My 'secret' garden...

It is secret because noone knows what is in those 2 pots: after planting some grains on sunday, every morning I wake up excited that maybe some magic happened and I will see some new little green plants emerge from the brownish dirt! I am even tempted to do the same dance as in the anime となりのトトロ (Tonari no Totoro). Except I have to wake up at 6am these days so really, the only dance I manage to do is to not to sleep on the toilet...heheh

In any case, now that I have proved myself in the rearing of plants that don't die upon my presence, I am getting adventurous and trying on to grow things that I could eat...of course I like pretty things too, such as the pink pale tulips...


But all my efforts are always to fill my stomach...

Beethoven Sonata #5 Spring

1 st Movement, by Szeryng/Rubinstein

Homesick

So i got hooked on a japanese tv series and rediscovered music pieces heard decades ago:the power of an orchestra,the versality of piano, the poignant violin...am homesick of the past.

'I fought the war, but the war won'

After a girls' night out, where I stuffed myself with well deserved lobster, given I swam like a Sharks survivor for 20min, it was time to test the fuzzy feeling left by the dessert wine Vin Santo. I must stay I got the buzz, with red cheeks and easy smiles, and a warm feeling of time wisely spent.

Unfortunately my route was troubled by public transport and its users. I was peacefully digesting my giant load of food, when some stereotypical kid in hoodie, baggy pants and arrogant way of walking got in the coach, stood next to me near the door, finished rolling up his herbs, lit it up, took a puff and exhale the disgusting smell of hash...well, in my head I was cursing his unconceived descendants (ie wishing for his low fertility), while wishing for his puff to choke him. So in my sweetest voice, I said:
-'excuse me, could you please turn that off. I am allergic'
I was almost hoping he was blind to not see the big red non smoking sign all over the carriage. Or maybe he didn't understand English? But then this punk asnwered while trying to shamefully extinguish his poison.
-'you should have stopped me before I lit it up'

Maybe I should have just taken the whole think and extinguished it with my foot. So I told him he knows he shouldn't be smoking in the tube anyway. To that he mumbled something about being 'strict'...really, I could have mumbled something about 'respect'. But I was most amazed noone else actually reacted when he lit up that cigarette!

At the next stop, some people got off at the station so some seats became vacant, so I put some distance between myself and the 'may he die painfully' kid. And sure enough, he lit up his thing again! And once more, noone among the 30 people in the carriage said nothing. So I got up and left the damn carriage!

Maybe I am making a big deal of this, but it is not a good sign when noone other than my 1m50 person to stand up to a kid disturbing your well being in a public transportation.

I well remember that proverb we put in school for a cultural event:'it takes a village to raise a kid'..well this community I am living in is not raising the kids very well...

Snowy Clapham Common

Snow!

And i slept over and have to walk under snow

If I had £2 000 000....

Yesterday I was sleepily pressing the button on the watermachine to get some hot tea at work before settling on my desk, when a colleague from the English team happily said: 'I bet if you were given £2 000 000 you'll be more awake and happier'....

Of course it took me about 9 years to realize he was speaking to me. Then another 8hours to register what he said. I already had my sleepy smile on my face, then andwered:'well, I don't know what I'll do with that money'. Then another 27 seconds later, with my hot camomille tea in hand, my head cleared up a bit, as he was telling me about investment, and I had to listen and try to understand what he was saying...so eventually I was forced into a conversation where my main participation was to say:'I'd have too much to do I'll be even more stressed, and let's face it, the more I have the greedier I tend to become and so I won't probably enjoy it more than now.'

After that 5 minutes conversation, I was fully awake, and worked hard until 17:30....it's only coming back home after gym, reviewing for my exam once last time (exam which I really hope I passed because I am not confident in my answers anymore)...well, after all that, when I was slipping into unconscienceness of my dear sleep, my last thought was that indeed, I wouldn't know what to do first if I get £2 000 000.

Now I think it's a bit odd, because I am sure a lot of people will have an aswer right away, of their plans, their first purchases, or investments...Is it because I don't know the value of the amount? Or because I have no plans, no objectives? Or maybe I don't aim for that amount of money so that I haven't spent it already in my mind?

It's not the lact of projects that actually stops me. It is the fact that the possession of that amount would make me happier for a long time that I challenge. Upon reception, of course I will be overjoyed to see the chance to live some projects. But it doesn't mean there won't be any sacrifices. And those still would hurt....

Because I've always beena big spender, my only chance of being happy in the morning would be to wake up very late, and getting a very sunny and warm weather...and being with people I love...how sentimental...now I guess £2 000 000 could make that happen...maybe...

In the meantime, I have to loose weight and continue running like a sloppy hippopotamus on a treadmill...may my knees not buckle and my back keep me vertical...

A rainy day in London Town...

Sometimes I am determined to brave a horrible weather to see tall and heavy boys row on a river. That was today, and I think I won't attend that boat race again unless it is very sunny and warm outside. After all they don't need the wind, they really row for like 19 minutes do to 4 miles. So, Oxford (blue team)beat Cambridge (white team) this time. It just reminds me I need to visit Cambridge someday.


In any case, there were quite a lot of people south of the river, and I could see the forest of umbrellas from across the Thames. There was also a boat filled with spectators cozily snapping pictures at the poor 18 crew members getting ready to row from the top of their lungs for 4 miles in 8C and horizontal rain...



That area is quite nice actually, around Putney bridge. There is a lovely muddy park with a path along the Thames, and blooming magnolia trees, a cute church and a cute house in Bishop's park. I will have to walk along the river westbound this summer to explore that area.

We all learned English with the same book

Gad Elmaleh, who kept me company during my sickness...

'Dactylo Rock'

Mathieu Boogaerts & Mathieu Chedid

Oh bear, panda bear

Seriously coming nose to paper to this was a bit disturbing. But why not? Anything from the far east seem fashionable these days, and millions of people will be already buying into panda trinkets with the olympics...I just hope they don't disturb the beast too much..it's a bear after all, not so sociable an animal...

I am having a white Easter

And now it's snowing...
And I am missing the 'colour of magic' on telly tonight.

Ping pong....FX

Impossible! I ran out of shampoo!r

And so I had to find an excuse to get out of the house, while my body clearly didn't want to leave the bed it was sweating into for the past 4 days. A short trip to the doctor, where I had to beg for an appointment*, and a short trip to the drugstore, to find the prescribed drugs, and a shampoo..and am back with my forest of tissues and chicken soup. I am not sure which is worse: the hammering of the construction outside the windows, or the persistent piercing pains at my temples. But then when I am about to choose, the coughing starts over and nothing else matter that the few bursts of air that manages to get in me...

Maybe I should have called 999 Saturday. But then again, how many in a life threatening situation remember to identify it as life threatening? I was just sweating a cold off....now I am suffering one...

*To you, oh unaware of how medical care works: When one is ill, one needs to phone his General Practitioner and get an appointment. If you haven't registered to a GP, then you cannot get an appointment but have to show up at some hospital...
In my case, my GP is in West London, I don't know where the nearest hospital, and I called on monday to get an appointment on wednsday....Then I called again this morning to beg, and finally got one at 10...LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL

Weekend bite size pleasures

Fantasy muffins

Stroll in Camden Market to see what's left from the fire

Blown away, or how NOT to start a good Monday

Unlike the movie that could be coming to mind, I was not in passionate romantic epoch piece or story. I was merely trying to wake up when getting off the train when the wind attacked me trough my very bones and started to fight against my poor umbrella. Halfway to work my umbrella gave up and flew away, leaving me with a pathetic metallic rod to protect me from the gale and wind along the few yards leading to work. Also my lunch box broke and I was left holding my 2 tupperwares of chinese curry and courgette like a famished vampire protecting its last drops of blood...Then in the lobby at work, I was told the elevators weren't working...so in my mindless state, I had to climb the stairs to the 7th floor.

I would like to think I was being punished but I am not sure for what. On the other hand I didn't go to the gym this evening.

My only consolation for tonight is to be able to post my letters, which are 1 week overdue, and to buy some lamb to cook that rendang one more time...to prove myself I didn't do it by mistake.

'I am not a target market'

I am re-reading Generation X from D. Coupland and it always makes me laugh and sad at the same time. Good read always. Otherwise I realize I am becoming a 'devil' wearing 'prada': my plastic glasses have that little logo I am afraid, and I've just accepted an invitation that another one of my colleguae, more senior than me, could have accepted as well. being a second choice though, I did not hesitate. Only upon knowing who the 3rd choice was I realized I migght have hurt his sensibilities. but I doubt he really wanted to attend this thing anyway...for me it's free lunch....:) I will try to be cute and well behaved but really I am there for the free food...nothing has changed much.
Still, there is this conscience whispering for 'justice' or order of things...ah well...I have to look after myself as well when that time comes. I will have to be super helpful in the future to make sure I don't run on my own but with everyone else. I am very gregarious when I think about it. I like to stay in the safety of the pack. I do my own things though,

I am preparing for a busy week as Zab is coming over to try out my new flat and to bring me some wine, and hopefully some Kambly...What to do?
Thursday we're going to see Wicked, the musical that tells the story of the witches of Oz
Friday, well hopefully if my body can handle it afte rmy early morning shift, we will hang out at the Big Chill or Guanabara, depending on the mood.
Saturday, some sightseeing could be nice, chilling and strolling, maybe a boat ride to Kew?
Sunday, I should rest, or hang out at Spitalfieds Market, weather permitting...especially if I need to replenish my fridge.

But today, I will need my beauty sleep.

The house has been warmed.

I can still remember my first kiss and my first gin and tonic. I also remeber my first heart ache, even if I am not too sure over which boy. There are litle things that I am not sure why I remeber, like the kid ritual to bury leaves to make the rain stop falling. Or the noise and bustle of a ballet class when I was barely 6 year old. I am sure I will remember my first housewarming decades from now though because I actually had to cook for 9 other people and they ate most of the food and even said it was good...It gives me a bit of confidence in my well renowned experimental bad-looking cooking. So let me write down the recipes of these dishes I served my first ever guests:
-Lamb Rendang: cook cubes of lamb with a bit of oil and basil leaves, adding boiling water and simmer for million years while I am cleaning frenetically the flat until midnight. The next evening, while the guests are trickling in, add the Indofood spice mix for Rendang beef and let simmer again for another 7000hours until you serve it to the guests. You can also add some coconut milk to make it cremy but I thought there was enough fat with all the oil...it turned out ver nice and sooo tender I was suprised myself (so I'll make sure to start simmering the day before to make somthing tender)
-Ikan Bumbu Bali: That's fish with some balinese spices. Again, fry the fish filets in the morning with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice, leave it in the fridge until coming back from work. Heat up some oil with the IndoFood Bumbu Bali spice mix, then add in the fish...I was supposed to add in some more fresh tomatoes and onions, but since the guys already ate up the lamb, and I was pretty drunk by 9pm, and I couldn't find any room to chop the veggies, I figured they're just going to eat fish...serve it up nice and warm
-Wonton: dump the wontons in boiling water. My pot was so small it ended up being a big block of wonton that we had to cut with a knife and serve with soy sauce and sweet and chili thai sauce.

My coworker (Little Chef) who knows how to cook brough 4 tons of rice (I had to buy a big pot to be able to heat it up), another potful of curried lentils, and made chicken tikka upon arrival at my house....It was really yummy and I am seriously glad he pitched in for the rice and all the chicken and lentils...Instead of waiting for monday to eat his lunch, I can now eat some of his cooking during this weekend..hehehhe

It was a night of missing pots and ustensils of all sorts to use (foil wrap, pots big enough to cook for 10 people, working space, soft drinks, ice cream, snacks). I had to ask another coworker (still can't find a name for him) to buy appetizer, beer, juice, and a pot to reheat the rice. I also had to go downstairs at the local supermarket buy ice cream, and another pot to reheat the lentils.

I ended up with 2 additional huge pots, 3L of vanilla ice cream, lemon tart, chocolate cheesecake, 1 Riesling, 1 red wine, a bottle of champagne we forgot in the fridge, 2 beers, 2 bricks of juice, 1 coke, millions of containers with leftovers so that I won't cook for next week, and a good feeling that I fed 10 people, including myself.

This morning I ate wonton for breakfast and froze the rest for next week. I also will have enough fruits for the week: melon, prunes, grapes, aple, banana.

It was a well behaved party, the place is intact and all tidied up by 2am, and I just need to figure out how to make the dishwasher work once I buy some soap....

At the end of the tunnel

Do you see my door at the end of this corridor?

I love this phone

So thanks to a colleague i get a basic slow internet connection by connecting my 3G enabled mobile to my laptop. I cant uplnad much but i can check my mails!