Travelling Through... London, the World and Life

012 Some People Look At The Stars, I Just Walk Around Piccadilly With The Tourists - AJ CULLEN talks about The London Pull

AMANDA (known as AJ) CULLEN is from a small town near Buffalo, USA. While studying in Edinburgh, she fell in love with an Englishman. Four years of visa restrictions and complications, she is now living, working and married in London. This is a story of a small town millennial girl leaving that world behind her, travelling to the East and China, finding happiness and a whole load of new challenges that come along with living far from family including dealing with bereavement from a distance. But she believes “growth comes from movement” and walking around Piccadilly in London amongst a swarm of people she realises that her problems are “just like a little tiny thing, in the big sea of humanity.”
 
THIS IS AJ’s UNIQUE STORY ABOUT LONDON, THE WORLD AND LIFE.
 
I really enjoy walking around Piccadilly and China Town.
Just that feeling like you’re a small portion of humanity,
It’s just very appealing to me,
You feel very small, in a swarm of people,
I’ve got my headphones in,
And I kind of know where everything is now,
I live here, and maybe none of these people suspect it,
I’m actually kind of a Londoner,
And there’s a part of it that makes you feel very small
And a part of it that makes you feel quite big in yourself.
My problems are just like a little tiny thing, in the big sea of humanity.
Some people look at the stars,
I just walk around Piccadilly with the tourists!
 
AJ’s  CONTACT DETAILS...
AJ helps facilitate the Waterloo Philosophy Café, details can be found here: https://www.meetup.com/Waterloo-Philosophy-Cafe/
 
ABOUT THE PODCAST...
 
Information on Travelling Through… with Emma can be found at: https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/
 
The Travelling Through Jingle was written and produced by Mariska Martina https://www.mariskamartina.com/
 
Show notes 012 AMANDA J CULLEN Show Notes can be found at this link https://travellingthrough.podbean.com
 
Thanks to AJ for the cuppa tea and for hosting this podcast recording on 08.03.2020.

011 If It Was Easy To Do, Then Everybody Would Be Doing It - STEPHANIE MAIR (Fifi la Mer) talks about The London Pull

STEPHANIE MAIR is an accordionist and singer with her band Oh la la! They gig across the UK and play regularly at Brasserie Zedel in Piccadilly, London. Stephanie's show name is Fifi La Mer and she plays solo as well as in a duo. You may have met her playing French songs and pavement strolling in Lower Marsh on Bastile Day. She joined us at Travelling Through after a gig on our last day as a bookshop and played "Je ne regrette rien". A moment never to be forgotten by those present. Born in London, Stephanie was brought up in Paris by her French mother, also spending time in the north of Scotland with her Scottish father. She travelled to Australia at 17 years old, and on her return to Paris, she began a career singing on the boat tours in Paris. Stephanie came to London and "accidentally" stayed. She was encouraged to sing French songs with an accordionist but her quest for one was futile so she decided to master the skill herself!
THIS IS STEPHANIE'S (Fifi La Mer's) UNIQUE STORY ABOUT LONDON, THE WORLD AND LIFE.
 
"It was tough,
Financially it was tough, because places don't pay very well,
But I don't mind tough,
If you're going to do something you like,
You have to have some down sides,
If it was easy to do,
Then everybody would be doing it.
And, I feel privileged to be doing what I am doing,
And to make a living from what I enjoy doing,
But it's not easy,
But that's part of it,
It probably makes you play better,
A bit of a challenge is not a bad thing,
You always have to be on top of your game, and always have new ideas."
 
MUSIC arrangements are by members of the band Oh la la! The music played throughout this podcast has been inserted with the complete agreement of Stephanie Mair and Oh La La!
Link to PURCHASE their music is https://www.ohlalamusic.co.uk/buy-cds.php
Songs in order of play are:
Amélie: Oh la la! Ensemble Vol.1
Je te veux: Oh la la! Ensemble Vol.2
Les Champs-Élysées: Oh la la! Ensemble Vol.1
Ma p'tite chanson: Oh la la! Ensemble Vol.2
Pigalle: Oh la la! Ensemble Vol.1
C'est si bon: Oh la la! Ensemble Vo.1
Them there eyes: Oh la la! Ensemble Vol.2
J'ai la mémoire qui flanche: Oh la la! Ensemble Vol.2
 
STEPHANIE'S CONTACT DETAILS ARE...
OH LA LA! website is https://www.ohlalamusic.co.uk/index.php
Find out more and PURCHASE CD's at https://www.ohlalamusic.co.uk/buy-cds.php
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fifi.la.Mer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fifi_la_mer/?hl=en
Oh la la! play regularly at Brasserie Zédel, check them out here https://www.brasseriezedel.com/
ABOUT THIS PODCAST...
Podcast Host Emma, and Travelling Through can be found at: https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/
The Travelling Through Jingle was written and produced by the lovely Mariska Martina https://www.mariskamartina.com/
Show notes 011 STEPHANIE MAIR can be found at this link https://travellingthrough.podbean.com
Thanks to Stephanie Mair for hosting this podcast recording at her home on 05.03.2020. 
 
 
 
 
 

010 Get Stuck In - AUSTIN CAFFREY talks about The London Pull

AUSTIN CAFFREY was a regular at Travelling Through. He ran the very popular Philosophy Café which attracted young and old from all over London many of whom were new to London and came from all parts of the world. Austin was born in Ireland but grew up in London. He played keyboard in a punk band and enjoyed the London music scene of the 70s. He qualified within the Institute of Financial Services. He lived and worked in Jersey, Bermuda and Hong Kong. Returning to London relatively recently, he re-trained and currently advises companies on Organisational Psychology. When Austin's family moved to the UK from Ireland in the mid 1960's prejudice against the "Irish and Blacks" was still visibly expressed in various parts of the country with signage requesting them not to enter some places like B&Bs.
THIS IS AUSTIN'S UNIQUE STORY ABOUT LONDON, THE WORLD AND LIFE.
“Get stuck in.
I run a philosophy café,
And the great thing about that is a lot of the people are international,
And they are there to have more than just a trivial conversation.
So I would recommend you get out there and join things,
Do adult education classes so that you get to know people,
London can be a lonely city,
And Londoners (it’s probably fair to say) are not the most open and friendly of people,
If you smile at someone up North they with smile back,
But down here they are wondering what you want,
(That’s a bit of an exaggeration – he says with a smile)
But it’s true to say, it can be a place where people can feel very lonely,
So getting out to meet other people is important.”
 
AUSTIN'S  CONTACT DETAILS...
Austin runs The Philosophy Café, details can be found here: https://www.meetup.com/Waterloo-Philosophy-Cafe/
 
ABOUT THE PODCAST...
 
Information on Travelling Through… with Emma can be found at: https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/
 
The Travelling Through Jingle was written and produced by Mariska Martina https://www.mariskamartina.com/
 
Show notes 010 AUSTIN CAFFREY Show Notes can be found at this link https://travellingthrough.podbean.com
 
Thanks to Austin Caffrey and Catherine Huckle for hosting this podcast recording on 06.02.2020

009 The London Bus Has My Heart - ABIGAIL CHAPMAN talks about The London Pull

ABIGAIL CHAPMAN is Canadian-Mexican and was brought up in the borderlands of Mexico. She joined Travelling Through in 2014 in its infancy as a barista and book sales assistant and is now an Assistant Librarian in the City of London while completing her Masters in Library Science. She was our star latte artist and along with many customers and friends, she supported me in the final weeks and hours of closing up the bookshop in June 2019. Although Abigail loves the rolling green hills of the UK, she says she would move to Japan in an instance given the chance.
 
THIS IS ABIGAIL’S UNIQUE STORY OF LONDON, THE WORLD AND LIFE.
“With the London bus, you get to see the city,
The bus has my heart.
London has a fantastic range of admittedly pretty high class street food,
It’s not your traditional… yeah… it’s high quality and it’s very good.
It still hurts me to pay £12 for five tacos in London,
Whereas in Mexico you’d get ten tacos for £2,
I’ll never get used to that in London.”
 
ABIGAIL CAN BE FOUND ON THESE SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS...
 
Instagram: @pajama_hero_nemo https://www.instagram.com/pajama_hero_nemo/?hl=en
 
 
ABOUT THE PODCAST...
Information on Travelling Through… with Emma can be found at: https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/
 
The Travelling Through Jingle was written and produced by Mariska Martina https://www.mariskamartina.com/
 
Show notes 009 ABIGAIL CHAPMAN Show Notes can be found at this link https://travellingthrough.podbean.com
 
Thanks to the Royal Academy of Art for hosting this podcast recording on 16.02.2020
https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/
 

008 It’s Hard To Imagine Myself Living Elsewhere - MER DOMENECH talks about The London Pull

MER (MERCEDES) DOMENECH is a travel blogger (Travel with Mer) and since lockdown she has been documenting her state of mind in a weekly post These 4 Walls. Prior to COVID-19 restrictions, Mer was walking The London Loop to raise money for the charity REFUGE. As lockdown restrictions ease, Mer will be back out there completing the 250km walk in weekly stages. Mer is from Mallorca and has been in the UK since she was 15 years old at school, university and now working in London. She has had a love-hate relationship with London but after 12 years she turned a corner and now considers herself a Londoner.
 
THIS IS MER’S UNIQUE STORY OF LONDON, THE WORLD AND LIFE.
“It’s a love-hate relationship with London,
At one point I felt like the city was spitting me out,
It was impossible to feel happy here,
Then my 12th anniversary came around,
The air changed,
And a switch flipped in my soul, or in my head
And now I feel completely at home,
I’ve gone through that stage of becoming a true Londoner,
And now it’s hard to imagine myself living elsewhere!”
 
BACKGROUND
Mer was born and grew up on the island of Mallorca, Spain. She came to the UK when she was 15 years old to attend The American School in Surrey (TASIS). She went to Madrid for university but after 9 months returned back to the UK to complete a university programme in Sociology & Media Studies followed by a Masters degree. She works at The Financial Times as a senior marketing executive and in her spare time travels and writes a travel blog. Details below.
 
MER’S SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS…
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelwith.mer/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travelwith.mer/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/travelwithmer/
Mer’s website is: https://travelwithmer.com/
Lisbon City Guide: https://travelwithmer.com/2020/01/29/lisbon-city-guide/
These 4 Walls: https://travelwithmer.com/these-4-walls/
Mer is walking the 250km long London Loop raising money for REFUGE. Against Domestic Violence. For women and children. To DONATE please click here:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/merdomenech?fbclid=IwAR2vTqA3gEkx7ifip3vqRtPfN6YdLpp0tf6rg-kLit6V1L3XV6gRLtt0RU4
 
ABOUT THE PODCAST...
Information on Travelling Through… with Emma can be found at: https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/
The Travelling Through Jingle was written and produced by Mariska Martina https://www.mariskamartina.com/
Show notes 008 MER DOMENECH can be found at this link https://travellingthrough.podbean.com
Thanks to the National Theatre for hosting us for this podcast recording on 18.02.2020. https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/

007 Most People Have Some Kind Of Migration Story - JANA ALAGARAJAH talks about The London Pull

JANA (JANAGAN) ALAGARAJAH was born in Sri Lanka to Tamil parents. In the 1990s they fled to London on an emergency visa from Amnesty International. Jana was 3 years old. He grew up in the UK and is a doctor of medicine. In 2016 he cycled the Pacific Coast from Vancouver to Tijuana with an urn and a pannier full of tea. He raised over £3,000 for the Save The Children’s Child Refugee Crisis Appeal and through drinking tea, a strong link to a shared humanity, he facilitated discussions with people along the Pacific Coast with the aim of debunking some of the myths surrounding migration. He believes most people have some kind of migration story in them.
 
THIS IS JANA’S UNIQUE STORY ABOUT LONDON, THE WORLD AND LIFE.
 
“It’s a hard city to be in unless you have your tribe,
Or you have a sense of the people that you can trust,
And people that you enjoy spending time with,
Whoever you are, there’s going to be a space for you.”
 
JANA’S SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS…
Jana can be found on Instagram: @regfugeecycleride https://www.instagram.com/refugeecycleride/?hl=en
Jana’s Just Giving page was: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/refugeecycleride 
You can DONATE to SAVE THE CHILDREN at https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/
 
ABOUT THIS PODCAST...
Information About Your Podcast Host Emma, and Travelling Through can be found at: https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/
The Travelling Through Jingle was written and produced by the lovely Mariska Martina https://www.mariskamartina.com/
Show notes 007 JANA ALAGARAJAH can be found at this link https://travellingthrough.podbean.com
 
Thanks to The Great North Wood Pub – in West Norwood - for hosting this week's podcast recording location. https://www.thegreatnorthwood.co.uk/

006 Chase That Discomfort A Bit, Because The Pay Off Is So Great - CORRY KLEIN talks about The London Pull

CORRY KLEIN was born in Chicago. She is a relocation and career coach. Corry has also had a career in the international financial sector. She has travelled widely and has lived in Brazil, Hong Kong and Lausanne where her love of skiing could be indulged because of her flexible working schedule. London has been her home for two distinct periods in her life. Corry became a regular customer to the Travelling Through bookshop-café before we closed in June 2019. She and her husband live in Stepney, East London.
THIS IS CORRY’S UNIQUE STORY OF LONDON, THE WORLD AND LIFE.
“I know how lonely and terrifying it (London) can be,
If you are willing to put yourself out there a bit,
Even if it’s uncomfortable,
Chase that discomfort,
Push yourself out of that comfort zone,
Because the pay off is so great.”
CORRY’S SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS…
Corry can be found on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/
Corry’s website is: https://www.corryklein.com/
ABOUT THIS PODCAST...
Information About Your Podcast Host Emma, and Travelling Through can be found at: https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/
The Travelling Through Jingle was written and produced by Mariska Martina https://www.mariskamartina.com/
Show notes 006 CORRY KLEIN Show Notes can be found at this link https://travellingthrough.podbean.com
Thanks to 640 East - The Arches in Malcolm Place - for hosting this episode's podcast recording location. https://640east.co.uk/locations-640east
 

005 Have Your Own Space To Go, Re-set, And Come Back To Yourself - MARISKA MARTINA talks about The London Pull

MARISKA MARTINA is a musician, singer and songwriter as well as a classically trained cellist AND she composed our podcast intro/outro jingle! Mariska is Dutch-Peruvian. She came to London from Holland under a heavy cloud of mental health struggles in her early twenties. Five years on, Mariska feels London is home and she is steadily carving out a career for herself as a singer and musician. She has played at Ronnie Scott’s, Brasserie Zedel, Toulouse Lautrec and Sofar Sounds London to name but a few places, while also working in a bar and giving private music lessons to children.
This is MARISKA MARTINA'S unique story of LONDON, THE WORLD AND LIFE.
Her advice to you would be to:
“… get lost…,
turn your phone off, (and) start walking,
because that’s how you get in to amazing adventures,
go to a place you’ve never been to before,
on your own,
it’s very important to have your own space where you can go… reset,
and come back to yourself.”
MARISKA’S SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS…
@MariskaMartina can be found on these links: Twitter Facebook Instagram
Mariska’s website is: https://www.mariskamartina.com/
 
MARISKA’S MUSIC LINKS…
Search for Mariska Martina on You Tube, Deezer or Spotify.
Sound Cloud: https://soundcloud.com/mariska-martina
 
ABOUT THE PODCAST...
Information About Your Podcast Host Emma, and Travelling Through can be found at: https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/
The Travelling Through Jingle was written and produced by the lovely Mariska Martina https://www.mariskamartina.com/
Show notes 005 MARISKA MARTINA Show Notes can be found at this link https://travellingthrough.podbean.com