cheezy cheeky

freaking out some timid kids

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:47:00 +0000

My step brother bought me Homework for Christmas when I was 12. I loved 'Around The World', but I think I played it all the way through just once initially—those aggressive, squealing synth bits in 'Rock 'n' Roll' and 'Rollin' and Scratchin'' scared the living bejesus out of me. There's something wild and evil in those tracks. It was only when Discovery came out that I revisited it, and properly exorcised my fears. Since then its never left my CD wallet, iPod or DJ box, and I hope that right now Homework's freaking out some timid kids who like 'Get Lucky'.

Jack Savidge of Friendly Fires for Dazed about Daft Punk

we're up all night to get lucky

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:36:00 +0000

It's the 1st of May and, in Romania, that is Labour Day. In other words, PARTY TIME! And while most people spend the national holiday over BBQs and beers, in their gardens and in public parks and in even more picturesque natural settings, the cool kids got to the seaside. Today is the unofficial start of the season. That means few venues would wake up from their six month sleep, as the tourists are rare, the breeze can be chilling, and the water—freezing. That also means, however, that the highway to the seaside would be mostly empty, and so would the beach, bar a few... bars that'd already put out cool loungers and get muddling their mojitos as they prepare their venue for a party in the evening and chilled music plays softly, wafting in the breeze.

That empty highway, that empty beach would be the perfect setting for blasting this tune in the loop, the volume just high enough that one gets intoxicated and transfixed. I honestly didn't think about any of that for years, but now the perfect tune is here, and London is sunny, and I found myself listening to it in the loop, and dancing in the office (which is, essentially, why the boss should be able to close a door and save the employees from the embarrassing scene). And then I looked at my shoes startled, because suddenly they seemed bulky and hot and incongruous and my body, making the moves, remembered a different time. A time of free toes in the bright sand, tanning anew.

I can't say I got awfully excited when word came out of the new Daft Punk album release at some strange local fair in Australia (I believe). Was only a tad curious whether I'd still find them interesting, relevant, to my liking... Whether they still had it. And then the first video of the single got leaked to YouTube, as things go, and I listened to it once, between things, and didn't think much more than, yeah, it's in the same vein, if with less tooth to it than before. Until this morning, when the planets conspired for a perfect setting, and I felt like waking up from a long winter sleep.

I'll carry on listening among meetings and calls and all that necessary evil of running one's own shop, but I'm not really here today. I'm in a car flying towards the sea, on an empty highway in Romania, surrounded by green fields covered in poppies. I've kicked off my sandals, put a foot up on the chair in the co-pilot seat, and lit a cigarette. The windows are open, the wind messes my hair, and the Daft Punks are loud. Soon we'll reach the empty beach, seat on fluffy sofas, and sip a cool drink as our skins unfurl under the sun and our ears get used to mixing up the waves with the soundtrack again. As the sun prepares to set in a few hours, refreshed and relaxed, I'll step up to the decks and get the party going with my new summer anthem. Free toes muddling the sand until the sunrise come.

an april cherry tale

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 22:09:00 +0000

Blogging seems something of the past, and at the same time something aspirational these days. That said, here I am, with a tale of cherries past, and present. A few years back, in the hottest April I've ever experienced in these lands, I madly thought that our new raised beds/ troughs, aimed at creating some greenery and privacy about the terrace, should be inhabited by native species. So off I went ordering hedging plants in a shopping spree that turned epic before rendering any pleasantness. That said, it looked promising to get hazel, sloe bushes and native cherries. The blooms we'd have! The autumn foliage to come! The astronomical growth of these untamed creatures!

More than one thing went wrong back then, and since, among which no blooms the first year, and some feeble examples the second. On its third season leg, the adventure finally brought about, in the last weeks, some better sloe bush action that hopefully will lead to more than 250ml of homegrown homemade sloe gin this fall. But one never knows anything when it comes to gardens, yields, London weather and that wonderful metaphor, Mother Nature. So I'm choosing to focus on a small jig for making it to the other side of the rainiest year in centuries and the coldest winter in just as long perhaps, and being able to see sloe hedge blooms in the sun while at it.

Funny enough, while this business was slow to get going and the local garden center was forced to offer a 50% sale just to dig itself out of the worst year in documented garden center sales volumes, we splashed on a flowering cherry one snowy weekend and, behold, it paid. Not in discounts, which are still to be routed our way by the garden center's manager as the witch at the till wasn't favourable upon our visit, but in blooms that have started cracking and suggest the kind of prolific display we thought we'd get by default years back. Enter the not so native cherry, the ornamental cherry, the weeping style tree my height that most people would feature as a lawn centrepiece and we simply dumped on the side of the terrace.

The morale of the tale? The bloody native cherry is lining up its own blooms, for the first time ever! Competition is a wonderful thing. And more cheery cherriness might ensue in the next month on the terrace, as this last purchase wasn't my only attempt at fixing up the native hedge situation over the years. There's a fruting cherry tree in a pot, my height too, getting ready to go (yes, fingers crossed for cherries, it arrived with all of two fruits on it last year), and a less tall flowering almond fluffing up its pink buds as I write. I can only hope that I've diversified my portfolio enough for Mother Nature to still succeed at its elusive job.

email of the day: a whole new world of rental jargon

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:23:00 +0000

Dear Mrs Mirona,

We thank you for your mail dated 14 march 2013. Actually we do not dispose any goods that correspond to your search criteria. We will contact you as soon as we have a good that fits in your budget.

Yours faithfully,

lost count of london snow this winter. poidh, right? gif, too

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 02:24:00 +0000

I worked from home yesterday, which is an incredible development this year. Still in beta, and only some Mondays. As I went about my business with the regained, and scarifying focus that working on one's own can induce, I could've missed all those times the sky chucked snow at us, yet again. It has been a good winter for snow, by London standards, and thanks to the odd brewing of a coffee and stepping outside with my phone and a smoke, I stumbled upon sampling the latest exhibit. And it only took me one day to get you the proof (instead of going to bed) and, well, brag about things, really. I'm alive! I wrote a tiny blog post! I took photos! I made a GIF! I'm not completely out of touch with Internet fads! I saw snow! In London! Again! I worked from home! Again! My daffs are in bloom! Again! I won the Jacksons spring watch competition! Again! My crocuses are in bloom! Need I go on? Hope you're not snowed under wherever this finds you :)

ebay message of the day: oh my goodness!

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:35:00 +0000

Dear gorgeoux,

Oh my goodness, I am so sorry. I have not posted it. I am so very sorry. I will post it out to you today. I will send it first class. I am so very sorry.

ebay message of the day: a miniature whisky welsh rugby ball

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 21:19:00 +0000

Dear gorgeoux,

Thank you very much for your very kind comments, so glad you liked the Tea Pot. Glad to see it arrived earlier than anticipated, during the Olympics two of my parcels were opened as part of a security check, & naughty security damaged one, as it was a minature whisky Welsh rugby ball they removed all the whisky, this did annoy me as it was full when it left West Chiltington.

Best wishes & big thanks.

ebay message of the day: wait until you get to my age

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:37:00 +0000

Dear gorgeoux,

Forgot to say that I have taped the lid securely, my advice is to cut this tape with a sharp knife carefully. So sorry to worry so, you wait until you get to my age, when I wake up I just worry that I have woken up. Have a great weekend, looking forward to hearing from you when it finally arrives.

Kind regards,

ebay message of the day: sparkle so

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 21:40:00 +0000

Dear gorgeoux,

Thanks a million, do hope that you find the Pepper Pot, I do know there was one produced, as the other Salt Pot went to a lady that had the matching Pepper Pot, so do keep looking, reason, the Gold Lustre we had always made our Christmas Table sparkle so. Such a shame too old for all that now. Good hunting, and thank you so very much for your kind feed back this really is much appreciated.

Best wishes & lovely dealing with you,
especially as you like Royal Worcester GOLD LUSTRE.

why you should remember the milk, if you are like me

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:06:00 +0000

London is back to its senses tonight, 13 degrees. Balmy, and right what this time of year can and should be. Sure, it's 17 in Lisbon now, and 2 in Bucharest, but if London keeps its cool, it's the best of all worlds within reach. I had a small revelation tonight, with emphasis on small. Then again, not that small that it's not worth making a note for a less fortunate day. Chris and I got quite serious about forgetting the milk, just minutes ago. The way things progress in a small business of greater ambitions, the Monday was quite full and quite successful, so any decent humanoid will agree forgetting the milk doesn't make the cut. But then it does, because it's also in the nature of things, at this point in time, to be less satisfactory and slower than we'd like them. Had we remembered the milk, another tick, the smallest, on the imaginary list would have tipped the balance ever so satisfactorily towards a job well done. And that's why I baked a cake this weekend, against all odds. Why we cook and serve the majority of our meals better than a 9 to 5 paper carrier. Why the milk is generally not forgotten but picked up with ease and wit between two meetings. Why there is a time to grow our own berries, form bonsais, transplant moss into a pot from the bricks it colours, and top it all with the tiniest ceramic rabbit. Because when you have a discipline of getting things done, they get done across the board.

take two: autumn vine leaves

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 01:08:00 +0000

The few tomatoes that grew this summer came indoors in November, green. The garlic chives are still in bloom, rather than seed. The new tweedia plant has yet to open its seed pods. The tropical weed (an affectionate name for a great, if invasive creature) grew but a few inches. The olives are ripening or dying in various shapes and sizes, ungrown. The vine itself was barren. Its leaves, however, provided much cherished fall foliage interest for a couple of months. Something to rest one's weary eyes upon, away from everything that went wrong in the garden during not summer.

curioser, and curioser

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:30:00 +0000

It is one rare night in U.S. elections history that we won't be up seeing live how it all turns out. We have built contraptions in the last four years to keep an eye on that for the rest of the world to see, and that must suffice for now, as we go to bed to dream up more such beautiful machinery. Though when I tweeted about our work earlier this evening, the immediate result was... being followed by a cat, so I'm still pondering the deeper meaning of things. I made it through the cold today by extreme lagenlook, or layering (thick cotton top, shirt, jumper) and I'll be taking to my pillow surrounded by an army of that other beautiful English contraption, the water bottle. While at work I discovered that we have attempted to fix one particular rogue carpet for one year now and, at home, that my ear is extremely well trained to the disconcerting noise of a harvest mouse chewing up my garden. Among all London traffic. Vital skill. At least it's not chewing on my shoes. Or I haven't developed the hearing yet. With traps and poison ignored about the (picture perfect) house, and winter not coming fast enough to simply freeze the bugger, perhaps it's time I contact that Twitter cat. What would the President do to fight terror in the homeland?

the 1920s called. they wanted their hairstyle back

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 02:30:00 +0000

It's clear tonight, and rather freezing, the sky hung with more stars than you could see the other 364 days a year in Central London, the air heavy with smoke trails from the Fawkes night fireworks earlier. As they exploded, work carried on until midnight, in an ever chillier office, then moved home until 1 a.m., when it was put down more for sanity than other reasons. That, and filling a mouse hole with foam. Nice pilaf with chicken cooked by the resident chef followed, and a store bought jelly reduced to 10p from 1.42 pounds. Living the life :) This photo here is proof that one haircut of late was successful, if stinking of the start of last century. We discovered this summer that one side of the family is gleeful when provisioned with the surrogate communication provided by snapshots stolen between meetings, like this one. A little sleep is in order before we get back on the hamster wheel in a few hours. Of many useful things we learned today, only one comes to mind: there is affordable cabaret at The Savoy. Make a note, and bring the hairstyle.

and so it is

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 01:29:00 +0000

It is well past 1 a.m. in London, and the day has not been short of thrills. As I write a quiet, heavy fog cloaks the nearby buildings to the point of deleting them from one's eye, the breeze has stopped and it is relatively, if briefly dry. Cold enough to freeze my fingers, but let me not dwell on it too much. There has been a harvest of lemongrass earlier, as well as one of tarragon. Barren tomato plants have been put to sleep, and many a document and issue sorted. A mouse was chased with tongs to no success, and a long expected visite to the resident hairdresser ensued, with equally debatable success on the receiving party. Then bath was had in a rush, and rushed dinner in a diner. Family from faraway lands was seen and soothed, and the final episode of a certain period drama was watched. There are early signs of Christmas about the garden, and a question hangs as to where the bamboo pot will rest for the winter and beyond. Plans, extravagant and peaceful were discussed for New Year's Eve, but one must stay focused on tomorrow, and not let the bed bugs bite. The mouse just came back to feast on one's gladioli. It is a surreal life about, but thoroughly enjoyable.

little mysteries that make life worth living

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 22:55:00 +0000

I received this begonia plant this time last year, or so. Too late to put it outside and, if anyone had cared to ask what I think, quite a fussy creature to handle. I took it home nevertheless, and proceeded to pot it majestically, while having no hope for its life. I have no conservatory, so it lived for months and months in our dark and warm lounge, as I will not give in to the English tradition of freezing one's bones over winter. Or should I say conserving?

By the time I was reminded it might like to go out, it was summer already, if we can call that the wet season that's just ended. The plant is happy, growing, and as majestic as it gets. While showing no sign of blooms, which one would imagine equally impressive, it is by all means thriving, in a pot with no hole—a repurposed vase. Soon I'll have to take the monster back in, and ideally take cuttings, if I can be arsed.

But for now I'm enjoying its foliage, and will to live, while having no understanding why it's all going so well. And that is comforting, in strange ways.

the paralympic torch relay

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 01:06:00 +0000

We happened to attend a double meeting at Channel 4 this morning, cleverly booked, on their side, in a refurbished room with a known great vue of the spot where the Paralympic torch was going to change hands on the final leg of its relay towards the opening ceremony at the Olympic Park this evening. I won't be saying much about these games here, as I wasn't even aware of them until I volunteered for London 2012, and I find them, however endearing and noble, a telling quirk of the British culture that somehow became a successful export. But it was nice to have a better view of the torch, and much dryer than that of the small crowd gathered in front of the building. While getting work done.

silence is broken

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 23:41:00 +0000

Sundays, even if we're both here, we tend to do our thing, and often dive deep into wonderful work or home affairs that mean we forget to eat, among others. The food we cook on Sunday is lazy and comforting. After all the consciously healthy meals of the week, we enjoy a brunch as the main meal, or go to the farmers' market, get some bites, and save our tricks for dinner. Last Sunday Chris had about a perfect salad of sweet tomatoes and salty feta cheese, with good olive oil and brown rolls. It tasted like the essence of summer and je m'en fiche. And we met over it briefly, breaking bread and breaking the silence.

last monday at the proms

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 22:25:00 +0000

Perhaps the last bastion of BBC hospitality are The Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. It was Chris's second invite, and my first, and it came with a tour of the backstage, nice wine, inspired finger food (sashimi tuna covered in black sesame, anyone?), good company, a great view and the quality of live classical music that I don't enjoy nearly enough. Afterwards we paid a visit to the Imperial College courtyard and its boozy fountain, walked the quiet streets of Kensington, literally smelled the roses, bought amazing ayran and passable samosas in a corner shop, and took a bus ride home to listen to Ravel's Bolero on the terrace, louder than neighbours might like in the early hours of the morning. The kind of Monday or evening we rarely get these days, so cheers to the Beeb for having, and inspiring us!

blue hour tea

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 23:19:00 +0000

When blue hour settled in last evening, we were wet and cold and watching some Olympic gymnastics again, while pottering between the lower parts of the house and the laptops in front of us. Tea was in order, and we took it in the proper gold leaf china, to pamper ourselves a bit after a grey day of thunderstorms. Blue hour looks great in a tea cup, did you ever notice? And so that the funny face that milk painted on mine. Or was it a friendly ghost?

the secret urban garden

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 22:13:00 +0000

It rained today, with thunder and lightning and fury, as if it hadn't rained in centuries. It is in such moments that one looks back in time, and I didn't have to go farther than a week. When we set out for a walk last Saturday, it was with a destination in mind: a guerrilla garden in London that I had learned about 37 months ago, if Flickr is right. And that destination might explain why I was wearing a grapefruit mint in my purse... if you can piece the greater story together from all the clues so far. With that, I said all that words should convey, as the garden is secret, after all, and I will leave you with the pictures I was bringing back to mind as the heavens came upon us today with all their might.

the owl in my garden

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 22:47:00 +0000

There is an owl in my garden, small and quiet. If it says anything at night, I wouldn't know. And if it ever flies to a new home, I'd be rather surprised. It watches over the terrace, and the house, like a wannabe hawk, and I sleep better at night knowing all this.

There are two owls in my garden, in fact, but you'd have to be pretty good at spotting antiques and even better at reading into bokeh.

a summer gazpacho like never before

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:32:00 +0000

When summer came with such strength last week, I said to Chris, get some tomatoes at the market, the roasting type and plenty, so that I make us gazpacho. I made one last summer, too, the first one that came out incredibly brilliant, and I didn't follow any recipe. You have to develop a sense for these things, deconstruct them when you come upon a great version, ponder how you'll reach the desired richness, and then play.

This year I played at a lighter, more summery gazpacho, where the sweetness of the roast tomatoes is balanced by something as light and refreshing as cucumber, but fruitier: strawberries. The winning soup, chilling in the fridge as of last night, includes a number of recipients to scare away a gazpacho orthodox: ground almond, roast pumpkin seeds, and a sprinkle of this summer's oregano. A very pleasing concoction.

street photography day, and my take on it

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:35:00 +0000

Catching up with The Online Photographer last night, I learned it was street photography day today. Perhaps I knew about this initiative before, but didn't quite put it in the calendar. That has changed.

As far as I could tell this morning, I had all of five minutes to spare on my walk to work, so that had to do it. By the end of the day I also got to walk home in daylight, and catch a few more shots. London was at its best, and I didn't let the shortage of time put me down. You do what you can with what you have. And I'm pleased enough with the outcome that I uploaded my chosen ten shots to my better Flickr stream.

It's these little moments that make life worth living, and I hope you'll enjoy how I captured other people's lives today. And maybe, just maybe, it'll make you see more and capture more wonderful stories around you. The streets are alive!

a summer day in london town

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 22:23:00 +0000

If you're not a Sinatra aficionado, you might not know it was the fog of London town he praised, but you'd not be missing a trick guessing summer in London is somewhat a mythical animal. And yet it arrived, late August, in all its might, with 30+ degrees at noon and not the small movement of air, and still into 25 degrees at midnight, which saw us exchange the duvet for a mere sheet for the first time in I don't remember how long.

The biggest surprise, a tad brought upon me by the trip to Istanbul earlier this year, is that I'm so acclimatised I'm basically English. Everyone cheers my tanned arms, after the Olympics, but no one sees the blueish tint of my thighs, which in this part of the world, however natural, verges on unhealthy. So it was with equal surprise that such a newborn delicate flower proposed a walk in the sun on Saturday.

But a summer day in London town must be lived... in London town. And so we walked for miles, and chatted, and treated ourselves to a pint here and there, and enjoyed everyone else being out and enjoying the smashing weather. It went a little bit like this:

ebay message of the day: the animals are coming

noreply@blogger.com (gorgeoux) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:12:00 +0000

Hello, the animals were posted today by 1st class recorded delivery and should be with you shortly.