Ruhr in Love Weekend

Between juggling trying to get work done and sorting out the apartment ready for the arrival of Little L, why does it feel like there isn't enough hours in the day? J's daughter arrives from Ireland tomorrow and we need to reorganise my Work room so it looks more like a Child's room.

We're going into the cellar later and pulling out the boxes marked with her name. It's her first time here since we just moved here last year, so we're rearranging her things so she feels a little more comfortable. It's amazing how much crap can accumulate over the months.

Wow. Has it nearly been 9 months already since we moved here?

Anyway, a quick post about my weekend since i'm a bit slacking in the blog entries and i have a long list of THINGS TO DO today.


On Saturday, J and i drove to Ruhr in Love in Oberhausen. I had to order the tickets online and they had them delivered a few days later.

It started at noon and went on to 10pm. It's a huge electronic dance festival which says to attract over 40,000 people each year. There are different areas and each showcases local DJs from various clubs around Germany. Playing different genres ranging from Minimal to Schranz.

So anyway the drive took us about an hour and half, which normally wouldn't feel so long but when you don't have air-con in your car and it's nearing the 30˚C mark, it can get a bit uncomfortable.

By the time we got there it was around 4:30PM. The sun was out in full glory and so were peoples' sun burns.

Some ran around in bikini tops and short shorts...

and a handful even came matching from head to toe.

I think this was the main stage area. It was mainly commercial House - one that i didn't like at all. There were too many people and the music was... well... not to my taste.

But they did have pretty decor.

One guy came fully prepared with a Sombrero. I'm sure his mates made fun of him before he got there but going by how hot it was, i'm sure he was the envied by many.

There were enough toilets plotted around the area and the one that i went into even had toilet paper! And it wasn't even the recycled rough-as-sand-paper kind either. I was impressed.

There was a huge crane that brought you up and you could even bungee jump. We didn't but some did.

There was also this drain that snaked through the park, that looked and probably was really dirty. But people were standing and dancing in there. It was really gross.

I thought drinks were a bit expensive. 90 cents per coupon and if you return the can or plastic cup you get one coupon back. A really small beer would cost 4 coupons. The wait was so long that by the time you got your drink, you'd be done with it in no time. They also ran out of water.

How can they run out of drinking water at a festival?

It's no wonder people were drinking the water near the loos. It clearly states "Kein Trinkwasser" which means Not for Drinking but i don't think they cared so much. I wondered if they fell sick the next day?

Then J and i got our photo taken by one of the many photographers there, this one is by Sonic Warrior and was taken just outside the Abstract Area which played Hard Trance and that's where i spent most of my time.

And directly behind me was the Rhein-Piraten area which played more Minimal Techno and that's where J hung out.

click to view larger

Overall, i had a good time and it worked our really good that the areas were right next to each other. We could listen and dance to what we liked without worrying that the other wasn't having fun and we were only a few metres away from one another.


When the event finished we ended up checking out the after-party at Turbinehalle. The place wasn't full but it did feel like a Sauna - i must have represented Sweat Ville to the Maximus, i was SO sweaty! The music was alright, although i'm not sure whether we'd drive the distance just to go to that club. That far, we might as well drive to Duesseldorf which is just another 30 minutes further.

Anyway, starting from tomorrow, July is fully booked with activities.

Not only do i have another deadline coming up next week but Little L comes to stay for 2 weeks which means we're going to do lots of outdoor things. Then on the 15th J and i are driving down to Wiesbaden to see my parents who are flying in on the 16th and we're staying for 10 days.

Yup, Summer 2010 is looking good.

1,400 Euros richer.

Some of you will know, two months ago i received a letter to say that i was accepted into the KSK (an Artists’ Social Fund, Kuenstlersozialkasse; which basically covers me for local health & long-term care insurance and a pension for when i'm old and crusty).

And after nearly a year of waiting for them to tell me whether or not i was accepted into this program, they send me a lovely letter saying that i am accepted but now owe them over 1,600 Euros for all the back dated months.

Seriously!?

Which of course is absolutely absurd since i was covered by a private health insurance all that time. Why should i pay extra for a service i never knew i had? You can read all about it here.

So then J writes them a long letter explaining the situation about how i was in hospital in January and if the German health insurance company claims that they are my sole provider since last year, technically, they would have to pay back the other Private insurance company for my hospital stay, operation and check-ups.

Right?

So then a few weeks later they send me a letter, saying that they've received my appeal and that they will look into my case.

And today i received this...

It declares that i am excused from paying the last 12 months of Health Insurance [which they previously said i had to pay]! And it mentions that my Private Insurance between April 2009 to April 2010 is now valid [which they had said before was not sufficient health coverage].

So basically because of that wonderful letter that J wrote in German, i managed to escape paying an extra 1,400 Euros!

THANK YOU BUNNY!!!

That's like 35 visits to the supermarket for weekly shopping.

Or even better, two return flights to Asia plus spending money!

Crazy right!?

So now that i transferred what i owed them [which still ended up being just over 1,000 Euros but nevermind], it is official, i am no longer in debt to the German government.

Yay!

Feels so good, i think i may just have to eat another slice of banana bread to celebrate.

Semi Low-Fat Banana Bread

So after i ate my morning slice, i told myself i wasn't going to eat anymore cake today. I mean i've already pigged out on half of the Apple Crumble cake that i made yesterday.

Then i remembered that we had an over ripe banana sitting on the kitchen counter. The skin had turned a nasty brown and instead of throwing it in the bin i decided to make Banana Bread out of it. The riper the bananas the more banana-y [is that even a word] it will taste.

So i then searched online and found a relatively straight forward recipe from Joy of Baking.

***

Semi Low-Fat Banana Bread

• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas) 2 1/2 Medium Bananas
(Was meant to be 3 but i ate half of one)
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) low-fat plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

+

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) canola oil 1/2 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup (175 grams) brown sugar
• 1 large egg or 2 large (60 grams) egg whites 1 medium egg 1 Medium egg*
(I only had Medium sized eggs)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Normal Vanilla Essence will do

+

• 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

(*I've read some Vegan recipes replace eggs with Unsweetened Apple sauce. I may just have to try that next time).

Instructions

1.) Preheat oven to 180˚C and place the rack in the center of the oven.

2.) Dribble some oil on a paper napkin and wipe a bread pan.

3.) In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas with the baking soda and yogurt. Allow to sit while you prepare the rest of the batter.

4.) In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla essence.

5.) Then combine the banana mixture with the remaining wet ingredients and slowly sieve the flour mixture in. Stir just until all the ingredients are combined.

6.) Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 45 - 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

7.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

***

So after pouring everything inside the bread pan, i wanted to be fancy by adding slices of banana to the top for decoration. But it turned out that my slices were too thick and they just ended up sinking by the time the bread was half cooked.



Next time i'll try and reduce the amount of butter, as i figured the yogurt added extra moisture.

But i have to say, the outcome was absolutely delicious. And out of all the recipes i've cooked in the last week or so, this has to be my favorite. I will definitely have to make this again!

Simple Apple Crumble Cake

Ever since i tried baking those Carrot Cake cupcakes the other weekend, my love for freshly baked goods have become more apparent. In attempt to solve my boredom on Sunday evening whilst J was playing Warcraft, i decided to make those Carrot Cake Cupcakes again from Martha Stewart.

But instead of orange juice i added butter milk instead. They were so yummy and all 12 were finished by Tuesday!

So when i'm not wasting time cruising online when i should really be doing work, baking is now my new distraction.

Not very good for my timeline or my waistline but nevermind.

But J doesn't seem to mind, as long as there's some fruit or vegetable in it he says, then it's "healthy".

I figured since i have the carrot cake sort of figured out, i better move on to something else before i get sick of it. And so i decided to try out an Apple Cake.

But when it comes to preparing it, the less work the better. Too many steps confuses me. Simple works better for beginners.

With so many recipes, i realised i'm a sucker for mouth watering photos, so i googled for Apple Crumble Cake pictures and ended up finding one that looked really yummy. Found a recipe by The Purple Foodie and was happy that i had all the ingredients listed.

It's not Vegan. It requires 2 eggs, a cup of joghurt and butter but i'm sure there's a Vegan version out there somewhere if i really looked.



And because i'm lazy, i lined the Spring Form Pan with a sheet of pre-cut circular baking paper that i got at the Euro Shop. A great buy i must say cause it saves me from scrubbing the pan later.

The only changes i made was in the base. Instead of 2 cups flour, i replaced it with 1 cup flour + 1 cup whole meal flour. And because i love cinnamon, i sprinked some on top of the crumb topping before i shoved it in the oven.

I'm still waiting for it to cool.

It doesn't really look like the Purple Foodies' version but i'm really curious to see how mine tastes. That said, i'm going to wait for J to come home from work before i tuck in. And if it does end up tasting good, there's no telling exactly how long the cake will last.

I'll be back.

6 HOURS LATER...


After waiting for J to come back from work, i finally got to try a slice. It was actually not bad. The sweetest part of the whole thing was probably the crumbs but then again it does consist of just butter and brown + white sugar.

The top baked into a nice crust and the inside was moist. I chopped up 2 apples for this recipe since they were quite small but i'm thinking next time i'll add a 3rd, just to give it more of a bite. Oh and the walnuts and the extra cinnamon was a nice touch too.

Snail Mail from Dainty Squid + Veggie Patties

Look what was sitting in my mailbox this afternoon...


Yup, my little camera coin purse that i ordered last week from The Dainty Squid arrived. It even came with a little handwritten note too. I know i'm just another name on a piece of paper to her but still, i was happy to have received a handwritten note, no matter how small it was.

And yes, i DO love the pouch. Yay for snail mail!



Look... even Yoshi is happy. He's given it his little Nibble of Approval. ^^

So thanks Kaylah! My Lumix now has a new home.

Speaking of nibbling, on my quest to eat more healthy, i checked out Schenke Bio Supermarket today and ended up buying the Vegan Tomato & Thyme Burger mix from Bohlsener Muehle for 2.29€.


I added a 1/4 chopped up onion, 1/2 green paprika and a little bit of cracked pepper to half a pack of the mix. And after stirring in some hot water, the mix became SUPER sticky. It's definitely not a recipe to make if you're not into getting your hands dirty.


I was a bit skeptical at first since i've tried another brand and it tasted just like cardboard. But i have to say this one turned out better than i expected - they were light and crispy. I guess the additional add-ons helped too.

Although i reckon they could have put more Thyme in it. But the added black cummin and sunflower seeds did give it that little extra touch and that separated it from being bland like the cardboard-tasting one i tried before.

Obviously, if you're a meat eater there is no comparison but if you're looking for a light snack, it does its' job. Break them into little pieces and sprinkle them over salad or slap 'em on some fresh bread and you've got a meal.

Guten Appetit!

Past, Present, Future.

I've always envied people who have kept friendships over the years. Especially those who have grown up together since they were young. The longest i've lived in one country was 5 years and that was only because of university. My average stay stands at about 3 years and after that i know deep down it won't be long until i'm placing my belonging in marked boxes and suitcases.

My nomad kind of life is a result of my fathers position in the hotel industry. As he climbed the corporate ladder and shifted from one country code to the next, so did the rest of the family.

Friendships and bonds that i thought were tight, often weakened with distance.

I've lost many friendships over the years but then again, i've gained just as many. Yes, People change/mature, it's inevitable. Nothing really does stay the same.

But the true test to see whether a Friendship has withstood the test of Time, is to meet again.

Are you lost for words?

Or are you able to talk freely like old times?

Do you have anything in common anymore?

Is there still a connection?


All this relates to last Friday because J and i were invited to his younger brothers' high school graduation ball.

It's custom here that relatives and family be present for the Graduation Ball hence the reason why i was running around looking for a dress to wear last week. The parents weren't able to make it since they were overseas, the grandmother is in hospital and the older brothers' girlfriend had to work, so it was only J, J's older brother and myself that went.


I've known J's family way back and met his younger brother when he was just 4 years old, so when he invited us to his graduation ball i was so happy. He is the first and the only of the three brothers to graduate from high school and move on to university. I'm so proud of him!


Then there is the situation between J's brother and i. We were together 17 years ago and were each others' first love. We were together as teenagers for 9 intense months and it took me awhile for me to get over him.

It didn't help that my parents didn't approve of him either. And as a rebellious teenager i did everything possible to see him, that was until they sent me to boarding school and it was All Over Red Rover. We eventually lost contact when we moved to different countries and i ended up in an 8-year relationship after that.

But it wasn't until after 13 years of not seeing one another that J and i accidentally crossed paths here and in an instant my whole life changed. Then in some weird coincidence ended up moving to this side of the world 5 months later.

And within the last two years since moving here, his brother and i haven't spoken more than a few sentences to each other.

I mean what do you really say to an ex-boyfriend after so long? Hey, long time no see! Guess what, i'm now sleeping with your brother.

Yea, not quite.

His girlfriend doesn't speak any English, so i tend to not speak so much when she's around. For the purpose that it's not nice to leave somebody out of the conversation if they don't speak the same language. Never mind that i don't completely understand everything that they're saying.

I guess i'm used to tuning out and not understanding what people are saying around me.


Anyway last Friday was a good opportunity for us to finally break the ice. After a few drinks, we chit chatted about god-knows-what and laughed about the past. And if my drunken memory serves me right, he did say he was happy that J and i are together and that there were no hard feelings.

After all, it has been 17 years. I guess that's why they call history, History - it's all in the past.

A Million Little Pieces

I've never really been a huge fan of reading. Although if i needed help to sleep, i'd just grab a book and before i know it it would put me to sleep.

It's no wonder sometimes it would take me months to even get to the half way point. And by the time i got there, i'd forget what the book would be about. It's terrible.

But i guess when my social life took a nose dive, i turned to other means to fill my boredom and 'reading' helped pass the time.

So after taking advantage of the free DVD rentals and unsuccessfully finding another decent English paperback at the local library, i was yearning for something else. A book that i could sink my teeth in and one that would follow me everywhere i went.

Then when my friend, BennyBooBubbles, insisted that A Million Little Pieces was a good read, i was curious.

And after reading the reviews here and here i was intrigued and had to order it from Amazon.de. And knowing that not everyone including Oprah feels the same way, makes me want to see what all the hoo-ha is about. OK i'm about 5 years too late but never mind.

...

And this is what the DHL delivery man brought for me today...

515 pages

Now let's see how long it'll take me to get through this baby.

Hands the Universe a Cotton Bud.

Have you tried so hard to avoid a certain somebody, only to then cross paths with the person later on in the day?

Maybe it's like The Secret.

You know the Law of Attraction? The idea that we have a connection with a universal energy force and that our thoughts and feelings attract a corresponding energy to ourselves.

It's as if the Universe is eavesdropping on my thoughts, except she's a little hard of hearing and confuses the word "avoid" with "see".

This misunderstanding hasn't just happened once, not twice but three times!

First incident was at the ATM machine, inside a bank and at some random non-peak hour. I turned around and that person was standing right behind me grinning. Freaky!

The second, was when i was walking towards the traffic lights only to realise that that certain somebody was standing on the other side waiting to cross. Lucky for me, the person was looking the other direction and i stopped dead in my track and so then i was forced to change my route. So there i stood huddled next to a stranger hiding and trying to "think" thin as i hid behind a pole.

And the third was a rare morning that i was out of the house before lunch. There i was waiting for J and sitting on a bench watching the local Feng Shui shop owner rearrange the plants in front of her shop. Then like a cat sneaking up on a bird, that certain somebody comes out of nowhere and strikes up a conversation.

I mean seriously, what are the odds of this person appearing out of the blue that many times?

Maybe i should start sending other messages out to the Universe like, Please don't let my boobs fall out of my dress tonight.

Oh wait, scratch that!

I forgot the Universe doesn't understand the word "don't".

So in that case, i'm hoping tonight will be fun since we're heading to J's little brothers' graduation ball. And yes, i did find a dress. It's not so fancy but there's some serious cleavage action happening there.

Uh oh.

Well here's wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

DH: Part 2 & No Longer an Etsy Virgin.

I had a relatively productive day today and actually did some work despite having trouble sleeping last night. I think the anxiety of not being able to find a better dress than what i already have has gotten to me. Or maybe knowing that J's coming home today in 2 hours, has got me all excited. I'm not sure.

So yesterday i bought some random items at the Euro Shop and walked in and out of stores that i wouldn't usually go into. I was desperate to find something more elegant than what i already have in my closet. Even if it meant trying on some that were strapless - which i tend to steer clear away from on a normal day.

But ended up being a case of, If only i were just a few inches taller and/or bustier.


Then i remembered i saw a little shop called Lucky Lola tucked in between two shop houses with a driveway long enough to fit two cars. J and i've always driven past it and i'd always been curious.

Turns out that Lucky Lola is a clothing store selling Rockabella clothing and accessories from the States.

I tried a few dresses on but somehow i lacked the proper proportions to pull them off. As usual the dresses looked heaps better on the models.


But i did end up buying this black cardigan with embroidered swallows on it. A consolation for not finding anything else i guess.

So when i realised i was going to be late to catch my bus home, i made a mad rush to the bus stop hoping i didn't miss it. But after 5 minutes waiting, i decided Lady Luck was not on my side and so i walked off. Only to then see in the corner of my eye the bus i needed pass me.

Mother Trucker!

So instead of being home in 10 minutes, i was forced to walk the 45 minutes. I reckon it was the Baking Gods telling me i ate too much carrot cake this week and i needed to excercise the excess calories off.

I was not a happy camper.

But then on my way home i passed the garden and plants warehouse [a converted old barnhouse] and thought i'd catch a breather in there. I saw these frogs playing Leapfrog and for some reason that made me smile.


There's something about those slender frog legs, that i think are hilarious. If i had my own garden and money to spare, i so would buy it! Totally unnecessary but nevermind.

Oh and look what i saw in my facebook feed...

And so i did. But trying to decide which coin purse i wanted was painful. I eventually settled for this one...

Handmade by
The Dainty Squid

The interior is lined with polka dots! Isn't it just too cute?

Believe it or not, it's my very first Etsy purchase.

Yup, i'm no longer an Etsy virgin.

A result of eavesdropping on her blog and eyeing her Etsy goods for awhile but never had a real reason why i needed to buy another coin purse enough money in my account.

Then when my ATM card failed to work and i had to order a new one, i came to the conclusion that the magnetic closure on my camera case could have been to blame. Or maybe that's what i'd like to believe.

Hmmm.

Hence the reason why i needed to buy this very cute coin purse/camera case. I can't wait for it to arrive!

Thanks PayPal, oh and thank you Kaylah!

Dress Hunt: Part 1.

So my Dress Hunt was a complete fail yesterday.

I walked into a few stores only to be distracted by everything else BUT a dress. Don't you hate that!? I blame H&M and their sale. Tops as low as 3 Euros [originally 10] and lingerie down to 5. I realised the longer i stayed in there the more it got invaded.

I swear, women can smell Sales!

After two relatively short hours, i had practially looked at everything multiple times and i was ready to go to the cashier. Armed with a long sleeveless top with some simple crocheted back reduced to 7 Euros and a 5-pack of ankle socks for 4.95, i stood in a very long queue.

My feet were killing me, no thanks to a new pair of wedge shoes that J bought me the other week. And having worn flats/slippers for so many years, i forgot how uncomfortable it was to wear anything else.

Serves me right for wanting to be 9.5 cm taller!

My patience had run out and i reminded myself that my whole purpose of going out was to find a dress.

Not a top.

Not a multi-pack of socks.

A dress.

The line wasn't going anywhere, so i asked myself, do i really want to stand here for items that i don't really need?

Time was ticking.

I had already missed my bus and the next one was in an hour. And so i ditched the idea that i would find a dress. And had just enough time to find my way to REWE [a supermarket about 15 minutes away] for my ingredients for yet another carrot cake.

6 blisters later and minus finding a dress, i finally came home with my baking ingredients PLUS a new muffin tray. And to make myself feel better i then baked a recipe that my sister had sent me a link of. Here it is, Carrot Cake by Joy of Cooking Recipe.

It's not Vegan and i did end up making a few adjustments.

Instead of oil, i used butter. And instead of walnuts, i mixed 1 cup roasted & chopped up hazelnuts and 1 cup shredded coconuts. I was told a cup of buttermilk would add more moisture, and so i did that. As for the frosting i used a Vanilla cheese cream mascarpone with lemon zest to cover it.

I restrained myself from eating any last night and instead ate a few slices for breakfast.


Verdict: TOTALLY YUMMY!

And my sister was right, the hazelnuts, shredded coconuts and buttermilk do make it taste so much better.

***

But i should really do some work now. And so my dress hunt continues - i have two more days!

Dress Hunting.

My baking frenzy ended when i noticed the 2nd block of butter that i had bought was not suitable for baking. I was absolutely devastated since i had spent part of the weekend googling recipes and clicking links in hopes i'd make the best dessert ever. OK maybe not so drama as being "devastated" but i sure was sad.

Speaking of sad, J left early this morning for a 3-day Managerial training workshop which is about 350 km down south.

And i miss him already.

But i'm hoping in his absence i can get some work done. My next deadline isn't until another two weeks - i think, so at the moment i'm not worried. But i seem to work better under pressure, which is probably a bad thing. I need to manage my time better i think.

Distractions are everywhere.

Like for instance this Friday, J's little brother, well not so little anymore, is graduating from high school. And J and i are invited to the graduation ball. Apparently, it's tradition to invite the parents and relatives to this event and in support of the family, J and i are going. Only problem is i need to wear a dress.

I actually don't own any dresses.

Well not the fancy kind. I recently bought a cute red & white one from a flea market [originally from H&M] and that cost me a whopping 2 Euros. But i'm thinking it's more of an afternoon-tea-party-in-the-garden dress.

So now i'm in a slight panic.

I'm not quite sure how fancy i should go but i'm inclined to lean towards more of a cocktail dress as opposed to a ballgown. I mean, it's not my graduation. Plus i would probably want to wear it again.

And so i've decided i like my dresses to be vintage/retro-inspired and if they have cap sleeves, all the better! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that a) it's not going to blow a hole in my budget b) it fits me perfectly c) it adheres to the dress code d) i can find shoes to match.

But the other day, i found a few online that i fancy...

modcloth

unique-vintage

Pinup Girl Clothing

And if the world was perfect and i wasn't self-conscious, this one...

HMSlatex

Not exactly appropriate for the occasion but thought i'd throw it in for a good measure. Never mind that it's transparent and i don't have an impressive cup size or 26" waist to pull off this latex dress but the striped effect is damn cute.

OK enough dilly-dallying, i need to get ready so i can go find a dress... oh and of course heels to match. I'm already stressed just thinking about it, so work will just have to wait till later.