1 Candy? Collard greens? What’s your favourite food beginning with a C?
2 Alarming news: the Cliff Richard 2012 calendar is already selling fast. What calendar would YOU like for next year? (NB does not have to begin with C.)
3 The nights are drawing in (if you’re in the same hemisphere as me) and soon the clocks will be going back. What do you like about this? What do you NOT like? (And do you own a clock that needs to be put back manually?)
4 I’ve been to my last conference (probably). What’s the best conference you’ve ever been to? What would be your ideal one?
5 Rumour has it that shops are already putting Christmas merchandise on display. Have you seen any yet? (Have you bought any?)
1. Calamari
2. If this year’s anything to go by, one that misses out the months June, July and August.
3. I like what happens on the other side of the night, when you get intense crisp mornings. I don’t like it when you go inside after one of those mornings and when you come out again, it’s night. Several of my clocks need to be put back manually, as do the ones on the Liver Buildings which are guaranteed to throw me out of sync at some point by making me think I’m early/late when they’re the ones that are wrong.
4. “Best” is a very strongly-flavoured word when “conference” is also on the plate. Mind you, the Labour conference being in town this week reminds me that last year, when they were in Manchester, I went to a fringe social event (“Diversity Nite” – that’s how they spell it, folks, and they’re the ones most of us would prefer to be in charge of the schools) at a huge Chinese restaurant. Interesting because David Milliband was *that* close to me at one stage, a couple of days after being beaten by his brother, and you could wring the sense of humiliation out of his suit. But it was one hell of a dry event and, faced with the idea that this was how polluticians (a) engage with cultural diversity and (b) let their hair down, I was left with a feeling of immense pity for the lot of them.
Ideal conference: overseas, fully-paid, literary, with a professional reason for the poetry-reading person in my life to be there as well.
5. Oh yes – advent calendars in M&S, not so much in Asda because they’ve been flogging Halloween (and when the hell did that start to be a thing you should start caring about before 4pm on Oct 31st?) since May. Not dared set foot in Aldi yet lest I end up on the knee of a fat guy with a white beard.
Fully-paid…ah yes. In my line of work the ‘abroad’ ones are never fully-paid, even when I’m giving a paper. And the NHS won’t stump up for ‘abroad’. Unless you’re a Director of course.
1. Cheese, Cheddar Cheese.I’m big on cheese.
2.Hello Kitty.
3.Nothing, It means it’s going to get colder and , circumstances being what they are this year we are going to struggle to keep the house warm. Thank heavens for wooly jumpers and Welsh blankets !
4.The only good conference is a dead conference. Gas bags gassing, numb buttocks and tea from polystyrene cups, no ta.
5.I’m quite lucky, we only have a small Co-op, a Post Office and an undertakers and , unless the undertakers has put the lights up, nothing has yet made it through the woods. We have guard posts to prevent outsiders getting to the village.
1. Caviar
2. Kliban’s Cats (the original b/w version)
3. I don’t like the dark dreariness of it all
4. An offsite in Disneyland where we were delayed by tempest and flood but still drank far too much champagne
5. Yes – M&S – No
1. Chilli con carne perhaps… that’s a lotta c!
2. I have actually bought a Cliff Richard calendar a couple of times – it is quite possibly the scariest sight available to humanity. So perhaps something a little more soothing like Heironymus Bosch.
3. About actually putting the clocks back? If yes, the extra hour in bed springs to mind. If just general winter-ness the darker mornings are also good for sleeping… I don’t like putting the clocks back cos I have a lot of clocks and always miss at least one. Most of them have to be put back manually. It’s a lot of work.
4. Haven’t been to many conferences – I went to a housing co-op one years ago and got very drunk and spent a lot of time riding around Sheffield in taxis. So that was fun. My ideal conf. would be the Flash Games one in San Francisco IF ONLY they would move it from bloody February to sometime in the summer!!
5. I think I did see some mince pies somewhere recently. I try to ignore Christmas.
Umm…you’ve bought a Cliff calendar a couple of times? How come?
Because http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/images/1847708250/ref=dp_otherviews_z_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&img=1
How bizarre is that?
And him-inside-the-doors’ birthday falls within the bargain-calendar-as-cheapo-naff/novelty-present zone…
Now, I call that mean. What about January?
Hey, I’m just ‘careful’
Ok, in the time it took me to write my comment two other people put up comments. And there is a picture of my neck. Oh well.
Your neck is very nice…and ‘Spillers are quick off the mark. Especially on Wednesdays.
Fanks : )
Bl**dy wordpress logged me out again. I think it’s a conspiracy to make me log in with Facebook or Google.
1. Cheese
2. A calendar which shows 12 different ways to dispose of Cameron & Clegg (both “c” words
3. I hate the dark nights and dark mornings. Yes, most of my clocks require manual adjustment
4. The SWP’s “Marxism” weekend is usually good value.
5. I have to visit supermarkets and have seen Christmas stuff. I usually don’t buy it at Christmas, either. Sainsbury’s had “Back To School” offers on day 1 of the summer holidays. Most of the Christmas products pass their “use-by” dates well before Christmas which is a bit pointless
The ‘back to school’ stuff always annoys me too, not least because in Scotland schools go back in mid-August; and by the time I’ve been invited to buy chocolate as a thank-you to Teacher, Teacher is already far away in the Canaries.
I was about to give you ‘Spill points for extra C-words, but then I remembered I’d said you didn’t have to have them.
Nooooooo! The sight of Xmas stuff in Tesco the other day forced me to comment incredulously to the nearest stranger so we could tut and shake our heads in communal hatred of the annual juggernaut.
We currently have beautiful, sunny weather (well, for a couple of days) so I shall resist any further thoughts of short, cold, wet days and all reminders of the C-word and its horrendous implications.
I will supply curry and coriander as my favourite edible C’s, though.
I think the only good conferences I ever went to were the very few that took place overseas, put on by big IT companies, simply because the actual conference bit was just a chore to get through until you could enjoy yourself.
But won’t the dark evenings mean more cuddling up with Casey?
We don’t actually cuddle much. He just tells me wonderful stories and I smile broadly. You should hear the tale he told me last night; it was spell-binding!
I should, I should…
1 – Food – Chazuke!!! I like simple food and Chazuke is a dish made from left over rice and flavoured with fish or cod roe. It is quick and easy to make and really tasty!!!
2- Calendar – The tourism association on my home island produces a calendar and I always have a present of one from my mum. I would not want another one!!!
3 – Clocks – We do not use daylight saving time and so the clocks do not change. But I do have a mechanical alarm clock that is supper cute and has a really loud ring from real bells on the top of it, and it is the only alarm that can get me on in winter to go to my stupid job!!!
4 – Conferences. I work in many conferences for my stupid job. It makes a nice change from the product demonstration work and is quite easy usually. Normally I work for the hotel or conference centre and I am like doing the registration of delegates and showing them where the conference rooms are and the food and drinks, and handing out leaflets and badges and stuff like and because I speak English and some Italian I do some customer service for foreigners like checking hotel bookings and restaurant bookings and stuff like that, which is fun actually. But I worked for an Italian University at a Nano technology conference last year which was really interesting as I was like representing the university as they had none who could speak Japanese in the delegation. They were really nice to me and very charming and we had a lot of fun!!!
5 – Christmas – I have not seen any Christmas things yet!!! We have not even had Halloween yet!!!! But I think we will see them soon. Of course Christmas is not a traditional Japanese holiday, but we do enjoy the shopping and gift giving and the party with friends and so it is quite important social event for us.
That’s my daughter further up, Sakura – with the pink hair.
Oh WOW!!!! That is so cool!!!!
So is your Dad ever going to post on here or the mothership?
Hi Amylee
I do try and encourage him but he is quite stubborn!!!
He sometimes emails me suggestions but I always say he should post them himself!!!
One day I hope I will succeed, I know he would enjoy it!!!
1) Cauliflower
2) A Venus Williams calendar would suit me. Sadly, every time it rains she would disappear and Cliff would start singing.
3) I like the getting up later aspect but the dark evenings depress me. Yup I think, apart from the clock on the computer, they all have to be manually put back. I always forget at least one until the following week.
4) Conferences are the work of the devil.
5) Christmas has arrived at my local Sainsbury. Chocolate Santas are on sale alongside the Hallowe’en stuff. There is a box of cards and some wrapping paper on the coffee table in my front room but they’ve been there since last year. Actually, I’m always tempted to send Christmas cards at this time of year just to see what reaction I get.
I love Venus! I’ve seen her once, in the mixed doubles final in, um, the year Mauresmo won the singles. She and her partner lost, but I was so pleased to have seen her.
Just remembered – after the famous Women’s Institute calendar (which inspired Calendar Girls) there was a veritable plethora of similar “not quite revealing” calendars involving Fire Fighters, Chartered Accountants and sundry others.
So – the script writers on The Archers wrote into their story-line that the lady vicar of Ambridge would photograph Tony Archer, Sid Perks, Eddie Grundy etc in the buff, partially concealed by farming implements or machinery.
At the time I assumed that the BBC would be selling this product. They don’t usually miss a trick like that and Eddie Grundy’s single “Poor Pig” got a proper release.
No show however. Maybe the male members (fnaar fnaar) of the cast didn’t feel that they could live up to the more impressive pictures you get on the radiio.
I once suggested we should do one to raise money for the Spill record label, but (fortunately?) no one volunteered.
1. Food – These days it seems to be chocolate ice cream. I like cheese and curry too.
2. Calendar – I’m boring here, probably a good wildlife or nature calendar. Good on though, not shit local snapshots like the ones the banks and drugstores give away around here.
3. Clocks – I absolutely love it when it gets light at 7am and dark at 5pm. I hate summer when its light until 9pm. Our daylight savings time doesn’t happen till first week of November this year, seems far away.
4. Conference – We had a blast a long time ago at a physics conference in Salt Lake City. I’d be pretty happy never to go to another conference though, but wouldn’t hate a photography or yoga conference.
5. Christmas – seen, yes. Bought? you have to bfk me, i don’t shop till the week before. I loather the holiday hoopla, although luckily Christmas day with my family is a pretty pleasant and vary laid back affair.
Yeah, that ‘clocks’ one was a bit of a shoehorn, wasn’t it?
Is there still a week difference between our clock day and yours, or did they finally get that in sync? Can’t emember, but i vaguely have a memory of Shoey griping about MFF time last spring.
Nah, not much of a shoehorn, it’s still getting darker earlier.
Shoey? Griping? That doesn’t sound right……. Attacking with a sledgehammer, maybe…..!
C is for caustic Chris. Also, cudgel, calamity, crush, crunch & crucify. Caution!
And i can think of another word, but that doesn’t apply to any Spillers or RRers.
Compulsion? Cruel.
1. Cantaloupe
2. Mrs. Fintan always makes ours. I’m guessing a Yosemite theme this year.
3. I’ve always thought DST was a waste of time. Supposedly instituted for the farmers (as if you need to tell farmers when to get up). I love the crisp mornings & dream of snow.
4. Conferences=Dreary
5. I think I saw some right after Labor Day. Always depresses me.
So, are we going to get to see the Yosemite photos?
TFD – I’ll put in a request to Mrs. Fintan. Good Idea.
1. cheese, courgette, chocolate, cakes, cherries, cognac
cointreau, (good) Cider – all part of a decent 5 a Day life style – think It’ll be cherries – but you can make a brilliant ‘Cherry chocolate courgette cake’ that is as moist as …… (I can only think of a rude simile – and that wouldn’t do on a Wednesday lunch time) – Cherries.. that’s safe, isn’t it?
2. The cacophonous ‘spill calendar is looking like this years must have – it screams at you when you forget something – might help me out!
3. chilly fresh autumnal weather is cool! – but the dark mornings aren’t fun.. the mist the last couple of days has been beautiful.. then burning off into a weird heatwave – ace. I like the changing of the seasons, so can’t complain much.
4. I never had a job that involves other people – if I can help it, that’ll continue – a conference – what’s that!
(I did have a marksman aim his gun at me on Bournemouth beach once during the Conservative conference – that was slightly scary)
5. Yep – I’ve seen Christmas stuff……and I gave my Ms. a new laptop as her Christmas present already and hidden away some things for my kids – (because the company I deal with has lost a contract that 59% of my work – thanks idiots – 5 years I’ve keep it all perfect in my area.. and your incompetence FUCKS my income – CHEERS.. there was another C word I was thinking of, but it’s slipped my mind, thankfully)
Sorry – rant collided with your questions there!
I’m being prepared for for less income – that’s why I’m so ahead of myself – that’s what I was supposed to say.
oh – as for clocks.. I have one on the computer and one in the car and one on my phone that all sort themselves out – my only manual one is my alarm clock, it’s sat on my desk here saying 6 minutes to 4 (@12.59) and it’s been like that for two weeks now, whoops!
….think I should recharge that battery.
Rant away, Shane – it’s fine. I too am getting used to the idea of managing on much less money – but that’s from choice (sort of), which makes a huge difference. I do hope you can get more work sorted.
Agree about the change of seasons – I’d hate to live somewhere where they don’t have them.
Is there really a calendar? I want one! Several in fact.
I might have to start selling ‘spill merchandise soon – as one company I’m supposed to get a transfer of contracts hasn’t contacted me (and I can’t get close to their inner sanctum) – and it changes Monday.
….And the other says they have to re-employ me when that other one is sorted.
Means I have absolutely NO work, come Monday.. I might retire before you!
(and JJ Cale would have my answer, from the same album as your answer was: “Friday” instead of 13 Days*)
* this will mean nothing to anyone but TFD.
…but I still got some Corn on the Cob to eat with lovely butter and ground black pepper… C is good for food, isn’t it.
Oh, Shane, that’s such a bummer…
Donds for your corn on the cob. I just had chilli and cheese – forgot the beans, but of course they begin with B so it doesn’t matter. (Unless they’d been cannellini.)
1. Courgettes – provided they’re the ‘ribbed for pleasure’ Romanesco variety, which are far superior in both texture and flavour – followed closely by chilli in any form and then chocolate chilli ice cream.
2. One with lots of Siamese cats on. Whereas most cat calendars you can actually buy are full of annoying fluffy things.
3. Lots of clocks, both with hands that need to be adjusted and with lcd figures where I need to press a button a lot to change them. Most annoying aspect is getting up in the pitch dark and having to decide whether or not the cats should be allowed out.
4. Ideal conference is in an interesting location at a decent time of year, and – more importantly – is extremely large, so that it’s relatively easy to sneak out and sight-see without being spotted. Even better if it’s on a subject outside my immediate specialism, so I have fewer personal obligations to turn to up hear X’s paper. According to those criteria, my trip to Seattle at the beginning of the month. Less enjoyable are really small conferences where I already have a fair idea what most people are going to say but it would be too obvious if I bunked off a session; meanwhile Mrs Abahachi is off doing all the sight-seeing, returning just in time to freeload for the conference dinner…
5. I try to filter out such things, but I have heard rumours…
‘Ribbed for pleasure’, eh?
yeah, what are you doing with these courgettes? Mine tend to go soggy when I cook them.
Abahachi’s must be RAW
“Courgettes ”Romanesco”
Fruit is cylindrical with pronounced ribbing; can be harvested with the flower attached; compact and erect plant habit; very productive”
quoted from the back of our organic seed box –
you could write: ‘carry on up the allotment’ – with this high quality material.
Ignoring the rude mechanicals and Viz readers in favour of a sensible discussion of recipes… One of the great advantages of Romanesco is that they have a much firmer texture so don’t go so soggy. I still often steam them to retain a bit of crunch, but they can also work very well if lightly sauted (with a bit of garlic), or roasted, or included in ratatouille.
1.custard. I adore custard, especially with a nice hot gooseberry crumble, or with tinned peaches. It saddens me that my children claim not to like it, I think there is something wrong with them.
2. I’d like a Rufus Sewell or Blixa Bargeld calendar please. If anyone find me one, I will pay top dollar (actually I already have a 2012 calendar, it has pre-raphealite painting on it).
3. the smell of fallen leaves and wood smoke.
4. I too have largely avoided conferences
5. Haven’t bought any, but yes Christmas is around. I’m enjoying the Hallowe’en tat for the moment, goth Christmas you know!
ggrrr, that was me
1. “will it be mushrooms? Fried onion rings, we’ll have to wait and see…….(EVERYBODY….!)….we ‘ope it’s CHIPS, it’s CHIPS…..”!! Proper ones mind, with plenty of vinegar.
2. I’d like a talking calender that reminds me of upcoming stuff that I really shouldn’t be forgetting about.
3. As Sakura-chan said no clock changing over here. I do love the winter nights, all cosy with great winter Japanese food like nabe and oden. This will be my first winter of getting up at stupid-o’clock every morning though, so I might well change my mind!
4. Never been to one, although I think I like idea in theory. I like getting stuck with the weirdo, you usually end up learning something!
5. No, thankfully not. As Sakura said, Japan just takes the fun parts of Christmas, without all the pressure and hassle, it’s great!
Keep those answers coming, folks…
1 Well, I was going to say chilli but then m’daughter beat me to it…shall I say chilli anyway? No, I think I’ll go with Shane’s cherry chocolate courgette cake with a glass of Cointreau. Thanks.
2 I always buy myself a Buffy calendar cos I ken fine no-one’s going to buy one for me.
3 The worst part of living in Scotland (for me) is it being dark in the morning when I leave for work and dark in the evening when I get home. By the middle of winter it’s dark when I get to work as well, and when I leave to go home. Another good reason to retire, go and live somewhere else, and start practising my hibernation skills. I have an old chiming clock which is very beautiful, but I don’t bother to wind it so I won’t need to put it back either. (Usually the last weekend in October I think, amy – this year Oct 29/30.) Does anyone want it? I won’t have room in my new house.
4 Oh, I love conferences and will miss them. You escape from the office and get free food and often a free night in a hotel too. My best one was the suicide prevention conference in Dublin in 2005 or so – I’d never been to Ireland before. Or since.
I’ll be at the Sasha (doll) Festival next summer in Stratford-upon-Avon, which is sort of like a conference. There’ll be workshops anyway. And possibly a keynote speaker. But mostly we’ll just be admiring each others’ Sashas. (And buying stuff.)
5 I’ve been avoiding looking at where I think Christmas stuff might be. So far it’s worked but it can only be a matter of time… In Milton Keynes they’re having a competition to find the MK Christmas No. 1 and that was my idea – they’re hoping to get shops to play the compilation CD instead of the usual horrible Christmas music.
1. Ceviche. Fish marinaded in lime juice with other spicy goodies.
2. It’d be nice if they could publish one with an end date for the bloody recession.
3. I hate the way they fiddle about with the clocks but the change in Spring is worse for me because having got used to getting to work after the sun comes up, I have to spend another couple of weeks getting their in the dark which does nothing for my mood.
4. A linguistics and language teaching conference at the University of Seville (in the old tobacco factory where they filmed a recent version of Carmen) because the setting was beautiful, the whole thing was very interesting (to me) and above all because I got to show off and make loads of presentations and give seminars, which I love doing. I think any conference where I get to take an active part is ideal for the show off in me.
5. I ignore Christmas till I can start celebrating it. fortunately Mrs Maki is much better at it than me and takes care of the pressies and stuff.
getting their in the dark
I did not type that! Damn you, Steve Jobs!
there.
There, there…
*soothes fevered brow*
Thank you. I feel much better now!
I can also use my soothing edit button, you know, Maki
1. cold canned creamed corn. Just kidding! I like most everything mentioned. Cointreau, cassis, Chili, curry, coriander, cheese, chocolate. I’ll add chard to the list because it was my first idea and I really do love it.
2. Who is Cliff Richard? I’d like a calendar like a year-long advent calendar, with some special little surprise to open every single day.
3. I do get a little melancholy when it gets dark early. And more sleepy than usual. So that’s what I don’t like about it. But what I do like is that when you’re feeling melancholy and sleepy, if it’s dark and cold out nobody really expects you to go anywhere.
4. I’ve never really been to a conference I don’t think. I did go to the food show at the Jacob Javitts convention center in New York one year. Holy shit! More food than you could eat in a year, but you have to eat it all while you’re right there. Unless you count the Independent Feature Film Festival in NYC. Lots of little classes and seminars. Done it twice. Fun but very very stressful. At the Angelika, so quite a treat in a lot of ways.
5. Probably, but I haven’t noticed. We’re focussed on Halloween in this house at the moment.
There are lots of great foods that start with C, aren’t there? That’s why I picked it, really – I was thinking of E originally because of Shane’s Eels post.
Lucky woman not to have heard of Cliff Richard…who started as a version of Elvis but then became an ‘all-round entertainer’ of sorts.
Oh how awesome are you. No Cliffie in your genetic memory!!!
1. Curry, innit?
2. Well, as Beth has nabbed Rufus Sewell I’ll settle for Viggo Mortensen, whose lovely face would cheer me up in the morning.
3. I like crisp, clear winter days. I don’t like dark mornings, dark evenings and flipping snow. And I don’t like my cold kitchen. I’ve got several clocks that have to be put back manually including the kitchen clock, which was my mum’s. It’s a plastic plate with flowers on it, totally hideous really but I’ve either grown fond of it or I just don’t notice any more.
4 One of the perks of not working at the moment is that I don’t have to go to bl**dy boring conferences any more. Can’t think of a good one. Why do people do it?
5 Mince pies in Sainsburys, and NO!!
Mmmm…I could murder a mince pie…My boss took me out to lunch today though! so I shouldn’t be hungry.
dond for Viggo.
And another
Oooh Viggo. Definitely edible.
Conferencing is an addiction, I think?
1. Chalupas! Caldo (meat and veggie soup) Ceviche (hat tip Maki) and of course chilli, cheddar, chocolate and assorted c worded foodstuffs. Also highly recommend to fellow Brits Cholula hot sauce as a condiment for fruit (apples, oranges) and to add to various dishes. Chilli powder and mayo on corn instead of the more usual salt pepper and butter. Yum!
2. Is there a Luke Wilson calender? I want that one! Failing that, a Far Side calender, or Dilbert one is good.
3. Positively loathe winter and all the clock going back associated stuff. Hot toddys, home made veggie soups and crackling log fires excepted.
4. Conferences suck. I had a really bad experience at a pathology conference I was speaking at once where I was practically throwing up out of the window (discretely) as the pathologist was showing slides of post mortem and I was going next to do a presentation of a research study results. Except I missed his introduction and everyone turned round to see me hanging out the window gulping fresh air. Much general amusement.
5. Shopping also sucks. Avoid it like the plague so haven’t noticed anything except big tins of Quality Street. But they do sell stuff with sell by dates of mid December as someone mentioned. Thats so nuts.
This is great fun.
Now me, I love post mortems. (But then, I’m very strange.)
i read that as post mortens (I’m Dyslexic) and wondered how on earth a-ha had got in on anything!
hahahahahahahahaha
Sorry: a-hahahahahahahahah
Bunch of comedians you lot are!
post – mortensen maybe?
Post-Mortensen in the post-apocalyptic world?
Dilbert’s good …
Far Side is hilarious. Shame the guy retired.
1 Chicken
2 The 12 photos of Margaret Thatcher’s grave 2012 calendar, featuring people dancing.
3 I like Autumn and Winter clothes. All my clocks have to be manually adjusted, except the ones in my PCs.
4 I associate conferences with my disreputable past. I am glad I don’t attend them any more.
5 I’ve seen bits and pieces, no intention of buying anything for Christmas until the end of November though.
Haven’t read anyone else’s yet, but here goes:
1. Brain overload: cheese, coffee, chillies, calamari, curry, cider …
2. One that’s Chock-full of Customer bookings, please . . . . really, pretty please . . . .
3. I love autumn; it’s my favourite season. Too many things to mention, and I’ve still got work to do this eve.
4. Not sure anything I’ve ever attended could really be called a “conference” in the sense I think you mean. Dunno. Stumped.
5. Seen it? Hell yeah, the Christmas stuff has been all over about three aisles of my local Costco for about a month already. Bought any? Ha! What with?
CHIPS!
Who remembers the TV ad: “Daddy or chips? Daddy or chips?”
Me…
Chocolate. Calendars & clocks – there’s an app for that. Vegas, 24 hour packed night clubs, very weird. Best one was a short dull meeting, followed by a day trip to Catalina island & kayaking in the ocean. Christmas? Isn’t that cancelled by the austerity measures authorities to pay for the Royal Wedding & Olympics.
On the contrary, Christmas is the last best hope of the government for getting us all spending like mad on credit again to kick-start the economy.
Wasn’t that where it all started? Oh crap! There really isn’t any plan is there? We’re locked into a debt & decline cycle for the forseeable.
1. If I can’t have (green/red/yellow) chicken curry, then it’s chips. Or Chubby Hubby, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.
2.We picked up a Charles Rennie Mackintosh calendar on our visit to Glasgow in summer to see The Jayhawks. (Cracking concert, cracking city)
3. We don’t have clock changing in the desert. The night/day thing isn’t so extreme here. Winter is more or less like summer, only a bit cooler, which is a great relief.
4.The best was the first conference I ever attended, an EFL one held in Colombo. I was a VSO teacher and we were involved in some of the organisation, saw lots of presentations and joined in an equal number of post-conference parties. Got fixed up for my MA at Lancaster thanks to one boozy do at the British Council. Nowadays, I find conferences a bore.
5. They don’t really celebrate Christmas much out here, for obvious reasons. Christmas stuff does go up – especially in the big Malls, but not usually until the beginning of December, once we’ve got past some major Islamic holidays. We do get to order a fresh turkey which is delivered on Christmas Eve and we can find all the ingredients to make our own mincemeat for mince pies, christmas cake and christmas pud. It’s a releief not to have all the advertising banging away from October, but on the other hand, Christmas can creep up on you and pass by without you being really aware of it. That might suit some of you, judging by what I’ve read so far.
Tempus
Glasgow? You should’ve said…
Now me, I love Christmas – but I like it to stay in late December where it belongs.
1 Chips and chocolate – although preferably not together.
2 Another home-made one like the one I got last year from the Littler MissToffee.
3 I like the fact that it means the lawn won’t need mowing again for six months or so. I don’t like the fact that football training is going to be less fun(colder, wetter, darker) for the next six months or so. I have a wonderful analogue RSPB clock which tweets different bird sounds every hour – we’ve just had the ten o’clock nightingale.
4 I’m giving a paper at a conference on Saturday (OK, I’m doing a talk but the other way of saying it sounded so much more impressive) so I’ll answer your questions next week!
5 AAAaaaaghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!