A liquid jaffa cake

I did make it to my lecture yesterday morning, for a change (though I was five minutes late). And then, guess what, I went for a nap in the Shaw Library. But after I'd been there about 20 minutes (while I was reading, before I actually settled down for a nap), they said there was going to be an event there and we all had to leave. Which was annoying. So I went to the real library and sat in the soft chairs at the back of all the chairs and tables on the third floor instead. I only planned to sleep till 11, or 11.30 at the latest (I closed my eyes at about 10 to 11), and then go and do some work, but it was actually 1.30 before I got up- I did wake at 12.30 but I couldn't stay awake. And then I went and had lunch- somehow that lasted untill ten to 3 (I still don't get how it could have possibly been an hour and a half- it didn't feel like it). So basically I wasted practically an entire day, which I have to say I feel quite bad about. Here's to hoping I can do better next week...

At 3 I met Ginger- we'd decided to do something on Friday this week so that we wouldn't have to worry about getting up early the next morning. And because we met at 3 we were able to go to a relatively early showing at the cinema- at Wood Green as usual. We went to see The Prestige, largely because we didn't want to see Saw 3 (too harrowing and probably not much good anyway), Casino Royale (it's not right having a blond Bond- that was my reason anyway, I'm not sure about Ginger), The Departed (also too harrowing and anyway I think Ginger already went to see it with her family (she doesn't mind harrowing stuff as much as I do)), Breaking and Entering (well Ginger didn't want to; I didn't know too much about it), Step or something (can't quite remember the title) (ditto), or Borat (do I need to justify this one?), and apart from Bollywood films (I was vaguely edging in that direction but Ginger really isn't keen on Bollywood. apparently, based on seeing films on television occasionally and someone she knows not enjoying a Bollywood film once), The Prestige was pretty much what was left.

It was a silly film. I won't give away the details, but it had a silly twist at the end, as well as being quite silly all the way through. It reminded me quite a bit of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which we saw under similar circumstances in Fourth year, I believe it was, only this one didn't have Sean Connery saying 'Venish shtill shtands'*. I don't regret seeing it- it was certainly entertaining and quite pretty in places, and will doubtless provide us with much comic material over the years to come. But nevertheless it was a very silly film.

We then went and had supper in the same Chinese restaurant we went to before The Devil Wears Prada**, in Wood Green (near Turnpike Lane station), and then we wanted to go to the Purple Turtle in Camden for old times' sake***, but mainly because we wanted cocktails (we wanted them last week but didn't find them (not that we looked that hard) so it was quite a long standing desire). But it turned out to be £5 to get in, so we decided against that. Luckily Ginger remembered another place on Camden High St, Oh! Bar, where she'd gone with her family when they brought her back to halls after Christmas, and where there'd been a trainee barman who kept on making mistakes with the cocktails (the layers ran together) and so giving them to her family for free. Fortunately they did indeed still do cocktails (though they were all very good at it so no freebies), so we were able to indulge our cravings, with a Sex on the Beach each followed by a Reggae Rum Punch for me (not that great actually, reminded me of the drink my grandma always used to have, gin and martini) and a Cosmopolitan for her (nice, apparently), and then finally we shared the best one of all, Jaffa Cake, which as far as I remember was triple sec, dark cacao, Bailey's, something else, and cream, dusted with cocoa powder. It was like a liquid version of a truffle, and basically very very good.

We left before they finished serving, without much idea of what time it was, and were surprised to find they seemed to be shutting the tube station. We found once inside that it was actually 20 past midnight. But luckily we not only managed to get a train from there but also from Bank, where we changed. Once back at my halls, we watched a couple of episodes of The Worst Witch on DVD, but Ginger fell asleep halfway through the second, and was very surprised and a bit disoriented when she woke up.

We didn't get up very early this morning- or rather I didn't; I set the alarm for 10.30 but turned it off and reset it a few times and didn't get up till about 12, whereas Ginger was up at around 10.30 or 11; I felt a bit bad about not being up, but I don't think she minded too much. After she left, I got a bit of shopping in Tesco but wanted to go to the stall in the market for vegetables- only it turned out not to be there (along with all the other stalls) for some reason; maybe it was too late? It was only about 2.30 though, and I thought I was later than that when I went to get the stuff for the Food Fair. So I thought I would have to go back to Tesco's (only I would make another trip later rather than going back then), but then I remembered the Indian supermarket past the church- I'd seen it in the distance a few times, and Flatmate 7 showed me some stuff I got there, but I'd never been myself. It turned out to have a good range of vegetables as well as plenty of other good stuff, and even some decent cookware- I'll probably go there more often now I know what's there.

I'm afraid to say I had another nap after lunch (oh dear, what is wrong with me?) but managed to do a couple of hours' work before phoning my parents and then having a very late supper- cauliflower cheese and chips (a very unhealthy combination but one that's too strongly paired together in my mind, after years of school lunches, for me to be able to do anything about it). It was the first time I'd tried doing chips on the hall cooker; the lowest setting was really a little too hot, but they didn't burn and I didn't start a fire, which is always good. It was an absolutely massive potato that I got in the Indian supermarket, though, so I froze some- hopefully if I put them in the oven with a little more oil drizzled on they should come out fine just like commercial oven chips. The cauliflower cheese turned out, if not the best I've ever made, then up there, though I should have put less cheese on top. I had a bit of a shock with the mustard though- when I tried to unscrew the top, the whole top part came away from the bottom leaving a jagged broken glass edge on both parts. It had fallen out of my cupboard a few times- I guess it wasn't as fine as it looked.

*which has become something of a running joke with Ginger and me, to the extent that I occasionally bring it out without thinking when she isn't even there, among people who didn't see the film, and then find myself having to do quite a bit of explaining

**I can't quite remember why I didn't write about that- something to do with not posting till the next day and there being so many other things to mention, I think. It was some time before Climate Change Awareness Week.

***It was somewhere we went quite often in First year, since our halls were in Camden, and was the scene of many memorable moments such as the second time we met, around Halloween, when I asked Ginger why she hadn't come and knocked on my door as she had said she would after the first meeting (conveniently skating over the fact that I hadn't come and knocked on her door as I'd said I would- well, I was too shy, so it was clearly her responsibility), and when we decided that things would be a lot simpler if one could reveal one's interest in a man by throwing (drinking) straws at him, instead of having to find subtle ways to let him know, and then for some reason ended up throwing straws at each other (well, we had had a fair bit to drink). I think at the time both of us had crushes but were too scared to do anything about it...^

^Nothing ever came of it. The one Ginger fancied turned out to be gay, and I could never think of anything to say to the one I liked, so after having asked him on one occasion what music he liked, completely ran out of conversation- and eventually realised that this was quite a good sign that there wasn't the makings of a fulfilling and worthwhile relationship there.