Johanna was over for a visit and we went to see Imogen Heap at the Royal Albert Hall.
Posts Tagged ‘London’
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
We are the champions – not
Last night I attended another quizzy quiz organised by 3 as part of the 3mobilebuzz team.
The Alphabet Bar was decked out in a very festive manner. One of the bonus rounds involved creating a gingerbread man. Here’s my scary effort.
@liamgh representing.
First mince pies of the year (for those who actually like them… ie not me :P).
@liamgh, @michchapman, @pebaline and moi.
Stuff Magazine won the coveted trophy. For some mysterious reason we came last. Even though we only got like 3 questions wrong! Obviously a fix I say…
Some people get excited on night buses…
Oh and by the way, this was the first night of really testing my new G11 in some challenging conditions. Considering it was really dark, and I’m pretty pleased with how it performs. But obviously it never will beat a proper SLR with a good lens, as is clear from the previous 3popquiz pictures…
Sunday, 3 May 2009
Welcome to the dark side
I think I’m starting to go a bit cross-eyed from all the editing I’ve done in the last two days. And I’m not even half way through yet! :D Oh well, I do enjoy it really. But it would be nice to one day be in a position where I wouldn’t have to be doing it at weekends/annual leave days. But yes, so far I’ve gotten as far as the ceremony of Lucy & Richard’s wedding.
You can see a few more pictures over at MTP.
I’m currently contemplating on carrying on further into the night, but my neck and head is giving me such grief that I might have to call it a day and start on the mammoth task of reception shots tomorrow.
Not doing anything else but sitting in a darkened room staring at the screen doesn’t really give much material for any other exciting blogging I’m afraid. Oh, on Friday we did have a little May Day cocktail party with Sooz, which I suppose could count as exciting under normal circumstances. But, as yummy as the cocktails were and as enjoyable the company, I quite embarrassingly ran completely out of juice before 11pm. Me! I was quite shocked myself to find that I just couldn’t keep my eyes open for any longer. But still, fun was had none the less.
While I’ve been working away S has been busy being a very exemplary husband. He has tidied the flat (and the car) from top to bottom, and we have more clean clothes than we have space to put them in! I am very impressed indeed. Finally the training is starting to pay off. :D
Sunday, 15 March 2009
You could be happy
I’ve managed to avoid the O2 Arenta thus far as I’m not generally a fan of big venues, but I really wanted to see Snow Patrol so had to take the plunge. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The layout was really good, there was a clear view from every seat. And the seats were really comfy (yes, this is an old persons view of venues, get with it. :P), at least compared to the horrid plastic buckets of Wembley Arena.
The atmosphere was nice for such a big venue as well. Obviously it’s not the same experience as being in the same physical space with the artist, but arenas give you another kind of rush, of being part of a huge collective experience.
The gig itself was good. Not mind-blowing or anything, but thoroughly enjoyable.
Aaaand here are a view videos I took.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFXQbfnLdDk]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-UYzN1RYPQ]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7VstVSXCg8]
Thursday, 5 March 2009
Quiz night
Last night I attended a pub quiz organised by 3, titled Spring Flings and Social Butterflies. T3 walked away with the trophy (they had a huge team, mind!). Our INQ1 Timelines team of bloggers came 7th out of 9 teams, which was a bit rubbish. I did own the celebrity babydaddy round though, possibly something not to be proud of. Anyways, it was good fun, and turned into a longer night than I expected. This week has me so beaten that I can barely string a sentence together at the moment, so I’ll let the pictures do the talking.
@michChapman
@kaichanvong
@rem0te
We were allowed to use our phones to ‘cheat’.
Clever people were filming the video round. Not sure why that bloke from CSI was there though.
@Matt_Paradise
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
I belong to me
Jeez Louise I’m tired. This is not the first time, nor will it probably be the last, when I curse being too old for these mid-week gigs. Old wimmin need their beauty sleep! But oh my god was it worth all this tiredness though! On the outset, Monto Water Rats isn’t the most pleasant of the venues I’ve been to. Sort of cramped and smelly, with an erratic air conditioning system constantly going from hot to cold, hot to cold. However, what it lacks in general pleasantness, it more than makes up for in the sense of intimacy. You really are in the same breathing space with the artist. So in that sense, it is my kind of venue for sure (wish they did something about the smell though :|). The only time I’ve come that close to the talent before was seeing Johnossi at The Spitz. But this time I could have just reached out my hand and touched Rachael.
To kick off, we got to listen to a set by Meme Love. She was very sweet and had a few interesting songs that showed off her impressive vocals. There’s still some way for her to develop as a songwriter though I think, judging from the fact that she sounded by far the best when singing a cover of Biffy Clyro’s Mountains. Do check out her MySpace though and see what you think for yourself.
Rachael Yamagata didn’t come on stage until it was nearly 10pm. My feet were already aching and I was nodding off by then (so shouldn’t have watched the Oscars as late as I did the previous night), but when she and the band came into the room there was an instant hit of electricity (there certainly is a thing called charisma, and it’s palpable when you share a room with it) and I instantly forgot about my tiredness. The whole band looked a bit jet lagged, having just come to London from Japan, but were clearly in high spirits. Rachael is such a sweetheart. So relaxed and funny and comfortable in her own skin. To think how dark her songs can be, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much at a gig. In that sense the whole night was a bit of an emotional roller coaster ride, from laughter to rapture. And her voice, oh, her voice.
Also (S look away now), I totally fell in love with the drummer, Chris Giraldi. Now it might have been a mixture of tiredness, euphoria from the music, flashbacks of an old drummer boyfriend from a lifetime ago, and of course Chris being amazing on the drums, but I was as good as done for. I swear we even had a ‘moment’ with direct eye contact sealing the deal! :D If I was 10 years younger I would so follow him on tour, take him to rehab (daydreams are allowed to include stereotypes), and we’d live happily ever after while he played romantic drum solos to me. Yes.
But back to Rachael. Did I mention she was amazing? It’s hard to say what the highlights were, as each and every song was so perfect. Be Be Your Love, Little Life (which is my favourite track on her latest album Elephants… Teeth Sinking Into Heart) and Faster (which possibly kick-started my Chris-obsession) probably gave me the biggest shivers though. She’s playing another gig tonight, and if I thought I could physically do it, I would totally go again. If you ever get a chance to see her live, do not miss it! She alternated between playing the piano and acoustic and electric guitars, and did a few songs completely on her own without the band as well. It was nice to have that variation in moods and sound levels. The whole band completely kicked ass, and they were such a nice bunch to boot – no big egos in sight.
Weird, I just realised Chris is the same age as me (as is Colin actually). Does it say something about me finally reaching an approriate maturity level that I’m at last fancying people the same age as me? Hmm. Perhaps I don’t need to be 10 years younger after all! :D (Just kidding S…)
I kind of wish I’d taken my SLR with me now… there were so many missed opportunities that just couldn’t be captured with a compact. But I’m always so torn between recording video and taking snaps that I sort of figure the Ixus is a good compromise, and less hassle. Hmm. Maybe I should invest in the 5D mkII after all… :P
But yes, couldn’t have wished for a better gig to start this year off with. Snow Patrol certainly has their work cut out for them next month if they want to beat last night’s experience.
And last but not least, here’s the only bit of video I took. I’ll probably kick myself in a year or so, but I just wanted to be more in the moment and it felt sort of overwhelming trying to think about filming at the same time…
Sunday, 22 February 2009
Twilight zone
I’ve been busy catching up with admin/paperwork today, which makes me feel a bit more organised – in my life and in my head. Last week was somehow just… awful. Lots of conflict, stress and feeling sad. And on top of it all an old problem decided to re-visit me and I broke my stupid tooth. After a couple of dentist trips it’s now ok, I think.
Yesterday I had this somehow really surreal trip to the dentist. My appointment wasn’t until 5pm, so the sun was already setting when I got to central London. My dentist’s (the lovely Maarit Spiridonis) reception is located in a part of town where there are not very many people around at the weekends. Walking through the empty streets felt… peaceful. The reception itself is in a quirky old building and the space is just insane. Antiques and heavy colours everywhere. She took over the lease from a Dentist who retired, and he’d been a big fan of dance. There are these signed fading posters of famous ballerinas, thanking him for his services, on the walls. All the equipment is very old school, but seems to work, and somehow has this very sympathetic feel about it. Somehow the whole thing feels like being inside one of those surreal movies, such as Amélie.
I walked back via Oxford Street, and turning the corner on to it, the throng of people was a shock to the system. It’s funny how turning one corner can change everything. Getting home was a bit of a nightmare with engineering works on most of the tube lines, and I didn’t get back until 9pm.
Regardless of that, the whole trip somehow had this calming and uplifting effect on me. You can’t say that about most trips to the dentist!
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
Winter wonderland
Some more pictures of snow. Gee, it’s like I’ve never seen any before. :D This was the view from our front door yesterday.
I made a perilous trip around the corner to the local shop. Really not a good idea with my ankle. This is also where it becomes clear why snow doesn’t belong here. There’s just no infrastructure to deal with it. No gritting on pavements, no ploughing on other that a few main roads… it makes getting around pretty damn difficult.
This was the view that awaited me at the shop. It’s like the end of the world! :D They were all out of bread and eggs.
I’m still working from home today, mostly due to the combination of my sprained ankle and icy streets. Some trains are running but our train line is advising people not to travel. Hopefully tomorrow things will start getting back to normal…
Monday, 2 February 2009
Snow Day
It started snowing in the evening. I kept waking up throughout the night because of my achy ankle, and took a picture out of the window each time. It just kept on snowing.
Finally I woke up to this.
It’s weird. I’ve lived in snow for a big part of my life, but it just seems so out of place here. I think it’s because there are no snow ploughs out there doing anything about it. Everything just stops.
Originally I phoned in to ask to whether I could work from home as I couldn’t walk in the deep snow with my ankle. I soon found out that my trains and all the buses have been cancelled anyway. We’re officially snowed in it seems!
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Bright Lights, Big City
More from Anna & Andrew’s engagement shoot over at MTP blog.
Monday, 19 January 2009
Still standing, just about…
Phew. It is done. Head over to MTP blog for more.
Monday, 5 January 2009
Rude awakening
Phew. First workday – done. It was a bit of a shock to the system to first of all wake up to a snowy and freezing London, and then get out of bed when every fibre of my body was convinced it was still night time! It was also a bit difficult to get my ‘work head’ on at first, but by mid day it all started feeling like I’d never been away… Not sure if that’s a good thing.
When we got home yesterday the flat was like a bloody igloo. We’d had the heating turned off (as it costs and arm and a leg) for the two days we were away, and of course those days were the start of the longest cold snap in London in however many decades. Today the inside conditions are starting to be a bit more humane, but last night was certainly no picnic! Oh how I miss Finnish central heating at times like these… Outside it’s a different story, I’m quite liking the cold crisp weather. Although once the snow turned into sleet and icy wind in central London I wasn’t enjoying it that much any more. :P
I’ve decided to ignore my to-do-list for tonight. So there.
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Local tourism
We had a lovely time yesterday. It’s fun to be a tourist in your own town, it makes you take a step back and really take notice of the hustle and bustle around you. Our hotel room was pretty fancy pants as well, it was weird having huge windows looking straight out onto Shaftesbury Avenue. We spent quite a lot of time just people watching.
And of course, Bill Bailey was so much fun, I can’t remember the last time I’ve laughed so much.
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Perverts and phone testing
Today didn’t start very well. Waterloo was in chaos and getting on the tube was a right palaver. And not just in the usual way. While waiting on the platform for the (5th) tube that I might fit in, I got a bit annoyed by the person behind me getting a bit too close (and that’s saying something with the way people were packed there). He was very short though so I assumed it was a kid, they don’t generally have a similar sense of personal space as adults tend to. Finally there was a train I could squeeze into and the person behind me pushed me in with such force that I had to swear out loud. Once we were all squeezed in I realised the someone had their arm practically around me. Trying to turn my head wasn’t very easy as the car was so crammed with people, but I did realise that it was the same shortarse from the platform, who had now squeezed himself behind me. I then realised that he wasn’t a ‘kid’ at all, but indeed some mutherf*****g pervert trying to get off by humping my leg! Eugh! All I could do in the tight space was to elbow him in the chest really hard. I later hoped I’d said something to embarrass him for good, but I was too shocked to speak at the time, besides, he was behind me so it was a bit difficult. After I elbowed him he got off the train at the next stop… only to move on to the next carriage. Uhh. I still feel violated!
The day didn’t get much better once I got in the office. We still have no internet/server access due to problems that have now been going on for a month. The atmosphere at work is very tense as people as just so over not being able to do their work and just having to sit there and wait… it’s soul destroying. And to add insult to injury, we’re supposed to get the issue to press tomorrow. Hey ho.
There were some positive points to the day though. Since going to the INQ launch party, I was chosen to test out the new handset for a month, and I received my review copy today. It was good timing as I really could use some distraction at work, which playing with the phone provided. In this short space of time I have already grown to like it quite a lot. All the social networking tools are easy to use, and dad already managed to phone me on skype while I was on the train. :D
I think I mentioned after the launch the original artwork created for the cards that work as a manual. They’re super cute.
I’m not quite sure how I can synch the phone with my address book and calendar, something that would be vital for me if I was using the phone for real. For now it grabbed all my facebook contacts and added them into my phone book. Note sure if that was the way I wanted to go about things. :D I think I’ll have to have further play with it to figure out what’s the best way to do things. I will let you know my thoughts over the month.
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Baby can I hold you
Last time, when I saw Tracy Chapman in Helsinki, I was blown away by the power of her voice and the way a live band really made her music come alive. This time it was just her on her own without a band. Her wonderful voice was present, even when suffering from a cold, and I really loved all the old songs performed in this more low-key manner. But I did miss the band a bit, especially the drums… that take-your-breath-away punch, which the last gig delivered, wasn’t quite there. Never the less, I could sit in the same room with her voice for however long, it’s just that incredible.
Friday, 12 December 2008
I lost my way but now I’m following
~Lille~
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvxwDA34VZg]
~The Lady is a Tramp~
Thursday, 11 December 2008
Pistachio love
Just a few blurry shots from last night’s Lisa Hannigan gig. A couple of videos to come later when I have some time!
St. John’s Church certainly made for an impressive venue.
Gavin Glass performed some of his on solo stuff before Lisa got on stage. There were a few ok songs, but mostly they were perhaps a bit… dare I say it, boring. Although a huge plus point was the fact that if I closed my eyes he sounded just like Colin Farrell. :P
Lisa was adorable! And having not really heard her solo material before I was very impressed. I liked her, a lot.
She was way too lively to take pictures with a compact camera from the back rows. :P
It was a coooold night. Very christmassy views of the Houses of Parliament on the way home though.
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Smells like winter
Christmas and holiday can’t come fast enough… Yet again another nightmare week, when nothing works in the office and when the bonkers, illogical bureaucracy of this country infuriates me at every juncture. At least I’m liking the crisp, cold weather. It’s nice to be able to breath some fresh air and enjoy the twinkling Christmas lights instead of the endless grey rainy days.