Although relying on them in the long run kills the natural ability that we all have -if not anywhere else very deep inside- to find our own way to do things. And if "the fun is in the process" why to reduce it to simply follow instructions? I, the prototype militant of a high context culture, simply cannnnnnnot! I still purchase an artefact, figure how to assemble it and then, only then, realize there where leaflets with step to step guides and "how tos." (My next post on high and low culture contexts, I will not procrastinate any longer!) THIS characteristic I greatly appreciate for it does not mean indiscipline but resourcefulness. It all depends how to look at it, right? Anyway it is hard to share a life with a low context culture icon who still consults the map to go to work every morning, and builds up his schedule around the weather channel recommendations... On the other hand, when even creative processes become rationalized, explained, organized, and almost legislated nothing out of the ordinary remains in them. Any activity devaluates when it is put into a catalogue, a yellow and black for dummies book, and compilations "in a nut shell." I am disappointed at the mere thought of finding a manual to make blogs popular or interesting. Are not blogs precisely about being whatever it is not already defined? I do not want to see the decline of the spirit of blogging. Popular or not, with traffic or without, green, yellow and daring pink as well! Uniformity, standardization and commonalities should not be promoted in this spaces that are created in strict exercise of the freedom of expression!
Today I was feeling in the clouds thinking in clichés and friendship, love and human kind-kind and then received a crushing email that literally transpired rage. It was not about me, nor against me but it completely turned me off. Words have the power of transmitting emotions, and emotions can be contagious! No more listening to The Carpenters or Air Supply today (How could I dare anyway???) But I am not angry, just turned off. Down to earth...Why she is doing that anyway???
This sampler is brought from Italy and hangs at Lula´s place. She is the one that teaches Roman mosaic techniques. She also collects heads and limbs made of clay, displayed around her house in little urns, waiting for me to take discrete pictures one of these days.
CASO 1: El caso es que la gente sigue histérica con la campaña de personalidades que mantiene el país en el vilo de la incertidumbre emocional, por que la polémica (como casi todo en España) está sentada sobre la base de lo que se siente y no de lo que se razona, y por que no existen nociones generalizadas (algunos, sin mucha audiencia si que las tienen y muy claras) sobre lo que es mejor para el país. Los periodistas, histriónicos y posudos, siguen siendo los que peor informan sobre la situación nacional, mas enfocados en su protagonismo que en las expectativas de los "patriarcas" aspirantes a presidente para el próximo período y como siempre dándole mas importancia de la que tiene a las palabras fuera de contexto, a los moderadores de debates, a los modelitos de cada noticiario o a los escenarios televisivos y las condescendientes observaciones de los políticos que saben muy bien que es lo que juegan. Aqui se juega el juego de gustarle a los medios. El contenido de las propuestas de los partidos ya no es sustantivo. Reitero, me reitero!, enfatizo y sigo con mi impopular línea de pensamiento: Los españoles no piensan a la hora de participar. Se relacionan a nivel del cerebelum. Se casan con los partidos políticos, se lanzan en conjeturas, se enamoran de las imágenes que proyectan los implicados y se limitan al anecdotario personal: "Es que pago mucho mas por la leche de lo que pagaba hace un año y dos y cuatro!". Parece que este se convirtió en el problema nacional prioritario... ¿Será que necesitan un presidente que ponga la leche a un buen precio y nada mas? ¿En que planeta viven? ¿Acaso es distinto en alguna otra parte del mundo?. El universo son ellos! Como los teocráticos. Para cada uno de los españoles su tragedia es la que el gobierno tiene que atender y no otra. Una respuesta típica que le darían a lo que refiero aquí sería mas o menos como sigue: -¿Y de donde eres tu? (si, tutean a todo el mundo, así es la usanza), -Echando mano a las irrelevancias de siempre, lo no argumentativo- No eres de America del Sur? -Saben muy bien que si, que soy colombiana, por mi acento único y característico, pese a lo cual les concedo el beneficio de la duda y respondo con un escueto si, soy suramericana! -Pues en tu país tiene que ser peor! SIEMPRE me hacen el mismo comentario estos sofistas empedernidos, escapistas profesionales, etnocéntricos en crónica negación, ¿Pero qué tendra esto que ver? ¿Pero quién dijo que tenía que ser peor en cualquier otra parte y como los consuela semejante especulación? ¿Será simplemente un intento racionalizador??? Si yo fuera igual de simplista no optaría por el candidato PATERFAMILIAS que juega a estar indignado por todo, el que tan tranquilamente ha triturado la confianza de los ciudadanos en el gobierno, que sea como haya sido debió haber recibido apoyo en lo fundamental. El gobierno socialista que no me representa, ni es de ideas que comparta sin objeciónes ha sido obstaculizado por una oposición en campaña hace ya cuatro años. En el plano no político pero consumible, y consumido igual (o más) existen personajes como Maria Patiño o Karmele, pseudo periodistas que los seres pensantes no sabemos como catalogar mas alla de su penosa apariencia física, y exclusivamente por que eso es lo que mas parece importarles. Lo peor es que convocan! Esto solo demuestra mi tésis sobre la antropología cultural española. De razonamientos nada de nada!
CASO 2: El caso es que siguen llamando consumición al consumo, incidencia al incidente y reclamo a la publicidad. Aceptados por la Real Academia o no estos son los términos HORROR del lenguaje. Si éste tiene que evolucionar por que lo tiene que hacer en esa dirección? De dequeismo negativo ni hablo. "Estoy seguro que" ignorando que a la pregunta ¿DE que estas seguro? la respuesta acertada sería: "Estoy seguro DE que....y blablablabla... No soy experta pero si doliente, hispanoparlante. Me equivoco y mucho pero rectifico en lo posible.
CASO 3: Joonas va a cumplir tres años y no deja de llamar LULILA a la libélula, TALALA a la ensalada o AGGGRRRO al arroz. ¿ En que momento es oportuno consultar a un fonoaudiólogo?
La foto es de Carolina mi cuñada y Valentina su hija en La Finca La Picona, La Pintada, Antioquia, Colombia. La criatura que protagoniza la imagen es Emilio, y no, no vuela, es perro!
1. I bought a seasonal magazine (Much more thematic than February ELLE) 2. I plan to visit the Cathedral of LUGO (Have I mentioned earlier how very little I appreciate these type of edifices?) 3. I read and spoke about Isabel la Católica, and even tried to find something positive about her adventures in foreign policy and other"wise," 4. I will try to eat more fish despite its escalating market value (Fresh MERLUZA at the unprecedented price of 116EUR per kilo in the closest shop which by the way I thought was a discount food chain (¿?STILL PUZZLED¿?), 5. I am using mostly PURPLE in our new blog ( www.maromasdeltorpe.blogspot.com). Is not purple a lenty-like color? It is not an easter one, certainly...mmmhhh... 6. I am making discrete sacrifices daily. For example, yesterday I refrained from making a fabulous chocolate cake; it was too easy. I decided to make it later, and much more complicated, 7. I have noticed it at all ( YES! LENT!) despite the negligible impact it has always had on my practical life (It did disturbed me a little not to be able to dispute the imposition of the wet ashes cross on my clean forehead when I was a child. I did not carry it with grace...I must admit though, that some classmates seemed more beautiful with that "symbol on top" -more than without-)
Not too many, just enough, but I still can apply for redemption later.
Driving every day along the Potomac River Josefina Alexandria´s pier and Art Studios Ice creams on lazy Sunday Afternoons (In Alexandria!) Living in a quiet street of Mclean, only half hour away from Middlesburg A community center where I could purchase virtually any magazine for 10cents a piece Book fairs at the same community center Toddler group meetings Colourful gardens Playgrounds A very International Community The Mongolian Barbecue Estate sales Barnes and Nobel in "M" street open every day of the week until midnight Its coffee shop Good deals any time, anywhere Traffic rules that make sense Careful driving Sutton place´s roast beef sandwiches Reasonable utility bills Barbara and the girls A newborn Juulia "Sequoia" Weekend Brunches in the Kennedy Center The Washington College of Law
JAAN: I too miss things from Washington: Cactus Cantina on Wisconcin Ave. Sam Adams beer Brickskeller Public golf course at Potomac river Cherry blossoms around National Cathedral area list will be updated...
Adivina cual es diferente de las otras, antes que termine de cantar...
Todas estas fotos son del album de Marrakech, pero aunque repetidas me encantan por que se ven tan contentos...son niños felices! Sobre el espíritu de la cuaresma aqui, por que tenemos un nuevo blog, un experimento! Para los que tengan tiempo y/o interes en leer mas allá de ésto! http://maromasdeltorpe.blogspot.com/
On an attic, in Lyon, France. Then displayed on "her" ryad in Marrakesh, where we stayed last January. The painting impressed me because of the precarious state in which men where fighting during that war (WWI). Not that war is a safe activity ever, but the first image portrays in a pathetic way what being a soldier meant at the time. He is there all alone and his life rests on his back. The second photo is a card that shows the fights of armed and empowered men. They are more violent, for the struggle is manifest, but contrary to the other, it shows power, strength and vitality. The tragic war and the art of war.
Pero no resisto una pelea mas por comida. Con el niño de esta casa es imposible relajarse; no sirve ninguna regla, no hay táctica ni política que funcione por que es una persona completamente fuera de lo común, increiblemente obstinada, y con una voluntad y un orgullo como el que no he conocido en mis casi 40 años de vida. Con el no se razona ni se logra compromiso alguno. La lista de no quiero/no me gusta/no voy a comer eso fue aplicada esta semana a los siguientes grupos alimenticios: Cereales no: avena, arroz, maiz, pan integral, galletas integrales Lacteos no: leche, queso blanco, queso havarti, queso feta, mantequilla Proteinas ni riesgos: huevos/pescados por ningun motivo y todo lo anterior Frutas jamás: naranja, kiwi, uva Otros productos no: sopas de cualquier tipo (lo favorito por los últimos 12 meses de su corta vida), pasta, mayonesa, salsas, condimentos, etc. Comió: pasas. Tomó: Agua y jugo de melocotón. Leyó: Trenes, de Richard Scarry "Busytown"; Durmió muy bien.
Yo, por mi parte encontraría consuelo en una receta como estacomo solía en Washington DC.
Y si, claro que sigo con el mosaico. Esta semana después de 5 meses de intenso trabajose ve el pobre todavia muy a medias y asi:
Brainstorm in their most memorable moments: the videos of "My star," and "maybe." I could not find the song they play in "Lotte" but sooner or later I will. For those from the other side of the Atlantic: They are the signature band of Latvian pop music, although probably they would rather be in the rock, more traditional side...or would have, it has seemed to me. In any case, Emil likes them and the rest of us sort of enjoy their music also...but the very best ones are more recent such as the two at the end of this post: "a thunder without rain" and "a day before tomorrow." Enjoy!
I have no idea what I should be starting with today, I am not a reliable narrator. Thoughts cling in between lines, and the events get lost in badly choosen expressions. I have a terrible English day! But my mind is imploding and I will give it a try given that we have not been very communicative lately; Without any special introduction let´s say that it was Saturday, very late in the evening when my deepest thoughts then immersed in a festive decorating mood, a real wave of creativity and daydreaming collided with real life concerns. First of them (chronologically speaking, for it was not the most important matter of the past week) a coughing attack; A late indication of the respiratory condition of Joonas...The three children, in mathematical sequence, got ill and incorporated their cranky beings to my daily (on duty 24 hours) routine. They are afflicted by bronchitis. The second, more compelling and thought provoking, a terrible case of domestic abuse. I was swimming in a pool of illustrations, prints and drawings, surfing the internet and bookmarking inspiring sites, reading decorating dramas on the web and touched by remodelling experiences for less than 500EUR (A self induced nirvana for the kind, my kind), when a woman who was in down town Madrid, with a one year old baby in her arms, trying to escape her abusive partner, with no more than 2EUR in her pocket called to J. She was sore and bruised all over her body and had just arrived in a train from a different province of the country. She wanted to go back to Estonia and feared that the man, like he had done before in 2 occasions, would find them and bring them back home by the hair only to recruit her back as his personal slave. There are too many details to the story but surely not needed to reflect on what that meant to us. This entry is not about her story but about the moral dilemma that situations like these pose to people who´s lives are disrupted only by heavy traffic, a rude neighbour, or a dish too salty. How to define social responsibility, or else, whatever it is that a person who lives a comfortable, if not a perfect life has to assume when there is a call from someone in need? It does not have to be a telephone call, as we received, it could very well be a realization of the ridicule one could perform if letting small constrains and negligible mishaps disturb us. People suffer, really suffer very much and about most of that suffering we cannot do much. Sudan is too far, the Bosnian victims unreachable, we have no call to go on missions or to participate in charitable events. Some of us do not march against terrorism, but we could do something else. It is not about morals alone, but about practical living. The world would be better if we cared a bit more for the happiness (satisfaction?) of those around us. Why we afford depriving close relatives and friends from the minimum care and affection? Why we get busy with crap (most TV programming for example, gossiping, being mean and resentful, etc.) instead of sharing more of our time and efforts in constructive deeds? What a boring living room, an old sofa or an unsymmetrical wall mean when people suffer such tragedies? Can one be absent from the world miseries and concentrate in those small, superfluous details? Should one not be at least, if not engaged with projects or charity directly, be more concious, kinder, solidary, generous and at least less frivolous when choosing how to spend our worrying energy about? This case completely removed me from the decoration emergency I was experiencing, and up to now I have been unable to get into cool design or wonderful cuisine blogs again. The woman and the child stayed with us a couple of days (It was not only shocking but also very educational to Emil, Juulia and even Joonas who showed excess attention withdrawal symptoms) and finally was escorted to the plane by J. this morning. Her tragedy is far from over. A woman who enters and stays years in an abusive relationship thinks very little about her self and has plenty of self esteem issues to deal with before she recovers her dignity and can manage to establish healthy relationships. Now, even more than before, stripped from self worth she is vulnerable to fall into another abusive cycle. People like her are struggling a lifetime with these problems, often with very little help/support. Others spend (waste?) years of their lives worrying about things: clothes, furniture, ornaments, cosmetics, wall paper, etc... and get sponsored, endorsed, and admired. I like objects as well, beautiful ones. I tend to like them too much, and I feel sorry to concentrate on that exclusively, sometimes. It really happens only sometimes. I am taking pictures of the letter E to use later in print, maybe even to include them in the book that one day I hope to publish with Emil´s recipes. I had taken many, but they are lost with the laptop´s hard drive. I was left with only with these 3:
As announced, Brainstorm again. More "mature" and consolidated 1. Thunder without rain and 2. A day before tomorrow:
The use of Home Vista OP! Starting this weekend we will be blogging again. In the meantime, check out our links, they are very nice, browse www.flickr.com or get entertained making a photo book of your family for not much: www.blurb.com I am reading this: http://sideroadsofeurope.blogspot.com/ http://pettheprettythings.com/ and this http://www.elise.com/ When Joonas allows... I found a forgotten photo file in Emil`s computer which included these pieces from 2004:
Looking for a nice beach in North Estonia
Alajoe, Ida Virumaa, Peipsi lake, grandfather`s Summer house: Collecting "mustsostra" (agraz??) and there at the shore. With her father in Pirita, Tallinn, her first time with skates.
Disco duro indetectable: no tenemos computador. Fotos del ultimo ano: todas perdidas. Libro de Jaan: victima mas preciada; desaparecido y sin remedio.
Lecciones: 1. Renovar las licencias de Kasperski que sospecho facilito este accidente por haber ignorado sus ruegos durante 2 meses solicitando el pago de la renovacion anual. CUESTA MUCHO, 2. Hacer copia de todos los archivos, una vez, o dos o tres. No cuesta tanto!, 3. Conseguir un disco duro externo para musica, fotos y videos de unas 250G. 300EUR, 4. No confiar ciegamente en la tecnologia. Como revisitar nuestra excursion a Cataluna? Las unicas fotos que quedan son las que hemos puesto en este blog!
Estoy muy limitada y hasta que no pase Enero no se solucionara el problema. Falta la ultima semana, segun los espanoles la mas dura del ano. El dia 24, precisamente hoy, es el mas dificil. Lo explicaron en el radio con formula matematica y todo...Cuales son los factores determinantes? Las primeras cuentas del ano (con subidas) por pagar, la falta de dinero por los excesos cometidos el mes pasado, las resoluciones del nuevo ano ya rotas...quien sabe? A mi no me ha pasado nunca. Como en todo soy una excepcion.
I am thinking...I would thank any, literally ANY suggestion. While in Marrakesh (We leave in less than 48 hours) I will think a bit more). In the next post some ideas and many pictures, I hope. Please,visit our blog after the 19th. Until then no updates will be uploaded. Today the invitation from the "Royal Family" arrived at last, only one week before the event and NOT to my relief we will be in Morocco. Jaan got the famous picture with the king last year, but I did not attend then. In 2009 we will not be honored. Book just finished: El Clan del Oso Cavernario. Reading it left me very tired because I had to read it in one night (no sleep at all) and one morning. My favorite person today was:
He dialogs, participates, gives opinions and politely declines my insistent invitations to try new foods; today the issue was banana dumplings. I tested his patience and asked 16 different times and to each one his answer was a very kind but firm: "No, mami, no! haishash;" Later, after a prudent pause he requested his favorite"Dame ico tomate con agggrro popapo." He got it, I was charmed.
I am also listening to this song that usually takes my sadness away. He was Hawaian; I am sad. The song was sang first by Judy Garland in the classical movie: The Wizard of Oz.
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY ISRAEL KAMAKAWIWÒLE Because the first video is no longer available, here is a link to another one:
Comida rapida: 1. Se pone lo que a uno le guste en la pasta hojaldrada; en este caso espinaca, nueces de pino, feta, havarti, sal, pimienta de limon, oregano y una pizca de mantequilla 2. se envuelve cada pedazo de forma que contenga el queso sin regueros 3. Se lubrica cada pastel con aceite de oliva (se unta un poco por encima) 4. Se pone al horno hasta que dore y huela.
Hay una exposicion bellisima en el Museo De La Ciudad de Madrid de casas de munecas y miniaturas, fui por tercera vez, el tercer ano consecutivo y TODOS los presentes hacian fotos con sus telefonos moviles, pero a mi, cuando me vieron con la camara aunque me escape de la confiscacion, me reprendieron por que las fotos estan prohibidas, luego me persiguieron por el salon para que no hiciera mas. Habia tenido la oportunidad de hacer esta y nada mas que esta, antes de la tajante advertencia;
Eilne (5.01.2008) kolme kuninga (los reyes magos) paraad (cabalgata) Madridis. Kohalike laste jaoks üks aasta suursündmusi, kuhu tullakse toolide, redelitega (et tagumistest ridadest ka midagi näeks) ja kottidega kommide jaoks, mida paraadis mööduvatelt ohtralt kaunistatud ja valgustatud veoautodelt lahkelt loobitakse. Paremad kohad võetakse sisse vist juba hommikul, õhtul kella seitsme ajal tulijatel ei tasu lootagi kohale, kust midagi näeks ka. Mina ja lapsed vaatasime seda rongikäiku erikutsetega tribüüni pealt. Nähtavus oli hea, aga kommisadu meieni ei ulatunud. Ega head ei saagi ju liiga palju olla, eks ole? Mitmetunnise külmetamise (kaks tundi enne algust kohale ja siis veel paar tundi kuni paraad meist lõpuks möödus) mälestusks jäid mõned tumedad fotod, nagu allpool näha. Niipalju veel, et Hispaania lastele toovad kingitusi just kolm kuningat ja jõuluvana ning jeesuslaps kingitoojatena on palju vähem populaarsed.
The author of a very beautiful blog (the one I recommended in the past entry) proposed to her readers to choose a word that would inspire them during 2008. I even presented my own: FLOW. Superstitious people or rather someone told me that people in Colombia, or better yet, in Colombia, long time ago I learned that...mmmmhhh I can`t find the source of the information that I am to share, but in any case, for some long forgotten reason, people in my country or somewhere linked to it believe that the first 12 days of the year should be the anticipated version of the months to come. Every first of January must reflect in a way how that first month will be like, the second would represent February, and so on...If this contains even a portion of the truth, then I should already be concerned for I have done nothing else but procrastinating the past days. But this seemingly senseless letting go of everything has to do with that FLOW as well! I want the things just to happen, not to push things and people all the time around to obtain what I want, I would prefer the flow to bring good to us, the patience to allow me appreciation for whatever happens, things to fall into place without my conscious and exhausting involvement. It also relates to acceptation, patience, and positivism. A very shallow search of this word using google, yielded that there is a reference to psychology already given to this term, in the very popular online encyclopedia, the best friend of Vacaaxul: Wikipedia here. It defines to some extent my intuitive approach to the state of mind one needs to put "the flow" into motion, but I am convinced that it can be experienced by anyone just by setting the conscious in the right level. When I was younger and less attached to methods, planning, organization, conflict management strategies, and academic thinking, I used to excel at this. I also used in very rudimentary ways and for unimportant purposes but the "power of that flow" never let me down. For example, if I needed to call to a number that I had listened or read only once, long before, if it was just a blurry image in my mind I did not try very hard to remember it using my full capability of detection, nor I went through my "memory files" to find it. I was sure that if I started dialing it in a relaxed and effortless manner I will do it correctly. And it always worked! It simply emerged from my brain when I let the channels open to the flow. It is a matter of inspiration, so to say, a innate skill that we probably dismiss from very early age while pursuing a "correct" approach to learning, and living. Seems to me that when we believe that we can make anything happen ONLY by working very hard on it the cultivation of this ability is abandoned and forgotten. It is easy to conclude that by using our instinct we could be better prepared to choose achievable options, those according to our natural capabilities, and precisely the ones that we are entitled and intended for. Not every person should become a musician, not every child should grow up to mate and become a good parent, not every individual must be a polyglot just like each student must not graduate Magna Cum Laude and be the best, there is only one best, after all. Why people in the tropic use leather boots when it is terribly warm other than because boots are fashionable and a perceived need? Who says that drinking milk is good for everyone? A child always asks for what the body needs, refuses what is unnecessary and stops eating when satisfied enough. An adult would indulge in catastrophic eating habits like this and that. The flow does not distract from what IS and should be as the application of will power and "freedom" of choice would! The past weekend, for the new year eve, in part to compensate the excesses from the Christmas weeks, we prepared a light snack table. The main threat though, was bunuelos, a very rich traditional recipe from Colombia that contributes plenty of calories per portion! These cheese puffs were served with Havarti on top instead of the typical jam or dulce de leche. We also had steamed trout with artichokes sauce, vegetables with a lemon dip, olives, cured Ham (a delicacy from Spain), fresh fruits and peppermint flavored water to toast!
My main interest this year is to understand instead of being understood, to accept before even being accepted, to clear up the way for things to settle down the most efficient way, their way, and appreciate the result in full, seeing beyond the apparent. Is this growing, outgrowing or regressing? MAO will certainly not teach me the TAO but it is in my reading list:
My next post will contain few notes on bunuelo making and also pictures of our BRUNCH today: Spinach and feta turnovers(?), plus a close up of one of the Christmas gifts that Juulia Aliide received and she feels the most proud about: The tea set. This year her birthday celebration will be a tea ceremony for her three friends: Carmen, Blanka and Lucia.
Hoy no se trabaja y guardamos estricta observancia de este precepto; como los Judios durante el Sabat, no desperdiciamos energia fisica y meditamos. De todos modos queria poner aqui cuatro de las canciones que Emil esta oyendo. Este mes cumple 12 y ya tiene cierto gusto musical. A mi tambien me han gustado:
Estopa-"Vacaciones"
Fastball-"Out of my head" 1998
Fastball -"The way" 1998-
El arrebato-"Duele" 2006/7-
Muy aflamencado, de buen ritmo aunque no tan bien "hablao" como buen andaluz que se "rehpete"! por que la mercancia hasta donde yo se no se "DESCAMBIA" o si? Cambiar-descambiar, osea regresar al estado anterior? O como quien dice, y en terminos juridicos nulificar el cambio? Osea que se quiere enfatizar en la tienda del carino la compra del aludido beso? Bueno, insignificancias, por que la cancion no es tan mala como el espanol de Javier Labandon, pero es que es sevillano! Y muy buena gente que es lo que importa.
Me encanto la ultima entrada del siguiente blog, uno de mis favoritos en TODO sentido, lo recomiendo para entretenerse un buen rato: ~(A)~
- We passed the entry#100; An achievement of perseverance!
- John Mcenroe and my uncle Jorge are undoubtedly lookalikes!!!! (I am looking for my uncle`s picture so it could be posted shortly!)
- What is the REAL meaning of "creative kitchen?" La multiplicacion de los panes y los peces? -Juan 6, 1-15- or "Jesus feeds the five thousand!" from John 6, 1-15 Could it also mean to make a very nice dinner out of having 2 eggs and few greens in the refrigerator and very little more? In any case I can`t even entertain the idea of going to creative food restaurants as the trend goes in Madrid, in addition to "fashionable", the last recommendations received and followed were very disappointing (La Trainera. I do not care if it really was the favorite of Francis Bacon while he was in Madrid, as claimed, or if it is considered he best in its class but I dislike fishy aromas, not to even mention tastes and I assume that YES! it is me against the rest of the world still convinced that the place looks like a beach kiosk and the food is no better than the one served by the street vendors of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia but with one difference: here La Trainera excels in hiring the rudest waiters). So if designer dishes or creative cooks are trendy and popular in here I would be inclined to think that they are not that good. I should probably be a little sorry about my simplistic and unassuming taste but, in a country where people unexplicably likepercebes(gooseneck barnacles), adore "bacalao croquetas" (epinephelus cifuentesi, salted, salty and turned then into barely edible) commonly consume sepia rice (I am even ashamed to post the link of it) I feel unable to trust any advise of the sort. After 25 years with a daily dose of sirloin steaks with rice I can only prefer meat above all, with the occasional lentil or bean soup for a change: They are easy to get, much easier to cook, and a pleasure to the taste! Nothing out of the ordinary, not the least exquisite but at least very far from snobbish, and environmentally speaking, not too unfriendly.
- In the new year eve, we could imagine exchanging oneNavitrolla wall calendar for another one. Not much more than that. No special cooking -thought very creative as usual- will take place. However, our calendar from 2007 was a mürakarud one and the next will be courtesy of the last Nintendo magazine purchased by Emil.
Updated list of mundane wishes that coincide with the turn of the year:
First and foremost: To have the issue of our tenant from hell (Valery) solved before we depart to Estonia
2. A fair deal with and for the cars 3. Nice experiences in Marrakesh 4. Good health 5. Amazon.com wish list fulfilled 6. Visits from friends and relatives 7. A trip to Medellin 8. A NintendoDS Lite 9. Crochet mastery (at least some sort of grasp...) 10. A fish tank 11. Excursion to the Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao 12. A gorgeous Villeroy and Boch service like this
El 24 en la tarde, todos "tomaban en te" con Joonas
Las tarjetas salieron de Madrid a destiempo, y el computador se desconfiguro en el dia del ano que exige mas comunicacion y aun asi hicieron las galletas de jengibre (o gengibre? genjibre? jenjibre?), pusieron algunos adornos y comimos lo que como ya habia mencionado, gargantua hubiera querido engullir. Todavia quedan restos de morcilla, carne y repollo agrio. Ya no podemos ver un turron mas.
Decoracion navidena atipica, hecha por Juulia Aliide, y en la tapa de un bento reciclado. El pesebre "pop" con figuritas de playmovil y todo lo que hasta ahora hemos coleccionado de los huevos Kinder Surprise. Este ano, por ejemplo les salio la familia Simpson, por la pelicula y si les gusta ubicarla en su arreglo navideno, pues a nosotros nos parece muy bien:
El arbolito hecho por Emil en el 2006 y la tela de fondo (mantel noruego de los 60) sirven de fondo a lo que iba a ser una peliculita de los ninos para el resto de la familia. Las galletas de gengibre (la duda sobre la ortografia sige: GINGERBREAD COOKIES para) siguen ahi, en la encimera de la cocina hasta el dia de hoy, pero como todo hay que decirlo, huelen muy bien.
Joonas a punto de salir a tomar el aire. 23.12.2007/Joonas will go out for a brisk walk; Today
This menu consist above all of meat. We will have Jaan as a main guest (remember that he barely spends any time home during weekends) and it is the food of his choice, in fact it is the snack, the breakfast, the finger food, the side dish, the lunch and the dinner of his choice, so no wonder! We have black pudding-blood sausage Burgos style, very similar to the Envigado Morcilla, filled with blood and rice, we bought more than a kilo of pork loin (canon de cerdo???), and enough chopped meat to make a good pie of another two pounds of weight. He also wants sour cabbage, potatoes to be able to swallow all that protein without helping the least his digestive system, and the weirdest thing of all, sparkling wine...It seems to me that the rudimentary nature of the menu would rather call for some sort of home brew, a root beer beverage or even vodka. I hope the Christmas meal will not look even remotely greasy like this. The sparkling wine choice bewilders me. In any event we will please the man and everything is awaiting preparation. This year, our last in Madrid we also decided not to prepare any dessert but instead to eat traditional sweets of this country: Nougat or Turrones. It is difficult to decide what to buy, there could be easily thousands of brands in hundreds of flavors with and without sugar. Our choices so far are shown in the picture of the right:
El menu elegido consiste principalmente de carne. Nuestro inviado de honor es Jaan, que como ya saben es un escaso miembro de la familia, que raramente esta disponible en fines de semana o festivos, y cuyo plato favorito siempre esta y estara sobrecargado de proteina y grasa animal. De hecho la carne es su desayuno, mediamanana, almuerzo, merienda, algo, lo de picar y comida favorita, por que extranarse? Tenemos la morcilla de Burgos lista, una my similar, seguramente inspiradora de la colombiana de Envigado, mas de un kilo de canon de cerdo y tambien carne molida para una torta rellena posiblemente con tocineta y longaniza...AGGGHHHH. Jaan tambien quiere repollo agrio y papas para poder tragar esa cantidad extravagante de carne sin hacer ninguna concesion por el sistema digestivo que sufrira lo indecible con esta ingesta. Solamente el anotarlo me produce escozor. De todo lo planeado sorprende mas la eleccion de Cava como acompanamiento. Para un menu de tan rudimentarias caracteristicas parece mas indicada una malta, o un destilado casero, cerveza e incluso vodka, pero adentrarse en el terreno del vino espumoso tipo Champana es muy extrano. De todos modos, complaceremos al hombre. Este ano, por ser el ultimo en Espana, de postre serviremos los dulces tipicos de esta epoca en este pais: turrones, polvorones y mazapanes. De los primeros todos los supermercados hacen una gala extraordinaria. Hay pasillos enteros con cientos de turrones y marcas en todas las formas y sabores que uno se pueda imaginar, sin azucar o con ella, miel, fructosa, duros, blandos y con licor. En fin, no nos podemos decidir por uno solo asi que hemos hecho una seleccion basada en tamano, gusto y precio y el resultado provisional aparece en una de las fotos arriba.
Tuve la candida idea de darle reconocimiento a la linea de pensamiento de un senor que opina que con los terroristas no se negocia. De hecho, mi intencion era solo la de precisar terminos y escuetamente explicar que negociacion no es mas que intercambio de ideas, que es util para controlar las situaciones de violencia escalada, y que no tiene nada que ver con ceder u olvidarse de los propios intereses. Surgieron entonces todo tipo de trabas al entendimiento por que hasta de violadores de abuelitas se hablo. Como lo tenia que haber supuesto (aveces es mejor echar mano de los prejuicios, probado!) nadie entendio nada. No hubo dialogo sino una avalancha de monologos que me quitaron las ganas de interactuar por completo, y tambien mucho tiempo del precioso. La conclusion de la mayoria, es que no tengo ni idea, que defiendo una tonteria por que no me queda sino proteger lo que me brinda el sustento y que estoy perturbada por la falta de contacto con la realidad entre otras cosas...Asi que mi entrada para hoy versa asi:
"Los que estudiamos negocacion y conflicto no nos enteramos de nada, no tenemos capacidad de analisis, usamos mal el lenguaje, tenemos poca instruccion y malas intenciones", somos casi unos aparecidos no del todo respetables... Esto es lo que piensan los polarizados personajes que replicaron a la intervencion que hice en un blog del mismo corte categorico y falaz, en relacion a la negociacion. Yo la considero util, practica y necesaria. Me sonrio la suerte al poder adquirir de primera mano una experiencia antropologica unica para el logro de una buena disertacion, con ejemplos sobre el tema de la contaminacion politica (o mas bien la inmunidad al sentido comun) de las personas que incuban posiciones extremas y que ademas se agrupan en clanes multiformes y reaccionarios. Nosotros, los varios que pensamos que no hay que ser "nada en particular" para pensar algo en particular, ni hay que pertenecer a algo para que las propias ideas tengan legitimidad y que ademas creemos en los imperativos kantianos, los que para quienes la via mas expedita y practica hacia la paz es la negociacion y la tranquilidad merecemos la deshonra intelectual total...
Creo que la humanidad pide a gritos educacion! Los titulos recrean el tipo de respuestas que recibi y complacerian la corta vision de los que no le dan ningun credito a lo que yo mencione, sinembargo lo que presento aqui son unos pocos enlaces de los que apoyan mi vision sobre la negociacion y el conflicto:
Asi que si ser muchos y serios, con relevancia internacional importa, entonces que se revise la calificacion dada a mi comentario afirmando que la negociacion podria solucionar el conflicto con los vascos. Las concesiones no, la negociacion. Exijo como siempre que los interlocutores decodificando este planteo puedan presumir de precision conceptual! Y que cada uno piense lo que quiera.
Para terminar y con la mejor de las caricaturistas de a diario : Son las veinte fotos en las que el perro no coopero con la camara"; suele suceder. Que los perros no colaboren, no saben, no pueden los pobres. Ejemplo de la vida real por cortesia de vacaaxul:
