...some picture shots of my customers and some shots of the days and of course not all of you are here i am sorry....to view go to "Flickr" add "George Balham"peoples category.
Thank you all
Saturday 21 January 2012
Wednesday 11 January 2012
Thanks London
Well i will try to keep it really short...
I left Brazil a couple of years ago where i told mum i was leaving to get me a Harley Davidson and a house(God knows what i was thinking or why a bike and a house!!!)
I have not come straight to London at first but as soon as i got here i knew i was going to spend some time here.My story was probably like most foreigners on their 1st year.Had little money to get me by and jumping from job to job wasnt fun...had some hard times too.
With a lot of perserverance i managed to find my 1st job; washing up in a restaurant and life in London was begining to get a bit better....i worked in so many places and did so many things such as salad chef,cleaner,in a bulding site,courier and coffee barista(the last was going to change my entire life).
Life is London town was getting a lot better i was even able now to attend english school and that was really fun.My first contact with people from different backgrounds and english teachers(mine was welsh) were just what i liked and i was meeting lots of girls too...Wow what a time!!!
And we all seemed to finish the day and head to this crazy large house,with carpet and loud music they called "PUB"(mind u i call it house cos of the carpet!!)after all i realize that it was the place where the english socialize and have a laugh and thats how i liked to see them.. and there was i even though drinking was not my thing!
Slowly the language barrier started to fall just like the Berlin Wall and this shy brazilian man started to like even more this magical place called London.Sometimes i think that the hardest for me was(still is)to endure the bad weather taken that the lowest temperature i have on my town over the 2months winter periodo is 14 +...(thats not winter George!!)
Between winter days and summer my life here had florished and one particulary summer i met this pretty italian lady that later on would become my best friend,girlfriend,family and wife.(Rebecca)
I dont want to sound funny but when i met rebecca she sort of asked me same thing my mom did(why people ask this sort of stuff anyway?)-George what do you want in life?what are your dreams?i said:
-Well Rebecca(at this point i called her by the name which today only do when we fight!! )i would love to open my own business and i want to buy a house here in London...(guess you must be thinking where tha hell the Harley Davidson is at this point...well, try working as a courrier in london for 2 years and i bet you forget your dream was to get a bike at 1st place!!!
Well we got married in Italy and had a very family small but gorgeous wedding with 25 pictures made by our crazy italian friends and the not focus ones(pictures) i think was taken by her Granny who was 86 at the time(she is 95 now and fit as a fiddle!)
Back in London we were...let me tell you there is something about this town that we leave and keep on coming back here over and over again...
4 years later my dream come true;no not the bike or the house yet but i finally open a business or to be more specific i had opened a coffee shop..coffee van...ok it is a small van converted to sell coffees from the back of it!!Wow i was over the moon and the wife too!!!
I have taken the van to an area we were leaving for about an year called Balham.
Balham at first seems very quiete till i started right outside the station and all the sudden this place was booming with people they were from every corner of the world and they were good looking and very sociable...and the amount of kids and mums with prams outstand every thing there...i felt home and it couldnt be a bad area due to so many families and clever people.
I was suddenly serving lots of people and they seemed to love my coffee and they used to come in layers,different times and it looks like this on my mind:
*6am to 7am-smart dressed male,office directors,bosses,high position,some girls too and some mums..think they take the lead whenever they are and probably manages lots of people...
*7am to 8:30-cleaners,teachers,early school kids,local business owners and some mums without the kids on their way to exercise...
*8:30am-11am-Total chaos..i have never seen so many people in my entire life(looks like a coach stopped next door and the driver told them to go to see that brazilian man in the corner and that he is giving free coffees...they are lawyers,late teachers,students,mums,kids,pretty office ladies all well dressed ,perfumed and ready to take the world...
*11am til 3pm(closing time)well this is my favorite time of the day not only because i can see who i am serving(no much light during the winter)but because they seem to be more relax and less in a hurry and i have time to talk a bit about life and all..they are mums and kids(have u notice mum and kids are on all the times here?lol),night shift workers,chefs,waiters,lots of actors and tv people and theater too,radio,artists some elderly on the way to the shops and undergroud staff and my dear locals who i shared the passion for the area and their love for the royal family too.They update me with all the gossip and everything that has changed in Balham over the years.Their knowledge is accurate and there is passion on their eyes while talking.
Well 3pm is closing time and like everybody else i feel tired of a day at work and i go home to relax a bit or do whatever i have to organize.Once at home sitting on the sofa i realize how happy i am and how complete i feel for have choosen a country of many languages, a country of contrast and different classes and colors,a country where no matter whatever happens the people stand tall and proud,a country that we try to leave but we keep on comming back,a country with values and attitude with strong personality and history,a country ruled by Queens and Kings that come to see me every day,a country that transforms anybodys life to the better,a country that i decided to stay for a while and i have learned lots and this same country called England at this town called London has charmed me in every way just like an english girl walking by my stall.
I have loved and respect all and i have just to say thanks for all the support and for making me who i am today and for keeping me busy with the coffee scene and for enjoying my coffee too.I am glad that i had black and white, rich and poor, straight and gay, muslins and catholics customers on my little square and i know i am planning to make my way to Brazil for good in about 3 months so i decided to share this with you and as soon as i get there i will tell everybody i have no bike or house here but i have gained something so precious and great than anything i could possibily have that is my London story my time here..the people i met and the friends i made...
Thanks Balham
Thanks London
with love
George the coffee man
I left Brazil a couple of years ago where i told mum i was leaving to get me a Harley Davidson and a house(God knows what i was thinking or why a bike and a house!!!)
I have not come straight to London at first but as soon as i got here i knew i was going to spend some time here.My story was probably like most foreigners on their 1st year.Had little money to get me by and jumping from job to job wasnt fun...had some hard times too.
With a lot of perserverance i managed to find my 1st job; washing up in a restaurant and life in London was begining to get a bit better....i worked in so many places and did so many things such as salad chef,cleaner,in a bulding site,courier and coffee barista(the last was going to change my entire life).
Life is London town was getting a lot better i was even able now to attend english school and that was really fun.My first contact with people from different backgrounds and english teachers(mine was welsh) were just what i liked and i was meeting lots of girls too...Wow what a time!!!
And we all seemed to finish the day and head to this crazy large house,with carpet and loud music they called "PUB"(mind u i call it house cos of the carpet!!)after all i realize that it was the place where the english socialize and have a laugh and thats how i liked to see them.. and there was i even though drinking was not my thing!
Slowly the language barrier started to fall just like the Berlin Wall and this shy brazilian man started to like even more this magical place called London.Sometimes i think that the hardest for me was(still is)to endure the bad weather taken that the lowest temperature i have on my town over the 2months winter periodo is 14 +...(thats not winter George!!)
Between winter days and summer my life here had florished and one particulary summer i met this pretty italian lady that later on would become my best friend,girlfriend,family and wife.(Rebecca)
I dont want to sound funny but when i met rebecca she sort of asked me same thing my mom did(why people ask this sort of stuff anyway?)-George what do you want in life?what are your dreams?i said:
-Well Rebecca(at this point i called her by the name which today only do when we fight!! )i would love to open my own business and i want to buy a house here in London...(guess you must be thinking where tha hell the Harley Davidson is at this point...well, try working as a courrier in london for 2 years and i bet you forget your dream was to get a bike at 1st place!!!
Well we got married in Italy and had a very family small but gorgeous wedding with 25 pictures made by our crazy italian friends and the not focus ones(pictures) i think was taken by her Granny who was 86 at the time(she is 95 now and fit as a fiddle!)
Back in London we were...let me tell you there is something about this town that we leave and keep on coming back here over and over again...
4 years later my dream come true;no not the bike or the house yet but i finally open a business or to be more specific i had opened a coffee shop..coffee van...ok it is a small van converted to sell coffees from the back of it!!Wow i was over the moon and the wife too!!!
I have taken the van to an area we were leaving for about an year called Balham.
Balham at first seems very quiete till i started right outside the station and all the sudden this place was booming with people they were from every corner of the world and they were good looking and very sociable...and the amount of kids and mums with prams outstand every thing there...i felt home and it couldnt be a bad area due to so many families and clever people.
I was suddenly serving lots of people and they seemed to love my coffee and they used to come in layers,different times and it looks like this on my mind:
*6am to 7am-smart dressed male,office directors,bosses,high position,some girls too and some mums..think they take the lead whenever they are and probably manages lots of people...
*7am to 8:30-cleaners,teachers,early school kids,local business owners and some mums without the kids on their way to exercise...
*8:30am-11am-Total chaos..i have never seen so many people in my entire life(looks like a coach stopped next door and the driver told them to go to see that brazilian man in the corner and that he is giving free coffees...they are lawyers,late teachers,students,mums,kids,pretty office ladies all well dressed ,perfumed and ready to take the world...
*11am til 3pm(closing time)well this is my favorite time of the day not only because i can see who i am serving(no much light during the winter)but because they seem to be more relax and less in a hurry and i have time to talk a bit about life and all..they are mums and kids(have u notice mum and kids are on all the times here?lol),night shift workers,chefs,waiters,lots of actors and tv people and theater too,radio,artists some elderly on the way to the shops and undergroud staff and my dear locals who i shared the passion for the area and their love for the royal family too.They update me with all the gossip and everything that has changed in Balham over the years.Their knowledge is accurate and there is passion on their eyes while talking.
Well 3pm is closing time and like everybody else i feel tired of a day at work and i go home to relax a bit or do whatever i have to organize.Once at home sitting on the sofa i realize how happy i am and how complete i feel for have choosen a country of many languages, a country of contrast and different classes and colors,a country where no matter whatever happens the people stand tall and proud,a country that we try to leave but we keep on comming back,a country with values and attitude with strong personality and history,a country ruled by Queens and Kings that come to see me every day,a country that transforms anybodys life to the better,a country that i decided to stay for a while and i have learned lots and this same country called England at this town called London has charmed me in every way just like an english girl walking by my stall.
I have loved and respect all and i have just to say thanks for all the support and for making me who i am today and for keeping me busy with the coffee scene and for enjoying my coffee too.I am glad that i had black and white, rich and poor, straight and gay, muslins and catholics customers on my little square and i know i am planning to make my way to Brazil for good in about 3 months so i decided to share this with you and as soon as i get there i will tell everybody i have no bike or house here but i have gained something so precious and great than anything i could possibily have that is my London story my time here..the people i met and the friends i made...
Thanks Balham
Thanks London
with love
George the coffee man
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