I am trapped in a world of what seems like a decades old internet connection, so trying to work on this is problematic. After today, there is a good chance that there will be no internet in the flat, since Judie may have to return the portable WiFi hotspot to the office. That could mean a two week black out for me, except for taking my phone somewhere with free WiFi. All I’m saying is that if this Blog gets very quiet soon, it won’t be permanent.

More exploring Shoreditch on Sunday. There are so many clothing stores here, it is really hard to believe. Vintage clothing is especially popular. And there are countless street food vendors at every market or open area you come to, selling all sorts of cuisines, from pulled pork sandwiches, to cupcakes, to thai food, to curries, to pasta, especially as you move towards Brick Lane. The best nearby grocery stores seem to be Indian or Bengali, although there is a natural foods store in our building and a mediocre Tesco a block away.

That is one of the strange places about this area. When you look out our window to the West, there is a skyline of big, new glass buildings, as the businesses and money of the City have moved in this direction. Just two blocks west, it is all banks and law firms and corporations. But two blocks east is Brick Lane, with little shops and restaurants, street food, chaotic markets, a different smell. It is like we are on the line between two worlds. I was walking around in the afternoon and passed an Indian wedding. You also hear many different languages.

I found what might be a good wine store. It is nearby and they deliver, which is helpful when you don’t have car. I bought six bottles, which is their minimum order. I was beginning to worry that wine prices would be really high here, but that was just because my initial forays only found tiny shops around Spitalfields Market that also had outdoor seating and small plates. The wine store I found today has prices that seem generally equivalent to NJ prices, even with the currency conversion, although the selection is very different. Not much from the USA, but more from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia and, of course, France. I’m thinking of an expedition to Borough Market tomorrow or Tuesday. It is supposed to be an absolute foodie heaven, so I’ll see what I find there.

Another odd story which may reflect life in London: We really need to get some sort of basic things, like a clock radio and some clothes storage solutions and a few extra towels, and were told that we should shop at Argo, a department store. I looked them up on line and they had a big selection of goods and a store about a 15 minute walk away. So we walked over, but when we got there, there was no there there. No store. Just a place with some computer terminals and pay stations. You could look up want you wanted, pay for it and then give your receipt to a clerk, who eventually brings out your order. This seems to be in line with the quickly emerging theme of execrable customer service here. I suppose that they save some money by not having any employees (fulfilling the Thatcher dream) and they eliminate shoplifting, but they also eliminate impulse shopping and the entire shopping experience. It just seems so wrong to me, I didn’t even want to get anything after the longish walk, but Judie insisted. So now we have a clock radio.

One of the interesting things about Shoreditch is the amount of public art on the walls. It is a sort of beautiful graffiti, some of it quite monumental.  They are really everywhere. A few examples are below. Tried a new pub tonight: the Water Poet. It was on a quiet street, so we were hoping it wouldn’t be as crowded as the ones on the main drag near us, but tonight was a cider and hog fest and the place was a madhouse. It has possibilities though. Ate Mexican across the street from the flat (Boho Mexicana). Good food that is fairly authentic. Kind of pricey. But I guess I just have to get used to London prices. I’ll write more when I can.

Exhilarated, Exhausted, Frustrated. Mostly good, a little bad.

Despite the jet lag, which seemed especially debilitating this time, everything went pretty smoothly at first. We got to the flat (apartment) in time to me the person from the estate agent (realtor). The place is probably not quite as big as I recalled, but it is really nice. I love the view and it will eventually be comfortable as we move in. Photos will eventually follow. The sunset the first night was great. The bed was reasonably comfortable and the drunks on the street below were barely audible. And it is a completely different experience living in a building with a glass elevator and African concierges.

First night, we went to Poppy’s (about a block away and an acclaimed fish and chips places in London). Next day we went to Brick Road (another couple blocks away) for a curry lunch at a Bangladeshi place (pretty good, but I’m expecting better as we explore). It really is an amazing neighborhood. Lots of people wandering around and it is incredibly diverse. It is going to be fun to explore. I found a good hardware store today and it turns out that there is a restaurant wholesale place across the street (it will come in handy), right up from Brooklyn Coffee. We went to the Spitalfields Market and the Brick Lane Market (amazing street food) today. Tried the Commercial Tavern tonight in the beginning of the great pub search. So much more exploring to do. And we haven’t even left a five block radius yet!

As we unpack, we realize that we have brought too much clothes (I’m looking at you, Judie), especially since this flat has not much storage. We are going to have to buy some furniture and clothing racks. And we haven’t even gotten the other four suitcases we left at Judie’s law firm in July! But it is fun to uncover bits of art or other things that we did pack. It is a bit like moving into a hotel room that you are going to live in for over a year. We need to make it ours.

Now for the bad: British customer service is so terrible that it would lead to lawsuits in America. While we just walked into a bank in Montclair and opened a bank account last Wednesday in about 20 minutes, when we got here, we found out that banks are not open on Saturdays and that Monday is a “bank holiday” and that, in any event, you can’t open an account with making an appointment, which you cannot get for at least two or three days. If we are lucky, they might deign to give an account by the end of next week. No wonder their empire collapsed. As for getting cable service or an internet connection for an apartment that is already wired up, we have to wait until the 10th and the 15th, respectively, for a person to show up (and pay for the privilege). In the meantime, we are living without technology here. It may seem like a romantic throwback or something, but it is really just a pain. But this shall pass and in a month it will be an amusing anecdote (I guess).

Much more to follow.