Neil Fein's Blog

We spent yesterday walking around London, in the morning in search of a grocery store, and in the afternoon in search of bookstores and the Twinings factory. The reason all of this was so challenging was that it was 26 December, Boxing Day, and most stores were closed.

Asad had a brainstorm and we hopped the tube to Golder's Green, a predominantly Jewish area, where -- Yes! -- We found a place for breakfast: a very nice Israeli restaurant/cafe that, oddly enough, wasn't kosher; and an open supermarket. And an open coffeeshop, Caffe Nero, which I misread as Coffee Nerd. I like myname better.

We dropped food back at Asad's flat, and went back out strolling along Oxford Street and the Strand, looking for bookstores but really just looking. I saw three (!) street performers doing the don't-I'look-just-like-a-statue-wait-I'll-move-and-startle-you or similar act.

Woke up this morning at 9am local time (4am EST), and went into the kithen to get breakfast. Not wanting to wake up Asad or Martha, I fumbled around in the kitchen looking for the heater. ^[1]

I washed some dishes from last night's chili and alcohol^[2] shabbes dinner, which served to warm me up a little. I went back into the bedroom, sitting at a window to get light while reading, and I saw the sun for the first time since landing. Well, I saw the sun relected in the hood of a blue parked smartcar; I think that counts.

Asad has a Steinberger Spirit^[3] which I spent some time playing through headphones. It's 11:02am as I blog and I'm still the only one awake. I type this with a bowl of cereal between my arms on the table, and a glass of milk to my right. Asad has been here 6 months and still doesn't have a coffeemaker.

^[1] Red wine and Grey Goose Vodka; Asad says this is a drinking culture, so it seemed polite to comply with local custom.

^[2] Asad keeps the kitchen doors to the outside open at night, for some reason I've yet to fathom. And it gets cold here at night.

^[3] Smallish headless electric guitar, very nice action, a fast neck.