Notting Hill Carnival is known for being Europe’s biggest carnival and has been held annually since 1965. During the past Bank Holiday, I finally had the chance to check it out and I must say that it’s definitely one of crazier things that I have witnessed in London, especially since it took place in the Notting Hill area which, throughout the rest of the year, seems so… tamed. During the span of two days, the streets in the area were all closed, leaving space for countless DJ sets and food stalls – and by food, I mean an overwhelming amount of Jerk Chicken! The highlight of the festivities had to be the dance processions. Seriously, I’m amazed by how those that were wearing the super intricate costumes managed to dance whilst balancing out the weight of their clothes and headpieces. One of the girl even had wheels on her dress to support the weight! Being the tourist that I am, I couldn’t help but jump in and ask for a picture with one of the dancers. The festive ambiance throughout the day was really great, with people dancing and singing everywhere – even the policemen joined in the festivities and danced along with the partygoers. If I happen to be around next year, I will definitely come back!
I had a short walk around Camden the other day. The area used to be a great place to find vintage goods but over time, it has become populated with small stores selling cheap imported goods. Regardless, it’s still one of my favourite spots in London. Everything just seems so much different in Camden. Charity shops such as Oxfam tend to carry more interesting items and even though the H&M there basically carries the same goods as elsewhere, its interiors gives more of an American Apparel vibe. As creepy as it may sounds, Camden is a pretty nice place to watch people. You can find a great mix of people there: from the casual tourists to the vintage hunters and the sci-fi fanatics. I like to see what people wear and you can certainly expect to see some of London’s most eclectic fashion choices in Camden.
I went to Brick Lane the other day for a photowalk. Although I’ve been in London for quite a while now, this was only the second time that I actually went there. The streets were covered with colourful graffitis. I love the quirky (yet arguably expensive) vintage stores around the area. I must say that this place and Camden are my favorite place for people watching! Hahaha sounds creepy alright but people around there have such eclectic sense of style – love it! Brick Lane is also dubbed by some as “Bangla Town” so there were quite a few south asian restaurants around there. We decided to go to this random curry house (there were soo many of them!) solely based on the fact that Kate Moss went there! Let’s just say that it’s understandable why the portions were fit for a model because they were tiny! Anyhow, I had a lot of fun - definitely coming back there sometimes soon, probably during a Sunday so I can experience the full “sunday market experience” again!