Memories of Borough Market

Borough Market. 

Broadway and Bowling

Taking a break from the books this week wasn't too hard. I went to my friend's bowling party on Thursday and we had lots of fun inventing creative ways to bowl. (Speaking of bowls: Happy Super Bowl tomorrow!)

It's gotten down to zero degrees Celcius in the last week or so, sparking complaints from LSE students who aren't from Canada or a Scandinavian country. I absolutely welcome the cold front since it gives me an excuse to adopt a superior attitude and tell my friends how much colder it gets in Ottawa ("The second coldest capital in the world after Ulan Bator!! You know we never miss school even when it's minus 40...yeah, you just can't expose ONE BIT of skin in that kind of weather").

Today I went to Broadway Market with my flatmate from Lithuania (she doesn't think it's cold either). The market is a smaller, funkier version of Borough Market, which I frequently visit since it is near my residence. We both sipped hot apple cider with cinnamon and wandered around sampling olive oil, homemade cheeses and pies. I love that they sell flowers in February here, it's as if English roses are immune to the cold weather.

Hope you are well and staying warm. My new "stay warm" trick is to wear several pairs of tights...works like a charm.  ;) XoXo Miss Engagée

If all else fails, watch these marvelous dancers and dream of a hot summer!

La vie, la vie

Bonjour tout le monde,
Je suis malaaaade cette fin de semaine donc je n'ai pas fait grand chose. Le travail s'empile et je me sens un peu comme un hamster dans une cage - ouf! Il faut parfois faire le vide, fermer les yeux, et méditer. Oublier les dates de tombée, les présentations, les essais et la recherche d'emploi. Faire du temps pour soi et apprécier la vie.

J'ai quand même passé une semaine très agréable. Ma copine colombiana, La Ñoña, m'a invité à un concert de Prokofiev interprété par la London Philarmonic Orchestra. Les billets étudiants étant seulement 4 pounds, elle a invité un grand group, nous étions une douzaine!! J'ai adoré retourner au Southbank Centre, la salle de spectacle est vraiment chouette et du 4e étage vitré, l'on a une vue spectaculaire de la Thamise.
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I thought the LPO concert would be my only fun outing of the week, given the work I need to catch up on, but the same friend was kind enough to invite me to her Colombian party on Friday. Her friends are so fun, and of course there was salsa dancing! Plus I got to practise my Spanish a bit, which is quite rusty and terribly French-accented, but hopefully understandable. My friend A from Miami is much better than I, and I'm surrounded by Mexicans and Colombians so there's no excuse not to become more fluent.

I'm planning a weekend in Oxford in February (for the Oxford Forum for International Development), and maybe a trip to Istanbul in March! so lots to look forward to. Now back to the mountain of essays and readings...

xox Miss Engagée

Like Alice Down the Rabbit Hole

Photo credit: Camomille

Like Alice's Mad Hatter friend, I often want to look at my clock (or agenda) and exclaim: "No wonder you're late. Why, this watch is exactly two days slow. " or some other delightful nonsense about the funny way time works. Like in Alice's mad world, my world is filled with tea parties and metaphysical discussions. 


London is filled with wondrous little places that make you feel like you stepped into another world. I had a great time this weekend, exploring Camden Town and the East End with a guest from Brighton. We found this amazing teeny-tiny piano repair shop (see picture above) and walked around the old Stables (which were used back when the train station would unload in Camden and the cargo would be sent around the city on horse-drawn carts). 

We visited Brighton last weekend, on a warm-ish Saturday. It feels very "hippy" and peaceful compared to London. I really enjoyed exploring the North Laines (a maze of pedestrian streets with lots of vintage stores, an old weaponry and uniform store, pubs, cafés, record shops, etc.) and climbing up and down the hill overlooking the University of Sussex.

I love living in England. Time is flying by so fast!!

Got to go plan a presentation on the topic of "Economic restructuring and the informal economy".
Much love,
Miss Engagée xoxo

The Radical East End

Bonjour tout le monde,

Petite mise à jour de ma fin de semaine. Dimanche dernier, j'ai fait une visite guidée de l'"East End" avec un dénomé David Rosenberg. La visite, intitulée "The Radical Jewish East End", nous a permis de voir d'un autre oeil le célèbre quartier où Jack the Ripper a fait ses victimes; qui est célèbre pour ses caris (sur la rue Brick Lane); où des milliers d'immigrants se sont installés à leur arrivée sur les quais de Londres; et qui est maintenant un lieu très à la mode. J'ai appris que le quartier abrite plusieurs centres communautaires (comme Toynbee Hall) et plusieurs lieux de rassemblement pour les groupes anarcho-radicaux (par exemple, le bureau de Freedom Press), pour les syndicaux, et pour les communautés religieuses.  

Hello everyone,

Here's a little update on my weekend. Last Sunday, I participated in a guided tour led by a gentleman named David Rosenberg. The tour on "The Radical Jewish East End" showed us another side of the East End, a neighbourhood made famous by Jack the Ripper and curry houses, where thousands of immigrants first settled upon arriving by boat to London, and which is now a very up-and-coming area. I learned about the many organisations which are located in this area, such as Toynbee Hall, the offices of Freedom Press, the former offices of trade unions like the Jewish Bakers' Union, as well as many places of worship like the Mosque on Brick Lane. 

Our Guide telling us about the radical-anarchist movement

Under an overpass, we found this beautiful map of London' s East End.

A plaque commemorating London's Jewish history, including the Soup Kitchen
which fed up to 5,000 people in its heyday. 

These houses sell for 2-3 million pounds. They are kept deliberately shabby on the outside,
so that film crews can use them as sets for Depression-era movies. 

This being my last week of term, my brain is already on vacation! Will post next about my holiday plans. XOXO Miss Engagée

Hampstead Wannabe

Hi everyone,
I hope you are well. I had a great day today - ditching the library in favour of Hampstead Heath, one of London's oldest parks situated north of Central London. It was a beautiful sunny day so I just had to be outside!! I love London, but sometimes you just have to leave the concrete jungle and go commune with nature.

There were swans in the pond! although I didn't take a picture of them. I really enjoyed wandering around Hampstead itself, too, it's a very upscale and pretty neighbourhood. Since I worked up an appetite walking through the Heath, I stopped for tea in a charming shop called Melrose and Morgan. Would definitely go again.

xoxo Miss Engagée