A Monday morning in the run up to Christmas is not a good time to pick up a package from the post office. The queue was just as long when I left as when I'd arrived almost an hour earlier, so going later in the morning wouldn't have helped even if it'd been an option. It's hideous in the run up to lunchtime anyway, which is when they obviously ( Read more... )

Here's some advice for anyone doing one of those cheap day trips to Amsterdam ( Read more... )

An English acquaintance was asking me about his running yesterday. He'd only managed one round of the park and didn't feel very well after. Was he dehydrated?

Let me guess. What time was this run? Of course, in the middle of the day when it was so very, very warm ( Read more... )

( Read more... )

Note to UK viewers, BBC3 is showing the World Cup final between the USA and Japan this evening. Kick-off's at 7.45pm and it should be a good one. I'm backing the US to win their third title but, like many, hope to see first-time finalists Japan win it ( Read more... )

Today there's a vote on whether to keep the First Past the Post system or to change to the Alternative Vote proportional (sort of) system. There are other elections happening in the UK but London only gets the referendum. In stark contrast to the previous elections, the first I saw of either campaign was outside Bethnal Green tube station today ( Read more... )

I was running royally late for lunch with Rob when I passed a woman wearing a tiara. Bit early for a hen party, I thought ( Read more... )

It's not only the Dutch who have peculiar sandwich habits. An American friend recently horrified her English colleagues with her lunch: a peanut butter and jelly sandwich ( Read more... )

Wednesday's short talk went very well and it's once again caused me to reflect with gratitude on being trained in public speaking at school. It's not a skill that's measured much in exams but it's still one of the most useful things I ever got to do. On top of that, I was given the opportunity to do a Young Toastmasters course, which gave me the ( Read more... )

OMG, I love the English. Their cricket team win their first match of the Ashes at Lords for the first time since 1934 and the first remark from Radio 5 live's commentator is about the average house price back then. Property-obsessed stereotypes anyone? :-D

(£515, for those who want to know.)