Guess the Passfield Alum: Round 2

Every day I find out more and more cool people who've walked the hallowed halls of Passfield. Here's another one. See if you can guess. This one's easy.

1. It's a man.
2. He was here in the 50s.
3. He studied for a degree in accounting and finance,
4. He had a minor in physical education, though you'd never know considering he's still so skinny.
5. He couldn't get any satisfaction. He left after one year and didn't graduate.

Give up? Check it out.

"Yummy British Food" is Not an Oxymoron

When I came home for Christmas my family and friends all commented on the fact that I didn’t have a British accent. Undeterred, they remained on the lookout for subtle signs—words, expressions, interests or opinions—that would reveal my increasing Britishness. Aside from the occasional use of Tube,” “splendid,” and “pence” I think for now I’ve resisted the assimilation and managed to stay Canadian, eh?

But there are a few ways that I’ll admit to forsaking my country: my diet. I’ve never heard of British food being particularly good (haggis, though Scottish, springs alarmingly to my mind). But I’ve got to say, as a result of my residence cafeteria, I’ve developed a love of certain foods. Here are some:

1. Yorkshire pudding. In the British tradition of naming meals after deserts, comes Yorkshire pudding a food that is not pudding in fact but bread and quite lovely indeed! It’s shaped like a butter tart but hollow. What makes it amazing is the sweet sauce, topping or spread that they coat it with. It is divine. I raved about it for a week straight before my British friends knew what I was talking about.


2. Banoffee pie is unlike Yorkshire pudding, actually a pie and actually a desert. It’s made of pie crust with, bear with me here, bananas and toffee. And it’s exquisite. Originally, bananas and toffee were along the lines of peanut butter and oranges, and I wasn’t wild about the idea of mixing the two. But by God it’s not half bad. In fact it’s quite delicious. And for all you Love Actually buffs, it’s banoffee pie that Keira Knightley’s character offers to Mark when she comes to see the wedding video in his apartment.


3. Tea. This is not a secret nor really a new development as I've been drinking tea as an alternative to coffee since university. But here, no surprise, my intake and appreciation of tea has doubled or even tripled. I have at least one cup a day, usually two. And that's just at dinner. On particularly cold days I brew my own before school and maybe at night to keep me up and focusing on that next chapter. So far I've only had Earl Grey and English Breakfast Tea but I see myself venturing into more adventurous territory soon. Note to readers, Orange Pekoe, the variety that is common in North America is unknown here in Britain. I think it exists, just not under the same name.

4. Rice pudding. I tried to find the most appealing picture I could find. Not an easy task for this particularly dish. Those of you sensitive to texture, may need to take a pass on this one. They serve it in our canteen (what the Brit's call a cafeteria) but I'd never tried it. My friend once got a bowl full and by the end of the meal, his spoon was trapped had to be levered out. It was not appealing imagining that in my stomach. But last week, picking up a lunch I'd ordered after a late class, I was given rice pudding in a yogurt style container. And I was converted. It is amazing. It's made out of rice kernels and is a sort of paste-like dessert. It's sweet and the little rice kernels are a little surprise that I quite enjoy. I had the vanilla flavour but apparently there's others like strawberry and blueberry. I'll let you know if they're as good. It may look like something a baby eats, but trust me.

Image: The World Wide Gourmet and Dessert Comes First

Watch your step

A fun thing about living in Bloomsbury is that even the sidewalk isn’t boring. It’s splattered with famous faces.

Apparently they’re were part of a welcome event for the nearby University College London. In case, walking around is a lot more interesting you’re worried about stepping on Darwin, Ghandi or Charles Dickens.

Image: Londonist

This Can’t Be Good for Your Reputation

In my months in Europe, I’ve heard a lot of smack talking about the EU. It wasn’t so bad in Brussels. But now that I live in London, it has quadrupled. When one of my friends said, “Yeah, I think Europe is a great idea. I’d love to be European” I almost fell down and died from shock. The EU gets such a bad rap in Britain, especially, as a wasteful and bureaucratic organization.

But stories like this aren’t going to help rehabilitate that image. Calabria, a province in Italy’s poorer southern region, is looking to use EU development funds to help promote its soccer team citing, “it can help raise the profile of their area, both within Italy and overseas.” According to one website promoting Italian tourism, Calabria is currently "little-respected by other Italians and little-known to tourists." They expect it’ll cost €1.8 million over three years. I’ve heard of soccer doing a lot of things, but developing a nation isn’t one of them.

Oh and by the way, Calarbia just happens to be home to “the N'Drangheta, one of Italy's most powerful and violent mafia organizations.” Coincidence?

London Fashion Week 2009

London Fashion Week S/S 2009
Originally uploaded by K Gillett

Happy London Fashion Week!! Don't panic, this hasn't transformed into a fashion and beauty blog, though I've read enough of those I could probably be pretty good at it.

As this blog keeps those of you who can't be here updated on the goings on in London and my life, you might be interested in this. Last week was the New York Spring/Summer 2009 shows, where designers show off their upcoming collections, thereby setting the trends for the next few seasons. This week (actually it started Friday) is the beginning of what promises to be a quirky week. Though this year's shows are smaller, yet another effect of the stellar economy we're currently experiencing.

In any case, I'll let you know of any sightings of hungry models or bored British celebrities. I doubt they'll journey over to my end of the city. We all know models won't read unless they're paid to.

What the World Thinks of Canada

Being a Canadian in Britain is, for the most part, awesome. You’re not European so the Brits don’t dismiss you as lazy and wasteful (like the French) or drunk (Irish) or corrupt (Italians). But there is the odd time where I’m mistaken for an American. The conversation usually goes like this:

Them: Where in America are you from?

Me: Actually, I’m Canadian. (sympathetic smile)

Them: Oh! (look of horror). I’m so sorry, I know that’s a huge insult.

Me: No, that’s OK, don’t worry. It happens a lot.

With Obama in the White House, I anticipate there will be less apologies, more “Do you guys really have polar bears?” questions (I’ve gotten a few of those). But I genuinely imagined the perception of Canadians by Brits was pretty favourable.

This article was a rude awakening. It's about Obama’s visit to Canada yesterday.

Canada is an interesting testing ground for the theory.

On the one hand, Canadians appear to like Mr Obama rather more than they like their own politicians - he has scored approval ratings here of nearly 90%.

On the other, reasonable, multilateralist, compromise-loving Canada doesn't really seem to do mania. You imagine the arrival of the Beatles here would have provoked civilised curiosity, and performances by the early Elvis might have prompted polite applause.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is a Conservative who leads a minority government, and it would be fair to say that he has avoided the temptations of charisma in doing so.

Now, I’ll forgive the Harper comment because God knows he’s not the most awe-inspiring figure to ever grace Canadian politics, but really? Canada “doesn’t really seem to do mania.” Ever heard of a little thing called Trudeau-mania? The word is built in the title!

Boring, they think we're boring. They may not have said it in so many words. But that first sentence is the journalistic equivalent of "You're a big fat fuddy duddy!" This is the only time that I’ve ever actually wanted to comment on a news story. Wisely, the BBC doesn’t have that feature available. Otherwise I would have made severe use of it!


DISCLAIMER: No offense is meant by the cultural references above.

Quiz time

I've told you about my neighborhood being home to some famous faces (Darwin, John Maynard Keynes, etc). Well, I forgot to mention a more contemporary famous face who lived in my residence. Here are some hints about their identity:

1. She is American.
   
2. She was a student at LSE in 2006 quite a bit of time after the scandal that made her infamous
   
3. Her received an MA in Social Psychology.
   
4. Her thesis was entitled "In Search of the Impartial Juror: An Exploration of the Third Person Effect and Pre-Trial Publicity."
5. She had a pretty famous face--and dress--in 1998.
   

Click here, to see her identity.

Sweet Primark

There are things that I have had to do without while in London that have hurt me. Bagels is a big one. Another is new clothes. It is brutal living in one of the capitals of fashion and being unable to partake in the fun. Markets and shops abound adorned with gorgeously dressed mannequins, and fabulously dressed women walk down the London streets while I watch in envy.

This fashion fast is partly self-imposed. I don’t have room in my suitcases or my tiny room for my entire wardrobe. But part of it is a result of consequences. The British pound is worth twice as much as the Canadian dollar. Let that sink in a bit. Every price you see must be doubled. That hurts a bit. If I were making pounds it wouldn’t be so bad, as if you compare one to one, things aren’t that more expensive than Toronto. But adding the exchange makes you want to kill yourself. It really puts a downer on going to the Gap, Selfridges, Topshop or any other store here and seeing a shirt for £25, taking a moment, doing the math to realize that’s $50 for a top. Not worth it. Then there’s Primark.

Primark on Oxford Street

What is Primark you ask? A godsend, heaven, incredible, frustrating, unbelievable. All these words are applicable and none are exaggerated. Primark is similar to Forever 21 and H&M, a discount retailer that takes trends from the runways, shifts them slightly and then sells them for cheap. What’s special about Primark is that it sells it cheaper than I’ve ever seen—even with the exchange! Here are some of the stuff I’ve bought at Primark in the last four months.

All this glory doesn’t come for free. There are two problems with Primark. The first is obvious: quality. My friend Nicole once said it’s cheaper to wear Primark stuff once and throw it out than wash it and have it tear, rip, or deteriorate before your eyes. While not fully true, it’s close. Because you get sweaters for £4, they won’t be the best quality. I have a grey sweater (not pictured) that is 32% cotton, 30% nylon, 26% viscose and 8% wool, which isn’t bad, but it’s not going to last years. That’s why you have to be strategic about it. If you’re looking for a foundation item such as a white button shirt, you’re better off getting it at the Gap where it’ll last longer. But if you’re looking for a party dress, the trend of the moment for £8 is good enough. There are some exceptions. My red patent high heels are leather interiors which was a surprise.

Just one of many stalls'o'fun at Primark

The other downside is the crowds. I have never seen mobs like the ones constantly in Primark. Even on a Wednesday at noon, the line up for the dressing room is a few meters long. I once went on a Sunday afternoon, which was a huge mistake. But if you’re brave enough to navigate the crowds, and know how to work the trends, Primark can be your best friend.

Bikes: the European Transit System

A friend of mine posted a photo summarizing his two years in Europe. In it was a wall covered in graffiti and a bike lying against the wall. I don’t know about the graffiti, but I can tell you bikes are big here. And it doesn’t matter what country you’re in. I thought it was a Dutch thing in Amsterdam, until I started to get almost-run-over by bicycles in Brussels on a regular basis. They get special sections of the pavement to stick to. And woe is to the sorry soul who tramples on this sacred Earth. Many a time I was faced with the annoyed staccato “Brrring! Bring!” of a bike bell when I stepped onto the dark red brick that was “pour bicyclettes.”

Even here in London, they’re passionate about their bikes. A few days ago I stepped onto the street and was almost run over by one. I think he yelled, "Moron!" after our near fatal collision, but I can't be sure.

Aside from the rudeness of the cyclers themselves, I think bikes are a great part of Europe. They’re quick, fast, cheap, good for you and don’t emit pesky fossil fuels. And they’ve got it down to a science. In both Brussels and Lille there were Velo stations or Velib (pioneered in Paris) where you go to rent bikes. It works like renting a car but on a shorter term.

“To access the bikes, riders can select a one-day card for 1 euro, a weekly card for 5 euros or an annual card for 29 euros. After the purchase of an access card, riding for the first half-hour is free and a supplement of 1 euro will be charged for an additional half-hour, 2 euros for another 30-minutes and 4 euros for every addition half-hour after that. Example: a 25 minute trip = 0 euros, a 50 minute trip = 1 euro, an hour and 15-minute ride = 3 euros.” (source)

And it’s not just the French speakers. Barcelona and Rome have them and now London is thinking of tossing its hat in the ring. A big push for the bikes are that they reduce traffic jams in Europe’s massively congested city centres. Every time I see these stations I think what a great idea they are and that Canada should definitely do that. Well, it turns out we are.

In September, Montreal started a pilot program similar to the Velib program, called the BIXI, part bike, part taxi. It costs $28 a month and the city hopes to have 2,400 BIXIs by next spring. Stationnement de Montreal, the company that manages the city's on-street parking is picking up the $15 million tab and expects to recoup costs through membership fees (read here for more).

I’m game to see how the experiment goes, especially in the frigid Montreal winters. That’s a problem Paris never really had to deal with.

This Is Me...Now.

I got my hair cut in a sweet little place in Covenant Garden last week. These are the results. The grainy quality of the pictures are a result of my webcam.

Paris...At Night

They don’t call Paris the "City of Light" for nothing. It is absolutely gorgeous at night. That’s the unfortunate thing about visiting the city. You see interesting and amazing sites during the day but most of them are lit up at night and look even better. So you almost want to re-visit the sites you visited during the day at night to see how they look. I didn’t do that, but I was very tempted.

Remember when I got this for Christmas? Well I wanted it specifically for Paris. And the results turned out quite nicely if I do say so myself. Here are a selection of them

Arc de Triomphe

The Bastille monument

Sacre Coeur Basillica

The view from Sacre Coeur

The Moulin Rouge, where dinner and a show will set you back €170

The famous tower

The Louvre and the famous 'Da Vinci Code' pyramid

More from the Louvre

Funky perspective of the Louvre

For the Da Vinci Coders

Before we started our tour of the Louvre I engaged in a little photo shot. I couldn't resist. Enjoy.

Look how strong I am

Napoleon Dynamite

For three days, it seemed like I couldn’t step four feet without stumbling over something Napoleon oriented. It started at the Palace of Versailles, the absolute last place in the world I expected to find him. Turns out he has a whole wing for him. After the absolute splendour of the palace there’s a room dedicated to what happened after Marie Antoinette lost her head. That means Napoleon. There’s a whole room dedicated to Napoleon, filled with a giant statue, and multiple paintings, one being a reproduction of his coronation.

Napoleon's coronation painting at Versailles

Napoleon at Versailles

There are several paintings of the man as well. Later on in the palace there is a room that commemorates France’s victory throughout time. Surprisingly, Napoleon features quite heavily here with three or four paintings of his battles. He also gets a statue in a hall of warriors and famous French men.

His image also turns up in the Louvre, where the original painting of the Coronation appears.

Look familiar?

Next, there’s Les Invalides, a military museum, which also includes Napoleon’s final resting place. This isn’t a grave. No, this is too simple for France’s only emperor. Napoleon gets a sarcophagus wrapped in tin, two layers of lead, ebony and encased in granite. It’s really quite impressive. His son, rests across from him—oddly under a statue of his father—and his brother to the side. The grave is the biggest attraction in an otherwise impressive church, that had it not housed arguably France’s greatest general, which be a nice attraction. Along with the tomb there are objects from Napoleon’s life including his notes on the Wealth of Nations, his love letters to first wife Josephine and a pocket watch that originally belonged to Louis XIV.

Napoleon's tomb

"Napoleon, Emperor of the French"

The Church at Invalides

Tales from a Crypt Walker

There’s a first time for everything and the weekend I went to Paris was full of them. It was my first time in Paris. Nicole’s first ride on the Eurostar. My first ride on a funicular. And my first time playing tourist in a cemetery. The Père Lachaise Cemetery is a located on the outskirts of Paris. It’s in a rather non-descript area of the city and looks kind of run down.

The Père Lachaise Cemetery

We don’t usually hang out in cemeteries, so you’re probably wondering why we did, especially in Paris. But it’s packed with celebrities. Literally. We were doing some star gazing, or at least gazing at their graves. Even in the middle of the day, with people all around, cemeteries are still creepy.

Jim Morrison's grave

Edith Piaf, pride of France

Irish author Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde, I don't understand the kisses

Surrounded by celebrities,
here is one of many memorials to the Holocaust

Composer Chopin

Coincidentally, it seems being around dead people was a theme in Paris. Aside from Napoleon and those in the Père Lachaise Cemetery, we visited the Panthéon which holds some of France’s most celebrated thinkers, politicians and scientists.


They say Americans are the most gratuitous flag waivers and blatant nationalists, but I think the French could give those Yanks a run for their money. The Panthéon used to be a church, which is a good indication of the reverence this country shows these men and women.

Inside the Panthéon,

That circular thing in the middle proves the Earth's rotation

While it was really cool seeing "the places they were interned," it was also incredibly creepy. For one thing, the entry to the crypt contains an urn with the heart of a former PM of France. That sets the stage for what is to come. That is, several large halls full of empty rooms in the crypts just waiting for the next great Frenchmen to die. Let me tell you, I don't envy them. These are some pretty big shoes to fill.

The graves of Voltaire and Jean Jacques Rousseau. Both famous French philosophers of the Enlightenment era . Rivals in real life, their final resting places are facing each other. I don't know if that's ironic, funny or respectful or insensitive.

Victor Hugo, author of "the Hunchback of Notre Dame"

Alexandre Dumas, author of the "Three Musketeers"

The crypt that contains Hugo and Dumas

The Curies.
Marie Curie, the chemist, is the only woman buried in the Panthéon.