All for Show

It was good while it lasted, but the recent heat wave has given way to some schizophrenic weather which included thunderstorms and hail! 

I think both Casper and I are glad of the cooler weather since he has a fur coat he can't take off, and I'm usually in a hot and busy kitchen with no air conditioning! The air pollution also seems worse on the hot and humid days, and allergies I never had before I moved to London start to act up like mad.

We had to temper chocolate on one of those hot days, and it made it near impossible for our chocolate to set. I felt like I was working much slower than usual, but my chocolate centrepiece finally turned out just in the nick of time! Luckily, I got it graded before I broke the ears off, and a friend held up the lopped off body part while I took a snap.

Now that we're back to the regular gloom and rain, I'm pretty happy since it was much cooler in the kitchen while we scrambled to make our first plated dessert in a while. We made a chocolate fondant with orange and caramel sauce with a sugar cage. The last time we plated anything was back in Basic, and it was encouraging to see how far we've come in such a short time.

Then...

And now...

The technicals are still quite fun with lots of tasting going on...

The soufflé technical...

And chocolate tasting!

We tasted 17 different kinds of chocolate to try to figure out the bean, country of origin, chocolate solids content, and roasting method. The bad part was that the class began at 8am, and I don't feel like eating anything at that hour, let alone gobs of expensive chocolate. And white chocolate tends to make me gag. 

As if I wasn't busy enough, I agreed to a lawyer job for the next two weeks since there is a lull in scheduled classes for school. And I'm a teaching assistant at school on Saturday. Basically when I'm not at school, I'll be at work. And if I'm not at work, I'll be doing laundry at home so I have clothes to wear to school and work. Oh, and I have to remember how to walk in heels again so I don't fall on my face at the office. But I did say yes to all of the above, so it's time to buck up, shut up, and walk the walk (in heels that I finally took out of storage).

The £209 Storm

I've had my first real smartphone for less than a month when it decided to do a swan dive out of my (closed!) purse and faceplanted onto the pavement. I had just left my cheese lecture, and I was running to get out of the unexpected downpour. But to be honest, that's my own damn fault - when in London, one should always expect a downpour. In any case, the jogging caused the flap on my purse to fly open and my phone to take its suicidal plunge. And now it looks like this.

Apple told me it's going to cost £209 to replace the outside case, and I have to wait a week for it to be back in stock.

This is why I can't have nice things.

It's been raining pretty much nonstop, and J and I have been spending most weekends hunkered down at the flat. The only times we do venture out is when we need to go to Tommy Burgers to satisfy J's burger addiction and to restock our coffee supplies.

So far, this year is not looking good.

The only good news is that the pets in LA are much better. Torre's ear infection has completely cleared up, and Kitty is much more mobile ever since her surgery removed her tumours. My mom swears up and down that Kitty still has a lot of life left in her. I really, really hope that's true, but I'm being as realistic as I can.

As for the cat in London, he's up to his usual ruckus and closing in on 12 lbs! No one believes me when I say Casper can do more tricks than some dogs so I made a little video of him working for his kibble. He can also "sit" and he comes when he's called. Not half bad for a moggie!

Autumn's Here

We've had a wonderfully warm summer this year - multiple heat waves with temperatures near the 30's. It more than made up for the soggy summers we've had since we moved here when it rained most of the time, and the sun peeked out once or twice from behind the clouds.

The heat left suddenly as it came, and it feels like autumn. I'm actually pretty pleased, since London is poorly equipped to deal with heat. Most places (including our flat) don't have air-conditioning, and the heat can become pretty unbearable at times. And not to mention the Tube during hot days - it's common for people to faint dead away in the heat and TFL posts signs everywhere advising riders to carry water with them to stay hydrated.

Another plus of the cool weather is running outside is much more pleasant. It doesn't feel like I'm breathing through a hot sock, and it's not such a big deal that the water fountains in Regent's Park are usually broken. 

This is Casper's first taste of cool weather, and in spite of his very fluffy fur, he's been bundling up for his naps.

He's also been making good use of the fireplace. He's pretty fascinated with the flames, and I'm so glad I thought to buy a screen for the fireplace or we'd end up with roast cat!

The other good news is that work on our flat is finally complete, and I no longer have builders traipsing through on a regular basis. I think Casper's going to miss "helping" them...

The bad news is that it didn't mean that everything in our flat is working as it should. We had no cold water for over a week, and Thames Water was shillyshallying on repairs. Believe it or not, they told our building that they would get to it at the end of the month! Our building had to threaten them with their solicitors to get TW to get the leak repaired so that we could have cold water again. I'm still amazed at how insanely terrible a lot of the services are here. It's not abnormal for it to take two months for internet to get installed or for TW to expect you to go for a month or so without cold water. Insane!

May Flowers

I feel a bit bad about complaining about London weather all the time, but the drizzly weather and lack of sun really does get to me, especially considering I'm used to sunny California weather. But I have to say, when the sun finally comes out over the city, the entire city comes out to play!

We finally got our first warm day of the year this past weekend, and J and I decided to take a stroll through Regent's Park and celebrate the weather with an ice cream. When we got to the park, it looked like pretty much everyone else had the exact same idea.

It was the most crowded I've seen the park in the last three years! I think the beautiful flowers had something to do with it. 

Every few months, the park's gardeners plant fresh flowers in certain parts of the park, and they really outdid themselves this time around. You never see the gardeners unless you're at the park at the crack of dawn, and I wish they could see how much people were enjoying the fruit of their labour.

Everyone was taking pictures of the beautiful blooms, and it was actually so warm that the tulips were starting to wilt!

I think the sheer amount of sun and warmth got to J pretty quickly, and we checked the rose garden to see if any of the roses had made an appearance yet before heading home. No such luck! But we did get to admire an entire avenue of blossoming trees. I wish I could sleep in a bed of these blossoms.

Of course, the warm weather didn't last, and it's rainy and gusty again, but I can't be too disappointed since I have some fun travel plans. Onward and upward!

Straight to Summer

It seems like I brought the LA weather back with me when I came back to a sunny and warm London!

This May was shaping up to be the worst May in decades (weather-wise), but in a complete 180, the last week has been amazing with temperatures in the mid-twenties and sunny skies. It's some consolation for the fact that J and I had to cancel our big Italian tour due to J being busy at work. *tear* To be honest, I was more than fine with cancelling as I had been traveling for the last one and half months and I was ready to come back home and stay put for a while.

Of course, we had to try to spend as much of it as possible outside while the sunshine lasted.

We had lunch at Pizza Express and then hit up John Lewis on Oxford Street to buy a food processor. Exciting times, I know. A little reminder that the Queen's Diamond Jubilee is coming up soon...

And we walked around Hyde Park where pretty much everyone was out enjoying the weather. I didn't know that you could go swimming in Diana's memorial! Sweet!

I felt kind of bad for dragging J on a long walk through the park on an extra hot day so I bought him a burger at Bar Boulod at the Mandarin Oriental in Kensington to make up for it. I got the Yankee burger - I couldn't figure out what was so Yankee about it though...

Now that I'm back at home and gainfully unemployed, I've been keeping busy with a massive spring clean (a wee bit late, I know), working out, and making healthy meals from scratch for J. So far, I've made the following at his request:

Grilled Salmon w/ Chickpea Salad

Curried Chicken Korma w/ Swiss Chard

And last night, I made some Potato and Quinoa Croquettes w/ Sour Cream, but it got inhaled before I could snap a pic of it.

I seriously think it's harder being a housewife than going back to work. Slaving over a stove on a hot day is not fun - I ended up cooking dinner in my sports bra while trying to avoid getting hit by any rogue oil splatters. It may be time to head back to the office soon...

Summer in a Day

Everyone I know, myself included, has been moaning about the terrible weather we've been having. The weather's been bipolar, sunny one minute and then storming like mad the next. Just when I had finally despaired of having a summer at all, a day like today comes along to reassure that summer still exists, even if for just one day.

It was sunny and 30C (~88F) today - a freaking miracle. J and I packed a large beach towel, some water and reading materials - all things you would normally pack to take to the beach. Except we're in London, so we headed over to Regent's Park instead to enjoy some of the lovely weather. Everyone else in London had the same idea, and the park was absolutely packed. People were lolling about in the most unlikely of places, and many of them were dead asleep, including one woman whose shirt was slowly sliding off to the amusement of the people walking by.

There were loads of people all dressed as if they were at the beach - women in swimwear and the men in just shorts. And all of our pale pasty bodies were slowly roasting under the hot sun. I saw a lot of sunburns, and now I'm the proud owner of a red pair of shoulders. I guess my skin got pretty shocked at the prospect of sun, but it was totally worth it!

Too Busy for Spring

It's been an absolutely crazy week for both J and I. J's been traveling to Paris and Luxembourg for work, and I've been stuck at the office all day. Neither of us have had a home cooked meal in over a week - he eats all of his meals in the air, and I eat all of my meals at the office. It's not so bad since it's on the firm's dime, and as an added bonus, a nice lady comes by with fresh coffee and tea and biscuits (cookies) twice a day. It could definitely be worse. =)

I've been working double digit hours every day this week since Sunday, and it's the absolute worst timing since it looks and feels like spring may have finally arrived after hemming and hawing for the last few weeks or so. In fact, I saw two girls walking by yesterday in shorts and t-shirts during my lunch break. Honestly though, it was not that warm - I was fine in my woolen coat while sitting in the sun. I guess 15C (low 50's Fahrenheit) feels downright balmy after months and months of temperatures in the high 30s/ low 40s. I saw the same phenomenon happen in Michigan in the early days of spring - people out in shorts and flip flops in 50 degree weather. This is the same temperature where LA girls gleefully break out their furs from their closets for a long awaited airing. It's all relative, I guess.

A Hint of Spring

You could have knocked me over with a feather when the sun peeked out this morning and actually decided to stick around for the rest of the day! I've been feeling a bit lethargic and unmotivated to do anything lately, but once I got a good dose of Vitamin D streaming through my window, I decided to get up and out to run all of my errands I've been putting off for a while.

It seemed like the entire city was out to enjoy the sunshine, and the restaurants had their outdoor seating out in case anyone wanted to do a little basking in the sun. It was still cold as ever, so I beat it home after visiting the library, news agent, health food store and grocery. After a quick lunch at home, I couldn't resist making another foray outdoors to enjoy the sunshine. I wandered over to Regent's Park to see whether any of the flowers had bloomed, and bloomed they did! Lots of people (for a weekday) were wandering about enjoying the day.

Waiting for Spring

I woke up this morning to another grey and blah kind of day, and it's getting to the point where I'm actually dreaming every night of floating in a warm, blue ocean with the sun beating down on my face. I wish.

Anyway, I sucked it up and decided to go on a run this morning since the half-marathon is only about 2 weeks away now. I was feeling a bit glum from the weather, but I couldn't help grinning when I saw a pair of park rangers on horses calming meandering along the trail ahead of me.  I eventually passed them, and lo and behold, I saw a clump of blooming flowers! I think they were snowdrops and daffodils, but they're just beginning to bloom so I couldn't be sure.

I've been waiting forever to say this, but I think spring may be coming! And not a moment too soon.

No Run Today, and Here's Why...

I actually was thinking about going for a run today despite the fact that it was flurrying all night, but J decided on a snow day and decided to not go into the office. So instead of running, I convinced him to go on a walk through the park with me, and I became very glad that I decided not to go running today.

The pond froze over!

Look what happened to my running route!

I'm guessing the water fountain's in the same state.

More pictures from my film camera...

 

First Snow of the Season!

The view from my living room window this morning...

Now, I have to ask - would it be stupid to go for my daily run?

Baby, It's Cold Outside

It's supposed to snow tonight, and it's been much too cold to venture outside unless absolutely necessary. Stupid me, I've been persisting in running in the park every day, and I'm paying for that persistence with a frozen face and running with my nose dripping and my eyes tearing the whole time. Maybe the other runners think I'm just listening to a very sad song on my ipod as I jog. Anyway, it's so cold that the many fountains in the park have frozen over, and there's more icicles than water.

J has very sensibly decided that it's wiser to stay in than to go out, and I've been getting a wee bit antsy. So antsy that I've been baking up a storm, and now the house smells like the holidays. Needless to say, J is very excited about the recent developments and unforeseeable side effects of the cold weather. Lucky for him, they're all healthier alternatives of their evil twins. Best that he doesn't know.

Cinnamon Sugar Cookies - For J's afternoon tea

Blueberry Walnut Banana Bread w/ Flaxseed - For J's "naughty" breakfast

No Thanksgiving But Still Thankful

It's been a while since I last posted since I've been busy running in the park every day, but it looks like I may have to take a break since it's supposed to sleet today. Apparently, we're supposed to have the worst November freeze in seventeen years. Great.

I'm actually excited at the prospect of seeing snow again. It's been a while since I've had to endure the freezing winters in Michigan, and I think I may have forgotten exactly how cold it can get. I'm sure I'll get a very firm reminder this weekend since snow is predicted for Saturday. But at the same time, it feels so right to have it cold and snowy and sleety for the holidays. A sunny and warm Thanksgiving and Christmas just doesn't cut it. I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune come February, but I'm going to enjoy the cold until then.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, there is no thanksgiving here in the UK. The Brits do make some concessions to the Americans in their midst: my grocery store has been taking orders for Thanksgiving turkeys and Food Network is showing Thanksgiving cooking shows all day long. If you hunt around, you can also find some restaurants, including the huge Whole Foods in Kensington, offer Thanksgiving meals to eat in or takeaway. On the other hand, J is going to work and life goes on as normal. It's a far cry from last year's Thanksgiving, when I spent all day making a Thanksgiving feast for the first time, including a turkey and a glazed ham, and invited my family over to our new condo.

Another Thanksgiving related phenomenon that they're trying to import here is Black Friday. I'm not sure it that's something that should be imported - the crowds, the pushiness, the anxiousness of it all. In any case, it's shaping up to be an epic fail with customers getting riled up at Amazon UK since I don't think the Brits exactly grasp the concept of how quick and fleeting deals are on Black Fridays. It's all about the rush to get the advertised product and then finding out that the deal ended or sold out. But the Brits are not amused.

Even though there is no Thanksgiving here, I'm still thankful for everyone and everything that's happened in my life. J and I always tease each other about how amazing we think the other one's life is, but it's true. We both have wonderful lives, and we're living it in a wonderful and unexpected place.

Brrr...

Dude, it is cold. The temperature is going to be in the single digits (Celsius) all week, and it's going to hit freezing at night. I'm this close to buying a faux fur coat.

I may look stupid, but at least I'm warm.

Falling for Autumn

One of the biggest gripes I have about LA is the lack of seasons. There's hot, warm, and kind of cool. I didn't notice it so much until I spent three years in Michigan where I got to witness the leaves changing color, and the rows of tulips emerging during spring. Winter wasn't as much fun, but the snow was beautiful and so apropos for the holiday season. And it felt wonderful to be inside in fleece pajamas drinking hot coffee with the radiators turned way up.

Summer is now officially over, and I've definitely noticed the change in the air here in London. The sun sets around 7ish now, whereas it didn't set until around 10 in the height of summer, and the air has a crisp snap to it instead of the slight humidity that was ever present during summer. Which all means, shopping. When I left Michigan, I basically threw away all of my winter clothes i.e. puff jacket, long johns, etc. It wasn't like I was ever going to need the stuff back in California.

And then I moved to London. And now I'm cold. Like really cold. Like I'm wearing stuff I used to wear as a student - no regard for whether it looks nice or anything, just that I don't freeze my butt off. For instance, J and I went out for dinner last night, and I wore a long sleeve shirt with my college sweatshirt and my North Face fleece zipped over the whole mess. And I was still cold.

It may be time for another puff jacket. And long johns.

Loving London Weather

Everyone warned me that one of the worst things about living in London was the weather - perpetually raining, damp and cold. They just assumed that since I was coming from southern California, I'd be shocked by the lack of sunshine and seeing people lay out when it's only 62 degrees outside. What they forgot is that I spent three years in Michigan, and if I could survive the winters there, London would be a cinch. Shoot, I was one of those people laying out in the quad when it was 62 degrees outside after a particularly bitter and long Midwestern winter.

The thing I'm loving about the weather is that the forecast will show lots of rain to come, and people will get all gloomy and proclaim that summer is over. And every time they do that, you get a gorgeous day like today where the sky is a clear cerulean blue with a few harmless scattered clouds. Summer may be over, but the weather's never been better since I've arrived.

Now, if only I can get J out of the office...

A London Summer

It's raining. Not like a nice pitter-patter of softly falling rain, but a downright torrential someone get Chicken Little cause the sky is falling downpour that's actually managed to stop the natives in their tracks.

When I got up to shut my windows, I noticed a row of people taking shelter under the overhang of the building across the street. You know it's gnarly rain when people with umbrellas are also taking shelter from the rain since it straight bitch-slapped them up against a wall. That's a London summer day for you.

People at J's office told him that they had been having an unusually nice summer - yeah, right up until we arrived apparently. And the LA Times is warning of a heatwave this weekend when it was still June gloom while we were there. Result: no summer for me this year. Typical. But I'm starting to develop that proverbial British stiff upper lip - about weather anyway; J and I are going to attempt some Korean food this weekend, and I'll cry if they try to charge me for banchan. Why didn't I learn how to make Korean food when I was at home? Oh right, cause I'm a damn soon-to-be-weak-in-the-knees-for kimchi FOOL!