I hope you all had a wonderful Easter. We are still searching for that one chocolate egg, but I trust we will find it by Christmas.
I have been throwing away stuff today. I went through my closet, and threw away all the clothes I haven’t worn for at least two years. The yield was two big black garbage bags of clothes that I brought to the Samaritans’ collection container. Then little man and I sorted out one big bag of toys. Next went one garbage bag of bed and table linen, some of it received as wedding gifts from a marriage that is on the brink of oblivion. But that isn’t all of it. There is a big plastic container of pregnancy clothes in the storage room that I need to throw out, because as things stand now number two is not likely to come anytime soon. Problem is, it’s hard to get to. The storage room is full of stuff, that is not really mine – my husband bought it – but why do I have to live with it? I feel buried in stuff, and I want it gone… like yesterday.
After all the throwing-away, I saw a TV program about hoarders. Boy… at least our mess is confined to closets and storage rooms, but seeing the program reinforced the need to lighten the load. Of course there is that slightly guilty feeling of “you are throwing away things that are perfectly fine” but “I don’t want to be buried in stuff, that I don’t use” is much stronger.
So I am going to continue the theme over the next couple of days. There are more of little man’s toys to sort through, stacks of Cosima Inc. papers, shoes I haven’t worn in years, and nick nack that just gathers dust. I want it all gone.
And then there is the stuff that my husband bought, and has promised to take away soon. The promise was made a few months ago. The stuff is still here. Twenty kilos of electrical cables , an air cleaner that was switched on only once, a hi-fi system too complicated to use, hard case suitcase too heavy to take anywhere, and and and…
I spent a lot of time in my flat. It is my home as well as my work place, and I feel increasingly unhappy about the chaos in the corners. It needs to go.
Little man’s Easter holidays are going to start earlier than expected this year. The flu season is upon us, and yesterday the newspapers reported that three small children had died in Hong Kong during the last few weeks, who suffered from “flu-like symptoms”. Since the SARS crisis these outbreaks are taken very seriously, and apparently it was announced on the evening news last night that all primary schools and kindergartens would close a few days earlier for the Easter holidays, starting from today.
I had heard about the deaths, but hadn’t seen the news last night, so little man and I made our way to the school bus stop completely unaware this morning. Upon our arrival another little boy was saying to his mom “Maybe we don’t have to go school today”. I thought he said it because the bus was running a little late, and responded ” I think the bus is just a little late”. Then the mom informed me that she had just gotten a call from another mom, that there was announcement that all primary schools would close early for the Easter holidays.
Little man’s eyes lit up with anticipation of having an unexpected day of leisure and play. A woman came by, and seeing us stand with kids in school uniforms at the bus stop also told us about the announcement. Little man grabbed my hand, ready to go home. In my mind, I was already worrying about how to get the urgent work for Cosima Inc. done with little man around.
That’s when the school bus arrived with all teachers but a few less kids than usual inside. I told little man that he has to go to school, at the same time another mom announced that her boy wouldn’t go and that she would take him back home. Little man started to cry, and I felt terrible. After lots of promises about the fun things we would do this afternoon, and consoling by his teacher, little man’s tears stopped and he went inside the bus.
I am not worried that little man will get sick. He goes to a small school with open surroundings, and there has been no unusual increase of sick children in his class. Still, I think it’s a good decision to let the holidays begin a little earlier. Normal public schools in Hong Kong can be very crowded places with fifty children in one class, and it’s certainly wise to close them when a new strain of flu goes around.
I am usually not prone to panic. I don’t know if that’s wise or stupid. I believe in keeping a clear head and making your own decisions, on the other hand if something really bad happens we may be the last to attempt to leave the sinking ship, so to speak. Better safe than sorry? I also respect the other mom’s decision to take her son back home.
I was in Hong Kong during the SARS outbreak. It was a little eerie to see so many people in surgical masks on the streets, and people stocking up at the supermarket. The firm I was working at closed their offices for several weeks, and we were all working from home (which by the way worked out rather well). But the real outbreak seemed very distant. Most of the people who died lived in the same high-rise apartment block, which had inadequate ventilation on the back-side of the building. Windows there faced a deep, narrow U-shaped recess, through which used air from the flats below was pushed upwards to other flats.
I don’t think that politicians in Hong Kong have really learned that much from the SARS outbreak. The papers still report how inadequately Hong Kong’s public hospitals are equipped for major flu outbreaks (and this in a city that had budget surpluses for the last couple of years). And ventilation in high-rise buildings does not seem to be a major concern either. New high-rise apartment buildings are build even closer to each other than before.
It’s already Monday in these longitudes, and I really should be doing other things, but can’t bring myself to do them. I found the song below among my other iPod possessions while walking along the beach this morning. It made me smile. I don’t know if that smile translates to English, but I hope it does. Have a wonderful day!
Nice Day
(“Schönen Tag” by Tom Albrecht, translated by Cosima)
Good day! My name is Tom, and I am twenty-five years old.
This song is not really important,
and is something between nice and superfluous;
a bit silly too, “superkalifragilistisch”.
Maybe it turned out a bit too simple,
but I just want to say: I wish you…
a nice day.
One or two sunny thoughts.
Wish you a nice day.
And if the sky gets dark,
it’s not as bad as it seems.
A nice day.
It may be ridiculous,
but I sing a bit, sing a bit,
sing a bit only for you.
This song wants to hide behind you and not
arouse incentives to buy. No.
I have written it in four quiet five minutes.
It appeals introverted to your good inner core, and wishes you…
a nice day.
One or two sunny thoughts.
Wishes you a nice day.
And if the sky gets dark,
it’s not as bad as it seems.
A nice day.
It may be ridiculous,
but I sing a bit, sing a bit,
sing a bit only for you.
Have fun ironing, driving your car,
reading the papers, riding the tram,
while queuing in the supermarket.
I wish you a nice day.
Have fun eating, watching football,
making love, and building.
You homo sapiens listen up: I wish you a nice…
Yes, I know, this song isn’t really clever,
is not a hit single, not a commercial super success.
This song, you can love or hate it.
Take it into your arms or make faces at it, but it wishes you…
a nice day.
One or two sunny thoughts.
Wishes you a nice day.
And if the sky gets dark,
it’s not as bad as it seems.
A nice day.
It may be ridiculous,
but I sing a bit, sing a bit,
sing a bit only…
We were up at seven this morning. I am still trying to teach little man the concept of sleeping in on weekends … lol.
But we made up the early start by spending a few lazy hours afterwards in our PJs. Little man told me in detail last week’s school adventures, we simulated space shuttle lift-offs, and tried to transform his new transformer toy without breaking it. It took a while, was only slightly simpler than solving Rubik’s cube, but finally we managed to change the police car into a robot.
Before little man could say “and now please transform it back into a police car”, I suggested making pancakes. This was happily accepted.
Pancakes are our preferred lazy morning food, and little man has gotten quite good in helping me to prepare them. We make the European variety, thinner than American pancakes with more eggs. In German, they are also called “Eierkuchen” (egg cakes).
It’s funny how everyone has a slightly different recipe for these very simple dishes. Naturally, little man and I think ours is the best in the whole wide world :D.
Mix 200 grams of non-raising flour, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, and three eggs in a bowl until the mixture is reasonably smooth. Then whisk in milk little by little until you have thin, smooth pancake batter. The amount of milk needed varies, but I would say it’s about half a liter. Let the batter stand for 10-20 minutes, to make it more elastic and avoid excessive flour taste, then whisk one more time.
Little man has become an expert at whisking. He started whisking before he could talk… lol. Attracted by the cool kitchen toy, he demanded a share of the action very early in life. I am glad to say that the spillage is now down to a minimum. This morning, he also cracked an egg… trying to fish the egg shell out of the batter slowed us down a bit.
Then the frying begins, and getting the temperature just right, makes a good pancake in my opinion. I have a gas stove, which lets me adjust the temperature instantly. I start by heating up the skillet at maximum heat for several minutes, only then I add a teaspoon of oil. When the oil is hot and evenly distributed in the pan, I turn down the heat to a minimum and add batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan after a little bit of swiveling. Heating up the pan thoroughly avoids the infamous first spoiled pancake.
After all the liquid has evaporated, I turn the pancake. I am a chicken and use a spatula, but one of these days I have to learn the cool throw-it-in-the-air trick to impress little man. The kitchen ceiling needs a new coat of paint anyway.
Little man tops his pancakes with extra sugar or orange jam, but I think they also taste good on their own. The recipe above yields about eight 7-inch pancakes, which we didn’t eat all at once… really.
I have neglected my statcounter reports ever since the swell of people searching for “underwater sex” and “boobs underwater” became overwhelming. Never underestimate what one post can do for your google rankings! But last week, I had a look again, and – I admit it – a good chuckle or two. Some of these search terms call out for a response.
“smelly sock lovers” – Eeeeeeeeeew!
“what is tea flavoring, rats” – They put rats in tea? Double Eeeeeeeeeeeeew!
“i am underwater” – Good for you!
“what do you call it if you are stuck underwater and you cant breathe” – Not so good for you. I would call it a dicey situation at best, and drowning at worst.
“kien hair stylist” – Kien seems to be a jack of all trades.
“What are a dirndel?” – A dirndl is a traditional dress worn in Bavaria and Austria on special occasions, for example the Munich Oktoberfest. That’s when one million Germans and two million Americans sit in giant tents, drink too much beer, and try to yodel.
In the north of Germany (where I come from, can you tell?), wearing a dirndl draws the same attention as wearing a Trekkie costume.
Dirndls worn in Bavaria are OK, I suppose, but what I don’t understand at all is the southern custom of drinking beer out of gallon-sized glasses. Bäääh! The beer gets stale and warm. Southern barbarians …
“how to ask for condom german hast” – Always glad to help :). It depends on the situation. If you are in bed with someone, who you know intimately, use the informal du: “Hast du einen Kondom?” (Do you have a condom?)
However, if you are in a shop asking a shop assistant, it’s better to use the formal sie: “Haben sie Kondome?” (Do you have condoms?) or “Wo finde ich Kondome?” (Where do I find condoms?).
Which reminds me of an AIDS-awareness-spot that was shown on German TV twenty years ago, and is now considered a classic :) … “Tina, how much are the condoms?”
“swedish word for from small hole” – Sorry, you are on your own with that one. I am only proficient in IKEA furniture names.
“cosima underwater” – You are at the right place :). Welcome!
“cosima lingerie” – I should have applied for a trademark.
“tall woman, little guys” – It happens. Don’t let it stop you from finding the love of your life. I know several couples who breach the conventions in that respect. They seem to be as happy (or unhappy) as couples who conform to the norm. I am 5′ 7 1/2” myself. Nicole Kidman (below) is 5′10 1/2″. To read the funny side of it go here.
“strong tall woman kills men “ – Gosh… there is the next Oscar winning performance for Nicole Kidman.
“japan clothed underwater sex” – The Japanese always seem to add an extra kinky twist to things and are very specialized in there preferences, don’t you think?
“minnie mouse underwater” – I hope this isn’t sexual. Here you go:
