Watching the Gunners! Arsenal 1 - 1 Everton 8 December 2013

We were fortunate to be able to go watch our favourite football team play Everton yesterday. This is the third time that we have managed to see the Gunners play at the Emirates Stadium in London.

The kick-off was at 4pm so we left at 2pm hoping to miss the crowds. We did however see some fans on the subway. We caught the tube from Leicester Square to Arsenal along the Piccaddilly line, which was about a 30 min trip for us from WC2N5BY.

Outside the Arsenal station, there were foodstalls and stalls selling Arsenal memorabilia. People were also selling the official match programme. This was the first time that there were 4 different covers on the programmes and 50p goes to the Arsenal Foundation.

It's a short walk to the Emirates Stadium from the Arsenal station. There is an official clothing shop outside. Then you need to cross the Ken Friar Bridge, you can see the glorious stadium from the bridge.

It is a beautiful stadium, rather over-whelming with its large Arsenal signs.

Athol with his favourite ex-player Dennis Bergkamp.

There was a statue of ex-Arsenal legend Tony Adams - in one of his famous stances.

Also, there was a statue of Thierry Henry. These statues have only recently been put up so its the first time that we've seen them. The last time we were here was in October 2009 for our honeymoon when we saw two games! :)

We were lucky to get seats on the lower level right along the half way line facing the players tunnel.

We could even see the players warming up before the game.

I even managed to get a picture with the Arsenal mascot Gunnersaurus.

Before the game began, the crowd was asked to applaud for one minute in honour of the late Nelson Mandela.

It's always great to watch a live game, the atmosphere is incredible. The crowds always chant and sing. Everyone goes crazy when a goal is scored. Everton goalkeeper, Tim Howard, was given a yellow card for wasting time since they were happy with a draw.

Mesut Ozil scored late in the second half but then Everton scored shortly thereafter to tie the game. We also saw Pienaar play for Everton, he is from South Africa.

There were long queues of people by the Tube directly after the game, so we decided to go grab a bite to eat to avoid the crowds. By the time we left, there weren't any queues :) A fun filled day! even if it was a draw.

                                              

Highlights of the game can been seen at: http://player.arsenal.com/matches

R.I.P. Nelson Mandela

Last night, we heard the sad news about the passing of Nelson Mandela, who dies at the age of 95. He was the first black President in South Africa and fought to end apartheid. He went to prison for 27 years. I was deeply saddened by the news. He had been ill for a long time long. The world is currently in mourning. We have lost a great man. All flags around the world were flying half mask today, including London. There was a memorial outside the South African Embassy and a long queue of people stood the whole day to pay their respect.

South African Embassy in London 

Parliament Square

What has Nelson Mandela done for me?

Well, he fought so that I could be free, so that I would not be discriminated because of my race. He ended apartheid in South Africa. I was fortunate not to have suffered directly from apartheid as I was only 14 years old when Mandela became President. While I was at Primary School, I remember that in 1992 when they "allowed" children of colour into the school and we became a Model C school. If it wasn't for Nelson Mandela, I am certain that I wouldn't have had the opportunity to get a good education at the University of Witwatersrand and a good job thereafter. I am sure that I would have been discriminated because of my race. The Chinese were a minority in South Africa and were classed as "non-whites" after Coloured people and Indian people.

It was my parents who suffered. They couldn't go to "white-only" schools, beaches or suburbs or use "white-only" buses or toilets. Sad to think that people were discriminated because of their colour. My husband Athol too suffered during apartheid and was told to get off a "white-only" bus and that he had to use the toilets in a different building.

Mandela could have been bitter, especially after spending 27 years in jail, but he wasn't. He was bigger than that, he embraced the entire nation. He made the Rugby World Cup in 1995 happen - Rugby which was a very Afrikaans sport. What an incredible man!

I remember in 1994, I did Chinese dancing and we performed at his Inauguration in Pretoria on 27 February 1994, what an honour and privilege to be there that day! I also go to see him at the 46664 Concert in George in 2004.

Mandela was a great leader. We need to keep his spirit and legacy alive for the sake of our dear country.

We mourn today but he will be remembered forever!

R.I.P Madiba

Chinatown in London

Was great meeting up with my good friend from highschool and bridesmaid, Desray, in Chinatown for some dimsum at New World Restaurant.

Chinatown in London is made up of a few small streets and one long street.

A Vegan's worst nightmare!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas :)

Christmas is a month away, and already it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas :) The street lights are up, the Christmas Trees and Reindeers are out and the Snow Globes (yes snow globes!) are out!

Covent Garden with Lego Snow Globe and giant Christmas Tree

Eros in a Snow Globe!

Festive Covent Garden

Lego London

Giant red-nosed Rudolph 

Neal Street. Athol with left over Strawberry and Berry Scrunch from great vegetarian restaurant Food for Thought.

Lights. lights and more lights.

St. Martins Square. Feels a bit like Melrose Arch in JHB

Worst winter expected for Britain in more than 60 years!

I read this article below, all I can say is..... YIKES!

We've survived a Boston Winter, so hopefully we survive this! :) Luckily we brought all our Boston winter gear.

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100 DAYS OF HEAVY SNOW: Britain now facing worst winter in SIXTY YEARS warn forecasters

LONG-RANGE weather forecasters have warned that Britain should prepare for heavy and persistent snow for up to THREE MONTHS with winter 2013 set to be the worst in more than 60 years.

By: Nathan Rao

Published: Sun, November 17, 2013

The latest detailed forecasts for winter 2013 ALL point towards months of relentless extreme cold with heavy snow 'extremely likely' across the country.

Arctic air will roar in from the North Pole later this week, triggering the start of the worst winter in many people's lifetimes.

Experts in long-range weather forecasting said the WHOLE of Britain should be prepared for this winter to be the most severe since 1947, which saw the UK hit by relentless snow and some of the lowest temperatures on record.
February 1947 was the coldest in history with heavy snow the following month leading to seven-metre high drifts.

Flooding was also a problem as rain ran off frozen ground in torrents leading to widespread chaos on the roads.

As the Daily Express reported at the time, roads and railways across Britain were blocked by huge Arctic blizzards.

Coal supplies - already low in the wake of WWII - struggled to get reach power stations and many were forced to shut down, causing widespread blackouts.
The lack of power supplies became so critical that at one point radio and TV broadcasts were suspended, magazines were ordered to stop being published and many newspapers were forced to cut their size.

And the latest long-range predictions for this winter show a pattern that look eerily similar to that infamous year, with bitter Arctic gales leading to feet-deep snow drifts right up until February.
Jonathan Powell, forecaster for Vantage Weather Services, said: “Early indications are that this winter is looking particularly severe, and we could see parallels with the shocking winter of 1947.

“The models are pointing towards a high pressure blocking system which will hold cold air over the UK, and it becomes stagnant, meaning any rain turns to snow and temperatures are persistently much lower.

“There are signs it could hold out until March, meaning winter misery on the cards for millions.”

The latest dire warnings come as temperatures begin to dip around the UK with the first real taste of winter likely to hit on Monday.

James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, said Britain is braced for “copious” snowfall this winter with extreme cold expected to last into the spring.
He added that Britain faces “an incomparable scenario to anything we have experienced in modern times”.

He said: “An exceptionally prolonged period of widespread cold is highly likely to develop throughout this winter and last into next spring.

“It will be accompanied by snow drifts of several feet and long-lasting snow accumulations on a widespread scale.

“This period of snow and cold is likely to result in an incomparable scenario to anything we have experienced in modern times.

“A scenario similar to December 2010 is likely to develop, but on a more prolonged scale in terms of overall duration.”

January is likely to bring the worst of the weather although Britain will shiver in below-average temperatures for the next three months.

He said: “This is certainly a record-breaking and historical weather period which is likely to see one of the coldest and snowiest starts to British New Year in a very long time.”

Doctors warn temperatures persistently dipping low as -15C (5F) will lead to a crisis on over-stretched hospital wards.

Experts say 25,000 elderly people die every year from the cold and this year’s toll could be even higher.

Professor Mike Morgan, of NHS England, said: “My message to the public is simple: look after yourself this winter.

“If you know someone who is frail or elderly or has an existing health problem and they are feeling unwell, encourage them to seek early advice, go to their local pharmacy or GP before one problem leads to another and they end up in hospital.”

The Met Office agrees temperatures will sink over the next 30 days with snow on the way.

Its 30-day outlook states: “Conditions are not expected to be as mild as recent weeks, instead, temperatures are thought more likely to be just below average than above.

“Snow is not unusual during late November and early December.

“So, with temperatures more likely to be just below average, the chance of seeing snow across the UK increases relative to recent weeks.”

Local Authorities are on standby for a particularly severe winter with gritters at the ready and more salt stockpiled than last year.

Around 95 per cent of councils are either maintaining or increasing stock levels this winter, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).

Half of councils also plan to share resources with neighbouring councils while some are  adopting new methods of tackling winter including GPS trackers on gritters.

Local authorities are also using liquid de-icers, brine and sugar-coated salt which is less likely to be blown off roads by wind or traffic.

Airport bosses warned cancellations would be “the most effective way” of dealing with severe weather.

British Airways’ operations director Andy Lord said: “I can’t guarantee that. There will be, on occasions, desks that won’t have people on them.”

He said BA was considering moving some flights from Heathrow to Gatwick in bad weather.

But he warned some people diverted to Gatwick would need to then get to Heathrow for connecting flights.

He added: “Inevitably there will be disruption at Heathrow if there are problems elsewhere.”

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/443462/Winter-2013-expected-to-be-worst-since-1947-with-heavy-and-persistent-snow-forecast-for-UK


 

Roberto Unger talk at LSE - 14 November 2013

Date: Thursday 14 November 2013
Time: 6.30-8pm
Venue: Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Professor Roberto Mangabeira Unger
Chair: Jo Fidgen 
                 
The progressive left lacks the imagination to tackle the fundamental problems of society. Renowned social theorist Roberto Unger calls on fellow progressives in Britain to think beyond current institutional arrangements.

Roberto Mangabeira Unger is the Roscoe Pound Professor of Law at Harvard University. He served as a minister in the Brazilian government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from 2007-2009. 

In 1976, at 29 years old, Unger became one of the youngest faculty members to receive tenure from the Harvard Law School. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Mangabeira_Unger

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I was very privileged to attend this interview with Harvard Professor, Roberto Unger, on Thursday evening.

Athol had taken a course at Harvard with Roberto Unger so I have heard a lot about him.

Roberto Unger spoke about how he believed that we must all live larger lives, he felt that volunteering and being responsible for the welfare of others should be encouraged and maybe even compulsory. He said that we need to break the boundaries of family selfishness. I totally agree with him on this, as man needs to become less greedy and help those less fortunate. He also said that we need to focus on doing the small things that have a large impact in order to bring about change.

He is a great believer in experimental behavior and believes that that is how we will improve society, even if there are risks and high costs involved.

He believes in borderless countries and that we shouldn't be constrained by our place of birth.

When asked if he agreed with Russell Brand's view on not voting, he said that he disagrees and that it is our responsibility as citizens to play our part in society, we shouldn't just do nothing because we are not happy with the current system.

When asked to summarise his beliefs in one sentence, he said " we must die only once!".

Prof. Unger had some very interesting views,  I agreed with many of the things that he said.

The world as it is, has many problems and I believe that there is scope for change and improvements. This sort of radical thinking does challenge the norms and thus could lead to better systems which ultimately is better for mankind.

Walks along the Thames River

We are very fortunate to live right in the heart of London.

There are tons of shops within walking distance.

It is nice to walk along the Thames River, even at night. You can see the London Eye and Big Ben (although it wasn't lit up tonight!).

Athol with the London Eye

The London Eye & Sea Life Aquarian

Common in London - when you cross a road you will see 'LOOK LEFT' or 'LOOK RIGHT'.



Us with the London Eye Behind us



 Me along the Thames River with Big Ben in the background

Us in London! The London Eye behind us