Technical errand day. Appointment at the Apple store in Covent Garden. New iPad mini 6 has been glitchy and totally froze the other day. Had installed assistive touch as workaround given lack of home button but unhappy at the thought that it could refuse to turn on some time making software unavailable. Looks like non drastic solution as prescribed by lovely young woman in hijab, along with reassurance re online help if necessary when in countries with no Apple stores.
Not yet noon so second stop is HSBC branch on Kilburn High Road. Need some digital updating available only at full service branches - of which there are few remaining. Hit it lucky here as our consultant is a young Albanian man who has lived in Greece as well as London. Tons of cheerful advice well beyond what we actually required, just for the sheer nerdish pleasure of edging us a little further into the digital age. And, as an Albanian, well aware of the idiosyncratic nature of financial transactions in small countries or those outside the EU. London is one of the most multicultural cities in the world - a third of the inhabitants foreign born - but even so we’ve been fortunate in our advisors.
One of the pleasures of Kilburn High Road is the fruit and vegetables stands. Prices usually much better than in more affluent neighbourhoods but quality every bit as good. Two small containers of raspberries for £1.10 (€1.25, $1.85 CAD) and a half kilo of excellent cherry tomatoes for a pound (€1.14, $1.68 CAD). Fortunately accompanied by a plastic bag, as we have neglected to bring one.
Overheard: “I take a carry-on but it’s half full of popcorn….” Reminiscent of the old series of cartoons called The Eavesdropper” that used to run in the New Yorker. A snippet of conversation accompanied by the image evoked in the mind of the person overhearing.