A Girl’s Guide to the 21st Century: Tip 5

March 18, 2009 at 5:59 pm | In A Girl's Guide to Life in the 21st Century, Life | Leave a Comment

This tip is for over 18s (in the UK) and over 21s (in the States).  This blog in no way encourages or condones underage drinking.

It’s important for a girl to have the right drink in the right place at the right time.  Nothing sooner distinguishes you as being a class act than the right drink. 

It is also important to remember that nothing makes you appear sad and desperate quicker than public drunkenness.  You might be having fun, but you just look a bit tragic.

With all those disclaimers in place, here is a guide to the most commonly enjoyed beverages and when to enjoy them.

Alcopops – Never.  Alcopops are the byword for trash.

Beer – in pubs and dive bars.  In a pub, have a half pint of bitter.  In dive bars, pool halls and the like have a bottle of beer (not only will you fit in but bottled beer is safer than draft).

Wine – with a meal, at home or at family events.  Wine is a cozy drink.  I find it’s best enjoyed sitting on the sofa curled up in front of a film or an episode of Gossip Girl. Rose wine, however, is at its best when drunk on a summer’s day sitting at the sidewalk cafe.

Cocktails – in clubs,lounges, and evening events but never anything that involves loads of paper umbrellas or sparklers.  The best garnishes are cherries, wedges of citrus fruit or olives.  Champagne cocktails are particularly elegant.

Spirits – Shots are never classy.  Spirits with mixers are okay for evening and evening events.  Brandy and whisky are nice after dinner drinks.

And if you are the designated driver for the evening, I recommend ordering a tonic water with a slice of fresh lime and tons of ice.  It’s refreshing, and more drinkable than Coke after several rounds.

The best and worst of the BBC

March 18, 2009 at 11:16 am | In Television | Leave a Comment
Tags: , ,

Coming from America, state sponsored television is a bit of an odd concept.  It takes a while to get used to the fact there are no ad breaks and you have to wait until the show is over for a bathroom break or to fix a snack.  However, the one thing that won me over to paying a license fee  is the stellar reputation of the BBC.  However, there is no doubt that reputation has become a little tarnished.  Earlier this week David Cameron proposed putting a freeze on the rate of the license fee, and after watching some programs you got to think that he might have a point.

For example: the entire output of BBC3.  I could comment on it, but I won’t because it’s so bad.  I will, however, highlight one show that was on last week – Lauren Laverne hosting a show about Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.  Did they make this show on a dare?  Did the BBC think it would be a good idea to put the hellish dregs of their output together in an unholy alliance?

I could also point out the Comic Relief coverage.  Comic Relief is a great idea and supports great causes.  I contributed to the record breaking amount they raised this year, but I am sure that people only donated in the hopes that the would stop the Comic Relief shows early.  The celebrity Apprentice was deeply fake and nowhere near as funny as the real thing.  Top of the Pops was weird and distinctly un-top-of-the-pops-like.  Even with David Tennant hosting, I couldn’t watch it.

On the either side of the coin, here’s one reason I am happy to pay the license fee no matter how much it is – Baroque! on BBC4.  No one can do art programming like the BBC.  The only shame is that they hide away such top notch programs on BBC4.  Surely, it should be on BBC2.

Things I miss about Paris

March 11, 2009 at 7:26 pm | In Life | Leave a Comment

The other day at work,  I saw a girl who had a Paris Metro ticket in her purse.  I was suddenly full of longing and nostalgia.  I wanted to ask her something about it.  Did she just arrive from Paris?  Did she live there or did she visit?  I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to do or say anything weird, but the Metro ticket nearly brought me to tears.

Because of that I have compiled a list for you good folks of the things I miss most about Paris:

1. How Paris smells in the autumn – like roasted chestnuts, cigarette smoke and dry leaves.

2. The Louvre – not just the museum but the building.  I love how it has grown and expanded over the centuries.  I especially love the contrast of the 20th century glass pyramid against the older, stone wings. I could (and have) stared at it for hours.

3. The glamour Paris adds to everyday life – Whatever you do from your laundry to the food shopping is better because some amazing or iconic monument is right in your skyline.

4. The romance – A friend recently pointed out of much blood has been shed on the streets of Paris, and it’s true the city has an incredibly violent past.  I think that adds to the romance.  It’s romantic not just because it’s beautiful, it’s romantic because the streets have been the setting for so many great and important things.

5. McDo – I hate McDonald’s generally.  I stopped eating it completely after seeing Supersize Me.  However, every now and again I get a craving for it, and what I crave is the food you get in the Paris McDonald’s (or McDo as the natives call).  It tastes more real somehow.

6. Spring – it arrives literally overnight in Paris.  In the last week of March suddenly the rain stops, the flowers bloom, it’s warm and the sky is a amazing shade of blue.  It’s like the whole world has become Technicolor.

7. Crepes – especially those from the crepe stall on rue Cler.  Yum, yum, yummy!

8. Cafes – in Britain there is nowhere you can peacefully sit out the entire day reading and writing and drinking coffee peacefully.  Starbucks is too crowded and you can’t write in a pub.

9. Window shopping – with so many glorious designer shops (Chanel, Dior, Louis Vitton, Givenchy) Paris has the best window shopping in the world.  New York and London have got nothing on Paris.

10. Cinemas! – Going to the movies is fantastic in Paris.  There are so many cinemas and so many diverse offerings in movies.  I especially loved the morning shows at 10am.  It’s a great way to start the day.

Starter for Ten

March 4, 2009 at 7:00 pm | In Television | Leave a Comment
Tags: ,

If  I was Gail Trimble, I would be serious annoyed.  Not only has her team been stripped of its title after she became the most successful University Challenge contestant ever, but a glance at yesterday’s front pages would indicate that it was her fault. 

Ms. Trimble’s picture appeared on numerous front pages usually under a headline which read: “University Challenge Winner Disqualified”.  Although she was the captain of the team, it wasn’t her fault.  They were disqualified because another member of the team, Sam Kay, was no longer a student.  His picture rarely appeared on the front pages.

To make matters worse, Ms. Trimble appeared to be suffer from a rather massive cold sore in some of the pictures.  A nightmare scenario, I think you’ll agree.

Blog at WordPress.com. | Theme: Pool by Borja Fernandez.
Entries and comments feeds.