One Hundred And One Things

Why do I want to do this?

Museums are fantastic - I love wandering around, looking at beautiful things, interesting things, important things, things that meant something. I don't go to as many as I'd like, and when I do go I tend to stick to ones I already know.


How will I know I've done it?

I'll have spent at least an hour in each of six different museums. I will have previously visited three of these, but the other three will be new to me.


I'll record this in posts in this journal.

What's this about?

TED is a fantastic thing. Interested people talking about interesting things, things they love. Many, many fascinating talks to watch online.


Why do I want to do this?

Because it's dead interesting, and I'll never do it otherwise.


How will I know I've done it?

I'll have watched 101 TED videos from beginning to end.


I'll record this in posts in this journal. Click on the numbers below to see talks I've watched.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31 / 32 / 33 / 34 / 35 / 36 / 37 / 38 / 39 / 40 / 41 / 42 / 43 / 44 / 45 / 46 / 47 / 48 / 49 / 50 / 51 / 52 / 53 / 54 / 55 / 56 / 57 / 58 / 59 / 60 / 61 / 62 / 63 / 64 / 65 / 66 / 67 / 68 / 69 / 70 / 71 / 72 / 73 / 74 / 75 / 76 / 77 / 78 / 79 / 80 / 81 / 82 / 83 / 84 / 85 / 86 / 87 / 88 / 89 / 90 / 91 / 92 / 93 / 94 / 95 / 96 / 97 / 98 / 99 / 100 / 101

What's this about?

The Proms. The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC - 'the world's greatest classical music festival'. So much music! Thirty sounds ambitious, but that's only an average of ten per year, and there are about one hundred every year. It's all on the wireless and the TV; besides, I can easily get up to London to see the Real Thing.


Why do I want to do it?

Free music, people! I know shockingly little music, and all I need is a little kick to listen to it.


How will I know I've done it?

I'll have heard thirty Prom concerts from beginning to end.


I'll record this in posts in this journal.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Don't eat holly berries, kids. This photograph is for illustrative purposes only.

What's this about?

The Omnivore's 100 is a list of foods that the blog owner thinks every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food – but a good omnivore should really try it all.


Why do I want to do this?

My worst enemy couldn't call me a picky eater - I will try pretty much anything if it's put in front of me. I won't, however, go out of my way to eat it. This is designed to push me a little bit further, to be a little more adventurous.


How will I know I've done it?

I'll have eaten ten items in the list below that I hadn't previously tried.


I'll track this below:


Strikethrough indicates that I've already tried this food, so can't count it towards the challenge.
Bold indicates that I've tried this as part of my 101 in 1001

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea - post
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche (leaving this one unstruck, because, while I've had dulce de leche flavoured ice cream, I've not tried the thing itself.)
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips - post
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst - post
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini - post
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Why do I want to do this?

I use 'swim' in its loosest sense here. Flapping around a bit and floating is also perfectly acceptable, as this isn't about physical fitness, it's about what sea-bathing does to my mind. The first sharp chill of the water having receded, I love the feeling of buoyancy, of calm, of not having to be in control. (Up to a point, obviously. I have no intention of drowning.)


How will I know when I've done it?

I'll have immersed myself in the sea at least once in 2011, at least once in 2012, and at least once in 2013. (I swam in the sea in July 2010, and I'm not going in again in December.)


I'll record this in posts in this journal.