I live in a circus. I did some video editing for Geneva, and American girl who lives above me (though 5mm of ply wood), and she offered fire-swallowing lessons in return. Geneva is a performance artist and works on the Carnesky’s Ghost Train, a performance piece that has been setup in the Truman Brewery just off Brick Lane in Hackney. It’s a real ghost train that you sit in and it goes around a little circuit a few times. As you go though the loop you pass five or six different actors who are in a character. Each time around the story is a little further along. The content wasn’t really scary but the idea of being pulled though a dark unknown region was sort of scary and Erika and I cling to each other and I jumped when the ghost harlot grabbed my nee on the way past from the shadows. Geneva flew around with a suspension belt and looked like a Soviet trapeze artist (which I think she is also qualified to do).

There is also Paloma was also working on the Ghost Train and is an English girl and a bit of a local legend. She’s made appearances in the paper and the odd magazine. Paloma means dove in Spanish apparently and she danced in a dramatic Spanish flamenco type dress with holograms of doves flying out of her skirt. Paloma is also the lead singer in a 50-60’s cover band called ‘Paloma and the Penetrators’. She comes across with such energy I would swear she is the female Elvis Presley.

Also in the band is Liam, who is a young Irish lad who is possibly the quietest Irishman I’ve ever meet. Keeps to himself he does. Like to watch neighbors when he surfaces at about 1-2pm in the afternoon. When he gets on stage however he’s a man possessed and sings and daces like Jerry Lee Lewis.

Then there is Kate who is a young English architect and the only person here who keeps sanity. She is going out with Clem, a French guy who plays guitar in the band. He has just recently moved in with Kate. Clem also has a formidable old-school rock n’ roll and Jazz CD collection which I have started copying as a full time job.

There is one other Aussie in the place from Melbourne. She is hell bent on force-feeding her body drugs and alcohol as much is as humanly possible so I don’t see her very much. Shes in publishing and travels around a lot as a result.

So that’s the six people I live with, officially. There’s also Rustle who is Palomas friend. Rustle is a fixture on the couch but adds an air of gaiety to the slightly dark “living” area which is disguised as a pub at the end of the night.

Loves me bike. Luv’s me bike.

I have found an activity in London that I truly love doing: riding my push bike along the canals. There is one that runs from Camden though Hackney and on passed Victoria park. Though not as pretty as the canals in Holland, as the British seem to have turned their back to the water ways and put industrial warehouses along them mostly, a lot of them have now been converted to swanky modern apartment blocks. The canals are littered with the odd duck and long thin barges, some of which double as homes.

I love having a bike again. I got it for 70 quid from Brick Lane. The guy who sell them there has a whole bunch of ‘em chained up together with a big pirate flag sticking out of the middle of them. The flag is more than just an eccentricity, the bikes are mostly stolen from around Hackney by junkies and bored children. Every where you go here there are bike locks left on poles or just frames of bikes with everything that wasn’t nailed down striped from it. I guess I should feel guilty about buying (what is most likely) a stolen bike, but I was broke at the time and I loves me bike [luvs mi bik].

Decaz in da house

Young Declan cursed though town and hung around my place for a couple of weeks on his way to other places. It was refreshing to have Declan around making everything seem easy, playing guitar and singing sad songs. Popped off to Sweden as soon as he could because he absolutely hated it here. Can’t say I blame him since he lost his credit card in a cash point as soon as he got off the plane and spend a week dealing on the phone with English customer service representatives, which is like trying to train a team of sloths to play football.

Erika managed to snag Decaz for some work doing an online shop for a designer jeans label called ‘Evisu’. ‘Tomato’, a well know web design company is biding to redesign the rest of the site so Eir might get her self know in those circles which are pretty ritzy in the multimedia design biz.

The Studio

I’ve started renting a desk in a studio full of artists who go to Central St.Martins. Its above an art gallery and a boutique video store called ‘Today is Boring’. Its actual where Erika used to live. I know all the people who live there and it’s a wonderful atmosphere in which to work and hang around. I hope to do some good work while I’m here.

I rode thought Victoria Park last weekend. It was a clear day and the leaves on the tree are starting to turn orange. I like London best in Autumn. I look forward to running and kicking my way though mountains of brown and gold leaves in Hyde Park.

The cold weather is moving in on London and even the clear days are now chilly. Its fun to wear all the winter clothing. Very dramatic clothing to swagger down the street in. I get the feeling of Europe when I do.

I’ve been quite ill for the last month and since my last contract ended with National Rail I’ve been in bed recovering. This is my excuse for the lack of communicardo. I haven’t had much strength to concentrate with. I seem to be on the mend however and might go on a little holiday somewhere in Europe before it gets too freezing. Young Declan is keen to backpack around Germany and I’d love to see Berlin (particularly East Berlin).

That’s all from me. I hope this finds you well. A golden shower of happiness to rain upon you head a thousand times
Love
Alex

p.s. Very VERY depressed about the election results. I won’t be living in Australia for this next term.