Running with the Bulls

Bill is home from India - yay!!!  This is a photo he took while he was standing on the street. This is considered normal in India - a bull just wanders over to you on the street.

 24 hours later he is sitting with me in the pub.  I'm wearing one of the new scarves he brought me.  To me, India is equivalent with new scarves.  For Bill it's all bull.

My blog title reminded me of my own experience with the bulls of Pamplona on my trusty trike. An oldie but a goodie!

Meet Mr. Dibley

We could not resist this face.

This horse statue was pretty striking looking...this photo makes it look like it's floating in air.

 But it looks much better with Mr. Dibley!!

 Mr. Dibley likes to eat out in upscale Mayfair restaurants.  He is going to fit right in.

Images from India

India proved again that it is as unique a location as I've been in my travels.

Here are a few pictures from today.

View from the office.  110 degrees and it's only the beginning of their summer.

I don't let the heat get in the way of looking stylish.  Needless to say I was not only the only person in the office with a bow-tie, I was the only one in a suit.

 I opted NOT to have the corn on the cob on the side of the road.

 Obligatory cow eating garbage.  I didn't take any photos of the dozens of stray dogs out of respect for  Chi.

 Women getting her hands and feet painted in traditional ink.

 My first ride in a tuk tuk.  Several times on the short journey I could have reached out and steered the car next to me.

 If there was a no smoking policy on the tuk tuk, I didn't see it posted.

Women's Prize Shortlist Event in London

I was lucky enough to score a ticket to the Women's Prize shortlist event last night.  All six of the short listed authors read from their books and answered a few moderated questions about their work.  The line up was tremendous - Kate Atkinson, AM Homes, Barbara Kingsolver, Hilary Mantel, Maria Semple and Zadie Smith.  I didn't get as good a seat as I got for the Booker event last fall so the group shot really isn't clear enough to tell who is who in this picture - although from left to right they are in the order I listed above.  Kate Mosse is on the right end as the moderator.

  I love listening to Hilary Mantel read her Thomas Cromwell books - and since she's been up for every award this year I've heard her a few times.  Tudor England sounds even more interesting when I hear her say it than in my head.  Zadie Smith was another incredible reader, juggling five different "London" accents to bring her story to life on the stage.  I've read three of the nominated books and after these readings I'm really excited to read Smith and AM Holmes. 

 I haven't read Homes's nominated book but I now have it on the nightstand pile ready to go.  Bill and I both really liked her book MUSIC FOR TORCHING and based on the reading I'd say this one has a similar dark sensibility.

Meanwhile, Kate Atkinson is my guess for the winner - I just finished LIFE AFTER LIFE and can't stop raving about it.  If you are reading this blog and you haven't read it, go now and get it!  Of course I also love her Jackson Brodie stories and just finished the second BBC adaptation on TV.  They use the building where Bill and I got married in Edinburgh as his office.  The bright blue door across the street was the sight of many of our wedding photos.

 This must be Hilary's third appearance on this blog.  And probably not her last since I'm sure the next Cromwell installment will make the prize circuit as well.  I just hope she hurries up and finishes it while I'm here....

 Maria Semple was probably the least known of the bunch and probably the underdog of the race.  I couldn't help but feel sorry about how they arranged the signings because while Zadie was swamped, Maria was passed over by several folks and had to sit smiling, waiting for someone (me!!) to come along with a book.

This was the best shot I got of Kingsolver.  Someone kept getting in the way each time.  This is the only book that didn't interest me up front and the reading didn't sway me.  I have to admit, I saw the word Appalachian in the description and put the book back on the shelf.  Just not in the mood for Appalachia right now... 

 I think Zadie Smith is going to be my new "discovery" - not that I wasn't well aware of her before but I still haven't read her.  She was incredibly conversational at the signing when you consider the scores of people waiting behind me. Although she did ask me if I found Windsor boring (which I didn't...until she pointed it out.  I replied that I loved my neighbor - the Queen.)

Who will win??  The judges supposedly are deciding as I type this Tuesday night!!  It will be announced on Wednesday, probably after I post so maybe I'll have to add a little PS at the end with the winner.  Will Hilary make a clean sweep of every award on Earth this year?  Will Kate's fabulous time twisting blitz book come out ahead?  Or will the throngs of people waiting for Zadie (and she clearly had the biggest crowd) indicate a winner??  Cast your votes below.

Sunday in the Park with Bill

Good weather and another day in London.  This time a little more free flowing than Saturday....

Mexican for lunch sitting outside on the side of the Thames at South Bank.

Then a nice walk to Soho to check out the flea market.  One stand was selling little meringues with cream and a raspberry. I was so glad I did not resist - it was DELICIOUS!!!  I wanted to go get 10 more but decided to try a control myself.  It was not easy.

Bill and both loved these pillows made from vintage silk scarves.  And since we couldn't agree, we had to get two.  (He wanted the 1970's orange floral and I fell in love with 1950's Paris!)

It seems a shame that I didn't end up on stage.  Here is my version of young Cosette from Les Mis.  (That is who this is a picture of, right??  I'd rather be Javier - he was much more orderly.)

We ended the day in Green Park.  We paid 1.50 GBP/hour for the privilege of a nap in these chairs.  We even came hime with little pink noses from the sun.  Despite appearances, Bill and I are not wearing matching shirts.  We are not dressing alike quite yet but you can start to worry if you see me in a bow tie...

Back to the Drawing Board....

On Saturday Bill and I went to the Institute Francais to check out a comic festival.  The French call them Bande Desinee or BD for short and I guess they are very into the comic/graphic novel format.  Bill and I both like reading graphic novels and our favorite is Posey Simmonds - a British author/artist that Andrea introduced us to a few years ago with her updated graphic versions of classic novels Gemma Bovary and Tamara Drew.  So we were excited to find out that she was doing a live drawing event with a French author/artist, Etienne Davodeau,  this weekend.  

This is the lobby of the Institute's Cine Lumiere  - a fairly active buzz was going on and lots of book browsing and buying. 

The stage is set with a drafting table, lights and a camera to project what they draw on screen.

And here they are - ready to draw us a story...cue the romantic music because this is a love story....

Boy meets girl...

Boy dog meets girl dog....??

No - Boy dog meets man's knee...

Girl dog attacks to protect owner's knee...ends up in boy dog's mouth while boy and girl seem to not notice due to so many hearts in the way.  The end?  I have to say that the story fell apart a bit for me between the last panels (not all are shown here) but it was quite interesting to watch how quickly they could get these images on to paper.  A fun way to spend an hour on Saturday afternoon.

Jen and Bill to Open New Restaurant - you are not invited.

First, before we tell about our London lives, let's pause for a moment of silence of Edith Bunker.  She is arguably one of the best female characters ever created for television.  

I almost got to work with Jean Stapleton.  I was the first runner up for the Archie Bunker role.  Alas, the character didn't quite work as well as a pink sweater wearing sensitive male.

Back to London.

Jen found a fun restaurant in London, Bubbledogs.  Champagne and hot dogs are their specialty.  Every restaurant in London is looking to get your attention so they either do it through having fabulous food, great location or in this case, exploiting a quirky niche.

When Jen and I open our London restaurant we won't be able to afford a prime location.  Nor will we have 5 star food.  So our restaurant needs to fit a quirky niche.

Let's focus on what our loves are and see if we can hone in on the concept.

Old books

Cigars

Taxidermy

FitBit

Vintage clothes

... see below for the final decision.

If Jen and I were to open a restaurant it would have to center around Petey, Queen of the Universe.  Petey wouldn't want the rabble to dine in her place so essentially the restaurant would be us hiring the worlds best chef to cook for Petey.

The Last Jen Day...for now

Bill came home early this morning but I still had one more present saved for tonight.  First we did what we do every Friday night.  We tried to get a seat at the Two Brewers.  9 out of 10 times the place is overflowing and every seat is taken but tonight we found an outside bench and the weather was perfect for dining al fresco.  They serve tapas on Friday nights so we had the charcuterie board, sausages with a spiced fruit chutney, scallops and a spanish tortilla with a couple of pints to wash it down.

 I went to the loo before we left and this is the picture that Bill took of me looking for him when I came out.  This shows you what the crowd looks like - it's a locals hang out and most people outside are just drinking a beer and chatting on the street.  There were several dogs so I'm surprised that none of them made it into this photo.  One in particular was the sweetest thing who just wanted to sit at our feet and get patted for hours.  We obliged as long as we could and then she wandered over to the next table.  I think every pub should make sure the have a dog around to pat at all times.  Maybe next time I'll bring Simon?

When we got home it was time to open the last present.  There is something very sad about the phrase "last present", don't you think?  Should there ever really be a last present?  I say no!!
Anyway, it was a good one...

 "The Authentic Edition" of Martin Chuzzelwit by Charles Dickens with illustrations by Phiz!!  I love that!  Who the hell is Phiz?  He does good work but he sounds like a frat boy.  Did Chuck and Phiz do a belly bump when the book was published?  The edition doesn't have a date but it's dead old.  I have to say that although I see the benefits of the kindle, there is nothing like an old book.  Well done, Bill!! Feel free to keep it going another week  :-)