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Posted on May 9, 2011 by 
I don’t know about you but summer evokes special memories for me. Taste, sound, and smell all mingle to bring about the most treasured times of my life. One of the best things I remember about summer is having a nice meal outside – with several fresh and sweet cobs of corn. Now isn’t that just wonderful?
But if you like corn as much as I do, you would know that nothing sucks more than corn on the cob that tastes stale. So where do you get the freshest corn for that nice summer picnic? The people over at The Guardian apparently have the same taste – they recently featured the best ways by which we could get corn on the cob:
PYO farms are an excellent source of super-fresh cobs (go to pickyourown.org). Corn is coming into season now and should be available until late September. If you pick more than you need, cut off the kernels, blanch briefly in boiling water and freeze. Don’t add salt when boiling, though, because it toughens the kernels.
British-grown organic corn on the cob, from areas such as Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, is available through nationwide organic box providers including Riverford (riverford.co.uk) and Abel & Cole (abelandcole.co.uk).
But that is not all of it – they also give tips on how to find the best corn in markets and shops. If I were you, I’d read up on this a bit more and serve only the best corn in your next summer bash.
Photo courtesy of shannonpatrick17
Any self-respecting music lover would know at least a teeny bit about Pink Floyd. If I were to describe Pink Floyd in one word, I would say psychedelic and I am sure that many people would agree with me. This English rock band is in fact, an icon in the music world. Their music continues to span generations.
So where does Pink Floyd come from? In the 1960s, Syd Barrett and a couple of other guys got together to play music. They got their name from two blues musicians – Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. Though Syd Barrett was the lead man for a while, his erratic behavior led to his decline and departure from the band in 1968. It was also after his departure that the band started to experiment with other sounds, leading to the emergence of Roger Waters as the front man of the band. It was during his time that the phenomenal album The Wall was created.
Waters left the band in 1985, leaving David Gilmour as the lead member. Today, what is left of the band is more of solo acts. Despite the fact that a lot of the original members left the band, Pink Floyd remains influential in many people’s music preferences. From modern day musicians to people who merely appreciate music, Pink Floyd definitely holds a special place in their hearts.
We all hear these terms a lot but which means which? Can we interchange the names or do they refer to something specific? The truth is, they each refer to something specific although even the British may not all be aware of that.
Great Britain refers to the largest island in the whole of Europe. When you say Great Britain you use it to mean three countries. That is, England, Scotland, and Wales. Other small adjacent islands are included except for the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. When did this term come into being? It was actually during the reign of King James VI of Scotland (also known as King James I of England), when England and Scotland became one kingdom. This union didn’t mean that only one government managed the two countries. It was basically having one crown recognized as the head of two separate states.
When you say United Kingdom, you are referring to Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In fact, British passports now say “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.” This term came into use in 1922.
The third term, the British Isles, is quite different from the other two in that is of a geographical nature and not political. When you hear someone talk about the British Isles, he probably means this group of islands:
Great Britain, the whole of Ireland, the Orkney and Shetland Islands, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Isle of Wight, the Scilly Islands, Lundy Island, the Channel Islands and many other smaller islands
Want to have children? Have you been trying for years to no avail? Then I suggest that you head on over to Dorset in southern England. Just outside the village of Cerne Abbas, you will find a legendary chalk figure – The Cerne Abbas Giant. It is also called the Rude Man or the Rude Giant due to its exposed phallus.
So why should you visit the Giant if you want to have children? Legend has it that if a childless couple made love (on a certain part of the giant), they would soon have children. Another legend says that if a woman walked around the figure three times, she would keep her lover faithful to her. Oh, just make sure you’re fit enough to do three rounds – this giant is not called a giant for nothing!
The Cerne Abbas Giant’s is thought to be created way back in Ancient times. However, its history has only been traced to the late 17th century. Wikipedia presents one version of its origins:
Some believe that the giant was carved during the English Civil War by servants of the Lord of the Manor, Denzil Holles, and was intended as a parody of Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell was sometimes mockingly referred to as “England’s Hercules” by his enemies. The Hercules connection is strengthened by the recent discovery of an obliterated line perhaps representing an animal skin (see below). The suggestion that the figure is Hercules was first made in 1764 by William Stukeley.
Whoever the Giant may really be, the fact remains that it is one of the more popular sights in that part of England.
Most people know Clive Staples Lewis because of The Chronicles of Narnia, one of the greatest (if not the greatest) series of children’s books. If you pay any attention to the movies, you would know that two of the books in this series have been made into movies recently.
C.S. Lewis is much more than a children’s book writer, though. In fact, his work spans a lot of topics and interests. From medieval literature to Christian apologetics to literary criticism – Lewis has touched upon all these. So who is C.S. Lewis and why are we writing about him in the English Blog?
He was born on November 29 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was a close friend of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the classic Lord of the Rings. Like Tolkien, Lewis was one of the most known figures in the English department of Oxford during their time. Lewis was born and baptised into the Church of Ireland but digressed from his faith as an adult. It was only till he was 30, due to the influence of friends –Tolkien among them – that he came back to his faith. Since then, his works have become known all over the world.
Aside from The Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis is known for his works such as:
-The Pilgrim’s Regress
-Mere Christianity
-The Screwtape Letters
-The Abolition of Man
These are only among of my favorites. If you have not experienced the work of C.S. Lewis, I suggest that you start now. You just might find what you are looking for. You can rent textbooks on CS Lewis at Bookrenter.com.
Long rambling walks in the countryside, the unmistakable scent of fresh air, the peacefulness that one finds only outside of the city – these things and more are what you can expect from a visit to Cumbria. Cumbria is a shire county in Northwest England and is predominantly rural. It is actually considered to be one of the most beautiful places in the whole country.
Being predominantly rural, the Cumbria area is one of the best places – if not the best – to go walking in England. If going on leisurely walks is your idea of relaxation, then Cumbria should definitely be on your list of places to visit.
The two main footpaths in this area are the Cumbrian Way and the Dales Way. If you take the former route, you will start by the sea side and head on northward to experience some of the most spectacular sceneries. The latter route will take you west into Yorkshire. Either way, you will have a one of a kind walking experience.
Of course, there are other options for those who are not “heavy duty walkers.” There are countless other footpaths wherein you can take more leisurely and shorter walks. Cumbria Calling lists down some of them:
• Buttermere – a two hour walk takes you all the way round this lovely lake
• Derwent Water Ferry – take the Derwent ferry from Keswick to Hawes End. Walk to Lodore Falls and take the ferry back to Keswick
• Stiffer than a stroll, but possible without being a mountaineer is to climb Skiddaw from Keswick.
• Ullswater ferry and walk. Take ferry from Glenridding pier to Howtown. It is then a three hour walk back along the lake shore to Howtown
• Take the ferry from Bowness to Sawrey, walk along the lake shore to Bass Rock, return through the National Trust woods
• Grizedale forest. There are a number of waymarked walks. Details from Forestry Commission
• Round Grasmere. A pleasant walk all the way round the lake at Grasmere will take about two hours
So put on your walking shoes and head on over to Cumbria!
Photo courtesy of Pikaluk
While the Americans (and other nationalities of the world) may relish waking up to the aroma of coffee, there is no doubt that the British prefer sipping a hot cup of tea in the morning (and mayhap other parts of the day). I love coffee, I am not denying that, but there are times when I simply need tea as my drink for the day. One of my favorites is the English Breakfast Tea, which I can drink at any time of the day. What is this tea anyway?
The English Breakfast Tea is usually a blend of different black teas. The blend may consist of teas coming from areas such as India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Malawi and China. The fact is that the English Breakfast Tea was first invented in Edinburgh, Scotland by a man named Drysdale, a well known tea master. His idea was to market the blend under the label Breakfast. The rest is history.
This kind of tea is a perfect accompaniment to the traditional English breakfast and goes well with milk and sugar. If you want a more technical description of this tea, here is Mr. Breakfast’s take:
It is a robust, full-bodied beverage with light floral undertones (sometimes referred to as “coppery”). When blended with milk, it produces a comforting aroma eerily similar to warm toast and honey. And as we know, the olfactory receptors in our noses are responsible for 80% of what we perceive as flavor.
Indeed, English breakfast tea can give you a warm fuzzy feeling just as you brush away the cobwebs of sleep in the early morning. Why not have a cup today?
Photo courtesy of Scott Feldstein
Curry may originally be an Indian dish but there is no doubt that London offers some of the best variants of curry. This could largely be due to the fact that London is a melting pot of cultures and there is a large number of people from South Asia in the city. So, anyway, could the curry in London be better than what other countries have to offer?
I would not dare answer that question but I do know that a restaurant in London is serving what it hopes to be the world’s hottest curry. AFP reports:
A London restaurant was serving up Thursday what it hopes will be confirmed as the world’s hottest curry, with even the chef admitting it is “too extreme” to keep on the menu.
Vivek Singh at The Cinnamon Club grabbed some of the hottest chilli peppers known to man to create the Bollywood Burner, a lamb-based dish with a fierce kick.
The curry is so hot that diners are asked to sign a disclaimer confirming they are aware of the risks involved before daring to eat it.
The Bollywood Burner is being submitted to Guinness World Records for verification of its status as the planet’s hottest curry. The verdict should be announced within three weeks.
I wonder what risks are involved if you eat a dish that is too hot to handle? I don’t really know. What I do know is that although I love curry and could eat it several times a week, I am not too strong in the spicy department. I probably would not be trying the Bollywood Burner anytime soon.
Among the things you could get in order to manage your finances more easily, a calling card is one of the less popular ones. And it’s surprising that it’s so, considering the numerous benefits a good, high-quality calling card can offer you. At the end of the month, when you no longer have to pay a hefty phone bill since you’ve already taken care of that thanks to your calling cards, you’ll be thanking yourself – and you’ll likely keep using the card for quite a while ahead.
One of the best things about calling cars are free calls – those come with various extra conditions outlined about them, but in most cases you should be able to score some completely free calls to predetermined destinations, allowing you to manage your budget a lot more flexibly and efficiently. Calling cards don’t have to be limited to travelers and businessmen – even if you make phone calls just occasionally, you should still be able to net some good savings from the whole ordeal.
Just remember that free calls aren’t everything to look for in a calling card – there are various other factors that can define a good deal, like convenience of recharges (this is especially good if the card can actually be recharged instead of having to be replaced), usability, coverage, as well as accumulating bonuses (which is becoming a very popular feature among calling card providers lately).
Having a great tan continues to be very popular despite numerous studies that show how harmful sunbathing can be for your skin. This is especially true during summer when you can see everyone sporting beautiful dark skin, both on and off the beach. Perhaps, the answer to this is simply that people value beauty more than their health. Or perhaps, better options play a role in the seemingly off hand way people dismiss the risks of getting a tan.
Nowadays, you actually do not have to increase your risk for getting skin cancer just to get a tan. A kind of tanning lotion, called sunless tanning lotions or self-tanners, now offer a safer alternative to sunbathing. By using this kind of tanning lotion, you can get the skin tone you want without even having to sunbathe. This means that you can sport a great tan year-round as well. With such tanning lotions you do not just avoid increasing your risk for skin cancer, but if you stay out of the sun, you actually end up lowering your risk!
Even tanning lotions that still require you to get a good dose of the sun now offer safer options. The best tanning lotions now contain skin moisturizing ingredients and anti-oxidants, which may not protect you from UV rays, but at least takes care of other skin issues. With healthier options these days, people do not really have to choose health over beauty, but get to have their cake and eat it too. Perhaps, that is why tans continue to be popular, After all who wouldn’t want to sport a great tan sans the cancer?
