The one minute manager

My manager recently gave me a copy of The one minute manager as a present. The bestseller by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson was first published in 1983 and apparently multi-million copies have been sold since. It promises to 'increase productivity, profits and your own prosperity'.

The principles are easy and straightforward:

1) Set one minute goals - making it clear what you expect from your employee

2) Do one minute praisings - when goals have been achieved

3) Do one minute reprimands - when goals have not been achieved 

The above is of course explained in more detail and illustrated with examples.It all sounds quite logical. And American. As part of step 2 and 3, it is recommended for the manager to touch the employee (on his arm for example). I somehow think that touching people, even if only their arm, would be regarded as inappropriate in certain cultures/offices. And there are people who aren't very touchy-feely, and if you don't feel comfortable doing something, it won't come across as genuine and therefore wouldn't work.

There are certainly aspects, that I would like to try out. But I reserve my judgement on its guaranteed success. For one, I think that some people are just not made for certain jobs. No matter how much time you spend on regular clear goal setting, praise and reprimands, some people will not be able to meet the goals. And an increasing number of reprimands will only be demotivating. Equally, praise alone isn't (enough) motivation for some. Secondly, I think the approach works better at a middle management rather than a junior level.

Have also had a quick read of the reviews on amazon. Overall 4 out of 5 stars. But the 1 star reviews also make an interesting read.

In any case, I appreciate my manager's gesture (who by the way hasn't yet read the book himself, but it was recommended to him). 

Frequent flyer - impressions from high above

Seems that I have become a frequent flyer over the past two months. It's quite weird to be flying with the same stewards and being checked in by the same staff...

My fear of flying is still there, but I am getting better at not panicking (as much). And occasionally I even enjoy the beautiful views. The piercing blue sky, the fluffy clouds - I just want to reach out and touch them.

Not again...

Looks as if the knot in my stomach was justified.
Still about 55 minutes to play, but the chances of Germany going through to the final are looking rather slim...

(reverse) spin-doctoring

After media news a few weeks ago that the new exciting cable car would not be ready in time for the Olympics and the following statement from Transport of London that it had never been planned to be open in time for the Olympics, the cable car opened today. A month before the Olympics.

Apparently people started queuing from 5:00am (it opened at 7:00am) - but when I came home tonight at 6:00pm there wasn't even a little queue anymore. Seems as if the excitement wore off rather quickly.

Costs had spun just slightly out of control and Boris Johnson had originally claimed that the costs would be covered by sponsorship alone, it now turns out that £16 million will have to come from taxpayers' money.*
Boris - always the optimist - went on to declare though that really the cost for the taxpayer would be minimal, if not zero, as there was all this income to be generated from ticket sales, shopping facilities at both ends and merchandise. Merchandise? Really?

I was also wondering who came up with the pricing policy:
Single fare £3.20 (with pay-as-you-go Oyster card) and £6.40 for a round trip...


* That's what I heard on the news. I read an article though that only £36 million out of the total of £60 million has come from sponsorship.

The good, the bad and the pretty

Have I mentioned that the Westfield Stratford City Shopping Centre is only a 10 minute DLR ride away from my flat? It opened last September and it is said to be the largest urban shopping mall in Europe.

It is very tempting to stop by after work... Especially now that the sales have started!
After a long and tiring day at the office yesterday, where I was trying to get my completely non-techy head around setting up an online registration module, I thought I did deserve a treat.

And here it is:

Oh, so pretty

I spotted these flat, coral coloured shoes a little while ago. My black flat 'events-shoes' are starting to look worn out, so I am looking for another comfortable pair that I can wear for hours. At £55 I thought they were rather expensive (for what they are) though. So, I was delighted to see that they were now on sale! And this lovely pair was the last one in my size, too. What a lucky day!

Now, the bad: I tried on some skinny jeans in New Look. Despite having picked them in TWO sizes bigger than my usual size (as they did look rather tiny on the hanger already), I couldn't even pull them over my CALVES!!!

Love Virtually

Can you fall in love over email?
Not really a 'new' question. 'You've got mail' with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan was released back in 1998. Online dating sites have been around for years now.

Daniel Glattauer's book 'Gut gegen Nordwind' (English adaptation is entitled Love Virtually) was published in 2006. And it entirely made up of the email exchange between Leo Leike and Emmi Rothner. Because of a mistake in an email address, Emmi's email mistakenly ends up in Leo's inbox. And that's where it all starts. Trying to summarize what they write about it, is quite difficult. They don't tell each other much about their respective lives. We find out that Emmi is 'happily married' and that Leo has been in an on-off relationship for some years. But otherwise their communication is primarily flirtatious, raising the question whether they should or should not meet up.

As the English book title suggests, they of course fall in love. The book finishes without them ever having met up.

The sequel 'Alle sieben Wellen' (Every seventh wave) followed in 2009 and I won't give away what happens. I will say though, that I would love for Mr Glattauer to write a third final book about Emmi and Leo!

I enjoyed the writing style and couldn't put the books down as I wanted to find out what happened next. Especially in the first book, Emmi can be quite annoying though and I kept wondering why Leo bothers with her... Overall, I found their dialogues very 'German'. The message is very much linked with the writing style of both characters and I wonder how much of this gets lost in the English translations and also how non-German speakers perceive the story.

 

Quite some years ago, I had my own Emmi-Leo story. It didn't go on over months though, but just a week or so. Through an online portal (not a dating site), I started chatting to a guy who lived in the same city as me. We emailed several times daily and there was chemistry straight away. After a week or so, we talked on the phone for the first time. And it was amazing. He seemed perfect. Interesting, funny, charming with a great (phone) voice. I seriously thought I had fallen in love, with butterflies and all. We arranged to meet for dinner the next evening.

Well, I am sure you are guessing the outcome already... The meeting was very disappointing. I'm not entirely sure what the problem was. We had sent each other photos before the meeting, but it was still so different to see him in the flesh. It felt awkward. It felt awkward having been so flirty - with essentially a stranger. All the butterflies disappeared in an instant. Needless to say that we never saw each other again (and that he DIDN'T stay over).

On a professional level, I have had so many email/phone interactions with people, who - once I met them - turned out to be so different from what I had made them up to be in my head. I guess it comes down to the impact of visual cues in communication that are lost in email and phone communication. I'm sure you can get lucky though and the virtual person in your head matches the real person. Otherwise online dating wouldn't be that successful, would it?

Soooo funny

Watching 8 out of 10 cats [repeat from last Friday]- I LOVE Jon Richardson. He is hilarious in his calm and shy-ish way - adorable! And Micky Flanagan is also growing on me.

Discoveries

Tastecard lead me to LePont and Via tonight, both on West India Quay. LePont was rather quiet. As my hayfever has been really been bad today, we settled at a table inside (we were the only ones inside). Service was really nice and quick.
I had the Spanish Selection of delicatessen which consisted of manchego cheese, two types of ham and two types of salami style sausage together with a bread basket and grilled halloumi-pepper skewers. My friend had the duck confit (which looked yummy!). The bread was unfortunately quite disappointing, but the ham and the halloumi was very nice. With the tastecard we got 50% off the food bill - bargain!
As they were awaiting a delivery, they only had two desserts on offer, so we decided to look elsewhere for something sweet and ended up at Via, a few doors down from LePont.

We fell in love with the seats on the balcony on the first floor and after having to wait around for a little while, the waitress allowed us upstairs. It's really pretty (check out their website for pictures - I didn't have my camera with me), even though maybe not so comfortable for a whole meal, especially as the table was very wobbly. And as it turned out they had run out of Eton Mess (which my friend had been very keen on). So we had sticky toffee pudding and strawberry joghurt profiterole instead. Both very tasty. I also had a cappuccino - which was massive. And made me feel quite sick. I think I really am lactose intolerant...

Overall a nice evening and I would recommend both places - at least if you have a tastecard.

What a match

I HATE penalty shoot-outs.
I find the tension nerve-wracking - and I am not even playing...

They are just about bearable when it doesn't involve Germany though.
But I do feel sorry for England. And also a little for Germany, as I would have thought that England would have been easier to beat in the semis...

But England losing today means I won £20 in a football bet. Silver lining and all that... :-)

Defrosting the freezer made easy

After my stay in Germany, I was delighted to come home and see that the fridge and freezer had conked out again. It goes back on once switched off and on again. And then it switches itself off again. As happened today. This finally convinced my landlord that it really would be best to get me a new one. He's just come to measure it and hopefully tomorrow the new one will be installed.

Fingers crossed!

2.5 years in the apartment and I never gotten round to defrosting the freezer. And now I won't have to anymore. Silver lining and all that

Episodes

I mentioned before that I am a huge fan of Friends. So, when Episodes first aired last year, I of course had to watch it. Second series is currently running on BBC.

Episodes is about a British married couple (played by Tamsin Greig - who I also love in Friday Night - and Stephen Mangan - both also known from Green Wing) who get invited to Hollywood to remake their hit comedy show for an American audience. Star of the new show is Matt LeBlanc. Playing himself. Which is quite different from ditzy Joey from Friends. But I think I actually like him even better as Matt than as Joey.

Matt is portraying Matt as a womanizer (yes, there is a similarity to Joey). He is very matter of fact, very calm and every time he comes out with some insightful comment, it still surprises me, as I expect Joey's intellect. I find it difficult to describe him... Out of all the Friends' actors, I would love to meet him most.

I don't want to give away the storyline, so find out for yourself: You can watch the latest episodes on BBC iplayer. And Matt on the Graham Norton Show on youtube.

Strawberry fields

China Glaze Strawberry Fields with Hello Kitty sticker

Juicy AND half price

June Glossybox - and no more

June's Glossybox has been disappointing once again. So I will actually stick to my plan and won't renew my subscriptions. There are a number of these offers out there and I am considering trying the Joliebox at some point. But for now, I will just revert to picking my beauty products myself again.

Comments on Facebook seem to be getting worse every month and it appears that a lot of subscribers are cancelling their subscriptions or at least airing their irritation over the choices of products.

Here's what I had in mine:

• Glossybox Serie Exclusiv Pro Beauty Brush - a blusher/bronzer brush. When I first saw this, I thought this was another additional present (like the compact mirror in the anniversary box), but no, this counted towards the 5 products. I haven't used it yet, but comments on facebook suggest that the quality is very poor.
• Yves Rocher mini-mascara ultra-volume sexy pulp - always happy to try a mascara, so this is ok, even though it is really tiny
• BM Beauty Summer Warmth Bronzer - nice one to try. Only 1g though. A full size (4g) costs £8.00...
• Agent Provocateur - three perfume samples. Don't like any of them. And it's another sample. Users have claimed that one could have ordered them for free via the website. Not impressed!
• Vichy Dermablend Ultra Corrective Foundation Cream Stick - six tiny samples in different shades. So in theory only one of them will suit my skintone and I luckily do not suffer from severe skin flaws. Not for me and not impressed with this sample either.

A nice idea, but I feel that the choice of products has gotten worse over the seven months that I subscribed to it.

At least the box is nice - if not the content...

It's our Klinsi!

Jürgen Klinsmann has joined today's pundits on BBC One, commenting on the match between the Czech Republic and Portugal. He looks a little bit as if he cut his own hair... And his German accent is so cute! While Jogi seems to be doing a great job as Germany's manager, I thought Klinsi and Löw were a dream team. A pity it didn't last very long. And even more of a pity, that Germany didn't win the World Championship in 2006 under his management.

I've only been watching tonight's match halfheartedly, but from what I saw, it looks as if a red card is coming on in the second half. I likes some drama on the pitch - as long as I am watching from a safe distance. London-Warsaw is far enough, I'd say.

Things I miss here in England

Cake.

The English do muffins and cupcakes, brownies and carrot cake. And a few very expensive patisseries do cakes. But there's no equivalent to the wide variety of cake you find in every bakery in Germany. So during my recent short stay in Germany, I tried to eat as many cakes as I possibly could. And as I was shovelling them into my cake-hole (hahaha), I forgot to pause to take pictures of the beautiful creations of my local bakery. But I can assure you that they were delicious!

The summer party season continues

It's The Agency* invited the world of events managers to their annual summer party, which was held at The In and Out. This was my first invite and it seems to have a huge reputation amongst events professionals, as they were fully booked within hours of sending the invites out.

All guests had been asked to donate a bra for Oxfam's Big Bra hunt.
On entering the party, all guests were photographed. I still think we should have won the best photo with our jump [not very original, but everyone else was just standing around slightly awkwardly]. People were then gathering in the private courtyard, where Pimms and champagne was being offered. Luca, a London busker was providing the background music, covering famous pop songs. Ab Fab's Patsy and Eddy lookalike were also among the guests, as were a magician duo, who made the crystal ball float. The food was a little bit slow to come out, and most of it was snapped up immediately. No wonder though, as it was really good bowl food.

For the dessert everyone was moved upstairs where we were also surprised by Take That 2. The boys were at least as good as the original and everyone was joining into all their famous songs.
All in all a good party - only let down by the goodie bag at the end. I don't know whether something was missing from my bag, but I only got  Red Bull, a brownie and minuscule benefit moisturizer sample. But hey, everything was for free, so I wouldn't complain! :-)

Just look at the cute little buckets!

The boys, the fabulous ceiling and the floating crystal ball

* a free venue finding agency

Not impressed

Coming home and realizing that the fridge and freezer stopped working at some point during the day. Freezer seems to be working again, not sure about the fridge. And in any case, food needs to be binned.

Dance your body thin

There is such a variety of fitness DVDs out there. I literally spent 10 minutes standing in front of the shelf at HMV, and finally decided to take the following:

The gym is only 5 minutes from my flat. And membership is included in the rent. And I still find millions of excuses, why it's much better to stay indoors, on the sofa. So, I thought, maybe I can make myself move by decreasing the way to the "gym" even further. I basically only have to get up from the sofa and take two steps to the DVD player.

There is a whole range of 10 minute solution DVDs [Interestingly all of them had a sticker saying: "If you buy only one fitness DVD this year, buy this one!"Woman's Own] I decided to go with one of the dance DVDs*. In my mind I pictured myself dancing away to disco music [I know, I could simply put on a CD and do just that...]. But not quite.

The DVD has five different workouts, which you can combine however you like. Or simply do just one or a couple of them. All of them are quite similar though... It's basically aerobics. Which is my nightmare. Once upon a time, as a student, I tried a couple of aerobics classes. And it was very, very painful and even more embarrassing. I am incapable of moving my arms and legs at the same time. It's a fact. Having to see this confirmed by the wall-length mirror and witnessed by a whole class of super fit aerobic goddesses, was just a little humiliating.

This time, nobody could see me at least. Curtains were drawn.
I lasted two of the workouts. And while I wasn't really able to follow it, the instructor still told me how well I was doing. And despite all the above, I actually enjoyed it.

This was a week ago though. And I haven't switched it on again yet...
I might buy the yoga or pilates DVD next.


*I am not actually aiming to lose weight, but want to get fit. With hindsight, it makes even less sense now, that I picked this particular DVD...

Summer (???) event

The Southbank Centre was hosting their summer event tonight in the Weston Roof Pavilion on the 6th floor. Weather was unfortunately not very summery at all - but then people were grateful it wasn't raining (after the downpours of the last few days - and yes, the drought is officially still ongoing...). The Southbank Centre - so I learned today - is the largest centre for the arts in Europe and is spread over a 21 acres (!).

The Weston Roof Pavilion comes with a balcony with views of the London Eye and Big Ben. It also has an outside area, where the barbecue was placed tonight. One level below is another huge balcony overlooking the Thames. The building isn't the most exciting from the outside, but I was really impressed with the inside. I think it would be really good for an evening reception, maybe combined with a ride on the London Eye before.

Canapes were absolutely delicious and so were the mini burgers, sausages and potato salad. Pimms and wine was also being served. Tonight's entertainment was provided by a jazz band, a magician (amazing - I'd love to hire him for one of my events) and a young poet. The latter was a strange experience. He was really good with his words - but he was speaking rather fast. And I realized once again what a short attention span I have. I quite quickly zoned out.... And I was surprised about some of the sexual references he came out with - at such an event. And everyone was laughing their heads off. So much for the 'stuck up Brits'.

Views towards Embankment station

Udderbelly: the cow that lies on its back

Fresh ideas

New boss, new ideas.

Instead of fortnightly staff meetings, we are having daily meetings now. Everyone gets 30 seconds to update everyone else about what they are doing that day. In addition, senior staff will have weekly meeting. And all staff will have monthly meetings.

The good news: he is happy to review this after some time.

Waterloo Bar & Grill

The Waterloo Bar & Grill is located just outside (one of the several entrances to) Waterloo station. Walking distance to the Old Vic theatre (they have pre-theatre menus on offer) and the Southbank Centre. They have a private dining area downstairs that seats 52 people and upstairs in the main restaurant they have an area, that isn't quite as secluded, but still private enough to book for a function for up to 100 people. It's a little annoying that the music that is being played in the front bit is quite loud (and they refused to turn it down even just for 5 minutes - so the after-dinner speech had to be shouted), but if it's not a super formal banquet you are after, it's still suitable, I'd say.

A set three course menu starts at £25 - which for London is an incredible bargain. I was slightly apprehensive of the quality of the food at that price (and unfortunately, hadn't been able to go for a tasting), but was very positively surprised. Service was quick, friendly and attentive and the food very tasty.

In addition they have a range of offers such as happy hour on cocktails etc. I would certainly recommend the place!

Our menu:

Mushroom soup - I don't like mushrooms, but this was really good!
Steak with rosti and spinach - steak was very nicely done, a little bit more carbs and veg would have been good
Hazelnut-chocolate tart - death by chocolate: very yummy!

Meetings stuff

My 7th meeting. After four days of getting up at around 6:00am (including during the weekend...), I am just so tired. How on earth did I manage during nine years at secondary school??? I had to leave the house at 6:50 every weekday.

It's nearly exactly a year since I took on my new role of events-magician and I can see a definitive change. I used to absolutely dread being on-site and much preferred all the pre-meeting prep that goes on in the office in the run up to the meeting. Always dreading all sorts of things going wrong and feeling not quite comfortable with the whole responsibility for EVERYTHING being just on me. Experience has shown, that things are usually not as bad as they might seem (or maybe, I've just been very lucky so far?). I now understand my predecessor who thought being on-site and running the event was the best bit of the job. You can see the results of all your work. You get to meet the people you liaised with via email.

And sometimes you even get a nice thank you:

I doubt it will survive very long in my household...

Gefühlte Nähe

Whenever I am in Germany (this is used to be once or twice a year, but has become more like at least once a month recently), I make the time to visit a bookshop. Thanks to amazon, I can get almost any German book I like over here, but I find browsing in a shop still easier than online. Especially, when I am not looking for anything in particular. It's really a matter of coincidences which books I eventually end up buying. If I like the cover and/or the title of a book, I'll pick it up and if the short summary is appealing, I'll buy it.

On my most recent visit, I picked up "Gefühlte Nähe" by Harald Martenstein. Mr. Martenstein is probably most famous for his column in the weekly newspaper Die Zeit.

The book consists of 23 chapters. We meet the 23 lovers/boyfriends of N. Each chapter is written from their point of view. We never find out N.'s name, nor any of her thoughts or feelings.

I liked the idea. Getting to know the character through other people's eyes. The book was easy to read and I finished it within two days (doesn't happen often to me). Overall I liked the author's style. But it also left me disappointed. I think the idea was poorly implemented.

We don't get to know N. very well at all. Most (if not all), of her lovers are either married or in a relationship. The picture that is being painted of these relationships is a rather sad one. The basic message seems to be that people are selfish, egotistical assholes. While there might be affection and certainly a lot of sex, there is no sense of love in any of the relationships. The choice for the men seems to be between a lukewarm marriage and an exciting affair with somebody they wouldn't really want to be with full-time either.

With every chapter my hope that N. would find 'true love' shrunk a little further and I became more and more irritated. Irritated with her choices, with the men's behaviour. And I was asking myself, whether my views on relationships are really that far removed from reality.

I hope not.

Lying on the sofa, reading and enjoying Danish pastries - perfect!

Nail art? Not really...

OPI Miami Beet was one of my first OPI nail polishes. For some reason I haven't been wearing it much lately. Which is quite a shame, cause it is a really nice colour. It's a dark red with a a bit of plum in it. And I probably should have left it the way it was. But I decided to experiment with the striping tape I recently bought to create some silver stripes (Topshop 'Eyes of steel') and corners. Well, what can I say, I liked the 'before' better and I will need some more practice to perfect the striping.

Here are just a few of many blogs with some amazing examples of nail art:

Spektor's nails

My awesome beauty

Precious Polish

The PolishAholic

The Nailasaurus

Embarrassing bodies

... is a show on Channel 4. People with a variety of health (in the widest sense) problems, are seen by a doctor. On TV. On the one hand, I think it's a good way to reach out to people and encourage them to go and see their GPs. The programme also includes general advice, symptoms people should look out for, how to do certain DIY health checks etc. On the other hand, I really don't get it why people agree to show their 'embarrassing bodies' on national television. Some of them have lived with their problems for years, sometimes decades. Instead of having a one to one with their GP, they decide to do so on television. Exposing their private bits in the process.

On second thought though, given the experiences I have had with a number of GPs in this country (and no, I wouldn't want to generalize), maybe they have as little trust in their local GP as me...

Frustration

I prefer direct communication. If you have a problem - tell me. If I have a problem - I will tell you. Unfortunately, this doesn't fit in very well with the English mentality. I fully appreciate, that there is a level of diplomacy required, especially when it comes to interactions in the work environment. But I don't like that I feel like constantly treading on egg shells, fearing that I might (unwillingly and unknowingly!!) upset or insult somebody. It has made me extremely cautious - to the point, where I am not sure whether I am getting my point across at all.

Somebody said to me the other day that some people need a 'soft-softy' management approach. Well, I fully appreciate that different people need different management styles (you see, my degree in business studies comes in handy here - in theory). But there is a fine line between being 'paternal' and understanding and one's kindness being taken advantage of. That's what I think at least.

At the end of the day, I guess my frustration lies in the fact, that I don't seem to be able to get what I want (to get done). But I am not giving up and will keep trying to find out what makes (different) people tick.

Diamond Jubilee weekend

I somehow feel that I should at least mention that the Queen celebrated her Diamond Jubilee this weekend. And we all - figuratively - cheered about the additional bank holiday we got out of it*. And thousands literally cheered her on, waiting for hours in the rain for her to make an appearance - on the royal barge on the Thames, on the Mall or the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

I did watch a few minutes on TV on Sunday and felt a little sorry for the Queen and Prince Philip. Standing around on the barge, waving. And I thought: why don't you just sit down? You are the Queen! And poor Prince Philip ended up in hospital with a bladder infection.

I recently found an essay I had to write in school about the Royal Family. My conclusion at the time seemed to be that the huge amount of taxpayers' money spent on them, was all worthwhile as it generated income through tourism and kept people entertained thanks to all the gossip pages in the numerous magazine.


*except for teachers - as it happens to be half-term anyway

Tastecard - bring on the discount

For the second year running, I got myself the tastecard. Regular annual membership costs £79.95 - but I only paid £29.95. Discount codes are regularly available, so I would recommend looking or waiting around a little. The principle is easy: restaurants which are part of the tastecard offer deals such as 50% of the food bill or 2 for 1 deals. I believe it originally started off in London but now includes restaurants all over the UK.

On the website you can search by area/postcode/cuisine/type of offer. Always make sure you check the conditions: most places don't accept the card on weekends or bank holidays. While most cards are valid for only two diners, some can be used on groups. You usually also have to make a reservation over the phone and have to mention that you wish to use your tastecard. This last bit is what I like least. A) you can't be that spontaneous and b) I always suspect that I will get a slightly worse service when the staff know that I will only pay half the price....

The other week, I used the tastecard at La Tasca, Canary Wharf. La Tasca is a Spanish tapas chain restaurant. And comes with the advantage that you can just show up and don't have to book in advance. The branch in Canary Wharf is located just a couple of minutes from West India Quay station (and about 5 minutes from Canary Wharf). We sat outside with views on the Quay. The tastecard only applies to the 'tapas to share' section of the menu. We chose:

• A festival of mushrooms (I didn't try these as I don't like mushrooms)
• Calamares - one of my favourite tapas, partly as I like anything battered and fried!
• Pescado Blanco frito - exception to the above rule: not only did they come late, they were also soggy rather than crispy
• Langostinos - next time I will opt for one of the other prawn dishes - I don't like having to remove the shell and head myself. And there was no lemon water to clean the fingers either
• Patatas Bravas - a classic must-have with a nicely spiced tomatoe sauce
• Spanish style lemon chicken and vegetables - all right but nothing special

Verdict: I'd come back with the tastecard. Service is friendly, food is all right, but nothing exceptional. But then again at those prices (even without the card), you wouldn't expect star quality food either. Or would you?
Saving for dinner for two: ~£12

Things I didn't know and never wanted to know about

Wikipedia:
"In medicine, a port (or portacath) is a small medical appliance that is installed beneath the skin. A catheter connects the port to a vein. Under the skin, the port has a septum through which drugs can be injected and blood samples can be drawn many times, usually with less discomfort for the patient than a more typical "needle stick". Ports are used mostly to treat hematology and oncology patients, but recently ports have been adapted also for hemodialysis patients. The port is usually inserted in the upper chest, just below the clavicle or collar bone, leaving the patient's hands free."

Tuesday, 5 June 2012, 8:30am

Revenge

American TV drama 'Revenge' has just premiered here in the UK. The main character, Emily Thorne, is seeking revenge on those people who are responsible for her father being imprisoned for a murder he didn't commit. She returns under a false name to the Hamptons, where she used to live with her Dad. Her prime target is Victoria Grayson, matriarch of the Grayson family as well as former lover of her Dad whose betrayal led to the conviction.

Emily vanCamp plays Emily. She is known from playing one of the leads in Everwood (my Mum loved this and I have therefore watched a few episodes) and Brothers and Sisters (of which I have only seen snippets - I think I might like it, but somehow never got into watching it). Only the first episode has been aired yet, but what I've seen so far, I liked. I thought Emily was the main attraction in Everwood and so she is in Revenge. Very beautiful, with a sexy mix of cold-bloodedness and vulnerability.

From the soundtrack:

Weekend soundtrack by Birdy

Product testing

Garnier is running the Intensive7days Challenge. You can order your free samples via their website. You then receive 7 sachets of their Garnier body Intensive 7days lotion. Each sachet has 6ml and is just about enough for the whole body. It also comes with a little tester kit: where you stick a piece of paper to your skin before you start using the lotion and after you've used up all 7 sachets. Any dry skin will stick to the little black bit of the paper. So you can compare whether your skin was drier before using the new lotion.

I've used Garnier's body lotion before, and have always liked them. They have a nice smell (this one is with shea butter), are easily absorbed and are actually really good for (my) dry skin and makes it feel very smooth and soft.

Having used up all seven sachets, I am very happy with the result. I was experiencing some very dry skin on my shins and it's all back to normal again. I would certainly consider buying the product and would recommend it (once I've used up the various body lotions, I already have in my drawer...).

* I discovered PicMonkey through another blogger (Moccha - thanks again!). It's free software and you can do collages with your photos as well as embellish your pictures with writings and other things. The above is just my first attempt and I hope the results will get prettier with time! :-)

Henning knows bestest

It is time again for Henning Wehn testing his material for this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival (or as he likes to call it: the comedy trade fair). And he is back at the Betsy Trotwood - a traditional pub in Clerkenwell (near Farringdon station). Check out the red origami cranes hanging from the ceiling! To start us off, we had dinner in the pub - the burger was massive and very nice. The chips could have been crispier, but still nice enough.

Henning's show was sold out and this time the majority of the audience seemed to be British. With recent performances on the telly as well as the radio, it sure seems that the word about Henning is spreading. and so it should. The show was hilarious as always. A few of his old material and some bits from his newsletters were thrown in, but a lot of new material, too. The combination of his strong German accent with an incredible knowledge of the English language and colloquialism in particular, makes for cracking comedy.

What is really interesting, is that his jokes relating to the 2nd World war would simply not work in German and Germany. I personally would regard them as distasteful. But over here, it is clear that he is taking the piss of the German stereotype and it somehow becomes acceptable as well as laughing-out-loud funny.

I highly recommend checking him out - signing up to his monthly newsletter would be a good start!

A little you tube taster:

Sparkly bits

Last Tuesday Swarovski invited to an exclusive evening with Swarovski CrystallizedTM at their concept store off Regents Street. There was champagne, strawberries and mini cupcakes (I think I must have had at least five of them - very yummy!), music and a team from Charles Worthington offered free hairstyling.

With a 15% discount on the night, I couldn't resist and did a bit of shopping:

it sparkles brightly in the sun

I want to make these into pendants for necklaces - I especially like the blue of the heart

And with every purchase over £40, there came - yes, you can guess it already - a goody bag! The invite had promised a Nails Inc nail polish and a benefit eyeliner. I had neither. But I am not complaining [too much - it was misleading!].

Here's what I got:

• White V-neck T-shirt with CrystalizedTM stuck on in crystals - unfortunately a little too big
• A notebook
• A grey make up bag
• An OPI nail polish: Time-less is more [reviews aren't very encouraging: apparently not covering very well]
• A Jemma Kidd i-conic eyes pencil liner in 03 pin up [the blue looks very nice]
• Charles Worthington volume big bounce spray [sounds promising, even though the bottle was really manky - not impressed...]

Things that are better in England than in Germany

I think it's safe to say that it's a well-known fact that I love freebies. And one of the things that are better over here on the island are the freebies that are regularly given away with magazines. The July Glamour issue (£2) comes with one of three benefit products:

• the POREfessional (7.5ml)
• 'That Gal' brightening face primer (7.5ml)
• Bad Gal mascara

I already have the POREfessional. I am not too convinced about the pore minimizing effect, but it does make my skin look and feel very smooth.
benefit says: 'Quickly minimise the appearance of pores & fine lines for smoother-than-smooth skin! Apply this silky, lightweight balm alone, under or over makeup. Translucent, oil-free formula complements all skintones and helps makeup stay put. Contains a Vitamin E derivative, known to protect skin from free radicals.'

I've also tried the Bad Gal mascara before - if I remember it came with a magazine last year or so. I would definitely recommend it, but having got three mascaras on the go at the moment, I will resist buying two copies of the same magazine...

So, I picked the face primer. benefit says: 'Our silky pink primer takes your complexion from dull to darling! Simply blend it on for the look of brighter, smoother skin. Contains light-reflecting pigments to help brighten all skin tones and raspberry & camomile to soothe skin.'

I am a little disappointed with the tiny size of the tube, but it's still a bargain at only £2, which of course includes the magazine. I look forward to trying it.

I love the packaging of the benefit products