Pancake Day

Today is Shrove Tuesday, or better known in the UK as Pancake Day. It's the one day of the year when the Brits might eat pancakes. Why pancakes? Well, because Shrove Tuesday is the last day before Lent, and the last chance to indulge before the abstinence of Lent, pancakes are eaten because they contain fat, butter and eggs, all of which are forbidden during Lent. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but anyway...

The Brits certainly don't eat pancakes as the norm like we do in America. And, based on those I've eaten here, they are no where near as good either. They are generally a lot thinner than American-style pancakes, not nearly as light and fluffy, and are usually served with a sprinkling of fine sugar and lemon juice. Rarely with maple syrup, unless you find them on a dessert menu when they are referred to as American-style pancakes and served with syrup. The Brits just don't know what they're missing! They should all make a point of eating at an IHOP on their trips to America.

Actually I'm surprised the Brits don't celebrate Shrove Tuesday as we do in America - with Mardi Gras parties. Then again, I don't think the Brits need another reason to drink...

Twitter

I thought I had seen it all. Last week when Lance Armstrong's bike was stolen, he posted a "tweet" on Twitter. This soon led to the return of his bike several days later. A few weeks before that, Stephen Fry posted tweets while he was trapped in an elevator. I had never even heard of Twitter before this and now that's all I'm hearing and reading about.

Apparently Twitter ("Typing What I'm Thinking To Everyone Reading") was founded in 2006 as a form of mini-blogging social network. You can only type 140 characters max at one time, but can share these tweets with everyone who has signed up to receive them from you. You can receive updates via the Twitter website, your phone, RSS or Facebook, to name a few. Hell, I didn't even know what Facebook was until I came to England in 2006. For someone who has a degree in Computer Science, I feel like I've been living in the dark ages. I had never even sent a text message before I moved back here. Now I'm part of the throngs of people walking down the street with phone in hand, sending and receiving messages.

Of course, Paul and I are no strangers to the current electronic age. After all, it's how we met and fell in love - long before internet chat lines, dating services, etc. were created. Now they're the norm. And we did manage to create a blog and got signed up on Facebook. But I'm not so sure about Twitter. Sounds very narcissistic to me. But if it means we can keep tabs of what others are doing, then maybe we should check it out.

National Chip Week (9-15 February 2009)

Today marks the end of National Chip Week...yet another excuse to eat chips. If I had to pick a single dish that the Brits eat more than any other, it would have to be chips (better known in America as French Fries). Chips are eaten with practically everything and are even eaten as a meal on their own. They're typically served with malt vinegar (especially when served with fish), although ketchup and mayonnaise are also frequently used. One out of every 4 British grown potatoes are made into chips, and 10% of the entire British potato crop is needed to supply the UK's 11,000 fish and chip shops. Fish and chips clearly remain the number one takeaway food of choice, with £1 of every £100 spent on food in the UK being spent in a fish and chip shop. Chips anyone?