Wednesday 10 September 2008

Moving to Glasgow

Well here I am starting a new blog because of my long absence from my last one and then I leave a gap of over a week after my first post! Apologies, but my move to Glasgow left me without Internet until a long and painful set up process this morning crossing over to this afternoon! So now I can write my first of regular posts and put up all of the ones I've been writing in the past week whilst waiting for that beloved 'connected' sign to appear.

The Virgin technician was due to arrive anywhere between 1 and 6 today so I was anticipating a long and boring wait in which he would most likely arrive at 5.59. However, at 10.37am this morning my mobile rang and it was the technician telling me he could make it in 15 minutes if I was around. I was and I foolishly became excited at the thought I would soon be getting Internet. After the technician left giving me all the all clear for fine, fast working Internet I began trying to connect my laptop to the wireless. I won't get into the long and boring specifics, but this is my first activity on the Internet at close to 2pm and the technician left at just after 11am. So it's fair to say that I was feeling incredibly frustrated. However, now I have calmed down and am ready to write my first blog in Glasgow.

Since I last blogged the most exciting fashion related moments I have been involved in were contributing to The Skinny Student Shopping Guide, helping out as an assistant stylist on one of The Herald's fashion shoots and, of course, lots and lots of shopping; both for research and pleasure. These will be included in detail on separate blogs that I have written. Although this one will be posted first, which is a bit backwards, it gives an introduction to my new home of Glasgow which is where I will be reporting from now.

Glasgow is not an entirely strange city as it is a close neighbour of Edinburgh and I have lots of school friends going to University here who I have visited. However, when I have been here I've been here with someone who knows their way around and therefore have not had to think about anything. Now I do. And it's quite scary. Fortunately, I live in a lovely area; in the centre of the west end, so I am being eased into an unknown city by comfortable cafes, tantalising restaurants and welcoming bars. One of my favourites is called Tchai Ovna which is on Otago Lane. It's location is cute enough to begin with. Tucked away down a tiny lane, to enter turn right and through a porch decorated with lights and hobo chic furniture. Inside there are screen separating tables of various sizes. From regular sit up and coffee tables with chairs to Japanese tables requiring customers to sit comfortably on the floor amongst rugs and cushions. The list of teas is ridiculous, with their tea collection coming from all over the world. Their food is amazing; the dahl is the best dahl I have ever tasted outside of India, nearing or possible reaching the real thing. All apart from the price of course, which at £5.6o for dahl, the cheapest of cheap things to make, is quite high. What sold it to me though was their chai. It is Indian chai. I have had good chai outside of India, but it has always been good western chai. Never outside of the north (west) of India have I had proper chai which tastes so good and makes normal tea so incredibly boring. This is chai like I have had in India and although the price appears steep the pot of tea for 2 could probably serve 10. Between the three of us we had about 12 cups and that got us to just over half way.

That is my favourite local. There are plenty of pubs and restaurants although I haven't found a favourite yet.

A little street which I love though is Ashton Lane which has the Grosvenor Cinema and many bars and places to eat. The street is decorated with fairy lights and it takes me out of a big city as soon as I step underneath the glowing bulbs.

I am too much of a newbie to give a Glasgow guide to blog readers, but there will be more to come. I have been doing much shopping in Edinburgh, researching for my Shopping Guide of course, but naturally I have been checking out the Glasgow shops too. From the recommended Mr. Ben's (the Glasgow version of Armstrongs in Edinburgh), to the high street shops and, of course, the local west end vintage shops and boutiques of which there are many. I have written about them in a shopping blog which I will post among the others at some point today and I will write a more extensive, specifically Glasgow blog soon; just need to keep shopping!

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