Sunday, February 28, 2010
Pine
There's a distinct smell of pine in the house now. I've for a short period of time become a something of a hobby carpenter, made some shelves for the living room last week, and yesterday I built myself a platform for my bed. It smells like sleeping in the woods, for a couple of days at least...
Live TV
We don't have a TV. Erin has a projector and I a DVD player, between them and the stereo we get a decent movie hall, so don't really need a TV. If for anything it would be news and programs in Spanish to practice, well, Spanish.
And then you have the occasional event when it would be cool to be able to watch TV, such as the Winter Olympics. So I was happy to completely randomly come across website ATDHE.net which streams live TV; Olympics but also "normal" channels. Not sure how it works money-wise, but I'm happy as long as the site is up. Through it, I caught the Swedish gold in women's curling, and I just finished watching USA-Canada in the men's ice hockey gold match. Just wished Sweden would have partaken in that. Not even live TV streaming online can help me with that.
And then you have the occasional event when it would be cool to be able to watch TV, such as the Winter Olympics. So I was happy to completely randomly come across website ATDHE.net which streams live TV; Olympics but also "normal" channels. Not sure how it works money-wise, but I'm happy as long as the site is up. Through it, I caught the Swedish gold in women's curling, and I just finished watching USA-Canada in the men's ice hockey gold match. Just wished Sweden would have partaken in that. Not even live TV streaming online can help me with that.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Bocas del Toro
Two weeks ago I once again took the bus over to Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side. At the bus terminal I joined with Erin and Tommy who were returning from Mal Pais. We spent two nights in Puerto Viejo, chilling, hanging out at the beach and visiting Jim. After that we went over to Panama and headed over to Bocas del Toro, which is a group of islands on the Caribbean side close to Costa Rica. It was time for Erin to do a visa run and I've always wanted to see Bocas since I came here so I joined even though my time wasn't quite up. We spent three nights there, as you have to be out of Costa Rica three days every 90 days to renew your visa.
We stayed in a great self-sustained (when it came to water and electricity) eco lodge on the main island (Colon), 15 minutes or so outside of Bocas, the main town. One day we took a boat over to one of the other bigger islands, Bastimentos, and tried surfing. I'm going to blame it all on the surf, teacher and board for me not getting up that day... Or rather, I either caught a wave or I got up, but never both at the same time. Oh well, there'll be more chances. I think I bruised a rib though, because up until two days ago it really hurt and now it only kind of hurts. Nice to be able to sneeze without fear of pain, and nice to be able to sleep on that side.
The next day the weather was pretty bleak, so I opted to stay in the hammock reading a book (Foundation Trilogy) listening to the waves crash in on the bluff, while Erin and Tommy hit the town. But we were lucky enough to get to Bocas while they had their carnival, so in the evening we all went in. We were joined by a Canadian couple that were great traveling companions and stayed out pretty late.
Before I knew it time was up and we made our way back to the mainland to catch the bus back to San Jose. Not Tommy though, he slept in and stayed for another five or so days. We had a nice little experience at the border; everybody have to leave the bus and cross the rinky-dink bridge by foot and get stamped out of Panama and in to Costa Rica. Well on that (the CR) side we were after a half hour or so of waiting met with a power outage so the immigrations officials couldn't do anything, so there we stood for four hours while the line grew longer and longer... Luckily (?) we were second in line, so once power was back on it went fast. The whole bus trip were supposed to have taken 5.5 hours, but it took us 6.5 hours at the border... But it was Sunday and I didn't have Spanish class until Monday so wasn't in a hurry, and neither was Erin, so it just makes for a good travel story, right?
Bocas was great and I wish I would have stayed longer, there are more islands and beaches to explore. With a functioning border it's only 7-8 hours door to island though, so it might happen again in the future!
We stayed in a great self-sustained (when it came to water and electricity) eco lodge on the main island (Colon), 15 minutes or so outside of Bocas, the main town. One day we took a boat over to one of the other bigger islands, Bastimentos, and tried surfing. I'm going to blame it all on the surf, teacher and board for me not getting up that day... Or rather, I either caught a wave or I got up, but never both at the same time. Oh well, there'll be more chances. I think I bruised a rib though, because up until two days ago it really hurt and now it only kind of hurts. Nice to be able to sneeze without fear of pain, and nice to be able to sleep on that side.
The next day the weather was pretty bleak, so I opted to stay in the hammock reading a book (Foundation Trilogy) listening to the waves crash in on the bluff, while Erin and Tommy hit the town. But we were lucky enough to get to Bocas while they had their carnival, so in the evening we all went in. We were joined by a Canadian couple that were great traveling companions and stayed out pretty late.
Before I knew it time was up and we made our way back to the mainland to catch the bus back to San Jose. Not Tommy though, he slept in and stayed for another five or so days. We had a nice little experience at the border; everybody have to leave the bus and cross the rinky-dink bridge by foot and get stamped out of Panama and in to Costa Rica. Well on that (the CR) side we were after a half hour or so of waiting met with a power outage so the immigrations officials couldn't do anything, so there we stood for four hours while the line grew longer and longer... Luckily (?) we were second in line, so once power was back on it went fast. The whole bus trip were supposed to have taken 5.5 hours, but it took us 6.5 hours at the border... But it was Sunday and I didn't have Spanish class until Monday so wasn't in a hurry, and neither was Erin, so it just makes for a good travel story, right?
Bocas was great and I wish I would have stayed longer, there are more islands and beaches to explore. With a functioning border it's only 7-8 hours door to island though, so it might happen again in the future!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Latest reads
Isaac Asimov, Foundation Trilogy
At my first visit to the Lexicon Library, I was allowed to borrow two books. Along with Middlesex I snagged the Foundation Trilogy, figured it was about time to figure out what it was all about. I'm generally not a sci-fi fan, but this was a great read! A plot very well crafted and Asimov doesn't inundate the reader with fancy future sci-fi stuff but "keeps it real", if you pardon. A question to my readers, though, I realized he later wrote more books about the Foundation, the sequels Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth, and the prequels Prelude to Foundation and Forward the Foundation; have you read them and are they worthwhile?
The Dhammapada, introduced by Eknath Easwaran
To me the Dhammapada is the second greatest philosophical/religious text, second only to Tao Te Ching, and is always great to reread. This particular edition is introduced by Eknath Easwaran, and he does a great job introducing the concepts and thoughts prior to each chapter and it's highly recommended.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Latest reads
It's been a while since I last listed what I've been reading. I believe the below list is complete. I'll be mixing Swedish and English in this post since I've been mixing Swedish and English literature.
Good timing on this one I guess since Mr. Zinn passed away last month. It's a great book by a great intellectual and a must-read for anyone wanting to understand US history and policy. I wasn't aware, but I understand now that it's required reading in a lot of US high schools and colleges. Essentially it puts US history on its head by taking a bottom-up rather than a traditional top-down approach.
I was on the airport last fall and needed a read, had heard about this so picked it up. It's a fun read taking place in a the Federal District of Sitka, a place in Alaska that came about because Israel didn't. So the setting is a parallel history approach, and it takes off from there on a wild ride before the Reversion - after 60 years the district is to be no more and most inhabitants (Jewish of course) are looking for solutions.
I picked this up on the same trip. Had never heard of the book before, but have read him before (The Feast of the Goat) and like him. The book was a bit odd, a love story spanning four decades and three continents but quite enjoyable.
Julklapp från mamma och pappa, själv har jag inte hört talas om varken bok eller författare, i varje fall vad jag minns, vilket kan tyckas lite dåligt då han gett ut tolv böcker innan denna. Den handlar om döden men lyckas ändå vara livsbejakande, och det är väl ett gott omdöme? Bra bok.
Samma här, julklapp som jag tidigare inte hört talas om. Den här var dock inget bra, bara ett stort "jaha, och?" lämnade mig när jag lade den ifrån mig.
Micke var snäll nog att lämna den kvar när han åkte tillbaka till Sverige i januari och jag var inte sen att plocka upp den. Gillar Klas Östergren och hans Gentlemän och Gangsters. Den här var inte i samma kaliber, men väl värd att läsas.
Emily read it when she was here visiting and I had heard a lot of buzz about it on the lit blogs I follow. She couldn't leave it behind, but I just joined an English library here (highly recommended if you by an off chance live here in Escazu or San Jose) and picked it up there. I generally don't like immigration stories, feel I've read enough of them (e.g. Wilhelm Moberg and Chris Castellani) already, and didn't particularly like that side of the story here. But there's another side, which is that of the narrator being a hermaphrodite and the challenges it poses, which I liked a lot better. Kudos also for the prose, the description of the assembly line work is spot-on (I imagine, although I've worked on the line in a factory I've never worked on an assembly line per se).
Howard Zinn, A People's History of the United States
Good timing on this one I guess since Mr. Zinn passed away last month. It's a great book by a great intellectual and a must-read for anyone wanting to understand US history and policy. I wasn't aware, but I understand now that it's required reading in a lot of US high schools and colleges. Essentially it puts US history on its head by taking a bottom-up rather than a traditional top-down approach.
Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policemen's Union
I was on the airport last fall and needed a read, had heard about this so picked it up. It's a fun read taking place in a the Federal District of Sitka, a place in Alaska that came about because Israel didn't. So the setting is a parallel history approach, and it takes off from there on a wild ride before the Reversion - after 60 years the district is to be no more and most inhabitants (Jewish of course) are looking for solutions.
Mario Vargas Llosa, The Bad Girl
I picked this up on the same trip. Had never heard of the book before, but have read him before (The Feast of the Goat) and like him. The book was a bit odd, a love story spanning four decades and three continents but quite enjoyable.
Carl-Henrik Wijkmark, Stundande natten
Julklapp från mamma och pappa, själv har jag inte hört talas om varken bok eller författare, i varje fall vad jag minns, vilket kan tyckas lite dåligt då han gett ut tolv böcker innan denna. Den handlar om döden men lyckas ändå vara livsbejakande, och det är väl ett gott omdöme? Bra bok.
Erik Andersson, Den larmande hopens dal
Samma här, julklapp som jag tidigare inte hört talas om. Den här var dock inget bra, bara ett stort "jaha, och?" lämnade mig när jag lade den ifrån mig.
Klas Östergren, Tre porträtt
Micke var snäll nog att lämna den kvar när han åkte tillbaka till Sverige i januari och jag var inte sen att plocka upp den. Gillar Klas Östergren och hans Gentlemän och Gangsters. Den här var inte i samma kaliber, men väl värd att läsas.
Jeffrey Eugenides, Middlesex
Emily read it when she was here visiting and I had heard a lot of buzz about it on the lit blogs I follow. She couldn't leave it behind, but I just joined an English library here (highly recommended if you by an off chance live here in Escazu or San Jose) and picked it up there. I generally don't like immigration stories, feel I've read enough of them (e.g. Wilhelm Moberg and Chris Castellani) already, and didn't particularly like that side of the story here. But there's another side, which is that of the narrator being a hermaphrodite and the challenges it poses, which I liked a lot better. Kudos also for the prose, the description of the assembly line work is spot-on (I imagine, although I've worked on the line in a factory I've never worked on an assembly line per se).
Monday, February 8, 2010
Cooking
Both me and Erin enjoy cooking, which is great, rarely if ever do we succumb to fast food or other food shortcuts. Amongst many things she makes amazing pizza (or made, as we don't have an oven here in Escazu) and guacamole. For my own cooking, I've found it's changed in three ways since moving here:
Like today, when I made an aubergine, mushroom and onion stirfry and served it with rice and an avocado and mango salsa. Yum!
- Beans and lentils
I enjoyed beans and lentils before, but rarely took the time to soak and cook them why I never really used them in my cooking. Here, since I'm not working, I'm home more and have and take the time to do this and use them in cooking. They're all great, but I tend to gravitate towards chickpeas, black and red beans, and green lentils. Fava beans are a particular favorite but they're not as prevalent here. - Mixing flavors
I was very old-school salt and pepper before, but now I mix things up way more, with sweet, sour and spicy in a single dish. Much more honey, ginger, lime juice (or lemon since we have a lemon tree) and various hot peppers make it into the dishes. - Fruit
Almost never before part of my cooking, I now enjoy fruits like mangoes and raisins (close enough) in various dishes.
Like today, when I made an aubergine, mushroom and onion stirfry and served it with rice and an avocado and mango salsa. Yum!
Do I have an aura of "no"?
I had a dream last night where I was assessed by some guy. After looking at me for a while he spurted "You have an aura of 'no'". Do I? Please vote in the poll above!
UPDATE: Poll is closed and No came in on top with 80% followed by 20% yes. I have some work to do but all hope is not lost I guess.
UPDATE: Poll is closed and No came in on top with 80% followed by 20% yes. I have some work to do but all hope is not lost I guess.
Superbowl and elections
The onside kick to start the second half was pretty daring and impressive. That, along with the fourth quarter interception that lead to the 14-point lead pretty much did it for the Saints. Good, as I didn't want the Colts to win.
I watched the game at Players, a sports bar inside Hotel White House. The directions said 600 meters south of the cemetery so I walked to the cemetery and then south. Unfortunately I had the wrong cemetery so what should have been a 15 minute walk became an hour and a half. Oh well.
That gave me the opportunity to watch the hullabaloo surrounding today's general elections. General as in both presidential and parliamentary. Everybody were out on the streets, walking, standing or in their cars, showing the colors of their candidate's party, shouting, honking, chanting. Quite the scene, and completely different from any election I've experienced in Sweden or in the US.
Half an hour ago Laura Chinchilla of the incumbent party declared victory, making her the first woman president of Costa Rica. That was pretty much history in the making I was witnessing.
I watched the game at Players, a sports bar inside Hotel White House. The directions said 600 meters south of the cemetery so I walked to the cemetery and then south. Unfortunately I had the wrong cemetery so what should have been a 15 minute walk became an hour and a half. Oh well.
That gave me the opportunity to watch the hullabaloo surrounding today's general elections. General as in both presidential and parliamentary. Everybody were out on the streets, walking, standing or in their cars, showing the colors of their candidate's party, shouting, honking, chanting. Quite the scene, and completely different from any election I've experienced in Sweden or in the US.
Half an hour ago Laura Chinchilla of the incumbent party declared victory, making her the first woman president of Costa Rica. That was pretty much history in the making I was witnessing.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Breaking the Silence coming to Boston
hi there,
I'm writing to the people who attended the Breaking the Silence exhibit at the Harvard Hillel two years ago. (hopefully this is reaching only Boston folks ;) They're coming to the U.S. in late February, and I wanted to let you know about it. These are 2 evening events; they're working on daytime events at Tufts and the Hebrew College. I'll attach one flyer, and if you're able to print it and pass it out, that would be great!
Abby
I'm writing to the people who attended the Breaking the Silence exhibit at the Harvard Hillel two years ago. (hopefully this is reaching only Boston folks ;) They're coming to the U.S. in late February, and I wanted to let you know about it. These are 2 evening events; they're working on daytime events at Tufts and the Hebrew College. I'll attach one flyer, and if you're able to print it and pass it out, that would be great!
Abby
Breaking the Silence:
Israeli soldiers speaking on the moral price of occupation
Highlighting the Experience of Female Soldiers
Tuesday, Feb 23, 7-9pm
Congregation Eitz Chayim
136 Magazine Street, Cambridge, MA
Wednesday, Feb 24 7-9pm
Temple Hillel B'nai Torah
120 Corey Street, West Roxbury
Breaking the Silence is an organization of veteran Israeli soldiers who served in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The soldiers were witness to, and participated in, military actions which changed them immensely. Dana Golan, veteran IDF lieutenant, is the executive director of Breaking the Silence. She will present a talk based on interviews with female IDF soldiers about their experiences in the Occupied Territories. Join us for this unique opportunity to hear the perspective of female IDF soldiers.
Breaking the Silence believes that "every Israeli citizen must know what is being done in his/her name in the Occupied Territories."
For more information: http://www.shovrimshtika.org/
Donations welcome to support the work of Breaking the Silence
February 23rd sponsored by: Congregation Eitz Chayim and New Israel Fund
February 24th sponsored by: Boston Workmen's Circle, Temple Hillel B'nai Torah, and New Israel Fund
Individuals who wish to carpool or who can offer a ride to West Roxbury,
please contact Nicole: nicole_simon@mail.harvard.edu
Temple Hillel B'nai Torah is wheelchair accessible.
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