#116 tasting Africa in London

the first time i had a chance to try an authentic Eritrean food was about 2 years ago when i visited Khartoum, Sudan and was invited to an Eritrean wedding. Initially i was not sure if i should accept the invitation because my only link with the couple was a friend of a woman who knew mother of the bride. But they assured me that in their culture wedding is not about family bonds, but about the community. They said, ‘dont worry, there will be lots of people.’

And, quite unexpectedly, last weekend a friend of mine was organizing a get-together dinner and chose Mosob in west London, a family-run authentic Eritrean restaurant. It was like a short journey back to East Africa and a history, regional politics, language and geography lesson by one of the owners. Food was served in a traditional way using the Eritrean bread (like a pancake) – injera as the basis and then offering various vegetarian or meat dishes. We ate with our hands like Eritreans do and it felt so natural, though it seemed like a special skill to develop. Portion for 2 people was large so you can with no problem go there being very hungry. Also, it is not so usual to have so friendly service which goes beyond just offering the food. Owners, real Eritrean family, feel very proud about their origins and act as real ambassadors of their culture. This is definitely a place to go if you like Eastern Africa and want to have a delicious dinner with a touch of culture and chance to learn something new.

Price: about 20GBP per person;

Duration: devote couple of hours;

Amazingness: not only good value for money but also fascinating cultural experience.

June 7, 2014

 

#115 indulging coffee at the London’s best coffee shop

When you want to have a coffee, you have several options: you can make one at home, you can go to Costa or Cafe Nero (i dont mention Starbucks because i am assuming that all the cool people like me are also boycotting it), or you can go to the best coffee shop in the town. Coffee lovers in London: in case you missed this brilliant piece of news from back in April, welcome to the White Mulberries, the best London’s coffee shop in 2014.

Located just nearby the Tower bridge in the St Catherine docks, this tiny but cosy place totally deserves this title. We had to make two attempts to have a coffee there. When we first went, it was totally full. Second time, few hours later, we were lucky to arrive when another couple just left, so we could take over their table by the window with a relaxing view to the docks, yachts and people passing by.

This coffee shop is probably the best because of at least 4 reasons: 1) of course, coffee; i’m a long-time coffee drinker and could immediately tell that this was not a regular coffee; the smell and taste was a clear indicator of quality; 2) snacks and cakes; try a slice of roasted (!) banana cinnamon loaf – mouthwatering!; 3) ambiance – cosy, welcoming, friendly and esthetic; 4) location – central enough to be easily accessible, but hidden enough to have some breathing space.

Price: about 5GBP for a coffee and a sweet treat of your choice;

Duration: you wont wan to leave that place;

Amazingness: good coffee is worth a million 🙂

May 31, 2014

 

 

#114 sitting in the hairdresser’s chair

I am not obsessed with my hair. Rather, i feel lucky that i have found a good compromise between ‘feeling good about my hair’ and ‘i dont have much time for this’. Controlled freedom. That’s how i call my hairstyle.

However, now and then, it is so so so nice to sit in the hairdresser’s chair and let my hair get a bit of pampering. Moreover, though i am quite relaxed about hair, i have been very picky choosing my hairdresser. That was, in fact, one of the key things i had to do when moving to London – to find MY hairdresser. Hairdresser has to know me, understand my personality, what i like, how my hair are, what hairstyle suits my lifestyle etc. And i feel so lucky i have found one who will never disappoint me.

Price: only 25GBP for haircut and styling;

Duration: about 1 hour;

Amazingness: great ‘feel-good’ after-feeling.

May 29, 2014

 

#113 Roses

Last summer i received a gift from my colleagues – a beautiful rose pot plant. It was all blooming for almost a month and then it gradually sickened. It lost almost all of its leaves and did not look healthy at all. Then i started to change the place of the plan in the house thinking that the amount of light etc may improve things. I cut the top bits of the branches which were dry and dead. I just did not want to give up.

And here is the result – it has blossomed again!

So, do not give up. Roses will reward your patience generously.

Price: lots of patience

Duration: about half a year from a day when I considered throwing the plant away until today when it has blossomed again;

Amazingness: i feel like i have saved someone’s life. 🙂

May 28, 2014

 

#112 in red shoes all the way through the central London

walking is healthy, but doing a walk for charity and good cause is amazing. On 17 June British Red Cross organized a massive 8 miles long Red Shoe walk to raise funds for their operations (yes, with a dress code – red shoes). As i am doing my big challenge – 56km Isle of Wight walk challenge this summer, this was a perfect chance of practicing. Walk started from the Tower of London and finished in the Batter sea park and was passing by all the key central London’s landmarks – London eye, big Ben, Southbank etc. Initially we thought this route will be easy (no hills, not many stairs, no bad roads), but guess what, on this route on Saturday the biggest challenge was – tourists! 🙂

Price: 10GBP donation;

Duration: about 1.5 hours;

Amazingness: how can you not like exercise + sightseeing + friends?

May 17, 2014

 

#111 long-distance relationship with mother in 21st century

So, what do you do if you not only live in a different country than your mother but also frequently travel and cant see her often? How can you make her feel that she is not forgotten? How can you tell her ‘thanks’ as many times as possible just for being her and having sacrificed so much because of her children? How can you tell her she is loved even when you are not near?

On 11 May, on the Mother day, sitting in Amman, i made an online order to deliver to my mum a bouquet of roses and chocolates.

In the evening i received a skype message that chocolate was already almost gone. She was touched. And happy.

in 21st century, there is no distance. the only distance is our minds.

 

Price: in this case, it does not matter. it was worth it.

Duration: about 20 min; i could choose the most beautiful bouquet.

Amazingness: being grateful is amazing.

May 11, 2014

 

#110 sightseeing in Amman: what to see in a half a day

Usually souvenirs are the best indicators to tell what are the top, must-see places in a particular city or country. And, soon after I arrived in Amman, i realized that Jordan’s top attractions are not really in Amman. 55% of the souvenirs will be either with Petra city landmarks and 40% will be made of the Dead sea salt or mud or some other under-the-sea goodies. But, though it was tempting to check out the Dead sea, I chose to explore Amman city.

Nowadays in any (relatively) developed urban environment one can expect pretty much the same: shops, busy streets with people, traffic jams, smells from food shops, traders, poverty next to luxury etc. Amman was not an exception, but still it has its own character: welcoming and helpful, kind people, whiteness (seemed like there is some kind of architectural code of conduct – almost all the houses were in white, beige, light yellow/brown color which made at times easy to lose my way as the buildings and streets looked so similar), entrepreneurial spirit and pride about Jordanian culture.

So, my top three places to go if you have a half a day to spare:

Al-Balad Souk (market) – this is located in the Old town where you can walk around, visits lots of small shops, meet locals and buy sweets and gifts (much cheaper and better than in the airport);

Roman amphitheater: when i got here, i was just thinking: is there a place on this planet where Romans have not been?? It was truly amazing to find this well-reserved footprint of Western civilization in Amman.

the Citadel: located on one of the 7 hills it offers fantastic 360o view over the city. It is an evidence of various cultures, regimes which have over the centuries influenced the history and destiny of today’s Jordanian people. The citadel reminded me of Athens.

Price: about JOD10 to go around with taxi;

Duration: 3-4 hours;

Amazingness; joy of adventure

May 11, 2014

 

#109 dining with a view: Wild Jordan cafe

When i travel and visit new places, exploring cafes and dining places is one of the most exciting things. Though hotel where i stayed (Toledo hotel, highly recommend it) offered great variety of local cuisine, I just had to check what Amman has to offer. For vegetarian and non-vegetarian people, but who value quality, organic food, Jordan wild cafe is a must-visit place.

Well, first of all, before i even sat at the table, i was amazed by the beautiful scenery and the city view and got stuck on the terrace for a while as i enjoyed the view. The cafe located on several floors has probably one of the most stunning views over the city.

Wild Cafe in essence is a an arm of a social enterprise which uses only locally produced products and prepares healthy, low-fat meals including also various local herbal teas and awesome smoothies.

So, finding a place with beautiful scenery and healthy, tasty food – that’s a bliss.

Price: for a salad, tea and smoothie – about 10GBP/10JOD.

Duration: 2 hours (they have there free wi-fi and interesting shop with handmade things made in Jordan (Death sea mud soaps!!);

Amazingness: definitely one of the must-visit places when in Amman;

May 9, 2014

 

#108 moving around Amman by taxi

During my stay in Amman i had many meetings and therefore had to use taxi a lot to move from one place to another. Overall, there was no problem: plenty of taxis, taxi drivers using taxi meters or agreeing on the fee before the ride, reasonable prices, good roads and not too bad traffic. However, every time my taxi journey became a real adventure because in Amman taxi drivers have a car (with petrol), they can drive, some of them can understand and speak some English, but basically they do not know where to go. They can take you wherever you want, as long as you know where it is. It is very helpful if the place you need to get to is a hotel (overall, everyone knew the main hotels, so it was easy), or a major landmark inside or outside Amman (everyone will offer you to take you to the Death Sea). Otherwise, they do not know really street names.

So, if you have a very good map with you and you make the driver actually listen to you (some drivers were not very happy following my instructions; i recon, it was something to do with my gender), and you have very good topographic thinking and quick understanding of traffic system when arriving to a new city, then you will be ok. If any of these elements are not there, you will have a chance to speak to several random strangers stopped on the road asking for their opinion about the location of the place you want to go. You may also have a chance to miss a meeting or arrive very late because driver could not find the location. Overall, i quickly learned, that every time i sat in the cab, it was a beginning of a new daily adventure.

Price: average from 2-5JOD per ride;

Duration: you need to plan at least 30min for a ride, more if you do not know exactly where you need to go;

Amazingness: looking from a positive side, sense of adventure is amazing.

May 8, 2014

 

#107 first time in the Middle East: Jordan

I love to travel, and when i have a chance to travel with work – it’s even better. However, when i have a chance to travel with work to places where i have never been – it’s amazing!

Welcome to Jordan!

This is a phrase you will hear in Amman a lot. Hotel staff, taxi drivers, random people in the city or sellers in the market – they will all make you feel welcomed in their country. It used to be one of the most popular Middle East countries among tourists, however now with the troubles in Syria it has made a negative impact on the travel sector and people are literally thanking for coming over and not being afraid to visit Jordan.

Amman reminded me a little bit of Greece. A city of white/ beige color houses spread across the hills and with a bit of Mediterranean vibe.

It’s my 33rd country i have ever visited.

Price: from London returns are for as little as 400GBP now;

Duration: a week;

Amazingness: fascinating to get to know a different culture and people.

May 7, 2014