i went to a friend, deon maas's surprise birthday party.

here in south africa he is as reviled as american idols' simon cowell, but i've known him as a loyal friend for about 20 years since yeoville in the 80's. (let me digress for a moment to say that that is still one of the happiest times of my life. living round the corner from rockey street, walking down the block to the deli, fruits and roots, scandalo's mama's pizza, elaine's, popping into various friends' houses and hanging out for hours. finally buying my own house in the early 90's - turned out be a disaster, but that's a story for another time).

anyway, pauli, deon's wife invited a lot of deon's friends (mostly musicians, writers, actors, media folk) and we all show up early friday night to deon's great surprise when he arrives. i have the best time i've had in way too long (but then the best parties always happen at deon's house!). i eat spicy oyster shooters, drink WAY too much jaegermeister and have awesome conversations with some people i've met before, but really connect with for the first time. there's live music from a few of the musicians and an awesome time is had by all. i hear afterwards that the last people left at 9a.m.

saturday we go to paputsi's for breakfast, in the afternoon we watch the disastrous match between south africa and new zealand and in the evening we head over to montecasino for the madame zingara aphrodisia media night.

unfortunately i wake up sunday not feeling much better. we take the dogs to the park for an hour and a half and muzzling chai makes a huge difference. no more dog fights and we get to let him and zee run around and swim in the dam. it's a real dog morning. when we get home we give them a much needed bath and i end up smelling like wet bitch! later i give my neglected garden some attention and then it's back to the couch and the olympics. (though every time i watch athletics, it surprises me that sprinters seem to slow down BEFORE they cross the finish line, rather than maintain their speed all the way. i wonder why. and i'm bummed that my running icon from the local track, maria mutola, didn't medal. she's still awesome though, her 5th olympics at the age of 35. go maria!) 

anyway, all in all, my butt is still feeling some heat as the flames lick up from hades, but i think i'm going to be ok. it feels like i'm on the way up.

This week I've...

...watched The Peth (Rhys Ifans' band), Jennifer Gentle, Spiritualized, and the Super Furry Animals amongst others at the Green Man Festival

...listened to all of the above and The National (who I couldn't really see as I was eating Thali...!!!

...read the Guardian's article about The Peth (click here to read)

...laughed at dancing to Gary Glitter in the Rumpus Room

...despaired at the British weather and the mud that it contributed to

...had hope about being happy in life

...been completely random about drinking chai !!!

Interested in what I've been doing previously...??? Then click here...

Brittany, as unfortunate as I see it, rarely enters into a Starbucks for anything. But today, she was with me. So, undoubtedly, she was required to go with me. She noticed the Chai OR Green Tea Latte beverage, but rather than ordering one or the other, she did not notice the OR in the middle and ordered one drink with both Chai and Green Tea in it.

As the barista made the drink, she asked Brittany, "Are you sure you want this drink? It's normally one or the other..." Brittany, realizing her mistake finally, boldly stated, "Sure, let's try it anyway." The baristas in the uncrowded Starbucks were all snickering under the breath as the drink was prepared.

Finally, the time came to take the first sip. The baristas were standing, waiting for a disgusted reaction. What began as a mistake turned out to be a pleasant surprise for both the baristas, Brittany, and myself. The green tea flavor was enhanced by the spicy chai taste, and the creaminess of the drink added a rich deliciousness. At the sight of Brittany not vomiting, the barista who prepared the drink prepared one for herself in earnest in order to try it as well. She was shocked at how flavorful the drink was. We left the Starbucks, proud that we had created something of our own.

When you think of this, you can think of how amazing it is that some things in this world were just stumbled upon completely by accident. Potato chips, although unhealthy, became a hit by accident when a customer in Saratoga Springs, NY complained that his "fried potatoes" were too soggy. George Crum, the restaurant's chef, went back and sliced the potatoes incredibly thin and doused them in salt. The customer loved them. How many potato chip brands and types can you name off the top of your head? There's quite a few.

The slinky, fireworks, post-it notes, and microwave ovens were all accidental discoveries that became largely popular in the world. When we think about this, we can infer that hopefully, Brittany's error in ordering a drink will prove to be the next most popular drink that Starbucks puts out in its many stores throughout the nation. You never know. We may just become celebrities. Who knows?

For now, though, we're still normal people. Living our lives. Drinking Starbucks Chai Green Tea Lattes. What lives we have.

-Scarp

Come 4 p.m. and everyone’s eagerly waiting for their cup of tea – cutting chai as popularly known in Mumbai. Offices have a chai-wala come with his tiny aluminium kettle which surprisingly has tea enough for a hundred people! And if you notice, pan India, it’s the same aluminium kettle. Be it rains or summer or winter, the aluminium kettle goes along with all seasons. If not a chai-wala, then there are those numerous chai – katta again very popular among college students and those small offices where people find a getaway and a place to unwind. Of course, this chai ka pyaala is often accompanied with paav vada ( Indian burger ) or samosa or bhajji! At home, all the home makers prepare tea for themselves, as if it’s the start of the day. It helps them “look forward” to the rest of the day! Infact “high tea” is a commonly used term in India in which social events take place. Families now prefer inviting their guests for high tea inorder to save the extra workload from dinner / lunch! Shop keepers will eagerly be waiting for their chai at around 3:30 – 4 p.m. Infact so much so, that chai addicts get headaches and irritation if they don’t get their cup of tea. Its not just their cup of tea if they bunk their tea time!

That’s chai time – when little poor children run along the platform of train station shouting chai chai chai in their typical accent; the many addicts who will do anything for their cup of chai; and the amazing social bonding that happens over cup of chai. Like the advertisement goes “ tata tea… dimakh daudega nahi, bhagega…. Tez bahut tez!”

As if the variety in brands were not enough, tea comes in variety – just like coffee – from black tea to half paani tea to full doodh tea to sugar free and extra sugar to masala chai to flavoured chai from different parts of the Himalayas! There always must be Parle G glucose biscuit or Marie Biscuit accompanying the afternoon tea. Morning tea is another topic by itself. Ridiculously, no two people have tea of the same type. Each have their own style of making tea and especially critical is the water / milk content in chai. Sugar should and must be served separately to guests to avoid the fuss over “how much sugar you have!”

Chai – the most loved beverage, yet the most fussed over beverage. Chai chai chai…

Oh well, I just remembered a song with this -

Ek garam chai ki pyaali ho, Koi mujhko pilane wali ho..

The neighbourhood tea stalls cater to the men in the locality, especially for their cuppa's of chai aka tea (though the customary kaapi aka coffee is also available) along with some munchies.

One such stall in chennai.

Sin nada mas que hacer, tomado con la cámara del iPhone :)!

This is a side dish at Spice Monkey in downtown Oakland. Buy it. Seriously. And also the the chai, which is my favorite chai in Oakland and which they did not charge me for, out of the strange misapprehension that I didn't like it (which I tried to protest but they did not believe me. Or it could have been a mistake.)

But speaking of Spice Monkey and my lunch today- going to lunch at 11:15 alone is super awkward. You'd think I'd have learned this by now, but no. That would be too easy. The waitress was confused and I was embarrassed and then there was too much food. But so delicious I finished it anyway, looking like a doofus completely alone. Oh well.

Dresses

You know what else is awkward? Trying to figure out what you can wear to your business-casual office when every piece of clothing that you like is already packed because you leave in two days. So you put on a dress there wasn't room for, thinking it'll be fine. And 5 inch heels because you like making short people angry and are already 6'2. And then discovering that the dress is shorter than you thought.

But only noticing because other people won't stop commenting on your legs. I mean, I get used to people staring, because like I said, I'm tall, and I wear heels. Which is rare. But it's something entirely different to hear complete strangers start gushing to their friends about your legs. Or proclaiming their length loudly enough that an entire city block can hear. Not pleasant.

The End of Work

It's over tomorrow. I don't really know what to think; I've really enjoyed this job, and the people, and I hate Michigan in the summer, which is incidentally the next place I'm going. So I don't even have that to look forward to, really. But after that I get a vacation (during which this lovely blog will go dark- it's time for me to sleep. And gamble. Yes.) which is much needed and appreciated, and then it's back to school. Which is a mixed bag we won't even get into yet.

The Monsoon is my favourite time of the year.....i forget about the wetness and the slush and the inconveniences people face.....i love to curl up on a chair, feet nicely tucked under me and sip on a cup of hot spicy tea.....sweet and strong and flavoured with ginger.....i love the smell of the earth after the rains wash it....

This year we almost didn’t have the rains….there was talk of the rains having failed and all that…..it affects the entire ecosystem…..reservoirs dry up which badly affects water and electricity supply….i was saddened that I wont have my favourite season……and then it came upon us…..later than usual….but in full gusto…..it has been raining pretty incessantly for the last couple of weeks…..just the perfect time for some ginger spiced cookies and ginger chai…..

I made these cookies from sunitha’s blog…..infact Deeba mentioned them and I was interested..i tried them and we loved them….just the right chewiness…..spiced and very mildly sweet….what’s more…they’re made of whole wheat flour…..these cookies have become rather regular at home….its just that the rains have made them all the more special…..

For the cookies recipe, see here

For the chai / tea

½ c milk

½ c water

1 ½ t sugar

1 heaped t tea leaves ( I used brooke bond’s Taj Mahal)

¼ t ground dried ginger

Mix the milk and water and bring to a boil, add the dried ginger, tea leaves and sugar and simmer for 3-4 minutes till it is dark and aromatic. Cover and let stand a minute. Strain into a cup and enjoy!!

"In any case, I've written before about having chai, but it's always been part of another story. I've always wanted to describe, in detail, the uniquely Afghan experience of having chai."

I stumbled across the blog Bill and Bob's Excellent Afghan Adventure in one of my blog rambles and it's fascinating. The description of the snacks served with chai reminds me very much of the sorts of snacks my family might have with tea, especially what sounds a lot like namkeen.

2.Tea is one of the most widely-consumed beverages in the world, second only to water.It has a cooling, slightly bitter, astringent flavor.

3.It has almost no carbohydrates, fat, or protein. Tea is a natural source of the amino acid theanine, methylxanthines such as caffeine and theobromine,and polyphenolic antioxidant catechins.

4.Amazingly, we drink virtually the same tea today that Emperor Shen Nung drank the day he discovered it. Americans drink 140 million cups of tea each day and 80% of that is in the form of iced tea.

5.Only the top 1-2 inches of the mature plant are picked. These buds and leaves are called flushes,and a plant will grow a new flush every seven to ten days during the growing season.

6.The four basic types of true tea are black tea, oolong tea, green tea, and white tea.
The term "herbal tea" usually refers to infusions or tisane of fruit or herbs that contain no Camellia sinensis.

7.In 1904 Englishman Richard Blechynden creates iced tea during a heat wave at the St Louis World Fair. It was an extremely warm day and his hot tea booth was being passed up by the crowds in favor of cold drinks. As desperate measure, since he was out time and money for even coming to the Fair, he added ice to the vats of liquid hot tea and in the process made it one of the highlights of the 1904 World's Fair.

8.In 1908 New York tea importer Thomas Sullivan inadvertently invents tea bags when he sends tea to clients in small silk bags, and they mistakenly steep the bags whole.

9.Today tea is grown on tea estates and 70% of the tea we drink is grown in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Argentina and China.

10.Tea is an infusion made by steeping processed leaves, buds, or twigs of the tea bush, Camellia sinensis, in hot water for several minutes, after which it is drunk.

11.According to the American Dietetic Association, a cup of tea contains an average of 40 mg of caffeine, compared to 85 mg as found in a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

12.The addition of milk to tea was first mentioned in 1680 by the epistolist Madame de Sévigné.[45] Many teas are traditionally drunk with milk. These include Indian chai, and British tea blends.

13.In Britain and some Commonwealth countries, the order in which the milk and the tea enter the cup is often considered an indicator of social class.

14.A recent medical study found that certain beneficial effects of tea are lost through the addition of milk.

15.The flavour of the tea can also be altered by pouring it from different heights, resulting in varying degrees of oxidisation.

16.Health Benefits of Tea

Heart Benefits:

• Study finds tea drinkers have lower blood pressure (Archives of Internal Medicine, 2004).

• Tea may lower cholesterol and protect against heart disease (Journal of Nutrition, 2003).

• Black tea may lower “bad” cholesterol (United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, 2003).

• Tea consumption may help heart disease patients (Circulation: The Journal of the American Heart Association, 2001).

Cancer Prevention:

• Green tea could help stem esophageal cancer. (Harvard Medical School, 2004).

• Green and black tea can slow down the spread of prostate cancer (Center for Human Nutrition at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, 2004).

• Tea may protect against cancer caused by smoking. (Journal of Nutrition, 2003).

• Green tea and white tea fight colon cancer (Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University study, Carcinogenesis, 2003).

• Hot tea may lower risk of some skin cancers (University of Arizona study, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention (Vol. 9, No. 7), 2001).

• Green tea consumption may lower stomach cancer risk (University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Public Health study, International Journal of Cancer (Vol. 92: 600-604), 2001).

Hypertension-Reducing Benefits:

• Green and oolong teas reduce risk of hypertension (National Cheng Kung University study, Archives of Internal Medicine, 2004).

Immunity-Boosting Benefits

• Tea believed to boost the body’s defenses (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2003)

Leukemia-Fighting Benefits:

• A green tea component helps kill leukemia cells (Mayo Clinic, 2004).
Alzheimer’s-Fighting Benefits:

• Drinking tea might delay Alzheimer's Disease (Newcastle University's Medicinal Plant Research Centre study, Phytotherapy Research, 2004).

AIDS-Fighting Benefits:

• Tea may play a role as an AIDS fighter (University of Tokyo, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2003).

After yesterdays flowing gown, I wanted something sleeker today, and unequivocally sexy with it.

Read more at Efemeral Style.

After yesterdays flowing gown, I wanted something sleeker today, and unequivocally sexy with it. The Golden Moon cheongsam is dramatically slit to the top of the hip, exposing the full length of the leg, whilst the knee length of the prim skirt keeps the dress on the side of sultry rather than slutty. I was amazed by how well this orthodox two flexi-prim skirt fitted, I usually have to mod the heck out of this style of skirt to get it to fit well but I wore this right out of the box. The only adjustments I had to make were to nudge the prim collar down a fraction, and stretch the included knee and elbow ties (perhaps there's a "proper" name for those, but I'm afraid I don't know what it is!).

The richly patterned fabric has a shiny feel to it, in keeping with the heavy Chinese silk, and is adorned with a striking "golden" moon design, the same in each of the six colours - blue, gold, green, pink, purple, and the red shown.

Again, I'm wearing the Dark Eden geta (in fact, I'm probably going to be wearing them lots in future!) and have also used this hair from ETD that to me has somewhat of a modern geisha vibe, plus this feline-eyed skin from Chai.

Dress - Bare Rose - Golden Moon - Red
Geta - Dark Eden - Nu Kua Sandals - Bloodrage

Hair - ETD - Kiley II
Skin - Chai - Cream - Vedette

Lashes - Cake - Flutter Lashes
Eyes - Tuli - Luminous Eyes - Steel

Location Photography - Ningyo Namazu

As it turned out, they're unable to go, so I need to cover for them by having a double serving (of art as well as food).

The first was the Aloha Festival. Hawaiian dancing and barbecue. Combine those two things, and it's impossible not to have fun.

The dancers' backsides are shaking in ways that would cause certain injury to most people I know.

The food's excellent, but I wasn't able to try all of it.

The next event, over near Berkeley, is an art gallery premiere, and a fundraiser for Unicef. The artist I've come to see is Siddhartha Deb. I knew I'd like his work, but I wasn't prepared for the Aspara of Rice.

I'm seriously drawn to the concept of a sensuous spirit rising from the steam of a household appliance. Makes me want to cook more. Gary's right. This was a good idea.

Random assertion: If you're looking for a deity or a muse, don't give up. You may not find her, but she'll certainly find you.

Steganographic data: 1820/3.5

I've been wanting to do a few experiments with cardamom and the other traditional Turkish coffee spices, but to get started I had to buy an ibrik and practice a bit with the basics of preparing Turkish coffee. I tried the recipe included with the ibrik by the folks in lexington, ky, but couldn't get a flavorful cup from the proportions given, so on my third try, I turned to this recipe from coffeegeek.com.

In the depths of my ignorance, I can't figure out whether the references made to "foam" on the Natasha's Cafe website are to what I've got going on in my pictures, to an espresso crema-style cap, or to something else entirely. And who's to say? I need to find a Turkish restaurant and ask.

But from a more enlightened perspective, I can say that there's an interesting engineering similarity between the design of the ibrik and the design of wine bottles for those reds that benefit from aging. The ibrik has a narrow neck and a wide base, which gives the fine grounds room to settle at the bottom of the pitcher and holds them during the pour. The bulge just below the neck of a bottle of red wine, similarly, helps to catch the sediments that clump up and settle as a wine ages. In both cases the vessel is playing a mechanical trick to keep yucky stuff out of your glass.

I haven't made much coffee at home in recent weeks, but I'm hoping to pick up the ibrik again sometime soon-- here's hoping for interesting cardamom experiments in the future.

then, next evening, i am again chatting myself away with dima. i know, i know i should better be doing my translations but i got sick and tired of them. so i had a coffee break. and here he was, telling me that he is depressed, and life is routine and other bloody crap people use to say. so i enlighten him about my life. the work i don't actually enjoy, the "halturas" (sorry, there is no word in english for that) I got tired with and studies i do not know how i am going to finish. that is what i call routine. every day is the same and you star to get a feeling you could predict a future (reference to "Wanted" OST). after our little chat the unthinkable happens, which makes me re-think do i even have a routine.

the door bell rings, which could be normal, since dad usually forgets his keys somewhere. anyway, i get myself downstairs (you know, this is my week off, so no make up, messy hair and clothes i never ever would like to show to anyone) and just in case I ask:"Who is it?" The answer sets me off. "Maija". My first thought was that it is my neighbour but then again her name was Marta or something like that. and then it rings a bell. something familiar in her voice.. of course, it IS maija, the one and only MKEI! So I open the door deeply embaressed of my look but, hey, that could be an emergency. we exchange hugs and i try to ask politely what the hell she is doing behind my door on a sunday evening. "Sleepover, remember?" was all her answer. for a moment i freeze. yes, i do recall that i set up a date for a girls only sleepover but that was on friday and there is no way today is friday! "No, but it is friday today!" Maija insists. I do not know how she could mix the days but after five minutes we are laughing over the phone trying to explain chai why she has to come over immediatelly.

so here i am. it is five in the morning and both girls just passed out. but i have a translation to do till the midday. so i have exactly 7 hours to translate 5.5 pages and correct everything. i am having second thoughts about routine in my life. there is no such thing.

tired but very happy,

/e

P.S. thank you girls

I was finally able to keep the kids out of the garden long enough to get strawberries for making jam.  Fresh strawberry jam is a real treat for me in the winter.   The bright red is so cheerful on those cold winter mornings.  I can sit down with my cup of tea, chai with cream,  a couple slices of hazelnut toasts slathered with jam, and a magazine.  What a great way to start the morning.

 I made 6 cups of jam to put in the freezer. 

Strawberry is the only type of jam I make for the freezer.  I cook the rest of my jams.  I just think homemade strawberry jam tastes better when I use the no cook method.   Luckily, the kids prefer blackberry jam!

“Way down among Brazilians
Coffee beans grow by the billions
So they've got to find those extra cups to fill
They've got an awful lot of coffee in Brazil”

Music and Lyrics by Bob Hilliard, Dick Milles

Well according to Wikipedia the short answer is yes. There is still an awful lot of coffee in Brazil. 2.59 million metric tons in 2006 say the figures.

Which is nothing short of good news for us coffee lovers.

Can you imagine if coffee were like fuel? Queues of angry shoppers, frustrated book-buyers and desperate morning commuters, lined up outside Starbucks and Costa Coffee, waving their travel mugs and complaining about the rising price of beans and VAT.

A perculatory panic.

Whether you have a black Americano or a half-fat, decaf latte with a shot, a caramel Macchiato (dessert) or, like me, the coffee of the day, served black, hot and in a mug you could take a bath in, coffee is the stimulant of choice.

Tea just doesn’t cut it when you crave that caffeine hit.

Where I work we have free coffee from automated vending machines. It tastes as if there is a cigarette butt loitering at the bottom of the plastic cup, but it’s free so no one is complaining. Well I am, but no one listens to me.

This of course leads to another problem with coffee. As an ex-smoker of some two years standing, when I have a mug of coffee in my left hand, I become frustrated as to what to do with my right (answers on a postcard please, diagrams welcome). I never miss smoking quite as much as I do when I have coffee in front of me.

Ah how I miss standing in the garden at 5.30 in the morning, a cup of instant in one hand and a Marlboro Light in the other…good times.

As far as instants go, I have to say my choice has been, for several years now, Nescafe’s Alta Rica. It’s a good store cupboard staple.

I find things harder when it comes to choosing my fresh coffee though.

I actually have a bit of a penchant for Tim Horton’s coffee. For those not in the know, Tim Horton’s is Canada’s own Starbucks. The original blend is smooth and mellow (much like the Canadians) and cries out for an accompanying doughnut (something with a maple glaze). I rely heavily on imports from my best friend.

It has to be said, I am not the best coffee brewer in the world, but Tim rarely lets me down.

Of course I have to admit that I’ve cut back a lot on my coffee consumption recently. Too many extra shots in my mug have started to make me a little twitchy, I blame it on age.

In fact, and don’t go spreading this around, I’ve been known not to order coffee at all and to go for a Chai tea instead.

A heinous crime I know. But I’m quite sure the coffee trade will survive without my regular contributions.

I’m not sure where this article is going, other than a colleague suggested the title to me, and I really liked it.

Coffee is fuel for the mind but, unlike that which is rising well above the rate of inflation, it’s not going to run out anytime soon.

I shall leave you with one final thought, not an original one I’ll grant, but you can’t talk about coffee and not take this one parting shot:

I like my coffee like I like my men – ground up and in the freezer.

My husband and I are not coffee drinkers at all, but we love Starbucks' Chai Lattes. (I've been hooked on them since college. He's a new recruit.) We've tried so many ways to make them at home, but it's just not the same without the steamy froth! I could never justify buying a cappuccino/espresso machine just for the steam wand on the side. The Wal-mart hand froth wands are "okay" but I still would need to heat the milk on the stove. That usually got too messy with my short attention span. I'd always get consumed by the morning news or email and forget that my soy milk was on the stove- until I heard the pot boil over... tttssss... that was never much fun to clean up.

Any who, I came across one of these smurfy gizmos and thought, "Wow, that's EXACTLY what I need!" (And yes, I did just write "smurfy", children of the 80's unite!) But then there were none in stock to be found. Turns out Nespresso is discontinuing these in order to make them in a different size and to re-package them with their other machines. (But, but... I just found out that I could buy a product that I needed separately from the machines and they are wanting to package them back together? All I needed was the Aeroccino!) It took 2 months for Williams-Sonoma to get one of their last separate orders in- finally. I was able to order my Aerocinno and they were kind enough to not charge me for shipping. Yay for Chai!

Chai, originally uploaded by Tokenhippygirl.

Karen made chai, of course, and used this HUGE cup that Kev brought along. This thing was big, and Karen was one happy girl.

The first thing he did was break a few walls - the kitchen, the balcony, the bathroom and the bedroom. Then set up a fully equipped kitchenette with a sliding mirror door that shut when not in use, which is almost always (I did suggest he dismantle it and set up a phone, for takeaway).

The Living (he designed everything including that big comfortable bench and the delightful rug, except for, of course, the 'insert drumroll here' Eames Chair)

The Dining (Love the Orange school chairs)


The industrial metal pipe four poster

The sliding door bathroom with a Vespa seperator.

The steel bucket sink