Not that diary

A belated post on Oki, the new Korean restaurant in London which continues to delight us locals in SW19.  A few weeks ago, my   friends and I   decided to both test and taste the menu by working down our way through it slowly. After the slurp-yummy Dolsot Bibimbap,  our latest discoveries include the big bowls of soupy-noodles (with veggies, tofu or seafood) and semi-spicy stir fries with rice on the side. One Friday going by the sated look on my companion’s face it was obvious that the bento box was apt for meeting strong hunger pangs. Especially for someone who has just finished a swimming session and feels ‘ready to eat a horse’! Another recent memorable evening was one where a couple of us decided to go for carrot and orange juice to accompany our main meals. We started with one glass per person which soon became several glasses through the evening. Well, some of us were more thirsty than others :D As a friend mentioned, i t’s a mercy they didn’t ru...

Not that my blog was ever in danger of becoming extinct, but it did require some virtual affection. So I'm back with some gupshup. Before I moan about August, the summer month that is increasingly turning non-summer, I must mention the surprise that June had in store for me. While wading through knee high grass in a certain district of SW20 in London I chanced upon clumps of shiny red fruit peeking out from wide green leaves. Closer investigation led me to squeal in delight. Rows of juicy-looking strawberries stared at me,  just in time to welcome the start of the tennis season. I instantly went strawberry picking till both hands were full. Dusk was falling so I stopped. The following day I went out better-prepared and filled a small tupperware box. Soon two friends joined me in picking the latest 'crop' of strawberries. The unanimous verdict was something like 'yummm'. It wasn't long before Friday came and I found myself heading for the tennis courts a...

A couple of weeks ago, the landladies (ground and first floor) decided it was time to restore the joint front door to its glory days of the late 19th /early 20th century when cows still grazed in parts of Wimbledon. Raise not your eyebrows for the presence of these bovine inhabitants can be confirmed from the photos in Richard Milward's 'Wimbledon Past' , which I  I chanced upon at local charity shop. It has been fascinating reading about the history of  what used to be the village of Wimbledon. Who would have guessed that this would become the bustling Zone 3 (out of 9 zones) in London about 100 years on. The village itself still exists and is home to tennis celebrities, lawyers, bankers and the odd winner of the EuroMillions lottery no doubt. Coming back to my front door which lies in the 'squeezed middle class' part of Wimbledon, I wasn't so sure about the colour when the paint-man did a primer followed by the first coat. It stood there for a few days dryi...

I am now properly caught up in the pre-Olympic excitement in London as the growing dread of public transport chaos takes the backseat for a bit. Yesterday I found myself rushing back from work early to catch the Olympic Torch as it winded its way up hilly Wimbledon towards the Lawn Tennis Club. I managed to find a nice spot by the road about half a mile from the club just 15 minutes before the torch arrived. The ladies next to me (3 kids and 1 chihuahua in tow) seemed pretty excited and we even chatted a bit, momentarily forgetting we were supposed to be aloof Londoners.  The whizzing police on motorbikes caused a lot of cheering and shouting. Events unfolded thus: The yellow bus came first.   Then the white one.   Then the Samsung bus   Then the Coke bus  [ Yes, the sponsors are everywhere. Subtle they are not! Must admit that their peppy music and young dancers did add to the carniva...

Signposts, barriers, information desk, brightly decked shops selling tennis memorabilia and, err... half-price strawberries in M&S. Its got to be the Wimbledon Championships 2012 ! Its heartening to see a spruced up SW19 and the bustling Wimbledon Town Centre. Time to head to Wimbledon Village for some celeb spotting now :D