010_16/08/09_the Ritz London

The Ritz London
photo by spot, Picadilly Rd.

There is a introduction of the Ritz London hotel, it says: hotels-legendary for its service quality-orients its
employees carefully, instills in them a sense of pride. This concept lives in the Ritz management method to achieve its self to stand up in the top of worldwide hotel industries.
We don't need to say how much for staying one night in Ritz. All I want to do is to try the Ritz afternoon tea and enjoy one night stay. To experience the atmosphere and the way that the Ritz employee serve customers, how they work, what are their attitude.

009_15/08/09_arts for sale

art pieces for sale
photo by spot, Hyde Park.

Outside of Hyde Park, hundreds of duplicated paintings and photos were hung on the hedges for attracting pedestrians leaving one second eye stop by chances. It is proud to say that London is London. What we can see on the wall for sale in Taipei are low-priced T-shirts, umbrellas, and plastic commodity.

008_14/08/09_the turism occupied city

the same stories occur in St. Paul's Church everyday
photo by spot, St.Paul's Church.

Today I tried to follow my Lonely Planet London guide book to take a look at the well known St. Paul's Church. My plan was starting from south bank via Millennium Bridge that I can take a wonderful angle shot of St. Paul's Church with a crowd on the bridge.
Finally I was surrounded by hundred of people, tourists. I know that I am one of them, but sometimes I presume that I am a semi-Londoner by the meaning of being a overseas student. This guy lying on the pavement tried to capture the widest angle in his frame. This kind of images occur in the front of famous places in London.

007_13/08/09_the symbol of London

the old double decker bus
photo by spot, St.Paul's Churchyard.

One of the London's most famous symbol is the old double decker bus. Every major city has its own icon, Tokyo Tower in Tokyo, 101 Building in Taipei and Brooklyn Bridge in New York. They are well known and help people to relate to cities.

I love this sense of connection. Red buses connect people to other places, connect people to move freely about the bus making conversation with the passengers and providing a sense of community.

006_12/08/09_luxurious stretch limo

luxurious stretch limo
photo by spot, London Bridge

It can not be seen in my home town, Taipei. A luxurious stretch limo with 16 widows. I just suppose that only in some countries, such as US, we can see people there enjoy to show off their symbol of richness. And I tried to stop at the opposite to take a look at what kind of people showed.
One day, I want to be the driver of some kind of this limo but the boss sitting back. Well, finally the boss showed. He wore a T-shirt and shorts, seemed like going to have a jog.

005_10/08/09_city cruising

city cruising
photo by spot, New Cross trail station

Bike-riding is a perfect way for exploring in London city. I brought my tiny folding bike from Taiwan instead of clothing in limited luggage weight for purpose of city-riding experience. It seems that London welcomes cyclists of communicators on its own transportation policies. The city built specific routes and traffic signs to protect cyclists.
As a tourist, I followed the cycling trend at a slow speed to explore this beautiful city. Not for doing exercise or transportation, bike-riding is my favorite life style to participate in London life.

004_07/08/09_the first glimmering in the morning

through the window
photo by spot, student dorm

Homework sheet was still laid on the desk unfinished. With chill early morning breeze whisking over my face, I waked up suddenly. The amazing picture faced to me was the first glimmering leaking through cloud in this wonderful morning. I had no second thought then just grabbed my camera to frame it.
once again, one more thing cheered me in London. From orange, yellow, pink to deep blue, the gradient color of sky will be always stamped in my mind.

I would like to speak about my past. I used to be one of greatest Tennis players in the world, Believe me! This picture shows me in the Times newspaper with two of my friends. I can’t remember who took this photo but it must be long time ago when I was in my gold age.

BORNA again!

I am a fortunate man in London, as you see it’s my destiny. I came here to improve my English and continue my education, but I found London very expensive. As a student I have a good life in London which is clear in this image, I recommend you to be prepared if you are going to study in UK and especially in London. :-)

Borna

003_06/08/09_Londoner_Spot

Londoner
photo by spot, Jubilee Garden

Sitting on the grass-carpet, relaxing under the afternoon sunshine, Londoners seem to enjoy their after-work time in the Jubilee Garden. It is just sites beside Thames River bank and London Eye. I just rode my folding bike passing through the garden with people here to appreciate this wonderful afternoon. Suddenly, I had the some kind of feeling that I became one part of Londoners. Even if I just have stayed in London for two weeks.
Also, at the moment, Londoner can really slow down their steps compared with those office workers and shopping-goers who walk in a rush in the streets all the time.

002_05/08/09_tattoo_Spot

Chinese character tattoo,乾(dry)
photo by spot, Oxford Rd

Before taking this photo, I asked this young lady for meaning-understood of her acknowledge. The answer that she gave me let me down. This Chinese character is only a sort of shape or a graphic pattern to her. But it is supposed to be important stamp with something meaningful.

Chinese is the most wide-used language in the world. Far from English and other kinds of letters-based language, most of Chinese characters come from figures, graphs. With the development of characters in 5,000 years, the meaning of every single character and word was never changed. But which is tricky that there are more than two meaning of one word. It could be the reason that Chinese is likely the most difficult language to learn. And it is impossible to keep around 50,000 words in your mind.

The meaning of character tattooed on this lady's shoulder is dry. Is it queer to have this Chinese character tattoo with this kind of meaning, isn't it? Well, there is still one rarely seen meaning of this character, sky. And it makes everything go reasonably and acceptably to Chinese-culture-based people.

001_04/08/09_basil_Spot

Saninsbury's supermarket basil pot, £1.19
photo by spot, student dorm

I am going to try to make a meal of spaghetti for my dinner tonight. After gathering all kinds of material, there's still one essential in my list, basil. The seasoning of a dish, the jewelry of the crown.
Both Chinese and western people have the same idea with cooking, we put basil in our daily food to color and step up the flavor. Sort of that, once we forget to add this catalyst into our dishes, they will be complaints from servings.
We may prepare completed without anything missing to serve then we may win applause even if we do not have excellent skill of cooking. This pot of basil is supposed to create more than 7 dishes of spaghetti. According to my spaghetti dishes in a week, there will be no leaves on the stems after that. And I'm looking forward to having rosemary, mint, coriander......on my windowsill.