Shaka Zulu & St. Troy

A double date night in London. I was incredibly excited! I expected a civil and sophisticated evening. Plus going up to London is a novelty.

Throughout October the London Restaurant Festival and London Film Festival are taking place. Additionally, American Express are sponsoring both. Tom discovered this and decided we must go. After speaking with our friends Dave and Lucia it was settled, a date night was soon arranged.

For the meal we choose to go to Shaka Zulu in Camden. This South African restaurant looked incredible in the pictures.


Ornately decorated and with live entertainment, this was surely to be an excitingly different experience. On the night Tom and I arrived about half an hour late; rushing as usual meant we missed our train. Strike one of the evening. We were greeted at the restaurant by Dave and Lucia who were patiently waiting. I really enjoyed being out with them, we had a good time chatting throughout the meal. The décor of the restaurant impressed me. Animals were carved into portions of the walls, bases of the chairs were made from figures of Zulu warriors and the table tops and upholstery were all of African patterns. It was so large there was even an escalator, I'm not sure I've seen that in a restaurant before. It's a bit disappointing the live entertainment never appeared. Strike number two was the food. I did not impress any of us. We rated it merely mediocre. All of our dishes were a bit common and bland, a huge contrast to the image portrayed by the venue.

Moving on, it was time for the film.


Onto the tube we jumped, heading towards Leicester Square. The film of the evening, The Temptation of St. Troy. This film was sold out for a few nights of the festival, and had an intriguing description. Arriving about ten min late due to a bit of a mix up on the tube, unfortunately it had already started by the time we found our seats. It didn't really matter though. We soon realised this film lacked a plot and just didn't make sense. Strike three. If we hadn't paid so much for our tickets we would have been out of there. A recent eastern European film, it was in black and white with subtitles. It was divided into six chapters that did not transition well. The ending was of the main character in heaven (I think) eating the body of the girl he had relations with. Weird! Awful! Obviously it was a very artistic film, that was supposed to be deep and full of allusion. I didn't get, none of us did. But, on the way back we did discuss it for ages, which doesn't happen with most films.

Overall I enjoyed going out in London even if it wasn't a perfect night, well more of a shambles really. But, it is one I will remember.

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The Launderette

A difference between America and England I have found hard to get used to, well really that I haven't gotten used to, is laundry. The UK is energy and environmentally conscious and the cost of living is much higher here than in the states, which results in the fact that clothes dryers are hard to come by. Instead, people commonly hang dry their clothes!

When I was first studying here amazingly my accommodation did have dryers, but it cost about five pounds to wash one load of clothes! I vividly remember my first experience hang drying clothes. I had only been seeing Tom for a short time when he suggested I wash my clothes with his up at his home to save money. Saving money is always good, so of course I agreed. His mum showed me how to use their washing machine and before long my clothes were clean, but wet. Then I was informed the line was outside, given a basket of clothes pins and sent on my way.

I had never hung clothes before, I was at the home of a guy I was just starting to see, I had no real idea what I was doing and I was still a bit shy. I felt awkward. Luckily, it’s not too hard to figure this chore out, and as I hung my clothes I hoped I was doing it correctly and not making a fool of myself. No one ever commented, so I assume I did alright.

But, I loathe hang drying clothes! They end up wrinkled and are never as soft as when they have been dried. Plus, it rains a lot here so clothes can't always go outside, and I don't have a good space in my flat for drying clothes. So I go to the Launderette. Yes, I do, I take my clothes to the Launderette. A bit dirty I know, but at least I get to dry my clothes in a dryer. Launderettes are numerous as well, and one is conveniently located just down the street. What I don't understand about these places are the people who sit and watch their clothes being washed or dried. It must be very boring watching clothes go round and round. With the Launderette so close it’s very easy to nip out, drop off my clothes, go home, then go back a little later and pick them up. For a mere pound I can dry my clothes to perfection, then leave them folded soft and wrinkle free in my wardrobe.

Differences do exist between the country I grew up in and where I live now, and I don't think I will ever get used to the English way of hang drying clothes. (Although, I should probably keep this quiet around English people as I don't think they will really approve.)

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Gizzi Erskine

About a month ago I discovered a new healthy cooking show. I was being lazy sitting on the sofa watching one of my all time favourties, Come Dine With Me, when I was distracted by adverts for the programme, Cook Yourself Thin. It seemed slightly Gillian McKeith like, and I quickly decided I had to check it out.

The presenter Gizzi Erskine is potentially one of my new favourite celebrity chefs! Her style and personality instantly enthralled me. Plus, I loved that she is on a mission to help make people realise how easy it is to make healthy meals. In her show she teaches women to half their calorie intake by exchanging a few of their regular meals with much healthier alternatives that are still packed with flavor. She hooked me with her smoked trout and watercress pittas. Next time I do a food shop the ingredients for this will be at the top of my list!

Then, the next day I discovered her website. Bright and funky, it accentuates her personality. I spent ages looking through recipes, reading her blog, yearning over her cookbook and of course I now follow her on twitter. So much interesting stuff, you must have a look. Go now!

I gave Gizzi's cookbook to Brianna for her birthday, and it was sooo hard to give away!

Which of her recipes will be gracing your table this week?

shows of the season

I'm not really much of a TV person. I prefer to light a candle in a quiet room and spend my evening relaxing with a good book. However, this Autumn there are some shows that caught my attention and have me hooked.

X Factor

Reality TV at its finest. Pop star hopefuls from across the UK compeate for a coveted record deal with Simon Cowell's label. Its emotional, its hilarious, its addictive! Starting with auditions for anyone who feels they have the X factor, thousands are gradually narrowed down to just 12 competitors for the live shows. All is shown; the good, the bad, the ugly and the amazing. This show is enough to keep me in on a Saturday night, especially if its pouring. The producers have done well maximizing their profits by dragging the show out to two nights. Now the competition takes place Saturday and viewers are made to wait in agony for a day as the results aren't revealed until Sunday night. Amazing performers have come from this show including; Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke, JLS and my fav Diana Vikars.

Downton Abbey

The period drama. These programmes do not exist in America, and I love them. Partly due to my passion for reading, especially british novels from the Edwardian period, the time in which this drama is set. Downton Abbey begins with the Titanic sinking and the family who is in possesion of this manor house loosing their heirs in the tragedy. The storey then unfolds as the family attempts to find a new heir with inheritance at risk, the daughters are concerned with who they will wed and the new valet (one of the servants) is disturbingly suspicious. I am pleased there are five more weeks for me to watch as the twists unravel in this gripping show, which some have claimed to be the best on TV this year.


The Inbetweeners

A hilarious comedy focused on a group of four (high) school aged boys. It is easy for viewers to relate to the incredibly awkward situations these friends get themselves into, which is half of the reason the show is so funny. Each week the plot revolves mostly around adolescent dating and the trials of growing up. As a viewer I often feel embarrassed for these characters. This show is on Monday nights and I catch it with a group of friends after our pub quiz. With the sofa packed laughter always fills the room, and in the office on Tuesday morning without a doubt catch phrases from the show will be bounced around.

Jamie's American Food Revolution


This programme hits straight to my heart! Not just because it is set in America, but because healthy eating and helping children are issues I feel passionate about. It's depressing to know that obesity and related diseases, things that can be controlled and changed, are becoming the largest causes of death in America. I read an article recently about how fast food chains are starting to hand out drugs, in the same way they do ketchup, in order to counteract the cholesterol gained from the food they serve in an effort to prevent illness. Also in the news recently are reports on how airlines and even dental clinic are increasing chair size. It's shocking! Rather than accommodating obesity we need more people in the world like Jamie Oliver who actually go to the source of the problem, who educate on how to easily cook healthy meals and who work to improve the food we eat. What I find most disheartening about the situation in Huntington, West Virginia, where the show is located, is that the children don't know any different or any better, they can't even name common vegetables such as a potato. These children's life expectancy is less than their parents, the first generation to EVER see this. Jamie has gone into this area to change the way people think about food and the way they eat, but that is not all... he is on a mission to improve school food across the states. This programme is a MUST SEE! The best part, you can help! Take just two seconds to sign Jamie's petition to help improve the health of my nation. Do it for the kids, please!

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