Posts

Posted on

Posting again, but now with recipes!

Hi everyone, I’m baaaaack.

I know it’s been a while, and I want to get back to publishing things more often. It’s not that I haven’t been writing, I have been. But, not everything is ready to be published. More to come later on that front.

During the lockdown, I’ve been cooking a lot. I’m also going to continue to post some recipes and some things that people can make on their own. I’ve done most of that on Facebook, but, will move it here instead due to the positive feedback I have had on my posts.

Anyway, it’s good to be back.

Posted on

*tap* *tap* Is this thing on?

So, my friend Dan asked me if I was still blogging. I realised it had been six years since I published anything.  Six years, all living abroad and I stopped publishing. I never really stopped writing, I just didn’t feel that some of the things that I was writing at the time were ready for public consumption.

That being said, so many things have happened in six years that I plan to start publishing posts again. Some may be reblogged from elsewhere, some may just be links. But, I’ve been inspired by a blog that will remain nameless that basically made me feel like I’m a slacker.

Anyway, expect travel stuff, life as a global citizen stuff, public transport things, business related information and some tech stuff.  Here’s a photo of me and C at Pride this year.

20170708_103213000_iOS More to come from me I promise.  I hope you enjoy.

Posted on

Overheard in the Security line at LHR T4

A group of late 40’s early 50’s Businessmen in line, one of which forgot to take electronic devices out of his bag.

“This fucking sucks. You guys can go meet me in the lounge.

“No, we’re going to stick around here and wait, what’s taking so long?”

“I’m going to be here another fifteen minutes, waiting for them to take their own sweet time unpacking my bag. You guys go right ahead.”

“There’s absolutely no sense of urgency in this country. What the hell is taking so long? What is this lazy woman doing?”

“Who the hell knows.”

“You should make her repack your bag.”

“That would take probably twice as long, fucking lazy bitch.”

Security woman brings bag over and says “in the future, if you remove your electronic devices, such as iPad, Kindle and laptop, we wouldn’t have to search your bag.”

Man – “Hmmph.”

Look, douchebag(s). This is your own damned fault and not your first time at the plastic bag, shoes off rodeo. You know the rules, take the time and stop projecting your laziness and disrespect on others. Not only do you give business travellers a bad name, you also make life harder on yourself and everyone around you.

Did I appreciate the ten minutes extra in line because of you and your douchebag friends bitching about things not working to their timetable? No.

Do your comments reinforce bad American stereotypes about entitled, self-important twats? Yes.

Did anyone in line feel sorry for you because you got your bag searched? No.

Will you learn for the next time? Probably not.

Suck it up and be a better traveler and maybe you can become a better person.

Kisses,

J-

Posted on

The NEW Routemaster

So, this has been around for a few months, and for the first time on the 38 route from Clerkenwell (home of the best brunch and flat white in London at Caravan of Exmouth Market – more on that later) to Victoria, I rode the New Bus for London as linked here. Here’s a photo of the retro and pretty cool new bus.

myWPEdit Image

I’m actually really thrilled with the retro design, right down to the font of the red, round STOP button and the ability to enter or leave the bus at the back at any time that you want. It made getting to Victoria even quicker as I could get off between stops at a stop light. Very cool. Now, I’m still a Tube guy, and I’m even warming to National Rail in some spots, but – wow. This is much more comfortable and accommodating than the vomit rockets of the night buses.

Posted on

Stopping by sofa on snowy evening.

A blog post from February…

One of the things I haven’t been really good at doing is staying home.  Don’t get me wrong, I am a bit of a homebody. But, since moving here, I’ve been trying to put myself out there a bit to meet new people, get involved in new activities, and see as much of the city and countryside as I possibly can.  But, because of the pending (well, not so pending anymore) inclement weather of SNOWMYGOD!, I couldn’t have been arsed today to leave and walk in the snow to go to a pub, to walk in the park, to head to the grocery store for the rations of Coke Zero, cranberry juice and vodka that I need to get through the day (kidding – well, at least on the alcohol).  Instead after doing half of my errands, getting my head shaved and beard trimmed at NV Barbers on in Shoreditch, eating a decadent lunch at Hawksmoor Spitalfields, I came home to my flat at around 1400.

I immediately became one with the sofa, remote in hand, rugby on the plasma screen, home knitted Afghan over my body, IKEA cushons under my head.  Since my lunch included two outrageously delicious classic cocktails: a Marmalade Cocktail to start, and a Corpse Reviver #2, I passed out on the sofa with a belly full of steak, eggs, chips and toast and a foggy head sleeping through most of the first match on BBC1 HD and the beginning of the second.  Strange dreams involving my friends from Michigan Peter, Rachel and Tarek, a marching band, Blackened Chicken Alfredo and Kirk Herbstriet ensued and I awoke a few hours later with absolutely no desire to go and do anything.

I know it sounds pretty boring and old fashioned, but, I couldn’t tell you the last time – even over the two week holiday break for Christmas and New Years – where I just stayed home, puttering around the house, and actually enjoying my own company, by myself.  I watched the first episode of the new series of Top Gear – a show both passionately loved and maligned, sometimes by the same person in the same breath.  It’s a car show for the petrol/gearheads and the average driver, with three hosts who are almost British institutions. I say almost, because every time that they come close to being loved and adored, they fuck it up with an off the cuff remark or insult to entire cultures or institution.  I personally love it, even though host Jeremy Clarkson offends people’s sensibilities on a regular basis. Don’t believe me?  look here, here, and here. Personally, I think they’re in on the joke, and use some of it for publicity.

I also ordered groceries using the Ocado on the go app for my Windows Phone 7.  I’ve spoken before about my unabashed love affair with Ocado, but, this smartly written, extremely reliable app allowed for me to not move my lazy day on the sofa to buy my food for the week and have some lovely delivery man cart it up here to my fourth floor flat – with minimal extra charge.  Tesco, Sainsburys and Asda also have similar delivery services, but the app made it seamless.  And it’s pretty. Oh, and did I mention? They deliver booze, too.

After the grocery ordering, I hunkered into leftover Indian takeaway, and switched TV gears – getting sucked into Casualty, a combination of EastEnders, General Hospital, ER and Touched by an Angel.  This trainwreck of a show gets high air time on a Saturday night – but most of the dialogue would make many English speaking authors cringe.  Combine it with the pathos and sturm und drang of American soap operas, and you have a Stilton fest extraordinaire.  Pull me away from the TV and force a classic book in my hand if it happens again.

All in all, a night home was pretty therapeutic in its’ own odd way. But, I can’t imagine I will make it a habit.