UNDERGROUND* (a swiss lad living in london for a year)

Not really have the time to update!

strandi — 2009-01-19T23:16:00Z

Sorry guys, don't really have the time to update here. Very busy at work and in life, will talk to you all when I'm in the country at the end of the week (23rd of January till 1st of February)!!!

Am packing and doing laundry at the moment. So excited to see all my friends again!

Sandro will have to find a new place to live.

strandi — 2009-01-07T22:35:00Z

Banyana just told me that she wants to hand in her one month's notice.

Glued together butt cheeks. Crap pile o' shit!

Tomorrow. Another day at work without the manager. Just because I didn't burn down the place yesterday. My first mistake.

No just kidding. (About the work thing, that'll be fun. Not about the "Banyana's moving out" thing.)

use the force, luke

strandi — 2009-01-05T23:59:00Z

Today my manager called me and offered to promote me to team leader! Yay! After thinking this'll never gonna happen, it just did! Wow! He wants to properly discuss it on Wednesday though, because he's not in tomorrow. Which kinda means I have to run the show. The whole show. Kinda scary, but also challenging. Which is always a good thing.

Interestingly enough, the haircut gets really a lot of attention. (And the skull has finally stopped itching. More or less.)

GRRRRRR....

strandi — 2009-01-03T16:40:00Z

Nhi is taking forever.

first day back at work...

strandi — 2009-01-02T18:22:00Z

...and now I'm tired. But very glad to see my colleagues at work again and it was quite slow for a Friday. Of course, we had to send someone to Selfridges again, so it was still a stressful enough day for everyone.

Nhi is finally gonna make it to London tomorrow and the fact that I got the day off makes her very happy and me as well!!!!

And Sebastian put the pictures he took on New Year's Eve on Facebook, so you all get to see me there. (I think there is the one or other picture were I look at least half decent.... Well, one should be allowed to drink on the last day of the year. It's too scary otherwise!) Thanks to Sebastian for making it such a nice start to the new year!

New Year-ish plans

strandi — 2008-12-31T16:14:00Z

So Nhi was supposed to make it to London with her bf tonight, but now they're not making it at all, so I was gonna go and do something with Jennifer and Olivier, since Banyana is gonna head off to some bash with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but now she tells me that they'll go to some French friends place and I am not too much up to 1) speaking/hearing French all night and 2) spending New Year's at someone's house. (house parties are cute and all, but at the end of the year, I prefer the real deal)

So plans are back to spending it with my beloved market people (or market person. Sebastian that is. Dunno who else will be there.) at a location that has yet to be determined. Will still go to Jennifer's for an early New Year's dinner and champagne drinking thing at about 7.

And to all you people back home: my mother's bf got me to promise that I will celebrate the New Year twice. Like GMT and GMT+1 (with them) an hour earlier, so all know that tonight when you are saying "Happy New Year" to each other, I will (looking quite ridiculous) raise a glass and think about all of you. (It is supposed to sound cute, but it also sounds kinda creepy and sad. I guess that's just me.)

It's all off, shopping with Banyana, Jennifer and Oliver and missing Nhi

strandi — 2008-12-30T21:28:00Z

So after complaining about my hair for too long a time, I cut it all off. Like all. I bought electric clippers and my hair has now the convenient length of 10mm. Banyana can't stop saying how hot she thinks it looks, Laureen keeps making jokes about it and consoles herself in saying that it'll grow back and Jennifer meant that she normally doesn't like short hair, but in my case it looks good. And I must say I like it myself as well. Still not used to it, but I got a great head shape and that's the most important thing. But now I def. have to wear a hat when I leave the house, because it's too damn cold without.

Was in the West End today and Olivier kept trying on jeans until we found a pair in which his butt looked good. And he got some shirts as well. Banyana bought a trench coat and a pair of heels and claims that she is now finally shopped out. We'll see ;)

Then I am also desperately trying to get a hold on Nhi, who said she'll come over for New Year's, but she doesn't answer on her swiss number and when I call her UK number, a (female) voice just says: "This mobile is switched off." Very cryptic, but like I know her, she'll message me sometime tomorrow. Always waits for the last second, that one.

New Year's Resolutions? What a rip off!!

strandi — 2008-12-29T22:25:00Z

Maybe you'll totally disagree with me on this one, but please just let me rant about it.

I just made a list of New Year's resolutions (So the above is just a reconstructed, empty version. Just for the sake of posting a picture.) and then realized how much I hate the idea of it. Think about it: It's basically just a list of things that are apparently wrong with you. And I believe they don't even reflect your own true opinion. It's more or less all things that you think you should change to make yourself socially more acceptable. Which is bullshit. Don't get me wrong, of course I have my bad sides. Of course I make mistakes, but they are all as much a part of me, as the good things are. And you can't have the one without the other. It just doesn't work. Why should you even consider changing things about yourself. And then you do it in such a constructed way. Just because the year is ending and a new one is aproaching, you are obligated to sit down in front of a piece of paper and write down what you think you could change yourself. Which doesn't even make sense. It's not like you'll wake up on the first of January being someone else. That's like thinking that you'll be diffrent, just because it's your birthday and you are another year older. You always get older. Why should these days be any special? I vote that we knock out this whole New Year's resolution shit and whenever we notice something about ourselves that we don't like, we either change it or leave it be. And we don't wait around for the end of the year to do that. We'll just do it. (Like Yoda said in Episode V: "Don't try. Do it or don't do it. But don't try.")

And please people, don't let anyone tell you that you'll have to get rid of your bad habits. I all love you too much with them and you wouldn't be the same without your bad habits!!

On another note: Walked down the street with the room mate today (BTW, she complained about me calling her "the room mate" and not "my room mate" or simply "Banyana", so I might just do that and for anyone who'll get confused: Your own damn fault for not being a more loyal reader!!!) and two guys passed us:

Guy 1 (to Guy 2): I'm gonna have a cold tomorrow.
Me (to Banyana): Good for him. He's planning ahead!
Banyana: You are just the most sarcastic person ever...

Any thoughts on that?

Plus went to see the "Inkheart" movie yesterday and really enjoyed it. Even though it's been ages since I read the book, I think they did a more or less fine adaption. But please do correct me on that, if I'm wrong.

christmasy things

strandi — 2008-12-23T21:15:00Z

* Downloading a lot of Christmas Songs right now, want to play them all tomorrow at work! And then we are closed over the holidays till the 2nd! Horray!!!!

* Making a list what to eat on Christmas with the roomie.

* Have to buy nice pants tomorrow to wear to church. Going to the midnight mass at Westminster Abbey with the roomie!

* Very surprised that Laureen got her Christmas present today, been told by the guy at the post office that they won't arrive in time for the holidays!!! Wondering whether all of them already arrived?

* Am done with the Christmas presents. (Ok, I still need something for the sister, but that's it and I was planning on getting that on Boxing Day)

* Wish you all a very Merry Christmas and also a Happy New Year! (Because I am not sure I will blog till then....)

And the whole thing comes tumbling down

strandi — 2008-12-20T17:44:00Z

Remember? I had this whole nice Christmas dinner planned with the room mate and the French friends. Today text from Jennifer: "Olivier is sick, he can't make it." Trying to wake the room mate to freaking get ready in time: "I don't think I am coming, I don't feel so well."

Boy, that sure does sound like Christmas to me!

Cold and tired

strandi — 2008-12-16T21:55:00Z

Sounds like a facebook status update, I know, but that's basically it: I am very cold and also very tired. Square Pie is still short staff and with the power cut yesterday (some dumbass construction workers cut a cable), today I had to work from 8 till 8, because we had a 200 pie meal delivery today to prepare for five thirty. (200 pies is about what we sell on a slow day, like Monday. Today we probably baked about 450 pies, so it was kinda busy. Blargh.... But hey, today I only did the first three bakes and then was on the till! So all is good there! Yay!)

I am almost done with the Christmas presents, which is good, but I still have to mail them. And fair enough, still need three. (room mate and male friends, those are always hard, but I think I have ideas. That's something)

Will do some more shopping on Thursday, my day off. Will get some wool from John Lewis, because the fingers want to knit again, I can feel them twitch! Maybe this winter, I'll make it beyond mittens?

On Saturday I'll have a little Christmas get together with Banyana, Jennifer and Olivier and made a reservation at Walluc Bistrot. Very much looking forward to it. Because they are serving cheese fondue. And raclette. Haven't had either for ages!!!

So to all my friends back home who miss me a lot: the feeling is very mutual!!!!! But I will be coming home for a week in January (Sarah, I have to talk to you about tickets. Again.....)

not everything is pink and fluffy in the kingdom

strandi — 2008-12-08T22:01:00Z

So after I have been baking for over two weeks, I came to the conclusion that I more than hate it. Plain simple truth. I hate it. It is stressfull (in a bad way) and there is no real contact with customers (or anyone for that matter), so that's why I hate it. And it's actually making me very grumpy, so much that my room mate is this close to calling my manager and yelling at him: "Why do you stupid people make Sandro bake? Can't you see it's making him very depressed?!?!" So I talked to my manager. And Leah, the office angel. And John, the General Manager. Will still have to bake the next two days, because the manager has his days off and there is FREAKING NO ONE ELSE WHO KNOWS HOW TO BAKE!!!!!!!! Feel like calling in sick, just to make them realize how stupid they are. The problem is of course that they just know I'll do it and everything else too. For example two people called in sick and I ended up preparing all the food we sold today. Mash, gravy, peas, beans and of course all the pies. That's how much they're milking me. And I have no trouble working a lot or working hard. I'll do anything if I don't have to bake. Plus it's just not a good idea, because I would be better in any other position, just because baking keeps you from properly multitask. If they make me bake any longer, I will seriously consider quitting, which is a shame, because I actually like the job and everything. Just to give you a picture of how much I hate baking.

Then there is this whole thing with Sebastian who has a stall at Spitalfields. I think it is evolving into a friendship (the moment he turned out to be straight, my crush ended. So don't you worry about me. But he is a very funny and intelligent person.), but I kinda realized that I have very big trust issues with men. This is of course hardly surprising, considering my father and especially considering the guy that from now on will only be called "Heart Break Hotel Guy" just to mark his departure out of my actual life. You might now him better under his real name, Claudius. (Yes Julia, I know you are very proud of me!!!) But that doesn't matter, because stupid me is just very overwhelmed by the fact that we already reached the hug and cheek kiss state. Compared to that other guy who only brought himself to use the word "friend" after six months and a huge load of shit, this guy might be normal. And a good person to be around. Hopefully I won't screw it up by being a complete nutjob. (Who was it again, that called me "one of the most sanest person they know" just the other day?)

So now we can only wait and see. Hopefully it'll all gonna turn out for the better.

Things that are easier back home, vol. 1

strandi — 2008-12-03T21:12:00Z

How to make apple pie in Switzerland: Buy "Kuchenteig, ausgewallt", put in a tin, put some apples in it, mix two eggs, a bit of milk, one bag of custard powder and some sugar, pour over pie, bake for ca. 45 min on 180°C. Done.

How to make apple pie in the UK: try to find simple pie pastry at Sainsbury's. Be annoyed at the fact that you only find either puff pastry or short crust pastry, which is both not what you want and decide to buy the basic ingredients (which is quite easy, even if you've never made pie pastry from scratch). Buy everything else you need. Including a big container of Bird's custard powder. Don't forget to buy a rolling pin.

At home, be faced with the following problems:
1) you do not own a bowl to mix the pastry dough in.
2) you do not own a scale to measure 500 grams of flour for the pastry dough.
3) you do not even own a whisk.
Reconsider making apple pie for about 1.28 seconds. Then remember that you love apple pie. Take a sauce pan and mix the dough in there, roughly guessing how much 500 grams of flour is. Whisk the egg-milk-custard powder-stuff with a fork, even if you get clumps. Put the assembled thing in the oven and hope that this shitty oven will not turn all your efforts into a pile of crap.

And for everyone who has stuff like whisk and so on and would like to know how my mama taught me:

apple pie

500 gr plain white flour
250 gr butter
2 eggs
3 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
2dl water (though I used less. I think. Have no measuring cup either.)

bag of ground almonds

3 apples

2 eggs
5 tablespoons of sugar
a gulp of milk
2 tablespoons of custard powder (maybe two and a half)

Mix flour with sugar and salt. Add butter, cut in pieces and rub crumbly. Add eggs and water. This is very squishy, especially if you have to mix it with your hand. Knead the dough untill it gets smooth and stops sticking. Put in a plastic bag and let rest for about thirty minutes. Roll it out on a surface, but it in your tray and prick the bottom with a fork. Sprinkle some chopped almonds on it. Peel apples and cut into wedges, removing the apple core, line up neatly on the dough. Sprinkle with some more almonds. Whisk the eggs, sugar, milk and custard powder and pour it all over the apples. Put into the preheated oven for about 40 minutes at 180°C.

Now all I got to do is sit here, gloat over the fact that I winked back at scottish business suit guy and hope that this stupid gaz oven with a door that doesn't properly close won't mess up my pie. I'll keep you posted.

EDIT: Even though it was very different from what apple pie is supposed to taste like (to me), I think I did okay under the circumstances. But I'll give it another try soon (I froze half of the pastry anyways)

Things that only happen to you in London

strandi — 2008-12-03T00:12:00Z

Number One: One fifth of the people working at square pie are gay.

Number Two: New team member plays in a band, which is actually even really good.

More from Switzerland...

strandi — 2008-12-01T19:56:00Z

...came by this weekend in the form of Laura and her flat mate, Miri! Thank you guys for coming, it was really fun having you here!!!

After we met at Picadilly Circus, we bought ourselves some tickets for The Lion King at the Lyceum theatre (I still have to find out how to get the super cheap tickets though....) which we went to see the same night which was reallyreally awesome! (of course, hakuna matata is still the best part of the whole thing, but I also liked the way they let humans be animals... magical) And we saw Ben (the big one) and also went to Oxford Street.

On Sunday we had a look at the palace (and talked to squirrels and geese along the way) and then we went to the Old Spitalfields Market and had a look around. I even found Sebastian and made him feel very bad about not coming to square pie anymore. And we ate chocolate. Of course.

Afterwards we went to my place where my lovely room mate (who aparently will be smuggled into Switzerland pretty soon, because Laura just can't wait for Schengen) prepared a lovely African meal for the four of us. Just delicous! Then I walked them back to the bus station at Liverpool Street and then we said good bye. How sad, but hopefully we will all see each other again pretty soon.

Gosh, just noticed this is not much written down, but I am just a little tired and the room mate is demanding my attention too. Just one more thing: today a new Italian guy started working at squarepie and his band will play in a club on Old Street on the 12th (this will probably be followed by an "why the hell can you go there but not come and see the play" outcry from Julia, I am very truly sorry about that, but I never promised anything!!!)