A for Art.
(A-bike at Tate Modern’s turbine hall. Taking down (repairing) of the massive floor crack work by Doris Salcedo on the background.)
19th April, I went out to catch a performance by friend of mine, who is currently showing in a group exhibition at Level 2 Gallery, TATE MODERN. Since I was a bit behind schedule, I took my A-bike with me to do the usual golden combination of public transport and A-bike to be there in time.
I rode A-bike from my home to nearest station, folded A, took A to inside train, off at Waterloo East Station, unfolded A, rode straight to Tate Modern. I saved about 15 minutes there over all. It’s only 15mins, you might think, but the 15mins is big if you are on the verge of being late for important stuff such as business meeting, lecture or rendez-vous with fierce girlfriend.
In the train to Waterloo East, an American lady approached and said “Ooo… America should have one like that.” American A-bike market is a kinda gray zone to me, so I didn’t mention Urban Rider or else to her.
(Gail Pickering, Zulu (Speaking in Radical Tongues) 2008, performance view)
Thanks to my A-bikie, I managed to reach there before the performance began. After having satisfying food for thought, it’s time to fill my stomach. There were my girlfriend and three other people joined me at Tate. Two of them, visitors from Japan, insisted to have good drinks and good foods, so I showed them some options in my mobile phone to make a peaceful agreement on the night’s diner. The Anchor and Hope (36, The Cut) off Southwark Underground Station was the choice we made.
(Mobile essentials: A-bike, Nokia N95 8GB, iGO Stowaway Ultra Slim Bluetooth wireless keyboard. No need to say anything for the bike. Nokia N95 is a nice smartphone, but it eats battery like nobody’s business. Built-in GPS and Internet functions really need unlimited internet access to be companied. Some service providers offer the option in reasonable price. I got my unlimited access for £5 from 3. The Stowaway keyboard is a-must-have item if you have a smartphone. The great foldable keyboard can be purchased as cheap as £18 in UK online shops like play.com.)
(I and friends shared Deep Fried Pig Head, Snail and Bacon Salad, and Crab on Toast. They seem small at first, but surprisingly very filling. These delicious plates are also modestly priced at about £6 each. Sorry, no picture of the foods, but an empty Guinness pint on the table.)
(A-bike can be taken to upstairs of Double Decker Bus without fuss. Don’t you love this bike just for that reason?)
Here We Dance at Tate Modern:
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/herewedance/default.shtm
The Anchor and Hope (review at squaremeal.co.uk):
http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/london/view/82726/Anchor_and_Hope
