I Don't Wanna See It On My Windowsill....

How goes it?
I am flying back to the UK tomorrow for a week or so. Before I go I will leave you with another re-visited. In this entry we go back 17 months or so to April '07. This one is about my favourite topic - food. I have put new comments in bold and in brackets. I should also note that Emma posed for the pics above as those of her in the Earthquake reconstructions have proved such a hit.
I will try and post a 'review' of my time back in Blighty this time next week. I may write it at the airport or something.
Have a lovely week,
marc x

I don't wanna see it on my windowsill.

Hello blog fans. It's me checking in again with some more great thoughts on this crazy thing called life. I know I've left it another few weeks but I think doing the odd blog is much better than doing one all the time (I think I used to start off all my old blogs saying that I hadn't done one for a while. This is very different to now where not only do I do an entry at least once a week, but I also have repeats too!). I imagine it becomes more of a treat for you all when this happens. It's like if you had a roast dinner every day would you like it so much? That is dependent on if you like a roast dinner in the first place, but just imagine that you do. Having said that though if you had 'the business's every day would you get bored of it? I would wager not. I am digressing aren't I? So anyway - here is a blog. Welcome and enjoy.

My first topic today is illness. I got food poisoning a couple of weeks ago. It was more rubbish than the biggest bin in the world full up to the brim of all manner of horrid things. Without going into too much detail after I had been sick about ten million times I then spent hours on the toilet. My bottom is still a bit sore (For someone who says that he isn't going into too much detail...). I'm glad I'm not gay as I have sensitive bottom. I wondered then what else would be thrown at me after this double whammy. Would my sides split open and my intestines fall out? It wouldn't have surprised me dear readers.

The problem with food poisoning is that it isn't an illness you can enjoy. It's not like when you get a bad cold or a sore throat. Even though that's rubbish its still quite good to be off work. You get to lie on the sofa tucked up with a nice and warm duvet or blanket, watching films and TV, whilst your loved one essentially becomes your personal slave. And you also get to eat soup. I love soup. In fact I would go as far as to say that the more bad colds you have the better. Food poisoning, though, is a different barrage of bananas. There is no fun involved in it, it's just horrid. I lost lots of weight though which is an upside. Everyone said how it was just water and the weight wouldn't stay off. It has though so boo shucks to you know it alls. I am now a Slim Jim from Planet No Fat. (I havn't been ill for around a year I think. I could do with a bad cold in October I think. But not too bad that I have a sore throat and can't eat).

I think a tuna sandwich from Starbucks caused it. I have written them a stern letter. I hope I get lots of free vouchers (I did). I may not get any of their sandwiches again but I do love their Caramel Macchiato. They are a taste sensation and no mistaking. I couldn't give those up even though the company that makes them almost killed me. I did though read an article about how unethical Starbucks are the other day. Apparently all the coffee bean farmer dudes get paid about a penny for their coffee. I hope they do the right thing and treat these people well and perhaps pay them 2p as I really don't want to stop having those Macchiatos. I know big chains are evil and all that jazz, but nobody makes coffee like the Starbucks. People always go on about how terrible it is that local shops close to be replaced by the big corporate dudes. I agree, it's rubbish that every high street looks the same and big business rules. But (and this is important) if Joe's Caff had coffee as nice as Starbucks rather than Kenco Instant then Joe may still be in Barry Business. Think about that one Eco do-gooders. (Starbucks over here is cheap too, though I prefer Jambo Juice Smoothies these days).

Having said that I do avoid all Tesco Metros. If things carry on as they are the whole world will turn into a Tesco Metro. We will all be born with blue stripes on our faces and clubcards up our bottoms. I go to my local Costcutters instead. I think this is still a chain but I think it's a franchise so the fellas that run it still have their own business. I like the chaps that run our Costcutters. Last night Emma wanted some chocolate so I went to the shops to get some (how brilliant as a boyfriend am I? I even scrubbed the bathroom. You sisters didn't burn your bras for nothing). I also got a Mars milk for myself and some pick n' mix (I love Pick n' Mix). I also got The Observer as even though it was night time I wanted the music monthly supplement. This came to £4.20 but I had only taken £4 out with me. The friendly staff let me off the 20p and said to pay it when I was next there. They like me and the misses as we are locals (and unlike some of the locals we don't just come in for Special Brew). You would not be let off 20p at evil old Tesco Metro.

I was speaking to my friend James about Manchester. I was saying to him that its quite good these days as they have proper shops and nice restaurants too. James rightly said that this is rubbish as it makes Manchester just like everywhere else. Would The Smiths or The Stone Roses come out of a Manchester with a Selfridges? He was right. They existed because Manchester was a scummy dive full of poverty, evil and menace.

I had lunch from Pret today. I got a red apple. I always tell everyone that I only like Granny Smith green ones. I was telling porky pies. This wasn't on purpose as I honestly believed this but my red apple was bloody lovely. I think your tastes must change all the time. It's like olives, I love them these days. I could just eat them until they popped out of my nostrils. And I even like some vegetables these days. Emma does cook them in a nice way though. I don't like them done in a old fashioned style with them being boiled and plonked on your plate. Though I like carrots cooked in any style. And I love carrots raw dipped in humus. Yum. I asked Emma how she makes veg that I like and this is how she does it "Soften the onion and garlic in a pan (with a glug of olive oil) for a couple of mins, then add the other veg and cook for 5 mins. Once cooked (don't want it too go all soggy, you want them still be to crunchy) but in about a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and stir it up. that's the magic ingredient." Do it. Your veg will never be the same again.

Marc's Top 5 Veg

1. Carrots - lovely cooked or raw. And orange. Orange is one cool colour.
2. Spring Onions - Flippin' lovely.
3. Mange Tout - great shape and better than green beans that are too rubbery.
4. Broccoli - It looks like a miniature tree which I still find fascinating. I could look at Broccoli for hours.
5. Peppers - I like all colours but I think I like the yellow one the best.

Veg I reckon is rubbish top 2
1. Cabbage
2. Sprouts.

I would ban both of them. Though someone told me that Coleslaw is made out of cabbage! I never knew this but now I do I can't eat coleslaw anymore.

Why don't you put up your top five veg on the comments bit below. Say why you like that veg. Go on - it will be great for shits and giggles (On my old myspace blog I had at least four people leave comments about their favourite veg. I was happy with that at the time. If only I knew then that 17 months on I would have ten million comments on my blog from angry Robbie Williams fans. By the way I have changed my mind about Robbie Williams. He is actually very talented as an actor. I saw 'Dead Poets Society' the other day and he was brilliant).

I think I should stop my blog now as if its too long people skim read. And my bogs are too good for that. I'll finish by saying that the new Arcade Fire album was so worth the wait, and they are the best live band I have ever seen. They make me happy, and in a world full of food poisoning and brussel sprouts that is a good thing.

See ya - wouldn't wanna be ya.
marc x