My Sacred Place

Sacred Cafe has got to be one of my favorite cafes here in London. The place is really cozy and it has a basement seating area which feels like a lounge rather than your typical cafe. Best of all the coffee is actually good! I found out today that use New Zealand organic fair-trade coffee roast. They also prepare the kind of coffee I enjoy -- a cortado.

A cortado is an espresso "cut" (from the Spanish and Portuguese cortar) with a small amount of warm milk to reduce the acidity. The ratio of milk is 1:1, and the milk is added after the espresso. The steamed milk hasn't much foam, but many baristas make some micro foam to make latte art. It is popular in both Spain and Portugal, as well as throughout Latin America, where it is drunk in the afternoon.

~wikipedia

I found it cute that instead of giving you a number stub for your order, your number is on a red London bus. I once had their Tiramisu and it was quite good. They also have a huge array of teas and it comes in different kinds of oriental tea pots. Girls and our tea parties :)

The one thing I love about this place as well, (apart from all the great memories created here with some special friends), is that they always play my kind of music. There are times when they play Latin Jazzy type and today they played music from Hot Chip. I didn't know that this is what they were called. I had heard their song Over and Over which I liked but never knew who it was by. The album is really good and would recommend it.<

Excuse me sir

I'm lost

I'm looking for a place

Where I can get lost

I'm looking for a home

For my malfunctioning being

I'm looking for the mechanical music museum

~Hot Chip - The Warning

And lastly, another plus point about this cafe is that they have free wi-fi connection. They couldn't have found a better way of giving Starbucks "the victory sign". ;)

Swedish Festival

Back by popular demand! Not really, I fear if I don't post this entry I may be peer pressured to post by an eeeevil midget. :P Anyhoo, I went to the Swedish Festival yesterday in the Swedish Church in London with my sister and her hubby. The place was packed! But I could see a sign that lit up my face....

Sibylla hotdogs! I wondered if they would have the tunnbrod rule, Swedish hotdogs in a wrap with mash potato. MMMMMMM!! But they just had regular hotdogs with a long line for it too. So we decided to go to the cafe instead, which was a food hall inside the church. They had arranged a smörgåsbord with lax, köttbullar, Kanelbulle, cakes, and more cakes and my favorite cake of all-- Prinsess Tårta. It was a really nice experience sitting in the pews, eating our köttbullar sandwich, Kanelbulle and shared a Prinsess Tårta. It almsot felt like I was in Sweden again!

L-R: Bazar, Glögg stand, sweets stand

The photos taken, aren't too great as I was too worried to be in someone's way. :P The bazar had all kinds of stuff, from Swedish Christmas decors to food. The food was rather expensive, most of the stuff you can get in IKEA (that big blue place) a lot cheaper. The Glögg, which is mulled wine, was really good and soooo warming. Over all it was a nice experience, it reminded me of those times we used to go to the Christmas bazars in Forbes in Manila.

And oh, I have never seen so many cute babies in the same place! :P

Babe In The City

...This little piggy went to Tottenham Court Road...

I came out of Tottenham Court Road Station and that little piggy greeted me. I don't even know what they were trying to promote as I was in a rush. (Only had enough time to take a photo :P) haha! I just find it amusing how when you see these sorta mascots in London. I once saw two Bananas on the way to work one morning, they were promoting Crush. On another occasion, I saw a mascot dressed as balls, promoting prostate cancer awareness. What a job!

Don't Cry For Me Argentinaaa!

One of the silly things about being me is that, when I was I child I always thought that this song was about a girl named Argentina. This is probably because when I was a child and I would have moments when I would cry and be upset, and when my dad found out he would ALWAYS start singing... "Doooon't cry for meee Argentiiinnaaa...". There I was thinking he was singing to me to make me feel better (me being Argentina), but no it was just his excuse to break into song. His broadway dream put into reality for those few moments, in the expense of his child's misery. Mind you he does have a great voice and could as well pull it off. ;)
Yesterday, Thanks to Rina, I was fortunate enough to watch Andrew Lloyd Webber's EVITA. This was the first musical I have seen in London. I have been meaning to see a musical for the past 3 years I have been here but never really knew which to see, or who to go with and all that kuffufle. But day before yesterday, Rina offered me a free ticket which she won from a photography competition. Woohoo!!
Anyway, while I was waiting for Rina in Carnaby Street, I was able to witness another "firsts". They were turning on the Christmas lights in Carnaby Street. I was in Boots buying some mints when I could hear them outside starting. Of all the bloody time to buy mints! haha! WAIT FOR ME!! Luckily I made it in time for the countdown and was able to take short video clip of it. Have a look.



    Anyway, back to Evita. We had a bit of a problem looking for the Adelphi Theatre in the West End. It's so ironic that you keep seeing all these musical theatres when you walk in London, but when you need to actually go to one, you can't find it!
Elena Roger played the story based on Evita Perón, the wife of Argentinian dictator Juan Perón. It depicts her life as Argentina’s powerful political figure up until her tragic death. I must say it was fantastically done! The performance was fantastic and the stage set was amazing! Rina and I both fancied the narrator (the guy behind Evita in the photo above) haha! We were amazed by the quick costume change, specially the hair piece!! One scene having dark hair and the next blonde! Obviously a wig, but how did they do it? She was flinging her head like mad and it stayed on! It was really well done and the actors were great.

When I was growing up my parents would take us to the Repertory Philippines to watch plays such as "Nunsense" and "Little Shops of Horrors" and I always get a buzz when I would watch it. I really used to enjoy it a lot and I feel that I am going to try and start watching more plays/musicals again.
Have I said too much?

There's nothing more I can think of to say to you.

But all you have to do is look at me to know

That every word is true....