Save Livejournal Month, Day 12: Friends

Eastern European builders often travel in pairs. Young Dantes shown the sights by careworn Virgils.

Their fingers are stubby, lined with cuts; their fingernails are dirty. They unashamedly dig into their noses and scratch their crotches. But when they laugh, their smiles are white.

They share jokes in their tongues, usually about some stranger in the train. Beautiful women bring on moody silences though; they search the floors for something to look at.

Some travel alone, don’t have a buddy from back home. On the streets, they carry cans of beer and walk upright; they never look to the sides.

Save Livejournal Month, Day 13: Falafel

Image by Óluwá tí Según

My colleagues and I are addicted to the falafel takeaways on Peckham Road.

My favourite is Lebanese Express: I like the cook’s friendly smile and how he picks herbs leaning out of glasses of water to sprinkle them on the hummus and salad wraps.

My vegan colleague prefers the shop a few doors down – she says their falafel is moister. I tried them for the first time today and thought they were OK though a tad too spicy. However, I didn’t like the way the owner bossed around the woman working for him.

I only have half hour lunch breaks.