My First Wedding, Borough Market & Thai Festival

I've been averaging only 4 hours of sleep per day trying to squeeze in everything I need to do as well everything I don't. Pretty freaky that only once a week I have a proper sleep. Today was one of those days and I feel fresh tis moi! I love being busy but sometimes like this week got a bit much.

Guests arriving to the wedding

Abi Sonkour, my singer friend and a girl that I went to school with got married yesterday. It was weird seeing her get married because I still see Abi as the cutesy girl from 7.1 (7.1 was her tutor set back at Holland Park School when we were 11 years old. I was in 7.8). This was something I wouldn't miss for the world...

This is the first wedding where a friend has been wed. For the wedding me and Ahmed Jaber (who was in 7.1 with Abi) wanted to do something really special for the wedding. The weeks leading to the wedding, we built the hype telling Abi we had something special planned. She didn't have a clue and neither did we!

Last week while Ahmed and I were in Kensington Gardens, Ahmed thought of the most perfect idea. A few years ago Abi's father had passed away so as he could not be there in person, we (as in me) would paint a portrait of her dad and place it in the front row watching over her daughter.

Cutting it close, it was only until the night before the wedding we managed to get photographs of her dad. I collected the photos at 11pm from Abi's sister, raced home and just about got the painting done by 3:30am (or at least that's when I fell asleep).

Out of respect we did not put the painting in the front row as a couple of people thought it wasn't a good idea to send Abi into tears during the wedding, so we gave the painting after we all posed for the wedding photographs.

The Bride and her painting

The reaction was beautiful. She held it in her arms and was like, "that's my dad". Even Ahmed and I had a little tear in our eyes. She loved the painting and walked around with it in her arms for an hour showing all the guests the painting before she placed it by her wedding cake.

Singer / Songwriter Azadeh playing before the wedding

Abi walking down the aisle

It was such a cool wedding! It was set in some huge castle in Essex. Abi's singer friend Azadeh, sang a chilled set with her guitar as Abi walked down the aisle. The bride looked stunning and Ade (Abi's hubby) looked cool and so in love.

Abi's nephew with his waistcoat over his blazer and Ahmed Jaber

Before the wedding started, Abi's nephew somehow thought you put the waistcoat OVER a blazer. He was complaining asking why it was so tight and I couldn't help piss myself laughing. His reason, "I don't know about suit stuff".

I learned something too. I learnt I cannot do flips as I almost broke my neck twice on the bouncy castle trying to do somersaults. Instead I landed on my head which had the guests cracking up at my expense.

Georgia Goodrick and Laura Burns at Borough Market

Ages ago, I was asked to go Borough Market with my friend Becca Majerus but I've always been like, "why? It ain't no Portobello". We never ended up going cos I’m a Portobello whore but all she needed to say was Borough is "a food market" and I would've been there in a shot. Anyways, that's what another friend said and true to my ways, I was in London Bridge with Laura, Georgia, Gesche, Greg Botelho and his friend munching all the nice food.

Chorizo burgers

There were lots of food and drink given away. Our weapon of choice was a toothpick to nibble on all the freebies at the market. There were smoked pig leg things which were yummy, non stop olives and cheese, breads with nice pesto, caramel stuff and brownies. That was just the free stuff. When we decided to munch on something we paid for we got the Chorizo burger that had a queue that went on for ages and scallops. To top it off, a huge slice of chocolate cake for desert! Yum yum.

Fresh food at Borough Market

I will go again but wouldn't catch me there on a weekly basis as tis well far. London Bridge is distance but if you like freebies and nice food, it's definitely the place.

Georgia Goodrick and Gesche Thoennes at the Thai Festival

Georgia's friend with cool tatoos

Sara Collins

Another cool day this week was when I went to the Thai Festival with Gesche, Sara Collins, Georgia and her Thai friends in Battersea Park. Thousands of people flooded the park eating nice Thai food and watching traditional Thai entertainment.

Traditional Thai dancing

Thai skipping with bamboo stick. Watch your feet

Nice Thai munch

As Georgia can speak Thai from living there for 3 years, she taught me a few words like "hello" (sawadee cap) and "where you go?" (bai nai). There were more words but those are the main words I needed and used all day. Those sayings even got me and Gesche into the event for free and got me free food!

Me wearing a traditional Thai hat

It was blazing hot that day and stupid me wore my fleece lined Converse but ended up going topless around the event as I would’ve melted. Speaking of which, I need to get back into the boxing gym to work out as haven't been there for a few weeks because I was trying to work on the running. The running didn’t happen as is boring so now I feel a bit on the tubby side.

xx

Albie!

P.S. I shall be partying at Paper (68 Regent Street) both Friday and Saturday if anyone wants to come and hang out!? Have drinks on my table. Lemme know if ya does...

albie_espinola@hotmail.co.uk