Off Topic

[Danny]

1 minute ago, SirBalon said:

Out of the well known European beer brands, what can you get out there?

Guinness though it tastes like shit out here, not noticed a lot of European beers and if I have I've not bought them. But I think I may have seen Heineken around a few times and I stayed at hostel once and the pub it was above sold London Pride. Other than that most bars and pubs out here sell largely Aussie stuff

[SirBalon]

1 minute ago, Danny said:

Guinness though it tastes like shit out here, not noticed a lot of European beers and if I have I've not bought them. But I think I may have seen Heineken around a few times and I stayed at hostel once and the pub it was above sold London Pride. Other than that most bars and pubs out here sell largely Aussie stuff

Interesting... What’s the more predominant foreign market out there, European, North American or Asian/Oriental?

[carefreeluke]

42 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

Interesting... What’s the more predominant foreign market out there, European, North American or Asian/Oriental?

Do you drink pints or cañas mate?

[SirBalon]

29 minutes ago, carefreeluke said:

Do you drink pints or cañas mate?

Here in London I nearly always have draught pints unless the pub I’m at I know they don’t keep their draught system controlled properly and then I have bottled beer... With the draught system I’m talking about the cleaning of the lines, the cooling system and that the bar people aren’t lazy and just pour a beer into a warm glass that’s just come out of the glass washer.

In Spain I ALWAYS have draught beer and always “caña” size because the beer is served so cold and crispy clean in Spain that I just love to have it in that smaller size and then go back for more.

How about you mate because I know you’re living out there?

They've got a decent beer down south in Spain called Alhambra that’s quite nice, even a reserve version that I know of and there’s an Italian restaurant near me here in North London (near Angel, Islington) that serve that Reserve Alhambra on draught but at £8 a pint!   But it’s gorgeous served freezing cold.

[Danny]

17 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

Interesting... What’s the more predominant foreign market out there, European, North American or Asian/Oriental?

Don't really know if I'm honest, there's a Japanese beer out here that's fairly popular called Kirin, one called Asahi too. And an Asian beer called Wild Yak. I'd say mostly between European and Asian, American beers don't really travel around that much other than craft beer type places.

[SirBalon]

5 minutes ago, Danny said:

Don't really know if I'm honest, there's a Japanese beer out here that's fairly popular called Kirin, one called Asahi too. And an Asian beer called Wild Yak. I'd say mostly between European and Asian, American beers don't really travel around that much other than craft beer type places.

I was talking about general marketing of all sorts of goods from electrical, clothing, food and drink.  As for those Japanese beers, we’ve got them here in London as you probably know especially Asahi which is in quite a number of pubs on draught and bottle... Quite like that lager if it’s served very cold because not cold enough on a rice beer is quite horrible.

[nudge]

Not really a fan of rice beer and not a fan of cans at all, but Sapporo from the pint-sized steel can is lovely.

[Danny]

3 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

I was talking about general marketing of all sorts of goods from electrical, clothing, food and drink.  As for those Japanese beers, we’ve got them here in London as you probably know especially Asahi which is in quite a number of pubs on draught and bottle... Quite like that lager if it’s served very cold because not cold enough on a rice beer is quite horrible.

Haven't lived in London for about 4 years or so now mate so wouldn't know what's about, but I feel like the places that serve Japanese beer are the places I'd avoid on a count of my wallet thinning 

Australia's a weird country, British colony but very Americanised. The news is very dramatically American and where news channels/programmes at home are usually more about the channel/programme itself, the marketing out here is very big on singular news presenters. The only time I've really seen that in the UK is for Trevor McDonald. General television is very American in it's presentation, adverts for everything is quite dramatic and you'll be watching something and an infomercial for another show appears in the corner I only ever saw in America..

Australia is a very small country population-wise compared to the rest of the world and that definitely shows in popular culture, everything is very nationalistic and the word Aussie turns into an adjective half the time. Coming from someone who grew up with the impartiality of the BBC (or at least the effort to be impartial), it's strange to watch on tele all the time.

Their TV in general is largely British and if something isn't British then it's probably a remake of a reality show that is. I imagine there's a greater selection on Foxtel (their Sky).

Fashion is different, when I went to Melbourne everyone just wore tight jeans and long t-shirts whether it was during the day or night (shorts during the day mind). Melbourne is a very edgy city and prides itself on it's "culture", it's the closest thing you'll find to a European style city out here so I get why everyone loves it. I could live there quite happily, however it's not that great compared to European cities (London, Paris, Barcelona etc) and as an Englishman I'd come out here for the beach and Melbourne doesn't have good beaches.

 

Sydney is very beachy in it's fashion so is completely different

[SirBalon]

36 minutes ago, Danny said:

Haven't lived in London for about 4 years or so now mate so wouldn't know what's about, but I feel like the places that serve Japanese beer are the places I'd avoid on a count of my wallet thinning 

Australia's a weird country, British colony but very Americanised. The news is very dramatically American and where news channels/programmes at home are usually more about the channel/programme itself, the marketing out here is very big on singular news presenters. The only time I've really seen that in the UK is for Trevor McDonald. General television is very American in it's presentation, adverts for everything is quite dramatic and you'll be watching something and an infomercial for another show appears in the corner I only ever saw in America..

Australia is a very small country population-wise compared to the rest of the world and that definitely shows in popular culture, everything is very nationalistic and the word Aussie turns into an adjective half the time. Coming from someone who grew up with the impartiality of the BBC (or at least the effort to be impartial), it's strange to watch on tele all the time.

Their TV in general is largely British and if something isn't British then it's probably a remake of a reality show that is. I imagine there's a greater selection on Foxtel (their Sky).

Fashion is different, when I went to Melbourne everyone just wore tight jeans and long t-shirts whether it was during the day or night (shorts during the day mind). Melbourne is a very edgy city and prides itself on it's "culture", it's the closest thing you'll find to a European style city out here so I get why everyone loves it. I could live there quite happily, however it's not that great compared to European cities (London, Paris, Barcelona etc) and as an Englishman I'd come out here for the beach and Melbourne doesn't have good beaches.

 

Sydney is very beachy in it's fashion so is completely different

Thanks for that mate as I always love to hear or read what people (real people) have to say about these things, their impressions and their views on what they see or perceive.  It also seems that you are taking it all in and very observant!

That bit on Melbourne is very interesting and I wonder why it’s so different @Spike @Toinho?

Also the reason in and earlier post why I asked you about American beers is because I know both Japan and Australia are very Americanised and it’s strange that things like beers and food hasn’t really contaminated them that much. Infact I’d say we’ve been more susceptible to this in Europe where we’re ore defensive about our regional and national cultures in all that.

[carefreeluke]

2 hours ago, SirBalon said:

Here in London I nearly always have draught pints unless the pub I’m at I know they don’t keep their draught system controlled properly and then I have bottled beer... With the draught system I’m talking about the cleaning of the lines, the cooling system and that the bar people aren’t lazy and just pour a beer into a warm glass that’s just come out of the glass washer.

In Spain I ALWAYS have draught beer and always “caña” size because the beer is served so cold and crispy clean in Spain that I just love to have it in that smaller size and then go back for more.

How about you mate because I know you’re living out there?

They've got a decent beer down south in Spain called Alhambra that’s quite nice, even a reserve version that I know of and there’s an Italian restaurant near me here in North London (near Angel, Islington) that serve that Reserve Alhambra on draught but at £8 a pint!   But it’s gorgeous served freezing cold.

Depends where I am, who I'm with etc. I spend a fair bit of time in English pubs here for the sole reason they're the only places really that show English football, so in that case it will be pints. Everywhere else it's cañas or bottled beers.

Cañas wouldn't work in England but if there's one thing Spain has taught me over the years is that you really don't have to drink a bucket load when you go out. Drinking is at a much slower pace here (as is everything really) and often there will be a lot of food that accompanies the drinking. Don't get me wrong there's a time and place where I'd just want to go mental and drink everything but I've definitely learnt a small lesson here from Spanish culture.

Yeah mate the first time I think I remember having Alhambra was last year in April and I was in Granada near the Alhambra palace funnily enough and we were sat up in the hills with a view of the whole city. It was hot, sun shining and it was just us and a couple of others in this bar which was pretty much hidden from all the tourists and we got free tapas (as of course in a lot of places in Granada it's free with any drink). So yeah good memories but trying not to judge the experience and more the beer itself, it's very decent, well above any average beer. Cruzcampo dominates Sevilla and I've seen Alhambra a lot less, may have to start looking out for it.

Edited February 1, 2018 by carefreeluke

[Toinho]

2 hours ago, Danny said:

Don't really know if I'm honest, there's a Japanese beer out here that's fairly popular called Kirin, one called Asahi too. And an Asian beer called Wild Yak. I'd say mostly between European and Asian, American beers don't really travel around that much other than craft beer type places.

Wild Yak is Aussie(West Aussie originally) you absolute melt. Everything you've said is largely inaccurate. Sir Balon don't take everything he says as gospel mate... will respond to other stuff tomorrow after this first fucking school week is over. nightmare 

Edited February 1, 2018 by Toinho

[Danny]

21 minutes ago, Toinho said:

Wild Yak is Aussie(West Aussie originally) you absolute melt. Everything you've said is largely inaccurate. Sir Balon don't take everything he says as gospel mate... will respond to other stuff tomorrow after this first fucking school week is over. nightmare 

Googled it and it said Asian 😂 Everything I've said is accurate from my point of view 😘

[SirBalon]

39 minutes ago, carefreeluke said:

Depends where I am, who I'm with etc. I spend a fair bit of time in English pubs here for the sole reason they're the only places really that show English football, so in that case it will be pints. Everywhere else it's cañas or bottled beers.

Cañas wouldn't work in England but if there's one thing Spain has taught me over the years is that you really don't have to drink a bucket load when you go out. Drinking is at a much slower pace here (as is everything really) and often there will be a lot of food that accompanies the drinking. Don't get me wrong there's a time and place where I'd just want to go mental and drink everything but I've definitely learnt a small lesson here from Spanish culture.

Yeah mate the first time I think I remember having Alhambra was last year in April and I was in Granada near the Alhambra palace funnily enough and we were sat up in the hills with a view of the whole city. It was hot, sun shining and it was just us and a couple of others in this bar which was pretty much hidden from all the tourists and we got free tapas (as of course in a lot of places in Granada it's free with any drink). So yeah good memories but trying not to judge the experience and more the beer itself, it's very decent, well above any average beer. Cruzcampo dominates Sevilla and I've seen Alhambra a lot less, may have to start looking out for it.

Yeah I agree with you on most of that. 

You’ve also got the drinking culture in Spain down to a tee mate... That thing about the free tapas with a drink is something I love although I tend to do that with a glass of wine when I’m out there.  Did you visit the Alhambra while in Granada... It’s spectacular to be honest.

[Carnivore Chris]

I was just speaking to a lass who I used to go to school with today, she was full of rashes as she works in a glass fibre based factory and it's that what has caused it outbreak. The doctor told her to have a few days off and when she rang her boss he said "well if I was you, I'd make sure I was back in after those 2 days". What a cheeky bastard. Everything about the way he has them working is illegal and I can't believe how this shit goes on? Shit like this would never occur on site as the gaffer would be told to fuck off. Do factory workers not have health and safety visits? I wouldn't know personally as I'd never work in a factory(I'd rather commit crime if it came to a choice out of that or factory work), but surely health and safety would be taken seriously like it is in the building industry and other jobs like it? I asked her if they had health and safety visits and she said no. I couldn't believe it!

Honestly, this is utterly scandalous and since I know my working rights to a tee(you have to when working in the building industry as you need health and safety certifications, etc for a start), I'm going to report these fuckas as their place should be shut down and they should all be in jail with all their workers being given a massive payout, the scumbags. LOADS of their workers will die of lung diseases in their 40s and 50s and that's not a what if, it's a fucking definite as that stuff is nasty. When working with that shit, they should literally be wearing space suits, not tiny little masks. It's absolutely angered me for some reason, even though it doesn't involve me personally whatsoever. If they(the workers) complain, their bosses as good as threatens them with the sack and that is illegal, it's no better than slavery. Not to mention they have many Polish people working there, who are probably paid less than minimum wage, as that is what these type of scumbags do. Polish people are generally always hard workers and they are taken advantage of by scum like this.

I also heard about one of their bosses(he's a slime-ball) a while back, the guy has a factory in South Africa and he boasts about how the black people who work for him out there(for shite money of course) are his "slaves".

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 1, 2018 by The Rebel CRS

[Toinho]

3 hours ago, Danny said:

Googled it and it said Asian 😂 Everything I've said is accurate from my point of view 😘

It's a Matilda Bay beer haha 

[Spike]

8 hours ago, SirBalon said:

What did you think?  Estrella Galicia is the beer I tend to buy for my fridge.

I liked the patxarana quite a bit more then the Estrella Galicia. It was a fine beer, I've nothing really to say about it, it wasn't particularly mind blowing nor offensive.

[Spike]

5 hours ago, SirBalon said:

Thanks for that mate as I always love to hear or read what people (real people) have to say about these things, their impressions and their views on what they see or perceive.  It also seems that you are taking it all in and very observant!

That bit on Melbourne is very interesting and I wonder why it’s so different @Spike @Toinho?

Also the reason in and earlier post why I asked you about American beers is because I know both Japan and Australia are very Americanised and it’s strange that things like beers and food hasn’t really contaminated them that much. Infact I’d say we’ve been more susceptible to this in Europe where we’re ore defensive about our regional and national cultures in all that.

It just has a larger emphasis on the arts, so more artsy fartsy people come from there; that in turn leads to youth sub-cultures that value the arts. They think they are from some cultural mecca so they talk as if they are from New York. There is literally nothign more that I hate about Melbourne than people saying it's 'more European'.  Makes me cringe everytime.

[SirBalon]

26 minutes ago, Spike said:

I liked the patxarana quite a bit more then the Estrella Galicia. It was a fine beer, I've nothing really to say about it, it wasn't particularly mind blowing nor offensive.

Estrella Galicia do some other variations that go back to their original traditions like this Estrella Galicia 1906 Black Coupage which for me has too much flavour but I have an inkling you’d really like this. The problem is that it’s very limited due to the ingredients they use which are from the fields they originally harvested everything for their beer.

Then there’s this from my parent’s home town Monforte de Lemos called Chacueca which is a traditional Galician ale that used to be produced back in the 1700s and has been re-established with all the traditional methods,  but again it’s limited to 10,000 bottles a year which is a shame but understandable as they use the ingredients only grown in the region it belongs to. By the way... Chacueca is a colloquial word meaning “The mad one” in feminine.

[Guest]

This has been a fantastic last few days. I've interviewed Nolberto Solano, nearly finished the Peruvian season previews for my website, got together with some family. Its all been very nice I have to say.

Edited February 1, 2018 by Guest

[Danny]

4 hours ago, Spike said:

It just has a larger emphasis on the arts, so more artsy fartsy people come from there; that in turn leads to youth sub-cultures that value the arts. They think they are from some cultural mecca so they talk as if they are from New York. There is literally nothign more that I hate about Melbourne than people saying it's 'more European'.  Makes me cringe everytime.

It's the layout of the place really that seems European, especially the bridges over the river. I found it to be a bit like Manchester as all of the bigger buildings seem to be a bit spread out.

[Spike]

5 hours ago, SirBalon said:

Estrella Galicia do some other variations that go back to their original traditions like this Estrella Galicia 1906 Black Coupage which for me has too much flavour but I have an inkling you’d really like this. The problem is that it’s very limited due to the ingredients they use which are from the fields they originally harvested everything for their beer.

 

Then there’s this from my parent’s home town Monforte de Lemos called Chacueca which is a traditional Galician ale that used to be produced back in the 1700s and has been re-established with all the traditional methods,  but again it’s limited to 10,000 bottles a year which is a shame but understandable as they use the ingredients only grown in the region it belongs to. By the way... Chacueca is a colloquial word meaning “The mad one” in feminine.

T-thanks for telling me about stuff I can't buy. 

[Spike]

40 minutes ago, Danny said:

It's the layout of the place really that seems European, especially the bridges over the river. I found it to be a bit like Manchester as all of the bigger buildings seem to be a bit spread out.

That is very different from the knobs that call it 'European' because of the 'culture'. No, numbnuts, it's Australian culture.

[Spike]

Fuck me sideways, I don't know what to do with myself. I have a job that isn't too bad but the hours are gash because this is the slow time of the year, maybe I need another job.

[SirBalon]

5 hours ago, Spike said:

Fuck me sideways, I don't know what to do with myself. I have a job that isn't too bad but the hours are gash because this is the slow time of the year, maybe I need another job.

I think it’s the slow time of the year for everyone mate.  It’s terrible!

[True Blue]

The last month has been shit at work, staying late hours because our company is being bought. Working on the weekends and taking work home.

On the plus side the footy has been excellent