...it can be physics too :)
So, I thought you might like to hear a bit about who's been visiting this site, and what they're doing on it.
First off comments. These are the things you can leave at the bottom of the posts to express your opinion. It seems there have only been 3 comments so far, done by two different people. So now you know how they work, why not go ahead and say something (nothing obnoxious though please).
Next to the button for posting comments, there are icons for emailing the post to someone, tweeting it to your followers, or posting it on your wall in facebook. So why not give it a go and help spread the word, you can look all Web2.0ey as well and impress your peers.
The polls don't seem to be going down too well, only a couple of participants over the last 4 polls makes me wonder if it's worthwhile continuing with them. So how about writing a comment below to tell me if you want them kept?
Since moving over to the new site (back in August 2010) we have been having more visitors nearly every month. In fact, April has the highest hits yet!
Regarding the most popular posts, currently one from 2009 has the most hits (I'm not going to say which one, as I prefer you to visit the new ones). All the later ones have actually a quite low amount of visits, although this might be because until now, the links that I posted were to the site in general and not to specific post.
Referral sites have google doing it's bit at the top, followed by facebook, then nbgecko, stupidforce, anathemaesto, nuestrobarcodecolegas and lajirafitarayada. Thanks for your support!
The majority of you seem to be using Firefox now with IE reducing each month. Mobile browsers are also being used more frequently. Windows is installed on just over 60% of visitor's computers, although linux variants are gaining.
This month the UK is top of the country list, with Germany, USA, Russia, Belgium (thanks Jordi), Netherlands (must be Bas), Spain, Colombia, Latvia, Georgia, Ukraine, Singapore, Cambodia and Iran (?).
So from all these statistics I can tell that me readership is so out of the ordinary, that there's no typical reader !
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Circolombia, Persian Paddington, Midnight Tango
With no visitors around last weekend, we went out to The Roundhouse in Camden to see an amazing production from Circolombia called Urban. The stunts were stunning, and the show is really worth visiting if you get a chance, the performers taking part being disadvantaged young people from Colombia.
Whilst in London we wanted an early dinner before catching the train back to Oxford. It was news to me that around Paddington there are a lot of Persian restaurants and shops, but not one to shy from new experiences, we entered an Iraqi, Persian and Kurdish restaurant called Valentino. We can definitely recommend many of these dishes. We tried the mixed starters, which really were tasty, and for mains tried the meat platter, lamb shanks, spinach stew and mixed pulses stew. We were definitely well fed at this chance visit, and will return.
After taking Tango lessons back in Mainz last year, we were missing it a bit. So when we heard that a show was coming to Oxford based on this dance and with a storyline, we thought we better give it a try. so off we went to see Midnight Tango. We were probably the only ones not knowing who Flavia was (UK TV didn't really make it over to Germany) but that didn't matter. Most of the tunes we had heard and danced to were played here, and the variety of dancing on the stage really was spectacular. What a way to get back into the spirit, now let's google tango courses in oxford...
What a cultural time !
Whilst in London we wanted an early dinner before catching the train back to Oxford. It was news to me that around Paddington there are a lot of Persian restaurants and shops, but not one to shy from new experiences, we entered an Iraqi, Persian and Kurdish restaurant called Valentino. We can definitely recommend many of these dishes. We tried the mixed starters, which really were tasty, and for mains tried the meat platter, lamb shanks, spinach stew and mixed pulses stew. We were definitely well fed at this chance visit, and will return.
After taking Tango lessons back in Mainz last year, we were missing it a bit. So when we heard that a show was coming to Oxford based on this dance and with a storyline, we thought we better give it a try. so off we went to see Midnight Tango. We were probably the only ones not knowing who Flavia was (UK TV didn't really make it over to Germany) but that didn't matter. Most of the tunes we had heard and danced to were played here, and the variety of dancing on the stage really was spectacular. What a way to get back into the spirit, now let's google tango courses in oxford...
What a cultural time !
Thursday, April 14, 2011
London Tour #1
Is far from the first tour I've done around London, but it is the first one I've decided to write down for other people to try out, so here goes:
Time Needed:: 1/2 Day
Best Time to Start: 11am
Weather Required: Dry, sunshine best
Starting Point: Covent Garden Tube Station
Tickets Required: Zones 1 & 2
When arriving at Covent Garden Tube Station by tube, make your way up the 193 steps to street level (be aware this is not for the faint hearted).
Exit to the right and head down to Covent Garden Covered Market.
Here you can enjoy the architecture of the market (both inside and out), watch solo artists perform inside (this time there was an opera singer) as well as outside (jugglers, magicians), see great food dishes being prepared (two huge paellas were being cooked) and wander around the different stalls and shops.
Once hunger is no longer ignorable, make your way back up towards Covent Garden Tube Station, but turn right at the road before you get there. You will see the Bridge of Aspiration twirling across the road linking the two buildings together. Head underneath this, past the Ballet school, and on your left will be The Masala Zone. Have lunch at this great Indian restaurant (try the Thali plate of assorted flavours) to get back your stamina for the next part of the tour.
Now head back to the tube station you arrived at. If you are feeling up to it, take the stairs going down (be warned, this is more strenuous on the back of your legs than climbing up them), Go down on the piccadilly line (the purple one) towards Heathrow Airport and get off at Green Park. Here you need to change onto the jubilee line, towards Stratford/Greenwich. Get off at Canary Wharf.
Canary Wharf is a very modern area of the London Docks, with high glass buildings housing some of the country's most influential financial institutions. You need to head along the road following the signs for the DLR (Docklands Light Railway).
Go up to the platform for the DLR going towards Lewisham/Greenwich. Get in the back of the train if there are spare seats (there is no driver), as the train will leave the way it entered.
Traveling higher than street level is great for looking around this area, especially with the sun reflecting off the buildings and water. Leave the train at Island Gardens and walk towards the river. Here you have a lovely view across the Thames to Greenwich (pronounced Grenich) on the other side.
Now go into the circular building and go down the stairs into the tunnel (not as many stairs as Covent Garden tube). Walking along the tunnel just think of the amount of water flowing above you with a few feet of solid concrete and metal between you...
When you get out at the other side, you are in Greenwich. Follow the road, and the signs, into the town centre and towards the observatory. When you reach the entrance to the park, walk along the right hand path enjoying the green grass and the people relaxing. You will see a steep incline on the right hand side, which you should go up. Once you reach the top, you deserve a sit down on one of the benches overlooking the town. From here you can see the Millenium Dome, the town of Greenwich, and in the distance Canary Wharf.
Once you've relaxed a little, go down the path you just came up, and follow the path to the right to go up the other hill (it has steps). At the top of here you will find the Greenwich Observatory, which is where the GMT line can be found (look through the railings if you don't want to enter).
Once you've maybe looked around the observatory, head back down through the park to the gates that you arrived at. Now is the time to make up for those walks, and head into one of the pubs for a local ale, and maybe a bite to eat.
Once you have finished, you can get the DLR to Canary Wharf (straight from Greenwich, no need to walk under the tunnel again - sorry, did I forget to mention that?), and the tube to where you want to carry on to.
Time Needed:: 1/2 Day
Best Time to Start: 11am
Weather Required: Dry, sunshine best
Starting Point: Covent Garden Tube Station
Tickets Required: Zones 1 & 2
When arriving at Covent Garden Tube Station by tube, make your way up the 193 steps to street level (be aware this is not for the faint hearted).
Exit to the right and head down to Covent Garden Covered Market.
Here you can enjoy the architecture of the market (both inside and out), watch solo artists perform inside (this time there was an opera singer) as well as outside (jugglers, magicians), see great food dishes being prepared (two huge paellas were being cooked) and wander around the different stalls and shops.
Once hunger is no longer ignorable, make your way back up towards Covent Garden Tube Station, but turn right at the road before you get there. You will see the Bridge of Aspiration twirling across the road linking the two buildings together. Head underneath this, past the Ballet school, and on your left will be The Masala Zone. Have lunch at this great Indian restaurant (try the Thali plate of assorted flavours) to get back your stamina for the next part of the tour.
Now head back to the tube station you arrived at. If you are feeling up to it, take the stairs going down (be warned, this is more strenuous on the back of your legs than climbing up them), Go down on the piccadilly line (the purple one) towards Heathrow Airport and get off at Green Park. Here you need to change onto the jubilee line, towards Stratford/Greenwich. Get off at Canary Wharf.
Canary Wharf is a very modern area of the London Docks, with high glass buildings housing some of the country's most influential financial institutions. You need to head along the road following the signs for the DLR (Docklands Light Railway).
Go up to the platform for the DLR going towards Lewisham/Greenwich. Get in the back of the train if there are spare seats (there is no driver), as the train will leave the way it entered.
Traveling higher than street level is great for looking around this area, especially with the sun reflecting off the buildings and water. Leave the train at Island Gardens and walk towards the river. Here you have a lovely view across the Thames to Greenwich (pronounced Grenich) on the other side.
Now go into the circular building and go down the stairs into the tunnel (not as many stairs as Covent Garden tube). Walking along the tunnel just think of the amount of water flowing above you with a few feet of solid concrete and metal between you...
When you get out at the other side, you are in Greenwich. Follow the road, and the signs, into the town centre and towards the observatory. When you reach the entrance to the park, walk along the right hand path enjoying the green grass and the people relaxing. You will see a steep incline on the right hand side, which you should go up. Once you reach the top, you deserve a sit down on one of the benches overlooking the town. From here you can see the Millenium Dome, the town of Greenwich, and in the distance Canary Wharf.
Once you've relaxed a little, go down the path you just came up, and follow the path to the right to go up the other hill (it has steps). At the top of here you will find the Greenwich Observatory, which is where the GMT line can be found (look through the railings if you don't want to enter).
Once you've maybe looked around the observatory, head back down through the park to the gates that you arrived at. Now is the time to make up for those walks, and head into one of the pubs for a local ale, and maybe a bite to eat.
Once you have finished, you can get the DLR to Canary Wharf (straight from Greenwich, no need to walk under the tunnel again - sorry, did I forget to mention that?), and the tube to where you want to carry on to.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Scannable Zebras, Controversial Stamps, The Germans Are Coming
Finally, what life has been lacking since the invention of the barcode scanner has become reality. Yes, you can now find the price of zebras (or verify it's the same one) as scientists in Chicago and Princeton have developed a zebra scanner !
You can get a tea-towel, mug, t-shirt, and of course, stamps to celebrate the upcoming Royal Wedding. However, what you might not have been expecting were the New Zealand stamps that allow you to tear Kate and William apart. Not the most diplomatic of moves...
The weekend also saw Christiane come over and visit. Walking around Oxford, visiting Magdalen College (pronounced maudlin), topping up at the old sweet shop, and of course, having lunch at Jamie's. The weather also played along with some nice sun and reasonable temperatures. A trip was also made to London, details of which will follow in my forthcoming London Trips guide. All in all, a great weekend !
Of course, you can see the photos from these trips over on the right hand side of this blog, where you can confirm the good weather yourself :)
You can get a tea-towel, mug, t-shirt, and of course, stamps to celebrate the upcoming Royal Wedding. However, what you might not have been expecting were the New Zealand stamps that allow you to tear Kate and William apart. Not the most diplomatic of moves...
The weekend also saw Christiane come over and visit. Walking around Oxford, visiting Magdalen College (pronounced maudlin), topping up at the old sweet shop, and of course, having lunch at Jamie's. The weather also played along with some nice sun and reasonable temperatures. A trip was also made to London, details of which will follow in my forthcoming London Trips guide. All in all, a great weekend !
Of course, you can see the photos from these trips over on the right hand side of this blog, where you can confirm the good weather yourself :)
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Sit back, relax and listen
It has come to my attention through one of the few comments left behind by visitors to this site, that since the change of style, content and location, some of you were actually hoping for a more comparative study of the differences between living in Oxford and living in Mainz (thanks, Carlitos).
One reason this has been left out so far, is the fact that I am not exactly unbiased, and wouldn't want to offend too many people. But then again, since when has that stopped me?
So without further ado, I will include a couple of comparisons, and try to keep them in the future posts.
First up, Sundays. In Mainz these mostly consisted of walking down to the river and then walking back, as long as the weather was good. Otherwise they would be spent at home wondering when the rain was going to stop. Here the forgotten shopping gets done at the supermarket, cycle trips to local villages for a pub lunch, trips into Oxford to see the current festivals (this weekend is the chocolate festival and the Oxford Literary Festival), and we haven't even ventured over to the river yet...
Another comparison would be the food. I know that lots of people have pretty bad ideas of English cuisine, whether through the school exchange family only feeding them fast food, or the many articles (Daily Mail-esque) and TV programmes showing some dysfunctional family feeding their kids burgers, frozen fries and ketchup (Jamie Oliver is of course doing a good job of changing the TV-watcher's impression of English food). Of course there are people that do live like this, but that is the case in any country, and if you don't move in those circles, you won't experience that here either.
So what does one typically do for food over here? Well, typically is a difficult concept. Meat is a popular foodstuff bought at the butchers or local supermarket. And unlike Germany's choices of pork and chicken, we have a huge selection of beef and lamb too. It's not just the selection, but the quality as well. Last weekend I spoke to a lady from Spain who was selling tapas, and her husband who was from Germany and grilling meat, and they both said that they were amazed by the quality of the meat over here. The husband was astounded to see the cows moving freely in an open field, get slaughtered and the meat packed up for the supermarkets whilst it is still warm. As opposed to the cows being stuck in cages and it being days before their meat is actually shipped off to anywhere to be packed, which he was used to back home.
Of course I could go on for ages on the food subject, but I think this might start to bore you, my beloved reader. So maybe I should just give some examples of what we have eaten, and where we have been (it's not all pork and potatoes here...).
If you're not convinced, photos will surely follow...
One reason this has been left out so far, is the fact that I am not exactly unbiased, and wouldn't want to offend too many people. But then again, since when has that stopped me?
So without further ado, I will include a couple of comparisons, and try to keep them in the future posts.
First up, Sundays. In Mainz these mostly consisted of walking down to the river and then walking back, as long as the weather was good. Otherwise they would be spent at home wondering when the rain was going to stop. Here the forgotten shopping gets done at the supermarket, cycle trips to local villages for a pub lunch, trips into Oxford to see the current festivals (this weekend is the chocolate festival and the Oxford Literary Festival), and we haven't even ventured over to the river yet...
Another comparison would be the food. I know that lots of people have pretty bad ideas of English cuisine, whether through the school exchange family only feeding them fast food, or the many articles (Daily Mail-esque) and TV programmes showing some dysfunctional family feeding their kids burgers, frozen fries and ketchup (Jamie Oliver is of course doing a good job of changing the TV-watcher's impression of English food). Of course there are people that do live like this, but that is the case in any country, and if you don't move in those circles, you won't experience that here either.
So what does one typically do for food over here? Well, typically is a difficult concept. Meat is a popular foodstuff bought at the butchers or local supermarket. And unlike Germany's choices of pork and chicken, we have a huge selection of beef and lamb too. It's not just the selection, but the quality as well. Last weekend I spoke to a lady from Spain who was selling tapas, and her husband who was from Germany and grilling meat, and they both said that they were amazed by the quality of the meat over here. The husband was astounded to see the cows moving freely in an open field, get slaughtered and the meat packed up for the supermarkets whilst it is still warm. As opposed to the cows being stuck in cages and it being days before their meat is actually shipped off to anywhere to be packed, which he was used to back home.
Of course I could go on for ages on the food subject, but I think this might start to bore you, my beloved reader. So maybe I should just give some examples of what we have eaten, and where we have been (it's not all pork and potatoes here...).
If you're not convinced, photos will surely follow...
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Moving along
What a week! Seeing The Canterbury Tales at the local theatre (very amusing), cycling around Yarnton (keeping fit), and enjoying the sunshine. It definitely looks like summer is on it's way...
From an administrative view, I have taken the time limits off the polls on the right of this blog, so that if you didn't happen to read it within a week of being published (why not?) you can still cast your vote ! They now default to a whole year.
Also you will see the ability to follow new posts by email, just fill in your email address and let the blog come to you.
A new section has also been created to keep you up to date on mobile apps of interest. At the moment they link to the owner's own page, but in time they will point to my reviews of the one's I have installed and tried out.
And for those of you wanting to know how many other people have been viewing this site recently, there is now a number and small graphic depicting the number of visitors over the last 7 days.
Monday saw a surprise visit from Martin and Sybille as they decided to go for a quick trip from Wuerzburg to London via Oxford. It was great to catch up with them after so long and to hear their amazing news. Now for the preparations...
This weekend sees Broad Street taken up with the chocolate festival, which should be great for lent...
Last but not least, who could forget that today is Diego's birthday ! Why not go onto facebook and send him your wishes.
Stop counting those calories...
From an administrative view, I have taken the time limits off the polls on the right of this blog, so that if you didn't happen to read it within a week of being published (why not?) you can still cast your vote ! They now default to a whole year.
Also you will see the ability to follow new posts by email, just fill in your email address and let the blog come to you.
A new section has also been created to keep you up to date on mobile apps of interest. At the moment they link to the owner's own page, but in time they will point to my reviews of the one's I have installed and tried out.
And for those of you wanting to know how many other people have been viewing this site recently, there is now a number and small graphic depicting the number of visitors over the last 7 days.
Monday saw a surprise visit from Martin and Sybille as they decided to go for a quick trip from Wuerzburg to London via Oxford. It was great to catch up with them after so long and to hear their amazing news. Now for the preparations...
This weekend sees Broad Street taken up with the chocolate festival, which should be great for lent...
Last but not least, who could forget that today is Diego's birthday ! Why not go onto facebook and send him your wishes.
Stop counting those calories...
Friday, March 25, 2011
Flatulant Dentists, Takeaway Jobs Ban and Gardening Vice
Straight onto the news today. A dentist has been reprimanded after coworkers and patients complaining about him breaking wind. Apparently he found liked to do it whilst his employees were on lunch break. Although the case is being judged by the medical council, I think it might be an interesting prospect if he was put in a cell for a few days. I'm sure his habit would stop pretty quickly then...
According to our friend Hugo (not Victor, Chavez), capitalism killed the martians. Yes, he must have kept hidden some compelling evidence to come up with that one. Maybe it's stored in the same place as the proof that the big bang was a western attempt at taking over Venezuela?
In a blow to cheap takeaways filling up our streets, the government has prohibited migrants from outside the EEA coming to the UK in order to work in takeaways. Yes, no longer will the server of your kebab or vindaloo be a person of non-EEA descent, just the food itself...
On that same theme, police are looking for an 18kg stick of kebab meat that was stolen from a takeaway in Trowbridge. If you see someone walking around the city with a huge piece of meat under their clothes, you might be sensible not to get too close, especially when it starts defrosting...
Visitors to Hamburg will soon be able to travel directly from the Garden Show grounds to the Reeperbahn via cable car if plans go ahead. No longer will you be forced to wander around watching meaningless flowers all day, but hop on to the cable car telling your wife you'll meet up with her in a couple of hours...
On a sad note, the BBC Caribbean radio service has been stopped due to funding cuts. Let's hope someone high up realises the effect this will have on independent news service in this region, and will relaunch it soon.
If you thought that the defense cuts that took place in the UK were a good way of saving money, you might want to read this article which discusses the role of the UK military in Libya, and the effects the choices in the cuts have meant to our ability to play any military role in the future. Seems a pretty compelling point of view...
And if you are filling in your census forms on the 27th March, before you have fun writing down Jedi as your religion etc, you might want to pause for a moment over the words "your data is protected for 100 years". This used to be the case, indeed the data from the census 100 years ago is now available for perusal. But, there was not a labour government around then who was whittling away all privacy of the population. Laws that came into effect after the previous labour government lost the election, and before the new coalition came in, mean that although your data COULD be kept private for 100 years, it is not guaranteed to be so. In fact, the list of the people who can use and pass on this data is nearly as astounding as how little chance you have to know what has been passed o to whom. Hopefully someone in this government is listening and wants to take up the case to reverse some of these privacy-stealing laws...
Now where is my Guy Fawkes mask?...
According to our friend Hugo (not Victor, Chavez), capitalism killed the martians. Yes, he must have kept hidden some compelling evidence to come up with that one. Maybe it's stored in the same place as the proof that the big bang was a western attempt at taking over Venezuela?
In a blow to cheap takeaways filling up our streets, the government has prohibited migrants from outside the EEA coming to the UK in order to work in takeaways. Yes, no longer will the server of your kebab or vindaloo be a person of non-EEA descent, just the food itself...
On that same theme, police are looking for an 18kg stick of kebab meat that was stolen from a takeaway in Trowbridge. If you see someone walking around the city with a huge piece of meat under their clothes, you might be sensible not to get too close, especially when it starts defrosting...
Visitors to Hamburg will soon be able to travel directly from the Garden Show grounds to the Reeperbahn via cable car if plans go ahead. No longer will you be forced to wander around watching meaningless flowers all day, but hop on to the cable car telling your wife you'll meet up with her in a couple of hours...
On a sad note, the BBC Caribbean radio service has been stopped due to funding cuts. Let's hope someone high up realises the effect this will have on independent news service in this region, and will relaunch it soon.
If you thought that the defense cuts that took place in the UK were a good way of saving money, you might want to read this article which discusses the role of the UK military in Libya, and the effects the choices in the cuts have meant to our ability to play any military role in the future. Seems a pretty compelling point of view...
And if you are filling in your census forms on the 27th March, before you have fun writing down Jedi as your religion etc, you might want to pause for a moment over the words "your data is protected for 100 years". This used to be the case, indeed the data from the census 100 years ago is now available for perusal. But, there was not a labour government around then who was whittling away all privacy of the population. Laws that came into effect after the previous labour government lost the election, and before the new coalition came in, mean that although your data COULD be kept private for 100 years, it is not guaranteed to be so. In fact, the list of the people who can use and pass on this data is nearly as astounding as how little chance you have to know what has been passed o to whom. Hopefully someone in this government is listening and wants to take up the case to reverse some of these privacy-stealing laws...
Now where is my Guy Fawkes mask?...
Saturday, March 12, 2011
When the Cure is worse than the Problem
As men get older, they start to worry about losing their hair (especially it seems, if they are of Valencian descent). Many resort to medical treatments to try and get that fluffy stuff back up on the coconut, sometimes with success. However it has now been claimed that the chemicals used for these treatments have actually been found to cause the user to become impotent. Yes, before you spray, maybe it's worth considering the consequences fully...
Ever wonder why some languages have held on, despite all the odds, then an interesting piece of research has been published, claiming there is a mathematical formula to work out if a language will survive living alongside another more prominent one. Maybe that will make the welsh feel safe again...
Now for those of you who are fans of Jamie Oliver. On his website he is currently offering free recipe books in return for filling in a short survey. Go on, tell him what you think !
Another great saver for those of you with Thames Water. They are currently giving away some fancy shower heads, plus other water saving devices. Just fill in your details here and you'll be sent them through the post. No cheaper way to save money...
Despite only one entry in the last poll, I persevere and have made a few changes to the site to hopefully make it more appealing to you. Gone is the Google AdWords bar, as well as the Amazon search widgets. Nobody was using them, so I presume nobody will miss them. The polls were becoming a bit difficult to read in a half-width column, so I have now made them full-width. Hope you approve.
Talking of polls, this week's is asking whether there should be a section to list the current special offers I think you will be interested in? At the moment they have mentioned in the blog posts individually, but if you skim-read (why? surely the content is worth reading in it's entirety?) you might not have realised that you could be saving money, receiving free things, or having a cheap holiday. As a taster I will put it in already, and you can let me know what you think (more detailed feedback can always be written in a comment).
Get voting !
Ever wonder why some languages have held on, despite all the odds, then an interesting piece of research has been published, claiming there is a mathematical formula to work out if a language will survive living alongside another more prominent one. Maybe that will make the welsh feel safe again...
Now for those of you who are fans of Jamie Oliver. On his website he is currently offering free recipe books in return for filling in a short survey. Go on, tell him what you think !
Another great saver for those of you with Thames Water. They are currently giving away some fancy shower heads, plus other water saving devices. Just fill in your details here and you'll be sent them through the post. No cheaper way to save money...
Despite only one entry in the last poll, I persevere and have made a few changes to the site to hopefully make it more appealing to you. Gone is the Google AdWords bar, as well as the Amazon search widgets. Nobody was using them, so I presume nobody will miss them. The polls were becoming a bit difficult to read in a half-width column, so I have now made them full-width. Hope you approve.
Talking of polls, this week's is asking whether there should be a section to list the current special offers I think you will be interested in? At the moment they have mentioned in the blog posts individually, but if you skim-read (why? surely the content is worth reading in it's entirety?) you might not have realised that you could be saving money, receiving free things, or having a cheap holiday. As a taster I will put it in already, and you can let me know what you think (more detailed feedback can always be written in a comment).
Get voting !
Murcian Visits, Palacial Deals, and Thrice Uncle
Last weekend saw murcian Ali come and visit us in Oxford. We had a full program organised, so no sooner had she got off the bus, we set off to Bicester Village, the famous high class shopping outlets. Of course despite the 70% discounts, many of the products are still in a league of their own. No sooner had we found a good selection of jackets for Ali, than the price tags of over 400 pounds came into view. But it makes for a great excursion if you leave your credit card at home.
A cup-cake fair for neighbour Kate's London Marathon run to raise money for St. John Ambulance was also supported, coming away with a box selection of them for later :)
A trip down to London was also in order, meeting up with Andres and heading off for Camden Town. Despite it being a Sunday, this place was heaving, as always, and it really made for a lively atmosphere whilst wandering around the markets. We didn't find the Arepa&Co stall, but were filled up with the huge plates of Chinese food that were mixed for us. We made our way through the clothes, food and chucherias, and headed back towards the City. Buckingham Palace was passed, as well as a leisurely walk through the park until we got to Westminster to take a look at the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben's tower (we didn't visit Little Ben) and then went off to Chinatown via Leicester Square, stopping for a cup of tea and piece of cake. Wow, what a full day that was!
The sun came out on Monday, which is why it was perfect for a visit to Woodstock (England, not the festival in the US). After a filling late lunch at one of the local pubs we visited Blenheim Palace (where, incidentally, they currently give you a free annual pass when you buy an entry ticket). The history of Sir Winston Churchill, plus of the palace itself makes for a very entertaining tour of the building. Of course the grounds are also quite amazing, so we'll be using that annual pass to have a picnic in the summer.
There have of course been many birthdays in between posts, including those of Jordi, Lourdes, and Javi. Felicidades to you all !
And to top off the week, it seems I have become an uncle for the third time. Welcome to the world, Mary-Jane !
A cup-cake fair for neighbour Kate's London Marathon run to raise money for St. John Ambulance was also supported, coming away with a box selection of them for later :)
A trip down to London was also in order, meeting up with Andres and heading off for Camden Town. Despite it being a Sunday, this place was heaving, as always, and it really made for a lively atmosphere whilst wandering around the markets. We didn't find the Arepa&Co stall, but were filled up with the huge plates of Chinese food that were mixed for us. We made our way through the clothes, food and chucherias, and headed back towards the City. Buckingham Palace was passed, as well as a leisurely walk through the park until we got to Westminster to take a look at the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben's tower (we didn't visit Little Ben) and then went off to Chinatown via Leicester Square, stopping for a cup of tea and piece of cake. Wow, what a full day that was!
The sun came out on Monday, which is why it was perfect for a visit to Woodstock (England, not the festival in the US). After a filling late lunch at one of the local pubs we visited Blenheim Palace (where, incidentally, they currently give you a free annual pass when you buy an entry ticket). The history of Sir Winston Churchill, plus of the palace itself makes for a very entertaining tour of the building. Of course the grounds are also quite amazing, so we'll be using that annual pass to have a picnic in the summer.
There have of course been many birthdays in between posts, including those of Jordi, Lourdes, and Javi. Felicidades to you all !
And to top off the week, it seems I have become an uncle for the third time. Welcome to the world, Mary-Jane !
Sunday, March 06, 2011
The Non-Carnival Planner
In Barranquilla they're singing curramba whilst dancing in the sun, in Mainz they're shouting Helau! whilst marching through the streets, and here we're not doing anything of the sort. Yes, londoners like to celebrate carnival too, but aren't as mad as the Rhinelanders, and decide to celebrate in August when it's nice and hot (relatively speaking).
Further to the mention in my last post about the breast milk ice cream, it appears the police have now stopped the sale of these products pending further investigation.
The Panama Canal took a long time to build, many were killed through disease whilst building, and everything that could have gone wrong did. But now there might be an alternative in the pipeline. Colombia is apparently in talks with China to build an alternative passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic. It will be interesting to see how the planning comes along, and if as many problems occur. Let's just hope it doesn't have as many leaks as the Yangtse Dam did when it was finished...
And this week a call goes out to Carlitos who is off visiting Luigi in Paris. Let the Louvre be warned...
On a final note, you have just 12 hours to vote in the latest poll on this page...
Further to the mention in my last post about the breast milk ice cream, it appears the police have now stopped the sale of these products pending further investigation.
The Panama Canal took a long time to build, many were killed through disease whilst building, and everything that could have gone wrong did. But now there might be an alternative in the pipeline. Colombia is apparently in talks with China to build an alternative passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic. It will be interesting to see how the planning comes along, and if as many problems occur. Let's just hope it doesn't have as many leaks as the Yangtse Dam did when it was finished...
And this week a call goes out to Carlitos who is off visiting Luigi in Paris. Let the Louvre be warned...
On a final note, you have just 12 hours to vote in the latest poll on this page...
Sunday, February 27, 2011
The alternative side of the news
It's hard to read or see anything different on the news as so much space and time is being taken up by revolutions, protests, and meerkats selling car insurance. Right, I thought, now it's time for me to publish some more of my really important alternative news stories of the week.
First up is Watson. No, not Sherlock's great sidekick, but rather a special supercomputer from IBM that has just finished beating the best contestants at the American game show Jeopardy. Yes, this machine was so clever at finding the correct answers (or questions) that it will probably be spending the rest of its life relaxing on some desert island with the winnings it made.
Talking about science, the Royal Society has published its annual report and said that there aren't enough schoolchildren studying scientific A-Level subjects, and the ones that do aren't helped by the lack of motivated teachers. This is leading to a never-ending spiral of film-studies and 14th century badminton rackets students . Okay, maybe their aren't that many types badminton rackets in the 14th century, but there definitely weren't any fast food burger joints offering degrees then either.
On a royal note, anything planned for the must-be-seen-at wedding in April this year? Well, for want of something unusual to write home about, why not visit Abingdon. This city will be having a bun fight in celebration of the occasion, catapulting thousands of currant buns from the rooftop of their city hall to the crowds gathered below. Just make sure you're wearing a hard hat in case they have had to bake them weeks in advance...
Not quite such a seamless link to this next story, but if you venture down to Covent Garden in the near future, you might get a shock when ordering an ice-cream. A parlour has started selling their deserts made from human breast milk rather than cow's. If tasting something which you haven't tried since you were born is not for you, you can always give some yourself. They pay for your milk in order to keep their ice-cream business up and running...
Remember the Russian spy caught in the US last year? Ever wondered what people get up to after being unveiled? Well, apparently they get employed to design the space suits for the next cosmonauts...
Other interesting news coming from that scientific centre in the East: Just under a third of Russians interviewed believe that the Sun revolves around the Earth. Yes, no riding on back of turtles or being flat for them. In addition, the majority said that all radioactivity is man-made, and 29% said that humans fought the dinosaurs for control of planet earth.
Animals sometimes seem so close to us humans though. Take monkeys. Some women would argue that most men are still closely related to these mammals. A further explanation has recently arisen, in that they have been found to wash themselves with their own urine. Before the females amongst you start saying "I told you so", the reason cited for this behaviour is that it makes them more attractive to the female monkeys. What does that say about you now? :)
If you decide to go off to the cinema to try and forget about that last piece of news, then be careful with your manners. In Latvia a viewer was shot dead after eating his popcorn too loudly. The rumours that this happened during the erotic parts of the Black Swan are as yet unconfirmed.
On a food note, the EU has given the humble Cornish Pasty a protected status just like Champagne, Parma Ham, and Stilton Cheese. So next time you go out to buy one, check it has the correct authenticity.
For those of you of an inventive nature, you'll be pleased to find out that something sought by thousands of students has finally been invented. Yes, a cocktail-dispensing-slot-machine. Play this one armed bandit and be rewarded with non-historic concoctions like a Long Island Beach or a Green Virgin Slammer...
And finally to something personal. As the last poll attracted a grand total of one participant, I think you've had enough of being asked what to do with this site. So I will make the changes from a democratic-dictatorship position and stop pestering you.
What about Mainz, you might ask? What's different about Oxford? Well, currently it's a lot milder here and we haven't seen snow since early Jan, whereas I have been reliably informed that there was some of that white stuff over in the Rhineland just last week. Being able to compare the Irish pubs is another major thing. Here you get the usual great Irish beers, as well as a couple of English ones too. Bu there is no fast-food ordering service from the place next door. No, sir. Here they cook you a lovely Irish Stew, or Steak and Guiness Pie, all served with the seasonal vegetables, just to make sure you have something healthy too. Has that whet your appetite yet Carlitos?? :)
Oscars tonight - better get the sparkling wine out...
First up is Watson. No, not Sherlock's great sidekick, but rather a special supercomputer from IBM that has just finished beating the best contestants at the American game show Jeopardy. Yes, this machine was so clever at finding the correct answers (or questions) that it will probably be spending the rest of its life relaxing on some desert island with the winnings it made.
Talking about science, the Royal Society has published its annual report and said that there aren't enough schoolchildren studying scientific A-Level subjects, and the ones that do aren't helped by the lack of motivated teachers. This is leading to a never-ending spiral of film-studies and 14th century badminton rackets students . Okay, maybe their aren't that many types badminton rackets in the 14th century, but there definitely weren't any fast food burger joints offering degrees then either.
On a royal note, anything planned for the must-be-seen-at wedding in April this year? Well, for want of something unusual to write home about, why not visit Abingdon. This city will be having a bun fight in celebration of the occasion, catapulting thousands of currant buns from the rooftop of their city hall to the crowds gathered below. Just make sure you're wearing a hard hat in case they have had to bake them weeks in advance...
Not quite such a seamless link to this next story, but if you venture down to Covent Garden in the near future, you might get a shock when ordering an ice-cream. A parlour has started selling their deserts made from human breast milk rather than cow's. If tasting something which you haven't tried since you were born is not for you, you can always give some yourself. They pay for your milk in order to keep their ice-cream business up and running...
Remember the Russian spy caught in the US last year? Ever wondered what people get up to after being unveiled? Well, apparently they get employed to design the space suits for the next cosmonauts...
Other interesting news coming from that scientific centre in the East: Just under a third of Russians interviewed believe that the Sun revolves around the Earth. Yes, no riding on back of turtles or being flat for them. In addition, the majority said that all radioactivity is man-made, and 29% said that humans fought the dinosaurs for control of planet earth.
Animals sometimes seem so close to us humans though. Take monkeys. Some women would argue that most men are still closely related to these mammals. A further explanation has recently arisen, in that they have been found to wash themselves with their own urine. Before the females amongst you start saying "I told you so", the reason cited for this behaviour is that it makes them more attractive to the female monkeys. What does that say about you now? :)
If you decide to go off to the cinema to try and forget about that last piece of news, then be careful with your manners. In Latvia a viewer was shot dead after eating his popcorn too loudly. The rumours that this happened during the erotic parts of the Black Swan are as yet unconfirmed.
On a food note, the EU has given the humble Cornish Pasty a protected status just like Champagne, Parma Ham, and Stilton Cheese. So next time you go out to buy one, check it has the correct authenticity.
For those of you of an inventive nature, you'll be pleased to find out that something sought by thousands of students has finally been invented. Yes, a cocktail-dispensing-slot-machine. Play this one armed bandit and be rewarded with non-historic concoctions like a Long Island Beach or a Green Virgin Slammer...
And finally to something personal. As the last poll attracted a grand total of one participant, I think you've had enough of being asked what to do with this site. So I will make the changes from a democratic-dictatorship position and stop pestering you.
What about Mainz, you might ask? What's different about Oxford? Well, currently it's a lot milder here and we haven't seen snow since early Jan, whereas I have been reliably informed that there was some of that white stuff over in the Rhineland just last week. Being able to compare the Irish pubs is another major thing. Here you get the usual great Irish beers, as well as a couple of English ones too. Bu there is no fast-food ordering service from the place next door. No, sir. Here they cook you a lovely Irish Stew, or Steak and Guiness Pie, all served with the seasonal vegetables, just to make sure you have something healthy too. Has that whet your appetite yet Carlitos?? :)
Oscars tonight - better get the sparkling wine out...
Sunday, February 06, 2011
The Results Are In
Tunisia might have fallen, Egypt might be on the brink, and many other countries might be shaking in their boots, but here in this little corner of the cyberworld democracy has prevailed. Yes, the votes have been cast, the numbers counted, and the bribes ignored. I am therefore pleased to announce that this blog will be updated more often on a weekly basis. The fact that 3 voters consumed but did not inhale also pleases me.
So as promised I will unveil a bit of what's been happening recently. Christmas 2010 was spent in Wiesbaden, being Julianna's first celebration of this type we were allowed to enjoy it with her, her parents (Mark and Friedi), Christiane and the rest of the family. Snow was above the knee, cars were getting stuck, but it really was a great white Christmas, the like of which not seen for many years. Some photos of this event can be found here.
A trip up north was also on the cards the week before Xmas to see Doug, Gem, Dominic, Mia-Rose and bump. This was when the big snows had just started, but luckily we were not too badly affected. Some of the pictures can be seen here (including Olga enjoying the snow...).
New Year was spent here in Oxford with the lovely company of Ali, Luigi and Roberto. Typical tourist things took place like getting on the open top double decker bus to tour around the city (that was cold), visiting a good few traditional pubs, and some traditional British food for new year (yes, we did Indian). To check out some of the sights you could come and visit us, or just look at the photos here.
January also saw some familiar faces with cousin Jonathan and Sally being over here from Australia, and using that as an excuse to meet up with them, Juliette, Arnaud and Mariette, Clive and Wend. A great Spanish meal was had by all, although I think more time was spent catching up than actually eating...
And does Harald still appear in Neighbours? Apparently not (although his photo is still on the website), but Lou Carpenter, Paul Robinson, Karl Kennedy, Toadfish, and the lovely Libby are still there. Of course, it's never going to be the same without Charlene (aka Kylie Minogue).
I see that the the number of visitors has been going up steadily (not sure if it's because of my improving writing style, or just people are starting to wake up after a new year stuper). Thanks for that :)
You will also notice that on the right hand side of this page there are a couple of boxes from Amazon (one for UK, the other for Germany) and a Google ad column further down. These are little ways in helping to finance this site when people order anything through these links. However, according to my statistics, nobody actually uses them. So this leads to the next quiz: What would you prefer to have appear on the right of this site?
Maybe you like the idea of being able to buy via Amazon straight from this site, maybe you find some of the adverts from Google interesting, or maybe you want a list of great offers and links carefully picked by yours truly? Cast your vote and let me know !
One last thing before I let you get back to your Sunday papers: There is actually a button below each post allowing you to write your comments, post to facebook, tweet and email. Please use them! Nothing like getting the word out :)
So as promised I will unveil a bit of what's been happening recently. Christmas 2010 was spent in Wiesbaden, being Julianna's first celebration of this type we were allowed to enjoy it with her, her parents (Mark and Friedi), Christiane and the rest of the family. Snow was above the knee, cars were getting stuck, but it really was a great white Christmas, the like of which not seen for many years. Some photos of this event can be found here.
A trip up north was also on the cards the week before Xmas to see Doug, Gem, Dominic, Mia-Rose and bump. This was when the big snows had just started, but luckily we were not too badly affected. Some of the pictures can be seen here (including Olga enjoying the snow...).
New Year was spent here in Oxford with the lovely company of Ali, Luigi and Roberto. Typical tourist things took place like getting on the open top double decker bus to tour around the city (that was cold), visiting a good few traditional pubs, and some traditional British food for new year (yes, we did Indian). To check out some of the sights you could come and visit us, or just look at the photos here.
January also saw some familiar faces with cousin Jonathan and Sally being over here from Australia, and using that as an excuse to meet up with them, Juliette, Arnaud and Mariette, Clive and Wend. A great Spanish meal was had by all, although I think more time was spent catching up than actually eating...
And does Harald still appear in Neighbours? Apparently not (although his photo is still on the website), but Lou Carpenter, Paul Robinson, Karl Kennedy, Toadfish, and the lovely Libby are still there. Of course, it's never going to be the same without Charlene (aka Kylie Minogue).
I see that the the number of visitors has been going up steadily (not sure if it's because of my improving writing style, or just people are starting to wake up after a new year stuper). Thanks for that :)
You will also notice that on the right hand side of this page there are a couple of boxes from Amazon (one for UK, the other for Germany) and a Google ad column further down. These are little ways in helping to finance this site when people order anything through these links. However, according to my statistics, nobody actually uses them. So this leads to the next quiz: What would you prefer to have appear on the right of this site?
Maybe you like the idea of being able to buy via Amazon straight from this site, maybe you find some of the adverts from Google interesting, or maybe you want a list of great offers and links carefully picked by yours truly? Cast your vote and let me know !
One last thing before I let you get back to your Sunday papers: There is actually a button below each post allowing you to write your comments, post to facebook, tweet and email. Please use them! Nothing like getting the word out :)
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Change is in the air
Winter might seem to be on the way out, letting spring into 2011, but that's not the only change that has happened. In fact, the other change has been the main culprit which has stopped posts being published on this blog.
If you hadn't noticed the change of heading, then maybe you should just give up now. Yes, This blogger has pulled up his roots, slung them over his shoulder and left on a mule. Well, sort of. After a good many years writing from the German city of Mainz, the wind has changed and posts will now be written from the wonderful city of Oxford, Great Britain.
If you think this might affect my writing style, then you might be correct. But it couldn't get much worse now, could it?
And in the chaos of the move, the new life, culture and bureaucracy, a new leaf will be turned, democracy fulfilled and some people sighing relief. Yes, YOU get to decide!
First decision you can influence is how often updates to this blog should be written? I know it's not the most frequently written page, and that most of you have probably given up (website analytics tell me it's about a tenth of what it used to be in it's heyday back in 2001), but maybe you don't have time to read it every day anyway. In fact, maybe you just subscribe to the RSS feed and don't visit the page at all. So in the interests of information gathering I have created two polls for you just over on the right hand side of the page. Please fill them in with your feedback, you have a week to show there is more than the three people that answered in the last two polls...
So what happened at Christmas 2010? How was the New Year 2011 celebrated? And is Harold still in neighbours? All this and more in the next post, coming to you...when you decide ! (a bit like on-demand viewing but fewer buttons).
Cast your votes !
If you hadn't noticed the change of heading, then maybe you should just give up now. Yes, This blogger has pulled up his roots, slung them over his shoulder and left on a mule. Well, sort of. After a good many years writing from the German city of Mainz, the wind has changed and posts will now be written from the wonderful city of Oxford, Great Britain.
If you think this might affect my writing style, then you might be correct. But it couldn't get much worse now, could it?
And in the chaos of the move, the new life, culture and bureaucracy, a new leaf will be turned, democracy fulfilled and some people sighing relief. Yes, YOU get to decide!
First decision you can influence is how often updates to this blog should be written? I know it's not the most frequently written page, and that most of you have probably given up (website analytics tell me it's about a tenth of what it used to be in it's heyday back in 2001), but maybe you don't have time to read it every day anyway. In fact, maybe you just subscribe to the RSS feed and don't visit the page at all. So in the interests of information gathering I have created two polls for you just over on the right hand side of the page. Please fill them in with your feedback, you have a week to show there is more than the three people that answered in the last two polls...
So what happened at Christmas 2010? How was the New Year 2011 celebrated? And is Harold still in neighbours? All this and more in the next post, coming to you...when you decide ! (a bit like on-demand viewing but fewer buttons).
Cast your votes !
Monday, October 18, 2010
Paella, Pa'ella, Pa'mi
First up, Lobelto now has a place in Mainz! Yes, he couldn't have chosen a better place except if it came with a ladyfriend included. So by the end of the month we should be seeing a lot more of him...
Saturday saw the latest Seacava Paella. This time cooked and organised by Ali and Mamen. Without wanting to put down the retired paella maker (Carlitos), it tasted great. Despite the slightly late start, the assembled group ate and ate, and drank and drank until there were only a few doggy bags to take home for the next day's dinner. After this filling meal, a trip to Haddocks was undertaken, where it ended at 2am with Lobelto asleep in the corner and a lot of burros playing cards. Pity that the following day had to be spent washing all the clothes as a table of guests saw fit to flout the no-smoking laws during our time there.
On another note, it looks like Jordi (yes, of 2000/01 fame) has been given a job in Brussels now where he will be doing what he does best. Good luck !
And now for something different - news related. What with Angela Merkel admitting that the German method of integration of foreigners has been a disaster, how do you feel? Go on, have a go. Hopefully more than the previous 3 will respond...
First up, Lobelto now has a place in Mainz! Yes, he couldn't have chosen a better place except if it came with a ladyfriend included. So by the end of the month we should be seeing a lot more of him...
Saturday saw the latest Seacava Paella. This time cooked and organised by Ali and Mamen. Without wanting to put down the retired paella maker (Carlitos), it tasted great. Despite the slightly late start, the assembled group ate and ate, and drank and drank until there were only a few doggy bags to take home for the next day's dinner. After this filling meal, a trip to Haddocks was undertaken, where it ended at 2am with Lobelto asleep in the corner and a lot of burros playing cards. Pity that the following day had to be spent washing all the clothes as a table of guests saw fit to flout the no-smoking laws during our time there.
On another note, it looks like Jordi (yes, of 2000/01 fame) has been given a job in Brussels now where he will be doing what he does best. Good luck !
And now for something different - news related. What with Angela Merkel admitting that the German method of integration of foreigners has been a disaster, how do you feel? Go on, have a go. Hopefully more than the previous 3 will respond...
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Licensed to Live
This last week has seen Olga complete her studies as a psychologist, and Rafa graduate as an electrical engineer. So if you have problems with your life or mind, see the former, and if you have problems with your TV or the computer see the latter.
You might have noticed an addition to the right hand side of this blog. Yes, the polls are back, asking you those relevant and important questions on life. So go on, give it a go!
This last week has seen Olga complete her studies as a psychologist, and Rafa graduate as an electrical engineer. So if you have problems with your life or mind, see the former, and if you have problems with your TV or the computer see the latter.
You might have noticed an addition to the right hand side of this blog. Yes, the polls are back, asking you those relevant and important questions on life. So go on, give it a go!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Website Fun, Dirty Pavements and Bottle Deposits
Nowadays everyone has a website, they are so easy to create. There are few companies that don't have some form of online presence, and most allow you to order their products or services directly. I like to call this user interaction. Well Hema (a dutch department store) brings this interactivity to a new dimension with their e-store here: http://producten.hema.nl/. This is going back to the roots of website building - for fun and enjoyment. Well done to the person that programmed that, and to the company for letting it go past prototype stage!
Now people say that we Brits are dog lovers. This is probably true, but I am sure that the Germans give us a run for our money. I remember when I first came over here to Mainz. I was walking along when I saw a mother with a young child in a pushchair and a dog on a leash. She stopped at the entrance of a supermarket, and to my astonishment, she tied up the pushchair to a lamppost and took the dog on the leash into the store with her. That's something that can only happen here.
Dogs can go anywhere. They are regularly taken into restaurants, supermarkets, swimming pools, which personally I don't find all that appealing. It will be of no surprise then, that I often come across a pile of dog turd in the street. Yes, there is a law forbidding them to leave a mess without the owner cleaning up, but with so many dogs about, how are you going to stop them all?
So the other day I was walking across the city and started to count how many different piles of poo I had to avoid. On this half hour walk which I repeat most days, I counted no less than 9 different dollops. This is getting ridiculous! Of course the reason why I decided to write about it now was that earlier this week, whilst carefully avoiding one steaming mess I accidentally trod in another. Next time I see a dog even bending it's leg in preparation for a squat, I am going to get out my camera and make sure a big flash goes off. Maybe some owners will learn to take control...
Talking of cameras, I am seriously considering having one permanently to hand whilst crossing zebra crossings in this city. At least twice a week I ma nearly hit because cars like to race across them rather than stop for pedestrians. Legally they have to stop as soon as my foot treads on the crossing, but in Mainz they like to speed up and keep driving across, despite being mere centimeters away from me. So be warned - next time I will have my camera to hand and there will be a nice clear photo being sent to the local police station.
So the UK is currently considering putting deposits on bottles of drink, like they did about 40 years ago. This of course is nothing new to the people of Germany who have had deposits on drinks bottles for as long as I cam remember. Although I have to admit they have changed the law a good many times as to which types of bottles have which type of deposit, and whether you have to take them back to the very same store you bought them from, with your receipt and a token (luckily that is no more).
But back to the UK. The main reason being touted for deposits being necessary, is that it would reduce the amount of litter on the streets. I don't have the statistics for the percentage of litter being made up of bottles, but I would hazard a guess at maybe 5% from what I personally remember seeing.
Now jump to Germany again. Asking a few locals gives differing answers with respect to if it helped the littering problem. Some say that it did, and there's less broken glass on the streets now (although if this were true, the streets must have been paved with glass before, as I still have to avoid at least 3 broken bottles on my daily walk - maybe I should do a proper count like with the dog turds). Others say that now instead of a few bottles on the ground, there a re many more vagrants combing the bins around the city, looking for any spare bottles. They will habitually empty out a bin whilst getting to glass container at the very bottom, which of course might mean that there's less glass on the street as a percentage of litter, but the amount of litter on the street has gone up considerably.
So I'm all for new ways to get our streets cleaner (personally believing that people who litter should be punished by having to clear up the town for at least a day for every piece they threw down) but maybe people should look beyond what the direct effects could be, and think of the side-effects too, to make an informed decision of whether the total balance is beneficial or not.
As a final note, for the doctor who recently celebrated his birthday and who used to be a frequent visitor to this site - welcome back !
Nowadays everyone has a website, they are so easy to create. There are few companies that don't have some form of online presence, and most allow you to order their products or services directly. I like to call this user interaction. Well Hema (a dutch department store) brings this interactivity to a new dimension with their e-store here: http://producten.hema.nl/. This is going back to the roots of website building - for fun and enjoyment. Well done to the person that programmed that, and to the company for letting it go past prototype stage!
Now people say that we Brits are dog lovers. This is probably true, but I am sure that the Germans give us a run for our money. I remember when I first came over here to Mainz. I was walking along when I saw a mother with a young child in a pushchair and a dog on a leash. She stopped at the entrance of a supermarket, and to my astonishment, she tied up the pushchair to a lamppost and took the dog on the leash into the store with her. That's something that can only happen here.
Dogs can go anywhere. They are regularly taken into restaurants, supermarkets, swimming pools, which personally I don't find all that appealing. It will be of no surprise then, that I often come across a pile of dog turd in the street. Yes, there is a law forbidding them to leave a mess without the owner cleaning up, but with so many dogs about, how are you going to stop them all?
So the other day I was walking across the city and started to count how many different piles of poo I had to avoid. On this half hour walk which I repeat most days, I counted no less than 9 different dollops. This is getting ridiculous! Of course the reason why I decided to write about it now was that earlier this week, whilst carefully avoiding one steaming mess I accidentally trod in another. Next time I see a dog even bending it's leg in preparation for a squat, I am going to get out my camera and make sure a big flash goes off. Maybe some owners will learn to take control...
Talking of cameras, I am seriously considering having one permanently to hand whilst crossing zebra crossings in this city. At least twice a week I ma nearly hit because cars like to race across them rather than stop for pedestrians. Legally they have to stop as soon as my foot treads on the crossing, but in Mainz they like to speed up and keep driving across, despite being mere centimeters away from me. So be warned - next time I will have my camera to hand and there will be a nice clear photo being sent to the local police station.
So the UK is currently considering putting deposits on bottles of drink, like they did about 40 years ago. This of course is nothing new to the people of Germany who have had deposits on drinks bottles for as long as I cam remember. Although I have to admit they have changed the law a good many times as to which types of bottles have which type of deposit, and whether you have to take them back to the very same store you bought them from, with your receipt and a token (luckily that is no more).
But back to the UK. The main reason being touted for deposits being necessary, is that it would reduce the amount of litter on the streets. I don't have the statistics for the percentage of litter being made up of bottles, but I would hazard a guess at maybe 5% from what I personally remember seeing.
Now jump to Germany again. Asking a few locals gives differing answers with respect to if it helped the littering problem. Some say that it did, and there's less broken glass on the streets now (although if this were true, the streets must have been paved with glass before, as I still have to avoid at least 3 broken bottles on my daily walk - maybe I should do a proper count like with the dog turds). Others say that now instead of a few bottles on the ground, there a re many more vagrants combing the bins around the city, looking for any spare bottles. They will habitually empty out a bin whilst getting to glass container at the very bottom, which of course might mean that there's less glass on the street as a percentage of litter, but the amount of litter on the street has gone up considerably.
So I'm all for new ways to get our streets cleaner (personally believing that people who litter should be punished by having to clear up the town for at least a day for every piece they threw down) but maybe people should look beyond what the direct effects could be, and think of the side-effects too, to make an informed decision of whether the total balance is beneficial or not.
As a final note, for the doctor who recently celebrated his birthday and who used to be a frequent visitor to this site - welcome back !
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The bane of malfunctioning credit card machines
To accompany the new design to this site, how about a bit of new content style too? That question was rhetorical, by the way :)
So in case you don't know, in Germany it is hard to pay for goods and services with credit cards. Big stores normally accept them, but otherwise you might just have a chance with the so called EC card. This is basically a debit card instead of the normal VISA debit cards etc one is used to.
Actually, an example I always like to give to people on the use of cards in Germany, is at a supermarket a couple of years ago. I was in the line to buy my groceries and as often happens, there is some special offer on some home electronics (or a chainsaw, but that's another story) this day there was a huge flatscreen TV on sale. It had a pricetag of around 550 Euros. And sure enough, the customer started to count out lots of fifty notes into the cashier's hand. And the cashier didn't flinch once - this is normal here !!!
But I digress, the card readers.
So to pay for a meal for instance, like in other non EC-card countries, a machine is brought out and the card inserted or swiped. The machine sends the details per wireless or cable to the base station where it checks with the payment authority if this card is valid. Then the customer is asked to either enter their PIN, or to sign a receipt.
Now I'm not the oldest person I know, but I remember this happening in some form for at least 10 years (pubs at uni accepted cards, don't you know). And I don't remember once ever having a problem with them.
Now wind forward to the present. Last night was the second time in two days (and on average I would say at least twice a month) when trying to pay for a meal in a restaurant (knowing full well they accept cards, so I don't bother making the treck to the bank to take out extra cash) that the waitress comes back and says sorry the machine isn't working today.
I know I long gave up on everything being so efficient here as people are led to believe, but I had hoped that at least this problem could just be a freak occurrence. So, we could be in the most rustic village in the middle of Spain, and the machines worked without a hitch, but here in Mainz they seem to have a malfunctioning rate of about one a week. Shouldn't someone investigate this? Did they get these machines on special discount from Aldi? Maybe they need to be sent to China to be repaired?
I think next time this happens I'll just give them my address and tell them to send me the bill. That way I don't have to do 3 trips to the bank a day...
So, about that chainsaw...
To accompany the new design to this site, how about a bit of new content style too? That question was rhetorical, by the way :)
So in case you don't know, in Germany it is hard to pay for goods and services with credit cards. Big stores normally accept them, but otherwise you might just have a chance with the so called EC card. This is basically a debit card instead of the normal VISA debit cards etc one is used to.
Actually, an example I always like to give to people on the use of cards in Germany, is at a supermarket a couple of years ago. I was in the line to buy my groceries and as often happens, there is some special offer on some home electronics (or a chainsaw, but that's another story) this day there was a huge flatscreen TV on sale. It had a pricetag of around 550 Euros. And sure enough, the customer started to count out lots of fifty notes into the cashier's hand. And the cashier didn't flinch once - this is normal here !!!
But I digress, the card readers.
So to pay for a meal for instance, like in other non EC-card countries, a machine is brought out and the card inserted or swiped. The machine sends the details per wireless or cable to the base station where it checks with the payment authority if this card is valid. Then the customer is asked to either enter their PIN, or to sign a receipt.
Now I'm not the oldest person I know, but I remember this happening in some form for at least 10 years (pubs at uni accepted cards, don't you know). And I don't remember once ever having a problem with them.
Now wind forward to the present. Last night was the second time in two days (and on average I would say at least twice a month) when trying to pay for a meal in a restaurant (knowing full well they accept cards, so I don't bother making the treck to the bank to take out extra cash) that the waitress comes back and says sorry the machine isn't working today.
I know I long gave up on everything being so efficient here as people are led to believe, but I had hoped that at least this problem could just be a freak occurrence. So, we could be in the most rustic village in the middle of Spain, and the machines worked without a hitch, but here in Mainz they seem to have a malfunctioning rate of about one a week. Shouldn't someone investigate this? Did they get these machines on special discount from Aldi? Maybe they need to be sent to China to be repaired?
I think next time this happens I'll just give them my address and tell them to send me the bill. That way I don't have to do 3 trips to the bank a day...
So, about that chainsaw...
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Dangerous Cheese, Spyclists, and the Purple People
So I've blogged before about the escapades of rolling cheese down a hill and people getting hurt trying to catch it. Well apparently it got too much, and this year's rolling has had to be called off. Next they will be banning egg-and-spoon-races...
The Shambles, in York, has been named Britain's most picturesque street, beating Bath's Royal Crescent into second place. Definitely worth a visit if you up that way...
You've heard of the warning about spies in our mists during the war. Loose tongues cost lives and the like. Well, what you might not have heard about, were the German touring cycle groups, which apparently went around the areas of possible invasions, to take note of the potential targets, and possible hostilities in the area. Is that why they love cycling so much in Germany?...
Movement is afoot in Italy. Not about the Vatican and the sex abuse claims, but rather on the political front. They don't have their own political party, but the Purple People are a large group of people that apparently formed through Facebook to show their dislike of Berlusconi. They have organised protests with hundreds of thousands of demonstrators turning out, all wearing something purple. It might not be a direct competition for the upcoming elections, but they do have a voice, and one which is getting louder by the day. It will be interesting to see when they reach a critical mass, how the current leader can cope (except for using violence of course)...
There once was a lovely village set in the middle of green pastures, where one could relax without noisy motorways, airports etc nearby. This Area of Natural Beauty is called the Chilterns. And this will no longer be the case if the government has its way and creates their new High Speed Rail Link between London and Birmingham going straight through this greenbelt area. Start joining the protests now...
And the Rugby. The latest Six Nations game is underway at the moment, France vs Italy, and then the final matches are being played next Saturday, which we will hopefully be able to enjoy with Luca, Carlitos, Luigi and a possible show by Lobelto. Then we will have to wait for the World Cup in South Africa...
So I've blogged before about the escapades of rolling cheese down a hill and people getting hurt trying to catch it. Well apparently it got too much, and this year's rolling has had to be called off. Next they will be banning egg-and-spoon-races...
The Shambles, in York, has been named Britain's most picturesque street, beating Bath's Royal Crescent into second place. Definitely worth a visit if you up that way...
You've heard of the warning about spies in our mists during the war. Loose tongues cost lives and the like. Well, what you might not have heard about, were the German touring cycle groups, which apparently went around the areas of possible invasions, to take note of the potential targets, and possible hostilities in the area. Is that why they love cycling so much in Germany?...
Movement is afoot in Italy. Not about the Vatican and the sex abuse claims, but rather on the political front. They don't have their own political party, but the Purple People are a large group of people that apparently formed through Facebook to show their dislike of Berlusconi. They have organised protests with hundreds of thousands of demonstrators turning out, all wearing something purple. It might not be a direct competition for the upcoming elections, but they do have a voice, and one which is getting louder by the day. It will be interesting to see when they reach a critical mass, how the current leader can cope (except for using violence of course)...
There once was a lovely village set in the middle of green pastures, where one could relax without noisy motorways, airports etc nearby. This Area of Natural Beauty is called the Chilterns. And this will no longer be the case if the government has its way and creates their new High Speed Rail Link between London and Birmingham going straight through this greenbelt area. Start joining the protests now...
And the Rugby. The latest Six Nations game is underway at the moment, France vs Italy, and then the final matches are being played next Saturday, which we will hopefully be able to enjoy with Luca, Carlitos, Luigi and a possible show by Lobelto. Then we will have to wait for the World Cup in South Africa...
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Carnival Thaw
So the carnivals have drawn to an end. This year there actually seemed to be less broken glass on the ground...could it be fewer bottles were smashed? Or they were quicker in cleaning up? Or did the cold weather keep many people at home? I don't know the answer, but it was a nice surprise on the Tuesday morning to not have to pick glass splinters out of my shoes when I arrived at the office.
Of course, cold weather was never a problem in Barranquilla, where their carnival took place at 34 degrees celsius.
As most people are still recovering on the Tuesday after carnival, I suspect they forgot that it's also known as Pancake Day. Yes, you should pick up all your leftovers and use them as filling for the pancakes you make. Tasty...
Google StreetView has appeared in this blog a few times. And here it is again. This time the video-car came across something in Norway that was very unexpected...just take a look at this link.
Well, Luca is back in Germany, this time in Bochum, so maybe there will be a meetup again, once the weather has warmed up a bit.
Keep those woollies on...
So the carnivals have drawn to an end. This year there actually seemed to be less broken glass on the ground...could it be fewer bottles were smashed? Or they were quicker in cleaning up? Or did the cold weather keep many people at home? I don't know the answer, but it was a nice surprise on the Tuesday morning to not have to pick glass splinters out of my shoes when I arrived at the office.
Of course, cold weather was never a problem in Barranquilla, where their carnival took place at 34 degrees celsius.
As most people are still recovering on the Tuesday after carnival, I suspect they forgot that it's also known as Pancake Day. Yes, you should pick up all your leftovers and use them as filling for the pancakes you make. Tasty...
Google StreetView has appeared in this blog a few times. And here it is again. This time the video-car came across something in Norway that was very unexpected...just take a look at this link.
Well, Luca is back in Germany, this time in Bochum, so maybe there will be a meetup again, once the weather has warmed up a bit.
Keep those woollies on...
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