A fantastic week and a bit

Guess where I was ....

It was amazing!

That is all.

I Love London

After a couple of posts feeling a little disillusioned about the state of affairs last week, I thought I would talk about how much I love my city.

Even though parts of London have gone up in flames, I still love this place, and am always happy to take people around and see how excited they get to see the sights, and ask me to take their pictures somewhere that we all take for granted, like telephone boxes, the underground and the big red buses.

I love how London is separated into so many different places with its own life and culture. If you see one part of London, then you have only seen one part of London.

There's the political side of Westminster.
Notting Hill and Portobello Road.
Walking the cobbled streets of Covent Garden and standing in the Piazza and listening to classical music.
Business and skyscrapers in Canary Wharf.
Beautiful architecture in Cathedrals, Churches, Bridges, and Palaces.
Camden Town.
Sitting and watching the world go by on the steps of Trafalgar Square.

I love London and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.



In other news, I have given myself until tomorrow evening to finish my story and send it to my editor.
Wish me luck!

And before I forget I wanted to wish a very Happy Independence Day to all my Indian friends. Especially to those of you still over there, I hope you are going out and celebrating!

"We are doing it because we can't get jobs"

This was an excuse that I heard about the rioting a little while ago on the TV. It really annoyed me for a variety of reasons.

First of all, there are a lot of people currently out of the job market. Myself included, even though I am grateful for this writing opportunity and my part time job on the side. It has been some years since I graduated from university and, I know this sounds crazy but, I would love a job that is secure, one that I can go to on a full time basis. In my family, not just nuclear but extended as well, a job is not a job unless you are there 9-5 or something to that effect. Something where you are getting a regular and steady income, paying national insurance and have some money to put towards pension; even if currently it looks like we will all have to work until 70 to afford to live beyond that age.
None of them know that I am writing this book though (nearly finished by the way ... yay!).

Secondly, if you are rioting because you can't get a job, having a criminal record isn't really going to help you very much when you are trying to find one.

Next, it was found that a lot of the people rioting were young teenagers. There are still years to go until they are in the job market. We don't know what it will be like in however many years time. Who knows, the situation might improve.
What really annoys me is the people who want jobs but are too lazy to go out and get one. I spent a long time sending out CV after CV, it takes time. No one is going to knock at your door and offer you a well paid job. You need to be proactive. And you need to pay your dues.

We can add to that, burning places down. How is making shops and business unable to function the path to a good economy? Just because you can't find work, it doesn't mean that you should ruin other peoples lives in the process. And why would you break into and burn down people's houses? It doesn't make any sense.

Finally, it was the places that they were looting. They were stealing TVs, trainers, HiFis, and other expensive goods. It seemed that the only way to get what they wanted was to loot the shops. The problem with this generation is that they want everything now. They don't believe in delayed gratification. They don't believe in working hard and saving the money to go towards something great. In this world of famous for being famous, it seems that the only way to earn decent  money is to act like a drunken fool on some godforsaken reality TV show, and that really bugs me.

Wow that was a long post.

Mindless Disgusting Violence

It's going to be a serious post today. How can it not be after everything that has happened?
Just take a look at these pictures and you will see what I mean.
Even this one, of a woman jumping out of a burning building to safety. It's just frightening.

Full scale riots and looting for no real reason other than greed.
Businesses and homes set alight for no real reason other than to cause damage.
Violence spreading because thugs want to jump on the bandwagon.
Law abiding citizens sick to their stomach and scared to leave their own homes.

How on Earth can this happen?

What started off as a peaceful protest over a man who was shot by the police, later evolved into violence and looting, which took away from the original meaning of the gathering.
It was a crime of opportunity, there was even a case of people going into McDonalds and frying their own burgers. That's not a protest, that's just stupidity. They are looting places which would give them what they want, food, money, electronics, there were images of people literally ripping TVs off the walls.

Once people saw looters breaking into shops and stealing whatever they could, message spread around the capital saying that others should do the same. Many of them are saying that people could join the riots because they want free stuff, and who would say no to that?
Now, it has spread all over the country.

And if you thought it couldn't get any worse they were using the chaos of the situation to break into people's homes.

It's violent thugs who would use any excuse to cause disorder.

Come on, an 11 year old was arrested, what exactly does he have to be angry about?

These thugs cannot win. Telling them that they will feel "full force of the law" is not good enough in a country where people think that the legal system is a joke and not tough enough on criminals. This is especially true now, since there are planned police and budget cuts.

It's vile, it's disgusting, and we want our country back.

Awards, Summer Time, and Creeps

First of all, I was given a Seriously Cute Blog Award from Rachna's Scriptorium

 

Thank you very much Rachna! Even if I am really late in acknowledging it publicly on my blog. And from that I got one new follower. To all of you, I appreciate any and all plugging of my blog that leads to new followers *cough*

And for the rest of you. I give this blog award to all of you for sticking with me. All nine of you.

It's summer time! We had some glorious weather over the past couple of weeks, reaching 30C last week at it's peek. That slowed down the writing process a week or two, because ... because I wanted to enjoy the sunshine on the days that I didn't have to go into my part time work or college. Like I said before, when you have summer here in the UK, you better spend some time outside - otherwise it's a case of blink and you'll miss it.

[all reference to creeps have been removed now]

To Be Continued ...

I don't usually come across a great deal of suspense in my reading. To be honest, I have never reached a critical moment in a story and then get forced to close the book and carry on with life until my next free moment to open up that book.

Currently, my tube travel time reading is the short story - White Nights by Dostoyevsky.

Wait! Don't leave, I haven't betrayed chick lit and Bollywood. It has everything to do with Bollywood because there is a film that was made that is apparently based on the original Russian novel - it's called Saawariya and while I still have not seen the film, it has one of the most beautiful soundtracks I have ever heard in my life.

But I digress.

The story is about this guy who meets a girl while out walking at night time. She has been waiting for the man that she fell in love with a year ago,  the one who promised that he would marry her one day, and that they would meet at that very spot, but he has not yet arrived.
The guy sees her and they become close friends (after saving her from being attacked in the street first). He has fallen in love with her, while she seems a little ignorant of the fact.
He confesses everything about how he feels to her when, after many nights of waiting together, she is angry that the man she fell in love with has not even bothered to get in contact with her.
She tells her friend that she will get over the love of her life and she does love her friend as well. They start to plan their entire future together.
Suddenly a man walks past and stares at the two of them together and then walks off.

It was the one she has been waiting for.

'This is [tube station]'

I had to stop reading and get off the train.

I don't know why I decided to blog about it instead of reading about it as soon as I entered the house.


[Edit at 18.30] I finished the story.

Working Hard ... Sort of

Hi everyone,

This week I have been reading through my book for the first time since I wrote it. I haven't reached the end writing wise but I'm nearly there now. I think reading through it from the beginning will help me to take everything that happened into consideration and get to a logical conclusion of the end.

You know how they say that you should always read through something with a fresh pair of eyes? Well at the moment It's like I am reading a whole new book by someone else. I am laughing where I am supposed to, caring when I am supposed to and getting annoyed when I am supposed to.

Unfortunately, I haven't been feeling all that well so the writing process is slowing down again. I want to finish everything by the end of the week and send it off to my editor.

Wish me luck.

Wedding No. 3

Hey guys!

So at the weekend I went to another wedding. This was the kind where the wedding ceremony was small, with no more than 100 people, probably less, and the reception was a grand affair. And it took place in a very swanky part of London.

There was a procession to the wedding hall with dancing on the street where everyone joined in, even the hotel staff. The ceremony was simple, not something long, and once again the priest explained everything that was going on. It is great to have priests that explain what to do and why, instead of leading you blindly through the ceremony and you not really understanding what's happening. But yes, great wedding.

The reception was the main event. It was the kind of reception that I have only seen a handful of times. (for a reminder of how weddings used to be click here). There was a seating chart, candles on the table, food was brought to your table instead of you having to queue up, we had proper plates, the hall was amazingly decorated, there were speeches by friends and family, the music was not so ridiculously loud that it was distorted, and everyone had a great time. Best part was seeing everyone go absolutely mad on the dance floor. I just love watching everyone enjoy themselves.

A Strange Comparison

Writing is like ... The first time I ran cross country in P.E.

Cross country, for those of you who don't know what it is or know it by another name, is when the evil P.E. teachers make you run long distance around the park for half an hour, even when it's pouring down heavily.

I wasn't at the peak of physical fitness back then and I didn't know the technique required for long distance running. I went through spurts of extreme energy and walking. My friends were darting past me and I was behind near the back with a couple of people. I had to finish the run even though sometimes I felt like I couldn't.

Although I am not at the 'wanting-to-hide-behind-the-tree-and-then-cheat-and-cut-across-the-grass-and-reach-the finish-line-early' stage, I am going to persevere through and finish the book. I like my story and I am nearing the end now, even if it is taking a while.

And how did I do in cross country?
I was second last. The only person behind me was the girl was fell over and twisted her ankle and had to have other people support her as she hobbled to the finish line. To be honest, I found that really funny.


So tell me ... What non-writing thing would you compare writing to?

AWOL

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for the disappearance. My Internet has been very temperamental and I can't do any blogging on any computer but my own - the perks of secret authorship.

I'm still here! And the Internet is back on!

I'll try and catch up on all comments and blog posts in the evening or tomorrow morning.

Getting Lost in Canary Wharf (Snap Happy Picture Post!)

This week I was in Canary Wharf

Canary Wharf is an area in London where a lot of financial companies have offices. It's like a whole world on its own, and it seemed that it was only understood by the people who are there on a regular basis.

For someone like me, who doesn't know it that well, it is both really big and really small. No matter where you walk, and for how long, you always seem to be in the same place. I had to go to one of the offices there so, the organised person that I am, I printed out my map and made my way. When I got out of the station, it turned out that the road name of the part of Canary Wharf that I was in on wasn't clearly written down on the map.

I walked towards one of those giant maps that tells you where you are and I was still confused. There are so many damn glass buildings, and if you're not going to one with its name in giant letters on the top you are screwed. I walked around for ages wondering where the hell I was, and ended up in exactly the same place I started.


I asked one city worker on his cigarette break, a taxi driver, and a postman where I was. It took me half an hour to find a tiny office about two minutes away from the station.



At lunch time I got lost again. Although I did find a giant pic n mix stand in the middle of an area filled with cityworkers ...

I looked for a place to eat and ended up in a giant shopping centre underground that seemed to span across the entire area. I found a place and ate half a falafel wrap (which had pickles in it and some sweet and sour sauce - blergh!) and half a brownie that tasted of oranges - I never thought I would see the day when I would force myself to eat a brownie. I always feel so bad about wasting food.

Afterwards I sat in a lovely grassy area ...

And got harrassed by a duck who was probably used to having people give him their sandwiches.

That was my day. Thank you and good evening.

Summer Time! (Allegedly)

Good Things about Summer in the UK
~ People are in better moods
~ Being outside and seeing everyone in brighter clothing
~ More energy to be outside and enjoy yourself
~ The beautiful BBQ smells when you walk down the street
~ Carnivals and funfairs!


Bad Things about Summer in the UK
~ You have to make the most of the one or two days of 20+ degree weather because you will have rain for the next two or three weeks.
~ Spiders
~ Sod's Law that states as soon as you clean your car your entire windscreen will be covered in bird poo the next day.
~ Being on the trains and buses surrounded by sweaty people (at 5ft1 I am constantly underneath the armpits of people holding onto poles and bars)


Go ahead and add to the list!

Weddings!

I was at a wedding this weekend. One thing that has always made me laugh on the topic of weddings, is that when I was younger I had been to more weddings in one year than most people had been to in their lifetime - I think there was a time when I went to five weddings in three months.

Weddings today are a lot different than I remember when I was younger. People of my generation are really going all out on their wedding day, especially if it has been a modern love marriage.

Way back when, weddings used to take place in crowded school halls with the ceremony being carried out on the stage. You would sit on those uncomfortable plastic chairs that came from the classroom and all of the guests would use the wedding as an excuse to gossip and catch up with people who they hadn't seen in a while and not really paying attention to the happy couple. One thing that I remember as a child is never sitting through an entire wedding ceremony - my cousins and I would always be around outside chatting. The food was served up in plastic plates which had sections for you to put each item of food in (sweets, curries, rice, etc) and there were only a few tables around. The unlucky ones who couldn't get a seat at a table would sit on the chair they were 'watching' the wedding ceremony from and either eat with the plate on their lap, or pull up another chair and use that as a table.

These days, things have changed so much. More money has been poured into grand occasions.

The wedding takes place in huge hotel wedding suites that have been beautifully decorated. Wedding mandaps (the structure that the ceremony takes place in made up of four pillars all joined together at the top - Google them) are more extravagant. For example, instead of wood, they would be gold coloured, or have flowers all over them, or be made from glass, or have crystal droplets hanging from the top. People of my generation, now want the wedding to take place in pin drop silence because we realise how rude it was when we were all running around and all the aunties and uncles weren't paying attention to the wedding ceremony. It is also important for the priest to give us an English translation so we know what we are doing instead of blindly following what we are told to do. We also want our non-Indian friends to understand what is happening so they don't get bored.

While some people still have the plastic plates, we now have tables to sit on! All of us! Well sometimes, because the meal takes place straight after the ceremony and there isn't time or space to turn the entire wedding hall into a banqueting suite.

We also put more effort into the registry wedding. Before, it would just be something that would have to be done, because no one was really married until the Indian ceremony. Therefore, no one thought it was important. Now, the registry weddings are a whole other ceremony in themselves. Some brides are now wearing the big white gowns like from the English weddings, or wear an Indian outfit that is similar. There are bridesmaids, best mans, ring bearers, and flower girls.

The receptions are great as well. There are proper plates, and tables with seating plans! No more running after a free table. More people are invited to the reception than the wedding, because the couple want the guests that they really want at the wedding and everyone else at the reception. It's better for them to have their gossip and catch up where it is appropriate to do so.

People of my generation want to really celebrate their wedding day. And I say, good on them!

Books ... Old or New?

I was reading through one of the many listy articles that MSN put up (procrastinating much?) and there was a topic that was titled 'Ten Things you Shouldn't Buy New.'

Number 4 was Books.

Now I am in no way taking this article seriously, but it did bring about a topic for me to blog about so who am I to complain?

The writer wrote about how you don't really need to spend all that money to buy a new book, especially if you are only going to read it once.

Now I don't know about you but I love buying brand spanking new books, even if I do read them only once.
I love going to a bookshop and walking among the shelves with all the classic, new, bargain, and special offer books surrounding me.
I could spend ages in one shop reading through the blurbs in the back and through the first pages of different books to see if it is the one for me.
I look through five copies of the same book to one the absolute perfect one ... un-used, no rips, creases or dog ears.
And apart from the sunlight changing the colours of the pages, my books are kept in that condition. Even if I read it more than once.

I am fully aware that there are reasons for buying used books, but I love new books.

How about you? Old or New?

Amazon, Writing Progress, and Weekend

Amazon!
I now exist on Amazon! Have a look. Now my book is real. It's exciting! Now I'm more in a rush to finish the thing.

Writing Progress
I think the Musical May worked in my favour for a couple of reasons. It allowed me to talk about something other than writing, and just gave me the space to just get on with the writing process. I am just under 43k words, which is a number I didn't even think I would get to all those months ago when the book started. I feel so happy with myself that I have got to this stage. I feel like such a newbie writer when I say I want to send it off to the editor already. If there's one thing I know you writers hate is revisions. At the moment I want to see someone else's take on what I wrote and what things do or don't make sense. Naive much?
And another way all the Bollywood worked in my favour? I have been getting traffic to my blog from people all over the world who are looking up Bollywood music. And you guys learned a little something too. I hope you enjoyed it.


Weekend
I had myself a fantastic weekend because on Saturday I had a Spa Day. I was at the Sanctuary in Covent Garden and it was great. Had some pampering, ate lovely food, bought stuff, got free gifts and generally just lounged around. There is something about walking around in a giant bathrobe that goes down to your ankles (yes I am that short) surrounded by giant sofas, and relaxing music that makes you want to do nothing but sleep all day. I went because it was a birthday gift for my mother (paid for by my brothers too), so I took her. Just being lazy all day really emptied out my brain from the mental block I have been suffering. It's like all of these ideas were just trying to push through the door at the same time and as a result all of them are stuck and no one is moving. Does that even make sense?

Now I have been tapping away at that keyboard, I started at about 9 this morning and hope to finish at about 12, maybe 1 (it's a beautiful day outside and I want to enjoy it). I have been getting back to scribbling away with a pencil and more sheets of paper are floating around my room with chunks of my book written all over them.