My campaign of immersing myself in the culture of other nations continued at the weekend with a visit to an early Christmas Fair at the Finnish Church of London (or, Lontoon Suomalainen Kirkko, to call it by its awesome Finnish name). There was no hiding the fact that this was a money-making scheme. You could tell by browsing the large supermarket they had set up in the church itself. A medium jar of Cloudberry jam cost £9.50! I’ll let them off though as it was an enjoyable excursion (plus I imagine it costs a fair bit to import everything) and my first opportunity to experience anything relating to Finland.

After balking at the high prices of all the goodies (Moomin-shaped biscuits, rye crackers, dark chocolate, liquorice etc.) I heading for an adjoining tent where food was being served. I passed at the £6.50 sautéed reindeer (I wanted to try it but I couldn’t quite justify the price) and enjoyed a dollop of silky smooth mash with a fat scandinavian-style sausage and rye bread. To wash it down, a cup of Glögi (mulled wine) with a “glog” of vodka.

Upstairs were craft stalls and a cafe where I had to try one of Finland’s traditional Karelian Pies; a rice-filled soft rye crust with chopped egg on top. I enjoyed it for its cultural significance, not for its taste which was barely detectable.

Before leaving, I stopped by a stall giving out free samples of Finnish Pâtés on rye bread (no surprises there). I could have gone for salmon or elk, but I decided upon trying bear. The issue of whether bear meat is ethically and sustainably farmed aside, bear has a predictably strong meaty flavour that is otherwise difficult to describe. It wasn’t horrible by any stretch but I won’t be rushing to Helsinki to buy more of it.

“We expect political democracy. Why not economic democracy too?”

I’m keen to avoid getting too political in this post, particularly as I don’t feel I’m terribly clued up about what the Occupy movement is all about and thus, airing my views about economic equality isn’t going to be useful to anyone. So, I simply present these photos as a way of documenting my visit to the OccupyLSX camp that is currently sat outside St. Pauls Cathedral in London.

I was impressed by how well organised the camp was. As you’ll see in my photos, the protesters have gone to great lengths to make themselves comfortable as well as making the camp as inviting as possible for curious visitors. There were people from all walks of life reading the posters and leaflets, taking photos and listening & engaging in (sometimes heated) debate. It was obvious to me that one of the camper’s aims is to disseminate their opinions. Judging by how many people were wandering around, at least this part of their campaign could probably be consider a success.

As well as in Info Tent where passers-by were encouraged to go in and learn about the Occupy movement, the campers had set up a kitchen and, directly opposite a branch of Starbucks, StarBOOKS a library of fiction books and campaign literature.

While I wandered and snapped, I noticed well-known human rights activist Peter Tatchell posing for photos before recording an interview. He was interrupted part way through by the bells of St Pauls. Despite early nonsensical reaction from the Church of England, it’s now business as usual at London’s most famous cathedral.

If you’d have called me a few evenings ago, I wouldn’t have been able to answer, for I was in Trafalgar Square in London, filling my big, stupid grinning face with Malaysian food.

The most famous of city squares was once again playing host to a celebration of Malaysian food and culture. For one night only, Londoners could sample food from around 30 different stalls whilst being entertained by traditional Malaysian music and dance on the big stage. The atmosphere was terrific, helped largely by the fact everyone was high on Satay, Laksa and Nasi Lemak.

Here’s what I had;

Penang Laksa - Rice noodles in a hot & sour mackerel sauce with prawns, pineapple and garnishes. Delicious and quite unique. Not at all like the Curry Laksa I’m used to.

Satay - Grilled chicken on skewers in a spicy peanut sauce. I loved it before having this serving and if anything, I love it even more now. Amazing!

Roti Punai - An Indian-inspired flatbread, torn, with a vegetable curry gravy. Great texture and really tasty.

Aneka Kuih - A quartet of steamed Malaysian cakes. Kuih Lapis is a rainbow layered, jelly-like cake that is eaten by the layer and made with coconut milk and sago flour. Kuih Bakar is likened to egg custard. Kuih Serimuka has a bottom layer of rice and an upper layer flavoured by pandan leaf. Finally, Binka Ubi is made using Tapioca and Coconut Cream.

And to wash it all down, I had;

• Teh Tarik - I first had Teh Tarik, a strong “pulled’ tea made with condensed milk, in the Arab quarter of Singapore. It was a real treat to see it being made again and obviously an even bigger treat to drink it. The preparation process was as labourious and showy as it should have been.
• Coconut Juice - I was informed before trying this that Coconut Juice is an acquired taste. Not so. It is refreshing, sweet, creamy and lovely.

The year between now and the next Malaysia Night in London is going to feel like an age. Perhaps the only answer to this problem to go to Malaysia before Malaysia comes back to me. Well, alright then, I will!

Hundreds of thousands of cycling fans turned out in central London over the weekend for the final stage of the the Tour of Britain 2011. And I was one of them.

I’ve been going to the London stage for around 5 years and have seen the event mature and grow in stature each time. Having been to the final stage of the Tour de France in Paris a few times and seen how huge an event that is, I can genuinely say that in terms of set-up, London is certainly beginning to rival Paris.

There’s still some way to go before we start seeing in the UK the sort of crowds that turn out in France. That said, we’re heading in the right direction. The Tour of Britain has never seen so many spectators at the roadside.

It was a fantastic occasion, made even better by British rider Mark Cavendish crossing the line to take the win. And I was right there on the finish line to see him punch the air in celebration.

Currently sat in a coffee shop in central London. Trafalgar Square is a stones throw away and, what with the close proximity of most of londons highlights, so is everything else of interest. I’m not in London for any particular reason. One of the benefits of living so close to London is that you can just pop in for lunch and then pop back. That’s pretty much what I’ve done today. I took the DLR to Canary Wharf, admired the shimmering skyscrapers, looked around in a shopping mall that I hadn’t previously known existed, struggled with chopsticks to eat Japanese soup with vegetable dumplings and noodles, took the Thames Clipper to Victoria Embankment, wandered to the Strand and here I am. None of it planned but all of it enjoyed.

Lately, I’ve been troubled. My sleep pattern is starting to be disrupted by anxiety thoughts. On 1 March, I’m off on my travels again. This time, it’s for much longer than I’m used to and I’m going much further than I’ve ever been before. It’s my first steps outside Europes safe, comfortable border (wherever that may be). It’s a little unnerving. Thing is, I can’t really pinpoint what the specific problem is. I guess it’s just fear of the unknown. If I think practically though and weigh up the positives vs negatives, the positives far, far, far outweigh the negatives. In fact, if any negative were to arise, I am confident in my own ability to deal with most situations. I’m just a anxious person I suppose. Once I’m out there, I’ll be fine.

I’ll post more about my trip when we’re a little closer to March and obviously, when I’m abroad, you’ll be hearing all about it.

It’s my birthday today. Just though I’d mention it. :)

Yesterday was another busy day in London. There were plenty of places I had to be. The tube is great for getting around, particularly with a travelcard, but it was a sunny day and I wanted to potter about at ground level. So, with my access key in hand, I tried out the Barclays Cycle Hire scheme for the first time.

I didn’t let the fact I didn’t really know where I was going deter me. I inserted my key into the dock, waited for a green light and hauled (with some initial difficulty) my bike out. After testing the brakes (extremely tight), the bell (loud) and setting my seat level to ‘6’, I set off. And immediately made a wrong turning. But that didn’t matter. It was fun! The bike was sturdy, easy to steer and with 3 gears, easy on the legs.

So long as you keep your wits about you, London’s streets aren’t as deadly as some make out. I found all the bus and taxi drivers I encountered to be quite courteous and patient. Pedestrians are probably the biggest worry. On several occasions, I had to brake for jay-walkers (not illegal in the UK, but in cases like this, a problem).

After 13 minutes and 24 seconds, my first journey was complete. And because I’d docked the bike within 30 minutes, it was free. I just paid the £1 access fee. For those making the same journey day after day, the scheme is a godsend. Considering the annual access fee is a meer £45, the journey-on-journey saving is hefty enough to dust off the high-vis tabard and get biking.