OK, so three blogs in one day is a little excessive, but I just had to get this one in. Courtesy of my Wanderlust newsletter, here are the tackiest travel souvenirs that are sold around the world:
1. A gravy boat bearing a picture of Saint Therese de Lisieux - the 'Little Flower of Jesus', one of the most popular Catholic saints.
2. A Virgin Mary ashtray from Rome, bought, perhaps, in a bid to gain some divine help in giving up smoking?
3. A donkey that dispenses a cigarette out of its bottom when you pull its tail.
4. A wooden toilet seat with a Spanish flag on the lid - a male appendage pops out when it's opened.
5. A Betty Boo flamenco pottery doll.
6. A Chairman Mao cigarette lighter.
7. A gold waving cat from Hong Kong.
8. A leprechaun bottle opener/magnet with a rainbow, pot of gold and an 'I Love Ireland' banner.
9. An Apron with a picture of a naked Roman statue. (I have to admit that Ollie and I bought one of these for a friend on a trip to Sorrento)
10. An 'I Love Hawaii' fridge magnet in the shape of a surfboard.
My personal travel tat includes an 'I LOVE NY' fridge magnet with a hologram that switches from Manhattan Island to a subway train, Tootise Rolls from LA, manga postcards from Japan and of course some wooden tulips from Holland xx
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Coughs and Sneezes
I wish this cold I have would FUCK OFF. Sorry, but crassness is totally justified. This week I have been through a whole family sized pack of Beechams, a zillion tissues and almost a whole Body Shop concealer trying to cover my red nose and the dark circles under my eyes. How attractive. Plus, today I sneezed on the bus and the lady across the aisle looked at me as if I just pulled a pin out of a grenade. I swear some Londoners think their is a secret band of terrorists targeting public transport to try and terrorise the public with...possible swine flu.
I have to admit that the cold is on its way out, but it is lingering around a little longer than I would like. If it lingers around much longer and ruins Hallowe'en, Crystal Palace Fireworks or my birthday trip to Paris I will be very unhappy xx
I have to admit that the cold is on its way out, but it is lingering around a little longer than I would like. If it lingers around much longer and ruins Hallowe'en, Crystal Palace Fireworks or my birthday trip to Paris I will be very unhappy xx
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Foxy
If you like a bath scented of fennel, peppermint and good deeds, go down to Lush and buy yourself a Fabulous Mrs Fox bubble bar. They smell amazing and all of the proceeds go towards the Hunt Saboteurs Association. Lush and the HSA have had a lot of bad press lately which has led to shops being vandalised and staff threatened.
This is not OK. FOX HUNTING IS NOT OK. Furthermore, it's illegal. If people were to uphold the law and not hunt there would be no need for hunt sabotage to take place. There's an old saying which says that you can judge a society by how it treats it's animals and hunting for sport is just barbaric.
This is not OK. FOX HUNTING IS NOT OK. Furthermore, it's illegal. If people were to uphold the law and not hunt there would be no need for hunt sabotage to take place. There's an old saying which says that you can judge a society by how it treats it's animals and hunting for sport is just barbaric.
Love You Short Time...
Following a long morning at work and a quite traumatic Medieval Monsters Lecture, I was looking forward to cheap cider about as much as the yummy mummies of Dulwich look forward to the opening of yet another baby boutique on Lordship Lane. Don't ask.
So I went to the Student Union and that was where the chaos began. £1.20 for a pint of cider and black and a full packet of cigarettes. I drank one, then Sam turned up and I drank another one, and then Kerry kindly bought me one for my looming birthday - that was the third pint. Laura was moaning about being hungry so after buying some raffle tickets to buy the Goldsmiths Rugby Team a new kit, we all stumbled perilously across New Cross Road for what was promised to be some good food.
Funny how that never happens.
There's a little blink-and-you'll miss it restaurant across the road from Goldsmiths college called Noodle and Rice. I think it once was an Indian restaurant that changed hands. In short - it was dire. I didn't resent too much paying nearly £5 for what can only be described as udon in stock with a teeny bit of fried tofu chucked on the top - this is London after all, I have paid far more for far worse, but the service was pretty awful. Sam and I ordered sushi to share which was forgotten, so we cancelled it, and then it turned up as we were about to leave, by which time we are in no mood to eat it. Everybody else's looked less than appetising and poor Fabio didn't even get fed at all.
Fabio and Matthew ran off and hid behind the Marquess of Granby which resulted in Sam and I being embroiled in a drunken war of words with the manager of the restaurant who insisted we should pay. We managed to wriggle out of it, but she still wanted the boys' addresses. Presumably so she can go round and collect the money? Doubtful. Following this, we all went back to the evils' house for more wine, cigarettes and tales of embarrassing sexual experiences. Lucky for us the Trivial Pursuit remained in the box.
The funniest part was when I woke up this morning to see that Mike had set up a Facebook group called 'Noodle and Rice: Love You Short Time'. The description is as follows:
For refusing to feed Fabio, serving chicken in yellow shit, forgetting Sam and Gemma's sushi, making Laura feel ill and making us all piss in the dark. Bad times.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=317443210575
So I went to the Student Union and that was where the chaos began. £1.20 for a pint of cider and black and a full packet of cigarettes. I drank one, then Sam turned up and I drank another one, and then Kerry kindly bought me one for my looming birthday - that was the third pint. Laura was moaning about being hungry so after buying some raffle tickets to buy the Goldsmiths Rugby Team a new kit, we all stumbled perilously across New Cross Road for what was promised to be some good food.
Funny how that never happens.
There's a little blink-and-you'll miss it restaurant across the road from Goldsmiths college called Noodle and Rice. I think it once was an Indian restaurant that changed hands. In short - it was dire. I didn't resent too much paying nearly £5 for what can only be described as udon in stock with a teeny bit of fried tofu chucked on the top - this is London after all, I have paid far more for far worse, but the service was pretty awful. Sam and I ordered sushi to share which was forgotten, so we cancelled it, and then it turned up as we were about to leave, by which time we are in no mood to eat it. Everybody else's looked less than appetising and poor Fabio didn't even get fed at all.
Fabio and Matthew ran off and hid behind the Marquess of Granby which resulted in Sam and I being embroiled in a drunken war of words with the manager of the restaurant who insisted we should pay. We managed to wriggle out of it, but she still wanted the boys' addresses. Presumably so she can go round and collect the money? Doubtful. Following this, we all went back to the evils' house for more wine, cigarettes and tales of embarrassing sexual experiences. Lucky for us the Trivial Pursuit remained in the box.
The funniest part was when I woke up this morning to see that Mike had set up a Facebook group called 'Noodle and Rice: Love You Short Time'. The description is as follows:
For refusing to feed Fabio, serving chicken in yellow shit, forgetting Sam and Gemma's sushi, making Laura feel ill and making us all piss in the dark. Bad times.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=317443210575
Monday, 26 October 2009
Sleepyhead...
Is it just me or does putting the clocks back completely fuck with one's body clock?
I am SO tired.... too tired to write anything deep and profound.
Would just like to wish my very good friend Rowena a very VERY happy birthday. Miss you loads and loads. Can't wait to see you in Sydney December 2010. Mwah xx
(London Film Festival October 2008 - a rare moment of composure!)
I am SO tired.... too tired to write anything deep and profound.
Would just like to wish my very good friend Rowena a very VERY happy birthday. Miss you loads and loads. Can't wait to see you in Sydney December 2010. Mwah xx
(London Film Festival October 2008 - a rare moment of composure!)
Sunday, 25 October 2009
One Exhausted Cook...
My lovely kitchen has been used and abused over the past few days as I have been on a cooking and entertaining frenzy. Therefore I am closing it down for at least twenty-four hours and am tonight going to indulge in the age old gourmet classic: cheese on toast. Perfect.
First there was Dan's birthday dinner for which I made a poached leek and dorset blue vinny tart with buttered potatoes and salad, followed by the biggest and stodgiest chocolate caramel cake ever.
Then on Friday it was butternut squash and paneer curry for Jen and Sam. And today I have made lamb rogan josh, tarka dal and mountains of rice and naan for my family who came to visit this afternoon.
It seems silly to just blog about food, but you may have noticed that I actually adore cooking. I am even a bit pissed that so many international foodie documentaries have been made as I myself would love to make a film just eating my way around the world. Bliss. I did a cooking course once in Siem Reap in Cambodia. The woman who was running it soon tired of my fussy ways and I'm sure at one point she wanted to make me into a Khmer Gem-Mok.
Anyway, my family came up to see the new flat today, which was lovely. A very chilled out day of eating, drinking, walking on Peckham Rye and watching Liverpool beat Manchester United. I never realised how many Liverpool supporters there were in East Dulwich. I might start calling it Little Liverpool. Just during football season.
So I am now thoroughly exhausted and need sleep. Ollie is watching Roger Moore as the world's most suave spy, so I am going to do my Medieval Monsters reading and read my brand new copy of Wanderlust xx
First there was Dan's birthday dinner for which I made a poached leek and dorset blue vinny tart with buttered potatoes and salad, followed by the biggest and stodgiest chocolate caramel cake ever.
Then on Friday it was butternut squash and paneer curry for Jen and Sam. And today I have made lamb rogan josh, tarka dal and mountains of rice and naan for my family who came to visit this afternoon.
It seems silly to just blog about food, but you may have noticed that I actually adore cooking. I am even a bit pissed that so many international foodie documentaries have been made as I myself would love to make a film just eating my way around the world. Bliss. I did a cooking course once in Siem Reap in Cambodia. The woman who was running it soon tired of my fussy ways and I'm sure at one point she wanted to make me into a Khmer Gem-Mok.
Anyway, my family came up to see the new flat today, which was lovely. A very chilled out day of eating, drinking, walking on Peckham Rye and watching Liverpool beat Manchester United. I never realised how many Liverpool supporters there were in East Dulwich. I might start calling it Little Liverpool. Just during football season.
So I am now thoroughly exhausted and need sleep. Ollie is watching Roger Moore as the world's most suave spy, so I am going to do my Medieval Monsters reading and read my brand new copy of Wanderlust xx
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