#but unless you are a historian (and I mean with a degree not 10 minutes of google) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

steveramsdale · 4 years

Text

Just Another Blog 10.3

Good morning, my dear blog-reading friend.

How much better is that first sentence than last week’s opening gambit. The errors last week were failure to proofread. Mairi mentioned that there were some incomplete sentences. I still don’t know because I did not go back to check. Sorry. I have mentioned, in the past, that I edit notes made during the week. In the highly unlikely event that something noteworthy happens, I type a little note. Last Saturday morning, I must have missed some fragments. I’ll try better this week.

I also wonder if this blog could chart my decent into madness. In years to come, historians will analyse the things I wrote and show where it all went wrong

I got in to a FB debate this week. There was a period when I did this a lot! This maybe linked to the previous statement, as you will see if you make it much further into the blog. This was about the suggestion that it might be possible to use disinfectant intravenously. Minds were not changed. Yes, amazingly, it is still not possible to reason and present evidence and have someone say: ‘Oh yes, of course. It appears I was mistaken. Thank you for showing me that.’ Amazing.

Last Saturday, before 7:30 ,I was back from my ‘trip to the shop’. We are not ‘allowed’ to exercise but I go the long way round, as you know. That morning I also explored around part of the canal that runs past Eko Park. It’s not exactly nature but there are trees and there’s grass and running water. It was a little bit like a walk in the countryside, one of my very favourite things.

On the return part of the circuit, I unnecessarily crossed the road to make the walk a little longer. I’ve always been a rebel. There was a tree, my notes said ‘The fallen tree’ but it wasn’t ‘fallen’ it was leaning. I imagine it was from the previous week’s treemagenddon, but I hadn’t noticed it. It was leaning against the block of flats, at about 45 degrees. It would have fallen unless the building had not been there.

I also saw that some buses are working again. Well, I saw one of the smaller buses with one passenger. I’m not really sure if some buses have continued to run as I have hardly been outside. But, public transport was stopped and I saw a bus that looked like it was operating. I’m just trying to give the details as I see them.

Also on Saturday, I had three cups of coffee. I know. Possibly reckless but seemingly without I’ll effects. As if Saturday wasn’t already action-packed enough, I went to sit outside. I heard some encouraging news, from my Russian teacher, about blocks being removed. In some parts of the city, large concrete blocks had been placed across roads to block them off. Where she lives, these had been removed. She was excited with the obvious implication that more movement would soon be allowed. This news, coupled with the strange feeling that I had been trapped inside for weeks and the lovely sunshine, made me go and just sit outside, in the sunshine, for about 10 minutes. I just sat on the wall by the road in front of my block, looking at the scene I can see from my window anyway. It was quite nice.

Sunday and Monday were much less action packed. I have no notes from those days.

From Tuesday morning I have this:

‘The noise in the night 2am Tuesday, tannoy for a long time.’ Let me translate. At around 2am, and for at least 10 minutes, one of the patrol cars (I suppose) was driving around making an announcement. I knew it couldn’t just be the familiar ‘stay inside’ announcement because....why? But I could not understand what was being said. I was able to sleep,again, as the vehicle moved away and the sound got quieter. In the morning, I went to the bathroom and then looked out of the window. Across the road there were lots of cars parked which had not been there the night before. One of them was even covered with a full car-cover. I wondered if that had been the message during the night- move your car. I had not moved my car. I threw on some clothes and I went out but there were still lots of cars parked down the side of my block. I relaxed a little. I sent an email to the school’s housing manager. He replied that, yes, the announcement had been wearing about high winds and advising drivers to move their cars if they were parked under trees. They’d noticed treemageddon too.

Also on Tuesday, there was a cat in my flat. I heard really loud meowing as I was working and went to see what was going on. There were two cats that I could hear, inside the building. I made little ‘come here cat’ noises. You know what I mean, and one came running up the stairs. It was very friendly and, of course, went straight through my open door and had a look around. It was a ginger cat with a collar on. It allowed me to pick it up (yes I thoroughly washed my hands after) and it sat on my settee. I assume they live in this building and had got out and wanted to get back in. In the back door of the block, there is a cat-sized hole, so they could have gone out of that was what they’d wanted. I’ve not seen or heard them again.

On Wednesday, I had bananas on toast. I had run out of jam and remembered that childhood treat. It was good. Sometime around then, or Thursday, news came that people can drive there own cars again. It’s restricted - between 7 and 10am and 5 and 8pm only for work, grocery shopping or emergencies. But it’s a sign of ‘opening’. Passenger taxis can also operate during these times for the same purposes. I plan to drive to the supermarket on Saturday (today) mainly to run the engine and use that new slip-road I reported a week or two ago.

It was also announced that parents can walk near their homes with their children for the purpose of exercise. Less positive news came about flights. Uzbekistan Airways announced that they are not going to operate before 30th June. They are selling tickets for July. My ticket, for the 26th June, is not with Uzbek, but it’s a little worrying. I have this plan of going home and isolating in our caravan on the drive for 7 or 14 days. Let’s see what happens.

On Friday morning, there were a lot more cars. It has been very quiet for weeks and it was much more like it was before. I’m near the centre, so it is busy, or was before they invented this virus.

As I mentioned above, I used to spend too much time (any is too much) getting into debates on Facebook. I had the short exchange referenced about. Then, at the end of the week, I dipped my toe in to two more. The result was one blocking and one unfriending. So, I back to posting kitten pictures and random thoughts. World, I am sorry.

However.......we have the new blog tradition of the sharing of my opinions at the end. You should stop reading now and I’ll see you next week.

It is worrying how symbols become ‘weaponised’ the flag, the poppy, the NHS, the prime minister, Captain (now Colonel) Tom. For as long as I can remember, I had been reluctant to wear a poppy but couldn’t articulate why. I am a pacifist but it wasn’t really that. But the last few weeks have allowed me to understand it.

In a democracy, we have to be able to hold the government and prime ministers accountable. We have to do this through facts and evidence and the results of their policies. The press has to be able to challenge, probe, present the facts (and dishonest or ‘vested interest’ outlets have to be exposed). One way this is resisted (and you can see this in the rise of fascism in the 20s and 30s) is to make reverence of the state and its symbols a sign of loyalty, genuine ‘love of country’. If you don’t- if you criticise the leader or the government or don’t fly the flag, etc, you’re a traitor. Clap for the NHS. Post a status about what the good Captain deserves, wear a poppy. It’s the same thing. Of course you can do it because you want to, that’s fine, that’s not the issue. It’s what behind it. I really dislike the current prime minister. I think he is serious unsuited to the job temperamentally. I despise the policies he has decided to promote because he thinks they serve the purpose of him being prime minister. I can’t say I despise the policies he believes in. I really wanted him to get well when he was ill. But the idea that he cannot be challenged or help to account is frightening. The use of wartime imagery is disturbing. Yes, we are battling an enemy, but it is not like WW2 in so many ways. The attempt to co-opt the blitz spirit so that the government can hide behind it is wrong and should be resisted.

That was an even longer rant that the previous ones. If you are still here, sorry. Feel free to disagree - and tell me why I’m wrong. I won’t unfriend you.

That will be it. I’m driving to the shops soon (and I have Russian homework to do). So, I’ll see you next time. Be safe.

0 notes

oneworldonetable-blog · 7 years

Photo

**FROM THE UPCOMING 2018 SERIES THE WORLDS BEST BREADS**

One of the most popular breads in the world is a variety called flat bread. It gets its name for the simple reason it is flat! There are numerous varieties of flatbread. Some can be as thin as crackers and other can be thick enough to slice in half and use as a bun (which I love to do with this version). The history of flat bread (meaning its origins) will always cause a fight among food historians but one thing is for certain, they are delicious and easy to prepare.

This particular version of flat bread is very popular throughout the Middle East in general and particularly in Lebanon. It is a yeast driven flat bread (many are not) and quite a bit thicker than other versions. Though the appearance of Lebanese Flat Bread my resemble many versions of Pita Bread, it does not really contain a pocket. It is a dense bread with a very mild flavor and goes perfectly with any soup or stew. As noted above, I also like to slice them in half and use them for hamburger buns!

To properly make this bread you re going to do something a little different. While you are pre-heating your oven, you will also want to be pre-heating the baking sheet (unless you're using a stone, then you're pre-heating that anyway).

LEBANESE FLAT BREAD

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tsp. dry yeast 1 1/4 cups warm water 1 Tbs. sugar 3 1/2 cups flour (the 1/2 cup set aside for kneading) 1/2 tsp. salt

Steps:

1) In a small bowl, whisk together the yeast, warm water and sugar. Set the bowl aside 5 minutes for the yeast to proof (foam). 2) In a large bowl, whisk 3 cups of flour and salt. 3) Stir the proofed yeast into the flour to form a dough. 4) Remove the yeast to a floured surface and knead 10 minutes. It will be very wet. As you are kneading, add enough of the remaining flour until you have a soft dough and it doesn't stick to your hands. 5) Place the dough back into the bowl, cover and place in a warm area 2 hours to rise. 6) Remove the dough to a floured surface and knead a few minutes. 7) Divide the dough into 4 portions. Roll each portion into a 7-inch round of about 1-inch thickness. 8) Lightly dust each formed portion of dough with some flour, cover and let rise 1 hour. 9) Pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees and have the baking sheet in the oven during this time. 10) Place the formed dough onto the pre-heated baking sheet and spritz (spray) the baking sheet and oven walls with some water. 11) Bake the bread 12-15 minutes and DO NOT open the oven the door during this time. 12) Remove the bread from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

#middle east #lebanon #bread #baking #flatbread #food #cooking #recipes #yeast #artisan breads

1 note · View note