things I miss about England
- the almost hour-long walk across the meadows, on a blistery cold Sunday, to The Trout Inn in Oxford for a really good pub meal
- monthly subscriptions to BBC Music Magazine and BBC Good Food
- the Sunday papers
- shopping in Boot’s, W H Smith’s, Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s
- online shopping
- the streets, shops, cafes and atmosphere of Covent Garden
- the remainder bookshops on Charing Cross Road
- Paperchase
- Heal’s and Habitat’s on Tottenham Court Road
- walking up and down King’s Road
- Lush
- the classical music section on HMV Oxford Circus
- attending great classical music concerts on the South Bank and the Barbican Centre
- queueing up for promming tickets on a Summer’s evening
- theatre at the National Theatre
- opera at the ENO
- the art galleries
- the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
- the English (men)
- the train slowing down, the doors opening and a voiceover announcing “mind the gap”
- keeping right on the escalators
- long walks in tended parks on an afternoon
- biking down the streets of Oxford
- the incomprehensible, unsurpassable, immense library system of Oxford
- the crisp, clear weather after many days of grey and wet
- drinks with Mike after work at Kudos
- sitting in a cafe on Old Compton Road, watching the world go by
- Borders Cafe at 22H
- kissing passionately in public without fear of reprisals
- afternoon tea in the back garden on a warm day in late Spring with freshly baked scones and good friends all around
- England in Summer
- the proximity to the Continent
- me in England
Serious issues are surfacing. You feel weighed down by the sheer intensity of an emotional burden. This partly explains your overwhelming desire to get away from it all. You want to escape, to travel, to learn something new or - failing all of that - to explore some totally different psychological territory. You are tired of looking at the same old set of circumstances in the same old way. You yearn for a fresh perspective. Failing that, you at least want power over a situation that currently seems beyond influence. Saturn and Jupiter look set to grant both these wishes for you soon.. and more.
- Cainer, for the week
Posted on July 19th, 2004 by jl
Filed under: lost blah blah
Another post on missing things in Blighty, eh?
Seems like most of us are in a ruminative mood, these days.
i wonder why online shopping is listed?
(1) because i love shopping
(2) because i love shopping online
(3) try shopping online when you are in Malaysia
Q.E.D.
The saturday afternoons in the pub watching a football match with total strangers. really, really miss that.
I will add a quick few :
* the staggering British Museum
* the convenience of the London Tube
* the thrilling London Eye
Trying online shopping for yarn in Malaysia. *thumbsdown*
yarn? as in knitting yarn?
Jikon, if you’re trying to get me down you certainly are succeeding!!!
Look, I’m just starting to adjust to the antipodean way of life, so don’t be reminding me about London or Europe or anything…
It’s freezing here, and the place here generally reminds me of America. But thanks be to God there’s a Border’s (by the way, you DO know it’s a yank book chain don’t you!), and in general better weather than the british isles, even though it’s all arseways.
Winter in July sucks bigtime.
(And yes, people here apparently DO NOT KNOW where to stand on an escalator! Pet peeve..)
hey, if it’s anything, the one BIG OTHER thing to do in London, you don’t have to do.
You DON’T have to pay the obligatory visit to Wong Kei to eat hor fun.
Good food you can get anywhere back home!
Hmm… still if you miss the UK scene so much why not go back? Surely there must be a way given all your qualifications? Don’t delay,
Good Fortune/Luck = opportunity + awareness of said opportunity + readiness to take advantage of said opportunity.
With said equation, you’d best do a bit of recce work - who knows…
Good luck
I’ve only ever stepped into Wong Kei once, and never again. I go to Chang’s or whatever it’s called, the one on the side street next to Price Charle’s Theatre. It’s much better and their roasted duck is to die for… That said, I never really craved for chinese or asian food while I was there. I just ate whatever. And I cook too, though when I do, it’s hardly ever Asian. It’s usually some concoction of my own!
Haha.. Wong Kei.. so famous.. for being bad… yet so many frequent…
you also did not mention of Page 3 the Sun.. I know one my mate missed it as he never misses an issue..
Can now get Tesco in M’sia… but the bake beans is not 7 pense…
you also did not mention of the underground urine smell.. hehehe.. bet you will never miss that eh…
Tesco in Malaysia is not at all the same as Tesco in the UK. Tesco in Malaysia is just Giant with a different logo and wider aisle space. It’s an offence to even pretend it’s a British supermarket…!
I’ve been to Wong Kei a couple of times and while the food has been consistently bad, the service has not. They don’t fawn over you, but I’ve certainly never received the torrents of abuse and roughly thrown plates some people claim they get. The only thing stopping me from going back is the food. It really is ghastly, and cheap as it is, you can get much better for about the same price elsewhere.
For those of you in London, I recommend Tuk Tuk in Charing Cross Road (a few doors from Ku Bar) for the nicest curry laksa around. And Kar Hoe (I don’t know the spelling) for massive portions of authentic-tasting Malaysian noodles, from wat tan hor to fook kein mein.
And I LOVE Tescos. Go late in the evening and you can get all sorts of things at a fraction of the price. Yeap, I’m a bargain hunter. You can take the Malaysian out of Malaysia…
Hmm… Wong Kei bad? Must be me being ulu not really having lived there, but then again, I only order kon chow ngou hor if I go there there - the cha kuai teow there looks really cialat, so I’ve never ever ordered it.
I have to say the place several doors down (what was it called?) has pretty good ngah poh fan (with lap cheong and ham yee most importantly!).
Anyway, all this talk of food is making me hungry even though I’ve already had dinner and there’s NOT a chance in hell I’ll find a decent plate of hokkien mee around here…
The char kuey teow in Wong Kei is served up completely soaked in grease and looks - as Rob said - really cialat. My big mistake is repeatedly ordering the wanton mee. Despite hating it every time (I have NO idea what meat goes into the wanton but I swear it’s something unnatural) I keep trying it again and again.
I’ve only just come back from KL, after two gastronomic weeks. It’s strange but while I was living there, I could have happily eaten char kuey teow every day. On this last trip I only had it twice and couldn’t finish it either time. I think my tastebuds have changed.
But I made a day trip to Penang and enjoyed the Penang laksa and the chee cheong fun (with har kow). And don’t get me started on the rojak buah. And nasi padprik. And nasi lemak and roti canai.
Truly, the best thing about Malaysia is the food.
Jay… funny you should use Ku Bar as a point of reference…!
Jikon, Ku Bar is absolutely not the place for me. Too young to be a predator and too old to be the prey.
I do go to Kudos, though.
Jay: hahaha! there was this bar on Archer St I used to go to in 1997/8. Can’t remember what it’s called, but they had the hunkiest, cutest bartenders in all of Soho then!
If I’m not mistaken, the bar you’re referring to is The Box. And they still have the hunkiest, cutest bartenders in Soho - and possibly, London. Only in the evenings though; the daytime staff tend to be significantly plainer.
Kudos is also known for its genetically superior bar staff.
Funny how Asians and Orientals tend not to be hired at these places, eh? If it’s muscles they want, surely some of us have enough to pull a pint?
err… not me!
Don’t really fancy the bar staff in Kudos. They’re friendly, but that’s about it. They did have a very nice looking bouncer at one point in Winter 2000!
been wanting to ask you for ages.. when were you there in the UK?
The Trout Inn is lovely!
Jay - I remember the name of the bar now. It’s called Bar Code.
Karina: 1997-2001
You miss queuing up? Hehehhh..
I don’t go to Bar Code because I don’t know anyone there. Funnily enough, a few of my friends do go there sometimes BECAUSE they don’t know anyone there; it makes ‘meeting’ people a little easier :op
Actually I’m a bit ’sian’ with the whole scene. I’ve all but stopped clubbing and while I still go to bars, it’s more out of a need to socialise than for the actual (smoky, noisy, crowded) environment.
I miss drinks after work with you also Jikon (especially in Kudos of course)… we simply didn’t do that often enough did we? Certainly a lot easier for me now… so when are you returning?
You’re not going to believe this but I’ve only been there a few times since moving in to town.
It’d certainly be nice to see you there and I miss my “partner in crime” helping me find the courage to talk to people!
Oz sounds interesting Rob (”arseways” hmmmm…please expand on that, unless it shatters the illusion!)
…and London certainly is the place to be as regards a shared experience with strangers in a bar here on a Saturday afternoon! Hmm, wonder which bar I might be thinking of now?
I haven’t been to the Chinese restaurant on Lisle Street you’re referring to for ages; so long ago in fact that the name is escaping me… “Yeung Cheng” I think. I expect it’s still a popular East-West haunt so I really must find an excuse to go to there! I notice they’re opening another one nearby on Wardour Street opposite the end of Gerrard Street…
Proms have started of course… no plans to go, really not “emerged” yet from moving into my new place…
Hope you emerge form your inertia soon
Mike x
The other Young Cheng has been around for ages, and just like the one on Lisle Street, it’s a popular choice for hungry east/west homos.
Mike - you Malaysian ah?
jay - you must try Bar Code once. And tell me if the hunky bartenders are still around!
Yes, it is Yeung Cheng, and now you’ve gone and reminded me why I liked it so much, apart from the roast ducks! it’s the sitting ducks I really liked!
anyway, Mike, I’d give my right arm to be in London right this minute. Even for only a day… you can’t imagine what it’s been like… which reminds me, I should write you a proper email… in due course!
Jay… I think the “other” Yeung Cheng you’re referring to is the one on Shaftesbury (or “shaft me”?) Avenue… I’m on about what looks like a third version on Wardour Street. Yes, I am a hungry homo but I’m not Malaysian - or was that a rhetorical question?
Looks like Bar Code may be worth a visit for me soon then…
By the way, thinking of the theme of London, if any of you ever get chance to see the BBC TV comedy series “Little Britain” then grab it, it’s an acquired taste but I loved it.
Off to bed now…. it’s time you were getting up Jikon… look forward to seeing you with all your limbs in the not too distant future
Nighty night (another rather eery comedy I liked). Mike.
what about the chocolates? The range of great-tasting chocolates is probably what i miss most.. cadbury’s here doesn’t taste like cadbury’s there. And you can’t get Yorkie’s here (or the men who eat it.
[yorkie being the real man's chocolate bar apparently]
Prema, I still prefer my chocolates Swiss and my men German!
Ya…knitting yarn…so expensive here and so ugly too.
Have to resort to cracking my brains and paying more by getting the yarn imported from Oz-land. *sniffles*
ps: Sorry for late reply. >(
Jikon, I went to Bar Code once, 3 years ago. It was very crowded and as I wasn’t the one who went up to the bar (tee hee, free drink) I didn’t get to see any of the bartenders.
Maybe I should give it a second chance.
The exchange rate is not so good for Ringgit earners at the moment, but if you’re really in desperate need of a break then come over lor. Maybe autumn would be a good time, so you can get the typical British weather for maximum Blighty impact.
Mike, I had no idea there was a third one being opened. Is the franchise really so successful that they need another one? Beef in black bean sauce must really be popular.
FYI I think if you go on a Sunday evening you’ll probably see the Long Yang Club badminton players having dinner there.
Little Britain - is that the funny one with the lisping queen who insists he’s the ‘only gay’ in his village?
And no, it wasn’t rhetorical. I was curious lah.
Gawd… i’ve heard about the badminton players meeting in YC. It must be true!
I found these links to Little Britain:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/tv/littlebritain/index.shtml
http://www.davidwalliams.com/LittleBritainTvHome.htm
Trip to London - target date: May/June 2005! Must save money!
Haven’t checked out those links Jikon but they certainly look the part, well done!
Yes Jay, Little Britain does have “Maffanwy” (probably spelt that incorrectly, sorry) who is the only gay in the (Welsh) village
I used to go to YC most Sundays for years with a group of friends. It was a bit of a guaranteed “drop in” if in town as there’d always be a few of us around. Gradually our numbers dwindled though. We did notice during that time that YC was getting gayer and gayer and then found out some of that was indeed attributable to those LYC badminton boys.
Hmm, let’s see if there are enough of us to go ’round to populate the third YC as well?!
Yes, I’m English, but I lean towards the East… ok Jikon, before you chip in I’ll say it myself… I lean so much that way I can hardly (barely?) stand up at times!
TTFN
Mike
I don’t go to YC much anymore. Like Mike, I was going so regularly at one point that I just got fed up. The ?7 per dish menu is still very good value if you’re in a big group though, so I wouldn’t rule it out. But for now, I have other fav restaurants (see above).
Mei, I must say that knitting yarn is a really odd thing to miss about a country!
Jikon, you’re really planning ahead! That’s a year away. Well, maybe the exchange rate won’t be so crazy by then.
Mike, to apply that dreadful term, you’re a rice queen! :op
Jay - guilty as charged! I’m not sure “rice queen” is such a dreadful term but the fact that there are some (so many?) dreadful rice queens certainly doesn’t help!
Jikon - is there any hope for me or is it too late already?? (please don’t tell me that’s a rhetorical question!)
Time for beddy byes…
Jay,
It IS when the yarn is soft, fluffy and you create wonderful looking stuff with it - and then you get back and all you get are ugly, hard and so-not-fluffy yarn which you have to work with. *argh*
I remember knitting this uber gorgeous blue scarf for the ex’s sister (bitch!) and it was so soft despite being made from wool and acrylic. *drools*
I can never get yarn of that quality here in Malaysia. *sniffles*