Hi, and welcome to the thirty-fourth instalment of The New Leaf. I'm happy you're here!
[A quick programming note: I drafted this when I was still in Brighton for August, but then moving day came and bamboozled me with endless cardboard and an unsettledness that’s taken until now to sort out. I’m very happy to have a place to live again, and I'm absolutely thrilled to be back in London.]
Even when you can't see the sea, you know it's there because of the constant sound of seagulls. I've been spending most of August in Brighton as we're between houses - we've tried really hard to have a nice time, but the feeling of waiting is inescapable. My favourite thing about Brighton has been the evening swims, letting the waves rock me about in the green water, next to the gloriously derelict pier. But there's also been a lot of "going into town" - not because we particularly fancy going to the shops, but (not to be a b*tch about it) where else is there to go? One lunchtime in Pret, I was looking out the window over the salt-bleached High Street outside, dotted with the usual brands, and for a moment it felt just like being at university again. We'd go and sit upstairs at the big Starbucks, looking out at a very similar High Street where people filed into West Quay - the biggest shopping centre in the south of England, we were told. This was in Southampton, a bit further west along the coast. It was just as full of seagulls and salty air, but the sea was blocked by freight and ferry terminals so we never really saw it.
My memories of university feature a lot of walking into town, eating homemade sandwiches from my bag, and treating myself to Starbucks lattes. It was the best coffee in town - I know that because for my first year there we didn't have a Starbucks yet, and Costa is testing and I'd rather give up caffeine than go to Nero again. I'm a Pret filter gal these days, but I'm still partial to a Starbucks when I'm abroad, in moments when newness overwhelms me. Sameness can be very comforting: the Wetherspoon in the airport is a safe pair of hands, Boots' reliability is unbreakable, and I do enjoy a Franco Manca takeaway pizza towards the end of the week. Sometimes a bland place can be just what you need - my best writing hack is to go to Pret and tell yourself you can't leave until you're done, which will make things happen very quickly as the prospect of sitting in Pret for four hours scrolling aimlessly is gross. (Although, after having used this trick many times, I can confirm that a surprising number of people sit in Pret for hours watching videos on their phones. The wifi is great.)
University was an odd time - we had a purpose, but even with part time jobs we had way too much time on our hands. So much of it was spent wandering up and down the streets in our flared jeans that dragged on the pavements, in studded belts and careless midriffs, sporting colourful white girl box braids before we understood it was problematic. The laps ran between our houses, campus, the High Street - Waterstone's, Starbucks, H&M - then dinner at home with my boyfriend, not really drinking, watching TV, hanging out - time felt expansive, endless. I should have studied more than I did, but like midriffs, university is wasted on the young. I guess I was mostly just waiting for the next chapter of my life to start. Kind of like I'm doing right now.
Things I've been writing lately.
How Korea fell in love with Norway's most unusual cheese - Gastro Obscura at Atlas Obscura
I completely understand why Koreans would fall in love with Norwegian brown cheese - it's a tangy, rich, caramel-like substance that's truly unlike anything else. But how the hell did this happen?! I followed the thread of how one of Norway's most everyday food inventions travelled across the world, to find a new market (and high Instagram appeal) in Korea. Best of all, the brand new ways that Koreans are using it has inspired Norwegians to look at good old brunost in a whole new light.
The Flåm train, and the best way to see the Norwegian fjords - Going
Years ago, I flew into Bergen and my dad picked me up in a boat, and we made our way into the UNESCO World Heritage fjord landscape of Western Norway. I made my way back to Bergen on the Flåm train, the fantastic little museum railway that climbs an impossible landscape of mountains, waterfalls, and spirit folk. If you want to see the Norwegian mountains and fjords, this is how you do it.
Forget it, Apple - only a British weather app understands our muggy island - WhyNow
I have some opinions! Over on WhyNow, I mouthed off about why I think the Apple weather app will do you rotten in England - you need a local app to understand this fickle situation. This article also comes with a side of cultural differences, as Luke finally gets to say “the Wizards of Cupertino” in a piece of writing.
Things I've been reading lately.
For this month and a half's article recommendations from around the internet, head over to Reading List, Heatwave edition.