allowing only close friends and the people I work with to inform me. Its pretty darn sad.

Even sadder than that is the oil spill. Despite my closed off lifestyle, I have still managed to hear about the freaking giant disaster. Mega-litres of oil are spilling into our ocean and they're trying to stop it. Then they will have to clean it up. But its been 2 months now and they haven't got it plugged.

I have just been looking at my RSS feed and all of the recent posts about BP. Man, It is enough to make me sick. Perhaps, seeming as I lead a life with few responsibilities and basically don't belong anywhere in the world right now, I should go to Louisiana and help clean up.

the awl have been making frequent posts when new information comes to light: the cost of cleaning up here. Art Fag City posted about art's interpretation of the multinational. HiLobrow

put up the winners of greenpeace's logo redesign competition.

Anyone's Ghost

 Only three weeks left in London. 

Keep wishing I could stay forever.

Trying my best to make the most of everything. 

I think perhaps this means Birdcage Friday night- you heard me LC.

And it is the World Barista Championship. 

Looking forward to Coffee cocktails and Swedish Pop. 

hold me closer

I know I said that future blog-things were going to be oh, so serious. I can't get this song out of my head, it is too good.

clash city rockers

 These are the photos I took on the day of my Punk tour

Hot Air Ballooning

This is an article I wrote a while back for a publication in Adelaide. I never got around to editing it properly and something about it always felt a little disjointed. Anyway, seeming as it didn't end up getting submitted I thought i would post it here. Maybe it can be one of those "writing" things that I seemed to be so serious about yesterday!

We were sitting around a filthy glass table in the back kitchen of my friends western suburbs bungalow. It was stinking hot, middle of summer with beads of sweat slipping inconspicuously down the back of my knees. Can of coke in my hand I couldn't wait for the sun to go down so we could all jump in the Suzi and head down to west beach. I spent all my time in this house, wasting time, waiting for my plans to kick in to action.

"we should go around the world in a hot air balloon" I suggested to my friend. "You can navigate, I'll make the sandwiches." He knew every capital city in the world.

Back then I was studying art history, absolutely desperate to be a part of something, to know the world better. A hot air balloon sounded perfect: investigating from the air, going slow so you see more, at the whim of the elements.

Two years later I'm in the midst of my year abroad. Three months in europe, followed by a stint living in London, trying to make the most of what I spent all those years planning. Here the bubble that is my life doesn't always intersect with the art world, I have to make plans, research and navigate towards interesting events. Tonight I dropped in on an exhibition opening at Seventeen gallery on Kingsland road, Shoreditch featuring a new show from Abigail Reynolds called Strange Attractor.

Reynolds bubbling origami facades invite you into a historical world which is swings between a sense of harmony and oddness. Working from a collection of images originally created as bookplates, she has archived the interiors of historical and monumental buildings used in guidebooks. Through slicing several images portraying similar and yet intricately different interiors, and splicing them back together she has created an origami of rooms which begin to boil and bubble inside themselves. You can see the room change as if it alternate dimensions of reality were dissecting the same plane.

Some of these interior patchworks have the complexity of a dividing cell, and yet others more quietly show the rupture between them. Two images split down the centre reveal the subtle sameness of their architecture- a rupture in time and space. Further images, without any alterations, allow you to see the buildings reveal themselves through windows in time: the great archways becoming creatures which haunt the space. You can hardly believe you had never seen the ghost of the building before, its great, blank, stained glass eyes buried in the sockets of the arch.

As I float back and away, up in to the air, it's nice to be able to look back on Reynolds work, to see it as an outsider to the London scene. My travels have exposed me to so much art, the beginning, the Modern and the end. Being a part of the art scene in London is a lot of hard work, something you really have to put your life in to. For now I am happy to be an anonymous traveller (maybe not quite the adventurer that Phileas Fogg was). Give me a couple of years and I might be ready to set my basket down for a while. Until then, there is so much more of the world to see. I better pack some sandwiches!