Mr Whippy

You know how sometimes you see things that you immediately know to be totally out of place? Well, that's the feeling I get every time I see or hear Mr Whippy, the ice cream van, come down our street in the dead of winter. I just can't fathom why people want to come running outside when the temperatures are below freezing to buy an ice-cold treat. And in the UK, they do it regardless of the weather. But this week took the cake. We arrived home from work one evening in the freezing cold and near dark and there stood a woman in her robe and slippers buying an ice cream from the Mr Whippy van! I know the Brits love their ice lollies, but good grief...

PS: (Thurs, Feb 5th). I rest my case. This week has seen the worst snowfall in England in 18 years, causing major transportation problems everywhere. London practically came to a standstill on Monday and for the first time in history, all London buses were suspended for the day. I was snowbound at home for 2 days and the roads around our house still remain extremely treacherous 3 days later. But do you think this would stop the Mr Whippy van??? No way. As we skidded our way home last night, who should we find coming down the street with the chimes ringing? Who else but Mr Whippy!

Doner Kebabs

A sad bit of news this week. The creator of one of Britain's favorite fast foods, the doner kebab, passed away at the age of 87. Mahmut Aygun was born in Turkey and later moved to Germany to open his own restaurant. In the process, he ended up inventing his own version of fast food, the doner kebab, a mixture of roasted lamb and spices served with a yogurt sauce (also created by Mr Aygun) in pitta bread. To Americans, they're better known as Gyros. But this spicy and greasy dish has become a mainstay of the British diet and is especially popular as post-pub grub following a night of heavy drinking. I dread to think of what a hangover must be like after pigging out on doner kebabs the night before.

Over the moon!

I am pleased to announce that tomorrow I am FINALLY starting a new job that is NOT admin support. And as they say over here, I am "over the moon" about it. For nearly 3 years I have drudged through my job as a Personal Assistant and it hasn't been easy. The sheer boredom has gotten the best of me. Fortunately I've had the opportunity to do some environmental work while at the University and this has now led to a new job opportunity as Environmental Officer, which I applied for and successfully got. I will be doing my best to make the University a greener place. I'm also looking forward to doing something that is close to my own heart. Paul and I already do what we can to reduce our own carbon footprint. Now if Paul can just find a job in this area as well, we'll both be happy!

Hallelujah!

What an amazing feat for Alexandra Burke. This week she became the first EVER British female to sell over a million copies of a single in the UK. Her version of Leonard Cohen's song "Hallelujah" has also become one of only 10 singles to sell over a million copies in the UK since the turn of the century, and was the biggest-selling single of 2008. All this after winning the X-Factor in December. Paul and I watched as this former waitress from Hackney fought her way to win the coveted prize. Simon Cowell is no fool. In fact, it was Jason Castro's version of Hallelujah on American Idol in March last year that put Jeff Buckley's version of the same song into the #1 spot. It became Buckley's first #1 (posthumously - he initially recorded the song in 1994 and died in 1997). Buckley's version again hit the charts at the #2 spot in December while Burke's hit #1. Amazing. Of course, most of the credit should really go to Leonard Cohen for writing such a great song!

Doctor Who?

Matt Smith was named last night as the new Doctor to replace David Tennant in the long-running Doctor Who show. He will become the 11th and youngest ever Doctor (at just 26) since the show started in 1963. Doctor Who is the longest running science fiction TV show in the world and definitely part of the British culture. It's about a time lord known as "the Doctor" who travels through time and space in his blue police box (better known as the TARDIS - "Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space"), while fighting monsters and other evil doers and making wrongs right. People LOVE it. Paul included. But not me. I hate most science fiction. Never did like Star Wars, Star Trek, none of that. Oh well. To each his own. I'd much rather watch Strictly Come Dancing any day.

Bubble and Squeak

For dinner tonight we enjoyed some Bubble and Squeak, one of my favorite British dishes. It originated as a dish made from leftover Sunday roast dinners. Leftover meat would be served with a stir-fry of cabbage and potatoes, or any other vegetables on hand. Paul always makes it with bacon stir-fried with cooked cabbage and pre-cooked potatoes. It is YUMMY, especially with some Tabasco sprinkled on it. And it's very filling and CHEAP to make. I've always loved green leafy vegetables, so it's no wonder I love this so much. Too bad Mom and Jim couldn't try it while they were here. Paul had planned on making it until Mom mentioned she didn't care much for either Brussels sprouts or cooked cabbage. You would have never guessed that after she managed to eat all her Brussels sprouts on Christmas. Paul cooks them with pancetta and pecans. Who couldn't resist that?