two-date cut off, willingly or not

so i've noticed a trend in my dating experiences this past year: i don't seem to get past the two-date mark, whether i want to or not! case(s) in point:

first canadian guy: the guy i first dipped my toes into the online dating pool with. he was nice but there were no sparks on my part, especially after he was extremely late for both dates.

french canadian: okay, so we were shagging by the second date and would've continued to shag i'm sure, if he didn't start dating his still-current girlfriend. i don't begrudge him this at all (absolutely not, in fact i was glad he was so honest and open with me), but it would've been nice to have had to a few more shag-fests before he hooked up with his honey.

office boy: okay, so i never mentioned the fact that i saw him one more time after our initial "non-date" date, but anymore dates after the second were nigh on impossible as i left the country for school, oh and yes, he started dating someone else. i sometimes wonder what would've happened if i was still in toronto around that time - would we have continued to see each other or would his getting-together with his current girlfriend have happened anyway, whether i was there or not? i'm actually glad i wasn't in the city when that all went down, it was hard enough as it was dealing with it on the other side of the ocean.

scottish guy: i've already hashed the story on this blog in gory/glorious detail so i won't go into it again, needless to say his MIA status after our second date pretty much negated a third. left me baffled.

third canadian guy: i didn't mention this guy until now because again like first canadian guy, there were no sparks on my part. our first date was fun (we saw the photographer of the year exhibition at the natural history museum) but by the second date i was sure i wasn't attracted to him. well, i already knew that by the first date but i thought i'd give him another shot. not really wanting a third date at this point.

so where does this leave me? five men, ten dates later and what? i don't know. i guess all this is either a huge coincidence, some higher power's funny joke on me, or a combination of timing and lack of/no lack of chemistry. sigh. on the bright side, i have many a funny/scandalous/horrible story to tell my girlfriends, future progeny and future grand-progeny. i'm cool with that.

what are your thoughts on this? is it me?

CET :o)

home

i'm home now! ahhh, the start of a 2.5 week holiday.

this past weekend was a sloth's wet dream (eew, too much of a visual). it was one of those weekends where your bum is cemented to the couch; where the only movement consists of picking up the telephone to order your dinner in, and also picking up the remote to change the channel. pyjamas remained on, hair remained unwashed, ahhh, it was bliss. and this was both vij and i!

we did manage to make ourselves presentable on sunday evening for dinner with a friend. afterwards we went to a bar called the pleasure unit - yes people, the pleasure unit - where a fundraiser was going on to help cuban youth. there was a scottish skiffle band called the dead plants, a rapper called drop dead fred, topped off with an eight-piece congolese band. the crowd was a mix of college boho/hippie kids, locals, and the musicians themselves. at one point the congolese music was a-pumpin' and people were a-dancin'; there was an old man near me who was busting a move with a woman, who were both knocking into me and pissing me off royally. then he suddenly turns to me, takes my hand and kisses it.

while normally this would be considered a very sweet gesture, and while normally i absolutely love old people and think they are so cute, this man's lips felt like a cold, wet fish trying to give me some lovin'. seriously, i can still see his lips form an "o" shape and how they felt on my knuckles - brrr - it makes me shiver and not the good kind.

okay, chili's whining so i'm off to play with him for a bit.

CET :o)

winding up

so i have a week of school left before a three-week easter holiday. i'll be going home to visit my family and friends, yay! i will be glad for the break.

ever since this new term started i have been in the most apathetic of moods. i honestly don't know what affliction/malaise has descended on me, but i honestly can't be bothered to do anything. i don't know what's wrong with me. days pass and i am content to leave things undone, tasks unfinished, errands left to run; i think i'm purposely ignoring things and slowing my life down for some reason, though i don't know what that reason is. anytime when i'm not in class you can find me at the coffee shop, the markets, or lazing about in some park somewhere. what has come over me? i don't even know why i need a break so badly when i haven't done anything anyway.

i think i'm missing physical affection too. hugs, kisses, a pat on the back or the squeeze of a hand - not just from romantic potentials, but from family and friends too - i interact with humans everyday (i say humans like as if i'm not one myself) and yet it is only with my voice and my facial expressions; it's not enough for me.

and can i just say how annoying it is to upload pictures onto blogger and to not have it work? argh!

in happier news, i attended a dance exhibition with a classmate of mine on saturday; she had a spare ticket so it was quite spur of the moment/last-minute. it's called the move it dance london exhibition, taking place in olympia this weekend.

i never fancied myself a dance aficionado; i love dancing and getting my groove on, but it has never been something i actively sought out/participated in. it was so much fun! they had a main stage with various performances throughout the day; stalls upon stalls selling dancewear, promoting dance schools, colleges, etc., but the best part were the taster classes on the second floor. they offered every type of dance available, in 45 minute sessions with a master teacher. my friend and i learned a bit of hip hop, funk, locking and krumping, finishing off the day with some good old bhangra moves! it was great to learn some new steps, get a workout, and shake my tail feather in the process. i'm paying for it today though, as my entire body aches. this is what i get for not exercising regularly.

anyhoo, when i manage to upload pictures i will definitely post some from the exhibition.

CET :o)

markets and more markets, oh my!

this weekend was a full-on market weekend, all of them in and around my neighbourhood! there were old favourites and some new finds which i am quite happy and excited about:

roman road market: i discovered this one accidentally while walking to the only bank branch in my area open on saturdays; at the end of the road were stalls upon stalls of vendors, selling fruits and vegetables, cds and dvds, jewellery, but most of all, clothes! racks upon racks of clothes, mostly knock-offs or extra inventory from all the major clothing stores in london. i bought a light and airy brown print summer dress for only ten quid! that's about 23 dollars canadian. i can't wait to wear it in toronto this summer.

columbia road market: this popular flower market is only open on sundays from 8am to 2pm; i got there at the last hour and it was mayhem! they were selling the most gorgeous bouquets and potted plants for only a fiver; a human traffic jam of local english bohos and bourgeoisese filled the tiny street.



brick lane market: i didn't even realize brick lane had an outdoor market on the weekends until now; mostly locals who lay out their wares on blankets on each side of the road, like a london version of a street garage sale back home.

sunday up market: an indoor market just off brick lane. there were lots of food vendors selling some pretty wonderful-smelling food, in addition to the regular clothes and jewellery vendors. lots of local designers selling their funky and unique creations.

spitalfields: ahhh, a constant in my life here in london; sunday is the big day for this market so it was jammed packed with people and therefore absolute chaos. i like the market better during the weekdays when it's quieter and you can talk (and bargain) with the vendors more.

CET :o)

Daffodils

I wander'd lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth

brimming

it's funny how on one hand i feel like so much has happened that i want to share with you all, but on the other hand it doesn't seem like much at all. just general experiences/rants/meanderings that i think are worth mentioning:

bad london: i was on the bus on the way home a few weeks ago and in the span of the bus ride, two crazy people boarded the bus and had a go at the driver; both times he stopped the bus and told everyone to get off as he would not move until the crazy person left the bus, but both times at the last second he asked everyone to board the bus again, leaving the crazy person to yell at him while he continued his journey. then, when i got off the bus (after literally pushing people out of my way in order to get off because they just would not move), i walk by the library to find a group of male youths along with security, pinning a man down on the ground. the same thing happened at the market a few days ago, only this time it was six policemen pinning a man down.

good london: i love how one night i'm at a local bar watching vij's friend perform as part of a rap group called rebel alliance; two nights later i'm at the royal opera house watching a performance of handel's "orlando".

i was at the coffee shop today with evil hypnotist for lunch; while waiting for him to arrive i sat with my tea and my book. it was a beautifully sunny day and the light coming through the windows of the coffee shop, slanting across the wooden tables and floor, looked magical. it actually stopped me from reading and i gazed at the dusty light for a while, consciously searing it into my memory so i can recall it when i'm old and grey.

vij's mom is here for the week; she made an absolutely yummy dinner on tuesday and tonight was no exception; three helpings later i am absolutely stuffed and happy.

i bought a huge bunch of daffodils today from the street market by the station; it's evening now so i'll wait until morning to take pictures to show you.

CET :o)

a saturday in pictures - thwarted!

i've been trying since last night to upload pictures of my day yesterday, but these two are the only ones that uploaded! that's okay though, because they're the most important ones; they're of the meal that i cooked yesterday, rack of lamb seasoned with garlic, rosemary and thyme, on a bed of roasted potatoes and garlic, served with red currant jelly. i bought the rack of lamb from the taste east london festival happening at spitalfields yesterday, as part of the east london festival going on this week; there was a butchering demonstration where the butcher was selling the cuts of meat as he was demonstrating how to cut them. the lovely, fresh cut of lamb inspired me to flex my culinary skills, which for some reason this past year has not been flexed often.

festival highlights:

- a stall where they had three HUGE paella pans set up with mounds and mounds of mouth-watering, chorizo-and-seafood-filled paella;
- the bollywood brass band and klezmania;
- two people dressed as lobsters walking around on stilts;
- all the different samples of food on offer, from wild boar chorizo to apple and mango chutney

i wish i could post the pics!

CET :o)