I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself...

Him indoors tells me I am indecisive. I don’t think this is necessarily true. There are just times when I really don’t mind what we have for dinner or where we go out for the day. There are also times, I admit, when confronted with too much choice, I do struggle a bit. Restaurant menus with a hundred different dishes are all well and good, but how on earth you are supposed to choose one is beyond me. Then there are times when I am very decisive to the point of being pushy. No, I do not want to go to Vegas on holiday, but yes, New York would be a lovely city break destination. And no there is no room for negotiation.
Living in London, you have to make a lot of decisions, and often from a wide variety of offerings. Take, for example, going to the theatre. Whereas most cities probably have maybe three or possibly four major venues to choose from, London has, well, probably closer to fifty. Not to mention all the little theatres above pubs and the like. Then there is clubbing. Yes, the likes of Time Out magazine do come in very useful here, but whittling down all the clubs, pubs and bars that play decent music is an arduous task. And, let’s face it, you’re bound to miss the random night in the basement of some church or something that gets its mix just to your ears’ idea of perfection.
So, where does this leave your average Londoner? Well, when it comes to the theatre, it amazes some of my northern acquaintances (mainly my dad and pseudo father in law) that I don’t indulge in it further. The thing is I find it easier to ignore it than actually trawl through the culture section of the Guardian every week, trying to weed out the good from the bad and often the plain ugly. Legally Blonde: The Musical? I don’t think so. And definitely not at that price.
However, every now and then I hear about a play or see a poster and think, yes, I want to see that. Last night for example I emailed a group of friends in and around London to see if I could tempt them to go and see Women, Power and Politics at the Tricycle Theatre, Ghost Stories in the West End and Tosca at the ENO. A random selection, I know, but shows that have stood out among the many.
Eating out is another dilemma. Last week I blogged about finding the perfect place to breakfast. Lunch and dinner aren’t much easier. And there are probably more restaurants in London than there are theatres and clubs combined – easily. Yes, you can read reviews and take recommendations from friends, but sometimes it’s just easier to go to Pizza Express. Okay, so the pizza isn’t perfect but at least you know where you stand with it. And they usually have a good offer on.
So, yes, there is a hell of a lot to do in London, which is great – and one of the reasons I love it (on a good day). But sometimes, when asked to choose a place to eat or suggest a play to go and see, I’d quite often pass the decision making onto someone else. Or opt of a DVD and a takeaway. Now, where is that Dominoes menu…?