What’s this?

I’ve been walking around all afternoon singing this song- here are the lyrics, see if you can guess what it’s from:

What’s this, what’s this – there’s white things in the air…. What’s this!?

Did you get it? It’s from The Nightmare before Xmas. But I’m not singing it because there are white things in the air here (trains are severely delayed and the schools have been out for the past few days… what’s this?), but rather because of a certain fruit that I have come to love, but am unable to identy.

What’s this?

As you can see, it has pear-like shape – round at the bottom and pointy-like at the top – and is orange in colour with flecks of white. The outer shell (and I do mean shell) is easy to break into, but makes a cracking sound. Inside is a second layer of shell, this one soft and off-white, similar to an orange (you know, the part that you have to peel off before eating the orange citrusy fruit). Inside this inner shell is a collection of grey globules. It looks like a tangled mass of jelly fish, but I assure you that there is no fish-like flavour involved. The inside of this fruit is extremely fragrant and delicious. It has a slimy texture, and the seeds are a bit gritty, but not enough to repel me. This is the ultimate treat! I think it’s an Indian fruit – but that’s only a guess because I bought it at the Indian Green Grocer on Pinner Road.

Can anyone solve this fruit mystery for me?

12: windsor’s roses

12: windsor’s roses, originally uploaded by jnmerrit.

Photo of the day captured at Windsor Castle. The moat has been converted to a beautiful garden, and these – the last few rose buds of the season – were peek up from the wall as I left the castle.

Chestnuts. 11

I had a hard time deciding on my photo for today.  First there was the paper I found on the platform at Finchley Road. Then when leaving the Tate Britain, I captured some chestnuts as a possible photo of the day – they are so quirky hanging out under big leaves that resemble those of the Maple. But then as we were walking through the park between Lambeth Bridge and Westminster Bridge, I saw the perfect shot… and on a chestnut tree, no less.

Frosted (10)

Spent a day out on the town with another Chathamite (who was in London visiting friends – photos to come soon), and on the way home realised I had forgotten my photo of the day. Luckily at that very second I glanced down and saw the most beautiful glimmering frost on a blanket of fallen leaves.

9. Nine clementines ah-ah-ah!

Kind of looks like a Golden Snitch, eh?

8 days on ‘Forest on an Island’

Today for lunch I made a meal for two Jens. It involved mushrooms, spinach, rashers, garlic, and Boursin cheese piled on top of a toasted English Muffin.

Jen asked what it was called, resulting in the concoction of the most fabulous made-up recipe name ever. I mean, like, EVER.

Forest on an Island

Get it? Don’t you think that this slightly resembles a forested, rocky, rugged terrain, smack dab on an island?

I do. Forest on an Island, baby. It’s the next “Irish Dish.”

Day seven – Interviewed

Apparently, I forgot to change the time on my mobile (love DST), and so woke up at six instead of seven A.M. Twelve hours later, I had completed two interviews in opposite ends of town, used three different tube lines, Docklands Light Rail, and National Rail service. I ate two salami sandwiches, answered something like twenty-four social care questions, worldlessly flirted with one very cute boy on the DLR, and worked my pencil skirt.

Verdict: undetermined. I didn’t leave either interview feeling confident. I did, however, complete two interviews in one day. That’s a feat.

Outcome: Three hours of dinner with the flatmates at a French restaurant in Ruislip. Two glasses of house wine. Confit du Canard, a disgusting celeriac side dish (so disappointing – celeriac has so much potential!), and celery sticks for dessert (no charge).

End day by realizing my tank top was on backwards the entire day. Maybe a good luck omen?

6 Raindrops from the Sky

In university I had a roommate who was really good at studying. While K and I were busy lounging in our jammas watching reruns of Sponge Bob (aka procrastinating – we always had something due that we should have been working on), this dedicated lady was on lock-down at her desk, highliting textbooks, writing study notes, and putting K and I to shame. You see, we all had different studying habits. M was just a bit more dedicated than the rest of us.
Flashforward to today where, if you happened to be in my neck of the woods, you would have found me sitting at a table surrounded by flow charts and appendix IIIs – busy writing study notes about the Common Assessment Framework, Every Child Matters agenda (be healthy, be safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution, and achieve financial success), and a variety of other social worky things. I’ve been mourning the absence of my collection of highliters, but perhaps not having them here has helped me focus a bit more on the studying at hand – I can actually remember what sections 7 (court-ordered child welfare report), 17 (initiation of an assessment for children in need), 20 (accommodation for children in need), 37 (court ordered core assessment), and 47 (local authority’s duty to conduct child welfare enquiry) of the Children Act mean. So yes, I was studying all day. I took periodic breaks here and there, but essentially have impressed upon myself that I do have the propensity to immerse myself in academics when the need arises.

Today was a good day for studying – outside it was cold, windy, and periodically wet. The sun popped out to say hello for a brief period of time early this afternoon, during which I chanced the opportunity to capture today’s photo.

A tidbit of earth-lovin’ information: Harrow Council provides residents with three – yes THREE – large curbside containers for collection. One houses garbage, one for recycling (council sorts it), and one for compost. Now that’s what I call working towards sustainability. From what I hear, not all London boroughs are as proactive; proof positive that there are good things happening in Harrow.

Now, off to my book (The Queen’s Fool, Phillipa Gregory) and then to bed with me. I have a long, important day tomorrow!

i ♥ curry; day five.

What’s that? You love curry, too? Good choice. I wonder how much curry I would have to eat before my pores give off a curry scent? It doesn’t take many onions, although I seem to have worked up a tolerance to garlic.

I love that every day we get take-away menus in the mail for a plethora of ethnic restaurants.

We’re not in Chatham anymore, folks.

4: Accompanied by the cat

Day Four - Cleo

This is Cleo; sometimes I call her Clee. Much like Bernie, she’s overweight and loveable. One might even call her rotund. But it does nothing to deter me from feeling the love for her. Today she stayed by my side while I read pages and pages of child protection legislation in preparation for my interviews on Friday.

Speaking of,  I miss Bernie so much.