Chic tourists in Mayfair, medicines and placebo effect, a touch of domesticity

Unusually for me, I sat and watched a tv prog. tonight. Unusually because I don't find too much which is on very gripping...
Anyway, this was about effectiveness/not of medicines of differing types,i.e. homeopathic, herbal, conventional, so-called preventitive methods.
Naturally in the limited time available and according to who the prog was mainly aimed - i.e. the 'normal' lay person such as myself - it was fairly superficial, however, it was also rather informative.
Within the conventional meds part, there was a small experiment about over-the-counter pain-killers which I won't bore you with in full.
Suffice it to say that the placebo effect of believing you are taking pill 'a' as opposed to 'b' appeared to be proved. Much more to say on this, but not right now...
Earlier in the late afternoon I was in domestic mode and watering the garden, washing out the bird bath so that I don't poison the poor birds...
Fabu weather in London again today so yet earlier, after a morning at work, I walked around combining some chores (yes, more to tick off the to-do list!) with drinking in the pre-marathon atmosphere of London...
Many tourists around and I just adore people watching whilst having a coffee in a cool cafe or just walking.
Thus, a chic American woman with impossibly thin lower legs and her partner gently ambled out of Claridges as I passed by and impeccably smart colour-coordinated Italians wandered near their consulate. I do enjoy meandering around Mayfair!
Tomorrow I need to buy a ticket for another long weekend in Paris for late May/ early June. I just love being able to get there so often and easily with Eurostar.
And there are a few other things to do - but right now a horizontalal position is what I crave...

Night night J xx

Someone else's happiness

It is a strange feeling to know that you have some knowledge about a total stranger which would most certainly cause them a great deal of anguish.
Well, not only anguish, but probably far worse... That is my situation and I wouldn't act upon this, but it goes to show how one quite small action from someone - me in this case - could ruin another's happiness. Many have written on this subject and far more eloquently than I am able; in novels and non-fictional accounts, some of which I have of course read. I believe that I am a moral and a compassionate person in the normal course of events and would not want to harm someone, even ruin their life, but this would presumably not be the attitude of, say, a journalist of the mud-raking ilk who thrive on exposing others' foibles thus frequently ruining families. marriages, careers etc etc. Or a 'wronged woman' who in her rage turns on her partner or the third party, wreaking emotional and even material havoc.
Well, enough of those gloomy and worrying thoughts:- Today has been glorious and a usual full Tuesday for me. First a morning's work followed by a gym session and then to my dance teaching in the later afternoon. What part of the evening left to me was frittered away I know not exactly how! My partner is away for a few days and I shall take advantage of his absence and work in the garden later in the week, weather permitting. Lettuces and salvias will be planted otherwise it would not be good, in view of our departure to New York next week! And on that note, I have started to look at things I'd like to do whilst there and of course have a million activities to fit into basically 6.5 days !! Ah yes and a couple more things which should have been done ages ago can now be ticked off the 'done' list! Yes I have started to shift my arse big-time (in-elegantly put I know) and it gets easier as it goes along I must say.... Long may it continue. Vive anti-procrastination!! Okay, getting too sleepy - my bed calls. Goodnight ,J xx

Cambridge!

My mother and I went to Cambridge Thu and Fri to see the fan collection in the Fitzwilliam museum and also to visit the Botanical Gardens. As one of my sisters lives not too far away, we managed to meet up with her and both nephews on each of the days concerned. Our hotel was super, with views over the Cam from the dining room and excellent room and service. We both felt well rested despite being quite active. It was lovely to see the family who we don't see enough of and they seemed to enjoy coming along on our activites, one came along to the garden and the other to King's College Chapel with us. The atmosphere in Cambridge was serene and it is easy to imagine that it is very conducive to studying. It was a little worrying though to see how empty the Fitzwilliam was... Perhaps we hit on a period of transition when tourists were leaving and the students and academics had not yet returned ? well never mind - selfishly the lack of visitors was a welcome antidote to the frenzy usually experienced in London museums such as the Tate and National Gallery! Also, the pedestrianised centre meant that it was quiet and without car fumes. Well, dear reader, more perhaps on this later, but for now bye bye ! J xx

Trip to New York !

The trip in May to Boston and N.York - only N.York for me - is starting to take shape. The flights, Boston and N.Y. accommodation has been arranged, to be confirmed once a couple of loose ends are sorted out. It's some time since I last visited NY so I look forward to re-visiting it . I haven't been there since the Twin Towers disaster happened. In fact I went up on my last trip and well remember the fantastic views of N.York. Time permitting I'll visit Ground Zero to see what has been done there. It'll be fun to catch up with my sister-in-law and niece whilst there. My s-i-l will try to get her and me tickets to the ballet or another type of show. More on the trip anon...

Meanwhile back on the ranch, Easter is upon us. We'll be taking it quietly - realxing and being spontaneous for the most part except for going out for dinner with friends tonight. An Italian resto I believe - nice and local so that we have only a few mins travelling there. The only bummer is that I am on antibiotics for some kind of mouth infection I have had. Which means that I can't drink any wine - grr ! Not that I'm one of those who must have alcohol terribly frequently, but I do savour a glass or 2 of nice wine at the weekend/ dinners. Hey ho I'll just have to watch the others getting more and more locqacious (sp) and just hope their merriment is infectious enough to engender faux alcolhol effects in me !

One nasty note from the past week is that a quite close acquaintance from our gym who we frequently shared chats/coffees with, dropped dead whilst playing squash there the other day. My partner had seen him shortly before and they had joked about that very topic. Poor guy - and his family also, of course. His daughter is getting married later in the year, so that will cast a shadow over the event.
So as not to end on such a sombre topic, I'll think of plans for the garden - of the salvias, cosmos and other plants I'm growing. Without wishing to seem callous, life must go on and it's good to nurture plants.
Have a good break one and all. Cheers, J xx

Birthday in Paris/travel plans/catharsis

Yesterday was another gorgeous, sunny day. After a dutiful trip to the gym, I went into the Covent Garden/Soho area to pick up some coffee from a favourite haunt where they stock interesting varieties, and then looked at some other chic/quirky shops.
My partner returned this evening after quite an extensive business trip, for part of which I had joined him and celebrated my birthday together in a super restaurant in Paris!! It was within walking distance of our appartment, so afterwards we had an atmospheric walk back in a still active night-time Paris. We also took in an exhibition over the course of the next 2 days and just generally drank in Paris's superb atmosphere and beauty.
Back to tonight, and we need to make plans for travels in the next few months - perhaps a trip taking in Boston & New York (part biz for partner but all leisure for me- as well as an opportunity to see some family there) and we are dying to get to Berlin with its re-found vibrancy and fabulous museums etc.... However a few other pieces of the jigsaw need to be put in place first.
So.... in the meantime I have started my self imposed anti-procastination policy ! i.e. get off your butt and get on with those plans and activities which have been slipping to the bottom of the pile for just too long... It's quite amazingly cathartic to be able to tick something off that wretched list, and the whole thing begins to have its own momentum.

Keeping up with friends, spring day in London, the fabulous V&A Museum

Well the G20 has been going on over here - the charismatic Mr Obama and his warm and statuesque wife Michele have paid the oldy worldy London, Uk a visit - together with a huge retinue and the other leaders too, of course !
As most of the demos etc have been City-based, life in the West-End of London where I work and often hang out daytimes has been seemingly pretty much 'business-as usual' - well as much as it can be during these economically frightening times...
I was able to walk through St James's Park as usual en route to work without being frisked, x-rayed or otherwise hindered. The dear fig-tree just across the bridge is starting to show buds and the lake after having been emptied and dredged of probably centuries of silt is almost full of water again.
I wonder where all the birds went whilst it was empty ? Anyways, the park is looking ravishing and as ever is full of hoards of tourists.
After a morning's work, I was free and took myself off to the V&A, but first chatted to a cool guy who runs his own - yes HIS OWN not one of a chain, heel-bars where he re-heeled shoes for me.
A chipper fellow and good for him... he is located not far from the Player's Theatre where they put on interesting stuff, though I've yet to go there. Currently a comedy rock musical is playing which he says is good (but loud in answer to my query about this !). His only disappointment was that the lyrics to well known songs were all changed - this I believe was a device to integrate the pieces's plot into well-known tunes/songs...
Well onto the V&A I trotted to see the new performance and theatre galleries (I have a bone to pick about this whole situation which I'll not go into here) which was interesting.. more later perhaps, but the experience visiting that museum was, as ever for me, fabulous !! Every step you take reveals another visual delight..whether a small window onto the South court (being restored I believe), or the cases full of sensual sculptures.
On to have a coffee over the newspaper and then home. The only clouds on the horizon of an otherwise superb day were:- 1) the awful news of the helicopter carrying oil-workers -crashing and 2) the comparatively totally insignificant fact that I received another text from someone who has unfortunately become keen on me with no encouragement from me I hasten to add. I have had several and have not answered the last - oh probably 12.
I'll have to tell him if and when I see him , or alternatively leave him a note. I feel bad not answering and need to do something. I know exactly - and I mean EXACTLY - how it feels to have strong feelings for someone who either cannot or doesn't wish to get involved with one... Honesty and clarity though hard is better than not knowing or hoping fruitlessly for a full/er relationship with the object of ones feelings.
Okay back to day-to-day matters. Tomorrow I have to finalise arrangements to visit my younger sister in Cambridge later this month with my mother. A nice hotel has been booked for an overnight stay and the plan is to take in the Botanical Gardens and the Fitzwilliam, especially the fan collection.

Oh yes and I nearly forgot the keeping up with friends part of my title for this post, i.e. keeping up with friends, which in this case regarded my having re-established contact with a friend - a composer - who is arranging a music festival again at the moment. He will be moving back to Paris later in the year so I should be able to have a coffee and catch-up with him then, or when he visits London in May. The Prime Minister of the country concerned will be attending one of the festival concerts so my friend is naturally concerned so fingers crossed or "break-a leg" as we (ex) dancers rather peversely wish one another before going on stage ! Perhaps "bon courage" would be better?
Okay that's enough self indulgent drivel for one night. and so to bed...goodnight xx