The Hak, UMU, a problem with anger and all my friends are superheroes!!!

The last few weeks have seen me uninspired to write, If only it had stopped at a simple lack of inspiration to write …. I had somehow spiralled into this zone of mere existence, innate imperfection and twists of silence. It was a quietness of being and of spirit physically transpired into a ‘near-fortnight’ of no writing.
Gosh! I reviled feeling so tired and I outrageously detested falling ill. It was awful. Oh I forget that this is not another one of my conversations to me. I apologise, I’ll now explain…

Failing to recognise that the ‘painful tiredness’ I had so strongly experienced was my body’s manner of advising me it was aimed for a crash. I pushed myself harder than ever. As usual, I had my head stuck in my own little world and ignored the tumultuous warnings. We therefore did have pizza and wine the next day with James, Andy and E and I fell asleep at about 22:00 while everyone was still there! (horror!)... Another clue, maybe!
Fast forward to Thursday; bag bought, a decision not to Salsa, Zumba cancelled and no desire to see a museum, gallery, have dinner, write or meet anyone for drinks. I lie! I did meet Akua for dinner to discuss the ‘Re-launch Rihane’ campaign… but my point is! Imagine my shock when I couldn’t move on Thursday morning… I was ill, horrendously ill, in bed for four very long days… arrgghhh! The tears came more out of frustration, the aggravation that my racing brain hadn’t recognised my body was not working and was still caught in a flamboyant song and dance, I wanted needed to do something other than lie down but Alas! I couldn’t.

Monday morning; my girl Tee was in town! Woohoo! Now let me tell you a bit about Tee… Ambitious, fascinating, hyper and an aspiring powerbroker, 28 , her own business and a constant inspiration to me, she’s all tough but with a very keen softness (particularly when it comes to her man). She’s fantastic, in a nutshell and an SATC girl! Bliss! The much required 'Woman'...

We met up in Sheldon Square right outside the glass building where I ‘lived’… sorry I mean worked! and did what the quintessential ‘city’ worker in London does, took a black cab to Selfridges, we had dinner  reservations at Hakkasan but first! I was a crazy woman on a mission, the ‘silly’ person in Gucci had surreptitiously ( it was a conspiracy, it was :)) left a 'bloody' security tag on my £700 hand bag, just right there by the inner zip. Luckily I had noticed it as I was leaving home that morning, cursed slightly and then spent another ten minutes legging it back to my flat to retrieve the receipt. Now! The only reason I went back for the receipt was so I could show it in case I tripped off the security alarms as I walked into Selfridges… and before you ask! Yes! I did expect Gucci to remember me and my ‘meagre’ purchase until I got to the store of course and ‘the Italian’ looked me over; nose upturned like I was an inexperienced ‘petty thief’, so I lied to him; I advised I didn’t have my receipt and asked him to get a manager and then I, ‘the African Woman’ temporarily cast off class and decorum and went ape-shit on him (Gosh! My anger issues are my one biggest growing concern; I’m an angry bitch, Eureka!) and Mrs Obama would have been disappointed... but!!!!!

Fast forward again! I finally brought out my receipt, threw it at him, got the tag removed and then Tee bought a couple of ‘very hot’ shift dresses (she’s also an annoying size 8 and stunning) and I a really cool ‘military coat’ (this season, I’m obsessed with all things military... Again! :)).

Dinner with my ladies; Tee and O was extraordinary, the food at the ‘Hak’ gorgeous as usual, and the half-hour wait for the cab annoying. I am a bit of princess and the idea of waiting around, half an hour after dinner was just too much, especially after the very cute ‘coat-check guy’ had charmingly slid me into my coat (as they do). Apparently O had asked earlier, ‘should I call my regular cabbie?’ and I had absentmindedly agreed to her calling a cab from North London… *sigh*! So Wait (the verb) we did! Of course I moaned (oogling hot coat check guy at the same time, what! I have developed my multitasking), the whole time…

Tuesday! I now successfully felt like four trucks instead of the initial eight had run me over. I needed to shop… I did say I’m unlucky in love and obsessed with labels, actually obsessed with love too. So after the hilarious work lunch at the Waterway (it was Bryce’s birthday) with some really cool, really nice ;) visual designers, (they were extremely kind to talk about SATC, sex, Gucci and London Fashion week amidst new technologies for my benefit of course, I was in absolute ‘dumb chic mode’- tits and no intellect! Hey I was ill! ), a missed team meeting (my work sins were piling! Damn!), I added a CK scarf, head warmer, an LBD and CK grey shift dress to my wardrobe (considerable damage to the debit card, ouch! But beautiful clothes), skipped dinner (appetite was still crap plus I’d had ‘rubbery char grilled squid’ and 2 coronas for lunch that now felt like molten POP in my stomach,) and watched SATC (the one where they’re in LA – sex in another city) till I fell sleep at 19:30, dreamt of the ‘humming bird’ cupcakes I’d ordered for Thursday, slept through till morning and was still late to work even though I was working from home (don’t ask!).

Wednesday started with me dealing with 'safeguard login issues', the ‘dish washer repair’ man (I got angry again because he wouldn’t guarantee me a weekend appointment! Damn anger issues!) And then barrels of laughs and silliness as amazing company made dinner at UMU a calming change. Tee had arranged for us to do the 'evening -sup' with her hugely funny publisher, astute business man and ‘certified foodie’ friend. UMU was fantastic as O and I got acquainted with Tee’s friend (it definitely made up for not getting a table at Nobu). To me he was Big Dee! BD had a love and knowledge of food and business that was extremely gratifying, not to speak of a wisdom that dug depths… The Wagyu beef, varieties of sushi, exaggerated bursts of artistic spreads and the drinks (Gosh my drink must have been spelt ‘hamakito whayiyaka’ it sure tasted like it threw a punch, I've probably just cursed some more) O’s was much verbally easier on the palette, ‘a Haketo or a Hajito’ (basically it was a mojito with sake, fantastic!) but BD’s, ‘matter of fact’ way of speaking and ‘larger than life’ attitude stole the evening. A little after midnight, I sank into a deep, deep sleep…

I woke up  this morning to Tee, already awake and doing business, Gosh! Her energy… It’s unreal!
Tonight TD, my number 1 mentor is finally in town, yaay!! And its dinner at the ‘Mango Tree’ or ‘Thai Thai’, with a couple of his friends and i'm bringing Tee of course!, Yup! That’s TD for you, all angles covered (interestingly enough he introduced me to the 'Hak'). I head to Pall Mall, the institute of Directors to meet with them at 6… *note to self*, ensure Tee has directions…

I’m writing again, yaay! (Forgive the rustiness please) It must have been Rashelle’s e mail, the smell of London again eagerly reminding me of my one true love, the artistic candour in which the food at UMU was displayed or Andrew Kaufman’s; ‘all my friends are superheros’ or maybe all of the above or maybe just the fact that I’m still expecting 18 fabulous cupcakes; Bryce’s belated birthday pressie or maybe just that I am getting better… as I lay my proverbial pen to rest, I can’t help but think life is fantastic, I love London again and the world is perfect sans my anger issues… Damn! I sent my ex an angry text last night again! (ok! Maybe a few… tee hee… Gosh! I am angry…). 'Now! Where are the damn Humming Bird Cakes, 11-17:00??? Aaaarrgghhh! Ottolenghi is nearer!'…

Guest Blogger, my lady, miss Kiki next... I am extremely excited , she's fantastic ...

#1. Running to… Running From… Same Difference?

I glanced at the digital time display on my Blackberry one more time and could hardly believe it was 3.00pm. I had no idea where my day had gone or was going.

Aaaarghhh! The newest addition to my vocabulary, only difference was I wasn’t speaking it this time, I was feeling it. Glancing covetously at the rays of sunlight soaking the green, green lawn on the other side of my window, or my mom’s windows until I moved in a few weeks, I felt my stomach cringe… again. A rude reminder as to why I had missed my business class this morning, why I wasn’t at Kiki’s house just yet for the party (she’d only constantly gone on about it for the last two weeks. I’d had it all planned out; business class till noon and then straight to Kiki’s) Damn! I was still vegged out on my mom’s couch in pain. Yup! aaarrggghhhh! Is exactly how I felt.
I had absolutely disregarded the CBS Drama reruns of Dynasty and given my very precious time to Lindsey Kelk as I purred through the pages of her book; ‘I heart NewYork’. I hear you say we all got it free in our August ‘Glamour’… agreed! But I personally heart ‘I heart NewYork’ and I considered ‘Angela Clark’ as a Pseudonym two seconds ago:) bite me!

I didn’t have the slightest idea why my stomach had decided to betray me and then ruin my plans for the day, all I knew was that it was succeeding, insane growling in tow. I finally decided living horizontally and in an almost near vegetative state for a day might actually do my overworked self some good. It was my consolation.



My thoughts slowly cascaded through Friday, as I did a mental check on what I had eaten, I needed to blame something or someone, was it the gorgeous mix of muesli, Greek yogurt and fruit I’d had for breakfast or the very rare beef burger I’d had at the Union for Lunch or the handful of chili’s I’d piped into dinner… Hang on! The union, the burger was so rare it had virtually mooed at me. Aaarrrggghhh! My stomach cramped up slightly tighter. I decided to rest my ‘Nancy Drew’ hat and gloves, silently resolving to pray the pain away. I let my mind wander further; the last few weeks brought a cheeky smile to my lips accompanied with a feeling of utter control. A bad break up and a failed attempt to move back to Africa, my roots, had seen me safely back to London. I’d only just lived here the last 10 years.

The daily commute to the city, the breath taking colosseumic entrance to the British museum, the intoxicating sniffle from hot dog hawkers on crowded streets, the iconic representation of Harrods and Selfridges, the humid, windy summers, the almost intimidating Gherkin as it reared its most beautiful head through the city, fabulous restaurants and amazing pubs; the waterway, 55, Claridges, Hakkassan, Umu… but even more fabulously the freedom and liberty to be open and to be me.
I smiled, London made me smile and then I realized, I was doing exactly what Lindsey’s main character was doing; learning me, finding me as I rediscovered the city I had come to love so much over the last decade. Geographically we were 7,000 miles apart, she NewYork and I, London…
Am I running from or running to? I carefully brushed the tedious question away… my answer was simple enough!
I’m not bothered and its absolutely amazing… Damn! I’d turned down a hen night, a friend had invited me to tonight… aaarrrghhh! Pain again!