the church i work at owns a three-bedroom flat about a five-minute walk away, and we’ve been spending the last few weeks refurbishing it. we as a staff team went to visit it last year when it was being managed by a property manager and it was in a dire state of what many would describe as disrepair, functioning basically as a student house being rented out for cheap.
we had the property manager give the tenants notice to move out (and then severed our relationship with them, taking over management duties ourselves) so we could do it all up and either rent it out at a higher rate, or use it for missional purposes – have it be a true asset to the church.
the plan is now for me and my coworker maya to move in in the coming months, which i’m excited about. i think it’ll be so fruitful and life-giving to live in the community i’m serving in – be able to invite people over, host things, strengthen ties with neighbours – go to the local parks, markets, read at the cafes – so many more opportunities for meaningful touchpoints. maybe i’ll even start going to park run (i’ve been avoiding going to the finsbury park one because i hate running around hilly finsbury park).
yesterday, we invited the congregation to come check out the flat after church to see all the work that’s been put into it and a lot of people came. we had sparkling wine and snacks and everyone said how nice the flat looked. it was nice to be able to include people in the excitement of something new, and it really felt like a true family moment. i’m so looking forward to summer, to immersing myself in this kind of love.
had lunch with maya and her friend at the local greasy spoon and then headed home to rest before meeting up with alex for the laura ramoso show at the theatre royale drury lane in central (we actually ended up going to the wrong theatre at first and had to book it in a black cab to make it on time).
we love laura’s “chiara the check-in agent” character so we were really looking forward to the show, and it did not disappoint! i’ve never watched live sketch comedy before, so i was pleasantly surprised. i’ve neved laughed so much at a show in my life. a lot of it rode on impressions of her german mother and italian father, which were hilarious. lots of funny, observational commentary on those two cultures, and nothing ever felt mean or truly offensive.
she had bits that required audience participation, and it was so funny because each of those segments really pushed the stereotype of the british stiff upper lip. the word that comes to mind is “repressed” and the chosen audience members really did not give her much material to work with, lacking in humour and creativity, probably stifled by a sense of embarrassment – or at least that’s how it read. it’s a testament to her skill as a comedian that she was able to make even those bits seriously funny – the material she prepared (including an on-stage proposal and wedding with an audience member) was good .
she also called back to a lot of jokes throughout the show, and i love it when comedians do that. i feel like it’s such a specific form of wit.
after the show, alex and i stopped by a cute bar that served mexican food called “side hustle” at the nomad hotel. a friend had recommended to it alex and it was nearby and we wanted tacos. the decor was swanky, reminiscent of a speakeasy, and the bartenders and staff were all so nice and attentive. they sat us at the bar, saying it was more fun, and it definitely was – a little bit of a show whenever a bartender made a cocktail, and the bartenders were cute.
we had the tuna tostada (strong recommendation from alex’s friend, subtle flavours, so yummy), ceviche (very fresh), and a couple of tacos, and everything was beautiful and delicious. a satisfying end to a hilarious night.
here are some photos from the day:
