Living alternative worlds

We seem to be finding more and more ways to suspend our real lives and live in other ones.  Certainly television is an easy way to be somewhere else and then gaming has come right out of being just for sad geeks and into the mainstream.  TV and games can be absolutely immersive.  3D films and reality TV.  Games that look and feel like the game space.

Do we really not want to be living our own actual lives?

No, probably not.  Recession isn't much fun.  A lot of people are stuck in jobs that give them no meaning or satisfaction.  Or have all kinds of crap going on in their lives.

The rise of the appeal of zombies has been quite incredible.  From zombie walks through the centre of tows to zombie mall experiences where you can 'kill' zombies as part of a story to zombie 5K runs where you run away from a hoard of undead - we really don't want our actual reality!  So do we really want to be in an apocalyptical world?  Yes, it seems so.  All the minutiae would be gone.  Suddenly it's irrelevant the colour of your new toaster doesn't fit the theme of your kitchen.  That you put on two pounds in a day.  There are no endless traffic jams and commutes - there's you and your wits.  And meaning.

Can we not find a meaning in the real world?  Maybe not.

But clearly we would like to have one.

Failing to fail

This wasn't the exam today - know what it *is* for?

I occasionally do mystery shops and audits because, honestly, I love the subterfuge, the acting and imagining I am sort of a spy.  Once upon a time I did loads of these, needing the income, but now I just love doing them - seeing into all sorts on industries I wouldn't normally get to see behind the scenes.  I am so weird.

The audit scripts can be quite complex (several things you have do and or say at certain points, and much to note and observe to report later) and then you have to think yourself into the persona of someone actually doing this for real, so it comes across as believable and relaxed. 

Today I had an exam at a testing centre. 

Very strange experience, taking an exam that you haven't prepared for (obviously) and are told to fail. 

You would think it would be actually really easy to fail, but if there are multiple choice questions, you sort of need to work out the right answer so you can then put the wrong one. Otherwise if you do it randomly you might actually pass!

I had a workings sheet, and got the exam nerves, scribbling away, pen shaking a bit.  People around me all tapping on keyboards. Air con being loud. Timer reducing down and down, freaking me out!

All the time I am conscious of the camera above me and that this was actually CCTV that would be watched. My hair was a mess and I was performing to some random reviewing team.

To reward myself for getting through the exam (which makes no sense as I wasn't really taking it and I get a modest fee for performing the review) I take myself off for Eggs Royale (ham is not enough for me, I demand smoked salmon) and a latte. The waitress has made a heart with the foam, trying to communicate her attraction to me, as she's too shy to just ask me out.

I get this all the time. Hearts, extra straws, parking tickets. All these shy people lusting after me and demonstrating their love in their own personal way. 

The me of me

I have felt conflicted for some time as to have one or two twitter accounts.  I like twitter and I follow some loud and obnoxious people, who cheer my day.  But twitter is also a big networking, business place, and these two versions of me, they are just so separate.  

So my real me (the one who dresses as a zombie on occasion) twitter account continues on, and the one I created to interact with people who I don't want to think I am an OTT loon (which I am)... well I haven't used it in a long while.  Because it's a bit pedestrian and follows sensible companies.

I have decided to merge the two and just be me all over the place.

The same dilemma exists for blogging.  The reality is that I love a cocktail, undertaking spontaneous adventures and being an idiot.  I think I am now alright with future business associates knowing that.  If they want to research me and find out I am a bit interesting, I guess they can decide whether maybe too interesting.  But I also want to write about thoughtful and whimsical things - well, my 'out there' audience will just have to suck that up.

To being oneself - cheers!

Tasty?

A juicy steak tastes good.  A good quality vanilla ice cream.  Halloumi.  Chorizo.

A melted brie.

A cold beer after mowing the lawn.

Salt and pepper - I would contest - is not the 'ultimate taste'.

Level up

We already have to contend with the American ground floor being actually called the first floor.

Our ground floor is the ground floor.  I can just about allow it being called "0" in lifts, there's some sort of logic there.  Just stop calling it "L" for Lobby.  And this one makes me roll my eyes.

"R".

Obviously you'd know that meant "Riverside".

Cutlery dilemma

You're hosting a dinner party for eight people. They're all enthusing about the starter (of course). You take away the plates and then you have the dilemma. Do you ask them to hang onto their cutlery for the main - since there are no more knives and forks left in the entire house? Or is this a massive faux pas; do you bundle them up and hurriedly wash them all under a running tap, pretending you have 16 pairs of knives and forks in your house?

A dilemma I have gone either way on throughout my life. 

I can remember Pizza Express first popping up, it was glamorous and quite unlike the Pizza Huts and Pizzalands of the time.  I also remember my jaw dropping shock when I was asked to keep my cutlery after my garlic bread to use for my pizza. The garlic bread may have been flat and smooth and tasty and quite different to the one in Deep Pan Pizza, but they would never sink so low as to insinuate they'd under ordered utensils. 

Then you go to the continent and its quite common place. I am over my absolute horror and shock now, but I do find it a bit weird. If you change wines you get a new glass. I don't want bits of congealed starter contaminating my lovely main. 

I may be alone in the world in wondering why this practice happens. Ah well.

First world problems, huh.

PRINCE2 cocktail

Today I had my results through to say I passed the final PRINCE2 Practitioner exam.  It was a very intense learning experience, and my co-workers were so very underwhelmed that my lovely husband made me a PRINCE2 cocktail to celebrate.

I took an accelerated learning course, with Firebrand, and we did this usually five day course in three days.  It was insanely intense and when you weren't in the classroom you were eating or sleeping.  Really.  I bought myself a purty dress as a reward afterwards.

It was created with the following in mind:

• Mauve coloured like the brand (yes, yes, I know it looks a bit pink in the photo)
• Gin is the main alcohol as PRINCE2 is proud to be British
• The garnish is a lemon (for those who have been bitter at my investing in getting this qualification, hahaha) 
• Topped with a cherry (as it adds a cherry on top of a CV)

I know you want to recreate it, so here you go:

25ml blue curacao
25ml grenadine
35ml gin
100 ml milk
2 scoops of vanilla ice cream
3 cubes of ice

Whizz up in a blender and enjoy!  It's one of those cocktails that tastes as if there's hardly any alcohol... and then BOOM, next thing you know, you're trying to snog a lawnmower.