(no subject)
I am home from Valencia/London trip! Got back on the train at 7pm last night, dumped my luggage and went straight out again, of course, since it was Friday... but it was nice to sleep in my own bed again, even if I didn't make it there until 4am.
Tonight is Guy Fawkes' Night here in the UK, which means there are random explosions audible (and occasionally visible) all over the place. It is also almost dark, at 4:30pm. Woe!! And I hear that Melbourne had 30 degrees earlier this week. Stop with the complaining about hot weather, people: you're making me jealous.
Possibly the only benefit of it getting darker earlier is that one can drink cocktails at 4pm and not feel TOO degenerate, because after all, it is dusk. And, if I am going to make drinks for people later, surely I need to test the recipes out first to make sure they work. Don't I?
I have a bajillion photos from the trip, which I will get round to uploading to photobucket eventually (some of my London photos from the previous trip are up, check them out if you're interested). For now, though:
You're Thailand!
Calmer and more staunchly independent than almost all those around you,
you have a long history of rising above adversity. Recent adversity has led to
questions about your sexual promiscuity and the threat of disease, but you still manage
to attract a number of tourists and admirers. And despite any setbacks, you can
really cook a good meal whenever it's called for. Good enough to make people
cry.
Take the Country Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid
*facepalm* and HEE. Sexual promiscuity and the threat of disease? o_O (Last I checked, the latter was a NO - just to put everyone's mind at rest! and being, you know, IN ANOTHER COUNTRY and besides the wench is dead, sex, let alone sexual promiscuity, is kind of a non-starter these days.) Overall though, it's a disturbingly good description. (I do flatter myself that I can cook, though my Manchester acquaintances probably beg to differ so far... all I can say is, come visit me when I have a proper kitchen, equipment and the bounty of Australian fresh produce at my disposal!)
I've seen this somewhere before, but most recently on randomblade's LJ. It makes a diverting meme, at any rate:
This is the BBC's list of "50 foods you should eat before you die"; bold the ones you've had, and (if you're me) add (infinitum) comments about them...
1. Fresh fish Who hasn't?? (aside from vegetarians)
2. Lobster Mmmm, lobster.
3. Steak Not for quite some time, though.
4. Thai food I loooove Thai food. See also above!
5. Chinese food This meme is making me hungry.
6. Ice cream
7. Pizza For dinner last night, actually.
8. Crab Yes please, stir-fried with ginger and spring onions and served with egg noodles.
9. Curry Of course, and now I've even "gone for a curry", the true English experience.
10. Prawns
11. Moreton Bay Bugs
12. Clam chowder In Boston, nothing less!
13. Barbecues Waah. Why am I here, when it is dark at 5pm, and not home enjoying BBQs on long summer evenings?
14. Pancakes
15. Pasta Student staple, I've had far too much of it since coming here...
16. Mussels Most recently in Valencia, actually, at Bar Pilar where I had tapas. They're famous for their... clochinons? I think that's the colloquial term, anyway. (Meiquillones, I believe, is the proper word.) With tomatoes and white wine and bread for dipping and patatas bravas and plenty of rioja - yum.
17. Cheesecake
18. Lamb I can't remember the last time, though - it was ages ago. Don't eat it now.
19. Cream tea randomblade, "cream tea" means Devonshire tea, I think. So, scones with jam and cream, and cups of tea (or hot chocolate, as the case may be). I have fond memories of my last Devonshire tea in Australia, not long before I left... Have yet to try it here, though.
20. Alligator I've had crocodile, I think that counts.
21. Oysters wargle
22. Kangaroo though not as cooked by seagoon yet...
23. Chocolate This is ridiculous, who hasn't had chocolate??
24. Sandwiches ditto!
25. Greek food
26. Burgers
27. Mexican food yup, Tara cooked it for us last week
28. Squid ohh, crispy tentacles! last time I had those was at yum cha a couple of days before I left... And salt and pepper squid, mmm.
29. American diner breakfast - not in America, but we had English diner breakfast which demiurgician says is pretty similar just this morningafternoon.
30. Salmon
31. Venison Only once, at Madam Fang's, wrapped in pepperberry leaves and grilled.
32. Guinea pig
33. Shark
34. Sushi I miss sushi. Am going to make it soon, but it's not the same as having a sushi bar on every corner in the city.
35. Paella Yes!! In Valencia, the home of paella. I am such a gastro-tourist.
36. Barramundi Steamed, with sweet soy and rice wine sauce and shredded ginger and spring onions. *drool*
37. Reindeer
38. Kebab
39. Scallops
40. Australian meat pie
41. Mango
42. Durian fruit Yes, but really, really didn't like it. I'll try anything once, though.
43. Octopus Pickled, sauteed, grilled... yum.
44. Ribs
45. Roast beef
46. Tapas Woohoo! my recent holiday is scoring me lots of points here...
47. Jerk chicken/pork - for those who don't know, "jerk" is a Caribbean/Jamaican way of preparing meat, involving a spice rub and charcoal grilling, I think.
48. Haggis Yes, a small sample in David Jones once. It wasn't bad. I'll be trying it in Scotland at some stage, I imagine.
49. Caviar Tobiko is nicer, though.
50. Cornish Pastry but not in Cornwall. One day soon, though!
Ok, that wasn't a very exciting list of foods... (still, from the BBC, in the home of boring food, what else should I have expected?) - there are LOTS more things I think people should try eating at least once before they die. So to make the meme more interesting, I will post about an interesting food I've tried that's not on the list:
51. Sea urchin Japanese uni is the roe of the sea urchin. Only available at certain times of year, it is served raw and tastes sweetly of the sea, salty and delicate, softly gelatinous and slightly creamy, with an indefinable but delicious marine flavour. I have had it once, at a Japanese restaurant next to the Capitol Theatre in Sydney; if I have the opportunity, I will definitely eat it again.
Well, I had better start setting up for drinks... more later!
Tonight is Guy Fawkes' Night here in the UK, which means there are random explosions audible (and occasionally visible) all over the place. It is also almost dark, at 4:30pm. Woe!! And I hear that Melbourne had 30 degrees earlier this week. Stop with the complaining about hot weather, people: you're making me jealous.
Possibly the only benefit of it getting darker earlier is that one can drink cocktails at 4pm and not feel TOO degenerate, because after all, it is dusk. And, if I am going to make drinks for people later, surely I need to test the recipes out first to make sure they work. Don't I?
I have a bajillion photos from the trip, which I will get round to uploading to photobucket eventually (some of my London photos from the previous trip are up, check them out if you're interested). For now, though:
You're Thailand!
Calmer and more staunchly independent than almost all those around you,
you have a long history of rising above adversity. Recent adversity has led to
questions about your sexual promiscuity and the threat of disease, but you still manage
to attract a number of tourists and admirers. And despite any setbacks, you can
really cook a good meal whenever it's called for. Good enough to make people
cry.
Take the Country Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid
*facepalm* and HEE. Sexual promiscuity and the threat of disease? o_O (Last I checked, the latter was a NO - just to put everyone's mind at rest! and being, you know, IN ANOTHER COUNTRY and besides the wench is dead, sex, let alone sexual promiscuity, is kind of a non-starter these days.) Overall though, it's a disturbingly good description. (I do flatter myself that I can cook, though my Manchester acquaintances probably beg to differ so far... all I can say is, come visit me when I have a proper kitchen, equipment and the bounty of Australian fresh produce at my disposal!)
I've seen this somewhere before, but most recently on randomblade's LJ. It makes a diverting meme, at any rate:
This is the BBC's list of "50 foods you should eat before you die"; bold the ones you've had, and (if you're me) add (infinitum) comments about them...
1. Fresh fish Who hasn't?? (aside from vegetarians)
2. Lobster Mmmm, lobster.
3. Steak Not for quite some time, though.
4. Thai food I loooove Thai food. See also above!
5. Chinese food This meme is making me hungry.
6. Ice cream
7. Pizza For dinner last night, actually.
8. Crab Yes please, stir-fried with ginger and spring onions and served with egg noodles.
9. Curry Of course, and now I've even "gone for a curry", the true English experience.
10. Prawns
11. Moreton Bay Bugs
12. Clam chowder In Boston, nothing less!
13. Barbecues Waah. Why am I here, when it is dark at 5pm, and not home enjoying BBQs on long summer evenings?
14. Pancakes
15. Pasta Student staple, I've had far too much of it since coming here...
16. Mussels Most recently in Valencia, actually, at Bar Pilar where I had tapas. They're famous for their... clochinons? I think that's the colloquial term, anyway. (Meiquillones, I believe, is the proper word.) With tomatoes and white wine and bread for dipping and patatas bravas and plenty of rioja - yum.
17. Cheesecake
18. Lamb I can't remember the last time, though - it was ages ago. Don't eat it now.
19. Cream tea randomblade, "cream tea" means Devonshire tea, I think. So, scones with jam and cream, and cups of tea (or hot chocolate, as the case may be). I have fond memories of my last Devonshire tea in Australia, not long before I left... Have yet to try it here, though.
20. Alligator I've had crocodile, I think that counts.
21. Oysters wargle
22. Kangaroo though not as cooked by seagoon yet...
23. Chocolate This is ridiculous, who hasn't had chocolate??
24. Sandwiches ditto!
25. Greek food
26. Burgers
27. Mexican food yup, Tara cooked it for us last week
28. Squid ohh, crispy tentacles! last time I had those was at yum cha a couple of days before I left... And salt and pepper squid, mmm.
29. American diner breakfast - not in America, but we had English diner breakfast which demiurgician says is pretty similar just this morningafternoon.
30. Salmon
31. Venison Only once, at Madam Fang's, wrapped in pepperberry leaves and grilled.
32. Guinea pig
33. Shark
34. Sushi I miss sushi. Am going to make it soon, but it's not the same as having a sushi bar on every corner in the city.
35. Paella Yes!! In Valencia, the home of paella. I am such a gastro-tourist.
36. Barramundi Steamed, with sweet soy and rice wine sauce and shredded ginger and spring onions. *drool*
37. Reindeer
38. Kebab
39. Scallops
40. Australian meat pie
41. Mango
42. Durian fruit Yes, but really, really didn't like it. I'll try anything once, though.
43. Octopus Pickled, sauteed, grilled... yum.
44. Ribs
45. Roast beef
46. Tapas Woohoo! my recent holiday is scoring me lots of points here...
47. Jerk chicken/pork - for those who don't know, "jerk" is a Caribbean/Jamaican way of preparing meat, involving a spice rub and charcoal grilling, I think.
48. Haggis Yes, a small sample in David Jones once. It wasn't bad. I'll be trying it in Scotland at some stage, I imagine.
49. Caviar Tobiko is nicer, though.
50. Cornish Pastry but not in Cornwall. One day soon, though!
Ok, that wasn't a very exciting list of foods... (still, from the BBC, in the home of boring food, what else should I have expected?) - there are LOTS more things I think people should try eating at least once before they die. So to make the meme more interesting, I will post about an interesting food I've tried that's not on the list:
51. Sea urchin Japanese uni is the roe of the sea urchin. Only available at certain times of year, it is served raw and tastes sweetly of the sea, salty and delicate, softly gelatinous and slightly creamy, with an indefinable but delicious marine flavour. I have had it once, at a Japanese restaurant next to the Capitol Theatre in Sydney; if I have the opportunity, I will definitely eat it again.
Well, I had better start setting up for drinks... more later!