When in Rome...
'Hmmmm, I like my cow's fallopian tubes well done - keep up the basting, won't you...'



'Myah, I am putting a bit of cow's fallopian tube in my mouth. I clarified that's what it was with lots of gesturing and aghast faces - I had only been learning Japanese for 2 days at this point so that was about as much as I could handle...

It tasted of the sauce it was marinaded in, so personally I don't really see the point...

It was actually fine and if I hadn't been told what it was, I might have thought it was a tiny bit of meat with lots of skin attached - yum!!'

Quotes above from my friend Nat who is traveling around the world for a year and has been having some interesting gastronomic experiences. Currently she is in Japan learning the language and hanging with the locals.

We miss you Nat but are happy you are having fun - and are eating and photographing for the blog. x x

The Brits & their beer


They love it and only need this one thing at the pub to have a good time. It is a highly social ritual where everyone goes down to the pub after work for a 'swifty' or a quick pint before heading home. Theo (in pic) even started the swifty club at work a special email for a select few to be invited to these random meetings at the pub after a long day at work. In some cases it turns into 2, 3 4 or 9+ pints but it is all in good fun and no one seems to get out of control - just happy.

The Feathers Pub (where we were on Fri) doesn't serve much food, just some crisps and some meals for those who have not trained their stomachs to survive on the protein and energy from beer alone. Since I am not a Brit I have to sometimes munch on the crisps and get a sneaky sandwich from the deli before the pub. The Guinness drinkers are the ones that claim to be the healthiest from drinking beer, Jed said to me on Friday that he gets all his vitamins and nutrients from his Guinness.

In England men and women alike drink pints, some girly drinkers like Princess K and I drink other drinks or shandys but it is not taboo for a woman to hold a large pint of beer. In Canada, Julia, Mil and I were the odd ones out drinking pints as it is doesn't seem to be as accepted - but men do comment, 'wow you drink beer?' umm..'yes it's actually a shandy!' which is not a common nor do many bars in TO know how to make a proper shandy. I have converted a few friends to drinking shandy so perhaps this summer the shandy team will grow.

Nat's leaving do was a great affair at the pub and it was a great gathering of old work colleagues. Lots of beer was consumed and all had a good time!