...And why the sea is boiling hot - And whether pigs have wings.

Gosh, it's been a long time since I wrote anything here, so an update on my life seems in order.

hmmm_tea and I have moved to Langley (near Slough), where I have a job as a software test engineer (hmmm_tea is still working in London). I have been working for tandberg/codian for 2 months now, and I like it better than university work. The people at work are sociable - I go out with them about once a week. I've also just been on a business trip to Barcelona, where we got to stay in a five-star hotel! :)

In dancing news, I've joined Windsor Morris, thus completing the set of Molly/Northwest/Border/Cotswold :P . Trains into London being good (1/2 hr in), we can also get to ceilidhs in C# house (although we've only been to one so far!)

Oh, and I got my degree :)

L

firstly, yay for having enough internet to use a browser
secondly, yay for hmmm_tea getting a job in Cambridge
thirdly, yay for going home for the weekend. 'Cos I miss this kind of conversation being normal:

L: Did you have a good bike ride? Where did you go?
C: I went down to the sacred store, where I'd heard the music years before, but the man there said the music wouldn't play.
L: Oh, that's a shame.
M: (from next room) What's that? You went down to the levee?
C: Yes, but it was dry.

Disclaimer - My brain works on analogies. If you are easily offended by a lack of seriousness, ( don't click here.Collapse )
EDIT: Extra disclaimer - there is no point here. If you want to watch someone take sides, or you like valid arguments, go elsewhere. If you like the thought of overly serious beard-related debate, you are in the right place. Also, I know beards aren't people.

How come your dialect is a part of local culture which should be preserved, but is being sadly eroded by the homogeneity of standard English, and mine is a horrible corruption of our beautiful language which should be eliminated?

Are (extraterrestrial, intelligent) aliens people? What about wizards, elves, trolls, talking animals etc.? Not according to the dictionary, but how you would use it. My opinion to follow.

They are doom.

( Lebkuchen recipe - written down and can't find the source, similar to http://www.recipe-ideas.co.uk/, with my scribbles in bracketsCollapse )

What's that I hear,
Up in the attic?
It is an elephant,
Riding on a bike!
This dainty elephant,
So sweet and elegant,
Has a trunk up here,
And a tail down there.

My Dad always mixes up songs/makes up lyrics etc. Today he is off work, and we have had bits of:
Words loosely based on 'Nowhere Man' to the tune of 'Hey Mister Tambourine Man'
followed by:
'The Sound of Silence' to 'Hey Mister Tambourine Man'
followed by:
'Whistle while you work - and always let your conscience be your guide'

But my favourite has always been the national anthem of Aardvarkia. It goes:

Aardvarkia, Aardvarkia,
Aardvarkia, Aardvarkia!
Aardvarkia, Aardvarkia,
Aardvarkia, Aardvarkia!
Aardvarkia, Aardvarkia,
Aardvarkia, Aardvarkia.
Aardvarkia, Aardvarkia,
Aardvarkia, Aardvarkia!

To the tune of O Tannenbaum (/Oh Christmas Tree/The Red Flag)

There are definitely good things about being home :)

From hmmm_tea

"I'd love to be able to detect viscosity with my nose!"