Our transport system has come up trumps as the best public system in the world. I heard this news tidbit about 2 seconds before the one on the transport strike. Talk about timing!

Granted it is the excellent links and the availability of different types of transport that makes the country accessible to one and all. But the frequent strikes do nothing to endear those that run this transport system of ours. Often, we can’t help thinking ‘oh grow up!’ when we hear of yet another transport strike.

Their idea of timing hasn’t escaped me either – Christmas, New Year, Bank Holiday weekends, you name a holiday weekend, you can be assured that there would be a strike on somewhere.

If only these people would let go of their habit of downing tools and going on strike at the drop of a hat, then our world would be a much better place.

A few weeks ago, I blogged about a disturbing young diva, songsmith who decided that the rest of the Cenral Line was entitled to hear her wonderful voice and great R&B grooves. We all know how I felt about that then. This afternoon while again taking the Central Line back from Bond St., I overheard some 20 something year old scenester types going through some of the lines from one of my all-time favorite movies, “The Big Lebowski”. After mulling over in my head for several minutes if I should interject, I simply leaned over before leaving the tube quoting “The Stranger” from mentioned movie, “Ya know, sometimes you eat the bar, sometimes the bar, he eats you.”. The rest of the train was baffled as to why the crowd of youngsters were laughing amongst themselves as if I suddenly told them some sort of dirty, inside joke. Clearly getting a nod of approval, I exited accomplishing everything. The question remains, when is it okay to break the code of silence on tubes to mingle?

OK, I know I go on a bit about the bus. But, I do spend an inordinate amount of time riding the red deamons. This weekend I was on the bendy 38 (hate ’em, yes I do), and on walked two very hip teenaged young ladies. They plopped themselves accross from me and let rip the boom box.
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Is it too late to propose new Cockney Rhyming Slang words? I mean, I know nobody really uses CRS anymore, but it’s worth a shot, innit? Here’s mine:

‘Wallace and Gromit’ (or just ‘Wallace’ for short) means ‘vomit’.

I’ve already started trying to use it in vomit-related conversations, but I am going to need other people to take it up as well if it’s going to catch on. If anyone else has any other words that they’d like to add to the lexicon, I’ll gladly return the favour by dropping yours into casual conversations as well.

I am not a great fan of these bendy buses, like most people I remain nostalgic about the lost double deckers.
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Last Sunday, I went with my family to East Ham, on our usual bi-monthly visit to the local temple. When we turned right from Sixth Avenue, into Church Road, my husband had to hit the brakes hard. Partly because there were loads of people everywhere, but more so ‘cos for a minute, I am sure he was asking himself where he was. I sure was, ‘cos for a minute I was wondering if I still was in London or had I been mysteriously transported to Chennai (in South India; my hometown).

What greeted us was this huge throng of people – regular devotees, policemen and women, priests from the temple and in the background, making its way majestically towards us, the temple chariot. We did get the leaflet, giving us details of the temple’s Chariot Festival and it was for this reason we chose to make our way to the temple on that particular day, as a sort of a double whammy but we weren’t expecting this sight to greet us!
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Wednesday Night I made my way over to King’s College for the band Metric’s concert at their venue. It was my first time attending any sort of show there. I just wanted to say, that if you get a chance, you should definately check out a gig there whenever they put something on. The sound was absolutely fantastic. Even though the show was close to a sell out, it wasn’t as uncomfortable as other places, I’ve seen similar show. The show itself, was very good. They played a very good set, and the crowd was very good.
I was a bit nervous, as I don’t particularly care for a lot of the smaller venues that such gigs are held at. Strictly on sound and atmosphere, that night was one of the best so far. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that it’s my favorite venue, but it was fantastic. What venue is your favorite to see a gig?

Must be a coincidence. Today’s Metro and the Daily Mail were full of reports based on some study or the other which concluded that Londoners are a friendly bunch, apparently even more so than people in Yorkshire. Based on my personal experiences and more importantly from listening to the following conversation on the train home today I have to agree with those reports.
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We have exciting plans for our brands in the UK, and will be back online soon.

This is a quote from the HP Foods website. Exciting plans huh? Tell that to the workers in Aston, all 120 of them who’ll now soon lose their jobs.

Dutch HP? NO!, or should that be Nej?

Its just plain wrong.

Not the Hoff’s Domain