Buried.

So for the past week I have almost literally been buried in things to do!

I last left you on Wednesday. After work I proceeded to a restaurant opening called Sushi Plus ("Sushi +" actually), which is right around the corner from where I work. It was such a spectacular event! I went with my Danish lovely, Pernile (because she was so wonderful in asking me to go to the fashion show!) We walked in, and the decor was very traditional (bamboo for a railing!). We received sparkling wine at the entrance and were allowed to scope around for a bit before everything started. I liked a lot of the furnishing choices they made, and in one of the back rooms, there was a separate corridor for special gatherings, and it was divided by the sliding paper doors through a rock garden! They even simulated sitting on the floor by dropping the table down into a hole.

The best part about it was the food. Looking at it, watching it being made, and EATING IT (duh). We were able to snag some good stuff. Maki, sashimi, nigiri, tempura, salad, miso soup, lychee, you name it! We were nicer than everyone else who came though, because we shared. Sushi goes like wildfire here. You would think they had never eaten quality fish before. I was certainly happy, and so was Pernille! We both agree that Butterfish sashimi/nigiri is our new favorite :).

After that I met some more friends for coffee (well, hot chocolate for me) which then turned into a "wine tasting" of sorts! We went to a place called "Flowers" into the back room where they have their wine racks. We tried a Rioja, and it was delicious. There were event 4 types of cheese involved :). Overall, very exciting day.

NEXT STORY!!!

So, my Swedish friend Anki (Ann-Christine) is leaving us (as we speak actually...her plane should be taking off right now) She has been here for a long time, so we obviously had to send her off in style, so her celebrations went all the way from Thursday to Monday. How do I ever survive these marathons? I don't know. It's not a lifestyle I will be able to keep up once back in the US of A. Highlights? Dancing in Medusa, Eating at Slovak Pub, Going to the Bratislava Zoo, and getting 20% off our tab at Kikaku Sushi (I know, twice in one week! It's the first sushi I've had in Slovakia!) I will be posting photos of all these excursions soon. It just takes awhile now because my picture adder tool puts them in HTML format, so I have to really pay attention to which ones I add and when, which takes more time than I currently have allotted.

I'm actually going to an event sponsored by the American Embassy tonight. They are going to replay parts of the Presidential Debates and field questions. They will also be informing people on how to vote while overseas. I have already registered for my absentee :) No word on whether they will actually give me one or not!

Moment of Peace

Because sometimes a CamelBack just isn't enough...



(insert hysterical laughter here)

We have more fun

What I've been up to for the past couple of weeks!

I told the girls to take a photo as if we were excited about being out. This is what I got.



Apparently this helps with Brain Freeze? Pernille wholeheartedly disagrees.





No one is better at "Blue Steel" than Pernille



Trying to be my friend Jake.



We met some crazy Hungarians, who were actually good dancers! (at least, they made the effort)





Kristian! A Danish visitor :) I don't think we scared him so badly that he won't come back.

Mmmm. Food.

Such a big part of my life. Most eat to live, I live to eat. Can you blame me when stuff looks this good?


Rabbit (sorry bethany) wrapped in bacon with a plum sauce that I had at the Three Musketeers restaurant. The decor in this place was hilarious, and they even wrap bibs (well, large cloth napkins) around your neck!



I obviously enjoyed the bib part



Also notice the HUGE beers? They are not just "Velke" (or 0.5L) but a "Porthos" portion (0.7L) It took me FOREVER to drink it, but it stayed cold because of the earthenware mug!



Banana (bread) Cake! I put bread in parenthesis because that is what it is supposed to be, but as you can see, it looks much more like a cake (and tasted more like a cake) because of ingredients and utensils used. Delicious though. I attempted my first international banana bread at Erin's employers house. Lots of fun, and now I know I can do, so there will be more for sure.



Erin has this "Higher Taste" cookbook, and we thought we'd try to make something! This is Baba Gannouj. Tasty! They didn't have tahini in Tesco, so I thought maybe we could make our own with some sesame seeds, olive oil and an immersion blender! The funny part? It actually worked! (at least in the most basic way) Then we baked some pita bread with some seasoning, and we were in business!



Many more culinary adventures to come I am sure :) Especially once I actually find time to grocery shop

Updates

So, I've been playing around with the format of my blog (because sometimes you need a facelift), and there is some new stuff! I now have a "follower"!!! So exciting :) Also, I have a Shelfari book collection, so you can see what I've been reading, and suggest new books for me to look into! (post college reading material = AWESOME) There are also links to some of my favorite blogs and companies that I believe are noteworthy.

Enjoy!

Through the Wilderness

Remember when I said I wanted some more nature and action in my life? Well, all I had to do was go to the mountains (High Tatras) in Eastern Slovakia, also known as Slovensky Raj! (Slovak Paradise). Erin, Nadja, Anki, Pernille and I piled into the car and decided to take a quick weekend trip. The drive only takes about 4 hours, so its just like my drive going back and forth to Cornell from Ohio!

I could not have asked for a better trip. We sang songs, created the Eagle Squadron, got dirty, got wet, moved furniture, met some great people, and ultimately exhausted ourselves. It was great!

Here is me and the "supplies" I bought for everyone! If you know me, you know that includes personalized trail mix bags! Erin and I came up with labels for everyone as well. For example: "Perfectly Pretty Pernille" and "Notoriously Naughty Nadja". You can imagine the giggling that went into deciding those. Doing quadruple E was difficult (Erin and Elise...hmmm) but we managed.



When we got there we decided to get something to eat before making our first trek. There was a restaurant right next to the check in station, so it seemed convenient. The food was SO GOOD. I had this great "Food in a Pouch" combo with sour milk. The decor of the place was the best part. Here is a shot of me becoming one with my surroundings.



They do things differently in Denmark.



Figuring out our route for the day. Lots of chances to get lost! WOO!



The first of many obstacles we faced. They get worse. Much. Much. Worse.



Proof you say? Take a look at these 3 pictures! There were times that I was literally having intimate moments with the rock face.







I lead the stretching after the first day :) It is very important to keep your muscles warm and flexible after a tough workout!



Oh goodness. As masochists, we went back for more!



We made it all the way up the hill! HOLY FRIJOLES NEGROS! (not many pictures were taken due to the sheer DANGER of taking out your camera)


Erin and her waterproof shoes...and the river that POISONED Erin, Pernille and me for almost 3 days!



After a good meal at the top, we obviously needed an ice cream break after we made it all the way back down again. Down was almost as difficult as the up because its never a straight route. There are HILLS and ROOTS and RIVERS in your way. Hell of a route to take to school...think of the stories you could tell your kids!

Headline News?

Seriously people? You report on this?

3-ply Toilet Paper = NOT A NEW CONCEPT. At least, not in Europe. Erin and I buy the "Peach" kind...made by Tesco of all places.

I know that all journalists need SOMETHING to write about, but I can see them kicking themselves and saying "I went to Newhouse! WHY AM I IN THIS JOURNALISTIC HELL?!?!?"


(love you Hannah)

The People We Love

Europe really loves their 3-day weekends. Yesterday was Sedembolestná Panna Mária (Our Lady of Sorrows), and I had one of the best weekends ever.

The funny thing?


Most of it was spent scooting (Family slang for "cuddle") on the couch watching movies on Surf The Channel with Erin and going to work with her (since she doesn't have a normal working schedule like the rest of us because she works for a family) and cooking, baking, and rolling around on the floor with an 8 month old baby boy. I used self-raising flour for the first time. Worked pretty well!

It was just so nice to sit around, do nothing and enjoy someone's company. Especially since the weather turned this weekend, and Slovakia has officially been plunged into autumn. It's 48 and raining. Time to break out the Wellies and sweaters!

Family Ties

I had a Hannah moment today.

While walking off the tram to go home from work, I was involved in reading "Black Rain" by Masuji Ibuse. I got off the tram, started down to sidewalk towards my street, and unknowingly went underneath a tree.

This tree had very low branches, and proceeded to take the headband right out of my hair!

Luckily I think only a couple people saw me.

I guess that is what happens when you are engrossed in literature!

Diplomatic Ties

Last Thursday my Danish friend Pernille invited me to go to a FASHION SHOW that featured 4 Key Portugeuse designers in celebration of the Portugeuse President's visit to Slovakia. The Embassy received the invitation for 2 people, and apparently no one in her office wanted to go. Silly. So, she swiped it, and asked me!!! We've both had some runway experience, so it seemed appropriate.

In short, no way was I turning her down.

One of the designers was Filipe Faisca (www.filipefaisca.com)

Here are some pictures of us girls before and during the show!

Because I can.

Something cute from the lovely people at ShoeBoxBlog. I like their humor, and it is especially appropriate after conversations I've had with people back in the States about financial crisis.

“A recent Nielsen survey found that the economic
downturn has not greatly affected consumer spending on beer”
–The Washington Post

by Scott

With prices getting steeper,
The recession’s growing deeper
And we’re sweating from inflationary fears.
We can hardly see an ending
To the recent downward trending,
But we’ll never cut our spending
On our much-beloved beers!

For beer will make you merry
Though your debts are downright scary
And perhaps you’ve got some taxes in arrears.
It’s a magic, healing potion
That’ll settle your emotion
At the speed with which your paycheck disappears.

So we’ll practice moderation
At the Shell or Phillips station
And we’ll shop the Dollar Store instead of Sears.
Yes, we’ll wear the Wal-Mart label,
We’ll put Ramen on the table,
We may even give up cable,
But we won’t cut back on beers!

Why is it that...?

This one is for all of my friends SOUTH of the Mason-Dixon*. I love you guys.


Why is it that people who are classified as "White Trash" push the limits of their trashiness? Is it purely for the entertainment of us Yanks*?


*(for the foreigners who read my blog: Mason-Dixon is the imaginary geographical line that separates the North from the South, and also serves as the border between Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. A "Yankee" is a slang term for a Northerner)

Turicke Muž

This past weekend was a 4 day holiday for Slovak's, so my friends Sarp and Jacub and I decided to take advantage of this (and the low SkyEurope air ticket prices) to go to Turkey! Sarp is from the Beşiktaş region of Istanbul, so he was our guide for the trip. Our flight got into Istanbul at 2:00am Saturday morning. I'm still suffering from sleep debt, but I wouldn't trade that experience for anything! Plus, now I can say I've been to Asia because the city is split into two continental sides by the Bosphorus river!

This is one of Sarp's friends who was nice enough to pick us up from the airport, which is about 60km away from the center of the city. Oops. I got my first real life experience with Turkish driving with him. I stopped keeping track of the near death instances because it was making me anxious.



We were fortunate enough to be in Turkey during their national Victory, or Independence celebration, so there were Turkish flags everywhere, and pictures of their first President, Atatürk



This is Sarp's "Vatican City", better known as the Beşiktaş Jymnasium Klub Futbol Stadium. You'll see pictures of the inside later on in this post



On Saturday (rather, later on Saturday) we did some sightseeing! Here is the entrance to Dolmabahçe Palace, where many of the Sultans lived.













What Turkish security guards do when they are bored







We had to wear special "shower cap" looking baggies over our shoes because everything in the Palace was the original decoration



Atatürk, the first Turkish President. He is also on all of their money.



This is the bed where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk died. He suffered from cirrhosis of the liver, so when Sarp and his friends are going out for a heavy night of drinking, they say they are trying to be more like their legendary leader



This is the bed where the young princes underwent circumcision. Looks pretty comfortable for post-op recuperation



This is a yogurt, water and salt drink called Ayran. It is very refreshing on a hot day :)



This is where I had my first Turkish Döner Kebap!




We also went to Hagia Sophia, literally "Holy Wisdom". All 3 major single deity religions are able to worship here.







This is the weeping column. It is a tradition to put your thumb into the hole here and try to rotate your hand 360˚, which would signify that your soul is free from sin. It is also said that if you make a wish, turn your thumb in the whole, and it comes out damp, your wish will come true. Reminiscent of Roman Holiday if you ask me.







The outside of Hagia Sophia



Sultanahmet Mosque



On the inside!



I wasn't allowed past that point 1. Because I'm not Muslim and 2. Because I am female.





I liked this phrase because it sounded incredibly familiar. Shows that while our religions may be very different, they are also very much the same.



Turkish people are obsessed with corn! They had these stands everywhere, and then also mobile vendors sold corn on the cob that had been roasted



On our way to the Sultanahmet Mosque (also known as the Blue Mosque)



The Great Bazaar!





The "Jeton"s for riding public transport



I didn't mean for the picture to be blurry, but I think the overall effect is interesting :)



We got to hang out with some of Sarp's friends out on the river. Of course, they are all Beşiktaş supporters. They brought a clarinet and a drum to aid in their singing.



The main beer in the city is Efes, and its a Pilsner.



Everywhere we went, Sarp knew someone. This meant we got lots of free stuff! Here is a mussel stuffed with rice and drizzled with lemon juice. DELISH!



Taksim (another of the Istanbul districts) at night





Obviously we were having an amazing time.



The Naval Beach!





Turkish Delight! (I bought some, so soon I will be able to complete that phrase with "On a moonlit night")







Turkish people love their Nargile (water pipe) and Backgammon. I beat both of the boys! It wasn't exactly fair though, because they both helped me with strategy...and I kept getting double 6's.



View from the ferry when switching continents.



We were so lucky to be able to attend a football game! We were in the middle of the most passionate Beşiktaş supporters, and they NEVER stopped chanting! I knew some of them because Sarp had taught me already. (for example, Beşiktaş şim ole!) The energy in the stadium was amazing, and the team won 2-0!



Sarp and his brother Mert







I thought these cigarette labels in the airport Duty Free were hilarious. Such a direct approach to getting people to quit, or just to feel bad about themselves.