Ahead of the NYE celebrations taking place tomorrow, I decided to attempt to finish up my bottle of Emperor's Punch from the Architectural Punchbowl exhibit put up by Bompas & Parr earlier this month.

There was a limited number of bottles available after the exhibition ended, and, being my usual lucky self, I managed to win myself one such bottle, and it tastes great. It's a little on the sweet side, and I'd consider this a girly drink if only it wasn't 11.4% alcohol which means I'm actually a little hammered right now even though I've only drunk half the bottle! And just as I typed that last sentence, I managed to knock over my glass, spilling the punch over some loyalty cards, books and - almost - my BlackBerry.

Definitely a little hammered. Mrrrph.

I am absolutely loving my Christmas present from my family: a 16GB 5th Generation iPod Nano! It astounds many of my friends that I, being the thoroughly music-loving person that I am, have never owned an MP3 player, nor possessed the desire to acquire one (at least, not until recently). I was meant to have received one last year from the then-boyfriend, but, seeing as I was in imminent danger of losing my job, told him not to get me a present, and that we'd make up for it the year after. Ah well.

In any case, I had some MP3 playing capability on my Blackberry Curve which I'd been using for the past few months, so I guess it's not really true to say that I went completely without one, but, still, having this nice, light player with loads of memory and a video camera (which I highly doubt I'll ever be using) is fantastic. And, best of all, it comes with a radio feature too, which is wonderful! That's always been one of the main reasons why I didn't want an MP3 player. I prefer the unpredictability of the radio medium as it offers up the possibility of discovery or even rediscovery, given that I have to programme my player (yes, I know about the shuffle function, but, still, I have to pick and choose what songs to load into the player, yes?).

But now that I've had the iPod Nano for a few days, I'm wondering why I didn't get one earlier. It even comes with a pedometer (which, for some reason, the PC World reviewer really enjoys).

My horizons have been broadened. I'm looking for new headphones because the headphones which come with it don't have the best sound in the world, and, as with everything else in this world, I'm finding I have way too much choice and don't know what to go for. Also, I now think I should buy a set of speakers which I can hook up to my laptop and also to my iPod Nano. I'm also looking out for podcasts and things to watch out on my 2.2 inch screen. Suggestions are most welcome!

Here's a great little London-centric story on one of the things I love about this city: street art. I'd been planning to go to Camden to check out the new Banksy pieces, but guess I won't get a chance to check out the most stunning one. Can't blame Robbo for doing what he did though, especially seeing as the piece appropriated by Banksy is over 25 years old!

Yay! I'm number one in foursquare! I can stop playing now. Woo!

Words weren't dull, words were things that could make your mind hum. If you read them and let yourself feel the magic, you could live without pain, with hope, no matter what happened to you.
- Ch. 35, Ham on Rye, Charles Bukowski 

I started reading Ham on Rye last weekend, settling down in my favourite coffee shop while recovering from the night before. Somehow, reading Bukowski seemed the most logical thing to do on a day when you wake up still feeling drunk. I wasn't particularly enamoured of his writing style, but it's gradually grown on me over the past few days. He writes as if he's speaking directly to you. Everything is terse and concise (much unlike my way of writing and speaking) and it works. It's as if you and he are sitting at the same table in some smoky bar somewhere, and he's telling you his life story as you both sip bourbons.

I'm really glad I rediscovered the habit of reading this year. In part, it's got to do with having found a wonderful place which is warm and friendly and allows me to sit down and read without chasing me out, having found someone else here while sitting in that coffee shop who likes to read as well, even if we have different tastes, and having the time to go to my local library and just borrow books for up to three months.

And now, it's the Christmas break. I'm packing up to spend the break with my family, and need a couple of books to help while away the time. I love London, truly. But, during Christmas, it is most definitely the most boring place on this planet, family or no.

Soulwaxmas at the O2 Academy Brixton on December 12th was an incredible gig, which either caused, or contributed to a muscle strain in my leg which hasn't quite gone away yet. Given the shenanigans I'd gotten up to the week after at my company party, it's no wonder why, but I digress.

I got to the venue at 9 pm to find that Soulwax were due to come on at 11 pm. We went off to grab a bite to eat and returned at 10.30 pm only to get caught in the queue for the cloakroom for over half an hour. And that was just the first of many queues for the night. I was rather upset at the thought of missing Soulwax's opening number, but, as it turned out, we caught the tail-end of supporting act Mixhell's set, and managed to catch the whole of Soulwax, which, to be perfectly honest, wasn't all that great, but I seriously doubt anyone who goes to one of these events goes because of the rock band portion of the night.

After Soulwax's set, Erol Alkan came on. I'd been looking forward to listening to him spin ever since, well, 2002 when I discovered this intriguing night called Trash at The End which, among other things, refused to let anyone wearing suits enter. However, it was time to get drinks, and, as with all things, there was a long queue. There was also a really long line for the restrooms and I decided to ration my water so that I wouldn't have to go. So I only really managed to catch the last 20 minutes of Erol's set, and while what I heard sounded good, I can't really say that I heard enough to judge for myself whether I like his work. I definitely rated Waves though. An awesome tune and one hell of a way to end a set.

And at 1 am, the main act everybody had been waiting for came on: 2ManyDJs. And it was well worth the cold weather, the long queues and everything else. It was one huge mash-up fest, with the Dewaele brothers segueing from one song into another with great aplomb. To top that off, it was accompanied by a video mash-up too. I was in awe at how well the songs went together, and how 2ManyDJs had linked up each song. Their knowledge of music must be phenomenal.

And they really knew how to entertain a crowd as well. I seriously doubt any of us who hadn't been to any of their other shows this year expected to hear Major Lazer - Pon de Floor being remixed with Aphex Twin - Windowlicker, and, even better, Richard D. James in a bikini! The visual for Justice - Phantom (Part II) was really cool as well. Though, for me, the best part of the night was when they dropped KLF - What Time Is Love?. It's the ultimate dance floor anthem and I'd been dying to hear it dropped in a big room. It made my night. And probably resulted in the leg injury too! Heh. All I know was that I'd had one hell of a workout. I was completely drenched in sweat by the time their set ended at 2.20 am.

And while I don't usually like leaving before a concert ends, this time, I made an exception. Much to my delight, I managed to get home less than an hour later, and promptly dropped into bed to get some much-needed rest before the following night out for David Mancuso's Journey through the Light party the day after.

Fine, I lied. I couldn't write CG off. Not just like that. I've seen him the past two Saturdays (and today too), and, yes, it was pretty darn good. The first Saturday, I called him and just dropped by for an hour and a half, just watching some old British comedies. Truth be told, I'd called him because I'd just been able to crawl out of my skin because I'd been thinking about him the whole day. I just really wanted to do something. Fortunately - or not - my great sensible self prevailed and I didn't do anything other than just be my usual friendly self.

Yesterday, it started because I wanted his opinion on something I'd thought he had seen. I was also still feeling the effects of the Christmas party, and, therefore, felt a little reckless. Once I'd ascertained that he had no plans for the night and didn't need to work, I asked if he wanted to hang out. Yes, said he, so I brought dinner over, and we spent the night drinking wine and whiskey and watching movies and comedies. Close to midnight, he said I could stay over and, when I hesitated, he pointed out that it was raining and very cold. That persuaded me, though I was still a little reluctant because I didn't have any toiletries on me, one of which I really, really needed that night, and just hoped for the best.

There was no guitar playing this time, but we ended up chatting till just about half-six. I finally came straight out and asked if he had any idea of my age. He said he thought he did but wasn't going to play that game (smart guy). He also said he would never ask. So I asked if he was actually curious about it, because if he wasn't, then why rock the boat, right? He said he was, so I told him. And, much to my relief, it didn't seem to surprise him, or repulse him or anything like that. He did mention he'd never been out with an older girl before.

Am I still at the 'girl' stage? And are CG and I actually dating if he's not looking for a relationship, while I am and I'm not at the same time? We both enjoy each other's company. Well, I very much enjoy his, and I'm going to guess he feels the same way otherwise he wouldn't hang out with me.

One other plus point about this is that it is very refreshing to have a guy not try to put any moves on me after the last few. Strange, but refreshing.

I will most likely be CG-free until mid-January as we're taking turns to be out of London. In the meantime, I hope to have lined up a few dates with other people, and, maybe, just maybe, I will be able to move on to other people.

But, for now, I am happy, even if it is just wasting time.

I suppose it had to happen sooner or later; I finally witnessed for myself why company Christmas parties are better known as, as a solicitor put it, "the annual sexual harrassment fest". Of course I've heard all about what goes on at such shindings; I wasn't born yesterday, you know. But, prior to my company's party last week, I'd never been on the receiving end of any propositions in my career ever, and by the end of the party, I'd had three. Whoa.

Contrary to popular belief, I don't actually like it when men come on to me, or at least not if they're that forward about it. I don't mind the compliments, or being asked for my number, or being bought a drink, but I do mind it when they try and go further, which, in some cases, involved asking me whether I intended going home with another colleague with whom I'd been speaking and dancing earlier. When I responded with a shocked emphatic negative, the questioner then proceeded to make his move on me. What the heck? I mean, it's nobody's business what my intentions are. Also, both of them are married. And it's always the married men who behave the worst at such functions, I find.

But the third one who prepositioned me? I don't even want to blog about it because it made me feel so uncomfortable, even through all of the alcohol I had imbibed. Ugh.

The men aside, the party was incredible. It was very lavish and extremely posh. And I'd snagged myself the unofficial title of 'best dancer' and 'best dressed' that night. The cutest guy in my company even came by to tell me that I had incredible dress sense and that, every time he sees me, my dresses just get better and better. The dress I wore is probably the best dress I have, so it's all downhill from here, buddy. Also, I wondered for a brief second or two whether that comment meant that he wasn't straight, but, hey, if he isn't, then that compliment means even more. Heh.

So, yes, I had a great time that night... if only the men had behaved more gentlemanly!

Having reached my station just about the time the blizzard started, I can tell you that, beyond a shadow of a doubt, snow isn't as light and fluffy as it looks, especially when it's blowing right at you and hits you straight in the eyes. Yowtch.

So, anyway, I came home and turned on the radio, as I am wont to do, and happily jumped over to Coldplay - Life in Technicolour II to warm myself up, and then Owl City - Fireflies came on. It was the first time I'd heard it and I thought it sounded a lot like a lighter version of Postal Service, and I wasn't sure whether I liked the song because it was way fluffier than the snow which had just fallen. I mean, maybe I would have liked lyrics like getting a thousand hugs from a thousand lightning bugs back when I was eleven but I'm considerably older now, and much more cynical.

As it turns out, I wasn't the only one who spotted the resemblance to Ben Gibbard. And I'm not the only one to rip into Owl City either!

Here's a nice cheery song (in terms of the melody at least) right before temperatures plunge for the rest of the month.

Club 8 - Hope for Winter

I was wrong
You were right
A day in December
Can be so nice

Wishing and hoping
Just won't do
I won't come
Closer to you

Let's all hope for winter
Winter cools us down
The brightness of springtime
Makes you, makes me
Feel down

All at once
Or nothing at all
I couldn't help
Feeling so small

In the end it's all the same
I won't come
Closer to you
I know I want to
But could I really do
When decisions are made by you

Let's all hope for winter
Winter cools us down
The brightness of springtime
Makes you, makes me
Feel down

In between resisting the urge to purchase any item of clothing in my favourite colour and cleaning the flat, I've been reading English translations of Swedish novels, namely Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and John Ajvide Lindqvist's Let the Right One In. Both of them are incredibly entertaining yet disturbing reads, but in very different ones.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the first of Stieg's Millennium Trilogy, initially starts off as a historical crime novel of sorts, with the main character journalist Mikael Blomkvist sentenced to three months in prison for libelling a wealthy industrialist. The industrialist's business rival Henrik Vanger hires Mikael to put together a biography of the Vanger clan, but in reality, to investigate the murder of his niece Harriet which occurred over 30 years ago. Along the way, Mikael's path crosses with Lisbeth Salander's, the eponymous girl in the title. Lisbeth is an altogether different kettle of fish from Mikael, the journalist determined to get to the root of any story while still upholding professional standards. She is who she is because of what society has done to her, with author Stieg having woven in really interesting strands on how Sweden used to have an act under which people - youths - could be declared mentally incompetent, and a guardian would be appointed to oversee such people and their finances. I won't spoil too much more of the story now, but suffice it to say that Stieg develops Lisbeth extraordinarily well. She's not your conventional heroine - she definitely operates on a very different moral code than I do - but at the same time, it's not hard to sympathise with her, and understand what motivates her actions. I can't wait to read the other two books in the Millennium trilogy: The Girl who Played with Fire and The Girl who Kicked the Hornets' Nest.

Let the Right One In is, to put it mildly, a very different novel. The story is set in a small bleak town in Sweden (is there any other kind?) and centres around Oskar, a 12-year-old boy living with his divorced mother in a block of flats, and who is tormented every day at school by three bullies. One day, while playing in the neighbourhood playground, he befriends Eli, a graceful, nimble girl his age living next door with her father. They strike up a friendship which gradually turns into a sweet romance. Of course, all is not as it seems: Eli is, in reality, a 200-year-old vampire who needs to feed on fresh blood in order to live. Again, you wouldn't think you'd feel for such a creature, but the story is so compelling, and the friendship between the two lonely, abandoned prepubescents so beautiful that it works. Yes, Eli's a vampire, yes, she kills in order to live, but... she's a somewhat good person. This isn't a wholesome sweet story though. It's incredibly disturbing in many parts, so be warned if you have a squeamish disposition. The movie, I've been told, is also really good, and that if I liked Pan's Labyrinth - and I did - I'll probably enjoy the film. I may catch it at the Roxy Bar and Screen when it's showing later this month, assuming I have no other obligations that day, and whether I think I can take watching a horror movie - for that's what it is in spite of the sweet elements - by myself!

On a somewhat related note, I just wanted to say how much I love my local library. I hadn't been reading in months because I just don't have the space in my flat for that many things, and the library offers up a great alternative to buying books. Plus, it usually has the most recent bestsellers, which is so totally awesome. There're not many public services that the UK does well, but the library is definitely one of them.

And just to round off this post, check out this print by Paul Willoughby at the Soma Gallery. I'd gone there looking for another print, so it's quite a coincidence that there's a print of a book that I'd just finished reading and decided to review!

The most important thing when it comes to negotiation is being prepared to walk away. And that's the part I'm not terribly good at, although I am much better at it at work than when it comes to my personal life. This time, however, it's different. I've told my good friends here what I intend, and I'll be damned if I lose face over this. I'm writing CG off. I have to. There's really no point in my sticking around, even if I wouldn't mind being 'just' friends. I mean, that can only really happen if I don't have any feelings for him - or at least not as strongly as I do right now. And why on earth would I hang around, making myself perpetually available waiting to see if the circumstances will change or if he will change his mind?

If he really does like me, as he says he does, irrespective of work getting in the way, there's got to be more of an effort rather than an affirmative answer whenever I call to see if he's free to hang out.

He's got to put some skin in the game, else this girl's walking out of his life.

Faithless Soundsystem were amazing. I'm really disappointed by how short their set was - less than 45 minutes - but my first time on Matter's bodykinetic dance floor in a long, long time was wonderful. In fact, it's probably the first time in years that I'd hurled myself straight into the dance floor without the aid of any alcohol. It wasn't intentional, but the great organisation that is matter meant that despite arriving at the club at 12.20 am and having purchased a ticket beforehand, I ended up in the main room around 1.05 am after having waited quite some time in the queue outside, then in the queue for the cashier (to get my ticket scanned) and then in the queue for the cloakroom.

So, in my bid to ensure I got the most out FS's short, short set, I threw myself on the dance floor (no dancing on level 1 for me this time) and had the time of my life. Given that the floor turned into one gigantic mosh pit, and how much I hate crowds, that statement, coming from me, means a lot.

Thankfully, unlike the last time I saw Maxi Jazz, he seemed a little more with it (i.e. not too stoned) and he was bang on form, as was Sister Bliss and their drummer. This being their last gig of 2009, Maxi told all of us how much they'd enjoyed themselves touring, and that he wasn't bulls****ing us when he said that this was the best one of the night. Matter's got a great sound system, and the crowd are generally not too bad, so I don't doubt that in the least. I went completely mental when the oh-so-familiar hook of Insomnia dropped, learning, for the first time, just how much timing mattered when it comes to moshing (i.e. you can't jump up when the rest are coming back down). But I think the very fact that I was actually taking part in the general craziness instead of trying to escape (as I did with Simian Mobile Disco last year) can be chalked up to the fact that I was really enjoying the show, and that Faithless' hits are f***ing chooooooooons! I had a similar reaction when they performed We Come One. To the crowd's disappointment, they didn't play God is a DJ, although I didn't really mind that much as I'd had a wonderful time, although it was the first time in my history of UK clubbing that I'd been completely soaked with perspiration.

I nipped off for a quick drink in Room Two only to discover a grand total of three punters on the dance floor. The night at Matter was sold out, meaning that, of the thousands in the club, only three were in Room Two, with the rest turning up for Faithless. Impressive, though entirely logical.

Returning to the dance floor in the main room for Sister Bliss' set from 2.15 am to 3.15 am, I found myself with an almost absurd amount of space, particularly compared to how packed it was just 20 minutes before that. And that was heaven. I love dancing, that's a fact, but I'm a lot happier when I get loads of space and if fellow crazy dancers are dancing along with me. If the second part isn't there, then preferably, my friends aren't around looking at me when I dance. I always get a little more stressed when people I know are observing me, so last night - yet another solo clubbing night - offered me the opportunity to just bust out loads of moves and go nuts, as it were. Not having danced like that in quite some time, I was just so incredibly happy. It helped that I'd downed a gin-and-tonic right before returning to the dance floor, and I could definitely feel it as I danced, but I'm sure most of it was due to Sister Bliss' choice of tunes as well. In a short set (i.e. two hours or less), the DJ usually doesn't have any time at all to build up any sort of mood or atmosphere, and, for the large part, just drops choons. I don't know if that was the case last night, but my only other experience of Sister Bliss' leads me to believe that that's her general style, and while I would ordinarily object, I really didn't mind at all last night. Her set was as her name is: sheer bliss.

Truly a worthy post-birthday celebration.

Sunshine on a rainy day...

La Blogotheque's done it again! This time, they've brought us Phoenix's performing along the streets of Paris.  I know a lot of people feel Lisztomania's the track of 2009, but I prefer One Time Too Many myself.

I received some really nice presents this year, thanks in part to my rather shameless "go and take a look at my Amazon wishlist" comment when a friend asked what I wanted this year. So I received two CDs (from bands which I've seen this year), a book on investing by my favourite financial writer, and a box set of one of my favourite TV shows, although I'm probably a bit too old for it now, but which I still love because I'll admit it's probably the show which helped to broaden my musical horizons the most.

As for what I got myself, I bought myself a Shanghai Pearls necklace from Bordello, a delightful purveyor of lingerie (among other things) located in Shoreditch, and a Nanette Lepore dress, once seen on Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl and which looked absolutely amazing on me. The bad things about my treating myself are that I have new additions to the wishlist, namely a corset from Kunza Corsetiere (which costs just under a month's rent!) and anything by Nanette Lepore.