you've found yourself a dragon

[missfrost]

Inspired yesterday by shewho saying I should 'photoblog' my Vesta chow mein experience, I realised that I'd not yet checked if my camera would talk to the new computer. I got the camera a year ago, and swiftly got bored of it, especially when there was no way to upload pictures onto my old computer. But yesterday I found that it's now as simple as plugging the memory card into a slot, and away they go! Unfortunately having spent a month figuring out how to use the camera, given no instructions and an ex who had conveniently instantly ''forgotten' how it worked as she'd upgraded to one far superior, I have now spent an entire year not bothering to use it. So it took me a few hours to remember that I needed to completely ignore the hundreds of complicated modes, buttons and settings, and just leave it on SCN mode (no idea) for everything. Do not touch any other buttons, and then it works. And now I can upload pictures, brilliant! I am slightly disturbed that flickr knows I am using a Sony DSC P-200 though, that's just creepy.
So it was an obvious next step to create my first ever photoblog, indeed on the subject of Vesta chow mein which, for the unaware, was one of the original 'ready meals.' It came before oven ready meals and jars of ready made sauces, and we used to have them occasionally when I was a kid as they were the only way to eat something slightly 'exotic,' before every corner shop had a massive range of Asian spices or frozen korma. So I simply had to recreate the experience when I saw Vestas still on sale at Tesco. I kept the experience authentic, with no adding a splash or touch of anything to glam it up - the only difference being that in the seventies every house had a chip pan full of oil that was constantly reused, but my crispy noodles were done in some quite pricey grapeseed oil.

Apologies for any technical ham ups - this is my first day of taking photos/using flickr.



The star of the show:



And its component parts - sauce mix, soft noodles, crispy noodles, and soy sauce sachet.



'See outside pack for instructions' = 'you idiot.'



Those important instructions in full



Instructions 1 & 2. Dropping an entire jug of 18.5fl oz water on the floor is, I suspect, not mandatory. I have spared you the photographic proof.



Stir continuously for five minutes. Observe genuine stirring action represented by blur.



Add the soft noodles, and then simmer for 15 minutes. (I am sadly quite proud of this one-take photograph.)



The best bit! There is nothing on Earth that tastes like Vesta crispy noodles. They are absolutely goddamn marvellous. Here we see the moment of transformation from flat strip to crispy curl.



Success on a plate! Don't forget to add the sachet of soy sauce, because it's the seventies, and you won't own your own bottle!



Post mortem: It was actually good and filling and tasty, a decent repast for £1.60 anyway. Except for the crispy noodles the taste didn't instantly take me back to childhood until I abandoned the chopsticks to spoon up the mounds of sauce,  but I quite enjoyed the experience. It's a good storecupboard thing to have in I suppose. 8/10.


So that is my first attempt at photoblogging. Was it good? To be honest I won't be offended if you don't even bother looking because my brain usually goes onto autoskim when faced with someone's photos so I can't expect anyone to look at mine like I've just invented the thing. I might have to ask for some useful tips on photos, and on flickr, but god forbid that I become like a photographer workmate who checks it every day and gets thrown into deep depression if he 'didn't make it onto explore.' I've never asked what that means, I just nod sympathetically.
I shall now get back to the tedious chore of advertising for a flatmate, only with photos...