- -About a fortnight ago, I found out I had to go to
- -One evening I was at Starbucks which was empty, except for me and a Greek man. We were both reading newspapers. I know he was Greek because he had been talking on his mobile. He was moaning to a friend about his ex girlfriend. He was saying he couldn’t stand being alone after the breakup, although it was a necessary step towards his happiness. I wasn’t eavesdropping. He was expressing his pain in a loud way. I felt sorry for him. I’d talk to him but after what I had heard, it would be too embarrassing. The reason for his honesty was that he thought he was the only person speaking greek there. Also, I didn’t trust his shoes. He was wearing soft loafers.
- -Everybody was reading something. The most extreme form of that was someone I saw while waiting for the bus in Wandsworth: A young man, who was reading while walking. He was enthralled by his book, not casually flipping through a magazine. He was adorable. Not beautiful, but you know, a man, reading. How often do you see that? In
- -I got a nice –black- dress from Gap (it’s longer in real life, i.e. on me: I am short). And I got this Summer Hill perfume from Crabtree and Evelyn. They had sales while I was over there. Thank you!
peeping Tom
- -Breakfast, lunch and meals in between are fine even when you are alone. But dinner? No. I can’t have dinner in a restaurant alone. Someone remove the stigma first, please.
- -Films I saw this past week:
Death Proof – Quentin Tarantino (women rule)
Volver – Pedro Almodóvar (women rule again)
Scoop – Woody Allen (just for fun)
The Lives of Others - Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (you absolutely have to see this movie)
- -To Kiki: Actually, the red bag will rest in peace from now on, in a bin in Heathrow airport after being ripped apart under the weight of magazines and newspapers.
July 30th, 2007 at 12:13 am
You were in Wandsworth?? So near and I had no idea. We must get in contact next time you are in London as I’m really not far.
Chloe says:
Clare, yes, our office is in Wandsworth so when i come to london i spent some time there too. But i am also in Richmond a lot, so we can meet wherever it suits you best. xx
July 30th, 2007 at 12:23 am
You are still here! Yay!
I thought the same thing about eating alone while I was in Melbourne. I wanted so much to go somewhere nice for the evening meal - it just felt really awkward alone. I really thought it wouldn’t bother me. I never think it’s odd when I see other people doing it though.
Chloe says:
maybe we can eat together when we are away from home, via sattelite. that would be pathetic but fun.
July 30th, 2007 at 12:26 am
Also, Chios is where mastic comes from, right?
Chloe says:
that’s right! you are going to get lots of it!
July 30th, 2007 at 3:34 am
I love standing out like an exotic
bird - wearing soft loafers of course.
And I travelled alone recently as well
to Chicago and New York.
Reclaimed the first city for myself
in a beautiful way and
when I arrived in New York
proved that I am worth paying for
my writing:)
LOL
Love your photographys Chloe OH
AND I NOMINATED YOU FOR A LOVELY
AWARD - COME SEE!!!
Chloe says:
thank you Maddy, thanks for the award! Woo hoo! an award. I must buy a new dress and prepare my acceptance speech. Did you get paid for your writing? That’s so great. Did you buy something nice for yourself? Go Maddy! (maybe something fuchsia and lime!)
July 30th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
I adore these photos…the one of the garden behind the white picket fence, with just the bit of brick building in the background is so much like a friend’s place in Brixton, even though it really isn’t…it must be that essence of London that it captures.
And the garden behind the door doesn’t remind me of anything but if it did, it would be sublime things.
Chloe says:
thank you Kimananda. I love London so i find beauty in the commonest things. It is unfair on my hometown, because even when something is truly beautiful i hardly notice.
July 30th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Volver was good but not fantastic like some of his other work. did you like Death Proof? I haven’t seen it yet.
Chloe says:
Not really. The last 15 minutes were fun but it was boring for the most part. I understand his fascination with b-movies but he has to find a way to make his tributes interesting instead of just winking at us.
July 30th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Now look how creativly you used those photos. Did you enhance them in photoshop? I like them all.
Chloe says:
yes, lots of photoshop there. it’s that effect, known as the Orton Effect. xxx
July 30th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
I love dining out alone. I don’t know why, but I tend to crave solitude. I put on a nice dress, order a glass of wine, and a gorgeous meal and tuck in. If you try it, you might find it’s not scary at all, and it’s funny but it kind of feels like you are accomplishing something. I guess it’s that stigma.
Chloe says:
You think so? I’d love to try it but it scares me. Also, sometimes i think of funny things when i am alone and laugh all by myself, which would be awkward during solitary dinner. But i want to try it, push some boundaries.
July 30th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Black and White, oh wow. I’m planning my wardrobe for my Greek trip and bringing lots of leggings and colorful clothes. I’m also traveling to Germany, alone, but that doesn’t bother me any more. Sometimes it’s better that way…ciao
Chloe says:
Rositta, if you are coming now, only bring the lightest clothes with you. It’s too hot!
July 30th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
Hooray for the new post! And I got my own shout out. Sweet. Although, I’m feeling a bit guilty for wishing away the red bag now. Honestly, I didn’t mean for it to die a painful death at the Heathrow airport.
I have The Lives of Others in my netflix que. I don’t think it gets released stateside for another few weeks. Did you know that the lead actor just died last week?
We watched the entire season 2 of WEEDS this weekend. It went by way to fast. I love that show. You should rent it for sure.
So glad you are back. I’m glad to find your new post..makes me smile.
xo
k
Chloe says:
it wasn’t painful. it was heroic. the bag died on duty, like a hero. i wasn’t carrying watermelons which would be a disgrace, it was torn apart from all the books and magazines, so that’s honourable too.
Yes, i know that wonderful actor died. He had the most expressive eyes. Such a shame.
We don’t have WEEDS here. Maybe i’ll check it out next time i am in London.
xx
July 30th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
What a beautifull trip. It is good to have you back, we were begining to wonder..
As far as eating diner alone ….. Swoosh!!!!!!!!
There, I removed the stigma. I so do read books and I’m a guy.
Chloe says:
you are not any guy. you are Cisco.
and i was basically criticizing greek men who never read books, they only read the newspaper.
July 30th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
I love your words and your photographs and I too love that song by Beck…………
Love and hugs and smiles across the miles.
Love Jeanne ^j^
Chloe says:
Thank you Jeanne! Love and hugs back at you!
xxxx
July 30th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
Dreamy images indeed. The soft focus reveals in as much as it threatens to hide, but doesn’t.
Chloe says:
oh thank you. I saw your photos. They are amazing. Not just the colours and the themes, but also the way you look at things.
July 30th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
Welcome back! And well done. Whatever you did. It’s nice when we’re forced to step up and realise we really can do stuff. I mean, I’ve heard it’s nice. For some. ME, I just mess everything up. That’s how I roll, baby.
Starbucks? You’d better have a good excuse for squandering a cafe stop in LONDON on Starbucks!
Chloe says:
i don’t believe you mess everything up.
anyway, my reason is that starbucks tend to stay open a little later, at least in the area of London i stay. i am not used to english opening and closing times. in athens, everything stays open until really really late, so i am amazed when i am in London and there is nowhere to have coffee at 8 o’ clock in the evening.
July 30th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
The trip was a revealing one. I found out I am not completely hopeless.
That’s one of the things I love about life, those little excursions near or far where positive realizations happen.
I’m with you about not dining alone. Even if there was no stigma, I’d still rather not do it.
Chloe says:
yes me too. next time i will take my imaginary friend with me. because i am sick of take aways and deliveries. xxx
July 31st, 2007 at 2:20 am
So I don’t know this thing about men’s shoes…What do loafers mean??
So glad to hear from you. Wish I could have gone with you and had a lovely dinner.
Hugs,
Connie
Chloe says:
erm, in my book, which is by no means a universal guide, soft loafers signify someone who is from a rich home and a little spoiled, someone too comfortable. it’s not always the case of course.
i’d love to have dinner with you by the river!
July 31st, 2007 at 2:42 am
Well, I have had a beer with fb on line
“Meet” you for tea when you’re back?
Chloe says:
oh yes! but make it ice tea, we are boiling over here. we’ll make some of those green slimy things from the kundalini yoga cookbook too.
July 31st, 2007 at 5:51 am
alright…
is chios= Kos? we saw some neat apts we would love to rent out for a month if we ever could… sigh.
cute dress! and black! you’ll fit right in back home.
i love london and am jealous.
i miss you too much. glad you popped in.
and i would never ever ever trust a man in soft loafers either. eww.
xox
Chloe says:
No, Chios is not Kos. That’s a totally different island. Men in soft loafers, bleh. Why don’t they just carry a sign “i will make you suffer”.
July 31st, 2007 at 7:13 am
Chloe:Your sense of light is wonderful.
Funny what you say about colors. I find the best colors for me now are a warm brown or a smoky blue. And light orange, of all things.
Chloe says:
I love all colours. But if you find yourself in Athens you’ll see: The strong light washes out everything. Nothing blends in. I think that is great for photographers and painters. Wherever i go, i notice the sky a lot. In Britain the sky seems closer to the ground. Because the clouds are heavier, bigger and closer and they provide a roof. You can actually feel where the sky starts. But here in Athens, we almost never have clouds, not like that. Our clouds are few and they are too high and they look painted on the sky, not 3-D. Does this make sense? I hope so!
August 1st, 2007 at 1:34 pm
lol Over here it’s similar with the clothes - I have a lot of mid-season clothes but I rarely wear them. And everyone dresses in grey, black, awful beige over here, summer and winter. I really don’t like it. I’d prefer if everyone looked like parrots, honestly. But I don’t think it’s the light, I think people aren’t bold at all, fashion-wise.
August 2nd, 2007 at 8:46 am
just wanted to say that i love this line: “Also, I didn’t trust his shoes. He was wearing soft loafers.”
very cute.
August 4th, 2007 at 7:24 am
I have to say that this post is very beautiful, Chloe. I love your observations and the photography is brilliant.
August 4th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
yay for volver and lives of others! i love these movies. and i’m with you on men reading books on the streets/subway/buses - adorable!