EUROvision

Apparently this telly phenomenon has been going on for years but I first heard about it just a month ago while changing bed linens with my Glaswegian housekeeping friend. We were swapping stories about what our favourites have been at cinema this last year and programmes we like to watch. I shared my guilty pleasure in America’s Next Top Model and she confessed she is a devoted Eurovision follower every year.

I was intrigued “What is Eurovision?” 

“Oh it’s brilliant!” She explained that it is like X Factor (American Idol = in these parts) but instead is a one night thing every year where all of Europe has a representative come to sing/dance and compete. Loads of people get curry take-aways that night, throw parties with their friends to watch and vote.

 What luck I had heard about it in time for this year’s competition which took place this last Saturday! And how appropriate it was that I was on the continent to watch it because although Britain competes each year, the Scots are not ones to often consider themselves proper Europeans. Many times before heading on my Holland/Belgium/Germany holiday my co-workers and Girlguiding mates would comment “So are you excited to go on your Europe holiday?” It turns out that I live in the British Isles, not Europe – you have to head to the continent to see a proper European country I guess.

That said, Eurovision great fun. Though there was no curry involved, there were plenty of sweets from Germany and Belgium while kicking back on our last night here and watching each country sing and dance.  I have to admit that although there was a completely different tone to the whole thing, the concept did not stray too far from a strange movie I once saw called “The Saddest Music in the World”. While I didn’t finish watching the whole thing I will add my 2 pence about what I fancied about the acts I did see. Italy had good reason to come in 2^nd place, Britain’s boy band was an utter disappointment, it turns out that there was something oddly compelling about Ireland’s famous Jedward twins (though their performance had airs of 3^rd Reich at times) but the all time favourite of the evening has to go to Moldova. I think this video speaks for itself….

“I never think of Moldova.” I mentioned, somewhat embarrassed, to Matt in passing when they were announced to come next. 

Matt and I couldn’t stop laughing while watching it though. In Matt’s words, “This is perfect! I mean, for all I know this is very traditional for them.” Could be a ‘had to be there’ type of thing but at any rate, it was great fun and it added to the list of why it is great to live four seasons in a new place like Europe…er I mean the British Isles….

Oh and congrats to Azerbaijan for taking home the Eurovision glory this year! 

Royal Tailgating...

...or Fancy a Blue, White and Red party?

It is the Royal Wedding Eve! It does seem that there is at least as much talk about it over on the Stateside of the pond as there is here in Scotland. Still, we have had a fair share of William and Kate's pic plastered all over mugs, postcards, and "Quiksilver" gambling houses.

I scored a bit of luck housekeeping one day when a tour group left behind a couple of mugs in their rooms after checking out. My boss let me keep the first one, as she was doing beds with me that day, but luckily she secured her free mug a few rooms later. Perfect for a royal cuppa tea!

On telly today, all of my "Bargain Hunters", "Save My Holiday" and "Homes Under the Hammer" programmes were replaced with LIVE footage of people camping out on the Thames and outside Westminster Abbey in Britain coloured hats (worthy of the Kentucky Derby). The Regis and Kathy Lee London equivalents speculated over tea, finger sandwiches and fairy cakes about what Kate's dress will look like and how Prince William will manage to carefully cover his bald spot (apparently something he is quite sensitive about...).

Though I had little interest up until this point about the whole thing, I have to say that I started to get a bit caught up in all the talk and paused a few moments between stripping beds and turning on the hoover to see what details they would share from what they knew. I think the same thing is happening with the Scots, in spite of themselves. If you ask whether or not they care the response tends to be something like "Ah...I didnae care really. It's just a silly English thing". Still, from what I gather, my boss is going to a hat party with her friends tomorrow to watch the coverage, the restaurant manager will have the telly going all day to keep tabs on the goings on and in the words of Matt's supervisor at the National Library of Scotland "I have mixed feelings about the monarchy but I won't argue with a day off".

I say cheers to William and Kate as I'll be enjoying that extra bank holiday while on the continent in Holland's tulip fields next week!  It seems fitting too as what is more British than enjoying a good and proper holiday?

Save My Holiday!

Before coming here, I knew that Americans had a reputation of working too many hours and not getting enough time off from work to enjoy life and...well...go on a proper "holiday". Indeed, after living here for a wee bit, I think that we do have a thing or two to learn from the British sense of priorities. Holidays are one important part of life.

Although there is a lot to say for a cross country road trip, the U.S. doesn't offer as exotic of holidays in as accessible of a way as the U.K. Afterall, if you live in the heart of Texas, just going somewhere like Las Vegas on a "holiday" would be more expensive and involved than taking an EasyJet from Edinburgh to Amsterdam or even Cyprus. Still, I do think that it comes down to cultural priorities. I am not sure what ours are on but they aren't nearly as keen on a decent holiday.

Exhibit A:
The basic rights of a UK full-time employee. Yep. That's right a MINIMUM of 28 days paid annual leave each year. I love how it is called an "entitlement". That is exactly how it is looked at.
In the U.S., what is the "entitlement" of annual leave? NONE. Yep. That's right. Apparently we are known as the "No Vacation Nation."

Example? I work 2-3 days a week as an hourly (minimum wage - at least the exchange rate is in my favour though) housekeeper. I get more paid days off as an employee than any job I have ever had. Ever. School district, the city, private employers.

Are you ready for Exhibit B?:
There are network telly programmes here dedicated to get the most (and what you deserve) out of your holiday. I present to you Save My Holiday (not sure if it will play for you overseas folk) from BBC 1 Scotland. Ironically, I discovered this programme whilst making beds and dusting furniture at the hotel where I work. How to describe this programme...?

It is a documentary with two hosts who follow different Brits that phone in with issues about their holiday. From the intro to the programme:
"We're going to coach you in the art of complaining...so you get what you paid for. Don't put up with second best."

Problems range from cleanliness or safety issues in hotel rooms, sub-par food at the hotel, misrepresented amenities at destinations, and what turns out to often be the most dramatic at times, bouts of food poisoning. Here is one story from "episode 7" (still available to watch for 6 more days on BBC 1 Scotland). Two friends are on holiday at a resort and they start to feel ill on the second day.

Host: "....that's when their holiday...hit the skids." <cue in super super dramatic music-kind of like "America's Most Wanted") On only their second day their paradise holiday had taken a depressing nose dive. Shortly afterwards, Sharon was also shot down with the same bug." ---- pans to a zooming view of a toilet (a la "CSI")

There are lots of other great moments "Save My Holiday" has to offer. And if you are ever in the market for tips on how to maximize your entitled holiday days, I would heartily recommend watching an episode or two before planning your trip. That way, you won't end up like Sharon and her friend - needing to phone into "Save My Holiday" for help. You will be a savey consumer that knows how to make the most of those 28 days a year you get.

This is England

Can't recommend it to one and all, the language may just be too unforgivable for that. Still, I can't say I regret seeing it. Three cheers for Matt fanagaling an override on our IP address location - Netflix instant queue prevails over the pond! And it gave us some good semi-local flavour tonight for some birthday "night at the movies" on William Street.

If you can't abide the language and the not so wee bit of violence, let me just give you the best parts here. Play these clips consecuatively. Even if you never been a rude boy or spent a good season of your life being keen on anything The Specials, I think that there is still something in these 5+ minutes for you to appreciate.

When Scotland Wins...

Foods that are better in Scotland...
-Almost all dairy products. The whipping cream, yogurt and butter here are shamelessly rich and thick. The cheddar is kick-in-the-pants strong when it says "sharp" cheddar. An important culinary (and budget friendly discovery) that Matt and I made recently is that super sharp, white cheddar is the perfect replacement for a parmesan in a pinch. Why do I say "almost" and not "all" dairy products? Not sure about the cream cheese here. It's texture is a bit troublesome for cream cheese frosting on say...well a carrot cake. That is unforgivable in my world so I have to qualify dairy products as not entirely being superior.
-Eggs. They are all free range which does result in occassionally having to pull off wispy feather attached to the egg or bitty beaks floating in the yolk. This is unnerving at first but then you realize that it is so much more normal to have a slightly imperfect, organic experience with a brown egg than a completely sterile experience with a white egg. Plus it encourages me to be true to the recommended method of cracking an egg in a bowl before adding it to wet baking ingredients, etc.
-Bacon. This is a very touchy subject to some Americans and Scots as the bacon here is distinctly different from what you would buy in the states. Many Americans say that it isn't "crunchy" enough and that bacon needs to have a certain texture to be true to itself. Indeed the bacon here isn't the striped fat, crunchy bacon but let me tell you something. It is so so...well...bacony. The flavor beats the hell out of American bacon. So smokey. It is like the dark chocolate of bacon. I can understand you wanting to have something familiar and comforting at times like a bar of cheap milk chocolate. All cravings have their place but I submit that when all is said and done, bacon here is more sophisticatedly tasty. In the meantime, there is always the argument that bacon here has more food for what you pay - less fat content in the price you pay. So touche all you crunchy bacon advocates.
-Candy. No doubt this is to be expected with chocolate. Americans always get a bad reputation for waxy chocolate and rightly so. That said, these Brits really are our superiors on all things confectionary. For one: gummies. I give you Rowntree's Randoms or Haribo's Tangfastic or Sour Strawberry Pencils as exhibit A, B, and C. These are so so good in such different ways. Randoms are utterly gummy-y in a way you never thought possible. Now some smart-a might challenge that "Oh Haribo is a German brand of candy. Not British." To that I would respond it is more accessible here in the UK and it is much much cheaper. Ha! That's right. And might I add that only those who have read even a few Roald Dahl books would know not to trifle with the Brits and their confectionary. Can I also throw out there that the Skittles here have blackcurrent instead of grape in their original flavor packs? And also candy bars include delightfully romantic and creative renditions of mint and chocolate (Aero Bars) as well as fake honeycomb (Crunchie Bars). Heaven! This just scratches the surface but you get the idea.
-Digestive Biscuits. Most especially those blessed HobNobs. How do Americans compare? They don't. There is no subsitute for a Hob Nob. Enough said.
-Hummus. This has always been a staple but it is taking on a new level of importance for us while we have been here. It is better in all ways here. It's cheaper. There are more choices. The texture is always spot-on better and all the flavors have been so so perfect.
-Curry. There are so many good curry and falafal places here in Edinburgh. It is cheap and spicey good. Britains own Tikka Masala, Chicken Vindaloo (for all you Red Dwarf fans) and much much more. It is some tasty spice that is great for heating you up in cold weather.

Foods that are better in America...
-I expected this but the variety of choices (most especially in the way of produce - how I miss a good avocado!) in an average grocery store in the States is really superior. Then again, that is the American way - have more choices! Have a bigger selection! Even a head of cauliflower or a kilo of brussel sprouts are bigger in America. How could this be? They last longer and somehow they fit in your ginormous fridge (ours is the same size as the average local which makes it just bigger than something you would have in a hotel room).
-Mexican food. I knew this would be my main culinary trial here and so I prepped for it. It was so much harder to deal with after having lived in a TexMex capital of sorts but I am coping. Somehow eating more curry helps curb my cravings.
-Bread. I don't think that Americans really have the best idea on bread. I think that would have to go to the French and their baguette wonder food or maybe the Italians with their Ciabatta bread. Still, there is no place to get a thick slice of some Great Harvest whole wheat or Dakota-style bread in these parts. It is a bit fluffy for my taste. The best substitute I can find is Polish bread. It is chewy-delicious.

*Thanks to Andreas Gursky for his photograph "99 Cent". Truly a document of American culture.

Other things that are better in Scotland...
-Healthcare. Let the debates begin but seriously guys, it is such an accessible and intuitive system to use here. Need I mention that it is free?! It is free to me because I have a job that I work 3 days a week at and free to Matt because he is at Uni. We have been trying it out by force as Matt's ol' gallbladder is giving him trouble these days. Is the quality good? They have the same procedures and tests that they gave Matt in Texas when he was having problems with it. So far, the conversations and advice have been comparable. Is it taking forever? In the last 3 weeks, Matt has registered for a General Practioner (where all NHS users must start), attended an initial appt/check-up, gotten a chest x-ray, had a follow-up appt about his x-ray, attended an appt for blood work. Pretty impressive. I have this sort of ridiculous idea that hey, if either Matt and I are going to get sick, need a gallbladder out, etc we best do it this year as we won't be able to afford to do much about it come next fall!
-Mystery tele programmes. No one matches the Brits on their ability to churn out series after series, programme after programme of compelling, quality mystery shows on television. It is remarkable. Matt and my favourite programme right now is New Tricks. We stumbled on it one night when we first moved into our flat. With a boiler that didn't work, no friends, no job and a kitchen that was hard to use, it was more than a luxury to find as it reminded us of some of the great things that we loved about this culture.
-Accents. Let's face it. Scottish people have such a great way of expressing themselves. Their terminology holds it's own but their way of speaking is really something great too. I would acknowledge that Texans, Bostonians and New Yorkers are up in the running but I think they still may be beat. Which brings me to a point, why is it that DreamWorks had all their supposedly Norwegian Vikings talking like Scottish people in How to Train a Dragon?

An Idiot Abroad

I refer to the latest and greatest Ricky Gervais contribution to British television. Of course, perhaps the reason I like this show so much is because I indeed know well what it means to be an idiot abroad. The premise of series is that Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais (masterminds behind The Office and Extras) send this fellow named Karl Pilkington to the 7 wonders of the world. It is a slightly cynical, very British yet very honest representation of what it is like to travel to somewhere new, bizarre and foreign. It's a bit of a farce at times but so so spot on about the lost in translation frustration that comes with anything that is out of your experience.

Here's a recap of the show:


So far, Karl has visited China (to see the Great Wall), Jordan (Petra), India (Taj Mahal) and now Mexico to see Chichen Itza. Part of me totally sympathizes with Karl's honest assessment that alot of the experiences you have in a new cultures is just weird and rather inconvenient. At the same time, I can't help but think - you are so so British Karl and there are moments where you are the one I don't quite understand entirely.

That said, here are some highlights from China:


Do you like what you see? Look for it at a library near you once it comes out on DVD!

The Illusionist

No no no...I do not refer to that one. I wouldn't waste your time with a post about Edward Nortan's fantasy that he some kind of magician attracting people of the poor-man's Scarlett Johansen caliber. Enough said about that.

With that out of the way - Did you like Triplets of Belleville? I'm pretty sure that everyone that has seen it does but for good measure Sylvain Chomet has made another delightful animation that I can whole heartedly recommend. I still have yet to see Triplets... but I can guarantee that my motivation to see it has tripled (ha!:) after seeing The Illusionist. I'll give you a hint as to why Matt and I were obliged to shell out 10 pounds (that's 16 American-mind you) on discount Monday to see this while it was still in the theaters:

Not only does the story take place in Edinburgh but there was even a couple of scenes that included The Cameo theatre, where we saw the movie.



We were most happy to find this theatre too since it is less than a mile walk from our flat and shows much promise with the films it plays (for example-Back to the Future was playing on another screen for the Halloween season). It will be a just the right replacement for our Paramount in Ausitn and the Tower in the ol' SLC. To add to the grandeur of our Edinburgh gem, there is Texas-style leg room with cushy, comfy seats and armrests. Between the grand seating, the gold curtains and folksy instrumental fare that played before our the movie, it was no surprise that the animators were sure to include this in their work.

That is to say, The Illusionist is lovely. Go see it and you just may never need to come to Edinburgh to know all that there is to love here.