CHAR: My hair looks like hay. It feels like hay. Now, excuse the faulty generalisation (I can practically feel Dr Peacock - my AS Critical Thinking teacher's- steely gaze boring through my scalp as I hang my head in shame, eyes ashamedly downcast, cheeks rouged) but to all intents and purposes, it very well might be hay. Chuck me in a stable and I'm fairly confident no horse would give two hoots (two neighs?) with regards to this argumentative fallacy, they'd munch down my dry, straw-esque shock (never has an expression seemed so apt...) of hair in one gulp. Oh the equestrian brain, so susceptible to conflation.
*Apparently universities couldn't care less about Critical Thinking qualifications, but for want of not having completely wasted a year's worth of weekly double periods, I'm gonna cram as much of the fancy shmancy terminology acquired during the process into this blog post as I can. Enjoy. Don't hate the player hate the game... Summin to do with 'ad hominem' (right, Dr Peacock!?!)*
*Apparently universities couldn't care less about Critical Thinking qualifications, but for want of not having completely wasted a year's worth of weekly double periods, I'm gonna cram as much of the fancy shmancy terminology acquired during the process into this blog post as I can. Enjoy. Don't hate the player hate the game... Summin to do with 'ad hominem' (right, Dr Peacock!?!)*
CHAR: Ahem. I appear to have rambled. Yet again. Where was I? Oh yes, my appearance! Whilst I may previously have paraded about the place bearing a mosquito bite beard (see Noosa Everglades tour), unbeknownst to me at the time that was merely the beginning. The aperitif to the glorious main. Oh yes, these days I've upgraded to the full facial hair package, moustache and all! Both Anna and I sport splendid SULAs (that's 'Sweaty Upper Lip Alerts' to all you chick flick ignorant folk out there) - created as each singular droplet of perspiration clings to the hairs above our top lips, resulting in the unexpected (and unwanted) acquisition of a (highly feminine...) tash, not dissimilar in appearance to a cobweb post-downpour. Thanks to the vile humidity, where I'd much rather a classic handlebar, thanks-for-asking, clusters of what appear to be minuscule clairvoyant glass orbs reside instead; a collection Professor Trelawny would look upon with envy - and the future is hot, my friend. You know when your pores start visibly weeping in protestation agsinst the heat, it's (to steal from Kiss Me, Kate) 'too darn hot'.
CHAR: Despite this, it might just be the case that Anna and I will return as disfigured alien mutants, heads swollen to the size of beach balls. Find a way of shrinking us and you could probably get away with popping us on your car dashboards, or placing us fondly on your desk, like those bobbing-head dogs which used to be all the rage. A novelty prospect which will soon sweep the nation - shrink your kids and watch them agree with every word you say! Why the massive heads, you wonder? Well, ever since arriving in Gili Trewangan, I've had countless wolf whistles, no fewer than four 'I love you's' and a couple of hastily shouted marriage proposals. One fella even went the extra mile and seranaded is with his own personal rendition of James Blunt's 'you're beautiful', a version which mainly consisted of those two words being sang on a loop for an uncomfortable period of time, before the musician in question got bored of our lack of reciprocation and found someone else to fawn over. I'm more partial to the original, je pense, and that's saying something. Sorry James, don't mean to be Blunt (eyyyyy) but you're not my cuppa tea.
Aside from the - apparently blind but extremely friendly - male locals (read: possible future husbands), what does Gili T have to offer? Anna? Think of anything?
Aside from the - apparently blind but extremely friendly - male locals (read: possible future husbands), what does Gili T have to offer? Anna? Think of anything?
ANNA:
Ugh not sure. I mean I guess the views are ok...
Ugh not sure. I mean I guess the views are ok...
Sunsets could be worse...
And yeh the beaches will do....
ANNA:
Well, what can we say. It is truly INCREDIBLE here. I am indeed a serious foodie and I seem to remember all the places I visit purely by the food I eat..and Gili is indeed no exception. A typical Indonesian breakfast consists of the most delicious banana pancakes - not just your run of the mill English pancakes with a few banana slices thrown on top - these coconut milk pancakes are fried with the bananas inside and are still incredibly wafer thin, with a flower infused honey drizzled over them..deeelicious. We were also tempted by a few home comfort breakfasts at the organic/wholesome/deliciousness that was Kafe Kayu, Char eating her usual heap of granola and fruit, pretty sure she could live off this stuff...or maybe turn into it, some did actually mistake her name for salad which I think is rather appropriate, and I had these yummy scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and shallot sauce..so Indonesian I hear you say.
Well, what can we say. It is truly INCREDIBLE here. I am indeed a serious foodie and I seem to remember all the places I visit purely by the food I eat..and Gili is indeed no exception. A typical Indonesian breakfast consists of the most delicious banana pancakes - not just your run of the mill English pancakes with a few banana slices thrown on top - these coconut milk pancakes are fried with the bananas inside and are still incredibly wafer thin, with a flower infused honey drizzled over them..deeelicious. We were also tempted by a few home comfort breakfasts at the organic/wholesome/deliciousness that was Kafe Kayu, Char eating her usual heap of granola and fruit, pretty sure she could live off this stuff...or maybe turn into it, some did actually mistake her name for salad which I think is rather appropriate, and I had these yummy scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and shallot sauce..so Indonesian I hear you say.
ANNA: Apart from our scrumptious breakfasts, dinner was just as good a feast. Every night we had dinner at the night market, busy and bustling with every food aroma filling the air. The first night we had grilled snapper and barracuda with a delicious garlic chilli sauce, a heap of pic n mix fresh veg/rice/noodles, and of course a side of sambar with our friends Freddie and Nick. The next two nights char and I couldn't resist having tuna and calamari kebabs which oh my god melted in your mouth like butter. Possibly because for every one part fish there was indeed 10 parts butter for frying.... On our last night we were invited to a dinner party at our friend Olivia's home stay, oh yes we've kept classy with out straw-like-hair, black feet and slightly funky smelling clothes. We were treated to a delicious Thai green curry made by chef Freddie with the assistance of Nick, (if you're reading this boys..well Nick we all know Freddie can't read... thanks it was a fabulous meal!).
ANNA: Of course nothing can beat mine and Char's go to Gili food. But why was it so good? Maybe it was the bright yellowness of this food that reminded us of the sun and made us (and our tummys) so happy, maybe the sweet garlic chilli sauce that was lovingly and oh so generously pasted onto it and which ran down the side, like rain down the window, covering our hands in the deliciousness, or maybe it was the juicy crunch as you bit into it with its slightly burnt tinge contrasted with the sweet succulent inside. So who's guessed what it is? Yeah you've got it. I give you corn. So yes the Gili corn on the cob has been our all time favourite food.
ANNA: So, to our next food adventure..how do you still have room you may be asking? Well this was a very special food experience where we were taught by Gili locals how to make true Indonesian food. Not all the food we made was quite to our liking, I have to say we weren't too partial to the bright green puddings we made. I just asked char how you would describe them "oh those disgusting things.. Minty bubblegum play dough?" That pretty much sums them up. Our favourites were 'Ayam Talliwang' - chicken in a red Talliwang sauce, and 'Pepes Ikan' - fish in banana leaves. Both of these were so succulent with the tastiest spicy sauces.
So I think that about covers the food we ate in Gili..pretty sure after South eat Asia we won't fit through the airport metal detectors.
I hope you're all salivating and extremely hungry after reading that!
So I think that about covers the food we ate in Gili..pretty sure after South eat Asia we won't fit through the airport metal detectors.
I hope you're all salivating and extremely hungry after reading that!