chasing bawa

It’s Wednesday and I’m hungry! Check out my Japanese-Sri Lankan find in Primrose Hill on Umamimart: Slightly Peckish.

Some of you eagle-eyed folk may have been wondering where my posts had wandered off to as I have been rather pre-occupied to blog. Worry no more as I am back. I have to admit that I’m feeling a bit of blog fatigue but that’s probably because I’ve been stressed out preparing for my driving test. But….I PASSED last Friday on my first attempt. Woo hoo! I even confess I’ve begun to enjoy changing gears, practicing clutch control and peeping and creeping. And don’t get me started on the precision techniques of the parking manoeuvres. I rock, although I’m still scared of going over 40mph, haven’t been on a motorway and am terrible at the big 4-lane roundabouts (what is it with roundabouts and their 40/60mph speed limits – isn’t that dangerous, people??)

Anyway, my nightmares can now stop. I spent most of my staycation over Easter having driving lessons and being unable to concentrate on anything else including reading (although it hasn’t stopped me buying books). I even started having nightmares a few nights before (which I never normally have, even after watching or reading horror). The first one was of my mother driving and causing an accident and the second was the murder of a friend’s dad (unspecific) at a dinner party followed by the theft of my white Prada bag (I wish I had one) filled with all my valuables while shopping in Paris. Just lovely.

Speaking of Paris, I am off to gay Paree for a flying visit this weekend and feel the urge to read something French just to immerse myself in all things Français. I am torn between Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast (which my dad read and loved last year), Amélie Nothomb’s The Life of Hunger, Mavis Gallant’s Paris Stories (which I won from Iris last year) and Gallic Books‘ The Suicide Club by Jean Teulé. We thought we’d surprise my dad who hasn’t managed to renew his visa in time to visit us in the UK with mum (don’t get me started on what I think about the visa consulate people because it’s just going to be filth). So he’s going to Paris instead for a reunion with all of his uni friends from the Sorbonne. Doubtless they’ll all be hanging out on Rue de Seine and Boule Miche drinking vin rouge and spouting Français.

I’m just looking forward to eating lots of cake, having tartines for breakfast and getting myself another pair of Bensimon tennis shoes (in beige this time). And I may have to pop into a bookshop to get a couple of copies of Adele Blanc-Sec BDs by Jacques Tardi.