Wednesday, July 25, 2012

An epic meal time?

My housemates and I have a tendency to get caught up in silly trends and fads.

The latest one on our radar was the YouTube show, "Epic Meal Time".  A show where outrageous food monstrosities are created, often with copious amounts of bacon and booze.

We were so enamoured with the outrageous antics of the guys on the show, we even succumbed to the powerful lure of merchandising.

We purchased the bacon flavoured spread they sell online.

It seemed like an excellent idea at the time.
However, like so many other ideas that seemed incredible at the time they were first thought up, this one turned out to be the disappointed that only bacon flavoured spread could be.

As funny as the purchase was, the bottle now lies untouched and unloved in the back of the fridge.  I am fairly certain it won't be leaving that spot for quite some time.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Unexpected kindness

I am constantly amazed by the kindness that friends can display.

I was just sitting around in the cold, minding my own business and thinking about making tea when I my housemates dropped a parcel on my lap that had arrived for me in the mail.

I wasn't expecting anything, so I wasn't certain if this was going to be my untimely end or a gigantic pile of bills.  Whatever it was, my sense of dread and fear was growing.

Instead I found presents!

Swedish styled presents sent all the way from France to Australia.  Everything themed with a moose.

The kindness shown to me definitely created an unexpected mix of feelings.  I was of course incredibly happy at the thoughtfulness of my dear friends to think of me enough to send me presents, but I also felt petty and small.  I thought about all the times I had complained or sulked over relatively meaningless things and then contrasted it to this act of generosity.

People who say that we shouldn't concern ourselves with little things in life are wrong.  The little things we do are often the finest things of all.  Hopefully I will use this as a reminder to do these things more myself.

Friday, July 06, 2012

Pisco

Farewells are tough.

For me they are a constant reminder of the limited time we have with those around us.  My time in Sydney seems to have been largely spent with people who are only in town for a short time.  I have not regretted the opportunity it has provided me to expand my understanding of the world, but the constant rotation of the social scene can get a bit tiring.

The most recent farewell was for friends I had met through my masters program, some Swiss people and someone from Peru.

The catering for the event was distinctly South American.  We had cheesy empanadas made by the Peruvian girl herself  as well as many bottles of pisco from her family property.
The pisco was something else.  Lethal and powerful, it is not something I can imagine myself ever turning into a habit.
The night began to hurtle out of control with the ample encouragement of the pisco, but in a good way.  Saying goodbye is always tough, so it's important to ensure that it isn't forgotten and that it's done properly.