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!