The Fox, The Dog, and The Crab: The Rest of my Manchester Trip

Hi, everyone!

I wish I could have continued blogging while I was in Manchester, but unfortunately, the Word Press app on my phone was acting up way too much. So, now that I’m back in London and on my laptop, I can blog again without any issues!

On my second day in Manchester, I went to the movies and saw Foxcatcher. I thought the movie was really great. I’m not surprised that Steve Carrell and Mark Ruffalo got nominated for Oscars. Their performances, although very different, were genuine and multifaceted. I think Bennett Miller really created a moving piece that is an interesting study on masculinity, family, sport and America.

But after such an intense movie, I had to lighten up the day. So, it was another day of walking around the city and eating some good food! I grabbed lunch at Brew Dog.

12215 Brew Dog sign

 

12215 Brew Dog Reindeer
Oh, you know, just a reindeer chilling out with all of us at Brew Dog.

I had wings with their South Carolina mustard sauce. It was delicious! I had never tried a mustard-based sauce on wings. It was great to try something new!

Brew Dog is really known for its beer. I tried its Punk IPA (India Pale Ale), and it was delicious! Richard tried its Hardcore IPA. Both were really good!

12215 Brew Dog Ales
Brew Dog’s Punk IPA on the left. Brew Dog’s Hardcore IPA on the right. Both were wonderful!

Also, if you ever wanted to know more about brewing beer, Brew Dog has this wonderful infographic on everything hops!

12215 Lowdown on Hops manual

After walking around town all afternoon, I had worked up an appetite and decided to go to one of my favorite, if not my favorite spot in Manchester: Mud Crab Cafe.

If any of you ever visit Manchester or live in Manchester, I highly suggest taking the tram to Didsbury Village or the bus to West Didsbury and try this place out! The drinks, the food, the vibe, everything about this place hits the spot for me!

12215 Mud Crab Long Island Iced Tea
Mud Crab’s perfect Long Island Iced Teas – perfectly mixed
12215 Mud Crab Burger
The Main Event: Mud Crab’s 2nd Best Cheeseburger with Chicken Salt Fries. My all-time favorite!

On my third and last day in Manchester, I didn’t take that many photos mainly because I just wanted to soak everything in. Manchester is the city where I really grew up. I learned a lot not just academically but also about myself. I will be forever grateful to that city for everything it has given me.

Oh, I know, that sounds so sappy, but it’s the truth! I’m not ashamed to admit it.

I hope you guys had a lovely start to your week! We made it past hump day, and the weekend is so close!

Lots of love,

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I. Declare. Oscar Nomination!!!

You guys…

Michael Scott Steve Carrell just got nominated for an Oscar!!!

11515 Michael Scott gif Everybody Dance Now

11515 Michael Scott gif Magic Trick

11515 Michael Scott gif Its Britney

Now, who knows if he’s going to win, but I’m so happy that Steve Carrell got nominated for his lead role in Foxcatcher.

I’m also pretty pleased that Eddie Redmayne got nominated! I’m sure you could tell from my reaction to his Golden Globes win that his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything is one of my favorite performances of the year.

To see the full list of nominees (and The Washington Post’s Stephanie Merry’s reactions to the nominees in each category), click here.

Did any of your favorites get nominated? I was pretty bummed that David Oleyowo didn’t get an Oscar nomination… His performance gave me goosebumps – just from the trailer for Selma alone!

Feel free to comment below on any of the nominees and categories!

Lots of love,

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Critics’ Choice Movie Awards

And Awards Season 2015 continues!

While the HFPA voted on nominees and winners at the Golden Globes, it’s the BFCA’s turn to vote on nominees and winners at the Critic’s Choice Movie Awards.

You can find the full list of nominations here.

I think it’s great that Michael Strahan is hosting! I think he’s such a natural and has such great energy.

I’m particularly interested in the categories of best picture, best supporting actor and best supporting actress because it seems like the BFCA has nominated a real mix of pictures and performances. I’m always really interested to see which movie wins for best acting ensemble. There’s something to be said about acknowledging a whole team, a whole cast (not just solely lead actors) for their talent, chemistry, and dedication to a film.

Kevin Costner will be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award, Ron Howard will be receiving the Louis XIII Genius Award and Jessica Chastain will be receiving the Critic’s Choice MVP award.

I love all three of them! They are some of my absolute favorites in Hollywood.

In honor of TBT, here’s Kevin Costner on the infamous poster for The Bodyguard:

11515 Kevin Costner Bodyguard

(I have to send up some love to my girl, Whitney! At the end of the day, I think she had a voice of a lifetime.)

Ron Howard in Happy Days:

11515 Ron Howard Happy Days

(With the Fonz! I remember watching Happy Days every week night on Nick at Nite.)

Jessica Chastain in The Help:

11515 Jessica Chastain The Help

(She has to be one of the most versatile actresses of our time. So glad she’s winning MVP! (Did movies just become a sport or something?!)]

Are you guys looking forward to tonight’s awards? Do you have any favorite nominees?

Lots of love,

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