Feb 262010
 

Today I met up with iZentai again, for some random wanderings around on the Millennium bridge and the Tate Modern.

After doing the morning at work, I got changed and headed to the tube station, where after getting the car park ticket, I de-clothed and only had the zentai on… Put on my dog harness (After much huffing and puffing and starting to get very cross). Tucked my oyster cad inside my right hand of the Zentai ā€¦ hood up and off I went to get the tube.

Hmm, this was the first time Iā€™d been on the tube on my own in Zentai, with nobody to be there as the ā€˜safety netā€™. Yes, I was very nervous (somewhat scared) but found an empty carriage, got on and waited.
Itā€™s strange, people are very aware of this random ā€˜thingā€™ on the tube, but donā€™t seem to be too worried. A couple of pictures were taken as I headed to St. Pauls on the tube.

Once at St. Pauls, I dis-embarked the tube network; again, somewhat unsure of myself and others, but no hassle was given.

I find it odd that there is this mind set of being scared of the un-usual, yet when confronted with it, most people ignore it and donā€™t even raise an eyebrow.

Off I headed to meet iZentai trying hard to navigate and read the pedestrian sign posts on how to get to St. Pauls Cathedral. You donā€™t appreciate how well you see until you loose a fair amount of clarity through the zentai. Black is easier to see through than white, and you guessed it: one eye had white over it, and the other eye had a black spot just offset to the left, so to read things I had to almost look past the object to my right. Still, I got to the meeting point, and ā€¦ no-one ā€¦ ā€œGulpā€ ā€¦ check the phone: ah, message, phew ā€¦ they were no more than 100m away on the other side of the road.

Found them, said our hellos and then wandered towards the millennium bridge.

The photographer that iZentai knows, was having great fun in posing us to make some really cool shots (looking forward to seeing those). Off over the millennium bridge to the other side where we took a few more pictures, and the children commented that ā€œThe Dogā€™s not very goodā€ ā€¦ well, I was doing as told, sit to the side, and iZentai was doing hand stands/handstands/sort of moves ā€¦ ah well, it brought them enjoyment and thatā€™s what we are there for.

Into the Tate Modern we go, where we donā€™t get more than a few paces into the Turbine hall when the security stop us ā€¦ ask a load of questions, we ask to see the duty manager and end up with an even more random conversationā€¦ Though I think (as I headed off to find a tree as dogs do šŸ™‚ ) but to do that I had to de-hoodā€¦ on my return iZentai and the photographer were waiting at info desk to talk to the real Duty Manager. Who, on arrival, couldnā€™t have been nicer. She was happy for us to spend time there, just donā€™t perform as actors there. She sort of did give us a curfew to work to of 3.30pm and that gave us an hour and a half to wander round. So with the entry glitch sorted, off we head to find some interesting random places to take pictures (Not in the galleries as youā€™re not allowed to). One fantastic moment we found was on one of the walls at about chest height was in very big letters “Fetish” … well it was too conveniant, so a few pictures were taken there allong with many others around the public areas of the museum.

Time just seemed to run awayā€¦ we get to the top floor cafĆ© and have a coffee; yet again, Spot has to de-hood šŸ™ as coffee stains round the mouth of the zentai would be un-appealing.

After a nice chat in the cafƩ and we realise time is getting just after 4pm. So hoods up, and we headed off to leave, not stopping on the way, since it would be unfair to push our luck and out-stay our welcome.

Outside it was cold and damp, but not raining (seems we got away with it). Back through to the tube and a good bye at the escalators since iZentai and the photographer were going East, I was going West. Homeward bound in the beginning of the rush hour on the tube ā€¦ fun, but some what scary again as Iā€™m on my own!

Glad I went out for the day, and really looking forward to another random meet up and wander (bring on the nicer weather so it can be outside for longer)

Looking forward to seeing the pictures from today šŸ™‚

Iā€™ll own up here as a last point, Iā€™m not sure how well I model, I know Iā€™m very rigid to start, takes me a while to relax ā€¦ but I hope I was a help, and not a hindrance????

Once iZentai has written her post Iā€™ll link to it so you can read her perspective on the day šŸ™‚

*Wags tail* Happy Spot will sleep soundly tonight *Waves Paw*

Feb 162010
 

*Woofs*

Some pictures from Sunday’s outing, iZentai looks as if she’s been “photoshopped” out of most the pictures, BUT I assure you she is in them look hard in picture 1, 2, 4, 7, 8 and picture 9… some iZentai is more visable than others.
Have to be honest what a cool effect though *wags tail*

Oh, and I genuinely had no idea there were people using the touch info point at Westfields when I ‘hid’ inside the cube. *Ears down, sorry*

Feb 142010
 

I got in contact with iZentai, in a semi random way, read more about her and her challange at: iZentai’s Blog … Let’s briefly start by putting the background in:

Heros, last Sunday, LycraDuctDape (LDT) came in saying that he’d been mistaken for me as he was out at a club and was wearing his Dalmatian zentai.
LDT, Mortice and I think Flurric got chatting to this (at the time) random person, and found out that she was doing a 28 day zentai challenge. Well after a bit of Google searching, we found this person, and I made contact.

I randomly suggested (due to the confusion of identity earlier) that we meet up and have a wander round London. That suggestion was accepted, and so we decided today would be the day.

SOOOO ….. at 11:30am I left the house as Spot, all but the hood to start due to needing to drive. Once at West Ruislip station and the car-park ticket bought, the hood went up. With my oyster card safely tucked inside my suit so I didn’t need to physically carry anything, we set off to Westfields Shopping centre (warm and dry, indoors). On arrival, we found iZentai and set of for an amble. Loads of happy smiley people asking random things, waving and Spot even had his tail pulled by an adult, who’s response when I turned to see what was happening was “I couldn’t resist”. I laughed, and wasn’t worried … She was being a child again, and that made her happy. Thatā€™s what the whole point of this is about, making people accept the not-so-normal but in a nice happy way. I suppose you could say we definitely succeeded with that lady.
Short lived though šŸ™ … After saying a cheery “Hello” to two security guards earlier and they waved and said a “Hello” back, another 2 security guards approached us about 5 minutes later to confront us with “It’s policy for Westfields for no hoods” … they were being some what annoying, it’s not like they can’t re-trace our steps … how many other Dalmatians do you get in a shopping centre … It’s not like we could easily hide, and anyway we were not there for trouble, we were there to bring people a smile to the day.
Ah well, we left peacefully, as it would have defeated the day if we had to de-hood.

So … where next???

iZentai had sought permission from the V&A museum and checked that Zentai would be allowed and they agreed, so back on the tube (after what seemed like an age of walking in the cold as the security had asked us to leave by the nearest public exit, unfortunately being at the wrong end of the centre for where we wanted to get to) … Down onto the tube, and again a load more cheery waves from people, an interchange and another tube line to the South Kensington station where we walked the tunnel to the V&A museum.

Well, We hadn’t got more than 2 paces into the V&A museum and the bag-checking security guard went to me “Do they feed you on Pedigree Chum?”
That’s an interesting was of asking it! but means he either a) knows more about life than in normal public knowledge, or b) meant we brought him a smile to his job that day … I mean really, how boring: looking into bags all day long!
Bags checked in at the cloak room, and we were off for a wander round the museum, bringing people smiles šŸ™‚
Even the mirrors thing sort of exhibit that ‘focusses about 30 mirrors onto an object via a camera and motors etc’ liked me! Every time I got near they instantly ‘looked’ at me! Poor iZentai, being in black on a black floor the mirrors sort of ignored her *hugs* from Spot.
We did well at the museum; we were there for an hour before a security guard decided he didn’t like us šŸ™ After giving their usual response of “no hoods, etc” and “The supervisor will be here in a moment”. iZentai was fairly calm about this and also was very good at explaining to the security guard and eventually the security guard relented and let us on our way. To be fair, again, how many times do they get a Dalmatian zentai and a black zentai in the museum … it’s not as if we were hard to find! Equally I donā€™t think the guard liked the fact that weā€™d chatted to the entrance security and they were happy, the info desk were happy and lastly many security people passed us and not on was worried.

Well, about an hour and a half at the museum and then off to find a quick bite to eat before it was a shame to have to say ‘home time’
Back on the tube as a pair of Zentai-ists for the last time … and at Holborn we departed company šŸ™ *Tail between legs*

Onto the Central line for us where a few cheery waves from various people in the carriage we were in, and then the day seemed to come to an end all too soon šŸ™

*Tail between legs* *sulks off to a corner* Hopefully more Zentai and Spot time coming soon šŸ™‚

Again, once the pics have been extracted from the camera I’ll upload a few.