Wednesday 14 November 2012

The Dark Bathtub: #4

They clung to each other and in that moment, there was no one else. Only the two of them united in their cause. Huddling together they watched it taking in every detail, ever colour and every sound. It was nothing new to them for they had seen it many times before but the fear, the excitement, the suspense never got old. The feelings were always as fresh as they had been the first time they had seen it. He held out his hand to her a sign of comfort to what was to come. They held on to each other, knowing what was coming but each, in their naive way, hoping that it would not happen.
But the elephant always appeared as the clock struck six and the grandfather clock lay in pieces.


© Nancy Laidler 2012

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Coco Delights!

To conform to female sterotypes, I Love chocolate. However I becoming ever more discerning about the chocolate I do and don't like. At this point in time I prefer dark chocolate, and preferably lindt, though
Cadburys had it's place. I say had because Cadburys in the UK and Cadburys here in Hong Kong are two completely different beasts and the Cadburys out here isn't nearly as gratifying.

Today however I broke the mold and purchased a bar of dark chocolate based purely on the label (Ali - Hope you love this!). This turned into a win on so many levels. The chocolate (70%) was lovely, and the bar itself was tiny. Lots of joy and not very much guilt thanks to the size of the bar (the other boon to having a penchant for dark chocolate being that you can't eat a lot in one go :)




Thursday 1 November 2012

Dropping degrees...

It's November. It's that time of year again when the poppies come out and the travesties of years gone by are remembered; our heroes honored and when there is a mutual hope that we will never see anything like that again. And so the hunt for the poppy has begun. A hunt this year because in Hong Kong there is more seeking required to find this flower, and I cannot let a Remembrance day pass where I am without one. In addition I am feeling the urge to purchase one of these:

A poppy for all year, the knowledge I will always have one (though I can guarantee I will probably still end up with a good seven of the regular ones per-year - always happens) and my money will still go to the British Legion. Hard to see the flaws in such an investment.

Remembrance day has always been important, but it seems even more so this year. That probably has a lot to do with being away from home, and it being something that makes me proud to be British and proud to be British. Hanging on with traditions is a way of keeping home alive.

The other thing November has brought to Hong Kong is "colder" weather. It has fallen bellow 20C, but has yet to fall below 15C and yet the scarves and coats are out. I have to admit that I too have been feeling a pinch chilly very much to my shame. My hardy northern-ness is suffering in this warmer climate.

On the other hand I have a new favourite fruit:

Even though the dragon fruit looks bizarre, if you are a fan of kiwi fruits odds are you'll like this one. It's not as tangy but the texture is similar. My next challenge is to attempt a salmon chowder, now that the weathers getting cooler. Here's hoping it works...