text:
Home/Religion/Mormon Marriage Madness
Mormon Marriage Madness
Rebecca Watson Follow on Twitter Send an email January 12, 2010
36 65 1 minute read
Via Everything is Terrible
UPDATE FROM THE COMMENTS! greenishblu sez:
I believe these were all clips from "The Singles Ward," a rather popular film among a certain segment of the population here in Utah. (Can you guess which segment that would be?)
Though it's a Mormon film made for Mormon audiences, I'll at least give it credit for poking fun at some of the excesses of Mormon culture (spiking the punch with Mountian Dew? Ludicrous, but viewed by SOME Mormons as nearly as OMGWTF as spiking it with Jim Beam.
Also, the title? For those not in the know, unmarried Mormon men and women are encouraged to attend special "Singles Ward" services (a ward being a analogous to, say, a parish) where everyone is single. I guess the idea is to whip up the sexual tension so high that they have no choice but to get hitched.
And that "If you're over 25 and unmarried, you're a menace to society" thing? That's only just BARELY an exaggeration. I've heard Mormon women lament hitting 21 without getting married, saying, "If you're over 21, you're off the shelf."
insanity latter day saints mormon
Rebecca Watson
Rebecca is a writer, speaker, YouTube personality, and unrepentant science nerd. In addition to founding and continuing to run Skepchick, she hosts Quiz-o-Tron, a monthly science-themed quiz show and podcast that pits comedians against nerds. There is an asteroid named in her honor.
Study: Atheists are Made By Their Parents
Are Poor People Happier in Religious Societies?
LGBTQ Rights vs Christian Schools: Who Does Biden Support?
One Weird Reason the US Supports Israel: An Ancient Prophesy About Magog
Bevans says:
Wha…is this real? First I thought it was a parody, then it was real, then it was a parody again, then it was real…I think I'm going to have to settle on real, but confusing.
Tanstaafl56 says:
OMFSM !
intimeoflilacs says:
i, too am pretty confused. If this is real they didn't drive home the point to a heathen like me. I suppose i'm not worth saving, but still i think it's a sign that BYU needs to beef up their film / screenwriting program a little. :)
greenishblu says:
WTF? Maybe if I take more Nyquil that video will make sense.
swordsbane says:
It's got to be a spoof. The bit about unblocking MTV is a dead giveaway. I didn't find it all that funny though. It seemed like it was recut from a longer video that might have been funnier. It was definitely missing something.
James Fox says:
I lived in Maui for a year while taking a little break from college in 1981 and I worked in a photo lab developing insanely boring vacation pictures. Some of the most disturbing pictures I developed were from Mormon college age missionaries documenting all the activities severely sexually repressed young men might engage in while living in an isolated spartan dorm setting. (And FSM bless all those non Mormon guys who thought they should be taking pictures for Playboy in the pre-digital age).
avalicious87 says:
The only way this video will make sense is if you have spent a large amount of time with a mormon living in Utah.
This is from an actual film called "Single's Ward", it was made by mormons for mormons, so it's really confusing to normal people.
@swordsbane Actually, the MTV thing? It's true, remember, these are the same people who aren't supposed to watch R rated movies.
mikerattlesnake says:
@swordsbane: If you haven't been to Everything Is Terrible before it might seem odd. Their thing is that they find old videos, PSAs, infomercials, etc. and cut them down to the most ridiculous/depressing bits. Worth checking out if you find that sort of thing funny. I can only take it in small doses, but some of their videos are hilarious.
When I was in high school, I went to BYU, the LDS-church run university, once for a journalism conference.
When in the cafeteria for lunch, I saw caffeine free Mountain Dew, and my head exploded.
What the HELL is the point of that? No one drinks Mtn Dew for the taste. No sane people anyway…
Wait, did I just solve my own riddle there?
Elyse says:
Holy shit! There's a sequel to this movie called The Singles 2nd Ward!
But I'm still wondering… is this a spoof or not? I'm confused too.
Sam Ogden says:
Did I see Steve Young in there?
Not quite a spoof. It's a comedy by and for Mormons and it's certainly tongue-in-cheek, but ultimately it's meant to be "faith-affirming" or some such shit.
There's a whole slew of these Mormon movies, which you just become automatically aware of by having a Utah driver's license. With most of them, you can pretty much guess the plot from the title like "Mobsters and Mormons" and "Baptists at the Barbecue"… and, oh, I don't know "Pornstars and Prophets,"
Magnus H. says:
lulz. Johnathan should've called me instead of that prim uptight lady who can't even bring herself to laugh at his mildly amusing attempts at humor! I'd've set him… er….straight. rawr.
JamieF says:
@Sam Ogden: Yes, oh yes you did.
@Sam Ogden: Yep, I saw him to. Still not sure if he was serious or poking fun at his religion. He is hard core LDS though.
@James Fox:
Maybe it's all them concussions what makes him religiousy.
According to wikipedia, Steve Young didn't get married until he was 39. I guess that made him a menace on the football field.
theheadgeek says:
"I think they should sell cigarettes only next door to nuclear power plants. That way, you get cancer, but also treatment at the same time. I think they should sell cigarettes only next door to nuclear power plants. That way, you get cancer, but also treatment at the same time. "
davew says:
I found this prologue to Eric D. Snider's review illuminating:
Please note: "The Singles Ward" is a comedy for Mormons. Non-Mormons will not understand the jokes and won't laugh. Of course, Mormons, who will understand the jokes, probably also won't laugh. But anyway. If you're not Mormon, you can probably skip the review, too.
ZenMonkey says:
@greenishblu: Mobsters and Mormons
Thank you very much, just added this to my Netflix queue.
@ZenMonkey: I can't vouch for it's quality, or likely lack thereof. All I know is from the many, many billboards strewn around the city.
I feel kind of ashamed at my knowledge of Mormon cinema. I never sought this out. It was thrust upon me. Not a blessing, but a curse.
@greenishblu: I'm kind of assuming (and definitely hoping) that it's awful. :-)
MattR says:
@greenishblu: Australia ONLY has caffeine-free variety of Mountain Dew. Most people here aren't even aware of the caffeinated variety's existence. It is a very poor life.
@MattR: So, people like, you know, voluntarily drink that swill? And not just becuase it's slightly more appetizing than a couple of Vivarin tablets?
@greenishblu: Well, they were all out of crab juice …
Personally I don't mind it (although I'd much prefer the caffeinated variety if I could get it here). It still has insane sugar levels, so it's got at least one thing going for it.
For others, well let's just say it's not exactly popular, but it is ubiquitous and cheap.
fishcorn says:
A guy that I used to work with is a Mormon fiction author and he told me once that most Mormon cinema and print plays out like an inside joke. That's pretty consistent with this clip.
@greenishblu: there is (or used to be) a store in Utah County called the Crazy Canuck that sells caffeine-free MD, so maybe that's where BYU gets their supply. I guess like Australia, Canada has caffeine-free MD. /shrug
glassdirigible says:
Mormon ska causes me pain.
k-rex says:
As a former Mormon, I can confirm that this is more or less based in their extremely strange reality. Like, I don't know any Mormon women over 21 who aren't married. I don't know any with fewer than three children, either. And the no MTV thing was the rule in my house. We stayed away from all caffeine, and all soda just to be safe. Actually, was not aware until right now that Mtn Dew is not caffeine free. Hm.
I also love anything making fun of them. Not this movie, it's far too safe and not hard-hitting or filthy in any way, but I may or may not be guilty of drive-by catcalling of the male missionaries. It's the first and last time a woman will talk to them like that, so…. yeah.
I'll share more if anyone cares. Got some weird stories.
Joshua Zelinsky says:
Mormons aren't the only religion with the early marriage fixation. Orthodox Jews have it also. There's actually discussion in the Orthodox community of a so-called "Shidduch crisis" in that people are waiting longer to get married. (Shidduch is the term used for a semi-arranged marriage).
It has been suggested that one reason religions are so quick to push for early marriage (aside from the claimed reduction in pre-marital sex) is because it locks people into the religion more effectively. People aren't nearly as likely to leave the fold once they've got kids and a family.
@k-rex I do the catcalling too! It's funny because they just look so confused. As another ex-mo I'd love to hear your stories.
Benshums says:
Being the only non-Mormon in my entirely Mormon family, I know exactly where this movie is coming from. Unlike any other faith, Mormonism comes with a barrel of the strongest social pressures imaginable. Do something slightly out of line and BAM people will chew you up. All of the dogma, the indoctrination, is very difficult to overcome and once you've done so you're likely to be abandoned by all of your friends, support groups, and (worst of all) your family.
Kaboobie says:
I'm not Canadian, but friends from Toronto have told me that their Mountain Dew is indeed caffeine-free. Oddly enough, it was still marketed there as an extreme sports drink, just as in the US. According to Wikipedia, "Health Canada prohibits caffeine in non-cola soft drinks".
I really want to jump in on this conversation, but I don't really know where to start…. My boyfriend is about as Mormon as I am (not), but his family is.. It has been an interesting year.
@Benshums:
I've gotten to see this first hand, recently.. And it's a bit heartbreaking to see how much harder it is to remain closeted and to even think about coming out.
I don't really find them any crazier or less tolerable than other run-of-the-mill Xtian denominations, though… But definitely an alternate reality going on there, and a concerning culture surrounding feminine sexuality and family.
@Kaboobie: Huh. how about that?
@Tina: Oh, I can definitely identify with that. My ex-wife's family was about as Mormon as they come, including her celebrity ultra-conservative grandmother. I had the misfortune of being dragged to a few family reunions, at which we were the only non-Mormons in 60 people. (One of the scheduled events was a "testimony meeting" We tried to duck out respectfully, but kept being pressured to attend until I finally said that if I was compelled to attended a testimony meeting, I'd be compelled to bear my testimony. That ended that. :) )
If you'll forgive the blogwhoring, if anyone is interested in my story of leaving the church (which I guarantee was a hell of a lot easier for me than scads and scads of other people), read it here: http://liberteegalitetrivialite.blogspot.com/2008/05/who-i-am-personal-history-age-10-14.html
Saganist says:
@greenishblu: I watched Mobsters and Mormons at the in-laws' house a couple years back. From what I remember, it was really cheesy, and kind of funny. I think I liked it better than most of the Mormon "cinema" I've had to endure.


text:
Q: Excel Match conditional formatting Hi I am using the formula =MATCH(A1,B:B,0)>0 with conditional formatting to highlight a match in a cell but from a different sheet.  Any suggestions as to how I highlight the full row and not just one cell please?

A: When you set up your conditional formatting rule look at the "applies to" entry. in the table. See the area highlighted in yellow below. Make sure that includes the entire range of cells you want to highlight, not just one column. If your rows span columns A-F, you may want something like $A$2:$F$500.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The top automotive news of the day- TVS Motor Company has launched the 2018 Apache RTR 180 in India with prices starting at Rs. 84,578. It was one of the first motorcycles to get dual-channel ABS and now it gets a bunch of upgrades. Maruti Suzuki has ramped up the production of the Vitara Brezza SUV in order to reduce waiting period. Also, the company has launched the new-generation Ertiga in India, with prices starting at Rs. 7.44 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).


text:
What does NAPEO stand for?
NAPEO stands for National Association of Professional Employer Organizations
See other definitions of NAPEO
We have 1	other meaning of NAPEO in our Acronym Attic
NAPEO
MLA style: "NAPEO." Acronym Finder. 2021. AcronymFinder.com 20 Jan. 2021 https://www.acronymfinder.com/National-Association-of-Professional-Employer-Organizations-(NAPEO).html
Chicago style: Acronym Finder. S.v. "NAPEO." Retrieved January 20 2021 from https://www.acronymfinder.com/National-Association-of-Professional-Employer-Organizations-(NAPEO).html
APA style: NAPEO. (n.d.) Acronym Finder. (2021). Retrieved January 20 2021 from https://www.acronymfinder.com/National-Association-of-Professional-Employer-Organizations-(NAPEO).html
Newfoundland & Labrador Association of Public Employees
Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (formerly Lagos Society of Geologists and Geophysicists)
North American Prospect Expo (Houston, Texas)
North American Paramedical Examiners Association (Houston, TX)
National Association of Presbyterian Evangelical Churches (New Zealand)
Naval Ammunition Production Engineering Center
North American Police Equestrian Championships
National Association of Police Equipment Distributors
National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency
National Association for Physical Education in Higher Education
National Association of Professional Employers (est. 1984; Alexandria, VA)
National Association of Professional Enrollment Specialists, Inc.
National Association of Photo Equipment Technicians
National Association of Photographic Equipment Technicians (Australia)
National Association of Professional and Executive Women
National Alliance Party of Fiji (political party)
National Association of Pension Funds
National Association of Pilgrim Fellowship
National Association of Pipe Fabricators
Non Aqueous Phase Fluid (contaminants)
The National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) notes that there are more than 700 PEO members nationally, and that 30 states require some form of licensing, Florida included.
Florida PEOs continue to gain market share: three decades of growth ...
Basso has held top executive posts for the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations Federal Legislation Committee.
Alcott announces partnership with American Fidelity Corp
Since 1984, PEO participation has grown from 10,000 employees to an estimated 2 million to 3 million employees last year, according to the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO).
TIME OUT!
He recommends visiting the Web site of the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (www.
Considering PEOs
RESOURCES: Many PEOs belong to the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO), 901 N.
A PEO Can Be Good For Business
Rice, Texas PEO Handbook 1999 Edition, Austin: Texas Chapter of National Association of Professional Employer Organizations, 1999.
Are members of the PEL) industry's premier organization, the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO), and its state chapters.
What a PEO can do for you

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


停 seems transitive to me, strange without bus before it, but that's from English I suppose (Japanese tend to say bus-tei=バス停). 留 looks more like to pool (as in people drift in and gather there perhaps?). 場 just means place.


Packages come complete with new pendant assembly, CAD drawings and improved control functionality.
Component probes and tool probes available to compliment your control.
Heidenhain Bridgeport CNC Upgrade. Obsolete Heidenhain controls :- Heidenhain TNC 131, Heidenhain TNC 135, Heidenhain TNC 145, Heidenhain TNC 150A, Heidenhain TNC 150B, Heidenhain TNC 151A, Heidenhain TNC 151B, Heidenhain TNC 155A, Heidenhain TNC 155B, Heidenhain TNC 2500, Heidenhain TNC 355, Heidenhain TNC 360.


December 12, 2012 – Oklahoma City, Okla. – By Christina Brezack – The sky is the limit for the record-breaking Topsail Whiz, as he becomes the first, and only, National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Nine Million Dollar Sire. His offspring at the 2012 NRHA Futurity made this feat possible by earning over $72,500 to push his Offspring Earnings to new heights. Those money-earners include: CC Chica Whiz (owned by Brent Loseke), CJ Whiz (owned by Euro-Vets Inc.), Hot Chic Whiz (owned by Bob Loomis), USS Whiz (owned by St-Onge Reining Horses Inc.), Whiz Starbrite (owned by Amabile & Strusiner), Whizen Starlight (owned by Robert Peterson) and Whizzer Whiz (owned by Xtra Quarter Horses, LLC). Topsail Whiz's official NRHA Offspring Earnings are $9,030,000.
Bob Loomis Reining Horses' Topsail Whiz (Topsail Cody x Jeanie Whiz Bar by Cee Red) is an NRHA Hall of Famer who earned $49,865 in the NRHA show ring. His successes included an All American Quarter Horse Congress Junior Reining Championship, 1991 NRHA Lazy E Classic Open Championship, a third place finish in the 1990 NRHA Open Futurity, and a fourth place finish in the 1991 NRHA Derby. In 2009, the reining community mourned the loss of this great stallion when he was humanely euthanized at Loomis' ranch in Marietta, Okla.
Topsail Whiz is also the sire of four NRHA Million Dollar Sires: Conquistador Whiz, West Coast Whiz, Whizard Jac and Whiz N Tag Chex.


text:
In Your Dreams #1: In Your Dreams (2012)
Comment(s) ♥ Book
Zip lived in a small town, where everyone knew everyone else since birth. one day, a sibling joined her class, Kieran and Kayla instantly became the town's new focus. first day in school, Kieran passed out on Zip's table from his narcolepsy, where he struggled to stay awake. Zip couldn't resist falling for him, while he couldn't resist telling her his deepest secret, which he had the ability to see bits and pieces into the future. when Kieran's mother revealed that his narcolepsy wasn't what it seemed, but might be putting them in harms' way, things instantly got further complicated.
I received free e-books from the author in exchange for reviews. It was such an easy and fast read that I found myself flying through the pages in no time. I was rooting for Zip's character and before long was rooting for Kieran as well. while I initially thought I would dislike Kayla for her tough personality, I fell for her equally hard as well. half way into the book and comfortable with its characters, I was surprised to find the scale of the plot expanded into something so much more bigger. the satisfaction I felt since then was even more stronger despite how little I want to know about Morgan. relationship wise, it was obvious where the story was heading, but I was equally eager to see how the duo confront their differences as well as the dangers.
Salem's Revenge #1: Brew (2014)
Rhett was an orphan, who had moved from one family to another, until he finally felt at home with one particular family. but happiness was short lived, the Salem Revenge took place, killed many humans along the way, his new family among those killed. Rhett escaped, only to find out that witches were real. he was rescued and trained by Mr Jackson, a guy who knew the witches existence since the very beginning and had been prepared. Rhett was glad to be protected, but felt the need to seek out revenge for his family, as well as finding his best friends, Xavier and Beth.
the book was an addictive read from its very first page. I was captivated with the relationship between Rhett and his two best friends, Xavier and Beth. It was somewhat odd that Rhett would go such a distance to avoid violence, but on the contrary, his two best friends would behave the complete opposite. while bird of the same feathers flocked together, it had me wondering what brought the trio together, especially with their extremely close relationship. when it came to the witch historical lessons or witch killing training, I found myself skipping lines just to get to the juicy part. but when the actions were finally available, I was pleased to find it being every bit entertaining as I hoped it will be, especially when it came at me in waves and waves of satisfactions.
Soul Chaser #1: Soul Chaser (2014)
Raven was a Soul Chaser. her job was to die for children. Instead of suffering their horrific death and risk becoming a lost spirit, these children were chosen, where their souls would drift to heaven while Raven took possession of their bodies, living their last moments and facing their death for them. if a soul departed before the child experience death, the child would be reunited with heavens, signaling its complete life. experiencing death itself was what caused the child to became a lost spirit.
I received a free e-book from the author in exchange for a review. the book was a fast read. it felt like an introduction, a beginning of a possible series, giving me a preview of what Raven's life was about. the idea definitely seemed promising, which have me looking forward to the next installment. while Raven was just performing what was expected of her, I found myself wanting to know more about her all the time. the Soul Chaser system was less interesting for me in comparison, where she was chosen to be a Soul Chaser and will be choosing her successor when the time comes. often I found myself skipping lines just to get to the juicy part of Summer's routine.
A Shade of Mind (2012)
Bobby was in a car crash. he died and was revived. however, after he woke up, he didn't feel that he was alone, there was always someone at the back of his head, pushing him towards making a correct choice. as much as he freaked out with the intruder, he kept it to himself and dealt with it as best as he could. he started doing things he would never do otherwise, such as joining the girls' volleyball team. he had strong feelings towards Angela, one of the girls on the team. when he found out from his new friend, Darren, that Angela's father died on the same day that the he had his accident, it became clear what triggered those emotions.
I received a free e-book from the author in exchange for a review. the book was an easy read although it was slow at times. the first half of the book flew through easily, capturing my curiosity as it led me through the plot. last quarter of the book though, where the mysteries were already mostly uncovered, things tend to drag a little, seemingly reluctant to provide the big perfect ending sooner than later. the climax was slightly short to my likings but fortunately, still fairly satisfying. I had a great time putting myself in Bobby's shoes, even though I rooted for Jennifer the most. the twist that kept Bobby's experience even more entertaining was the bad environment that he grew up in. when the blocked out memories involving his father and sister was revealed, it became the utmost overwhelming scene of the book, as it managed to build its characters with so much more depth because of it.


Rob Gronkowski is hanging up his helmet, and his girlfriend couldn't be more proud of him.
The New England Patriots star confirmed speculation on Sunday night that he's retiring from the NFL, and Sports Illustrated model, Camille Kostek, took to Instagram to commend her significant other on making the difficult decision to call it quits.
"You motivate me to be better, you show me that limits can be pushed and that challenges make you stronger," Kostek wrote alongside a slideshow of photos of them together. "If you ask me, you're the best to ever do it. There is nothing like the thrill of watching you play. I love you with all my heart, you allow me to take the term 'proud girlfriend' to a new level."
"For all the people that have come up to us to tell you they are your biggest fan, I quietly smile because I know I'm yours," she added. "And I will continue to root you on in all that you do ❤💙 WE LOVE YOU PATS NATION."
The holidays are best spent with the people you love the most 🖤 Thankful to be surrounded by so much love and light in my life. Off to squeeze my family extra tight now!!! Happy Thanksgiving to you all🍁🍽!!! Wishing you happiness and health this holiday season!
The post came about a month and a half after Kostek stepped into the spotlight after Gronk's latest Super Bowl win at Super Bowl LIII. Kostek joined him on the field after the game for a romantic moment that she shared on Instagram with the cheeky caption, "tastes like a champion."
But who is Kostek? And how long has she been dating Patriots tight-end Gronkowski?
Camille Kostek, 26, first made waves as the first winner of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue's Instagram-based model search. This year, she was named as the iconic magazine's rookie model.
The blonde bombshell has been linked to Gronk, 29, since 2015, when she met the NFL star right after she quit her job as a Patriots cheerleader.
"We first got in touch once I resigned from the team," she told Fox News. "I always knew who he was before I was even a cheerleader. I knew who he was on the roster. I just never paid any mind. Once I resigned is when we finally met."
In the last several years, the pair has gotten more and more public about their romance on social media as their relationship has progressed. They first appeared on one another's Instagram accounts in 2015 and made their red carpet debut together at the 2018 Kids' Choice Sports Awards.
Kostek has gotten more and more used to her private life being fodder for the public, but it definitely took some time for her to get comfortable with it.
"I am such a private person," she said. "It was hard at first when people would send articles with my name on it. It's an overwhelming feeling to read something that you have no control over. But like most things, you get strong when you have to deal with situations like that. It's gotten a little easier. And usually, the people that are close to you know the truth. So it's one of those things where you just have to let people think what they wanted to think."
Gronk and Kostek briefly split in 2017, before getting back together.


Mammutbog (="Mammoth book") is a thicker version of the Jumbo pocketbooks. The book has been published yearly since 1995. The stories are Italian pocket book stories and there's room for long stories in this thick format. Every book has a charecter on the front. The books are coloured in something that looks like glowing metal.


How many of these 20 advertising slogans can you complete?
1. Bounty. The quicker ________ ________.
2. Takes a licking ________ ________ ________ ________.
3. Pork. The other ________ ________.
4. Pardon me. Do you have any ________ ________.
5. Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________.
6. Let your fingers ________ ________ _________.
7. The mind is a terrible ________ ________ ________.
8. Friends don't let ________ ________ ________.
9. I've fallen ________ ________ ________ ________ ________.
10. It takes a tough man ________ ________ ________ ________ ________.
11. Tastes great, ________ ________.
12. Don't leave home ________ ________.
14. You're in good hands with ________.
15. Melts in your mouth, ________ ________ ________ ________.
16. Reach out and ________ ________.
17. Never let 'em see ________ ________.
18. Maxwell House Coffee. Good ________ ________ ________ ________.
19. All the news ________ ________ ________ ________.
20. My bologna has a first name, ________ __ __ __ __ __.
Eric Swartz is the master wordslinger at Tagline Guru. Brad Phillips is president of Phillips Media Relations, specializing in media and presentation training.
This entry was posted in Make the sale, Wry Society and tagged advertising slogans, Brad Phillips, marketing, vintage advertising by Carolyn Thomas. Bookmark the permalink.
Well, I got most of them thanks to my advanced age (grin). I love a game!
# 14 (guessed that it was a life insurance type company) but I don't see the answer here.
Thanks for pointing out the typo, Cave! #14's answer was inadvertently tucked up on line #13 – fixed now. Congrats on using your advanced age and wisdom to score well here.
I have to give my "Takes a lickin'" Timex story: I put my watch in my jeans pocket and forgot it was there, washed the jeans, dried 'em, took out the jeans, found the watch, and tick, tick, tick! Kept on tickin'! You can imagine how sorry I was when a year or so later, I LOST it! My loyal, true, blue Timex watch! But pretty good testimonial, eh?
Now THAT is a great Timex story, Bev! You should have been doing commercials for the product.


The news has been all but confirmed for well over a year: the next-generation 2018 Holden Commodore will be born from Opel, and share the E2XX platform with the upcoming Insignia and Buick Regal.
Wheels reported Opel CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann confirmed what we've long suspected after the debut of the Opel GT concept.
The 2018 Holden Commodore will likely be given an Aussie makeover when it debuts towards the end of 2017, and be developed to suit the Australian consumer's driving dynamics, one of the reasons Holden has retained engineers.
So, there you have it, Holden faithful. The next Holden Commodore will be a front-wheel and all-wheel drive sedan without a V8 option, whether you like it or not.
I'm still having a hard time believing GM management is that stupid and will make such a dumb mistake. Who in their right mind can try to sneak past Aussies a FWD Opel Insignia as Holden Commodore!? With no V8 option to further salt the wound!
And then say: "I think the Australians will like this car a lot."? They might like it as Holden Insignia, but NOT Commodore.
Something isn't right here. I'm not sure who it was from Holden, but he repeatedly said that Holden will always have a RWD V8 car in their line up. Is Vette or Camaro ready to go down under?
Yes indeed – as a Holden Insigna we will most likely think it's quite a cool car. As we have with most of the Holden badged Opels over the years. As a Holden Commodore it will not fill the big boots it is supposed to fill.
A RWD V8 vehicle is still planned. No confirmation on what it is yet.
I hate that this is happening, and I hate that Dumarey pulled his bid, but mentally prepare yourselves. Just in case more disappointment is coming.
Meanwhile over at Ford, the new RHD Mustang is in huge demand down under. 1 year waiting lists and plenty of price gouging for sure. Also, approx. 90% of the demand is for the……………..5.0L V8 version.
I thought the Commodore was going to be based off the LaCrosse? Didn't they say that, or they changed their mind?
Both the Regal/Insignia and LaCrosse are on the same platform – the Lacrosse having a stretched wheelbase.
If I'm looking at an AWD TT V6 sports sedan for $55000…. I can do better than a Holden. I want it to be worth more than $20 grand in 18 months time..


A Locum Orthopaedic Consultant is required for coverage from 1 - 8 October in a Victorian Hospital.
The town is situated approximately 3 hours drive from Melbourne. This bustling rural hub, located at the confluence of two major rivers, is a historic township with a population of 18,158.


Meghan Markle is keen to introduce her beau Prince Harry to her 'Suits' co-stars including on-screen fiancé Patrick J. Adams.
The 35-year-old actress feels she has been "neglecting" her colleagues - including Patrick J. Adams, her on-screen fiancé - and so wants to bring her royal boyfriend to meet her cast mates.
A source told the Express newspaper: "She was really upset about having to skip Patrick's wedding in December because she felt her presence would be too much of a media distraction on his big day.
"She's also been neglecting other on-set colleagues, so she's hoping to make amends by introducing them to Harry during an unofficial visit where everyone can relax and he can get to know her friends."
Meanwhile, Meghan previously dubbed her 'Suits' cast as "family".
Speaking during a script reading at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas, as part of the ATX Television festival, the brunette beauty - who was also joined by cast mates Gabriel Macht, Gina Torres and Patrick J. Adams - said: "We were in a group email the other day and I was saying we'd all lived in the same corporate housing so on top of working together we were living together which makes a whole different dynamic, I think. We just became this whole family right out the gate."
And Meghan is "so happy" she was cast in the production and selected to portray the character because she has been given the opportunity to progress in her career and become a more inspirational figure for the audience.
Speaking about her role and how Rachel has been able to develop throughout the series, Meghan added: "I am so happy ... she's worked so hard and I love that, as a role model, how she's been crafted to balance it all and now have this place at the firm where she really knows her standing and her office isn't just because she's a good researcher, it's because she's an associate. She's really earned that spot."


HOUSE is an innovative take on the medical drama in which the villain is a medical malady and the hero is an irreverent, controversial doctor who trusts no one, least of all his patients.
This is one of my favorite shows. It's definitely worth watching. Also, the price was way too good to pass up.
Very good show season 2 episode 24 is a shocker. I just bought all of them for a steal of a price.
One of my all time favorite shows and a price lower than one season.


text:
Compiled Statutes
IL Constitution
Legislative Guide
Legislative Glossary
(example: HB0001)
ILCS Listing Public Acts Search Guide Disclaimer
Information maintained by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Updating the database of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) is an ongoing process. Recent laws may not yet be included in the ILCS database, but they are found on this site as Public Acts soon after they become law. For information concerning the relationship between statutes and Public Acts, refer to the Guide.
Because the statute database is maintained primarily for legislative drafting purposes, statutory changes are sometimes included in the statute database before they take effect. If the source note at the end of a Section of the statutes includes a Public Act that has not yet taken effect, the version of the law that is currently in effect may have already been removed from the database and you should refer to that Public Act to see the changes made to the current law.
10 ILCS 5/19A-55
(10 ILCS 5/19A-55)
Sec. 19A-55. (Repealed).
(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05. Repealed by P.A. 94-1000, eff. 7-3-06.)


text:
// Copyright 2010 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
// found in the LICENSE file.

package org.chromium.sync.notifier;

import android.accounts.Account;
import android.content.SyncStatusObserver;

/**
 * Since the ContentResolver in Android has a lot of static methods, it is hard to
 * mock out for tests. This interface wraps all the sync-related methods we use from
 * the Android ContentResolver.
 */
public interface SyncContentResolverDelegate {

    Object addStatusChangeListener(int mask, SyncStatusObserver callback);

    void removeStatusChangeListener(Object handle);

    void setMasterSyncAutomatically(boolean sync);

    boolean getMasterSyncAutomatically();

    void setSyncAutomatically(Account account, String authority, boolean sync);

    boolean getSyncAutomatically(Account account, String authority);

    void setIsSyncable(Account account, String authority, int syncable);

    int getIsSyncable(Account account, String authority);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Gotham Bar and Grill – a class act, and one of New Yorks Michelin Star restaurants.
Eleven Madison Park – stylish Michelin starred highly acclaimed restaurant, great deserts.
The Plaza – Just one of these places you have to visit once.
Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square – it has a revolving Restaurant and Bar. Just go for the Bar (The View), its a great way to see New York, and yes I do believe it is the hotel where Arnie took the horse into the lift in True Lies.
Dylan Hotel – it's a boutique Hotel in an excellent location, just next to Grand Central station so perfect for public transport, which along with walking is the only way to do Manhattan.
Roof Garden Cafe at the Metropolitan Museum – open from May through to November (weather permitting – except for Mondays), fabulous views over Central Park. The elevator to the roof is hard to find, so you may need to ask a guard.
The Blue Water Grill is in a prime location right in the heart of Union Square.
It's an excellent venue for Sunday brunch, with a really good buzz. You can not reserve the outside seating, that is allocated on a first come basis, but if you do book, I would recommend trying to get a table near the windows.


In ROMANCE (Quickie 13), Ella deals with the aftermath of her bakery fire...with the help of a hunky firefighter. When another blaze is ignited between the two of them, this is one raging inferno that she doesn't want put out. And neither does he. In fact, his fire hose only makes it burn brighter.


MIR hub is exceptional public area modular seating. Combine hubs and benches in various ways to create your own flexible soft seating breakout area.
These configurations can be accompanied by the complementary low stools or aluminium table, absolutely suited to notebook and laptop use or for resting drinks.
MIR is ideal for use in spaces where people gather in numbers; hotel foyers, transit lounges, student spaces and atria of all kinds.


With this large Nappy Bag, you will be able to literally bring the kitchen sink with you for a day out with bub. But if you want to settle for just nappies, wipes, clothes, bottles, snacks and other baby essentials, you can rest assured that the Gr8x Escapades is built to handle it all. This makes this chic black microfiber number the perfect option for families with multiples, or those families who like to get away for weekends or extended holidays. Elasticized and zipped pockets inside make it easy to locate items in a flash and the bag, inside and out, is easy to wipe clean.


text:
Five men arrested after street brawl erupted outside town takeaway
The investigation into the incident is ongoing
Matt SimpsonSenior Live Reporter
Police were called to a brawl outside Abbie's in Sheepmarket, Leek
Police have arrested five men in connection with a brawl which broke out in the street outside a takeaway.
Officers were called to the scene outside Abbie's in Sheepmarket, Leek, in the early hours of Saturday, August 17, following reports of a fight.
One man, believed to have been trying to break up the fight, suffered minor injuries to his head and face.
Now detectives investigating the incident have taken five men into custody on suspicion of assault and violent disorder.
'I had no idea anything was troubling him' - Grieving widow's anguish as biker Azzer, 49, kills himself weeks after he stopped woman jumping off A50 bridge
A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: "Officers in Leek have this morning arrested five males in connection with the assault and violent disorder which occurred on Sheepmarket in the early hours on Saturday, August 17.
"Inquires are ongoing. Anybody with information is asked to call 101 and quote incident 113 of August 17."
Chief Inspector Mark Thorley, the Neighbourhood Commander in the Staffordshire Moorlands, added: "A crime type which is far from the norm in the Moorlands, luckily.
"Both criminal and civil measures will be used against any involved in such violence anywhere in the Moorlands."


SchoolClassics.org is a full suite of school management software with every feature designed to minimize workload for teachers and administrators.
We customize the site to match your school's website, and then help get you started by importing your existing student, staff, and facility data.
Explore the range of modules available.


text:
Our Service Times/Directions
New Calvary Community Development Corporation
The roots of the New Calvary Baptist Church can be found in the early founding of the Second Calvary Baptist Church of Norfolk, Virginia. In 1879, on what was then known as Simpson Farm, a suburb of Norfolk, the Second Calvary Baptist Church was founded. Rev. Jackson was the first Pastor of the church. From 1880 to 1915, Second Calvary Baptist Church worshiped in a small frame church that was built in Norfolk, Virginia, on the corner of Calvary Street (now Virginia Beach Boulevard) and Wide Street. Rev. Zachariah Hughes served as Pastor faithfully for 30 years.
Rev. Calvin A. Madison was called to pastor the church in April 1918. The church erected a new building that had an auditorium, a study, and a small choir room. Shortly after, an additional structure had been erected at the rear of the church for Sunday school.
TIn May, 1934 the church experienced many challenges pertaining to the upkeep of the church that resulted in the doors being locked for several days. Dr. Madison and some of the church membership began worshipping in a church located on Chapel and Landing Streets in Norfolk. Many of the members were dedicated to resolving the issues relative to the church doors being locked. Deacon Harrison Billups, Deacon John Mason, Deacon Zemer McNoal, and Trustee John Elliott, Sr. were the church officials that remained with other members. Those officials, with the help of Deacon Joseph Chessinut, who was a member of Mount Lebanon Baptist Church in Norfolk, proceeded to try and make amends to have the doors unlocked. Shortly thereafter, the congregation was able to return and New Calvary Baptist Church was founded. On May 16, 1934, a special meeting of the new congregation was called.
Dr. D. Y. Campbell was called to Pastor New Calvary Baptist Church on March 29, 1935, and on July 14, 1935, he was installed as the Pastor. Dr. Campbell served the congregation for seven years. He departed this life in 1942.
Dr. Samuel A. Wilson was called to be the second Pastor of New Calvary Baptist Church. He was nicknamed as "Singing Sam." The church grew in finances, membership and programs. On April 9, 1944, the church mortgage was burned while Dr. Wilson was Pastor. In addition, several properties were purchased in Norfolk and Virginia Beach that included Corprew Avenue, Virginia Beach Boulevard, Wide Street and Diamond Springs Home for the Elderly.
Once again, the church faced structural challenges where it was no longer safe to continue worship services. The building was demolished and later caught fire and the congregation relocated to a wooden frame structure across the street. Consequently, the church held Sunday services in the Elk's home located on Princess Anne Road. Evening services were held at Riddick Funeral Home on Chapel Street in Norfolk, Virginia. In 1957, ground was broken for a new church to be built. It was dedicated and completed on April 16, 1961. Sadly, on February 16, 1965, Pastor Wilson was called from labor to reward. In 1955, Rev. Oliver C. Welch, was ordained as a Minister under the leadership of the late Rev. Dr. Samuel A. Wilson, and was called to serve as the Interim Pastor. He served the congregation until May 9,1966.
Rev. Dr. Milton Reid was called to be the third Pastor on May 24, 1966. Dr. Reid presented a four-point program that would liquidate the debt of the church. Shortly after, the money was raised and the mortgage of the church was burned. Dr. Reid organized the church by forming several new boards and commissions. He founded Kiddie Kollege, Calvary Towers, and social and political action committees. Additionally, he was able to bring many of the great civil rights leaders to speak at New Calvary and he helped organize the Poor People's March in Washington, D.C.
From July of 1985 through October of 1988, Rev. Oliver C. Welch served as Interim Pastor once again. He was assisted by Rev. Lola Morgan-Gordon and provided leadership in the area of Christian Education to the ministries. The New Calvary Baptist Church will forever be indebted to Rev. Oliver C. Welch and Rev. Lola Morgan-Gordon for their tenacity dedication, devotion, and Christian witnessing.
Dr. Gilbert G. Campbell, Jr., grandson of the first Pastor was called to lead New Calvary Baptist Church on July 28, 1988. He began his pastorate duties on Sunday, October 30, 1988. During his pastorate of the church, church membership and financial giving increased. He established a new computer system to track the membership and the finances of the church. The interior of the church was renovated and a new sound system was installed. Under the leadership of Dr. Campbell, the church celebrated "Family and Friends Day," established new programs for the youth, purchased two new mini-vans, expanded bible study, and instituted church retreats. Prior to Dr. Campbell's retirement from his pastorate in April of 2007, the New Calvary membership approved major renovations and repairs to all three floors of the church. Following the retirement of Dr. Campbell, Dr. William Collins, Jr. was appointed as the Interim Pastor, during which time the renovations proceeded to near completion.
Rev. Dr. William Marcus Small was called to the pastorate of New Calvary in October of 2009. He began his pastoral duties on December 20, 2009, and was installed as New Calvary Baptist Church's fifth pastor on April 25, 2010.
Dr. Small has been an inspiration to the members of New Calvary and an effective leader. Under his leadership, the membership of the church has grown tremendously. Dr. Small has the gift of preaching and teaching the word so that all can understand. He has enhanced numerous church ministries and incorporated many new ministries that speak to the needs of our community.
Because of his dutiful commitment to serving the community, he established the Outreach Ministry, which has provided more than 900 persons with food, clothing and groceries. Dr. Small continues to find innovative ways to teach and preach the Gospel by utilizing various technology methods. In addition, he has expanded weekly bible study sessions and conducted spirit filled retreats. His administration initiated the Mortgage Acceleration Payment Plan (MAPP) to raise funds to dissolve the mortgage. Dr. Small continues to stretch the congregation not only spiritually but also socially, making sure that we connect to our community and the world.
Copyright © 2023 / New Calvary Baptist Church Of Norfolk


text:
Category Archives: London
Rail and Sail: Dublin Bound
And so I found myself getting up at some ungodly hour of the morning (by my standards, at least) with not nearly enough sleep (even by my standards, which really says something) to get back to Euston train station. I was heading across the Irish sea, and while I had originally thought it would be easy to get a cheap flight across, I soon learned that with Ryanair the baggage I would be carrying would double the price of the ticket to the point that it simply wasn't worth it – especially not after the traumatic experience I had had trying to fly with them last time. During my scouring the internet for travel options I discovered a deal called the 'Rail and Sail' offered by Irish Ferries, which was a package deal that included a train ticket from London to Holyhead, a small port town in Wales, and a ticket for the ferry from Holyhead to Dublin. It was roughly 4 hours on the train and 6 hours on the ferry, as opposed to a flight from London that took an hour at most, but I had heard so many complaints about getting to the various airports in and around London – as well as the endless Ryanair horror stories – that I decided that trying to organise a flight for such a short distance was just not worth the hassle. I was in no rush, so I was more than happy to take a full day out to make the trip. It was cheaper than the flight, there were no extra baggage costs or restrictions, and I rather enjoyed the last trip I had made via ferry, so I thought it would be something nice to do again.
In the end it was the train ride that proved to be a little hair-raising. At one point the tracks travelled along the ground at such an angle that I could feel the slight pull of gravity dragging me towards the window. It was a brief terrifying moment, but other than that the ride went along smoothly and without much other excitement. When we finally arrived at Holyhead, the passengers disembarked and headed down the platform and towards the ferry port. I think it was almost a unanimous migration – aside from the ferry port there didn't really seem to be much other reason to visit a town like Holyhead. I know that a lot of people said that same thing about Ancona, but at least I knew that in Italy there was sunshine and beaches to be found – the coast of Wales was as gloomy as I would ever have imagined it that morning, and in no way did I feel compelled to hang around, even if I'd had the choice. When I'd booked the ticket it had said that there was a bit of a wait between the arrival of my train and the departure of the ferry, but in reality it was just enough time to wait in the long queue with the rest of the mob, have my ticket and baggage checked, and board the vessel that would carry me across the Irish Sea.
The boat was similar to the one I had caught from Helsinki to Stockholm, except this time it was a shorter trip so I didn't have a cabin, or any kind of personal quarters. The ship did have a huge variety of rooms and activities though, including a bar, restaurants, duty free shops, games rooms and theatres for the kids, as well as plenty of lounging spaces to sit around and enjoy the views of the open seas. To get in the mood for my arrival on the Emerald Isle, I tucked into a hot steak and Guinness pie from one of the cafeterias, and after a quick walk around to see the rest of the ship, I curled up on one of the lounges in the main area and tried to doze off and have a nap, given that I was running on very little sleep due to my late last night out in London. There were a lot of families travelling that day though, with some particularly noisy children, so in the end I really only managed to shut my eyes and rest my physical body. The mind would have to endure until Dublin, although being able to stretch out and have my own personal space to relax in was definitely a highlight of travelling via ferry rather than a plane. The Rail and Sail option was an experience a thousand times better than anything I would likely have received from Ryanair, and if you have the time to take the day trip and are travelling between Ireland and Great Britain then I would definitely recommend it.
When the ship finally pulled into port early that evening, I gathered my things and made my way off the ship to collect my checked baggage. When I got to immigration, I was a little confused as to where to go. There were basic directions to the exits, but rather than queues and individual gates and passport checks, everyone just seemed to be walking through a main gate with very little resistance. I assumed it was just for returning EU citizens, so I approached one of the desks to the side.
"Hi," I said to them as I set my bag down.
"Hello there! Well, what can do for yer?" one of the two gentleman said to me with a friendly smile.
"Ahh… Is this where you stamp my passport?" I'd never seen security personnel being so relaxed around the new arrivals – welcome to Ireland, I suppose?
"Why, do yer need one?" The other man said.
"Um… I think… ah, I probably do?" I held up my Australian passport, seriously confused at this point.
"Oooh, yes! Yes." Obviously they had just assumed I was another Irishman returning home. "Alright, here we go," they said as they briefly checked my passport before stamping it and handing it back. I was a little dumbfounded as I walked out of the terminal and over to the bus stop. I'd thought the security at Southend airport in London had been pretty lax, but Dublin Port had well and truly usurped that title. I chuckled to myself, realising that all I'd heard about the carefree Irish nature was turning out to be remarkably, incredibly accurate.
The bus into the main city of Dublin was rather uneventful, but the whole time I was still riddled with anxiety. During my last days in London I had been searching for Couchsurfing hosts in Dublin – I had been living at Giles' for so long that I'd all but forgotten the very real need to search for accommodation, or the very 'flying by the seat of my pants' style in which I had been doing it. Unfortunately, all my searching had come up with nothing, but in my desperate hanging on for a potential, miraculous breakthrough, I had put off booking any hostels either. Eventually I alighted from the bus in the centre of the city, and hacked into some free wifi at the bus station to search for a nearby hostel. There was one around the corner, so I lugged myself over there and was overjoyed to learn that they had some availability. I enquired about the room prices, and the helpful guy at the front desk told me everything I needed to know.
"But I'm gonna give you a little bit of a discount," he said with a little smile, without even lifting his eyes away from his computer screen to look at me. "Our little secret." I was genuinely stunned – was he flirting with me? He didn't seem like he was flirting with me? Not even a cheeky wink. But hey, I wasn't going to argue with a price reduction. He gave me my key and directed me to the stairs towards my room, and I don't think I even saw him again during my stay at the hostel, but it turns out his little gesture would be the first of a few rather unexpected surprises during my time in Dublin.
Posted in Dublin, England, Europe, Great Britain, Holyhead, Ireland, London, Wales	| Tagged accommodation, backpacker, bus, charm, Couchsurfing, Dublin, England, Euston, ferry, flying, gay, Holyhead, hostel, immigration, Ireland, Irish ferries, London, passport, port, queue, rail and sail, recommend, relaxed, ryanair, stamp, surprise, tourist, train, traveller, Wales	| 2 Replies
Last Call: London Leftovers
Posted on May 7, 2014 by Tiny Tino
I spent so long in London that it was rather tricky to catalogue the events chronologically – there were days when I did absolutely nothing, and lounged around with a hangover watching TV in Giles' living room, and there were some days were I just had short, simple excursions to certain minor attractions. I didn't feel all of them warranted their own blog posts, so here are the some of the minor sub-plots that occurred as part of my overall London adventure:
After Richard had dropped me home from our trip to Cambridge, he said he'd be in touch if he and his friends would be doing anything fun over the next few weeks. I eventually got a rather hilarious message from him with an offer that I couldn't refuse just because I found it so bizarre. Apparently Richard is a huge One Direction fan, and him and some of his friends were meeting in Leicester Square that evening, outside the cinema where the famous boy band were set to appear for the premiere of their documentary film. I have quite a few girlfriends back home who are quite literally obsessed with One Direction, and so in my head I said I'd do it for them. At the very least I would be ending up in the heart of Soho, and I didn't have any other plans for the evening anyway, so I jumped on the tube and went in to meet them.
The scene was insane. Teenage girls were everywhere, screaming their lungs out every time one of the boys so much looked at the camera with an attempt at a smouldering look, which was then projected onto the huge screens around the place. Personally I think they just looked like douche bags, but whatever, I was more amused at the hysteria emanating from the crowds… and from Richard and Tim, another guy who was also friends with Giles and John. It was the three of us and their female friend Hannah, and we stood around trying to get a glimpse of the famous quintet. However, there had been many security measures put in place – rightly so, given the delirium the boys inspired – including a huge blackout fence that greatly restricted the number of people who were allowed to be inside the main area where the boys and the other attending celebrities were. We did our best to catch a glimpse of any of them in the flesh, but in the end we had to concede defeat to the hordes of teenage girls who had literally been lining up for days to come even remotely close to the teen heartthrobs.
As close as we got to the famous boy band, One Direction.
Richard, Tim and myself getting our fanboy on (mine was forced, of course) to make a "1D" sign with our arms.
We retired to a pub for dinner and beers, and afterwards we bid farewell to Hannah we eventually moved on to G-A-Y. It was early enough to go to the main bar on Old Compton Street, meaning I'd been inside two of the three G-A-Y venues located in London. The music was the same trashy pop and the drinks were so ridiculously cheap that I was genuinely shocked. Tim was a teacher, but he had just taken a new job which meant he wasn't working at the moment, so he was keen to keep on partying. Richard had to work in the morning – he'd already "worked from home" once due to a night of drinking with me, so he kept his word and got the tube home once he'd had enough drinks. I had no excuse, though – not that I wanted one – so Tim and I continued to party all the way to G-A-Y Late, and were embarrassingly still there at 3am when the lights came on and they made us all get out. Despite the presence of One Direction, and not being able to find an open McDonalds at 3am on a Wednesday morning, it had turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
As far as daytime excursions went, I had been told by many people back home that I had to visit Camden for the weekend markets. From what I could gather it was an alternative area of the city, the equivalent to Sydney's Inner West, where artists and musicians and other crazy creatives could congregate. To get to Camden from Hackney was rather simple – just follow the canal west from Victoria Park and sooner or later you'll hit it – so I decided to borrow Giles' bike for the excursion and ride along the water. It took a little while, but probably less than it would have if I had walked to Mile End to catch the tube all the way there. I timed my visit to make sure I went on a weekend, when the market was in full swing, and I could tell I was getting close when the distinct scent of marijuana wafted in on the breeze. Knowing I wasn't in Amsterdam any more, I made very sure to steer clear of that. But near the main bridge in Camden that crossed the canal there were flocks of people spread out on the grass, the paths – anywhere where there was room – and were simply just chilling out. I found somewhere to lock my bike up and began wandering the streets. Everywhere you turned there were shops, stalls, markets, food stands, and the limits of what you could find were seemingly endless.
Camden.
Camden was a sprawl of markets and stalls.
Despite all that, I didn't really want or need anything, so I never ended up buying anything. Except, of course, when I came across a world food market. There were so many options from a range of different cuisines from all around the world that I ended up having several lunches just because I was unable to choose just one. Afterwards, I rode home with a detour to Kings Cross train station, to visit Platform 9 3/4 and have my photo taken with the trolley. There was actually a bit of a line to get it done, but it was totally worth it, especially when they gave your a house scarf of your choice to wear in your photo. Harry Potter fans die hard.
Look out Hogwarts, here I come!
I also spent one Sunday morning wandering over to the Columbia Road Flower Markets, located not too far from where I was staying in Hackney. It was a single narrow road that was completely transformed into a giant floristry market, and while I had absolutely no need to buy plants or flowers of any kind, it was rather nice to walk down the road and take in all the beautiful colours and smells.
Columbia Road Flower Markets.
I also had more dinner outings, with friends both new and old. I made it out to Greenwich again, to visit the observatory and to have dinner with John, where I could see the beautiful sunset over the London skyline, and see the lights of the business district in Canary Wharf glitter in the distance as darkness settled over the city. However, on the evening of the afternoon I had spent with Ellie at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, I had dinner with Angus and Margaret, a pair of old family friends whom I had met almost 15 years ago when I had visited Scotland with my family. It felt a little strange at first, although I expect it would have been a bigger change for them to see how I had eventually grown up. We had a lovely meal and some nice wine, and while it was nice to see them, dinner was only the beginning of the evening for me. After bidding them farewell, I decided I would hang around Soho some more and check out some other bars. I found myself at a place called Ku Klub, quietly people-watching and sipping on some cheap drinks, before I was approached by an English guy who was from out of town, in London for a night out. He was with a group of friends, so I ended up tagging along with them to a place called Candy Bar. I would later find out that it was actually a lesbian bar which the "Ku Bar Boys" took over every Tuesday evening. Once again, I was astounded at just how many bars and venues there actually were in London, even just around the Soho area.
Sunset over the city as seen from John's flat.
Canary Wharf at night, also as seen from John's flat.
Honestly, that part of the night was a blur. I met some other people at Candy Bar, and the guys and girls who I had originally tagged along with from Ku Klub were starting to creep me out a little bit, so I ended up leaving with some other people and ending up at… G-A-Y Late? I don't even know how that happened. Where did the time go? Was it midnight already? Maybe I went to G-A-Y first, I can't even be sure. Oh, it was tragic. I met a guy named Tim who said he lived around the corner, so we went back to his apartment to drink more and do some shots. He wanted to show me his new sound system, so he started playing some party music. His boyfriend, who had apparently been sleeping next-door, wasn't too impressed by that. After sitting there silently in the middle one extremely awkward and passive aggressive argument, I grabbed my coat and bailed back to G-A-Y Late. More drinking and dancing ensued. I ended up chatting to a young guy named Jonny, and we hit it off straight away. He was a little little younger than me, and seemed quite shy, buy super nice. He was there with a girlfriend of his, a boisterous little lesbian named Anna, and she was very protective of him, but we got chatting and in the end she warmed up to me and even tried to set the two of us up.
And it worked. Boys will be boys on the dance floor, but come 3am we were all booted out to the streets again. Anna had already disappeared at that point, so I stuck with Jonny as we wandered through the streets, jumping fences to pee in the bushes of Soho Square, and just galavanting around like the young and drunk fools we were. Instead of heading back to Hackney, he insisted that I stayed with him, which is how I came to find myself wandering through some unknown park further south at 4am with a pretty young man who was all but a stranger to me. I ended up accompanying him home – something I may not have done if I had bothered to figure out where exactly where that was. We walking from tube station to tube station to train station and then I think eventually ended up in a taxi. I was literally falling asleep on Jonny's shoulder at that point so I just had to roll with it and hope he knew where he was going. It was a very "Where the hell am I?" moment when we woke up at 2 o'clock the next afternoon and he told me were in Uxbridge. I looked it up on a map.
"Uxbridge? We're not even in London anymore!" It was like going out in the centre of Sydney and waking up just past Parramatta, or going out in Manhattan and waking up in New Jersey. He offered me a sheepish grin, and all I could do was laugh. "Okay then, well… this has been fun, how the hell do I get home?"
It was a train ride followed by a long way on the tube, but I finally made it home at the delightful time of 5pm. Even for me, that's some kind of record.
Just when you thought there couldn't possibly be any more markets, on one of my final days in London, Tim – Richard's friend with the One Direction obsession – took me to the Borough Markets just south of London Bridge.
"The goal here is," he informed me as we walked into the crowds that were milling around the stalls, "To eat lunch for free. If you go to claim enough free samples, you can basically get a free meal for nothing!" It was quite hilarious watching him chat to the stall owners, as we sampled a variety of cheeses, breads, cookies, cakes, and a host of other treats, and then telling them, "Yes, we might be back later. Just going to keep having a look around for now."
While we did eat our weight in free samples, we ended up buying some gourmet burgers for lunch anyway, and then abandoned the markets for a walk down along the River Thames. We went into the Tate Modern, since it had been closed when I'd last walked past it with Anthony, but the exhibit Tim had wanted to show me was closed, or otherwise unavailable.
Millennium Bridge during the daytime on my walk with Tim.
In an attempt to try and show me something new in my final days in London, Tim and I took a train north, and from there we walked through the streets of Camden until we reached Primrose Hill.
"It's one of the best views in London, of London, people say," Tim told me as we marched up the gentle slope. All around us, couples and groups were lying about and soaking up the last of the afternoon sun, dogs running around between them and children frolicking about playing games. It was such a pleasant scene, and Tim and I took a seat for a little while and chatted as we watched the afternoon fade into evening. Tim had plans to see the One Direction film that evening, so we said goodbye at the Camden tube station, where he was heading off to Soho, and I hired a bike from one of the numerous bike rental stations and followed it back along the canal again until I finally reached Hackney.
View of the city from Primrose Hill.
Myself at the top of the hill.
Giles had actually arrived home during my final days in London, so for my last night out I met with him, John and Richard in Soho for some drinks. After getting the tube back into the city I met them at a pub for a few drinks before Giles wanted to take me to a club called Manbar, a place that was particularly popular with gay men of the older and hairier variety. Despite that, it still played all your typically gay pop-trash, and the drinks were once again extraordinarily cheap. If there was one thing I could confirm about London, it is that the price of drinks in most of the gay bars blew Sydney out of the water for any kind of value for money. We had a few drinks at Manbar before bidding farewell to John, who unfortunately had to work the morning. But as the night carried on, Richard and Giles decided that it was only fitting that they took me to the third and final G-A-Y venue that I was yet to have visited: G-A-Y Heaven.
But first, I still had to get my photo in one of London's iconic red telephone booths.
"Heaven is a little more special," Giles explained to me as we walked there. It was down near Charing Cross, not in quite the same area as the rest of the Soho bars. "It's massive, and it's the place where all the famous pop stars do their surprise gigs or shows in London." G-A-Y Heaven has hosted shows by Madonna, Cher, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Spice Girls, Katy Perry, One Direction, Amy Winehouse and scores of other artists. When we arrived we walked up to the door and straight on in – most of the people seemed to know Giles by name and there was definitely no wait for us. And so once we were inside I was introduced to a phenomenon that I had read about in all of the guides and social magazines but had never had the… er, pleasure, of seeing first hand: Porn Idol.
Yep, it's basically a spin-off of the Idol singing competition franchise, except instead of showing off their voices, they are showing off their bodies. And their junk. There were about 10 contestants that night, and when they're given a song they're required to strip down to the music. They must get completely naked and full-frontal, with the music not coming to a halt until the crowd as actually had a decent glimpse of his manhood. Yep, they were literally getting naked on a stage in front of hundreds of people. There was no actual sex going on, as the 'Porn' in the title might suggest, but in true Idol tradition there was a panel of bitchy judges who were present to make all kinds of horrible and degrading comments to about 90% of the contestants – the exception was the two gorgeous Brazilian men who seemed to be competing that night. Everyone seemed to take it on board as a bit of laugh though (or they were just too drunk to care about anything), even as the judges doled out their harsh critiques and scores.
The crowds at G-A-Y Heaven.
"You should get up there! They'd love you!" Giles jeered, and I could tell he was only half joking. However, I'd seen pictures of this event from the previous weeks, and knew full well that many of the people who got up on stage ended up having their photos in the local gay papers, completely uncensored, and I just didn't think I was ready for that kind of risk. Or commitment, I guess. So we laughed and we cheered and we ogled until the show was over, and we continued to drink and dance as I explored the cavernous rooms of Heaven. The place was huge, but because it was only a Thursday night it was half as empty as I presume it would be on a weekend. But it was a fun way to end the night, and a great way to finish off my entire London experience. I chatted to a guy from Essex who was sad to hear that I was leaving for Ireland in the morning. He settled with a cheeky pash before I found Giles and we headed back home to his place.
I think it was just after 4am by the time we got home and I finally collapsed on the couch. I had about 2 hours of sleep before I had to get up and make my way to Euston train station, but it was worth it. My time in London had been a wild roller coaster ride through a huge and diverse city. I'd met new friends, caught up with old ones, had lovely nights in and obscene nights out, I'd traversed the city limits and had done everything I'd set out to do and more. Even though there are numerous gaps in my memory, my time spent in London is a time that will not soon be forgotten.
Posted in England, Europe, Great Britain, London	| Tagged alcohol, alternative, bar, bars, bears, bike, borough markets, boy band, bread, cakes, Camden, canal, Canary Wharf, Candy Bar, celebrities, cheap drinks, cheese, club, cookies, dinner, drink, drunk, eating, excursions, family friends, famous, far out, film, food, free food, G-A-Y, G-A-Y Heaven, G-A-Y Late, gay, Greenwich, hysteria, judges, kings cross station, Ku Klub, Leicester Square, lesbian, London, london bridge, lost, Manbar, marijuana, markets, mean, Millennium Bridge, naked, nightclub, obsessed, One Direction, park, party, performances, platform 9 3/4, porn idol, premiere, Primrose Hill, running, samples, security, shops, shots, SoHo, Soho Square, Tate Modern, teenage girls, Thames, train, tube, Uxbridge, Victoria park, view, where am I?, world food	| 4 Replies
Eye on London
On one wet and miserable evening in London I set out to meet a guy named Anthony who I had been talking to for a little while on one of the gay networking apps. The inescapable truth is that most guys on such apps are only looking for a quick hook up, but on the odd occasion you'll find someone who is actually interested in having a long and decent conversation. From the chats we'd had I gathered that Anthony was a really sweet guy, a little bit of a nerd – between us we had shared a collection of geeky confessions – and I thought he was pretty cute. He lived nearby in Hackney, so after several nights of long conversations via the app we decided to meet up for drinks at some of the local watering holes. On the night we were set to meet it was bucketing down, but Anthony assured me the bar was still going to be "rammed". I had a bit of a giggle at the terminology, and when he met me at our arranged meeting point I explained how the word 'rammed' had created a more vulgar vision of a gay bar in my mind. I'd struggled through thongs and flip-flops, and singlets and vests, but that was by far one of the strangest Australian/British English word confusions I came across in London.
Rammed, of course, meant full of people, and it seems that wet weather has become a way of life for the people of London that even the iciest downpours can't keep them at home when a night of drinking beckons. The first place Anthony took me to was Nelsons Head, a smaller pub that was nice and toasty warm inside, and it was, as Anthony had said, rammed. We struggled through the crowds and made our way to the bar to order a few drinks, and ended up having to stand against one of the walls, unable to find a table or even any stools. We put our drinks down on the short bench that lined the walls, and I turned around to soak in the atmosphere. There was a lot of interesting and sometimes slightly erotic art that lined the walls, and high tables full of boisterous men and women who were slugging back pints like water and somehow still managing to not fall off their stools. Overall it was a relatively small venue, but I hadn't read anything about it on any of the gay maps or guides I had picked up, so it was unlikely I ever would have made it there if I hadn't met up with Anthony. We stayed there for a while, sipping our drinks and talking more about London, my travelling stories, and our range of geeky shared interests.
After a while we decided to move on to another venue, which was a little further away, but luckily the rain had pulled pack to barely a drizzle so we were fine to walk there. On the way there Anthony stopped to get money out, and he showed me the bizarre language options some ATM's offer: English or Cockney. I asked him to do Cockney, but he flat out refused. "I have absolutely no idea what it says," he laughed.
"But isn't it still English?"
"Well, yes, but… It just isn't." Fair enough. I suppose it would have to be fairly different to warrant having its own language option, but it was as baffling as it was hilarious.
We were bound for The Joiners Arms, one of the more popular pubs on the eastern side of London, which I had just missed out on visiting last time I had been out in Shoreditch, although upon arriving at the bar I realised that it was less of a pub and more of a nightclub than I had originally thought. We had to get stamps on our wrists upon entering, although I think we arrived early enough so as not to have to pay, but after we'd ordered our first drinks and sat down at a table, we were informed we would have to stand up while they moved the tables in order to make room for the dance floor. From then on more and more people began arriving at The Joiners Arms, and the music moved from background ambience to the main focus. I love a good dance as much as the next party boy, but I wasn't so much in the mood that evening, so Anthony and I just spent the rest of the night sitting on one of the sofas along the edge of the room, leaning into each other and having our conversations in brief outbursts of shouting to be heard over the music. Which of course turned into using our mouths for an exchange that was a little less verbal. In the end we called it a night and returned to the cold night to walk home, although Anthony let me stay the night with him so I didn't have to walk the rest of the way home by myself. We drank tea and watched a few episodes of Family Guy on TV, and I was grateful to have such a cute man to cuddle on such a chilly evening.
I'd been telling Anthony about how riding the London Eye was one of the few majorly touristic things that I wanted to do while I was in London, but that I hadn't wanted to do it by myself. Any attempts at finding other tourists or travellers to join me had failed, but Anthony had said it had been a long time since he had been on the Eye, and wouldn't mind going again. I'd also mentioned I'd wanted to go at nighttime, something he had never done, so we made plans to meet up and get a bus over to the City of Westminster. We met at a halfway point that was close to a bus stop, and on the bus ride I saw Anthony doing something with his phone. I didn't mean to pry, but I noticed he was in the middle of writing a status update on Facebook. The incomplete update read: "Thanks everyone for all the birthday love-" and he was staring at the screen, obviously trying to figure out what to say next.
"Um, what the hell?" I couldn't just sit there and pretend I hadn't read that. "It's your birthday! Why didn't you tell me?" Anthony just smiled and let out a shy chuckle.
"Ah, well, I'd forgotten what day it was when we made these plans. I wasn't doing anything else anyway." I looked at him slightly incredulously – the idea that anyone could forget their own birthday was just baffling to me – but then I just smiled.
"Well then, happy birthday! Tonight is just going to have to be extra special, isn't it?"
We didn't go straight to the city, but alighted a little further east. Once we got off the bus, I took us down to the water so that I could get a photo with Tower Bridge, arguably the most iconic sight of London along with Big Ben (I had been shocked, though, when Giles had told me that Tower Bridge was not called London Bridge, and that London Bridge was something completely different). From there we crossed the Thames and walked along the southern bank of the river, with Anthony pointing out some of the major sights along the way, such as the Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral from across the water, the Tate Modern art gallery, and the Millennium Bridge, which perhaps excited me the most, as I remembered seeing it get destroyed in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It was also just a really pleasant walk, on a night that had considerably nicer weather than the last time I had met up with Anthony.
Posing with Tower Bridge.
The Shard.
Tower Bridge all lit up.
London Bridge.
St Paul's Cathedral and Millennium Bridge.
We underestimated the walk, and by the time we got to the London Eye it had been almost an hour of walking, and darkness had well and truly set in. The good thing about arriving so late is that there was relatively no line, and so we purchased our tickets and walked right on in. From a distance, the London Eye looks like any regular ferris wheel, but once you're up close you realise that you ride not in rickety little carriages, but fancy looking, high-tech berths that can comfortably hold about 15 to 20 people, and look like something out of a sci-fi film. There were a few other smaller groups of tourists in our berth with us, but they were spacious enough that you can move around to get a proper view of they city from all angles. In retrospect, I probably would have been able to see a lot more if I had gone during the day, but there was something about views of a city at night that I find a little breathtaking, and being there with Anthony also made it a little romantic. We stood there watching the scene unfold and the Eye took us higher and higher into the sky. Right beside us there was a small temporary theme park, with rides shooting up into the air, and across the Thames the Westminster Abbey and Big Ben glowed in darkness. In the distance we saw some fireworks going off, clusters of red sparks exploding on the horizon.
"Look! They knew it was my birthday!" Anthony joked. We both took some photos, but from the amount of pictures he was taking, you would have been forgiven for thinking that Anthony was the foreign tourist, not myself. But it was cute to see him enjoying himself so much – I'd unintentionally given him quite a memorable birthday.
Inside the London Eye berth.
The rides in the park next to the Eye.
Westminster Abbey and Big Ben.
London lights stretching into the horizon.
Anthony's birthday fireworks in the distance.
Millennium Bridge as seen from the London Eye.
A full rotation of the London Eye takes about 30 minutes, so we had plenty of time to soak it all in. Upon returning to ground level, we stopped for a classy birthday dinner at McDonalds. We got it to go, and sat by the river to eat it as we watched the occasional vessel glide past us on the water. Then, hand in hand, we began the walk back along the river Thames, soaking up the riverside culture. The were lots of restaurants and cafes that overlooked the water, as well as parks with children running around and all kinds of street performers and entertainers. There was a stretch along the river where every single tree had been entwined with fairy lights, so we walked under a canopy of luminescence as we left the sounds of the inner city behind us. Eventually we crossed the Millennium Bridge and caught a bus back to Hackney, where we returned to Anthony's place for more tea and Family Guy. And cuddles, of course. It turned out to be a really lovely evening, and I hoped that he'd enjoyed his spontaneous birthday celebrations as much as I had.
The Millennium Bridge, just before we walked across it on the way home.
Posted in England, Europe, Great Britain, London	| Tagged alcohol, app, ATM, Australian English, bar, Big Ben, birthday, British English, bus, club, Cockney, cute, drink, Family Guy, fireworks, gay, geek, Grindr, Hackney, Harry Potter bridge, language, London, London Eye, Millennium Bridge, Nelsons Head, photos, pub, rain, rammed, Scruff, Tate Modern, tea, The Joiners Arms, Tower Bridge, view, weather, Westminster Abbey, wet weather	| 3 Replies
Wax Wonders: Madame Tussaud's
Later in the week, I met up with Ellie again to head to the Australian Embassy in London to vote in the Federal Election. It was nice to have another Australian to do that with, because despite getting there quite early there was a fairly long line outside, so we kept each other company while we waited. Afterwards, we headed back towards central London to pick up some snacks and have lunch outside in Trafalgar Square. My good luck streak with the weather had been coming and going during London – there were periods where it would rain for days at a time, and there were afternoons where I actually crossed the road back in East London and went sun baking in Victoria Park. Today was one of the better days, so Ellie and I sat down and watched the groups of tourists flood in and out of the square.
Chilling in Trafalgar Square.
The big blue cock at Trafalgar Square.
It was relatively busy on a relatively sunny London day.
It was Ellie's last day in London before heading off to Manchester. She'd done most of the things she had wanted to do while she was here, but I was starting to realise how little I had seen of the major types of attractions London had to offer, especially the typically tourist things, because I'd been waving it off saying, "Oh, I'm here for ages, I still have time." I didn't have a particular interest in seeing too many of them anyway, but when we were flipping through a couple of brochures one of us had picked up, something caught our eye about Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. I know, I know – there's one of those in Sydney now – but this was the original London one and was supposed to have a lot more of offer in the way of the wax models. So that's how Ellie and I decided to spend our afternoon.
Madame Tussaud's from the outside.
What follows is essentially a photo blog. I don't take too many pictures while I'm travelling, and I don't claim to be some kind of photographer – which is the main reason I chose writing as the way of recording my experiences – but in this case I do feel the pictures would be worth much more than a few thousand words.
We start off in Hollywood…
Johnny Depp.
Being glamorous with Marilyn.
A very Sister Act Whoopi Goldberg.
Pretending I'm 007 with Dame Judy Dench.
Move over, Kristen Stewart!
"I'll be back."
Sean in his finest Scottish attire – a photo must.
The creator of Jurassic Park, how could I not?
Not Robert Downey Jr.'s best side but it was all I had to work with.
I found the Mr. Darcy to my Bridget Jones.
And after the film stars I we came to face to face with some of our favourite pop stars and musicians from past and present…
With Mother Monster, Lady Gaga.
Both Ellie and I with Gaga – paws up!
It's Britney, bitch!
Striking a pose with MJ.
Trying and failing to mimic Beyoncé looking fierce.
Being less glamorous with Amy.
The likeness of Adele mid-performance.
Madonna, Queen of Pop.
Jimmy Hendrix.
I made a few choice stops in the sport stars section…
Fulfilling my childhood dream of becoming a Spice Girl, and Mrs. David Beckham.
Really… they were asking for this.
I was under Tom Daley before he was gay.
And then came all the British Royals…
And we'll never be royals…
Princess Diana.
A cheeky photobomb with Mary, Queen of Scots.
As well as a variety of other historical icons…
All smiles with the Dalai Lama.
Isaac and Albert. My friends are really smart.
Contemplating the world with Oscar Wilde.
Churchill and Hitler – not a pair I fancied being caught between.
After all the celebrities, there was another section of the museum that was a little more sinister. It was actually quite interesting to learn about the history of Marie Tussaud: she started out using her waxwork skills to create portraits, and in the French Revolution she was employed to create death masks for the victims of the guillotine. The darker underground section included wax replicas of some of the most notorious and infamous killers and criminals over the course of history, although it was unfortunately too dark to take photographs down there. They also had actors running around in the dark, jumping out from all kinds of dark corners to scare the living daylights out of you – although I think I scared them to equal proportions with the volume at which my terrified screams pierced the darkness. Ellie and I hurried through the ghost tunnels clutching each other's hands before emerging at the last few sections of the museum, which included a short mechanical carriage ride that gave you a history overview of the museum, and finally the viewing of an animated 4D superhero movie that features some of the comic book characters in a prior exhibit.
Saving the world with Captain America.
We were actually quite surprised at how long we spent in Madame Tussaud's, but in the end it was a pretty good value for money experience – there was just that much to see. It was Ellie's last night in London, but I had already made plans to catch up with some family friends of dinner, so instead we found a pub and sat down in the afternoon sun for a few more ciders before we gave each other big hugs and said our farewells, knowing we'd eventually be seeing each other back in Sydney.
Posted in England, Europe, Great Britain, London	| Tagged Adele, Albert Einstein, Amy Winehouse, Arnie, australian, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Captain American, Chris Evans, Colin Firth, Dalai Lama, David Beckham, death masks, election, embassy, federal, Freddie Mercury, french revolution, history, Hitler, horror, Isaac Newton, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Depp, Judy Dench, Lady Gaga, London, madame tussauds, Madonna, Marie Tussaud, Marilyn Monroe, Mary Queen of Scots, Michael Jackson, Oscar Wilde, photographs, portraits, Princess Diana, Robert Downey Jr, Robert Pattinson, Royal Family, scary, scream, Sean Connery, serial killers, Stephen Spielburg, sunbaking, Taylor Launtner, Terminator, Tom Daley, trafalgar square, twilight, Victoria park, vote, wax, wax models, wax museum, weather, Whoopi Goldberg, Winston Churchill	| 1 Reply
Brits Gone Bonkers: Notting Hill Carnival
Posted on April 27, 2014 by Tiny Tino
During my time in London I'd made some new friends, like Guy and Yitav, or John and Richard, and I'd caught up with people who I had met previous one my journey, such as Tim and Giles. One afternoon I even took the tube out to Euston Train Station to catch up with Laura, who I had befriended in my hostel in Phnom Penh in Cambodia. She didn't live in London, but she was passing through on the way to a friends birthday somewhere further north, so I'd gone over to have a coffee and a gossip while she waited for her connecting train. It had been months since we'd seen each other, so we filled each other in on all our travels since we'd parted ways back in Cambodia. I'd met of a lot of other travellers during my time in South-East Asia, but Laura was really the only one who I had actually gotten along with extremely well, and with whom I'd actively stayed in touch. It was a completely different environment from the last time we'd been together, but it was so lovely to see another familiar face after so long on the road, even if I had met that face while on the road in the first place!
Travelling buddies reunited! Laura and I catching up at Euston Station.
But I was also set to meet up with another friend from back home in Australia. My friend Ellie was moving to Scotland for six months to study abroad, but before that she had also been travelling through Europe. London was one of the last stops before she ended up in Glasgow to settle down, and as fate would have it we were both in town at the same time. So we headed into Soho one evening for dinner and ciders, catching up and sharing stories and talking about all our friends back home, and what had been going on back there since we'd both been away. As much fun as meeting new people can be, there's nothing quite like the ease that comes with sitting down with an old friend and talking about anything, everything, or nothing at all. Ellie also had some other friends who were travelling through London at the moment too, so after our pub meals and a couple more ciders we headed out into the night to meet them.
A cheeky Ellie with her pint of cider.
To cut a long story short, Ellie's Canadian friend dragged us back and forth across the city for the entire night, always seeming to have a rough plan but never knowing exactly where we were going. We waited in line for some club for close to an hour before being informed it was full, or they weren't letting anyone else in, or whatever, I'm not even sure. Her friend then tried to drag us into some dirty, hole-in-the-wall nightclub with a £10 entry fee. I'm not a fan of cover charges at the the best of times, and I certainly wasn't going to pay one for a straight club that looked like it might cave in on me the moment I stepped in. It was still relatively early, but we'd actually managed to end up in East London, so I figured I would call it quits and just head home and save myself for tomorrow, when we had plans to go to the Notting Hill Carnival. There'd been a lot of talk about the carnival, which was supposed to be an event that stretches over the course of three days, so I wanted to make sure I was prepared for whatever was going to be happening. Ellie seemed pretty exhausted too, so we threw in the towel and made a McDonalds pit stop before calling it a night.
The next day was the Notting Hill Carnival, something I had heard people talking about over the last few days but hadn't ever previously heard anything about. I hopped on the tube and headed west, where I would meeting Ellie and another friend of hers, a fellow Australian named Sophie who was living in London. When I surfaced from the tube, I found the streets absolutely packed with people. A quick trip to a corner store found the mobs clearing out the stocks of beer and cider on the shelves, so I figured there was going to be some serious shenanigans going on in the street. I bought myself some cans of beer and headed back into the street to find Sophie and Ellie and the swarms of people. When we finally found each other, it was really just a matter of following the crowds and roaming the streets. If there was any kind of method to the madness, it did not make itself apparent to me.
Hordes of people roamed the streets, drinking and gallivanting around the place for the Notting Hill Carnival.
Flags and decorations lined the streets of the entire surrounding area.
The sun shined on us as we explored the food stalls of the carnival.
Ellie and I following the crowds through carnival.
There were food stalls all about the place, with all kinds of mouth-watering smells filling the air. Later I would learn that most of the Notting Hill Carnival is led by the West Indian community of London, so the Caribbean vibe made itself known among all the food and the drinking and partying. We also stumbled across what appeared to the be the beginning of a parade, with floats and dancers and music all marching down the street, with the crowds being parted and controlled by police. I'm still not sure whether or not drinking on the streets is actually legal or not in London, but at least for this event I think most of the police had all but given up trying to enforce the ban if it was illegal. We walked alongside the parade sipping on our beers and ciders and no one bothered to trouble us, despite finding ourselves in very close proximity with the police.
The beginning of the Notting Hill Carnival parade.
Floats in the parade.
A float resembling the British police officers.
Despite the police presence though, you couldn't help but get the feeling the carnival was somewhat out of control. It almost felt like the borough had been overrun and turned into an affluent shanty town. The streets were covered in rubbish to the point where little mounds had become acceptable dumping grounds, and you had to watch where you were walking so that you didn't trip land face first in a mini rubbish tip. Many of the shops in the surrounding area had boarded up their windows and seemingly bunkered down and wait for the whole thing to blow over. It seems staying open for business would not have been worth the risk of the out of control herds of people flooding into their shops, and the wooden planks over all their windows showed that some weary people might still bear some unsavoury memories of the London riots of 2011. I will admit, there were times when I felt a little uneasy, but for the most part all the probable and possible damage was just the dirty streets left in the wake of the mostly heavily inebriated crowds. There were even brave citizens of the area who had opened up their homes to the party-goers so that they may use their toilets for a fee. There was so many people flooding the streets though, and such a lack of public toilets to cope with those kinds of masses, that I'm sure it would have been a profitable endeavour no matter how many revellers passed through their door, inevitably breaking or destroying something along the way. Ellie and Sophie had to stop to visit one of these private bathrooms turned public restrooms, and judging by the time I was waiting for them outside, business was definitely booming inside.
The streets literally resembled a tip at some places.
The barricades over some of the shops in the area.
The carnival takes over absolutely everything.
Equality.
Houses opened up their toilets to the public, for a fee.
Street art.
There were some terrifying moments, however, when the push and shove of the crowds became not such a friendly experience. Streets occasionally turned into mosh pits, with people getting packed in from all sides to the point where you could barely breath properly, let alone move. Ellie, Sophie and I all clung to each others hands like our lives depended on it, for fear of being separated in what was starting to become a swarming, seething mass of people. There were even some men getting particularly violent, and at times I definitely felt extremely unsafe. It was a strange juxtaposition, given that on the other side of the street, there were floats full of joyful dancers and Jamaican and Latin music being pumped over the crowd. Despite the terror, you just had to laugh and hold on for dear life. We wandered all over the place, ducking down smaller side streets every now and then to avoid those huge, crushing mobs of people, and we danced along the sidewalks to the completely uninhibited culture that had exploded throughout Notting Hill.
Floats with revellers and partiers pumped music all afternoon.
The streets were dangerously crowded at some points of the carnival.
In the end we were tipsy, sweaty, exhausted and possibly even a little bit traumatised, but it had been such a crazy experience that I ultimately have to say was a lot of fun. Again, as I had after events like Songkran in Bangkok and the various pride celebrations I'd been in throughout Europe, I found myself reflecting on festival and carnival events back in Australia. I'd come to the conclusion that Australian organisations seem to really love their red tap and restrictions, because I honestly couldn't see anything like the Notting Hill Carnival ever happening in my hometown without twice the regulations and thrice the police presence. I've reason to believe that the English even rival Australians in their boisterousness when it comes to drinking, yet they still manage to participate in a large scale party spanning several suburbs with minimal regulations without anybody dying – at least, that I am aware of. Granted, I did fear for my life for a few seconds, so perhaps the Brits aren't quite as sensible as the Parisians or Berliners when it comes to crowd antics, but they managed to avoid sparking any major riots. I bid farewell to Sophie and Ellie, making plans to meet up with Ellie very soon, and crawled back home via the Underground, satisfied with another weekend of crazy antics.
Posted in England, Europe, Great Britain, London	| Tagged australian, barricade, beer, carnival, cider, cover charge, crazy, crowds, dancers, dancing, dinner, dirty, drinking, England, Europe, event, floats, friends, fun, Jamaican, London, mobs, mosh pit, nightclub, nightlife, nothing hill carnival, notting hill, old friends, parade, party, police, pub, riots, Rubbish, scotland, study abroad, tip, toilets, tourist, Travel, travellers, west indian	| 1 Reply