What a Bust
Mood:  irritated
Now Playing: BBC 4
Topic: Elisabeth's Entries
Where is the good side to London?

Woe is the city-loving girl who cannot enjoy London.

Yes its's big, yes there's a lot of history, yes there's a lot of art, yes there are a lot of powerful people, yes there a lot of ethnicities, yes there are red phone booths, yes there is a lot of variety in food, shops and neighborhoods.

But what metropolis doesn't have everything above (minus the red phone booths)? So what makes a city unique, or likeable even?

I sum it up in one word: soul.

Could you describe the soul of New York, Stockholm, Cape Town, Tokyo? It can often be discovered in the attitude of the people who live in said city. But no one seem happy in London. I don't envy anyone in London, because it is an uninspiring mecca of selling out and buying in.

I am still willing to be proved wrong about all this. But it's almost 3 years since we've been exploring London, and granted with not much money, but that shouldn't be a crucial factor to a decent city.

I went to Spitafields market, Portabello road market and the stores of Oxford Street, Carnaby circus & stolled around Soho. I really tried to focus on the positive, but there is nothing nourishing about London. Except for the people's need and persistence to survive in it.

I did get some help from a person on the street handing out cards:

"MR SUWAREH: GOD GIFTED SPIRITUAL HEALER AND CLAIRYOANT SUCCESSFUL POWRE OF KAHTTEN IN 7 DAYS...REMOVAL OF BLACK MAGIC...DON'T SUFFER IN SILENCE! ALL WORK GUARANTEED."

Thanks MR. Suwareh.

As for the food quest, I found an all English food shop, a spice shop, and an all Spanish foods store.

Stephen has set the table, so we can eat his delicious gnocci.

Bye.