There Are No Calories While Travelling! (Part 1)

Okay, this is a blatantly false title.  However, as I don’t count calories when I’m home, I found no reason to start while I was journeying around the UK.  Unfortunately, I didn’t start doing all of this while I was in Budapest.  I know that I got some wonderful lunches and dinners, I just forgot to document them in pretty much every way.  Though I did get one picture of a lovely rosemary chicken with fried potato slices.  Now I’m gonna warn you, this will be a long one.   I will never skimp on a post about food.  And while this started off as one veeerrrrrrrrrrry long post, I’ve decided to split this between Cardiff and Bath.  So…you’re welcome.

Nando’s on Mermaid Quay

I was walking around Cardiff Bay (basically fangirling over Doctor Who stuff) and found this Nando’s facing the water.  I realized later I actually had a great view of the Doctor Who Experience as I ate (squeeeeeeee!!).  Since I didn’t figure that out until later, I focused on planning what I would do the following day (well...that and eating).  For the most part, I stopped at Nando’s because I remembered a Buzzfeed article about this uniquely British restaurant.

The Food: Butterfly Chicken; Medium heat Peri-Peri sauce; corn; chips (French fries)

The chicken of this South African-Portuguese fusion experience was juicy and well-prepared.  The peri-peri was initially a little underwhelming, but created a slight burn after a few seconds.  I added a (super small) dollop of the hot sauce.  Using only a touch of sauce on each bite was like being slapped in the mouth with a torch.  It was wonderful.   The corn was fire-grilled to perfection.  While there were some strings still attached, for me this only meant they used fresh ingredients instead of frozen.  The chips weren’t as crispy as I would have liked.  However, I didn’t specify, so for most people they would have been perfect.  In fact, for my grandmother, they would have been too crispy.

The Service:

As someone new to Nando’s, I was a little uncertain of the social norms.  So I’m not sure if this is the practice of all Nando’s, but I needed to go to the cashier to order.  This left me a little nervous because the restaurant is pretty much open to the public, so I took most of my things with me.  The ordering system felt a little like a Dairy Queen, where you order at the front, but the food gets delivered to your table.  The sodas were on tap for the customer, and unlike a fast food place they gave their customers actual glasses.  I didn’t know at first I was responsible for getting my own sauces and cutlery.  I'm a smart girl though (sometimes), so I caught on pretty quick.  The food was brought to me, but with rice instead of corn.  Frankly I can’t remember if I accidently said rice, but the waitress quickly brought me some corn.  I also had at least two people check on me throughout my meal.  When it came time to leave, I wasn’t sure what to do about tipping.  Looking at two other tables, I saw that no tip was left.  As an American I felt like a massive jerk for not leaving a tip, but I followed the social cues as I saw them.

The Price:

It was all a bit pricy.  All told, my meal came to £13.00.  This included my “bottomless” Coke (a luxury I didn’t expect).  However, the combination of taste and atmosphere was well worth it.  This Afro-Portuguese fusion restaurant (which I’m told is a favorite of Niall Horan of One Direction…it’s a British boy band) is definitely on my list of “Will Go Again.”

The Rating: 8 of 10

Missoula on St. Mary St

Frankly, I chose this restaurant based on location.  It was literally right next to my hotel.   I was planning to go to one of the restaurants in the vicinity, and this was just the first one to catch my eye.

The Food: Fish & Chips; Peas

I knew I couldn’t leave the UK without having fish & chips at least once.  The battered cod was flakey and perfectly crisp.  Their tartar sauce was tangy with more of a relish taste than I’m used to.  This complemented the cod perfectly.  The chips were hot and fresh.  I once again forgot to ask for them extra crispy, but I’ve never turned down a fried potato in this lifetime.  The peas were unexpected (I’m sure they were on the menu, but let’s face it, I was blinded by the main attraction), and not necessarily something I would have chosen if left to my own devices.  At first I thought there was something off about them.  Then I realized I’m just not used to fresh peas!  Generally I’ve only encountered these legumes as mushy green-brown pulps from a can.  These were plump and full of flavor.  While I didn’t finish them, I blame this on the fact that I filled up on fish & chips.  Plus, I  don’t think my body would know what to do with the sudden influx of a food that’s technically good for me.  As you might see, I also had a Guiness with my meal.  Sure, it's technically an Irish beer, but it's one I like.  This is a little confusing to most people I know, because I generally dislike beer; people in general dislike Guiness the first tie; and I loved it the first time I tried it!  Either way...beer must go with fish & chips.

The Dessert:

I was regrettably unable to get any dessert.  I only mention it because I need you all to feel the tragedy of my dinner.  My first choice was the “Salted Caramel Chocolate Slice,” which offered “layers of chocolate truffle and salted caramel on a chocolaty biscuit base, served with salted caramel sauce and ice cream.”  When I was told they were sold out, I tried to assuage my heart break by ordering the “Cookie Cup Explosion.”  This one seemed like a S’more’s wet dream with its “cookie cup filled with chocolate brownie, marshmallow, and chocolate honeycomb and served with ice cream.”  Alas, this was also denied to me.  While the “Chocolate Fudge Cake” and “Blueberry Pancakes” were both available, my tastebuds were clamoring for one (possibly both) of the first choices.  [Please note, those dessert descriptions were direct quotes from the menu.  I believe that should be a testament to how seriously my soul was wounded by this denial of sweets.]

The Service:

It was pretty slow when I went, so while I wasn't expecting to be waited on hand and foot, I did expect a bit more attention.  Once again, I went to the bar to order.  I didn't feel as nervous about leaving my things at my table this time, as it was an open floor plan and the other two groups in there were nowhere near me.  The two young men who co-served me were nice, and the guy who delivered my meal was kind enough to make a run for more tartar sauce.  The bartender was pleasant and empathized with my dessert disaster.  Overall, I think it's a different experience with service overseas versus in the US.  Everyone's pretty nice, but they're not going to do cartwheels in hopes of a good tip.

The Price:

The prices here were surprisingly low for a restaurant situated smack in the middle of the city center.  My fish and chips - along with my absolutely necessary pint of Guiness - only cost £8.55.  The desserts were £4.45, and what made my above story more terrible was that (had they been available) I could have gotten both desserts together at that £4.45 price.  Sure, I likely would have horrified the wait staff with my overwhelming appetite, but those things looked delicious…and I always appreciate a bargain!  Once again, I was unsure of the tipping policy, but this time I decided to leave some money for whoever cleared my table.

The Rating: 9 of 10

The Royal Hotel Cardiff

Okay, I know what you’re thinking, but no I’m not doing this backwards.  I just caught a small breakfast the first day and decided to have my “Full English Breakfast” before my travels to Bath.  I wanted to try the breakfast at my hotel both because I wanted the experience, and because it fit well with the schedule I needed to hold to.

 

The Food: Full English Breakfast + Continental Breakfast

I’m splitting this up between the two breakfasts, because the FBE was cooked to order, while the CB was normal hotel fare.  The FBE came with bacon, eggs, and a tomato sliced in half and covered with ground pepper.  The bacon was a typical UK bacon, which is thicker than what people in the US are used to.  I knew to expect this from previous trips to the UK.  What I didn’t expect was to find my thick-cut bacon crispy.  As I love my bacon that way, this was an altogether pleasant surprise.  My eggs were a little runnier than I would have liked, but their overall taste was good.  My tomato was pretty fresh.  I believe it was baked, so I had the rare experience of a hot tomato.  As someone who enjoys combining the food on her plate, the overall combination of these three was delicious.  The salt of the bacon enhanced the eggs, while the acidic tang of the tomato gave both eggs and bacon a slightly sweet spice.

The continental breakfast was part of the package when I ordered my FBE.  So I got some tea (it is the UK after all) and apple juice, some fruit, and a piece of toast with honey.  The drinks and fruit were as expected, nothing especially wonderful or awful about them.  However, I will applaud the Royal’s use of fair-trade teas for their guests.  As for the honey, it was absolutely delightful.  It had that perfect taste of clover, like Spring dancing on my tongue.  I was a little surprised they used store-bought honey, only because they had signs everywhere highlighting heir rooftop beehive (in 6B in case you were wondering).  They also had honey-based shower gel and shampoo, but I forgot to check if that was locally sourced or not.  I’m guessing if they didn’t use their own honey, it’s something to do with their health codes or something to that effect.

The Service:

The servers were pretty aloof, so I didn't feel too bad about not having some extra cash on hand for tips.  I think part of their attitude stemmed from the fact that I came in toward the end of breakfast time, so they were all ready to stop serving.  Once again, they were nice enough and answered questions if I had them, but my American brain wasn't quite awake enough to deal with aloof.

The Price:

My full breakfast came with an equally full price.  The total meal was £11.50.  I would assume that is in part because a guest can choose more from the FBE menu than I did.  The fact that the continental breakfast was a buffet (from which I never get the full value) should also be taken into account.  Really, the full breakfast was only £1.60 more to get the bacon, eggs, and tomato.  Like most buffets, I think they raise the price a bit to offset the people who (unlike me) try to “get their money’s worth”…and then some.

The Rating: 7 of 10

As you can see, I kept myself pretty well fed as I walked around Cardiff.  And when I say “walked,” I mean I averaged 8 miles a day (so sayeth the Fitbit).  For someone in an office job, I can tell you my feet were KILLING me by the time I came home.  But even taking all of the awesome food I’ve detailed above out of consideration, I wouldn’t trade my experience for all the foot rubs in the world!  Now, I don’t want anyone to think I was overly frivolous whilst traveling.  I did have a few cheap, on-the-go, meals and snacks to keep me going as well.  Next I'll detail some of my meals in Bath…and I’ll hopefully have that up in the next couple of days.

Until then, stay happy, and eat well!

Can Bubblegum Crap Kill?

The short answer is no...but I was reminded today why I don't often listen to pop music--or what my dad always referred to as "Bubblegum Crap" (hence the title).  This morning I flipped the station to avoid ads, as I'm wont to do.  This time, it caused me to subject myself to two awful songs.  Now, you may be asking "why didn't you change the channel in the middle of the first song?"  This is a valid question.  Frankly, I did it for this blog.  But, hey, let's call it a social experiment to see what kids are listening to these days.

So first up was Carly Rae Jepsen's I Really Like You.  Now, I will give it to this girl that she sings incredibly catchy songs.  I'll probably catch myself humming this one later in the day, much as I did with Call Me Maybe.  Her two top hits have something else in common though: they both have terrible lyrics.  I seriously can't understand how something that repeats the word "really" 66 times (67 if you count the one in the first line) can become popular.  Not only that, but she asks "do you want me, do you want me too?" twice in each chorus.  That first "do you want me" is already superfluous.  Why does she need to ask that double question twice in each chorus?! Then again, the people who listen to this stuff will likely also tell you that Justin Beiber's Baby is a lyrical masterpiece. 

Now, I also watched the music video to see how this song was portrayed.  While I enjoyed watching Tom Hanks lip sync and generally go about his happy way, I found the video entirely misleading.  It makes it seem like this song is about being a happy-go-lucky person who enjoys greeting the day with a smile upon one's face.  The song is about sex.  No, no, we shan't sugar coat it.  It's about a girl who's being led upstairs even though “It’s way too soon, I know this isn’t love.”  So why is Tom Hanks in this music video?  Why is he singing along to these (awful) lyrics and greeting people in the street?  Is it meant to distract the viewer/listener from really (really, really, really, really, really) hearing what's going on?  Whatever the reason, I'm baffled as to why Mr. Hanks wanted to do this video.  He can't possibly need the money (though the dancing crowd scene at the end did look like fun).

Overall, I give this song 3 out of 10.  And the 3 is only because I can't get the damnable thing out of my head.  The lyrics are here if you feel like going crazy (just don't call me maybe).

While I hoped the next song would be better, it was so much worse than I could have expected.  Next up was Hey Mama by David Guetta, featuring Nicki Minaj and Afrojack.  It was a struggle getting through this one.  But I did it for science!  I thought it would be okay at first, because they were using a piece from an older artist at the beginning, and I was enjoying the island rhythms.  And then Nicki began singing.  For this one, I wish to address each stanza individually. 

Yes I'll be your woman

Yes I'll be your baby

Yes I'll be whatever, just tell me when you're ready

Yes I'll be your girl, forever your lady

You ain't gotta worry, I'm down for you baby

When I heard this first stanza, my main sticking point was the line: "Yes, I'll be whatever, just tell me when you're ready."  This line is basically telling us that this woman thinks she only has an identity based upon what her 'baby' needs.  While I get that some people might argue she's only proclaiming her devotion for her man, the fact that it's on his terms (just tell me when you're ready) is disconcerting.  But let's move on to the Pre-Chorus...

 .

Best believe that, when you need that

I'll provide that, you will always have it

I'll be on deck, keep it in check

When you need that, I'ma let you have it

So this pre-chorus is our first indication this woman is willing to act as her man's slave.  She's there at his beck and call (when you need that, I'll provide that).  And even if you assume that the "it" she's referring to is a slew of objects--drinks, food, remotes, etc.--that's still basically acting as his fetch-girl.  It becomes worse if we interpret "it" as her body.  You may think I'm overreaching here and only trying to become offended...but what else is she keeping "in check" for him?  Every time this chorus came on I was picturing a girl assuming the position, just waiting for her man to "tell [her] when [he's] ready."

You play my drum like, dum di di dey

I love the dirty rhythm you play

I wanna hear you calling my name

Like, hey mama, mama, mama, hey mama, mama

Beating the drum like, dum di di dey

I know you want it in the worst way

I wanna hear you calling my name

Like, hey mama, mama, mama, hey mama, mama

For the main chorus here, I only have one major problem: she has no name.  She responds to "hey mama," which is how I used to call our cat in for food when I was a kid.  Now, I'm not saying this is the first song to dehumanize a woman...I'm just saying a) it needs to stop, and b) it's made so much worse by the rest of the song, which is highlighted in the next (and possibly worst) stanza...

Yes I'll do the cooking

Yes I'll do the cleaning

Plus I keep the na-na real sweet for your eating

Yes you be the boss, yes I be respecting

Whatever that you tell me cause it's game that you be spitting

Perhaps you believed I was being overly sensitive with the first three stanzas.  But if you don't see where this is offensive, you need to take a step back and look at your life.  First of all, I had to hear about Meghan Trainor's stupid Dear Future Husband ad nauseum for weeks.  While I agree with those that found that song offensive and said it perpetuated gender stereotypes, I must ask why I haven't heard any controversy over this song?  Perhaps I'm just the first out of the gate, but I wonder if it's because Nicki Minaj is singing about keeping her "na-na real sweet" (and for some reason I don't believe she's talking about that yellow fruit that's high in potassium) instead of Trainor that things haven't hit the controversy wheel.  I've seen several articles (mostly Buzzfeed) that talk about what a feminist Nickie Minaj is (though I've seen interviews where she won't refer to herself by that label), and I've even applauded some of her quotes.  However, I think that makes this song all the worse.  Minaj is saying one thing in her real-life interviews, but telling young men and women that "yes you be the boss, yes I be respecting."  That's completely the opposite from the strong-minded and forceful young woman I've seen in the media.  How can she sing about doing "whatever that you tell me" when that doesn't seem like something she'd do in real life?  How is this a good example for her listeners of both genders? 

Whole crew got the juice

Your d**k game the truth

My screams is the proof

Them other dudes get the deuce

I might speed in the coupe

Leaving this interview

It ain't nothin' new

Now, while I will never object to a woman enjoying herself in the bedroom, I have a problem with the second half of this stanza: "I might speed in the coupe, Leaving this interview, It ain't nothin' new."  While this might be my overactive imagination at play, all I can see is Minaj in the middle of an interview when her phone rings.  Seeing it's her "Baby," she immediately picks up despite the cameras rolling.  After listening for a few minutes--never uttering a sound--she hangs up the phone.  "I'm sorry," she says to the flabbergasted interviewer, "I've got to go.  My baby needs me in his bed right now."  Then she speeds away in her coupe, ready for whatever he has planned.

Don't go missing, baby

I know just what you need

When you give me that word

I'll be good, I'll be bad for my baby

Of course she doesn't want to lose her baby.  So she'll do whatever he asks just so she'll never have that dreaded conversation with her friends and family.  "He left you?  Why?  What did (didn't) you do?!"  Obviously a lot of the points from the last stanza stand here as well.  Add to that she's basically saying "it's better to be a doormat than single," and you may see where I'm having difficulty.

Make sure that he's getting his shit

Make sure that his baby takes care

Make sure mama, down on her knees

Keep him, please him, bottom down

Be the lady and a freak

And here is the piece de resistance.  In case the other lyrics were too subtle, this one lays it all out.  She's literally telling the audience that her man's needs go far above her own.  That she is literally subservient to him "down on her knees" acting in whatever capacity he sees fit.  She is to be "the lady and a freak," which is just another version of the "virgin and whore" or "Madonna and Magdalene" to which every woman is apparently supposed to aspire.  That's right, ladies, don't worry about your wants or needs; that's what you have a man for!  (le dramatic sign)

While I know that Minaj didn't write this song herself, as a successful artist she is able to pick and choose her projects  In this case I believe she chose poorly.  I wish I could say the critics agree with me, but according to this website, several news sources were praising the single.  Only one of the critics on that site had a negative comment, and it only said that the song was boring.  Another critic praised the single, but briefly touched on the gender themes saying: "It’s hot, even if the gender role enforcement is a little…err"

I think 'cringe-worthy' would work better in place of 'err.'  After all this, I've decided to give this one 2 out of 10.  While I still enjoyed the instrumentals and the beat, I just couldn't get past the horribly misogyny (especially when perpetuated by such an opinionated woman).  Plus Carly Rae's single is still bouncing around in my head, so it wins the 'ear worm' category

Now, I'll accept any differing opinions in the comments, just keep it respectful.  Trolls will be ignored (or sacrificed to ogres).  Have a nice day with better music :)

tl;dr
No, but Carly Rae Jepsen's I Really Like You and David Guetta/Nicki Minaj/Afrojack'sHey Mama (and pop music like that) might make me wish to self-induce a coma.