HUMP DAY HISTORY!

Before I get into this week's history lesson (oh it's a doozy, stay tuned :-D  ), just a quick update on what I've been up to this week/last weekend.

Sunday was absolutely gorgeous, though it started out a bit foggy.  We opened the windows and were immediately greeted by music coming from the Lido (beachside sunny entertainment area) and the sight of loads of people on the beach and walking around in the sunny weather.

Most of the weekend I was stuck inside working on my PowerPoint presentation for my interview on Tuesday, but on Sunday afternoon Kieran and I ventured out to enjoy the fresh air and summer scenery.

Kieran and I had a lovely walk along the sandy part of the water as the tide had gone out and strolled back home for dinner.  Such chill afternoon, I love it!

Well Tuesday came along and it was time for my first interview here.  A bit scary to be honest.  The hubs made it a bit easier on me by renting a car for the day and driving me there and back (so sweet!) and waited for me in the parking lot for me to get finished.  The job isn't too accessible by public transport so if I'm lucky to get it, we will have to get a car but it would def be worth it.  The interview was a bit of a mixed bag.  I did well on my PowerPoint presentation and a few of the case studies but some of the questions caught me a little off guard and I tried my best.  Plus, the interviewers were nice but had their poker faces on so it was hard to read how I was doing.  All in all, not terrible.  I'm trying to be hopeful and I will hear soon.  Meanwhile, back to submitting more CVs and making phone calls.

Whatever is meant to be, will be.  There's a job out there with my name on it and I will find it  :-D

Thanks to my friends, family, and fellow bloggers for all their well wishes.  It's good to know I've got support where I need it.

I'll keep you posted.



Random point:
If you're looking for your yummy summer lemonade, be careful how you order it in England.  Their "lemonade" is different.  Take a look!


"Cloudy Lemonade"



VERSUS



"Regular Lemonade" (Sprite-like)

























You have been warned!

HUMP DAY HISTORY LESSON:

COCKNEY SLANG

"I don't know what she's rabbiting about"

"Use your crust, lad"

"She has such long bacons"

What on earth is this all about and where did it come from?  These are remaining phrases from Cockney Rhyming Slang.  This language, which was popularized in the 19th century, is primarily associated with working class Londoners, especially in the East End. 

The term "cockney" was started early as the 14th century in the word "cockeneyes" literally meaning a small, mis-shapen "cock's egg" and by the 1500s it was used by rural people in a derogatory manner towards city dwellers.

The first detailed account of this secret language was outlined in 1859 in Slang Dictionary, written by John Camden Hotten.

Why come up with a secret language?  Perhaps those who invented it were trying to conceal information from outsiders, including the police.  Or maybe it was just a bit of linguistic fun.  Both theories are widely purported. 

No matter the reasons for its initial invention, it's safe to say that the influence of cockney slang has spread beyond East London and has been incorported into common language for Brits. 

I thought coming to England would be somewhat easy cause after all, they speak English here.  Right?  Not quite.  I still have a lot to learn!

Ta ta!

Amanda

The Dessert that Changed My Life

Okay not really but it was DAMN GOOD.

Hold on tight, here we go!

No graham crackers here so I used "rich tea biscuits"

Huge strawberries are perfect for filling!

Slice off the bottoms so they stand upright...easier for filling!

I took a little artistic license and added some strawberry preserves to the mixture

Ready for piping!

Crushed biscuits

Ready for the chocolate garnish!

Get in my belly!!!

Will you marry me??

It was a yummy dessert to go with the Beef Wellington that the hubs whipped up.  I love weekends!

Later, peeps :)

FOODIE FRIDAY!

The saw the most AMAZING recipe today, I think I will try it over the weekend and report back!

It's Strawberry Season and British Strawberries are SO YUMMY!  We've devoured three cartons since I arrived here.  Thus, I feel this recipe is fitting for the summer season.

Courtesy of Nutmeg Nanny
Direct Link to this recipe:  Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Source

You will need:

• A large carton of fresh strawberries
• 8 oz pkg softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 sleeve of graham crackers

If you're feeling extra sweet, why not melt some chocolate chips over the outside?  Go on, be bad!

Steps:

1. Use a small knife to hollow out each strawberry
2. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth
3. Use a food processor or good 'ol hammer to crush the graham crackers
4. Use a piping bag (or just a plastic baggie with a corner cut off) to transfer the cream cheese filling precisely into the strawberries.  The filling should peek over the top of the strawberry slightly
5. Sprinkle with the graham cracker crumbs
6. Chocoholic?  Melt those chocolate chips and drizzle over your final product.

And voila!

Can't wait to post pics of my own strawberry delciousness!


P.S. Today I was talking on the phone to my mom and I used the word "rubbish" in a sentence.  Where did that come from?  Oy vey.

HUMP DAY HISTORY!

This week's topic: the British National Anthem!

"God Save the Queen" is the national anthem of the United Kingdom.  For those of you who aren't familiar, this is the tune:

 

Although there are three verses to the song (some alternative versions have six verses!), most people only know and sing the first verse.

I was curious about where this song and lyrics came from so I did a little research.

The origin of the tune and the lyrics are still unknown.  In fact, the lyrics have had several versions and revisions over the years. Although the first verse remains consistent, the subsequent verses have different lyrics in different orders to this day. 

The phrase "God Save the King" itself is older than the song itself, seen several times in the King James Bible and used in the 1540s as a watchword of the Royal Navy.

The original song was in response to the 1745 Jacobite uprising lead by Charles Edward Stuart (AKA "the The Young Pretender").  The Jacobite Rebellion was a political movement to restore the House of Stuart to the throne in Britian.  Charles' troops invaded Scotland and posed a serious threat to the monarchy at the time, which was led by King George II.  Although initially successful, the Jacobite movement inevitably failed a year later.

The first performance of the original song was in London in 1745 when it was sung in support of King George II.  It was performed at the Theatre Royal in London after the staging of the play The Alchemist.

The original lyrics were:

Lord, grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God save the King.

The anti-scottish sentiments reflect the Scottish background of the House of Stuart (which was behind the Jacobite Rebellion) and Marshall Wade was an officer in the Royal Army sent to stop the Jacobite troops in Scotland

Obviously the lyrics were changed once the song became the National Anthem for Great Britain (which includes Scotland, of course).

Today's version is performed at sporting events, traditional formal events (such as Wimbledon and the Royal Ascot), greeting the monarch and the royal family when they are present at events, and used to be played at the end of the day's programming on the BBC.  It is also sung in other countries in the Commonwealth, including Australia and Canada, over whom the British monarchy reigns. 

My fellow Americans will notice the tune is the same as our "My Country 'Tis of Thee" written in 1832. 

Sources:
http://www.know-britain.com/songs/national_anthem.html
http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Symbols/NationalAnthem.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Save_the_Queen


I hope you enjoyed this little history lesson as much as I enjoyed learning about it for this post!

xxxx

Observations of a professional TV watcher

Not gonna lie, I have a deep love for the television.  I love nothing more than watching a good episode of Spongebob Squarepants on a lazy Sunday with a bowl of cereal.  Ahhh.  Well, being abroad has shown me several differences in British TV vs. American TV.  As expected, there are loads of my favorite programs I can't see anymore :'(

Seinfeld
Modern Family
Pretty Little Liars
The Nanny
Golden Girls
Ohhh the list continues but it's depressing me, I can't go on!

 However, I have noticed a lot of parallels in TV shows.  Whether it's Americans copying the British or the other way around (I'll leave you readers to duke that one out for yourselves), it's quite entertaining

Made in Chelsea

Source

VS

The Hills

Source

The Office UK (the original)

Source

VS

The Office US

Source

Geordie Shore

Source

VS

Jersey Shore

Source

Skins UK

Source

VS

US Skins

Source

The Marriage Ref UK

Source

VS

The Marriage Ref US

Source

Shameless UK

Source

VS

Shameless US

Source

Not to mention the countless talent shows:  American Idol, Pop Idol, America's Got Talent, Britain's Got Talent, the X Factor, Dancing with the Stars, Skating with the Stars, etc. etc.  Those all blur together cause even the American versions have Brits on the panel of judges!

I suppose in the TV business it's all about marketing a popular idea to people in different countries.  It can be entertaining but a bit repetitive.  Let's get some new ideas out there, people!!


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The other day, I was admiring how far out the tide was and fancied a walk.  The hubby said he would show me how to go "rock pooling" where you look at the shallow pools of water around the rocks for wildlife and turn over rocks to try and find cool little fellas like crabs and fish.  I should have stuck to my instincts and waited til I had a nice pair of wellies, but hubs insisted I'd be fine with my tennis shoes.  Well, at the end of the day, my shoes got soaked and smell like seafood.  Oh well.  It was still a lovely and beautiful adventure!

Just hours ago the water would be far over our heads! It's cool how close we can get to the pier at low tide!

Last night we had a special treat and had Kieran's parents and sister over for dinner for a belated Father's Day get-together.  It was our first real dinner entertainment night in our new (nearly fully furnished) flat!  I made lasagne and my favorite dessert--  CUP OF DIRT

Source

It was a little difficult without JELL-O brand pudding and I couldn't find gummy worms but I did my best with strawberry laces, custard, and oreos--and it tasted yummy!  Success!


The parents-in-law brought us some lovely flowers to spruce up the living room.  Lillies and irises are my faves! 

GOOD NEWS!  I got my first job interview, scheduled for next week.  More details to come!  Glad to just get to this stage.

Ta ta!