Memoirs of a Lysha

What's made me happy this week:

2012-02-07T21:42:00.000-08:00

I've had a fantastic week! Highlights included:

1) a train trip down to Portland to visit my good friend Matt! It was great - saw The Artist, celebrated his dad's birthday and helped him put a roof on his new chicken coop ;o)

{Matt and me in Cabo in 2007}

2) Dinner with my best friends at Joeys... and got checked out by some guys. Heehee. Followed by underwear shopping at Gilly Hicks. Couldn't get any better!

{Joey's delicious Mushroom Soup}

3) Book Club meeting in Belltown, followed by an amazing Hot Pot party at Katie and Phils. Amazing! Phil Kang is an amazing cook... you heard it here first. (or, rather, last, since we all knew that already) Did I mention it was amazing? ;o)

{February's Book... I had the illustrated version!}

4) A day with my old/new friend Jessica: coffee, sewing, cats, more coffee, and sushi! <3 We were friends in college and recently re-connected. Hooray!

{I'll admit it... I was scared of the oyster shooters}

5) Found an old book in my room:

Well, turns out I've done it all without realizing it! With two years to spare! What a great feeling :o) Here's a few things from the list:

- Grow something - Speak a foreign language

- Travel solo - Know your friend's family tree

- Build a campfire - Make the first move

- Quit something - Master a signature family recipe

- Hold your booze - Write a complaint letter

- Make brownies from scratch

- Perfect your a.m. stretch - Accept compliments

- Unplug your TV for awhile - Talk to strangers

- Be a gracious guest - Walk in heels

- Kick one habit - Be a dork

- Sleep in a hammock - Own a toolbox with all the basics

- Get a massage - Bounce back

- Fly first class

- Give yourself flowers
- Write thank you notes for everything
- Research your family's medical history
- Care about where your food comes from
- Carry something to read, a notebook and a pen with you at all times

Happy: A Documentary

2012-02-05T17:57:00.000-08:00

"From Academy Award nominated director Roko Belic comes his latest film, HAPPY. HAPPY takes us on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Kolkata in search of what really makes people happy. Combining real life stories of people from around the world and powerful interviews with the leading scientists in happiness research, HAPPY explores the secrets behind our most valued emotion."

In theaters February 11th.

"Happy" movie trailer –>

Easy A

2012-02-04T15:08:00.000-08:00

Need a pick-me-up? This is one of my favorite movie sequences of all time :o) Emma Stone is amazing.

February Goals!

2012-02-02T16:17:00.000-08:00

FEBRUARY GOALS

1) Do American and Canadian Taxes: Hmm, no easy feat, but I think I can do it. Gotta download forms from the Canadians, fill 'er in, and send 'em up to the great white north. The American ones can be done online... I think. Foreign W2s be dammed!

The only thing that's certain are death and taxes.

2) Clean out my itunes of old/unwanted music: I have SO much music in my itunes... and only listen to probably 30% of it. Time to clean some house. Haha. Get it? House? House music. Hilarious.

Out with the old and in with the new!

3) Clean out my Gmail of old emails: Woah. This one is going to take some doing. According to my Gmail, I have 2,025 emails clogging up my inbox! Granted, that's only 13% full. The oldest one is from November 10, 2008. Yikes.

Out damned spots!

4) Read Fischeflughafen, write letters and watch movies "auf Deutsch": This month I'm taking my exit exams for my teaching certificate (yea, I know, haven't even started the program yet... but that's just the way it goes). So, I've got an oral and a written exam for German proficiency. Time to practice!

Es wird Zeit!

5) Plan and prep my garden: My parents have a pretty nice sized garden and I've got some good sized containers to fill. It's getting time to start some seedlings and start planning which veggies need to go where and when. I'm so excited!

Alysha and the Beanstalk!

This month I'm going to continue with my previous goals of working out, keeping my journal and taking my vitamins. I wasn't so good about cooking often, but as I did last month, I'm going to give it my best shot. I'm excited to keep up with my happiness project. :o)

Gretchen's February Goals: Remember Love

1) Quit nagging.

2) Don't expect praise or appreciation.

3) Fight right.

4) No dumping.

5) Give proofs of love.

End of January....

2012-01-29T16:15:00.000-08:00

JOB WELL DONE!

So, that was January. Lots of snow, ice, wind and rain.

I'd thought I'd report with how the goals for this month went:

1) Keep a 1-line journal: Check! (for confirmation, see below)

{Journal fantastique}

2) Don't go 2 days w/o exercising: Check! (although I did go 3 days during the snow storm... power was out all over the area! (the gym included)

3) Meet w/a personal trainer: Check! (and ouch!)

4) Take Vitamins: Pretty much, although forgot some days.

5) Make dinner 2x a week: Living with the parents it's become more like 1x a week (last week was tomato basil parmesan soup... yum!) I'm so excited for those farmer's markets to start up again!

January was a success!!

I heart Yoga

2012-01-25T11:09:00.000-08:00

Practice makes perfect!!

Five Things

2012-01-16T22:54:00.000-08:00

What made me happy this last week:

1) Spending so much time (and yoga) with Mrs. Susan Bloom. I <3 you.
2) Hemming all of my jeans and dress pants. Every time I put on a pair, I'm like, "ahhh."
3) Snow.
4) Getting mail (and a book auf deutsch!) from my dear friend Susanne in Switzerland.
5) Reading Mindy Kaling's "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? And Other Concerns."

"Alternate Title: The Girl With No Tattoo"

ps. While I imagined meeting with a personal trainer would make me happy, it in fact did not. No, it actually made me very, very sore and gave me low self-esteem for a few days (do we really need to know our body fat percentages?!) but despite all that, I'm proud I went. If I were "financially secure" I'd definitely meet with him more often, but for now I'm happy lifting weights all on my lonesome.

2012-01-11T10:38:00.001-08:00

Goal Attained!

2012-01-09T22:22:00.000-08:00

This month I wanted to meet with a personal trainer... and today I've got the sore muscles to prove that I did!!! I met with Kevin at my gym, got weighed/body fatted, and gave my legs one hell of a workout. Hot damn. :o)

January Goal Update (#1)

2012-01-07T22:30:00.000-08:00

Keep on, Keepin' on!

January = so far so good!

Vitamins? Check.

Working out? Yup. Also: trainer appointment made – SNAP!

Journal? You betcha.

Cooking? Not so much, but mama's keeping me well fed ;o)

Here's a song that ALWAYS puts a smile on my face:

Florence and the Machine: The Dog Days Are Over

Blog share: 20 Resolutions for 20-somethings

2012-01-03T21:57:00.000-08:00

I found this list of 20 resolutions for 20-somethings on the Thought Catalog page. Some of them are really priceless! I thought I'd share.... I highlighted the resolutions I thought were really worthwhile :o)

But don't listen to the advice on #13: brussels sprouts are delicious.

Before you status update, Tweet, Tumble or Instagram, pause and say to yourself, “is it entirely necessary that I share this morsel of thought with my entire social network?”and if the answer is not, “yes, I absolutely must,” then step away from the Internet.
Know which candidate you’re going to vote for in the upcoming presidential election, and know why.
Enough with the 14-day juice cleanses. If you want to lose a little weight quickly, eat less and exercise like crazy. If you want to lose a lot of weight slowly, do whatever Jennifer Hudson did.
If you really like the person you’re hooking up with and would like them to be your boyfriend/ girlfriend, find a way to tell them, and hope for the best. If you don’t and wouldn’t, stop.
Find a way to save approximately 300 dollars and spend it on a flight to see a friend or family member who lives far away.
Please stop liking the Kardashians, all of them. It’s not helping anyone, least of all the Kardashians.
Spend less than or equal to the money you earn each month.
Wear clothes that fit you, especially to work.
Call someone on the phone at least once a week, and speak to him or her for at least ten minutes.
Start preparing now to get over the fact that Facebook is probably going to change again in six months. You’re not going to deactivate your account. You don’t know how.
Wait 30 seconds before you look up a fact you can’t remember on your phone, and try to remember it using your brain. This is what the olden days were like.
Replace one terrible reality show you’re currently watching with one wonderful scripted show currently available on television. Swap suggestion: Real Housewives of Anywhere for HBO’s Enlightened.
Try that food you think you don’t like but have never actually tried, unless it’s brussels sprouts. They really don’t need any more attention.
Cut one person out of your life who you truly do not like and add one person who you truly do. Note: not on Facebook, on Earth.
If you’re still blacking out regularly, you should stop.
Volunteer once over the next 90 days. You’ll feel really good about it, and probably end up volunteering again over the next 275.
Tell someone who you love that you love them on a more regular basis. To their face, not in a text.
Back up your entire online life onto an external hard drive, especially your photos.
Crap or get off the pot. This applies to whatever thing you’re not doing that you should just sack up and do already.
And in the eternal words of Tom Haverford, “TREAT YO SELF!”

NEW YEARS DAY!

2012-01-01T16:01:00.000-08:00

So thus begins my year-long project on happiness. While shopping in Seattle after the 5K Jingle Bell Run this year, I happened upon Gretchen Rubin's book "The Happiness Project". In her book, she details how although she was married, employed, a mother and not unhappy with her life, she wasn't exactly happy either. So she set small goals for herself to achieve each month (with a specific theme) with the end goal being to do them all and become an overall more happy person. Fantastico!

"Among other things, she found that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness... that outer order contributes to inner order and that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference" - The Happiness Project

As I'm operating with a clean slate* and it's New Years, I thought to myself, what a perfect time to do the same! So, each month brings me new goals and new ways to challenge myself. I'm going to write out Gretchen's monthly goals as well as my own.

I plan to check in once a week to update on the progress of my project and my dedication (or lack thereof!) to the goals I set. (Also one of my best friends, Miss Suzie, is doing the Happiness Project as well and will keep me accountable!)

JANUARY GOALS:

HEALTH AND FITNESS

1) Keep a one-line journal for a year.

This is an idea I got from Ms. Rubin - the one-line-a-day journal. I had to keep a detailed journal for my english class for 5 weeks this Fall. We were required to write for at least 10 minutes a day and although I enjoyed it, it was difficult to fit in. One line a day should be easier! (and maybe I can later work up to longer entries).

"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train"

- Oscar Wilde

2) Never go two days without exercising.

In October, when I had to move back home, I also joined a gym. I had belonged to a gym in Vancouver, but with working two jobs and 6 days a week and all the other things I had going on, I could only make it once a week to yoga class and the occasional swim and a bike ride to work. At my new gym (now that I'm equipped with more time and motivation!) I've been going 5-6 days a week: running and the elliptical machine, but my favorites are the classes: zumba, yoga and spin. :o) Never fails to put a smile on my face.

"You're only one workout away from a good mood!"

3) Make an appointment with a personal trainer.

Another gym goal. I've been doing so well with my cardio that it's about time to work up some strength training. I'm intimidated by the weights at the gym and as there's the option of meeting with a trainer once for free, so I'm going to act on that this month and learn how to master those meaty machines.

"Adios arm flab!"

4) Take my vitamins daily.

I've always had vitamins on hand... but didn't always taken them. I know, lame sauce. Just couldn't remember. My mom said I should take Vitamin D and Calcium, so I've been doing my best to keep on track. Yum, open up!

"Sunshine in a bottle."

5) Make dinner from scratch 2x a week.

There was a time when I did this 4-5 times a week, but living with your parents (picky parents, at that) makes it tougher. Either my mom cooks or they want to go out, or I eat leftovers. Now I'd like to make sure to cook AT LEAST 2x a week and from new recipes, if possible!

“Try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!”

- Julia Child

Well, let's give that a go, shall we? Five new goals for the lovely little month of January. How exciting! Next week we'll check in and see how it's going. :o) Ringing in the new year with fresh beginnings!

Gretchen's January Goals: Boost Energy

1) Go to sleep earlier.

2) Exercise better.

3) Toss, restore, organize.

4) Tackle a nagging task.

5) Act more energetic.

* Thus some long-term goals are:

1) Get a job.

2) Start school in June.

3) Get an apartment in Seattle.

4) Start dating – online?

Changes

2011-10-20T12:43:00.000-07:00

Fall is a time for change... and times, they are a-changing. I've had to say adieu to Canada and have moved (after over FOUR years) back to the United States. Expect more posts from me as I'm working on my writing. I'm taking four classes at the moment and am INSPIRED! :o)

Vancouver: Those last 4 months FLEW past!

2010-12-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

Here I am, still in Vancouver :o) Still working at the cheese shop. It's mostly fun and man, if you need anyone to hook you up with wine/cheese pairings - I'm your lady. This december I'm working 6 days a week! Christmas is our busied season.

I'm also still teaching german on Tuesdays. Last Tuesday my students were filmed by a local german TV station as they got a visit from St. Nikolaus, who traditionally visits on.... Dec 6th! :o)

Also, the entire month of November is celebrated as Movemeber in Canada. Men grow mustaches in order to raise money for prostate cancer research. My Colin grew a sexy beard, but the last 2 days of Movember we were graced with the 'stache.

Two weeks ago I was lucky enough to drive down for Thanksgiving. I'd been working so much and at first I was supposed to work over Thanksgiving (having had the "canadian" fake version off in Oct) but luckily my boss changed her mind and I went home (Thanks Allison!!). It was so good to see my family again! I was really missing my mom and dad :o)

{Grandpa instructing Dad with the turkey and Colin & Tom look on}

{Thanksgiving Dinner}

{Me and my sister-bride-to-be Amy}

Vancouver: Back in Town!

2010-07-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

Back in Vancouver!

Colin, sweetheart that he is, picked me up from the airport after a super long flight from Vienna and took me straight to the beach for a nice long walk in the evening sun.

The next day we feasted at my favorite restaurant in Van - Jollys! Coconut Prawns mmmm. I sure did miss their indian food while I was away.

I couldn't seem to be able to get away from Vienna: Yummy lager at Trader Joe's.

Couldn't escape Canada either. Colin took this shot of a car in the costco parking lot. License plate: Canada, eh?

Also, the amazing Celebration of Light is going on now in Vancouver.

We saw the USA's firework show on Wednesday - here are some pictures from our vantage point near Kits Beach...

Vienna: Tschüssi BABA!

2010-07-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

*I wrote this about a month ago and forgot to post it... so here it is now!

The first time I heard the term BABA, I thought someone had been trying to call me "baby". I know that "tschüss" means "bye" and so when followed by a BABA, I automatically thought... what? "Bye, baby?" But no, alas, BABA also means "bye" and is extremely viennese. And as stupid as I thought it once was, I love-love-love it now.

Today is my last day in my apartment - I'm moving out at 6 pm and heading to my friend Monika's (with whom I'll co-teach in Semmering starting on Friday). So, to honor my last day in Vienna Proper, here's my "goodbye" list of what I'll miss and what I'll not so miss about living in the world's #1 city: Vienna, Austria.

-----------------------------------------------

Likes:

Public Transportation! The subway train (U-Bahn) is right outside my house and I can be pretty much anywhere in the city between 10-40 minutes. And anywhere a train doesn't go, there's a tram or a bus! Plus, I've never had to wait more than 6 minutes for a train - I know, spoiled!
Coffee Houses! Vienna is well known for their coffee houses (Kaffeehäuser) and what's especially nice (besides the amazing atmosphere and history) is that buying one cup of coffee can earn you hours without being bothered by the waiter to pay... even if they're busy.
The Opera and Museums!
Recycling!
The yoghurt! No gelatin making this yoghurt all clammy and whatnot. Best. Yoghurt. Ever.
So close to Eastern Europe!
Speaking German!

Dislikes:

Smoking. Although there's a new law being implemented saying that cafes and restaurants must have a completely separate, partitioned area for smokers, you still find smokers (and their smelly cigarettes) all over.
Missing my friends and boyfriend.
Rude waiters and salespeople.
It takes SO long to get any paperwork processed.

Semmering, Austria: SOAK

2010-07-01T12:27:00.000-07:00

{Welcome to Semmering!}

From the 25th of June to the 3rd of July I am co-teaching an english class at the 12. Internationale Sommerakademie für hochbegabte Schülerinnen und Schüler (12th international summer academy for highly gifted students).

Our class is entitled "Battle of the Sexes: From Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" to Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" I feel pretty lucky to co-teach, not only because of the great material (Shakespeare, Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Streetcar Named Desire, Revolutionary Road) but also because of the fantastic students!

{My awesome class}

I have been keeping a blog this week of what our class is doing each day... take a look!

www.soakenglish2010.blogspot.com

Croatia: Nacionalni Park Plitvička Jezera

2010-06-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

{We took the red path... 6 hours!}

"Proclaimed a national park in 1949, the Plitvice lakes region is among the most valuable features of natural interest in Croatia and indeed the world. The national park extends over an area of 29,482 hectares, 22,302 of which are forested. Water covers 217 hectares and grassy areas and villages another 6,957. The high forests sometimes take on the character of a virgin forest, with a corresponding richness of fauna and luxuriance of vegetation. Tucked away in this forest-covered karst landscape are 16 blue and green lakes, large and small, one underneath another. They are linked together with foaming cascades and pounding waterfalls, and are supplied with water from numerous little brooks and streams.

During the millennia, the water has eroded and dissolved the rocks of its own course and beds; subsequently, with the help of particular species of moss and algae, the dissolved calcium carbonates have been sedimented out to create tufa or travertine, porous stone that is being created even today in conditions of continuing ecological balance. With the ongoing process of creation of the travertine, barriers grow up between one lake and another, so that new falls and cascades are constantly being created. The tufa coats and petrifies fallen trees in the lakes, constantly changing and enriching the beauty of them. The travertine forming process is biodynamic and thus and exceptionally interesting scientific phenomenon and a leading attraction. There are several caves in the lakes as well, and in the same area, archaeological remains from various times in the past have been found.

The Park contains the habitats of many species of bird, of the brown bear, wolves, red deer and roe deer, wild boar and wild cats, while the waters of the lakes are home to trout and crustaceans."

- excerpt from "Nacionalni Park Plitvička Jezera Izletnička Karta" OR "Plitvice Lakes National Park Tourist Map" :o)
-------------------

We started our journey at Ulaz (entrance) #1 and had to hike pass Lakes Kaluderovac, Gavanovac and Milanovac to get to bus station #1.

{Lake Milanovac}

{Colin and "Veliki Slap" or "The Big Waterfall"}

From there, we took the bus to bus station #2, where we went up to Hotel Jezero to drop off our bags and get some warm soup for lunch. Did I mention it was raining cats and dogs?

{leaving rainy bus station #2}

After lunch, we braved the elements again and took the bus up to the top of the lakes to bus stop #4. There we dodged a tour group and took the path past Lake Batinovac.

From Batinovac we came upon Lake Galovac, where the path bordered the water. There were no boardwalks there, so it was pretty muddy... but beautiful!

{bundle up!}

Between Lake Galovac and the next lake, Gradinsko, there were many, many beautiful waterfalls.

{me and Colin}

{some of the petrified trees}

{Jezero/Lake Gradinsko}

After following the boardwalk we came upon Boat Station #2. From there you could take a boat back to Bus Station #2 or over to Boat Station #3 to continue the hike. We of course took the boat about 15 minutes across Lake Kozjak. There were so many fish in the water! The ride was pretty cold (as we were underdressed... c'mon Croatia!) After the boat ride we had a snack at an amazingly old "eastern europe" cafe - the atmosphere was insane! Old communist sounding tunes on the radio and super gruff looking folk. It was great!

{Our boat – and the fish!}

After our warm-up snack of tea and strudel, we continued on our way past lake Milanovac, where we saw TONS of waterfalls! After Milanovac, we walked past Lake Gavanovac.

{Milanovački Slap/Waterfall}

{The teal waters of Lake Gavanovac}

{One of the caves off of Gavanovac}

{Boardwalks and Waterfalls}

{And one last look over Lake Kaluderovac at Veliki Slap - the big waterfall!}

After our 6 hour hike I was SO ready to get to our room for the night, get dry and get some dinner! Unfortunately we still have to walk a good 20 minutes to the nearby village of Mukinje (muk-in-ya). We stayed in a beautiful house run by a family. Nearby was a !-ski hill-! and had a fantastic restaurant (the only one around)... after a hot shower at home we went over and had the best pizza... and the place was hoppin! The owner/waiter was super friendly and we even had some dessert - crepes! After such a good dinner we came home, watched part of a Jackie Chan film and slept like babies!

{Beautiful weather to take the bus to Split}

And that was our time in Plitvice Lakes! Croatia's hidden gem. :o)

Why I promise never to drink coke again...

2010-06-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

(*borrowed from http://blisstree.com/feel/what-happens-to-your-body-if-you-drink-a-coke-right-now/)

Have you ever wondered why Coke comes with a smile? Because it gets you high. They removed the cocaine almost 100 years ago. Why? It was redundant.

In the first 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor, allowing you to keep it down.

20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (And there’s plenty of that at this particular moment.)

40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate; your blood pressure rises; as a response, your liver dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked, preventing drowsiness.

45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production, stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.

> 60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium, and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.

> 60 minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium, and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolytes, and water.

> 60 minutes: As the rave inside you dies down, you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally, pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like hydrating your system, or building strong bones and teeth.

This will all be followed by a caffeine crash in the next few hours.

Here’s a quick snapshot of you, in a few years, after drinking Coke on a regular basis:

You’ll Be Fatter: According to research in the Nurse’s Health Study, which monitored the health of 90,000 women for eight years, drinking a single soda every day of the week added 10 pounds over a four-year period.

You’ll Probably Have Diabetes: In the Nurses’ Health Study, women who said they drank one or more servings a day of a sugar-sweetened soft drink or fruit punch were twice as likely to have developed type 2 diabetes during the study than those who rarely consumed these beverages.

You’re Much More Likely to Develop Heart Disease: According to a study published in 2007 in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, subjects who drank a soda every day over a four-year period had a 25% chance of developing high blood sugar levels and a 32% greater chance of developing lower “good” cholesterol levels. The Nurses’ Health Study found that women who drank more than two sugary beverages per day had a 40% higher risk of heart attacks or death from heart disease than women who rarely drank sugary beverages.

You’re Probably Also Less Healthy In Other Ways: Several studies, including the 2007 study published inCirculation, suggest that diet sodas have some of the same effects on health as regular sodas, despite having none or very little of the sugar. Why? Drinking soda is typically part of an overall lifestyle that’s not very healthy: We know you don’t like us to compare drinking caffeine and sugar to substance abuse, but when it comes to your lifestyle, some think that soda is just like a gateway drug.

Slovenia: Eating my way through Ljubljana and Lake Bled

2010-05-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

My good friend Miss Rachel Chonka and I felt it necessary to take a trip south of the border to Slovenia. Yes, the little country of Slovenia. Now, before this trip I didn't know much about this place, except that it was Eastern Europe and easily confused with Slovakia. But now, after a glorious (and rainy) four days, I feel that I've learned a lot about their history and culture - and also found out something quite surprising: THEY HAVE EXCELLENT FOOD!

Seriously! Rachel and I accumulated a few words of slovene while away and upon reflection, each had to do with food and/or restaurants. For example:

Dober den --- Good Day (as in, Good day, welcome to our restaurant)

Hvala --- Thank You (as in, Thank you for your order)

Prosim --- You're welcome AND please

Pivo --- Beer

Kava --- Coffee

Caj --- Tea

oh yeah.... and... Most --- Bridge (learned that one in Budapest)

Heehee. Anyway, I was so knocked out by the utterly delicious offerings of this amazing place, I decided to dedicate a whole blog post to it :o) Here are the highlights (most of the restaurants we visited were in our Lonely Planet, so I have the details... and yes, I took pictures of EVERYTHING I ate) ;o)

Cake and Tea at Cajna Hisa (Ljubljana). The name means Tea House and now we know why - we had some delicious tea there! (and cake... yum!)

A morning visit to Cajna Hisa was in order - the breakfast menu was just what the doctor ordered. Fried eggs with ham and cheese (and a nutty roll). All with a nice pot of Lapsang Souchong.

A hearty slovenian lunch at the Mayer Penzion in Lake Bled. Sausages, apples and a light cabbage salad was exactly what I needed after boating across the lake and wandering around a little island in the rain. Warmed me right up!

My favorite of all the food we tried. This bosnian restaurant in Ljubljana called Harambasa served only one thing: cevapi (small beefy sausages). You could get 5 of them, you could get 10, you could even get them made into a steak! They all come with bread (Lepinja) and an amazing (emphasis amazing) concoction of buttery cheesy butter stuff called Kajmak... which had the consistency of whipped cheese and the appearance of vanilla ice cream. To top it off, we shared a Baklava... the best I've ever tasted. Needless to say, we went to this restaurant twice. Bosnian food - TWO THUMBS UP!

Harambasa's (wisely) limited menu

A rainy afternoon visit to the National Gallery called for a pick-me-up at Kavarna Zvezda, one of Slovenia's top 5 cafes (according to Lonely Planet). After this strawberry cake, I was sure to agree!

Mexican Food! Dinner at the Cantina Mexicana was amazing... so much for such a little price! I got BBQ wings (couldn't help it!) and salad, rice and beans. I was so stuffed full of good food (and a good pina colada!) that we had to rest for a while in the warm, cosy mexican environment before braving the cold, rainy, eastern european weather outside.

And, on the way to the train, I grabbed a piece of Ljubljana's famous street food, Borek. You can have this pastry with meat or cheese inside. I forgot to get a picture since I was starving and had just hopped on the train, so I grabbed one off the net. Delectable!

Wow. Slovenia sure knew how to do food. Can't wait to see what Croatia has in store for me two weeks from now!

Salzburg: The Sound of Music

2010-05-19T13:31:00.001-07:00

The weekend of May first I went with my friend Alice to Salzburg, where I got to do something that I've been waiting all year for: The Sound of Music Tour!!!! The real von Trapp family lived in Salzburg until 1938 and the film starring Julie Andrews (1965) was filmed there as well.

Before the tour, I didn't know much about the real von Trapp family. This is what I learned:

-There was a german movie called The Trapp Family (1956), which gave Rogers and Hammerstein the idea for a broadway musical.

-The german film was based on a memoir by Maria von Trapp entitled: The Story of the Trapp Family Singers

-Georg Ludwig von Trapp, was indeed anti-Nazi, and did in fact live with his family in a villa in a district of Salzburg called Aigen, however the palace depicted in the film is a great exaggeration of their actual living situation.

-Originally, Maria had been hired only to be a governess to young Maria who had come down with scarlet fever and needed her lessons at home.
-Maria and Georg had been married 10 years before the Anschluss and had two of their three children before that time.
-The seven children depicted in the film were actually nine, with the Captain and Maria's children, it brought the number to twelve.
-Unlike in the film, Georg had considered a position in the Kriegsmarine but ultimately did decide to emigrate with his family to Italy to go on yet another singing tour.
-The Anschluss occurred in March, however the Salzburg Music Festival is held in June, therefore the family could not have piggybacked their festival performance into an escape before the borders closed.
-The bell cord on the real Nonnberg Abbey is strictly a prop and rings nothing, however the Abbey liked it anyway and requested it be left by the film crew.
-While the film shows the von Trapp family hiking over the Alps from Austria to Switzerland, from Salzburg this is impossible. Salzburg is only a few kilometres away from the Austrian–German border and is much too far from either the Swiss or Italian borders for a family to escape by walking. Had the von Trapps hiked over the mountains they would have in all likelihood ended up in Germany near the Kehlsteinhaus, Hitler's mountain retreat in Berchtesgaden.
-As Georg was born in an area of Austria that had been under Italian control at the time, he was considered an Italian citizen and therefore, so were all his family, including Maria. Therefore, all they really had to do was walk to the local train station and board the next train to Italy, from which they fled to London and ultimately the United States (Vermont)

We had a very good tour (which lasted just over 4 hours). During that time, we visited Here are some highlights:

Alice and our tour bus, ready to roll

Alice and I aboard the bus. (Notice my "Birgitte" hairdo)

Me and Alice in front of Leopoldskron Castle: where the children were boating and fell into the lake... also where Rolfe threw stone's against Liesl's window ;o)

With Liesl's Gazebo at Hellbrunn Castle gardens.

"I am 16 going on 17"...

St. Gilgen and Lake Wolfgang from the opening scenes. This lake is part of the Salzkammergut (Salt lakes district)... and was a favorite vacation spot of the Mozarts!

The church in Mondsee where the film von Trapps were married.

The Untersberg: where the opening shots of "The Hills Are Alive" were shot.

The line of trees from the scene where the children (in their curtain play-clothes) hang from the trees. :o)

The Mirabell gardens at Castle Mirabell in Salzburg. This is where the montage for the song "Do-Re-Mi" was made. Remember when they walked along the edge of the circular fountain? Here it is! The Pegasus Fountain!

The little statue that the children tap on the head while singing the overture to "Do-Re-Mi!"

"Do-so-fa-la-ti-do-re...."

"Fa.... a longer way to run"....

Alice at Nonnberg Abbey, Maria's Abbey and where she, in the opening scenes, runs too late into the courtyard. (The real von Trapps were married here in 1927)

The Bookworm

2010-04-25T01:27:00.001-07:00

This year, although I've been busy teaching (and brushing up my german by reading the first Twilight book - Biss zum Morgengrauen), I've been on such a great book streak. I take the tram about an hour each way to work, which gives me a good deal of time to read, and lately you can't find me without a book in my hand.

A good deal of these books have been passed around by friends here in Vienna - I find it exciting that we all have similar tastes. I also look forward to using the library when I'm back in Vancouver, and maybe finding a reading group to join. Anyway, this is what I've read and I thought I'd share. :o)

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Currently Reading:

Lonely Planet: Croatia

To prepare for my and Colin's trip to Croatia on May 29th. :o) I guess I need to get to the library to pick up a few more books!

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Recently Read:

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (2003)

This is the real reason I decided to post about books. I think I read Oryx and Crake in about 4 days (which is pretty impressive, considering how busy I usually am.) If you've ever read anything by Margaret Atwood and know her style, you won't be disappointed, because this is her at her best, I'd say.

Oryx and Crake is a dystopian science fiction novel (although I read that Atwood doesn't like the term "science fiction" for this book: she prefers "speculative fiction" and "adventure romance".) If you've ever read The Handmaid's Tale (another fantastic Atwood dystopian-futuristic-novel), well, Oryx and Crake imagines a MUCH worse future for mankind after boundless genetic technological advances, one that is chilling to the bone. I call Oryx and Crake a "cautionary tale" for sure - because, when you take a look at current expierments that scientists are working on, how could you not? (just google spider-goats! and using pigs to grow human organs for transtplant!)

The book starts out with Snowman (once known as Jimmy), who might be the only man left on earth. As he deals with his present bleak situation, he flashes back to his childhood, growing up in a compound where scientists spend all their time on perfecting genetic engineering, supposedly all in man's best interest. He also slowly (sometimes humorously and sometimes frightfully) recounts how the world fell apart and how he ended up alone taking care of a group of human-like people he calls Crakers.

That is all I'm going to tell you - this was one or the best books I've ever read and I truly hope that you pick up this book during your next trip to the library!

Oh, and PS... there's a "sequel"!!!! Margaret Atwood's Year of The Flood (2009)

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The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (1998)

I just finished this one yesterday - and wow! Another quick, awesome read. This is the first book in a series (of 11) called The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, about Botswana's first (and one-and-only) lady private detective: Mma Ramotswe. After inheriting cattle from her father, Mma Ramotswe opens her detective agency. She is motivated to help others and make her country a better place. She is cunning, intelligent and courageous (and most of all lovable) while driving around in her little white van, solving mysteries and making endless pots of red-bush tea. Not only is this a hilarious and touching look into Botswanian/African culture, but an interesting look at the situation and perspective of women in contemporary Africa.

Such a great book :o) I can't wait to get started on the next one: Tears of the Giraffe. (2000) Oh! And it was also made into a television show in Britain and for all you Netflixer's - you can get it there! :o)

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The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (2005)

My 8th year class read this book this year (aka the graduating class.) As I haven't read it before, I bought one too... and discovered that I loved it! I read it in 3 days over a trip to Prague (thank goodness for the 8 hour bus ride!) This is another of those books that all of my friends here have read.

The story follows two narratives, one of the 80 year old jewish Leo Gursky and the NYC tween Alma Singer, who just lost her father. They are brought together through a book entitled The History of Love, which Leo wrote as a 20-something in Poland during WWII and Alma's mother is now translating into english.

Trivia! Nicole Krauss married Jonathan Safran Foer, who wrote Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (also published 2005) and Everything is Illuminated (2002.)

The rights to The History of Love were bought by Warner Bros... I guess we can expect a movie shortly! (Ahem, but still read the book!!!) The same goes with the exceptional memoir Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (2006) which was turned into a film starting Julia Roberts (and is coming out August 13th of this year. Here is a link to the trailer:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/eatpraylove/

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The Painted Kiss by Elizabeth Hickey (2006)

I picked up this book at Powell's in Portland, while on an overnight trip with my awesome boyfriend Colin. At the time I was home from Vienna for Christmas, so you can probably guess as to why I was intrigued by this book. The cover art is a painting called "Emilie Flöge" by one Gustav Klimt (1862-1918), turn-of-the-century viennese playboy. He's probably the most famous for his painting "The Kiss" (which I'm sure EVERYONE has seen before. You can't go 10 min. in Vienna without seeing it somewhere.) Anyway, this specific painting is a portrait of Emilie Flöge, protagonist of The Painted Kiss and Klimt's real-life muse (whose name he uttered with his dying breath!). At 12, Emilie was Klimt's drawing student, and the book follows Emilie's life as she grows up to be the owner of a successful viennese fashion house, as well as her and Klimt's on-again-off-again relationship.

Such a great book [reminiscent of Tracey Chevalier's Girl with the Pearl Earring (1999)] and the most perfect thing ever to read while living abroad in Vienna. :o)

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Up Next:

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (2005)

This was recommended to me by my good friend Alice Gerard, not only because it's a good book, but it also takes place at Lake Bled, in Slovenia. Now, it just so happens that I'm going to visit Lake Bled in 3 weeks! Should be able to get it done before the trip :o)

I believe it's about an american girl in Amsterdam, who finds a medieval book. When she asks her father about it, it is revealed that he'd found the book 20 years ago and that somehow Dracula (Vlad the Impaler) was still alive. Then her father vanishes, leaving a note, and she goes on an adventure to find him, as well as her long-lost mother. Sounds good!

**If you have any recommendations for me,

they're ALWAYS welcome!**

Vienna: Carl Orff's Carmina Burana

2010-04-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

{Musikverein Poster}

On Sunday night I went with my friends to see Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. Written between 1935 and 1936, it's taken from a collection of poems which he compiled into a libretto, mostly in Latin verse, with a small amount ofMiddle High German and Old Provençal. The selection covers a wide range of secular topics, as familiar in the 13th century as they are in the 21st century: the fickleness of fortune and wealth, the ephemeral nature of life, the joy of the return of Spring, and the pleasures and perils of drinking, gluttony, gambling and lust.

{Covering of the score feat. Wheel of Fortune}

The best-known of the 25 movements is "Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi (O Fortuna)" that opens and closes the piece. Here's a (hilarious) youtube video of it (including the "misheard lyrics"):

My favorite line is: "Leaking Foot When Near Cherries"

{Inside the Vienna Musikverein: Chamber Orchestra}

{On the balcony: Tölzer Boys Choir}

Afterwards we all went for a beer at 1516, a bar here in Vienna. Everyone was speaking english there and there were sports on all over the place, but when I asked the waiter if this was an american or british pub, he responded: "It's a Vienna pub." Oh well. The super tasty burgers made up for the all english surroundings!

{A radler at the 1516}

Vienna: Frohe Ostern!

2010-04-05T00:55:00.000-07:00

{Freyung Easter Market - lots of fun trinkets, good food, good wine and good music (a group called Gospel Meet Vienna). I had a "Kaiserspritzer", which was a glass of Hollunder (Elder Berry) syrup, with white grüner veltliner wine and soda water. Yum. I also had chocolate covered strawberries on a stick!}

{Stacks of painted, blown Easter Eggs. I bought 4 for our easter tree next year... those were expensive little buggers! But well worth it, considering we can get them home on the plane in one piece}

{Easter Market Am Hof - I picked up something pretty cute here for Hudson, Suzie's gorgeous, adorable, magnificent new baby}

{Schönbrunn Easter Market - with Robert and Casey - Rachael was there too!}

{Easter mass at the Stephansdom with Casey, Rachael, Elisabeth and Robert - bright and early to get a good seat. The place was packed with hundreds of people.}

{Inside the Stephansdom (here's the link to the wiki page) - the Mass was held by a cardinal! This parish was started in 1147. NO KIDDING. And I just found out that Mozart was married and had his funeral there... more on that later.}

{We had a very very yummy Easter Brunch in my backyard. Here's my table with colored eggs and my easter tree}

{Since I couldn't afford to decorate my whole eater tree with bought painted eggs, I decorated a few myself too.}

{Yay Easter Brunch! We had fantastic weather and it was nice to sit outside in my backyard. Elisabeth, Andy, Me, Rachael and Casey - and Robert took the picture - thank you!}

{Mmm a table full of goodies}

{Robert and Elisabeth made a quiche - it was super delicious! And no, they didn't grill it) ;o)}

{We hid Easter Eggs and chocolates around the backyard...}

{And some everyone got really really excited when they found something!}

{Yay a chocolate bunny!}

{The boys hit it big}

{The remains of the day...}

{And that afternoon I went to visit Mozart's apartment in downtown Vienna (which is how I knew he was married in the Stephansdom). Here's a link to the museum website: Mozarthaus}

The tour included an audio guide and it was interesting to learn about how he lived:

- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart only lived at N.5 Domgasse for 2 1/2 years. It was their largest, elegant and most expensive place - although truthfully, it didn't seem so large to me! 4 large rooms, 2 small and a kitchen.

- He was 25 when he moved into this apartment with his family: his wife Constanze and 9 week old son Karl Thomas (they had 6 children total, only 2 survived).

- Also living in the apartment was Mozart's father Leopold (who came to visit from Salzburg), his tutoring student, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, 2 servants and a cook, a dog and a bird. (where the heck did they all sleep?)

- He lived there from 1784 to 1787... in America the rvolutionary war had just been won by the north, the first constitutional convention is held and George Washington is elected president two years later. Wow. It's weird to me that those things happened at the same time Mozart lived in Vienna.

- He wrote The Marriage of Figaro while living there:

- The view from his apartment that you see today is the same view Mozart saw.

- He is one of the most famous Austrians, and even has a candy named after him, the Mozartkugel. It's delicious - chocolate outside filled with pistachio marzipan and nougat.

- My favorite Mozart quote from the visit:

"I should have everything that is good, genuine and beautiful!"

Vienna: Tuesday

2010-03-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

Good things about today:

1) I got to talk to my amazing boyfriend for 15 minutes this morning before dashing off to catch the tram to school. He can make me feel better no matter what, even from 5277 miles away. Tomorrow marks day 60 until he finally steps foot in Vienna. I can not wait for that moment.

2) I got finally to wear my new striped skirt and light jacket... it's finally SPRING!! (I also broke in my new black flats. No more band-aids on my feet!)

3) We got to have class outside today AND my students were engaged and talkative! (Awesome student quote of the day: "Alysha, I do not to be seeming cheeky, but your blouse is false." Which made me crack up, because, hello, those buttons are meant to go up the back!)

4) I got to meet up with my good friend Elisabeth and soak up the sun on the steps of the library in Vienna with all the other cool step-sun-soakers. We've been dreaming about that all winter.

5) My new haircut. The dead ends are gone and my new leave-in conditioner should help. :o)

6) Chai Latte with good friends: strategized our upcoming trip to Italy (which is already on Sunday!!! Pisa, Lucca, Florence... here we come!)

7) Chatted with my sister Miss Amy Lee and one of my best friends, Katie (who I've been chatting with more often lately - it's awesome! She makes me feel less homesick. Thanks Katie!!) ... and saw new pictures of Hudson, Suzie and Andy's perfect new addition to their family. Seriously, the cutest baby I've EVER seen. I'm just so happy.

8) A stranger talked to me about my book today in the train: I was reading Biss zum Morgengrauen (Twilight)... but she was disappointed to hear that I'm not actually a huge fan and am reading it for german practice. :o) Although I've thought about reading the sequel next... maybe I've been bitten?

9) US health care reform passed... and thank god for those websites who spell it out for you, what the bill is all about. Making me consider rescinding my ex-pat status, America.

10) The new Cold War Kids Behave Yourself EP... Audience is one of my new favorite songs.

Bad things about today:

1) There was no certain email in my inbox when I really wanted there to be one.

2) I got stuck walking behind two very very slow old ladies in the subway station at Karlsplatz and missed my train.

3) My dad has to have surgery this week (he has his doctor's appointment today), my mom has to have surgery soon on her back, and Colin gets his wisdom teeth out soon (and I won't be there to nurse him to health...)

So, considering my "good" list heavily outweighs my "bad" list, I'm thinking this was a pretty good day, as far as Tuesdays go.

Vienna: Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T15:45:00.001-07:00

Spain/Austria/Germany/Hungary: 5 Months Down... 4 to Go!

2010-03-05T00:37:00.000-08:00

Woah, it's been a while since I last blogged. So much has been happening, filling up my time to the last second. Luckily, being home sick from work today gives me some time to get caught up on important things like posting a new blog. :o)

Since Christmas at home and returning to Vienna, I've been keeping pretty busy:

Madrid, Spain (with my roommates):

{Madrid Street}

{The Roommates}

{At the Sunday Market}

"Prom" in Perchtoldsdorf:

{My students "opening" the Ball}

{With Monika, one of my most favorite teachers}

TU Ball in Vienna:

{The Girls}

{Hofburg Palace}

{With Gergely, Ball-Date and Dance-Partner}

Trip through Southern Germany (The "Andi" trip):

Munich:

{Train travel}

{With Colin's Uncle Andi}

Füßen, Germany:

{Lech River in Füßen}

{At Neuschwanstein Castle with my friend Alice}

Tübingen, Germany:

{Neckar River in Tübingen}

{Me and my good friend Andi}

Stuttgart, Germany:

{Visiting with my old friend Andi and his girlfriend Ruth}

Visit from Joanna and Darin:

{Me, Darin, Joanna in front of the Hofburg Palace}

{Valentine's Day Coffee and Cake with Jo at Cafe Zentral}

Budapest, Hungary:

{Buda and Pest and the Danube}

{Walking along the Danube: Lenna, Elisabeth, Me, Rachel}

{Turkish Baths}

Random Fotos from the last few weeks:

{The "Kiss and Ride" at the Prater}

{The "Watch Out, Roof Avalanche" signs scattered around Vienna}

{The actual chunk of ice that fell off a roof and almost killed me.

That's why they have signs, I guess!}

School is also going well. Along with normal duties, I'm still tutoring and I've started my 4 lessons a week of "english in conversation" classes. I've only got 10 more weeks of school left, and lucky me, this semester is scattered with breaks, so there's lots of time for trips. So far planned, or "in the works":

1) Pisa, Italy

2) Ljubljana, Slovenia

3) Salzburg, Austria

4) Bratislava, Slovakia

5) Split, Croatia

6) Stockholm, Sweden

7) Brno, Czech Republik

Sounds like a lot, but most places are really close by and can be done on a weekend. In addition, my friends Susanne and Philipp are coming for a visit in April and my wonderful, handsome boyfriend Colin is coming at the end of May! Lots of things to look forward to this spring :o)

Seattle/Vancouver/Portland: The best Christmas Break ever!!!

2010-01-23T01:41:00.000-08:00

After a long, long plane ride home from Vienna (through Amsterdam! The day before the terrorist...) I arrived in Seattle. :o) Dec. 23rd and just in time for Christmas. I had a wonderful three days at home with Mom, Dad and Amy. The night I got home, we had our grandparents over for dinner (which I almost slept through... thanks jet lag!). Christmas Eve found us back with my grandparents again, playing cards and eating a delicious meal. Christmas Day (after opening our presents and having breakfast) we went over to my Aunt and Uncles, where more game playing and good food awaited. One highlight was Amy's new version of Life - it's so much fun and I got sooo addicted!

{Me, Amy, Mom and Dad}

{Leah Lou and Me}

On the 26th of Dec. I drove up to Colin's Mom and Dad's house, just over the canadian border. Colin thought I was coming up on the 27th, and I was excited to surprise him... little did I know, he had just gotten out of the shower when I arrived, and was cutting his toenails! Nevertheless, he was still happy to see me. :o) We had a great 4 days in Canada - we also went into Vancouver to meet up with his friends, some of which I haven't met yet (even after so long dating!)

{Colin, during our walk in the park}

Colin and I drove home on the 29th to meet up with my best friends at Katie's parents, where we had an "Anne of Green Gables" party - complete with Rachel Lynde's turkey pot pie, Dianna Berry's Leafy Green Salad and Anne's Fudge. :o) Colin came along and had a good time getting to know my friends better, even though he was the only boy there! Thanks Kate for hosting!

And in other big news, Sally is engaged! I'm so happy for her and am excited to help with some of the planning - just hoping there will still be some left when I get back from Vienna in July! Which I'm super excited for, because then I get to meet Mr. Hudson Bloom! :o) I can't wait for Suzie to finally become a mom!

{My best friends}

After a quiet New Years playing games at home with my Mom and Dad and Amy and Tom, Colin and I took an overnight trip to Portland. We stayed at the Ace Hotel (super hipster!) and went out to dinner at Rogue Brewery. Portland is such a great city - the atmosphere is super, as is the public transportation! We also went to the movies: Living Room Theaters - where you can recline in comfy chairs with footrests and can eat dinner and drink alcohol at your seat! :o)

The next day we took the advice of the hotel desk clerk and made our way out to breakfast - which was amazing! All organic and super delicious. We also caught a free tour at the Chinese Gardens - and had a great time even though it was raining. Portland was so great, I was really sad to come home, especially since I knew that my time with Colin was coming to an end.... before 5 months apart. But I'm certain that those 5 months will go quickly and come July, we don't ever have to be apart again!

{Our hotel room at Ace}

{Colin and his giant Apple Fritter}

{The donut selection at Vodoo... I recommend the bacon maple bar!)

{Me at the Chinese Garden}

{Colin at Cafe Half & Half, playing Settlers of Catan - dice game}

Vienna: Frohe Weihnachten!!

2009-12-18T00:14:00.000-08:00

Zürich, Switzerland: A weekend with Susanne. :o)

2009-12-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

Zürich!!!

This last long-weekend (Thank you Austria, for letting us have Tuesday off for Mary's Immaculate Conception!) I was in Switzerland visiting my very good friend Susanne. After a hurried trip to the Vienna Airport and an hour long flight (whch included a complementary sandwich!) Susanne and her sister Elena picked me up from the airport and drove me back to Susanne's (in Winterthur... north of Zürich) where we had some tea and chatted. Susanne has the most amazing apartment- A 3-bedroom loft with a great view and great balcony which makes the hike up the stairs completely worth it. It has a light and open feel, and the large stove fireplace and advent lights made it feel a touch scandanavian, which I loved. And, since Phillipp is still away in Shanghai, I got his room, which really made me feel like I was living there instead of just visiting. :o)

Saturday I went to school with Susanne (she teaches german and philosphy at a high school) - the kids about to graduate had to hold presentations and students, teachers and family were all invited. We saw 3 presentations: Econcomy of China, London's Great Plague, and my favorite, American Culture: Is It Really That Bad? :o) The american culture presentation basically constisted of a student recounting his exchange year in Arizona. It was amazing how I could tell right away that he had lived in the south - even his swiss accent couldn't hide that twang. He did a good job defending american stereotypes about fast food and big cars. My only real problem was the tendenancy to over-generalize... just because people in the south don't tend to recycle, that doesn't mean that people in the north or west don't! Anyway, we're all guilty of generalizing at times, and I have to admit, it's hard not to with a country of that size.

Later Saturday we walked around the old industrial section of Winterthur called the Sulzer which the city has turned into apartments and public art. The architecture is amazing! I really fell in love with the modern and miniminal feel.

In the evening Elena, her boyfriend Mick and Susanne's friend Isabell came over for some Squash Soup (yum!) and we also made Gritti-Bänz - a bread dough shaped into little men. I made a duck (for colin), a christmas tree, a wreath and a little man. :o)

"Grittibänz"

Makes 10.

Ingredients:

500g Plain white flour

2 Tsp Dried yeast

2 Tsp Castor sugar

250ml Milk, tepid

80g Unsalted butter, at room temperature, softened and creamed

1 1/3 Tsp Salt

1 Egg (~50g), beaten

1 Egg yolk + 1 Tsp Water (for the egg wash)

raisins and almonds for the face/body decorations

Method: 1. Sprinkle the sugar and yeast into 1 cup of the milk in a bowl.

2. Leave for 5 minutes and then stir to dissolve.

3. Sieve the flour into a big bowl.

4. Make a well and pour in the yeasted milk.

5. With a wooden spoon, draw enough of the flour into the yeasted milk to form a soft paste. 6. Cover with a tea towl and leave to "sponge" until frothy and risen, about 20 minutes.

7. Add the leftover milk, the beaten egg, salt and the creamed butter. Mix in the flour to form a soft dough.

8. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic for about 10 minutes.

9. Put the dough into a buttered bowl and cover with a tea towl.

10. Leave to rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

11. Knock back the dough and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

12. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces.

13. Roll each piece into a thick sausage.

14. To shape the head, use your index and thumb to pinch both sides of the sausage (first quarter of the sausage).

15. With a pair of scissors, cut both sides (middle) in order to create the arms and then, cut both legs (down).

16. Create a mouth, nose and eyes with the raisins and almonds.

17. Place the "Grittibänz" on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and cover with a tea towl.

18. Prove until doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes.

19. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

20. Brush the "Grittibänz" twice with the egg wash.

21. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden and sounding hollow when tapped on the underside.

The next day we got up and ate our Grittibänz for breakfast. Sunday (Dec. 6) is a holiday - Nikolaustag! On St. Nikolaus Day, St. Nik comes to visit all of the children, leaving chocolates, nuts and oranges (we were also visited by St. Nik!). But the catch is, he's accompanied by Schmutzli in Switzerland, Knecht Ruprecht in Germany and Krampus in Austria. Anyway, whatever he's called, this bad guy scares children into behaving well by beating them with sticks (here in Austria) or threating to drown them (in Swizterland).

Anyway, that same day Elena, Susanne and I drove to Lake Constance and took the ferry over to Meersburg, Germany. We took a little self-guided tour through the castle there, where one of my favorite german authors, Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, lived. We also trekked up to the graveyard where she is buried.

After a long lunch, we toured the rest of Meersburg and then went back across the lake to Constance, where we visited the local Christmas Market. Punsch, yum!

The next day, I met up with my friend Christian, who was kind enough to show me around Zürich. Unfortunately it rained the WHOLE time we were there :o(

But I didn't let that damper my impression of the place, especially after finding these specialty hot chocolates... on a stick! All you do is stir them into a cup of hot milk. My favorites are the ones that come with a shot of alcohol!

We also visited the Christmas Market in Zürich (with a christmas tree covered in Swarovski crystals!) and then the Christmas Market in Winterthur... which was outdoors and wet but very charming.

For dinner Susanne met us back at Christian's place for the best fondue I've ever had in my life. Christian is a master cook! Tuesday I went to school with Susanne and visited her friend Melanie's English class and then Susanne's german class. After lunch in the cafeteria (yum!) Elena picked me up for a little drive through where they grew up and for some shopping in Winterthur. After hitting up an awesome little tea shop for some yummy tea and great conversation, we went back to meet Susanne, who cooked me a DELICIOUS dinner! I was really really sad when she dropped me off at the airport. Susanne is one of the best people I've ever met (a kindred spirit, as Anne would say) and I love her very much! We'll be friends for the rest of our lives, I believe. She was such a great hostess and I had an amazing weekend :o)

Prague: A picture story from end to beginning...

2009-11-27T13:49:00.000-08:00

Vienna: That time of year. Oh yeah, that one.

2009-11-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

Mega-update: lots has happened since my last update, foremost my 26th birthday!

{Birthday Girl}

After a reception at the Fulbright main office (free drinks!), we all went to a nearby cafe for more drinks and... Kaiserschmarrn! Yum! (click to a link for a recipe/history of Kaiserschmarrn).

{Cafe Raimund}

{All gone!}

Later we all went to Karaoke, where I sang (big surprise here) ABBA!

{Take a chance on me}

{My friends singing "I Will Survive"}

The next day we had a movie night (Annie Hall!) at my friend Lenna's place. This also included numerous dessert courses - like my apple crisp, which got a giant thumbs up from Matt.

{damn good!}

{movie mavens}

Last Saturday I took a walk with my friend Andy through the Lainzer Tiergarten, a large animal preserve on the outskirts of Vienna (and luckily not far from where I live!) Although 80% of it is closed during the winter, we still had a good time walking around in the crisp fall air. Empress Sisi (beloved, and I mean, BELOVED icon of Vienna) had a hunting lodge in the forrest where Andy and I had a tasty cup of soup before heading back.

{On the Trail...}

{Hello, Mr. Ram}

{Empress Sisi's woodland retreat, Hermesvilla}

{and her husband, Emperor Franz Josef's Hunting Lodge}

{Foggy walks}

Also, our dance class has started 4 new dances... right when we were thinking we were starting to get the other 4. Our new dances are the Foxtrot, Boogie, Cha-cha-cha and slow Waltz (thank god, because the Viennese Waltz was a killer!)

{Dance Studio Svabek}

{Matt and Elisabeth paying close attention}

I've also been lucky lately and have gone to two readings in the city. One, on friday night, was at the Literature House on the topic of "sex", which was hilarious! Also, my teacher friend Monika (who's absolutely wonderful!) and I went to a reading in Freud's house! An american author recently wrote a book about the philosopher Nietzsche and a mentor of Freud's... it was interesting to hear the author talk about Freud in the very rooms where he had lived!

{ding, dong}

{Freud Reading}

School is going well too. I'm having a great time teaching fun things like Ferris Bueller's Day Off (they LOVED it! "Bueller... Bueller...") I'm also teaching this week about Thanksgiving. I made the mistake of telling the students about the infamous Turducken, and that's all they've been talking about! Below is a hilarious letter from one of my students. She seemed impressed by my dislike of whales... as she recommended that I visit the zoo since there are no whales there... "only some other fish" :o)

{"I know you hate whales, right?}

Lastly, the christmas season has started in Vienna! All of the christmas markets are up and running, as well as the christmas decorations! Bring on the cheer!!

{Christmas season has started!}

Vienna: Great Expectations!

2009-10-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

Fall in Vienna is turning out to be absolutely gorgeous. I can't believe that in only one week from today I'll be turning 26! That seems so old to me. Oh well, at least I get to spend my birthday in a beautiful city! That's me in the Schönbrunn palace park last Monday.

Yesterday I bought plane tickets to Zurich (see above!) to visit my good friend Susanne. I'm so excited to visit her - I'll be there the weekend of Dec. 4 (also my parent's anniversary). We have many plans already, including day trips to Bern or Lucerne, shopping and christmas markets and of course lots of fine dining! I'm also planning on visiting the school where she teaches. It'll be fun to be a "guest of honor"!

I'll also be going to meet my good friend Darin in Prague on Nov. 21st! That's about meeting in the middle for us. I'm looking forward to going there finally - it seems I just kept missing it on my other trips to Europe, and it is supposedly a BEAUTIFUL city! I'm also excited for these little trips because it means it's closer to christmas break! Only 55 days till home! (... and Colin!)

My dance lessons are going well - Gergely (my partner) and I have decided to go twice a week now, since we need to get as much out of it as possible (as we need to be ready for the ball on January 9th at the vienna city hall - see above!). Below is a picture of our dance instructor - he's a gem! He's very disciplined but also has a feisty sense of humor. So far we've tackled the waltz, tango, rumba and samba. :o) There are a good mix of people taking the class and we're hoping to go to drinks with some of them after the next class.

Today I had my last day of school for the week. It was a good day - I taught lessons on Seattle, Brave New World (my level 8's are reading that - and they're reading 1984 in the other school) and The Onion Newspaper (which everyone loved!) I also got to help in a wood-shop class for the 1st years - and boy, were they scared of me! But they loosened up once they found out I understood german. :o) Also, my teachers there invited me on the school ski trip! More information on that later, though. Speaking of more info, I was also offered a job at a week-long intensive english seminar the last week of June in the resort city of Semmering! But, like I said, more on that later...

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Vienna: Parties and Palaces too

2009-10-25T03:35:00.000-07:00

Almost a month in Vienna! I've been feeling really at home here ever since I got my room all put-together and my suitcases put away. It feels good to have everything in it's own place and cleaned up. I have to admit, some of this motivation came from the WG (apartment-share) party we had last weekend. All of my roommates (see below) invited friends, so there were tons of new people to meet. We had a pretty great time talking, drinking and dancing, but it was really nice to have the apartment back to ourselves for a little Sunday morning brunch.

{My room... all finished}

{Roommates - Julia, Manuel, Vera & me}

{Dance, Dance, Dance}

{Julia and Alice attack Brunch}

Unfortunately, I must have picked up the bug that was going around, so I was home in bed for 2 days, and had to miss school. I did make it out for little while to a friend's birthday party, but probably should have stayed home in bed. But I think the fresh air and a little conversation did me good.

{Sickly me and Alice}

Saturday morning I felt good enough to visit my favorite Viennese attraction - The Naschmarkt! Julia and I went and I found knitting needles for a Euro and some old postcards. We also found a hungarian pastry - Baumkuchen! It's dough wrapped and baked around something like a rolling pin, then buttered and rolled in either cinnamon, vanilla, nuts or chocolate/coconut. We had cinnamon - it was SO tasty!

{Hungarian Baumkuchen at the Naschmarkt}

{Julia devouring our Baumkuchen}

In the afternoon I met Elisa, Robert and Alice at the Belvedere (which, according to my Lonley Planet, is one of the world's finest baroque palaces). There are Upper and Lower parts of the palace, each housing a great collection of art. We visited the Upper Belvedere, which houses a collection of austrian art - including Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele.

{Upper Belvedere}

{Alice, Elisa & Me - Belvedere Gardens}

{What's so funny?}

{Gustav Klimt's The Kiss from 1908}

Baden: In Pictures

2009-10-23T03:29:00.000-07:00

Vienna: Week one down!

2009-10-11T01:14:00.000-07:00

[Me at the Stadtpark]

I started teaching this week in an austrian high school - Bundesgymnasium Perchtoldsdorf. P'dorf is pretty cute, with an old clock tower, castle ruins and romantic buildings. My school leaves a little to be desired, but from what I hear, that's pretty normal. I'm also working at a school in Maria Enzersdorf (near to P'dorf) but I haven't been there yet (I switch schools every other week).

[Perchtoldsdorf]

It's been interesting getting used to Austrian schools - first of all, the kids have their own classrooms. This means they've had the same classmates since they began high school and that they are always in the same room - the teacher is the one to go to them. Teachers here have only 5 minutes between each class - breaks are always buzzing with activity: trying to get the next lesson organized, chat with others or shove something in their faces (there's no lunch break!). First period starts at 7:55 and each period is 50 minutes long. Also, I was really surprised at how mean the teachers were to their students. Not a lot of praise, more yelling at them for misbehavior or incorrectness. Tough love, I guess? Another thing I was surprised by was that no students wear shoes. They run around in socks or slippers or birkenstocks but no shoes! I thought it was their choice, but a teacher informed me that the school wants to keep the floors clean. But then why don't teachers have to take off their shoes too? I have to admit I feel kind of guilty walking around in my street shoes.

Since I'm new here I've had to introduce myself in every lesson I've taught (13 a week...). At orientation week I learned a game for introductions, which I'm now so good at I could do it in my sleep. I write numbers on the board which pertain to my life in some way, then the students have to guess what those numbers mean. Also, one number is incorrect and they have to guess which one (they usually guess that I don't really have a boyfriend... then everyone laughs!) Here are my numbers:

8
98372
4
1
11.6.1983
3.334.813
2010

I bet most of you can guess what some of them mean - the students kept asking me if one was my bank account number - or if I had 8 children, or was getting married in 2010. And they all thought I was born in June, as in german you write the day first, then the month and then the year. Afterwards I let them ask me questions - almost always Grey's Anatomy or Twilight comes up, and I'm also always always asked if I can speak german. Yesterday one boy asked me if I knew what lactose intolerance was. Anyway it's been pretty entertaining.

[my student, Gino, running for "school representative"]

The week has gone by pretty quickly (yay!) and it's only 73 days till I get to come home and see Mr. Colin and my family! Friday I had a bit of a fun set-back. I thought I had to be at school at 8:45, turns out I didn't need to be here till 12:30! Way to go me! And with an hour long commute, I didn't feel good about going all the way home and back and back and whew. After class Friday I was invited to a teacher's house for lunch (her daughter cooked for us!) and then a meeting/party of the school's english teachers. It was fun to get to know them on a personal level. After, I hurried to meet Alice a movies! I've also got a rockin head cold, but so do two of my roommates, so I feel like it's making the rounds. And when I went to buy kleenex today, the cashier said, "Oh schon wieder eine Schnupfnase".

The weather has made a turn for the worst, so I was glad that we could hang out at the Stadtpark on Thursday before the cold set in. It was fun to relax outdoors in such a gorgeous environment! The park isn't far from me (ie: on the same train line) so I anticipate many more trips to come! (especially if I can get a bike!).

[Robert, Me and Elisabeth enjoying the Stadtpark]

Saturday was reserved for the flea market and then I had dinner with my friend Rachael and Elisabeth. Rachael had made delicious potato soup (which I think I'd better try my hand at too) and it was fun to relax and get to know them better! Today (after building my new ikea shelf) we're all off to Baden, a near-by town with indoor/outdoor baths! :o)

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Graz: Orientation in a Castle!

2009-10-03T00:13:00.000-07:00

Orientation in Graz!

Fulbright hosted a week long orientation for us ETAs (English Teaching Assistants) in Graz last week. I'd say the best part about it was our accommodation, Schloss St. Martin. (see above) Although the castle was a bit outside the city, the views around were gorgeous and we did have an evening off downtown.

Graz is about 2 1/2 hours south of Vienna by train. The landscape was beautiful and pretty much what I'd excepted - mountains and cows! After check-in and a greeting on Monday, we were pretty much on the go the whole time - breakfast, group meetings, lunch, group meetings, dinner, etc! (We were fed really well all week! Breakfast was my favorite though... meats, cheeses, nutella and delicious delicious coffee!!) I was lucky enough to room with Alice, who's from Minnesota and was basically my friend before I even met her. :o) It was fun to girl-talk before bed!

Graz is a pretty city - The city center is full of gorgeous old buildings - a new Art museum designed to look like "a friendly alien" (we saw Warhol there!), saw a beautiful fountain in the city square, and took a look inside a church called the Stadtpfarrkirche. Here is a picture of one of the stained glass windows there - can you see two people who shouldn't be in a church? The upper right hand pane shows Hitler and Mussolini watching Jesus being beaten.

There is also a "mountain" there called the Schlossberg. A glass elevator goes up a shaft in the middle of the mountain. The stairs (or Stiege, in austrian german) to the top:

Once on top, you get an amazing view of the whole city. On our third day during Orientation, 15 year old school kids took us on group tours of the city (ahem, to practice their English but I'm pretty sure a lot of German was spoken.) :o) But we did get to see some amazing views and learn some history of the city.

This is a city view of Graz:

Me on top of the Schlossberg.

This picture is for Colin: Wiener Schnitzel! (during my lesson at a local school on thursday, the kids were excited to tell me all about Wiener Schnitzel... they told me exactly how to make it -bread crumbs, flour, eggs - and they were especially aghast that the Germans put sauce on their schnitzel... but said ketchup was ok! ha!)

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Happy One Year Anniversary Colin! I love you!

Vienna: Grüß Gott!!

2009-09-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

The Viennese speak a different german than I'm used to. I'm grateful that my roommate Manuel speaks it though and hopefully I'll slowly catch on. Today I had my first accomplishment: Grüß Gott. Grüß Gott is a greeting which literally means "Greetings to God"... and so at first I was a little apprehensive, but when you are bombarded by cashiers, waiters and taxi drivers who all smilingly call out "Grüß Gott!", it's a little hard not to give in. So today at Bipa (a drug store near to Elisabeth's apartment), when the cashier called out "Grüß Gott"... I actually said it back! What an exciting day.

Also, on the "good day" note, I met Kerby (from Portland!) and Elisabeth for lunch. We had a good time getting to know each other and were dedicated to practicing our german together... for a while. We usually slip into English when we're alone, but I'd say that we all have a good grasp of the language and can feel comfortable in either one.

Later, my roommate Manuel cooked dinner for me and Julia, my new roommate from Italy (northern Italy.... so she speaks german) and we ate outside in our garden. It was nice to get to know them better and even nicer to practice my german - I really appreciate my awesome roommates who both know english but respect that I want to better my german (or at least get down a really good Viennese to impress my friends) :o)

In the evening, after a delicious scoop of Vienna's best ice cream, Kerby, Julia, Elisabeth and I (see picture) met some american boys that Julia had met on the train. I know, I know... I was thinking obnoxious teenagers who are just in europe because of the low-drinking age :o) But these guys were fun and interesting... one works for a company that Colin wants to apply for (called DuPont), and he gave me his email and said that Colin should get in contact with him! That pretty much made my week. It was amazing to be able to tell him I'd made him a business contact on only my third day in Vienna. :o)

Although I'm still only sleeping a few hours each night (ie: only 1 1/2 tonight! Ouch!) things are looking up. I'm extremely grateful to Colin (and my mom and dad), who put up with me over the last few days - exhausted and crying and calling every few hours. But now things are better and I'm excited about our orientation next week and to go to Ikea tomorrow and make my room cozy (maybe I'll sleep better once my bed has sheets?). I've got to admit, Vienna is pretty much amazing.

Also: Here's an awesome Austrian sighting from last night's train ride home:

A Dirndl and Lederhosen!!!

Vienna: Willkommen in Wien!

2009-09-23T20:34:00.001-07:00

Well, I've finally arrived in Vienna. After a great week at home going to the fair and hanging out with my parents, I took the train up to Vancouver, where Mads threw me a fantastic going-away party and Solen presented me with a group present of a year-long membership to the Vienna Film Museum! I'm really the luckiest girl ever and have the best friends. Thanks to everyone who made that night special!

Saturday night Colin and I went to our favorite restaurant, Jollys, and then came home to watch hours of Donald Duck cartoons, one of our favorite things to do. (That whole madness started last christmas... Colin was so addicted to those cartoons on youtube!) Sunday came too fast and before I knew it I was saying goodbye to him at the airport, which was extremely hard, but made a bit better by the fact that I have a plane ticket home for christmas already (thanks mom and dad!!!)

After a long-haul to London, where I had a 5 hour stop, I took a short 2 hour flight to Vienna. Unfortunately I had a bit of a rocky arrival - I missed my new roommate at the airport and took a taxi to my new apartment - a horrible 65 Euros later! (that's a LOT of money, folks). So, I felt pretty bad about that - and the fact my roommate wasn't at home to let me in, since he was looking for me at the airport. Luckily, one of my other roommates had friends staying in her room while she is home, and they - at just the right moment - had come outside. They let me in and I used their cell phone to call Manuel, and tell him to come back from the airport.

My room is small - but has a built in bed on one wall which can double as a couch. I'll put up pictures once I get some shelves from Ikea and put my clothes and other stuff away. I like the apartment - a nice, updated (but small) kitchen and three roommates. Vera from Frankfurt, Julia from Southern Tirol and Manuel from Vienna. Manuel has two cats, Neo and Slimer, who are very sweet and like to cuddle. :o) Manuel's girlfriend lives in Spain, so he sympathizes with me when I'm missing Colin.

My jet-lag hasn't gotten too much better - I'm not sleeping much, which explains the extreme homesickness and ridiculously often crying-bouts. Nights are the hardest - I haven't been able to sleep more than 4 hours at a time, and usually end up awake around 3 am - crying. :o) Luckily I have a super fantastic mom and dad - and Colin - who puts up with my crying at all hours of the day. It'll get better once I'm settled and not tired. I'm excited to start working at my school. We have orientation in Graz (2 hours south of Vienna) for a week next week and I look forward to meeting lots of new people and being busy.

Today I met up with Elisabeth - a girl here also for Fulbright from Missoula Montana - which was fantastic. It's nice to have a friend here. :o) We met some Brits for lunch and then met again later for pizza with some other Fulbrighters. It's nice to meet so many people, but at the beginning it's hard to tell who you'll become close with. I'm excited to see how this year turns out. This is such a fantastic opportunity and it's amazing to be able to live in such a beautiful, cultured city and practice my german, beef up my resume and have tons of awesome new experiences.

The two pictures I included are of Schönbrunn Palace - right near my apartment. I went for a walk there on my first day. :o)

Vancouver: Bowen Island Bike Bonanza

2009-08-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

{Map of Strait of Georgia... the water taxi left from Granville Island, just under the "o" in Vancouver}

{Granville Island}

{The wind in his hair}

{Killarney Lake - after the picnic}

{Nice spot for a dip}

{On the trail}

{Back aboard the water taxi, with just minutes to spare}

{Choppy waters for the last night of the Celebration of Lights}

Vancouver: Séraphine

2009-07-23T21:44:00.000-07:00

Out in Theathers now is Séraphine (it's won 15 awards!) - I've posted the synopsis below, along with the link to the trailer and wikipedia page. Out in Theathers now is Séraphine (it's won 15 awards!) - I've posted the synopsis below, along with the link to the trailer and wikipedia page.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/seraphine/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Séraphine_Louis

"Séraphine is the story of Séraphine Louis aka Séraphine de Senlis (Yolande Moreau), a simple and profoundly devout housekeeper who in 1905 at age 41, self-taught and with the instigation of her guardian angel began painting brilliantly colorful canvases. In 1912 Wilhelm Uhde (Ulrich Tukur), a German art critic and collector - he was one of the first collectors of Picasso and champion of naïve primitive painter Le Douanier Rousseau - discovered her paintings while she worked for him as a maid in his house in Senlis outside Paris. A moving and unexpected relationship develops between the avant-garde art dealer and the visionary cleaning lady leading to Séraphine’s work being grouped with other naïve painters – the so-called “Sacred Heart Painters” - with acclaimed shows in France, elsewhere in Europe and eventually at New York’s MOMA . Martin Provost’s poignant portrait of this now largely forgotten painter is a testament to the mysteries of creativity and the resilience of one woman’s spirit."

Vancouver: It's Official!

2009-07-13T23:01:00.000-07:00

So, it's official! As of this evening, I have secured myself a place on British Airways Flight #84 to Vienna. :o) Here's the run-down:

Vancouver > London September 20th 8:35 pm-1:40 pm Flight 84

London > Vienna September 21st 6:45 pm-10:00 pm Flight 706

And of course the return flight is too far in advance to book, but will be sometime in June. :o) I'll be flying with Alaska to Vancouver on the 17th to spend the weekend with Colin before leaving for Vienna.

Vancouver: Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

2009-07-08T18:26:00.000-07:00

Pass it on! Today I bought Jamie Oliver's (the naked chef) new book "Jamie's Food Revolution".

The idea behind "Pass It On" is to inspire people who have never cooked to give it a try and then, once they’ve learned a recipe, to teach two other people how to make it too. He also wants to mobilise anyone who can cook to pass on their skills by teaching their friends, family or workmates how to cook good, honest, affordable food.

During and after World War I, terrible food shortages meant many people in Britain were malnourished. So when World War II broke out, the government appointed the Ministry of Food to help families make the most of wartime rations. It had to make sure there was enough food to go around and also to educate the public about food and proper nutrition so they’d be healthy and fighting fit.

Nowadays, fewer than a third of Americans cook their dinners from scratch, and although 75% of people in the US eat most of their meals at home, over half those dinners are fast food, delivery or take-out! So, regardless of recessions and credit crunches (and unemployment!) we all need to know how to cook simple, nutritious, economical, tasty, hearty food (especially me!)

Anyway, so I'm going to take on Jamie's challenge of trying (at least) one recipe from each section in his cookbook and passing it on to friends and family (electronically, since, unfortunately, my Canadian location makes getting together each week difficult) ;o) If I find one which turns out especially well, I'll let you all know! And, then if you in turn try it out and like it, Pass It On!

Vancouver: Summer Reading List #1

2009-07-06T22:58:00.000-07:00

This summer is a once-in-a-lifetime reading opportunity! Unemployment and a new apartment (pictures coming soon!) across from a park makes for good reading conditions. Here are a few I've read so far and am currently reading, more updates later!

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Vancouver: Andreas Gursky

2009-05-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night Colin and I are headed to the Vancouver Art Gallery to take advantage their *admission by donation* tuesday evenings. Last night I took a look at the exhibitions there now (Dutch painters Rembrandt and Vermeer), and found a really cool artist whose work will be shown at VAG starting May 30. His name is Andreas Gursky and he's based in Düsseldorf, Germany (I went there last summer to visit a friend - what a cool city!).

His large scale photographs were just so fantastic I had to share. So, if you're going to be in Vancouver post-May-30... be sure to check out Andreas Gursky!

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{James Bond Islands - 2009}

{May Day V - 2006}

{Chicago Board of Trade II - 1999}

{Rimini - 2003}

{Library - 1999}

{99 Cents - 1999}

{Prada - 1996}

*Note: This upcoming exhibition will present his photos in a smaller format, not done since the 1980's.

Vancouver: Happenings!

2009-05-18T11:58:00.001-07:00

So much has been going on lately that I haven't had a chance to update! So here's a bit of what's been happening....

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Colin turned 24!

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Schatz!

We spent the weekend at his mom and dad's and came back early on sunday to go to Les Miserables (it was fantastic!) and have a 7-course meal at the Banana Leaf (malaysian food).

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Dad turned 50!

Happy Birthday Daddy! (He still looks like he's in College!) Amy and I took him and Mom to a Mariner's game... they lost, but we had a good time anyway! (especially because there were tourists from England sitting behind, comparing everything to cricket...)

{Mariners}

{Mom and Dad at the game}

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Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's day to all the mom's out there! We hosted our family for a lunch of fried chicken, BBQ ribs and meatballs. Delicious! It was good to catch up with everyone.

{Me and mom in Seattle}

{Mom's Mother's Day Present... pot by amy, flowers by me}

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Plus I got a sweet Graduation present from my folks and grandparents... super nice luggage!!! I always seem to mutilate suitcases when I travel to Europe, but this time these guys will hold up! Vienna, here I come!

Vancouver: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

2009-05-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

Last week my friends and I went to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine at a special midnight showing. Although we'd arrived an hour and a half early, it seemed there were already a hundred people there! I asked someone at the front what time they'd gotten there: 7:30 pm!! Anyway, after a long time in line, we all got to go into the theater for the film.

{Susanne and Hugh}

{Waiting in Line}

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Of course there was a good reason we'd go through the agony of watching a film at midnight: it was filmed on our campus! And not just any old building on campus, either... but our very own Buchanan Tower!!!

Here are some pictures from when we went to watch production:

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Buchanan Tower was dressed up to be a Nigerian Diamond Headquaters. What's really exciting, is that Buchanan Tower was shown 5-6 times right at the beginning of the movie! Now, although I couldn't find any movie stills of our Buchanan Tower, the website bamkapow has these shots from UBC:

With that said, although the film itself wasn't that great, our Buchanan Tower was amazing!

Vancouver: Christa's Apple Cake

2009-04-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

{mmmm}

Our department secretary Christa made me a delicious cake to celebrate my graduation last week. It was soooo good

(Seriously, we were all drooling... I think I even had seconds!)

that I emailed her and asked for the recipe. This is what she sent back:

---------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Alysha,

I'm glad you liked it...I can't give you specifics as far as measurements go, as I never measure...ich backe sozusagen 'ueber den Daumen'...but here are the ingredients...etc.

1. first grease and flour the pan...then that is out of the way.
2. peel the apples (4-5 approx) and cut in slices (any apple will do)
3. in a mixing bowl, add (butter, margarine, shortening...approx. 1 cup
4. add sugar...(1 cup)
5. beat till creamy
6. add eggs 2, perhaps 3 (room temperature is better)
7. beat again till very creamy
8. add flour (3 cups?), 3 tsp. baking powder...and some milk
9. mix it all up...it should be somewhat a bit stiffer than a cake mix consistency...add more flour as needed
10. put it in the cake pan...put the apple slices on top...arrange at a slight angle, wedge side down (cake will rise as it bakes).
11. sprinkle with cinnamon (you could put a tsp. of sugar...in the cinnamon..
12. add raising...but sometimes they can overbrown...
13. at the end, sometimes I mix icing sugar and lemon juice...to drizzle over, but I had none on hand when I made your cake.

anyways...the measurements of the ingredients also reflect which pan I use...sometimes I just do it in a cookie sheet with higher sides.
*note: it takes a little bit longer to bake, perhaps because of the apples and the moisture. insert a toothpick in the middle.

I wish I had accurate measurements to give you. it is just an ordinary 'Ruehrteig...with apple slices on top...sometimes you can also mix smaller apple pieces right into the better...

Good luck with the baking and of course with all your new endeavours! Don't lose touch, and send an email once in a while.

Cheers,
Christa

Memoirs of a Lysha

What's made me happy this week:

Happy: A Documentary

Easy A

February Goals!

End of January....

I *heart* Yoga

Five Things

Goal Attained!

January Goal Update (#1)

Blog share: 20 Resolutions for 20-somethings

NEW YEARS DAY!

Changes

Vancouver: Those last 4 months FLEW past!

Vancouver: Back in Town!

Vienna: Tschüssi BABA!

Semmering, Austria: SOAK

Croatia: Nacionalni Park Plitvička Jezera

Why I promise never to drink coke again...

Slovenia: Eating my way through Ljubljana and Lake Bled

Salzburg: The Sound of Music

The Bookworm

Vienna: Carl Orff's Carmina Burana

Vienna: Frohe Ostern!

Vienna: Tuesday

Vienna: Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Spain/Austria/Germany/Hungary: 5 Months Down... 4 to Go!

Seattle/Vancouver/Portland: The best Christmas Break ever!!!

Vienna: Frohe Weihnachten!!

Zürich, Switzerland: A weekend with Susanne. :o)

Prague: A picture story from end to beginning...

Vienna: That time of year. Oh yeah, that one.

Vienna: Great Expectations!

Vienna: Parties and Palaces too

Baden: In Pictures

Vienna: Week one down!

Graz: Orientation in a Castle!

Vienna: Grüß Gott!!

Vienna: Willkommen in Wien!

Vancouver: Bowen Island Bike Bonanza

Vancouver: Séraphine

Vancouver: It's Official!

Vancouver: Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Vancouver: Summer Reading List #1

Vancouver: Andreas Gursky

Vancouver: Happenings!

Vancouver: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Vancouver: Christa's Apple Cake

I heart Yoga