London Calling...: March 2007

24 March 2007

It was a pleasure just to be nominated...

Do people really mean it when they say that?? Hmm, not really sure about that one... In case you haven't guessed already, I lost. And on one hand, yes, it was pretty cool to make the short list of nominees (especially beating out the uber-popular show 'Lost'), but when it came time to announce the winners, while I didn't want to actually have to go up on stage and collect the award, I did really want to win it. We lost out to the BBC's 'Planet Earth', a breathtakingly beautiful documentary series that took 5 years to film. It's hard to compete with that, and I actually did think they would win (and probably deserved to), but I would be lying if I said I didn't want to win. Alas, there's always next year...

It was a very fun evening regardless. Hundreds of people from all studios, retailers and supporting agencies were in attendance - all in black tie (how funny is it to see your colleagues all dressed up?!?). The very handsome John Barrowman was the host for the evening, and by far the highlight of the awards part of the ceremony was the entire finance department (who are usually incredibly reserved and quiet) whooping and hollering from the back of the room when my category was announced, then running up to me afterwards screaming 'You were robbed, you were robbed!!' Universal were up for 7 awards and we collected a grand total of 2. Still, we were in our 'posh frocks' and there was free booze all night, so we had to make the most of it - I mean it would be rude to let all of that champagne go to waste, right?

The awards ceremony was followed by cocktails, then dinner, then dancing. The last couple of hours consisted of endless dance moves, me kicking off my shoes and them flying across the room, my friend Tom doing a cartwheel on the dance floor (because he 'didn't know how to do a handstand'...uh, ok...!) and carriages home at 2am. Our very kind Chairman sent a note round the afternoon before stating he didn't expect to see anyone in the office until 11:30 the next morning--thank goodness! Somewhere in the midst of the dancing I decided to have a few friends over next Friday evening to welcome Sarah and Cameron (who arrive on Thursday-yay!!). My friend Amy said, 'Don't you think your American friends would like to see that you actually have some English friends?' Good point, Amy. So, S&C, prepare to be welcomed.

21 March 2007

A 2 1/2 hour car hire and baby Benjamin

I have decided to postpone the bicycle purchase for a few weeks. Last week, Spring was in the air, the birds began singing to welcome the arrival of British Summer Time, we swapped coats for jackets, and started to pack away the winter clothes.... Sunday night it started to get cold, and by Monday afternoon it was snowing. Grrrreeaaat...

I do have a couple of nice highlights from the weekend to share, though. On Saturday, I was lucky enough to meet my friend Ruby's new little boy, Benjamin Ravicandra (6 weeks old). We met at a cafe in Islington--I was impressed she so relaxed. He's adorable, seemed very proportinate in size (I have noticed that some babies I come across in my travels have abnormally large heads, so Ruby must be pleased). A few pictures below. Judging from his face in the second one, we think he was 'doing a poo.'

On Sunday, I had quite an 'adventure' (as one kind friend likes to call it). I hired a car for 2-1/2 hours to do some shopping. It was a little grey Volkswagon golf, parked down the road from my flat. In LA, when I was looking for my new car, I remember looking at a Golf and thinking 'this thing is way too small - it would never work.' On Sunday I found myself attempting to navigate around the streets of London, shift with my left hand (which isn't as difficult as it sounds), collecting bits and pieces of heavy shopping for Sarah and Cameron's upcoming visit, thinking to myself 'This thing is so big I feel like I'm driving a tank!' My how one's perspective changes... It was kind of nice to be driving again, though. Even if it did take 27 minutes to go 0.4 miles!

This week at Taste! we made several different kinds of fish (including one with a flavoured butter from week 2, and squid, which I had never made myself), roasted vegetables and the highlight which was bread and butter pudding - heavenly! Only one more class left, which brings a tear to my eye.

Thankfully I am back to only 2 jobs now--instead of 3--it's pathetic how nice that feels. Can't imagine what it will be like if I ever go back to just 1! The BVA awards are tonight and we all have our black tie party dresses and monkey suits hanging up all over the office. Come 4:00 it will be a fight to take over the tiny counter space in the toilet. Wish me luck!

14 March 2007

Taste!

If doing two full time jobs since January weren't enough, for the past 2 weeks I have had the pleasure of doing THREE full time jobs. My Playback team is a grand total of 2: me plus one (we'll call him 'Hannibal' in true A-Team fashon). So Hannibal goes on holiday for 2 weeks, and instead of working ahead (knowing he'd be away for 2 weeks), or even leaving me instructions of things that need doing while he's away, he told me everything was in order...and on Day One I quickly realize it wasn't... LUCKY ME!!! So I've spent my days, nights and weekends trying to get through all of this work, with very little support. I was so stressed one day last week I caught myself in a meeting on the verge of tears. I really might crack up. There's 2 things I know for sure: 1) someone's in for an arse-kicking when they come back from holiday and 2) it's my turn for a holiday!

So in the process of losing sleep, grinding my teeth to a pulp, fretting over Arsenal's poor season, forgetting friends birthdays and generally being quite miserable, I finally decided to do something for myself. Well, I actually decided to do it before Christmas, but it couldn't have come at a better time. Thanks to good ol' Daily Candy, who now has a London daily (hurrah!), I learned of a fun-sounding cookery course, and signed up. It's called TASTE, and the whole idea behind it is to help those of use with 'busy modern lives' learn how to cook without recipes--not fancy stuff, just learning to use what you have in the cupboard to make quick, healthy meals when you get home from work instead of microwaving something or getting a 'take-away.' The kind of thing we all aim to do, but get stuck in a rut with our routines.

The course is held in the kitchen of the tutor's home, in a really nice area of London called Maida Vale, in northwest London. There are 5 other students, all women interestingly enough. Two girls from Goldman Sachs, 1 product designer (who designs things like the inside of the new Airbus plane, and BT phones-how cool!) and two energy traders (one of whom went to Rice and also worked at Enron, tho in London, not Houston). Random! We're not allowed to use salt & pepper (so we can taste what the dishes taste like on their own), or to write anything down, or take any notes until the end when she gives us handouts that review what we've done that evening. The first week I kept trying to sneak over to the table ("my feet hurt and I need to sit down," I lied) and write down what I was doing, and kept getting reprimanded. By the second week I waited until I was safely on the tube home to scribble down all of my notes...

It's week three (of five) now, and I am really enjoying it! The first week we made about 97 different tomato sauces--basically from 2 different bases. We added various different ingredients that ever so slightly changed the flavors (eg, butter & balsamic vinegar--gorgeous!). Who knew that simply adding orange zest to a simple tomato sauce would be a perfect accompaniment to fish?? Or butter beans and caramilized onions to make a complete meal?? But my favourite new discovery of all is Rose Harissa paste, a spicy paste that combines rose petals and 40 different spices that you can add to virtually anything (great with the butter beans chili!). Last week we did marinades and roasted fruits. This week we did soups and ice cream sauces. She makes us do everything ourselves, including the decisions over what ingredients we're using. Thankfully the wine is served throughout!

In addition to my cookery 'homework', this weekend I am convinced that I will go out and finally buy a bike so that that I can cycle along the Thames path. I just have to make it through the rest of the week first... Wish me luck!

10 March 2007

John Cleese;s Letter to America

JOHN CLEESE'S LETTER TO AMERICA
May 19, 2006

To the citizens of the United States of America:

In light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. Her Sovereign Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories (excepting Kansas, which she does not fancy).

Your new prime minister, Tony Blair, will appoint a governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up "aluminium," and check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been
pronouncing it. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour', 'favour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix "ize" will be replaced by the suffix "ise." You will learn that the suffix 'burgh' is pronounced 'burra'; you may elect to respell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' if you find you simply can't cope with correct pronunciation. Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels (look up "vocabulary"). Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication.

2. There is no such thing as "US English." We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize."

3. You will relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen", but only after fully carrying out Task #1 (see above).

4. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday. November 2nd will be a new national holiday, but to be celebrated only in England. It will be called "Come-Uppance Day."

5. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.

6. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. A permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

7. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and this is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric immediately and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

8. The Former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling "gasoline") -roughly $6/US gallon. Get used to it.

9. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called "crisps." Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with mayonnaise but with vinegar.

10. Waiters and waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.

11. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as "beer," and European brews of known and accepted
provenance will be referred to as "Lager." American brands will be referred to as "Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine," so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.

12. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie MacDowell attempt English dialogue in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.

13. You will cease playing American "football." There is only one kind of proper football; you call it "soccer." Those of you brave enough will, in time, will be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies). Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the "World Series" for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable.

14. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.

15. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due backdated to 1776.

Thank you for your co-operation.

John Cleese

London Calling...