Picture this...

It's been a while since I did a photo post so I thought I'd share some of my recent adventures and share the visuals with you. 

A couple of weeks ago I spent the day at Youtube near King's Cross Station. It is one of those millenial workplaces with fridges full of drinks and food available to staff so all us bloggers arrived with empty bellies ready to pounce on the free breakfast. However, I was more interested in the guitars they had hanging up with a sign saying you could as to play them if you wish. I know when I sent this photo to my hubbie he had his eye on the Les Paul ! 

At my sons' school we held a winter ball with a Narnia theme. It was amazing and the effect of guests walking through the wardrobe and pushing aside coats to reveal the snowy indoor winter scene was magical. For me this twinkly dancefloor was the highlight - I think I might have to have one in our home ! 

Hubbie and I are big fans of Jason Manford. We've seen him live a few times and when he announced he was doing some live gigs to promote his first LP I got us tickets to see him perform in London. When we arrived we were stunned to find we were closer than expected. In fact even Jason commented on how close we were to him. If that wasn't embarrassing enough then our pizza arrived while he was still performing and we had to wait until he had finished to eat the - now cold - food. Still, he was very good indeed. 

I've been very late to the party when it comes to Dishoom and since I first ate there the morning after seeing Norah Jones at Ronnie Scotts I've been three times. Each time it's been a different location and they all have distinctive features and colonial Indian decor. I went to the soft launch of the latest branch in South Kensington. It's in the old Barkers building and used to be a cinema. It's like all the things I adore in one place. Delicious food, stylish and cinematic.  

Since I've been at Radio Lewes I've been pestering my fellow DJ and long time friend Soraya to present a show with me and the other weekend we did just that. 2 hours of inane chatter and some pretty spectacular music and we didn't even stop for breath. It was such a wonderful experience and I really hope we get to do it again soon. 

Finally, I can't even remember the context for this one, but I saw it and it tickled me so I thought I'd share with you. If you can't see the problem then I won't spoil it for you. Also, there's far too much to even outline here. 

That's some snapshots of what's been happening with me lately. I hope you're a bit more with it than I am at the moment. If not, then stick around kid we will probably get on just fine !

Just stop saying first world problems - please.

Spidey was distraught he'd spun Tuesday's web on Monday

Ok, the next person who uses the term 'first world problems' will get a massive rhetorical slap from me. Apart from Jason Manford as it's the name of his most recent show and he seems a decent enough guy so he's the exception. The rest of you, however, knock it on the head please.

It's not the meaning of it I object to ie. people moaning about absurd issues that aren't entirely serious or of little consequence when compared with famine, poverty, etc. I completely get the comedy value of laughing at someone who considers it a tragedy that Waitrose has run out of Moroccan houmous just before Wilhemina's birthday party - especially when it turns out Wilhemina is a miniature schnauzer.

Of course I can identify with and laugh at the absurdity of being so apparently disconnected with the 'real world' that it's considered ok to have a Facebook page entirely devoted to mocking what's apparently 'overheard in Waitrose.' It's actually the term 'first world' that jars with me. You see it suggests that those in the 'third world' are all tutting at our "Marks and Spencer have run out of artichokes" dilemmas. That we are in some way superior and deserving of the status of 'first' while those poor pathetic sorts in poorer countries "probably don't even have houmous do they I expect ?" Surely they are far too busy digging latrines or carrying water to care about our middle class and selfish problems. How dare we express dissatisfaction with our over-fed, pompous lives filled with TV, cars and fattening food.

It's patronising in the extreme to pretend that countries in Africa, Asia or other countries that were originally identified as 'third world' do not also have an equivalent sneering culture. I recall visiting my cousin in Bangalore and her brother asking why she hadn't left for work yet and she bemoaned, "Mum won't let me have the driver today - how can I possibly go to work ?" This is in a city where going for a coffee and not being able to get wifi in the cafe was considered completely unacceptable.

The hierarchy of first, second and third world was coined to identify whether or not countries were aligned with NATO and those that weren't were 'third' in the list. It was judgemental and inaccurate back then and it remains so today.

So, here's the deal. I'm still going to laugh at the notion that someone genuinely thinks that brioche is 'a bit common,' but I might just try to encourage everyone to say something like, 'North London problems' - ok, maybe, not it's a bit too judgey. How about 'Seriously ? You call these problems ?" - ok, too sarcastic. I could just settle on 'posh problems' which is more accurate. I mean it's not like we're laughing at those who shop at Asda or Tesco or Lidl is it ?

Right, I'm off to watch the Apprentice with my decaff yorkshire cuppa and a gluten free biscuit. I'm not even going to mention that I've run out of almond milk.

Pah !