All Aboard for a Curry Culinary Adventure

Last night was great. We took a cooking class...
where we made Indian food
while drinking champagne, wine and beer
on a boat
with four of our friends.

...it just keeps getting better and better!

The class was called "Romantic Cook and Cruise Curry," and Aaron and I bought tickets to it a few weeks ago. We got an e-mail earlier this week saying there were still spots available for a discounted price so we rounded up our American friends and basically took over the ship. The boat was docked just outside of London and as we maneuvered through the canals we made a chicken curry from scratch.

We love Indian food but have never made it at home. It was easier than I thought, but a lot of work went into it! And we learned the hard way that chilies over heat can be a little overpowering... especially when six couples are cooking them and you are confined to a small space. But after lots of coughing and a few open windows later, we were all fine : )

Our curry was delicious and we even went home with a new Indian cookbook. I am also happy to report that Aaron and I made another curry dish from the cookbook tonight and it was just as delicious as on the boat (the only downside now being that our tiny kitchen smells like onion, garlic and ginger).

The class was really fun but the company was even better. Also, did I mention we were on a boat? : )

The Five Types of People You Don't Want to Meet on the Tube

I've been writing this post in my head for a while and have never put it down on paper... but since I've started commuting again, my love/hate relationship with the Underground is back. The phrase is "Mind the Gap," but it should be "Mind Your Manners."

So here it goes; some Tube etiquette so that when you come to London, you do not end up as one of these people. Here are the five people you do NOT want to be or meet on the Tube:

The PDA Pair - This speaks for itself. The dreaded "too much public display of affection" couple. There is a very clear line. A small kiss, hug or hand hold, is fine. Making out, obscenely groping or doing anything where other passengers have to ask themselves "can she get pregnant from that?," is not. You'd be surprised what you see...

An Inconsiderate Pole Sleeper - He's the one that thinks, "I'm so tired. Ugh, getting out of bed sucked. And although this tube is packed, I'm too impatient to wait for one where there are seats available so I can sleep. But not to worry, I'll make this tube into my personal sleeping carriage! I'll just lean my entire body on the pole that is smack dab in the middle of the carriage and crush the five other passengers hands who are also hanging onto it. I'm just so tired..." I'm tired of protruding my knuckle so you feel it in your back : )
I get it. We are all tired. But we also have to all hang on. Find another door, wall, window to lean on!

The Obnoxious Passenger - This one usually comes in the form of teenager or a really, really drunk person. They are loud or think they're really, really funny... spoiler alert, they're not.
My commuter horror story: I once had a 13-year-old human bark in my ear. Yes, bark.

A DP Commuter - Also known as the "dance party" commuter. That person minding their own business listening to music... but it's so loud that the entire carriage can also hear it too. Can you hear my annoyance through those headphones? How are you not deaf by now?! Your music is so loud!

Captain Invisible - This is the person that thinks: I am sitting in a seat and I notice that a pregnant, elderly, or someone who is unable to stand passenger has boarded the carriage, but... if I don't see them, they can't see me! So I'll just pretend to look at my phone, close my eyes, or be so engaged with something else that someone else will have to get up and give them their seat. And yes, I have perfectly-working legs but karma's not so bad..."
I don't care if you are in the middle of the most amazing game of candy crush or the tube is so crowded that you won't be able to read your newspaper, if a pregnant woman gets on board, you give her your seat!

Don't be one of those people!

And now, for the most jaw-dropping thing Aaron and I have ever seen on the tube... Middle of day, inside the tube, a crazy, wide-eyed pregnant woman is laughing and mumbling holding a beer in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. That cannot be allowed.

The British Versailles: Exploring Hampton Court Palace

2015 is the 500 year anniversary of Hampton Court Palace. It was built to be the finest palace in England, only 11 miles Southwest outside of London on the Thames River. It's been on my list of places I want to see, so today Aaron and I took advantage of a chilly but sunny day, and headed out to explore it.

Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York, was the original owner of Hampton Court. He only lived there for 15 years before passing it onto King Henry VIII. You probably know Henry VIII for his many, many wives and possibly for his influence on the destruction of the church of England during his reign. When Henry VIII gained control of Hampton Court, he wanted to make it into something that could rival Versailles, basically meaning he made everything in the palace and outside look rich, lavish and impressive.

We toured King Henry VIII's State Apartments, Chapel Royal, the kitchens and Great Hall and even saw his gold jeweled crown. William III and Mary II who reigned in the late 1600s also built on an extension to the palace so we toured through their private state apartments as well. Along the tours, we learned about Henry VIII and his wives, and William III and Mary II. We even caught a "reenactment" with a few actors along the way.

The grounds itself are incredibly beautiful and massive. On the property is the UK's oldest surviving hedge maze. We couldn't not go through it while we there and luckily the walls were taller than Aaron : ) The goal is to find the center of the maze which then leads to the exit. It wasn't as easy as we thought it would be, but we did make it out!

It was a beautiful place to explore and a palace that was certainly fit for a king and his many wives : )

Quick Trip Home

I took a quick trip home on Thursday... 3 days and 3 nights to be exact. Most people wouldn't travel cross country for that long, let alone cross continent.

It was a whirlwind and when I got back to London I was exhausted, but the weekend was so much fun. We were celebrating my best friend who's always been there for me and that made it all worth it.

So in the spirit of St Patrick's Day:

Best Friends are like four leaf clovers...
hard to find and lucky to have.

Hope you all drank lots of Guinness with your best friends yesterday!

Flag Football in the UK

Warning: this post has nothing to do with soccer. 

Aaron was missing American football so much that he has joined a UK flag football team! He now plays every Wednesday night with the Westminster Wildcats. His team is made up of a few Brits, a couple Americans and a New Zealander.

I haven't been out to see him play yet, but he's made quite an impression with interceptions and touchdowns. It helps being tall : ) but I also know that his knowledge, athleticism and familiarity with the game have been factors too.

Now I just need to make it to a game with my homemade posterboard sign that says "Bloody Brilliant Westminster Wildcats!"

A Girl's Night vs a Guy's Night

Aaron and I hang out with each other a LOT. Even when we go out with friends, we usually go together. We love spending time together but sometimes it is nice to have a night out with the girls, and for him, a night out with the boys.

On Thursday night, five girls and I went to see Mamma Mia! the musical. It was a big, cheesy production of crazy outfits, flirtatious interactions and lots and lots of singing. At the end, we all stood up and the crowd joined in for a round of "ohhh oh, Mamma Mia!" Add in a few bottles of wine and you've got yourself a girls night.

Meanwhile across the city, Aaron met up with two of his guy friends at a pub, and then headed over to play virtual golf. They played a round at "St Andrew's" on a golf simulator while enjoying a few pints and food. Then after they finished, they went back to a pub. Anything that involves sports and begins and ends at a pub is a guy's night.

Two very different experiences, but one very fun night. Sometimes you just need to do certain things with your girlfriends ...like singing Dancing Queen at the top of your lungs : )

Here I Go Again (Back to Work)

Monday was my first day back at EuroFinance. Yes, I'm back and doing the exact same thing that I was doing during my other two contracts with them : )

On my starting day for my first contract last year, I was really nervous. Even on my starting day for my second contract, I had a few nerves. This week has been a breeze! I was thrown in to start working for my next conference- Istanbul in April, and then the next one after that- Miami in May.

But before those conferences, I am helping out with a few local ones this week and next week. So yesterday I went onsite, and needless to say it was an eventful day. The delegates were all in session when all of a sudden the fire alarm went off. And no, it was not a drill!

We evacuated everybody safely outside, but it was freezing and really windy, so the hotel gave us fire blankets to keep warm. This is a photo of my coworker and I wrapped in our fire blanket with the fire truck visible in the background. After about 15 minutes, we were allowed back inside. The alarm had nothing to do with our conference. But it was still pretty exciting for my only second day back!