Keeping it tidy - doggy style

I love costume jewellery. Not only can I buy more pieces thanks to the cheap prices, I also don't have to worry about losing an expensive piece of jewellery.

As my collection of rings is constantly growing, this little fellow recently moved in with me:

I would still prefer a proper dog - but he will do for now

Korean burritos and other Irish delicacies

As per usual, I spent most time inside the conference venue when I was in Dublin recently. But we were able to check out a few restaurants. One of them was ukiyo - a Japanese karaoke bar/restaurant in the city centre: "Ukiyo is a spiritual word in Japanese and pertains to floating on a higher plane, back here on Earth it resonates with care free and even hedonistic notions."

We sampled their very inexpensive lunch menu, which is generously served from 12:00-17:00 . My colleague had the sushi - which looked very nice, and I opted for the Korean and Mexican fusion burritos. You can select from a number of fillings, and I went with steak and egg - why not? I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was well worth it (not least for just €7!). The flavour of the filling was distinctly Korean - I am assuming there was some kimchi mixed in - and it went surprisingly well with the Mexican tortilla and the sour cream.

don't be fooled by the picture - it was a big portion!

Another highlight was this (unfortunately, I cannot remember the restaurant's name):

This was a very interesting mix of two of my favourite foods: breaded veal (SCHNITZEL-alert!) with mac'n cheese, cauliflower on the side and a kind of pesto on top: really nice!

Last but not least, here's the starter and dessert from the conference dinner we held at the Round Room at the Mansion House (the Mansion House being the residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin). As the room was quite dark, none of my photos turned out very nice - but I would recommend it for evening dos! (and I simply forgot to take a picture of the main, which was steak with celeriac & truffle mash and asparagus)

Warm Goat's Curd & Roast Butternut Squash tart

Glazed Lemon Tart with Glenilen Yoghurt Cream & Lime Puree

Choking on a lozenge

While I am feeling a little better than I did earlier in the week, my cold is still annoying me. My coughing keeps me up and wakes me up in the middle of the night. Sleeping in a nearly upright position to avoid the coughing - or choking on a lozenge - doesn't work very well either. It also feels as if all the coughing has caused a soreness in my diaphragm, which now hurts every time I cough - not a pleasant feeling, I can tell you. And of course, I also have a constant headache... So, I am of course wallowing in self pity.

But I do hope that a weekend of rest and lots of tea will do the trick.

Also, did you know that 'lozenge' is a form of a rhombus? I only ever knew the word as a synonym for a cough drop. Interesting stuff, hm?! And is evidence for the fact that I was never taught geometry in English.

Summer rain

Well, given the recent drop in temperatures, it's more of  a spring rain. But the smell is just as nice!

Having said that, I would have appreciated it a little more, had it not started pouring down just the minute I stepped outside. Without an umbrella of course.

So, unfortunately, my online shopping package came back home with me...

Bring on June!

We had a mini-reunion yesterday of some of the London based people who went on the trip to Hong Kong together. I have to say that I never quite know which restaurant to pick in Chinatown, as they all look pretty much the same to me, offering very similar menus at very similar prices. Last night we went to Wan Chai Corner on Gerrard Street. Food was good - we ordered a number of main dishes for the group to share. I especially liked the sizzling beef dish and the pork belly. The eggplant dish was also (surprisingly) yummy. And apparently the Dim Sum is also really good. It's not a glamorous place, but has a rather basic set up. But the food was good and inexpensive. So, I would go back.

But I got most excited about the message in my fortune cookie, which read:

Success will come your way in June

Kiwi accent? I wish!

I'm rubbish at identifying accents. I can just about spot a Glaswegian and an Australian accent (most of the time, at least), but that's about it. Equally, other people seem to find it just as difficult to place my accent. I do appreciate that it's not straightforward - while my last name is very German, I don't look typically German and I don't have a typical German accent. I still make mistakes though, which is why it surprises me that people usually guess through all English speaking countries with Australia and New Zealand recently topping the list. I love the Australian/Kiwi accent and would love to sound like that, but I really don't think I do. (I am also not able to spot the difference between an Aussie and a Kiwi accent.)

The weirdest guess quite recently was Welsh... (another accent I can only spot when people sound exactly like Stacey from Gavin and Stacey).

The addictive nature of online shopping

How many times have I sworn not to buy clothes and especially shoes online anymore? Many, many times... And while experience tells me that more often than not, I will end up having to deal with the hassle of returning stuff, I still go online and shop away. Where is the logic in that? I live in London! I have most retailers more or less at my doorstep! And yes, queueing for the changing room isn't that much fun either, but still better than having to walk all the way to the post office or parcel+ store with a heavy package...

Most recently, I was once again lured in by the asos sale. And here is what I got - and what will all go back again:

a bargain at just £9 - but it didn't fit in M nor did it suit me...

surprisingly too big in size 8, and I didn't like the material

even size 6 was too small...