Mmm Neil's tasty crab salad

Hey there Gentle Reader. I have have made this dish a lot recently but only today did I feel the need to share.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

20 crab sticks

3 boil in bag rice packs

5 eggs

1 onion

1 red pepper

1 tin sweetcorn

400ml mayonaise

Salt and pepper (optional)

Method

Boil the rice and hard boil the eggs and allow to cool.

Chop the crab sticks, onion and pepper into small pieces and mix them in a large bowl with the sweeetcorn.

Chop the boiled eggs into small pieces and add them to the large bowl along with the rice.

Pour in the mayonaise and stir so that every ingredient is covered. Add salt and pepper if you wish.

Serve with nice crusty bread.

#crabsalad #recipes

WTF! Dabbing

WTF Gentle Reader... do you dab?

Have you seen groups of teens seemingly jerking about like a strange Nazi salute crossed with a sneeze. Dabbing as its called has become a bit of a craze amongst younger teens and preteens and seems to be a bit of harmless fun.

When Robert started copying these older children I decided to find out myself what all the fuss is about.
It is a dance move in which the dancer simultaneously drops the head while raising an .arm and the elbow in a gesture that has been noted to resemble sneezing.

It originated in, yes you guessed it Gentle 
Reader, the USA amongst the Atlanta hip-hop 
scene where a gentleman with the groovy
 name of Skippa da Flippa created the move.

Dabbin' as it sometimes referred to has touched many areas in the media including sports and politics.
Hillary Clinton famously dabbed on the Ellen Degeneres show in 2016.

If you see your kids dabbing...please dont panic....they could be twerking.

#dabbing

Today in History 26th March

Hello Gentle Readers its time to put the clocks of history forward one hour and lose an hour of sleep.

1830: The Book of Mormon is published.

1911: American playwrite Tennessee Williams is born.

1931: Leonard Nimoy is born

2005: The BBC transmits the first regular episode of Doctor Who since 1989. The show,  starring Christopher Ecclestone  and Billy Piper is massively successful and is still running.

 #springforward #bookofmormon #tennesseewilliams #leonardnimoy #doctorwho #26march #todayinhistory

Roberts Pink Cocktail

Happy Saturday Gentle Reader. We are in Liepaja visiting Lena's mum. We decided to go to Cili Pica and Robert really wanted the pink cocktail with strawberry and orange fruit pieces.

Afterwards we went to the park and Robert rode his scooter. It was really cold at the park so we all got back.in the car and found a drive-thru car wash at a nearby Statoil.

Just got back to Babushka's for coffee and cake.

#liepaja #cilipica #statoil #pinkcocktail #coffeeandcake #babushka

Today in History. 23rd March

Hello gentle readers. Lets shake the maracas of time to the samba beat of history.

1888: The English Football Association, the worlds oldest, meets for the first time.

1933: The Enabling Act makes Adolf Hitler  Germany's dictator.



1962: 5 time Olympic Rowing champion Sir Steven Redgrave is born.



1983: Ronald Reagan announces his "Star Wars" missile defence programme.


2011: Actress Elizabeth Taylor dies.


#hitler #liztaylor #ronaldreagan #steveredgrave #footballassociation #todayinhistory #march23

Mama's Apple Pillows

Hello again Gentle Reader. Here is todays 2nd recipe.

While Robert was making his meaty moonpie. Lena was making her nummy Apple Pillows.

Ingredients

2 apples medium

Puff pastry sheets

Sugar

Cinnamon

Method

Cut the apples into small chunks like the ones in the picture below although Lena suggests even smaller.

Put apples, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and mix until you have juice. Pour into the pan and on a medium/low heat caramelize them.

Cut your puff pastry into large triangles, spoon in some apple mixture and fold over and seal the pastry.

Place in a medium oven 180 degrees until the pastry is cooked.

#mamasapplepillows #recipes

Robert's Meaty Moon Pies

Hello Gentle Reader. Robert loves helping Mama and me in the kitchen so today here is his recipe for his Meaty Moon Pies. I asked Robert why they are called Moon Pies and he said because there is meat inside and they are shaped like the moon. He also fills them with his heart and soul.

Ingredients

Puff pastry sheets

Sausages

Ham

Cheese

Method

Flatten out your puff pastry sheets and cut into triangles. Chop the sausages, ham and cheese into small pieces. Place the mixture onto one of the pastry triangles. Place another triangle on top and use a fork to crimp the edges together.

Place on a baking tray and put in a preheated oven 200 degrees until cooked.

#recipes #meatymoonpie #robertthomson

50 dreams: 2 years on. An update

Hello again Gentle Reader. 2 years ago I posted a blog entry called 50 dreams. These were dreams or goals that I set myself to
achieve. In this update I am going to let you know if I achieved any of my goals. If the goal has a comment that means I achieved or partially achieved it.

1. Own my own home
2. Have a garden
3. Eternal Happiness
4. Be comfortable financially.
Lena and I have been able to save up so yes we are better off.
5. Be healthy
I lost a lot of weight.
6. Be fit
I ran the 5k in the Riga marathon
7. Be a published author
Does the blog count as published
8. Be successful in my career
Tell you in April
9. Be a valued colleague to my workmates
I think my colleagues see me as valuable.
10. Not have to worry about money
11. Be a good father/grandfather
12. Stand on every continent including Antarctica
Now up to 4 just South America, Australia and Antarctica to go.
13. Drive Route 66 in USA (Chicago to Los Angeles)

14. Be in an earthquake
15. Witness a volcanic eruption
16.Want my mum healthy
Shes Cancer free
17. Marry Lena
Yes for a year and a half now
18. Adopt a handsome little boy
See the pic below

19. Father a beatiful girl
20. Have my art in an exhibition.
21. Have a nice family friendly car
Yep Peugeot 2008

22. Want to see Fulham back in the Premier League.
23. Want to stand on top of Ben Nevis

24. Want to walk the West Highland Way
25. To visit New Zealand and see  the Lord of the Rings scenary
26. To speak Latvian and/or Russian
27. To visit every European Capital City
28. To write a Doctor Who script (even if not transmitted)
29. To be the best husband in the world
Ask Lena
30. To walk across the frozen River Daugava
31. To read music, even though I cannot play
32. Finish the 5k run in May
Done
33. To do a Masters in Education
34. Do another degree (philosophy maybe)
35. Keep Learning new stuff
36. Actually see the Trevi fountain working

37. See Scotland fully independant
38. Live in a country where white people are the minority.
Ask me in August
39. Retire when I'm 60
40. Own a place in the country
41. Be involved with a charity
We have helped an orphanage in Liepaja
42. Have more time to do things I enjoy
43. Stay up all night drinking and NOT suffer for 4 days
44. Be asked for my autograph
45.Win an award (could be anything)

46. Have a really fancy dinner party
47. Make my children proud
48. Help my pupils achieve their goals.
That will never end.
49. Write a teaching theory manual.
50. Sing at Karaoke and hit every note.

As you can see. Some I have achieved, others only partly but life is a marathon not a sprint and I know that most of them are going to happen.
Keep checking back to see my progress. You know I will probably be blogging about it.

Post 500. Why do I Blog?

Greetings Gentle Reader and welcome to my 500th post here on my blog.

500 blog posts in I feel energised and appreciated. You and many people like you are reading my stuff and I thank you.

In this post I want to tell you why I take the time a few times a week to write down my thoughts for you.

Maybe someone out there in the blogosphere will be tempted to write their own.

1. I learn.

It may seem strange but a lot of the stuff I write about I am not already aware of. I love doing research so blogging helps me with my need to enquire about the world around me.

2.  It makes me write better.

As a teacher I am supposed to be a good writer. Blogging helps me keep my writing muscle developed.

3.  Its a challenge.

Keeping blogging can be hard work. People start with good intentions and slowly lose interest. I maintain my interest through trying new things and themes.

500 posts in 26 months folks.

4. I have an audience.

Yes folks its you guys that keep me writing. The more who read the more I write.

5. I can promote things I like.

Yes there are things that I love to share. The blog gives me an opportunity to let a large audience see these things.

Finally

6. Its fun and I love doing it.

Thanks for Reading folks.

Heres to the next 500, cheers.

#blogging #whyblog #500

The Stats of ASIR

Hello Gentle Readers. The 500th post is imminent so here are the Stats of A Scotsman in Riga.

As of 12.30 GMT on the 12th March 2017.

Posts:-498
Page views:-77,771

Posts with 100+ views :- 305
Posts with 1000+ views:- 7

Countries with most views

1. USA 25984
2. Latvia 24270
3. France 4501
4. Germany 4486
5. Russia 4197

Most popular posts.

1. Cheburashka 2003
2. Got my bus pass  1794
3. Living in Latvia 1639
4. Riga Neighbourhoods 1 1500
5. Wednesday Thought: Elections 1491

Post 498

Well Gentle readers after 777 days. I am fast approaching my 500th post. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of you who has taken the time to read my nonsence and comment.

I know I have not been here as often as I would like. Sometimes circumstances get in the way. Sometimes Laziness takes a grip and wont let go til I have been shaken up a bit.


As 500 is just around the corner. I want your help.
What are your favourite and least favourite parts of the blog?
Let me know ASAP and I will dedicate my 500th to you.

From the beginning of April, regular readers will be seeing a change of emphasis here on A Scotsman in Riga and from August even bigger changes will be occuring. Keep coming back for more.

The future is changing.....NOW!!

Top 10 Fun Facts about Coca-Cola

Hey there gentle reader. I love my fizzy pop and Coke is probably my favourite caramel coloured, carbonated beverage. As you might be aware. Today is Cokes birthday so here are some facts for you to chew over.

1 A can of Coke will sink in water. Diet coke will float.

2. You cannot buy any coke productin North Korea or Cuba.

3. Coke was once advertised as "a wonderful invigorator of the sexual organs". Fizzy Viagra.

4. In the UK, Dasani (Cokes attempt to enter the bottled water market) failed partly because of the advertising slogan "Bottled Spunk!" In the UK Spunk is a slang term for semen.
Dasani definitely left a bad taste in the mouth.

5. The drink that Coke turned into Fanta was actually invented in Nazi Germany.

6. Although Cocaine is no longer an ingredient in Coke. It is still made with the leaves of the Coca plant. The Cocaine is extracted from them at a factory in New Jersey.

7. Because men associated Diet coke with women, Coke introduced Coke Zero for men.

8. Coke had to scrap an advertising campaign because an artist hid an image of a blow job on the poster.

9. A senior Soviet army Marshall arranged his own colourless version of Coke to be made so he could drink it in Stalin's presence. Because it was colourless it was assumed to be vodka.

10. Coke only has a 3.1% market share of carbonated soft drinks around the world.

#coke #cocacola #dietcoke #dasanispunk  #fanta #cokezero #coca

Today in History 12th March

Hello again Gentle Readers its time once again to inhale deeply on the bong of history and get the munchies of time.

1894: Coca Cola is bottled and sold for the first time in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

1918: Moscow is made capital of Russia for the first time in 218 years.

1922: American author and poet Jack Kerouac is born.

1946: Liza Minelli is born.

2015: Terry Pratchett, British author and creator of Discworld dies.

#lizaminelli #jackkerouac #moscow #terrypratchett #cocacola #march12 #todayinhistory

Today in History: March 5th

Hey Gentle Reader. Lets pull on our stockings and Timewarp into history.

1279: The Livonian order is defeated in the Battle of Aizkraukle by the forces of the Duchy of Lithuania.

1933 – The Nazi party receives 43.9% at the Reichstag elections which allows the Nazis to later pass the Enabling Act and establish a dictatorship.

1946: Winston Churchill coins the phrase "The Iron Curtain" for the first time in a speach in the USA.

1953: Josef Stalin, Leader of the USSR dies.

1984: The UK Miners strike begins. The strike would last for 18 months.

#timewarp #livonia #minersstrike #stalin #naziparty #winstonchurchill

Top 10 tips for visiting New York

Hey Gentle Readers as a final close to the "We went to NYC thread" here are our top 10 tips so you can have a successful trip.

1. Buy a 7 day MTA Metrocard from any newstand for $31. With it you can take any subway or bus in the city. If you have a child under 112cm its free to travel. Even if you are only in NYC for a few days, you will save money.

2. Avoid Taxi's if you can possible help it. 

In NYC they are very expensive.

3. If you can, walk as much as you can. It's tiring but it's hard to see all the sights of New York from a subway car.

4. Do not be afraid to ask for help. The majority of New Yorkers we spoke to were friendly and always happy to help. Be polite though, call men Sir and women Ma'am.

5. Take the  free Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. It does not stop at Liberty Island but you do get a great view. Do this on a day with nice weather.

6. If you have small (under 122cm) dont bother trying to go up the Statue of Liberty. They can't go.

7. Avoid the queues at the Empire State building, Top of the Rock or 1 World Trade Centre by going early in the morning or around 4pm.

8. If you need a bathroom in a hurry in Central Park. Find a kids playground. There are restrooms.

9. Be careful, some items that are cheap outside the USA may be very expensive in New York. (Loaf of white bread $4)

10. Do not try to do everything in one day. New York takes time. Plan ahead and you will have a great trip.

#newyork #mtametrocard #statenislandferry #statueofliberty #empirestate #topoftherock #1worldtradecentre 

75 thousand. Thank you.

Hey Gentle Readers.

Today my blog will pass 75000 page views and I just want to say how happy I am to have such a loyal band of people from all around the world who like what I do.

This blog may be about me and my family but I owe all of my success to you.

Take care

ASIR (Neil)