tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13019771598770542092013-05-05T20:34:35.579+02:00Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.comBlogger336125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-57292350715933354722013-05-05T16:29:00.000+02:002013-05-05T16:30:33.559+02:002013-05-05T16:30:33.559+02:00

Yes, this was a long time coming, I know. Ahhhhh gateau...need I say anymore? As much a nice Victoria sponge is ideal with an afternoon cuppa, or cheesecake is perfect for that stolen midnight couch treat, I find there's nothing quite like a fresh cream cake (except maybe a cupcake!) to top off an already indulgent meal - palatable and thankfully, light enough to be stomachable.  Now, in

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-11819510696980530442013-05-02T20:53:00.000+02:002013-05-02T20:59:25.354+02:002013-05-02T20:59:25.354+02:00

So here I am, one day later one week later as promised expected... but I reckon it's all worked out for the best; had it been a cold, rainy or windy day, I guarantee you'd've thought I'd lost my mind - it is about taking a scenic walk along London's Southbank, give me some credit okay?! Southish London. I'm not overly familiar with it, no real reason to trek so far you see. If you draw a

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-38641591860961399542013-04-24T09:04:00.000+02:002013-04-24T10:35:57.892+02:002013-04-24T10:35:57.892+02:00

So now. Before I ended up marvelling at the marathon in a brief but eye-opening moment of enlightenment, the fundamental reason for my so bravely foraging into London on Sunday in the first place.  Alchemy at the Southbank Centre, I find out in hindsight, is now in it's fourth year running (almost at a close now though) - a celebration and summation of absolutely everything I love about

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-32622135483689254492013-04-23T18:43:00.003+02:002013-04-23T18:43:46.542+02:002013-04-23T18:43:46.542+02:00

Readership is on the up (aww, thank you guys!), inspiration is on a high and so (though available time is on an all time low - read zero) I think it's time for a little change up around here. Stay tuned.  x

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-18080373590119742852013-04-22T03:49:00.000+02:002013-04-23T18:23:19.358+02:002013-04-23T18:23:19.358+02:00

The snaking marathon could be clearly seen from the Southbank Centre... perhaps not so clearly in this picture though. That I've gotten to the rather ripe age of errr... 21 (shut up) now and never braved London on Marathon Sunday is something, as I realised yesterday, I'm not really proud of. And neither, I realised too, did "staying in" all those years pay off particularly. Don't get

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-58674043268053440102013-04-21T12:24:00.000+02:002013-04-21T12:24:17.100+02:002013-04-21T12:24:17.100+02:00

*... of food, of course. Right. I have one day off. And about 20 minutes to get my derrière showered, dressed, beautified (DON'T snigger, I heard that!) and out the door... so excuse the brevity and hastiness this post is quite clearly dripping of. BUT, be back tomorrow - 'til then, Happy Sunday. 1. Sunshine in the City at last. 2. Masala Chai - who needs to go to India

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-19469306676163929362013-04-20T22:14:00.000+02:002013-04-21T00:47:50.804+02:002013-04-21T00:47:50.804+02:00

Another week, another AWOL... and as you probably anticipated, another apology! Sowie with cream cheese icing and a cherry on top :(. Other than the same ol' "been there, heard those" excuses (y'know the ones I mean - work, university, exams, chores blahhhh....) I have few weapons for my self defence. BUT. LUCKILY. My stats have been telling some comforting secrets aaaaaand *wipes sweat

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-48098905036112216892013-04-13T12:51:00.000+02:002013-04-13T12:51:08.932+02:002013-04-13T12:51:08.932+02:00

It never fails to surprise me how often we tend to overlook the things that are sometimes closest to home - I don't think I've set foot in the British Museum for well over 10 years which is pretty alarming considering I'm probably within walking distance for more than half the entire week. One short visit though (a rather rushed high commission-museum-high commission sandwich) was enough

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-26938995601215297872013-04-12T20:46:00.000+02:002013-04-12T21:59:05.895+02:002013-04-12T21:59:05.895+02:00

If you live or work near the Barbican then you’ll probably know all about Whitecross Street Food Market - personally, it was something of a revelation a few summers ago... but it's come to be a bit of a go-to lately. It's fabulous, fresh and filling food for well under a fiver be it Thai, Mexican, Indian, Italian, Brazilian, Chinese or the traditional Friday fish & chips. Pie and mash, soups

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-58881176375116772522013-04-10T15:39:00.000+02:002013-04-10T15:39:07.003+02:002013-04-10T15:39:07.003+02:00

The half-mast has most certainly brought a sombre sense of retrospect to the City, be it good or bad. Indeed, the Metro managed to dedicate an entire 15 page spread to the Iron Lady yesterday so it's just as well I spent much of my day shuffling around on the tube - more on that tomorrow - with enough time (+ space, it was off-peak thankfully!) to catch up on the diversity of reactions.

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-9180425095667058352013-04-10T00:16:00.001+02:002013-04-10T01:39:52.537+02:002013-04-10T01:39:52.537+02:00

So. The other day. We rocked up at the cinema to watch Django Unchained. Only to find, of course, that we'd left it just a liiiiiitle too late (3 months, to be precise) and shows were really rather few and far between. Our options there and then - G.I. Joe, Spring Breakers, G.I. Joe 3D. A scratch of the head, a stroke of the chin & a quick read of some reviews... and G.I. Joe it was. I KNOW

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-52231092501473737192013-04-08T11:21:00.002+02:002013-04-08T11:30:20.835+02:002013-04-08T11:30:20.835+02:00

Seeing as the sun finally showed it's smiley face for pretty much the first time this year (yes, if you don't live in England, it is April but we still seem to be in the midst of an ice age), what better than a summery Spanish frittata to make the sunshine seem just that little bit warmer - I found sweet red peppers, red hot chilli flakes and golden fluffy potatoes did just the trick. Yum

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-54093242911498368172013-04-07T12:40:00.000+02:002013-04-07T12:40:02.733+02:002013-04-07T12:40:02.733+02:00

If you've ever been to The Grove, Watford, you'll know what I mean when I say it's possibly the closest thing to perfection in terms of a venue - huge stately mansion, a rolling green golf course, lush beige interiors, stunning light features and an exotic flower arrangement on every sparkling surface. Painstaking effort is put into delivering seamless service where no detail is

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-53218692111955394392013-04-02T10:58:00.000+02:002013-04-02T11:09:11.241+02:002013-04-02T11:09:11.241+02:00

As someone who's always had her birthday on a Bank Holiday (thankfully the date we celebrate Christmas doesn't vary year on year!), I've never really known what it is to spend a birthday in the flow of day to day routine. I've only ever had to work once on the 25th in my whole, entire life (unfortunately the big 21) but I know I've always thought myself lucky to be with friends and family and

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-69384732579290949742013-04-01T18:17:00.002+02:002013-04-01T23:26:00.813+02:002013-04-01T23:26:00.813+02:00

...and here it is, Easter Monday already, finale to the four days of feasting, transition from "Long weekend soon!" to "Ah well, at least we have a short week this week," complete. So how has everyone spent it - a) eating, b) lounging c) working d) holidaying, e) socialising? All bar 'd)' apply over here but if the fact that it's now 5pm and I've eaten two huge meals in my pyjamas is

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-87734349332162731282013-03-31T14:55:00.000+02:002013-03-31T14:57:31.985+02:002013-03-31T14:57:31.985+02:00

If there are any two times in the year intended for the sole purpose of families breaking bread together, it would have to be Christmas and the Easter weekend. Think about it - retail doors remain closed, so no Sunday food shop, no working teenagers & no retail therapy = uninterrupted family time.  My love for family breakfasts & brunches is definitely no secret - what I've found over time

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-15052697769593360652013-03-30T22:56:00.001+01:002013-03-30T22:56:23.309+01:002013-03-30T22:56:23.309+01:00

So what exactly is it that I 'pretend' to do in the City day in day out, I hear you ask. Well, you already know I job-hop like there's no tomorrow (described at my last work place as a job-market floozy!) but it seems I've finally found something I can live with - campaign coordination, fundraising & social media.  Here's some food for thought.  x

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-86289971466681240852013-03-29T21:29:00.000+01:002013-03-30T01:05:24.389+01:002013-03-30T01:05:24.389+01:00

If you've been reading here for a while (and kudos if you've stuck around, I do suffer from The Extreme Propensity to Waffle Syndrome), you'll remember how thrilled I was to be working at the YouGov offices in Old Street a few years ago. See, the thing is, though I've never really lived further than a 30 minute train journey into Central London, I've always been more the cyclical visitor (

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-999224305291484342013-03-29T01:04:00.000+01:002013-03-29T01:04:38.947+01:002013-03-29T01:04:38.947+01:00

I think it's safe to say that I miss India most of all around about this time of year (and perhaps early Autumn too... and during the monsoon... OH alright, I miss it all year round, okay); it's like an itch that can't be reached - I long to be there but with pending exams year in year out, it's impossible to get away. With the Easter Weekend now within a few hours reach officially kicked off (

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-44765930139610047672013-03-25T11:18:00.000+01:002013-03-25T11:21:23.536+01:002013-03-25T11:21:23.536+01:00

I'm sure you guys have no interest in yet another rant about this unexpected, really rather inconvenient 'freeze'. It has to be said though that the advantage of it being over the weekend is that there's time to step back and revel in the snow's serenity. No need for frantic 6am shovelling or emergency anti-freeze excavations (can you ever find it when you need it?!) Hot drinks,

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-24756027334641799162013-02-27T14:06:00.000+01:002013-02-27T14:07:40.195+01:002013-02-27T14:07:40.195+01:00

When I first suggested putting spuds in a sandwich my flatmate almost fell of her chair in surprise, and I had to laugh as I witnessed her expression go from disbelief to disgust to disbelief to horror to curiosity and finally? Yup, to disbelief again. Cucumber, jam, tuna, cheese, ham - these are the beloved English familiars... on what planet do potatoes make a packed lunch? And so

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-42676467477773293902013-02-26T23:56:00.001+01:002013-02-26T23:57:20.967+01:002013-02-26T23:57:20.967+01:00

Almost everyone who's seen it says Bond 23 is the worst of the lot. Faiiiiiiir enough, it doesn't have the best plot in the world but don't I recall some breath-taking action and cinematography? The opening car chase had me stumped in a jiffy. Well, just when I thought that couldn't be topped, off I was whisked to watch the latest of the Die Hard franchise. Now. I'm 23 - exactly one year

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-23988689128730562372013-02-11T17:00:00.000+01:002013-02-11T17:01:39.657+01:002013-02-11T17:01:39.657+01:00

One glance out of the window at the snowy scenery and I believe no justification is needed for my snuggling right back down under the duvet, tea and toast to hand (it is my last day off, go easy.) Truth be told, that's been the overriding story of my life for the past few months - bar work, university and a few dates here and there I couldn't afford to miss, I've avoided going out

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-52227092597998063582013-02-10T13:33:00.001+01:002013-02-10T13:45:46.100+01:002013-02-10T13:45:46.100+01:00

*can spaghetti really be anything else? Quick cooking without any compromise on the resulting flavour is probably every busy cook's dream. And all done in one pot too? Even better. I pinched this garlic spaghetti recipe from my mum, who, I can testify with absolute certainty never consults cookery books or shows. Nah. Sure Italy must have a million and one versions of garlicky herby

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1301977159877054209.post-32235852307420274452013-02-09T09:59:00.002+01:002013-02-09T10:01:01.916+01:002013-02-09T10:01:01.916+01:00

Life's about to change all over again - I'm moving home, starting over in a new place and best off all, got a new job - with a TV channel! Yaaaaaaaaay! *jumps up and jigs*. Aaaaaaanyway, going back to new starts, The Diary seems to be receiving more page hits by the day. Now, I'm hoping that's because more people are tuning in and not because it's so godd*mn boring readers fall asleep

Miss Rajhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12227986584143601250noreply@blogger.com0