Chicken for Thanksgiving

In case you didn't know, it was Thanksgiving last Thursday. Embracing our American heritage, my family always enjoys celebrating it. The crispy roast potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, butternut squash with marshmallow topping (alas my mother refuses to put the marshmallow topping on now), jelly (yes, literally on the plate, all mixing in with the gravy), honey glazed carrots...oh, and turkey.

Except this year we didn't have turkey. 

We used to have a big box freezer, but after moving house and leaving that one behind, we got a normal shelfy kind. Unfortunately, the measly little shelves don't fit a twelve pound bird. Shame, I really like turkey.

At least we celebrated it on the right day though. A few years ago, I skipped to school merrily, and wished 'Happy Thanksgiving' to my friends with a grin that could put the tro-lo-lo-lo-lo guy to shame. (If you don't know who this beauty is, I've linked the sing along version of the song here.)

The next day, I trudged in and mumbled to my laughing friends that my mother (not I, just for the record) had got the date wrong, and subsequently we had celebrated Thanksgiving a week early. My mum had only realised when she phoned her mum in America to wish her a happy thanksgiving, only to hear laughing down the phone for the next fifteen minutes. She hasn't made that mistake again.

I love Thanksgiving. To be honest, I love food in general, which is why I am thankful for my friends and our dinner club.

I, along with a few of my friends, have had a little dinner club for the past year or so, eating various impressive dishes at each others houses. Last night we had another amazing meal of various types of pasta, garlic bread and homemade ice cream with hot fudge sauce. 

After eating, we have gotten up to quite a variety of things, including carving Mary (as in Jesus' mother) in butter, dying Richard's hair brown and going into hysterics when it came out ginger, and going on Omegle dressed with headscarves and sunglasses. Love you guys.

Oh, for the record, Children in Need went well. Children froze in terror as we swept past them with our capes billowing behind us. We definitely went all out, compared to some that dressed up. We literally studied the characters down to the last detail, which included the dark marks, and in my case, a winge. 

You may not be familiar with winges. Basically, they're clip on fringes. I wore a dark brown one as I was Narcissa Malfoy. For those who didn't know who I was, shame on you. Go read the Harry Potter books. Like now. Well after you finish reading this. You won't regret it.

It was pretty funny walking home dressed like Narcissa Malfoy though. You know when you usually are walking and as people drive past you, they quickly glance at you and then look forward and keep driving? 

People were not glancing. They weren't even staring. They were glancing at me, having a double take and then turning in their seat, straining to see the weird emo girl with the black fringe. Actually, the crazy weird emo girl, as I found this so funny I was laughing to myself as I walked home. 

On a parting note, I was in England recently with my dad. After we passed someone, briefly smiling, my dad told me that that was probably the last time we would ever be in contact with that person. Ever. Mind Blown.

Tea, Death Eaters and Clair De Lune

I love tea. You may have realised from the title of this blog. Tea, however amazing it may be, is not what I created this blog to write about all the time, although there will be frequent references, let me assure you.


My friends and I are dressing up as death eaters for Children in Need this year. You may think 'Meh, that's easy! All you need is a cape and you're done!'


Alas, I am friends with the thespians of the school. So when I say dress up, I don't mean just putting on a cape and smiling for a camera. I mean buying a wig, hand sewing a velvet cape, making an exact replica of the character's wand of whom you are portraying (Narcissa's Wand, in my case) and creating a secret Facebook group to discuss costume and make up ideas.


Although this may seem over the top to those of you who have purchased a costume to show as much flesh as possible, I would much rather it this way. Dressing up is MUCH more fun when you make passersby cross to the other side of the road in fear. 


On a different note (no pun intended) I have conquered Clair de Lune! If you do not know what the heck Clair de Lune is, please educate your uncultured mind and listen to it. There's a link at the end of this post. It's amazing. 


Coming from a family where classical music has always been playing in the house and car, my parents will probably be horrified for me to say that I do not enjoy alot of the classical music that I hear. I enjoy some, particularly those involving piano, as I play piano, but others as well. I think it is ignorant, however, to say you enjoy classical music and never express your dislike of a piece. I like pop and acoustic music, but I don't enjoy EVERY song that comes on the radio. Just because it's pop or acoustic, it doesn't mean I like it. (Dad, if you're reading this, this is directed at you.)


Rant over, I love playing piano. I started having lessons when I was around 8, after coming home from a friend's house and feeling determined to learn after hearing her play 'Mary had a little lamb' which she had learned in her first piano lesson. She quit about a month later. I persuaded my parents to buy a second hand little yamaha keyboard and a ragged looking beginners book. A month or so later, they hired a friend's 17 year old son to teach me. My style of learning definitely didn't suit his teaching style, however, as he made me play the same piece week after week until I had played it perfectly. I can still see the pages of the songs about snorkelers and astronauts. I think he gave up in the end with the perfection idea. He was probably just as sick of hearing the boring 5 note melody as I was.


5 teachers later, after many years of plodding through book after book, I have reached a point where I play piano for enjoyment, and although I am preparing for my grade 8 exam, I am loving the freedom of being able to play so many pieces that I have heard over the years and only dreamt of playing. 


I'm also a piano teacher now which I really enjoy. It definitely has its perks above other jobs; I choose the hours I work, good money, great little kids (mostly!) and a skill that I have been convinced by Debz, the careers counsellor in school (Ha!) that will look 'fab' on my CV. 


Tonight I made a list of ten random facts about me, my tea addiction being one of them...


1) I love the taste of Colgate toothpaste.

2) I wear sundresses all year round, whatever the weather.
3) I have a slight obsession with Taylor Swift.
4) I am the only person below the age of about 40 that I know that reads the news every day.
5) Once a llama spat in my face when I stroked its nose.
6) I have read the Harry Potter books through about 9 times and I am still in love with them.
7) My favourite word is mellifluous. Go on. Say it. See, you feel instantly happy. You're welcome.
8) I'm addicted to Twinings English Breakfast Tea.
9) I grew up in Nepal, live in Wales, have an American Mother and a British Father. I have no idea where I come from.
10) I love playing piano, especially pretty pieces like Clair De Lune. I know I mentioned it above, but it seriously is amazing. Listen to it, it'll make you happy. In fact, listen to it and say mellifluous as well. Bam. I should be a counsellor for depressed people.

I'll leave you with this to ponder over: If you ate yourself would you double in size or disappear completely?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIsQPdC9YnY&feature=related