My first trip to Wapping

London really is (and perhaps always will be) an unknown entity to me. No matter how much I try to explore, there are always new places to go and new things to see. My mind boggles! I suppose it is the nature of a big city with a dynamic cultural scene, and you can't be expected to know every little things that's on offer, so I shouldn't take it to heart.

So another new discovery for me this week was Wapping. Who would have thought that a stone's throw from Canary wharf and the rest of the imposing City skyline is a little haven in the form of the canal basin in Wapping. I think it's beauty was enhanced somewhat for me by the gorgeous weather, the peaceful birdsong and the fact that there was a raucous sailing lesson going on. The shouts of excitement of the enthusiastic young sailors was slightly infectious, and to see them happily splashing around in little Pico's - the boat in which I learned to sail - added some pleasant nostalgia to the appeal of the scene.

After cooing over some fearless ducklings learning to swim in the sleek green waters of the canal, we moved onwards, as we were really there to visit the Wapping Project - an imposing reminder of the former life that Wapping led as a maritime hub before its decline in the 19th century.
The Wapping Project is a rejuvenated hydraulic power station, with many of the pipes, pulleys, hooks and other paraphernalia that were once in use still hanging in their original places, adding to the maritime and industrial feel while simultaneously managing to look like modern art. And art it is I suppose, as aesthetics are key here and art is the order of the day, (as well as food and drink judging by how packed out the restaurant was by 7pm). The feel is glamour meets industrialism, and it works a treat.

Not knowing what I was coming to the Wapping Project for it all seemed rather mysterious as, having paid our five pounds, we were ushered through a door into a darkened room, atmospherically lit and inhabited by a solitary boat and its boatman. The former boiler room has been flooded by the fire brigade for this particular installation, and the results are very effective. Lit only by a line of light-bulbs set just above the water level so as to double their warm glow with their own reflection, the old boiler room was transformed into an inviting chamber of intrigue. Dominating the space is the main attraction, a huge inverted dome of white silk worn by the glowing blue torso of a mannequin lighting it eerily from below.

We exchanged our shoes for wellies and hopped into the boat (in my case very unelegantly) and the boatman pushed us off and gently rowed us around the room, allowing us to see the structure from all angles. It was a peaceful experience and eerie too, as the atmospheric music and the stoic silence of the boatman made it all rather mysterious. The clear reflection of the dress in the water was occasionally disturbed by the ripples from the oar and the boat's smooth movement. 

Waves are key to this installation - suitably titled Yohji Making Waves -  as the dress is in fact one of the designer Yohji Yamamoto's famed wedding dresses, set up in this way to portray how his designs diverged from the conventional fashion lines, thus making waves among his contemporaries in the fashion world.

Despite not knowing all these details before I experienced it, the overall effect was awing all the same, and I came out feeling soothed in some way, as well as intrigued to know more about the background. I don't think it mattered that I went in without prior knowledge because the installation is powerful enough alone to make its own statement. The Wapping Project is definitely worth a visit, even if just to have a drink at the funky wine bar. And I definitely intend on returning to Wapping for a proper explore as the history of the place sounds pretty fascinating - smugglers and executions and all. 

Cultural Dilemma #1

So it turns out I'm not really a museum person. Not that I'm adverse to museums - I have wiled away many a happy school trip running around with a clipboard trying to complete all the assignments/sketches/questions as quickly as possible in order to go and check out the fun stuff like the shop, the launchpad, or the giant dinosaur skeleton in the atrium - but I just can't seem to find that inquisitive part of me that wants to read every single placard about every single toothpick, toilet bowl or shoe sole that ever came out of every century that ever came to pass. I think of myself as more of a browser in these things. I like to dip in and out and only read about the things that fascinate me the most. Like the bed of Ware for example. The hugest bed in history, and currently residing in the V and A museum, having been of historical interest almost as soon as it was made. I am slightly ashamed to say that this was the most memorable object from my museum visit today. But let us not belittle the importance of this bed. It made it into a Shakespeare play after all, which just goes to show its significance; you know you've made it if you are alluded to by Shakespeare.

But back to the topic of browsing museums. I came to the conclusion today that a museum to me is a bit like shopping in TK Maxx. For one you need to give yourself a fair whack of time if you are going to do it properly, and in order to do it properly you have to be really in the mood to persevere trawling through item after item of mediocrity (or appalling ugliness) before lighting upon a real gem that makes the entire visit worthwhile. And gems you do find, in both TK Maxx and museums.

Despite my visit to the V and A this afternoon being a little on the brief side, I did actually leave with the feeling that the visit was worthwhile, if not for the most conventional of reasons (the bed of ware being one of them). Due to my unemployment status making cash somewhat scarce, I rejected the offer of a photography exhibition for a mere £7.50(!) and  opted for a tour of the free part of the collection. Despite making a rather whistle-stop tour around the majority of the artifacts, I was struck, as I always am when in such buildings, by the awe inspiring and almost eerie solemness that pervades grand and cavernous museums. It is a half comforting, half humbling experience, hearing your footsteps rebound in the hollow silence that intermingles with the distant echoes from the busy atrium. So for me it seems, it isn't what is on display at a museum, or the knowledge to be gained, so much as the experience of escaping the hustle and bustle of the city outside, to ensconce oneself in the soothing and shady halls, feel the coolness of the marble on your skin and the comforting permanence and security of the past and its relics surrounding you.

Youth Unemployment

So swings the pendulum of life. After weeks (perhaps even months) of neglecting to live like a tourist and complaining about my working life taking over all other aspects of my existence, I find myself in a spell of unemployment. It will probably be short-lived, but for now the delicious prospect of idleness and all the possibilities such a gift of time offers, fills me with anticipation and promise of adventure. Time is quite literally my oyster.

The idea of unemployment, to someone who has been lucky enough never to have been unwillingly placed in such a position for longer than a week or two, is really rather glorious. Made especially sweet by the fact that the past 4 months have been a crazy haze of at times long and unsociable working hours and frequent six day weeks - "normality", apparently, for those who work in the TV industry, but life consuming all the same.

Knowing how much I was looking forward to some time off, I am determined to make the most of it. And after watching Julie and Julia last night, and then proceeding to fritter away the next 4 hours of my life by watching the entire series so far of Made in Chelsea (and I wish I could pretend it was all for the sake of background research for work), inspired me to set myself a similar (if less rigorous) goal to Julie of Julie and Julia (mainly to stop myself from getting addicted to any more ridiculously-terrible-but-addictive-in-their-ridiculousness TV shows.) I want to make the most of living in London and actually having the time to appreciate it. So, the challenge is set; to grab by the balls all that London has to offer and check out at least one new London sight/activity/venue/show/event/exhibition/whatever(!) every day that I'm here and unemployed.  Let's see how that goes! I'll keep you posted....