I Saw Marvin

So, I finally saw Marvin (the mouse that cohabitates our flat).

I am now hiding up in my top bunk because I am too afraid to go anywhere near the kitchen. Perfect time to recap my weekend:

Friday night Sarah and I ventured to the infamous Brick Lane as suggested by locals at both of our internships. It was a little scary at first with lots of abandoned buildings and foreign men trying to scoot us into various middle eastern restaurants, but we found a charming little place to have a couple of drinks. The atmosphere was very cozy and the service was great. Next we walked down a little alleyway flooded with people. There were foodstands on both sides and judging by the smell and the crowds, the food must have been pretty good. We didn't get anything. We then saw another interesting looking place and ventured inside to find the perfect combination of lounge and bar. Good crowd, not too difficult to get a drink and comfy leather couches. The creepy guys that tried to carry on a conversation with us were the only negative.

Saturday was a cold day in London. After an enjoyable lunch with Suzi, I headed to Trafalgar Square and visited the National Portrait Gallery. The collection was very interesting and informative- A great way to learn about history. One of my favorite exhibits was on the artist's process, which was a cool way to look at portraiture by seeing exactly how some artists put together a seemingly straightforward piece of art. Let me tell you, its not as obvious as one might think. I also got to see the entries for the Photographic Portrait Prize 2007. There were some very creative shots, and also some not so creative ones, but a good collection nonetheless.

Afterwards I braved the cold and walked around the fountains in Trafalgar Square. There was quite a crowd despite the gloomy weather. I walked around what would be the equivalent to the theater district in Chicago and stumbled upon the Covent Gardens marketplace. I heard live music and clapping, so I followed the cheers and found a string quartet of twenty somethings entertaining a huge crowd. They all danced while they played their instruments, which was quite a feat for their bassist.

Today Ambika and I went in search of some much sought after food items and were extremely successful. First stop was a creperie that was more than worth the wait. I hope to take some visitors back there. Afterwards we headed to The Hummingbird Bakery to satisfy our intense cravings for cupcakes. I went with the red velvet (only to find out it had a cream cheese frosting) and Ambika got vanilla with vanilla frosting. You can order birthday cakes from there too which is good to know :)

We finished up the afternoon with a little shopping in Knightsbridge. If only I didn't have to go to work tomorrow...