28 Nov 2009

Metal Jacks and Rubber ball


After we were playing with our own rules (that's dropping the red ball inside cat's water plate and hitting the ceiling) , Abbie's mum explained us how to play this unknown game. You have to catch as many jacks as you can while you are bouncing the ball so it's an ability old playground game. I don't know why i have the strong believe Abbie is going to lose the small jacks soon...or the other possibility is Scrappy eats them!

26 Nov 2009

As time goes by...

I've been living for nearly 2 months here and I still cannot believe it! I need to buy a warm coat (the thing is to find one cheap and nice) urgently cause the weather is getting colder day a day. Sometimes, the wind has such a strength that it's truly hard to walk, I hope don't fly away and turn into GemPopins. Unbelievably, today it's being a sunny day!

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine! ;)

21 Nov 2009

Scotch Egg

"A Scotch egg consists of a shelled hard-boiled egg, wrapped in a sausage meat mixture, coated in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried. Scotch eggs are commonly eaten cold, typically with salad and pickles."

Finally I decided to try one and i cannot wait to repeat now. It reminds me of croquetes because of the flavour. I've seen a package consisting of small scrotch eggs and it could be eaten like a snack every time. It could be funny to try an ostrich egg aswell

15 Nov 2009

Fireworks (31/10/09)

We were having dinner at Peige's on Friday. There were lots of food (mainly junk food), there were burguers, sausages, baked potatoes, baked pasta, cakes, etc. I tasted a new sauce made of lime and chilli and It was really spicy but i really liked it and i decided to have my potato with it. After dinner we were outside and there was a kind of wood stove in the garden and we were playing with sparklers , we had lot of fun. We were to see the fireworks on Saturday night, i was impressed 'cause there were lots of people in the street. It was amazing, there were lots of stars in the dark sky.
Estuvimos viendo los fuegos artificiales en una especie de campo de fútbol, aunque estaba muy oscuro y no sé a ciencia cierta donde fuimos, sólo se que era la primera vez que estaba allí ya que tuvimos que andar mucho hasta que llegamos. Había muchísima gente por todas partes, en los pubs, en las calles, y había muchos puestos vendiendo espadas de colores y ese tipo de cosas para los niños y los borrachos! Era la primera vez que veía fuegos artificiales tan de cerca y la verdad es que fue espectacular.
















Poppy Day

The poppies that you see people wear,
Are there to show you they still care.
We open our hearts so that we can share,
A moment of silence, and offer a prayer.
To all the soldiers who died saving our country.

Yesterday was Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day or even Veterans Day), there were many soldiers selling poppies along the High Street. Poppies are sold every year as an act of remembrance to fallen soldiers at wars. The price of each poppy is based on charity, and there were lots of different stuff such as stickers, plastic bracalets, pins... All the gains are destined to the Royal British Legion's funds. I saw lot of people wearing one in London's tube, but according to the BBC it's an important event across the whole country (although it's not the only one, of course). They keep one or two minutes of silence at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month (11:00 am, 11 November), as that marks the time (in the United Kingdom) when armistice became effective.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

6 Nov 2009

Guy Fawkes Night (5th November)

Yesterday was the Guy Fawkes Night or shorter Bonfire night, an anual traditional celebration across the country. According to the historical origen, there ware a local group of Catholic conspirators who attemping to blow up the Houses of the Parliament in London with the intention of assassinate King James I of England and VI of Scontland and most of the Protestant aristocracy during the State Opening. This fact is known as Gunpowder Plot and it took place in 1605.
On this date, fireworks are displayed and people build bonfires on which traditionally guys are burnt, although nowadays this practice is dissapearing. There're lots of traditional food, such as:
toffee apples, jacket potatoes, potato pie, parkin, bonfire toffee, and so on. But we had for dinner fish and chips, susages and mushroom & chicken pie. I could see the fireworks on the news and hear them.

And at the end this is a traditional song that i've found, it goes:

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd

With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
And what should we do with him? Burn him!



4 Nov 2009

A new path

I've discovered the place where i want to live (better said, i've confirmed that i want to live here) and i have to start with my future plans. I'll take a lot of decisions about how i want to spend my free-time here (that it's no too much). It doesn't easy to start from scratch, but undoubtedly is an unique experience that i want to include in my life. It's important to progress, and learn to have brave enough to fighting daily to fulfill all your goals. And that's exactly what i'm going to start doing right now.

If you stand very still in the heat of a wood
You will hear many wonderful things;
The snap of a twig and the wind in the trees,
And the whirr of invisible wings.

If you stand very still and hold to your faith
You will get all the help that you ask;
You will draw from the silencethe things that you need,
Hope and courage and strength for your task.
P. Strong

3 Nov 2009

Engineering works

Some lines of London's tube are suspended due to engineering works and there's a bus service operating between the stations, but this is familiar to me... It's the same nightmare that in Madrid a couple of months ago but more tedious because all the lines are or are going to be under construction ( this is what i understand in the messy webpage at least) and the tube is considerably bigger. I had to change three times of train! They claim: we are transforming the tube, COOL!!! , but it looks to last nor one month neither two..In fact it looks that it's going to take longer.
But that's not all, There're train delays in national rail aswell but i'm not sure if it's due to engineering works or it was just a stroke of bad luck. I had to be waiting for half an hour to next train because of mine was first delayed 15minutes and finally cancelled. The height of it is that i was running uphill along the endless street while the rain's drops hit on my face (specially in my eyes i saw all blurry!) When i arrived to the station, there was a lovely family buying a tickets to London and they were more lost than me so the ticket clerk was explaining the prices and possibilities...
To make a long story short... I'm fed up with the transport of Spain and of England.

2 Nov 2009

Hectic Monday

Another sunny and delightful day begins, the sky is clear of clouds, all it tainted in a celestial blue. It's quite cold despite the deceptive brightness. I consider myself lucky 'coz i'm enjoying a really nice weather during my first month here, so i can't complain at all. There's no any sound in the street, just silence, just peace. I can see the trees' top from my window. This silence helps to thinking better and you can find yourself. But i think i'm gonna break this harmony and turn on the radio, i need music to finish my tasks (I need energy!!!) , this is just a short rest.
The children have started school today after last week off, but they look so happy and excited running through the green school's gate that is opened by the man who wears green clothes every single day.
So there i go (too many things to do today!!!)