The Gallery: Kitchens

Tara's theme for the Gallery this week is Kitchens. So I'm cheating a bit and reposting an old post from my old Brits in Bosnia blog. I still don't miss this kitchen very much...

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There are many things that I will miss about Bosnia when we go, but one of the things that will not have me all dewy eyed with nostalgia will be our kitchen. Words cannot describe how much I hate our kitchen. Sometimes I go to bed cursing it.

I am of course massively spoilt. The kitchen is actually pretty big. There is a fridge the size of a small bathroom (thinking about it, I will miss the fridge. It is nice to have a big fridge). But, in common with a lot of Bosnian kitchens, there is no workspace. You think I'm exaggerating? Have a look at this. This is our entire kitchen and if I was any good at computers I'd draw you a nice arrow pointing out the vodka addled plums by the knives and ask for any ideas what to do with them.


Things to note.

1. Look at the amount of workspace we have. Trust me, it is not very much.

2. There is no dishwasher. This fact in itself doesn't bother me any more. I'm so used to washing up that I actually am not even particularly bothered about having one any more. What does bother me is that there is nowhere to put the stuff that needs to be washed up. I mean obviously it goes in the sink, but once that is full it has to go on the (already tiny) workspace.

3. Hobs are electric. I hate electric hobs. Partly because I am a cook cook cook cookability kind of girl and love my gas hobs for the instant changes in heat, and partly because once you have used a hob it is on and HOT for quite a long time. You can't put pans on it. So you have to put them on the (really pretty tiny now as it is also covered with washing up) workspace.

4. I spend a lot of time whilst I am cooking dancing around with hot pots, sharp knives and muttering/growling that there is nowhere to put them down ANYWHERE! This isn't good for my sanity and doesn't make cooking an enjoyable experience.

5. I'm going to gloss over how close the electric points are to the sink (isn't this illegal and wildly dangerous?), how the drainage board plughole is actually blocked and therefore the water has nowhere to drain to and how the sink doesn't quite fit and therefore water spills everywhere whilst doing said washing up as, well, it is just me being narky and may be due to the fact that I went to bed last night still whinging over the kitchen.

So, obviously, although I'd have you believe that the kitchen looks like the above photo all the time, the reality is more like the picture below:


I'm so glad we are not ever going to have to attempt to cook a Christmas dinner on it. It is one of the world's great mysteries how Bosnian women manage to produce epic feasts at the drop of a hat and still have an immaculately clean kitchen at the end of it.

In which I don't side with FIFA

A week is a long time in football. Only a week ago I was siding with FIFA. I thought they were right to say England shouldn't be wearing poppies in their game against Spain. But another week, another FIFA controversy only this time I'm back on the side I feel more naturally comfortable with, disagreeing with FIFA wholeheartedly.

The fact that Sepp Blatter  (president of FIFA)  is in trouble again for making ridiculous comments comes as no surprise to anyone. Suggesting that football is without racism and that any racist comments made by footballers during a game are all heat in the moment and can be settled with a handshake are clearly ridiculous. Of course racism is in football, just ask the 'Kick it Out' campaign or Anton Ferdinand. In a week where 2 people are on trial for the murder of the teenager Stephen Lawrence in a racist attack, it is clear that racism remains deeply embedded within our society and football is a reflection of our society.

It is because football is a reflection of our society that it is so important that racism is not tolerated in any part of the game. For sure things get said in the heat of the moment on a football pitch. But millions of people are watching, and if their own personal heat of the moment isn't on a football pitch but a street or pub then the malevolent tentacles of racism stretch that little deeper into society. A refusal to tolerate racism on the football pitch in any form sends a strong signal to those watching. A signal that says 'racism is not acceptable, even when you are really riled up and passionate and saying all sorts of things that you don't really mean... even then.. it really is not ever ok to say racist things'.

Football matches offer an opportunity to gauge social attitudes. The response of the Chelsea crowds to Paul Cannonville in the 1980s would never be seen now. The terraces' social behaviour has moved away from making monkey noises and throwing bananas and we are shocked when English players endure that kind of abuse in other countries, assuming that racism in those places must be more entrenched than in the UK. Perhaps this is why the bigger scandal here may not be what Blatter actually said (he is of course, now saying that he has been misunderstood, misquoted and is accusing the English press of being petulant because England didn't win their bid to host the World Cup) but the lack of interest in the press outside of the UK in these comments.

There is a long way to go before racism is kicked out of football. FIFA really isn't helping.

Today I shall mostly be looking like this

Bosnia take on Portugal for a place in the Euro 2012. You can watch it too - ITV4 at 18.45. Make sure you cheer for Bosnia though. You have no choice really. Bosnia have the rather fabulous Edin Dzeko who came to play once in a small Bosnian village that is recovering from the conflict (you may remember the post I wrote about it before - Footballs Other Side).

If you want some more background information, The Observer ran a piece about how Bosnia's footballers are succeeding in uniting the country where the politicians have failed. Have to say that I didn't totally agree with it and wrote a reply on my other blog here.

Hajmo Bosna!

PoppyGate - in which I side with FIFA...

I'm bracing myself for some flack here, but I think FIFA were right.

For those that have not being paying attention the English football scene is all hot under the collar because FIFA said that our brave lads couldn't have shirts with a poppy emblazoned on them for their friendly international against Spain on Saturday. FIFA have a rule no political, religious or commercial messages may be worn on shirts during a match. England bleated that poppies are none of these things but a statement of remembrance for those killed during conflict.

I come from a military family and strongly believe that it is important to honour the dead. I wear a poppy with pride and encourage my children to do so to. Remembering the dead is important and should not be trivialised in any way.

And herein comes my problem. England have played football internationals during the beginning of November some 37 times since 1918 and not once have they ever worn a poppy on their shirt. Why now?

Could it possibly be to do with the fact that English football is under pressure. The England captain stands accused of making racist comments, it seems that most of the rest of the team are unable to stay faithful to their wives for longer than it takes to down a glass of champagne and everyone thinks the amount of money they are paid is obscene. There is a genuine feeling of antagonism towards these indulged boys and their equally spoilt football entourage.

Maybe I am becoming more cynical in my old age but is it outside the realms of possibility that there was a conversation in the English FA that went something along the lines of this:

"hey we really need to get the general public back behind us, what can we do. I know, lets get them wearing poppies, that'll go down well with the tabloids. What FIFA won't let us? Even better! We can kick up a right old stink, get everyone behind us as we pluckily stand up to that corrupt organisation to honour our boys. It's a total winner!"

However hard I try, I can't shake the feeling that it is the English FA that is trivialising the wearing of the poppy and all that it stands for. Much as I loathe FIFA, I do think this time they were right.

(I've got a whole other post about how cross I am at feeling the poppy has been hijacked by nationalist agendas but I have to pick the boys up from school so it'll have to wait and don't even start me on the comprimise they have adopted - my blood pressure can't take it).

Can you take a day off school sick just because you are tired?

I was chatting to another parent the other day, who casually mentioned that her child was off school sick. I expressed concern (as you do) and was totally taken aback with the reply:

Oh no, he's not actually sick, he's just a bit tired and I thought it would be better if he had a day at home.


I can understand the concept, very tired children do need a bit of a break every now and then, but I would never think of keeping my children away from school just because they were a bit tired. The only times my kids are off school is when they are properly sick - so sick that when they lie on the sofa watching DVDs  (their idea of heaven) they actually go to sleep.

I had a little moment of worry that I'm being a bit mean to my boys. Maybe they would benefit from the odd duvet day at home with Mummy.

Unluckily for my boys I thought about it a bit more. There is no reason for them to be at home, they aren't sick, there aren't any issues that they are dealing with, they are both happy at school, there is nothing that might suggest the odd day off would benefit them.

Furthermore, I believe that it is important for the class that all the children should be at school as much as they can be. Absences mean children miss lessons and learning and can start to fall behind. Group work is more difficult when one child is absent and regularly absent children somehow devalue the importance of school and education.

Then there is also the pattern that is being set for adult life. I'm a strong believer in Just Getting On With It. It is far easier to Just Get On With It when there is no temptation of staying at home on a day you don't fancy going to work. Once you've had that duvet day once it is really hard to ignore the temptation of doing it again.

I am interested to know though, am I a bit on the extreme end of things? At what point do people say 'little Johnny is too sick to come to school today?'