Tourist without a Bookbag; Sushi Sessions

Here's to the busy weeks which facilitate busier weekends! Come 5:30 last Friday evening, I was on a mission to get to the capital. Going down to see my brother from another mother, to make good on my word. "I'll be down sometime in the next few weeks." Think I said that back in the early summer time. 

Waiting for Rick, I had time to think about my first blog post as a tourist. I already had it in my head that it was going to be The Bookbag Tourist, Episode 1. Staying the night at Rick's though meant more bag space was needed. In addition, my great sadness to have discovered the beginnings of a tear in one of the shoulder straps on my Bookbag. So this was me. Kings Cross kickin' it. The tourist without a Bookbag. In its place, the Sprayground Money Stacks holdall. Complete with separate sneaker compartment for my Nike Free 3.0's for Saturdays activities. 

Friday evening began with the hunt. With food on the brain we set out. Not overly surprised, we found our first couple of choices had wait times beyond what our bellies would stand for. But after playing my tourist role to perfection outside St. Paul's, we wound up at Yo Sushi.

Sushi had been the plan last time I was down to see Rick. Only that became the day I spent my morning either hanging over his toilet chucking my guts up, or laying on his landing getting no sleep. This time around though we would chow down.

But Rick hates sea food, so I'm standing there trying to figure out why he's so up for showing me a sushi restaurant! As I soon discovered though, Sushi isn't just raw fish and rice (or at least that isn't all you can get at a sushi restaurant in the UK). 

Soup. Rice. Noodles. Beef. Duck rolls. Multiple different types of chicken. We had it all. With even a little desert. I may have nearly got cramp in my hand, but I still maintain that was as much to do with the amount we ate as it was to do with my worse than poor skills with a set of chopstix. The only thing I didn't like.. Pickled Ginger. Rick loves it. Personally I thought it looked like a piece of human flesh. And I don't feel I need say more about the taste other than stating that I can still taste it now...

£50 later though, we were done. Just in time to get over to West Ham and kick back at Rick's crib. For some unknown reason (or unknown to me at least), we always find ourselves watching scary movies. Personally, I'm more of an animated or superhero movie type kid. Cars. Avengers. Something like that. Friday night though was 'The Conjuring'.. There's always a demon involved. 

Joined by Rick's sister and Boyfriend (the sisters boyfriend, not Rick's!) we cracked open a couple ciders, literally. Now I'm not a big drinker when not on a night out. But I was a little surprised when I cracked half the top of a bottle off when simply trying to get the lid off. 

Not really knowing Rick's sis & boyfriend that well, I figured they must think I was crazy. After a couple of minutes though, I decided that it could be worse...I could have come across as forgettable. And so I lay back, pouring my drink through a sieve, into a glass like a normal person, wondering what Saturday would have in store..