The smell of testosterone was in the air as I sat eating lunch next to a bunch of Oxford rowers. While trying to keep pieces of fatty meat from revisiting my plate I also had to listen to them celebrate the downfall of feminism.
Author Archive
19
Aug 07
Aug 07
Curry 101
I have never been a particularly great cook and don’t profess to be one now, but on passing the milestone recently that is turning 30, I have reflected on the fact that one good thing about getting older is that I seem to be getting a heck of a lot better in the kitchen.
One culinary aspect that’s been receiving more of my attention of late is the art of making curry. I’ve always been a fan of a good curry, but my attempts at rustling up one from scratch a few years ago had always been disappointing and I found myself instead relying on the trusty jar of Pataks instead of making my own.
10
Jul 07
Jul 07
Life in Paradise
Just over 3 weeks ago, with Sheldon (our ever increasingly clapped out VW) packed to the gunwales, the boy and I drove off into the sunset in search of a new life in Paradise Square, Oxford. After only 3 weeks, with the interruption of Glastonbury in the midst, and 3 days of the week spent in the suburban limbo of Uxbridge, I can’t say I feel like much of a local yet, but it certainly feels cool to be discovering somewhere new.
09
Jul 07
Jul 07
More than just a game?
There is something going on in UK sport and it has people talking. I am not talking about Tim Henman once again failing to advance through Wimbledon, or the dicey form of the English cricket team. The chatter is about the rise of Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton. For those that have not been following the motor sport racing news, Lewis Hamilton is a 22 year old from England who has debuted this season and has been on the podium at every race and currently leads the championship. He qualified fastest for the British Grand Prix – the first Brit to do so in eleven years. Oh, and he is ‘black’.
06
Jul 07
Jul 07
The Lake at the end of the World
First, some statistics. If you could extract the sediment, Lake Baikal would be nine kilometres deep – that’s to say, Mt Everest would fit inside it. In fact, probably several Mt Everests side to side like a row of shark’s teeth, as the lake is 650 kilometres long. It contains a fifth of the world’s fresh water. They say that if all of the rivers of the world were channelled into its empty basin, it would take almost a year to fill.