Adventures in London and Europe: Alternative London

First, a few updates:

Street food in Chinatown is pretty legit (or 地道):

Finally found decent sushi, at the Japan Centre in Piccadilly Circus

Prince Harry visited Imperial College. Here are two very tiny shots of him:

The red hair, behind the blond hair:

I also went on a walking tour of East London, one of the most cultural and diverse parts of the city. This tour is unique, in that it focuses on "street art", and how it tells a hidden story about the city. What is most striking is that it borders the financial center of Central London, with its extravagant buildings and cool tube station:

The journey begins by a goat:

Walking down the nice path to East London:

The first work of art: a tiny statue on top of a post. Most street artists are anonymous, as much of their craft is not legal.

We then headed to Brick Lane, a street known for its curry houses and quaint charm (I went there for Fulbright orientation as well). East London has been the home of many immigrants, and this building in particular has transitioned from church -> synagogue -> mosque in its lifetime.

Stick art on an off-street of Brick Lane:

An artist at work. Yes, it's actually not illegal to do street art in the open, as long as you have permission from the building owner:

Huge murals stand on the side of buildings:

Details are done by brush and can take weeks, but the entire work can be gone in minutes:

Walking along the street, there is quite a plethora of both murals and sculptures:

Small works done by several artists:

The very complex one at the right is actually expensive! The artist apparently decorates his creations with real Swarovski crystals (and after taking a lefty dose of LSD).

This artist is from New York, and his creation is done entirely by brush, instead of spray paint:

Not all street art is created equal, some are more creepy than others:

More artists at work, this time with regular spray paint:

You can see the expensive high rises coming to East London, spiking up property prices and currently causing a large demographic shift:

Hedgehog, by the same artist who did the pelican above:

Mushroom on a roof?

The next painting was HUGE, bigger than I could fit it on camera:

Another mushroom?

And another?

This mural is very detailed, if you take the time to see everything that is going on:

Tile art:

This piece took some advanced technique and artistry. The strange circular effect is done by significantly lowering the temperature of the spray paint can and letting it thicken before applying:

Another very impressive piece. Look more closely...

Plaster was covered over the brick wall, and the face was chiseled out with a jackhammer. The technique is as important as the image:

Here the dichotomy of East and Central London are quite clear. Here is the financial part of the city:

Standing there and turning 180 degrees you see East London:

The sides are separated by this statue:

It was quite rewarding to see a side of London that I usually never wander into. It will be interesting to see if this unique culture of street art, ethnic food, and feeling of "lawlessness" will survive the wave of finance buildings expanding their way and the skyrocketing prices of housing. I am glad to see it while it's still there.

BONUS:
If you've read this far, here is a tutorial of how to make good boba (pay attention London Chinatown).

Start with dry tapioca pearls: