Monday, October 4, 2010

Cupcake Shmupcake, Give Me Summer Pudding!


For the last three weeks I have been carrying around an adorable, cupcake-themed notebook to record any funny/interesting/ridiculous things that may cross my path. I used to do this at home to remind myself about the little things that made me laugh/think/smirk respectively. As with the blog, I haven't been very good at documenting these things because, well I really can't give a good excuse. In the vein of my renewed dedication to y'all, however, I kept it handy today. I will share what I have so far:
  • "If you are going to visit London, do it in September" (obviously this note was written before today...). The weather in August, while lovely, was temperamental and in it we experienced a week as cold and wet as would be expected in January (London January, not Utah January but still). As with all British systems, the weather is highly regulated and works in strict accordance to the established rules, most specifically the calendar. The moment I flipped the page from August to September, the clouds lifted and the temperatures rose. Throughout the month we had gorgeous sunny days and very limited rain. As planned, this all changed on October 1st. Grey skies and rain have dominated the agenda. The sun is still popping out now and again to remind us that it can and to make us appreciate it more (falling in line with another established English norm...passive aggressivity - Ok, being fair, that really is a stereotype. All things considered, they are much less passive aggressive than Americans. You will know if you have upset an English person. They will tell you. Directly. And using smart vocabulary. I highly recommend it just for the experience).
  • Enroll is spelled Enrol. That's just wrong.
  • You must try Summer Pudding. I ate this at my relative's house a couple of weekends ago and my life hasn't been the same since. Perhaps it is due to my mild obsession with berries and perhaps it was the atmosphere but I could not get enough of this. Apparently it is really easy to make too. Take some bread and line a pan, overload the middle with tons of berries (blue, black, rasp, straw, whatever you fancy), put in a little sugar water, put something heavy on top to smush down all the berries and make them get all juicy, then cook it for a bit on a low temperature. Simple enough. I can't seem to load a picture but here's two links for you to check out.
  • Harry Potter- The more time I spend in the city the more I realize JK is a keen observer of its people, its habits, its annoyances, and its charm.  I thought about her while I was waiting for the bus this morning...cue the Wayne's World flashback segue.  On Saturday I worked my first shift for my new job (and earned my first hay pennies!).  I had to take the bus from my house to the home of a chef who was throwing a dinner party for some friends.  Not only did I wait ages for the bus but when it did come we moved all of ten feet before stopping for another three minutes.  It took FOREVER to get just a mile or so down the street.  On the way home, however, it was close to midnight and we flew past all the stops, unhindered by pesky patrons slowing down our progress and unimpeded by loads of cars blocking our path.  It was beautiful!  This morning I waited patiently for my bus but as it came into view I realized it would still be a good five minutes before I would be free to sit down and enjoy the slow ride.  This feeling of being so close and yet so far made me appreciate the true magic of the Knight Bus.  It gets you places!!! And FAST!!!  It weaves in and out of traffic, forcing itself through nooks and crannies, with the sole purpose of seeing you to your destination as quickly as possible.  That is beyond magical.  That is miraculous!