It seemed like only yesterday I was prepping the guest room and stocking up the Lush basket in anticipation of Akemi’s arrival and suddenly, the next thing I know, I’ve seen her off at the airport and am heading back home for a quiet afternoon with the dogs. It was a wonderful ten days – fun yet, ultimately, very relaxing – and now I look forward to a return to work and the commencement of production on SGU’s second season, while Akemi eyes a brief return to Japan before heading off to Perth where she will be studying English for the next couple of months. Her English is already better than my Japanese so I’m sure she’s going to have a great time. And, given her propensity for rearranging linen closets and doing laundry, I’m sure the host family she’ll be staying with will have a great time as well.
Since last night was her final evening in Vancouver, I left it up to her to pick the restaurant. And so, we ended up back at ReFuel for the oishi food and shinsetsu staff…
- Chef Ted serves up a delectable melt-in-your-mouth salmon amuse-bouche with a crispy garlic topping. Oh, and a green apple garnish.
- Roasted bone marrow with green apple, parsley, and maldon salt. Okay, granted, this one is an acquired taste – but if you like marrow, you’ll love Refuel’s version.
- Like everyone else I’ve brought to Fuel/ReFuel who either a) doesn’t like duck or b) never tried it, Akemi was blown away by Refuel’s crispy version.
- An addition to the menu impossible to resist: a luscious rack of pork belly served with caramelized fennel and the house mash.
- Akemi bats clean-up.
- Okay, seriously, what’s with the lilliputian cups? I couldn’t even hook the handle with my pinky.
Finished another 100 pages of Jonathan Barnes’ brilliant The Somnambulist last night (and fully intend to pick up his second book, The Domino Men, the next time I’m at my local bookstore) while Akemi took her final relaxing Vancouver bath for the foreseeable future. Speaking of which – what the hell is with the garbage stuffed inside those Lush bath bombs? I mean, seriously! The last thing I want to do after taking a bath is stoop over the tub, gathering the scattered seaweed, sparkles, and confetti that risk clogging up the sink if left unattended.
- The following morning – all packed up and ready to go.
The dogs were bummed to see her go. Just look at ’em…
Hey, the most spectacular results Canada’s short-sighted and ill-advised Own the Podium campaign has yielded thus far have been in the foreign press: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/simon_barnes/article7041547.ece
Well, at least once these Games are over we can finally put these Olympics behind us. Oh, no. Wait. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/sports/olympics/25vancouver.html
You know we don’t really speak English here in Australia right? Next time you see Akemi, be prepared to hear some of the following phrases, and I’m nice enough to give you the translations. Because I care.
Strewth – Really? That’s slightly unbelievable.
Bugger – Oops.
Yeahnah – I haven’t thought of my sentence yet but I’m going to start speaking anyway.
Bloody Oath – Certainly is.
Ripper – You have done well and I think highly of you.
Cactus – It’s not going to work again.
Corker – That was really good.
Daks – Pants
Drongo – An idiot
Dunny – Toilet
Reg Grundies – Underwear
Budgie Smugglers – Speedos
Ripper – That was pretty good.
Rooted – See “Cactus”
Sheila – A woman, or more accurately a woman who drinks beer and swears a lot.
Togs – Swimming attire.
Wuss – Someone who lacks intestinal fortitude.
Hope that helps.
Sorry to see Akemi go. You sure that was ten days, Joe? Didn’t seem that long. Hope the pups don’t miss her too much.
These snowstorms, on the other hand, seem to last for weeks on end. We actually dodged a bullet today, but the snow and wind have both picked up and Friday should be a thrill. Well sitting in the garage all day is better for me than burning a vacation day.
Where I come from in Rhode Island( Roe Dylin) – orginally, we have our own language. Besides the fact, New Englander’s don’t pronounce “r’s” totally giving the English language new meaning, we also have a unique vocabulary.
Grinder – a sandwich – a sub (pronounced grind- ah)
face cloth – a wash cloth
cabinet – not something you store items in, it’s actually a milk shake, sometimes known as a frappe.
We cut our grass, not mow our lawn.
One thing I learned after moving down to FLA,(Flahrider) when one asks to turn up the a/c – one is actually making it colder. In N.E. turning it up one would be making it warmer.
Quahog – pronounced ko-hog, like soft-shell clams, oysters, scallops, and mussels.
wickit smot is what one is afta going to school.
Check out Don Bousquet- http://www.amazon.com/Don-Bousquets-New-England-Cartoons/dp/0899091679
I have since lost that accent after being FLA for almost,well along time. Tawk ta me afta I tawked ta my family and it’s amazing how fast it comes back.
Hi Joe
Thanks for that explaination of a Jappa Dog. The one’s on TV all seemed to have lawn cuttings on them…
Bye, bye Akemi! See you again!
Hello Mum Mallozzi, welcome home!
Elminster
Thanks for the language lesson, Narelle! I’ll file that one away for when I finally make a trip to Australia.
Joe, I completely agree with you on the bath bombs: why put all that junk into it? Yucky in the bath water and a pain to clean up.
Hi Joe:
Sigh…
I counter your anti-Canada points with the following:
From Mail online, the writer marvels at Canadian passion for our Games and our athletes.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1251399/WINTER-OLYMPICS-BLOG-Are-watching-London-Canada-rises-chaos-embrace-Games.html
A British athlete concedes that, “British people love to build you up and they love to criticize you,” she said after Wednesday’s women’s downhill race. “That’s the press back home for you.”
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hW2fvZUhbZU_9DDXjP_sm_urNK1Q
From the Leader Post, a comment that the British media should look to their own way over budget games in 2012 before complaining about ours.
http://www.leaderpost.com/opinion/Gold+medal+muckrakers/2610251/story.html
I’m told by my brother, who has lived and worked in London, England for the past 20 years, “The Guardian Newspaper (to name one) is a right wing tabloid red by elitist halfwits who don’t know any better.”
Finally, the following was sent to me by a Canadian writer:
So we’re not perfect!
We never claimed to be perfect
That means we’ve learned to be humble
We say excuse me and I’m sorry…as well as please and thanks
Even when its not our fault we apologize
Sure one arm of the torch didn’t rise,
But when the earthquake struck Haiti, Canadians raised their hands to say…”we’ll help”
And yah, there is a fence around the torch
But you can walk right up and shake hands with our prime minister and most famous Canadians
We put Gretzky in the back of a pick up, in the rain, not surrounded by police…and he was okay
And by the way… the great one is Canadian…and HE wasn’t complaining!
We do have security at the games, of course, but most people don’t even have a gun they have to leave at home
The medals ARE under lock and key but our doors and our hearts are open to the world
It has been pointed out that some buses broke down last week….but let’s not overlook the fact that our banking system didn’t
We didn’t get the “green ice maker” right this time….but we will, eventually
Just like we did when we invented the zamboni
Citius altius fortius
If you don’t reach higher how do you get faster and stronger
Was the first quad jump perfect?
Should we not have given snowboarding to the world “in case” it didn’t take off?
So big deal…one out of four torch arms didn’t rise. Good thing we had 3 more! It’s called contingency planning!
But remember…the Canadarm works every time…in outerspace….and insulin turned out to be okay
We couldn’t change the weather but maybe we can help stop to global warming
We don’t have the tax base of the US or the power of the Chinese but, per capita, we ponied up for some pretty kick-ass venues in the worst global recession ever
Sure, some folks couldn’t afford tickets but our health care is universal
We have shown the world that we can raise our voices in celebration and song but moments later stand in silence to respect a tragic event…together..spontaneously…and unrehearsed.
What’s more, we don’t need permission from anyone to have a slam poet, fiddlers w piercings and a lesbian singer tell our story to the world while our multilingual female haitian- born, black head of state shares a box with her first nations equals
We’ve shown the world that it doesn’t always rain in Vancouver, that you can strive for excellence but not get hung up on perfection
And we’ve learned what it feels like to be picked on by some no name newspaper guy and we don’t have to take it lying down!
So the point is not the snow, or the hydraulics or a couple guys being 5 minutes late to a ceremony
We know we’re lucky that these are the biggest problems we had to deal with in the last couple weeks.
So take your cheap shots….Guardian newspaper and cynics of the world
We’re bigger and better than that.
What’s more we’re finally starting to believe it!
Do you believe?
Akemi is coming to Perth?? I am sure that she will enjoy Scotland immensely.
Say “Hello” to the hounds.
Susan
I give your linen closet a week before it looks like rubbish again. 😀
The pups sure do look sad…I guess it says something about the type person Akemi is – whenever animals are drawn to someone it usually speaks well of their character…
Either that, or they have treats in their pocket. 🙂
das
I think Das’ estimate of how long it takes the linen closet to become messy is too high. Unless you can train Lulu to fold them of course. Or Maximus, just so we’re not holding to stereotypes.
Actually, I love marrow. I’ll keep that dish in mind if I ever make my way back that way. or if I come across a place that offers it on the menu.
Glad you had a good time while Akemi was visiting. It’s always nice to have a guest who is so easy to get along with. I hope she has a safe and pleasant trip home, and then south. Meantime, I look forward to your attempts to cheer up the dogs. The pitiful expressions you captured will haunt my dreams tonight…
Thanks as always, and I guess it’s a safe bet to add Sonambolist to the list. Oh, and as far as the Lush Bath bombs. You simply have to be careful on which ones you choose. While many pack all the extra junk that makes plumbers rub their hands together with delight, there are plenty of others that rinse away with a good hot water flush. Though some of those leave interesting stains….
Hey Joe,
Sorry i haven’t been round lately, I’ve been a bit busy with the campaign. But things are calming down with the campaign so I’ll try to hang round here more. 🙂
Thanks so much,
Major D. Davis
I love the dogs expressions. I can’t quite decide if Lulu looks more like:
“What? Huh? Oh yeah. Terribly sorry to see you go.”
or
*with tears in her eyes* “But who will play ball with me now?”
So very sorry to hear about Walter Koenig’s son…his body was found in a Vancouver park today, and it appears he took his own life. I never knew of Andrew (never watched Growing Pains), but I did have a wicked crush on his pop as Chekov back when I was about 15. It kinda kicks me in the gut to see him on the news now, so devastated by his loss. 🙁
das
Hey Joe, It’s going down to 24 degrees in Gainesville, FL again tonight. Enough!
Thought we were going to lose Flannery (the Greyhound)this morning, she (apparently) had a transient ischemic attack and scared the shit out of me. She’s fine now, somehow, but I do wonder how long the old girl will be with us. For tonight, she’s well-fed and under her Batman blanket (it was a gift, she loves it, I hate it), quite happy.
Have a good night!
@ ARCTIC G
Good one, Girlfriend!
And as I mentioned the other day: The Canadian Women’s Hockey Team **KICKS MEGA-GINORMOUS ASS**!!!!!
EH!
***WOOHOO***!!!! 😀
Hello Joe,
Hope Akemi made it home okay. The dogs seem so sad that she is gone. Give them extra hugs and treats tonight.
I know that right now the Atlantis film is on hold, but I just watched Ark of Truth, and have to ask if the new script makes any references to huge locations that become the centerpiece of the story (Teal’C in the mountains, or Ben and Amanda in the Arctic)?
I just have this image of Joe mocking Jason as they tee off on a Golf Course, and then Joe’s expression turns to shock as Jason drives the green of a 400 yard Par-4… 😉
Speaking of that, Rob and Chris where taking about Friday golf trips on the commentary track. How often do they play, and what are their handicaps? Personally, I’m a +28 high handicap at golf, and consistantly shoot around a hundred. A long putter would help, but I consider it cheating… 😉
Best wishes,
Bryan
Hmm, I’m still not comprehending your seeming dislike of the games. Is it all Olympics? Or merely that this one is costing the city money? I’m honestly curious because I love everything about the Olympics, but I’m finding few who agree with me this year.
Sorry to see Akemi leave! The pups look devastated. Awww.
sparrow_hawk – The hard part with Aussie slang is that often the same word is interchangeable. As you will notice with Ripper. It can be, “You litter Ripper” where Ripper is a noun. However, if you say, “We had a ripper of a time”, well, that is more of an adjective. Or something like that.
I would not be putting too much credence into all those “international” criticism about the Vancouver games. It seems that most if not all of those are coming from the British press, while the rest of the world is pretty pleased with Vancouver’s running of the Olympics.
Honestly, everyone at this point is pretty sure that the British press is merely making us look bad so that they can look relatively better for London 2012, which has already started off terribly with that awful logo of theirs (which resembles two awfully popular cartoon characters committing unsavoury acts upon one another.
Using those British articles as proof that Vancouver 2010 is bad is like using Entertainment Weekly articles as proof that the Stargate franchise is terrible.
And not to mention, yes, Own the Podium was a pretty ridiculous marketing campaign, but the funding program for the athletes is paying off quite well and should be continued and even improved upon in the future. So far Canada has been doing really well in the games, Sure we’re under projections for total medals, but we’re the international favorites to take on most gold, which by IOC standards, and not the stupid new VANOC ones, most Gold takes the lead, not most overall.
@BRYAN
Personally, I’m holding out for some great surfing at Waimea for the movie….
Then again, by the time it’s made, Jason will have done his CONAN flick — I’m picturing the Gang field-tripping to a real theatre in San Fran to see a film:
RODNEY [whispering to BECKETT]: See! Ronon *does* look like Conan!!
What sad little faces to see right before I go to bed. Bad Joe. 🙁 Poor puggels.
Don’t pay any attention to the British press or the BBC, I don’t! The 2012 Olympics are going to be far worse than anything to date so far. Over budget and behind schedule will only be the start of it.
Perth eh? Tell Akemi she’s lucky she isn’t here now.. it’s bloody HOT! 42 C yesterday…
If Akemi wants some good Asian food – tell her to inhabit Northbridge 🙂
Arctic Goddess – um – is your brother reading the same The Guardian as the one I read from time to time – the liberal broadsheet read by – um, well – liberals, really?
Ah well, the world as she is seen by other eyes. Ever-fascinating.
OurUK bobsleigh fell over. Twice, I think. That’s enough reason for me to grumble. Though the lady did say she was trying too hard – is that a bad thing? They were saying your helmet bounces so hard off the cowling of the sled that you can’t actually see.
Though watching the women go up a ramp that launched them near-vertically into the air about 50 feet was enough to make my jaw drop. Are there some people from whom the let’s-be-afraid-very-afraid instinct has been removed? I get enough of an adrenalin rush just doing my job, thanks very much for asking.
Hey Joe,
Wow, I actually had to sign in. Guess my name fell off the list. Does this mean I won’t be the little green guy anymore? booo
The dogs are so cute…love all the expressions. You are the best for sharing them with us.
*sigh* Time goes too quickly when having fun. Maybe she had a good enough time to come back. *smiles*
Best to you Joe,
Always,
Cheryl 🙂
I agree with the Lush point. My girlfriend’s response is “Well, he’s a dude.” I guess we can file this in the Mars/Venus category.
Akemi’s coming to Perth?! I have never been so excited that an almost-complete stranger is coming to my home town! It has been incredibly hot here though, make sure you warn her! I’m not sure I can recommend any restaurants, but I can tell her where she can get a wonderful and enormous cappuccino 🙂
Granted, I’m an “ugly American,” but I don’t see what everyone is getting so worked up about with the Own the Podium thing.
It worked, didn’t it?
And, unfortunately, the Paralympics are incoming in March. Not quite the same level, but still a good level of insanity.
Goodbye, Akemi. You will be missed.
Just read that MGM is just short of being bankrupt. Has there been discussion about this amongst producers and staff? Should bankruptcy actually happen, what are Stargate’s options or possibilities, as you see them?
Personally, I would hope Stargate could be packaged and sold to a studio with the ability and willingness to continue forward with appropriate funding. Your preference should the aforementioned occur?
before you know it Joe you’ll be back in tokyo with Akemi…eating in the finest places….
Thank you for the pictures, never had duck, but that looks wonderful. Safe journey for Akemi and how is your linen closet faring? Pups look sad, really, they will miss the playtime. How is Brie doing,adjusting, does she have friends to play with as well? Mom is home, carefully adjusting to being there, and no walking the dog as yet, maybe. Be safe Mama M. but cooking is ok to do, yummy.(she makes the good stuff) Joe rest up, have a feeling you will need to have some extra strength at work, just a feeling…Hi Ashleigh. Enjoy the day!!
hey das! Are you under 2 feet of snow again or did the storm track north of you this time?
And I, too, had a crush on Chekov back in the day. One of my favorite scenes from the many Star Trek movies was in The Voyage Home when Chekov stops a policeman and asks where they keep the “nuclear wessels”?” I didn’t know his son was an actor and never watched Growing Pains. In the pictures I’ve seen on the internet he looks a lot like his dad. It’s so sad that he reached a point where he felt he could not go on and took his own life.
Narelle: Slang in any language is complicated. And ever changing. It’ll probably be a couple of years before I can make a trip to Australia and I’ll contact you for an updated list before I come down!
Guardian Right Wing?…..oooer….I’d hate to think what the Daily Mail and Express are then?….*snorts*…
Although in Britain these days it’s getting harder to distinguish “Left” from “Right”….*winks*…
Personally I’m going to spend today in quiet contemplation reflecting on the joint sadnesses of Walter Koenig and Joannie Rochette….makes sports’ rivalries, inter-country politics and other nastiness seem rather insignificant imho…..
My heart goes out to both of them…..and hope that the beauty of Vancouver can go some way to giving them peace of mind…
Deeds xx
Narelle: Too funny! I believe you have some writers blood also.
Perth? There are a million Perths, which one? I’m hoping the Australian one (only a 20 hour drive from where I live!)
Narelle: What about Crikey?
Mr. M, great dog pictures! Always a win-win seeing those.
Bonjour,
Me revoila Joseph!
Vous allez bien?
Moi moyen, je suis rentré de 2 jours génials chez ma meilleur amie mais ce matin j’ai appri le décé du pére de mon cheri, alors que ça aller faire 2 ans et demi aujourd ‘hui 🙁
Sinon durant mon séjour à Paris, j’ai beaucoup marcher et j’ai visité des endroits très sympathiques, j’ai mangé dans un restaurant Italien, un KFC (mon premier) et un restaurant canadian ♥
J’ai aussi parcouru les rues de Paris pour trouver des produits dérivés de stargate et j’ai ainsi pu m’acheter le dernier magazine stargate, 2 figurines et des trading cards.
J’ai rencontrai David H,David N, Cliff et Robert à une convention avec des moments merveilleux qui resteront gravé dans ma mémoire.
Bon maintenant que j’ai pu rencontrer des acteurs je vais tout faire pour venir un jour à Vancouver et vous rencontré..c’est peut être bête à dire mais c’est le genre de chose qu’une fois faite on se dit “ouf, si il m’arrive quelque chose un jour je pourrai mourir en paix car j’aurai réalisé mon rêve”…
Passez une bonne journée!
Bisou.
Anaïs.
Hi Joe!
Thanks for the Australian lesson, Narelle! Apparently, when I visit Australia in the future, I should go ahead and legally change my name to Sheila. I enjoy beer and have uttered, once or twice, what I like to call my “beer language.”
Thanks for the Rhode Island lesson, Kabra! My grandfather was born in Providence, but he moved west when he was young, so I never got to hear that accent.
Here’s a few Texan words and phrases to help visitors to this great land. (I’m not native Texan, so any Texans here, feel free to correct me should I make an error.)
Coke – any carbonated soft drink
Soda – any carbonated soft drink (I’d rather call it “pop.”)
Boudain (BOO-dan) – Cajun pork meat(?) mixed with rice and spices and stuffed into a sausage tube (comparable to haggis, hash, etc.)
Mudbugs – Crawfish/crayfish
Palestine (PAL-es-teen) – a city in NE Texas
Bexar (bear) – the county containing San Antonio
Lone Star – the national beer of Texas (I don’t recommend it, but it’s a thing)
Fixin’ to – I am preparing to…
Y’all – group of two or more people (equal to “You Guys”)
Wolf is pronounced “woof.”
Rice is pronounced “raah-s.”
Oil is pronounced “awl.”
That dog won’t hunt – Your logic is flawed or your conclusion is incorrect.
Chili – meat/tomato/onions/peppers/spices blended completely together as to be like a sauce. Does not contain beans (bummer). Sometimes served over raah-s.
—
YMMV.
eddy
Scott: I’m not a dude and I don’t get the Lush thing either! Who wants to clean out the tub after a nice relaxing bath?
I didn’t tought the Olympics where that expensive!!
Will probably get taxed more to pay for them 😳
Nevertheless, can’t help feeling pround that the olympic canadian women team got the gold. Last bit of the game I saw, it was 2-0 Canada/ US. I’m glad we didn’t lose 😮
The men curling team is scheduled to play in semi-final. Another guarantied medal whether it is gold or silver.
Getting close to the 20. Not so bad after all. Might not be 35 but it is a lot better then 0 😀
@Anais33 , au sujet de: “J’ai aussi parcouru les rues de Paris pour trouver des produits dérivés de stargate et j’ai ainsi pu m’acheter le dernier magazine stargate, 2 figurines et des trading cards.”
2 figurines? de qui ? ….intéressée à partager avec nous l’identité de tes 2 héros STARGATE? 😛
@ Sparrowhawk – Not much snow at all – this storm was more typical for our area – wind (lots of wind!) and mostly rain. We had a dusting to 1″ on the ground this morning, but that’s about it. I loved the snow – it was exciting – but now I really, REALLY need to get my yard cleaned up, which means I’m looking forward to seeing the ground again. 🙂
RE: Andrew Koenig. Aye…he had eyes just like his pop. Good looking fella (esp. with that long hair), and so sad – both for him and his family. So hard sometimes for people to understand depression, both those with it, and those close to people who suffer from it. I think I’ve been fortunate that mine goes in waves, so I’ve learned that – if I just ride it out – I will eventually start to feel better. I cannot imagine what it’s like for those who suffer constantly from it, it’s one reason I’ll never pass judgment over something like this.
@ Brits and Aussies – I have a question about slang, maybe you guys can help me out. In Britain I understand that ‘how’s your father’ means…well… means the same as rumpy pumpy. HOWEVER, whenever I’m watching a rugby match from down under, the commentators say stuff like, ‘there’s a little how’s your father’ whenever one player takes a cheap shot or little punch at another. Now…knowing what the Brit term means, it just sounds odd when it’s applied to two guys roughing it up a bit on the pitch. Can someone enlighten me? Thankies in advance!
das
PS: Funniest Aussie saying I’ve ever heard in response to a loud fart is ‘a little more choke and you would have started’. 😆
das
Okie dokie…maybe if they did something like this on Dancing With the Stars, I’d watch!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5xIJAD-Mec
😀
das
Bugger! (just practising my aussie lol) I’ve got to drive up to Worcester and back this weekend, family emergency dagnabbit! was SO looking forward to a chilled out w/e but shit happens theres always next week 🙂
@Das a bit of “hows your father” is taken more to mean some illicit goings on, something not quite kosher if you get my drift, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more 🙂
Yay Arctic Goddess! I couldn’t have said it better myself.
@ Shiningwit – Thanks! That makes sense! Sure makes more sense than strictly meaning rumpy pumpies.
🙂
The one that always amuses me is ‘fanny’. In the US, ‘fanny’ means butt, bum, backside, rump, ass, etc…but in the UK it means…erm…well…I can’t really say here, can I? 😉
das
Yeow – 42 Degrees C? It makes our 37 degrees quite tame.
Please…enough of summer now. I like the cold because well, it doesn’t really get that cold. We never have anything below 10 C.
Yawn, 01.10am and I really should be in bed. I had to install Windows 7 Pro as my Beta copy expires on Sunday, and it is a real pain. Not the installing part – that was easy – but the reinstalling of essential programs part.
And then I had to reinstall Microsoft Office and I still need to install my webpage building programs and.. to hell with it, I’m going to bed.
Just a hint
Please don’t visit Australia and say ‘crikey’ and ‘strewth’ a lot.. we hardly use them in the city…
They’re out of fashion…
@Das – I do say that myself lol. Busted..
Just googled fanny…… Oh.
Just realized that last post sounded vaguely naughty.
LOLOLOLOLOLOL @ All of the Above! 😆
das
PS @ Sparrow – Gives a whole new meaning to ‘fanny pack’, doesn’t it? 😉
das
@ Ganymede and Maureen, thanks.
I appreciate the good words. It’s high time Canadians stopped being so humble and self deprecating, and started being vocal in our patriotism. After all, we’ve discovered there are lots of people in the world who would happily find fault with all things Canadian, simply because they think we won’t stand up for ourselves. Hmmm, that sounds like the definition of bullying to me.
Patricia
I don’t get the UK hatred of the Vancouver games, nor the psychoanalysis about Canada’s feelings toward the US. My favorite bit of that article was the claim that, in comparison, Brits aren’t arrogant. Ummm… srsly? j/k, love my UK friends.
I’ve not seen anything remotely negative in the US press, other than sympathy for the massive debt. It seems to be a big love-fest, and I’ve enjoyed all the coverage despite my usual cynicism.
London had better do a good job, or those BBC dudes are going to take a well-deserved pounding.
HEy joe! Sad your dogs are sad, and I am sure your linen closet and Toilet paper roll will as well. I remember one of your previous postings quoted fellow foody stephan, he wanted to know why beef must be served cut into slices, they col too quickly that way. From what I have learned at my culinary school is the roast most of those meats comes from was made several hours ago and it was sliced and cooled before service, due to health reasons such as bacterial growth, the beef must be cooled rapidly otherwise it may end up being time temperature abused. They are sliced thinner than the roast size to decrease cooling time, when they are ordered, the meat is reheated for service. This is what I have come to understand. also, the plate itself must look wonderful, and showing off that medium rare roast with those juices just dripping really does the trick. I had some roast today. Wunderbar!
Okay later joe
Hi Mr M!
Wowsers! If Canada ever goes to war, I know who to call on…*points at Arctic Godess*
We (Ireland) sent SIX Olympians to Vancouver…that fact alone is a matter of pride for us here…our snow is about the same as you find on a frothy latte. Competing is winning in our book.
Sad to see Akemi go home. Safe travel.
Best to all
S’n’T
Joe – a kinda serious Wraith question…
In all the stories or behind the scenes talk, were the Wraith ever assigned a scientific (Latin) name? If not – what would YOU name them?
das
Joe, you really know *when* to send a guest home!!
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.html
Hope Akemi managed to get her luggage before everything OR better yet was still IN the air!
das and sparrow_hawk – I was 14 and heading over to the US in 1991 with 60 other dancers. Mum decided that the best way to keep my possessions safe was to give me, what we called, a bum bag. I got to America and got told to put my ‘fanny bag’ on. I looked at them in horror and then asked if I had to wear it on the front.
@das – perhaps they were called Hawticus bugus
Elminster
Ganymede, get a grip on your geography. That quake was off shore near Okinawa. Something like 700 miles from Tokyo.
@ Narelle & Elminster – 😆 (I couldn’t agree more about the Hawticus bugus… 😉 )
About slang…
A couple years back we had a Polish fella named Peter working for us. He was absolutely horrified when he learned what his name meant in American slang. At the time, we had a friend named Dick visiting, and another named Willy, and they both admitted that their names were also slang terms for the male reproductive organ. Poor Peter, he thought all American men were named after their…erm…ya know…Johnsons… 😛
das
I miss Akemi already… 🙁
(When she was here you posted your entries earlier! She really DID have you organized, didn’t she??!)
das