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.