i like that,

here, on the tube,

instead of looking over people's shoulders to look what game they're playing/video they're watching on their iphone,

i'm looking at what news paper they're reading.

it makes a world of a difference, literally.

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today really felt like a holiday.

like an alternative holiday.

like how you know sometimes you go back to the places that you've been before,

but you discover things you never noticed, or you see things in a different light?

today was something like that.

first i tried to take bus to hyde park (success!) to check out the exhibition at the serpentine gallery (which is just 1 exhibit basically) and it was freezing cold but the park was big and awesome and beautiful and at one point of time when the sun's rays peeked out through the clouds and i was right in the middle of it it was so magical and i felt so happy and warm and grateful. For about 30 seconds. I also did the brit-ish park classic- lie on the grass! (according to ngeezy they always do that, or sit on the grass during spring/summer time. we also did it in fall the time when he came to visit) Which was crazy but also awesome (probably better to do in spring/summer but oh well).

and it was magical also because there were dead and dried up maple leaves all over on the ground (my favourite!) and grass, but also, there was hints of flower buds and small flowers blooming if you took care to notice. It's like spring is silently making it's way here....

i just kept thinking, oh god, it would be so beautiful when spring is here...

was supposed to walk to harrods from the park but i underestimated the length of the walk from the map (once again) so after trudging on for quite a bit i dismissed the thought. Luckily the bus stop across on the side of the park i was at had the buses that i had checked out earlier that could go to portobello market, so i just hopped on. I knew exactly where to get off (yay!) and that secretly made me feel less touristy and so proud. Okay so maybe it was the second time i took that bus (beatrice and i took it last time we were here, i checked it out cause i love taking buses, duh) but i got there totally unaided, like a local, like a coolcat. whatever a coolcat is, ha. And i didn't count the number of stops. I just had/have an awesome sense of direction. ha.

Portobello market was familar but different- in the sense, i mean if i went tomorrow it would probably be the same as when we went previously; crowded, loads of stalls, noisy etc. This time when i went it was mostly food stalls, just some selling vintage stuff or souvenirs, but it was nice in a different way, that i didn't have to get squished by people and all.

And also because of the sparseness of people, i was able to discover this little cafe called 'makan', right at the end of portobello road, which serves malaysian cuisine.

I mean i've only been here for 5? days but i don't know why i felt so sick of the food here (much worse than the last time when we came and spent 5 weeks here) and i was so tired from walking around in Hyde park and also so freaking hungry! so it was like really a godsend, that the cafe was right smack there.

after that i resumed walking the last stretch of the market-

and i bought the red velvet cupcake from humming bird bakery (yay!).

funny thing is- the last time beatrice and i came, it was so crowded we never actually got to see what the store looks like from the inside- there was this dude selling the bestsellers (which is the red velvet cupcake) outside the store (to avoid overcrowding inside i guess) so we just bought it from there and trounced off. This time i got to go in and have a look at the interior, and the other types of cakes/cupcakes that they have.

everything looked delicious/delectable. Mmmmm.

After that i continued walking but it was a bit disappointing that the space where the stall with all the vintage cameras originally was the last time we came was empty. Dang. Owner probably has a proper day job, i guess. Selling vintage cameras a weekend thing, maybe. =(

Then i took the tube to Oxford circus, which i've only ever been to for shopping actually, but this time i was there for something else- A had kept trying to coax me to go check out the Lomography london store (since i'm here i guess?) and since i hadn't had anything planned i decided to find it. it's just off the corner near liberty department store.

It's nice but not half as awesome as pictured/described online. And also everything is goodness expensive, so i couldn't bring myself to buy anything (Bangkok, saving it for bangkok!)

but in my bid to find it i discovered streets and corners of Soho that i'd never known before, and all kinds of japanese, korean and Thai eateries that i so want to try.

random fact- i also found out they have strawberry and cream drink/mix/whatever they call it here in London, which is actually quite awesome tasting (no green tea latte too bad) except it's like a frappe and i was freezing cold. Must have ordered it when my brain was on autopilot.

Bimbo moment.

After that i did some last minute scouring the stores again-

and i got a thick knit scarf on sale from h&m for 3 quid. Mega Bargain!

i know it's a bit stupid to buy the scarf when i have 1 day left in this freezing place, but i'm just really miffed at myself for leaving my original scarf on the taxi, so this is kind of like a replacement (except it's more awesome!). and i can pass it to anyone else to use it next time, or i could use it when i come back (which would probably happen)

More importantly, it's like, really warm.

It made me so warm, and happy and contented all the way on the tube back.

goodness i didn't think keeping your neck warm was that important,

but now i really realise the significance of it.

haven't decided what to do with tomorrow yet, but i might go to brick lane?

only about 20 quid left, have to make the most of it/things.

and i'm taking the tube to heathrow.

secretly i am very excited/looking forward to it.

(aside from the luggage part)