Cambridge is an academic city and in August everyone is on holiday, the roads round here that are always so busy in the morning are deathly silent, the newspapers are full of “hilarious” stories about snakes and monkeys, even Parliament is on holiday. And this being the UK it’s also pouring with rain most of the time.
With just over a week until “back to school” (although well over a month for the University) and only two weeks left before I start teaching again I think it’s time for a silly season post of my own.
Weeks ago The Globetrotting Gamine (who’s blog I love), tagged me to share seven silly things about myself. I did something similar before so here’s seven new ones….
1. The greatest television show of all time is Twin Peaks. Ma Yogini and I watched it religiously every Tuesday night. The early 90s were a good time for Washington state, bringing me both grunge and Agent Cooper. Recently I watched both seasons again and they were still just as brilliant and just as ridiculous.
2. Every year I long for summer but when it comes I find that I’m either a hot sweaty mess or under an umbrella sheltering from deluge. Every year I forget that British summers are better in theory than practice.
3. My go to comfort food is mashed potatoes with baked beans. Himself, incidentally, makes the best mashed potatoes in the world.
4. I went to convent school and hated pretty much every moment of it. In retrospect, however, I am aware that I got a fantastic education.
5. My favourite book is Donna Tart’s “The Secret History”. Every time I read it I find something new in there. The first time I read it I was one of a very clichey group of six studying Classics (yes I was one of those 17-year-olds, I can only apologise for my younger self). Those of you who have read the book will see the similarities already – to my knowledge nobody in our group killed anybody, however.
6. The first song I ever remember hearing was “Penny Lane” by the Beatles. I listened to it on an old cassette player with Pa Yogini. I liked the bit about the fire engine and sang it over and over again. When I finished my Masters degree I had the musical score from the chorus of Penny Lane tattooed across my back for posterity.
7. Contrary to popular belief my favourite food is not cake. It is Thai Green Curry. When I was in Thailand rather than go trekking in the mountains I went on a Thai cooking course. My Thai Curries are awesome. Sadly Himself hates them and I hardly ever get to cook them anymore. Would anyone like me to cook for them? 
Readers, tell me one silly fact about yourselves…..
I’m up for a bowl of that curry!
I shower with my bird and we sing up a storm! How’s that?
I would love love love a good thai green curry recipe! particularly a vegan one!! am now scouring your site seeing if I can find one!
Twin Peaks is my favourite TV show EVER, and The Secret History is one of my favourite books – crazy!
A silly fact about me? I have such an intricate system for organizing the washing up rack in my kitchen that I don’t let Daniel wash up as he organizes it wrong…! Oh dear :-S
I LOVE The Secret History. It is so incredible. I have read it at least three or four times, and now I want to read it again : ) I love you even more for mentioning it because it’s not one of those books most people know about. I have also read The Little Friend twice but it’s not as good.
Donna Tartt is supposed to have a new book coming out soon!
wow hard to pick just one…
i’ve thought of doing posts like this before but then always forget. my mind is a sieve sometimes, ya know?! i’d be happy to eat some of your thai curry. sounds delightful! hugs!!
Yes Please! Thai Green Curry – YUM
not sure how well it would travel to Auckland though…
Well, my favorite show is My So-Called Life!
I love, love Thai green curry. Definitely one of my top favourite foods, as long as it’s the ‘real’ thing. Green papaya salad with sticky rice come close. I have a Thai cooking course under my belt as well, as well as extra hands-on experience in a Thai village.
So, Dear Curry Whiz, perhaps you can shed some insight on my curry cooking dilemma… no matter whether I follow one or the other of my first-hand Thai recipes, it always turns out too salty and not creamy enough and a little bit artificial-tasting… and part of me wonders, is it because I use canned coconut milk? Whenever I eat canned soup or make soup out of a packet, I always feel this yucky chemical taste or preservatives. Could this be it? Do you use canned coconut milk or mix your own from a powder?
Something silly about myself – I can’t sleep without socks, even in the height of summer. I have a special pile of socks dedicated to sleeping only, with different thicknesses and lengths for the different seasons.
Inca Maia – I think it is the curse of the canned coconut milk to be honest. I do use canned but it does taste much much better if you mix your own. Try going to a Thai/Japanese/Chinese/Korean supermarket if you have any near to you and asking their advice on powders. Bizarrely I find that the reduced fat canned coconut milk does tend to taste better (although it’s still not very creamy). I will give the matter some thought
I can sing the alphabet backwards…and I will definitely have to try mashed potatoes and baked beans…I love both but have never had them together…..
Answered with a blog post of my own and a link!
Love the tattoo!
I’m an absolute vampire geek. I own the entire Buffy and Angel series. I watch foreign language vampire films. I’m madly in love with True Blood, but also read and watch lots of other vampire literature/films/TV shows. I’ve even read the Twilight series (good thing to do as a writer – check out popular works!) although I’m not a fan of the films. I’ve even recently been contemplating doing a workup of various vampire lore in films, TV shows and books. Because the ‘rules’ about what vampires can and can’t do annoys me sometimes!
Love your tattoo. If we’re gonna permanently mark our bodies, it should be with something we feel passionately about. And I LOVE a Thai green curry, too.
Love your posting… got to it from Yoga Gypsy’s Random Facts posting and love your Silly Season… I will come back with some facts of my own and link to you both! Thanks for all the wonderful thoughts. And I love Green Curry too…