The best and the worst of the competitors’ band names for BoB 2009.
On Friday night two of my dreams will be coming true: I will be both Hermione Granger and a Zombie.
The Yorker gives you the rundown of what's Hot and what's Not in Freshers' Fortnight.
Written by Laura Tempest
My favourite thing. Since I firmly believe that biscuits taste better in the shape of snowmen, Christmas related treats are really hitting the spot: Gingerbread Lattes at Costa (and Starbucks, but why bother – Costa is of superior quality), Christmas pudding shaped truffles in bakeries, mince pies basically everywhere. Even the festive offerings from McDonalds are amazing. Hot(!) Chocolate with Baileys from the market on Parliament Street might well be the winner – and it’s served by a man in a top hat!
Gourmet Burger Kitchen, or GBK as I lovingly (and coolly!) refer to it as, is incredible. This little gem, nestled up on Lendal Street near the Judges Lodgings, could well be the best thing that has ever happened to me. Since there are about a million different burgers to choose from it look me and a friend at least 10 minutes of constant mind changing to decide, but this was part of the fun. The burgers are HUGE – taking a bite is an impossibility – and exceptionally well relished. Vegetarians don’t despair; there are meat free options – the falafel burger with houmous (there are four accepted spellings of this word!) is amazing – as well as salads and chips. Delightfully, the tomato sauce is on the table in a tomato shaped bottle (it’s the little things that count), the décor is chic, and the pay as you order system is efficient. Seriously, so worth a trip.
Clearly I am loving the abbreviations (and possibly imagining I am 12 years old) today but BFFs, ‘Best Friends Forever’, obv, really are lovely. While everyone loves their campus acquaintances – “Hi how are you? I’m fine thanks, let’s catch up sometime, see you later!” – nothing beats a deep, comfortable silence punctuated discussion over coffee with your school friends from home.
As partial as I am to a bit of festive decoration, houses encrusted in rows of twinkling, flashing, ‘dancing’ lights (and Santas and bells and reindeers and crackers) are definitely not hot. According to the Energy Saving Trust, over the 12 days of Christmas alone, the running of UK tree lights produces enough carbon dioxide to fill over 15,500 hot air balloons. Not ideal. Aside from this, those tacky, so-bright-they’re-visible-from-space outdoor ‘displays’ add an estimated £75 to the Christmas bill – enough to heat and power an average home for 6 weeks. Rather wasteful, wouldn’t you say?
Having no money by week 9 is establishing itself as something of a horrible pattern for me. Spending the last weeks of term eating the tins and dried food my parents stocked in the cupboard at the start of term and living the ‘ASDA Smart Price’ dream is less than glam.
Gok Wan, for all his confidence boosting and body-type embracing, I cannot stand. The ‘Godfather of Glamour’ (so says the Channel 4 website) haphazardly attempts what Trinny and Susannah execute with finesse and hilarity – namely, dressing women according to their body type. Struggling his way through a painful hour of Wednesday night TV shrieking “you look GORGEOUS, girlfriend” every two seconds, Mr Wan rarely hits the mark, and I am incapable of trusting a man with a razor fringe who states that absolutely everything he touches is “so this season”.
Gok Wan is the Godfather of Glamour! What makes him better than Trinny and Susannah is that he actually has conversations with the women he dresses, rather than just barking commands at them while clandestinely trying to cop a feel. Rather than what he makes them wear, it's how he makes them feel. And furthermore, he's sincere and genuinely passionate about what he does. Trinny and Susannah just can't find anything else to do than bully people with 'fashion'.
Hot Chocolate with Baileys is possibly the best hot drink I've ever had, especially given that, when walking down Parliament Street at this time of year, you're going to be freezing. Mmmmm. So unbelievably good!
GBK: Best restaurant in town. Easily.
I bum this blog.
Where is 'GBK'?
I believe it's "nestled up on Lendal Street near the Judges Lodgings", but don't take my word for it.
Not quite sure how I missed that.
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