“Somewhere in Between” by Lifehouse is played again after a long absence through the speakers… “This is over my head but underneath my feet, ’cause by tomorrow morning I’ll have this thing beat. And everything will be back to the way that it was. I wish that it was just that easy. ‘Cause I’m waiting for tonight, then waiting for tomorrow. And I’m somewhere in between, what is real and just a dream…”

Know the feeling of listening to one of your favourite songs after not hearing it for a really long time? I’m getting that now with Lifehouse. I’m sure most people may have heard a song or 2 by them (their debut single “Hanging By a Moment” was the most played song on US radio in 2001). Know the feeling of listening to a song and empathising with what the singer is singing about? I’d heard of Lifehouse when they broke through with their debut single in 2001 and checked out their album. I listened to them for a time and then moved onto other artists and songs. Then for some reason I found myself listening to them again the other week and finding more meaning in some of their songs. Almost meaningful to the point that the lyrics felt like something I would have written myself if I had sat in silence with my room with a pen in my hand. By another strange coincidence they are over here later this month and I will possibly go see them. Will have to drag someone else along too, hmmm.

On Friday, met with L for lunch. We met in Chinatown, which wasn’t the wisest choice because of the latest SARS epidemic from Hong Kong, but it was a good test of our immune systems (mine has almost reached the point where antibiotics are not required). Went to the HK Diner and as per usual with any establishment in that area, the Chinese waiter proceeded to ask for our order in Cantonese. Each time we were asked something in Cantonese, we’d answer back in English, including the words “We don’t speak any Chinese.” He must have been more baffled than us since he spoke to us in Cantonese on 5 different occasions, before accepting that we weren’t illiterate Chinese, or more accurately, we weren’t Chinese. He was also quite keen for us to order food from the menu when all we wanted were tapioca milk drinks (the taste of which was way overdue for me) that I had a feeling he was speaking Cantonese just for the purpose of veiling his expletives from us. But wow, it was great to have a boba beverage again, especially since I’d been craving them now and again since leaving California in September. I remember the cravings were quite bad to begin with because during the end of my stay in the US I was having boba drinks everyday. The fix on Friday should keep me going for a while, but I am not ruling out any dreams over the next few days where I am swimming in a sea of strawberry milk pearl tea on a paradise beach with tapioca beads replacing the grains of sand.

After drinks, we ate at Satsuma. I’d walked past it several times and had been meaning to eat there but never seemed to get around to it. But, the wait was really worthit because they do really good sushi. The seafood was fresh and the rice was just right (i.e. no danger of the rolls falling apart even after skinny dipping in the soy). If each grain of rice was facing the same direction, then I’d say it was perfect sushi. Ever since Ikkyu closed down in Chinatown I needed to find a good place that made exotic California rolls and I think I’ve found my place now! Considering that the place looks quite modern and pristine, I noticed that the pricing was reasonable and any normal person could easily keep the bill to £10 per head. However, being the gluttons that we are, that was not going to happen. Good thing the weather was sunny and warm throughout the day because it meant we could try walking off the excess load we had accumulated over lunch, without reaching for an umbrella. Could have been a little cooler though, and it didn’t help that there was no air conditioning in Satsuma because I was starting to bake. We walked a good proportion of the west end and strolled through a couple of parks too. It really was a nice day, seeing everyone out, basking in the sun. A shame I didn’t have my camera with me to capture it all.

There’s something in a way a person walks. Even if you could only see blackened disguised silhouettes of your friends and family members, I am sure you would be able to identify most of them. I noticed that I am able to identify a person without even seeing them and by just hearing them. From my bedroom window I can always tell if the person walking along the pavement outside is a member of my family. The easiest to recognise are the sounds of heels clapping on concrete, coming from my mum. I never really noticed how easy it is to recognise things like this when you are overcome with silence. Although my house is only a few minutes walk from the high street, most of the time, it is deadly quiet. Like right now, from my window, the only thing you will hear is the occasional shopper walking past clutching carrier bags, or a car driving past. We live in a world that’s full of noise and it’s during these quiet times that you realise really how true the saying is. Silence is golden.

On Saturday I think my attenuated psychic powers were in tune much higher than usual and I was feeling a bit jittery. I was in my room and suddenly I sensed something wrong and felt compelled to look out of the window. Just as I went to take a look, there was a young teenage kid smashing the window of my parent’s car and reaching inside. His accomplice had already made a dash for it and the little thug legged it shortly after reaching in. I would have chased after them, but they had already started running and me, although in fairy good shape, didn’t even have any shoes/trainers on. I told mum and she went to take a look whilst I did a quick round of the area even though those kids were probably halfway home (or hopefully halfway to a car accident) by then.

It made me wonder what I’d have done if I had noticed earlier and had caught them. I probably would have caught one of them and if he struggled or tried to fight me, I would have had that boy down with his face hugging the pavement. If he had smashed the window of my car, his face would have been eating the pavement. Stupid kids. What I think happened is that they noticed the carrier bag under the passenger seat, containing some sort of shiny box. Probably thinking in their pathetic juvenile little minds that it was the new Gameboy Advanced or a DVD Player, they went for it, little knowing that it was just the remains of my dad’s lunch from the Chinese takeaway. Let that be a lesson to never leave anything in your car. My car is completely empty of anything asides from an A-Z, notepad, pen and a toolkit/jack, and none of those are even on display through the windows. Perhaps I should leave an empty DVD player box containing ricin and anthrax spores on the passenger seat to teach crooks that crime doesn’t pay! Ooh, the things I’d do if I was evil {rubs hands together maniacally}