Sun on your Chinny Chin Chin

It might have taken 6 months, but finally the skies have cleared and the sun has decided to rear its beautiful face amidst the pasty arms, legs, shoulders, faces, necks, hands, and feet that make up the English populous. I give these folks a lot of credit though. They wear their fair skin proudly. Short shorts and cutoff tanks for girls, and apparently, shirts optional for guys. Not only that, but the many parks of London transform into big old pale exhibition-fests, with one ghost-like figure more naked then the next! It was like a real-life Rubens painting, lumpy fair-skinned crowd and all. While I enjoyed the scene in the moment, my favorite part might have come when the sun went down, riding the tube later that evening, and seeing all the metamorphosed lobster people staring back at me. Bring on the aloe vera, these English folks will be hurting for days!!

So, in honor of the recently sprung Summer-time weather, I wanted to post about the savory sweet that is Chin Chin Laboratories. What is Chin Chin you may ask? Well, take your good old periodic table of elements and slam it full force into the refreshing, milky dessert you know and love. You guessed it - Nitrogen ice cream.

Located in the heart of the grungiest hipster neighborhood of London, Camden Market’s Chin Chin Labs is Europe’s first nitro ice cream parlor where the scientists behind the counter create icy deliciousness using liquid nitrogen. I’m not going to try and explain the process but from what I remember from AP Chem, liquid nitrogen is very very cold. How’s that for a public school education?

Nitrogen.

Cold.

Will freeze things.

My AP Chem teacher, Mrs. Silver, would be so proud. (or rather Mrs. Ag, the periodic symbol for silver – funny enough, her maiden name was Au-stein or Goldstein for those not so chemically inclined. Au became Ag! That joke writes itself right there!)

I was recommended the basil chocolate chip (pronounced Baaaa-sil, like the sound a sheep makes), which is their take on mint choco chip. I was not disappointed. I know it sounds like a strange combination, herb flavored ice cream, but trust me it was good. Topped it off with some chocolate syrup and white chocolate chips and you had one satisfied science eater. Move over Friendly’s sundaes!! The pale ones’ nitro ice cream is here to stay!

English word of the day: Sun cream = a special English lifeline used to preserve the aforementioned condition which has run rampant throughout the UK. Also known as pastiness. Be careful not to miss a spot!

An evening with Royalty, or as we call him for short, HRH

Being in the right place at the right time continues to be my modus operandi. This week my college roommate just so happened to be sailing a regatta in London with tons of social events surrounding the day’s on-the-water activities, and it just so happened she had a plus one to all of these lovely events. Not one to turn down a royal shindig, I agreed to be her arm candy.

Eight teams from all over the world came to London vying for the Cumberland Cup, a trophy whose history began the very year us yanks were busy seceding from the mothership – just goes to show you the English government was out yachting while their country was at war, no wonder we won! Now I can’t say I partook in watching any of the actual sailing but I can certainly provide you with the play by play for all the social events. Let’s be honest, that’s all you’re really interested in anyway, right?

Night One: Opening Reception at St. James’s Palace

Sooooo many rules!!! We received very strict instructions to heed during our drinks and canapés reception at St. James’s Palace, to the point where I was not entirely sure I was going to be allowed in! Bringing back bad memories of when we visited the Vatican and my skirt was too risqué to be allowed inside St. Peter’s Basilica, I was having flashbacks of standing outside alone while my friends went in to experience all the fun and wonderment. As an example, we received the following rules to obey:

“The Dress code is jacket and tie. Suits or Club Reefer jackets are appropriate for gentlemen and ladies should confirm appropriately for a cocktail party in the presence of a member of the Royal Family in a Royal Palace.”

I’m sorry, but this just happens to be the first time I am planning to be in the presence of a member of the Royal Family in a Royal Palace, so I can’t say I have many past experiences to draw on confirming my appropriateness. Some online research brought back a list of (K)NOT’S, sailing joke intended. You will not wear any sleeveless dress. You will not wear anything above the knee. You will not wear sandals or other casual footwear. You will not wear a hat after 6:30. You will not wear white gloves. If you wear gloves you will not take them off until after you are presented. And the list goes on…

Once I selected what I thought was a suitable royal outfit I moved on to the introduction rules.

“The form of salutation when meeting HRH The Duke of York is as follows:

a.     Gentlemen: Nod/slightly bow your head from the neck.

b.     Ladies: A slight curtsy/bob. The right foot is placed behind the left heel, and the knees bent slightly.

c.      Both Ladies and Gentlemen should initially address the Commodore as “Your Royal Highness.” In conversation thereafter he is addressed as “Sir.”

With sweaty palms worrying about how to properly curtsy in his presence - which foot in front, how far to bend my knees, what do I do with my head, what if he sticks out his hand instead, do I kiss it scarface style - I am thinking oh yea right,how can I royally mess this one up. Furthermore, after I address him the first time they assume I will come up with another sentence that warrants me to address him again where I would need to use Sir instead of HRH??

Right. Game on.

Once I got over the initial paranoia that I would most certainly do something gauche, I very much enjoyed the evening. HRH kept us waiting a bit longer than we would have liked (and there were a few times where I had to ask Megan, is that him??) but when he came in he made a very funny speech, worked the room, and then we were told we could go see the throne in the Queen Anne Room before then making our way to the exit of the palace. It was the English way of saying, ok your times up, you’re allowed one more peak at something else then please get the hell out. 

And while HRH made his way swiftly around the room shaking hands with many and taking photographs with most, somehow after all that prep, he managed to skip over our little circle of people and all I got was a shoulder rub-up. Rubbed shoulders with royalty. I can live with that I guess. I will be sure to update with any professional photographs that come out featuring yours trule and HRH’s posse in the palace.

English word of the day: Do = party! Only having heard this term coupled with hair, this was a novelty to me that all parties were referred to as “dos” pronounced DUES. Leaving do! Retirement do! Birthday do! Friday night do! Love it. So casual but conveys so much party.