#which... the restaurant we were at is less than 10 mins from my house so you can imagine the uh Overwhelmingness | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

businessconsiderations · 1 month

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Country Roads

Drove to Ohio for spring break. Brought the kids with me. You stayed in Florida and picked up a bonus teaching assignment for extra money and avoided the cost of boarding the dog. That'll pay for the younger kids' summer soccer camps.

The past several summers driving this, I've done it in one shot with the kids, 15 hrs, 6a to 9a. But I didn't have that in me this time. Broke the trip up into 2 days, drove an an hour or so past the halfway point and used points for a Hampton Inn of I-77 in Elkin, NC.

The drives felt so less pressured, more relaxed. Had time on Saturday morning to go for a run, take the dog for a walk with you, pack up the suitcases and load the van in the morning, rather than the night before which I hate doing.

We had morning snacks, lunch and afternoon snacks in a cooler. Emergency bathroom stops were stress-free because we knew we'd be eating dinner on the road and in no hurry.

We discovered Statesville, NC. Had a dinner at a local place on their main street which I think was called Broad Street. A woman about my age, maybe a few years younger, with her husband and two kids with her, walked into the restaurant with a glass of beer and seemed surprised they wouldn't seat her. They left and returned a few minutes later, her holding her empty glass.

We attempted to return the 4 DVDs we'd rented the night before to the Redbox at the gas station next to our hotel, but the machine wasn't working. Had to drive 10 min into Elkin to find the closest Redbox outside a Food Lion.

I apologized to the dad and daughter waiting their turn. Told them we were driving from FL to OH, returning 4, renting 3 more for tomorrow. He was so friendly and said, "that's alright" in his NC accent after every question he asked me like "you can watch those in your car?" and "how you liking our town?" and "where you staying?" His daughter was silent for the duration of the interaction until we said our goodbyes when she said, "it was nice meeting y'all."

The Hampton Inn was nice, they always seem to be. Everyone working there at the same friendly NC demeanor and accent. Clerk at the front desk pointed to the kids to complimentary popcorn and cookies.

We got an early start the next day. North Carolina was pretty in the morning, spring had almost sprung, there were white blossoms on a few of the trees here and there. The vistas through the Blue Ridge mountains in Virginia were as lovely as ever.

Stopped at the first Starbucks in West Virginia. While I waiting for my Americano, I overheard two elderly Asian people having a conversation in a language I didn't understand except for when the woman said to the man, "West Virginia, mountain mama," in the middle of whatever she was saying.

Crossed the Ohio River, the views got bleaker, the skies got greyer, unplanted cornfield after unplanted cornfield. Got to my mom's house around in mid-afternoon, she had a spread of snacks for the kids. They pounded a pound of shrimp, along with chips, pretzels, crackers and cheese.

After dinner the snow flurries came. Plans for the week consist of the dinners and desserts my mom and my brother and sister-in-law will be making us. The cold will be a nice change of pace. Looking forward to healthy and active and fun and interesting and busy spring and summer back in FL with you.

#regrets never dream

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sylvinuk-turkey · 11 months

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As mentioned in the last post, we slept until 9a, almost 12 hours for me and more than for Gokay.

The all inclusive breakfast ends at 10, so we slowly got ready and made our way to breakfast. Again a lovely spread, they even had an egg/omelette station.

Once we finished we got our bathing suits and bathrobes on and headed back to the pools that I explained in yesterdays post. No one was there!

During breakfast we noticed the thermal geyser wasn’t on, so we started in the top mud pool hoping it would be a little less hot. Although it was still very warm it was not as hot as yesterday. So, we stayed there for about 5 min. Then went down to the pool under the waterfall. Then, after a quick cold outdoor shower we went into the pool. We also had some of the thermal mineral water from the tap. We went back and forth 3 times but then we had to go around 11:50, as checkout was technically noon, but we got it pushed to 12:45p so we could take a shower and pack up.

Worried about it starting to rain again, after looking at the weather, we checked out and walked to the van bus stop to get back to Denizli. While waiting the mosque that was behind the stop made a loud speaker announcement saying they were “pouring Lokma” to offset the sins of a recently deceased person. Lokma is usually dropped dough balls into hot oil, but in are case they were small donuts. A nice little snack for us.

We got to the bus station around 1:50, used the restroom and were able to catch a 2:30p Pamukkale bus (it’s a bus company too) to Izmir. It’s a 3+ hour drive. We arrived around 6:30 into Izmir where a family friend of my grandfather and his wife met us.

We drove to a fish restaurant for dinner right along the water which was beautiful but I didn’t take any pictures. There was a lot of traffic, so we didn’t start dinner until 7:45p. But we also didn’t finish eating until 10. It’s because the fish we picked out and the method takes about an hour. But definitely was a show when it came out! It’s a raw fish that they cover in a mixture of salt and egg whites, which turns into a hard crust. Then they bake it for 30 min to an hour. This way it stays moist on the inside. Then for presentation they put a little alcohol on top and set it on fire and crack the salt mixture off in front of you.

Once dinner was finished drove us to their beautiful house outside of the small town of Urla, near some wineries. When we arrived around 11:30p we were so tired so we went right to sleep.

#turkey #travel #food #hot spring #termal #izmir

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genius11rare · 3 years

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AH ChitChat Notes 3 22 21

Chitchat 32221 with Jeremy , michael and matt ft disembodied voices of lindsay and maybe kaden , gus in chat and joins

Jeremy: Kaden spoke up because of donuts earlier… Michael: Jacks time is over now… but he will be on stream later. Jeremy: oh yeah schedule. Slight last minute changes doing Fall Guys first cuz S4 came out… me michael lindsay and matt did a letsplay in it earlier today … gus will be doing fall guys this stream (eyyy)... oh yeah and i wanna impersonate what jack does. Matt: do it. Jeremy: and if you're watching on the site we can see your chat like FatHippoHippo wrote BET in all capitals … yeah i just wanted to get into the spirit and be like “what would jack do, what would he think is funny” and that was it. Lindsay: alsoone of those WWJD bracelets from the 90s What Would Jack Do… (matt: ive repurposed them) Jeremy: so how are you doing? Lindsay: good weekend i guess , just telling Matt we watched Big Hero 6 yesterday (Jeremy: aw hell yell) still an awesome movie , kids loved it. Jeremy: where they scared of - idk if he has a name the kabuki villain… *looking it up* apparently its Yokai… guess they never really say it cuz that's generic. Lindsay: that's VERY generic. Michael: IVE GOT TO TAKE THIS CALL *facecam becomes void* Jeremy: ok spoiler alert for Big Hero 6 but just looking at the wiki… it makes an audacious claim. It says “professor robert calahan OR ALSO BETTER KNOW as his villain name Yokai”... is it? Lindsay: well its based on a comic right so i guess canonically he has a name…. But to answer your question No they werent scared … anyway something we noticed upon rewatching is that 2 characters before a MAJOR event happens to the fistbump… but DON'T do the explosion… like oooohhh foreshadowing. Michael: not really foreshadowing if they keep doing it throughout the movie , if anything its foreshadowing that like… hell… whats the robots name - baymax learning it… not really foreshadowing the building explodes (gen notes MAJOR EVENT) … what blew my mind was that movie has a post credits scene. Jeremy: oh yeah was it like with the dudes father. Michael: Fred yeah! Remember remarking upon them entering the house theres a portrait of the dad and i just went “his dads just Stan Lee… just a portrait of him” Post credits scene and guys talking to painting and - wasn't paying attention but he like hits his head on it and the wall opens up to show a superhero room with paraphernalia everywhere and Stan Lee walks in like “son we got a lot to talk about” Jeremy: Chat asking about if i watched the wrestling PayPerView… remember how i updated you last that the guy died in the ring after being set on fire (Michael: lemme guess hes a zombie now) - yep exactly last night a hand reached up and grabbed someones leg , he came out of the smoke with a melted messed up mask so yeah…. Hes a furry (i think?) zombie clown Michael: hey wait a minute let me read the chat , someone named Gus said “whoa no idea there was a post credit scene” “what is a fastfood restaurant combo wish would open” Lindsay: Miss my KenTaco Hutt… Michael: idk im usually just in the mood for SOMETHING , not looking to combine , only time is when i want a certain food and they don't have the same sides i want other places have . like Sonic is amazing for sides , apps and drinks… don't care for entrees , but if i could get Sonic sides at McDonalds or Taco bell or something.. Jeremy: guess in the same vein id combine Dairy Queen with a lot of places (Matt: i was about to say) to get a BLIZZARD with whatever. Matt: that's how it usually goes anyway , you get the food , you drive by the Dairy Queen and get a desert - you don't get the food at Dairy Queen cuz why - just why Lindsay: i mean theres icecream but there isnt really fastfood places for other deserts… like theres not really a Cake or Cupcake place (Matt: not yet *tilts head at camera like “you know what i want”* ) there IS the cupcake ATM Matt: alright checking the google… Michael: Matts checking the driving distance. Jeremy: another questions whil matts looking up cakes (Matt: oh i already have it) nevermind then. Conware asks “what is your fave controller for console and whats fave controller you own” Jeremy: Idk really… i know for a while everyones was the Elite 2 Michael: yeah just most comfortable. Matt: well that's like a specialty type… if its a stock one then the switch pro controller is pretty good. Michael: i mean i also have this 8Bit do SNES bluetooth controller thing , love it Lindsay: i love the nintendo switch controller grip… makes it feel like it curves comfy around your palms Jeremy: the XBOX sea of thieves one is great (Matt: i was about to say…) got a glow in the dark skull in the middle , RT is like a gold tooth , is partly see through Matt: and it comes with some exclusive stuff for Sea of Thieves Lindsay: yeah like Motion Sickness. Matt: i got one that's just a donut. Lindsay: gave me an idea… you know how theres Pez Dispensers (matt: heard of them) yeah and how you don't really even use them right you just eat the candy and play with the thing ( *matt nods approvingly* yeah about right) what if we invent a controller where every once in a while it opens up to give a snack. (Matt: yeah like everytime you get an achievement, Jeremy: yeah i did good! Just go up to the controller and eat it) “You Are Good Boy” Matt: be funnier if it just throws at you “everyone have a fave seasons and followup do you like seasons where you grew up or where you are now?” Jeremy: i mean springs probably my fave its easy to be outside , not boiling hot nor snow everywhere… great time to camp and fish , falls cool with changing colors… texas is like “do you want REALLY hot or hot?” Michael: i do really like Fall on the East Coast but its like - yeah i miss it and its nice to be there when it happens where its light jacket weather. I used to wear sweatshirts all the time - i don't bother with long sleeves in texas cuz i know im taking it off within 30 min… never knew about the Water Cup thing until i lived in texas where restaurants just HAVE water cups… blew my mind its free - because people will drop dead . noticed they just have this seperate stack of clear cups which is i guess like “i BETTER not see any soda in that cup THAT'S A WATER CUP!”. I don't like it when its 105 degrees but i do like being able to just wear Tshirts most of the year and not dealing with snow Lindsay: i like Fall the most cuz like its blend of i guess i embrace the basic bitch stereo types of fall , want my pumpkin spice latee but ALSO i know halloween is coming and ive said before how THAT'S like my religious holiday so like… i come alive. Matt: probably fall , maybe winter. I don't go out much but fall is like the right amount of cool but not TOO cool. Jeremy: over the weekend me and kat went to a town called rockfort (i think?) which is like right on the ocean , the weather was a little cold for it , like 50 maybe and the sea breeze made it chillier… im not really a beach person just more water. You say beach and you think like Boogie Boarding Bros (Michael: whoooaah boogie. Lindsay: beach volleyball) yeah .. id reather be on a rocky shore than a sandy beach. Michael: youd rather be like a mermaid sitting on the rocks *jeremy laughs loud* is that what you're saying Jeremy: yeah Matt: attracting sailors to their DOOM Lindsay: i gotta send you a link but theres this one TikTokker i guess that i watch that talks about that an eastern european beach she went to and was like “i cant wait to go on my beach outting yeah!” and she gets there its rocky , really windy , noones there and goes “ooh its really cold” Matt: depends the kind of beach to me… for me East Coast beaches SUCK *jeremy nods yep* its water you cant see anything in its terrible Lindsay: that's also texas beaches , all brown. Matt: its just one of those things where you get in the water and your like “ok… at anymoment i could be attacked by everything around me” Michael: well that can happen on land too matt (Gen Notes WELCOHME TA JOISEY!!!) (paraphrasing jeremy here) Jeremy: theres this guy who flys a drone out over beaches into the ocean , and he released the footage… apparently due to there being a lot less people now theres just Great White Sharks that go relatively close to beaches now… there are times where hes filming people playing and like 10 ft away is a fucking shark ya know just swimming. And cuz they're really far away hed be like “id see it , film it , then go to a lifeguard and show it like “oh btw…” “ Michael: so you know 2 hours ago someone may have been eaten. MattL he should put a speaker on the drone to like announce the sharks like HEY! DEATH OUT THERE!. Lindsay: “whats that Dronie? Theres a shark in the water?!?” Jeremy: and it was funny seeing that behavior where everyonce and a while a shark would be swimming then someone would do something near it not seeing the shark and the shark just goes “fuck dat” and swims away MattL god dude…. So close to death *gus joins* Lindsay: oh you're the guy who was like Texas beaches have Tar Gus: oh yeah i grew up in texas and i thought all beaches were like that just “oh you don't sit on the tar”

#text #gen notes #ah #achievement hunter #chit chat #chitchat #march 2021 #michael jones #jeremy dooley #stream #live stream #notes #idk what else to tag #qna #for later

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chill-that-ur-inmyhead · 4 years

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heartbreak prince

Have you ever tried Turkish Delight? yes and it’s not my thing

Do you have a Vietnamese restaurant in your town or city? I think so

Do you or have you ever owned a portable gaming console? yes, PSP and Nintendo ah the good ol’ days

Have you ever been in a car with a sunroof? I don’t know if I have maybe??? but it’s not sticking in my mind clearly

Do you have to have an occasion to eat out or do you just do it for fun? If I am meeting friends then we eat out

Have you opened a letter today? nope

How far away is the closest cinema from your house? less than 10 min walk away

Have you ever been to the emergency room? nope

Are you one of those people who can’t go without their morning coffee? nah

Have you ever worn fake eyelashes? nope

Do you know the story of how your parents met? If so, tell me? yes, met while working for the same company and the rest is history

What is your favourite Chinese food? chicken chow mein

Would you ever work at a movie theatre? my friend used to and said it was awful so nah

Do you have a phone charger in your car? nope

Do you live far from your parents? currently live with them rn

Have you ever submitted a video to Funniest Home Videos? nope

Have you ever been attracted to an authority figure? nope

Do you think you have a wide vocabulary? I try to widen it everyday

What was the last hot food you ate? beef stew

Have you ever seen a meteor shower? nope but sounds cute

Describe your current position: sitting on my bed cross-legged and singing along to taylor swift

Have you used a microwave today? nope

What was the last electronic device you purchased? a blender for my smoothies

Have you ever slept through an alarm? yes

Do you have any celebrity crushes? YES, the Queen herself Taylor Swift and more recently saoirse ronan and timothee chalamet

Do you prefer going out for coffee or brewing your own? going out

Have you consumed caffeine today? If so, in what form? in the form of dark chocolate

Do you have lactose intolerance or know anyone who does? yes, doesn’t sound fun

Do you know anyone who follows a raw vegan diet and lifestyle? wow no

Have you killed a bug this week? probably

What was the first food you learned how to cook? omelette

Do you have a Bachelor’s degree? If so, what in? Yes! English literature

How many email accounts do you have? two

Can you go see a doctor alone or do you like to take someone with you? I can go alone

Have you ever made your own pasta noodles from scratch? nope

How close is the nearest park from your house? like less than 5 mins away Which household chore do you hate the most? cooking is sometimes effort

Have you ever been to an all-you-can-eat buffet? yes

Can you see out any windows from where you are? It’s late so I have the curtains drawn

Do you like pineapple on pizza? I haven’t opted for it before but I might

What colour is your soap? clear

Is anything bothering you right now? yes, the lack of jobs getting back to me

When’s the last time you had a headache? a couple of weeks ago

What woke you up this morning? my alarm

Are you planning to go see a movie anytime soon? nope, even though I have my cinema membership, what a joke

Will you sleep alone tonight? yes

How do you feel right now? like I am ready for sleep

Is shyness cute? no

Will you be up before 7:00 a.m. tomorrow? no way haha

What are your plans for tonight? sleep

Would you rather write in pink pen or blue pen? pink is cute

Have you ever kissed the last person you text messaged? nope

Who was the last person you cried in front of? my family

Are your eyes the same colour as your dad’s? nope his are a light blue whereas mine are greeny blue

Have you smoked a cigarette in the past 24 hours? nope

Were you happy when you woke up today? nope

Are you the youngest sibling? yes

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pgoeltz · 4 years

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Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting* You are not crazy, my friends Julio Vincent Gambuto Julio Vincent Gambuto Follow Apr 10 · 9 min read

Gaslighting, if you don’t know the word, is defined as manipulation into doubting your own sanity; as in, Carl made Mary think she was crazy, even though she clearly caught him cheating. He gaslit her.

*Gaslighting, if you don’t know the word, is defined as manipulation into doubting your own sanity; as in, Carl made Mary think she was crazy, even though she clearly caught him cheating. He gaslit her.

Pretty soon, as the country begins to figure out how we “open back up” and move forward, very powerful forces will try to convince us all to get back to normal. (That never happened. What are you talking about?) Billions of dollars will be spent on advertising, messaging, and television and media content to make you feel comfortable again. It will come in the traditional forms — a billboard here, a hundred commercials there — and in new-media forms: a 2020–2021 generation of memes to remind you that what you want again is normalcy. In truth, you want the feeling of normalcy, and we all want it. We want desperately to feel good again, to get back to the routines of life, to not lie in bed at night wondering how we’re going to afford our rent and bills, to not wake to an endless scroll of human tragedy on our phones, to have a cup of perfectly brewed coffee, and simply leave the house for work. The need for comfort will be real, and it will be strong. And every brand in America will come to your rescue, dear consumer, to help take away that darkness and get life back to the way it was before the crisis. I urge you to be well aware of what is coming.

For the last hundred years, the multibillion-dollar advertising business has operated based on this cardinal principle: Find the consumer’s problem and fix it with your product. When the problem is practical and tactical, the solution is “as seen on TV” and available at Home Depot. Command strips will save me from having to repaint. So will Mr. Clean’s Magic Eraser. Elfa shelving will get rid of the mess in my closet. The Ring doorbell will let me see who’s on the porch if I can’t take my eyes off Netflix. But when the problem is emotional, the fix becomes a new staple in your life, and you become a lifelong loyalist. Coca-Cola makes you: happy. A Mercedes makes you: successful. Taking your kids to Disneyland makes you: proud. Smart marketers know how to highlight what brands can do for you to make your life easier. But brilliant marketers know how to rewire your heart. And, make no mistake, the heart is what has been most traumatized this last month. We are, as a society, now vulnerable in a whole new way.

What the trauma has shown us, though, cannot be unseen. A carless Los Angeles has clear blue skies as pollution has simply stopped. In a quiet New York, you can hear the birds chirp in the middle of Madison Avenue. Coyotes have been spotted on the Golden Gate Bridge. These are the postcard images of what the world might be like if we could find a way to have a less deadly daily effect on the planet. What’s not fit for a postcard are the other scenes we have witnessed: a health care system that cannot provide basic protective equipment for its frontline; small businesses — and very large ones — that do not have enough cash to pay their rent or workers, sending over 16 million people to seek unemployment benefits; a government that has so severely damaged the credibility of our media that 300 million people don’t know who to listen to for basic facts that can save their lives.

The cat is out of the bag. We, as a nation, have deeply disturbing problems. You’re right. That’s not news. They are problems we ignore every day, not because we’re terrible people or because we don’t care about fixing them, but because we don’t have time. Sorry, we have other shit to do. The plain truth is that no matter our ethnicity, religion, gender, political party (the list goes on), nor even our socioeconomic status, as Americans we share this: We are busy. We’re out and about hustling to make our own lives work. We have goals to meet and meetings to attend and mortgages to pay — all while the phone is ringing and the laptop is pinging. And when we get home, Crate and Barrel and Louis Vuitton and Andy Cohen make us feel just good enough to get up the next day and do it all over again. It is very easy to close your eyes to a problem when you barely have enough time to close them to sleep. The greatest misconception among us, which causes deep and painful social and political tension every day in this country, is that we somehow don’t care about each other. White people don’t care about the problems of black America. Men don’t care about women’s rights. Cops don’t care about the communities they serve. Humans don’t care about the environment. These couldn’t be further from the truth. We do care. We just don’t have the time to do anything about it. Maybe that’s just me. But maybe it’s you, too.

Well, the treadmill you’ve been on for decades just stopped. Bam! And that feeling you have right now is the same as if you’d been thrown off your Peloton bike and onto the ground: What in the holy fuck just happened? I hope you might consider this: What happened is inexplicably incredible. It’s the greatest gift ever unwrapped. Not the deaths, not the virus, but The Great Pause. It is, in a word, profound. Please don’t recoil from the bright light beaming through the window. I know it hurts your eyes. It hurts mine, too. But the curtain is wide open. What the crisis has given us is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see ourselves and our country in the plainest of views. At no other time, ever in our lives, have we gotten the opportunity to see what would happen if the world simply stopped. Here it is. We’re in it. Stores are closed. Restaurants are empty. Streets and six-lane highways are barren. Even the planet itself is rattling less (true story). And because it is rarer than rare, it has brought to light all of the beautiful and painful truths of how we live. And that feels weird. Really weird. Because it has… never… happened… before. If we want to create a better country and a better world for our kids, and if we want to make sure we are even sustainable as a nation and as a democracy, we have to pay attention to how we feel right now. I cannot speak for you, but I imagine you feel like I do: devastated, depressed, and heartbroken.

And what a perfect time for Best Buy and H&M and Wal-Mart to help me feel normal again. If I could just have the new iPhone in my hand, if I could rest my feet on a pillow of new Nikes, if I could drink a venti blonde vanilla latte or sip a Diet Coke, then this very dark feeling would go away. You think I’m kidding, that I’m being cute, that I’m denying the very obvious benefits of having a roaring economy. You’re right. Our way of life is not ruinous. The economy is not, at its core, evil. Brands and their products create millions of jobs. Like people — and most anything in life — there are brands that are responsible and ethical, and there are others that are not. They are all part of a system that keeps us living long and strong. We have lifted more humans out of poverty through the power of economics than any other civilization in history. Yes, without a doubt, Americanism is a force for good. It is not some villainous plot to wreak havoc and destroy the planet and all our souls along with it. I get it, and I agree. But its flaws have been laid bare for all to see. It doesn’t work for everyone. It’s responsible for great destruction. It is so unevenly distributed in its benefit that three men own more wealth than 150 million people. Its intentions have been perverted, and the protection it offers has disappeared. In fact, it’s been brought to its knees by one pangolin.

And so the onslaught is coming. Get ready, my friends. What is about to be unleashed on American society will be the greatest campaign ever created to get you to feel normal again. It will come from brands, it will come from government, it will even come from each other, and it will come from the left and from the right. We will do anything, spend anything, believe anything, just so we can take away how horribly uncomfortable all of this feels. And on top of that, just to turn the screw that much more, will be the one effort that’s even greater: the all-out blitz to make you believe you never saw what you saw. The air wasn’t really cleaner; those images were fake. The hospitals weren’t really a war zone; those stories were hyperbole. The numbers were not that high; the press is lying. You didn’t see people in masks standing in the rain risking their lives to vote. Not in America. You didn’t see the leader of the free world push an unproven miracle drug like a late-night infomercial salesman. That was a crisis update. You didn’t see homeless people dead on the street. You didn’t see inequality. You didn’t see indifference. You didn’t see utter failure of leadership and systems.

But you did. You are not crazy, my friends. And so we are about to be gaslit in a truly unprecedented way. It starts with a check for $1,200 (Don’t say I never gave you anything) and then it will be so big that it will be bigly. And it will be a one-two punch from both big business and the big White House — inextricably intertwined now more than ever and being led by, as our luck would have it, a Marketer in Chief. Business and government are about to band together to knock us unconscious again. It will be funded like no other operation in our lifetimes. It will be fast. It will be furious. And it will be overwhelming. The Great American Return to Normal is coming.

From one citizen to another, I beg of you: Take a deep breath, ignore the deafening noise, and think deeply about what you want to put back into your life. This is our chance to define a new version of normal, a rare and truly sacred (yes, sacred) opportunity to get rid of the bullshit and to only bring back what works for us, what makes our lives richer, what makes our kids happier, what makes us truly proud. We get to Marie Kondo the shit out of it all. We care deeply about one another. That is clear. That can be seen in every supportive Facebook post, in every meal dropped off for a neighbor, in every Zoom birthday party. We are a good people. And as a good people, we want to define — on our own terms — what this country looks like in five, 10, 50 years. This is our chance to do that, the biggest one we have ever gotten. And the best one we’ll ever get.

We can do that on a personal scale in our homes, in how we choose to spend our family time on nights and weekends, what we watch, what we listen to, what we eat, and what we choose to spend our dollars on and where. We can do it locally in our communities, in what organizations we support, what truths we tell, and what events we attend. And we can do it nationally in our government, in which leaders we vote in and to whom we give power. If we want cleaner air, we can make it happen. If we want to protect our doctors and nurses from the next virus — and protect all Americans — we can make it happen. If we want our neighbors and friends to earn a dignified income, we can make that happen. If we want millions of kids to be able to eat if suddenly their school is closed, we can make that happen. And, yes, if we just want to live a simpler life, we can make that happen, too. But only if we resist the massive gaslighting that is about to come. It’s on its way. Look out.

—

Note: The author and Medium have made minor tweaks since initial publication.

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thedisneydoc · 4 years

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Best Coast: Adventureland

I recently became a fan of the Lost Bros Co’s Oh Boy! The Podcast. I’ve been learning a lot of great things about Walt Disney World (WDW) that I have never heard before, and I am loving the recommendations, tips, and bits of knowledge and nostalgia that they share. Since Disneyland (DL) is my “home park,” it’s always fascinating to learn more about how the other park lives. The Lost Bros also play some pretty entertaining “games” on their show that incorporate their opinions and creative ideas. In one of their first episodes, they play something like West Coast vs. East Coast, aka DL vs. WDW, where they compared the same attractions and rides from each park. To them, DL took the cake on the majority of rides, even though the Lost Bros themselves are WDW locals. After my 2 trips to WDW in 2018, I’ve been comparing the parks myself as well. So as a DL native, “let’s get down to business” and find out what the West Coast thinks as well.

I’m going to go land by land and space each post out, because if this were just one whole post, you’d be reading a full book at that point.

Adventureland (TL;DR Disneyland wins!)

Adventureland is my favorite (follow up post on “Lands That I Love” to follow). When you first walk into the park and go up Main Street USA, you first hit “the Hub” (with or without grass to sit on, depending on your park) where the road spikes off into different directions and your journey begins depending on which land you run to first. Well, I always veer to the left and begin my day at Adventureland, so I’m going to start here first.

WDW: The biggest advantage WDW has is space. There’s TONS of it in Florida, unlike in tiny Anaheim, CA. So it’s great that they have more to work with over there. One of the things I do love about WDW’s version is that they have a whole Pirates of the Caribbean dedicated section (Caribbean Plaza) with this AMAZING scavenger hunt quest game that I will cover in a later post. And they have a whole restaurant devoted to the Jungle Cruise and its dad joke puns, which is one of my favorite things ever. That being said, I still think DL is the winner here.

DL: While smaller, it has much more of a jungle adventure vibe with towering, lush tropical plants and trees than WDW, which is much more open and goes with the desert Bazaar feeling instead. I definitely get the feeling that I’m isolated in a mysterious jungle somewhere, and I’m just a sucker for that old-timey, vintage adventurer and tiki aesthetic. That feeling is just missing for me somehow at WDW. Plus we now have one of the best snack spots ever, The Tropical Hideaway! It’s no Jungle Navigation Co. Skipper Canteen, but I can’t complain. Dole Whip is my favorite Disney snack and I’ll admit that I stan that exclusive chile-mango whip real hard. We also have the major advantage of being home to The Indiana Jones Adventure, which I won’t compare with WDW since it doesn’t really have an equivalent ride. But in my opinion, just having Indy alone puts the DL Adventureland wayyyyy in the lead. Now in terms of comparing similar rides and attractions...

The Enchanted Tiki Room: While I have to agree with the Lost Bros Co and say that the inside show is pretty much the same, I have to say that the DL version still surpasses the WDW version because of its pre-show and its new Dole Whip snack service at Tropical Hideaway. At DL the preshow allows you to eat a Dole Whip and sit down while you watch each of the enchanted Polynesian god totems come to life. The totems each share their name and a little backstory about their part in the Polynesian mythology while giving a specific animatronic performance. The fun part, especially for kids, is the scavenger hunt feeling you get when you follow the totems around the preshow area and try to find out which totem is speaking and from where. Plus the detail inside Tropical Hideaway, from magic lamps and carpets to the infamous missing Rosita telling corny Jungle Cruise-worthy jokes, is top notch. In contrast, the WDW world version has you standing in a little amphitheater setting to watch two animatronic birds share their personal story of the Jungle Cruise with you, which is a little more meh for me. And there’s hardly any space for you to sit and enjoy your Dole Whip.

The Jungle Cruise: This one is a little tough. This is one of my favorite rides ever, not only because it serves me tons of that vintage exploration aesthetic vibe I love, but also because I an unashamedly obsessed with the dad joke script. I’ve ridden this thing so many times, I can recite any version of the script and be your Skipper myself. In fact, if I worked at Disney, one of my dream roles is to be a Jungle Cruise Skipper. I love love love the DL version and its classic scenes, like the ambush from the natives and the piranhas. Plus I’m used to seeing our version of Trader Sam and was shocked to see a completely different guy at the WDW one. According to the Imagineering backstory, they actually ARE 2 different Sam’s! They happen to be cousins who each opened up their own trading business on opposite coasts. There’s also almost never a wait at the DL one, averaging at about 10-15 min whenever I walk by (30-40 min is maybe the most I’ve ever seen). The queue is a little cramped and small, but I love waiting in the 2-story building and looking at all the Jungle Cruise memorabilia on the walls and the cute rooms/scenes set up inside it (reminiscent of Swiss Family Robinson Tree House back when it used to be at DL). It also has a bomb Jungle Cruise logo sign on the front. In contrast, the WDW queue is a more open and airy, allowing those huge, life-saving fans on the ceiling to do their work. There is some interactive element in the line, but less so than many of the other, more entertaining queues at Magic Kingdom (MK). I remember something about a hissing tarantula in a cage near the end of the line, but it was broken when I visited. I also loved the witty menu and accident signs on the dock right before you board your boat. But the wait time always seems outrageously longer than it should be for this ride, and somehow FastPasses distribute quicker than I would have expected. On the ride, I also really liked the temple tunnel at WDW that we don’t have at DL. For those who have never been on it, there’s a decent stretch of river that goes inside the ruins of a temple through an enclosed tunnel. It allowed for some cool effects and scenes in the dark, but cuts off the flow of the Skipper’s script. The Skipper literally has to stop talking because the microphone would echo too much. In addition to the ride, they have claim to a very fun and punny restaurant overflowing with Imagineering secrets and Jungle Cruise memorabilia. Not only is the atmosphere and theming on point, but the menu is DELICIOUS at the Skipper Canteen. Finally, they regularly get a Christmas overhaul for the Jingle Cruise, which is fantastic. I’ve never been to the WDW Jingle Cruise, but they did it only once (maybe twice) at DL that I can remember, and I loved the Christmas decorations both inside and outside the ride. The Christmas puns were also a nice change. But overall, in terms of the ride, I have to give it to DL’s Jungle Cruise for the overall immersive experience and aesthetic, but I might just be biased because that’s the one I grew up with. I also think there’s a richer opportunity for jokes at the DL one.

Treehouse: Ok, when I was a kid, DL is the one who used to have the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse and it was one of my favorite things to explore. I was obsessed with playing house and going adventures as a kid, so I loved seeing how someone could build a home in a tropical tree. Then it became the Tarzan treehouse walkthrough. The theming is very cool and the storytelling is great, but as a child afraid of loud noises and jump scares, that stupid jaguar, Sabor, and his snarl scared the shit out of me and has traumatized me good. I still don’t like him and have to scoot quickly around him with my fingers stuffed in my ears. But otherwise, the treehouse is a good little cardio climb. So, again, I am a little biased because of a nostalgia factor, and WDW wins since they now have the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. But objectively, I can see how that’s really boring to many people without a history like mine, so I will give DL the point for taking advantage of the already existing treehouse structure and turning it into a self-paced story walkthrough based on one of their popular films (kind of like Sleeping Beauty’s Castle).

While Pirates of the Caribbean lives at Adventureland in WDW, I’m going to leave off comparing that one for when I discuss “America Lands” next time.

So that’s part 1 of many many comparisons to come. Again, take my opinions with a grain of salt since I grew up at DL, but you’ll see that there’s a lot at WDW that I love more than DL too. See ya, pal!

PC: the.disney.doc

#adventureland #disneyland #walt disney world #waltdisneyworld #disney parks #disney resort #disney california adventure #disneycaliforniaadventure #magic kingdom #disney life #disney blog #the lost bros #the lost bros co #oh boy the podcast

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danscape · 4 years

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Annapurna Circuit - Day 3 - Jagat to Dharapani - 22/10/2018

8.7 Miles

5 Hours 40 Mins Walking + 1 Hour for Lunch

Starting Elevation 1350m

Finish Elevation 1914m

The sound of the alarm no my phone came as a relief from a sleepless night. Time to pack up and stock up on some warm breakfast carbs. Emerging from our guesthouse at the top of the village we stepped onto the already busy trail. Looking ahead the valley conveyed a different feeling from the day before. Richer greens clinging to the sides, steeper more awe-inspiring cliffs faces, and the winding trail enticing us onwards.

The morning’s trek followed the road down towards the river. At one point having to squeeze past a working JCB improving the road and within a few moments stopping to stare at one of the most beautiful waterfalls along the trail. The waterfall crashing down behind a little restaurant was a glimpse into the kind of idyllic settings that could be found along the trail but now contrasted with the progress of the road bringing more noise and more visitors.

Stopping to photography the waterfall the constant gathering of people indicated we were now heading towards the busier sections of the trail. More trekkers, more guides and more giant packs being lugged into the mountains.

The trail weaved through a couple of smaller villages before turning to cross the river. On the short walk down to the bridge, a guide was chatting to us about the surroundings and went on to talk football, being a big Chelsea fan and once apparently having seen John Terry and David Beckham on the routes in Nepal. A lot of the porters passing us lived in the Kathmandu region but come out here for the trekking season to earn money. Some porters carrying the heavy loads seemed less seasoned than others, wearing ripped jeans and trainers that seemed out of place here in the mountains.

Once over the busy bridge, the trail was now separated from the road and felt more peaceful as we gradually climbed with rocks beneath our feet and surrounded by trees. There were a few steep climbs to overcome the terrain, often frustratingly followed by descent before climbing again. One particularly long climb was really hard going for me. At the top, and in need of the energy, I was delighted to see a little snack shop where I could pick up a snickers and take a breather before catching up with Ryan & Andrew.

There’s a dramatic, temporary shift in the landscape as you approach Tal. We stepped through an archway which marked the entrance to the Manang district and suddenly the narrow gorge opened up ahead. A wide bed of bright sediment and blue waters, almost completely flat and seemed to push back the giant cliff faces at either side. Ahead, perched on the side of the river looking almost like a beachside resort was the village of Tal basking in the midday sun.

Stopping for lunch in Tal, we watched as the steady stream of trekkers meandered past or jumped into a teahouse for a break. On the table next to us we started chatting with a trekker also from England who we would see every day from now on who was given the nickname ‘Harrogate’.

Tal is a boldly colourful village, all the buildings painted in vibrant colours and bright flowers emerging from the gardens. After a few moments photographing some of the colours and flowers around the village it was time to move on.

Leaving Tal we passed what I think was the first set of prayer wheels (possibly missed others along the route) and started another gradual climb passing through the last few houses of the village. The afternoon trekking was about the same distance as we’d covered in the morning but it felt like half the effort. The beauty of the valley we were now walking into and the quietness of the trail made every step easier along the way.

We were now experiencing the traditional ‘Nepali flat’ as the path repeatedly climbed and descended to overcome the terrain while overall staying at around the same altitude. The high points were perfect vantage points to take in this beautiful stretch of the circuit. Ahead were triangular green peaks and the winding river. Behind us, the wider flat valley and village of Tal sunk between giant steep cliffs.

To kill time as we walked, Andrew decided to tell (in some detail) the story of Lord of the Rings to Ryan who hadn’t read the books or seen the film. The story was briefly interrupted as we encountered a farmer herding goats and had to let them pass.

Reaching Dharapani we wandered through the town deciding to head for a guesthouse at the far end of the village, where rooms might be more plentiful. We ended up at the Green Park Guesthouse, a colourful affair with beautiful gardens. We ended up with two rooms this evening and due to a lack of sleep on previous nights I was granted permission to take a room on my own. After a quick warm shower, we headed down to the dining room to enjoy the usual chai tea and dal bhat for dinner. There was a small crowd around the single dining table, all happy to chat over dinner. Here we met more trekkers we’d see each day for the next week or so. The latest arrival to the guesthouse was a french solo trekker who had walked all the way from Besisahar to Dharapani completing our 2-day trek in a single day and planned to do much the same for the few days ahead. Admirable, but very different to my ideal trek making the most of the best parts of the trail without feeling the need to be anywhere.

The final few hours of the day were spent chatting about a range of subjects. A couple on part of their honeymoon who’s guide had picked some of the wild marijuana along the trail decided to nip out for a smoke. While inside I was pleased to have my aged guessed at 10 years younger than I am, and importantly 10 years younger than Ryan.

I managed much more sleep this evening but I did wake in the night for a trip along the balcony to find the toilet. On the way back to the room as my eyes adjusted to the dark the silhouettes of the giant cliffs around with charcoal silhouettes of trees reminded me where we were. I stopped on the balcony for a while and stared at the stars before the cold hit and I retreated to bed.

#Nepal #Annapurna Circuit #Trekking #Himalayas #Photography #Travel Photography

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the-coconut-asado · 5 years

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Crazy for Kiwi Crickets

When it comes to eating out in Fiji, you are only as good as your last success.

Consistently get it right and the punters will flock. Anything less than excellent and it’s ‘Maaan that place has gone downhill – but the duck soup at Harbour Centre is the Bomb!’ You can’t actually get duck soup at Harbour Centre, but anything with duck in Suva is a sure-fire winner as they are in constant short supply.

Fiji is always in pursuit of the New Big Thing. That duck soup place I mentioned was actually the New Big Thing once, so was The Guava Café (doorstep griddled toast and Land of the Giant-sized portions); Singh’s burn-your-ring curry house and the Chinese restaurant at Samabula where you got a decent takeaway and a ringside seat at a sailors’ punch up.

There are some classics that never go out of fashion. The cream buns at Hot Bread Kitchen – the ‘cream’ is actually buttercream and they sell them in sets of six like monkey bread so yeah, good luck with just eating one; Cardo’s Steakhouse in Denarau – they claim their cattle are descendants of Argentine castaways from the 19th century (kind of yarn that could spark a punch up in that Samabula Chinese restaurant, but the steaks ARE consistently good); Friday seafood lunch at Suva Bowling Club (you may not recognise half the seafood on your plate, and that’s a good thing); And, sadly closed now, The Cottage – tucked behind the main drag in Suva, serving the best local Fiji food and only open at lunchtime. And didn’t we all wail when the owner retired and shut up shop after decades of top-quality chow.

Anyway, it’s quite something when the New Big Thing is your sister-in-law’s café. Weta (Coffee) Fiji, the fifth child of Mue and her husband Darran, opened its doors in March this year.

The café gets its name from a gerbil-sized cricket native to New Zealand. A quick google search and you can watch a film of a weta fighting a foraging pig, so maybe not exotic pet material.

While the lion’s share of daily sales will always be the coffee (and we returned with bags of beans to London, it’s that good), it’s the food at Weta that’s getting the lion’s share of hype. World Health Organisation apparatchiks would probably advise not have more than one Honey Butter Waffle a month, yet people are spectacularly carb-loading these Weta signature goodies daily on their way to work. Take a look at the picture below and you could so easily join them.

Aside from the waffle-fest, Mue and cousin Cherie (whose aunt founded that other Fiji café classic Bulaccino) have entered into a kind of foodie face-off with each other, competing to see who can come up with the most mouth-watering innovations. The Honey Butter Waffles already give 1-0 to Mue; but ever thought of combining crispy nuggets of bacon with a rich mayonnaise, slathering it on a chicken schnitzel and sandwiching it all in a toasted mini baguette? Then check out their Chicken Baconnaise Panini and Cherie evens the score. How about a teal-green smoothie that tastes fruity and delicious but you don’t know why? Place your order for their Ugly Green Juice - a joint invention so let’s call it a draw. I assiduously worked my way through most of their menu over two weeks and couldn’t find much that was less than evil genius.

Because this is a family concern, and Mue does a lot of her experimenting in her own kitchen, I got caught up in the whole entrepreneurial swirl when we were there this summer. Watching while Mue, with apparent carelessness cloaking a keen cook’s eye, tossed ingredients for her Marsala Chai muffins into the food processor at 5 in the morning while simultaneously whipping up a vegan version of her waffle mix. Slavishly watching her EPOS app to see if the sales dial had moved to kerching! levels – in short, generally starting to catch the fever of the hospitality business owner. Is Suva ready for Kava Hot Chocolate? (Kava is the ceremonial drink of Fiji with delicate overtones of mud). Apparently yes, and at least 10 people on the first day of sales had a dreamless sleep that night. Another invention marked up to Mue and another profit stream.

Having eaten our body weight in tropical breakfast patisserie, we left Suva for a few days to head to our own New Big Thing on Fiji’s Other Big Island.

Savusavu is a picturesque town with a bay big enough to host a fistful of yachts and a marina to moor them. Even though it’s popular, the road to Savusavu – which nestled on the South coast of Vanua Levu - is one less travelled compared to the resort islands of Western Viti Levu. It has a reputation as a millionaire’s playground and we were told ‘be careful, you won’t want to come back’ (do people wrongly assume that we are at home in the company of dicks with yachts?). Anyway, they weren’t wrong about the beauty of the place, and I can now tell them a few tales about some unexpected food epiphanies.

The first was thanks to Sarah, the owner of the Gecko Guesthouse. It said in our Airbnb blurb that she would throw in a cooking lesson if we asked nicely. Which we did, and she obliged, if a little reluctantly at first. We spent one chilled-out evening learning her techniques for snake bean and bitter gourd curries (be sparing rather than slavish with your spices), a-ma-zing fish madras (although we can’t get fresh walu in the West, swordfish would be a decent substitute) and clever hack for cooking rice (err, use an electric rice maker).

However, the piece de resistance of Savusavu is a ‘dive’ (my friend Ije’s word when he saw the Insta post) called Arun’s Hidden Taste of Paradise.

The name felt a bit at odds with its appearance, which is a little grubby and dishevelled, but don’t be fooled. The clue is in the word ‘hidden’ because if you make it through their mesh-covered door you will taste cassava chips which are meltingly creamy on the inside and quadruple-cooked crispy on the outside and, hands down, the best butter chicken I have eaten in my life. The eponymous Arun, both owner and cook, seemed frankly scared when I asked for a photo, so I didn’t push on asking for the recipe – but kept the flavour profile running around in my head for the rest of the trip.

Obsessed as I was, I hunted down ingredients lists for butter chicken on my bookshelves and I think I have found a pretty good match in Vivek Singh, who based his Cinnamon Club classic on a 1950’s recipe from the Moti Mahal in Old Delhi. But then I saw a recipe for a curry pie in last month’s Delicious Magazine and had the brainwave to make this pie with the butter chicken. And while you might have to make the trip to Suva to get Mue’s original and best Honey Butter Waffles TM, I have slightly adapted her Chai Latte and Choc Chip Muffins and Ugly Green juice here.

So raise your Ugly-Green juice-filled glass to New Big Things. And watch out for the next one - the launch of Mue and Darran’s Writers Lodge guesthouse with Kava Bar and Weta Café later this Autumn.

You can follow them on @wetafiji.

Butter Chicken Pie

You can just make this butter chicken straight with pilau rice and all the trimmings, but turning it into a pie takes it to the next level. This pastry is super short and crispy, thanks to a mix of butter and lard. Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients or the processes. It’s dead easy over a lazy Sunday and the flavours are so worth it. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

For the butter chicken:

800g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

One red chilli and some coriander leaves

1 large red pepper, seeded and cut into strips

For the marinade:

120g Greek yoghurt

5 garlic cloves, grated or crushed

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 tbsp sunflower oil

Juice of 1 large lemon

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

3 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp garam masala

½ tsp turmeric

For the sauce:

8-10 tomatoes

1 in piece of ginger, half grated and half chopped finely

4 garlic cloves, grated or crushed

4 green cardamom pods, 2 cloves, 1 bay leaf

2 tsp chilli powder

80g salted butter, diced

2 green chillies, split lengthwise but still joined at the stem

80ml single cream

A few dried fenugreek leaves

1tsp garam masala

1 tbsp. sugar

For the spiced butter:

1 Tbsp. ghee

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp. crushed chillies

For the pastry:

230g plain flour

1 tsp kosher salt

65g salted butter, and 50g lard, both chilled and cubed

4tsp. soured cream

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar( or use white wine vinegar as a substitute)

4 tsp. water

1 egg., beaten

3 tbsp. lime pickle (I like Pataks)

2 tbsp. sugar

How to make:

First marinate the chicken. Mix all marinade ingredients, stir in the chicken, cover and pop in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

Heat the oven to 220C/ Gas 9. Spread the chicken pieces out in one layer on a large baking tray, leaving a margin on the side to say out the strips of red pepper, tossed in a tsp. olive oil. Cook for 15-20 mins, turning the pieces halfway through so that they cook evenly. Remove from the oven and set aside while you make the sauce.

Slice the tomatoes in half and put in a large saute pan with 125 ml water, grated ginger, garlic, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf. Simmer, covered for about 25 mins until the tomatoes are mushy (the aroma from this simmer will already be driving you wild with desire). Remove the whole spices, add the chilli powder and simmer for a further 10 mins (Vivek likes to push the tomatoes through a sieve and just use the resultant puree, but I prefer my sauce to be a bit more rugged, a little less refined).

Add the chicken pieces and the red pepper slices and all their juices and give it a good stir. Slowly stir in the butter, a couple of cubes at a time, and simmer for about 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Add the chopped ginger, chillies and cream and simmer for a minute or two longer. Stir in 1 tsp.kosher salt, crumble in the fenugreek leaves and the garam masala. Adjust the seasoning if necessary then add the sugar.

In a separate small pan, warm up all the ingredients for the spiced butter until the seeds start to pop. At this stage you can serve the Butter Chicken with the spiced butter spooned over the top, but if progressing with the pie (which I urge you to do) , then set both the chicken and the spiced butter to one side.

Now make the pastry (you can also make this ahead and chill, just bring back to room temperature before rolling out). Combine the flour , salt and a generous grind of black pepper in a food processor. Add the butter and lard and blitz until it has the texture of fine breadcrumbs. In a separate bowl, mix the soured cream, vinegar and water then add to the flour and butter mix and just blitz until the mixture starts to come together (don’t overwork it). Turn out onto a floured surface and bring together into a smooth ball. Wrap in cling film then chill for at least 30 mins.

Heat the oven to 200C/ Gas 6. Brush the rim of your pie dish with the beaten egg, then fill the dish with the butter chicken and drizzle the spiced butter all over the surface. Roll out the pastry in a circle big enough to cover the pie dish, then lay over the top of the dish, crimping the edges to seal and trim off any surplus pastry to neaten the edges. Cut a small cross in the middle to let the steam out during cooking and make some pastry leaves with any pastry offcuts.

Brush all over with the rest of the egg glaze then pop in the fridge for 10 minutes.During that 10 minutes, make the lime pickle glaze by mixing the pickle with 2 tbsp. boiling water and the sugar. Set aside.

Bake the pie for 40 mins then brush all over with the lime pickle glaze and bake for 15 mins more. Serve garnished with the chilli (dipped in a little oil to make it glisten) and a few coriander leaves.

Mue’s Chai Latte Choc Chip Muffins (and some variations)

When I asked Mue for the recipe she had to quantify her instincts on ingredients, (and thanks for leaving out the eggs first time round missus) but the results were judged by those who ate them as ‘the best they have ever had’. I have slightly adjusted the recipe, using chai latte mix instead of masala chai and used my favourite buttermilk instead of sour cream. (makes 12 generous muffins)

Ingredients:

3.5 cups flour (about 350g) plain flour

3 tbsp. baking powder

1 tbsp chai latte powder

Pinch kosher salt

125g butter, melted

200g sugar

2 tbsp. Coconut oil, melted

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups buttermilk and maybe a tbsp of milk

2 eggs

1 50g packet of chocolate chips plus a few extra for serving

For the streusel topping:

20g plain flour

10g sugar

10g butter

1 tsp. Chai latte powder

How to make

Heat the oven to 220C/ Gas 7-8. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with muffin holders (I like the tulip-shaped ones in the photo).

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, chai latte powder and salt. In separate bowl mix the melted, cooled butter and coconut oil with the beaten eggs, Buttermilk, splash of milk (1 tbsp) and the vanilla paste. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until a thick, gloopy consistency. Add a little more milk if the mix is too stiff. You want it not quite falling off your spoon. Then fold in the chocolate chips.

In a third bowl, rub the butter into the flour until you have fine breadcrumbs then mix in the sugar and chai latte.

Fill the muffin cups evenly (about 2 tbsp. Mix per cup), then top with the streusel and pop in the oven, turning the heat down immediately to 180C/ Gas 5. Bake for 30 mins until a skewer comes out clean from the centre, then remove from the oven and dot each muffin with a few more chocolate chips cool and serve.

Variations

For Blueberry muffins, omit the chai latte powder and choc chips and stir in 3 oz fresh blueberries into the muffin mix. Bake as before.

For Apple, Pecan and Golden Syrup muffins. Melt 2 tbsp golden syrup with the butter and coconut oil, then add all the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients as before. Fold in 1 grated apple and 50g coarsely chopped pecans into the muffin mix then bake as before. Dot each muffin with a few more chopped pecans when out of the oven and before they cool.

Mue and Cherie’s Ugly Green Juice

This is the colour of verdigris but tastes delightful. Just shut your eyes and drink (or colour match with your nail polish, like here).

Ingredients:

½ cup frozen strawberries

2 tsp acai berry powder or lingonberry powder

2 tsp Splenda or Stevia sweetener

4 tsp. Spirulina

1-2 Cups nut milk (try to get a nice think consistency, so start with 1 cup and add more to taste

How to Make

Put all your ingredients into a blender, blitz till smooth and serve.

It’s that simple.

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chrysaliseuro2019 · 5 years

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The Longest Day

Monday and we had to be on the ferry to Milos island by 9.30. The guys at the apartments were dropping us off to the ferry terminal at the Port about 4kms away and they were pretty relaxed about timing. We left just after 9.00 for the short trip. They were right, ferry was nowhere to be seen and took another 20 mins or so to roll up. The port was small but quite busy with people waiting for the ferry. The local fishermen on one boat displaying their catch and selling it to any interested parties ie individual fish. Liz noticed a large eel which unfortunately for it must have got caught in the nets. We hadn't noticed eel on the menu so not sure what they do with that. Also there were the ubiquitous cats hovering around looking for a feed. They seem to like and look after the cats in Greece (seen far more than dogs) though they need to do some serious doctoring of the male ones as skinny mother cats fending for several offspring are everywhere. The island ferry boarding routine is much more structured than at Piraeus. There was a place to queue and a policeman in attendance to make sure you were standing in the right area. Also time is money so when the ferry did roll up they hurry you off and hurry you on. Total turnaround time less than 15 mins. Anyway an uneventful trip of an hour ensued fairly calm and some good views of islands along the way. We were met at the dock by the delightful and friendly Panos from our new digs the Hotel Rigas which is a 10 minute walk from the centre of Milos town. We jumped in his old Volvo cramming the bags in for the short drive. Our room spacious with a very large balcony. There are sea (more Port) views but only from one end of the balcony at the side of the building. We essentially face backwards onto a vacant block of land with a few houses behind it. No prob though, we are lucky to have this large room and balcony. Panos in particular but also brother Christos could not be more different to our hosts at the apartment in Folegandros. Let's charitably say they were a bit diffident in Folegandros. Here, nothing seems too much trouble. All tinged with some good humour and, from both, though Panos in particular, superb and subtle English. He has passed the ESL teacher's stringent evaluation with flying colours. Panos is a football fan (nut) and of all teams supports Newcastle United in the UK (how many Greeks do that?). We swopped a few soccer stories. Rooms were not ready so by 11.30 we were on our way to the local beach just a few hundred metres up the road on a very warm day. Planning to return mid to late afternoon. This beach is essentially the town beach so not one of those delightful coves but not particularly crowded. A few people in the cheap seats sheltering under the sporadic trees along the foreshore and the same number sitting under umbrellas on beach beds. We did the latter for the princely some of 8 euros for the two beds. The pretty cheap seats. Compared to Sicily this was a saving of 20 euros. We settled in, swam of course, read books, blogged and snoozed on and off from around mid-day to gone 6.00pm. We were pretty much the last to leave our little area of beach beds. Two tavernas nearby for refreshments though we just went for the toasted sarnie. Very relaxing intro. Panos got quite a shock when we rolled back to the hotel around 6.30 given he had last seen us at 11.30 heading off. It was a good and enjoyable stint. Showers and some more downtime (as if we needed it) and it was off to dinner. Panos had recommended two restaurants - one for fish and one for meat. We fancied the fish restaurant which he also said was his favourite. As we we heading off so was he from the hotel his shift presumably over. He pulled over to ask if we wanted a lift which was not necessary as the restaurant was just a couple of hundred metres away but he did offer to pull over there and ask them to find us a good place in the line and a good table. We arrived a few minutes later and dropped his name but either we asked the wrong person or it didn't work as 4/5 ahead of us. We decided to wait and repared to the bar for a drink. Didn't take long, about 25 mins later we were in, partly because couple before us were no shows. Seats weren't ideal so the Panos connection had definitely not worked. The restaurant is by the sea but the early arrivals nab the seafront seats and we were 3 back. That wasn't so much of a prob except that was close to the road and also a bit drafty. We were feeling a bit cool, though had brought something to slip on. Cool on a Greek island in July - not what we expected. Anyway, Liz did her fish inspection and came up with a couple of corkers - common Bream and Common Pandora. They were out of the box. Absolutely delightful. Cooked closed on the charcoal grill and we filleted them ourselves (keeps them warmer for a start). They did offer to do that at the table but Liz declined and the maitre de agreed that if he was us he would do it himself as well. The fish came with vegetables and of course bread and we soon knew why the place was Panos' favourite. Rose wine, as ever, deplorable though. We strolled around town for a bit after that and found a place selling craft beers. First one we've seen in Greece though weren't looking hard. A couple of acquisitions for consumption on the balcony in the next few days. It had been a good day. Tuesday a measured start. Not too early as usual. Breakfast at hotel was a casual and enjoyable one. Fruit, yoghourt, pastries, cheese, ham, tomatoes. Again putting the Folegandros place to shame where breakfast was not part of the tariff though similar priced rooms. We caught a bus just after midday to a beach around 7/8kms away. Paliochori. Liked the place straight away in a nice largeish cove with beach chairs for 15 euros a set and a taverna right behind. We settled in for what turned out to be a 4 hour stay lazing basically. Liz did have a swim and we hauled ourselves the 15 metres or so up to the taverna for lunch. Taramoslata and fries. Odd mix but both were good. Crusty bread of course. Sitting beside us on the beach was a lady of Greek origin from Sydney who ran her own business selling handbags and luggage wholesale. She was here catching up with family in various places and then heading to New York to buy more bags. She was fun and interesting to chat to. Every now and then you get a real reminder that we just don't all do the same things. I thought everyone was in risk and compliance. Well of course in one way we are. Bussed it home. The bus entry was not a particularly dignified affair. Finite number of seats. Smallish bus and fair bit of manoeuvring if not quite jostling. We got a couple of the last two seats though only one guy had to stand as it turned out. We had a couple of drinks on the balcony before heading out. We now have the travelling vodka and a fresh lime and of course my draft beers. Dinner was a simple affair of grilled sardines and Greek salad. Both excellent. Post dinner on the recommendation of the lady from Sydney we wandered up to the top of town via some steps and found a pretty church. Closed and quiet at around 10.00pm. We kept walking and found a pretty chic but relaxed cocktail bar at the top of a small hill/cliff overlooking the docks including the fancy motor boats. A caipiroska x2 later and we were feeling pretty mellow enjoying the view and just chilling. Post drinks we did go for a stroll around the dock area looking at the multi million dollar boats and a few beautiful (and not so beautiful) people adorning them. The next stage of our trip partly unbooked at this stage had needed resolving. We had to decide where we wanted to spend the next 2.5 weeks (Istria in Croatia has been the plan). Liz had also been sussing car hire costs and they seemed cheaper from Trieste in Italy than Croatia though all sorts of permutations were considered including flying to Split and a range of other places. Of course also had to be sure if there was a loading to get the car out of Italy and use in Croatia which might make it prohibitive. Liz rang thrifty in Trieste to confirm the policy. Extra 40 euros - not too bad. That morning we had therefore booked the ferry off the island and a flight to Trieste from Athens. We could have caught a flight off the island which would have been tempting given only 45 mins to Athens compared to 4 hours on ferry plus taxi ride but it didn't quite line up with the flight to Trieste. Aggravatingly we had to catch the 11.25 ferry rather than one an hour earlier which would have made the journey to the airport more flexible (train or cab) as only 1 seat available on the earlier ferry. It's pretty busy over here. Again last minute booking caught us out slightly but that's the trade off for flexibility. Our leeway to the connecting flight now reduced and let's hope ferry on time unlike when arriving. After drinkies at the cocktail bar we arrived back at the hotel around 12.30-1.00am and got back into planning in earnest. We need to book a couple of nights in Trieste, a car for the 2.5 weeks pre-Riga and also book a flight from somewhere to Riga on 5/8 where we are meeting friends the Boxes. Various considerations eg needed a 24 hour front desk location ideally close to the centre in Trieste given late flight arrival and didn't want to have to trek into Trieste from suburbs on our 1 day there. Cost is also a consideration with a variety of options possible. The biggest conundrum really was the flight to Riga which was proving expensive and Liz investigated all ports of disembarkation in Europe it seemed trying to find a good deal eg. fly to Istanbul and then fly to Riga, fly back to London then to Riga. Catching various trains across the old Eastern Europe. Swings and roundabouts with all options and she was getting frustrated. Also car hire costs seemed to swing dramatically and the great deal of 1 day ago in Trieste seemed to have evaporated. Also car availability was diminishing the with some options no longer available (thrifty). ahhhhhhhh!!! We did book the hotel for 2 nights in Trieste but gave up on flight and car hire just before 4.00am, knackered. The next morning we vowed to complete this. Well not much choice really. Post breakfast the car was booked through Budget (via car rental.com) not as good a deal as the Thrifty one but not too bad and we drop it off at Rome airport where we also found a reasonable flight to Riga. It gets in late at night but seemed to be the only option from that destination timewise. Yeh! pretty sorted. The only decision left which we will make over the next few days is where we head to next. We are now thinking of heading down into Italy - Puglia which was always a possibility or perhaps a bit of Croatia and Italy. We will see but we both like the idea of drifting down the Italian coast and seeing what we can find. Weight off the mind to sort this out. It's no doubt easier travelling between more major cities where the flight options are more extensive. Pretty sorted for the next 3 weeks or so other than seeing where the road leads from Trieste which will be exciting.

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the-lady-bryan · 5 years

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Weird Waitressing Dream - April 7, 2019

So last night I had a weird ass dream that felt so damn real I was disoriented for about 10 mins after I woke up and honest to got believed I'd made a big mistake quitting my job.... Only to realize that there's no such thing as an italian/waffle house fusion restaurant and I haven't been able to work due to medical shit since 2014. So.... anyway, here we go.

The best way to describe the start of the dream is I guess dream logic? A sort of montage but not montage I guess. This period encompassed around seven or eight years of dream time where I worked as a waitress in a, as stated above, italian/waffle house fusion restaurant. (I'd like to note that in the dream, I never saw what my life was like outside of work. I only know that I had a family and needed this job to help support them. And that my son was in high school. I may or may not have had other children. I don't know.) You know how every waffle house-type restauarant has "everyone's fave waitress"? I was it. I busted my ass, got great tips, the customers loved me and I was actually perfectly happy with my job even if the hours were long and most of my co-workers were assholes....

Speaking of co-workers... The only ones I ever saw were Angie, a teenager who worked after school that I'd trained so she was awesome. And The Bitch. She had a name but I never learned what it was in my dream because she always forgot her nametag and everyone except one other person called her "The Bitch". So, I'll assign her one now. Let's call her Brittany. I knew a lot of bitches in school named Brittany. And the last member of this cast of workers was Jamie. He was a lazy asshole who I think was a cross between maintenance guy and cook but I never saw him cooking or, well, doing anything really. He always sat at the end of the bar and drank Coronas all day, every day. (I only know they were Coronas because right before bed I'd looked up to see if a local bar, called Coronas, was still open of if it had closed down since I ain't seen people at it in a while. It closed down. Anyway, back to the dream.) The cast is rounded out by assorted customers coming and going, a few of them are regulars.

Okay so like, dream logic time lapse thing happens and then I walk in for a shift one morning. I'm pulling a double and relieving the general manager who is just finishing a double. I never see her, but anyway, I clock in and already Brittany is riding my ass and I ain't been there but less than five minutes. Angie isn't there yet because she's still at school. Brittany doesn't do shit but run her mouth all morning and afternoon till Angie gets there. Jamie's in his spot sucking down beers and I'm pretty much running the place alone but like a well oiled machine. I've got a system, and it's letting me cook, clean, and serve without any problems. I'm keeping the customers happy, racking in fantastic tips, all the while The Bitch just keeps on bitching and once in a while does a table that doesn't look like they'll be ordering anything too complicated.

Angie gets there and suddenly she's singing a different tune. Butter won't melt in her mouth. I know somethin is up because Britt the Bitch HATES Angie nearly as much as she hates me (I still don't know why she hates me but whatever. I just keep on a working). I work Angie into my system and the pair of us are doing great. Then Jamie decides he's done being the cook but he'll still do maintenance and what do you know he's decided fuck us using the grill - he's gotta fix it right this fucking second! - So the grill gets broken but I'm like "don't worry, I gotchu burger people!" and BAM! I whip out a George Foreman and slam it down on some clear counter space in the cooking area where I can keep an eye on it. And me and Angie just keep on bangin out orders.

My double ends and then weird dream time passing shit and I'm back at work. General Manager had pulled another long shift and has gone home. Jamie's in his spot, the Bitch starts her bitching, and I get to work as usual. But there's something.... different. Angie is there. And we're working like normal but she's not supposed to be there. She's supposed to be at school. So between orders I'm like "bitch you need to leave and get to school. your education's important and you don't wanna end up here forever." and she's like "eh." I eventually get her to leave and go to school. Late but she still goes. Angie's a great gal and whatever dream world she exsts in, she's gonna go far as long as she sticks to that life plan she's made for herself to get into chemical research.

Anyway so Angie leaves and I'm alone with the two laziest motherfuckers on dream-Earth.

Shift eventually ends and I leave.

TIME SKIP DREAM SHIT AND..... I'm walking in the door at work. Got my apron on. There's a promotion up for grabs and it's pretty obvious who's gonna get it. Me. I just have to get through one more shift before the owner of the place makes the announcement. This is pretty much just a formality at this point. Plus I was scheduled anyway so whatever.

The entire fucking day Brittany will NOT shut the fuck up about this guy "Justin" and how she's gonna totally hire him to be the new pizza chef. She's so bad with this that customers are like "Z, your awesome spaghetti sausage omelette is the best but even that isn't worth this shit. Here's my money, here's a tip for having to put up with this bitch, but I'm out." and she's literally driving away business to the point that after Angie's gotten out of school and clocked in the place is fucking dead. So, I decided fuck it, I'mma start cleaning shit to make it easier for shift change and cleaning your restaurant is just some really good positive shit man. I've got myself a big glass of iced sweet tea and I'm boppin along. And then, I take a break cause we're still dead. The moment my ass hits a stool at the counter, Brittany starts going on about "Great, now that SOMEONE is finally willing to sit down and shut up, we can get this meeting started" and I'm like "wtf? what meeting? Did Antonia call a staff meeting today? When's she get here?" and this bitch is all smug like "Ive been here for fifteen years so what I say goes and when I get the manager job" and I stopped listening after that and was like "Look, if you wanna hire this Justin guy then do it and shut the fuck up about it because you sound like an obsessive ex girlfriend the way you keep fucking talking about him." and Jamie's like "you can't talk to her like that!" and Angie's like ".......uh....... just pretend i'm not even here...." and Brittany, smug as shit is like "you've always had a problem with me since your first day! you'd better shape up or-" and finally i'm just so fucking done with this bitch. I very calmly say, "You're right." which shocks her enough and distracts both her and jamie enough for me to get up, untie my apron, take one large gulp of my huge ass iced sweet tea and then throw the liquid in this bitch's face while very calmly saying "Fuck this. I quit." I then threw the actual glass, it bounces off of jamie's head and hits the bitch in the face before falling and finally breaking, and then i take off the apron, drape it over my arm, and still weirdly calmly walk out the door.

once outside, i round the corner of the building and i call my boss, the GM, Antonia... who is also the owner. and i'm apologizing all over for waking her up because i know she had to pull another super long and hard shift and i know she's tired but i wanted her to know from me instead of hearing it from someone else that i had just quit and walked out and that i just can't work with "The bitch and that lazy fucking whale" anymore.

Now, Antonia was shocked to hear me swear because apparently despite real world not-dream me swearing like a goddamn sailor all the time, dream me NEVER talked like that. only in the most extreme of situations and then it usually had been like, Ned Flanders level of swearing. But I'm so done. i've lost my chill. i have none left. there are no more fucks for me to give. they've all been used up and i can't buy anymore because they stopped manufacturing the fucks for my model number. the point is, to Antonia, me swearing is "oh shit is this the purge?" level of panicing she should be doing right now.

after a few minutes of me losing my fucking cool on the phone she's like "i have another call and need to put you on hold." so she does, then not even a full sixty seconds later she's back and she's like "go home, calm down, and i'll talk to you tomorrow." and i'm like "why? i don't work here anymore. so fuck it." and she's like "no. go home Z, and calm your tits. i WILL speak with you tomorrow."

the last thing i heard before waking up was The Bitch screaming from the front of the building about having to actually fucking do her job for once and that Jamie was a useless piece of shit and Angie was a lying whore and I was a drug addict and shit.

after i woke up i sat in a chair for ten fucking minutes worried about having fucked up my family because i quit my job in a fit of rage instead of landing that promotion and that we'd have to sell the house and now i can't afford my meds and...

then it hit me. the building in my dream where i worked corresponds to a real life waffle house location down the street from my neighborhood, and they definitely are not an italian/waffle house fusion restaurant.

#weird dream #dreams #dream #weird #weird dreams

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ja9doeswhole30 · 5 years

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Whole30, Day 3

10% of the way there!!!! (Oy.)

This morning I woke up at 5:30 and therefore managed to sneak down to the elliptical for a quick 15-minute warmup before anyone else was awake. This was the first time I used the machine since Saturday so I would have liked to do more, but I needed to have enough energy/time/wherewithal to do the last sets of my arm and thigh 30-day challenges so I didn’t want to push it too much.

After doing my 55 plie squats, 50 lunges (per side), 40 leg lifts (per side), 12 tricep dips, 12 push-ups, and 25 mountain climbers, I got involved getting my kids ready for the day so I probably had my post-workout meal (two mini-frittatas and roasted potatoes) past the recommended time frame of 15-30 mins after exercise. Whoops. But that meal kept me full enough until around 10, when I had some spaghetti squash, spinach, and balsamic chicken, along with some cantaloupe.

Initially, I’d packed a lunch consisting of brisket, potatoes, and zucchini to take to work, figuring I’d eat it at around 2:00, or later if I could manage. Meanwhile, though, my childcare fell through. This would mean leaving work by 1:30ish to get to my son’s school at 2:00. So, before heading to my office I left my brisket meal in the fridge, and packed some emergency on-the-go food - an apple, some celery sticks, a handful of cashews, and some almond butter. I wound up leaving my house after 11, iced coffee with almond-coconut milk in hand, and squeaked in a solid two hours in the office. It was probably the first time ever at work that I literally ate nothing. Then again, this made every bit of sense because I’d just eaten before getting there, I was super busy, and my usual office goodie snacks were off-limits. Ironically, a colleague came in from court at around noon happily toting snacks from TJ Maxx to add to the collection in the kitchen. I felt a little bit of reflexive excitement when she joyfully announced that she had food contributions, and then the deflating of the balloon when I remembered that I couldn’t partake. Still, I was proud of myself for blocking out the rest of the discussion and avoiding temptation.

I left early enough to stop home before picking up my son. While there I contemplated throwing the brisket meal in the microwave and eating as much of it as I could, but decided instead to have the celery sticks and almond butter to hold me over for as long as I could.

I remember having another small snack with my daughter around 3:30, but honestly can’t recall what it was. Then, at around 5:30, I fell into prior trap of snacking while making dinner. In this situation I allowed myself the wiggle room on account of not having had a full meal for lunch. The first thing I cooked was a big tray of brussels sprouts. I ate a handful-sized amount of them, and opted to save the rest for tomorrow because I ate so many of them during dinner prep. I also vaguely recall eating a few cashews, half a banana left over from my daughter’s earlier snack, and three or four pieces of roasted potato (so that I could declare the container finished and wash it). I know that all this grazing goes against the Whole30 philosophy, so I need to do a better job of staving it off in the future. I think it’ll always be a trigger for me, with the stress of the day coming to a head and the pressure of getting dinner ready before we get the kiddos upstairs and off to bed. Still, because the universe of permissible foods is restricted, it’s ultimately a better outcome than it would be in the past. (If picking at delicious veggies is wrong, I don’t want to be right.)

I also cooked salmon filets, cauliflower rice, and asparagus for tonight’s dinner. In addition to those items I also ate some spaghetti squash, spinach, olives, and a few pieces of apple.

Tomorrow, I’m planning to repeat the early workout and post-workout meal, but breakfast will need to be around 9:45-10 AM since I‘ll be heading out right after that to volunteer at my daughter’s school from 10:30 ‘til noon. My son stays after school for an activity so I won’t need to leave to get him til 2:30, which means 2:00 lunch will actually work out nicely. Tomorrow night’s dinner will be turkey meatballs, since I need to use up the ground turkey, but all the side dishes are currently made so dinner prep shouldn’t be too taxing. And then I’ll have plenty of proteins to get me through the weekend and early next week.

Because we were away last weekend, and then I got sick, and then my daughter got sick, it’s hard to tell if things have been more stressful simply because of those other factors or because of Whole30. Clean, whole-food cooking isn’t new to me, but eating 100% this way adds another layer of pressure to my already busy life. Researching, planning, shopping, and meal prepping has definitely left me less time to address my long list of household tasks and errands... but so did barfing my brains out and feeling like garbage for two days. I’m hoping that as all of the other randomness of the last week dies down I’ll get into a better rhythm of balancing everything.

As the weekend approaches, I find myself apprehensive about how I’ll handle social eating situations that might arise. If we had definite plans I could put a strategy in place, but things are still up in the air so it’s hard to anticipate. Thus far I’ve felt pretty good about everything and haven’t experienced any overwhelming cravings or sense of deprivation but I also haven’t yet been in a restaurant or a group takeout food situation, and those will be the true test of my resolve.

#whole30 #nutrition #foodblr #whole30 goals #healthy eating #fitblr #whole 30: day 3

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simona-a-marinkova · 5 years

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Our trip to Cape Town was getting better – after hearing a lot about Stellenbosch vineyards, it was time to visit the town and experience some wine tasting. I was soon to realise that Stellenbosch is not just place to enjoy wine, but it is also stunning.

Actually it is the 2nd oldest European settlement in South Africa, and it is home to the Stellenbosch University. It was founded by Simon van der Stel , who was Dutch governor and the Cape Colony back then. More info – in Wikipedia.

We had booked the wine tour for which we were picked up at around 8 am from Cape Town. Ride to Stellenbosch was about 40 mins, and I managed to enjoy the landscape from the car’s window – beautiful streets with colourful trees, Cafes, houses (some in Cape Dutch style), and I loved the bright summery colours – white and pink everywhere. Of course plenty of vineyards too. In the meantime we were entertained by our tour guide/driver – as usual, Cape Tonian with sense of humour. I remember he mentioned the 1st wine in South Africa was produced in 1659, and Western Cape is Mecca for Cabernet Sauvignon. He asked us to introduce each other, and I realised we were joint by quite few French Canadian…guess going to the right place 😀

Anyway, by 9 am we were already in the first estate for the day. Actually on that day we visited 5 wine estates. Here are my impressions.

1 Mitre’s Edge Wine Estate

It’s a family owned estate, producing small quality of boutique wines. Lovely house, surrounded by the vineyards. We were placed in a tasting room, decorated in classic European style. Our sommelier introduced us to the estate and presented the wines we were about to try. Here we tried 5 wines – each accompanied with type of cheese and crackers. I was thinking to myself – great breakfast, great way to start your day! I was quite interested in to hear more about each wine and why it goes with that specific cheese. And, I was reminded of the 5 S’s of wine tasting (they tend to mention that each time, don’t they?):

Sight – see the wine in the glass, study the colour

Swirl – so that some more oxygen can get in the wine and release its aroma

Smell – or sniff the wine

Sip

Spit

I am not that good in spitting, well at least if it is a good wine. By the end of the day, I knew spitting is a good idea unless you want to be tipsy by lunch! That’s not the point after all.

And I was interested to hear that they use Hungarian oak for the barrels. Hungary is known for its wines too, especially in the Tokai region (that’s another topic.). Another fact I noted – Shiraz is an Iranian grape, whilst Syrah is a way of making the wine. Shiraz is one of my favourite red wines, and actually my top choice from Mitre’s Edge wine list.

Our tasting was even more exciting when 2 of the Estate’s dogs came in the room. One of them sat for a while next to my chair, and he was staring at me which made me laugh. Maybe he wanted a cracker?

2 Villiera Wines

This is the second wine estate. Yes, lovely landscape again and modern taste room. Here, the experience was less personable – the wine was presented by our tour guide and not local sommelier. The wines were sparkling whites, as this is the specialty of the estate. Villiera is 10 times bigger estate than Mitres, and it is known for green winery – they use real birds and insects to control the pest. I must say – I usually prefer red wines, but this time I was fascinated by the wine here and it was my favourite of the day. Here we tried brut rose (with some pinotage in), dry brut and we learned that South Africa is the second largest producer of Chenin blanc after France. I was fascinated by the Villiera Jasmine white wine – very light, subtle taste, absolutely gorgeous. I had finally found white wine that I like.

3 Middelvlei

This was the 3rd estate at which we had lunch – braai (consisting of chicken skewer and black beef sausage) and potato salad, with some white wine of course. I liked the cottage style of the restaurant, and the fireplace – imagine it is cosy in the winter! I am glad not to be vegetarian when in South Africa, as otherwise would need to settle for rabbit food. After lunch, I enjoyed walk around the estate – green hills, vineyards, garden and fresh air. I was happy to see some goats, turtles and chickens walking free range! Great spot for a picture too!

At the end of our visit there – we got to pour wine in our glasses straignt from a barrel.

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4 Lovane

Is 4th on our tour. This is one of the smallest wine estates, producing boutique wines. I enjoyed this visit, as the experience was very personable in an underground cellar- the sommelier was a nice girl, very engaging and informative with distinct accent. At Lovane we tasted the wines with chocolate. My personal favourite here was the Cabernet Sauvignon 2015.

5 Vergenoegd

And we came to the last stop of the tour – it was still sunny day, and we enjoyed outdoors wine tasting. The estate has beautiful gardens and…some ducks. A very well -dressed guy presented the wines here, and we tasted both reds and whites. The final wine was sweet, port wine – I normally do not like sweet wines, but this one was quite nice and light.

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Sweet ending of the day, happy vibes and looking forward to dinner back in Cape Town.

Stellenbosch wine tour – MUST do when in South Africa!

Our trip to Cape Town was getting better – after hearing a lot about Stellenbosch vineyards, it was time to visit the town and experience some wine tasting.

Stellenbosch wine tour – MUST do when in South Africa! Our trip to Cape Town was getting better - after hearing a lot about Stellenbosch vineyards, it was time to visit the town and experience some wine tasting.

#backpacking #capetown #lovane #middelvlei #mitresedge #shiraz #southafrica #stellenbosch #tourism #travel #vineyard #wine #wine tasting #wineroute

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chantellehere · 6 years

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Weekend getaway at Bretagne & Normandy

I woke up today with dread - it’s Monday again and I’m back in my bed in Paris. (Strange, as I never thought I’d be dreading to be living in a beautiful city like Paris!)

Already looking forward to the next weekend, I looked back at my weekend away and wish it lasted longer than 48 hours.

Last weekend, I signed up for a two-day trip to Bretagne (Brittany) and Normandy with La voyagerie Parisienne, a company that organises trips for Erasmus and international students living in Paris. The trip costed about €90 for early bird ticket. For that amount, we got our transport to and from Paris, accommodation, breakfast and tours around the two cities.

Honestly, the journey was long and exhausting. We met and got on the coach at half 7 on Saturday morning and it took us at least four hours before we reached our first destination - Dinan, a cute little village in Bretagne. It was indeed very little, and on a weekend, the town was quiet, with only two groups of tourists (we were one of them) and a few locals enjoying some drinks in the sun. After walking through Château de Dinan (the view from the bridge was gorgeous) and the Basilique Saint-Sauveur de Dinan, we tried and failed to find a restaurant that served hot foot and was open at half three and resorted to a creperie to satisfy our hunger. We’ve had better crêpes (my first bite was soaked in butter) but the place was cute.

About half an hour, 45 mins coach journey, we reached Dinard beach. Lucky for us, the sun was out. First thing first, we got ourselves some snacks (we hadn’t had dessert yet). Not much to do there if you hadn’t got your swimsuits, so we walked along the beach and up the path on the far right, passed the casino. On the other side of the beach, there were some expensive looking houses/ mansions. The whole thing looked like a postcard. Unreal. We spent an hour there, which for not going into the sea/ not eating at the overpriced restaurants/ gambling in the casino, I��d say it was enough time. Maybe half an hour extra we could’ve gone all the way to the end of the path but it was windy and I was not too bothered.

Just as we thought we would have a chilled night in, the group leader announced that we were heading out for a big one. Us au pairs were not physically or mentally prepared but did not want to be a party pooper so we decided to have a quick half an hour nap before we went to grab something quick to line our stomachs.

It was only half 9 but every single restaurant was closed or too expensive until we reached this tiny tiny “kebab” place where there were only ten seats inside. It was better than it sounded. Everything was fresh and they had an extensive menu of snacks, rather than just kebab. We all ordered burgers and chips, which did their job of filling our stomachs, ready to absorb the alcohol.

In a dead town like Dinard, there was only one club 30 minutes walk away from the hotel. We pre-drank outside near the grass before heading in. Whilst we were not expecting a mad scene, we did not expect to find three elderly (well, over 50, elderly for the nightlife) couples snogging and grinding on each other. Thank goodness we were pleasantly tipsy. During the night, as the club filled up, there was a mid-fifty-year-old lady, alone, dancing in the middle of the dance floor and around us (we were in a group of around 8-10) and she began to dance with the boys, getting through one after another. At first, it seemed funny and the boys did it as a joke, but all of a sudden, she started grabbing their arses and their groins. She even asked one of the guys to go home with her. She could be our grandmother! I wonder what went through her mind during dinner to end up coming out at night, on her own, to harass young men. Disgusting.

Sunday was the ‘big’ day, as we visited the most popular tourist attraction outside of Paris - Mont St Michel. An island in the middle of the sea, connected to Normandy. A four (but took us six, including a half an hour break) hour drive from Paris. The place was stunning. And to imagine it all being built on a rock from the 10th century!

We stayed on the island for five hours, including a two-hour tour around the castle and lunch (poor service and the food was not worth what we paid for - the view was good though, but you can enjoy the same view with a baguette in hand for less. It was the perfect amount of time. We even got to sunbathe for half an hour before hopping on the free shuttle back to where our coach parked.

All in all, we probably spent big half of a day travelling but these two north-western cities in France were worth the literal pain in the arse (from sitting on the coach) to get to.

#normandy #france #brittany #bretagne #mont st michel #mont saint michel #road trip #my travels #tourist #french #french cities #year abroad #gap year

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wanderwithmaya-blog · 5 years

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Cuba

Cuba is really a place like no other. You will fall in love but it will also open your eyes. In September last year I went to Havana for the second time and I spent a wonderful week dancing, wandering around, smiling and talking to locals (after surviving two first days of high fever- otherwise it would have been all too perfect!). Cuba was one of my best trips so far and I would recommend it to everyone, although there are some things that you should know before boarding the plane.

Here are the most important tips:

Don't expect European standards. You will get disappointed. The reality is that it is not a paradise. The people are happy and friendly (most of the time, at least.), the culture is wonderful and lively salsa music is literally everywhere, from homes, restaurants to cars, streets, little shops... But you can't forget that it is for now still a communist country facing many problems we don't even think about. The poverty and living standards of Cubans can be terrifying.

Be patient. You will need it already at the airport.

Waiting for your suitcase between two (thank God the only two!) belts because it might come out on either is perfectly normal. Time is relative and you better start believing in this principle.

There are two currencies in Cuba: CUC for tourists and CUP for locals. 1 CUC is 25 CUP. In GBP 1 CUC is about £0.76. The Cuban currencies do look a bit similar, so if you're not familiar with CUC, you could be easily given a CUP note which is worth much less than a CUC. It only happened to me once that I was given change in the wrong currency but it's always good to double check.

Don't go to Cuba thinking that if you forget something, you can always buy it there. You can't. Forget about crisps and biscuits. And towels and after sun cream. Again, amazing as it seems, life in Cuba is not a dream. It might actually come as a shock to someone who has no idea how the system there works and what are its consequences on the society, economy and politics. I come from a post-communist country myself and even though I was born a few years after the system had changed I heard hundreds of stories from my parents and grandparents about living in communism so I had a picture of what it could possibly look like in Cuba. Lots of basic everyday products, such as toilet tissue or soap, are limited. If there is a delivery, every person in the store will buy it.

Vegetarians, lactose free and gluten free: you might struggle! I suppose if the choice is limited, you shouldn't be complaining but offering someone a sandwich with jamón y queso (ham and cheese) after s/he has just said s/he is vegetarian is either hilarious or tragic (cross out as appropriate). Also, don't be surprised if one day you go to a restaurant and from 20 items listed on the menu they can actually offer you just two. If you go to another restaurant it is likely that you will be told the same thing. If there is no chicken then THERE REALLY IS NO CHICKEN.

If you're planning to see more of Cuba and you're thinking about hiring a car, it might be easier to do it online than when you're already there. There are buses from Havana to other cities (e.g. Viñales) but you might have to stay there longer than you planned as they don't run that often (plan at least 2 days for Viñales!).

If you happen to be as pale as I am (and we're talking Snow White kind of pale), you will burn in the Cuban sun like the enemies of Daenerys Targaryen. Take a high SPF sun cream.

Learn how to bargain. The easiest transportation mode is taxis and the taxi drivers will always tell you a very high price. Normally for a ride under 10 mins they should charge around 3-5 CUC but they will always say 10. After a week I realised I would never think I can be so good at getting them to lower the fare. Oh, here the patience is important again! You will probably hear "Hi, Lady, taxi!" or "Taxi, Amigo!" about 93892845729856429764 times per day. If you try to stay away from the most popular touristic attractions it might be just 3414782354 times per day. On this note: many of the "taxi drivers" are actually just guys trying to earn some extra money but who don't work for any company. It might be cheaper to travel with them. I did feel very safe everywhere in Havana but iff you're a woman travelling alone, especially longer distances (e.g. to the airport or other cities) just be extra careful.

Most cars are old (the oldest one I saw was from 1960s!) and they look like they're about to fall apart. I wouldn't be surprised if they actually did. They are absolutely beautiful though and I felt like I went back in time, at least couple of times per day. Great experience.

To everyone who is addicted to social media or simply Internet access: Cuba might not be a place for you. Nowadays it could seem like WiFi is such a common and universal thing. Well, guess what? Nope. First of all, there is no such thing as free WiFi in Cuba. If you want to get internet you will have to queue for a while (20 mins if you're lucky) in front of a ETECSA store where you can buy cards for internet. They are either for 1 or 5 hours of Internet access. You can get a couple of them but going for the 5hrs one is probably the best option. On every card there is a username and a password which you can use in every place where there is "wifi", that is mainly hotels but also some restaurants. It doesn't matter which network you're trying to connect to because they will all send you to ETECSA website where you will need to enter your username and password every time you want to log in. Don't forget your passport/ ID when buying Internet, they will ask for it. Oh, and sometimes the Internet is sold out. Yeah, it can happen.

Don't take with you any drones or other "suspicious, potentially dangerous" things. They will confiscate it at the airport and you'll have to pay them for keeping it until you leave.

Go out as much as possible! As I said at the beginning, salsa music will reach you from every corner, house, car, small road… I couldn't stop smiling. I don't know if it all made me so happy because I speak Spanish and I dance salsa but words couldn't possibly express how I felt there. Knowing the language and dance is a huge advantage because you can get an insight into the Cuban world but even without it you still get to taste their culture if you want to. EVERY CUBAN CAN DANCE. You don't have to know the steps, just listen to the music and go with the flow. Dance brings people together. Even people who only watched others dancing, were having good time. It's all about the atmosphere, positive energy and good vibes. You will get used to seeing a lot of sugar mammas sitting at tables around you, don't worry.

List of my favourite places in Havana:

Hotel and restaurant Asturias- probably the best food I've had in Havana.

Hotel Florida- central location and salsa night every day.

Calle de Obispo- centrally located street with lots of restaurants and cafes.

Malecón- the best place for an evening walk along the shore.

Jardines 1830 (Gardens 1830)- my No. 1 place to dance! Open air club with live performances, great music and view of the sea is all I need.

You can read my reviews of some of these and other places on TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/members-citypage/498majab/g147271

Also, I do recommend looking for private accommodation (casas privadas) as very often they're much cheaper than hotels and the standards are the same. The one where I was staying is called Casa Yaque which you can also find on TripAdvisor.

Not to make this post too long or boring, let me just highlight again that even though the life in Havana must be tough, the people there are happy and I find that happiness contagious. Simple things make them smile and I believe they could be role models for us, spoilt children of capitalism :)

Maya

#cuba travel trip alwaysmoving holiday tips

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civilcoconstruction · 3 years

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Aug 2021 BTO Analysis: Queen’s Arc

One of the seven BTOs launched for Aug 2021, Queen’s Arc at Queenstown may not be located next to an MRT station, but it is surrounded by a slew of F&B options and is within a short walking distance to IKEA Alexandra. If you are making a flat selection in this development, we consider what your best options are.

At a glance

BTO Queen’s Arc Location Along Queensway. Bounded by Queen’s Crescent (future road) and Queensway Drive (future road) No. of units 610 Unit types 3- and 4-room flats No. of blocks 2 + 1 (block of rental flats) No. of floors 23 to 39 storeys Site facilities A community hub comprising a childcare centre, an eating house, a minimart, and other shops. Public transportation Nearest MRT: Queenstown MRT station (~13 min walk) Buses: Bus stops along Queensway with plenty of buses that take you to areas like Clementi, Jurong East, City Hall, Bugis, Woodlands, Clarke Quay, Serangoon, Marina Bay and Bedok. Surrounding amenities Retail, F&B: Queensway Shopping Centre (~4 min walk) Anchorpoint Shopping Centre (~6 min walk) IKEA Alexandra (~6 min walk) Alexandra Central (~6 min walk) Hawker Centres: Alexandra Village Food Centre (~5 min walk) ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre (~7 min walk) Parks: Proximity to Rail Corridor and HortPark Schools within 2km (estimated) Queenstown Primary School, Blangah Rise Primary School, Gan Eng Seng Primary School, New Town Primary School Estimated completion date 3rd quarter of 2027

The site

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Queen’s Arc Site

The surrounds of the BTO site were bustling during our site visit. Traffic was heavy along Queensway in the afternoon and will likely become busier with the expansion of Alexandra Hospital on the adjacent site beside Queen’s Arc. The redevelopment for the hospital is scheduled for completion in 2030.

Alexandra Hospital’s expansion. The site will sit adjacent to Queen’s Arc BTO.

Image: The Straits Times

While the BTO isn’t located next to an MRT station—Queenstown MRT on the East-West line is situated more than a 10-min walk away—there are a lot of buses (around 11!) that service the bus stops along Queensway in front of the BTO. These can take you to the CBD and most major neighbourhoods in Singapore.

There are no big shopping malls nearby, but you do get IKEA Alexandra within a short walking distance away. In terms of food options, you have the option of hawker fare at popular hawker centres Alexandra Village and ABC Brickworks as well as fast food eateries and restaurants located at Alexandra Central and Anchorpoint Shopping Centre. The Queen’s Arc site itself will also see a coffee shop.

For supermarkets, the nearest ones are at NTUC Fairprice along Stirling Road and the Cold Storage within Anchorpoint Shopping Centre. Within the BTO site, there will be a minimart as well.

Which unit should you pick for Queen’s Arc?

3-room flats

Most of the stacks here are 4-room units. If you are thinking of getting a 3-room flat, you only have stacks 129 and 131 to choose from. There isn’t a huge difference in these two stacks.

Both stacks are likely to get some afternoon sun, coming in from the northwest direction from March to September. The consolation is that because they are north-south facing, you are likely to experience some decent breeze.

The 3-room stacks are also facing the drop-off point, so you will want to avoid units on the lower floors if you don’t want to be disturbed by drop-off activities e.g. loading and unloading of goods, passenger pick-ups, etc.

The stacks are located relatively near the lifts. Consider investing in privacy screens near your front entrance to maintain more privacy in your apartment.

4-room flats

Afternoon sun: For 4-room stacks, stacks 105, 107, 133 and 135 are the ones to consider if you want to get less of the afternoon sun. Both these stacks will get some afternoon sun coming from the southwest direction from September to March, but the heat will be slightly alleviated as they are partially blocked by the stack before them.

Sun direction in April

Sun direction in October

Privacy: If you don’t want neighbours looking in through your front door when they walk by, look to stacks 107, 113, 127 and 133. However, depending on the design of the BTO, they might be able to see through your service yard as they walk along the common corridors. Check HDB’s 3D model for Queen’s Arc for more information.

Traffic noise: Traffic noise is likely going to a problem for stacks 101, 103, 117 and 119, which are facing a road junction and arterial road Queensway.

Queensway is a busy arterial road

Car park: Don’t want to be subjected to fumes and the revving of engines? Avoid stacks near the car park if you are picking a unit on the lower floors (the car park has 6 storeys). Stacks 135 and 137 have their service yards looking into the car park, while stacks 105, 107, 109 and 111 have the main areas of the home looking into the car park.

Human activity zones: Because of the higher concentration of human activity in zones like the pavilions, playgrounds and fitness corners, you are likely going to get some noise disturbance if your stack is facing them. These are the stacks most likely affected: 109, 111, 121, 123, 133, 135, 137 and 139.

If you have any other questions on BTO Queen’s Arc, hit us up on our socials or in the comments below!

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from CIVICLO Construction & Interior https://civilco.construction/aug-2021-bto-analysis-queens-arc/

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