London's East End - Brick Lane

"Fancy a bit of the old Ludwig Van my brothers?"

After a day in Mayfair at a storybook wedding, I was interested in seeing something a bit different... I read a book a few years ago called "Brick Lane" by Monica Ali about a woman from Bangladesh who moves to London through an arranged marriage. It is a classic tale of culture shock and slow assililation. I recommend it, although it is very heavy at times as the main character's isolation, both from her culture and her husband takes its toll...

Anyway, I did some research about this traditionally Bangladeshi neighborhood and found my way there on Sunday. The weather was very warm and since it was Market Day, the place was packed.

What I found was a mixture of immigrant AND hipster culture. As in most rich cities around the world, the hipsters often move into marginal areas - in this case, London's East End and Brick Lane.

All the street signs are in Bengali.

The entrance to the mostly immigrant section of Brick Lane.

Bangla-City Mega Market. They sell rice in 50kg bags, tins of spices, and slaughter goat in the back. I asked if I could photograph the act of rendering a goat - which was taking place just behind the double doors of the butcher section - but they politely refused...

There were bargains to be had on Brick Lane!

Shoppers out and about on a fine day.

Parts of the neighborhood have little alleys with cafes and boutiques. The food and the shopping is amazing in London, but I have tried not to buy much - because of the weak US Dollar, everything in London costs twice as much as it would in New York or Washington.

I have noticed that regardless of where you are in this city - among the well off and connected in Mayfair, or in immigrant East London, there is a great deal of cynicism about Bush/Blair Foreign Policy...

More of the Sunday Market.

A Klezmer band plays traditional Jewish Folk Music near one of the areas very good Bagel Bakeries (yep, I had one, not a proper NYC Bagel, but not bad at all...)

More interesting Grafitti Art in a vacant lot next to the curry house where I had lunch.

Shampoo, leather goods, roasted nuts, car parts, sarees, artisianal cheeses - you name it, you can get it on a Sunday in Brick Lane.

Ok, a punchline contest for anyone who has gotten this far. Best submission regarding this sign wins a package of dried goat jerkey from Bangla City - the good stuff, mind you.