Peter Pan Statue

So if you know me well enough, you'd know that I have loved Disney my whole life.

I rank Peter Pan as one of my favourite films of all time.

Just the whole idea of flying away to a land where you never grow up, no restrictions and have your own fairy accompaniment. We can all relate to that.

One of my good friends from California met up with me on her first-time visit to London and she expressed interest in going to the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens. Having a guest over is always be the perfect reason to cross another 'to-do' thing on your list and I immediately lit up at her suggestion.

After a much nice stroll in Hyde Park (which I'll blog about at some point in the future), we finally found it!

There's just something quite extraordinary about the boy who never grew up which holds a place in many of our hearts, ever since J.M Barrie wrote the original novel all those years ago. The story and the character are reminders to always keep our inner child, something that I treasure deeply even as I grow and develop into a man.

But heck, no matter what age you are, there will always be the choice to follow the second star to the right and straight on 'till morning. You'll never know what you'll achieve, pursuing that goal.

And that's how we roll!

Yu-Foria - Frozen Yogurt!

So I thought I'd start off with where to get my favourite dessert.

When I studied at California State University, Fullerton a good few years ago, I was overwhelmed by the quantity of the coffee shops, restaurants and take-out places.

I found so many favourite spots. You have no idea.

This being one of them.

Frozen Yogurt. This turned into what I considered a healthy addiction. Most of my days studying in Fullerton consisted of sunny, boiling weather and this tasty little treat was the perfect companion for those after-class hangouts, rehearsal breaks and cravings for a sweet, delicious snack.

I've been back to California twice since I did my study term and have made it my utmost responsibility to get as much Yogurtland fix as possible.

The great thing about this place is that you, as the customer, use self-serving machines, so you can create your own personalised frozen yogurt. Strawberry Cheesecake, Pineapple, Red Velvet - they're always updating their flavours throughout the seasons - Pumpkin Pie around Halloween and Gingerbread around Christmas time were particular highlights. Pile in all the flavours you want, then add as many toppings as you so desire. Fruits, sweets, cereal, savoury snacks, sprinkles - they've got them all. Then you pay what you weigh.

I have a tendency to go a little overboard.

Since my return to the UK, I always wondered why this amazing dessert was never widely available in my home country. I've always put it down to our lack of hot weather throughout the year, meaning it would only really be a good sell during the Summer months.

I made it a mission to find an alternative that would satisfy the non-stop cravings I would get for Yogurtland. Until one random London trip, I discovered this place after obtaining a free toppings voucher through one of my iPhone apps.

Venturing into the lower section of the Plaza in Covent Garden, where you almost always see an Opera Singer or String Quartet busking outside this place, I finally found somewhere that gave me what I'd been missing. After getting a taster of 'Yu-Foria', I'd settled for what I had considered my very own London equivalent.

Unlike Yogurtland, Yu-Foria gives you three options as opposed to making your own. Original, Chocolate and a weekly special, which would vary from Mango, Blueberry, Coconut, Peanut Butter and many more choices. And of course, you can add some of the same toppings. I always add mangoes and strawberries, usually with a third nutritious fruit.

The setting of the place is gorgeous. Like an underground garden.

 My initial reaction.

And I've managed to convert some friends too.

And really, it's not just about the fact that I've found the best place in the UK to get my Frozen Yogurt fix. It holds a special place in my heart, as I've taken some of best friends to dine at Yu-Foria (many of them first-timers), but the main common circumstance being a new friend who I've met on the same day of an audition or a casting. Regardless of how we did, I would often say "Hey, do you fancy some frozen yogurt? I know an amazing place which does it!" And from then on, that line has been the start of some incredible friendships that I've established up here. All it took was a tub, a spoon, our favourite combinations and the swinging chairs in the back of the store to create the beginning of some pretty amazing people in my life.

There is nothing more special than taking the person who's just entered your circle into the bustle of Covent Garden, whilst I'm expressing my excitement of the amazing-ness of Frozen Yogurt, and exchanging stories and facts about each other lives as we take a spoonful of that joyful goodness.

For that reason, this has become one of my most frequent visits since moving up here. And by gosh, is their Yogurt good.

 

 So hey, if you fancy a date sometime, come join me, okay?

A Brief Introduction

Okay. So this is a random impulse. Creating this blog. Why? I'm not sure.

Maybe it's because I just received a complimentary haircut from Stuart Phillip's salon in Covent Garden and I don't know whether it's the 'new me' part which is devouring itself out of the boyish (and quite classic) roots of my new hairstyle that has promptly decided that this will be the first thing I shall embark on whilst I venture into this new phase. That's what a brand new 'do represents, right?

Or maybe it's because I've been having a major reflection on the past year of my life. October 30th, 2011. That's when I first moved to London.

Heh, well, I've always been one of those few who dreamed of coming up here. The first trip, I remember being  a family excursion during a half-term holiday trip, when I was ten. At that age, you take in all the sights like they're incredible and oh-so amazing to finally see in real life, not just in those picture books you'd see in your classroom. Infact, I recall being tiny. Really, really small, and a past memory of that was seeing the theatres lit up at night with their eye-catching marquees. We saw 'Grease' on that trip (my first West End show) and I would not re-visit again until a good few years later into my late teens/university life, when we decided on another family trip to see The Lion King.

Since then, I sort of started an obsession of following the London theatre scene. While I loved checking all the websites on a daily basis to read all the announcements, discussions and reviews of what was coming in and what was going out, it just meant so much more to actually be there and say 'Yeah, you know how everyone raved about 'Hairspray' being the hot ticket at the time? Well, I snagged a Day Seat quite early in the run and witnessed the highlight of my year.'

This was just one of many frequent visits I was making during my Acting degree. I would go on weekends during the modules I was studying, holiday periods, or just the odd day off.

I felt like I began to know the place all of a sudden, and when friends would occupy me on journeys, I became the tour guide, providing the directions, making sure we were changing at the right tube stops and making suggestions of places to visit and eat before our show started. Each trip was met with excitement and glee at the fact that I'd be once again spending time in a city that I looked up to so much.

Fast-forward a few years, and I'm sitting in the living room of my "just settled in" second London place, writing this entry and catching up with one of my new housemates on how our day has been. Maybe that's why. New place, why not start on a blog? Heh, didn't have an internet connection in my first place, so I guess that placed a restriction of some sorts on doing that.

Anyway, I intend to have no structure on the experiences and glimpses I've gained from my life up here so far. My posts could range from anytime, anyplace, anywhere. Pictures, words, video clips, whatever I can document into an entry that I feel like sharing. And maybe I'll relate back to past experiences and future aspirations too.

And really, this is just a personal way of sharing with the world how a young guy like myself has taken the leap in moving up from a small village to one of the biggest cities in the world. Nothing big, nothing spectacular or nothing revolutionary. Just a release, of sorts. And heck, I think I could get a lot of enjoyment out of doing something like this.

So to get one basic given circumstance out of the way, the building in red is my workplace. And how I'm getting by. For now.

 Let's do this!