Leicester is For Food Nerds: A Tangentially Culinary Introduction to an Unlikely Place

Leicester is For Food Nerds: A Tangentially Culinary Introduction to an Unlikely Place

Leicester (lɛstər/ les-tər) isn’t exactly on the global culinary map. It’s barely on any map at all, except perhaps one detailing manufacturers of, say, sturdy meat pies or Indian sweets.     Rumour has it that people have traveled vast distances to get a big 

A Totally Impractical Guide to Camping in England With a 4 Month Old Baby

A Totally Impractical Guide to Camping in England With a 4 Month Old Baby

Last weekend, we borrowed a car from our crunchy granola car-share group in Leicester and drove to somewhere in Derbyshire (pronounced, approximately, Darbəshr, in case you aren’t intuitively British*) in the cold, grey rain, for a fine weekend of family camping, frantic trail cycling (which we 

Feed Me, Leicester: Sichuan Brothers Hotpot (Woohoo!)

Feed Me, Leicester: Sichuan Brothers Hotpot (Woohoo!)

Remember last week when those guys at Momondo took us out for lunch at Kayal down on Granby Street and we stuffed ourselves on spicy seafoody things and massive dosas stuffed with lovely fragrant smashed spud and whatnot? Well, this week they took us out 

Feed Me, Leicester: Eating Everything Before We Go, the Kayal Edition

Feed Me, Leicester: Eating Everything Before We Go, the Kayal Edition

One of the lesser-known perks of having an overtly personal blog that occasionally masquerades as something useful is that you sometimes get some rather unexpected offers out of left field. Like last week, after I finished up my rather haphazard month of attempting happiness, I 

More Things That Are Ridiculously Easier in Your Own Language: Food!

More Things That Are Ridiculously Easier in Your Own Language: Food!

  The other day, we decided to order dinner in from a kebab shop in our neighbourhood here in Leicester. The menu was online, but it wasn’t linked to any of those nifty websites that also let you place your order and pay in advance. 

Well, That Was Certainly Interesting: Brief Notes on Having Just Spawned a Baby

Well, That Was Certainly Interesting: Brief Notes on Having Just Spawned a Baby

Last Wednesday, I did something I’d never done before, in a way that went in a totally different way to how I had roughly planned it. Kind of like blindly climbing Mt Bromo in Indonesia at dawn, with the thick sulphur mists obscuring everything until 

I Want to be Sedated: Adventures in Getting my Act Together in Leicester

I Want to be Sedated: Adventures in Getting my Act Together in Leicester

People, my mind is muddled like a big ball of muddled things all muddled together with a muddling pestle. I’ve been trying to get my act together to write all of the posts that this particular point in time deserves. Of these, there are many. 

Why, Hello Leicestershire: Notes on Suddenly Moving to Middle England

Why, Hello Leicestershire: Notes on Suddenly Moving to Middle England

People, I have moved to England.     The seemingly interminable spouse visa application process suddenly terminated and within a week of getting our surprise approval we were safely ensconced in a ridiculously genteel, chocolate-box village just outside of Leicester. That’s the one pronounced Lester. 

Seriously, I Have No Idea What I’m Doing: Notes on Being Knocked Up Whilst in Transit

Seriously, I Have No Idea What I’m Doing: Notes on Being Knocked Up Whilst in Transit

  Back when we first found out I was pregnant, about a million years ago in Shanghai, we thought it utterly rational to carry on with our plan to pack up and leave our jobs, our flat, and China, embarking on a road trip down