Bitter melon…

For my birthday few years ago, I have got a nice Thai cook book. I am using it from time to time if want to try something new. Last time I have made a bitter melon omelet . Nice surprise. The fruit looks like a thick cucumber is rich in calcium, iron, carotene, vitamin C and B. The recipe is quite simple.
175g bitter melon, 4 eggs, soya sauce, sunflower oil, salt, white pepper, garlic, rice or bread.
Wash the bitter melon, cut in half and take out the seeds (white inside with the seeds actually). You can use only the hard, green side, cut in to pieces app. 2 cm and put it in to the bowl add the salt and mix. Let it for 30 min. The salt will take the bitterness out from the fruit. Mix the eggs with soya souse to get the mix with a bit of foam. Put the oil in to the pan, add garlic, bitter melon and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the prepared eggs and cook for 1-2 minutes till the omelet will be light brown.
In the meantime prepare the rice or bread.
When ready, put the omelet on the rice or bread, add a bit of white pepper and sweet chili sauce.

Book from Dublin…

Few years ago I went to visit my friends in Dublin. Together with A. of course. We had a very good time despite the rain and the buses you have to wait for ages. We visited not only the pubs but also some historical monuments, prison, churches and … the shops. There, in one of the bookshops, I bought a book “The Pompeii Syndrome” written by Irish writer David Rice. Since I always buy more books I can ever read, I came across this book in my bookshelf two weeks ago and I have finished yesterday.

Well it is quite frightening story. I think it would have a more impact if I would read it back when I bought it, when the impact of 9/11 in 2001, London bombing in 2005 and the whole terrorism situation was more “fresh” than it is right now. However, despite the time, the story in the book makes you wonder “Would it be ever possible” . I don’t know but when I read page after page and came across the examples in the book, I thought it is quite realistic even though it is fiction. We are not aware what kind of power some people have and what they are able to do. Actually, we think we know but still for most of us some behaviors and some beliefs are “not real” , are simply unthinkable.

That’s exactly what the Pompeii syndrome is, a situation that people do not want to think about even when a lot of facts, information, predictions, signs point that something will or can happen. People still assume “It could never happen to us!” like in Pompeii, when the people ignored the erupting volcano which eventually buried the whole city under the 20 m of ash and pumice. People knew that it may happen but could not believe that it will … same in the book … but what if… read for yourself.

Hopscotch…

I have borrowed a book from K. She is well known from having a “non-standard” books, interesting, well written, funny, exciting but always with more than one dimension. What I got now is “Hopscoth” (Spanish: “Rayuela”, Polish: “Gra w klasy”), a novel by Argentine author Julio Cortázar. One book, two stories.

The first story you can read as usual, starting from the 1st chapter and ending on the 56th, the second you start with the chapter 73 and follow a specific order... 73-1-2-116-3-84 (…) 131. I thought, for a change I will play with this book and went a unconventional way. I am not sure if it would make any difference. I started the book but not finished yet… while reading I feel … stupid. I do not understand the plot. I have to go through the worlds as: hedonism, anachronism, antagonism, transcendentalism, penelopism, and many similar ones, I read the long sentences once or twice to understand and I am really tired after one chapter (the chapters are not that long). I have not been working so hard on a book since my high school when I had to read the obligatory books for Polish lessons.

I am stubborn and I will finish the book over my dead body (brain) and maybe, just maybe I will have a deeper thoughts afterwards which I won’t miss to share with K.

Ivy…

My mum is lovely. Two months ago I have accidently discover a very good literature magazine called “Ivy” ( “Bluszcz”). I have immediately sms my mum and asked her to buy me a current issue. This morning I got two, shipped from Poland. They are lying next to me, new, untouched, waiting to tell many interesting stories. Interviews with the writers, actors, producers, books reviews, short fiction stories, pieces of the interesting books, 170 pages of an different world… I love it!

People can write, damn, people can write in interesting and passionate way … people have imagination and gift to change world in to the text so brilliant that makes somebody like me to lose the grip of reality, what’s written matters, rest is less important.

The title of the magazine is so well matched with the feeling you get while reading … you are snarled with the stories like the a tree with Ivy branches.

Friday evening…

… 20 min walk with the dog, one pizza and one glass of wine later … the weekend can finally begin. I have no plans for coming two days … sport only … good, I need it. We have like 20 films to watch and also waiting for Brothers and Sisters Season 2 to be ready … for once in a while it is nice not to do and not to be …
By the way I have just finished a new, old book (1961) “Solaris” by Stanislaw Lem now I want to see the film with George Clooney despite the fact that a lot of people think the film sucks….

Krimml 2010 (Austria)

First you plan, then you wait, later you go, then you come back and after one or two weeks you don’t even feel that you were gone.
It was one week of great fun, more than 1000km from home, 13 people, a beautiful chalet with a fridge than 2 people can fit in, almost endless amount of beautiful slopes and good weather for most of the time. Just week before D day we need to buy the winter tires, prepare the car and install the ski box ….. One “old” member of our group could not go and since he has always the biggest car, we had to organize two other instead.
The trip there was good planed by A&S, maps has been printed out, stops for lunch and dinner fixed, TomToms set and ready… off we go…first crossing, everyone goes direction Utrecht , we direction Breda, of course why not… shit, shit, shit will we meet them eventually? Highway almost empty , speed within allowed, small misunderstanding with TomTom in Eindhoven but still we reach the first meeting point two hours before the rest. Apparently the A3 was full of traffic and unexpected events. Rest of the trip went ok, snow and darkness was a bit freaky especially when you go up the mountains and the way is one big turn festival. We managed to pick up the key, find our “Herders hut”, unpack the car and prepare some thee before the rest reach the place.
Sunday, first day of skiing … I love it, Armin, Tiesto, Above and Beyond on my iPod, sliding down, finding the best way and try not to break anything… A. had less luck though. First day he was injured and could not snowboard until end of the holidays. Bummer but next year we will go there again… Zillertal Arena with Zell am Ziller, Gerlos, Königsleiten, Gerlosplatte has in total 166km of slops (10 km black, 114 km red , 42 km blue). There is a lot toexplore especially when you start the day early in the morning and be outside at 9 ‘clock, when the lifts are just open and the slopes are fresh prepared. The party can begin… still 11 months to go…

Ups and downs…

I was running, I was running quite often but then the winter came. Cold, wet, snowy, icy weather and darkness … so I stopped just like this … the warm home, the couch and the remote control won the battle over the evenings after work. Unfortunately, it does not help, sitting and moving nothing but your fingers. The energy left me so I decided, enough is enough and signed for a free introduction lesson at the fitness close by. I was planning this for a long time. Every time when I was driving A12 home, the blue letters of the logo were blinking at inviting me to try.
Since that day (last Sunday) I am a proud member of the fitness Westvliet in the Hague.. Good place to do all kind of group sports, racket sports and fitness. Spinning, Zumba, Pilates, Yoga, Xco, Body mind, Body pump, squash, tennis, badminton … I will not get bored, I hope ;).
Everything is pretty Hi-tech, I got the special key (key to my success) with the training program on in. I just need to insert it in every machine I will use and the screen will tell me welcome Iza, you have to do 2x 10 abdomen exercise, use 15 KG and the next exercise will be biceps on the machine number 16. How easy can it get… now I just need to sweat and that’s it…piece of cake… or maybe no cake for me, thank you.

Nespresso …

Yesterday we have celebrated A. birthday, 32… very serious age. One of the presents he got was a Nespresso Aeroccino and I LIKE IT… Now we can make cappuccino, coffee macchiato, ice coffee, actually any coffee with milk so incredibly easy that our (my) daily consumption will significantly increase ;)) Coincidently, I have read in today’s newspaper (those that know me , know also that I am not reading news in general so it was very big coincident) about the secrets behind the success of Nespresso. There are couple and I have put them in the priority I think plays most important role:
 George Clooney and good ads ;)
 Very good coffee
 Easy use, take the capsule, put in to machine and press the button
 Well design and reasonable priced coffee machines
 Chic Nespresso shops where you are welcomed to drink your favorite coffee (Paris, Antwerp, Amsterdam….)
 Nespresso club………
In numbers:
1986 – introduction of Nespresso (Nestle), 1% of the world coffee production, 7 million members of Nespresso Club, 2001 – first shop in Paris, 2006 - George Clooney and “Nespresso what else” slogan, 1700 patents to protect the product ….
I love it from 2000… it was a good year by the way…

The salt is finished or maybe not…

Three weeks ago the weather changed and the real winter has begun. A lot of snow has fallen and everything stopped for a while, the white duvet covered the world. Everyone went crazy, some people because of the freshness of the snow, some others because there was no public transportation whatsoever.

On Monday the story continued… no trains, delays, slippery streets …again The Netherlands has been surprised by the weather conditions. Last week we were informed about the shortage of the salt used to cover the ice on the streets. Every municipality has started panicking and searching for the new solutions …hebes… bath salt (at least has nice color and smells good). Outside still cold and slippery, traffic, long hours spend in the cars on the way to work and way back.

Television and radio stations are reporting bed situation on the roads and no salt. There are two big producers in NL, the warehouses are empty, it will be enough for one time to cover all the main highways and then… ANWB and NS advise to stay at home …
Today the big news, yes, yes, yes Akzo Nobel can produce enough salt to the end of the winter, no need to worry, we are rescued Hiep, hiep hoera!!! Belachelijk!

Cold...

Winter is testing my level of acceptance… In my work performance appraisals I get flexibility and openness to changes as my prime strengths. However, in some cases I am NOT. Let’s take the weather outside… I am not open to cold and darkness, not flexible at all and I WANT SPRING and THE GREEN GRASS!!! I was thinking to go on strike or at least as grizzly or ice bears do, go to the winter sleep and wake up somewhere in March. I have not asked A. neither Fuyo about their opinion and permission. Only the thought of warm bed in this cold circumstances put smile on my face and make me sleepy.

I remember when I was 8-12 years old, willing to be outside the whole day when the first snow has fallen. The wet shoes, jacket and glows were not the problem to spend hours playing with my friends. Sliding, skiing, skating, igloo building, snowball fights and many other activities until our lips went blue from the cold… it was great fun. Nowadays walk with Fuyo is the only thing I can convince myself to do when the temperature drops below 0 ºC. Unfortunately, I have to get to work, do the shoping walking, waiting, train and metro… cold, cold, cold… feeling frozen waiting for spring.