Camden Town

I'm still in London and I'm still in Camden and I'll still be in London and I can still drop by Camden but I'm already missing Camden.

What's wrong with me?

Camden is the place I've been looking forward to coming since last August, and this place has never disappointed me before, despite the fact that it is about 45 minutes walk from my faculty, which I seriously don't mind now.

I'll always remember what the minicab driver told me on the way from Heathrow airport to Camden when I first landed in London last autumn, "Camden Town never sleeps," which is 101% true.

I'll always remember the various Camden Markets and how I like to pop by the Camden markets when I need a break from my books. I still do that now though "the markets get so crowded on weekends that you'll feel like a sardine in a straitjacket." One can never get sick of the Camden Markets, if you can get sick of them, there is seriously something very very wrong with you.

As LP describes, "the huge Camden Markets could be the closest England gets to free-form chaos outside the terraces of football stadia."

From bric-a-brac, furniture and designer clothes (I got my first pair of Diesel here and they are so so cheap compared to retail prices) to leather goods and army surplus gear and the famous Dr Martens (I am going to get a pair soon!). From records and 1960s clothing and antiques to magic mushrooms and all kinds of soft drugs. There is just so much that the markets can offer, and obviously that's why so many tourists flock here everyday, and that's why the Camden Town tube station has to close on Sunday else it'll get too flooded with tourists and Londoners.

And frankly speaking, it ain't very safe for a first timer to explore Camden alone due to the ever increasing number of simply cool and funky punks and weirdos lingering around. Oh yah and pickpockets as well. One useless pickpocket once targeted me but he failed. I should have fractured his wrist when he caressed my front pocket of my jeans, thinking that I didn't know. But I was kind to let him off.

Nevertheless, Camden Town is ever appealing and bustling. I suppose it's better than Portobello Market but I can't judge since I haven't been to that market at Notting Hill yet.

And I'll always remember the ultra huge Sainsbury which has all the groceries you could possibly imagine, it even has Nestle condensed milk and OreO cookies (it is almost impossible to find OreOs in UK) though they are obviously exorbitantly priced!

And I'll always remember the Little Baker from which I like to grab a few delectable pastries and danishes and croissants and cakes on the way walking to school. Yummy.

And I'll always remember the one pound shop which sells everything for a quid and from which I always get my supplies of Kit Kat Chunkies and Snickers and Mars. I haven't seen a second one pound shop elsewhere in central London as yet.

And I'll always remember the Martins Butchers where I always go hunting for cheap and good and already-seasoned chicken breasts and wings and beef steaks every (two) week(s).

And lots of eateries selling kebabs, fish and chips, curry, even vegetarian buffet. And Costa, Starbucks, Coffee Republic, M & S, Mc Donalds, BK, and Odeon (one movie ticket for 5 quids which is cheaper than those in Central London), Camden has everything.

I suppose it isn't wrong to say that Camden alone is better equipped than the whole city of Sheffield, with all the amenities that you can possibly think of in this compact part of London in Zone 2.

I'll be leaving Camden soon and will be moving to Hampstead this September, another nice part of London. Hampstead is at the border of Zone 2 and Zone 3, away from all the pollution and fog and smog in Zone 1, which means it is also miles away from my school in Zone 1. That implies I won't be able to walk to school then, the walk would have taken me half a day since the bus journey would be around like 45 mins itself (no direct buses). Still, I heard Hampstead is gorgeous, shall be looking forward to staying at Hampstead. (London is divided into 6 concentric zones, Zone 1 being Central London, in case you are ignorant.)

I guess I'll miss Camden's life and I'll miss the times when I can just run to Camden markets in a few minutes when I'm jaded. Maybe I'll move back to Camden in my third year.