Michael Palaeologus

Well. that was jolly good fun! 12 people in the Curry Cabin, good food, swiftly served by their friendly and efficient staff. Poppadum's, Starters, Mains and plenty of drinks came to 24 Pounds each; and we all got free drinks afterwards. Excellent. It was good to see familiar faces and new people, who seemed to enjoy themselves greatly. After a discussion, the consensus was that the next meeting will be at Omrith http://www.omrith.com/ on Forest Hill Road. We will eat at 8pm-ish and meet in The Rose http://www.therosedulwich.co.uk/ from 7pm-ish. The Rose Pub is next door to Omrith.

No problem ..

I do not recognise Louisa's description of that period. Louisa does tend to post views that some old hands regularly jump on. That may be part of it.

'tis witchcraft Quids, sucks your very soul and delivers it to Beelzebub his-self.

Bloody Dulwich Hamlet cliquester.

StraferJack Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Jolly well said sir. Very nicely put > > > But seriously. 7 years? Seven??? Seven years and 5 days, and still no sign of Quids. The tease.

We would initiate you in the usual manner.

Table booked ..

I joined the Forum in its early months. There always have been groups of people who were drawn to each other, socialise together, share experiences - good and bad and so develop a mutual understanding, somewhat exclusive anecdotes and common linguistic short-cuts. Cliques. This can make them seem rather exclusive, indeed some are, but, that is always the way with groups of friends in any environment. Common interests and values can be exclusive or inclusive. How exclusive those groups are depends on how exclusive they want to be and how determined any given new person is. I imagine that Curry Club could seem clique-y, I was the OP some 7+ years ago. Many of the same people turn up each month and post on the thread. Could that seem exclusive? Yes. Is it exclusive? No. All new people are welcome, but I can only say that. Individuals have to find the wherewithal to turn up and test it. I think that some of us more long standing Forumites can put new people off by a degree of been-there-done-that- discussed-such-and-such-SO-many-times. Of course. we may have discussed topics years ago, repeatedly - aircraft noise, green parakeets, Wolf-spotting and clowns - (see, in joke) but the new people haven't and should be allowed to. We have none of the usual social and physical signals that normally moderate conversation. So, people are misinterpreted, over analyse, take offence when none was intended. Lets not forget, this is a virtual world, its not real.

Oh well, next trip to Jaflong will be via an Offie. Good news Brad et al !!

Well BYO wont necessarily kill them off. If they communicate the fact clearly then people may well like the cheaper cost of buying a bottle or a few cans at shop prices.

This is not the way to go. A chicken tikka with salad and a diet coke. yummy.

All good. I shall be in Franklins bar from about 7pm.

Anybody else in? Mick Mac? Curry based diet?

Schonefeld is Easyjet's airport, the S-bahn station is 5 minutes walk away along a covered walkway (turn left as you leave the airport building), the S-bahn is cheap. Buy your tickets at machines in the platform access underpass, don't forget to stamp them in the machines on the platforms. A day ticket for zones A, B and C costs E8.10 (Schonefeld is in zone C) on non flight days A and B are all that will be needed, a day card for these costs E6.90. The same machines sell single and day card tickets. They are multi-language, just press the flag of your choice. They give change too. There are aren't any ticket barriers only plain clothed ticket Inspectors who show no sympathy to the unwary tourist. So always stamp your card on the platform when you start to use your ticket. A taxi will cost about 30 to 40 Euros into central Berlin. BA fly into Tegel and Tempelhof has closed and is now a public park that is worth a visit. If you want to see a Berliner cry, ask them about the Brandenburg airport debacle. Brandenburg airport has been built, it is on the other side of Schonefeld, as you will see. It is still not open, there have been so many cock-ups. The DDR Museum is on Unter den Linden and gives a great and well balanced insight into life in East Germany/ East Berlin. It wasn't all bad. The "Ostalgia" movement was started as a reaction to the feeling that all of the East German traditions and institutions were bad. Their biggest victory was the pedestrian crossing lights. In West Germany the red and green men are like ours, in the East they had a brimmed hat. After quite a fight with bureaucracy all new pedestrian crossing lights have the men in hats. Souvenir shops are full of T-shirts, mugs etc bearing the hat-wearing men.

I go to Berlin quite often. Easyjet from Gatwick is my preferred option, although their Southend service seems cheaper at the moment (50 mins from Liverpool St). The S-bahn service into central Berlin is cheap and easy. You can get a Berlin metro map as an app, which I find useful. I stay with friends, so my hotel knowledge is sketchy, but I understand that Berlin is one of the cheapest cities to stay in. It is a medium sized city and easy to get around, so any central Hotel will be convenient. Kurfurstendamm (Ku'damm) is good for eating and drinking, this leads into the Zoo area (where KaDeWe is) - good for shopping and the Zoo itself. The Zoo has a panda which seems to do little more than eat bamboo and excrete bamboo. You can walk through the Tiergarten to the Brandenburg Gate and then up Unter den Linden to the Museum Island for the Pergamon Museum, Berliner Dom and Neues Museum (for ancient Egyptian stuff). The German History Museum is on Unter den Linden as is the SeaLife Centre, cafes and large souvenir shops. From the Brandenburg Gate you can also go North to the Bundestag (ex-Reichstag) or South to Potsdamer Platz, the latter takes you past the Holocaust Memorial, the site of Hitlers Bunker and the site of the Gestapo HQ - this is left as a patch of waste land with a photographic exhibition called The Topography of Terrors. Potsdamer Platz brings you near to Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall museum and other such cold war relics. Potsdamer Platz itself reflects Berlin history, pre war it was very racy, flattened in the war, in no-mans land in the cold war and is now an ultra modern area of corporate HQs with the Sony Entertainment centre providing a cinema (most films in English) bars and restaurants. To the west of Potsadmer Platz you can find two of the major art galleries - the Gemaldergalerie and the Neue Nationalgalerie, both excellent. Otherwise, alternative Berlin has largely moved to Prenzlauer Berg and is good for bars, restaurants and cafes. Charlottenberg has its Palace, there is a great flea market near Tiergaten station. The Jewish Museum is thought provoking, the Bauhaus Museum fascinating, as is the German Technical Museum - if you like planes, trains and automobiles. Further afield the Berlin lakes can be accessed by S-Bahn and Potsdam is a nice place to wander around, have a coffee and slice of gateau. Look out for the patched old buildings, especially the Bundestag, in the back streets they haven't bothered patching and the bullet holes remain as testament to the fighting in the last days of WW2. Eating is good in Berlin. Italian food to the Berliners is Indian food to Londoners, universal. There are some good Chinese and Thai restaurants, although the central Berlin Indian restaurants have always disappointed. If you like spice go to Prenzlauer Berg, there are some great South American restaurants and cafes and the Meena Kumari Indian restaurant, which is pretty good. Henne Restaurant only does roast chicken with a piece of brown bread, sauerkraut and potato salad. That's all, but it is the best roast chicken you will ever have. Its in the Kreuzberg area and is worth seeking out. If you look at Berlin on Googlemaps you will see most of the above is all relatively close.

Happy New Year!! Next Thursday everyone ...

"Looks well dodgy"?? So, not actually eaten their food. I have had take aways there and have found the food to be good. Does not apply to me, but they give discounts to NHS staff.

Yup!

I have been blocked, got on via an auto email from a thread that I follow.

For the first time in a dozen years I will NOT be having rib of beef on Christmas Day. It will be goose and in Berlin. Present opening on the evening of the 24th, as is the German way. Back on the 28th, a few days working (at home mostly) and then NYE/ Birtday in ED.

So, we head into 2015. Its the second Thursday of the month, the first being New Years Day and I suspect some people may be feeling a little dazed. THIS will be our 8th anniversary!! Good grief. Meet in Franklins bar at 7ish and then on to Curry Cabin at 8ish. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Meeting at the EDT at 7ish and then on to the Mirash at 8ish.

Its a good turn out ......

Blimey .... whodunit?