I have had a very interesting day today. I would go even as far as to say that my entire Spring holiday has been eventful. This was absolutely the time I was waiting to experience. When I imagined what it would be like to live in London, these were the days that I was visualising. I have just finished watching the last season of ‘The Crown’ and all of the seasons of Sherlock for the millionth time. The experience of watching London on the screen and then stepping out to see the landmarks in real time is unreal.
To talk about today, I was wanting to visit the Blank Street pop up at Charlotte street. I was a bit apprehensive about getting into the line because I did not want to be seen as pitiful and unemployed both of which my mind thinks I am. My destiny never lets me experience anything for free, it does not believe in luck. Keeping that in mind, I just wanted to look at the picnic pop-up in terms of it being a branded experience.
I reached there fifteen minutes before the event began. I realised that I was too self-respecting of an adult to be doing this and decided to just buy a matcha. I then decided to buy a large matcha after all and walk back home. There was a line even for the normal orders now. Turns out, people who did not get to participate in the free pop-up event had decided to get a drink for themselves anyway. I was one of them. I felt like a guinea pig but I will give them the credit of getting their creative strategy to do good business for their store. I wondered how such decisions require collaboration from all of the departments at Blank Street to persuade me to just buy the drink at their shop.
I got my matcha and walked outside of the shop. Someone in the line had just received a Blank Street picnic blanket from the pop-up. Other people in the line clapped and hooted, I felt second hand embarrassment. Another person on the street in front of the pop-up line then shouted “we are going through a world crisis and look at these people standing outside a shop for free drinks” He said this just as I was stepping out. I practically ran at this point to get away from the shop. I really had nothing to do, I had stepped out of my home with no agenda so I decided to walk home gawking at the landmarks that would come along my way and boy was it a surreal experience. I passed along Leicester square, China town, Trafalgar square, Victoria Embankment gardens, London eye and BFI Southbank on my way home. I have decided that I will do this walk again on a sunny day with my camera.