Recipe for fun
Take 5 girls, recently finished exams; 3 having finished their studies; 2 about to leave the country. Shower those leaving with appropriately tacky London memorabilia.
Board the tube at Southgate and entertain the other passengers with your tales and giggling, even if it does raise eyebrows when one of your number announces that she would like to have a baby in the next 4 years. Entertain with the 3 treacherous buzzards song, but never quite make it all the way through.
Arrive at Waterloo and wander to the Southbank, delighted that it is after 7pm and the sun is still shining. Take in the view for a few minutes before settling down at Wagamama’s for dinner. Amaze the waiter with the diversity of the group, with 3 of you ordering a number 41! Laugh your way through the entire meal, including a rendition of my God is so big and discover that the Australian version and the English version are different.
Decide to take in the delights of the Southbank while walking off your meal. Rue having decided to wear the high heals, but soldier on valiantly anyway. Keep loosing members of the group as they stop to take photos of the gorgeous surroundings.
Arrive at the Tate modern and go up to the Bar and Restaurant on level 6. Keep one member of the group away from the window for fear she will pass out, while the others drink in the amazing view of St Paul’s Cathedral. Be seated far enough away from the window that you can all enjoy the view from the safety of the middle of the room and watch as the sun sets and the city begins to light up.
Worry the waitress by your inability to order. Proceed to laugh even more when one of your number gets caught in an awkward position by a bathroom door that refuses to lock properly. Eventually decide that you will have 4 of the 5 different desserts on the menu – Walnut praline with almond biscotti and vin santo; chocolate and orange torte; champagne poached pear with vanilla brulee and strawberry and mint salad; pineapple skewers with basil grantita and raspberry coulis, which are all fabulous and even give a choice for the gluten free and sugar free dieters among you.
Consult, with some difficulty, the photograph of the underground map apron to work out the best way home, then discover that one of you has a proper tube map. Attempt to walk across the millennium bridge. Discover that one of your number really, really, really is not good with heights, but help her to overcome her fear. Discover that stiletto heels and holes in bridges are not a good combination as another of your members gets stuck in the middle of the bridge and almost needs to set up home there. Reach solid ground outside St Paul’s, thankful to have survived the experience.
Walk to the tube station, the long way of course, still regretting the shoe decision. Get on a tube to go home, still laughing.
So much fun.
I’ll miss you Dawn, Helen, Ros and Sarah.
But there is always the hope of Philly in Jan 07 and Aus in Feb 08 to look forward to!!!
Board the tube at Southgate and entertain the other passengers with your tales and giggling, even if it does raise eyebrows when one of your number announces that she would like to have a baby in the next 4 years. Entertain with the 3 treacherous buzzards song, but never quite make it all the way through.
Arrive at Waterloo and wander to the Southbank, delighted that it is after 7pm and the sun is still shining. Take in the view for a few minutes before settling down at Wagamama’s for dinner. Amaze the waiter with the diversity of the group, with 3 of you ordering a number 41! Laugh your way through the entire meal, including a rendition of my God is so big and discover that the Australian version and the English version are different.
Decide to take in the delights of the Southbank while walking off your meal. Rue having decided to wear the high heals, but soldier on valiantly anyway. Keep loosing members of the group as they stop to take photos of the gorgeous surroundings.
Arrive at the Tate modern and go up to the Bar and Restaurant on level 6. Keep one member of the group away from the window for fear she will pass out, while the others drink in the amazing view of St Paul’s Cathedral. Be seated far enough away from the window that you can all enjoy the view from the safety of the middle of the room and watch as the sun sets and the city begins to light up.
Worry the waitress by your inability to order. Proceed to laugh even more when one of your number gets caught in an awkward position by a bathroom door that refuses to lock properly. Eventually decide that you will have 4 of the 5 different desserts on the menu – Walnut praline with almond biscotti and vin santo; chocolate and orange torte; champagne poached pear with vanilla brulee and strawberry and mint salad; pineapple skewers with basil grantita and raspberry coulis, which are all fabulous and even give a choice for the gluten free and sugar free dieters among you.
Consult, with some difficulty, the photograph of the underground map apron to work out the best way home, then discover that one of you has a proper tube map. Attempt to walk across the millennium bridge. Discover that one of your number really, really, really is not good with heights, but help her to overcome her fear. Discover that stiletto heels and holes in bridges are not a good combination as another of your members gets stuck in the middle of the bridge and almost needs to set up home there. Reach solid ground outside St Paul’s, thankful to have survived the experience.
Walk to the tube station, the long way of course, still regretting the shoe decision. Get on a tube to go home, still laughing.
So much fun.
I’ll miss you Dawn, Helen, Ros and Sarah.
But there is always the hope of Philly in Jan 07 and Aus in Feb 08 to look forward to!!!
posted by Mandy at
Sunday, June 04, 2006
7 Comments:
Of course, what we all really want to know is: how is the UK version different?
'My God is so big, so strong and so mighty,
There's nothing my God cannot do
(except something sufficient that is not effecient).'
?
By
byron smith, at Monday, June 05, 2006 10:20:00 am
Nope - in Australia 'the valley's are his' whereas in the UK 'the rivers are his'
By
Mandy, at Monday, June 05, 2006 5:02:00 pm
Ah, while the Oz version is content with the contrast between mountain and valley, the UK adopts a broader view of the global ecosystem that encompasses the water cycle.
Or is it that the Australian river systems are both friend and foe, with greater flooding and dought conditions, making ascription of rivers to God somewhat problematic?
Or perhaps the UK, while willing to cede the less habitable mountains and aqueous space of rivers, is reluctant to relinquish control of the most fertile 'valley' land, preferring to pretend some measure of autonomy in that sphere?
By
byron smith, at Tuesday, June 06, 2006 5:26:00 pm
I assume it's because in England rivers are always rivers whereas in Australia they're sometimes dry valleys?
By
Ros, at Wednesday, June 07, 2006 12:06:00 am
Heeelllooo Mandy!
J.
By
Justin, at Wednesday, June 07, 2006 12:58:00 am
whilst not willing to admit which 'one of the number' I am I will miss being together as a gaggle of giggling girls...
so thankful that God has brought us together as a gaggle... good word gaggle... as for rivers and mountains, stars are his handiwork too... (Do i need to point out that without mountains there would be no valleys and so its a given...) I'm no geographer (praise the Lord) so please accept my humble point! Also we know that everything is the right way up in the UK and upside down in Oz
By
helen, at Wednesday, June 07, 2006 2:05:00 am
oh! sounds lovely! wish I was there too.
b
By
Anonymous, at Wednesday, June 07, 2006 11:08:00 am
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