OXO Towers - not just a pretty view

I tentatively booked dinner at the OXO Towers last night. Tentatively because I knew it would be bloody expensive and I was wary that it might fall into the category of restaurants with amazing views but rubbish food.

I have to say, it definitely exceeded my expectations.

First of all, we had an amazing table right by the window with clear views of the London skyline. My mother went particularly snap-happy and luckily our waiter happily obliged to take a group photo when we sat down, then again when we got our cocktails, and again when we were served the appetizers...and so on

Secondly, the service was impeccable. My mother has various dietary restrictions and our waiter recommended dishes as well as made substitutions for her.

And finally the food... I started off with seared scallops, which left a lot to be desired. They tasted not quite fresh, which when you eat scallops, isn't the most pleasant experience.

But my entree completely made up for that. Lobster ravioli in a tomato cream broth . I was close to licking my plate at the end. It was that good.

By the time I polished off the cherry souffle, I could barely move, much less waddle out to the terrace to take more photos.

Italy - where to start?

I'm not even sure where to start with this trip - there was so much that went on, and at the same time I did very little considering the amount of time I was away. There were the typical tourist activities (Uffizi, Museums, etc) and then there was sitting in a tiny cafe for a few hours, writing in my journal and watching life unfold around me.

There's these moments that I get when i travel when it just hits me that I'm actually there. I get it every time I walk along Westminster Bridge and see Big Ben on one end and the London Eye on the other. In that moment I feel nothing but pure joy and happiness. Cheesy, yes but so true. It's like nothing can beat the excitement of having travelled and seen this new city.

In Amsterdam, my moment came, not when walking through the infamous red-light district and seeing prostitutes wearing glow-in-the dark bikinis in the windows in attempts to beckon and attract clients. Nor was it during the sampling of the local herbs. No, it was during a bike ride with 8 of the people I met and travelled through Amsterdam with. Cycling down a country road with the canal on one side and fields on the other, looking down the road and seeing this long row of new friends I had just made, it was a good feeling.

In Italy, I was hit with moments at every corner. Literally. Turning the street corner in Florence and seeing the magnificent Duomo up ahead. Or walking down a corridor of the Gallerie dell'Accademia and right there in front of me was the massive David.

Traveling alone, for me, was a thrilling and terrifying experience. Having no knowledge of Italian, the simplest requests left me shy and tongue tied. Ordering an espresso in the morning, or one of the delicious and flakey sfogliatelle al melone was a huge achievement, but made each sip and bite well worth it.

I met some amazing people on this trip. There was L. who was kind enough to meet me for a drink in Bologna, which quickly turned into a few hours of conversation, that night and the next too. There were the fellow English speaking tourists who were always curious to find out why I was travelling alone. There were the young student protestors who eagerly shared why they were on the streets that day, and taught me the cheer they were chanting on the streets when I joined them. There was G. who graciously let me couch surf at his place. And of course, the unnamed Albanian waiter who provided hours of amusement and ample red wine. Grazie to each and everyone of them who helped make my trip totally unforgettable.

the typical London dinner

I worked late tonight, then rushed to Carnaby Street for quick drink, then rushed to pick up my watch from a friend's apartment that I had left there... finally got on the tube well past 8 pm and was well starving.

Steps to enjoying a typical London dinner at home

i) Drop by your local Tesco

ii) Head straight for the refrigerated aisle.. it'll be the one with all the people in work clothes still, ignore the fresh food section, you're too hungry and not ambitious enough to actually cook tonight

iii) Select your Entree

iv) Go home and carefully take off the wrapping (very important: save the actual packaging so that, if needed, you can consult the instructions on there

v) Heat in microwave to desired temperature (i.e. if it's still lukewarm but you're starving, then go ahead and eat it)

enjoy!

Tomorrow night... definitely will be cooking.




mm... tesco brand chicken korma... yummy

Blog Post #1... (for lack of a better title)

My decision last year to leave my banking job and return back to school was made with much trepidation.  While I was unhappy with where my life was heading at HSBC, I was hesitant to leave the security of a full-time job for unemployment and student life.  Making big decisions has always been hard for me.  I'm the type of person who can spend upwards to 20 minutes in the shampoo aisle of Shoppers trying to decide between Dove or Pantene Pro V.  One might be on sale, but the other donates a proceeds of its sale to a self-esteem fund!  

In the end, I made the leap from lowly banker to a Humber PR student.  Fast forward 10 months and here I am...living in London, UK, working at a travel PR company and learning how to cross the streets of London without getting hit by a car driving on the "wrong" side of the road.  

I really have no direction or theme for this blog.  Mostly I plan to write updates on life here, little tidbits/events/happenings that have caught my attention and want to share.  Knowing me though, much of this blog will focus on my love of food.   For example, the food here really is as horrendous as people have warned me.  However if you're willing to part with your cash, sushi in the food hall of Harrods is surprisingly good.  (My advice, skip out on the green tea...it'll set you back about $5). 

Welcome to my blog