Thursday 18 September 2014

Welcoming Helena Isabella

Children really brighten up a household - they never turn the lights off.  (Rumi)

Welcome! May you grow up in a world full of wonders and love. 
Cheers to our new warrior! 

Tuesday 9 September 2014

Film Recommendation: Madame Mallory und der Duft von Curry (One Hundred Foot Journey)


Info Source: Leseprobe & Rezepte zum Film vom Piper






The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais reads in German, "Madame Mallory und Der Duft von Curry." When I saw the preview of the film in July this year, I instantly noted it would be our next "Kinotag" film as soon as it is showing in our city. But August as usual is a holiday month and we were out of the nest. It would only be this early September that we were able to watch it, not on a film day when films cost half the usual price but it was worth our time and money. 

I remember the film starting with a handsome Indian boy holding a sea urchin in his hands, and instantly this scene brought me back to childhood memories when holidays were spent in the home of our grandparents who lived not so far from the shore of South China Sea. Excursions to the nearby shore gave us chance to catch sea urchins, open and taste them but I remember the little me not liking the raw taste of it. 

It is a feel-good film. I love the images, can smell the spices and imagine how delicious the served food would be. The setting is also a wonderful village somewhere in France and not to forget the leading lady is no other than Queen Helen Mirren. 

After watching the film, we were cravings for our samoosas and alou tikka but it was late in the evening to go to our favorite Indian resto in the city. So reaching home, I opened the freezer to defroze the samoosas I purchased a week before in an Indian shop. I thought they taste more delicious after watching the beautiful film on food culture, on family relationship, on clash of cultures and specially on spices. Go see it and feel good.

Samoosas eaten with tamarind sauce
 
The Film: Madame Mallory und Der Duft von Curry.
Starring: Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal, Charlotte Le Bon
Regie: Lasse Hallström



Tuesday 2 September 2014

Postings in August














Postings for August

*Something's wrong with the line. We're calling one institute and it says only Home for the Aged (that's how it is translated) and we have been trying now for the 6th time. HALLO, CAN'T HEAR YOU!

*Sunday Talks.
Me: (to KnP) Jerry Barican is gone. Do you remember Jerry Barican?
KnP: (Half asleep) Uhum...he was a KM or SDK? But very famous figure during the First Quarter Storm. (went back sleeping)
Me: and then?
KnP: zzzzz then he became a businessman? Tell me what happened to him.
Me: He became the spokeperson for Erap.
KnP: Oh, was he the one? He turned Erapist? (He went back to sleep.)
Me: Let's have brunch.

*Now, don't you demonize my diamond almonds.

*Okey, I speak English to a German train conductor...he (mostly he) won't bother to continue questioning my ticket, hehehe.

*"On this solemn day, I reiterate in the strongest possible terms that under international law, no one should be kept in secret detention. ... Enforced disappearance is a practice that cannot be tolerated in the 21st Century.” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

*And this: "Businesses’ confidence in the Philippine economy fell to its lowest since 2011 due to concerns over port congestion in Manila, higher commodity prices and political noise, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas." So ano ba talaga ang tutuo?

*Now, don't you demonize my diamond almonds.
*Blood is thicker than anything else.
*Let him go to the Philippines. He would be tolerated and loved there.

*Itadakimasu! TGIF, Thank Goodness, It's Fish (sashimi salmon) plus garlic, cucumbers and paprika flakes. A glass of Federweißer after the late lunch.

*Was having a cozy all by myself LatteMacc time when another Pinay came in and we had spontaneous talkings and kumustahan. Learned that she gets her monthly "Rente" (Pension) from her work plus her widow's pension. She wouldn't like to remarry as she might lose it, and it is bigger than her own work pension. Live-in, live in na lang basta may love at companionship.

*Out to get LatteMacc and salmon and flowers...in other words Palengke Woman muna, walking, too.

*He does the laundry and I do take care of the repair of the coffee maschine but ironing is still my turf.

*Me: (to KnP) Oh, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie married in France.
KnP: Das geht am m. A. vorbei!
Uuuups!

*Oh coffeemaker, if you're out of order, you're wrecking lives! Looking for authorized repair center in the city. Nakakarats!

*Morning Walk: Almost 11T steps, covering more than 6 Km for one hour and 20minutes

*There are always something old, classic in the aparador...why buy new ones?

*Walkingmate said it could be due to the present Russian food embargo that they're not harvesting
 them.

*To see two moons tonight. Went outside...not even one moon is to be seen. Will wait or get up again in the middle of the night or keep drinking until witching hour.

*Rosy perspective for my home country...

*My dinner and the new vocabularies to add to Rotbarsch: Rotbarsch {m}
redfish [Sebastes marinus, syn.: Sebastes norvegicus]fish
ocean perch [Sebastes marinus/norvegicus]fish
rosefish [Sebastes marinus, syn.: Sebastes norvegicus]fish
red perch [Sebastes marinus, syn.: Sebastes norvegicus]fish
hemdurgan [Sebastes marinus, syn.: Sebastes norvegicus]fish
Norway haddock [Sebastes marinus, syn.: Sebastes norvegicus]fish
golden redfish [Sebastes marinus, syn.: Sebastes norvegicus]fish

*Filipiniana/Philippine Dance Group. We are looking for a cultural group who could perform Filipino (4 to 5) dances for a German/Philippine conference on October 18, Saturday in Essen. Please get in touch with me/inbox me for more information. Thanks!

*Sunny Day. Challenge is to have the guts to change sleeping gown to working clothes or house dress (pambahay) and, turn off computer and start domestic goddess' role. Yes, no, yes, no, yes.

*“Corruption, poverty and the patron-client nature of relations in the Philippines means that problems exist across all levels of society—not just in areas under conflict—with high levels of violent crime and kidnapping,” it said.

*Good Morningsaver. Coffeemaker is kaputt but I found three frozen pandisals. Enjoying them now with smoked cheese topped with delicious mango jam from the home country and normal coffee with milk. Sunny Wednesday!

*Do not forget. No to Pork Barrel!

*Pasalubong from Kraków, Poland: Kabanosy, Polish Dry Pork Sausage, a can of cookies, can of bonbons, a sack of rock salt and Zloty, Polish currency. Thank you!

*It's not just makigaya but knowing why one does it.

*Bicultural dialogue: (KnP while fixing the Toilettenbrille last night and saw that it is made in USA)
 "For this shit, it has to be imported from the US? (This morning.) KnP: "Oh what a feeling to sit on US imperialism! Me: I'll get another one for the other bathroom.Good Morning!

German to go!
*Was in Bauhaus yesterday and was looking for a WC seat. I asked a woman cashier if they have Toilettenbrille. (Toilet (eye)glasses!) Cashier didn't get the word. (Her accent proved she is not a native speaker.) She gave me another word, Toilettendeckel. Good Morning, rainy Germoney!

*Watching full movies in Youtube: The Wind That Shakes the Barley.

*10T steps for 1 Hr + 17 mins, covering 6+ km this Monday morning. Ready for a hearty brunch in the village cafe. Sunny Germoney!

*Endearments: Returning to the nest, KnP said: "My antidepressant."
Me: "My Precious
KnP: "Smeagol."
(Was expecting that.) good morning FB World!

*First Federweißer for the year. Feder (feather), weiß (white), fermented freshly pressed grape juice known as must. Young wine. Known also as Sturm in Austria.

* Aysauce this weather, grey, wet, cold and windy. Tama na! Palitan na! Ayoko na rin ng champurado with fried fish. (Enough, Change it! I don't care for champurado with fried fish anymore.) Gusto ko kaya ng guinatan bilo-bilo!

*Good Morning! Ready to brunch.

*Quite a windy afternoon. Facebooking and hearing the sounds of falling apples in the garden bringing back good childhood memories of hearing the "kalabog" of mangoes on the roof of our house and next morning, we would be rushing to find them.

*Buon Ferragosto!

*SOS Bipstek! Planned to do a Tagalog/Pinoy Bipstek but it didn't turn out the way it should. I added chunks of pineapples to a portion and it became Hawaiiana stek. In fairness, the onion rings taste delicious. We called it B Bipstek and if you could guess rightly, then I treat you a real bipstek in my city.

*The second blooming of my self-supporting Royal rose plant. "Can't take my eyes off you."

*She was so attractive standing there waiting for the bus. Wearing designer's pants, jacket with a matching designer's bag and large dark sun glasses. We took the same bus and sat almost near to each other. Then I saw her removed her sun glasses lightly showing the black eye on the right side while she tried to wipe away her tears. Oh my, I was so tempted to talk to her but then came another passenger and sat between us. Whoever you are, sad woman, I wish you well.

*Pillow talk: Last night before hitting the hay. KnP has been long sleeping.
Me: Hey, did you read the news? (stirring him from sleep) They caught the berdugo, Palparan.
KnP: Ja.... Naja, to which hospital will he go now? (He continued sleeping.) Tjah.

*Super Moon on August 10, 2014 (7 photos)
Shooting the super moon with my simple camera...with full flash, auto and no flash. "The camera shooting the moon is not the moon."

*Passing by this tree this morning on my way to Gottesdienst. Soooo tempted to pick one or two apples.

*Coffeebreakers . Celebration, Gathering

*Raval Summer Fiesta. Summer Fiesta featuring the Filipino Community in Barcelona

*Have to show it to KnP, my own Datu now turned to Rajah Puti. He wiill like that portion: Bumile ka lang ng suka, naging champion ka na.

*Mist! I am reading the local papers saying Antonio Banderas was in the city yesterday together with other Hollywood musckies. Not interested in the other stars but for Banderas I would have waited for hours in front of the moviehouse. Imagine Antonio Banderas wrapped in tacos...from the imagination of Isabel Allende. Oh Zorro! (August 7, 2014)

*Even as we start with a beautiful, summery August, I pray for the end of war in Gaza. One feels so helpless with all the posted photos on the atrocities going on. Please stop the War! Peace!

*Blooming strips along fields to attract bees