Labor Day Weekend

Habits. You don't realise how much of a routine you have until you break it. I was in London over Labor Day weekend and stayed with a friend in Bayswater where I'd spent the most time in London.

I got my usual Fresco juice almost everyday I was in town. "Number 18, no honey but with with apple." I totally swear by this carrot-apple-lemon-ginger combo, especially on a Saturday morning when you've been out late the night before.

My kind host was the friend with whom I had breakfast with every Saturday morning (of course only after we got our juice from Fresco) when I lived in Bayswater. Him in a hungover state most of the time, with confessions of misbehaviour from hard Friday night drinking. Me sometimes feeling rough around the edges. Sometimes we would read the weekend papers together too, almost like an old married couple. We revived our time-honoured tradition again this weekend.

And while we're on Bayswater habits, I also made it to Gold Mine for the sam sek cheng sui tan (steamed century egg, salted duck's egg and normal egg). This is one of the dishes which is on my death-row foods list. (This and Fresco's aubergine in tomato sauce). Let's not forget dimsum at Royal China, twice! It is difficult to believe but Chinese food in London is simply unbeatable.

I also made it to Borough Market which was an important part of my new Saturday routine for my last three months in London. I was late though and only managed to get some Monmouth Coffee, of which I was been dreaming about for the longest time. Trust me, you have not tasted better coffee than Monmouth.

The market was closing up so I sat on the curb opposite Monmouth to drink my coffee and soak in the atmosphere. I ended up having a totally random conversation with some hippie about having and not having it. I knew at that point, I had it and how blessed I was to have it.