Wednesday, April 26, 2006

..and the Stupid Cow of the Year Award goes to..


...the person who thought that this would be a good idea.

Unbelievable.

Monday, April 17, 2006

Hell on Earth


A combination of thousands of people who want to spend their recreational time shopping and an outlet mall the size of Wales (pic above).

For some (unknown) reason I thought this would be a fun day out but it's just a mass consumerism race: swathes of people jostling to buy nasty t-shirts, loads of Disney crap and bright green jumpers / towels from Ralph Lauren (bascially the tat that they couldn't get rid of in the shops). All very upsetting to witness - loads of people buying stuff that they don't even want and which is all heading for the landfill sooner rather than later.

On a positive note, it was fun driving out here and is a lovely sunny day. And there's a gorgeous smiley bloke sharing my table with me who looks as bored as I am (yet he is not armed with a book and a laptop).

I can't drive back though as I have spent half the afternoon drinking wine and reading the book (I spent most of this morning in Starbucks). I feel very alert yet slightly drunk.

I just hope that K, the other assigned driver, hasn't been drinking or we may have to live here, though at least we will never run out of cheap t-shirts, sunglasses or bed linen.

If we do make it out of here alive I swear never to visit another shopping mall outlet again. Ever.

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Breakfast in America

That's it. I have driven a car to the Hamptons, and back over the Triboro Bridge, through Central Park and into Manhattan. And found somewhere to park that was not next to a fire hydrant. And this is what I had for breakfast this morning.

I have gone native.

Next I'll be beeping my horn at everyone wherever I drive (and I'll buy a Hummer), I will also get a small dog that I will carry around in a small rucksack and will use the phrase 'quite good' to mean excellent (the phrase has a different meanings on either side of the Atlantic).

The Hamptons were fabulous. Stayed in Montuak, which is the most Easterly point and spent time exploring South/East/Bridge-Hampton. Ate breakfast on the balcony overlooking the coast, walked along fabulous sandy beaches (lost my iPod and had to retrace my steps), gawped through threadbare privet hedges at the mansions, went up the lighthouse and ate loads of seafood. All while gossping with the girls that I go on holiday with each year (all went to college together, which is an amazing number of years ago).

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

'Bwaston'


A fabulous place.

Easy-going, friendly, beautiful and with very definite seasons (the winters are bordering on arctic, I am told).

Winters aside, I could quite happily live here.

Saturday, April 08, 2006

Just desserts


This is why other nations of the world - and not Japan - lead the way on the dessert trolley.

Before you ask, it's Arrowroot*. Served on a slab of ice and with a saucer full of some sort of tar / maple syrup mix. This was actually the better dessert that we chose, the other one was (from my point of view) inedible - one of the few things in the world I don't like (along with semolina and very strong curries). Though it is fun to eat with chopsticks.

There were other people on hand to appreciate the aroowroot (even the cubed version, which defies description) and to also struggle to eat it (I have a great pic but was threatened with chopsticks if I published it).

* I don't know what this is either. Though we all happily ate it. Well, not happily.