Photo of the week / A hét képe

Found this T-shirt today in a shop.
No comments... really... :)

Ma találtam ezt a pólót egy boltban ("Erről annnnnyira írni fogok a blogomban").
No comments... :)

Dancing madness (video in Hungarian)

Just some crazy dancing from politicians... :)

Portuguese Cooking Delight

When I first heard of these 2 guys I was a bit skeptical. I was even more taken aback when they told me the traditional Portuguese dish they want to prepare and teach to the class wold be Cod fish with Potatoes. I had to laugh - you cannot get any more NORWEGIAN food than this! They were quick to explain that there is a book called "1001 ways to prepare cod" and that their mashed potatoes will be just perfect.

I am not a big fan of fish so I was pushing for a nice dessert - it came in the forms of a lovely orange cake, a courtesy of Antonio's mum. Still... I had my reservations. Then we went shopping for the ingredients. It turned out to be so much fun that both Sharon and I started to believe that the cooking party will be fun, too. Potato hunting, fighting with green vegetables, running away from stinky fish...etc. :)

As Sharon pointed it out on facebook, she and I have so many hats to wear during these parties. I ended up doing the registration, check-in, talk, be in charge of the salad and do quality control, now that was something I didn't complain about. I had to make sure the mixture was perfect. :)
Pedro and his people were peeling potatoes and preparing the fish. (The dry cod was in fresh water for 3 days to get most of the salt out.)




Antonio got his people to make sure both cakes were coming nicely. I was running around answering questions, Sharon did pretty much the same, but she had a camera, too.
Here are some pictures so you would get the feeling. Needless to say, the food was excellent. What a better compliment than me eating fish with a smile on my face...

And the cake... my goodness, SOOOOO GOOD! :)

Art

I like creative people. A lot!

And if you think Stavanger city is too small for arts and artists you'd be surprised to know that Sandness (an even smaller town in this region) has a lot to offer...

First let's have a look at a small café. The 3rd top Barista in Norway stands behind the desk and with a friendly smile he asks me in English what kind of coffee I want today. :) There is really nothing I cannot ask from him and soon I am sitting with my perfect coffee soy-latte and a chili-chocolate stick, enjoying the warmth of the mug under my fingers while the smell of this wonderful treat caresses my senses.

There is a small Art Gallery nearby where they show Yang Fudong's greatest work: "Seven Intellectuals in Bamboo Forest". He is China's best contemporary director whose 5 films were never allowed to be shown together before. I have seen part 3 and 4 and was really impressed with it. Here is a peek - picture taken when the intellectuals go to the big city.


Next to the theater room I met Yasuaki, a resident artist from Japan who was working on his latest installment when I saw him. He was so delighted to meet somebody who has been to Osaka where he is from that he took the time to explain me some of his latest works - it was truly fascinating.


















He used black paint to color the glue. This black glue when dried makes a great material for sculpturing. His creations hang from the roof - as you can see, I was lying under it. Plain plastic is used to create negative space and making it look like the objects are under the plastic sheet. Brilliant!

(this last picture shows his art work from below)

Like I said, I enjoy creative people. A LOT!

Pancake Party

Shrove Tuesday is a term associated in English-speaking countries with the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of fasting and prayer called Lent. The day is often known as Pancake Day. Making and eating such foods was considered a last feast with ingredients such as sugar, fat and eggs, whose consumption was traditionally restricted during the ritual fasting associated with Lent.

Hence... we had a Pancake party! :)

Sufficient to say: WE HAD FUN!

More ice

I see this fountain at least twice every day and finally I managed to find the time to take a few snaps - it's pretty impressive sight.

Ice? Nice!

OK, have to admit... ice can be nice, even fun and (I never thought I will ever say that) it can be useful sometimes.

Twice a week I have to walk around the lake in downtown in order to get to my language school, but thanks to the extended period of cold the lake is frozen since end of November - so my walks are shorter now and more enjoyable. :)

Happy New year!! Go Tiger!

新年快乐

Happy New Year! We just entered the Year of the TIGER! Woooo-hoooo

That prompted me to look into the Chinese calendar again and once I was there I couldn't help myself... I had to look up some info on my sign. I knew I was a GOAT but pretty much that was all. Well, apparently goat is the 8th sign in the Lunar calendar and for them 8 is the luckiest number! :)

己未 - I am also Yin Earth, my fixed element is Water
子 - Rat by birth month and date, which "fine tunes" one's character
寅 - TIGER by birth hour! - which should add the "final touch" to one's character

Here is the description for the goat, rat and tiger; I find most of it pretty accurate... :)

Occupying the 8th position in the Chinese Zodiac, the Goat symbolizes such character traits as creativity, intelligence, dependability, and calmness. Comfortable being alone to ponder the workings of their inner minds, Goats enjoy being part of a group, but prefer the sidelines rather than the center. Their nurturing personality makes Goats excellent care-givers. They’re reserved because they spend much time absorbed in their thoughts.

Home and alone is where Goats feel most comfortable. There they can express themselves artistically, whether it’s by painting, photography, cooking or participating in whatever artistic endeavors they enjoy. Goats prefer the couch because there they can relax and explore their minds. They don’t need elaborate furnishings; only items reflecting their desire for art.

When traveling or seeking entertainment, Goats prefer groups or venues that hold many people. Goats spend money on fashions that give them a first class appearance. Although Goats enjoy spending money on the finer things in life, they are not snobbish.

Health

Perhaps because Goats are basically serene, they tend to have fewer health problems. Their fragile exterior hides the fact they’re typically very healthy. When they’re happy, they’re healthy. When Goats become unhappy, especially as a result of romance, they quickly become sick.

Relationships

Goats tend to be private, so it can take effort to get to know one. The Goat is the one who will decide when and with whom it will share its personal life. As a result, most Goats have few “close” friends, yet they’ll work hard for those they love.

Career

Goats at work prefer being part of a flock. Power and status aren’t important. Goats will only assume leadership roles when asked directly. They’ll never volunteer. Good career choices for Goats include: florist, interior designer, daycare teacher, pediatrician, actor, editor, hair stylist, illustrator, musician, and art history teacher.

Compatibility

Goats are compatible with Rabbits and Pigs and incompatible with the Rat and Ox.

Earth Goats – Years 1919 and 1979

Stable with feet firmly planted in the ground, Earth Goats are conservative, independent and practical, but not very confident in themselves. Most important in life is the people they chose to be around them and they truly enjoy all that life has to offer.

Rat:

Occupying the 1st and most prominent position on the Chinese Zodiac, the Rat symbolizes such character traits as wit, imagination and curiosity. Rats have keen observation skills and with those skills they’re able to deduce much about other people and other situations. Overall, Rats are full of energy, talkative and charming but they have a tendency to become aggressive. Rats are full of good advice but they will never share their troubles with others. They are honest individuals and they enjoy living for the moment. They’re also capable of surviving any situation.

Tiger:

symbolizes such character traits as bravery, competitiveness and unpredictability. Tigers love to be challenged and will accept any challenge if it means protecting a loved one or protecting their honor. They don’t worry about the outcome because they know they’ll always land on their feet. Don’t let their calm appearance fool you though; Tigers will pounce when they feel it’s necessary.

Dusk at the Marina

I bought a new camera that can fit in my pocket... for exactly such cases...
I went to visit a friend who just had a baby and on my way to their place I saw the sun setting...

Doulos noooooooooooooooooooooooooo

This is a very saaaaaad moment. It seems that my formal home will be sold to an Indian scrapyard. What an inglorious end to an amazing ministry... :(

As a tribute to all my friends from Doulos here is a video that truly represents what we did, why we did and how we did it. I was watching in on Youtube and had tears in my eyes. I knew well all the people in the video, they are still my friends and it just really sucks right now because the chances of me seeing them again in this life are really really slim. We are scattered around the world to bring the good news to all nations and be history makers in many lands...

Here is one for you, Majesty.

The video is only available through the blog. If you watch it carefully, you can see me with short hair at 2:20 in Cambodia eating with locals on the ground - i chose that video clip as that was one of the most memorable days of my life in a sad, humbling way. Enjoy it!

Jegi's new adventures

It all started with a skype chat. My best friend told me that his wife was pregnant. We did a quick calculation and discovered that I will not be there to greet him when he arrives. That's when the idea of a comic book came to me. I got a polar bear from him as a gift, so it seemed natural that the Adventures of Jegi will be my gift to his son.

But then I flew to Hungary last May and talked to Daniel while he was in his mommy's tummy. I kindly asked him to hurry up because I have a flight to catch. Guess what, next morning I got a phone call that Daniel was here, ready to meet me. :)

In January I was there again and this time we had not only a proper chat, but a dance, too. I must tell you guys, he is even better dancer then his father, my ex dance partner. :) (the video was taken with my cell phone so the quality might not be the best, but trust me, the experience was!) :)



As you can see Daniel is still too young to enjoy my comic book - that means I still have time to follow Jegi as he discovers Norway. Are you interested? Here is a sneak peak of his latest ventures: he went down to the fjord in the snow. :)

The colours of the sea & sky

God has been painting since I came back to Stavanger and I must tell you I am quite impressed!