Portobello Market

London - 2nd day

The shop behind me is AllSaints. This amazing shop put on display, thousands and thousands of Singer sewing machines. I've never seen so many old school sewing machine in my life. Makes you wanna just go in, buy one and go straight home and sew pretty dresses and tableclothes... (like, really??!!)

Window Display of the infamous Hummingbird bakery in Portobello Road. Wow!! So many people inside lining up to get their hands on the gorgeous little cupcakes. I bought myself a carrot cupcake with creamcheese topping...oh my!! absolutely delicious! so moist and yummy and not too sweet at all. I'm going back there next week for seconds...and thirds...

Cake display in the Hummingbird bakery.
Portobello Street Market. Wow!
The colors in Portobello

Even the cafe' upstairs was adorned with beautiful colors of spring...I'm going crazy looking at all the gorgeous flowers blooming and bursting with colors...

Nothing like starting the day with a good breakfast - nasi lemak and Nescafe tarik kurang manis. I know it's bad for the waist line and health, but I 'm quite sure I'll burn some of it off later going up and down the buses and also walking down the Portobello Street Market. Plus I need the fat to fight the cold up here.

As I get off the bus, I was half expecting Hugh Grant to walk pass me, stop, and staring me deeply with his droopy eyes, and open up into his silly uncertain trademark smile. Instead, I ran ran into a bunch of blokes, running in a straight line through the cold spring morning, clad in only flourescent colored undies, through the Portobello market...I was screaming to Sidah, who was already on the other side of the road "Sidah, where's the camera?" but she just stood there, frozen and unable to response. I ask her "What happen to you". She said sheepishly "I got shocked when something almost said hi to me behind those small flourescent thingy"....hahahaha...dang!! Well...there goes Hugh and his Grant thing...hahahaha....(kids -please skip these para) hahahaha....

Walking ahead, we were met by thousands of people, thronging to the market, in search of something that could probably change their life, just like it did Hugh...it was really a slow walk. I can only see hairs, and lots of it, in front of me. Blond, black, green, red, short, long, spiky, varying in shades and designs, just like the blooming flowers responding to the spring season...

Then, there it was....Hummingbird Bakery. The smell of vanilla and butter wasp through the air, beckoning me to go inside. The line was long so I took pictures, risking eviction from the staff. But I didn't care. I ask for a copy of their cookbook and bought a carrot cupcake. Oh man....it was delicious. Truly! There has a hint of ginger and reminded me of a friend's carrot cake. The cake was moist, flavourful, not too sweet and not enough!! Sheeshh..I should've bought 2. Gave me a reason to go there again...

We made our way through the market quickly after that, as I had really nothing to buy, neither has Sidah. Then there was another smell, something is roasting together with onions...Hhhmmmm...Sidah what's this nice smell? I forgot!! Ya la tu..cium lah sampai konyang..said Sidah laughing. Turn to your left...Yikes!! Succulent and all, roasting away at a nearby shop...hahahah...tutup hidung!!! Tak guna betul!!

After that we took buses to Covent Garden coz I wanted to find the Primrose Cafe. It was then that this scary incident happened. As I was boarding another bus somewhere near Oxford Street, I saw the hand of a black dude reaching into the handbag of a classy old lady in front of me. Oh gosh! I looked up and the red eyes that belonged to that dude, stared back at me. Deeply, and threateningly. I walked pass him and followed the lady to the back of the bus. We sat on the same row, and I was hoping to alert the woman of the incident. As I sat down, our eyes met again. Oh no!! I thought he got scared and got off the bus. He didn't. His friend, sat beside me, with both hands covered by his jacket.

This is scary. He could have a knife or a gun under that jacket. I was shifting uncomfortably while the dude kept staring at me. I got up and changed seat, my back facing him but my face facing his friend. I cant tell Sidah yet coz then she'll be looking at these guys and they'll know I spill.

The bus stopped. And as the friend got up, I felt relieved. Now for sure they're getting off. I asked Sidah whether the guys are off the bus. No, she said. What? Where are they now? Ohh they're sitting behind you, why?. I had to tell her. We spoke in Bahasa and then contemplating to get off the bus ourselves. But, what if they then follow us, she asked. Ha'ah kan...alamak!! Camana ni Sidah? Makcik yg kena tu rileks je borak, kita yang saspen ni...

The bus made a few more stops and the dudes just got up, and changed seats a few more times. I prayed really hard that the dudes was convinced that I'm never gonna talk and just leave us alone. And then, at the next stop, Haa..diorang dah turun dah, said Sidah, as I can't see coz I had my back towards them.

Pheww!! That was the longest bus ride in my life. After 2 stops, I asked the lady to check her bag for missing items and told her what happened. Luckily, nothing was missing. The dude must've seen me almost immediately as he put his hands into the bag.

I was in no mood to look for Primrose Cafe anymore. Though we did make it to Covent Garden, I can't seem to be excited. I just want to go back to my place. And we did.

I miss my family.