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The coffee with readers at Caffe Nero on Tooley Street was so much fun that it became dinner at Nicholson’s on Southwark by the river and ended with drinks at the 184-year-old Globe Tavern on Bedale Street off Borough. Not bad for a bunch of people who had just met. Here we are at the Globe (from left): Will, Cielo, me, Tess, Anthony and Shivaun. Not in photo: Claire, Ryan and Bodhi.

Thanks for the company and the stories! Everyone who turned up at this meet-and-greet works in the mental health, nursing and biomedical sectors, so it was just like group therapy.

According to Will this elevator at Canary Wharf appears in the Jude Law movie Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.

Caffe Nero on Tooley Street near Tower Bridge, 4ish to 7ish. (Ooh near a dungeon! Perfect venue.)
We have your books (if you made a reservation). If you didn’t, come anyway for the chitchat and you can claim your book in Manila.

Random picture taken from the London Eye

We’re all set for the Twisted meet and greet.

Date: Thursday, 19 May 2011
Time: 4 pm
Place: Caffe Nero at Tower Bridge, Tooley Street, London.
Fifteen pounds gets you high tea and a copy of Twisted 9.

We only have five books left (the first five went quickly) so please sign up in Comments pronto. If you don’t mind not getting the book, you’re welcome to join us for tea and conversation.

We’re accepting entries to LitWit Challenge 2.12: The Birds and The Bees until 11.59 tonight.

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My white tabby Mat is the sweetest cat, but our oven-like weather is making even Mat cranky. Yesterday I woke up because he was breathing on my face.

“I want my breakfast,” he said (telepathically).

“There’s food in your bowl, go eat. I’m still sleeping.”

“My bowl must be full. You have to top up the kibble.”

“Later, don’t be like your neurotic human mother.”

“I want a full bowl of kibble.”

“Zzzzzz.”

Whack! He smacked my forehead. Realizing what he had done, he ran out of the room. A chase ensued. No more sleep.

Our first dog adoption story arrived yesterday from Faye Ferrer. We would prefer that you and your pet be together at least six months by the time you write us, but we’ll make an exception for our first canine entry.

My son and I just came from watching Watchmen from Gateway. As we were walking towards P. Tuazon we saw a tiny figure with glowing eyes on the side of SM near the motorcycle parking lot. It was a small dog (which looked more like a big rat) sitting, wagging his tail and looking at us intently. We knew at once that this was an abandoned dog: he was very skinny and tied to a post with a nylon cord. The mall security one guard told me that the dog had been there since that morning (we saw him at around 11pm). I left my name and number with the guard in case someone reclaims him. We brought him home even though the cats (five of them) were all hissing and ready to pounce on the poor thing. The following day my sister took the dog home and now he is friends with her other dog. The vet says he is probably less than 3 months old. He’s now two weeks with my sister and her daughters and their dog Kid – Shing has found a home. Right now Shing is undergoing de-worming and anti-mange medication. Shing and Kid get along very well.

Shing gets a gift pack from Purina and the Homeless, Not Worthless campaign.

Choice entries from Toujours Tingo by Adam Jacot de Boinod, a book listing weird words and phrases from all over the world.

Layogenic: Filipino for someone good-looking from afar but ugly up close.

Ikibari: Japanese, a “lively needle” and describing a man who is willing but under-endowed.

Fensterln: German for climbing through a window to avoid someone’s parents so you can have sex without them knowing.

Okuri-okami: Japanese for a man who feigns thoughtfulness by offering to see a girl home only to try to molest her once he gets in the door – literally, a “see-you-home wolf”

Trennungsagentur: German for someone hired by a woman to tell her boyfriend he has been dumped.

Momma ko ene: Cheyenne for having red eyes from crying over your boyfriend marrying someone else.

Nito-onna: Japanese for a woman so dedicated to her career that she has no time to iron blouses and so resorts to dressing only in knitted tops.