Doing the Possimpible*

[*Where the possible and impossible meet. When you go beyond the possible and beyond the impossible.]

A few weeks ago I mused over the concept of everyone being headed towards a metaphorical boulder which would eventually cross your path and metaphorically squish you against a wall meaning you metaphorically had to cut your own arm off in order to survive. Basically the idea was that we’re all heading for something and, even if it’s bad, the process of encountering it and coping with its consequences will allow us to gain some form of clarity.

In my case I think this ‘boulder’, the thing that has squashed me and rendered me unable to move, has been my stalling career. In a similar (and yet completely different) way to Aron Ralston getting pinned against a canyon wall, I have found myself stuck and being creatively suffocated by the career path fate or whatever has dealt me.

Over the last two years or so, the majority of my spare time has been taken up with searching and applying for jobs. With the majority of things I’ve gone for, my experience has paled into insignificance against rival candidates. That’s the trouble with a recession – you simply can’t compete with people who have however many years of experience on top of yours. With others I’ve either made it through to the last two only to lose out at the final hurdle or, the most soul destroying of the bunch, I’ve been rejected for being “too experienced”. Needless to say, I’m sick of it. I’ve become accustomed to taking rejection with a pinch of salt and you can call me crazy but this is not living the dream. I am at Frustration Central with a one-way, non-refundable ticket to Nowhereville.

But on a brighter note, I reckon this whole process has been a blessing in disguise. I’ve been able to base myself in London, living with two of my best friends and, even though I’m not well paid, last summer I managed to save enough money to skedaddle off to the States for a few weeks of indulging myself in the wonders of Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California. Most significantly though, during this time I’ve been able to figure out what is and isn’t working for me, what I actually want from life and what things I truly value.

For example, I now know that living to work means far more to me than working to live. I know some people are perfectly happy doing a job they don’t particularly enjoy and living for the weekend, but it just isn’t something that works for me. It doesn’t make me happy and going on like this for the rest of my working life will slowly drain my soul. Apparently I need more than a pay check - I need to follow my goals and dreams.

For most people it seems that life goals and dreams are simply that: out of reach notions saved for fantasising over when drunkenly staring at the bottom of an empty glass or discussing what we’ll do when our lottery numbers finally come up. In all honesty that’s what they’ve always been to me, only I’m not really sure why. Surely the whole point of having a dream is to motivate you and give you something to work towards?

I’ve come to the conclusion that even if I follow the widely-accepted route of having a career, getting married and having two kids by the time I’m 35, I know I’m still going to have unfulfilled ambitions, and at this point it’ll be too late to follow them. The last thing I want is to resent my kids, have a mid-life crisis and be one of those bitter people who harps on about how they wish they’d done this, that and the other when they had the chance.

Anyway, the fact of the matter is that I am and have been unsettled since I graduated. I’m not content being where I am in life and I’m certainly not ok with not achieving anything I deem to be of worth. So I've decided to actually follow one of my dreams. It’s something I’d originally planned to do when I was older, had more money to play with and possibly had some kind of boyfriendy-slash-husbandy-type-thing to share it with. But having fallen quite comfortably into my Quarter Century Crisis I figure I don’t need anyone else to be able to do it, I can save up and there’s no time like the present!

I’ve got my visa, I’ve booked my flight and in August I’m moving to Sydney where I intend to spend a year. After that, the world is my oyster. BOOM!

Me in Sydney circa 2005

Food Glorious Fooooood - 5 Amazing Places to Eat in London

Do you like food? Me too. Eating out is one of my favourite things to do. At Uni, my housemate and I spent most of our meal-times keeping the local restaurants afloat with our business rather than cooking for ourselves, meaning our cupboards at home only included bare essentials: bread, butter, vodka and coke (and sometimes Haribo).

But now that we're all grown up (ahem) the cupboards are rammed full of healthy treats (fruit and the occasional yoghurt) and we can cook up a storm at the drop of a hat (toast and pasta)! But on those days when we force ourselves to put down the kitchen utensils and take a well-earned break, we like to skip off into the bright and beckoning lights of London town in search of that dream meal.

Now, I don't know about you but, whenever I'm looking for somewhere good to eat I'll type something like "fun places to eat in London" into Google and I always ALWAYS end up being presented with the same old generic chain restaurants, which inevitably results in me being disheartened and left with no faith in all that Google stand for. I typed in FUN for a reason and, as much as I like Pizza Express, I don't really want to know where the nearest 56 of their restaurants are!

So in an attempt to balance out the blandness that search engines offer the world, here's my guide to five places I believe are the shizzle when it comes to food. They’re not cheap and shoddy food, not break-the-bank food, just dreamy meals! So here we go - in no particular order...

All Star Lanes

With restaurants in Holborn, Bayswater and on Brick Lane, All Star Lanes is an American Diner and bowling alley that guarantees a good time whether you’re there to stuff your face or accidentally throw yourself towards the 10 pins at the end of the lane.

The décor is snazzy, the shoes are appropriately geeky and the music is sweeeet, but in my opinion it’s the restaurant that’s the real winner. Rather than sticking to just typical diner foods like burgers and milkshakes, there’s a choice of everything from salads, steak and ribs to their amazing award-winning Chilli Con Carne. Plus it’s actually award winning - 2009 UK Chilli Championship winner thank you very much! It’s the best I’ve come across in London for sure. In fact, it’s so good that I challenge anyone to feed me something better!

Whatever you pick off the menu, it's hard to be disappointed, and I would definitely recommend washing it down with a lovely stereotypically American cream soda. They come in a range of flavours and are made my angels.

Recommended meal: Banana Cream Soda and Chilli Con Carne.

Richoux

This is the priciest option in the top 5, but it won't break the bank if you're just after some afternoon tea or a bite to eat rather than a full-on three course meal followed by cheese board and glass of port.

They have a few places dotted across west London but I've only ever been to the one on Piccadilly, and given its location (a few doors down from The Ritz and Fortnum and Mason) I wouldn't go in there looking like a scruff bag, wearing an I-heart-London T-shirt and carrying a bunch of Hamley's bags. This is a quintessentially British, afternoon tea and scones type of place so it's all about embracing its fanciness and not dressing like a tramp. Saying that though, you wouldn't be turned away for wearing trainers, just make sure you look like a respectable human being.

Anyway, focusing on the food, the Richoux menu covers every angle, from breakfast and brunch to main meals and afternoon tea. I can't say that I've personally sampled everything off the menu, but the things I have had are absolutely worth every single penny. Their main meals leave you satisfyingly full but it's their brunches, cakes and desserts that are to die for! I suggest you either kick start the day with some breakfast / brunch or drop by for a mid-afternoon indulgence.

If you’re from out-of-town and looking to experience the stereotypical British thing, then it’s all about heading here to spend the afternoon sipping tea and stuffing scones in your face. Just like a proper Englishman.

Recommended meal: Scrambled Eggs for breakfast, Cumberland Sausages and Mash for mains or Traditional Afternoon Tea.

Wahaca

There seems to be a distinct lack of Mexican restaurants in central London, but maybe I’ve just not discovered them yet - if you know of any then share the knowledge! Either way though, I reckon Wahaca is the best place to go in London. End of.

Wahaca is basically the Mexican version of a tapas restaurant. Only this place is better because Mexican food is way better than Spanish. Their Mexican market food covers pretty much everything to the point where the choice can be brilliantly overwhelming, which is why I would always suggest ordering three or four (or more depending on your levels of hunger / greediness) plates from the tapas section of the menu.

They have the best nachos, guacamole and variety of dishes that I’ve ever come across in the UK, and, even better... don’t forget to pick up a packet of free chilli seeds to grow at home on your way out! They look like matches, they’re not. Best mistake I ever made! (I'm currently hoping mine turn into full-on quesadilla trees rather than chillies)

Recommended meal: Gather a group of friends together and order everything on the menu to share! Make sure you order the pork as part of your mains and doughnuts for dessert.

Brick Lane

Brick Lane, located in east London, it the place to go for a top notch curry and visiting on the weekend can only be described as ‘an experience’. Crammed with curry houses, the buzz and energy of this street is incredible and definitely something worth experiencing whilst in London, but it’s also a lot like battling your way down the main strip in Zante (only without the sunshine and with Indians instead or Greeks). Not that that’s a bad thing, it just might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

As a potential customer walking down Brick Lane you’re going to get accosted by at least 20 Indian men whose sole purpose in life is just to get you into their restaurant. Some are the definition of persistent, others are just plain irritating, but as a hungry, money-wielding citizen, you are the one with all the power. Mwahahaha! So get your bargaining hat on and see what you can blag yourself. The average deal is about £10 for a starter, mains, side and free drink, but if you’re willing to haggle then you can get a pretty sweet deal.

Friday and Saturday evenings are the busiest nights by far so be prepared to queue for the best restaurants - there’s no booking around here, you just have to rock up and see the vibes. Also be wary of the restaurants with no one in them - when there’s a queue around the corner for one restaurant and an empty one next door there's usually a reason for it!

Recommeded meal: Whatever you can blag yourself!

Dickens Inn

This truly has got to be one of my happy places. Tucked out of the way and nestled into a corner of St Katherine’s Dock, this is an old warehouse that has been converted into a three-storey, magical food haven of deliciousness.

On the ground floor you can find a very lovely, typically English pub which is perfect for after-work drinks or catching up with mates. The second floor is home to a more sophisticated Grille and on the first floor – the BEST floor – is the most a-ma-zing pizza restaurant you’re ever going to find here in the UK. Fact.

They only have a small menu of pizzas, but that's okay as you can create your own. More importantly though, you can order your pizza in one of four sizes depending on whether you’re sharing or not.

The Mini pizza is enough for one person and the Special is perfect for two to share. Then there’s The Dustbin – so called because it is actually the size of a dustbin lid. Brilliant. But… BUT… nothing in the world could ever compare to the beauty that is… THE BEAST (see below). Yes, that’s right. Best shared between six people, The Beast is pretty much what you dream about appearing in front of you when you’re so hungry you’ve started to feel faint. It’s massive. Like something out of a food-related fairy tale. The only way it could be better is if it were round rather than rectangular, purely for novelty factor of it being an actual giant pizza!

Recommended meal: The Beast shared between friends with all your favourite toppings or the Four Chesse Pizza.

So there we have it: five new places to check out when you’re in foggy London town. Please note that this is all just my own humble opinion. I know I’ve stated some things as ‘fact’ but it’s only actually ‘fact’ in my own tiny brain. I don’t intend my statements to be legally binding or anything so please don’t sue me if you think differently. I have no money. (And that really is a fact!)

The Quarter Century Crisis

A few weeks ago I turned 25… twenty five… a quarter of a century. Half way to fifty. Almost half way to si… si… six… no I can’t physically say it. 

When I was 18, if you’d have asked me where I thought I’d be at 25 I would’ve said the following: I would be settled in one place, probably renting somewhere to live, maybe have a car, and be on the second or third rung of my desired career ladder. Or… I’d have been run over and killed by a reversing milk float at some point and would not have made it this far. Luckily I’ve not had any run-ins with any milk floats, but I also couldn’t be further from any of those things I imagined for myself. And so beings my… *said in the style of a game show host* Quarter Century Crisis!

When I turned 25 a few weeks ago, rather than indulging in the usual ‘oh-no-I’m-another-year-older’ birthday woes or celebrating reaching this landmark age, I found myself feeling genuinely upset and disheartened at my levels of non-achievement. Having gained my dream job at the age of 18 I thought I was set. Being granted such a phenomenal opportunity at such a young age would stand me in good stead for the future - how could it not work to my advantage? Flash forward seven years (my god, has it really been that long?!) and my CV shows that with every decision and job I have taken since that point has been a step backwards. 

Over the next year or so most of my friends will gradually be hitting the quarter century mark. A lot of them are also in the process of making some pretty life-changing decisions; some are moving in with girlfriends or boyfriends, some are getting married and some are having kids. Others are simply changing their career paths or taking steps to get closer to that dream job. Whatever it is they’re doing it’s all change and I can’t help but notice that we’re all at a pivotal point in our lives where we start to decide, either consciously or subconsciously, who it is we are and what we want to be.

All this has made me think back to when I was 18 and why I imagined all those things for myself. I’m not sure it was really what I wanted, but more of a generic response that tallied up with the ‘school-uni-job-marriage-kids’ model that we have drummed into us as being ‘the norm’… which I think is the reason I spent the week or so surrounding my birthday feeling so despondent and upset. I didn’t fit into the generic model and I felt like I’d failed the basic steps of growing up.

It’s only a few weeks later, but I now realise just how ridiculous it was to feel like that. It’s bizarre to believe that everyone has to follow this generic life plan and it’s stupid to compare yourself to those who have decided to follow it. What’s right for one person is completely wrong for another – and I wish I’d properly figured that out a lot sooner.

Throughout my teenage years I’d never really wanted to go to university. I’d always thought of it as something for people who wanted to do something specific like become a geologist, doctor, vet or whatever. But I never wanted any of that for myself so I was never fussed about going. Of course I ended up going because that’s the direction schools herd you in. They feed you the idea that a degree = success and without one you’ll fail. We were simply given our UCAS forms and that was that. I filled one out, flicked through prospectus after prospectus and finally chose my Uni because it did the course I wanted and I knew there was an Olde English sweet shop in the city.

In an attempt to put it off for another year I took a gap year and almost instantly landed myself my dream job. A year later, when it came round to heading off to Uni, I’d made up my mind and decided to give it a go despite being offered a job; I’d had my taste of the working world, loved it and believed a degree would enhance my employability… what I didn’t realise was that I already had what the degree was allegedly going to get me and my choice to go with the generic option would probably decrease my employability. Which is exactly what it did do. Oops.

I refuse to regret my years at Uni though. I made some life-long friends who have changed me for the better and experienced things which allow me to appreciate all that I have today. When I look at my network of friends it’s pretty clear that we’re all in completely different places - both literally and in life. I have single friends, married friends, a couple have children already, a few are pregnant and others are still studying; and just because I don’t match up to them doesn’t mean I’ve failed. And more significantly, at this point I don’t even want most of those things!

I know I’m not in the place I want to be in, I’m not even close. But that’s ok. For the last few years I’ve been constantly chasing my career in the hope of settling myself and fitting into this preconceived model that everyone’s supposed to follow. What I’ve come to realise is that maybe I’m not supposed to be settled in a career at this point, maybe the recession is giving me and my generation the opportunity to experience something different from ‘the norm’, and maybe us ‘failures’ should all start listening to what the universe is telling us. 

To be honest I don’t have a clue. Some psychologist would probably say I’m just convincing myself that my situation isn’t as bad as it actually is. But whatever the real deal is, the fact is that I’ve reached 25 and am in a far worse-off situation than when I was 18, and this has made me realise one thing: we need to actively follow our ambitions while we’re young. Yes, a career offers you stability and guarantees food on the table, but if I got hit by that bloody milk float tomorrow I wouldn’t regret not having a career, I would regret having put off my goals and ambitions because I was too scared to break from ‘the norm’.

I know so many people who talk about their plans to go places and to achieve certain life or career goals, but then always give an excuse not to do it. I’m not denying that in some cases life gets in the way but in most cases I’ve come across it’s just the simple fear of stepping outside your comfort zone and breaking routine that holds people back. I don’t want to be one of those people and I certainly don’t want to see in my 26^th birthday and still be chasing a half decent job.

So if you really want to do something, then I say do it. We all have the power and means to make things happen so what’s stopping us? I’m choosing to listen to the universe. At the moment a career is a massive NO so I’m opting for super-secret and potentially stupid Plan B. There are a gazillion reasons things may not work out and a bunch of things that could (and probably will) go wrong, but that’s all part of the adventure isn’t it?

Right. Time to balance out the philosophical nonsense. Here's an educational sing-along exercise to brighten your day... all together now... "C is for cookie and that's good enough for meeeeee!"