Immigration

I read an article in Guardian Unlimited which said that about 3 million people a year leave their homes and immigrate to an other country.
With about 1 million immigrants a year, the US is the most attractive destination to move to followed by Canada, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.
The main reason for those who leave their homes behind, is the hope of a better life. An average family living in India for example, earns about 2.200 Euros a year, but if they migrate to Europe without having any skills they can work as taxi drivers which means an annual income of about 15.000 Euros, an amount of money they could only dream of in India.


Migration: population gainers and loosers


The gainers (country, population, (net migration))

United States 299,112,000 (1,005,016)
Italy 58,990,000 (294,950)
Spain 45,511,000 (282,168)
United Arab Emirates 4,937,000 (264,623)
United Kingdom 60,473,000 (223,145)
Canada 32,582,000 (214,715)
Australia 20,575,000 (112,751)
Russia 142,336,000 (106,183)
Malaysia 26,894,000 (100,315)
Germany 82,387,000 (98,864)


The loosers:

China 1,311,416,000 (-563,909)
India 1,121,788,000 (-523,512)
Mexico 108,327,000 (-411,643)
Indonesia 225,465,000 (-315,651)
Iran 70,324,000 (-281,296)
Pakistan 165,804,000 (-198,965)
Philippines 86,264,000 (-189,781)
Sudan 41,236,000 (-123,708)
Egypt 75,437,000 (-90,524)
Tanzania 37,858,000 (-68,144)

Exam

Oh my god..

Today I've written the worst exam ever in my life so far ..
Can't believe that I had such a mental blackout that I didnt even understand what I had to do in one of the vocab tasks..
Oh my god, I am really soooooooooooooo devasted, especially because I studied the vocab lists like a lunatic :(
Wish I could turn back time... :(

How not to get ripped off in France

During his stay in Paris, Paul West had to face quite a lot problems due to the cultural misunderstanding. One of those problems for example was ordering drinks in French cafés, where he inspite of ordring in French got ripped off all of the time..

However, If you plan to visit France and don't want to get ripped off, here are some advise given in Mr. West's book.....

If u want to order a drink, raise ur chin a few degrees, turn your head until you make eye contact with the waiter, and call out whichever drink you would like to have...

If you want to order a 'cafe au lait' ask for 'un crème'

If you want an 'espresso' use the word 'un express' and an 'espresso with a bit of milk' then say 'une noisette'.

For a 'week black coffee' you use the term 'un allongé'

and last but not least... BEER

'Beer' is in France not to be ordered as 'Une bière', then if you do so, you will get a huge glass which looks like a 2l flagon ;)

If you want to order a beer you say 'Un demi, s'il vous plait'!!

Hope this was an useful information for those who don't want to experience the same problems Paul did... Santé!!

Thai prawn satay with limes

I am not fond of seafod, not at all to be honest. But when it comes to prawns I change my mind in sudden bursts. I am still trying to find the answer to my question WHY I HATE fish but LOVE prawns, without any success unfortunately. I dont know why but...

I would just die for them.

Anyway, I found this nice recipe which I'm going to try out as soon as I have more time for myself. I am stuck in the middle of exam stress at the moment, so.. won't be that soon unfortunately :(

(just hope I won't fall ill like I did last time, when I made myself 'pasta al'arrabiatta..)

Ingredients

450g headless tiger prawns

1 stalk of lemon grass

3 limes

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

120ml canned coconut milk

6tbsp light soy sauce

2tsp palm or light muscovado sugar

For the Dipping Sauce:

1 baby cucumber or a 5cm piece of ordinary cucumber

50ml rice wine or white wine vinegar

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 red bird's eye chilli seeded and finely chopped

2tsp chopped roasted peanuts

8 x 15cm bamboo skewers soaked in cold water for 30 minutes


Method

1. Peel the prawns if necessary, leaving the last tail segment in place.

2. Remove the tough outer leaves from the stalk of the lemongrass and finely chop the tender core. Finely grate the lemon zest from one of the limes and squeeze out the juice. Cut the remaining limes and squeeze out the juice. Cut the remaining limes into a small wedges.

3. Put the lemongrass, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, coconut milk, soy sauce and sugar into a non-metalic dish. Add the prawns, mix together well and set aside to marinate at room temperature for about 15 minutes or for up to 2 hours in the fridge.

4. For the dipping sauce, cut the cucumber in half and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Cut the remaining cucumber into very small dice. Mix with the vinegar, sugar and chill until the sugar has dissolved and then spoon into small serving bowls. Sprinkle over the peanuts.

5. Thread 4 prawns on to each skewer in pairs together with 2 lime wedges. Pierce through the tail of one prawn, add a lime wedge and then skewer the head end of the prawn so that it wraps itself around the lime attractively. Do this once more and repeat for the rest of the skewers.

6. Barbecue the skewers over medium-hot coals for about 1 minute on each side or until just cooked through. Serve at once with the dipping sauce, garnished with the remaining lime wedges.

Love Hurts-Incubus

Tonight we drink to youth
And holding fast to truth

I don't want to lose what I had as a boy
My heart still has a beat

But love is now a feat(as common as a cold day in LA)

Sometimes when I'm alone I wonder

Is there a spell that I am under

Keeping me from seeing the real thing

Love hurts.....

But sometimes it's a good hurt

And it feels like I'm alive

Love sings
When it tanscends the bad things

Have a heart and try me
'Cause without love I won't survive.

I'm fettered and abused

Stand naked and accused
Should I surface this one man submarine
I only want the truth

So tonight we drink to youth

I'll never lose what I had as a boy

Sometimes when I'm alone, I wonder

Is there a spell that I am under

Keeping me from seeing the real thing

Love hurts
But sometimes it's a good hurt

And it feels like I'm alive

Love sings
When it transcends the bad things

Have a heart and try me

'Cause without love I won't survive

Love hurts

But sometimes it's a good hurt

And it feels like I'm alive

Love sings

When it transcends the bad things

Have a heart and try me

'Cause without love I won't survive

Love hurts, ohLove hurts

Without love I won't survive
Love hurts, oh

Without love I won't survive

Vocab:

to transcend = to rise above; to triumph over the negative aspects

Synonym = exceed

to fetter = to restrain from motion; to put fetters on

Synonym = hamper

This catchy tune by Incubus is my absolutely favourite song at the moment. I seem not to can get enough of listening to it.. It's so fetching that I have to listen to it at least 2 to 3 times a day!!!!!!!!!

But... Form your own view on it.. There you go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxPcmi1U25g

Father's Day

As it is Father's Day today in Austria, I thought posting this lovely poem might be a good idea..

What Is A Dad?

A dad is someone who wants to catch you before you fall

but instead picks you up,brushes you off,and lets you try again.

A dad is someone who wants to keep you from making mistakes

but instead lets you find your own way,

even though his heart breaks in silencewhen you get hurt.

A dad is someone who holds you when you cry,

scolds you when you break the rules,

shines with pride when you succeed,

and has faith in you even when you fail...

Dad, you're everything a dad should be and some.

To my dad: Thank you for being the BEST DADDY in the world

I love you endlessly

xx yours Bo

Review - A Year in the Merde

Stephen Clarke, the author of the book ‘A Year in the Merde’ tells the story of a 27 years old British entrepreneur, Paul West, who comes to Paris in order to help a French company to open and promote English ‘tea rooms’ in France. Without speaking any French, West tries to manage his life in the city of love and that being British isn’t really a blessing there. At work most of his colleagues are ‘friendly’ but two faced, especially his boss Jean-Marie Martin, the person who West likes most when he starts working there. Only when Martin tries to persuade him to buy a suspiciously cheap cottage in the French countryside, does West realise that he is a man who is up to every evil trick and not the friendly French guy he thought he was going to be. Step by step, West gets the feeling that French people literally hate him because of his origin and feels to a greater or lesser extent like a pariah, particularly during the tense period as the Iraqi War knocks on the door.

Clarke is a British journalist and writer working for a French press group in Paris. A Year in the Merde is an ‘almost’ true story which tells things that may or may not have happened to him during the last 10 years he lived in France. The book was originally published in an edition of only 200 copies and was supposed to be sold on his website. However, after a reading in a Canadian bookshop in Paris the book turned into a surprise hit with fabulous reviews by The Times and The Mirror.

To sum up, although this book is written in basic English it is rich in great common vocabulary. It is very easy to follow and filled with Clarke’s great sense of humour. I personally would recommend it to those readers who enjoy reading funny books or to those who want to learn more about France and the French people, from the perspective of an ‘outsider’.

Spicey risotto with

Ingredients

400g prawns

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chilli powder

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 small onion, chopped

115g button mushrooms, sliced

1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped

310g risotto rice

750ml chicken stock (Suppenwürfel mit Wasser gemischt)

salt and pepper

fresh thyme, chopped, to garnish

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan. Stir in the chilli powder, garlic, onion, mushrooms and pepper. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.

2. Add the rice, stock and seasoning. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

3. Stir in the prawns, cover and simmer for a further 5 minutes, adding extra stock if necessary.

4. Sprinkle with chopped thyme and serve immediately

I added some rocket on top, as I think its flavour gives the risotto a better taste..

Try it out!

Mohammed to be the most popular name in Britain

I was quite shocked when I read a newspaper article which said that 'Mohammed' was to be the most popular name for a boy in Britain by the new year.

It is weird how multicultre is taking over Europe, especially countries like the UK,France or the Netherlands.

The UK is well known for its mixed population and it has one of the highest immigration rates in Europe. In some of the cities the percentage of minority groups is relatively high, like for example in London (40,1%), Leicester(39,5%)or Birmingham (34,4%), so no wonder foreign names are spreading and becoming more popular.

Chocholate, banana and marshmallow skewers

I found this lovely recipe on the net today and thought it might be a good idea to post it...


Al my darling ;), I know that you read my blog every now and then, so if you happen to read this - I'm really really sorry.. I know how much you hate bananas and that a single thought of them makes you squeamish but it seems to be SOOOOOOOOOOOO YUMMY that I had to post it :)

Cooking time 10 mins

This recipe can serve up to four people.


Ingredients


4 bananas, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks

8 chunks chocolate with nougat bits

8 marshmallows


Method


1. Alternately thread the ingredients onto wooden or metal skewers.
2. Wrap in foil.

3. Place on the barbecue for approximately 5 minutes until the bananas are warm and the chocolate and marshmallows are just beginning to melt.

The Seven Sisters

I don't know if you have ever heard of "The Seven Sisters" (it is a famous series of chalk cliffs by the English Channel) but during my visit in Eastbourne, I went to some place - which name I don't know to be honest - but wherefrom I took this lovely picture.. It shows The Seven Sisters along the coast of Eastbourne, which I found quite stunning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Sisters,_Sussex

Suicide Rates in The Uk

While I was trying to find something about the Beachy Head, I happen to find this intersting article about suicide rates in the Uk.. Quite shocking as you will notice while reading, but you cannot prevent people from doing such silly things...

• 
  Between 1998 and 2004, Scotland had the highest
  suicide rates for men in all age groups. During the same
  period, Scotland had the highest suicide rate for women
  aged under 75 while London had the highest rate for
  women aged 75 and over.
• 
  In 1998-2004, the ten local areas with the highest suicide
  rates for men in the UK were all in Scotland, while for
  women seven of the ten local areas with the highest rates
  were in Scotland.
• 
  The highest local area suicide rates for men for Scotland
  were in the Shetland Islands, for Northern Ireland in
  Belfast North, for England in Blackpool, and for Wales in
  Denbighshire. Among women, the highest local area
  rates for Scotland were in Glasgow City, for England in
  Camden, for Wales in Conwy, and for Northern Ireland in
  Belfast West.

Beachy Head

One of the topics we have covered in class today was related to the issue 'Suicides in the Uk/Ireland' which strongly reminded me of a place I visited during my stay in the UK.

Al and I went to Eastbourne to visit Anthony (a friend of ours), so together we went to a place called 'Beachy Head' where we had an ice-cream and took some pictures as the weather wasn't as bad as usual that day. However, Anthony told me that the place we were at was very famous for it's suicide attempts and that about 20 people a year take their own life there.

I was quite appalled, as it was really nice there and the view over Eastbourn was more than stunning, as u can see in the pic..

Also, I have googeld the 'Beachy Head' and this is what I found about it:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/southeast/series3/beachy_head_suicide_eastbourne.shtml

May 31st National No Smoking Day

It's national No Smoking Day today..


- more than 2,3 mio. Austrians smoke on a daily basis

- 14.000 of them die every year due to smoking related diseases

- worldwide more than 1,3 bio. people are addicted to cigaretts

- 5 mio. of them die annualy

- statistics say that in 2020 about 10 mio. will be addicted to cigaretts....

... so guys do not let it come so far..

P L E A S E S T O P S M O K I N G !!!!!!!!!

The Summer Turn Off

I've found a quite funny article on femalefirst.co.uk, of which I thought it might be interesting to post. It is about a survey of 3000 people who has named the most hideous summer turn offs..

However, the thing that really turns women off, is men sporting the dreaded socks and sandals combo as well as the Speedo look. But ladies watch out!!!!!!!! The absolute turn off on us, according to the guys are fake tan (I agree) but also 'muffin tops' (unflattering crop tops, complete with bulging flesh and an un-toned midriff) and oversized glasses ( I completely disagree)..
However, here is the top 10 list of 'The Summer Turn Offs'

Men

1. Socks with Sandals
2. Speedos
3. Football Shirts
4. Bum Bags
5. String Vests (wife beaters)
6. Hawaiian Shirts
7. Tank tops
8. Union Jack Towels
9. Tight running shorts
10.Bling (Gold Jewellery)

Women

1. Streaky fake tan
2. Crop tops - with bulging fat
3. Oversized sunglasses
4. Ill fitting bikinis
5. Grubby Bra Straps
6. Fake Burberry Check
7. Hair braiding
8. G-strings bikinis
9. Anything Tie-Dyed
10. Cowboy Hats

One Year in The Merde

Today, I've got the theree books from Lisa's booklist (One Year in The Merde, Holly Cow and A Year in Provence) which I ordered on amazon.com last week.

I decided to read 'A Year in The Merde' by Stephen Clarke first, as I thought it might be good to start with a funny one, after having read the most complex book ever -'Jaywalking with the Irish'.

'A year in The Merde' is a hilarious book that tells a story about a British businessman, the 27-year old Paul West, who arrives in Paris to start a new job. Very soon, West realises what French people are like and that somehow he does not really fit into their society..(mostly because of the language, he thinks that the French don't like him only because he is British..)

Anyway, as the book is really captivating and also very easy to follow, I've read about 100 pages today, which is about a quater of the whole book!!!
I'm looking forward to reading the next 100 pages which will hopefully be as funny as the first ones..

Meme

As I have to stay in bed for then next couple of days (stomach flu), this morning I used the opportunity and I surfed the net in order to find some more information about "Meme"..

This is what I've found on wikipedia:

The term "meme" (IPA: /miːm/, rhyming with "theme"), coined and popularized in 1976[1] by the biologist Richard Dawkins, refers to a "unit of cultural information" which can propagate from one mind to another in a manner analogous to genes (i.e., the units of genetic information).
Dawkins gave as examples of memes: tunes, catch-phrases, beliefs, clothes fashions, ways of making pots, or of building arches. A meme, he said, propagates itself as a unit of cultural evolution and diffusion — analogous in many ways to the behavior of the gene. Often memes propagate as more-or-less integrated cooperative sets or groups, referred to as memeplexes or meme-complexes.
The idea of memes has proved a successful meme in its own right, gaining a degree of penetration into popular culture which relatively few modern scientific theories achieve.
Proponents of memes suggest that memes evolve via natural selection — in a way very similar to Charles Darwin's ideas concerning biological evolution — on the premise that variation, mutation, competition, and "inheritance" influence their replicative success. For example, while one idea may become extinct, other ideas will survive, spread, and mutate — for better or for worse — through modification.
Meme-theorists contend that memes most beneficial to their hosts will not necessarily survive; rather, those memes which replicate the most effectively spread best; which allows for the possibility that successful memes might prove detrimental to their hosts.

For more info check http://www.wikipedia.com/



And this here is what I have found on the dailymeme:

A meme is:

An idea that, like a gene, can replicate and evolve.
A unit of cultural information that represents a basic idea that can be transferred from one individual to another, and subjected to mutation, crossover and adaptation.
A cultural unit (an idea or value or pattern of behavior) that is passed from one generation to another by nongenetic means (as by imitation); "memes are the cultural counterpart of genes".

For more info check www.thedailymeme.com/what-is-a-meme/

Hot, hot....

Tonight I had the hottest Pasta Al'arrabiata I've ever had in my life... and I made it myself!!!!! (as mentioned in one of my previous posts)
I really dont know what went wrong as I followed the instructions on the recipe, kind of....... I used 3 chilis instead of 2.. Oops
However, I managed to eat all of it despite the dragon-like breath I had during my dinner...

Steak to celebrate......

After watching Chelsea win the FA Cup, we decided to go to Black&Blue for a steak to celebrate. The food was really, really good and I could probably say this was one of the best steaks I've ever had, although as you can see, Al (my boyfriend) was a LOT hungrier than I, in fact 3times hungrier !! Anyway, just as we were finishing dinner he noticed an unexpected dinner guest arrive behind me................ a little mouse appeared just behind my seat to say 'hello' then run back behind the seat.

I personally didn't see it, but Al claimed it was definitely there and he even mentioned it to the manager on our way out.

Not really the best thing to see, especially in such a nice restaurant, but I'm glad our 'guest' didn't join us at the table otherwise he may have put me off my dinner !!!

Go Chelsea !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big day today for football fans in the UK...

Today Chelsea played Manchester United in the FA Cup Final at the new Wembley Stadium. As my boyfriend is a big Chelsea fan, he took me to a local pub to watch the game.
Although the game was really good, the atmosphere in the pub was really loud and slightly aggressive due to the tension of the game and also the alcohol level, I guess. At one point, the couple right in front of us started arguing, but the strange thing was that they were not even arguing about the game. Both were extremly drunk ( at 3 o'clock in the afternoon!!!!) and the guy grabbed his girlfriend's face shouting at her to shut her mouth. Oh my god, I was so shocked that any man would talk to his girlfriend in such a way, but then I was told that people with such behaviour are quite often associated with English football, and called Football Houligans !!!

Anyway, Chelsea managed to win the game 1:0 with a goal from Drogba (116. min) which made us very, very happy.

Hey ya..

As it's holiday in Austria today (no uni- 'woo hoo'), I thought it might be a good idea to spend a few days in the Uk again..

So... Here I am.. Back in London for a change ;)

Feel a bit down in the dumps as the weather is miserable.. Rain, rain, rain... :( but it should be better tomorrow according to the forecast..

However, I'm going to spend the rest of the day listening to the radio www.capitalfm.com (might be good practice for the next progress test I guess), watching TV and of course carry on reading the 'lovely' Jaywalking with the Irish.. Have only 5 more chapters left..

See ya..

Penne al'arrabiata

As I am a big fan of Italian Pasta, I thought it would be a good idea to post the recipe of my favourite dish which I found on the net the other day. I haven't had time to try it out, but I will give it a go this weekend.. Really looking fwd to it :)

There you go!!!

************************************************************************************

Cooking time: 10 to 30 mins

Ingredients:

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus an extra dash for cooking the pasta
2 medium hot chillies, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
handful basil leaves
600g canned chopped tomato salt, to taste
400g fresh penne pasta parmesan shavings, to serve


Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the chilli and garlic to the pan. After about a minute, add the basil leaves and gently wilt them in the flavoured oil.

2. Remove the garlic, basil and chilli from the pan and set aside. Add the chopped tomatoes to the frying pan.

3. Put the garlic, basil and chilli back in the pan with the tomatoes. Simmer for at least 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a little. Add salt to taste.

4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta for a few minutes in large saucepan of boiling, salted water with a dash of olive oil. Drain the pasta and the tomato sauce to it.
Serve with shavings of parmesan.

'Wife for sale'

I still can't believe my eyes what I've read today..

While reading the news and some other articles (which were more interesting) this afternoon, I came upon a bizarre article which was called 'Wife for sale'.

It was about a Brasilian man who had put up his wife for sale for an amount of only $50!!

He described his wife physically and listed her qualities as a housewife and partner, saying "she was worth her weight in gold!"
The main reason for him doing that was the money, as the posting itself read: "I sell my wife for reasons I prefer to keep short ... I really need the money."

Oh my god, how mentaly disordered must he had been while doing that??

There are so many other alternatives to come into money, especially if it is such a little amount.. What about cleaning/sweeping streets or selling himself instead of his wife ;-)

However, the guy must had lost his marbles from my point of view, otherwise he wouldn't have commit such malpractice!!

13 things every woman...

13 things every woman wants but doesn’t want to admit she wants ;-)

- A boss who totally gets that hair can be an emergency.
- All the nitty- gritty details of her girlfriends’ sex lives.
- The epic downfall of every Miss Popularity she’s ever known.
- Shoes that look like Manolos, feel like Nikes and cost like Payless.
- A big ol’ honking diamond ring.
- So much money that she can give away half, then lavish the other half on herself guilt-free.
- A lover who just knows, no instructions required.
- Fries with that. Always.
- To be more like her mom.
- Thin thighs in 30 days …no, 30 seconds.
- Power. All the power.
- Breasts that get smaller when she’s wearing clothes, bigger when she’s not.
- To be caught as a Do.

English for Insider

This is what I've found this afternoon while surfing the net. Oh my god, I was convulsed with laugher while reading it.. Can't belive that some people have such crazy ideas and translate German phrases word for word into English!! Anyway, hope it makes you laugh too..

Check it out!!


ENGLISH FOR INSIDER => ENGLISCH FÜR REINGEFALLENE

As You Me So I You =>Wie Du Mir So Ich Dir
Blackwood Cherrycake =>Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte
Everything For The Cat =>Alles Für Die Katz
Give Someone A Running-Passport =>Jemandem Den Laufpaß Geben
Hold The Air On =>Halt Die Luft An!
I Believe Me Kicks A Horse =>Ich Glaub Mich Tritt Ein Pferd
I Break Together =>Ich Brech Zusammen
I Only Understand Railroad Station =>Ich Versteh Nur Bahnhof
Me Falls A Stone From Heart =>Mir Fällt Ein Stein Vom Herzen
Me Goes A Light Open =>Mir Geht Ein Licht Auf
Now Is The Oven Out =>Nun Ist Der Ofen Aus
Pig-Strong =>Saustark
So A Piggery =>So Eine Sauerei
The Better-Knower =>Der Besserwisser
The Chicken-Eye =>Das Hühnerauge
The Falling Umbrella Jumper =>Der Fallschirmspringer
The Ghost-Driver =>Der Geisterfahrer
The Newspaper-Duck =>Die Zeitungsente
The Nose-Leg-Break =>Der Nasenbeinbruch
The Picture-Umbrella =>Der Bildschirm
The Sea Young Woman =>Die Meerjungfrau
The Shit-Fork =>Die Mistgabel
To Come On The Dog =>Auf Den Hund Kommen
To Come In Devils Kitchen =>In Teufels Küche Kommen
To Go Strange =>Fremdgehen
Wood-Eye Be Careful =>Holzauge Sei Wachsam
You Are Going Me On The Cookie =>Du Gehst Mir Auf Den Keks
You Can Me One Time =>Du Kannst Mich Mal
You Have A Jump In The Dish =>Du Hast Nen Sprung In Der Schüssel
You're On The Woodway =>Du Bist Auf Dem Holzweg
"Give not so on!" => "Gib nicht so an!"
"Us runs the water in the mouth together." =>"Uns laeuft das Wasser im Mund zusammen."
"Human being Meier!" =>"Mensch Meier!"
"I only understand railstation" =>"Ich versteh' nur Bahnhof"
"It is me sausage!" => "Es ist mir Wurst"
"Your English is under all pig!" =>"Dein Englisch ist unter aller Sau!"
"To have a jump in the dish =>einen Sprung in der Schuessel haben"
"To have much wood before the cottage =>viel Holz vor der Huette haben"
"To have not all cups in the board =>nicht alle Tassen im Schrank haben"
Jesus's trip to heaven =>Christi Himmelfahrt
Happy Cadaver Day =>Fronleichnam
Cry hill lady =>Weinbergschnecke

Check http://www.themenmix.de/witziges/coole-sprueche-insider-english.html if u want to read more!

News-David Hasselhoff

During my stay in the UK last week I listened to a London radio station called 'Capital FM' almost every day. On one day I heard them telling a story which I initially found quite funny but then rather sad after having seen the video.

It was about a film made by David Hasselhoff's daughters, showing him lying on the floor completely wrecked (drunk), clumsily eating a hamburger and slurring his words.

One of his daughters can be heard asking him why he gets drunk, to which he replies "Cause I'm lonely. I have trouble in my life".

Quite a shocking video from my point of view, as he looks helpless and absolutely not the same to the person people are used to see on TV - but take a look for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYj6TceYio0

London - Day 8 to 9

My last weekend was spent shopping at Bluewater, but also had a typical English meal - Curry ;) The curry was lovely and made me wish we had more curry places in Austria.

We were hoping to catch Spiderman 3 at the cinema but unfortunately all the seats were sold out, so went home and watched Little Britain on TV instead, which to be honest I think I prefered anyway!

Tomorrow I go back to Austria...... for my English oral exam !! Hopefully I've had enough practice !!! :)

London - Day 7

Today we decided to spend the day out and do a little sight seeing in London.

Started by taking the train to London Victoria, then from here took my first trip of the week on the Underground system to Oxford Circus.

From here we walked along Oxford Street 'popping into' a few shops including Selfirdges, which is world famous for its innovative window displays, and has been the main shopping store on Oxford Street for nearly 100 years.

One thing you notice about London very quickly is it has a very wide range of different cultures, and while walking around we decided to have lunch in a French restaurant, Cafe Rouge where I had a Minute Steak with pomme frites.

After lunch we took a walk through Hyde Park, and as the weather was nice, there were lots of people skating, cycling and jogging around the various paths. We however decided to stick to just walking ;)

We finished the day with a visit to Harrods, where we could only afford a bottle of water :(

London - Day 3 to 6

Spent most of the day time during the week at home studying and trying to improve my understanding of spoken English by watching various English shows on TV. In the evenings I went to a few english pubs for dinner 'to sample' some pub food including some big CHUNKY chips. YUM!

London - Day 2

Sunday, day of rest.

Slept quite late due to the late night, but in the afternoon I was invited to a bbq which was very different to an Austrian bbq as they liked to 'chargrill' their meat (flame grilled until the skin is black). However, the food was really good and had some pancit (Filipino noodles) which were very masarap ('delicious' in Filipino).

In the evening went home to 'crash out' (to relax and collapse on the sofa) and watch some english TV, as well as a DVD called 'You, me and Dupree'. Movie was quite funny, and I managed to learn a new phrase from the movie, 'to pass out' which I was told means to faint or fall unconscious.

All in all a pretty relaxing day.

Hello from London - Day 1

Well, here I am back in London again - my second trip in as many weeks.

Arrived this morning at Stansted Airport on a very early flight. As I travelled through Kent, on my way from the airport I happened to hear on the news that I was in fact in the same area which was earlier hit by an earthquake, which luckily didn't cost any lives. 'Mummy' :(

Once home,I fell straight to sleep as I was very tired after the flight and the early morning wake up.

In the evening, I went to a place called Kingston which was a very attractive town on the river Thames. Here I had dinner in a restaurant called 'Wagamama's' which was very good, and then went to pub along the river side called 'The Bishop'. The pub was very noisy and full of 'chavs' so stayed for one drink and then left.

This was enough action for the day, hopefully tomorrow will be more adventurous.

Little Britain

Last week when I arrived in London, one of the first things I happened to see was an abandonded wheelchair. Cruel as it may sound, the sight of this made me chuckle to myself as it reminded me of 'Andy' a character from the comedy sketch in the TV show "Little Briain".

Most of you have probably heard of "Little Britain", but for those who haven't here a few facts about it...

"Little Britain" is a wonderful comedy series with Mark Lucas and David Walliams. They tease and giggle their way through 30 min episodes poking fun at everyone possible. My favourite characters are 'Andy & Lou' but also 'Vicky Pollard' who is amazingly funny. If you aren't British, you will probably not understand all of the humor. Most of the stereotypes in the show are exaggerated, but actually real. I have been told that in Britain, every town has loads of 'Vicky Pollards'. Its hard to believe, but apparently true...

For more info about "LB' check

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/littlebritain/ or http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/117/index.jsp

Enjoy watching it!

London

Just wanted to write a few words about my weekend in London, which will hopefully be my first of many.

I arrived in London on Thursday night, a little bit too late in the evening to do anything other than go home and sleep. However, Friday night I went out to dinner with my boyfriend and a few friends in Soho to a restaurant called Yauatcha http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/london/view/82949/Yauatcha where they serve their own unique style of Chinese food and Dim Sum. The food was delicious and had dishes I had never even heard of, but I found using chopsticks too much of a challenge, so had to ask the waiter for a fork before I suffered from starvation! After dinner we took a short walk to the Sanderson Hotel and had a few drinks at the 'Purple Bar' where I experienced my first Chocolate Martini. This was ok, but not being a drinker, I don't think I'd want to order it again. The bar was small,dark and as the name suggests, was decorated in the colour PURPLE. We left the bar in the early hours of the morning and on the way home I managed to wave to 'Big Ben'.

Saturday was spent shopping in Covent Garden, which was very crowded and had a different street performer on each corner. Later on in the evening, we took a stroll through China town and had dinner at a Thai restaurant before going to the Cinema for popcorn and a movie ('Shooter') which I thought was worth seeing btw.

Sunday in comparison was a much quieter day. Drove to a huge shopping centre called Bluewater where we spent an hour or so looking around shops and eating donuts, but the majority of the day was spent at home cooking dinner and watching a lot of TV. After my hectic Friday and Saturday,it was nice to spend time relaxing at home before my flight back the next day.

Overall I had a really good trip and saw parts of London I had never seen before. I'm am planning to visiting London and the UK more often over the next few months, so watch this space for future updates................

Hello

Took me a while to set up my blog, as I am a bit of a 'duffer' when it comes to computers. Not really my thing to be honest, but really happy I've finaly done it.. Thank you Zaynep :)