Adventures of London: Issue 42

Another joyful week in London come and gone... and what a lovely week it was :-) For starters, I ran my first UK race. Alright, it wasn't really a race - it was more of a fun run.  Wednesday night afterwork NA and I went to Battersea Park for Cancer Research UK's Race for Life. It was an amazing evening and just what I needed after a couple of not so satisfying training sessions. NA and I ran the first 4K together at a reasonable pace. This was NA's first race in a couple of years, so it was a pleasure to run with her. You know me, I enjoy seeing people discover a joy for running especially when they innately have great running form :-) I know that I should have finished with NA, but the runner in me wanted to have a strong finish so I sped up for the last kilometer. I also had the secret desire that if I ran faster to the finish that I may be able to get another glance at Paula Radcliffe!!! I had no idea she was supposed to be there, but NA nudged me when they announced that Paula would be officially starting the race. I later read that she participated in the race for her mom. I cannot explain how great it was to see her. I am sure I annoyed NA with my glee, but after just finishing her book and reading about her highs and lows - - it was a sincere delight to see her in person. 

If the joy of running and seeing Paula Radcliffe was not enough; on Thursday in the smack dab in the heart of London at the mystique entertainment center of Trocadero, I found a "BUCK HUNTER" console!!! You cannot grasp my excitement when I saw this -- actually if you have seen me play then you would know just how happy I was to play this game. Oh it was just like riding a bike... somethings you just don't forget. The animals and treks may have been different, but they were no match for my big buck skills ;-) 

So you are probably thinking, "How do you top a week of running, Paula Radcliffe and buck hunter?!?"Well under normal circumstances there wouldn't be, but this week there was - - CURRY NIGHT!!! Last night I hosted my first dinner party for 13 people. After nights and hours of cooking, I am happy to report that the evening's meal was a success. Granted I was not 100% satisfied with the outcome of all the dishes, but for my first attempt... it was rather tasteful (at least that it was everyone else thought). It was a great experience cooking this dinner and I am happy that I did it. Aside from the desserts (where I used premixed boxes), I am proud that I made everything from scratch.  

4 years ago when I had to cook for my mom after her heart attack I was so scared cause I could barely make oatmeal from scratch.  Thanks to Superbowl parties, Easter brunches, NYE parties, and small dinner parties here and there to "test run" dishes, I started to experiment more and more with my menu. That said, my abilities were rather basic - cous cous salad, citrus salmon, chili... nothing earth shattering really. All of that changed after moving here. Over the last 9 months I have discovered a new love for cooking and venturing out side of the safe zone. I would be a lucky person (as would the others around me) if somewhere in my DNA I picked up my Mom's ability to cook. I know my brother has in so many ways, but if I could have a share in that, I would be utterly grateful. 

(Sheikh kebabs w. mint chutney) (Chicken Curry & Alu Gobi)

(Palak paneer) (Galab Jamun)

Today I went over to East Ham to have lunch with my mom's cousin/my dad's best friend in college, his wife and my cousin. It was the perfect ending to a lovely week. I wish I was able to spend Mother's Day with my mom, but being able to spend it with my Aunt was a great substitute (not that you can substitute moms, but you know what I mean). After lunch, we headed over to the Canary Wharf and walked along the river bank. On our walk, I learned one of the greatest facts a girl could know about her father - - he was a runner too!! Back in his college days, he would wake up early in the morning and run with my uncle. I guess he also biked too. Being the "city guy", he would be the first of his gang to have the bike and would spend the first few weeks of getting it cleaning it after every ride. Funny how you pick up some traits without ever knowing it. And like yours truly, his OCD polishing of his bike would fade after a handful of weeks. Doesn't sound like much, but it meant a lot to me. 

Hope you all had lovely weekends. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL YOU MOMMIES & MOMMIES-TO-BE!!! 

xx

T