At the last few social occasions I’ve attended I have started to develop a complex about my lack of home enterprise abilities. I get lumped in with the boys when it comes to things to bring; "oh just bring some bread and meat" or, "garlic bread and some drinks" ...and if they are really pushed for choice ill get asked to stretch to a salad. Personally I never thought I had a problem with cooking but there is a general assumption amongst my friends and colleagues that I am incapable in this field. While my peers complement one another’s handmade, prepared-a-week-in-advance dessert with decadent restaurant worthy garnish immaculately presented, I get a casual "thanks for bringing the 7-up, it’s my favourite", coupled with a sideways glance at Mr Masterchef or Lil Miss domestic goddess.
So this week I decided to have a crack at my first cheesecake. It actually went amazingly well...in the trial run. Unfortunately I thought that because the first time was such a breeze (beginners luck I think), that I should make another using the same recipe and left over ingredients to take to a BBQ. I was in rather a rush but had just enough time to whip it together, freeze and pristinely decorate with fresh berries before lovingly gladwrapping.
It looked really great, and tasted fantastic but the carving and serving of the darn thing made for endless entertainment between the 6 of us - the base was like stone while the filling was not even close to set resulting in near killing each other trying to cut it up, and several matrix style dodges of airborne pudding.
I also attempted scones. Though I have made scones before and they are hardly the worlds most challenging baked good, I managed to screw the first batch up in supreme style, nearly burning down the BFs kitchen and producing little black rock cakes resembling coal delivered to naughty children by Santa rather than light fluffy snacks served with jam, cream and tea for the wealthy. Fortunately Scones Round Two - Cheese, was much more successful and I am looking forward to sharing them with my (hopefully, pleasantly surprised) colleagues tomorrow.
Ill keep trying - If only for the entertainment of everyone else!
C.K.
Showing posts with label social life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social life. Show all posts
28 Jan 2010
Dance Innovation. A wee bit of rural and the lasso cougar.
It seems every good time ever had in my living memory has been embodied by a particular dance move. Here is a selection from recent and distant memory...largely popularised by an eccentric friend of mine.
Picture an idyllic rural garden at a historic homestead with a lawn full of eager (mostly 65+ year olds) awaiting the highlight of thier year. A twilight summer picnic concert. Featuring idolised local celebrities such as, singing school teachers, the RSA band and some musically talented young-uns.
A unbelievable plethora of hats; faded, salty, fresh from a christmas stocking, wide brimmed to the utterly purposeless, every sports team and country imaginable represented.
By half time the sun is only just poking its head over the horizon and 90% of the audience have downed a bottle of wine and things start to get AWESOME! the oldies doing a half body seated bum dance resulting in several collapsed deckchairs, a few stumbling loose hippy looking characters swaying beneath the trees and the more audacious dancing in the 'aisles' or on top of their picnic blankets. Then one woman beat them all. Donned in a black cowgirl hat, tight long sleeved low cut black top, stonewash denim tubes and cowgirl boots, with the figure of a 20 year old and face of a botoxed 45 year old, this woman was going for Prom Queen of the night. But by god she had the most kick arse dance moves Ive seen in a while. She was quickly labelled "the lasso cougar".
Never before have I seen a more perfect limp-wristed lasso with equally well timed hip swing . It was as if she had an invisible hula hoop going. It didnt end there. She stepped it up and knocked my socks off with the double lasso! A full two arms and swirling hands in the air, going for it, completely on her own amid 500 seated elderly people. Made my week - think I will try to break out that one sometime soon, but I doubt I could do it as well as her...clearly much practice in front of a mirror.
Good times.
C.K.
- the bar stool boogie
- the hail jesus
- the T-rex
- the twist
- the hoe-down
- the slater
- the moa
- dare I mention the Macarena?
- the chainsaw
- dice and broom sweep and something-a-rather
- right down to the good ol' two step we all fall back on.
Picture an idyllic rural garden at a historic homestead with a lawn full of eager (mostly 65+ year olds) awaiting the highlight of thier year. A twilight summer picnic concert. Featuring idolised local celebrities such as, singing school teachers, the RSA band and some musically talented young-uns.
Never before have I seen a more perfect limp-wristed lasso with equally well timed hip swing . It was as if she had an invisible hula hoop going. It didnt end there. She stepped it up and knocked my socks off with the double lasso! A full two arms and swirling hands in the air, going for it, completely on her own amid 500 seated elderly people. Made my week - think I will try to break out that one sometime soon, but I doubt I could do it as well as her...clearly much practice in front of a mirror.
24 Jan 2010
New friends.
You can never have enough friends. Sure you will always spend more time with some than others but they are all valuable no matter what level the friendship! Don’t forget you can learn something from every person you meet. Everyone has been new and alone at some stage in their lives whether at a social function, work place or new town. I’m sure we all appreciate those who have taken the time to get to know us.
A very close friend of mine (and source of much inspiration) is the master socialite. She walks into a room and sets it on fire with her energy, hilarity, ear to ear grin and enthusiasm for life. While the average night out for many is dancing holes in your shoes, sweating till you look like you’ve swum in a fountain and being dragged out of a gutter, my friend will happily spend an entire night conversing with strangers. She has a vast collection of great stories ranging from swapping sweaters with a bag-lady, sharing a cigarette with a homeless man, casually chatting to a recently released convict, as well as wooing savvy millionaire businessmen, professional sportsmen, pilots and police officers with her witty banter and warm open nature. This is quite an extreme example but we could all take a leaf out of her book and take a risk in talking to someone new. You may just learn something life changing.
I am fairly new to town and still establishing new friendships and always thankful to those who go out of their way to extend a casual invite in a place known to be quite clicky, difficult to meet people and a scene that is hard to break into. Think about when you were a kid and all it took was to sit next to someone new and you were instant friends. No pretension, no judgement and openness that us adult folk should seriously consider adopting. Its easy to play it safe with the solid friends you have - I am no proponent of losing them - they are invaluable but try extending an invite next time you meet someone new. Introduce them to some of your friends - they can only be an asset bringing new stories, insights and laughs!
C.K.
A very close friend of mine (and source of much inspiration) is the master socialite. She walks into a room and sets it on fire with her energy, hilarity, ear to ear grin and enthusiasm for life. While the average night out for many is dancing holes in your shoes, sweating till you look like you’ve swum in a fountain and being dragged out of a gutter, my friend will happily spend an entire night conversing with strangers. She has a vast collection of great stories ranging from swapping sweaters with a bag-lady, sharing a cigarette with a homeless man, casually chatting to a recently released convict, as well as wooing savvy millionaire businessmen, professional sportsmen, pilots and police officers with her witty banter and warm open nature. This is quite an extreme example but we could all take a leaf out of her book and take a risk in talking to someone new. You may just learn something life changing.
I am fairly new to town and still establishing new friendships and always thankful to those who go out of their way to extend a casual invite in a place known to be quite clicky, difficult to meet people and a scene that is hard to break into. Think about when you were a kid and all it took was to sit next to someone new and you were instant friends. No pretension, no judgement and openness that us adult folk should seriously consider adopting. Its easy to play it safe with the solid friends you have - I am no proponent of losing them - they are invaluable but try extending an invite next time you meet someone new. Introduce them to some of your friends - they can only be an asset bringing new stories, insights and laughs!
C.K.
16 Nov 2009
the essence of cool I
Just spent a fantastic weekend in NZ's very own scenester capital Wellington. I am pretty sure all the cool kids live there. As much as I enjoy hip bars with quirky furnishings pumping the latest underground tunes and throbbing with trendsetting fashionista's head to toe in a combo of high end lines and the rarest vintage finds, I am not going to sacrifice having a good time just to be seen. Or on the other hand, shun other places where some "wouldn't dare be seen".
Clearly there is an element of cool associated with place. Last weekend I was in tow with a group of aforementioned cool kids who had their hearts set on heading to a specific bar in the city which they frequent on a regular basis. Upon arrival at said bar, the mob were flatly denied entry on account of it being their birthday, thus there was only room at the Inn for VIP members and other 'worthy' candidates. The majority were immediately outraged and proceeded to abuse, bribe, then almost beg to be let in. Eventually we moved on but returned and tried again (much to my chagrin and to some extent embarrassment) on more than one occasion that night still to be denied. I attempted to explain to the inebriated cool kids that it was THEM that made a place cool, not the place that made them cool. And the more they wanted to get in, the better the selective doorman's strategy was working to heighten the fervor (precisely what they wanted to happen).
Unfortunately, the bar-hopping to find the best possie for this very selective group, and multiple attempts to get into the 'impossible bar' took up most of the night and although I enjoyed myself, I doubt anyone's night was outstanding in the scheme of things.
To be honest I couldn't care less if I was seen in a bar of drunken louts grinding to Dizzy Rascal if the mood was good and I was having a good time. Cool should be about not caring where you are but having a good time with the people you are with. Lastly, Cool is not exclusive. Everyones idea of it is different, but in any way, shape or form it should measured by how big your smile is.
Mahalo.
C.K.
P.S. I titled this I, because I anticipate that II, III, IV and V, if not more will be written on this topic.
Clearly there is an element of cool associated with place. Last weekend I was in tow with a group of aforementioned cool kids who had their hearts set on heading to a specific bar in the city which they frequent on a regular basis. Upon arrival at said bar, the mob were flatly denied entry on account of it being their birthday, thus there was only room at the Inn for VIP members and other 'worthy' candidates. The majority were immediately outraged and proceeded to abuse, bribe, then almost beg to be let in. Eventually we moved on but returned and tried again (much to my chagrin and to some extent embarrassment) on more than one occasion that night still to be denied. I attempted to explain to the inebriated cool kids that it was THEM that made a place cool, not the place that made them cool. And the more they wanted to get in, the better the selective doorman's strategy was working to heighten the fervor (precisely what they wanted to happen).
Unfortunately, the bar-hopping to find the best possie for this very selective group, and multiple attempts to get into the 'impossible bar' took up most of the night and although I enjoyed myself, I doubt anyone's night was outstanding in the scheme of things.
To be honest I couldn't care less if I was seen in a bar of drunken louts grinding to Dizzy Rascal if the mood was good and I was having a good time. Cool should be about not caring where you are but having a good time with the people you are with. Lastly, Cool is not exclusive. Everyones idea of it is different, but in any way, shape or form it should measured by how big your smile is.
Mahalo.
C.K.
P.S. I titled this I, because I anticipate that II, III, IV and V, if not more will be written on this topic.
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