The Year of the Rooster

Last weekend were the Chinese New Year celebrations in London and, for once, we decided to go, damn the tourists.

It was a miserable day in general with rain forecast all afternoon, but I didn't let it dampen my spirits.

The parade kicked off just after ten and there were thousands and thousands of people filling Trafalgar Square (and probably all the way to Chinatown).

It was kind of slow because they kept stopping for ages at certain points and there wasn't really any music or anything. So a silent parade, with spits of rain and a million peoples phones in the air (mine and Adeel's included).

We then sidled off for a quick bite to eat and taking shelter from the rain before wandering around Trafalgar Square. There were a handful of stalls selling all sorts of Chinese charms and trinkets for the year ahead.

Deciding to come back later when we thought all the real festivities would kick off, we wandered over to Chinatown (turns out it's really not that far and I have been taking the long route for many years).

I don't envy the people working in Chinese restaurants on Chinese New Year. The queues leading out of every restaurant was phenomenal. But the whole area looked very pretty with hundreds of red lanterns hanging above us.

We then found ourselves in Leicester Square as there really isn't much to do in Chinatown except eat and we weren't joining any of those enormous queues!

We found a timetable of events and so went back to Trafalgar Square as Sadiq Kahn was going to be one among a handful of official representatives giving speeches.

There was a Lion dance and then a Dragon dance afterwards, but all in all I'm a little disappointed. I thought it would be more of a festival-y atmosphere, loud and joyous, yanno? But I found myself feeling frequently bored.

At least the decorations were pretty though.

Not one to repeat I think given the amount of tourists and waiting around in odd silence. Maybe it's better in actual China...

Anyway, below are some of the photos I took. It was difficult to get a clear picture over the many heads of tourists, but I selected the best handful I think.

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Resting Bitch Face Problems

So this weekend I finally managed to finish or, at least, get up to date with Pretty Little Liars and in perfect timing too as the new series starts next week. 

Even just a day going by knowing that I have nothing new to watch from them is making me feel lost. That feeling you get every time you finish a TV series, you never know what to do with yourself!

In other news, I'm really beginning to push myself when I'm running. We are slowly being able to run longer and improve the breathing techniques and, well, just get better in general. I'm really surprised at how much I actually love it.

That's not what this post is about though.

This post is about that good ol' term resting bitch face and the problems I know I've definitely noticed of dealing with it.

A (not Pretty Little Liars A, my A... aha) and I were talking about this the other weekend when he was here. I keep moaning about all these people that never move out of my way, like I am always the one that needs to move if someone is walking in my direction. Even if they are a group and I literally have nowhere else to go. 

It's so frustrating.

Yet, the seas of people part for A - which was tested out thoroughly in Westfield funnily enough. He said you have to show strength and look like you aren't going to give in to moving. But, I know damn well that half of the time when I'm walking somewhere (more like 90% of the time) I will have a resting bitch face - which, in my opinion, is pretty much the look that says you aren't gonna move. 

Is that why they don't move though?

It's nothing I choose to have, it's just there, the frustration at slow walkers and tourists etched all over my face. But if I see someone else with that sort of face, I, well, move for them because they look like a moody cow. 

Just saying.

So, is it something about me that people don't want to move for? Is it because they presume I'm a moody cow and that it's not just how my face is when I'm not thinking about anything? Or am I just unfortunate enough to think I'm running into all of the annoying people when I shouldn't even take any notice?

It's probably because I get annoyed so easily at anything and everything that this even bothers me. I can get quite moody a lot of the time.

But, I always judge other people by their resting bitch faces, assuming that they are just stuck up, but maybe I shouldn't if I suffer from the same problem. 

I think it's weird though that people expect you to walk around with a smile on your face, yet if I see someone, alone, and smiling it's just weird. Or if you come into the office and people ask you if something's wrong. Nope, just my face!

I just don't know how to change my face, to soften it or something when I'm walking to and from work. It means I will always have to be concentrating on that instead of just letting my mind wander and my face rest in it's bitch-like state.

I guess I could always walk slower instead of powering through everyone like a bowling ball through an arrangement of pins. But I don't like dawdling unless I'm on holiday.

I guess I'll figure something out or just stop caring in the end.

I do love that term though. Resting bitch face. Who comes up with this stuff?!

Do you suffer from the resting bitch face?



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