Bruges

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9.01.09

We returned from the three day weekend with our bellies full of chocolate
and our camera full of fairytale photos. We decided last minute to take
the Eurostar to Bruges, Belguim since every hotel and self-catering
cottage in the UK was already booked. The British are serious about their
holidays... and the Belgians are serious about their chocolate!

We toured the canals in a little boat, explored cute pedestrian cobbled
streets and grand squares, saw a Michelangelo sculpture in a beautiful old
church, enjoyed the local parks, toured a convent (no, they didn’t have
any openings for the girls), heard a carillon concert, climbed the bell
tower for fabulous views, and indulged in fries, waffles and chocolate.

We returned home to 6 mounted bobbies enforcing crowd control on the
corner of our street. It was amazing to see Notting Hill Carnival
transform our neighbourhood into one huge (messy, drunken, loud) party
(purportedly the biggest street party in all of Europe). We took in a bit
of the parade until one of the cops let us know that there was a mob of
150 people nearby and that shots had been fired recently! As we walked
back towards our house I saw an oncoming woman’s eyes pop out of her head
as she witnessed a fight break out on the corner where we had just been.
Yikes! We watched a bit of the mayhem from our terrace (one arrest, one
drug deal, at least one public urination....) and then we went to bed to
the sound of yelling, whistle-blowing, and later street cleaners. Today
all is clean and the houses and shopkeepers along the route are taking

down the plywood from their doors and windows.

A Few Random Posts

6.23.09

I just had the coolest experience. I was walking home from running some
errands and I happened across one of the “Play Me I’m Yours” street
pianos. Some fellow was messing around on it so I sat down on a nearby
bench to send a few texts. After he got up, a man in a neon work vest came
by and said, “Hey what’s this?” He bent over as if to test the water and
proceeded to play the most amazingly beautiful classical music for about
45 seconds then hopped on a garbage truck and drove off. He could have
been in the Royal Albert Hall, but it was on the corner of Westbourne
Grove and Denbeigh Road!

Since there were no other takers, I played the two songs I know by heart
and a few of the songs out of the laminated book. Some older gentleman
came by and jokingly/accusingly said, “What are you doing?” He said that
he lives nearby and that at first he thought it was someone’s stereo too
loud and then he thought it sounded quite nice so he came down to check it
out. He said he had heard of the project and that he was going to oppose
it but then got too busy to bother. Now this old man is happy he didn’t
and he thinks it is a great idea and that London needs some shaking up!

A few more people gathered and they coaxed me into playing a few more
songs (luckily the book was full of easy songs that I could sight read)
and a lady sang along. I wish I could play by ear. I want to hang out by
one of these pianos all day just to see what transpires. I love it!

6.3.09

Unanticipated bonus of living in the UK: I can now watch Trainspotting
without subtitles.

Though today I heard this one: As I was buying fruit from a stall on
Goldborne Road one stallkeeper said to the other, “She must’ve washed her
knickers in the same juice” Whattt? I don’t even know if this is PG. I
didn’t catch the context.

3.29.09
Spring is here. Daffodils are up and the kids are playing football
(soccer) outdoors again. Fiona was player of the week last week and Brenna
was player of the week this week.