October 2010

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The Twin Peaks Weekender / Lynch Lock-in!

October 25, 2010 in Day Tripping | 6 comments

You may remember me saying last month how I’d managed to get tickets to the incredible Battersea Arts Centre Twin Peaks Weekender which happened this weekend. So this was me, dressed as my icon the Log Lady at 9.30am on Saturday morning and then travelling across the whole of London, on various modes of public transport, attracting some pretty weird looks. If you don’t know what Twin Peaks is (or that it’s my favourite television show in the history of the world!) you need to stop reading this instant and go and buy the recently released Definitive Gold Edition Boxset! and have your own marathon, and come back when you’re done. Ok! I’ve never really been a fangirl of anything (not Take That, or East 17, or Anime, or Star Trek etc) so there has never been an opportunity for me to legitimately go to any sort of fan event. Until now!

I have to say above anything; how well organised this event was. I have massive respect for the BAC who from the slight ticket-gate nightmare (all tickets sold out in two hours, & the insane demand for them crashed the entire system!) through to the actual event… every piece of communication (weekly emails from the Bookhouse Boys in my inbox!) and instruction was so authentic and spot-on.

The premise of the event was to show every episode of the glorious Twin Peaks back to back, in a 32 hour Lynch ‘lock in’. The whole of the amazing art centre was dedicated to the event so as well as the screening in the Grand Hall, there were various art installations, fan shrines and activities to discover as you snuck around the warrens of stairs and corridors inbetween episodes.

   

   

On arrival we got the plan for the evening (episodes had to run to a strict schedule so this didn’t turn into a week-lockin! but there was an extended break between 7-9.30pm to give time to explore all the other activities and stock up on cherry pie!) We were also given an edition of the Twin Peaks Gazette packed with clues and hints to look out for and our official #Lynchlockin wristband. The event was a great example of Twitter at its best – with the #Lynchlockin tagged tweets appearing on a huge screen next to the RR Diner (Love!) and it was amusing to be sharing the experience with so many strangers over the power of my iPhone. The BAC official twitter-ers also did a great job joining in and spreading the important news such as where to pick up your Lynch Lunch Bag (including brie baguette option, of course!)

On arrival you could also pick up your first of many free donuts (I’m sure Krispy Kreme didn’t exist in Agent Coopers day, but if it did then sure he would have thought they were damn good donuts!) and your official Lynchlockin mug which also allowed you unlimited free coffee for the entire event. Which was certainly needed.

The marathon screening was in the grand hall and it resembled something of a hurricane-crisis-centre or bomb evacuation! Row after row of sleeping bags, pillows and a few sneaky airbeds (so jealous) as people pitched up with whatever would keep them warm and comfy for the duration as the seating was just a vast wooden floor. Not comfortable! We arrived woefully under-prepared with just 2 pillows and a cushion. Woops.

Thankfully it wasn’t just me in costume. As well as knitwear and plaid shirts as far as the eye could see, there were some amazing efforts such as the One Eyed Jack hostess, a suitabled harrowed looking Ronette Pulaski, a few great garish Dr Jackobys, two terrifying Bobs (one of whom was sat near me, seriously nightmare inducing!) and lots of cheerleaders, dapper agent coopers and a couple of moustached Bills. My costume lended itself well to long periods of sitting still, but my log STANK. (It was also more of a twig compared to the Log Ladys chunk) It smelt like a whole world of putrid damp dankness and despite fabreezing it with Thai Orchid Fabreeze (!) and giving it a good airring, the musty smell followed me round all day and I occasionally found a stray woodlouse or creature scuttling off it onto my arm. Oh the glamour!

   

All the areas of the Art Centre were aptly named, such as the RR Diner, the Black Lodge and the Twin Peaks Visitor Centre and around every corner you spotted Owls or quotes or clever little nods to TP life. After watching ten hours of epidoes, the two surreal worlds definitely started to blur into one.

   

   

   

It was really fun watching Twin Peaks on a lovely big screen (as apposed to my struggling, stuttering laptop!) and also with so many other fans. There were great moments when the crowd erupted in cheers or claps or panto-boo type noises. It was also the special, friendly atmosphere you get when everyone has gathered somewhere with the same intentions and interests, so I quite often got chatting to strangers in the coffee-queue or whilst wandering around and had lost of great geek-outs about favourite characters or moments and also learnt from one red-room-clad boy about  the Double R Clubnight that happens the last Thursday of every month at Bethnal Green Working Mens Club. I will definitely be heading to that!

   

So 5 cups of coffee down, and with a bum that has never felt SUCH pain (way past pins and needles, way past being a bit numb…) it was time for the interval where I could properly explore. There were various amazing activities set up but my three personal favourites were: 1. Log Lady Life Drawing! Like arts & crafts at playgroup, for grown ups! There was a wealth of drawing implements and inside the member library, a naked life model posing with a Log. I’ve never tried life drawing (as you can probably tell by my very poor effort) but it was great experience and all the representatives running it from London Drawing were very helpful and encouraging!

2. Dance with Laura. This was one of the fan shrine pieces and was so simple but effective. (Someone sarcastically told us as we walked in Oh yeah, this is not to be missed, which annoyed me because it was such a brilliant idea and I think that person had really missed the point!) The room was set up with the record player and Lauras iconic photo in a frame. You could put on your track and dance with Laura just like Leland in this iconic scene.

   

3. Wrapped In Plastic. This great art installation was being monitored by a rather strict door attendant who fed us blood covered (the blood IS edible!) donuts as we queued to enter, as it was 2 in at a time. You couldn’t tell at all what lay inside as you queued and we saw a few people get antsy and give up but boy was it worth waiting! Inside was an incredible set up, absolutely filled with smoke machine mist you could visit the coffin in which Lauras body lay and the room was painted with the red room zigzag flooring and walls. I wish we could have stayed in there longer as it was so detailed. Sorry for the shoddy photos. iPhone crummy camera + smoke machine = zzz.

   

Oh and the Twin Peaks QUIZ! With clips and everything! Where knowing such minuatae as the first character to appear in the pilot and the type of bird Waldo is came in useful, finally!

Ok this post is turning out to be as long as the weekend so I will end it there. But all in all an absolutely incredible experience (if a little chilly and uncomfortable at times) and it was quite devastating to leave and rejoin life away from Twin Peaks Population 499. (Although nice to get back to my purring, cuddly, feline Agent Cooper!) Can’t we just do it every weekend please?

Battersea Arts centre informed me today that throughout the weekend they got through 140litres of milk, 45 loaves of bread, 700 eggs and 400 cans of coke! I just have to mention again how incredible the staff at BAC were too. All the front of house staff and presenters were endlessly patient and chirpy and something that could have descended into sleep-deprived, Lynch insanity induced crazyness was just completely well organised and smooth. There were never too many people in each area despite it being such a busy event, so you could easily sneak off down a dark passageway and find yourself completely alone with a huge owl sketch! BAC is such an incredible location and with fantastic content so even if Lynch-lockins aren’t your bag, I would recommend a trip down there.

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Spotlight on Fur Coat, No Knickers

October 12, 2010 in Spotlight | 3 comments

This months blogger spotlight is someone I get a little starstruck by and am chuffed to bits that she agreed to feature for me. She’s a force to be reckoned with and a serious head girl of all things fashion and style. If you don’t have Rachael aka Fur Coat, No Knickers on your reader-list then you are missing a trick and a treat!

From her run-downs of latest designer catwalks to items she’s currently coveting, to her AMAZING Friday Afternoon Disco Spotify playlists (my ultimate favourite being the Doo-wop classics week!) and from her own super duper personal style to her pug and norwegian heavy metal obsession (and shared girlcrush – Isabel Lucas hello!)- every post is unique and unexpected and a delight to behold. & So is her interview…

1. When did you start your blog & why?
I have been blogging in one way or another since the dawn of internet time. My brother is a massive computer geek, so we had the internet from a very early date. I started with a Geocities site about NOFX, and have pretty much worked my way up from there. I can’t remember when my blog in its current format really began – I know I registered the domain when I was at university to use as an online portfolio, so probably about six years ago – although I moved to WordPress this year because it’s so much easier to handle. I guess I started my blog because I love the internet and have to be involved in all aspects of it, but also to serve as a kind of scrapbook of all the things I love. Also, as a journalist by trade, it’s good to have somewhere online where potential employees can scout you out!

2. What inspired you in terms of content/theme/appearence?
I did a fashion degree, then did a fashion journalism masters. Somehow after that, I fell in to hair and beauty journalism – which is what I do now for a living. I love my job, but I am still obsessed with fashion, so it’s really just somewhere to keep that side of my brain occupied. In terms of appearance… it’s a bit of a work in progress. I am quite fanatical about how blogs look, but I’m not quite sure where I want mine to be at the moment. It’s the constant recurring battle that I have in my life between chic minimalism and complete OTT naffness – I wish I could be sophisticated and just have a lovely white background, but I think have to face facts and accept I am not that way inclined at heart! Same with fashion – sigh.

3. How would you describe your blog in three words?
Shit I like? Hah! It really does cover a bit of everything though, from literature and music to fashion and beauty.

4. What do you love (/if anything hate) about your blog?
I love the fact I’m getting to do loads of fun projects with it – considering it’s really just a hobby outside The Day Job, I’ve been really lucky to do some fun things, with lots more exciting projects to come. I hate the fact that I don’t have time to update as much as I would like – despite being obsessed with the WordPress app on my iPhone.

5. What makes you the most happy and most sad?

I’m a fairly simple being, so it doesn’t take much to make me happy. Pugs, reading the Guardian in bed on a Saturday morning with spaghetti on toast, napping, gin… Not much makes me sad. It’s something which constantly annoys people in my office. I am that irritating, eternal optimist person. Not being able to afford these shoes?

6. Who is behind Fur Coat, No Knickers?
Just me, Rachael – despite the fact people keep emailing and asking if they can have a job?! I write about hair for a living, which is a very nice way to make your money. I live in New Cross, south east London, although I am a northerner really – from Sheffield. My musical tastes are pretty firmly pre-2000 because I’m a miserable old bastard, with favourite genres being heavy metal/punk/surf/general alternative stuff. I love anything touched by the hand of Phil Spector too, mostly Beach Boys and all the wonderful girl groups of the 50s and 60s. I love reading, and am currently going through a 1920s ‘thing’ which has now lasted about two years… Fitzgerald, Waugh, and obviously Wodehouse are all favourites, although I have also read a hlof of biographies of people from the era – everything from the Mitfords to Brilliant Chang. I love pizza, Henry Rollins, and have an inordinate knowledge of celebrity gossip.

7. What is the best fact you know?
The London Eye has 32 pods – one to represent each of the London boroughs. FACT!

8. Which others blogs do you feast on?
Anything in my link list comes with a big thumbs up, but my Google reader contains about a million more! IRL pals with blogs I love include my Twin, Iso, Sofie and Alex. Some recent discoveries are Hanneli, Beckerman Bite Plate, So Much To Tell You – and of course, Anna Della Russo’s blog, which is nuts.


9. What is your all time favourite outfit?
It’s not glamorous, but it would have to be The Hangover Outfit. I actually don’t have a picture of it, but it consists of the XXL Guns n Roses t-shirt I’ve had since I was about 11, and a paisley print maxi skirt. If it’s winter, add my Levis denim waistcoat and a grey marl American Apparel hoodie on the top. It’s the comfiest outfit ever, and it’s become so synonymous with me being hungover that on the odd occasion I wear it for a ‘normal’ day, my friends ask me what I did last night.

10. What is your blogging soundtrack?
OMG, good question. I don’t have a set soundtrack, just a huge Spotify collection, but at the moment I’m listening to a lot of Parliament/Mandrill/Funkadelic. I have an embarrassing love for the era. One of the hairdressers I interviewed recently used to be a DJ and he scribbled down loads of rare funk for me to purchase – although I am struggling to read his scrawled drunken napkin notes in the cold light of day!

11. What are your plans, fashion and otherwise, to survive the predicted snowy winter? The big furry coats from Next I blogged about recently, an attempt at sensible shoes – probably from ASOS, this hat, and the New Look Parka of Dreams layered over one million cardigans. And my Slanket, which was kindly sent to me by a PR last year. Best. Gift. Ever.

Isn’t she just awesome? I was nodding my head with every answer. So go check out her blog now now now!

[Previous spotlights= Blair On A Budget and Earth Vs The Wildheart]

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Fairytale in New York 04

October 8, 2010 in New York New York | 6 comments

This will be my last NYC holiday blog post, thanks for bearing with me! I just knew if I never documented the trip in any detail anywhere, then it would slip off into the sands of time and after a few weeks back in real-world Bee life I would barely be able to recount the places I saw or the best memories and it would just feel like a dream.

I have missed out about 1000 minute details too like the man we met who own a bar called The Crooked Tree and gave me a free chocolate & mango crepe and a glass of his house delicacy – prosecco with a merlot sorbet float! Or the fact most houses I saw on the greyhound drive looked like the one from Amityville . The shooting stars I saw out in the mountains and the dragonfly as big as a dinner plate. The morning we lazed in bed and watched Maury and the show was called Think your spouse is fooling around with the delivery man? (How specific?!) or the day we got a taxi in the rain and I saw lightening hit the Empire State building. I suppose I will have to rely on my battered NewYork moleskin packed with scribbled wobbly notes for them!

On our last morning in Williamsburg we went to an amazing little diner called Pies n Thighs. Just check out their brunch menu and feel our pain when it made no sense whatsoever! I opted for a hippie banjo which was sprouts (!) egg tomato and cheese on a biscuit (which is a scone to us Brits) and the beau had a Rob Evans which was scarmbled egg, cheese and gravy on a biscuit. Apart from the undeciferable menu, the food was amazing and we were served by a girl who wore super mario dungarees and was maximum friendly. We then went on a hike across the Brooklyn bridge…

It was a cloudy day but the views were still amazing and we were on a mission anyway, to Grimaldi’s – apparently the best pizza in New York. Tucked away under Brooklyn Bridge, whatever the day, time OR weather there will always be a queue of at least 20 people. We waited for 40 minutes and eventually shuffled into a booth and I’m going to go against the grain and say it wasn’t the best I’ve ever had in my life BUT the set up, the traditional chefs shouting in Italian to each other over the tables and the amazingly random decor definitely made it one of my best NY experiences.

I’m sure thousands of tourist types go to New York and never venture anywhere near the library which is such a crying shame. Even if you aren’t the worlds hugest Ghostbusters nerd (err, that’d be me) then you can appreciate the incredible architecture and endless rooms and offices and specialist areas and nooks and crannies. That is me in the ACTUAL aisle where the librarian ghost scene was filmed. It’s so typical that I don’t have a single photo of me in Times Square… Statue of Liberty… Empire State…  but of course I have a tourist shot in the library! We found some amazing old records too of all the ferrys that arrived from England and Ireland pre-war, with the names of every single person who came.

My number one recomendation if you are in NYC is that you check out St Marks Place. That was definitely my favourite place for drinking and socialising. It’s a wonderful road packed with cafes, diners, Japanese saki bars, and was where I felt most at home. On St Marks place was a bar called PDT (Please Don’t Tell!) which we had read about in Time Out on the flight over. It’s in such high demand that we had to phone at 3pm on the day to make reservations and the lines were busy for HALF an hour (hello £100 phonebill, urk) and then when we got through, we got the last table. The concept is that PDT is a speakeasy. From the outside, it just looks like Criff Dogs which is a working, functioning hot dog diner. However if you have a reservation you pass through Criff Dogs to a payphone in the corner. You dial a code and then the door swing open and you are quickly ushered into a 1920s Speakeasy. It IS prohibition and you must mutter and mumble so as not to draw attention, as you sip the most amazing and intricate cocktails. It was such a unique experience and everything from the barmen in bow ties, to the language used in the menu, to the spirits available is as authentic as possible.

For the last few days we stayed in Manhattan, near Chelsea Market. I visited the chess men, and I don’t think this guy was very happy I caught his losing being mocked on camera! Then, a pilgrimage to Magnolia Bakery…

We picked up the cakes to take-away, and ate them in the courtyard under the Rockerfellar Centre. We opted for a Red Velvet and a Chocolate Devil Food and they were, as expected, out of this world good. The scariest thing was that although they were incredible – moist, rich and delish… but dangerously they were so fluffy that you felt like you could easily eat about 20. In fact when we were queuing for our purchases (you take them from the bakery counter, then to a seperate cashier to pay), a girl behind me devoured her two WHILST STILL IN THE QUEUE TO PAY. That would so be me if I lived in New York.

As we sat eating our cakes, my beau said there’s a storm coming, I can feel it and I looked at him like alright Mystic Meg! Jog on! It’s all white sky and no grey clouds!

Fast forward ten minutes and as we are walking to the subway, a crash of thunder shakes the city and suddenly we are in the most torrential rainstorm! We had to cower in a tourist shop whilst the thunder roared and lightening crackled and the radio started talking about the TORNADO about to hit Manhattan! It was all quite dramatic and although after a while we braved the weather and skipped through the rain getting soggy feet – the tornado did really hit Queens and destroyed two roads of houses and killed one woman. So that was my first taste of real extreme weather I’ve ever had and it was a little bit un-nerving.

On our last night we really went large in Brooklyn. As I mentioned on my return, we went to the quirkiest place called Barcade which is basically cocktails + all the BEST old school arcade machines = :]) And obviously the merrier you get, the better you think you are at games like Pacman, Outrun and my personal favourite Paperboy. Or in my case, you get more and more outraged that you can’t complete one level and start thinking it’s a comlete fix and telling everyone you meet so. Ahem…

  

We then managed to accidentally gatecrash a lovely ladys bachalorette party and join the party train to a Hiphop club where we were the only ones on the dancefloor for many hours. I can’t remember much about getting home except that we got a really shady non-taxi who only charged $8 from Brookly to Manhattan… errr!

Safe to say on my last day in NYC I was a complete state. We checked out late because it took me an hour to even be able to lift my head from the pillow. We then had reservations at the very hard-to-get-into brunch at Essex. I had been SO excited about our last brunch (and the unlimited bloody marys!) but when we actually got there I could do nothing but sit and shake and try not to be sick. I couldnt touch a drop of alcohol and couldn’t eat my banana and chocolate pancake either – I had to ask for it in a doggy bag. Mortifying! I was so cross with myself! I also was spotted! by the adorable Helen who happened to be brunching in Essex too. What a small blogworld it is. I’m absolutely cringing that she saw me in such a shrivelled, sad state of affairs! Luckily, a brisk walk across the WIlliamsburg bridge to say a final goodbye to the NY skyline sorted me out enough to be able to get on the plane with out too much fuss but a 6 hour flight with a raging hangover is something I will never repeat! I literally sat weeping to myself and half watching The Runaways.

So, I get it now. I get New York and why everyone loves it enough to emblazen their adoration on their teeshirt, and sing about it and set endless movies there. I of course like anyone who’s ever visited, am now hellbent on moving there at some point. And you know what, I have a feeling it might just happen! I don’t think I’m finished with the big apple just yet…

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Things are getting hairy…

October 3, 2010 in Hair | 7 comments

I’ve often read on beauty blogs and fashion forums, people asking how to/whether to go from brunette->blonde, blonde->brunette and having now covered basically every base of hair colour imaginable I thought I’d write a little how-to guide. I’m aware this might seem quite shallow and superficial compared to topics I could be covering. Sorry big-brains, but it’s Sunday evening and I did my first 5k run after a summer of eating, boozing and lounging and it’s left me a wilted leaf of a girl so tapping away about hair colours is all I am good for!

I was born with… well no hair actually. I looked like the childrens book character Burglar Bill and whilst my dad called my other sisters angel, or sweetheart, when he walked in the door from a long day at work… I’d simply get ey up baldy! My parents didn’t seem overly concerned that I was folically challenged and I don’t remember it bothering me particularly until I got THROWN out of ballet class for not having enough hair to get into a bun (!) By the time I was 5 it started to grow and this is me aged 6, in the middle. With less hair than any of the boys. Nice pinafore though!

No one knows (or maybe cares) why I was such a slow starter to have hair but at least once it started growing it’s never stopped and gradually turned into the pretty descent sized mane of curls I have now. It also serves for some pretty hilarious toddler/school photos and I am a lesson to any future parents who have comically ugly duckling babies, that they really might turn out ok. Ish!

So my hair is naturally dark browny black, which is that same as my dad. I had various hair-dye attempting disasters growing up (anyone remember sun-in?!) and then a phase where I discovered henna and my hair was more reddy brown, and a bit stinky. But mostly it has stayed brown, brown and more brown. Mainly because any attempts to dye it were fruitless. Like the photograph below, where it was meant to be ‘ravishing red’ but actually after sitting with the dye and carrier bag on my head for an hour… washed out leaving my hair the exact same shade as before, just smelling a bit like ammonia.

About this time last year, I started getting obsessive thoughts about going blonde. I can’t really pinpoint why, but I think it was mainly that I felt so much had changed in my life and in me psychologically (2007/2008 were pretty hefty, for good and bad reasons) but it niggled me that to an outsider I still looked the same. So in December last year I walked into Toni & Guy Essensuals in Covent Garden and said MAKE ME BLONDE! I was expecting to walk out of there instant platinum, surfy blonde tresses. My magical hairdresser however quickly bought me back to reality and told me that to go from so dark to so light, whilst keeping good condition locks, was going to take a couple of tries.

So at first, I came out with a sort of caramelly colour – light brown I suppose. Next I had a dodgy few months of chunky blonde bits where the dye had caught, but big darker sections, and all a bit higgeldypiggeldy. Luckily it was cold beret wearing season and easy to hide. After five months I eventually got where I wanted, a certified blondie.

But after trying to maintain the blonde (when I earn peanuts, frankly, and have £mega monster London rent to pay) was difficult and it felt like my dark roots were always creeping in. Luckily ombre hair dying had become somewhat fashionable but it still bugged me and so this weekend I asked my hairdresser for something new. She had suggested a red/copper colour and I never really question her so rather than pin her down to a specific shade… she said she’d surprise me. Yikes! Luckily the surprise is lovely so far.I feel like an autumn leaf!

Here is a little back to back of my journey through the lands of brunette, blonde and now redhead. Which do you prefer? I think I look like April from Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles now. Like that could ever be a bad thing?

If you are thinking of making a drastic change then I would whole heartedly recommend it. The pros of changing your hair colour regularly is that it’s like being a stealth spy. People I know constantly zoom past me on the street because they don’t see me. And you can hide easily from people you might not want to talk to. Being a spy is fun.

a) Try and research whether the colour you want will suit your skin tone/eye colour etc. This can easily done by just photoshopping a photography of yourself with a hairstyle you like from the internet! Also don’t despair, because colours can always be toned warmer or colder by the hair dresser; meaning nothing should be an out and out no.

b) Also do consider that some of your favourite outfits/colours may no longer suit you once you change; so try getting a swatch first and checking against any beloved items. I think I have to kiss goodbye to my favourite orange check shirt dress whilst having tangerine hair as it might all be a bit OJ overkill.

c) Be PATIENT, because to do it properly and get the exact do you have your heart set on can sometimes be a commitment. Go to a hairdresser you trust or had recommended, and in general don’t take too many shortcuts for a mammoth change – I think it is worth paying for a professional to do the hard work.

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Fairytale In New York 03

October 2, 2010 in New York New York | No comments

We spent the next part of the holiday staying in Williamsburg. This was a part of the holiday I had been apprehensive about, as we were staying in an appartment that had been recommended by a friend – but is basically a room in someones flat that he rents out to tourists for £50 a night (unHEARD of in NYC!) and so I was a little nervous about what awaited us as his emails had been a bit terse and I was having Hostel-like fears that it did sound like the start of a horror movie scenario! When we arrived – the tiny graffitied door in what looked like a car garage didn’t exactly ellay our fears!

Luckily, behind the door lay a sprawling, bright and airy appartment with the most amazing decor and the guy renting the room was absolutely amazing. Our room had a slight prison-cell feeling (no windows!) but was huge and right in the heart of everything going on in the big W. I absolutely ADORED Williamsburg and think if I was to (fingers crossed) get to relocate there at some stage for work, it would be there that I would flat hunt. It had a young, modern, laid back vibe with tons of amazing street art, little nookys and crannys filled with vintage shops and flea markets. All the cafes and food was quirky and homely and we  met some of the friendliest folk there.

Here is my absolute favourite NYC outfit of mine: daisy playsuit (from Primark!), geek glasses from ASOS and bronze ballet pumps. We picked a pefect blue-sky scorcher to walk across the Williamsburg bridge to the Lower East Side (recommend this to everyone!) and we even spotted Tobey Maguire jogging past us & Chloe Sevigny riding her bike.

Once in Lower East Side we stopped off at possibly my favourite New York location…

So, even if you aren’t a fan – you have to go and check out Peanut Butter & Co’s Menu. Luckily I AM a huge PB fan, in any form, any how and so this place was a little slice of heaven for me and my belly. It was a tough choice but we decided to opt for sampling The Elvis (apparently his all time favuorite sandwich? if so I can see why he was heart-issue bound) which was Peanut Butter, Bacon, Honey and Banana! And it was dee-lish. The second was they Bagel of the Week which was Peanut Butter, Cream Cheese and Apple. Again it was a taste sensation. The whole cafe is decked out in old PB adverts, packaging and there is a huge shop where you can buy just about every type of Peanut Butter going. We then spent the day people watching in Washington Square Park before passing through Grand Central station which as with most well known tourist/film locations was slightly underwhelming in some ways but still absolutely beautiful.

That night we headed to a modest, unassuming little bar and food place in Williamsburg called Fatty Cue. We walked in to a rammed bar expecting to have to perch in a corner, but were instead led through a warren of narrow corridors into a beautiful half-outdoor eating patio. This actually turned out to be the best meal of either of our entire lives! So if you head to NYC, it is worth a trip over the bridge for. The food was un-catagorisable but just quirky, exciting and modern and all with a waiter on hand to guide on how to eat it (lots of using your fingers) and I sampled my first lavender cocktail which seemed to be the thing in NYC – and it definitely made me view the herb in a different light than old lady perfume and draw liners.

The next day we went to the World Trade Centre site. I had ummed and aahed extensively about if I even wanted to visit ground zero. A huge part of me felt slightly ghoulish and dis-respectful somehow. But a bigger part of me felt as someone who never visited pre-9/11 it would be dis-respectful to spend time in this incredible city and not dedicate any part of it thinking and reflecting on this amazing architectural feat and building, then the huge event that took place there, and the impact it has had. At first ground zero, weirdly, to me looked just like a huge building site. I was struggling to connect the horrific memories and images to this mile of cranes and foundations.

But we then visited the WTC Trribute Centre and it was an experience unlike anything else I have ever experienced. Obviously in no way was it comfortable but it left me humbled and definitely feeling that life had been shaken very much back into perspective. The most admirable part was that it was created by relatives and friends of those lost at the WTC and a substantial part of the gallery is dedicated to immersing you in what life was like at the WTC before the tragedy. It was educational and really interesting, but also made everything feel even more heartbreaking as the WTC represented such hope, such pride and such community. The rest of the gallery contains details of the day, artefacts, missing posters, news reports and items such as one of the recognisable gnarled, burnt windows from one of the planes. It also has a wall with photographs of the majority of the victims. I’m actually crying just writing this because it really did personalise an event which although shocking, has always felt quite distant to me. Seeing that wall of smiles, families, memories… it was just too much. The memory of that emotion will never leave me. The gallery space has about 7 boxes of tissues dotted around on benches. Standing with a room full of strangers, most with tears rolling down their faces, is very surreal.

After spending a couple of hours in there, walking back out into the sunlight and seeing the site with completely new eyes was hard. I only took one photograph, which is of the two original steel tridents from the twin towers (which formed part of the entrance) which had just been returned 2 days earlier for use in building the Memorial Museum.

As I stood gazing over at the site, in silence, wondering how the hell we could just get on with a normal day now… I noticed what I thought was litter in the sky. As I squinted, I realised it was a HUGE butterfly. It flew around in front of me, and then around the men building, and the girders of the Freedom Tower, and then back close enough for me to take a photograph of before flying away. Take from this what you will, but in a second of despair, that butterfly comforted me and gave me hope and it felt like a really profound and fortunate thing to happen.

I’ll leave this there; bored of my NYC ramblings yet? Only one more I promise, then normal service will resume! It’s really more for my sieve-brain benefit than anything so apologies if you are thinking snore.

DON’T forget to enter/tweet my NYC Giveaway! it closes TOMORROW!

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