And so it starts...

Hello weekend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1y_wo_4fuQ

T.G.I. Swindie Friday!

Today I'm rediscovering some old swindie favourites - both with new releases.

First, /Sambassadeur. New album, and I can't helo but love the art work - the deck of one of the ferries that run between Finland and Sweden. They should be like on the album cover, all yacht rock, sea breeze and white chinos, but in reality, they are mostly floating vessels of hedonism (not the good kind), cheap booze and paistley patterened carpets covered in vomit. The high point is usually the Finnish gypsies singing karaoke.
I might come back to these ferries later, I have a love-hate relationship with them that everybody that's been commuting between the two countries will share with me.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, swindie!
The Radio Dept. has a bit of a cult status in Sweden. People have longed and waited and then waited some more for new material,  I'm just about to sink my teeth (no ears really) into it. This too with brilliant artwork.

Eating Animals

I am very much looking forward to the imminent release of one of my favourite authors new, very non-fictional book: Jonathan Safran Foers Eating Animals, about the livestock industry and how to be an environmentalist in your food choices, amongst other things.

I'm going to have a "I told you so" moment now, please do excuse me, but I've been saying for ages that people need to eat less meat, not for the animals sake but for the human race to be able to feed itself (something we are already failing to do). However, turn's out vegetarians cant be too smug either, since some of the soy production is as bad the meat production. Not to mention the fishing industry.

The Guardian has got a whole series of articles and blog posts about this, including a long piece by JS Foer himself. Worth a read.

Will turning vegetarian save the planet? |Life and style |guardian.co.uk

I also know that reading Eating Animals will result in a redefinition of ones food dietary choices. The problem is that people who aren't willing to redefine things aren't going to read the book in the first place. It doesn't matter how good or how right the author might be, they usually preach to the choir. And then suddenly, the swing weighs over and the paradigm shifts, but how long will it be?

Tasty tasty - Bristol Lunch Guide

A very good guide to central Bristol lunches - It's so easy to foget what an array of tastes and things you can find within an arms length here:

Best Bristol Lunch Guide | What I Ate Today

Robyn goes a wee bit Bristolian

Look look quick quick!

New stuff from Robyn, together with Diplo.
http://www.skipster.us/2010/02/wow-new-robyn-finally/

This is what we are going to be listening to all those really really hot july days this year. (Yes, its going to be a regular heat wave.)

The funny thing is that it's reggae. And if you listen closely, a little bittle bit of dub step. It's going to take over the world and I guess it's time to surrender. I mean, surely Robyn can't be wrong.

In search of lost coffees

I was gonna upload some photos from the Manchester trip today, but managed to bring the only USB cable I can't use. Well done, me.

It might be the lack of good coffee that does it, that makes me this loony, forgetful old professor. See, Finns are the mostest coffe drinkers in the WORLD! First place, Finns. Second place, Swedes. We love our coffee, and although there's no such thing as Finnish coffee, I do miss the Finnish coffee brands. I've tried to find good ready roasted coffee here, but it can't be done: It all tastes like tea. And no, Nescafe is not coffee.

So, I reminisce. (Notice how very finnish the woman looks.)

testing, testing, 123...

OK, we're in a pub in Manchester, to watch Man U vs. Everton. This
trip is, after all, my xmas gift to C. So footy it is! Im giving
mobile blogging a go, it might end in tears. Hot Chip and Casiokids
were grrreat - today we've been to Afflecks Palace, some amazing
vintage stores there. Bought some filthy big ginger bread choko
brownies for afternoon tea... Pics coming later! X

How To Be A Wet Rag

Pay close attention now, girls!

1938 dating guide for single women

Bristol Vintage Fashion Fair

If I were you, and in Bristol on Sunday, I would go to the Bristol Vintage Fashion Fair.

But I'm not, and I'm not. So I won't, because I can't.

Errr. Over and out.

Vintage Manchester

As a footnote to the last post: I don't drink lattes. I like proper black coffee, so strong that you can stand a spoon in it. But enough about that.

Manchester is supposed to be a little slice of heaven for vintage and retro shopping.

Que: Me, the weekend before payday. D'OH!  

Oh well, window shopping is going to be a Olympic sport any day now and I might just qualify. I will most definitely drag C to Rags to Bitches (pic below) and to Afflecks palace.

Can't wait!

A somewhat longer weekend than usual.

We're going to Manchester tomorrow, for a long weekend - very cosmopolitan, very mundane, very skinny-latte-to-go-please isn't it? Ok, so the destination perhaps isn't up there with Paris and Barcelona, but I've never been up north and quite looking forward to hearing the accent that I on more than one occasion confused with Scottish. In my pursuit of becoming Truly British I cannot afford to make mistakes like that. Therefore, we (as in me and C) embark upon this er, let's call it field excursion. To hear things from the horse itself, so to speak.

Friday is all about Hot Chip, with Casiokids supporting. They are coming to Bristol very soon, yes I know, but it much more fun seeing them FIRST (or simply, before the rest of Bristol and my friends, in this case)! And then smugly and nonchalantly say "The Hot Chip tour?" Oh yes I saw them aaages ago. God, they must be getting a bit tired of it all by now." And then sip your skinny-latte-to-go and plan your next long weekend.

Banana Pancakes

I haven't tried this recipe myself yet, but it sounds luuuush and so simple even a kitchen-simpleton like me could manage it!

It's all freely translated from Swedish and taken from this blog.

Banana pancakes

AuTHOR OF RECIPE: LOTTA LUNDGREN

Portions: 2

Time: 15 min

·         2 eggs

·         1 can of coconut milk (400 ml)

·         2 dl flower

·         1 table spoon muscovado sugar

·         1/4 tea spoon salt

·         2 bananas

·         Butter for frying

1.       Make a batter of the eggs, cocoanut milk,  flower, sugar and salt.

2.      Cut up the bananas, Geena Davies in Cut Throat Island-style, but watch your fingers! Add to the bananas in the batter. (Bananas, not fingers. Let keep it vegetarian shall we.)

3.      Fry small pancakes in a little bit of butter.

4.      Serve with whatever fruit you happen to have at home – kiwis, strawberries, pineapple, mango…cashews, honey, peanut butter, anything you might fancy really, maybe even a bit of crème fraiche or ice cream.

Nevermind the Gaga

I really liked Alicia Keys 80s powerpuff-carrier-woman-goes-disco-callgirl-look at the Brits. 

The hair! The Shoulders! The Jay-Z!

Pancakes? No buns.

Today is pancake day. Meanwhile, it is Bun Day in Sweden and Finland. Or Semmel Day. Or Lent Day. (All my very own words for this important day, freely translated from Swedish). We eat buns with marsipan and whipped cram. Some people put the whole thing in a bowl of hot milk and call it "hot wall" too, but that's just nasty. 

The Swedish king Adolf Fredrik died in 1771 after a gluttonous feast consisting of the the little buggers.

Me, being a true lactose intolerant Finn, I'd rather have pancakes any day. Or maybe just the top bit of a semla. 

It's a bit of a "super sized muffin phenomena" here - Just like the in the big muffins (sooo 2000) The bottom bit is often quite dry and boring. It's the top bit (also known as the "muffin top") you want. The rest you leave for the seagulls.

A Single Man

Spent yesterday evening at Yum Yum Thai (yum in my tum indeed) and then strolled down to Watershed for the late screening of A Single Man, Tom Fords adaptation of Isherwoods novel (that I haven't read, and after seing the film, I don't think I can.)

Everything you've heard is true. That it is brilliant, that it is the part Colin Forth was meant to play, all of it. I have very little to add.

Just 2 things:

1. I thought the audience would be a rather fashionable one. Turns out it consisted of mostly middle aged couples working in the cultural sector and hippies in wet wool and dreadlocks. Who knew!
2. Having Colin Firth and Nicholas "About a boy" Hoult in the same film makes me wait for Hugh Grant to make an appearance. As the lowest common denominator, so to speak.

Welcome

Greetings, dear guests.

And welcome. I’m sorry I haven’t spruced things up for you, it will come in time. I’ve made coffee, there’s some ginger biscuits over there, and a whole other bunch of features that’s still baking.

Make yourself at home.