A True Cultural Immersion

The past 2 weekends have been surreal with a true cultural immersion in and around London!

Last Friday we went to Malaysia Night in Trafalgar Square. Jeff works with 2 expats from Malaysia and they invited us to join them. There were food stalls all around the square and dancing, cooking demonstrations,  music etc on stage.  Since we had the experts with us, we started from one corner and queued up to taste the best Malaysia had to offer :) We tried spring rolls, satay (chick skewers), pastries, and milk tea. All were delicious!

Saturday, after morning errands and a trip to the office for a little bit of work, we did a very American thing and went to and saw a movie. We live near 2 big theatre's so it was about time to see one. We ended up seeing 'Prisoners,' which was much darker than we expected but very good. 

Sunday we went out and experienced a very British 'Sunday Roast.' There was a really nice restaurant that we had been wanting to try so it seemed like the perfect time to go for it. As a Briton would say "It was nice." haha We were definitely in a food coma afterwards :) 

The next weekend we had a pretty relaxing Friday night at our local neighborhood restaurant, Havelock Tavern. They have a rotating menu and it is always very tasty. We knew Saturday was going to be busy, so it was the perfect, nice and relaxing evening we were looking for.

Saturday was super busy but totally worth it! We started out by heading toward the Southbank and going to a Cheese and Wine Festival. They had some of the best cheese and wine available for tasting. We also sampled a variety of food from the festivals... Moroccan chicken, american burger with local blue cheese and british mustard, taco, cheese potatoes, and asian dumplings. We saw a cooking demonstration of making cheesecake with red wine. It peaked my interest and the final product was great. For those curious mindes, the wine was used with the berries topped on the cheesecake. To bad my oven hates me and very thing I try to bake is not eatable :( But the memory bank is getting full of ideas for when I return home! haha

We had a great view with the London Eye in the background...
so I couldn't resist the kodak moment.

After some tastings, we hoped over to another area of the Southbank and took a wander around some classic cars at the Classic Car Boot Sale. 

They had some real beauties to be admired... 

Notice the side the steering wheel is on.... 

Not only were people selling stuff from their cars, 

there were some were selling food and drinks from them!

Another kodak moment calling our names :)

And we saved the best for last.... Chess Boxing! It is exactly as it sounds, the contestants played chess for 2 minutes and then they boxed for a few minutes. There were about 8 rounds in total that alternated from chess to boxing. It was one of the most interesting things we have ever experienced. The queue was super long so we knew from the start it was going to be fun. 

Inside it was standing room only. The stage was set up in the front and there were big screens on the side to highlight the chess moves. Based on the crowds reactions, I would almost say they were more into the chess moves than the actual boxing. The whole concept was interesting to me!

Round 1 = Chess

The corresponding Chess moves on the screen....

Round 2 = Boxing                  

After watching the chess boxing... I certainly have a whole new appreciation for what they do! Being hit in the head one minute and then having to go back to a very complex, strategic board game. Throughout each round, the players also have to consider the time factor and how that plays into their strategy. Who knew this even existed, much less how much strategy goes into a match. 

As Sunday rolled around this morning, we were up to the usual... cleaning, errands, laundry, etc. It has been a little drizzly today... which makes holding down the couch even more enjoyable and a great start to the week :) 

Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday and has a wonderful week! 

~ Cheers