Wicked - The Musical

Wicked was one of those musicals that I initially was eager to see but hadn't decided that it was essential viewing because I was more or less too lazy to look into buying tickets. But when someone else is organising tickets (hai SuBoo!) then you jump on the bandwagon.

Prior to any outside influences, I was quite interested to watch this and more so when I was told by others that it was quite good. Then someone, just this one person told me they didn't like it and while I realise now that we have utterly, utterly different tastes (and that I shouldn't have listened to them), it did impact my initial impressions of the musical.

I ended up sitting there during the first Act thinking to myself, 'I'm not enjoying this, I'm not enjoying this. This is crap.' After the intermission, I realised, 'Hey! I quite like this musical! The music and the story is orrite. I do like the second Act!' It was only when I got home, I figured 'Hey! It was quite good! I want to see it again!' *shakes fist at person who influenced my thoughts*

Here's a photo of the stage before the curtain was lifted.

I hear that a production of Wicked will be opening in Melbourne with Millsy as the lead male! Wahahaha.... only a select few people would find that funny. Oh yay, I wouldn't mind watching it in Oz!

As for the story, it tells us how the two witches in Oz met. I mean, I love The Wizard of Oz (not obsessesively) and the whole background story is appealing enough. Wikipedia is the source of all knowledge and you can read the synopsis here. The music was quite hmmmm Disney-like and yes, I am not ashamed to say it, I quite enjoy the Disney cartoon musicals. This opinion is very much based on the movie Aladdin (who is pretty damn hot for a cartoon character).

Anyway, Wicked, yes I did like it and I would like to see it again!

J and Pooey's Excellent Adventure

J and I had discussed many times about going to the Billingsgate Fish Market. It's such a shame that it is only open in the wee hours of the morning and that all the good stock is usually gone by 6-7am. Anyway, given that we were intending to cook some seafood-based dishes, this really was the most sensible time to put in that extra effort and make that hike.

There are no photos to this blog but yesterday was a particularly interesting day as you will see after reading the following log of events. More importantly, we managed to fulfill many tasks. We've come to the conclusion that nothing goes right when Jade and I are paired together. It's hilarious!

And so the day begins......

3.20am J wakes up. Puts on clothes. Then decides to check her clock and realises that we are not getting up until 4.30am. Goes back to bed.

4.30am Both J and I get up and get ready. J takes out the rubbish *shock* She never usually takes out the rubbish!

5.00am Wait at the 21/42 bus stop for Mona in a cab. Get honked by a Tarago and we run to it, thinking that it’s Mona. No Mona in the car. Guy asks us if we need a lift. J says no. Go back to 21/42 and Mona picks us up in a black cab.

5.30am Get to Billingsgate. Realised in the cab that we don’t have enough cash. Walk away from Billingsgate towards Maccas. See an ATM – it charge £1.75 per withdrawal. Decide to go inside Maccas to see if they have cash out. J asks for cash out. They don’t understand. ‘We don’t have cash back’ they say. We leave Maccas and withdraw from the ATM. Go back to Billingsgate and browse the seafood.

6.00am Finished with purchases. About 10-12kg in total. Mona is hungry and we stop by Maccas so he can eat his muffin. Debate about how to get home – DLR or #15 bus. No DLR service but replacement bus service available. Walk towards DLR stop. Fight for our lives crossing the road. Mona crosses the road without us and we realise he’s going the wrong way. Tell him to come back. Walk through dodgey underpass.

6.15am We feel lucky as the replacement bus is also the place where the 15 bus stops too. Replacement bus comes first and the 15 is behind. We decide to take the 15 as it is slightly more convenient. We approach the door and the driver waves at us and mouths ‘NO FISH’ and shuts the door in my face and drives off. We decide to take the tube.

6.25am We walk towards the Canary Wharf tube. On the road. Decide that we should stop by Borough Market for breakfast.

6.45am Get to Borough and J goes to touch a pineapple. Store keeper comes over and say ‘We’re not open’. Ditch the breakfast idea and decide to go to Sainsburys for bread.

6.50am Sainsburys not open until 7am. We wait near vomit. Buy bread, juice and other stuff. Mona goes home.

7.15am The 21 goes past us as we are about to cross the road. J says ‘You know, we’d get home sooner if we walked’ I agree. We carry 10-12kg of fish home in turn.

7.30 – 8.30am We unpack the fish. We descale the fish. We slice up the fish in steaks and pack them in the freezer.

8.30 – 9.50am Breakfast and watched ‘Beauty and the Geek’ J feels sleepy. We debate if we should go for a run. I say we do.

10.10am – We get outside and it’s just begun raining. We run anyway. 2.8km is the supposed distance according to Googlemaps.

10.30am – We return and shower.

11.30am– Kt wakes up and we are looking spiffy and glowing. She retreats to her bedroom.

12noon – We leave for Chinatown. Eat lunch. I leave fluff everywhere due to my A&F top.

1.10pm – Begin grocery shopping. Get all ingredients except for one herb of which I don’t even know the name. We go to all the grocery stores to find it. I start to get upset cos I decide that I NEED that herb. I say ‘If any place would have it, it would be Seewoo in North Greenwich’. J cries a little on the inside. We debate whether to try and find it in Bayswater. We figure it’s too much of a hassle but I decide that I will try Greenwich regardless.

2.10pm – Get on the tube towards North Greenwich. I tell J she should go home and I can buy the rest of the ingredients for her Banoffee pie as there’s a Sainsburys there too. She insists on going. I tell her it’s ok to think of yourself because I am not offended and I understand if she’s tired. She comes to North Greenwich.

2.30pm – Get to North Greenwich tube. Wait for a bus. Get off and walk to Seewoo (it’s hidden) I get SUPER excited cos my herb is there! We buy a few other bits and pieces. Go to Sainsburys but some more bits and pieces.

3.15pm – Get back on the bus to North Greenwich tube. Get to London bridge by 3.35. Kt calls. She’s at Tooley st. We see a 21 pass us and we RUN! We make it and don’t catch the bus home with Kt.

3.50pm – Home. Unpack. Start to defrost scallops, mussels, squid tubes. Peel and devein prawns. Wash veggies. J starts her toffee.

5.30pm – Everything is ready to go. J takes a nap. I start the broth-making.

6.00pm – Everyone is late. I get ready for Bedroom Bar as we have drinkies tonight.

6.30pm – Bao and Leesh arrive. Mona shortly after.

6.50pm – We eat. J completes her Banoffee pie. She makes the hardest toffee on earth which defies gravity when upturned in a bowl.

8pm – We load the dishwasher.

8.30pm – We all cab it to Bedroom Bar.

8.40pm – We arrive at bedroom. No one else is there.

10pm – I start to collapse.

10.30pm – I message Lil Miss J to clarify about Sebastian.

11.30pm – Happy to go home. Say good bye.

11.45pm – Get the tube to London bridge. Catch the 21. Didn’t have to wait for too long. After about 5mins silence on the bus, J laughs at the reflection of our faces in the glass. We looked wrecked.

12midnight – Shower

1am – Sleep

SUNDAY 1pm – I wake up. So sore… cant move or touch toes.

The end of an adventure!!! I don't think I've ever had such a day in my life.

Hospital & Cupcakes

For reasons which I won't bore you with, I had to attend hospital in London. Not being able to do my real job here seriously debilitates me in a number of ways and unfortunately one of those things include affording private health insurance *eek!*

I figured, I'm a fairly healthy person, my mum insisted she didn't do any hard drugs while I was incubating in her uterus and for a person who was conceived under not ideal conditions (try a refo island) I consider myself to be in a pretty spiffy medical state. So bye-bye to private medical insurance, the public system here should do me fine.

So, off I went to a public hospital for my scheduled procedure after my previous night of pain and suffering (those damn drugs I had to take did their job too, too well!)

You know, I've been in teaching hospitals in Oz and yeah I was a bit surprised at the somewhat rundown conditions of the hallways etc and I have definitely been in normal Oz public hospitals which felt all hospital-ly but this London hospital I attended was a bit....... dilapidated. I wanted to say 'gross' but I accept that buildings in the UK have stood their test of time.

Walking into the hospital, I thought I was in the wrong place. It was grotty, the stair bannisters were worn, the wooden floors seemed like they were rotting. Definitely not the sterile environment one has come to expect. The reception desk wasn't obvious and it manned with a security guard of all people. Maybe the ONE receptionist/information assistant for this large hospital was at lunch? Anyway, I give kudos to the guard because he managed to point me in the correct direction. Wow, that is like the best customer service I've received since I arrived in the UK.

I am quite happy to say that while the waiting area of my hospital department was nothing to write home about, the doctor was extremely professional and the actual operating room was to the expected hygiene standards.

Anyway I had my *procedure* done and the coolest part was watching the doctor inject me with pethidine. I've always wanted to watch a needle be administered to me but never got the opportunity because 1. as a child, they always tell you to look away, 2. I was always lying down and couldn't view my arm when giving blood and 3. I haven't managed to get my hands on heroin yet.

I had to take this photo because this was my first time since birth of wearing a hospital band! I really felt like a hospital patient now! Also, I got a really cool tampon stuck to my wrist to cover the injection point.

You know what the best part of hospital is? People treat you like you're sick, even if you're not and bring you treats!

Thanks for the cupcakes, Leesh! They were mmmm mmmm mmmmmmmmmoist!

It's Snowing!

Wtf is up with this weather? Last night's Hens Party wasn't too cold and I didn't notice any signs of freakazoid weather but today I woke up (early for a Sunday dammit) to find snow outside! <-- Don't be fooled by the exclamation mark - I am not excited by this at all.

Here's the view outside my window.

It's Spring for crying out loud. J got so excited she ran upstairs to the rooftop and nearly laid down in the dirty London snow to make snow angels.

Gimme my Spring!

Hens Night!

Well after an afternoon of culture, it was time to prepare for a night of shenanigans. My one relative in London (yes, I do have a blood relative here!) had her Hens Night in Soho in Meza; the tapas bar/restaurant where Spuey gave £5 to the toilet assistant because he thought he had to tip.

I played the responsible cousin who ensured that my blood relative peed when she needed to pee and prevented any vomiting indoors. However, I did not manage to stop her from getting up on the table and dancing like a drunkard.

Of course this was a golden opportunity to take a photo :D

No vomiting occurred until the end of the night and was restricted to the entrance of the bar. I'm pretty sure she has now has been blacklisted from re-entering this venue. A rather subdued night, I would say, as the little bride had to leave and rest her pretty head. Good luck with the wedding, dear cuz!

The Crack

I'd been wanting to see 'The Crack' for some time. I'd totally forgotten that it was at the Tate Modern until I saw in the paper that they were gonna close up 'The Crack'. Oh no! Originally I was just gonna head out on my own, but my wanting to see this 'Crack' conjured up interest from others. Inevitably, this led to many 'Crack' jokes being hurled between us. Allow your immature mind to run free - there are endless possibilities.

Borough Market being relatively close to the Tate was the obvious choice for a quick lunch.

Is the food nice? I think it iiiiisssss!!!

After munchies, we hurried (well I did anyway) to the Tate, filled with the anticipation of seeing a crevice in the Turbine Hall. A pamphlet was presented to us upon entry.

Ooh, you'd better watch out! It's dangerous!

I was somewhat disappointed because I was expecting a hole large and deep enough to comfortably stick my legs in while seated. Any attempts to do so would have resulted in an embarrassing 'excuse-me-can-you-get-me-out-of-this-hole' situation and maybe a mention in The Times. So instead we opted for some mandatory, foolish posing.

Muwahahahahahahahahahaaaaa...

The Crack viewed from the first floor. It was actually very well 'built'... like a real crack, not a fabricated one!

Hmmm I should point out that it's not really known as the 'Crack'. Shibboleth is it's official title. I've said before I don't really 'get' modern art and this time was no different. When I realised the piece was about racial hatred, segregation etc, I guess, well yeah, I guess so.... I kinda get it. I wanted to get it, but I would be telling fibs if that's what I thought when I saw the piece. I accept, I just lack the vision required to interpret modern art.

Goodbye Oz, Hello Singapore Airport!

The time came to bode farewell to the Land of Drought, Good Food, a Car for Me to Drive Despite Disgusting Petrol Prices and return to the Land of Crappy Summers, Shite Food and the Tube. Ok, I wont bag the Tube because 1 minute intervals between trains is something that Australia needs to get under their belt.

I agreed to meet my "Aunty" J at the airport as we realised we were on the same flight! Yippee, a flight buddy! Our stopover involved a 3 hour laze-about in Singapore Airport. That might sound like a long time but Jade and I were looking forward to it!!

Our biggest concern was that we were jetting in at 6am by which *gasp* the shops might not be open! Lucky for us, there is not much else to do in Singapore, hence shopping is embedded in their culture.

We managed to waste about an hour in Charles & Keith, buying three pairs of shoes each! At £7 - £15 a pair, I had to stop myself from buying the whole store. I used to have issues with non-leather shoes but you know, some of my favourites have been from Charles & Keith and Vinnci. Who am I kidding? I love shoes!!!

The hungry, dirty hippos that we were, we also squeezed in a snack from Toast Box, a new venture from the peeps that brought BreadTalk/Top into our lives.

Thick Kaya toast. Yummo!

Mmmmm mmmm and barley tea....Look at how gross we look. Ugh, I hate my fringe so much.

Nothing eventful happened on the flight back. Just getting ready to get back into the grind. *sigh*