Summer!
Sunday, 11. May 2008, 17:23:22
Hello friends! 
My last post was about unseasonal snow in Birmingham, and I thought I need to do some up-date. Since the beginnings of May, it has been pretty warm, or rather hot here. In London, the temperature gets as high as 27 degrees, and even in Birmingham where it is somewhat cooler, it gets 25 celsius. If you live in a warm or hot country, you think it is not that much, but here it can be as high as it can get in the middle of the summer.
Anyway, I took some photos to show you how the season changed here since the snow in April.
This is the flower that I find often here in May-June, but I don't remember the name. I will tell you when I remember it.
They are gorgeous.
As it has been pretty cool until recently we still have cherry blossoms.
View of a park, 30-min walk from our house. Very green. There are many young people picnicking on the grass eating sandwiches. What a good idea!
Small blue flowers in the park. It looked almost like an impressionist paining!
Blue bells. There are lots of these in the photo above.
Our garden. I mowed the grass yesterday. It need to be mowed every two weeks in the peak season. Now maybe in 3 weeks. It is pretty annoying.
I wish you enjoy your summer wherever you are!
My last post was about unseasonal snow in Birmingham, and I thought I need to do some up-date. Since the beginnings of May, it has been pretty warm, or rather hot here. In London, the temperature gets as high as 27 degrees, and even in Birmingham where it is somewhat cooler, it gets 25 celsius. If you live in a warm or hot country, you think it is not that much, but here it can be as high as it can get in the middle of the summer.
Anyway, I took some photos to show you how the season changed here since the snow in April.
This is the flower that I find often here in May-June, but I don't remember the name. I will tell you when I remember it.
They are gorgeous.
As it has been pretty cool until recently we still have cherry blossoms.
View of a park, 30-min walk from our house. Very green. There are many young people picnicking on the grass eating sandwiches. What a good idea!
Small blue flowers in the park. It looked almost like an impressionist paining!
Blue bells. There are lots of these in the photo above.
Our garden. I mowed the grass yesterday. It need to be mowed every two weeks in the peak season. Now maybe in 3 weeks. It is pretty annoying.
I wish you enjoy your summer wherever you are!
Lovely flowers!
All these photos made me realise how much I'm being imprisoned in the office
By fbaggins, # 12. May 2008, 05:53:57
England looks very green to me, and I guess it is due to the fact it rains often and the plants get plenty of water. It is also due to the fact the English people love their garden and plans, and invest quite a lot of money.
I am sorry that you are imprisoned in the office; enjoy the flowers on line at the least-est.
By tabatakayoko, # 12. May 2008, 16:18:14
Yea looks green and fresh.
Here it rains often too ( hmm.. well except for these past weeks, its freaking hot!
Hmm.. or maybe it's because almost most of my hours are spent in the office, no chance to go explore parks and gardens
By fbaggins, # 13. May 2008, 09:13:45
Is it bacause you live in the town centre where normal people cannot afford to have large garden? Evidently the British people hates apartment-type housing, and apartments & large condominiums are rather rare, if it is not really in the center of the town center.
By tabatakayoko, # 13. May 2008, 15:37:21
Hmm.. yea, maybe I guess. Houses are expensive, so apartments and similar is the best choice here.
Ahh... what to do..
By fbaggins, # 14. May 2008, 08:00:27
Well, in that case, enjoy apartment-life! The gardens are expensive, and demand a lot of care. Recently I discovered my colleagues who live in larger houses with larger garden pay double the amount of money I pay for the water.
On the other hand, I would not mind living in large apartment complex, but it is difficult to find here as there aren't many!
By tabatakayoko, # 17. May 2008, 08:26:56
Nice pics.
I catch a summer cold so I can't go out. I was satisfied with these pics rather than going out.
By zariski, # 17. May 2008, 13:47:10
Yes, it is true. I have not been here for some time.
Summer cold is something very annoying. Take care of yourself! Here it got cooler again and the max temperature is around 17 celsius. It is a perfect condition to catch un seasonal cold...
Get well soon!
By tabatakayoko, # 18. May 2008, 06:21:59
In your other post, you mentioned fermented soya beans. I don't think I've ever had them before (only soy sauce-is it healthy or not? I'm wondering because it has lots of salt in it, no?)
I made sushi the other day, with some cooked tuna, avocado and cucumber
By galadriel, # 24. May 2008, 10:41:25
I appreciate very much the vegetation in England. It is really beautiful.
Fermented soy beans (natto) is a very particular type of food, as many of the fermented foods are, and I think you can find it only in specialised shops, either in Japanese/oriental grocery or in health food shops. It is unlikely to find it in Japanese restaurants - if not in Japan - because of the strong smell.
Soy-sauce is not particularly health because of the salt content, but it is true for all the salted condiments. But, you know, the food does not taste good when it is not properly seasoned.
Your sushi sounds nice. Also Japanese people make sushi, usually rolled-sushi, with tin tuna mixed with mayonaise accompanied by cucumber. Avocado sushi is also nice: for some reason the combination of avocado + soy sauce tastes fishy and we love it.
By tabatakayoko, # 25. May 2008, 09:17:08
Avocado is one of my favourite foods
By galadriel, # 25. May 2008, 11:03:45
Mayonaise and soy sauce work really well together. Well, at least for the Japanese people.
I can give you another tip, which you might well not appreciate (
By tabatakayoko, # 26. May 2008, 11:48:00
It's a mock tuna? Sounds...interesting
By galadriel, # 26. May 2008, 13:05:35
Do try sliced avocado with soy sauce and wasabi ... in moderate quantity.
By tabatakayoko, # 26. May 2008, 15:12:40