Despite our aweful colds, Bret and I got gussied up yesterday morning (actually, Bret just put on a tie) and met up with a few of our friends to enjoy Northumberland Plate Day, the biggest race day in Newcastle.
I was surprised by how many people were at the races! The place was insane. There were groups of burly men eager to place their bets, crazy young 'hens' enjoying a day out with their girls, and groups of older ladies with far too much wrinkly cleavage spilling out of their chiffon floral dresses (as I took note yesterday, there is indeed an expiration date on breasts. and arms, and stomach for that matter).
Anyway, while I had on my very stylish coral bolero, I was very chilly because, despite being almost July, it was 60, windy, and cloudy. I shivered my way through the crowds and over to the bookies. I learned that there would be 6 races, and I had already decided that I would spend no more than 20 pounds on bets, so I was in no rush to place my bet. For the first race, most of us just watched to see if our horse predictions came true. At about 2:00, the horses came parading through the track. They were gorgeous- lean, muscular, and shiny. At 2:10, the first race began, and the horses sped along the track. From a distance, we could only see a mass moving steadily towards us. The crowds around us cheered fiercely. As the horses came closer, we noticed they were moving at about 30 miles per hour and being whipped strongly by the jockeys. It was exhilarating, so for the next race, we decided to begin betting.
I placed my bets on a horse that had good odds, I think his name was Joseph Henry. I put down 5 pounds each way, so that if he placed, I would get a bit of money back. Bret chose to bet on a horse called 'Burning Incence' because he liked the name. We decided to go right up to the track for this second race. Finally, the horses came parading through. My horse was running with his tongue hanging out and was foaming in the mouth. I took this to be a bad sign. Bret's horse looked good, despite his poor odds. When the gates opened, the horses shot out towards the track. We shouted for our horses, but sadly, neither of us won. We didn't even place! But there were 4 more chances, and I for one, had quite a bit more 'poundage' to spend.
So the third race was the big 2 miler. I eagerly placed my bets on another horse with great odds. We met up with our party and sat in the bleachers. Each of us bet on a different horse, so we figured one of us was bound to win something. But there were 22 horses and only 6 of us, so really, this was really just wishful thinking. As it turns out, my horse 'Desert Sea' which I had been tipped about on the bus came in third to last place. I began to feel like the bookies were riggging the races.
But what Norris told me was that in 'handicap' races, they handicap the best horse by adding weights so that it's a more even playing field. Confused by this whole process I decided to take a different approach. I would bet on the least likely horse. That way, if it won, I would get a huge return.
However, my horse, once again, was one of the lazy ones in the back. By this point, Bret had a terrible headache, I was still dazed from all my cold medicine, and we were losing miserably. Rather than brave the cold for another hour, we decided to say farewell to our friends and call it a day. It was exciting, the Pimms and Lemonade was delicious, but we needed our rest. We hopped into a cab and nappped it out back in Breamish Street.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Rain, rain, go away!
Hello all,
It’s been raining all day today and Bret and I have minor colds. So instead of going on our Jesmond Dene bike ride like we had planned, we decided to have a day of library, shopping, and staying in.
Newcastle has many different regional libraries. But there are none really close to our house. Instead, we’ve gotta walk for about 15 minutes to get to the Byker Library, which interestingly also has a gym and pool. It’s quite a vibrant public place, and today we went crazy checking out books and cds! Some highlights include Lightspeed Champion and The Essential Simon & Garfunkel. I also got several books on gardening, including The City Gardener’s Bible, which I have already started; a very unusual graphic novel called Woman’s World; and a novel called Everyman’s Rules for Scientific Living. However, I am a bit concerned because I have to make time to read for my book club, which has been going swimmingly, if you must know. For July, we’ll be going to Crook Hall to discuss Brideshead Revisited.
Anyway, so after our maniacal library spree, Bret and I parted ways, as he went to do a bit of grocery shopping and I went to do more clothes shopping. Plate Day is next Saturday, and I needed to get several accessories to go with my gorgeous new Adolfo Dominguez floral dress. I spent hours going from shop to shop, taking a quick sushi break in between. The worst was the shoes, because I only liked the ones that cost circa one hundred pounds. But luckily, I found some cute and affordable white wedges at Dorothy Perkins. Exhausted after an afternoon spent engaging in good ole fashioned British consumerism, I went home.
As I walked in, I couldn’t help but notice the wonderful smell in the house. Last week I bought some huge pink lilies, and they are very aromatic! Actually, a few weeks ago I was strolling down Gray Street, and the art galleries were having an evening event to promote Newcastle culture. I walk in to a gallery and notice that it smells absolutely divine! I ask the curator, and she tells me that she got the lilies at Grainger Market for just 5 pounds. So the next day, I rush over to Grainger Market during my lunch break to snap up these horticultural delights! For those of you unfamiliar with Grainger Market, it is a geriatric haven. I was the only person there under 75. I even witnessed an old man have a heart attack (this is not a joke: I really saw an old man have a heart attack. He collapsed, then awoke, was breathing horribly, and then started vomiting. Several people helped him, but no one was in the least bit fazed by the incident).
As I was saying, I walk into our flat and I realize that it’s time to prepare dinner. We have recently invested in a grocery box scheme. We used to do a ‘veggie box’ in State College, which would provide an array of seasonal locally grown veggies every week for a set price. But the one here is even better. We use G & S Organics, which provides not just veggies, but meat, milk, fresh-baked bread, and fruit, all organic for just 40 pounds a week. So tonight, I made the most delicious meal with ingredients from our box. First, of course, salad, with fresh lettuce, tomato, cucumber and radishes. Then I cooked up the rest of the lettuce with some frozen peas and some spring onions for a side dish. For the other side, I boiled up some broad beans and mixed in Parmesan and parsley with poached egg. For our main course, I made the absolute most wonderful pork chops ever. I don’t know why these pork chops were so tender- all I know is that I’ve never eaten any as soft. I put a soy sauce, orange, sugar marinade on them, and they came out lovely!
Anyway, so for the rest of the night, I think we’ll just nurse our colds and watch a movie or something. Hope you’re all doing well!
It’s been raining all day today and Bret and I have minor colds. So instead of going on our Jesmond Dene bike ride like we had planned, we decided to have a day of library, shopping, and staying in.
Newcastle has many different regional libraries. But there are none really close to our house. Instead, we’ve gotta walk for about 15 minutes to get to the Byker Library, which interestingly also has a gym and pool. It’s quite a vibrant public place, and today we went crazy checking out books and cds! Some highlights include Lightspeed Champion and The Essential Simon & Garfunkel. I also got several books on gardening, including The City Gardener’s Bible, which I have already started; a very unusual graphic novel called Woman’s World; and a novel called Everyman’s Rules for Scientific Living. However, I am a bit concerned because I have to make time to read for my book club, which has been going swimmingly, if you must know. For July, we’ll be going to Crook Hall to discuss Brideshead Revisited.
Anyway, so after our maniacal library spree, Bret and I parted ways, as he went to do a bit of grocery shopping and I went to do more clothes shopping. Plate Day is next Saturday, and I needed to get several accessories to go with my gorgeous new Adolfo Dominguez floral dress. I spent hours going from shop to shop, taking a quick sushi break in between. The worst was the shoes, because I only liked the ones that cost circa one hundred pounds. But luckily, I found some cute and affordable white wedges at Dorothy Perkins. Exhausted after an afternoon spent engaging in good ole fashioned British consumerism, I went home.
As I walked in, I couldn’t help but notice the wonderful smell in the house. Last week I bought some huge pink lilies, and they are very aromatic! Actually, a few weeks ago I was strolling down Gray Street, and the art galleries were having an evening event to promote Newcastle culture. I walk in to a gallery and notice that it smells absolutely divine! I ask the curator, and she tells me that she got the lilies at Grainger Market for just 5 pounds. So the next day, I rush over to Grainger Market during my lunch break to snap up these horticultural delights! For those of you unfamiliar with Grainger Market, it is a geriatric haven. I was the only person there under 75. I even witnessed an old man have a heart attack (this is not a joke: I really saw an old man have a heart attack. He collapsed, then awoke, was breathing horribly, and then started vomiting. Several people helped him, but no one was in the least bit fazed by the incident).
As I was saying, I walk into our flat and I realize that it’s time to prepare dinner. We have recently invested in a grocery box scheme. We used to do a ‘veggie box’ in State College, which would provide an array of seasonal locally grown veggies every week for a set price. But the one here is even better. We use G & S Organics, which provides not just veggies, but meat, milk, fresh-baked bread, and fruit, all organic for just 40 pounds a week. So tonight, I made the most delicious meal with ingredients from our box. First, of course, salad, with fresh lettuce, tomato, cucumber and radishes. Then I cooked up the rest of the lettuce with some frozen peas and some spring onions for a side dish. For the other side, I boiled up some broad beans and mixed in Parmesan and parsley with poached egg. For our main course, I made the absolute most wonderful pork chops ever. I don’t know why these pork chops were so tender- all I know is that I’ve never eaten any as soft. I put a soy sauce, orange, sugar marinade on them, and they came out lovely!
Anyway, so for the rest of the night, I think we’ll just nurse our colds and watch a movie or something. Hope you’re all doing well!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Photos of Our Newcastle Home
A while back we promised to slap some photos of our new abode in Newcastle onto the blog. After two full months as city residents, we feel it is time to share. Here are just a few shots of 7 Breamish Quays from shortly after our arrival. Enjoy...
UK Phrase Confusion
Hello all,
Most of you know that potato chips are called crisps here in England, and that french fries are called chips. But there are many other confusing words and phrases here that most Americans don't know about. I've been compiling a list of words and phrases that mean different things in England than they do in the US. Braudia would like to share them with you.
1. Are you alright?- Here in England 'are you alright?' simply means 'hello'. This was especially confusing for us in the beginning because people kept asking us: Are you alright?, and we kept wondering why we wouldn't be alright. We thought, 'Do we look sick or depressed? Why do people keep asking us if we're alright?' But eventually Braudia learned, though it still kind of throws us off.
2. Us: When I first started working at Social Services, the ladies who worked there would often say: 'Would you do this photocopying for us?' or 'Will you do us a favour?' I would look around the room and wonder who else was 'us' other than the person asking. But then I realised: Us means me. Of course, that's not always the case; sometimes us really means us. And some people don't use 'us' to mean me- they just say me. So you've got to judge the circumstances.
3. Dinner and Tea: This was a real mess. Dinner sometimes means dinner and other times it means lunch, and then tea sometimes means tea and other times it means dinner. I'd hear people say at 12:30pm, "I'm going out for me dinner" and think: 'wow, that's an early dinner,' or hear "This chicken is just left over from last night's tea," and I'd think 'wow, ambitious tea!' But then I realised: different words, same thing. So basically, while in America we say Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, in England, they sometimes call it Breakfast, Dinner, and Tea.
4. Lemonade: oh this is funny. If you want a lemonade in England, you've got to ask for 'Cloudy lemonade' because when you say 'lemonade' you get sprite. So a Pimms and Lemonade is really sprite with Pimms, not actual fresh sqeezed citrus juice.
5. 1st floor and 2nd floor: When you are in a multi-level space, such as a department store, you'll find that there's the basement floor (underground), the ground floor, the First floor above it, the second floor etc. In the States, First floor and ground floor are the same, but in England, first floor is the one above the ground- the first floor up. Needless to say, Braudia got off at the wrong floor several times in those early days.
So now if you travel to England, hopefully knowing these little differences will help you get by just a bit better!
ta-ra!
Most of you know that potato chips are called crisps here in England, and that french fries are called chips. But there are many other confusing words and phrases here that most Americans don't know about. I've been compiling a list of words and phrases that mean different things in England than they do in the US. Braudia would like to share them with you.
1. Are you alright?- Here in England 'are you alright?' simply means 'hello'. This was especially confusing for us in the beginning because people kept asking us: Are you alright?, and we kept wondering why we wouldn't be alright. We thought, 'Do we look sick or depressed? Why do people keep asking us if we're alright?' But eventually Braudia learned, though it still kind of throws us off.
2. Us: When I first started working at Social Services, the ladies who worked there would often say: 'Would you do this photocopying for us?' or 'Will you do us a favour?' I would look around the room and wonder who else was 'us' other than the person asking. But then I realised: Us means me. Of course, that's not always the case; sometimes us really means us. And some people don't use 'us' to mean me- they just say me. So you've got to judge the circumstances.
3. Dinner and Tea: This was a real mess. Dinner sometimes means dinner and other times it means lunch, and then tea sometimes means tea and other times it means dinner. I'd hear people say at 12:30pm, "I'm going out for me dinner" and think: 'wow, that's an early dinner,' or hear "This chicken is just left over from last night's tea," and I'd think 'wow, ambitious tea!' But then I realised: different words, same thing. So basically, while in America we say Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, in England, they sometimes call it Breakfast, Dinner, and Tea.
4. Lemonade: oh this is funny. If you want a lemonade in England, you've got to ask for 'Cloudy lemonade' because when you say 'lemonade' you get sprite. So a Pimms and Lemonade is really sprite with Pimms, not actual fresh sqeezed citrus juice.
5. 1st floor and 2nd floor: When you are in a multi-level space, such as a department store, you'll find that there's the basement floor (underground), the ground floor, the First floor above it, the second floor etc. In the States, First floor and ground floor are the same, but in England, first floor is the one above the ground- the first floor up. Needless to say, Braudia got off at the wrong floor several times in those early days.
So now if you travel to England, hopefully knowing these little differences will help you get by just a bit better!
ta-ra!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
My Asthmatic Interactions with Marley the Horse
The first day of June, everyone, and it's friggin freezing here in Newcastle. I sure hope summer gets better than this, cuz this is colder than a Miami winter!
Well, even if the temperature doesn't get any toastier, I'm determined to have some summer fun here in Newcastle. This weekend was no exception. On Friday I had my first horse-riding lesson, and on Saturday, Bret and I went to Alnwick Gardens.
After watching several horse racing programs on the telly and planning a trip to the races (June 28 for Plate Day!), I became inspired to attempt some horse-riding antics myself. So I signed up at Stepney Stables for a beginner adult class.
I was told to dress in exercise clothes and not wear trainers, so I put on some sweatpants and some riding style boots, paid my 16 quid, and got ready for my first time on a horse.
Stepney Stables is located just 5 minutes from my flat in the Ouseburn Valley. There is an indoor arena where we take our lessons, and the stables are just next to it. After getting fitted for a hat (a lovely black velvet one), Claire, the instructor called me in. 'Claudia, you're on Marley! Look at the board!'...she was a no-nonsense lady, so I knew I had to be extra alert...
For the beginner's class, little page girls walk with the horses so that we don't get flung off and break our necks. My page girl was Donna. She was about 12 or so, and also 'no-nonsense'. "Idiot!" she'd yell at the horse when he would'nt listen. 'Stop it!!" and smack him on the nose. I suppose one must be rather firm with horses, as they are big and strong. I certainly wanted a well-behaved horse for my first lesson!
After we all got on our horses (there were 5 of us), we started walking slowly around the arena. Little by little, the lesson became more complicated. We started doing rings, telling our horses to change directions, practicing the stop and go. I learned correct posture and how to hold the reigns. As the class went on, I grew more and more confident. I thought, 'wow, I really have a knack for this!' I started envisioning myself with my new Polo Ralph Lauren riding clothes, trotting about on my horse. Despite the large quantities of horse poo and the damp sweaty horse smell in the air, I felt very dignified up there. Surely Claire was impressed...'Claudia, there is no need to cross your reigns!! You are confusing the horse!" Ok, maybe Claire was not terribly impressed...suddenly I felt like an 8 year old girl at Martha Mahr Ballet. This was perfection at all times.
Except Marley was not interested in perfection. He was a beautiful pure white horse- one could imagine him running free on the hillsides, and it seemed that's exactly what he wanted to do...not obey passively in a beginner's riding class. He kept trying to pass the other horses. Needless to say, Donna was yelling 'idiot' every other second. But finally, Marley got a taste of fun when we started trotting! I'm not yet good at going up and down (I was kind of getting bounced around by Marley) but I think I could improve if I had more lessons...however...
As the class continued, I started to feel my breathing get shorter and shorter. Finally, by the end of the class, I was a complete allergic mess! I like to think that I am allergic to the mould and spores let out from the hay and NOT horses, but for the sake of my lungs, I will not try riding at Stepney again and wait until I can take a lesson outdoors.
The next morning, still feeling woozy from all the allergy medicine that I ingested, Bret and I set out to Alnwick Gardens, just a 30 min train ride from Newcastle. While it was a bit of a mission getting there due to a shortage of buses from the Alnmouth trainstation and the Gardens, the wait was worth it. The gardens are amazing! There are spitting fountains, there's a bamboo labyrinth, a rose garden with 300 different kinds of roses, an ornamental garden, and a poison garden with hemlock, cocaine plants, weed, belladonna, and other assorted recreational drugs and dangerous killer plants. Bret and I have grown inspired to one day have a beautiful garden of our own, which will include not only fruits and veggies, but lots of fragrant, dramatic buds. My personal faves were the Marjorie vine, High Noons, and the Concha vine. After learning all about flowers, we headed back home where I made a whole chicken roasted in cider with lettuce and cream, and a side of rich mashed potatoes!
Well, even if the temperature doesn't get any toastier, I'm determined to have some summer fun here in Newcastle. This weekend was no exception. On Friday I had my first horse-riding lesson, and on Saturday, Bret and I went to Alnwick Gardens.
After watching several horse racing programs on the telly and planning a trip to the races (June 28 for Plate Day!), I became inspired to attempt some horse-riding antics myself. So I signed up at Stepney Stables for a beginner adult class.
I was told to dress in exercise clothes and not wear trainers, so I put on some sweatpants and some riding style boots, paid my 16 quid, and got ready for my first time on a horse.
Stepney Stables is located just 5 minutes from my flat in the Ouseburn Valley. There is an indoor arena where we take our lessons, and the stables are just next to it. After getting fitted for a hat (a lovely black velvet one), Claire, the instructor called me in. 'Claudia, you're on Marley! Look at the board!'...she was a no-nonsense lady, so I knew I had to be extra alert...
For the beginner's class, little page girls walk with the horses so that we don't get flung off and break our necks. My page girl was Donna. She was about 12 or so, and also 'no-nonsense'. "Idiot!" she'd yell at the horse when he would'nt listen. 'Stop it!!" and smack him on the nose. I suppose one must be rather firm with horses, as they are big and strong. I certainly wanted a well-behaved horse for my first lesson!
After we all got on our horses (there were 5 of us), we started walking slowly around the arena. Little by little, the lesson became more complicated. We started doing rings, telling our horses to change directions, practicing the stop and go. I learned correct posture and how to hold the reigns. As the class went on, I grew more and more confident. I thought, 'wow, I really have a knack for this!' I started envisioning myself with my new Polo Ralph Lauren riding clothes, trotting about on my horse. Despite the large quantities of horse poo and the damp sweaty horse smell in the air, I felt very dignified up there. Surely Claire was impressed...'Claudia, there is no need to cross your reigns!! You are confusing the horse!" Ok, maybe Claire was not terribly impressed...suddenly I felt like an 8 year old girl at Martha Mahr Ballet. This was perfection at all times.
Except Marley was not interested in perfection. He was a beautiful pure white horse- one could imagine him running free on the hillsides, and it seemed that's exactly what he wanted to do...not obey passively in a beginner's riding class. He kept trying to pass the other horses. Needless to say, Donna was yelling 'idiot' every other second. But finally, Marley got a taste of fun when we started trotting! I'm not yet good at going up and down (I was kind of getting bounced around by Marley) but I think I could improve if I had more lessons...however...
As the class continued, I started to feel my breathing get shorter and shorter. Finally, by the end of the class, I was a complete allergic mess! I like to think that I am allergic to the mould and spores let out from the hay and NOT horses, but for the sake of my lungs, I will not try riding at Stepney again and wait until I can take a lesson outdoors.
The next morning, still feeling woozy from all the allergy medicine that I ingested, Bret and I set out to Alnwick Gardens, just a 30 min train ride from Newcastle. While it was a bit of a mission getting there due to a shortage of buses from the Alnmouth trainstation and the Gardens, the wait was worth it. The gardens are amazing! There are spitting fountains, there's a bamboo labyrinth, a rose garden with 300 different kinds of roses, an ornamental garden, and a poison garden with hemlock, cocaine plants, weed, belladonna, and other assorted recreational drugs and dangerous killer plants. Bret and I have grown inspired to one day have a beautiful garden of our own, which will include not only fruits and veggies, but lots of fragrant, dramatic buds. My personal faves were the Marjorie vine, High Noons, and the Concha vine. After learning all about flowers, we headed back home where I made a whole chicken roasted in cider with lettuce and cream, and a side of rich mashed potatoes!
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