Fish for the vegetarian

I always fret when I have to cook for vegetarians. Deep down I'm always thinking, what is wrong with these people? But me being me, I always try to deliver.

And I was in luck today, wasn't sure if the visitor had enjoyed my fish-dish before, but she either was polite and denied it or she was honest (I'm believing the latter). Either way, she liked it.

For me it was a pleasure, not only that she liked the food, but that we had cat-talk half the evening. She telling me about her furry one, and me countering with stories about my wee ones.

And no, I don't need comments about how happy you are not being there.

What does "erase all" mean?

I was downloading pics from my camera to the computer, and that reminded me of a trip to Spain many years ago. My ex and I were travelling around, 'cause I had in mind to buy a flat there and then retire on the Riviera.

During the trip we took many pictures, and one I was especially happy with. I mean, I am not photogenic, but in this particular pic I looked if not fabulous so at least good.

Imagine my anger when my ex later asked "what does erase all mean"? The fucker had deleted all the pics I had taken.

No wonder we split up. And I will never, ever retire in Spain.

But considering the development of the real estate market in Spain, he probably did me a great favour!

Some leader

I dunno know what made me think of it, but many years ago I attended a course. It was a course for leaders, intended for people who were "in", I guess positioned for higher management positions.

I lived abroad, but it was held in my home country, so after travelling to get there, I was intending to combine work with pleasure. And that particular week my company was having a party, big company, big party, and I've never been the type to miss anything like that.

However, the guy who held the course wasn't keen on anybody leaving the resort where we stayed outside the city, but those tiny obstacles have never stopped me before, so I told the restaurant that they would have one less guest that evening, and took off.

It was a great party. Lots of old colleagues to catch up with, loadsa free food and booze, and in all a fabulous evening. For some reason some people also wore fluffy balls like in a diadem on their heads, almost bunny-like and I ended up doing the same. Don't ask me why.

But even though I have always partied a lot, I have never shown up late for work, so the next day (after sleeping like four hours) I showed up to class wearing the diadem with fluffy balls.

Need I say that the teacher never really took to me? And even if I don't know what happened to him or the other students, I bet my working career went better than most of theirs.

Yes, there is a wee anarchist living in me if you hadn't guessed already.

Zürich is a small city

So when I was visiting the old peoples home yesterday, I noticed they had a cat tree. Turns out they have two cats, one that belongs to the home and one who lives in the hood and comes visiting.

I think it's great. Even if people do not have the possibility to take care of own pets, they can still enjoy the company of a cuddly cat.

When I told my dog friend about it, he informed me that he might be the one who provided them with a kitten. We still don't know if it's the same cat, but his Mum used to live across from that home and he used to visit her regularly, thus knowing about the home across the street. And he had kittens at the time.

The more people I get to know here, the more I feel it's one big family.

Battery switch

Hurray, it turned out to be the battery after all. Ok, so I had to buy a new battery, and they are not exactly for free, but at least I don't have to tow the boat.

The engine was running as before, and I am happy. So was my helper, who felt...well helpful.

Had I known, of course I would've waited until spring, since there won't be anymore cruises this year, but I feel relieved that it's ready to go again in hopefully March.

Cannot wait.

Volunteering

So finally, after gently pushing, I got an answer to my request for volunteering in an old peoples home. And today I had an interview. My gosh, it's easier getting a paying job than a volunteering one!

Since I have nothing to hide I was very open with details of my own life, as well as how I think I would react in certain situations, and why I want to volunteer.

So the first Saturday in October I will work in the cafeteria, serving coffee and cookies to the oldies and their relatives. Gotta start somewhere!

And I will be getting peer reviews from the two other volunteers working there, so I better behave!

Migraine

I have never in my life had migraine, the few occasions in my life when my head hurt, it was caused my me and myself. Yes, you guessed it, by drinking too much.

Those days are over but when I read an article recently about somebody who suffered from migraine and had more or less cured it by eating less of certain food, and controlling the lifestyle, I believed it.

I myself have noticed if I eat less carbs I get no heartburn. Problem is, I love carbs. Food without carbs in it taste nothing. So there's a bit of a dilemma.

But I believe I have come a bit on the way. I have eliminated stress from my life, I get enough sleep and I, well to a certain extent, control what I eat. Tonight was a homemade cheese pie and salad. And guess what? No heartburn. But I did get to feast my eyes on a hunk :).

Daniel Craig impersonated - or is it Bryn?

I have all sorts of friends. Some are old, others young, some are confrontational, others mild, some like to stay quiet, others (like me) talk like a waterfall, some are ugly and some are not.

This is the guy I chose to meet today.

Mum 77

If my mother would've still lived, she would've been 77 today. When I was little I thought that my parents would always live, as children do. Never mind that you fight with them, or have a different opinion, it's still a security to know that they are always there, knowing you better than anyone, and supporting you even if you make the wrong choice once in a while.

I was talking to somebody today, saying exactly that, how she would've loved to know I have a great apartment, two very, very, very cute cats and how I enjoy life. And then my friend remarked "she would've loved your niece too". Oh yeah, forgot about her.

But yes, my Mum was a loving person. She was the one who talked to the alcoholic sitting on the bench downtown, being kind, she was the only one who visited an old auntie with no family of her own, she was the one taking care of everybody else before thinking about herself.

I know, I make her sound like a friggin saint, but certainly, in comparison to me, she was.

RIP Mum.

Chicken, hot&spicy

I have learned to like to cook, but it's not always I can be arsed to do it for myself. Today I found a "Chicken, hot&spicy" noodle dish on sale. Yes, I know, I love the word "Aktion". Two portions for a measly 2.90 francs. A bargain. And I especially liked that it said "without preservatives".

When I was preparing it, I noticed a lack of chicken, so got interested in reading about the ingredients. Turns out it contained 1% "chicken meat", as well as:

81% Asian noodles (white flour, egg, salt and stabilizer) "aroma" (spices?), yeast extract, sugar, 1,5% peperoni, garlic, maltodextrin (whatever that is), 1,5% black fungus, ginger, the 1% "chicken-meat", onion, glucose sirup, tomato powder, pepper, vegetable fat, 0.5% spinache, cayenne pepper, 5-different-spices-mix, onion something-something, anti-oxidation-whatever. Where the other 14,5% comes from, I have no clue.

But at least it was without preservatives! And funnily enough it didn't taste that bad. Mind you, not good either, but still. I could do better. Mental note to self: shape up, and get cooking with proper fresh food!

Picnic

So after the palaver with the boat we went for a picnic on the lakeside. Not too unpleasant I must admit, even though the birdies closed in on the leftovers.

The helper comes in handy

So today the guy who always wants to help came in handy. We had decided to take the boat out for a last cruise this year, weather was great, and I was in bikini ready to go. The boat was ready, and then...absolutely nothing. The engine didn't give so much as a sigh. There was nothing.

There is a battery switch which I thought I had forgotten to open or close (can never remember which is which), but either way the engine was dead. Dead as a I-dunno-what, but stone dead. I guess as dead as the parrot in the Monty Python-sketch.

First I had to convince the helper that I wasn't kidding (he had been reading the blog), and then he looked. And looked. Finally he extracted the battery from the cabling going on down there, and will take it with him to have it checked. Mind you, it's 14 years old and may need replacing. The battery that is.

However, I'm not entirely sure that it is the battery. I think it would've given at least a wee sign of life since it worked fine last week. Then I was thinking it was a cable that somehow got disconnected, but I'm not gonna go there. I have no idea where to start.

No, I think I'm looking at a call to the boat people, hoping they can fix it without having to tow the boat all the way to their place. Better start saving up!

My very own strawberries

Was visiting my plant friend today. Actually, it was the first time in her apartment, and naturally the balcony was full of plants, fruits and herbs of all kinds. Amazing what can be accomplished in space of maybe 8 m2.

Everything very well kept and with attention to detail. And best thing! I was promised a strawberry plant next year!

As I went there I almost passed the building, and noticed a side street named "Korkenziehergasse", meaning corkscrew alley. Interesting.

Turns out that even though it had a proper street sign, it isn't a formal street name. The neighbourhood has named it so, 'cause twice a year they have a party in that particular alley. How clever!

Have you ever been a prostitute?

Was having a chat with a friend today, and we got to talk about ze Swiss. That reminded me that I next year can apply for a Swiss passport.

And even though I googled I couldn't find what type of questions they would ask, without paying for the info. I don't like paying for info. So there we are.

Today I learned that one of the questions would be "have you ever worked as a prostitute?". Ok, if all questions are like that, I'm gonna pass with flying colours. 'Cause I've never been married. I think everybody in a marriage has one time or another put up with having sex without really wanting it, and then getting paid for it one way or another.

Yes, I think in a few years I'll be Swiss.

Unless the person I met today have really strange friends. And coming to think of it, why would ze Swiss authorities ask that question? No smoke without a fire? Hmmm.

Cat aroma

Another big mystery in life is why my cats smell so fantastically good, I often put my nose into their silky fur, and just breath in the aroma, when they have a breath that can kill dragons! Explain that if you can!

False information

At the tram stop today I was met by this sign. It confused me, since I had just seen tram 15 leave the station, so I thought it was maybe for tomorrow. But no, when I googled it I see that a "Zürich multimobil" drive is between the 20th and 22nd of September. So why is tram 15 still going?

One of the big mysteries in life.

Charmed by a boy

This afternoon I almost understood the point of having kids. Almost.

From being a bit of a monster, screaming and acting weirdly, this little guy decided to show the benefits of what he learned in charm-school today. Big time.

He was smiling, being charming and in general a (small) person who you'd take to. Mind you, I think it had something to do with us visiting my second living room :). He was banging his wee hands against the table when they were playing. May have to work a little bit on the rhythm though.

Too bad I wasn't allowed to post his smile on the blog.

Green and orange

This week I was visiting a bar which is quite hip. You wouldn't believe it when I said it has an interior design in orange and green, but it kinda works. They also make their own beer, which is cool. You can see the tanks from the restaurant.

Toilet biz

Ever since my furry ones moved in with me, I have learned to have company at the toilet. At first I closed the door, as normal people do, in order to do what one needs to. Only to be disturbed by little cat claws scraping the door. They really don't like closed doors.

And even today, whenever I have to do No 1 or 2, there is always a cat around my legs. So there am I, with wrapped toilet paper in one hand, and stroking a cat with the other.

It's amazing what one puts up with for love.

Entailed estate

Tonight I watched a program from my home country, being stunned over how old-fashioned it is. Entailed estate is like in Downton Abbey when only a son can inherit a house and a piece of land, and let the land being farmed by tenants, paying a rent to the owner.

In most countries around the world this old-fashioned law has been changed since decades, yet in my home country it still exists. Shame on them! But I guess a country who still favours a king who cannot spell, or hold a speech even after 40 years of PR training, it's of no use expecting them to be clever.

Never mind, that the tenants have done all the investments in the house, the land and have been there for generations, the politicians still vote for the "master", the owner of the land, to raise the rent with whatever he pleases. Like nearly 50%. Fat lot of good this extra money is gonna do him, being like 95.

Yet at the same time not choosing to let the farmers buy him out, but rather let houses and land fall to pieces.

Glad I left. And no, I'm not looking fw to any comments about it being the same in Switzerland!

Me a teacher

Not sure what made me think of it, but not many people know that I worked as a teacher for a couple of years in my youth. I was under the false impression that I liked kids, and wanted to practise as an extra teacher before I went on for the formal education. Of course I never did.

I those days I had two jobs. One, where I would be called in in the morning by a school that needed somebody to stand in for a sick teacher, and the other one working for my ex-friends parents, who had a book-binding factory. There I worked as an assistant in the office, using a type-writer for producing address labels or running a coffee cart through the factory at precise times.

But what I remember was a class of kids being 12-years-old at the time, having a teacher who broke a leg and I was asked to stand in. I was 19 at the time. I loved it!

My first action was to change the benches they were sitting at, so that they were in clusters of four (making them promise to put the benches back before their regular teacher came back). Also, it was I who decided who sat with whom. Naturally I put the "problem kids" with the kids with good behaviour. I remember it being a very fun time.

The broken leg took five weeks to recover, and I was in charge all this time. I cannot understand why the rector allowed it, but he did and I cherish the experience.

Not only did I teach all sorts of subjects, like science, maths, religion, social studies and even gymnastics, but it gave me a self confidence (yes I can!) that I have carried with me until today.

Funny to think that I have kids to thank for the life I have chosen to live :).

Damsel in distress

I have a friend who is always willing to help. To the point that I don't contact him anymore' cause I feel bad. When I do contact him to say I would like him to join me for just a coffee, a (better) type of drink or even something to eat, he's always too busy. But when it comes to a message saying "I need help with putting up a lamp or cleaning out a drain" he's always responding immediately, saying he'll be there.

I dunno what's it's called, but it's kinda a help syndrome. They (men) have to feel useful, helping a damsel in distress.

Now I've met another one. And listen to this. He sees this woman in a Migros shop, follows her, talks to her and tells her how beautiful she is (at this point in the story I'm thinking stalker! but couldn't be more wrong). She responds and agrees to meet him later in a cafe for a drink. What he didn't know at the time was that she was living on social security and had stolen some items in the shop, thinking he was a security guard following her. He was of course proud of himself, newly single, thinking he had still got it.

Long story short, she turned out to be a Russian with a diagnosis borderline, and even though she spent three weeks in a psycho institution, he still visited her every day. And spent a shitload of money on her (she used to give him a list of things to buy every time he visited and he dutifully bought her all the things she wanted!) Until he eventually learned that maybe she wasn't a prospect for the future.

Men! If I wasn't so bloody honest, I could've lived a life in luxury.

What a little paint can do

The house across from "mine" is being re-painted. It will raise the appearance of our 'hood, and give me something nicer to look at. Or as a friend phrased it "it'll raise your tax value". Oh dear. So not good.

But still, I think we're moving in the right direction. The corner of that house used to have a "erotic dvd-shop" for a couple of months before they folded, and now it's an "Asian massage" studio. Personally, I'm looking forward to when it'll be a bakery or something useful.

However, it made me remember when I was in the Caribbean, and the five-star-hotel I stayed in offered a "Swedish massage". I was curious, and booked a session. It turned out to be a massage, quite normal back ditto, lying on a bed, overlooking the ocean, and with a chatty Australian. And me being brought back to the hotel in a taxi, all oily from the massage, almost gliding into the front floor of the car.

So that was then, me exploring the world, and now I'm getting excited about a house being re-painted. Could it be age :) ?

Art

They say that the beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, which I happen to think is very true. I have seen some art in museums, and I cannot say I like "the scream" by Munch (how difficult can it be painting a face with an open mouth?), "la Guernica" by Picasso (just disturbing with nothing to rest the eyes on) or the self portrait by van Gogh (ugly guy, I'll say that). The sunflowers by the latter looks like something made by a student in 5th grade. Horrible.

Yet these paintings, if sold at all, go for millions and millions of money. It is unbelievable.

I myself prefer to have art on the wall that means something to me. Most of my paintings are either memories from where I lived or visited, or made or given to me by somebody I know.

Ok, so it would be nice to own a valuable painting but all I would do is to sell it and pocket the money.

I really don't get it. And yet still I do. It's all about the money. Again.

But really? How many people really do like these paintings? Not many is my educated guess.

Poor cat

Poor little wee one. A cat-fight, and snap! Broken leg. I will never let my cats out!

But I guess it's some consolation to be able to rest on a bed of three, no wait, four, now wait again there seem to be no less than five designer cushions!

Breakfast

Some people claim that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. BS I say. I have never been a breakfast eater, unless we're talking about brunch not before 1pm in the afternoon.

My fav so called breakfast is two cups of coffee with a wee bit of milk and as many cigarettes. Or more.

So when I woke up at seven this morning (!) and felt hunger I was really surprised. Ok so the cats woke me up, but couldn't go back to sleep so at eight I caved in and got up. Made two crisp bread sandwiches with ham and cucumber and ate it together with coffee. Yum! Very surprising.

Less surprising was that it came up two hours later.

Yes, I will never be a breakfast eater. Screw the people who say so.

Amish

Today I watched a documentary about the Amish, little did I know that they emanate from Germany. That might explain my neighbours!

But slowly, slowly they get nearer the real world, like eating pizza in McDonalds, having a kid carrying a gun (I'm guessing for shooting animals) and some even driving cars.

A long way to go though for feminism.

Interior decorating

This things with friends got me thinking. My friend is renovating and buying new furniture. We have very, very different taste. She has chosen to let build a very rustic iron and wooden table, uneven so that you can let bread crumbs fall through the cracks, whereas I have a modern glass table.

She's the type to spend her holiday visiting Brockenhauses and antique shops, where I think it smells bad in there and wouldn't go near it with a barge pole.

Funny that, 'cause when I visit her I think her home is very tasteful. She has chosen things that fit in her place. Makes me wonder, does she think the same about me?

Friends mean a lot

You know, there are friends and there are friends. Some happen to live in the same country and some don't. Some you are in contact with often, and some you don't.

Today I was lucky to be in touch with two of them. One who lives in Switzerland, and who I met today. Funnily enough we hadn't seen each other for maybe three months, due to busy times and holidays on her part, and me not wanting to impose on busy peoples lives. Nevertheless, it's always a pleasure to meet and catch up. Things happen in life, even in mine! I guess the difference is I blog about it, so when we meet it's more me listening than talking. Example: me: "so I've been trying to volunteer", she: "yes I know, I read about it on the blog". Haha, my own fault. And then I was told what I did wrong with the "application".

Later this evening I was skyped by somebody I hadn't heard from for I think two years. This is a person I successfully matchmaked with her current husband, and since I know they now have two kids, I believe I can confidently say I succeeded. And same thing here, when people get kids I can stay away and wait for them to take contact, no problem. Even if I don't know much about kids myself (other than giving a lot of unwanted advice I'm sure), I understand these are busy times.

But good friends always come back. And I heard something about teaching the 5-year-old to ski. Yes, I think there shall be a visit sometime within the next few years.

And yes, I'm definitely talking to the kid-loving neighbour about housing two children.

Pimp

When my new dog-friend announced that he might be interested in having some cleaning help, I immediately came to his rescue. After all, what are friends for? But since I only know one cleaning lady, she was the one I thought of.

So I sent an email to her, asking if she was interested. Five days later I got an answer, and yes she was. That was yesterday.

Today I met my dog-friend and as it turned out, she had already called him. Hmm. So I had to wait five days for an answer, but he got a call the same day. Interesting.

It got me thinking. So I told her a little bit about him, and him a little bit about her. When he had walked me to the bus station tonight they got contact on the phone, and seemed to be getting along fine. It was a quick handshake good-bye to me, and on he went on the phone.

When I got home she called me, sounding very cheerful. Saying however that "yes I know you said in the email that he was single, but I'm not looking for a man", but to me it didn't sound like that.

I am so looking forward to the story to be continued. On Friday they will meet for the first time...

Alu foil

I learned something new today. When my friend was cooking he used aluminium foil, and when he was done with it he put it in a box. He probably saw that I looked at him, and then explained that alu foil takes a lot of energy to produce and therefore should be deposited in a special place.

Turns out it's metal-like, and can be put in the metal-trash-bin found where the bottle bank containers are. Super! Alu foil takes up a lot of space in the Züri-bags we pay for to the get rid of trash, and if one can help the environment a bit I'm all for it.

Plus it needn't take up space in my Züri-bag. A win-win as we business people call it :).

In the outskirts of Zürich

Was out in the wilderness again today, and it was only an electric fence that prevented these beasts from attacking!

Then we took a stroll with the dog, encountering a very sweet cat. However, they didn't make friends exactly. The cat did like mine, showed a very bushy tail, like you better stay away. Clever dog did just that.

At home we enjoyed a nice dinner, and I was told I was only invited since I promised to cook Wienerschnitzel. I guess he likes that a lot.

The dog was exhausted and showed me just how much she likes being rubbed on the belly.

I wanna help

It's funny with Switzerland. Sometimes I think this country is too rich. I have tried to volunteer helping the homeless. That didn't work out, they had no need of my services.

I have time, I am willing and I want to help. Truth is, I feel a bit in debt. I took money from the government being jobless for a while, and that is not my thing. I know, I had an insurance for that, and I was right taking it, but still. That's not me.

So I have been looking for a way to pay back. To justify that I got money for doing nothing.

Some time ago I was talking to a neighbour, who has another neighbour, who is lonely. And that got me thinking. Old people! Yes, maybe that's where I can help. I like old people. They have tales to tell and even though they may not be moving as fast, or think on their feet, they are full of stories and have experiences I can only dream of.

So on Sunday I sent an email to the responsible people in Zürich, saying that I can devote some time every week to the elderly. Help them with visits to doctors, talk to them, cook together, guide them with internet or similar things.

Did I get an answer? No. Not yet. But I am cautiously optimistic.

Commercial tv

I watch a few American shows now and then, and also other foreign shows. What irritates me is not so much the commercials, you can always take a toilet moment, go to the kitchen or do something while the sound of people trying to sell this and that drones on, no it's something else that makes me mad.

The re-runs. So you watch the beginning of a show, and learn to fast-forward the introduction that usually lasts 1,5 minute and off you go. Until the first commercial break 10 minutes later. Ok, fine, again you go do something (refill a glass of white is my fav), but then!

Coming back after the break they give you a re-run of what happened the first 10 minutes! Do they think I have Alzheimers or am going senile? If so, it wouldn't matter would it? 'Cause then I wouldn't remember anyway. Do they think somebody just switched on the telly to start watching the program in the middle? If so, why do all the other people watching the show have to be tortured because some people can't tell time?

I don't get it. I think maybe people get dumber and dumber these days.

You're too young!

These are words I don't hear that often anymore, so I gotta say it was genious of me to find an older friend. Older than me that is.

We spent four hours on the lake today talking about everything and anything, like hospitals and operations we had, to food we like (I'm gonna cook wienerschnitzel and he's countering with chateau-briand), like politics in Switzerland to places we've visited, to dogs and cats vs strange pets like reptiles and fish to history to Obama to building construction to neighbours to...

Actually the weirdest thing was a story about somebody who died in the flat-building he lives in. He didn't live there then, but he heard. Somebody died and nobody knew, until the neighbours started to smell something fishy. Yeah a dead body. And the owner who lived elsewhere didn't wanna pay for renovation (apparently a body stinks so much you have to rip the whole apartment apart and redo it in order to get rid of the smell). But the rest of the flat-owners took a vote and made her renovate. And right they were if you ask me!

Most flat-buildings where I come from prefer that the owner her or himself actually live in the flat they own, 'cause they tend to care more. Something to think about re the owners of the flat underneath me!

Anyway, we rounded the evening off with an introduction for new friend incl dog at my fav bar. Not a bad day at all!

Monday dinner

Had some friends over for dinner tonight. We used to meet more often, but time flies, and it was a long time ago since we had time to catch up. They were so happy, they even smiled when forced to put a note in the guest book :).

I was asked to mention what we ate. It was wienerschnitzel, potatoes a la Hasselback and green peas. Some carrot and cucumber sticks with a chili dip as a starter, and the famous cake made by one of my guests as dessert. To that a red wine that I saved almost two years, and white wine (no, not my house ditto but a different one) with the starter.

Yes, a good evening with good friends. What more can one ask for?

Trek and ladybugs

I had a very difficult day today. I had to trek into the wilderness, and walk all the way uphill from a distant train station to the destination. I took 20 minutes and was uphill big time. Ok the first eight minutes were straight ahead on a big road, but then! Uphill at a degree never seen before. And there were animals! Not wild mind you, but still.

When I arrived, sweaty and swearing (ok, not loud) they laughed at me. Saying it took them only eight minutes to walk the same distance. When pressed it turned out that they meant downhill! Yeah, of course. So not the same thing!

And the theme of the day was ladybugs. There were ladybugs everywhere from the decoration, to the wings on the birthday girl to the food to mats on the floor to the cake to...

I was actually thinking the other day when I found a live ladybug in my flat to bring it as a present ('cause the oldfashioned paper invitation was in the form of...you-know-what), but decided against it in the end. But if they keep it up with these crazy theme-thing they may be in for a surprise next year!

A full day

So today it was the duck race. Unfortunately my two didn't perform enough to win me a scooter. Scheisse, but I was pleased to hear that the Zürich cancer fund went from 1,500 ducks last year to at least 2,500 this year. It gives hope to people with cancer.

Then it was dinner at my place for five grownups and one screamy kid (gosh, has that one got lungs!) plus a dog. And two very scared cats.

And finally it was time to visit my fav place for a drink and some relaxation. As well as standing on a wooden bench, clapping and singing along to the music. Yes I know, I never said I was sophisticated. But I do try to get as much fun out of life as one possibly can!