Home is where the naan is
Orroit????It would seem that Irish pubs and illegally imported tea bags (Mum, I still haven't moved on to the second packet of 500 bags yet!!!) are facing stiff competition from Indian restaurants, at least as far as Madrid's ex-pat (not a word I particularly like, although realise am fast becoming... Sort of cross between ex-communicated/ex-con/ex-girlfriend(!!) and cowpat...) community is concerned.
On Friday night we went to for an Indian and, apart from the odd Spaniard, the clientele was entirely English (or Irish, or Scottish, or Welsh). Interesting, n'est-ce pas? You can't find an "English" restaurant for love nor money, and you local curry house seems to be nudging the Irish pub out of the picture. (Not surprising really. 5€ a pint is a touch on the expensive side. And anyway the only reason to go is to watch the footie on the massive TV- apparently Aldershot are playing live in a few weeks time. Can't wait!!)
On a similar, yet somehow unrelated, note, I have it on good authority (at least I think so, I can't actually remember who told me and it might be a load of b%&$"+*s) that some British Embassies serve curries as representative of the nation's culinary delights.
Also, a couple of weeks ago there was a tourist industry trade fair in Madrid at which the city of Birmingham had a stand. One of the cities selling points as a prime mini-break destination was (is) "The Balti Triangle"TM- Now, I don't have any recollection of using this expression, and would normally talk about goin oop Sparkbrook furra cuurree, laik, y'know. On a side note, the die hard Slade fans out there will be upset to hear that Noddy Holder didn't get a mention- CBSO did !?!
One of the many constants of this job is, apart from less than wonderful salary, the serious criticism that English food receives each time this subject comes up in class (And, my God it doesn't half come up in class!!!!), but it's not that bad is it?? Purely in them name of European harmony and in no way sour grapes, let's look at a typical Spanish menu- taken completely at random, of course...
Starter: Lacon con huevos revueltos: Bacon and Scrambled Eggs
Main: Pescado rebozado con patatas bravas: Fish and Chips
Dessert: Natillas: Custard
Well yes, so I may have been a little biased, but hey!!! Actually Spanish food is very good, as you might expect, but nothing like a little patriotism on a wet Monday afternoon.
By the way, according to the Spanish papers, the British papers are none too impressed by the Olympic committee assessing the candidature for 2012 attending a match at the Bernabeu on Saturday and thus breaking protocol.
But then the Spanish are none too happy with the presence of a Royal Navy nuclear submarine in Gibraltar.
Still all´s fair in love and war...
yours patriotically,
PS Apparently Spanish kids no longer eat the famed Mediterranean diet prefering un McMenu con patatas y una cocacola- grande al ser posible!!
PPS Tarra a bit!!
posted by SG @ 2:53 p. m.
