First of all, I've decided on my pet project for this year. Other than study/learn/write/travel/become a better human being. And this pet project is to learn how to cook gnocchi. Perfect gnocchi, that is. I've tried to make it before, and it always ends up being rubbery, messy, and not terribly good.
I made a batch this morning with a new recipe. It took at least 2 hours. It wasn't rubbery, but it was messy, and the potatoes weren't mashed nearly enough to have smooth dough. It also wasn't light enough. I also had to use three times the amount of flour in the recipe, because England has such a damp climate. Oh well. I still have at least 8 months to finish mastering this recipe, and I seem to have plenty of people willing to taste test.
I've slowly started changing certain habits of mine to adapt to living in England. For example, I now leave early to go places, because it takes forever to get anywhere. I've gotten used to living with 12 other people. I clean now, which I know my parents will be very proud of me for. But the biggest thing that has changed is probably my level of tea consumption.
Black tea at breakfast, mint tea when I'm feeling off, lemon tea in the afternoon, apple tea after going out in the cold... I drink at least a cup of tea a day. It's very nice to be able to sip a hot beverage and just look out the windows. I wonder if coffee drinkers feel this way about coffee. Tea has very little caffeine, especially compared to coffee, but it's a wonderful, meditative way to take a break. I always loved drinking hot chocolate, but this is different. It's much less sweet, thinner, and has more depth in flavor. It's the perfect accompaniment to watching a movie, reading a book, talking with a flatmate, or putting water on to boil while making gnocchi. Basically, a cup of tea makes any moment better. And that is a valuable lesson learned.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
A Night at the Fair
First of all, I have to note that I've been living in England now for over a month. How unbelievable. And how time does indeed fly.
This past Saturday Joe, Megan, Abby, the Boyfriend, and I all went out to Goose Fair. Goose Fair started out 700 years ago in Nottingham. It used to be where people bought geese for Christmas and hosted charity shops, places to sell vegetables, and other things that people in the fourteenth century would do at fairs. I'm really not sure of everything that they did there, but I do know what we did there. Which was to walk around a lot. And avoid pickpockets. The fair has the largest concentration of pickpockets in Europe. It's also the oldest continually running fair in the world. Just some cool facts.
The first thing we had to do at Goose Fair was to buy fair food. Abby got donuts, Megan got brandy snaps, and I got candy floss. Candy floss, by the way, is not as cool as it sounds. It's the exact same things as cotton candy. I also bought some overpriced and not so good Chinese food for dinner, but whatever. That's what you do at fairs- spend money that you didn't really want to spend.
At Goose Fair, unlike other, American fairs I've been to, you buy a ticket to each ride in front of the ride itself, not at a ticket booth. The rides range in price, and all of the cool rides were expensive, so we didn't get to ride the Ferris Wheel, which was large and you stood in glass encased pods, rather than sitting in rickety, swinging seats. Alas.
However, as safe as the Ferris Wheel was, the Fair definitely did not have the same safety standards that America has. In many cases, you could walk right up to any of the rides, and jump on if you wanted. You would also get seriously hurt, and in a large amount of trouble, but there's nothing there to stop you. There were no fences around any of the rides. While waiting to get on one of the rides, we were waiting in the ride. While it was going. Until we got kicked out, that is.
The most fun part about Goose Fair was definitely the Fun House, which only Megan and I braved. It was really cheesy, but great fun, partially due to the fact that we danced through most of it. We probably made a spectacle of ourselves. It was wonderful.
There were multiples of every booth, every sort of food, and almost every ride. There was only one Ferris Wheel, and only one roller coaster, and only one bungee jump, but I saw at least 5 bumper cars. Most of the rides had some sort of American theme to them, like the "Miami Mambo". They also airbrushed many American characters onto rides. Which made for some odd juxtapositions, like Micky Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Bart Simpson. Or Buzz Lightyear next to a half naked woman. Apparently, half naked women are very American.
It was a fun time to be had, and we all enjoyed it. However, it was overwhelming, and not much could be done without spending many more pounds than we wished. We ended up heading back after about an hour and a half, and watching Donnie Darko. Which was amazing.
This past Saturday Joe, Megan, Abby, the Boyfriend, and I all went out to Goose Fair. Goose Fair started out 700 years ago in Nottingham. It used to be where people bought geese for Christmas and hosted charity shops, places to sell vegetables, and other things that people in the fourteenth century would do at fairs. I'm really not sure of everything that they did there, but I do know what we did there. Which was to walk around a lot. And avoid pickpockets. The fair has the largest concentration of pickpockets in Europe. It's also the oldest continually running fair in the world. Just some cool facts.
The first thing we had to do at Goose Fair was to buy fair food. Abby got donuts, Megan got brandy snaps, and I got candy floss. Candy floss, by the way, is not as cool as it sounds. It's the exact same things as cotton candy. I also bought some overpriced and not so good Chinese food for dinner, but whatever. That's what you do at fairs- spend money that you didn't really want to spend.
At Goose Fair, unlike other, American fairs I've been to, you buy a ticket to each ride in front of the ride itself, not at a ticket booth. The rides range in price, and all of the cool rides were expensive, so we didn't get to ride the Ferris Wheel, which was large and you stood in glass encased pods, rather than sitting in rickety, swinging seats. Alas.
However, as safe as the Ferris Wheel was, the Fair definitely did not have the same safety standards that America has. In many cases, you could walk right up to any of the rides, and jump on if you wanted. You would also get seriously hurt, and in a large amount of trouble, but there's nothing there to stop you. There were no fences around any of the rides. While waiting to get on one of the rides, we were waiting in the ride. While it was going. Until we got kicked out, that is.
The most fun part about Goose Fair was definitely the Fun House, which only Megan and I braved. It was really cheesy, but great fun, partially due to the fact that we danced through most of it. We probably made a spectacle of ourselves. It was wonderful.
There were multiples of every booth, every sort of food, and almost every ride. There was only one Ferris Wheel, and only one roller coaster, and only one bungee jump, but I saw at least 5 bumper cars. Most of the rides had some sort of American theme to them, like the "Miami Mambo". They also airbrushed many American characters onto rides. Which made for some odd juxtapositions, like Micky Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Bart Simpson. Or Buzz Lightyear next to a half naked woman. Apparently, half naked women are very American.
It was a fun time to be had, and we all enjoyed it. However, it was overwhelming, and not much could be done without spending many more pounds than we wished. We ended up heading back after about an hour and a half, and watching Donnie Darko. Which was amazing.
Monday, October 4, 2010
I Am the Zucchini Queen
In our flat, we have a lot of free time. That's what happens when you only have a few classes that meet, at most, twice a week. Which means that there's a lot of time to kill. Which means that I've been cooking a lot.
It started off one Saturday, when we were supposed to be on our own for cooking. The program has a tab at the local greengrocer, which means that we can just walk over and charge the program for fruit, veggies, and eggs. Megan and I decided to take advantage of this, and made ratatouille (mostly me) and apple pie (mostly Megan) for the members of the flat. Everyone loved it, and I started cooking like mad.
Coincedently, most of the things I've made have had zucchini in them, even if the recepie didn't origionally call for it. Example- what to substitute for lettuce in a BLT? Why, fried zucchini, of course. I've made zucchini bread twice, which my flatmates love. When I made potato soup for everyone, the recipe called for celery, which I didn't have. You know what I did have? Zucchini. And zucchini in potato soup is delicious. When it was my day to cook with a partner (as in, official chore, not just "I have a recipe I want to try out and EVERYONE will try it with me), we made a meat and a veggie lasagna. And in the veggie lasagna? Zucchini.
My favorite zucchini recipe, though, is the zucchini pancakes I made a few days ago. Easy, savory, and delicious, I found the recipe on the blog The Wednesday Chef. I highly recommend this blog, because everything there sounds delicious, and that includes all of the weird German meat dishes the (German) writer is so fond of. And these pancakes were heavenly. You shread three zucchini, sprinkle them with salt, and let them sit for a few minutes. You then squeeze out all the moisture you can, add 3 beaten eggs, 1/2 cup flour, olive oil, feta, scallions, mint, baking powder, and salt and pepper. You mix it all together and fry it up. And it is wonderful. I've been craving them ever since I last made them.
Alas, the last thing I made was Vichyssoise, which has no zucchini in it, but does have delicious leeks. And the next thing I'll be making is crepes, and there are no zucchini in crepes. But hopefully I'll get to make some other form of delicous zucchini before the greengrocer stops selling zucchini so cheaply.
It started off one Saturday, when we were supposed to be on our own for cooking. The program has a tab at the local greengrocer, which means that we can just walk over and charge the program for fruit, veggies, and eggs. Megan and I decided to take advantage of this, and made ratatouille (mostly me) and apple pie (mostly Megan) for the members of the flat. Everyone loved it, and I started cooking like mad.
Coincedently, most of the things I've made have had zucchini in them, even if the recepie didn't origionally call for it. Example- what to substitute for lettuce in a BLT? Why, fried zucchini, of course. I've made zucchini bread twice, which my flatmates love. When I made potato soup for everyone, the recipe called for celery, which I didn't have. You know what I did have? Zucchini. And zucchini in potato soup is delicious. When it was my day to cook with a partner (as in, official chore, not just "I have a recipe I want to try out and EVERYONE will try it with me), we made a meat and a veggie lasagna. And in the veggie lasagna? Zucchini.
My favorite zucchini recipe, though, is the zucchini pancakes I made a few days ago. Easy, savory, and delicious, I found the recipe on the blog The Wednesday Chef. I highly recommend this blog, because everything there sounds delicious, and that includes all of the weird German meat dishes the (German) writer is so fond of. And these pancakes were heavenly. You shread three zucchini, sprinkle them with salt, and let them sit for a few minutes. You then squeeze out all the moisture you can, add 3 beaten eggs, 1/2 cup flour, olive oil, feta, scallions, mint, baking powder, and salt and pepper. You mix it all together and fry it up. And it is wonderful. I've been craving them ever since I last made them.
Alas, the last thing I made was Vichyssoise, which has no zucchini in it, but does have delicious leeks. And the next thing I'll be making is crepes, and there are no zucchini in crepes. But hopefully I'll get to make some other form of delicous zucchini before the greengrocer stops selling zucchini so cheaply.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
A Short Primer in English
When I came to England, I thought that I wouldn't have much problem speaking and understanding people, because we all speak the same language. It was the perfect compromise- I can go abroad without having to learn a new language, which I'm awful at doing. That hasn't been the case.
In England, there are many different accents, not just Queen's English and Cockney. And did I mention how thick they are? There's a Nottingham accent, a Derbyshire accent, a Liverpool accent... it goes on. Throw in Scottish and Welsh accents, and you're totally confused.
I often have to ask people things two or three times so that I can catch what they're saying. I always feel really bad doing so, but most people here seem to understand that I'm a clueless American, and so they give me some leeway.
I'm also a clueless American when it comes to the way that people use words. I'm learning new things all the time. And there are many things that I'm still not certain of. I've seen many shops that call themselves "hotels", but I've also stayed at a hotel. Maybe "hotel" has many definitions. Similarly, there are a lot of pubs, particullarly old ones, that call themselves "inns".
So here is a short list of English-isms that I've come across. I'm sure I'll find many more, but here's a start.
Digestives- the most delicious biscuts that you will ever eat.
Biscuts- cookies.
Pants- underwear
Trousers- pants
Pub- something we have no equivelent of in the States. Most pubs serve food until after dinner time, and it's typically hearty British fare, like Steak-and-Ale pie, or fish and chips, or bangers and mash. They are kind of like a bar, except not. People go to hang out while drinking alcohol, not drink alcohol while hanging out. The beer is almost always British, and usually gets changed out often. They have little in terms of other types of alcohol, so I usually get a whisky sour or something. One time I made the mistake of asking for wine. The woman told me they had red, and when I asked which type, a look of puzzlement came across her face. "Don't know love, I don't really drink wine" she told me. She then pulled out a dusty bottle, mispronounced the word Shiraz, and poured me a tripple helping.
Pub quizzes- these are pretty popular. People go to pubs, pay a pound or two, and answer a bunch of questions. Sometimes they're cultural, sometimes they're academic, sometimes they are ridiculous. One question might be easy (like, What color is Picachu?) and the next impossible (a question regarding the probablity of rolling 6 snake eyes in a row, flipping 5 heads of a coin in a row, or drawing 4 aces in a row). They are also really fun.
Love- everyone calls people love, or other terms of endearment. I've been called love by the bartenders, the greengrocer, and maybe even the bus driver.
Cheers- kind of like a thank you. Best said to bus drivers when you get off.
Courgette- zucchini
Aubergine- eggplant. These two differences are confusing when you're trying to make a big pot of ratatoulle, like I did.
Societies- these are found in the university, and are like clubs. It's usually shortened to Soc.
University- post secondary education. Almost everyone does university. You go in around 18, and it's a three year degree program. Tuition is cheap (around £3-£4 thousand a year), but English students don't think so. It's also ridiculously competitve.
College- I have no idea, still, what this means.
In England, there are many different accents, not just Queen's English and Cockney. And did I mention how thick they are? There's a Nottingham accent, a Derbyshire accent, a Liverpool accent... it goes on. Throw in Scottish and Welsh accents, and you're totally confused.
I often have to ask people things two or three times so that I can catch what they're saying. I always feel really bad doing so, but most people here seem to understand that I'm a clueless American, and so they give me some leeway.
I'm also a clueless American when it comes to the way that people use words. I'm learning new things all the time. And there are many things that I'm still not certain of. I've seen many shops that call themselves "hotels", but I've also stayed at a hotel. Maybe "hotel" has many definitions. Similarly, there are a lot of pubs, particullarly old ones, that call themselves "inns".
So here is a short list of English-isms that I've come across. I'm sure I'll find many more, but here's a start.
Digestives- the most delicious biscuts that you will ever eat.
Biscuts- cookies.
Pants- underwear
Trousers- pants
Pub- something we have no equivelent of in the States. Most pubs serve food until after dinner time, and it's typically hearty British fare, like Steak-and-Ale pie, or fish and chips, or bangers and mash. They are kind of like a bar, except not. People go to hang out while drinking alcohol, not drink alcohol while hanging out. The beer is almost always British, and usually gets changed out often. They have little in terms of other types of alcohol, so I usually get a whisky sour or something. One time I made the mistake of asking for wine. The woman told me they had red, and when I asked which type, a look of puzzlement came across her face. "Don't know love, I don't really drink wine" she told me. She then pulled out a dusty bottle, mispronounced the word Shiraz, and poured me a tripple helping.
Pub quizzes- these are pretty popular. People go to pubs, pay a pound or two, and answer a bunch of questions. Sometimes they're cultural, sometimes they're academic, sometimes they are ridiculous. One question might be easy (like, What color is Picachu?) and the next impossible (a question regarding the probablity of rolling 6 snake eyes in a row, flipping 5 heads of a coin in a row, or drawing 4 aces in a row). They are also really fun.
Love- everyone calls people love, or other terms of endearment. I've been called love by the bartenders, the greengrocer, and maybe even the bus driver.
Cheers- kind of like a thank you. Best said to bus drivers when you get off.
Courgette- zucchini
Aubergine- eggplant. These two differences are confusing when you're trying to make a big pot of ratatoulle, like I did.
Societies- these are found in the university, and are like clubs. It's usually shortened to Soc.
University- post secondary education. Almost everyone does university. You go in around 18, and it's a three year degree program. Tuition is cheap (around £3-£4 thousand a year), but English students don't think so. It's also ridiculously competitve.
College- I have no idea, still, what this means.
Friday, September 17, 2010
A week, in brief.
So this week has been crazy busy. It went as follows-
Friday- Wake up at 7 AM. Leave at 8 AM. Arrive in York around 11. Visit Yorkminster and look at all of the medieval architecture. Marvel at the sheer splendor of it all. Eat sack lunch outside, in the drizzle. Walk around York with the Boyfriend. Visit the Shambles, which used to be a butchering district and is now famous for its tilting buildings. Drink tea in a small, non-touristy tea room. Visit the very boring National Railway Museum. Meet up with some friends at Evensong, an Anglican service where they sing for most of the time. Get lobster ravioli for dinner. Go on a ghost tour of York. Go back to the hostel, talk with friends, listen to Nora Roberts being read out loud, and sleep.
Saturday- Wake up early, drive to Vindolanda. Walk among the ruins of ancient Roman forts. Walk Hadrian's Wall, which was built in 120 AD to keep the Scots out of England. Feel like I'm in a Brontë novel, as the Wall is built on the Moors of Northumberland. Drive to Alnwick. Stay in Alnwick Castle, where they filmed the FIRST TWO HARRY POTTER MOVIES. Go out with friends and eat at a tiny café. Go out to a club and dance. Come back and sleep on the most uncomfortable bed of my life.
Sunday- Explore the Duchess of Northumbrland's gardens in Alnwick Castle, including, but not limited to a giant treehouse, a bamboo labyrinth, hundreds of cherry trees, and a poison garden. See the super elegant and priceless state rooms of Alnwick Castle. Drive to Lindisfarne, which is only accessible when the tide is low. See Lindisfarne Castle, which is surrounded by grass and rocks and the sea. Drive to Durham. Eat tapas and drink rosé. Talk about life and its complexities over a milkshake. Sleep in an incredibly uncomfortable bed.
Monday- Listen to a lecture on early British feminist, Josephine Butler. Explore Durham Cathedral, which is almost a thousand years old. See the old monks dormitories. Go back to Nottingham. Start laundry. Eat fish and chips with vinegar. Watch Futurama. Sleep in my own bed.
Tuesday through Friday- Go to the University, and stay over for a few days. Meet people from all over the globe. Forget many of their names. Go to multiple information sessions. Explore the campus. Go out clubbing. Have a blast clubbing. Come back to the flat. Eat English pizza. Post on blog. Prepare to sleep.
Friday- Wake up at 7 AM. Leave at 8 AM. Arrive in York around 11. Visit Yorkminster and look at all of the medieval architecture. Marvel at the sheer splendor of it all. Eat sack lunch outside, in the drizzle. Walk around York with the Boyfriend. Visit the Shambles, which used to be a butchering district and is now famous for its tilting buildings. Drink tea in a small, non-touristy tea room. Visit the very boring National Railway Museum. Meet up with some friends at Evensong, an Anglican service where they sing for most of the time. Get lobster ravioli for dinner. Go on a ghost tour of York. Go back to the hostel, talk with friends, listen to Nora Roberts being read out loud, and sleep.
Saturday- Wake up early, drive to Vindolanda. Walk among the ruins of ancient Roman forts. Walk Hadrian's Wall, which was built in 120 AD to keep the Scots out of England. Feel like I'm in a Brontë novel, as the Wall is built on the Moors of Northumberland. Drive to Alnwick. Stay in Alnwick Castle, where they filmed the FIRST TWO HARRY POTTER MOVIES. Go out with friends and eat at a tiny café. Go out to a club and dance. Come back and sleep on the most uncomfortable bed of my life.
Sunday- Explore the Duchess of Northumbrland's gardens in Alnwick Castle, including, but not limited to a giant treehouse, a bamboo labyrinth, hundreds of cherry trees, and a poison garden. See the super elegant and priceless state rooms of Alnwick Castle. Drive to Lindisfarne, which is only accessible when the tide is low. See Lindisfarne Castle, which is surrounded by grass and rocks and the sea. Drive to Durham. Eat tapas and drink rosé. Talk about life and its complexities over a milkshake. Sleep in an incredibly uncomfortable bed.
Monday- Listen to a lecture on early British feminist, Josephine Butler. Explore Durham Cathedral, which is almost a thousand years old. See the old monks dormitories. Go back to Nottingham. Start laundry. Eat fish and chips with vinegar. Watch Futurama. Sleep in my own bed.
Tuesday through Friday- Go to the University, and stay over for a few days. Meet people from all over the globe. Forget many of their names. Go to multiple information sessions. Explore the campus. Go out clubbing. Have a blast clubbing. Come back to the flat. Eat English pizza. Post on blog. Prepare to sleep.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
It seems a bit unbelievable, but I'm in England right now. It's foggy and beautiful and the food is surprisingly delicious.
My flight to England left O'Hare Airport at 6PM, and we didn't get into Heathrow Airport until 8 the next morning. Which was 2 in Central Time. And guess who didn't sleep at all on the plane?
We bought some food at the airport at M&S, which is usually a clothing store but also sells food, especially at the airport. There were all of these cold meals that it sold, like sandwiches and salads and cold pasta dishes and fruit and drinks. The most interesting thing I saw was a taste of India sampler. Everything was fairly cheap and very fresh and delicious. We drove back to the flat from the airport on a coach, and there were trees everywhere. It's lovely here.
Our flat is spacious enough for thirteen people to live in. It still feels cozy, but cozy in a good way. My room is a four person, which has been excellent so far. Everyone's been really nice and we're all getting along really well.
I can look out my window and see people drying their clothes on a clothes line and an ancient looking garden wall. It's something that you'd have to be hard pressed to find in the States. And I love it.
More to come later.
My flight to England left O'Hare Airport at 6PM, and we didn't get into Heathrow Airport until 8 the next morning. Which was 2 in Central Time. And guess who didn't sleep at all on the plane?
We bought some food at the airport at M&S, which is usually a clothing store but also sells food, especially at the airport. There were all of these cold meals that it sold, like sandwiches and salads and cold pasta dishes and fruit and drinks. The most interesting thing I saw was a taste of India sampler. Everything was fairly cheap and very fresh and delicious. We drove back to the flat from the airport on a coach, and there were trees everywhere. It's lovely here.
Our flat is spacious enough for thirteen people to live in. It still feels cozy, but cozy in a good way. My room is a four person, which has been excellent so far. Everyone's been really nice and we're all getting along really well.
I can look out my window and see people drying their clothes on a clothes line and an ancient looking garden wall. It's something that you'd have to be hard pressed to find in the States. And I love it.
More to come later.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Once upon a time
There was a little girl who wanted to travel the world. Her desire to travel the world sprung from her babysitter, who spent a semester in Taiwan and then told the little girl about it. A desire was sparked. A few years later, that little girl read a Nancy Drew mystery where Nancy Drew went to Oxford, England to solve a mystery. "Yes," the little girl said to herself, "England. Someday, I will go to England."
I'm semi-grown up now, and about to embark on what I've wanted to do for at least the past 12 years. In two unbelievably long/short days, I'm leaving Chicago for Nottingham, England, where I'll be spending the next nine months. It's a crazy, dream come true, sort of thing that I still haven't completely wrapped my head around.
Most of my packing is done, but my room looks like a disaster zone. I have bright orange post-its on my mirror, to make sure that I don't forget anything that could possibly be important. I've been combing my emails and saying my goodbyes. And it still hasn't hit me yet.
My dream is about to come true. This year, I'll be a legal resident of the UK. I'll be studying at the University of Nottingham, which is a very fine school. And I'll have adventures. Maybe I'll take a ferry over to Ireland. I'll explore a few pubs. I might even get up the courage to try some curry, but for a picky eater like me, that is a fairly terrifying prospect. And hopefully I'll have an adventure of a lifetime.
This is where I'll be recording my adventures, experiences, and adaptations (see, there's the title worked in). It won't be a fairy tale. It will probably be fairly ordinary. Hopefully, though, you might find it interesting.
Bon voyage.
I'm semi-grown up now, and about to embark on what I've wanted to do for at least the past 12 years. In two unbelievably long/short days, I'm leaving Chicago for Nottingham, England, where I'll be spending the next nine months. It's a crazy, dream come true, sort of thing that I still haven't completely wrapped my head around.
Most of my packing is done, but my room looks like a disaster zone. I have bright orange post-its on my mirror, to make sure that I don't forget anything that could possibly be important. I've been combing my emails and saying my goodbyes. And it still hasn't hit me yet.
My dream is about to come true. This year, I'll be a legal resident of the UK. I'll be studying at the University of Nottingham, which is a very fine school. And I'll have adventures. Maybe I'll take a ferry over to Ireland. I'll explore a few pubs. I might even get up the courage to try some curry, but for a picky eater like me, that is a fairly terrifying prospect. And hopefully I'll have an adventure of a lifetime.
This is where I'll be recording my adventures, experiences, and adaptations (see, there's the title worked in). It won't be a fairy tale. It will probably be fairly ordinary. Hopefully, though, you might find it interesting.
Bon voyage.
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