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December 17, 2006

Artesanía en el valle

Hace poco, en uno de mis viajes al valle, conocí la Galería Artesanal. Mis amigos Vivi y Sven y Carlos y Verónica, artesanos y artistas entre otras cosas, disponen ahí una muestra de lo que hacen con sus manos: aretes, collares, sillas (especiales -las más comodas que hay, según me ha contado Gustavo), adornos, arañas, postales.


















Si pasan por el Valle de Antón y están cerca del Serpentario en la calle principal, aprovechen y entren a la Galería Artesanal a husmear o mejor aún, a comprar!

December 13, 2006

¡Diego cumple 2 años!

El lunes, 11 de diciembre, celebramos el segundo cumpleaños de Diego con una pequeña fiesta en casa de los abuelos Earle. Gustavo nuevamente se encargó de la organización y logística y, aunque era tan sólo un puñado de enanos, se sentía como si hubiese mil chiquillos en la casa!

Feliz Cumpleaños de nuevo, Diego... y ¡gracias por venir! Han sido dos años durante los que hemos descubierto, a la par de este terremoto en forma de niño, las maravillas de las cosas de todos los días.

Diciembre 11, 5:34 p.m.
Diego en el carro de su prima Lucía, a la espera de los invitados


Diego, Pablo, Francisco y Nicky


¡El avión de abuelo Billy!


Master of candle blowing!


Diego le dio unas 42 veces a la piñata y hubo que agarrarlo entre 3 para que soltara el palo!


Pablo finishing the job... (I was actually the one who finished it, but shhh!)


Como si necesitaran más azúcar...


Comité de abuelos


Gracias a todos por acompañarnos!

November 19, 2006

Decisiones

Some time ago, while expecting my second child, someone asked me if I didn’t think it was hard to give up your whole life as you know it in order to raise children. Although it was about two years ago, I never forgot because it was a bit shocking to momentarily see my life through the eyes of another person and to realize how much it differed from my own view. The surprise was mostly due to the fact that, specially after having my first child, I was convinced that you don’t give up things, you actually gain a whole lot.

More and more I've begun to notice, as I go about my business, casually preaching to the world how much I enjoy motherhood, that it is less and less clear why people are having kids these days. It is something that definitely hits the top five of things to do once a certain age is reached, but when they do have them it seems that they immediately move on to other things that take up the time that should be spent finishing the job they’ve started. This job, or rather enterprise, that you plunge into should be a defining circumstance in your life; it should be something that helps shape your decision-making processes. For instance, I have to raise a child, therefore I shouldn’t accept a job offer that would keep me out of sight as they grow. Children need enormous amounts of help in order to grow and infinite amounts of love. Love, in turn, is not something you can give by hiring someone who will change their diapers. Love does not translate into toys that give off light and make noises. Placing a stuffed animal on their bed does not replace reading them a bedtime story. Which reminds me of another area where many parents think they’re nailing it, yet they're failing hopelessly: education. Apparently, no one ever taught them that it is not equivalent to placing them in the most expensive schools, it means being there so they can learn by your example.

If I had a magic wand and could do anything for the world, I would wipe out everyone and I’d give it a fresh start with people that had reasonable priorities or that were at least able to establish them. In the good old days, family used to be an institution, something that actually mattered. Now it barely reaches the category of social requirement. And it is true, parents today simply don’t know how to say one of the most powerful words there ever was: NO. Their role has become that of provider of material things, not of guidance. It is very clear to me that it is easier to please a child just to get him or her to shut up and stay put, than saying a big fat “no” and explaining how life works instead (and I should know it’s hard, I’ve actually gotten slapped in the face by a toddler after saying a big fat “no”). It is also very clear which is the right thing to do. This simple way of going through life has been lost in translation apparently because now good means easy and bad means difficult. People are being taught that they can bend the rules, have their way at the expense of others and get away with murder -literally, all because no one ever taught them the meaning of the word “no”. In pursuing happiness in life, teaching a child to deal with adverse events is single-handedly one of the greatest tools they could ever have. I have always said that perception and attitude are everything (ok, not always, but I’ve certainly learned this over the years). Children learn how men and women are supposed to act from, you guessed it, mom and dad. So the way you perceive things and the attitude with which you deal with them goes down a generation, along with eye color and height. For me the greatest challenge of, not having but raising kids has been to set the example. Hopefully we’ll all learn from my mistakes, but also from my momentary lapses of reason.

***
Things I’ve chosen not to have so far:
Cable t.v., air conditioning, washer & dryer, designer makeup

Things I’ve chosen to have so far:



(On second thought, if anyone's interested in trading a cable t.v. subscription, air conditioner, washer & dryer, or designer makeup for two healthy boys let me know, I may change my mind!)

Hotmail finally takes the plunge

Today, I was fortunate enough to discover that my MSN Hotmail account had gotten a promotion. I now have 1GB of storage space as will every other user that did not have the 2GB one. Things are a'changing. It would be interesting to know what defined the timing. They seem to be growing away from hotmail and towards a "next-generation communication service - Windows Live Mail (...) for our current 260+ million Hotmail active accounts." Preparing such a feat of technology must have kept them busy because it sure seemed like a long time before they took care of this. I've remained very loyal to my hotmail account. I've kept it even though most of the other, more recent services tend to offer additional features, not to mention more storage space.

When I started writing this post the title referred to a plunge such as the one you take when you decide to tackle or overcome some sort of challenge and has a positive connotation. Now, I am certain that it is a chronicle of a death foretold and Hotmail, as will many other things of my era, shall become part of the past.

Times, indeed, are a'changing.

November 11, 2006

When all else fails... laugh.

Remember The Muppets?

C3P0: She doesn't look like the princess to me.
Miss Piggy: Watch it, hardware!

Miss Piggy: But I love him.
Rowlf: How could you love him? You're a nurse.
Miss Piggy: That may be true, but I am a woman first.
Rowlf: No, you're not. You're a pig first. Nurse second. I don't think woman made the top 10.

Gonzo: As long as I'm here, I'd like to donate my body to science.
Rowlf: With your body it would be donated to science fiction.
Janice: To donate your body, don't you have to be dead?
Gonzo: So what? I believe in re-incarnation.
Miss Piggy: What would you come back as next time?
Gonzo: How should I know? I don't even know what I am this time.

Muppet Newsman: Here is a Muppet News Flash. An international spy ring is trying to sneak ridiculous stories into the news... In other news, a black and yellow striped mackerel was elected king this morning.

Miss Piggy: [as Nurse Piggy] It's too late, Doctor Bob. We've lost him.
Rowlf: [as Doctor Bob] Well, he couldn't have gone far. He was under the sheet just a second ago.

Kermit: And now I want you to close your eyes and think of exotic Greek dancers, because if you open them you'll see this.

Statler: Please don't make me watch it.

Statler: This show is awful!
Waldorf: Terrible!
Statler: Disgusting!
Waldorf: See you next week?
Statler: Of course.

Waldorf: Well, the show is moving very quickly tonight.
Statler: Oh, yes, someone must have told them that it's harder to hit a moving target.

Town Crier: [ringing bell] 5 o'clock and all's well! 5 o'clock and all's well! Except that Maid Marion has been kidnapped, the sheriff's up to no good, that dog is stealing the cheese, Kermit's mad at Piggy, and it's really only 4:30.

Captain Link Hogthrob: [in Miss Piggy's body] What happened to me?
Miss Piggy: [in Link's body] You think you've got problems!
Captain Link Hogthrob: [in Miss Piggy's body] I can't captain the Swinetrek looking like this, though I am kind of cute.
Miss Piggy: [in Link's body] Hey, don't you dare touch you!

October 27, 2006

Food for thought

Tengo varias maneras de combatir la maldad, varios ases bajo la manga. Creo fervientemente cuando se dice que los padres son para sus hijos unos superhéroes. Todos tenemos una doble vida. En fin, casi siempre, para celebrar lo que tengo, para dar y compartir con los míos, cocino. Es un arma más poderosa de lo que se cree. Es un acto de amor, por donde se le vea es una acto de creación. Y la creación siempre es mejor que la destrucción.

No soy de usar recetas, pero a continuación describo por encima algunos platos recientes que me gustaría compartir.


Lomo redondo al horno

Había visto a mi mamá hacer esto tanto que me tiré al agua a la brava... y nadie murió intoxicado!

Lo puse a marinar en salsa inglesa mientras preparaba algunos ingredientes y luego le abrí un hueco para rellenarlo con cebolla picada, como cinco dientes de ajo (un guabanazo con el cuchillo para abrirlos), pimentón rojo picado, hojas de laurel, italian herbs, hongos picados, sal y pimienta. Lo metí en el horno como media hora destapado hasta que se dorara, como a 350º y luego, con el relleno que me sobró y el jugo que soltó el lomo, hice la salsa.


Acompañado con papas fritas y ensalada... un éxito! Hasta a Pablo le gustó!

Nota: El aderezo lo hago mezclando vinagre balsámico, moztaza dijon, aceite de oliva extra virgen, sal y pimienta y el detalle ganador es mezclarle un poco de cualquier fruit jam que crean que pueda ir bien. Este tenía pineapple jam, pero con raspberry jam también queda super!


My beloved Tiramisu, a glorious pick-me-up experience!


Este es el link de la receta que hice esa vez: "Classic Tiramisu Recipe". No es muy diferente a la que siempre había usado, pero me llamó la atención que aseguraba ser la del "original". Me sorprendió enterarme que este no es uno de los postres tradicionales italianos, sino que es una adición a su repertorio bastante reciente. Para conocer más de la historia del Tiramisu, haz click aquí.


Tiramisu, 20 minutes later...


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

Ahora no encuentro la receta por ningún lado así es que si alguien la quiere me avisa...

Para los que tienen hijos es una buena manera de meterles algo de comida saludable. O por lo menos es la excusa que usé hasta que prácticamente me los acabé yo sola.


Esto es lo que pasa cuando te demoras demasiado en tomar una foto!


Pizza de Carole


Esto es algo que he visto varias veces hacer a Carole, mi cuñada de Bordeaux, y después de decidir que estaba adicta lo hice de lo que me acordaba.
Es básicamente una salsa de tomate espesa, bien sazonada y con todos los golpes, a la que agregué cubos de pollo, rodajas de chorizo, queso parmesano desmenuzado y uno que otro vegetal picado. Lo eché todo en un pie crust, lo cubrí con queso mozzarella y parmesano y al horno!

Mi más severo crítico


(Como ven no es difícil combatir la furia de la ciudad. Desde mi casa, mi cuartel, hago cosas que producen sonrisas y de una u otra manera unen a la gente.)

A los que no están cerca físicamente, ojalá podamos reunirnos pronto. A los que sí, ¿Cuándo comemos juntos?!

De regreso, encuentro a una ciudad furiosa

Qué rápido se pasó el viaje, qué rápido me encontré sin tema para escribir. La prolongada anticipación, la planificación, la logística, todo le atribuyó una trascendencia que ahora, sumergida de vuelta en la cotidianidad y a la vez en los acontecimientos inusuales de la cotidianidad, parece de algo de hace mil años, y separado también en distancia de mí.

Gracias a Dios por las fotos, gracias por ese acercamiento, por breve que haya sido, a la gente que queremos, ha quedado la huella. Finalmente gracias por el contraste, que me hace voltearme hacia los detalles que se me pasan, casualmente mientras me encuentro sumergida en tal cotidianidad. Pareciera que necesitamos estar periódicamente en contacto con lo crudo de la vida para no bajar la guardia, para estar siempre agradecidos.

October 20, 2006

Highlights of our trip to Europe

I know, it was about time.

I'm still on what I call "limbo time", not on European time, not on Panamanian time, but rather confused most of the time. I guess nothing has really changed since I've been back.

Being with the kids again has been great. Diego now has a broader and more refined vocabulary than a lawyer. Pablo appears to have taken over my role because Diego goes right to him whenever he's hurt himself to get some lovin'. Looks like they put on a few pounds while at their abuelos... Maybe it's just us.

All in all, Europe was awesome. These people (the French) seem to breathe and eat art. You see it in the plating of their dishes, in their hair styles and apparel. Sometimes it kind of gave me the feeling that they just knew better than me, that they'd collectively been around as civilized entities for so much longer than I had... Naturally, I also had a couple of tricks up my sleeve for them. The museums in Paris were just filled with wonderful things, I was like a kid in a candy store. The Picasso Museum stole my heart.

Bordeaux, a lovely city of southern France, was more slow-paced and very charming. I think it must be really nice to live there. I loved the signs on their streets, in Panama this is as rare as having a third eye. I especially enjoyed meeting my brother's acquaintances the night of the wedding because they were immediately so open to these slightly over-dressed latinamericans who early on proved to everyone what was under their misleading façade. We really had a great time.

Regarding Geneva, the perfect city, I must say we've brought back a perfect memory. Of divine food, magnificent scenery, of impressive order, but above all of wonderful company. Although at times I kinda felt like dropping a Diablo Rojo right in the middle of Main Street, I think I can safely say Gustavo and I behaved like normal, decent people for the most part. Ivan and Dayra were almost as excited as we were of spending time together 0ver there and we're very happy to have seen, first hand, how well our Comps is being taken care of. I'm amazed he's not the size of a sumo wrestler. Kudos, you guys, keep it up! And all the best to Mr. Picklewickle!!!

I've managed to post some pictures from the trip (FINALLY, in fact, feels more like I gave birth to them it was so complicated), this time I gave the msn spaces album feature a try. I left the cd with the photos of Paris (this would go between Bordeaux and Geneva) and will get it soon, so no pics from that in the meantime, sorry. Check back next week though. My remarks on Paris, then, will go on a later post due to my cd mishap (a.k.a. una Gretada clásica).

Anyway, to check out the pictures click here. There are 3 albums so far:

* Bordeaux with my family


* Geneva at Ivan & Dayra's


* The food & wine experience


I'll wrap up here, I think the images will say a lot more. I'll try to post as many as I can and maybe even drop by here more often!

GOOD TO BE BACK HOME!

October 09, 2006

Ob La Di Ob La Da ...en Francia!

Ciertamente las imágenes hablan más que las palabras, lo único que puedo decir es que estamos profundamente agradecidos con Carole y su familia y Gaby porque, como podrán ver, estamos siendo consentidos a la francesa y la hemos pasado EXCELENTE! A continuación la evidencia!

Carole et Gaby à l'Eglise du Sacre Coeur

Delegación Earle

Parte de la delegación Earle gozando la recepción y dejando el nombre de Panamá en alto! (o lo contrario...)


Después de la boda...

Mi sobrino, Monsieur Jude Evan Earle Pampoulie

Gustavo y yo


Visita a Saint Emilion, pueblo de viñedosOne of the many breathtaking views

Wine addicts' heaven!

Cena romántica!

October 04, 2006

Parting is such sweet sorrow...

Gustavo and I are finally leaving tomorrow. We are going to my brother's wedding in Bordeaux, France, and then to visit Ivan (a.k.a. Comps) and Dayra in lovely Geneva. It is a very long way from little old Panama City, Panama.

The "we" I'm referring to does not include Pablo or Diego (our kids) and it is quite frankly very sad to picture myself so far away from them for so many days even though I'll probably be having a blast the whole time. That is, whenever I'm not staring into the air, trying to imagine what they could be doing.

I'll try my best to post updates during the trip, but even if I don't I'm taking my little writing pad so I don't forget about stuff I may see or people I may meet, you get the picture.

I'll miss you my darlings (sorry, that went to Pablo and Diego).

So long and goodnight.