Courting London

I am having the time of my life!
Only the fact that I can sleep as much as I want is enough. Top it up with some friends, blogging, the unexpected Attic Show and lots of music, then you have my ideal way of fun.
But, this past week has been truly amazing for one reason only: London.
A few months ago I downloaded from iTunes a podcast called London Walks by Robert Wright, with the idea of using them when my mum arrives in April, so we could have a guided tour.
The podcast got updated every week and was silently waiting for me to use it. A few days ago I was mixing and fixing something on my iTunes when accidentally a soft music and a soft voice transported me into inner Kensington... I decided that with my days off coming, I would take that walk.
I did on Tuesday and it was absolutely breathtaking. I didn't know (well, yes of course I did, but not as much) London has so many beautiful buildings. I fell in love all over again. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me, so no photos. But the walk, lasting about an hour and a half was amazing. Little cobbled pedestrianised streets, alleyways, squares with bricked mansions, historic pubs and of course very posh people walking around... The narration and guidance by Robert Wright was so interesting and enjoyable I didn't want the walk to end.

Today I was meeting some friends downtown, so I decided to take another walk, this time armed with my camera. The walk today was Legal London and The Da Vinci Code.
What can I say? It was like a dream. A London I had no idea existed. The architecture and the preciousness of the buildings is beyond description. I went through numerous Barristers' Inns, Chambers and Courts via archways and alleys, I visited Temple Church, but unfortunately it was closed-so only from the outside, I went through the vibrant area of London School of Economics, with students all around and dozens of beautiful pubs. For almost two hours I was oooing and wowing from the unbelieveable sights.
The area is just a treasure, so on your next visit to London don't just go to Buckingham Palace and Picadilly Circus. Go to Chancery Lane and take the tour, with the company of Robert's soothing voice. I highly recommend you subscribe to his podcast.

Here are some pictures so you'll get a small idea of the beauty.
Click on some of them to experience the real thing.



A beautiful stained glass window



The Old Curiosity Shop made famous by Charles Dickens

The Royal Courts of Justice. You can't imagine how huge and majestic is this building!



The flames are burning next to the Royal Courts of Justice...




How old can this building be? And how much the new building is ruining the view...


A plaque opposite Temple Church


Temple Church and two Knights on a horse


Temple Church



A gorgeous archway leading to one of the numerous breathtaking courts


Shadows we are and
Like shadows we depart



The ellaborate entrance to Lloyds bank


And the entrance to one of the Solicitors' courts.

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
xxM

Can you believe it?

I have two weeks off!!!

Yes, finally I can rest and relax. Sleep late, do lots in the house, maybe a day trip to Brighton or Oxford, or somewhere else nice, BLOG!, finalise the re-mortgage papers, sort out my closet, see friends, go to the movies, listen to the radio all day and not only in the early morning, eat nice home-cooked meals and not junk food, do a bit of yogalates, go for walks around London, or.... do absolutely nothing!
It's the first time after six months I can just chill and enjoy myself. Happy!!!

Only, don't talk to me about the concert of the boys at the Royal Albert Hall. It coincides with the day my family arrives to London from Greece, and they will be knackered, all three of them. And of course, even if they agreed to go, all tickets are sold out. It would be impossible to find four good seats. I am not going and not taking the family if we have seats in the upper circle. And I'm not paying a penny to the b***ards who hog all tickets and selling them three times more expensive on Ebay. No, no, no.
So, unless a miracle happens and Pete invites us himself with four front row (ok second row, I'm not picky) tickets, I'm not going. Shite!

I'm sure I'll see them somewhere around Europe, even in a different London venue some time this year, though. I can always live in hope!

For the moment, let me enjoy my long overdue bliss...

Kisses and hugs to all.

At last! New (good) Blood!

Ok, no more gloom and doom.
I cave to Rachel's choices of guests and her new ITA CD on iTunes, which should be fantastic.
There is some good music around and finally, after many years of musical seclusion and refusals, I listen to contemporary music again and to the radio-although mainly Virgin Radio.
Even though I know that rap, hip-hop and the kind of crap so blaspemously call R&B is still around I chose to listen to the new "Indie", "New Wave", "Alternative", "Pop-Rock" combination bands that are storming the airwaves. And I love them.
Some of them were guests in the Attic, like the amazing Razorlight and the incredible Zutons.

They are young people who are inspired by the great music created in the 60's and 70's, gave way to electronica in the 80's, revived in the 90's with Oasis, Blur, Radiohead, the RHCPeppers, and the likes and finally evolved into something really unique into the 00's. There is so much talent around, it makes me very optimistic for the future of music, because before I thought it died in 1989.

The songs currently re-played again and again on my ipod are the following:

(please note: I only download from iTunes or my CD's
and not from free music-sharing sites.
If you call yourself a fan, then support your band to the full and pay for their music.)

• The Zutons: Valerie - there is something on the singer's voice that drives me nuts! This tune will take you to the Moon!!!
• Razorlight: America - soft and ear-pleasing, melodic and smooth, pure genius
• The Ordinary Boys: I Luv You - a bit silly, a bit happy-clappy, but it feels good and the music is excellent. And Preston is sooo cute!
• Editors: All Sparks - it was performed in the Attic and it stole my heart. The singer's voice is incredible.

And soon to be added, because it's not available yet: Kaiser Chief's Ruby - which for me tops them all, it is such a powerful song.
Also, just out and just straight to Number 1 from downloads only, MIKA's Grace Kelly.
The guy's a genius and has the hippest website.

Other bands like Franz Ferdinand, Kasabian, Keane, Snow Patrol, the Raconteurs, the Magic Numbers and many many more budding rockers, equally contribute to keeping the music standards high and are always welcome to my ears.

The 3-minute song is back and it sounds good!

Of course, let's not forget the band that in 2006 had a new come-back album and a sell-out Tour and still kick ass and sort of started it all: Take That!

You still alive? LOL. No, of course I meant our boys, the 'Orrible 'Oo, and I don't have enough words to describe the feelings when I listen to their songs. Any of their songs.

In a day and age where reality shows "manufacture" bands and musical styles, when all the good songs are "covered" or "sampled" sacrilegiously, it's very good to see, or rather hear, some original talent, which derives from the original talents of the golden age of music.

Rock On!

Losing the magic?

Hello all, it's been a long time.
I am still working like a maniac. I am doing three lates per week now, and rumours are that we will soon be staying open until 9pm, which means I won't have time to do anything, let alone blog.
It's nearly 2am now, but after sorting out some finances (there is no other time!) I decided to visit Rachel's blog to see how things are going on the other side of my La-la-land.

As I was reading Rachel's latest post about the new Attic Jam in Joe's pub in NY and I felt a pang (pung?) in my stomach for not being able to be there again, I couldn't stop thinking about how it was about 14-15 months ago...

• we had Attic shows every Wednesday - best time of the week!
• we had the chats during the shows - amazingly funny and sweet
• we felt close to our Pete, our Rachel, our Mikey, our Simon - but they were still our "idols", a bit unreachable, a bit of a dream...
• we were anticipating a live show, just to be there and hear them play
• in the Bedford Gig it was a pinch-me moment when I got a photo with Simon
• as for the first Attic Jam ever (Basement Jam) it was beyond words to describe, as I shook Pete's hand and them Mark, Jill and I were guests in the Attic! Absolute magic and very special

The Leeds concert was incredible, being at the front row of such an historical event... Our blogger friend Tony (Haribomort) got a pic with Pete and it was absolutely magical.
Then the Attic was flooded by guests... the Eels, the Kooks, the Editors, and many others whom I can't remember. All very good artists, but It wasn't the same for me. I was tuning in to watch Rachel and the gang and not Martha Wainwright (which, I am very sorry to say, I don't like at all). Out of politeness to Rachel and her generous soul I didn't say anything back then, but as time goes by and I see that the shows are more about the guests and not our beloved artists...I don't know, I feel it's losing its magic. But I would never discourage Rachel, if that is what she likes to do, I will listen to 20 Wainwright songs, just to hear one of Rachel's...

Now, about the meet and greet: I'd kill, steal and lie to be in one of them. I would punch people in the face (careful!) to have a photo with Pete, like a lot of you did. But then I would go away and the next person would come to have another photo with him, and I think he would feel a bit like a Tussaud's wax statue????? I am sure that our Attic gang are more than happy to meet their fans. Rachel has been so close to us and I truly appreciate that. Pete has been amazing with all of us. But sometimes I feel like we are asking too much?????? We take it for granted????? We expect it??????
As I said: not magic! "Oh! I got a photo with Pete and Rachel" , "Oh, yeah! me too" "and me" and so on and so on. Someone who did meet him and had a chat with him, was even talking very blazé about it. It got me a bit angry...
I am talking about someone who also deleted one of my comments on her blog, called me "someone" and has not visited my blog ever since... Long story, another time.

Please, please, please don't get me wrong. I am happy for everyone who got to meet and greet and take a picture with our prized personalities. Well done and good for you! I am not writing all this out of jealousy as you might think. I don't want you to think that "hey Marietta, you met them, we haven't so what's YOUR problem?" I am just expressing a concern, that we might be losing the magic here. And I think I agree with Pete's and Rachel's decision not to have a meet and greet this time. Keep the distance a little bit, keep the magic...

I will probably not take part at the competition for the tickets when Rachel launches her album. She will be sooo busy, what with the press being there and the promotion, she won't even remember my name. But, it goes without saying, good luck to all of my blogger friends who will.

I am not losing my faith, I have not idolized them in the point of God-like idols, I don't blame anyone who will go and have a pic with them, I'm still one of you... I hope you understand what I'm trying to say here...

Once again, for all my blogger friends who have met them, FAB!
For those of you who haven't: GO FOR IT!

But for me, it has lost its intimacy.

One last thing: When I was in Hyde Park I didn't manage to go backstage, fair enough... In one of the following ITA's I heard Simon say "Boy, we had a looot of people backstage" and you know what? I was glad I wasn't one of them!

TOO MUCH OF ANYTHING
IS TOO MUCH FOR ME..

Love to all

*** HAPPY NEW YEAR ***

Well the fireworks by the London Eye were amazing last night... I wonder how many thousands of tons that was..
I am still working non-stop, hence my absence from blogland. I have a day off on Thursday and I will probably pop up to say hi.
In the meantime have a fabulous 2007 and may your dreams be my wishes...

Lots of love
xoxoxo
M

The three Witches of Christmas

Little Faith pressed her face on the window and stared at the beautiful globe with the three witches that turned and turned. She was holding her mother's hand, both wearing torn gloves that let their fingers out, to be touched by the cold wind. They hadn't eaten for days, and, as it was Christmas Eve, Mrs Hope was going to ask to help Mr Strickland at his gift shop, in exchange for a little money for hers and Faith's Christmas dinner.
"What do you see my darling Faith?" Mrs Hope asked, seeing her daughter's eyes nearly in tears.
"I see that beautiful globe with the three witches. How I wish I could buy it for Christmas"
"I know honey, but at the moment we need food and warmth. So I am going to ask Mr Strickland for a job for today, so we can eat and get a warm room in the shelter. So, I want you to promise me you'll be a good girl and you won't speak to the man, until he speaks to you and also not to touch anything in the shop."
It was known to the whole village that Mr Strickland was a very strange and sometimes mean man. He had never decorated his shop for Christmas and no one had ever seen him smile.

"All right mommy", answered Faith. But she didn't take her eyes off the globe as they were entering the shop.
Mr Strickland, without even raising his head shouted "No beggars, go away!"
Mrs Hope was ready to turn around and go, but she made a step forward, took a deep breath and said "No, we're not beggars. I am looking for a job for today, or any other day until New Year's, so that I and my little girl can have a plate of food"
"Niah, I know what you're like. If I take you in here, the minute I'll turn my back you'll steal my money"
Mrs Hope was ready to say something when she noticed that Faith had gone near the window and had stretched her arm and taken the globe.
"Faith, NO!" shouted Mrs Hope and Mr Strickland plunged at the window and grabbed Faith by the hair. "NO ONE TOUCHES ANYTHING IN HERE, ESPECIALLY YOU, YOU FILTHY BEGGAR!!" and pushed her out of the door.
Faith let a cry and fell on the floor. As she fell, the globe flew out of her hands, and it crashed on the pavement. Faith looked around her and saw she was on her own, her mom or Mr Strickland were nowhere in sight and the shp was shut.
Suddenly, the wind blew madly and everything became misty, as three strands of smoke rose from the globe and transformed themselves into fully fleshed witches, identical to the ones that were in the globe.
"Ah! Free at last!" said one witch.
"Unbelievable, after 260 years!" said another
"Hey, look, the Strickland shop is still here!" said the third.

Faith, with her mouth open stared at the witches. When she finally realised what was happening she asked:
"Are you real witches?"
"Oh, my dear child," said the oldest of the three witches", of course we are. We were cursed by that man's ancestor, Midas Strickland, to live inside the globe, because we punished him for being greedy. I see his progeny is not far better. We've been watching him all these years. Ever since he inherited that shop from his father. He's been a miserable and stingy man, especially after his wife died and left him on his own. I loathe him, but pity him the same time. I'm Fenella, by the way"
"And I'm Prunella" said the middle one.
"And I'm Carmella" said the youngest one and bowed.
"And you, " said Fenella " who freed us, can have a wish. Any wish. What would you like? Wealth? A house? More food than you can ever eat? Eternal beauty? Ask for anything"

Faith thought for a while. "You know what I want?"
"I know", said Carmella. "A doll, as beautiful as...well, me"
"Oh, shoosh Carmella" said Prunella. "Let the child decide. And I think I know what she wants. She wants a warm coat"
"You are both wrong", said Fenella looking at her two sisters dissapprovingly. "I think she wants her mother to get a job. That will be at least useful for longer!"

"Actually..." hesitated Faith, "you are all wrong. What I really want is..."
"Yeah?" the three witches said together with anticipation
"I want ... I want Mr Strickland to be happy...!"

"No, no, no, you don't understand" said Prunella. "The wish is for YOU and YOU only. Whatever made you think you could wish for someone else?"
"Yes, but don't you see?" insisted Faith. "If Mr Strickland was a happier man, he wouldn't be mean to my mother and me, he would have given her the job and we would not be cold and starving tonight. Or ever"
"I think she has a point", Carmella said. "You know for a little girl, you have a very big heart. What is your name by the way?"
"Faith" said the little girl and gave them a big smile.
"Well, Faith" Fenella said and rose her hands to the sky, as did the other two witches.
"Here it is, your wish:
By the enchanting Moon that illuminates the sky
And the stars that are lamps in the night
Make this man named Strickland happy
For ever more, as of tonight!"
And, wooosh, three stars appeared from the sky leaving three bright stardusted tails that lit the night with the brightest lights.

Faith blinked her eyes and when she opened them she was once again all alone. The witches were not around and the shop door was once again open.
"Faith, Faith" she heard a voice. It wasn't her mother's voice. It was a man's. It was...Mr Strickland's!
"Come inside, you'll freeze to death little girl" said Mr Strickland. Faith rose to her feet and went closer to the shop hesitating at the start, but then she saw her mother smiling to her so she ran inside.
"Well, Mrs, erm, Mrs..."
"Hope" said the woman, holding her daughter.
"Well Mrs Hope, I tell you what. It's already after four and I see that everyone's at home, no one will be coming here now. So why don't I shut this place and we all go home and have dinner. My sister sends me a huge meal every year and I can never go through it, so tonight we will share it. What do you say? Heck, it's Christmas Eve, after all!"

Faith and her mother looked at each other. Mrs Hope could not believe her ears. She smiled at the man and said "With pleasure, sir" and they all left to have a warm night and a rich meal.

Mrs Hope started working at Mr Strickland's shop, who gave her and Faith a small room above the shop to live. A few months later he married her and became the happiest man in the world, always smiling and giving a lot of money to the poor.

Mrs Hope could never understand what exactly happened and Mr Strickland changed overnight.
She never learned about her daughter's wish and the three witches of Christmas.
Faith never told her the story. She would never believe her.
It didn't really mattered though.
She kept her secret to herself. And every Christmas Eve she would look at the sky and she would see three stars flickering and smiling back at her.
_______________________________________________

Ok, that's a little story for Christmas I wrote some years ago, for my AOL webpage (which existed before this blog)
I dedicate it to all of you, wonderful people and wish you

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!
and may you always have
FAITH and HOPE

So tired

I haven't blogged since the 3rd of the month.

I went to the ball on Saturday and it was nothing special. I got bored. Same band, same songs, but the food was delicious!
I hated my hair... I went for the "new" and wound up looking like a middle-aged office worker (which I am, LOL). What I mean is, it was like everyday hair, not ball hair, you get it?
Will post photos when I have some spare time.
I am working like a f*$£ing dog!!!

Take care.

You know you are living in 2006

I got this on an email recently and it's a lot of fun to read (and freaky too!)

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2006 when:

1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave.
2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.
8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
10. You get up in the morning and go online before getting your coffee.
11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile.
12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.
13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.
14. You are too busy to notice that there was no #9 on this list.
15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list
AND NOW YOUR LAUGHING at yourself...

I can relate to most of the above, how about you?
I don't have any news... work work and more work (double dose).
The surveyor for the remortgage is coming on Tuesday, which means on my free hours I'm rearranging things, tidying up and cleaning. I sleep at 2am and wake up at 6:30 am. No time to blog seriously or relax. Hectic life, but at least it's a good hectic life.
Sending virtual kisses to all

All's well...

Helloooo.

New job is fabulous! I haven't started officially yet, I signed my contract to start on the 18th of December, but for now I am helping them, while training and practising and still doing my old job too at the same time!

I had a lovely walk in Covent Garden today, bought a few books and my dress for the ball! Yes, the Christmas Ball is once again upon us and I can't wait... At the fabulous Grosvenor again. What does the dress look like? Be patient I will take pictures at the ball and you'll see. It's silk!

Well, no more news for now. Just checking in. I will visit as many blogs as possible on Sunday, got lots to do so bear with me and my unsociability (new word?)

Lots of kissy kisses xxxxxx

* * * * * * * * * * SUNRISE* * * * * * * * * *

Oh, my Goooood! I got the joooooob!!!!!!

I haven't been so happy since July (Who concert...)

It was a very weird thing today. I woke up with a very bad mood. When I looked at my balance in my account it became worse.
I went out for lunch and it was raining. Bad, bad, bad mood...
Then at around 3:30 my Financial Advisor called me (at work! that has never happened before?!?) to ask me when can he come so I can sign the final papers for the re-mortgage, because it's...looking good! F***ing-A, I thought, this is the best news I've heard all day.
I was wrong.

Less than five minutes later the lady that interviewed me on Saturday came to tell me that they are going to offer me the position! My heart jumped and I wanted to kiss her, but I was cool and I just thanked her with a big smile.

So, two good things in a matter of minutes, when for over two months I was only having bad news....
It must have been all your prayers and good thoughts. Thank you ALL so much! ♥♥♥♥

Life is strange.
Life is w o n d e r f u l.

iMixed emotions

Well, helloooo.
Yesterday I had one of the most difficult interviews of the last five years! It was where I work, basically doing the same things I'm doing now, but jumping into a new department, with a little bit more money. I had two people interviewing me, one of them used to be my manager, and they literally asked me about every single word on my CV! God, it was exhausting but I think I gave the right answers and I was pretty cool, so fingers and toes crossed.

Mood-wise it's a mixed bag. On Friday, when they told me I had landed an interview, I was feeling really happy. Yesterday I was feeling scared and insecure again. I receive emails from people who have been in Who shows and Attic Jams, and although I'm so happy for them, I feel like sh*t because I SO want to be there too!!! Talk about mood swings. But when I come in here and write about it, it feels pretty damn good!

In the meantime, when I come home at night I watch my Charmed series (currently on series 7) and love the music they chose. Especially the songs they play after the opening titles, with the best aerial shots of gorgeous San Francisco... It drives me crazy! I had never heard some of the songs before, like the brilliant But I Do Love You by Leann Rimes, and I learned it from Series 5!
That is why I made this iMix with songs from the series and other ones that I think would fit. I dropped a couple of Who songs in it... hehe.
If you have iTunes click the picture above or this link: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=204827216
and it will open your iTunes so you can see my iMix and download the songs you like. And don't forget to rate my iMix! Oh, what a time waster, LOLOLOL.

Today is one of the few Sundays I'm not working, hurrah! I'm going to cook a delish lunch and watch a movie (the mind-numbing Failure To Launch, but hey, I want to escape) and then, guess what???? I'll come to your blogs!

For the mo,

Muchas kissas xxxxx

Gadgetmania

Oh how I love gadgets. With their shiny surfaces, their LCD screens, their special features and their magic that their little microchips inside create. Other women can spend hours in fashion shops, me on the other hand, put me in a Dixon's or PC World and I can just forget myself.

It all started way back in the mid-seventies. Ever since I remember myself, I remember me next to my mom's cassette radio recorder, which looked something like this on the right. I would spend hours taping from the radio. Rewind and tape again. And then a friend of mine lent me her microphone, which I found the most desirable thing on earth. Other girls were playing with dolls, I was making tapes with interviews from my family and friends.

By 1979 we had bought our big stereo. We used to have my mom's turntable, which now is an antic and it's still in my house in Athens. So with the new stereo and a colour TV, a couple of cables at the right...holes and I could record Greek comedies from TV. I would listen to them in my room and I would fall asleep while listening to them. That's how I've come to know most of them by heart, sleep therapy.
I had by now my own tape recorder (like the one on the right) to listen to my tapes and make new ones. Some of these tapes I made with my sister still exist and whenever I listen to them I fall on the floor laughing.

Then the god named SONY invented the Walkman. I nearly fainted when my aunt who lives in New York brought me one from USA. It was the best present EVER! I wouldn't be seen without it. It looked like the one on the left at the picture on top of the blog, it was huge and very heavy but it was the most heavenly thing for me...

Come 1983 and on my behest our household acquired our first VCR, which for me is still the best and most ingenious invention. Not only I could record my greek movies, but also anything else I fancied. I used to have the whole Fame series, until in a "I hate the 80's" crisis I erased them. Tapes and tapes of movies greek and foreign, which are all still intact, some of them here and most of them in Athens.
Of course gadgets like Discman, mini tape recorders and stuff were still coming in, and I had my first computer as a present from my family for finishing school mostly with 'A's! I learned 'BASIC' by myself and a love relationship with computers and software began. I discovered that I have a talent for computers, a rare perception of the world of software, that is why I studied IT for two years and my first job was Software Instructor for businesses. Of course my main studies were Journalism, which I think I chose so I can still keep using gadgets. LOLOLOL.

But, I digress...
After I started working and had my own income it just snowballed. Come the era of the mobile phone and I (and everybody else) looked like out of Alice in Wonderland with those huge Motorolas.
As the mobiles went smaller, so did my pocket. I can't remember how many I've bought by now.


So here we are in the techi 2000's and my house looks like Dixon's warehouse... My latest toy, my beloved Video iPod is in my bag all the time. My mobile phone is as tiny as my (empty) credit card. And my next coveted gadget is a Blackberry. I'm just waiting for the price to go down, hehe.




Before you accuse me of being materialistic, here's what I think about my Gadgetmania: most of the things I buy have to do with preserving life moments: tape recorders, cameras, video recorders, walkman, ipods et.c. I can repeat something I like over and over again, it be a song, a photograph, a movie. If I want to go back to it, I know I can. I can relive the same moment, the same feeling, the same memory. I can watch my Keith in So Sad About Us and still feel thrilled, or listen to Bittersweet Symphony and still want to cry. I have it, it's there. And I can take it with me anywhere.
So, for me gadgets preserve life, and I love them so, because, most of all, I love life.

What's your favourite gadget?