As I approach my 35th birthday, I was interested to read the dietary tips of the worlds oldest people. My favourite tip was the custard cakes from a Japanese lady who lived well past 100. Porridge sounds good and sensible as do the tips to eat plenty of veg, drink orange juice and have a wee tipple every now and then.
Other than tips for long life the other story that caught my attention today is Floss the highland cow who went on the run from a Yorkshire abattoir for 9 months. She has now been caught and given a reprieve from becoming steak and is to live her life out in full at a sanctuary. She looks a rather fine cow and apparently had quite an adventure when on the run. Some locals tried to take pot shots at he whilst local youths tried to round her up using quad bikes. Well she is safe now and looks very well and happy.
I'm not too well at the moment having got a kidney infection so drinking lots and taking it easy.
I'm on holiday from Thursday when I am hoping to go and see The Damned United.
Tuesday 31 March 2009
Sunday 29 March 2009
Happy Birthday Blog!
Yes it is exactly one year since I started this blog! And one year on we have finally sorted the bin issues with Merton Council I blogged about on 29th March 2008!
This time last year I was just 3 days away from a holiday of a life time in Japan. I had also just learned of the very sad and sudden death of a friend of mine, Ria. My thoughts are with Ria's family right now.
We were also expecting the arrival of Jase's parents who were flat sitting and kitchen fitting for us while we were away in Japan.
The year spins by faster and faster each year.
The last week has been a busy one. At work I held a seminar on Tuesday that was very stressful but very successful. I got some new contact lenses which was good. I am looking forward to some time off work from Thursday! Yay! So hopefully shall be blogging more in the coming week.
This time last year I was just 3 days away from a holiday of a life time in Japan. I had also just learned of the very sad and sudden death of a friend of mine, Ria. My thoughts are with Ria's family right now.
We were also expecting the arrival of Jase's parents who were flat sitting and kitchen fitting for us while we were away in Japan.
The year spins by faster and faster each year.
The last week has been a busy one. At work I held a seminar on Tuesday that was very stressful but very successful. I got some new contact lenses which was good. I am looking forward to some time off work from Thursday! Yay! So hopefully shall be blogging more in the coming week.
Friday 20 March 2009
London Sakura
This evening I decided to break my tube journey home with a walk through Green and St James' Park. The weather was beautiful, a still, sunny spring evening. The parks were busy with ambling tourists and smart business men scurrying home. I only had my mobile phone with me so the pictures are not brilliant. 
I was lucky enough to get accosted by a hungry squirrel (pictured above). I was standing still trying to spy one squirrel who had run into a flower bed when another squirrel ran at me jumping up my leg! The same squirrel then ran off towards an elderly man who had a bag of nuts. The squirrel hopped on to the fence to take the nuts from the old man's hand.
Green Park was full of daffodils and narcissi which filled the evening air with a very delicate scent. I was very pleased to see some cherry blossom (sakura in Japanese) as it made me think of my holiday in Japan during Sakura season last year.
Here is a close up of the hungry squirrel.
I walked out of St James' through Horse Guards (pictured below with the London Eye.) Along White Hall and Trafalgar Square I came across quite a few Scotsmen in kilts and rugby shirts singing and cheering. Sorry no picture; my mobile battery was getting flat!
Thursday 19 March 2009
Hidden Japan
It is nearly a year since I started my blog and nearly a year since I had my fabulous holiday in Japan. So I was really pleased to see BBC4 are running a Japan season. On the BBC website there is a section called Word Of the Day with quite a few short video clips explaining some of Japan's most interesting words and phrases. The Japanese love words and inventing short concise phrases to sum up modern life. For example there are two words Kakekomi Josha which mean running for the tube train and just making it through the doors before they close. Can you imagine what someoe is doing if they are boiing tea with their navel? They have words for all kinds of concepts which I am not going to give away, you'll have to go to the website. But here are my favourite Japanese words from the site:
Zuru Zuru
Zatsuon
Nureochiba
Kusu Kusu
The little video clips took me right back to being in Tokyo. I love all the uber cute girls. They Rock!
I'd love to go back to Japan but for now I will just have to watch the BBC 4 season.
Zuru Zuru
Zatsuon
Nureochiba
Kusu Kusu
The little video clips took me right back to being in Tokyo. I love all the uber cute girls. They Rock!
I'd love to go back to Japan but for now I will just have to watch the BBC 4 season.
Monday 16 March 2009
Watchmen
Jase and I went to see Watchmen on Thursday at the imax and last week I promised a review.
I haven't read the "graphic novel" (Personally I don't see what is wrong with calling it a comic - in my opinion a comic is just as valid as any other form of literature or writing but that is just my opinion, I have been known to argue a genuine comparison between a good EastEnders episode and Shakespeare. But I digress and there doesn't seem to be such a thing as a good EastEnders episode any more.)
So lets start again. I haven't read the comic but I have flicked through it at home and intend to read it. But I didn't have any preconceptions before seeing the film other than I'd get to see a big blue naked man wander about the screen from time to time.
I liked it - and not just because of the giant naked blue man - I liked the fact that it wasn't really a film nor was it a comic set to music and sound although it sometimes felt like that. The soundtrack was generally good but there was some strange editing. There were some beautiful and grotesque imagery and going back to the book not all of them directly taken from the comic strip but adapted from them and in some instances improved. The funeral sequence was one example except for the brutal editing of Simon and Garfunkel which I am sure was for unsettling affect but I didn't like it - I was enjoying the music and the images. The image of the angel headstone seemed to be improved on the big screen from the image in the book.
The film is very violent and I had to look away a couple of times - its very graphic in the graphic novel sense with added sound effects. I am not squeamish at all I can watch anything, so it must be pretty bad to make me look away!
I think the critics who have said that it is too long have a point but I was never bored and enjoyed it immensely.
Having seen V for Vendetta fairly recently I think I expected more to be made of the political message. Maybe because Watchmen is set in the US it didn't resonate with me as much. There is certainly a political observation and critique but I have feeling the film simplifies this. I'll have to ask Jase who has read the comic.
Talking of V for Vendetta on Saturday when in London we went past a small but noisy protest outside the Scientologist's place on Tottenham Court Road. The protesters were wearing V for Vendetta masks. I have found a link to a protest last year where the protesters were handing out cake. Jase will be very disappointed not to get cake this weekend as we walked past. Any way I am all for protests, and in particular protests against Scientology and I am also all for V for Vendetta masks they are just so dashing!
I haven't read the "graphic novel" (Personally I don't see what is wrong with calling it a comic - in my opinion a comic is just as valid as any other form of literature or writing but that is just my opinion, I have been known to argue a genuine comparison between a good EastEnders episode and Shakespeare. But I digress and there doesn't seem to be such a thing as a good EastEnders episode any more.)
So lets start again. I haven't read the comic but I have flicked through it at home and intend to read it. But I didn't have any preconceptions before seeing the film other than I'd get to see a big blue naked man wander about the screen from time to time.
I liked it - and not just because of the giant naked blue man - I liked the fact that it wasn't really a film nor was it a comic set to music and sound although it sometimes felt like that. The soundtrack was generally good but there was some strange editing. There were some beautiful and grotesque imagery and going back to the book not all of them directly taken from the comic strip but adapted from them and in some instances improved. The funeral sequence was one example except for the brutal editing of Simon and Garfunkel which I am sure was for unsettling affect but I didn't like it - I was enjoying the music and the images. The image of the angel headstone seemed to be improved on the big screen from the image in the book.
The film is very violent and I had to look away a couple of times - its very graphic in the graphic novel sense with added sound effects. I am not squeamish at all I can watch anything, so it must be pretty bad to make me look away!
I think the critics who have said that it is too long have a point but I was never bored and enjoyed it immensely.
Having seen V for Vendetta fairly recently I think I expected more to be made of the political message. Maybe because Watchmen is set in the US it didn't resonate with me as much. There is certainly a political observation and critique but I have feeling the film simplifies this. I'll have to ask Jase who has read the comic.
Talking of V for Vendetta on Saturday when in London we went past a small but noisy protest outside the Scientologist's place on Tottenham Court Road. The protesters were wearing V for Vendetta masks. I have found a link to a protest last year where the protesters were handing out cake. Jase will be very disappointed not to get cake this weekend as we walked past. Any way I am all for protests, and in particular protests against Scientology and I am also all for V for Vendetta masks they are just so dashing!
Wednesday 11 March 2009
Work life imbalance
Just read the Facebook status of my friend Ruth asking if there is such a thing as a work life balance. I have decided that it is a myth! It is all work, work, work!
Sorry for not posting in a few days but it has been work, work, and more work and not much to report.
Off to see Watchmen tomorrow so will review that shortly. Off to have a nice long soak in the bath now.
Sorry for not posting in a few days but it has been work, work, and more work and not much to report.
Off to see Watchmen tomorrow so will review that shortly. Off to have a nice long soak in the bath now.
Friday 6 March 2009
What to do with an old YMCA building?
Today I went to the Faculty of Wellbeing at Sheffield Hallam University. Check out my sister blog The Salmon Leaping to discover what I was up to there, but the picture of Professor Winston below gives you an idea of some of the interactive learning simulation tools I witnessed.
When I pulled up in the taxi outside the new Faculty I thought to myself "I'm sure that used to be the YMCA." Sure enough, Sara who I was meeting confirmed that indeed it was once the YMCA. I spent a very memorable weekend at the Sheffield YMCA in the autumn of 1991. I was 17, and the world seemed to be my play ground. Everything was so exciting, meeting new people, singing in the YMCA Tensing band and choir, discovering new music, dancing late into the night and drinking beer. Wonderful memories. Although they are tinged with the knowledge that I always felt inadequate and unsure of myself. What I would give to be able to tell the 17 year old me not to worry and to not be unsure but just enjoy myself!
When I pulled up in the taxi outside the new Faculty I thought to myself "I'm sure that used to be the YMCA." Sure enough, Sara who I was meeting confirmed that indeed it was once the YMCA. I spent a very memorable weekend at the Sheffield YMCA in the autumn of 1991. I was 17, and the world seemed to be my play ground. Everything was so exciting, meeting new people, singing in the YMCA Tensing band and choir, discovering new music, dancing late into the night and drinking beer. Wonderful memories. Although they are tinged with the knowledge that I always felt inadequate and unsure of myself. What I would give to be able to tell the 17 year old me not to worry and to not be unsure but just enjoy myself!
Wednesday 4 March 2009
Highland holiday continued...
Going back to my weekend in Scotland...
After spending the afternoon on Nairn beach on Friday Lorraine and I went out for a lovely meal in the evening at 27 bar and restaurant We both had steak which was really fantastic. loads of mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, crispy onions, red cabbage and potato with the steak. We then went on for a couple of pints of Guinness and a taxi home before 11!
The next day we went to Cromarty and visited Lorraine's Aunt and Uncle. In Cromarty we had coffee at the Emporium please check out their website if just to read their home page which explains the ethos of the shop. I would sum it up as a place to share gossip, tell stories, find a book you never knew you wanted and listen to some surreal music. We were treated to "Music from the Westerns - of the small and silver screen" Rather appropriate as The Emporium has the feel of a frontier outpost. A shop that sells everything and offers all kinds of services for travelers and locals a like!
On Saturday night we watched Taken on DVD and I slept soundly after our excursions.
After spending the afternoon on Nairn beach on Friday Lorraine and I went out for a lovely meal in the evening at 27 bar and restaurant We both had steak which was really fantastic. loads of mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, crispy onions, red cabbage and potato with the steak. We then went on for a couple of pints of Guinness and a taxi home before 11!
The next day we went to Cromarty and visited Lorraine's Aunt and Uncle. In Cromarty we had coffee at the Emporium please check out their website if just to read their home page which explains the ethos of the shop. I would sum it up as a place to share gossip, tell stories, find a book you never knew you wanted and listen to some surreal music. We were treated to "Music from the Westerns - of the small and silver screen" Rather appropriate as The Emporium has the feel of a frontier outpost. A shop that sells everything and offers all kinds of services for travelers and locals a like!
On Saturday night we watched Taken on DVD and I slept soundly after our excursions.
Tuesday 3 March 2009
The bridge to Etruria
It's a wild night of weather for London tonight. I decided to walk home from Wimbledon and got soaked my umbrella rendered useless by the wind. It gave me the kind of cold weather headache I haven't had for years. It took me back to waiting on top of the hill for the school bus to arrive in Newquay or struggling over the bridge to Etruria in Stoke when I was a student.
The bridge to Etruria... sounds lovely doesn't it, kind of romantic. Well the bridge to Etruria has the rail way line one side just past the cemetery, a couple of toilet factories to the other side and don't forget the elevated dual carriage way in front of it. We lived on Garner Street which had most of its Victorian terrace houses demolished even when we lived there. At one end of the street was the toilet factory and the other Etruria Station (since closed.) At the toilet factory end there was a pub and post office run by Bedge and Reryl - really Reg and Beryl but the spoonerism stuck. The place was as bleak as a rock laid bare in the arctic wastes. We used to get frost on the kitchen floor and cups of tea would freeze over night if I left them near my bedroom window. We had unclassifiable mold growing on the walls and unidentified insects in the bath. Even Selina a biology undergraduate could not find the classification for said insects. Students today they don't know they're born!
The bridge to Etruria... sounds lovely doesn't it, kind of romantic. Well the bridge to Etruria has the rail way line one side just past the cemetery, a couple of toilet factories to the other side and don't forget the elevated dual carriage way in front of it. We lived on Garner Street which had most of its Victorian terrace houses demolished even when we lived there. At one end of the street was the toilet factory and the other Etruria Station (since closed.) At the toilet factory end there was a pub and post office run by Bedge and Reryl - really Reg and Beryl but the spoonerism stuck. The place was as bleak as a rock laid bare in the arctic wastes. We used to get frost on the kitchen floor and cups of tea would freeze over night if I left them near my bedroom window. We had unclassifiable mold growing on the walls and unidentified insects in the bath. Even Selina a biology undergraduate could not find the classification for said insects. Students today they don't know they're born!
Monday 2 March 2009
Photos from the Highlands
Click on the title above and you should be taken to my flickr photo set from my long weekend with Lorraine and Ben in Inverness. I had a wonderful time and will write more about it shortly. But for now you can have a look at the pics.
Returning to London was a shock to the system. Rush, rush, rush. I am trying so hard to resist all the rushing and just slow down. We will see how long it lasts!
Returning to London was a shock to the system. Rush, rush, rush. I am trying so hard to resist all the rushing and just slow down. We will see how long it lasts!
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