London in a Nutshell: How to get the most of your visit

London is one of those great walking cities that you must visit, especially if you love to learn more about history and the theatre....wow, I just spelled theater with an "re"....purely unconsciously.

Here is a list of top 7 things you should do when visiting London.  Oh, and if you are a student, by all means, bring your student ID along; a deduction of 2 to 3 pounds here and there does add up, especially if you are from the US, and are FREAKING out that a tall cappuccino from Starbucks is the equivalent of coughing up around $6....YIKES!!!!  Oh, and it costs more to drink it on the Starbucks premises, then to take it to go (ehh, I mean "take-away").  And it's not just Starbucks, other fast food places charge more to eat at the location (e.g., Pret a Manger).  This would not fly in NY....just saying.  Anyway, here is my top 7 list to make this a rewarding experience:

i) Take at least one London Walks tour.  You will really get a feel of the city.  The cost is 9 pounds for adults, and 7 pounds if you are a student.  Each tour is about 2 hours long, give or take 15 minutes.  Wear comfortable shoes and bring your camera.  If you like history, then "Past the Palace" (for a bit of mischief and you're over 12 yrs old ;) or "The Blitz" (more serious and your heart will break a little) is for you.  If you prefer something more fictionalized, then the "Ghost Walks" or "Harry Potter" walks would be more appropriate.  I am a big fan of most of the guides.  I have had only one dud so far; for the most part, they are dramatic and great story tellers, and are happy to answer any of your questions.  You can't help getting sucked into the story.

ii) Visit the Churchill War Rooms.  Here you will find a detailed account of what happened in WWII in London, where Churchill and his Cabinet met, how Churchill led England during the war, and other interesting tid-bits.  Please do take the free audio guide, which comes with your cost of admission.  It adds more color to what happened in the 1940s.  Reserve at least two hours of your time for this visit.  You can take pictures here.

iii) Go to the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square.  Great works by so many artists from the Renaissance period to other eras (including a couple from Hans Holbein, a painter in Henry VIII's court).  Best of all, it is FREE.  Yes, you read correctly.  It is free, unless you want to see the special limited time only exhibitions.  I don't think there is a need for it.  There is so much to see.  Do note, you are NOT allowed to take pictures here.  Another thing to point out, there is a FREE one hour guided tour at 11:30am and 2:30pm in the Sainsbury wing, where the guide will show you about 4-5 paintings, and discuss some of the meaning and symbolism behind it.  Very interesting...apparently, the use of the color blue was worth more, than the use of the color gold.  Hmm....

iv) Visit the Royal National Theatre.  Get tickets for a backstage tour, and consider also buying a ticket to watch a play.  About half the plays are the usual classics, while the remaing half are of newer playwrights.  Many of these tickets can be bought for as little as 12 pounds, because the government subsidizes much of it.  Wish they did the same in NY, so more younger folks could go there.  Anyway, it's worth visiting it.  The location is great, too.  Right by the water.  You can take the tube to Waterloo or Embankment, and walk there in 10-15 minutes.

v) Visit the Tower of London.  Once inside, you can walk on one of the guided tours with a beefeater, and learn all about its rather bloody history.  It is here where King Henry VIII had two of his six wives beheaded.  Oh, Henry....what were you thinking????

vi) Visit the Victoria & Albert Museum.  FREE entrance, except for special exhibitions, and here, you are allowed to take pictures.  There's a great garden, where you can hang out by the water fountains.  Lots of Roman and Greek sculptures, Asian art, and so much more.

vii) Eat fish & chips.  This is one of the great meals you must have at least once before leaving.  I cannot describe to you how delicious and crispy the fish tastes (make sure you verify that it is haddock, not cod....for some reason, haddock has more flavor, is juicier, and more fulfilling).  They sprinkle malt vinegar on the fish and the chips (i.e., fries), and it is absolutely yummy.  Two things to keep in mind: i) you may have to pay for the ketchup....I know, how strange it that???  Or alternatively, they give you one measly packet; and ii) DO NOT eat fish & chips at the airport; it tastes like crap there, is dripping in oil, and they apparently don't remember to give you malt vinegar...I'm speaking from experience).

If you happen to have more time, you can drop in some more museums with free entry (e.g., Tate Modern, Tate Britain, National Portrait Gallery, British Museum).  Alternatively, if you have more budget to spare, you could include Westminster Abbey and London Dungeons in your schedule as well.

US Open 2012 - Andy Murray...could this be his year?

Greetings All or to Tennis Fans at least,

First things first, my response to the title - YES, 2012 IS HIS YEAR!!!

This year's US Open has been exciting to say the least.  My favorite, Andy Murray has made it to the last match of the tournament; he will be playing in tomorrow's men's final at 4pm EST...yes, it's on a Monday (once again), thanks to the heavy rains on Saturday evening, which prevented the other Semi Final match (Djokovic/Ferrer) from completing. 

Murray's opponent has now been finalized (Sunday, around 1:30pm) - it's none other than Djokovic....yikes.  Am I worried?  Yes.  But Andy Murray has been looking in tip-top form this year (let's not forget that Gold Medal he won during last month's Olympic Games in London, defeating Federer).  His dedication to practice has not gone un-noticed.  Here he is on Court 17 on Arthur Ashe Kids Day (Aug 25, 2012).

I can't wait to see the press conference if Murray is able to pull off a victory, and win his first Grand Slam.  I believe Sir Sean Connery will make another guest appearance, and perhaps once more declare to the world that wine is a Scottish creation.  What fun that would be.

 

French Lentil Salad

Wow! Has it really been 4+ months since I last posted to my blog? Hmm, I guess it's time to get back in touch.

I have decided to start of with a focus on home-made cooking...and by that I mean healthy cooking, if possible.

So, I decided what better way to kick-off than with a Lentil Salad. Here's my recipe:

- Boil about a half a cup of French lentils (~20 minutes).

- Mix 2 tablespoons of white distilled vinegar + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I know, I know, it's got fat...but at least it's good fat that the heart appreciates, and it smells quite pleasant too) in a bowl.

- Chop up a small sweet orange pepper into tiny pieces and toss them in the bowl.

- Cut small pieces of a plum tomato, and chopped five twigs of parsley.

- When the lentils were boiled at the appropriate level of firmness, toss them into the bowl, and mix it all together.

- Once the above is completed, the bowl should be placed in the refrigerator to chill for about 1 hour.

- And Voila, you're now ready to enjoy. The salad can be eaten as a stand-alone or with a couple of boiled white potatoes + 0% fat plain Greek yogurt (e.g., Chobani + sprinkle a little bit of salt & pepper). Bon Apetit.

NB = I'll probably have some left-overs of the salad for tomorrow, which I may toss in with fried rice (e.g., onions, parsley, carrots).

NB 2 = Please feel free to add a tablespoon or two of chopped onions into the mix. I didn't have a tiny onion, which is why I had to pass on it, but perhaps next time :)

"Dear Me A Letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self"

Just finished reading through "Dear Me A Letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self" edited by Joseph Galliano. It's a compilation of letters from celebrities of all walks in life, including Alan Rickman, Jenna Elfman, Garth Brooks, etc. There is a suggestion at the end of the book to write such a letter to yourself....so here goes, to my 16-year old self:

Dear Sonie,

This is your older self in the year 2011, and in case time travel works, you will get this letter back in time. Just wanted to let you know to hang in there, because life will improve in later life...it won't be great...there will be ups and downs, and you will miss some of your childhood friends, but that's life, and you will survive. Don't let people put you down. Keep getting up and doing what you're doing. Now for some little tid-bits on what you can expect in the future and a couple of recommendations:

i) A website will come into existence, called YouTube....here, people will post videos (yes, it will be possible for the average Joe to do this)...and some of your favorite songs* that you found only taped on an old cassette many, many years earlier* (of very poor sound quality) will be found here in the best quality possible and in video format....all you have to do is search for it. It's free to watch online (i.e., online means something you can find on the Internet - on the PC). *Hint, hint = "Save Your Kisses for Me"

ii) Your obsession with Celine Dion's music will fade away, but you will always hold that song "My Heart Will Go On" dear to your heart. That's fine. In the meantime, feel free to listen to that song over and over again (I know you will, regardless because it will give you lots of happiness).

iii) You will be stubborn and determined to go see "Titanic" which stars Leonardo DiCaprio. You will see this movie on one of the rainiest days of the year....your mother will be mighty against going, but eventually you will prevail...after much begging and throwing a very loud crying hissy fit :). Also, your fondness for Leo won't fade after all these years. I must warn you, that he will pick more intellectual roles, rather than the traditional male hero. But this won't bother you....it will introduce you to stories that otherwise you would never watch.

PS = in the year 2011, Leonardo is still unmarried and much coveted, so keep dreaming.

iv) Consider minoring in English....it will be an asset, and develop your writing skills....of course, if you still don't do it...don't worry about it....you will start writing on your own.

v) Be kind, patient and helpful to others. Don't keep grudges; it's not worth it, and wastes a lot of energy. Think positive thoughts, and listen to a lot of music. May I recommend some pop from the '80s? I think you'll enjoy Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears, and Duran Duran. By the way, enjoy those "Pop Up Videos" on VH1 as much as possible.....this will stop showing soon, because reality TV will take over.

vi) When you get to travel to far-away places to visit family, please give many, many hugs to "A...", as it will be many, many, years before you get to see "A..." again.

vii) After many, many years, you will have a reunion with "S........". Please don't forget to bring your camera, and take a picture of the two of you together. Just to remember this friendship. Also, to let you know, I had my camera with me, but for some reason, it skipped my mind. That's life.

Lots of love,
Sonie (in the year 2011).

Duran Duran - Come Undone / Wild Boys

Duran Duran....what can I say about this group? Their music is fantastic, both past and present. Their latest album "All You Need Is Now" has some really good tunes....one of my favorites from that album is "Leave A Light On."

But nothing beats their song "Come Undone." Below is a recent clip performing this song in a live performance. Simon Le Bon really hits those notes. Love it. Also, below is another favorite - "Wild Boys." Oh, and here's a pre-shout-out to him, as tomorrow is his birthday.

Chocolate yearnings

I am very fond of chocolate....it's in the top 10 comfort food categories....unfortunately, the fat content is quite high...for half a bar of dark chocolate, it's approximately 20 grams of fat...yikes...and yet, that is exactly what I consumed today. I guess my mind says that the antioxidant content has a greater impact than the fat content....let's hope that is indeed true.

Charlotte Bronte's Diary

A few days ago,
An exhibition at the Morgan Museum I indeed did visit,
Before I would accidentally miss it,
To get a glimpse of the private lives,
Of famous writers,
And in some instances,
Even their wives.

There was also one of Charlotte Bronte,
A writer back in the 1800s day,
Yes,
The one who wrote about "Jane Eyre,"
About a little orphan,
For whom no one seemed to care.

But remarkably,
Jane managed to grow up
Independent and free,
While still managing
Mr. Rochester to snag,
While in the attic there was an old hag,
Ah, the drama does unfold,
Read it,
To see the moves of Jane
So bold.

I shall give away the ending,
She ends up with this dark and handsome fellow,
Even if only by chance,
Turning this book
Into a truly gothic romance.

Back to Bronte's diary,
There is an excerpt when at a boarding school she was at,
And how much she missed her father, her brother,
her sisters,
And quite possibly even her cat*.

Another excerpt is her writing a short story,
On a cold and stormy night,
Only to be interrupted by a governess or maiden,
Oh, what a fright.

The End.

*if she had one