Thursday 30 December 2010

chai....Mr Waitrose you are having a laugh!

Whilst mooching in Mr Waitrose's shop today, I spied this on the shelves in the tea and coffee isle. 
You may wonder why I felt compelled to take a pic?
A few years ago when Mum & I travelled in Northern India & Nepal, we had a couple of chai incidents.
After a few days in Delhi we travelled to Kathmandu where having been hit by extraordinary sights & incredible (ugh!) smells we decided that a little reminder of home was in order, tiffin of course.
Sitting on squashy sofa's in the foyer of a hotel we ordered "afternoon tea", a waiter brought a lovely silver (white metal) tea service, china cups & saucers, with a little plate of biscuits. Oh to have a lovely well brewed cuppa.
Some of you may already be giggling as you know what came next, however on pouring the longed for tea, it came out of the pot looking like watery coloured milk, which infact is what it was! My Mum just refused to try it, I did and it was vile! We were so disappointed.
Move back to India, Varanassi in fact, we had gone to the river ghats to watch the display put on for tourists, highly commercialised and not a patch on the small private ceremonies that we were fortunate to witness in Kathmandu. We were given seats on the roof of a shop, prime position!
As we waited for the spectacle to begin I looked down to the stall directly below, it was serving chai!
I was looking down into a huge saucepan that was boiling away with a frothy scum on the top, it was the most disgusting thing that I can remember seeing for a while and it made my stomach churn. 
If travelling in the Middle East/Sinai/North Africa do try the local tea, it is usually beautifully refreshing, however do not try chai it is disgusting & vile! I understand that the W brand will not be authentic and may be much better, but the memory was just too much.

Thursday 23 December 2010

Looking forward

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 Since this last bit of snow I have been waiting for Christmas to be over, I hate being trapped, I hate the dark and cold!
So I thought I would bring some sunshine to us all with some of my old photos of India & Nepal.
As you know, I usually show textural/architectural/pattern, this time feeling low as I scanned through I started to think that although we are "suffering" from some snow, our lives are not too bad compared to others who have nothing. This is not a bah humbug post, it is supposed to be colourful and hopeful.
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Do have a lovely time with your families, but roll on the New Year!
Lastly, I looked at this picture and thought, how amazing it is that not many people in the World will have seen this sight in person, the enormity of that thought makes me think how small our troubles can be in comparison to others.
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 Mount Everest
Himalayas
Nepal.

 

Tuesday 21 December 2010

beautiful mosaics


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From my stock of photos that I have taken this year, I thought that I would post some beautiful mosaics and paintings of religious figures. I love them for the history and works of art that they are, please take from them what you wish.
click on images to see detail.
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Taken in a variety of Churches/Mosques in Istanbul. Although every picture with a human figure or face is not Muslim as figurative forms do not appear in Islamic art, in Istanbul many of the buildings that were built as Mosques or Churches may have been recycled into the other, thus the buildings can be a mish mash of architectural style and art.
Green architecture from centuries ago!

Friday 17 December 2010

The Old Pill Factory–this week……


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Scandinavian Cool
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The window display is changed very regularly, I have hit the big time, my red and silver Ali Baba slipppers have made it to the window, the girls do a fantastic job, making the window enticing and changing is very important. It works as I came away with a lovely little Robin, which is now sitting on my Mum's mantle, and two old drawers!
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Mum's Witney wool hearts are selling well, having been relocated to a spot in the front of the shop.
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    We are used to seeing Babycham coupes, I think that these are much nicer with a Flamenco dancer,
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Oh yes my drawers! Two tatty old grey French (Michael will say "where's the rest of it?"), I couldn't leave them behind, I am intending to use them on my stall at future vintage & textile fairs.
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The lovely navy leather handbag nearly came home, but I don't use little handbags but for someone that does it is beautiful & a bargain.
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So much loveliness
The Old Pill Factory will close on Christmas Eve eve and re-open on the 2nd January 2011.