Wednesday, 21 January 2015

Gap Year: Singapore - arrival and first day





When we set off on our gap year, we first decided to stop in Singapore as it was a place we both thought we'd never go to again.

When we first arrived, the humidity hit us like a punch in the face - it was incredibly moist and sticky, being at the height of the wet season - from which point we knew we would struggle with the climate for a few days at least.

Thankfully, Steve's brother's friend, Suresh, was waiting to collect us in his little red VW Beetle. I remember being a bit nervous about arriving there but as soon as he welcomed us and put us in the car I felt very relaxed and comfortable, which is how things stayed for the rest of our week in Singapore.

Arriving at the house, we were ecstatic to see an electric gate and a rather plush looking house. Not that we had expected less, just that we had assumed we would be staying in an apartment like the majority of Singaporeans.

As Suresh's family was Sri Lankan, we were treated to a Sri Lankan dish (the name escapes me) which was had been toned down especially for us. I remember thinking that if that was toned down I might be in trouble for the rest of our time there! We also found a little strange having a live-in maid, also Sri Lankan, who waited on us and the family hand and foot. This was set off by the normality of it for the family, adding to our confusion.

We were on our best behaviour but couldn't help feeling a tad awkward having flown for 13 hours straight trying to be polite to a family whom we had never met before or had any real connection. It was fun all the same, with a couple of awkward silences at the table to boot!



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Sunday, 15 December 2013

Upcycled guitar picks from old bank cards!

A nice idea to save throwing away old bank cards and adding to the waste, take a template from your guitar pick, draw around it on your old bank card with a permanent marker and cut out with a pair of scissors or stanley knife to make your own upcycled guitar pick - I think the photo says it all!

If you are feeling slightly less adventurous, you could always buy a pick maker or plectrum punch, which does the job for you and still reuses your card.

Have a go, a save that plastic card from the tip!
A pick maker or plectrum punch

Enjoy

Sunday, 8 December 2013

Philips HR1863 Viva Juicer: Honest Review

After many months of blending our green juices, we finally decided to buy ourselves a proper juicer. After searching the internet for a while, we decided on the Philips HR1863 Viva Juicer as we had seen Jason Vale using one and he seems genuinely evangelical about them.

After looking around, and with the recommendation of the Juice Master, we thought the Viva juicer suited our needs best as it was quite cheap, only 79.99 at either Argos or Amazon, compared to the others on the market but not the cheapest.

After using it for a week, I thought I'd write a few things we've learned about our Philips Viva juicer.

Pros

Most fruit and veg fit into the chute whole although larger apples, some tomatoes and beetroots will need to be cut in half to go down.

It produces 750ml of fantastic tasting juice which is perfectly suited to our needs.

It is simple and easy to clean but takes longer than the 1 minute promised on the box - it takes about 3 minutes by my reckoning, with me being neither ultra fast or slow when it comes to washing up. I don't know where they got 1 minute from but that seems unrealistic for most normal people.

Cons

Firstly, it is mostly made of plastic and does feel a bit weak but, if you have the money and are worried about build quality, the next model up in terms of price will cost >100 so it's quite a jump in price.

It says makes up to 2L of juice but I'm not sure how this is possible, for two reasons. The first is that the jug that comes with it is only 750ml max. The second being that after filling one jug, it needs to be cleaned as the pulp fills up inside so much that it cannot produce juice efficiently thereafter - if you try to make 2 full jugs of juice in a row, the second will be full of pulp and lumpy. For this limited amount, it is better suited to people who live alone or with a partner rather than a family.

Which leads on to my next point - it needs to be cleaned after every jug of juice made. Not a major problem but a tad annoying as, even if you want the same juice, the extraction of juice is poor when it is full to the point of it pouring out much of the pulp/fibre into your juice.

Summary

In short, the Philips HR1863/01 Viva Juicer is an ideal juicer for couples or single people looking for a good quality juicer at an affordable price. It makes good juice but is not ideal for large quantities. It is of reasonable build quality and should last a few years but if you are looking for a family size, the XL version should suffice whereas the Aluminium model would be perfect for those looking for a sturdier machine. Both of these machines will cost significantly more, however.

That's all for now - any questions, leave them in the comments section! Happy juicing and stay healthy!


Sunday, 22 September 2013

Dunnet Head, Caithness, North Scotland


While up on the north coast of Scotland, a trip to Dunnet Head is well worth it!

Contrary to popular belief, it is Dunnet Head which is the most northerly point of mainland UK, rather than John o'Groats, as is often said.

Sligachan Camping, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Having just returned from a trip to Skye, I thought I'd pen something on visiting the area of Sligachan.

Firstly, we stayed at the Sligachan Campsite, which has a stunning panorama of the surrounding mountains and takes about an hour to get to from the the Skye Bridge, it's also about 9 miles from Portree. There is a