Sunday, January 02, 2011

End of Year Round Up!


Wow, what a year 2010 has been! It started with me procrastinating by doing a jigsaw and then flying off to eat our way across Sydney with Lydia, and ended with me flying off to Muenchen and eating alone in Maccas! Okay, just kidding on the last part. Sorta.

After gallivanting around the nation last year, 2010 was a year of overseas travel! Sometimes I think back to September when I hit destinations such as ParisMunich & Heidelberg, Belgium, and London in that crazy, that frantic fortnight and wonder, how the !$#@ did I do that and not go crazy? But it was worth it just to say it was done! And of course, there was that Xmas run-in with Easyjet and Gatwick. I think I've calmed down from that now. However, it wasn't all gaining overseas frequent flyer points! Semi-exotic locations such as Sydney, Radelaide and the Barawesome Valley, and C-town were also visited at various points in the year. It was all good! 

Movie of the year...hmmm, reading over my reviews, 2010 appears to be the year of overhyped movies leaving me feeling somewhat disappointed (Avatar, Inception), stupid movies that nonetheless left me entertained (Predators, The A-Team), surprises from movies of which I knew and expected little (Made in Dagenham, Never Let Me Go) and of course, an absolute shocker for which everyone who was associated should be put in the Abu Dhabi desert and told to make their own way back on foot as penance. According to my ratings, Toy Story 3 takes the title - in fact, I'll confess that part of the reason I didn't buy a Lotso toy when in London despite it being EXCEEDINGLY cuddly was because I couldn't get over the thought that he was EVIL!!! Honourable mentions to The Social Network and Made in Dagenham

And of course, it was a year for Eating. (Although to be honest, what year isn't for eating?) We celebrated eating at many high class establishments as well as celebrating the lower-priced end of the spectrum as well as many, many, many, many trips to eat dumplings. Other than the trip to Sydney to eat, gastronomic highlights include eating at Philippe Mouchel for R's going away party, Dr. dinner at Bistrot Vue, lunch at Cafe Vue, seeing the Duck Nazi for the last time, and of course, the epicness that was Taste of Melbourne. Gastronomic lowlights (but humour highlight!) would be those infamous bacon gumballs. Hilarity in a tin.  There was also much baking, particularly my (ultimately unsuccessful) double-barrelled shot to win the ACB Bake-Off (congrats to the Silver Fox who came second!) and of course, I finally made croissants from scratch. And then I improved the method! Mmmm, pastry. Anyway, based on the number of times I visited the place, restaurant of the year will be Horoki. Eat there. Everyone should. 

Hotties of the Year....well I didn't really make any new finds so much as contiuing appreciation of previous hotties. There was of course my husband Iker:


Love the profile but I think he needs to grow that beard back!

His World Cup and RM teammate Xabi Alonso
(Source - Real Madrid.com)


 On the theme of gingers, I made a late rediscovery of the so pale and red he's almost fluorescent Damian Lewis!

Oh, and I guess Andrew Garfield is a new one, but he looks like a kid in the google image search despite being 27 years old. Hmmm, I wonder if I have to demote him.

So to finish, 2010 was the year that I finally, finally finished my PhuD, way back in Feb, although it wasn't conferred until August (damn you examination and then conferral delay!). These events were naturally celebrated with copious amounts of alcohol given that I didn't need my brain cells anymore. *cough cough* And then after cruising along as a Tech for the Uni, finally decided to put my Phud to use and combine with it with my desire to travel by upping sticks and moving to Muenchen. Here's a to a great (European) 2011 everyone!

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