Edgar and I had a very fun and active weekend! Although he is studying profusely for his CFA test, he usually manages to find a few spare hours for fun on the weekends. Saturday was our big date night and our trial run at Floridita, the Cuban restaurant. It was a great place in SoHo, very hip and posh with rounded, high-back white leather booths, and red glowing pillars and ceilings. We arrived early to take in the atmosphere and have a few mojitos before our dinner. A Cuban band was on hand (one is there every night) providing awesome music for dancing and singing along to. Long story short, and just as we had suspected, the food was amazing...too bad it wasn't Cuban! Edgar's roasted suckling pig came with risotto (risotto?? since when was that Cuban?), and my Brazilian steak (yeah, Brazilian) came with something "like couscous". Nonetheless, it did taste good, which I guess is the most important thing, it just didn't quite satisfy the Cuban craving. The above photo is in Floridita, but it's kind of dark, so you can't see much.
On Sunday we woke up early to participate in a charity walk for Children of the Andes (COTA). Ironically enough, it's a nonprofit organization that funds programs for children in Colombia. We started in Richmond Park, wound our way a few miles down the Thames River, and came back up through Ham to re-enter Richmond Park. We ended with a group picnic near the Isabella Plantation, located in almost the middle of the park. All of the flowers were blooming in the Plantation and it was so beautiful. We also saw Tufted Ducks for the first time (above) and I have to say they are the most unusual things I've ever seen. They almost don't look real. When it was all said and done, I think we probably walked about 10 miles. But it was 10 miles for a good cause and worth every step. We met some great people and got some good Colombian connections here in London.
I get frustrated with some of the ethnic restaurant food here in London. So, I decided to step out of my box and examine if these frustrations are valid or if I am just being a picky American. I've decided they are valid. Here's why.
I am really beginning to miss TexMex (see post below) and Latin food. Despite London being a very international city, they just don't do this type of food very well. For example, last weekend, I researched and found THE Mexican food restaurant in London. Their website purported them to be the place where people who are homesick go and also the London hangout for Mexicans. We had high expectations, so we booked a table, got all fancy and made our way into the city for a night on the town. We ordered the taco platter, which came with four different taco fillings and lots of different toppings. It was good, don't get me wrong, but it was missing something. Now, I've been to Mexico, and I've lived in Texas (which used to be Mexico) my whole life (sort of). I know what Mexican tastes like, and I know what an authentic dish is. Lots of stuff on the menu wasn't even really Mexican. They tried to make it Mexican by adding cilantro or peppers, but it wasn't Mexican.
This weekend, we are trying out a Cuban place in Soho. Edgar heard about it at work and was assured it was good. They also have live music and salsa dancing, so it should be fun if nothing else. I was perusing the menu yesterday and frustration set in. They don't even have Ropas Viejas, which is one of THE MOST TYPICAL CUBAN DISHES!!! Oh, they had a something they called Ropas Viejas, but it was baked duck eggs! I'm sorry, but baked duck eggs are a far cry from the deliciousness that is Ropas Viejas-shredded beef in a yummy tomato based sauce. The menu didn't even include fried sweet plantains. But, we're going anyways, just to give it a shot.
So this is where my frustrations lie. If a restaurant says it is Mexican, Cuban, French, whatever, then BE Mexican, Cuban, or French. I don't think I'm being picky and I don't think that my palette preferences are based on an American bias. I know how these things are supposed to taste because I have been to their countries of origin! Except for Cuba, but Houston has alot of Cubans and I've eaten at their places. They say that London has come a long way in this area. I don't want to think about how it used to be.
But I do have to give props to this great city. They do Indian and Thai food very, very well. Whereas we used to get a taco fix after a good, long night of fun (Taco Cabana anyone?), they go out for a "curry". Our comfort foods include chips and salsa, their's include poppadoms and mango chutney. Half the pubs around here have dropped the traditional pub grub of fish and chips and the likes for a healthy selection of Thai. To each his own I guess. But I can guarantee that should they move to Houston and get homesick for tikka masala, they could find a place they makes it just as good as home.
Edgar and I speak often of how much we will miss Richmond and London when we move back to Texas. But, at the same time, we get excited at the prospect of seeing all of our friends and family any time we want and also visiting all the old haunts that made life there so special and fulfilling. We find ourselves dreaming of what our first few days fresh off the airplane will be like. Apart from the obvious vision of descending the airport escalator and seeing all of our loved ones waiting with flowers, banners, and full marching band, we're also dreaming of the food. Yes, we've got it all planned out. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It goes like this:
Day one Breakfast-breakfast from a taco cart parked in a gas station parking lot, where the chorizo is authentic and the coffee comes from a thermos. Lunch-Tortilla soup from Romero's, our old, local favorite Mexican food joint in Cypress. Dinner-Beef fajitas from Lupe Tortillas near Edgar's office.
Day two Breakfast-We head back to Romero's for huevos rancheros or migas with a bowl of their warm salsa dumped on top. Lunch-We'll probably still be full from breakfast and bloated from yesterday's food fiesta. Maybe we'll just drink some water. Dinner-With TexMex out of our system, we head to Texas Roadhouse for real beef and those glorious rolls...can't forget the sweet tea. I think I've forgotten what it tastes like.
Day three Brunch-Yeah, still bloated. We'll sleep in and head to some cool downtown location for brunch with the young folks. Dinner-Get some Gulf of Mexico shrimp from HEB and invite Johnny Allen (my cousin) over to make his garlic shrimp that we love.
This will probably be all we can handle for awhile. It's a good start for our Taste of Texas tour. Think I'll start burning calories right now so I can be fully ready and enjoy every bite.
My driving instructor is not very good with small talk. He takes his job very seriously and I've relinquished all attempts at cracking jokes because he just doesn't get it. And I don't think it's a cultural barrier, he's just not a jokester. With that being said, I don't think he realizes when HE is being funny.
During one of my first driving lessons, we passed his former student's house. She was a former student because she was lucky enough to pass the test and no longer has to endure 2 hours of nit-picky driving instruction (that fortunate girl). As we passed the house, this is the conversation that ensued:
Driving Instructor: "One of my former students lives there, an American lady in fact, and was really good. She just took her test a few weeks ago and passed with very little faults. Her examiner told me "it was the best ride I've had all day. I just got to sit back and enjoy it".
Vonda: " "
Yes, my quotes are empty because I was afraid to open my mouth for fear of spewing spit in his face in a fit of laughter. The best part is that he never even realized how that whole little thing sounded. He said it with a perfectly straight face and with complete seriousness. When I told Edgar about it that night we laughed so hard. The rolling around kind of laughter where you can't catch your breath and your stomach hurts the next day.
I can only hope that I will be some examiner's best ride in a few weeks. I really hope he is able to sit back and enjoy it.
Well I've returned from another fascinating driving lesson. What a pain. I just decided to quit defending my actions, listen to what he says with a nod and smile on my face, and know that I AM a good driver, and also that just because I didn't turn left at exactly the angle he would have preferred doesn't mean I am a bad driver. This could turn into a real self esteem issue. One thing that is really starting to bug me is the lack of STOP signs. They just put these white lines in the road, which are very easy to miss, especially when it has been raining or they haven't been painted in ages. But I'm certain that should STOP signs begin to appear, someone from a neighborhood association would begin a petition in protest of the "loss of visual amenity" of the area and demand they be taken down at once. Safety or Beauty...oh the dilemma.
On the same note, I have a date for the official "practical test", which is the one I am so nervous about. It will be Tuesday, May 6 at 9:17am. So I have one more full lesson next week, and then an hour and half lesson right before the test. He suggested that I might try to squeeze in one more lesson, but considering he told me I would need 4-5 lessons, and that will be my 5th lesson, I may take my chances and not schedule another one. I may change my mind, but I think I am doing well. I'm just not going to think about it or it will drive me crazy.
I passed my test! Now I just have to pass the driving portion and I'll be legal again. I'm not sure when that will take place, but should be within the next few weeks.
Tomorrow I take the computer-based portion of my driving test. The one where they ask you what the street signs mean and what you should do if you approach a horse in the road (ANSWER: Stay well back as animals can be unpredictable). There are 50 questions and I have to get 44 right...I feel pretty good about it, but will still study a little more tonight. The other portion of the test is "Hazard Perception Awareness". They flash different scenarios on the screen as if I am driving down the road and I have to push the button as soon as I see a potential hazard. Hopefully after driving since the age of 16, I will have some sort of automatic response. Luckily for me, the driving instruction company who has been giving me my driving lessons publishes a book with every possible test question and a CD-rom with a practice hazard perception awareness test. I'll post my results as soon as I can.
Question. Do you think it purely coincidental that BP will reimburse us for 5 driving lessons and my driving instructor says I will need at least 5 lessons "to have a reasonable chance of passing"? Hmmm....
From the moment I stepped out of the train at Waterloo, the evening was perfect. The walk to the theater, the Royal Opera House, Carmen, the beautifully sparkling cityscape on the walk back to the station...couldn't have asked for a better date night.
Edgar discovered, and I can't believe he knew something about this city that I didn't know, that Covent Garden (where the Royal Opera House is located) is just over the Waterloo Bridge. So, instead of groundhogging it all the way to the Covent Garden tube stop, we both met up at Waterloo Station and walked over the bridge to our destination. It's a beautiful walk...the London Eye and Big Ben's Clock Tower on the left and St. Paul's Cathedral on the right, all spanning a lively River Thames at the end of a work day.
The ROH is a beautiful building, gleaming white with stunning Greek architecture. After retrieving our pre-paid tickets from the very efficient box office, we checked our coats and made our way to the Orchestra Stalls right. As we rounded the corner to enter the staircase, we both stopped and took a little gasp of air upon first glimpsing the truly extraordinary interior. Golden guild covered intricate carvings and details around the stage, the seating levels and the beautiful pale blue ceiling. I always wondered how the conductor can get an entire orchestra AND singing cast coordinated, and then I noticed very discreet TV monitors in various locations around the theater broadcasting the conductor...so that's how they do it! We were seated about 15 rows from the stage, so in addition to hearing the great music and voices, we were to able to really see the facial expressions of the cast and witness the emotion they put into the performance.
The orchestra began playing the prelude (the video above), which includes two of the three more famous pieces, and the fun began. Carmen has probably some of the most recognizable numbers out of all the operas. The very first song in the prelude may be familiar to some of you...it's the very fast classical piece featured in the "Beef-It's What's for Dinner" ad campaigns. You know the one...it sounds like the music is swirling around and you can't imagine that anyone can move their fingers fast enough to keep up with it. The two other pieces are Toreador , the bullfighter's song (also included in the prelude), and Habanera, which Carmen sings.
The setting of Carmen is Spain and it's sung in French, which is quite a contrast! Good thing they have English subtitles on a monitor over the stage so you can keep up. This is a brief summary, in my own words, of the major elements of Carmen. Don Jose, while studying to become a priest, has fled the country and joined the Army after killing someone, leaving his dying mother and fiance behind. Carmen is a flirtatious gypsy who wins the affections of Don Jose and promises her unabiding love to him. He leaves the Army to join Carmen and her gypsy gang, making him somewhat of an outlaw. After a little fight, Carmen decides she does not love him anymore and falls for the Toreador (bullfighter). Don Jose becomes a little obsessive, does not take the rejection very well, and kills Carmen. Amongst the love and anguish are wonderful costumes, flamenco dancing, great voices, and all the drama you can imagine.
Seeing an opera in person is much different than just listening to it on CD or the radio. The talent of everyone involved is truly amazing and admirable and something I think you should do at least once in your life. Trust me, you will want to sing all of your conversations in the most dramatic way possible for at least the next week! Thanks for checking in...I'm off to decide on something for dinner. For some reason, I'm inspired to eat beef. Ciao!
Edgar is a big fan of opera. I can appreciate the amazing talent that is opera singing and I love the theater of it all. I guess it wouldn't be fair for me to judge my like or dislike as I've never even been to an opera. That will all change tonight. We are going to attend our first opera this evening at 7pm. The place: London's famed Royal Opera House. The title: Carmen. We splurged on good seats, not the nosebleeds. I can't wait! I think I may even drink a $20 glass of champagne during intermission. Hey, if your going to do it, you may as well do it right, right?
Some background info:The Spanish heat and gypsy passion of Carmen take to the stage as The Royal Opera presents the first revival of Francesca Zambello’s vibrant production with Tanya McCallin’s richly coloured designs. It’s a great stage recreation of the sun-drenched and sultry world of 19th-century Spain, with its ranks of soldiers and crowds of peasants, its gypsies and bullfighters, its spectacle and its deadly, white-hot emotions. Spanish-born Nancy Fabiola Herrera has been greatly acclaimed as the fickle temptress of the title, while star tenor Marcelo Álvarez is Don José, the soldier she forces to murderous jealousy over her new affair with the bullfighter Escamillo, played by Kyle Ketelsen. It’s a perfect cast to bring alive the sexy solos, rousing choruses, impassioned arias and Spanish dances of one of the most famously tuneful of all operas and one of the most enduringly popular works in the entire repertory.
I'm pretty sure you will recognize one of its most famous musical pieces. Click here to watch a trailer.
In response to my previous Spring Tease post, the answer is "Yes, it was just a tease." This was the wonderful scene we woke up to today, a beautiful view of our back garden, which we share with the 3 other flats in our building. The snow hung around for about an hour before it started to melt and what I like to call "the second snowfall" began. This is the process by which all the accumulated snow begins to fall off of the trees and high places, making it look like a snowfall all over again.
This is the view from our bedroom window, which overlooks the street out front. We're supposed to get more snow on Tuesday...I can't believe it's April and I'm still drinking hot chocolate!
Well, there's nothing like having someone nitpick every single little look and turn for 2 whole hours! I swear, it was like having the worst possible backseat driver, only they're sitting right next to you with their own brake...dude...don't brake for me!!! In all fairness, he was just doing his job and helping to prepare me for my test. The test is very, very strict, and literally one wrong turn or glance, and you can FAIL! He said I did very well and will only need 4 more lessons before I'm ready. I thought this was quite alot, but considering the pickiness of the testing, I need all the preparation I can get so I can pass it on the FIRST try. There are little things that do not come second nature to American drivers, but that are very important in British driving...like putting on the emergency brake if you think you will be stationery for longer than 10 seconds. If you don't do it, you FAIL! Round-a-bouts are very serious business as well. One slight hesitation (which I call being a cautious driver) and you FAIL! And who knew that being able to back around a corner or turn around in the middle of a street could be so complicated! Apparently you have to look out the appropriate window at the just the right time, or you FAIL! So these are the types of things I'm working on making habits. I've been driving around this country and several others for the past year with no problems, so I can't imagine I'm THAT BAD. I felt really proud that I only needed 4 more lessons...considering he told me that the average person needs 30-40 before they are ready! Hopefully in another month, I'll be ready to PASS!! ~Vonda
It's been a while since I've blogged...sorry about that. I'll try to catch you up on my last few weeks.
Julie and Jonathan's visit was so much fun. I gave them whirlwind tours of the city and I'm pretty sure I walked their legs off. The weather was not the greatest while they were here, but we put on our coats, donned our umbrellas, and pretended not to notice the rain/wind/snow/cold. Wouldn't you know that the day after they left, we had beautiful sunshine! Today might possibly be the best day of the year so far. I actually did all my errands around town *GASP* without a coat!
My other big news is that I am officially one step closer to being a lawful UK driver. We had 12 months to get it all taken care of, and we kind of missed the deadline, but, fortunately, things are progressing more quickly than expected. The worst thing so far has been having to send my actual passport to the driver's license office. I was very nervous about doing this, but I had it back safe and sound within 10 days. Last Thursday I received my Provisional License. This is the equivalent of a learner's permit in Texas. I'm supposed to put these big "L" magnets on the car and I'm supposed to drive around with only a qualified UK driver...hmmm....The only place I drive is the 2 mile round trip to Sainsbury's (grocery store). Guess I'll keep those trips to a minimum until I'm legal. Tomorrow morning, I have my first driving lesson. John Lewis from the British Motoring School will give me a 2 hour assessment and then tell me how many more lessons I need to actually be able to pass the driving part of the test. I hope to impress him with my skills and just get it over with. In the meantime, I'll be studying for the "theory" test, which is a computer based written test. I have to pass this theory test before I can even schedule the driving test. I got a little nervous when I read that only 42% of people pass all this on their first try. Hopefully I'll be in that 42%!
I'll keep you update on my driving progress! Have a wonderful week...~V
We were EdVon long before Bennifer, Brangelina, and TomKat. We always dreamed of living abroad and in March 2007, our dream came true! We are now expecting our first baby in December, so the new adventure begins. I hope you enjoy reading about our life in London and our adventures beyond.
"That was the best ride I've had all day. I just got to sit back and enjoy it." -as told to Vonda by her driving instructor...and no, it's not what you think. Click here for the full story.
Edgar and I had a very fun and active weekend! Although he is studying profusely for his CFA test, he usually manages to find a few spare hours for fun on the weekends. Saturday was our big date night and our trial run at Floridita, the Cuban restaurant. It was a great place in SoHo, very hip and posh with rounded, high-back white leather booths, and red glowing pillars and ceilings. We arrived early to take in the atmosphere and have a few mojitos before our dinner. A Cuban band was on hand (one is there every night) providing awesome music for dancing and singing along to. Long story short, and just as we had suspected, the food was amazing...too bad it wasn't Cuban! Edgar's roasted suckling pig came with risotto (risotto?? since when was that Cuban?), and my Brazilian steak (yeah, Brazilian) came with something "like couscous". Nonetheless, it did taste good, which I guess is the most important thing, it just didn't quite satisfy the Cuban craving. The above photo is in Floridita, but it's kind of dark, so you can't see much.
On Sunday we woke up early to participate in a charity walk for Children of the Andes (COTA). Ironically enough, it's a nonprofit organization that funds programs for children in Colombia. We started in Richmond Park, wound our way a few miles down the Thames River, and came back up through Ham to re-enter Richmond Park. We ended with a group picnic near the Isabella Plantation, located in almost the middle of the park. All of the flowers were blooming in the Plantation and it was so beautiful. We also saw Tufted Ducks for the first time (above) and I have to say they are the most unusual things I've ever seen. They almost don't look real. When it was all said and done, I think we probably walked about 10 miles. But it was 10 miles for a good cause and worth every step. We met some great people and got some good Colombian connections here in London. 
This is the view from our bedroom window, which overlooks the street out front. We're supposed to get more snow on Tuesday...I can't believe it's April and I'm still drinking hot chocolate!
