I went to Virgin a few times while I was in London and I knew one day I was going to go in and buy all the stuff that I wanted to pick up from Amazon but I didn’t feel like dealing with customs! I love going to Virgins in London! So many new CDs, DVDs, Games, Books, Singles, Magazines, and LPs all in one place! There DVD section is really big too its great. I was happy that I bought a lot of the movies I wanted on sale for 4 to 10 pounds which is pretty good. The selection this version far surpasses any Virgin I have been to, and whats great is when you go to listen to a CD its available on their database! I can listen to everything I want before buying it which is great, and other places have it, but only if they take the time to upload it like they do in the UK. By the time I was done I had a good amount of DVDs and CDs!
This is one of the most unique department stores in the UK or World for that matter. They have something for everyone, you can find food, baked goods, flowers, toys, cigars, bags, make up, jewellery, candy, electronics, clothing, furniture, books, dvds, and a whole lot more that I can’t remember off the top of my head right now. I know Harrods relatively well for the things that I want and I still get lost. I go there for the Pizzeria on the bottom floor to get a quick bite to eat before continuing with all my escapades, but that day I was just there to walk through the electronics section and go to the Waterstones for a quick stop before going to the large one. I love looking at all the screens they had at the electronics section and how rediculous the pricing is in the UK, it is literally £1 to $1 in the pricing of the products. But its just great walking around and being really enjoying all the items around, and I really like the modern furniture section in Harrods. Whats great is that there is everything for someone and I love that you can spend hours in their and not be bored at all.
I have to say that I had the best wake up today ever! I was so tired and totally disoriented towards 2:00pm, I need to get some sleep. At around 2:30pm I was out cold and asleep, then I woke up to something on me or roaming around me. Then I heard “no no no,” and then I see my nephew with this grin on his face! I was so freaking happy, tired, and my head felt so heavy, but I just wanted to pick him up! I loved it, I thought I wouldn’t see him today, but I was happy I saw him right in front of me! Of course my mom was laughing at him since he was happy being on top of me! Then he went straight for my door to close everyone out! So after entertaining himself rummaging through my dvds he decided to go to the desk and at that point I jumped up out of bed afraid that he would hurt himself! He pulled a few things over but I managed to catch him. Now that got my blood pumping and he was clapping that I caught him and the things falling over! Now that was something to wake up to! The kid puts a smile on my face all the time!
I have arrived in Kuwait and I have a lot to write about! Too much, I had so much fun I want to share it with everyone, but right now Im so dizzy and tired that I really need to get some sleep. A couple of hours of sleep will do the job. I was surprised to find it raining in Kuwait, and it was foggy as hell when we were landing. I didn’t know we touched the ground until the plane shook.
I went home changed and went to work to get a few things done, by around 1:00pm I felt that my head was about to fall off of my body! I needed to get some food in me as well, but I needed sleep more then food. So I will crash for a few hours then get a bite to eat! Nice to be back home, but it was a nice business trip too.
I have to say that I really like Heathrow airport, the security wasn’t that bad. There was an annoying person sitting at the security console who was nothing short of rude to a lot of people coming to the counter, but still I was happy I got through without incident. The best part is walking around and doing some window shopping while walking around. I dropped off my bag at the British Airways lounge so that I can walk around freely. First thing I do is go straight to WH Smith and picked up some magazines to read while in Kuwait, and one to read while I was getting a bite to eat. I stopped by one shop to browse through the watches they had, and then I entered Dixons to see how much they priced electronic items in the UK. I have to say that the TomTom Radar is one very cool looking GPS Unit, and I would want to try it but they don’t have a working edition for the middle east yet. The other thing you notice is that items are priced directly at a 1 to 1 conversion, so whatever item is going for $100 would go for 100 pounds which is too much.
So after going into HMV for a bit I decided to get a bite to eat at the seafood bar which I have been going to for over a decade and I was happy as hell I was getting my crab and shrimp salad with a coke. I knew it would satisfy me before getting on the plane, and then I heard it was time for boarding but before leaving I stopped by Molton Brown to pick up the aftershave and then I took a long walk to the farthest gate in the terminal, Gate 25! From what it seems the plane was full, and I only watched some anime for a bit before passing out. The anime was great but I couldn’t go to sleep right away!
After waiting so long to see this movie I have at last! I saw Casino Royale! And I have to say that I love it, I will be writing a detailed review of it later! Also later on in the night after spending sometime in HMV and Virgin we went to see Deja Vu and I loved that movie as well. It was a great night we were walking around a lot and we saw two movies and managed to do some shopping. The funny part is we saw Casino Royal at 4:50pm at Odeon West End and then we saw Deja Vu at 9:10pm at Vue West End, I thought if they were up for it I really wanted to do it. I picked up a good amount of CDs and DVDs, and I still have some things to pick up. I know that I could buy most of the items cheaper online, but there is that instantaneous pleasure of having the product in your hands. That is the one thing that I think is missing in Kuwait, I wouldn’t paying a certain amounto of mark-up for books, CDs, and DVDs if only I was getting a good selection and I was getting good releases, but alas that isn’t the case. Walking out after the movie I forgot that Thursday nights is a night out and so many people were all dressed up and ready to go to the clubs around town. We were beat after walking around so much and just wanted to get a late night bite and we had a huge selection to choose from.
On another note I have to say that I love Sweet popcorn in the UK cinemas, there is no way to describe how much I think its fantastic. I have tried different types of popcorn and I can’t get enough of it, I had a huge size popcorn to myself and I refused to share with my friends. It was all mine and I was being greedy about it! If I could at that point I would have jumped right into it, and yes I finished a 40 cm deep popcorn filled container.
Earlier in the day we started off at an Italian restaurant called Mimo’s its one of my top 10 restuarnts of all time. It has one of the best Italian food you can have, other then home cooked Italian food from Italy I dont think there would be many restaurants that could beat this. I love the waiters there, and I love the owner! Because I have been going there once in a while when I’m in London you just keep hearing the stories about the owner and his sons who are running the place and their lives! Its fantastic! I will right up more details later! Lots of pictures as well!
All I have to say about the movie is that it was worth the wait! One more day and I am done with work and coming back. I just hope the airport isn’t crowded and there aren’t too many lines. I know most probably I would be passing out on the plane!
So I had a couple of meetings yesterday and finished up as quick as I could because I was going to meet up with some friends for a really late lunch. But Yesterday I did a lot of walking, even in the rain since I had some time to kill between noon and a later lunch.
So I had a little map with me since I dont remember which street connects to which street and I only used it in emergency purposes. I tried my best to wing it! I went from Selfridges to Regent street and walked down all the way to the Virgin Store, then I walked over to Waterstones from there and I really didn’t want to leave, but I had to so I walked up I Piccadly street and went to Bond Street to go see what gifts I should pick up for family. I will also be going back to Waterstones and Virgin to pick up some DVDs, Books, and magazines. Then I wanted to walk to Harrods but after walking a few hours I got lazy and called Virgin Limo Bike again and asked for a pick up on Bond Street and drop off at Harrods. That gave me enough time to do some window shopping, and damn those guys are effecient!
It rained lightly all evening yesterday, and its raining pretty good today, you can’t even see the sun. Some people don’t like this weather much, neither do I, but in London its a little different. I’m used to London being this way, you see people bustling about, motorcycle deliveries all over the place, black cabs at every corner. This city is just non-stop! The other thing that I love about this city is the number of restaurants! So many restaurants to choose from and even if you went a different place for lunch and dinner everyday for a year you still wouldn’t come close to finishing the choices you have in this cosmopolitan city.
It was just right. As soon as I got on the plane I really didn’t feel like eating even though I was hungry. I just wanted to pass out, so as soon as the plane was tilting up and none of the flight attendents were looking I tilted the seat all the way back and proceeded to sleep. I woke up a few hours later and I decided to get some paperwork done on the plane and watch some anime as soon as I am done with my work.
The plane was packed with people, and after watching a good amount of anime and then the captain said we are going to land soon. To my pleasent surprise we were 45 minutes early to London, but we were delayed on the ground for about 20 mins to find a gate which isn’t too bad.
As soon as I got off the plane I start walking really fast to get to immigrations because I didn’t know if their were a lot of people or a little. And it turned out the place was packed! I had to choose either left or right, and based on my formulas and intuition I choose left! At that moment in time you mark somebody in the other line and keep comparing yourself to him and hoping that you move faster! Its like the slowest race possible, but it is extremely intense and you look at him with full blown competitiveness. My formulas and intuition proved me right at the end! It was great!
I think I love London Taxi cabs! I was so happy to see one when I was outside, people tell me its expensive, but you feel like you are riding with the best possible driver in the world! I really was enjoying myself sitting in the back with my mp3 player playing along and looking out the window while jotting down a few notes of things that I need to be on top of! I got to the hotel, and its pretty nice with floor to ceiling windows! I dropped my things and went walking around town. I know London pretty well and I have to say that I love walking around! I went into Waterstones and I already marked 4 books that I want to buy, and then I passed by Virgin, and I walked down Bond street window shopping at all the high boutiques thinking off gifts for different family members! Then towards the end of the day I forgot that I didn’t get a bite to eat. So I went to small cozy looking place and I had my magazines with me that I bought from the Newstand down the road. I had to make sure I eat enough so I can get some work done before passing out. Got a lot of work tomorrow.
I put all the essentials in my hand bag which I checked with BAA that it will be allowed on the plane. I also put a few things to keep me warm while in London, but I can’t really imagine it being colder then Kuwait, but it is raining a bit from what I heard and I check online. Why does it have to rain! Rain annoys me since I wanted to see if I had chance to go test ride a bike or two while in London! I’m at the pearl lounge and there is a Kuwaiti actor that I have no clue whats his name, but all I know is that he isn’t funny. Aside from that I hope my bag gets to London, I keep hearing from people the British Airways keep misplacing bags these days!
The Essentials:
- Passport
- Petty Cash
- Credit Cards
- Ticket
- Laptop
- Music
- Anime
- Work Documents
- Cell Phone Chips
- Mp3 player
- Camera
A few people already gave me rasonable lists to get from London, which I like since now I can plan my days without too much disruption. The first I will purchase in London is Season 5 of 24. And I will buying a lot of Bike gear since in London they do have a lot of Bike Gear available. I can’t wait to try on some jackets, boots, gloves, helmets, and a lot more. I’m crossing my fingers for no delays! I have plans! Big plans!