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So what is this all about? I have had 2 instances in the last year when I have ordered a dish in a cafe with maple syrup and I have been given some taste alternative. First time my maple syrup was  replaced with  cheap golden syrup – not the same thing, and the second time I was given a turkish grape juice thing – quite nice, but  definitely not the same . I am not sure why people think it is ok to put maple syrup on the billing, then just decided to change it with out a ‘by your leave’.

During a day out, late  last summer, ‘Porridge with Maple Syrup‘ at Browns in Canary Wharf arrived as Porridge with Some Sort of  Seriously Sugary Yellow Syrup…which is, to my taste buds a completely different thing. Maple syrup is the sap from a tree, not the sweepings of the sugar factory floor – ok it is boiled down so is mostly sugar, but it has a lovely  taste, has a few nutrients still intact unlike its golden syrup sibling  that is just too sweet and sickly for my tastes. ’Sorry’ they say when I point out the error, ‘we ran out of Maple Syrup so we are giving you a cheap alternative to it, and we did not bother telling you, because we are assuming you have no sense of taste and would not notice the difference.’ Harsh? I don’t think so when you are paying almost 4 quid for a bowl of porridge, and the difference in price between an egg cup of maple syrup and other syrup would be a pretty marked little profit.

I am now quite cynical about  the billing of maple syrup on a menu. Today, in a very nice turkish place in north London, that does a mean shish, I  felt I had better double check – asked the waiter “will it be real maple syrup with my yoghurt and pistachios?’ “yes “( all a bit mono syllabic)…the dish arrived I put my finger in the ‘maple syrup’ “Are you sure this is maple syrup?” “yes”. It soooooo obviously was not. I caught the  manager-looking-chap’s eye “can I see the bottle that this ‘maple syrup’ came from please?”, and out comes the jar of  turkish syrup made from grape juice ( the only word in english on the bottle) -it seems if you boil anything for long enough it becomes a syrup . Ok, so it tasted alright but that is really not the point…is it? well is it?… Am I being too picky? Is it ok for a cafe or restaurant to just change the ingredient ( and we are talking about dishes with only 2 or three ingredients) and just not mention it? Surely there is a law out there? Comments please……..

Rant over…

SONG OF THE DAY – Plumbline – 100 9a – From the Album  – Pin Points

Some  call this genre IDM -Intelligent Dance Music…This is not my favourite track of the album which is 555 W24, but so classy it is not on youtube. “Pin Points, Plumbline’s second full-length, continues with the theme of maps, locations, and architecture, although its focus is much more local: New York City. The buildings used had a strong visual, architectual, or emotional connection, each building then went on to represent a track on the CD. Armed with a microphone and DAT recorder the ambience of each building was recorded.” cool. I love the atmosphere of this piece. The album is  excellent to listen to on journeys. Mt chill out of choice at the moment. Thanks mr P.

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It is hard to believe that a third of the year has gone, and that every day I have managed to write a post. Actually I have a gnawing guilt which I must confess, as I missed a day very early in January, due to misunderstanding the magnificence of the task, and the amount of planning involved in not missing a day. I am still not quite letting myself get away with that. I need to lighten up a bit and know how well I am doing and not just dwell on the bad bit…a habit of mine. I did two posts on a couple of days, but still feel that I have not made up for my missing day.

Ok the confession is over and I am sharing a link with you of 3 of my favourite posts.

Drum roll please…….

CBNC

In 3rd place was 13th April, part of a week’s saga involving a chocolate bunny and its demise.

In 2nd place was 20th March, a story I wrote when Mr P. went to the shops for a bottle of stout, possibly never to return.

And in first place was 24th February a post about having a cup of tea and a bacon butty with my late Grandad.

One of the other things I have really enjoyed about posting is being able to mix images music, video and words together….just perfect for me. So I also have a list of all the SONG OF THE DAY tracks included in my posts so far, but that is for another day.

SONG OF THE DAY  -FUNKY MOUSE -Gitika

It is MAY DAY and that can one mean one thing…….MORRIS DANCERS!!!!

 I am going to repeat a song of the day  as it is the only song I know that has morris dancers in it and it is my self penned ‘funky mouse’ starring family members and friends, a couple of years ago in May. It is a joyous and kids love it! thing


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I am quoting from Wiki here..

‘There are various meanings ascribed to the monkeys and the proverb including associations with being of good mind, speech and action. In the western world the phrase is often used to refer to those who deal with impropriety by looking the other way refusing to acknowledge it, or feigning ignorance.’

One Birthday Mr. P bought me these three wise monkeys – much to my dismay, as I am not one for holding back, or looking the other way. I do try hard everyday  to be of good mind, speech and action. Don’t always succeed.

My Three Wise Monkeys

SONG OF THE DAY

Ian Dury- Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick

Just grew up with this song-always there, rocking!


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So one day in my life – I will pick  this Monday gone.

Walking to the tube

Since doing the blog a day I have joined the  ‘School of Shaky Photography’. And I do not mean that in any sort of kinky way. I seem to be taking pictures of the most mundane moments of my life and they have suddenly become less mundane, when I imagine I might share them with someone from the other side of the world who might think my mundane is exotic.  So Monday, I started with a load of admin for about 3 hours then toddled up to the tube to get a tube to somewhere, followed by a train to somewhere else. Visited a school to check how the choir were progressing with  songs for a  local singing festival .

I then got on another tube to the City to run my Monday evening choir, one of my highlights of the week. For some reason at our starting time, all the tenors were in place looking keen and ready while 2 of the 30 altos, and 2 of the 25 sopranos were no where to be seen! So the tenors get a special mention today.

The Lovely Bishopsgate Singers 'Tenors'

After a lovely 2 hours practising for our end of term sharing, I got on another tube, following the late throng of home comers on Liverpool Street Station who are making their way back to places in Essex and Southend on the big trains, followed by a bus to our acoustic evening, (see my page on acoustic evening) where and Mickey  and I sang ‘Summer Breeze’, which went very well, and ‘It’s my life’ which did not go quite as well as the guitar slightly foxed me, but hopefully no-one really noticed. There were some other lovely acts and the Duwellers Family Singers returned after a two month  absence.

Then we went home and watched ‘America’s Next Top Model’ (ironically of course ) and Glee ( not quite as ironically) on fast forward as it was very late by then. So out for 12 hours, I travelled on  a tube, a train, a tube, a tube, a tube and  a bus. That is quite a normal day for someone in London. I embrace our public transport which is many ways another of the golden ball and chains in my life. I do not drive, as you do have to be slightly insane, a brave-heart or oblivous to danger, feel very precious about your personal space or run some sort of business which means you have to transport heavy things around to drive in a Metropolis

SONG OF THE DAY- DOG DAYS ARE OVER-FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE I heard this track  on GLee this week and  was reminded what  a marvellous song it is…very upbeat and am  now having a Florence and the Machine week. I have been put off her in the past and I know this sound completely mad but, everytime I see her performing on TV I find her legs very distracting  from the amazing music she is producing and just sort of becomes all ‘show bizzy’, funny, ‘cos I don’t get distracted by Lady Gaga’s ‘look’ so I am not sure why the FLorence thing just seemed to get in the way of the music….discuss. The Glee version was just so joyful! AND THE FLORENCE VIDEO IS EXCELLENT!