Mid-Winter Smiles
The breakfast news and radio shows are scraping the bottom of the barrels for interesting things to fill up fodder air time - you know, the human interest part of the shows - usually reserved for items that make you realise what a slow news day it is. Well, this morning was no exception - the topic on one radio station was about how quickly we all drop our new year's resolutions. 2 million Brits have already broken their promises to themselves - gee. How fascinating....
Mid winter - no real weather to speak of. No snow to exhilarate and excite, just grey skies and dreariness. But I have a smile on my face for sure! Two things are happening that when put together can make for very happy times indeed.
1. The sales are on in Belgium. 2. The 2008 Series of MasterChef is in full swing.
The country is allowed to put things on deep clearance sale twice a year. You can find your favourite designer clothing anywhere from 20% to 80% off. It's a crazy scene though|!
I went to Inno Department store at Woluwe Shopping Centre on my lunch break. I prefer Woluwe because I find I can elbow and kick yummy mummies and preppie expat wives more easily than I can the North African Mama Ayeshas and Russian Babushka grannies who frequent the downtown store. There's less of a pawed-over feel to the clothes that have made it to 70% discount - though they have surely been through the same wars.
I laugh at customer service - or customer disservice - in Belgium. A friend told me he was shopping at Inno last night. At closing time, they repeatedly announced on the loudspeakers that the store was closing and everyone was to make their way to the cash registers to pay and leave. But of course, this is Belgium!! Only 1 cashier was open and the line was enormous! Logical?
I spent way too much on a jacket that is absolutely divine and worth every euro cent - even at 40% off it was a bit much. But who cares - I wouldn't have even touched it had it been on full price. And I would have missed the pleasure of how cool it makes me feel and how utterly sexy I am when wearing it...ya. Well at least I have smile on my face!
Last night's Master Chef was brilliant. In the first elimination round, one guy forgot to blind bake his pastry shell so he screwed - up his little quiche. He tried to make another one and ran out of time - He ended up serving an uncooked, greenish yellowish blobby mess on a plate - it was hilarious. 40 minutes and the guy couldn't cook scrambled eggs with a bit of cheese in them.
But it was Gregg's comment about the uncooked chicken that had me in stitches.
Gregg is precious! After cutting in to a chicken breast that was completely and utterly raw inside - he said - 'Well, thanks for plucking the chicken at least, because that's all you have done to it'. Classic.
John Torode said that the cook could 'Kill Someone with cooking like this'. All they ask is for a simple plate of food that is edible. Quite a departure from the range of real talent and strength shown in previous years of the show - but hilarious anyway!
The weather is so-so here. The skies can't quite commit to drizzling rain or fast moving dark and sad clouds. Mid winter January is taking it's toll. People are surfing the net at work. Travel web sites are burning hot with window shoppers - Belgians dreaming of hot sand and the brightness of light from the sun.
But I am in a very good mood. Master chef is on for a whole hour tonight, I will get a new sofa delivered tomorrow, I will have dinner with a very hot man tomorrow night, and I will go and play with lots of friends on Saturday night - wearing a super jacket. I am smiling.
Check out http://www.mailorderchickens.org/
posted by Brussels Confidential @ 10:20 AM
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