Distilled 200 Times?

Russian Standard claims them to have distilled 200 times, but why is it still harsh ans shitty?

Small World

I bumped into this biker on my way to Germany, and on the way back.  I have just bumped into him again in Harrogate.  Small world!

Why oh why Adlington

Why does Adlington have to degrade herself by going to a stupid show?

Christmas Adverisements

As it falls within 1 month to Christmas, Christmas adverisements kick up a gear.  Everywhere you look!

Manchester Christmas Market Anglicised

Manchester Christmas Market has got Anglicised over the years.  Maybe it is a good thing that Christmas market has evolved and localised?

Rice-filled Weekend

When I am going my fried-eggs-and-rice week, I eat rice nearly everyday.

This weekend, I managed to have rice everyday, Friday Chinese dinner, Saturday Persian dinner and Sunday Chinese lunch.  I do like rice.

Teacup Kitchen

Ninny took us to Teacup Kitchen tea and cake.  Long story short, it is very nice!

Alternative to Luncheon Meat

A lot of parents feed their kids luncheon meat or ham.  But the posh ones pick up continental meat selection, as if the kids can tell the difference and appreciate the flavour.  It is a different world!

Guppy's Dark Madagascar Sambirano 64%

I bought this 'low' cacao on Guppy's recommendation.

It is very sweet, it could be because it was low cacao, but I am not the most impressed.

It being a single estate, I should be able to taste the cacao, but it is simply laced with sugar.  I hope their next bar is better.

Pay in the Ponzi and Give Up

The more I learn about investment and pension, the less I want to actively invest.  I learnt about taking risks into account, and how the risks are not worth the hassle, spread betting.  Just make me think, I should just pay in the Ponzi scheme, let the professionals to do the job, and stop thinking too much.

Perhaps my inaction in the past years were not really a bad action.

Laptops for Emailing

Angela asked if I could recommend a laptop, or a place for a laptop.  Initially I recommended a Dell Windows 7 Laptop, but after I asked a few more questions, I recommended SAMSUNG Series 5 Touchscreen Convertible Laptop.

As it turns out, Mark is not very techie, and does not have a preference to Windows 7 or Windows 8.  Then there isn't a need for jumping hoops to get a Windows 7 machine.

Then Windows 8 does not make any sense without a touch screen!  That explains the touch screens.

And if the computer it not really used for entertainment, photo management, etc, there isn't a need for big drives.  Tablets is sufficient.

Of course typing on a keyboard is much better than typing on the screen, but at the end of the day, if it is convertible, one could email on a go.

Lastly, if one was to get a tablet with the same hard drive, it would be much more expensive.

I shall say, this is not a bad recommendation!

Dragons Suspended

BBC was playing How to Train Your Dragon Mini series, then it stopped.  Not happy!

Trans West-Yorks Bussing

After my Trans-Pennine Bussing experience, I have the opportunity to do something similar but less crazy.

I came back to Wetherby from the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in West Bretton.  After 3 legs of buses and 2.5 hours later, I made it back to Wetherby.  If it was not for the the Sunday schedule, I could be home in 2 hours.  All for the price of a Metro Day Rover, bargain.

Bitchin' Kitchen Again

I am glad to see Bitchin' Kitchen is still on air.  I like Nadia being different from everyone else.  Her cooking is mostly agreeable, but sometimes a bit twisted;  I will pass on candied bacon chocolate chip cookies!

Filing is a Good Exercise

I was again tasked to achieve and file away documents.  I was going a lot of lifting and sorting, broke a sweat, that counts as my exercise for today!

Hammy has Nothing to Do with Ham

I thought hammy is an actual word, describing ham.  But apparently it is an actual word that has nothing to do with ham!

Cashew Overload

So cashew is meant to be quite healthy, but seriously, the amount I have eaten in the last few days was probably unhealthy.

I bought two big bags of cashew from the Tesco Divali sale, and they are both gone.  I thought it was a good idea to bring some nuts to my desk, but I polished them off in no time.

I suppose the Divali sale is over, and I am spare from further cashew overload in near future.

Birthdays and Karen is moving to Singapore

Happy Birthday Karen!
Happy Birthday Carol!
Happy Birthday Li!

And glad to know Karen is finally moving to Singapore, after 4 years going on and on about it.

Annuity Explained

I only came across the word annuity since I looked at the pension scheme in the UK.  It was a strange word, it is a new financial products I am not familiar with and I found it daunting.

I wouldn't have to worry about annuity until I am 60, but I have this opportunity to learn about this product, so I listen in.

Annuity is now less intimidating.

Topiary

to·pi·ary

adjective \ˈtō-pē-ˌer-ē\

:  of, relating to, or being the practice or art of training, cutting, and trimming trees or shrubs into odd or ornamental shapes; also :  characterized by such work 

 

I am not well groomed anywhere.  Let alone topiary.

Carte D'Or Latte Macchiato

I picked up a Waitrose weekend, and found Carte D'or on offer.  I am not usually tempted by ice-cream tubs, but I saw a new flavour!  I quite like coffee flavoured ice-cream, and we bought it.

It is very nice indeed.

Amazing Shortbread Recipe

Paul turns out to be a little baker.  He has brought in cakes, and today he brought in shortbread.

It is very hard to get shortbread perfect, and his was very good indeed.  Very good consistency and reduced sugar. 

I used to use the recipe of 1/3 of sugar, butter and flour, vanilla optional.  They are too soft to bake into fingers.  So I asked Paul for the recipe.  He said his recipe is simple, tho has 4 ingredient instead of 3.

250g flour
250g butter
125g caster sugar
125g corn flour

I must try it.

Can you really save £300 a year with a wood burning stove?

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/really-save-300-wood-burning-070041200.html

This news commentary caught my eyes.  In short, you can always save money using alternatively methods, but you save roughly the amount you contribute in labour.

£300 is hardly enough to hire a servant to bring in the woods, light your fire, sweep the chimney and take out the ash.

Pele Shoes

Sport Direct is one of my favourite shops.  I often walk in and walk out with something I didn't plan to buy.

This time, I walked in wanting shoes, and I came out with two pairs of nice Pele shoes.  Strangely how size 6.5 and 7 are nearly identical.  Stylish!

I was tempted to get a London 2012 cap for 2 quid, but I thought I had enough hats, I reluctantly passed.

Fireworks is Better Bigger

Fireworks is meant to be spectacular.  Sparklers and other toy fireworks are all fun and games, but when it comes to a firework shows, it should be spectacular.  If it isn't, don't bother.

That's why fireworks is better when it is state or city funded.  When there is resources to put on a spectacular show.

Hailish Manchester

It was nice and sunny on the east side of the Pennines, but as soon as I travel west bound, it turned bad.

Forecast said hail.  The first wave of hail was more like sleet, they were tiny.  Just when I thought it stopped, we rode down to Manchester, only to meet with more proper hail.  Unlucky for Verity, she had not got motorcycle padded trousers.  I worried about the side of hailstones and denting little Rome.

Hail is officially worse than rain.

Exploring Manchester Chinatown

I was wandering Manchester in search of food, and I stopped at a Chinese (Hong Kong) dessert place.  The black rice soup is okay, a bit too much sago, but it was a good portion.  The bubble tea was a pass...

Mini Sausage Buns

I was shopping in Leeds yesterday, and when I got to the market, the Maxim has sold out all the roasts!  I was starving!

I just wandered back to my bike, and there was not many choices.

So I stopped at the Chinese restaurants and wanting to get a bowl of noodles or something.  Then I just went into Ho's to see what breads they have left, and instantly edible.

There were cakes and other things.  But I needed something savoury.  I saw the mini sausage buns, and I had them.  I started eating them before the cashier took my money.

They are not really sausages, they are franks.  The buns were okay, I always wish there would be more franks!

Smoggy Bonfire

I was driving back to Wetherby, and it was strangely smoggy.  I then saw a fire!  Then I remember it was bonfire night weekend.  Duh.

Lauenstein 85% cocoa - pure luxury plain chocolate

This is one of the more expensive chocolate I got from Germany.  And of course, the higher the expectation, the more disappointed I got.

The bars are actually thins.  I opened it up, it was not very aromatic, reminds me of Valrhona.  Then they were thins, reminds me more of Valrhona.  It does not melt well on the tongue, and the flavour is not very distinctive.

I am glad I didn't get more than one bar.