Sleeping in.
Ham biscuits with balsamico mustard for breakfast.
A long and leisurely walk through the quarter.
What a perfect follow-up to a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Month: November 2008
O-Bento
Years ago, in the town where I lived in Germany, going out for Japanese food involved a drive of nearly two hours; not because the city I lived in was so big, but because the next Japanese restaurant was so far away.
Today that same town boasts three (3) Japanese restaurants. That’s one for every 100,000 people living in town.
But that is not a problem for me any longer. If I am in the mood for Japanese food (which is always) I have the choice of four places within a radius of five minutes walking distance from the house.
My cup would flow over with joy if a Ramen place would open up nearby. As it is, for that delight one has to get into the car and drive for 10 minutes.
Oh well, that is still a shorter distance than what I was used to.
Office Aesthetics
Three 500 GIG external hard drives and one keyboard. Offices are not boring places.
It all depends on the point of view.
My Favorite Gecko
…lives in a Cuban bar/restaurant called”Cuba Libre” on Vermont. Whenever one goes there, there he is, doing what geckos do – sitting still, looking interesting.
Right, it’s not a real gecko; somebody stuck him up on the wall for decoration. But I love going to the place because of it. The food is good, the drinks are up to the standard one expects from a “bordering on the serious” bar – but the gecko makes me smile.
Every time.
Which is probably the best reason to return again and again.
That Glorious California Sun
It turns even the most utilitarian structures into a delightful ensemble of light and shadow.
(Campus UCSD)
To New Shores
November 4th 2008 will forever stay in the history books as the day when the people of the US said “enough.” They went and voted for a change and won.
Yesterday was still too filled with emotions, with letting sink in this feeling that all will be well. No, there will be no manna raining from heaven, the cows won’t shit dollar bills and there will be no wine flowing in the rivers. Times ahead will be hard, even harder than they already are – but it will be worth it.
The country is on its way to new shores. Proud and willing to do what it takes. It is wonderful to be part of this effort.
After the nastiest election campaign imaginable, many souls will be filled with inner peace again, unfolding like a serene lotus flower.
Dia De Los Muertos
Old age and even more so death seem to be quite high on the taboo list of many Western societies. Somehow I have the feeling that many people assume that by simply never touching the subject they will never grow old or never die. Hmm. These people might be in for a surprise.
Then there are societies where such topics are not taboo, but part of life. The “Day of the Dead” in Mexico is one example. The whole family goes out to the cemetery, they clean the grave site of dead relatives, put up candles and flowers and have a picnic. Yes, the kids are there, too. They learn very early on that life and death are interwoven in an endless circle.
Another tradition is the building of private altars for the deceased in the family. These installations are very colorful and incorporate photos of the family members to be so honored, flowers, their favorite foods and skulls made of sugar.
This tradition has evolved into a form of art. At a local art gallery today we saw several of those altars; the most impressive one was this one:
Another quite striking modern interpretation was this installation:
Even the simple skulls made of sugar have evolved into something much more elaborate, like beautifully fashioned cakes, much too pretty to eat:
Lots of children were running around at the art gallery, having fun and munching little sugar skulls. One hopes so much that they will grow up with a healthy understanding that old age and death are part of life for all of us.