- In normal times planes roar overhead, motorbikes screech down the main road, sirens ring out day and night. The air is tinged with pollution. And yet, right now, calls to prayer from afar can often be heard. Hushed conversations emanate a little more readily from behind closed doors. The sweet smoke of wood fires on narrow boats on the canal half a mile away wafts in through the open windows.
- On the other hand, someone tried to rob us in the street pretty blatantly yesterday, and the police took an hour to come. And less than 500m away Swampy just emerged from a tunnel built under Euston to protest HS2.
- This city is still mostly being itself.
- Work is no longer consuming all of the energy, and firefighting is giving way to some strategic work. Finally. And I finally managed to get around to switching my business bank account. Fiscally exciting.
- After spending so much time at home and inviting work into it, I idly wonder whether the reverse will happen in businesses that decide to keep their premises. Wear your pyjamas to the office day? Meeting rooms with beds in? Pets roaming wild? Lunchtime clubbing?
- We ordered a biryani so huge from Darjeeling Express that it fed us for three meals. Totally delicious. Highly recommend.
- Really enjoyed Lucky Grandma which features a knock-out performance from Tsai Chin, who I discovered was the first ever Chinese student at RADA. Also watched Prevenge, which is pretty unsettling despite being listed as a horror-comedy.
- Mixed a Persepolis this weekend and it’s one of my favourite new cocktails.
- LGBT+ history month has thrown up a few great online events this month, but the highlight was definitely Fierce Queens run by the Royal Museums Greenwich. What’s not to love about drag kings rapping about all the queer royals of yore, while dancing around the Queen’s house.
- Zoom fatigue is a thing. I’m trying out some of the tips mentioned here to make it more bearable.
- Farewell, Daft Punk. Or, more than likely, see you in a few years’ time.
- I cycled 405km this month and I’m feeling pretty chuffed about that.
Weeknotes #47: tales of the (empty) city
