Yum yum yum.

A good weekend this one!  Yesterday I joined my house-mate's rowing course mid-way (I had taken one in New York so was not behind) where I met an American of about my age who has moved back to London and is also a Third Culture Kid, which is nice (since I don't know many other non-Hong Kong TCKs).   After, I went to meet up with Katie, who was in town to see the opening night of Carmen at the Royal Opera House, and her friend Ale (Ali?  sorry!) who has just moved here (I had met her at Oxford).  We went to see the New York street fair in Soho, which had lame microwave personal pizzas and grocery store bagels (ick) but an awesome recreation of Central Perk from friends.  Sadly, it had an evilly long line.   After some delicious cookies at Covent Garden, we grabbed dinner with their opera companions at a little shop called Bite which had shockingly delicious ribs (both tangy and a little spicy!) as well as Coke floats, so I'm almost convinced it's American-owned (ribs, burgers, and coke floats?  c'mon...) 

After I went to see Insane in the Brain, a street dance version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which I actually found somewhat annoying, though everyone else thought it was amazing (which the dancing was).  The problem is that they didn't treat the topic seriously at all.  It's one thing to try to make it seem like perhaps we outwardly judge people with disabilities (e.g. we pity them when they should be treated like people) but it's completely different to have one of the characters constantly dropping her pants and saying (or gesturing) that she really needs to the bathroom.  I found that portrayal horribly offensive (I never find that stuff funny) but I think that with a few modifications it could have been a good re-thinking.  At one point, for example, she did a complete 80s dance, with leotard, leg warmers and everything, which was hysterical.  Again, if the idea was to show that perhaps we prejudge too much, fine, but why did you need that degrading humor at the beginning?  *sigh*.  Oh well, perhaps I'm too empathic about it.

Today, after pancakes and some laundry I went to see the Tate Modern, where I was shocked to run into an acquaintance from Cornell whom I had thought lived in New York, but in fact is now in London while on a consulting project in Europe.  Great!  He was with another American who had just moved here and was also keen on doing things and making friends, so it looks like I may be acquiring some American friends, though it's kind of strange that I haven't been meeting many English people (although my housemates are taking care of that).

After I got home, I got to sit down to a fantastic house dinner made by my housemate Amit.  We had a cheese plate, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed cheese (I don't remember what type) and bread for an appetizer, followed by fantastic home cooked mussels.  They were (no offense Zach and Jen) the best mussels I have ever had.  I definitely need to get the recipe (for that and the mushrooms).  Amazing!  My morning contribution of pancakes seems rather dull now.