28 February 2006
I am teetering on the brink of buying the new Corinne Bailey Rae album. I like it but BB thinks it's only ok. Ah well - who cares. I shall buy it anyway from iTunes with BB's credit card. Hee, hee.
Pancake day today and we shall celebrate with salmon and dill in a bechamel sauce for the savoury version and Nutella with strawberries for the sweet. It makes me smile just thinking about it.
Nothing exciting to report from work. BB has his second hospital appointment today so hopefully there will be some news. I haven't heard anything yet which probably means the prognosis is good.
Have converted another person to Ho Yan Ho cure-all tea. It's a miracle!
Pancake day today and we shall celebrate with salmon and dill in a bechamel sauce for the savoury version and Nutella with strawberries for the sweet. It makes me smile just thinking about it.
Nothing exciting to report from work. BB has his second hospital appointment today so hopefully there will be some news. I haven't heard anything yet which probably means the prognosis is good.
Have converted another person to Ho Yan Ho cure-all tea. It's a miracle!
Labels: festivals, food, music
26 February 2006
There seems to be some sort of a Sondheim revival going on. Sunday in the Park with George is transferring to a proper theatre, Assassins is opening in Sheffield and Pacific Overtures at the Leicester Haymarket. Guess we'll be seeing a lot of the middle of England.
The Curse of the Were Rabbit was very funny. There were a lot more filmic references than there were in the other Wallace and Gromit movies. Gromit is very sweet but I don't know why he hangs around with Wallace.
My dance teacher at the gym is away on holiday and we all miss him. The replacement is some kind of a semi-jazz, semi-contemporary teacher but is trying to do street funk and his choreography is a tad naff. It's a good technique class though so shan't complain. Apparently, the teacher is in some programme called Pay Off Your Mortgage in Two Years and teaching is one of his making money schemes. Can't imagine it would do much to pay off his mortgage - not with what our gym pays. Anyway, the BBC may be coming to film next week's class. Not sure that that's a good thing.
Yesterday was blueberry pancakes with maple syrup and a side of bacon for brunch and leftover pad thai, chilli and salt pork choplettes and stir fried broccoli for dinner. And lots of grapes throughout.
London was heaving with tourists yesterday. I hate people. At the cash dispenser some blumming French tourists queuing behind me kept bumping into me and talking loudly. Do they not know that cash dispenser ettiquette demands that they stand a good distance away from the person at the till? Also, it's freezing, snowing and windy in London at the moment. Winter is our only respite from hordes of meandering, stupid, loitering about at all major pedestrian crossroads/through ways, pavement hogging tourists - so what are they all doing here in these Arctic conditions? Sheesh. Obviously London is not expensive enough, the public transport is not crappy enough, the service is not grudging and non-existent enough and the hotels are not rundown, grubby and overpriced enough.
The Curse of the Were Rabbit was very funny. There were a lot more filmic references than there were in the other Wallace and Gromit movies. Gromit is very sweet but I don't know why he hangs around with Wallace.
My dance teacher at the gym is away on holiday and we all miss him. The replacement is some kind of a semi-jazz, semi-contemporary teacher but is trying to do street funk and his choreography is a tad naff. It's a good technique class though so shan't complain. Apparently, the teacher is in some programme called Pay Off Your Mortgage in Two Years and teaching is one of his making money schemes. Can't imagine it would do much to pay off his mortgage - not with what our gym pays. Anyway, the BBC may be coming to film next week's class. Not sure that that's a good thing.
Yesterday was blueberry pancakes with maple syrup and a side of bacon for brunch and leftover pad thai, chilli and salt pork choplettes and stir fried broccoli for dinner. And lots of grapes throughout.
London was heaving with tourists yesterday. I hate people. At the cash dispenser some blumming French tourists queuing behind me kept bumping into me and talking loudly. Do they not know that cash dispenser ettiquette demands that they stand a good distance away from the person at the till? Also, it's freezing, snowing and windy in London at the moment. Winter is our only respite from hordes of meandering, stupid, loitering about at all major pedestrian crossroads/through ways, pavement hogging tourists - so what are they all doing here in these Arctic conditions? Sheesh. Obviously London is not expensive enough, the public transport is not crappy enough, the service is not grudging and non-existent enough and the hotels are not rundown, grubby and overpriced enough.
Labels: dance, films, food, gym, London, theatre
24 February 2006
Poor BB went to the doctor today who referred him straight away to Kings hospital. He had a rash all over his legs and they did a bunch of tests on him and took a biopsy - the results of which he'll get next week. Apparently he has vasculitis which is inflammation of the blood vessels. They don't know what the cause is but it can range from unknown, to nothing serious, to very serious - so we're a bit worried. Apparently all the symptoms he's had which we thought were some kind of stomach bug - ie fever, coughing, stomach cramps, feeling sick, nausea etc can actually be symptoms of vasculitis.
BB has to stay in all weekend having bedrest with his legs up with surgical bandages and cold cream. I bought The Curse of the Were Rabbit on DVD to cheer ourselves up. We were going to see Seven Swords as it would be best viewed on the big screen we feel - but that will have to wait.
BB has to stay in all weekend having bedrest with his legs up with surgical bandages and cold cream. I bought The Curse of the Were Rabbit on DVD to cheer ourselves up. We were going to see Seven Swords as it would be best viewed on the big screen we feel - but that will have to wait.
23 February 2006
East Dulwich is to have a Caffe Nero. The invasion of the chain coffee shops has begun. I'm surprised the small business loving, sandal and hemp wearing, organic food snuffling burghers of East Dulwich aren't up in arms picketing the property. I guess the "no chain stores" covenant of 1850-whatever-it-is has run out. See here for a petition against chain stores in Dulwich.
I learnt a new German word - herumschnuffeln. It means to nose around and is a most excellent word in my opinion.
Just went for lunch on expenses (hurrah) at a new restaurant in the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery called the National Dining Rooms or some such moniker. The food was tasty but the service all over the shop. To be fair they had only been open two days but amongst the errors noted were:
- they brought us 12 oysters, instead of 6 (fine - as they only charged us for 6 in the end)
- they brought two roast porks instead of 1 roast pork and 1 duck (not so good as we didn't have time to hang around for them to change the order - but they did give E a free glass of wine)
- they didn't bring 1 side order of mash and buttered cabbage that we ordered
- they kept trying to give other people our drinks, or give us drinks we didn't order
- the waiter dropped our bread on the table from a great height and then picked it up and plonked it back on the plate in a not terribly subtle manner
But they were friendly and the food was good but slow.
Perhaps, we should leave it a bit before going back. However, they do have an onsite bakery and the bread and cakes looked super tasty. Next time, if we have more time we might have puds.
E is back from San Diego and brought me Mint Oreos. Yum!
I learnt a new German word - herumschnuffeln. It means to nose around and is a most excellent word in my opinion.
Just went for lunch on expenses (hurrah) at a new restaurant in the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery called the National Dining Rooms or some such moniker. The food was tasty but the service all over the shop. To be fair they had only been open two days but amongst the errors noted were:
- they brought us 12 oysters, instead of 6 (fine - as they only charged us for 6 in the end)
- they brought two roast porks instead of 1 roast pork and 1 duck (not so good as we didn't have time to hang around for them to change the order - but they did give E a free glass of wine)
- they didn't bring 1 side order of mash and buttered cabbage that we ordered
- they kept trying to give other people our drinks, or give us drinks we didn't order
- the waiter dropped our bread on the table from a great height and then picked it up and plonked it back on the plate in a not terribly subtle manner
But they were friendly and the food was good but slow.
Perhaps, we should leave it a bit before going back. However, they do have an onsite bakery and the bread and cakes looked super tasty. Next time, if we have more time we might have puds.
E is back from San Diego and brought me Mint Oreos. Yum!
Labels: east dulwich, food, language, restaurants
22 February 2006
I love Stat Counter. It's cool. Although, it's quite sad that the only people who read my blog are my family - much as I appreciate their audience. Not even my friends.
Work was exceedingly dull yesterday - consisting of editing presentations, making/breaking appointments, printing and binding documents, making coffees/teas, fixing printers, tidying up the stationery cupboard, filing, booking projectors, meeting rooms, arguing, yawn, yawn, yawn...
Lunch was spicy dumpling udon soup from Itsu which is excellent in every way. Itsu is a fast-food place that I can only recommend very highly. The dumplings in said noodle soup are vegetable dumplings but I did not realise this until about the 14th time of eating, after reading the ingredients list. The flavoursome nature of the dumplings is not enhanced by MSG in any form and the soup is filled with lovely fresh spinach, bean sprouts, coriander, chillies and other yummy goodness. They also do some mean sushi/sashimi platters with loads of salad and japanese bean things, handrolls and great salads and juices. I am very impressed and could eat their noodles everyday.
Poor BB is ill with stomach flu and possibly a hernia (though unlikely I feel). He is reduced to eating sips of soup, half pieces of toast, tea and water. Still the weather is so horrible, he's lucky he can stay at home.
Have run out of Ho Yan Ho cure-all tea so Chinatown and the spectacular C & R cafe and restaurant for me at lunchtime.
Work was exceedingly dull yesterday - consisting of editing presentations, making/breaking appointments, printing and binding documents, making coffees/teas, fixing printers, tidying up the stationery cupboard, filing, booking projectors, meeting rooms, arguing, yawn, yawn, yawn...
Lunch was spicy dumpling udon soup from Itsu which is excellent in every way. Itsu is a fast-food place that I can only recommend very highly. The dumplings in said noodle soup are vegetable dumplings but I did not realise this until about the 14th time of eating, after reading the ingredients list. The flavoursome nature of the dumplings is not enhanced by MSG in any form and the soup is filled with lovely fresh spinach, bean sprouts, coriander, chillies and other yummy goodness. They also do some mean sushi/sashimi platters with loads of salad and japanese bean things, handrolls and great salads and juices. I am very impressed and could eat their noodles everyday.
Poor BB is ill with stomach flu and possibly a hernia (though unlikely I feel). He is reduced to eating sips of soup, half pieces of toast, tea and water. Still the weather is so horrible, he's lucky he can stay at home.
Have run out of Ho Yan Ho cure-all tea so Chinatown and the spectacular C & R cafe and restaurant for me at lunchtime.
Labels: food, internet, restaurants, work
20 February 2006
Well, surprise, surprise... I did get called for the Billy Elliot audition after all. Fortunately, I had the foresight to bring some sheet music into work with me, but no make-up. Had to dash to the gym to practice singing in the studio and then bummed make-up off everyone in the department. The office is a surprisingly make-up free zone. Put on a motley range of green eyeliner, blue eyeshadow and rouge with lip salve for lipstick.
Arrived at the audition to find I was in competition with about 4 Kims and 3 Gigis from Miss Saigon. What was I doing there? I don't know. The only consolation is that I was the only who was actually Chinese and could do a passable Northern (of non-specific area) accent.
Still, I feel actually being able to sing might count for more. The casting director was very nice and said 'Well done... no, really well done'. She said it was nice to see me again as she hadn't seen me for so long. I thought - well, that's because you cast musicals mainly and I can't sing. Anyhow, I didn't disgrace myself and left with dignity replete.
Work was duller than a dull thing in dull land Arizona. I wish I was starting in Billy Elliot tomorrow. Sigh....
On the bus home today, the lady bus driver's voice came over on the tannoy asking, "...the person playing music loudly on their headphones so that it annoys everyone on the bus to please turn it off." She then said, "Or if you're sitting next to the person, please tap them on the shoulder and tell them." It was very gratifying, although a tad big brotherish. She was ignored, of course.
Arrived at the audition to find I was in competition with about 4 Kims and 3 Gigis from Miss Saigon. What was I doing there? I don't know. The only consolation is that I was the only who was actually Chinese and could do a passable Northern (of non-specific area) accent.
Still, I feel actually being able to sing might count for more. The casting director was very nice and said 'Well done... no, really well done'. She said it was nice to see me again as she hadn't seen me for so long. I thought - well, that's because you cast musicals mainly and I can't sing. Anyhow, I didn't disgrace myself and left with dignity replete.
Work was duller than a dull thing in dull land Arizona. I wish I was starting in Billy Elliot tomorrow. Sigh....
On the bus home today, the lady bus driver's voice came over on the tannoy asking, "...the person playing music loudly on their headphones so that it annoys everyone on the bus to please turn it off." She then said, "Or if you're sitting next to the person, please tap them on the shoulder and tell them." It was very gratifying, although a tad big brotherish. She was ignored, of course.
19 February 2006
Back from Cologne. It's not that beautiful a city. The Dom is very large and imposing but also black and semi-coated in scaffolding - as many cathedral buildings seem to be these days.
Still impressed by all things Germanic - everything runs on time - even the buses during rush hour, when you go to eat a bog standard cheap place you get far more than you bargained for and it's just all efficient and well thought out - and still cheaper than London.
Filming consisted of sitting round for 5 hours (unsurprisingly) and then 45 mins on set. They were very apologetic, as though having to hang around for hours is not the norm when shooting something. At least I had my own room and lots to eat. I brought the Times (for the crossword and Sudoku), Glamour magazine and crisps, water and chocolate brownies. After filming, the director gave a big spiel about how he had come to London to audition me and the part was much bigger and was cut (I didn't know that), and how he was really grateful that I had decided to do the part anyway as I was such a fantastic actress and how the crew had been very noisy and rowdy until I came on set, blah, blah, blah... and then I had to stand there while everyone applauded. I didn't know what to do except look like I wanted to sink threw the floor. It's all very strange.
On my day off before my flight back to Blighty, I went to the Claudius Therme and hung out with naked Germans. It's all very civilised with no nasty bods leering. Lots of hot mineral baths with water massage jets and was very relaxing. However, the baths were almost impossible to get to. I looked at the map and it looked like the best place to get off the U-Bahn was the Koeln Messe. But you can't actually cross the railway bridge there, so I had to walk right round back past the Messe and then all the way along a very deserted looking park (Rheinpark) by the river to get there. Was not unlike looking for the holy grail. Anyway, turns out there's a bus from Deutzbahnhof/Messe so fortunately didn't have to walk on the way back.
Whilst in Germany I had sausages, sauerkraut and kartoffelpuree with suess senf and Koelsch and a very good Japanese tonkatsu that came with rice and two vegetable side dishes of green beans and cabbage salad, with crispy tofu and green tea. I also bought some bargain boots for Euro 45. I was most chuffed - although the shop only took cash. If I had room in my bag I would have bought more shoes. Also, went to Starbucks as it was the only place open late and the cheesecake was not like the cheesecake what you get in London. It was very good and probably German. There was a mouse under a pouffe at the next table but I left it in peace.
At the moment am cooking sausage, cabbage, potato and chickpea soup for dinner (the sausage hot off the plane from Germany).
My agent called to see if I was interested in being in Billy Eliot - starting rehearsal tomorrow. Two drawbacks - I have to have a Northern accent and sing. Haven't heard back from them unsurprisingly.
Still impressed by all things Germanic - everything runs on time - even the buses during rush hour, when you go to eat a bog standard cheap place you get far more than you bargained for and it's just all efficient and well thought out - and still cheaper than London.
Filming consisted of sitting round for 5 hours (unsurprisingly) and then 45 mins on set. They were very apologetic, as though having to hang around for hours is not the norm when shooting something. At least I had my own room and lots to eat. I brought the Times (for the crossword and Sudoku), Glamour magazine and crisps, water and chocolate brownies. After filming, the director gave a big spiel about how he had come to London to audition me and the part was much bigger and was cut (I didn't know that), and how he was really grateful that I had decided to do the part anyway as I was such a fantastic actress and how the crew had been very noisy and rowdy until I came on set, blah, blah, blah... and then I had to stand there while everyone applauded. I didn't know what to do except look like I wanted to sink threw the floor. It's all very strange.
On my day off before my flight back to Blighty, I went to the Claudius Therme and hung out with naked Germans. It's all very civilised with no nasty bods leering. Lots of hot mineral baths with water massage jets and was very relaxing. However, the baths were almost impossible to get to. I looked at the map and it looked like the best place to get off the U-Bahn was the Koeln Messe. But you can't actually cross the railway bridge there, so I had to walk right round back past the Messe and then all the way along a very deserted looking park (Rheinpark) by the river to get there. Was not unlike looking for the holy grail. Anyway, turns out there's a bus from Deutzbahnhof/Messe so fortunately didn't have to walk on the way back.
Whilst in Germany I had sausages, sauerkraut and kartoffelpuree with suess senf and Koelsch and a very good Japanese tonkatsu that came with rice and two vegetable side dishes of green beans and cabbage salad, with crispy tofu and green tea. I also bought some bargain boots for Euro 45. I was most chuffed - although the shop only took cash. If I had room in my bag I would have bought more shoes. Also, went to Starbucks as it was the only place open late and the cheesecake was not like the cheesecake what you get in London. It was very good and probably German. There was a mouse under a pouffe at the next table but I left it in peace.
At the moment am cooking sausage, cabbage, potato and chickpea soup for dinner (the sausage hot off the plane from Germany).
My agent called to see if I was interested in being in Billy Eliot - starting rehearsal tomorrow. Two drawbacks - I have to have a Northern accent and sing. Haven't heard back from them unsurprisingly.
Labels: acting, food, spas, transport
7 February 2006
Have had the most stinking flu. Fortunately filming in Cologne was postponed due to much snow and script changes or I fear I may have died on the flight over - whilst infecting several unsuspecting Germans.
To cheer myself up, I am thinking about Chinese New Year celebratory meals - one which I cooked, the other cooked by a former Beijing Communist party chef (or so the restaurant would have us believe).
For homecooked dinner, we had steamed chicken with saltfish, lapcheong omelette, steamed fish with ginger/spring onions and stir fried siu pak choi. After that, some nien gou in egg. All very tasty, if I say so myself.
Restaurant meal was dim sum - har gau, siu mai, jiao ji, har cheong fun, char siu pau, nor mai gai, pak choi with belacan and a different variant of nien gou with coconut and peanuts on. They hadn't even cooked the nien gou, so it was unsatisfactorily ungooey, which I thought was the point. Otherwise, it was all very tasty though and they performed some complicated tea ceremony thing with our pots of tea which was quite nice.
Today's dinner was roasted chicken legs, salad, mash and gravy. And trifle for afters. Yum! All very recuperative food I'm sure.
To cheer myself up, I am thinking about Chinese New Year celebratory meals - one which I cooked, the other cooked by a former Beijing Communist party chef (or so the restaurant would have us believe).
For homecooked dinner, we had steamed chicken with saltfish, lapcheong omelette, steamed fish with ginger/spring onions and stir fried siu pak choi. After that, some nien gou in egg. All very tasty, if I say so myself.
Restaurant meal was dim sum - har gau, siu mai, jiao ji, har cheong fun, char siu pau, nor mai gai, pak choi with belacan and a different variant of nien gou with coconut and peanuts on. They hadn't even cooked the nien gou, so it was unsatisfactorily ungooey, which I thought was the point. Otherwise, it was all very tasty though and they performed some complicated tea ceremony thing with our pots of tea which was quite nice.
Today's dinner was roasted chicken legs, salad, mash and gravy. And trifle for afters. Yum! All very recuperative food I'm sure.
Labels: food, restaurants
