All good things must come to an end when they have exceeded their shelf life.
As we begin this new decade and new chapter, it's time to hang up the boots on tea and crisps.
It's been so much fun. I wouldn't change a thing.
If you wanted to get in touch and you know how, don't hesitate to drop us a line. There are so many peeps that we just don't hear from anymore. Otherwise just leave a comment if you like.
Peace out.
Thursday, 27 November 2008
Saturday, 30 August 2008
Summer Christmas
We are going to a friend's place today, for a 'Summer Christmas' party. Kind of like 'Christmas in July', it's just she has been meaning to organise it since July. Now we are having it on the last weekend of Summer instead. Not that you could have called these last 3 months 'Summer' as such.
Anyway, so everyone is taking a dish. I volunteered to make 'Eton Mess'. Kinda like a pav, but all the meringue is mushed up in a bowl, with the cream and strawberries piled in.
We made the meringue last night. The batch turned out so well that we decided to be adventurous and turn it into a pav. We based it on the reasoning that if it stuffed up in the oven, we could just mush it up and then go back to the Eton Mess plan.
As it turns out, the base turned out great!
The girls and I were talking about pavlovas the other day (which Kiwis argue fiercely they invented). I had to explain what 'Peppermint Crisp' is, as it turns out is something that our Kiwi cousins don't have. Racking my brain about how to top the pav, I ended up with strawberries and cutting up a Daim bar.
Will have to let you know how it tastes later on....
Anyway, so everyone is taking a dish. I volunteered to make 'Eton Mess'. Kinda like a pav, but all the meringue is mushed up in a bowl, with the cream and strawberries piled in.
We made the meringue last night. The batch turned out so well that we decided to be adventurous and turn it into a pav. We based it on the reasoning that if it stuffed up in the oven, we could just mush it up and then go back to the Eton Mess plan.
As it turns out, the base turned out great!The girls and I were talking about pavlovas the other day (which Kiwis argue fiercely they invented). I had to explain what 'Peppermint Crisp' is, as it turns out is something that our Kiwi cousins don't have. Racking my brain about how to top the pav, I ended up with strawberries and cutting up a Daim bar.
Will have to let you know how it tastes later on....Monday, 25 August 2008
The complex English language
NB found this little poem, which I think is brilliant - but then I'm a bit of a word nerd.
Give yourselves a wee bit of a challenge and read it aloud, fast if possible!
I take it you already know,
Of tough and bough and cough and dough.
Others may stumble, but not you,
On hiccough, thorough, laugh and through.
Well done! And now you wish, perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps.
Beware of heard, a dreadful word,
That looks like beard and sounds like bird.
And dead - it’s said like bed, not bead,
For goodness’ sake, don’t call it ‘deed’!
Watch out for meat and great and threat,
(They rhyme with suite and straight and debt).
A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother.
And here is not a match for there,
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear.
And then there’s dose and rose and lose –
Just look them up – and goose and choose.
And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword.
And do and go and thwart and cart –
Come, come, I’ve hardly made a start!
A dreadful language? Why man alive!
I’d mastered it when I was five.
Give yourselves a wee bit of a challenge and read it aloud, fast if possible!
I take it you already know,
Of tough and bough and cough and dough.
Others may stumble, but not you,
On hiccough, thorough, laugh and through.
Well done! And now you wish, perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps.
Beware of heard, a dreadful word,
That looks like beard and sounds like bird.
And dead - it’s said like bed, not bead,
For goodness’ sake, don’t call it ‘deed’!
Watch out for meat and great and threat,
(They rhyme with suite and straight and debt).
A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother.
And here is not a match for there,
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear.
And then there’s dose and rose and lose –
Just look them up – and goose and choose.
And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword.
And do and go and thwart and cart –
Come, come, I’ve hardly made a start!
A dreadful language? Why man alive!
I’d mastered it when I was five.
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Begging and pleading
First things first. Happy 2nd wedding anniversary NB.
Living here is like torture at the moment. Could you guys back home tell the Aussie team to win some gold medals??
The Poms have won more gold medals than they have in the last century and my god are they crowing about it.
Last week, I was asking everyone 'you watching the Olympics?' and getting very little response besides mutterings about China's history of human rights abuses and associated commentary. The print media was pretty much the same.
But now, you can't shut them up! Though admittedly they do seem to only be winning medals in sport where you have to sit down (sailing, rowing, cycling etc).
I even heard this from an English muppet today:
'We are beating you, you barbarians who have auctions in your front gardens to sell your homes'.
What the fuck?
For a start you non-soap using gimp, it's an 'ock-shen', not an 'ork-shen' and it's a front yard, not a front garden. Besides those facts, what the hell has selling homes got to do with this topic in any way, shape or form?
I am begging you Aussies. Win some bloody medals. This crowing is doing my head in. You know how bad they are when they beat us in the Ashes. Can you imagine us ever being able to live this down? I don't care who else in the world beats us - just not the Poms. They are sore winners.
I feel sorry for NB. Working for a sports media company, he is surrounded by plasmas broadcasting the Olympics and listening to everyone cheering for 'Team GB'. Give me strength.
Living here is like torture at the moment. Could you guys back home tell the Aussie team to win some gold medals??
The Poms have won more gold medals than they have in the last century and my god are they crowing about it.
Last week, I was asking everyone 'you watching the Olympics?' and getting very little response besides mutterings about China's history of human rights abuses and associated commentary. The print media was pretty much the same.
But now, you can't shut them up! Though admittedly they do seem to only be winning medals in sport where you have to sit down (sailing, rowing, cycling etc).
I even heard this from an English muppet today:
'We are beating you, you barbarians who have auctions in your front gardens to sell your homes'.
What the fuck?
For a start you non-soap using gimp, it's an 'ock-shen', not an 'ork-shen' and it's a front yard, not a front garden. Besides those facts, what the hell has selling homes got to do with this topic in any way, shape or form?
I am begging you Aussies. Win some bloody medals. This crowing is doing my head in. You know how bad they are when they beat us in the Ashes. Can you imagine us ever being able to live this down? I don't care who else in the world beats us - just not the Poms. They are sore winners.
I feel sorry for NB. Working for a sports media company, he is surrounded by plasmas broadcasting the Olympics and listening to everyone cheering for 'Team GB'. Give me strength.
Sunday, 17 August 2008
Mock the Week
When Phuc was in London, we introduced her to this fantastic show, 'Mock the Week'.
I thought she would like it, because we have similar tastes in comedy. However, I forgot to take into consideration that the show is generally satire about news and current affairs, often local to the UK. Meaning they will talk about people that you may have no clue about unless you live here. So, I will just have to continue to talk with workmates about it instead.
It would be really good if they made an Australian version of it though.
I flicked it on this week and gasped in excited shock. NB said:
'What? Is it a special on James Nesbitt & Russell Brand?'
(As if, that would only be in my wildest dreams)
No, it was the combination of two of my favourite things. Mock the Week had Adam Hills on it this week! I even took a photo for you, as I know you will all have been just as excited as I was*
* I realise that for some awfully strange reason, some of you out there do not share my passion for Mr Hills.
** You may have also noticed that comments on this blog are now sent through to the moderator before publishing. Just a security feature. I am going with the Chinese form of free speech when it comes to publishing on the internet. Therefore, a few certain readers may have noticed that negative comments about the said Mr Hills have not been published in the past. Sorry I can't help you here, it's policy :)
I thought she would like it, because we have similar tastes in comedy. However, I forgot to take into consideration that the show is generally satire about news and current affairs, often local to the UK. Meaning they will talk about people that you may have no clue about unless you live here. So, I will just have to continue to talk with workmates about it instead.
It would be really good if they made an Australian version of it though.
I flicked it on this week and gasped in excited shock. NB said:
'What? Is it a special on James Nesbitt & Russell Brand?'
(As if, that would only be in my wildest dreams)
No, it was the combination of two of my favourite things. Mock the Week had Adam Hills on it this week! I even took a photo for you, as I know you will all have been just as excited as I was*
* I realise that for some awfully strange reason, some of you out there do not share my passion for Mr Hills.** You may have also noticed that comments on this blog are now sent through to the moderator before publishing. Just a security feature. I am going with the Chinese form of free speech when it comes to publishing on the internet. Therefore, a few certain readers may have noticed that negative comments about the said Mr Hills have not been published in the past. Sorry I can't help you here, it's policy :)
Saturday, 16 August 2008
So Belgique, So Chic
We took our first trip on the Eurostar this weekend. A very, very fast train that makes your eardrums pop. We were in Brussels, the capital of Belgium in no time. Brussels is also the capital of the European Union, so lots of very important buildings are here.
Belgium has two national languages, being French and Dutch, so all signs are in both languages. Though in Brussels, it is predominantly French that is spoken, so my rusty French got a good workout.
We checked into our hotel, which was very posh and the most central to the city of any hotel we have ever stayed in.
They have this thing in European cities in the summer months that we don't tend to get in London. It's a foreign concept known as 'sun' and 'hot weather'. Fortunately at the last minute I decided to pack some t-shirts and sunblock.
The city is small and very picturesque and easy to navigate around for sightseeing.
We didn't go too crazy with the frites, waffles, chocolate and beer. Though we did have the most amazing waffles for breakfast this morning. You could smell this little place for ages and it always had massive queues - but it was worth it.
We were recommended to go and see the 'Potato Museum', apparently the only one of it's kind in the world. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time, so we missed out on that little gem.
We did manage to catch a bit of the Olympic rowing live on TV (broadcast unfortunately by BBC) and saw the boys take gold and silver. The rowing event where we got silver, the poms won gold. The commentator was recommending we scream at the TV to support our country. I think that was intended for the British audience, but don't worry, we were barracking for our Aussie boys, probably annoying the people in the adjacent hotel rooms!
They could then probably hear me swearing at the TV when this English ponce who won gold had his turn to speak to the media. Being a typical good sport, all he said was something slagging off the Aussies. What a twat. At least our blokes look like honed, tanned athletes not podgy, pasty little dumplings about to have a coronary.
These Olympics have made me very patriotic. It has also made me realise that the British media really does have a chip on it's shoulder when it comes to Aussies and sport. Sore losers.
Belgium has two national languages, being French and Dutch, so all signs are in both languages. Though in Brussels, it is predominantly French that is spoken, so my rusty French got a good workout.
We checked into our hotel, which was very posh and the most central to the city of any hotel we have ever stayed in.
They have this thing in European cities in the summer months that we don't tend to get in London. It's a foreign concept known as 'sun' and 'hot weather'. Fortunately at the last minute I decided to pack some t-shirts and sunblock.
The city is small and very picturesque and easy to navigate around for sightseeing.
We didn't go too crazy with the frites, waffles, chocolate and beer. Though we did have the most amazing waffles for breakfast this morning. You could smell this little place for ages and it always had massive queues - but it was worth it.
We were recommended to go and see the 'Potato Museum', apparently the only one of it's kind in the world. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time, so we missed out on that little gem.
We did manage to catch a bit of the Olympic rowing live on TV (broadcast unfortunately by BBC) and saw the boys take gold and silver. The rowing event where we got silver, the poms won gold. The commentator was recommending we scream at the TV to support our country. I think that was intended for the British audience, but don't worry, we were barracking for our Aussie boys, probably annoying the people in the adjacent hotel rooms!
They could then probably hear me swearing at the TV when this English ponce who won gold had his turn to speak to the media. Being a typical good sport, all he said was something slagging off the Aussies. What a twat. At least our blokes look like honed, tanned athletes not podgy, pasty little dumplings about to have a coronary.
These Olympics have made me very patriotic. It has also made me realise that the British media really does have a chip on it's shoulder when it comes to Aussies and sport. Sore losers.
Monday, 11 August 2008
The American Olympics
I love watching the Olympics. Unfortunately we only have the choice of watching it on the 'We Are Obsessed with America' channel, otherwise known as the BBC.
I'd understand if it was all about the Poms, which 50% of the time it is, which is fine. But then the rest of the time is spent salivating over how the US is doing. I could hardly tell you how any other country is faring.
Isn't the national broadcaster supposed to be impartial?
I was appalled when watching Stephanie Rice win her gold medal smashing the world record - because of the commentary. As they were commentating the race, they didn't even talk about her and went on and on about the Yank coming third. She got shameful bronze!
They even have an effigy of Michael Phelps in the newsroom, which they adorn with medals each time he wins one. I think someone needs to tell the BBC that Michael Phelps isn't British.
I also got to see Libby Trickett win the butterfly, only because a Yank came second. Though it took me a while to realise it was Libby Lenton. Obviously she has gotten married since the last Olympics.
I'd understand if it was all about the Poms, which 50% of the time it is, which is fine. But then the rest of the time is spent salivating over how the US is doing. I could hardly tell you how any other country is faring.
Isn't the national broadcaster supposed to be impartial?
I was appalled when watching Stephanie Rice win her gold medal smashing the world record - because of the commentary. As they were commentating the race, they didn't even talk about her and went on and on about the Yank coming third. She got shameful bronze!
They even have an effigy of Michael Phelps in the newsroom, which they adorn with medals each time he wins one. I think someone needs to tell the BBC that Michael Phelps isn't British.
I also got to see Libby Trickett win the butterfly, only because a Yank came second. Though it took me a while to realise it was Libby Lenton. Obviously she has gotten married since the last Olympics.
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