Dog’s Bollocks things to do in London

(Para ler este post em Português: Apanhadão Geral de Londres)

After having wandered around London for two and a half months I’ve prepared a summary of the things I liked fancied the most about the city and some general handy information. I skip places such as Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament, Piccadilly Circus, London Bridge, and etc cause I assume everyone’s tired knackered of hearing about them.

There’s no smoke without fire

EXTRA: BRAZILIAN RIOTS | It’s not about R$ 0.20

“Under Construction”

(Para ler este post em Português: EXTRA: Onde há fumaça há fogo)

My purpose on this blog is not talk about politics or social problems of my country but, being on the other side of the Atlantic, my sister asked me to share how the riots against the increase in bus fare are re

verberating internationally…

The man who sleeps with dogs wakes up with fleas

A Jerk, Skid Row, The Fox, Brazilians, a Cassino…

(Para ler este post em Português: Galo que acompanha pato morre afogado)

April 13th, 2013. What does London city have to offer to a rocker on a Saturday night??? I will tell you: much more than one could imagine…! You never know how the night is gonna end…

I started the evening attending to a Skid Row gig. Even though I’ve never been a big fan of these guys I decided to give them a chance, and went to see them live at O2 Islington. And I’m glad I did it!!

Coquettish as a fly circling a syrup stopper

A Folk Evening @UpstairsRitzy

(Para ler este post em Português: Faceira como mosca em rolha de xarope)

April 11th, 2013. For those who enjoy folk music… Attending an invitation of my lovely English teacher at LITE College Sophie, I went together with a few colleagues to Upstairs at the Ritzy to watch one of our teachers playing folk music. As the Brits say, it was ‘marvelous‘!

With the world at your feet

Affordable London | Car-Boot Sales

(Para ler este post em Português: Pra deitar e rolar)

Do you wanna know where London’s trendsetters buy cool stuff without burning all their pennies…? The answer is: in Car-Boot Sales.

London is well known as one of the most expensive cities in the world, but thanks to my friend Jim I discovered that yes! there’re ways to spend your days here in an affordable way – and buy all sorts of  things for really cheap prices!!! 

Good things come to those who wait

Steve Harris British Lion

(Para ler este post em Português: Quem espera sempre alcança)

March 26, a Tuesday night – it’s time to rock! Tonight Steve Harris (Iron Maiden’s bassist) is going to play with his new side project British Lion for the first time in London! And I have a ticket!!! 😀

I arrived at the venue – O2 Academy Islington – by 7pm. The venue is located in the inside of N1 Shopping Centre and because I was following google maps directions I walked all around the place until I reached the dock entrance, at the back of the building. When I got there I saw a man standing outside the building smoking in front of a service door, wearing short trousers and a beanie, and it passed through my mind that this guy could be one of the crew members….

In a piranha-infested river alligators swim backstroke

Living With Strangers

(Para ler este post em Português: Em rio que tem piranha jacaré nada de costas)

Living in a shared house can be quite odd. For the last 10 days I’ve been sharing my place with a German guy, two Asian girls from Singapore, and ‘some’ strange Indian guys (I don’t know exactly how many they are!).

Every single day the Indian guys spend daytime sleeping, they go out for partying when the sun goes down (sun?!? what sun???), they arrive back home after 1am with more friends and cook rice with curry. Then they lock themselves into their room and stay there cheering till morning…. The other night I was in the kitchen chatting with Kalle, the German guy, who is the only normal person here besides me (what’s normal anyway?? how pretentious I am!! heehee), when these guys arrived. Two of them stayed with us in the kitchen to cook their rice. I was drinking beer so I was in need to pee…

I went upstairs to use the bathroom but it was busy – one of the Indians was taking a shower. The hall was smoky and there was a bland smell of tobacco in the air…

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

The Intrepid Fox of Soho

(Para ler este post em Português: Nem só de pão vive o homem)

Last Friday I was looking for a pub with live music (preferably free of charge) to hang out with my friend Jim and after a research on Songkick I discovered that a local hair metal band called Damn Dice would be playing that night. Before taking the final decision we checked out on YouTube and we found out that the band seemed to be quite good although not outstanding. The aspect of this evening that worth a highlight indeed is the venue: The Intrepid Fox.

The Intrepid Fox @Soho

Pool table upstairs @The Intrepid Fox

The Intrepid Fox is an alternative rock’n’roll joint situated in Soho area. It’s a two-story building with its main bar and lounge space located at the ground floor and upstairs there is the stage and also a pool table. The place has a terrific atmosphere and it’s “beautifully” decorated with gargoyles, skeletons, posters and everything else that makes headbangers feel at home…

When the well dries you realize the value of water

Is WWWanderer Going to Freeze???

(Para ler este post em Português: É quando a fonte seca que se percebe o valor da água)

Late night yesterday I was alone in the house when someone knocked on my door (remember my room in located on the facade of the building – and for this reason I’ve been helping all the other guests that lodge here). When I opened there was a strange Indian guy standing there arguing me for instructions on how to get the key to his room from the locker. I friendly introduced myself, as usual: ‘hello, I’m Claudia from Brazil‘ but in response he just stared at me impatiently. I helped him get his key and then I noticed there was a suspicious car parked in front of my room.

A burnt child dreads the fire

Meeting with a Voodoo Man @London Tube

(Para ler este post em Português: Gato escaldado tem medo de água fria)

It’s a freezing Sunday morning in London – expecting snow late tonight. So there’s not much to do, I was planning to go to Brick Lane but it won’t be very fun with this cold weather… Well I assume there’ll be another chance.

During this first week in London I haven’t done very much to be honest, but nonetheless it’s been an interesting week…

On Wednesday I met Jim here at the house and we drank scotch together till late night.

The sleeping shrimp is washed away by the wave

Lost in the Night with Jack The Ripper

(Para ler este post em Português: Camarão que dorme a onda leva)

Yes UFO will be playing in London tonight and guess who was invited to attend to their gig?????

Me, Myself and I!!!!

I got a cab to the venue (Differently from what I thought it would be it’s very very difficult to find a cab in the streets of London. This is not New York. 😛 You need to call them and then they’ll come to you. But it happens that I don’t have a phone……)

Anyway… I got a cab and successfully got to the venue. My name indeed was on the VIP guests list!! Unbelievable! Please do NOT wake me up cause I’m sure I’m just dreaming…

As usual I bought myself a double scotch and went to the front of the stage. I don’t wanna miss a thing…

The gig was awesome but unfortunately for me I wasn’t able to move much. Something happened with my backbone/ neck (probably because of the stream of cold air I took when I was walking naked around my neighborhood earlier this day) and I had this terrible pain that kept me from moving my head up. 

After the gig I met with the band again backstage. And I couldn’t believe when Phil Mogg walked to me saying ‘Hey Claudia look, I have your signed album covers here with me. Apparently I took them by mistake on the other night. They were in my pocket all the time!‘

It’s easy to be a rock, hard is to be a panel

1st muddle @London – Brazilian Goofy Style

I was lucky to have my photograph taken by a charming stranger in the streets of Birmingham…

(Para ler este post em Português: É fácil ser pedra, difícil é ser vidraça)

Sunny Monday in Birmingham. Lovely day for a walk, delicious Italian lunch, time passes so quickly when you’re having such a great day…! Wish that day could l

ast forever

…

By the end of the day I took the road back to London and got at my new home by 9 pm.  The house was empty, the streets were deserted, the only thing I could hear were trains traveling the rails from times to times somewhere not far

You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs

Getting Into Europe

Para ler este post em Português: Para fazer a omelete é preciso quebrar os ovos)

I’ve landed Lisbon by 10am and since my flight to London was scheduled for 3pm I decided I had enough time to take a walk. During the flight to Lisbon I met Wanda, a Brazilian girl from São Paulo who was born in Manaus. We both had the same flight scheduled to London so I invited her to join me on my ride. We got directions at the airport from very funny and confusing immigration guards of how to get to the historic center of town and we left to the metro station.

The train was very clean and the seats were soft and comfortable. On the inside there was a man playing Portuguese folk songs in a concertina with a little dog balanced on his shoulder, holding the handle of a small bucket for donations with its teeth – which made the poor dog unable to open its mouth!