jackdoors, I'm told Tweet

jackdoors, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Trying (and failing) to add some blogging to an otherwise civilised weekend, I retreated to the swinging bench in the garden, but my eyes didn't glue to the screen. I suppose that's what happens when one is fed too well, conversed, and constantly poked to show some of those marvelous photos. And there they were, on the chimney, almost as cute as an owl. Imagine the disappointment of learning they were jackdoors. Ravens. Crows *sigh* At least I documented a fact yet unknown, that they were nesting in the neighbourhood. And moved without a blink to gin and tonics, and Sunday roast dinner.

happy path Tweet

happy path, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

We took a walk today in the marshy area by the river. The chat was stormy, the weather not. What do you mean, which river? Perhaps the map will bring some light.

1032 Tweet

1032, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Night falls. London, UK

in bloom tomorrow Tweet

in bloom tomorrow, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

I have arrived in Ipswich at the hour of the poppies. I wonder when my camera will rest.

on my way out Tweet

Olympic stadium, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

On my way out of London today I managed to shut up long enough to spot the Olympic site growing. And my, is it coming up nicely! There's the stadium, the undulated roof of the pool designed by Zaha Hadid, and even the car park (exciting, no? a guess, anyway).

Zaha Hadid's undulating roof, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

I guess this is a welcomed side effect of traveling to Ipswich, whenever the odd weekend freed of maintenance works arises. Beautiful land England, too bad their approach at bettering things is constantly fixing them instead of tearing them apart and starting afresh.

car park?, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

In a recent email for potential volunteers like me, I've learned that the summer of 2010 [...] is when we plan to launch the programme and invite people formally to apply to volunteer at the Games. In future updates we will send you more specific information in relation to the application process. So fingers crossed that they need me in some awesome capacity.

1031 Tweet

1031, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Curated views. Lisbon, Portugal

hellooo, ladies! Tweet

ladies, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

One of my favourite sights in London involves women and clothes, both so special that no one could blame me of more than appreciating beauty. Elegantly wearing a gown against all winds of the city, and a delicate scarf, fluttering like angel wings? What's not to like? Using a bright scarf instead of a boring raincoat belt? I cheer! Tinsy bits of inspiration come at me from all directions, even when I don't live the house. And, then, somehow, the eye trained on the streets of London (rather than some old school magazine that has lost touch with real life) goes traveling, and keeps spotting an agile ankle here, and a perfect red dress there. No wonder then that I've put together quite a collection of inspiring ladies, and started one of lads, as well. Though I agree the latter may be tipped towards, errr, cute, sensitive, and sexy rather than fashionable, at times. In both cases, blame the eye.

1030 Tweet

1030, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Buckingham Christmas. London, UK

holiday treasures: a pedestal for hearts Tweet

pedestal, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

We've had the pebble hearts for a while now, but not a good way to display them. How lucky, then, that this flat and almost rectangular stone, found on the rocky beach across the bay (like many other treasures), made it to London in one piece to only make itself useful. Can you tell how zen I am?

and the guests keep arriving Tweet

this one is loud, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

I assume this is nothing but a sparrow, though they're not so yellow-bellied in Bucharest. It must be a London sparrow, then. And I say 'just' because it's rather loud than singing beautifully, like other birds I'd love seeing around. Nevertheless, it's cute (getting that feeder, indeedy), and the first time it comes around. In fact, two of them keep returning on the railings, one of which already perched up on the window, as well, even closer to me. I wonder what's hot about that window, now. A large bee keeps banging its head on it as I write.

1029 Tweet

1029, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Corners. Lisbon, Portugal

chez gorgeoux: marrow soup Tweet

marrow soup, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

In Romania we have something similar to courgettes / zucchini. VERY similar. Shape, size, even colour at times. But my love insisted to call it marrow when seeing it in the shops or at the market, and had none of it. Of course, if you ask me, he had plenty of it, and loved it. As long as I didn't call it marrow, we were doing just great.

Back here, I kept insisting that we're not too posh for marrow, especially when courgettes are a fortune, and eventually he got me two pieces of it a couple of months ago. Imagine my jaw dropping at seeing that each of them was thicker than my arm, and perhaps 1kg heavy! No wonder marrow wasn't exactly a thrill.

I embarked on a journey, nevertheless, to make the giant squash edible. And I don't like any type of squash that much, believe me, others waited for more than a month in our drawer, and nothing good came their way. So I cooked the first marrow a month ago, perhaps, in a noodle salad. Considering all the other (better, he'd insist) flavours of the dish, he ate it without many complaints.

Today I had eyed the second one and decided to do an even better job. So I proceeded to cook what he calls the classic soup (a mystery to me, until recently): slowly sauteed onion in butter, added rice (flour is traditional, but it generally builds lumps inside my dishes, and the whole point is starch, after all), then the finely sliced marrow, and a generous serving of sesame seeds.

When the marrow turned mushy and golden, I added vegetable stock, salt and pepper, and simmered all a bit more, before letting it cool a bit. While I blended it, croutons and garlic sauteed slowly in butter. Yes, it was a winner, and tomorrow we'll have the second serving, topped with crispy bacon or some such.

As he wow-ed that that couldn't be marrow, I promised myself to not go that way again and I pondered all this classic soup base shenanigan. Eventually, I decided that its raison d'etre is making weird things edible. Easy peasy. But, while I can't state that I won't employ it often, it smacks all the fun out of soups. The way I know soups. Romanian. Sour and clear in the South, sweet and soured with cream in the West. Served with a chili many times, fresh or pickled. Bursting with fresh flavours of seasonal veggies and REAL meat. None of that stock nonsense *sigh*

BUT let's not even start me on the subject of sour cream and stock again. For all their culinary curiosity and exposure to many nations' cuisine, the English could use a cure in Romania. How about that for country branding?

not quite a butterfly Tweet

what is this?, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

As I opened the window for the first smoke of the day, this creature made itself seen. It's alright, but not as sexy as a bee, if you follow me. I ignored it with great success as the first whirl of smoke took me half a life back in time, at my grandma, in Transylvania. On rainy days, it smelled just like this, watery, green, fresh, and the occasional smoke traveled from the shed in the yard where dad tinkered with one thing or another. Same did the occasional unknown bug.

chez gorgeoux: breakfast the old way Tweet

breakfast, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

When I had breakfast, as a single girl, it would more often than not look a lot like this: cold cuts, cheese, fresh veggies and bread. During holiday, the resident chef decided to give it credit, and here it is, back in my life again, though we still cannot find JUST the cheese or JUST the cold cuts or, for that matter, JUST the tomato. Polish cured meats don't cut it yet (but I'm on the lookout for a proper, close by Polish deli) but that pancetta wasn't bad at all. Feta cheese is a good compromise for now, and I heard through the grapevine that REAL cucumbers may be delivered fresh from Romania in a bit more than a week. It's looking up.

1028 Tweet

1028, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Different shades of richness. London, UK

holiday log: may 9th 2009, may be a bird, and a flu, but not together Tweet

calm, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

A swarm of flying ants covered the deck last evening after the sunset. The geckos had been out for a while, unusually, maybe waiting for food to fly straight on their tongues. The ants didn't bite, but crawled everywhere, and loved the bulb's white light. We had dinner without it, thus, using the candles, both real and the LED variety from Philips (same ones we have at home). At some point during the meal, our host came over to check a new theory. He replaced the white light lamp with a pleasant, yellow one that he fashioned himself out of LEDs installed inside a bamboo sheath. He had a similar one above their table, in the back of the kitchen, and noticed it didn't spot as many ants as the kitchen lamp. To our general surprise, and relief, the insects didn't crowd about it at our table either. Quite on the contrary. We all wondered aloud what did the trick, and loved it nevertheless. As the experience is great and the consumption is much lower, our host will probably turn a lot of the existent bulb lamps into LED lights next year.

shutting down, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

We then joined him and wife for a glass of rum at their table, to wish him bon voyage. Rain started before he could take the boat out of the bay, though, so we had another glass of rum, and waited, conversing. It wasn't until 3-4 in the morning, I'm told, that he could finally leave for Puerto Princesa, where the bad cabin put in a while back will be entirely rebuilt. By those wee hours, however, we were fast asleep, having enjoyed the elegant dance of the singular, green, shiny firefly in our own bedroom. Even that creature decided to stay away from the storm. Or was it our sparkling company?

green bay, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

We got up before eight. Chris has had a rough night, after a couple of dizzy days, so he wanted a pill for his headache, a walk in the breeze, and a loose chat. Soon after he fell asleep on the sun bed outside the house. Rain was dripping from the yucca-like trees. The sea was green, and quiet like a lake, though with the full moon last night the tide was so high that there was nearly no beach left. Rioting swallows kept flying through the decked area, in pairs. Tiny yellow and brown birds of alto voices, the size of my thumb perhaps (hard not to confuse them with certain insects) quarreled in the trees nearby. As I sipped my coffee, a bird the size of a large parrot flew across the shore, really low, its beak bright orange, its feathers striking turquoise and green. A large king fisher. An even larger bird caught my eye next, a black and white flutter across the garden. The hornbill. Today must be the day of the birds.

dosing off, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Chris is dosing on and off. He stopped taking Malarone today, worried it might be connected with what he feels/ has, and we hope for the best. I wandered around a bit, noting all the coconuts cracked in half on the rocky beach in the back of the island, left to dry in the morning sun, I presume. A surreal landscape. On my way back I picked a frangipani flower from the grass, put it in my hair, and here I am, chilling.

surreal landscape, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Time passed and, before lunch, the garden filled with laughter. Our host's friends, mainly women, stopped over for the afternoon, bringing chilled wine and snacks and giggling unstoppably. It seemed they were island hopping. When Chris was comfortable enough with his chills and dosing, having had paracetamol and chicken soup with green papaya, I joined the party, following repeated invitations. Before going I placed a covered plate by his sofa, though. The rice cake that ended the lunch was absolutely glorious, and always a good idea (rice itself) when one has a troubled stomach.

rice cake in banana leaf, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

In the garden, everything was discussed: the beach, bathing, Palawan, children, environment, curls vs. straight hair, living in Milan, living in London, thighs and cleavages, teenage years going out, marrying an Englishman, local cashews, armed resort security forces, the simple and beautiful house and even my post about delaying the period, which our host had read before our arrival. Jokes were cracked every minute, literally cascading.

close look, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

After they left, we took another walk on the beach and I found a deep green fragment of shell. Chris thought it might be some man made material the sea had been chewing for a while. I don't know, it looked gorgeous and, with the colours shells get here, not impossibly animal/ mineral. Meanwhile, he felt like a quick swim, and I took another gorgeous sunset in, quietly waiting.

green shell, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

After dinner, however, Chris wasn't doing great. He had a fever. It got more serious after he went to bed, and we drained the sweat off him many times that night, and fiddled with towels and sheets to make him comfortable each time around. At least, he stopped having weird, confusing, upsetting dreams, and I was over the moon with the sweating, guessing that whatever was pestering his body (a virus?) seemed to be losing the battle and leaving it. Thankfully, all in all, my love had little trouble sleeping, and I kept on reading American Gods, the most arresting book this holiday.

holiday treasures: wooden dishes Tweet

wooden dishes, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Our hosts served a lot of her fabulous food on wooden plates and it made me think about such Romanian dishes a lot. It didn't take long, then, to ask where we can get some, and all the beautiful display under your eyes became ours for 16-17 EUR upon returning to Puerto Princesa City. The shop is run by the father and step-mom of Hibiscus Garden Inn's Jane (who kindly drove us back and forth, and guided us through the shop) and contains a million unique carved pieces in its many, tiny, packed rooms connected by as tiny an interior garden where bright orchids catch the eye. Briefly ;)

1027 Tweet

1027, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

A little bit of purple. London, UK

a guest Tweet

a guest, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

The broom is once again in bloom, and as I typed away in its fragrance, I kept hearing a buzz, on and off. When I finally checked, I had a visitor! And for once in my life I didn't panic, though the bee was rather plump. Either the holiday fixed me fr European bugs or I was too rapt with the success of our plant. Two days ago, a butterfly paused on one of our Mexican marigolds, and two days ago, a bird enjoyed our table. Encouraging. I'm so getting that bird feeder next weekend in Ipswich!

holiday log: friday may 8th 2009, all creatures under the sun Tweet

twilight, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

It's 5:30 in the morning and the sky has the blue of murky sea waters at twilight. The racket outside is confusing: leaves in the wind, heavy raindrops, coconuts falling? On the other side of the wooden wall, the loud calling begins, as if it were in the room: ge-cko, ge-cko, tu-ko, tu-ko (say the Filipinos), a dozen times perhaps, often ending in a halfhearted throat clearing. That other funny creature, still to meet, picks the morning ritual up: the bug literally sounds like a car alarm. Caretakers' children buzz around the garden, collecting huge leaves dislodged by the storm. I could stay up, watch the shadows caress the beach and the waves, but it's a dark, chilly morning made for sleeping.

morning at the beach, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

The other day, trying out the sofa, I felt the pillow behind my back moving, and heard something heavy brush against it, against the wall perhaps. Soon after I was rudely pushed away and instinctively turned to my right, where the main friction had originated. Lo and behold, there was a midsized gecko on the wall, by my head, freed and beautiful. Needless to say, it had plenty more options to get out from under the sofa, but I think it was making a point. I jumped, nevertheless (harmless, fine, but that big, that close?!), regained control of myself, grabbed the camera and captured the creature's blues and greens and polka dots for when memory colours will fade.

blue green gecko, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

I guess my annoyance with omnipresent bugs (even under this net, trust me) is twofold: all that touching my skin AND the lack of larger creatures around, beautiful sights that would be THE prize for a city girl who avoided a thousand shrieks and heart arrests in a day. The other day's gecko made it up to me partly. And then, there was a small white and shiny dark blue bird at breakfast yesterday (king fisher), too quick and edgy for my shutter (but I got a good second look this morning). Yet the orange slice I left on a sunny corner of the deck, to feed some of the many butterflies passing by, is still untouched.

It's gotten to mosquito hour already and, reading my third book outside, I decided to chance it. Funny that, now that our hosts kindly gave us a tube of Off! and we no longer have to use amounts too small to protect us, in the highest possible Western strength but with highest failure rate, too. Off! works, so that strangely encourages me to keep off my skin for longer, at least until the first bite arrives.

king fisher, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

That time of the month passes uneventful, a half-drunk bottle of red Syrah in front of me. No less than 18 years ago I learnt, out of my parents' desperation at my suffering (fever so high that hallucinations followed), that a well placed bottle of red wine will cut the main trouble down to a day and keep it sotto voce. I stick by that new found religion even at the tropics (where red wine would not be the spirit of choice), gazing at the sea covered in last night's storm debris and the beach succumbed under seaweed and coconuts. Will I be brave enough to swim in deeper waters these days? Will I see the strange rock fish, the clams, and the turtles? Or will I rather focus on offering butterflies even more varied, juicer fruits?

mango & pineapple, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

The pineapple and the mango here are awe-inspiring, so much that I'm considering not eating their faint substitutes back home anymore. Papaya, however, no matter how flavoured and moist, is a fruit I don't get. And, mind you, I've been eating bananas here, the kind no supermarket can deliver (ah, that fried banana in crispy rice pastry yesterday!). I don't like bananas, I thought, they're so bland and often astringent, unlike the rare treats of my childhood, those Christmas surprises mom had to buy on the black (gray?) market and then keep in a brown paper bag, in the dark, to let ripe. It turns out that Palawan mango is known to be good around here, though not the best in The Philippines, and yet cannot leave the island as it's cursed with a black bug disease. Further proof that most things are best in their land, in their season.

fried banana in crispy rice pastry, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

There seem to be very few flowering plants in the garden, and with the exception of frangipani and that poinsettia lookalike, this may just not be the season for them. I wish there were more, however, to make the butterflies stay, among other benefits :) but I hear from our host that she gave up any bougainvillea and such after the typhoons some ten years ago messed them all up and reclaimed the house roof in the process. I wonder whether there are mango trees in faraway corners of the garden, though they attract bats and monkeys, none of which I'd seen yet. I also wonder whether I'll see more fireflies at night. I simply love those creatures! Though, having seen just one, I should perhaps use the singular.

tomato salad, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Today's simple tomato salad reminded me of yesterday's lovely, lovely starter at lunchtime: salad of tomato and sweet potato leaves (did I get that right?) with red onion (preferred by our host, in general). Didn't even know what those leaves look like, nevermind that they're edible! I expect they're grown here, though I don't know whether these tomatoes came from the garden (where they seemed green, still) or the market. They're good, yet not as tasty as in Romania, and our host generally opts for healthy lemon dressing, probably not knowing that a drop of balsamic (vinegar, too) makes most tomatoes shine more in a dish (except she may have done just that, with her knowledge of world foods). Anyway, I can't wait to replicate that salad, my way. Anyone growing sweet potatoes?

tomato & sweet potato leaves, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.