TIL XV. Zen

Wordle 1,675 X/6

⬜ ⬜ 🟨 🟨 🟩
⬜ 🟩 ⬜ 🟩 🟩
⬜ 🟩 ⬜ 🟩 🟩
⬜ 🟩 ⬜ 🟩 🟩
⬜ 🟩 ⬜ 🟩 🟩
⬜ 🟩 ⬜ 🟩 🟩

I failed Wordle (New York Times) today. The word was apparently ‘waxen’, which I had never heard of before, and while trying my hand at random combinations of letters on my last go it accepted ‘zazen’. TIL that while ‘zazen’ is usually translated as ‘zen mediation’ or ‘the position of being in a lotus position for meditation’ in the West, it is slightly more complex in Eastern spiritual tradition. It relates to the idea that the mind and body are one (as opposed to a dualist understanding that a person consists of their mind and their body) and as such are completely used up just by the act of sitting in the lotus position, or zazen.

TIL XII. Catalyst converter

While watching a segment about rhodium on QI (BBC), Alan Davies told a story relating to ‘catalytic converters’ being stolen from cars for the urban mining of rhodium. “A what?” I heard myself asking out loud; TIL a catalytic converter is part of a car’s exhaust system and utilises precious metals, such as platinum, palladium and rhodium, to convert engine pollutants (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, etc.) into less harmful substances. From what I understand the exhaust fumes are forced through a honeycomb structure composed of these precious metals which break down harmful molecules into safer compounds.

TIL XI. Cheese

Looking back over my day I am unable to think about what to write, however a quick look over my search history from my preferred search engine reveals that I looked up the word “quark” earlier, having been today’s Wordle (New York Times) word. TIL ‘Quark’ not only refers to a physics element that makes up the fundamental building blocks of matter, but is - and much more relatable to me - a type of German fresh cheese, also spelt ‘quarg’.

TIL X. Son Of

I spent today at the Canberra International tennis tournament (Canberra Challenger; ATP 125) and decided to barrack for Alexander Blockx (currently no. 115) for the men’s singles final, as he was the higher seeded player, wore a complimentary outfit and had a surname that piqued my interest. We had guessed that Alexander’s surname was primarily of Flemish (low countries) origin, though TIL it derives from the word “blok” meaning ‘block or log’ and likely referred to an occupation concerning wood (ie. woodcutter, carpenter, etc.) or a landmark associated with trees, with the “-x” holding the same meaning as “-son” in English: ‘son of..’

TIL IX. Status of Afganistan Cricket

I’ve recently started reading ‘The Taliban Cricket Club’ by Timeri N Murari which prompted me to look up the Afghanistan Cricket team. While I remember there being questions over the ability of the Afghanistan team participating in cricket after the Taliban gained control in August 2021 due to the International Cricket Council (ICC) requiring country members to hold a women’s nation team for membership. TIL that despite these requirements the ICC still allows the Afghanistan men’s national team to compete.

TIL VIII. A stake

Another Connections (New York Times) moment: TIL that American’s call a clothes peg ‘clothespin’. While the etymology is rather straight forward, being a compound or ‘clothes’ and ‘pin’ (describing a “pin for clothes”), I started to wonder about the origin of ‘peg’: likely from Middle-English pegge it holds roots from the Low German pigge meaning “stake” or “pin”.

TIL VII. Life cycles

After a dinner party this evening I left at the same time as a friend, and as we emerged onto the front porch we spotted a cicada. I don’t recall the last time I saw a cicada, though it would have to be on the other side of my twenties and from what my friend was telling me their life cycle might have something to do with that. TIL the life of a Cicada is mostly spent underground as a nymph and after emerging and shredding their skin to become a full adult they only live up to two months as the insect we know. In Australia, life as a Nymph lasts about 6-7 years, while some North American species live up to 17!

TIL VI. Another dictionary moment

 TIL: sagacious (adj.) 1. having or showing understanding and the ability to make good judgments.

TIL V. Taipei 101

While I haven’t been inside Taipei 101, I have viewed it from the recommended vantage point of Elephant Mountain. It is an impressive building and standing at 508 metres tall and 200 metres from a major fault line, earthquakes and high winds are a serious threat. TIL to combat this it is home to the heaviest and largest tuned mass damper in the world, which sits between the 88th and 92nd floor and is capable of moving a metre and a half in any direction to reduce the sway of the building by 30 to 40 percent. I will have to visit next time I’m in Taipei.

TIL IV. Dictionary moment.

TIL: vicissitude (n) 1. a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant; 2. alternation between opposite or contrasting things.

TIL III. A sink

Although I play New York Times’ game Connections every day - where you have to find groups of four words that share something in common - alongside Wordle. I don’t have a very good success rate; my longest streak is 5 days. I usually put this down to a lot of the terms or themes being American, and today was no different. TIL that Americans use the term ‘water bar’ to describe a bar or servery that includes a tap and sink, as opposed to a ‘dry bar’.

TIL II. Vanuatu

During our NYE celebrations I jotted down a quick note mid-conversation; something to look up at a later time: New Hebrides Island.
TIL modern day Vanuatu was named New Hebrides, after the Hebrides in Scotland, by Captain James Cook in 1774. Although the Spanish were the first Europeans to arrive in 1606, followed by the French in 1768.
Interestingly, before independence in 1980, and becoming the Republic of Vanuatu, New Hebrides was a colonial territory administered under a condominium of three separate governments: Britain, France and a joint administration that was partially elected after 1975. This meant that there were two bureaucracies and two legislations (including police force, laws, currency, etc.) and that inhabitants could select which government and laws they wished to observe.

TIL I. Punch

A number of years ago a now elderly friend used to host Sunday Luncheon once a month. These affairs usually consisted of around twenty people from all walks of life, and having spent his career on postings in the subcontinent for Immigration (now the Department of Home Affairs) the meal was usually an array of home cooked curries. On arrival to one of these Luncheons you would be handed a glass of lethal punch - I usually had two as a minimum. One variety of punch was tea based and being ever so bold I suggested using Melbourne Breakfast by T2 to add a depth of flavour. The host took my recommendation on board, and after its successful debut dubbed it ‘Matthew’s Punch’. It has been the only punch recipe I’ve been able to obtain.
While preparing said punch for NYE celebrations last night, I noted that the required honey was dissolving in the chilled liquor, which made me ponder whether alcohol (spirits) dissolves honey. A quick investigation on my preferred search engine at the time seemed to prove my theory correct. However, on a more thorough investigation, TIL that the honey merely disperses and eventually crystallises; looking through cocktail recipes involving honey, heating it or making a simple syrup appears to be best practice. 

The punch was just as lethal as I remember, and a double batch was enjoyed by all with a promise of a hangover to bring in the new year. Happy 2026.

RODD Silverplate

Yesterday I was gifted a set of Rodd silver-plated spoons and forks from my parents. Once owned by my late Grandmother, they were found in the back of the cupboard while cleaning out her place. Slightly tarnished a quick 'bicarb and foil' soak have seen them come out a treat.

RODD (AUSTRALIA) LTD.
G&E Rodd Pty Ltd was a jewellery manufacture founded in Melbourne, Victoria in 1919 by two brothers, Ernest and George Rodd and in the 1930s they diversified into manufacturing tableware — knives, forks and spoons, including souvenir spoons. After the sudden death of Ernest and his wife Muriel in 1948, their son Max took over G&E Rodd. In 1949 the company was amalgamated with Platers Pty Ltd (manufacturers of Hecworth plate) and publicly listed. Rodd Silverware quickly became a household name and if you were married in the 1960s you would almost certainly have received one or more sets of Rodd Silverware as a wedding present. Having become fashionable in 1961 after a set of Rodd Australian gold Jasmine spoons and forks were commissioned as a wedding present from Australia to the Duke and Duchess of York. In the late 1960s the company amalgamated with Myttons Ltd, forming Mytton Rodd (Australia) Ltd. Production ceased in 1991.

MIA

This last week embodied the commencement of another year in Canberra with the first full week of school, the arrival of university students returning to old digs or settling into new, the stirring of activity in commercial kitchens across the Territory preparing for the many functions, conference and work related meetings ahead, and the first of many orchestral music productions. Though instead of gearing up and being amongst the frenzy, I've sidestepped and watched on, recovering from a small surgery last Friday resulting in a now missing lymph node from my left-hand side shoulder. From the sidelines I've come to realise that the lymph node joined a list of things that have gone missing.

Missing dining tables
In conversation over dinner with friends one evening this week the mention of a new interior design trend of removing the dining table and instead using an extension off the kitchen bench for eating was revealed. My dinner companion detailed how two separate friends had independently renovated their apartments recently and installed a no dining table concept. Curious about it becoming a fad, I picked up a copy of a well revered Australian interior design magazine; I couldn’t help notice the advertisement of a dining table on page two and prominent throughout. Personally, I couldn’t bear living without a dining table: it’s the perfect spot for a cup of tea or, my favourite, to spread out papers of a project.

Missing sheep
In The Australian newspaper on Friday (17.02.23) it was reported that 700 merino sheep worth $129,000 - 197 merino ewes with purple ear tags and 493 white Suffolk merino cross lambs with red ear tags - had been stolen from a farm in north west Victoria. It is believed that the heist required at least two four-decker trucks, portable fencing and working dogs - a far cry from a jolly swagman grabbing and storing a jumbuck with glee. While visiting New Zealand in 2019 I was bemused by a similar story where 300 sheep, worth then $65,000, having been reported as stolen and also believed to have required the use of trucks and working dogs. The New Zealand sheep were located a week later and had in fact not been stolen, but rather was the fault of an administrative error in stock numbers. Anyone with information regarding the current heist are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Missing signs
Closer to home, a group of teenagers in broad daylight walked off with one of the prominent cafe signs that lives on the main road. As the theft occurred a witness called the cafe to detail that she had seen ‘three teenagers walking off with the cafe sign and attempted to get on the bus with it, but they were unsuccessful and had then headed in the direction of A–.’ This was closely followed by a voicemail from another witness: “I’m trying to reach you to let you know three rough looking teens have taken your sign and are walking towards A–. Though since I am unable to speak with anyone I’ll just leave this message” - sounding slightly annoyed that he wasn't about to reached anyone. While heading off to retrieve the looted item, another person had approached the cafe and informed the waiters of the incident - causing a frenzy of messages from the waitstaff on duty to report the incident. Retrieved and returned to its rightful place, there was another voicemail left on returning to the office: “Hello, this is M- from ACT Police, as I can’t speak with you directly - this is not to make a booking - someone just rang up to say that they saw three youths take your sign from the front of your cafe across to A–. So if you are missing a sign you might like to have a look at A–. Unfortunately I’ve got no other information to locate the offenders, but that's where your sign may be…”

Day 63, finale.

Today the news ticker - a term I was unaware existed until now; derived from the ticker tape, a continuous piece of paper, that had stock quotes printed on it before the advancement of technology in the 1960s - on ABC News24 read “ACT lockdown to lift at midnight tonight, limited restrictions to remain”. It only seems appropriate that with the end of lockdown comes the end of these daily posts. A process that I have thoroughly enjoyed and has helped me get through the days. Throughout these last nine weeks I’ve often been asked “how are you coping?” (and a big thank you to everyone who has checked in) to which my honest answer is that I’ve quite enjoyed lockdown. It’s not often in the middle of life that one gets a large chunk of time to take a step back, breath, and enjoy a quieter pace. I worked throughout the lockdown last year, so this time around it was nice to immerse myself in what I came to term ‘a government funded sabbatical’. There have been many positives that have emerged with lockdowns: less traffic on the roads, the increase of wildlife, the reconnection with simpler forms of enjoyment like puzzles or board games, and the reconnection with green spaces, to name a few. Of course that’s not to disregard the difficult time that many people have been through - losing loved ones, struggling financially, enduring all facets of child bearing, mental health, juggling work-life balance, &c. Though as we emerge out of lockdown and begin “living with Covid-19” I hope that some of these positives find a permanent place in our lives. Besides these daily posts, there is one other thing that has certainly helped get me through: tea. Close to 1.3 kilograms in fact.

Until next time, stay safe, mask up and be kind.

Big hug, MR

Day 62

Before the Duchess of Bedford ordered a tray of sweetbreads and tea to quench her hunger in the summer of 1840, scones held no particular pride of place within English cuisine. In fact, very few recipes of how to make scones exist in early Victorian times (there is no mention of ‘scones’ in Mrs. Beeton’s for example) though that’s not to say they weren’t being made throughout Britain before the Duchess of Bedford and Queen Victoria popularized them. For we know that the first written appearance of the word ‘scone’ was in a Scottish version of the Aeneid in 1513. Though this would have been in reference to a round flat bread, made from oats and scored into four or six wedges; cooked on a griddle over a flame it would have been known as a ‘bannock’ and the wedges known as ‘scones’. With the advent of oven baking, the round of dough was cut into wedges and the scones were baked individually. Though this is just one theory, as the origin of the term ‘scone’ is still unknown: one suggestion is the name comes from the ancient capital city where Kings of Scotland were crowned, on the Stone (of Scone) of Destiny; another is that the name derives from the Dutch word ‘schoonbrot’ which means ‘fine white bread’; another from the German word ‘sconbrot’ which means ‘fine or beautiful bread’; or the Gaelic ‘sgonn’ which can mean ‘shapeless mass’ or ‘large mouthful’. Interestingly, the history of scones has also been traced to a Welsh tradition, involving the cooking of tiny cakes made with yeast on bakestones. Whatever the origin, there’s no doubt the concept of individual sized sweetbreads, involving a rising agent, wouldn’t have been a far stretch from the far and wide practice of bread making. The recipe of scones being unpublished until after they were popularised doesn’t necessarily mean they weren’t widely consumed, but quite the opposite, in that they were so commonplace; recipes being passed down the generations. Today, ongoing bias gives rise to every other mother, aunt or friend holding the title for “best scones”. I have no doubt that this practice has long been a tradition, well before scones took pride of place alongside tea and of an afternoon.

Day 61

With the ability to reconvene once again with friends, albeit in small numbers, I’m sorry to report that today’s post has been interrupted by life.

Day 60

By the time Queen Victoria ascended to the throne it was long fashionable for aristocratic families to have two main meals a day: a substantial breakfast and an evening meal. As kerosene lamps became widespread in households, the evening meal started to be served later and later in the day and by the early 19th century the normal time was between 8pm and 9.30pm. To help fill the gap, an extra meal was taken at midday, known as luncheon, though this was usually a very light meal and left people to endure the long afternoon with no refreshments. Complaining of a “sinking feeling” around 4pm, Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford introduced in yesterday’s post, ordered a tray of tea (Darjeeling), some sweet breads, including scones, and sandwiches to her rooms when staying at her country house - Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire - during the summer of 1840, and found it to be the perfect refreshment. She was so delighted by the whole affair that she began ordering tea every afternoon and continued the practice when she returned to London. The Duchess started to invite friends to join her and soon afternoon tea quickly became an established and convivial pastime enjoyed in drawing rooms of women of the upper middle and upper class throughout London, taken at precisely 4pm. As the trend set in, so too did the popularity of all the paraphernalia that went with it - Chinese porcelain tea cups, tea pots, caddies, etc. - and furniture makers rushed to capitalise on the movement, designing and making special tea tables and chairs. By the late 1840s Queen Victoria was hosting ‘fancy dress’ afternoon tea parties, which always ended by 7pm to allow time for the guests to prepare for their evening meal. The working class soon followed suit, adopting the practice of enjoying a “meat tea” or “high tea” (usually involving meat broth, as tea remained an expensive import and a mere luxury until the end of the 19th century) at 5pm, the end of the work day - later the 8pm meal was dropped and the tea meal in the early evening became dinner. Alongside afternoon tea, scones served with jam and cream, as we know and enjoy today, also gained popularity.

Day 59

Anna Marie Russell (nee Stanhope), Duchess of Bedford, was born in 1783; the eldest daughter of 11 children to Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington, and Jane Fleming. In 1808 she married Francis Russell, Marquess of Tavistock (later 7th Duke of Bedford on the death of his father in October 1839) - the elder brother of John Russell, 1st Earl of Russell, who served twice as Prime Minister (1846-1852; 1865-1866). Anna was a lifelong friend of Queen Victoria and served as Lady of the Bedchamber between 1837 to 1841. In 1839, the then young and unmarried Queen Victoria was implicated in two scandals involving the Queen’s ladies: the ‘Bedchamber Crisis’ and the ‘Hastings Affair’. When Victoria ascended to the throne in 1837 she developed a close relationship with her first Prime Minister William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne (1834, 1835-1841), a Whig. When Melbourne resigned in early 1839 after a defeat in Parliament, Queen Victoria invited the Conservative leader Sir Robert Peel to form a government. Peel insisted that the Queen's Whig associated ‘Ladies of the Bedchamber’ be replaced with Tory ones, which was the usual practice. The Queen refused, so Peel declined to form a government and Melbourne returned to office - Victoria would later reconcile with Peel when he became Prime Minister in 1841, influenced by Prince Albert who replaced Melbourne as confidant and advisor. The Hasting’s Affair started when Anna, along with Baroness Lehzen (Victoria’s former governess), accused Lady Flora Hastings (a companion to Victoria and former lady in waiting to the Duchess of Kent, Victoria’s mother; who Victoria suspected of spying) to be with child, after complaints of abdominal pain. Lady Hastings was unmarried and Anna spread the rumour that Sir John Conroy was the father (Victoria’s old controller who she despised). Lady Hastings wrote to her uncle who leaked the accusation to the press, and when she was later diagnosed with cancer and soon afterwards died, Anna, Baroness Lehzen and the Queen herself came under severe public criticism for blemishing the reputation of an innocent woman. Though Anna, Duchess Bedford, is probably best remembered for afternoon tea…