Intercultural Incompetent

Malaysia is a great country to travel - especially, because of the food. The cuisine of a country is generally a microcosm of the nation and Malaysian cuisine totally reflects the multi racial aspects of Malaysia. The various ethnic groups in Malaysia have their dishes but many dishes in Malaysia are derived from multiple ethnic influences.

Yesterday, we went for an Indian banana leaf lunch. We did not actually eat banana leafs. The food was served onto a banana leaf. The waiters kept serving small dishes onto the leaf throughout the lunch. One had to fold the banana leaf to show that one is full and that they should stop serving.

Unfortunately, I chose the wrong option and folded the leaf towards the middle of the table. One is only supposed to fold the leaf towards the middle at a funeral meal. I had again shown how intercultural incompetent I am. At least, some Malaysians had a good laugh.

... From The Flight Deck

I’m back in Malaysia in the Hotel Equatorial. I’ve never made it across the equator. However, if nothing else, I can say that I made it into the equator.

The flight was a bit rough. All the clouds in the world seem to have been crowded in our flight path. At least, the sky over the Black & Caspian Sea was clear. Both seas were actually quite blue.

Business as usual, even the regular line from the pilot that gets me into a fuss: “This is the captain speaking from the flight deck…” I bloody hope he’s on the flight deck. If he were not, I prefer better not to be told.

Deriously Loved Up

Back in March, Ms.Mac has referred to me as

...quite obviously deriously loved up and is spreading the joy of love everywhere!

This quote is still up to date and my loved up state is still on a dramatically increasing course. I can't deny it anymore, there is a streak of love in me. I seem to be able to give other people the level of intimacy that is needed.

Fact is, that I've never been in a longer relationship as with Gatín now. If I dare to compare, hardly any of my previous romantic or sexual involvements comes near to what Gatín & I have. It's like comparing vinegar with wine.

I mean an impure dilute solution of acetic acid and not Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena aged over 25 years when I talk of vinegar. However, I mean Syrah when I talk of wine. I'm talking of a quite powerfully flavoured, full-bodied, embracing and breath-taking experience.

Unfortunately, Gatín and I will again be separated for a few weeks. I'll have to go to Malaysia to teach some Thais how to handle a strong servo. But wherever I am, I have just to close my eyes and I can feel Gatín's tender kisses and hugs allover me.

Gatín, I am truly grateful that you kept knocking on my shell. You've opened a new universe to me.

Being INTJ

At the end of June, I had a clash with my boss. Whereupon I contacted a friend, who is an I/O psychologist, for support. Among other things, my friends made three physiological tests with me. Yesterday, I received the test results.

Just to clear one thing right at the beginning with my flatmate Tigresa: I have a very bad relationship with animals. I don't need them to compensate anything. This is a depth psychological cognition, Freud and so... Hence, no animals full stop.

These three tests painted a picture of my personality and vocations. I'll have to digest this first to get the whole pictures and to decide how to proceed from here.

The most difficult one to interpret is the Predisposition Structure Test. That requires deep knowledge of the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud. The bottom line: I have chosen the right job. However, there a some inclinations, which I have to satisfy in my private life - e.g. blogging is one of the instruments to archive this.

Cattell's Personality Factor Test defined me as INTJ. This is one of 16 possible types. Approx. 2.1% of the population are like me. INTJ is the abbreviation of Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging. In plain English this reads as Introverted Intuition with Extraverted Thinking, the Free-Thinker, or Scientist.

Of course there are not only 16 personalities. Therefore, I can correlate the INTJ profile with the results of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®, which produced an additional profile of my personality.

Let's see, if I can get a combined picture:

My primary mode of living is focused internally, where I take things in primarily via my intuition. My secondary mode is external, where I deal with things rationally and logically.

I live in the world of ideas and strategic planning. I value intelligence, knowledge, and competence, and have high standards in these regards, which I continuously strive to fulfill. To a somewhat lesser extent, I have similar expectations of others.

With Introverted Intuition dominating my personality, I focus my energy on observing the world, and generating ideas and possibilities. My mind constantly gathers information and makes associations about it. I am tremendously insightful and usually quick to understand new ideas. However, my primary interest is not understanding a concept, but rather applying that concept in a useful way. I do not follow an idea as far as I possibly can, seeking only to understand it fully. I am driven to come to conclusions about ideas. My need for closure and organization usually requires that I take some action.

My tremendous value and need for systems and organization, combined with my natural insightfulness, could make me an excellent scientist. It is not easy for me to express my internal images, insights, and abstractions. The internal form of my thoughts and concepts is highly individualized, and is not readily translatable into a form that others will understand. However, I am driven to translate my ideas into a plan or system that is usually readily explainable, rather than to do a direct translation of my thoughts. I usually don't see the value of a direct transaction, and I also have difficulty expressing my ideas, which are non-linear. However, my extreme respect of knowledge and intelligence motivates me to explain myself to another person who I feel is deserving of the effort.

I could be a natural leader, although I usually choose to remain in the background until I see a real need to take over the lead. When I am in a leadership role, I am quite effective, because I am able to objectively see the reality of a situation, and I am adaptable enough to change things which aren't working well. I am the supreme strategists - always scanning available ideas and concepts and weighing them against my current strategy, to plan for every conceivable contingency.

I spend a lot of time inside my own mind, and have little interest in the other people's thoughts or feelings. No until I had developed my Feeling side (and I'm still working on that), I was able to give other people the level of intimacy that is needed.

My interest in dealing with the world is to make decisions, express judgments, and put everything that I encounter into an understandable and rational system. Because my intuitions are quite evolved, I am convinced that I am right about things. Unfortunately, my intuitive understanding is not complemented with a well-developed ability to express my insights, I find myself frequently misunderstood.

I am an ambitious, self-confident, deliberate, long-range thinkers. Hence, I ended up in engineering. I dislike messiness and inefficiency, and anything that is muddled or unclear. I value clarity and efficiency, and I put enormous amounts of energy and time into consolidating my insights into structured patterns.

Other people often have a difficult time understanding me. They see me as aloof and reserved. Indeed, I am not overly demonstrative of my affections, and I am likely to not give as much praise or positive support as others may need or desire. That doesn't mean that I don't truly have affection or regard for others, I simply do not typically feel the need to express it. Others may falsely perceive me as being rigid and set in my ways. Nothing could be further from the truth, because I am committed to always finding the objective best strategy to implement my ideas. I am usually quite open to hearing an alternative way of doing something.

I need to remember to express myself sufficiently, so as to avoid difficulties with people misunderstandings. I have to work on developing my communication abilities.

I have a tremendous amount of ability to accomplish great things. I have insight into the Big Picture, and I am driven to synthesize my concepts into solid plans of action. My reasoning skills give me the means to accomplish that. I've had met my career or education goals. It seems that I have the capability to make great strides in these areas. On a personal level, if I practice tolerance and put effort into effectively communicating my insights to others, I have everything in my power to lead a rich and rewarding life.

Let's go for it!

To The Second Max

Excellent day so far. I received the spanking new second edition of the ROVERING to the MAX promotion postcards for The Rover Company:



Would you like to distribute some of them at an event where a lot of rovers will be present? Brilliant! Please write to The Crew immediately.

It's Really A Book

After work, I had a date (no, not a lovers' tryst) with Gatín and his friend Rosi. I was a bit to early and used the occasion to drop by at the book shop. This is a rather dangerous behaviour, which has cost me a small fortune in the course of my life. But this time, it turned out to be something special. I discovered the new novel by Julian Barnes. A new Julian Barnes is always exiting. However, this time it was something really special. The new Julian Barnes is not just an ordinary book. This book looks and feels like a book is supposed to. The fonts are clear and pleasing to read. The pages ask to be turned over. This book is manna for the soul and the senses.



What is it about? No idea. It has something to do with the 'Great Wyrley Outrages'. But, who cares? Julian Barnes could write about how to grow grass and it still would be brilliant.

Some reviews:
TLS review
The Guardian review
The Guardian article
The New Statesman Review

Alemannic Sweet & Sour

It's high season for local fruits and berries in Switzerland. This Saturday, I made the Alemannic version of Sweet & Sour: Zwetschgenwähe (a kind of plum cake that tastes sweet and sour). This marks the beginning of the plum season. At first, I did not yet trust the plums on the market, but a saleswoman convinced me by offering me a plum to taste. My verdict: plums are already plum ripe.



Honouring market's variety, I made various Wähen recently. Among which, a season fusion Wähe - that is, Cherry-Klarapfel. The cherries are at the end of their season and the apple season starts with the Klarapfel.

Mille e una Notte

Last week, my father could celebrate his 82nd birthday. As usual, the perfect present is almost impossible to find. Lucky for me, Gatín brought up the ideal solution: Nero d'Avola, the red grape variety that unfolds it's potential best on the island of Sicily. Gatín also found the perfect wine made from this variety: Mille e una Notte, 2001 by Donnafugata: a perfect Nero d’Avola, lush ruby, a note of black berries, chocolate and tobacco, luscious, the tannins still have to round off, however, the long fruity finish already indulges the senses. The wine's name, which translates Thousand and One Nights, is an allusion that it transforms your senses into the favourite nectar of the gods. Mille e una Notte does not only seduce one, its enchanting quality can make the mortal among us addicted to it. Let's see, were it will take my father.



We, that is Gatín for me, bought some bottles of this treasure at Vin & Fior in Dübendorf. The owner of the shop gave Gatín also a pack of Orecchiette. Orecchiette are a distinctive Puglian type of pasta shaped roughly like small ears, hence the name (orecchiette, little ears). Unfortunately, the diminutive is a very neglected form in the English language and it does not come up with such precious terms like Orecchiette.



Gatín did not only bring a pack of Orecchiette but also a recipe: cook broccoli very briefly, mash it and mix it with garlic, olive oil, really red hot chili pepper and finely cut black olives in pan, season with salt. Mix all with the cooked Orecchiette in a bowl and serve with freshly ground parmesan.

We had Orecchiette twice so far. Once with veal and once with a whole chicken. Most important, enjoy them with a wine from southern Italy. Such as the Mille e una Notte.

Polka Dots

In Moscow, Tigresa tried to tell me that Polka Dots are the must wear this season for all women slightly interested in fashion (Moscow is the must visit place for everyone slightly interested in fashion). Unfortunately, I always forgot what this pattern is called like to the extent that she must have thought that I'm not interested at all in what she tells me.

This morning, I was flicking through the current issue of BUTT when I discovered an interview with John Waters by Wolfgang Tillmans with the headline: JOHN WATERS BARON OF BAD TASTE FROM BALTIMORE IS OBSESSED BY MICHAEL JACKSON'S POLKA DOT PENIS.

Tigresa, I will never forget Polka Dots anymore.

Le Tour des Parcs

I've been living and working in this place since 1983:



It's northern Zurich. In the background, you can see Zurich Airport, or Unique as its official and silly designation is. However, in the front is New Oerlikon. I live in the middle.

Yesterday, I made a trekking with Gatín through the parks of New Oerlikon.



This was the start. Actually, it's not yet in Oerlikon and it isn't a park. It's the end stop of tram line 14. It has recently been put in a new shape and looks quite pretty. It's also equipped with about a dozen CCTV cameras. So, don't use it with heavy black backpacks.



The first real park was the Wahlenpark. This is the newest. It has been opened on the 3rd of June. I reckon, it's named after Friedrich Traugott Wahlen, who took care that the Swiss were well fed during the Second World War.



The MFO-Park is probably the most daring. MFO is the abbreviation of Machine Factory Oerlikon. Here was the heart of Zurich's industrial area. Nowadays, it's a fancy service and living area. Unfortunately, the rents are far to high for the kind of folks like me. The park consists of a metal structure. All plants are climbers and are supposed to cover the structure within 10 years.



These are the flowers of such a climber on the third floor. According to Gatín, they look like the wet hair of a blonde girl.



The Gustav-Ammann-Park was the oldest park of our tour. It was built in 1942 as part the welfare area of my caring employer. It is a well hidden oasis of calm.



The Louis-Häfliger-Park is the smallest of the new park. It has been built were my caring employer used to test guns underground.



The Oerliker-Park was the biggest park of our tour. Somehow, Gatín managed to drag me on the top of the 35 m high tower.

Le Soleil De Zurich

I'm writing, as Radio Tropic, which is "broadcasting from the heart of Zurich", said this morning, "from the free country of Switzerland". It's our birthday today! Don't ask an old lady how old she is. It's too difficult to do math with big numbers anyway. Read Friedrich von Schiller's play Wilhelm Tell about the details.

Whatever, the day is perfectly made for a birthday party. Have a look a the day in front of Gomad Mansion™:



What you can see here are Schrebergärten (allotgarden). They are named after Dr. Daniel Gottlob Moritz Schreber, who somehow laid the foundation for this movement in Germany. This evening they will turn into a tense grid of barbeques.

At Gomad Mansion™, we are perfectly ready for a hot day. See our Red Hot Chili Peppers:



If you haven't got such an infrastructure, you're not completely lost - just switch to Radio Tropic, le soleil de Zurich.

Switzerland Is An Ursine Country Again

It has officially been conformed by represents of the Swiss National Park that there is a bear in Switzerland. As someone who has an ursine approach to life, this is thrilling news.

Although last week, I saw a big brother of the newest Swiss citizen in Siberia and I did not behave like this:

• Stop, stay calm and quiet, and make no sudden moves.
• Stand your ground - do not turn your back on the bear - sometimes a bear will bluff charge several times.
• Back away slowly, speaking in a calming, monotone voice - you want to show the bear that you are being submissive and want to get out of "It’s" territory. Do not turn your back.
• Keep a cool head - try to stay calm, do not yell or scream.

Actually, I run for the camp. Luckily, the bear was even more scared and run into the opposite direction as soon as I started running. Maybe, it did help that we always had at least several hundred yards between us.

Enough about me and back to the Swiss bear. Why did it choose the Swiss National Park? Almost everything that makes any fun is prohibited there:

Do not leave the marked trails
No dogs, not even on a lead
No winter sports, nor cycling
Do not remove anything
No overnight stays, not even in the parking areas

Out of Tune

There is the perfect summer all over Zürich and coincidentally I'm spending some days in this town that Philipp Tingler describes in his new book Juwelen des Schicksals (Destiny's Jewels) as a kind of mixture of La Prairie and Nero's Rome. Nevertheless, I'm despairingly, despondently, forlornly, hopelessly, desperately lost. My problem is that I haven't yet found the tune that perfectly matches with this summer.

My favorite tunes right know are on Blinking Lights And Other Revelations by the breathtaking Eels. Unfortunetely, it's not quite the music that I associate with stoling in a rustic bliss through Arcadia or watching perfect bums passing my towel at the local pool. I've tried many things, but nothing really fits. My hopes will gone to blazes quite soon. Please help!

Gartered Wellington Look

Far better as early adapting is setting trends. The trend I'd been setting in the remote region of north east Siberia is the long expected fusion of British aristocracy with plain fetish.



The look concentrates on the below waist area. It consists of as long as possible Wellington boots worn over a pair of yellow oilskin trousers. The gumboots are kept in position by a pair of garters. A garter-belt is not required, a wide leather belt is much more suitable. A black water-repelling top is recommended.

Silly Geek Chic Season

When David Tennant takes over the role of Doctor Who later this year, it will be in what BBC describes as "geek chic". This is supposed to look like just-got-out-of-bed, dragged-through-a-hedge-backwards, only-thing-I-could-find. For the ones who still don't get the picture: like the type of man Kate Moss might date, kitted out in a brown pin-stripe skinny and crumpled suit, white shirt - unbuttoned at the collar - a loose tie and scruffy white Converse trainers, finished off with a long brown trench coat, a cross between old hack's Mac and flasher attire.



Huh, I've got already a pair of white Converse trainers. However, I'm not quite sure if I quite like to date Kate Moss... Whateva, I'll give it a miss. It's too obvious the work of some PR wankers trying to take advantage of the silly season (or Saure-Gurken-Zeit as wee called it). Neighter geek chic nor chic geeks will save the galaxy anyway.

Kudos

I will not go as far as citing Whitman, but if there is any man in the world I would trust my life it's Juri Smirnov from Syrjanka.


Picture by Tigresa.

I had again the honour to be on Juri's raft on the Rassocha river for about a week. It's even an honour to meet him once in a lifetime, but paddling under his command makes me one of the most privileged persons alive.

Flying Domodedovo

I've spent some days in Siberia and had the opportunity to fly with my old friends from Domodedovo Airline - that is with a Tupolev Tu-154M.

The Tu-154M is a great plane. However, the entertainment system had not been included in the requirements. Nevertheless, there were some Safety Instructions, which made good for that slackness:



The Tu-154M is a not only a great plane, it's also very reliable. Unfortunately, Boeing and Airbus somehow ruined the reputation of airplanes and Domodedovo Airline was forced to put this Safety Instructions on board:



As usual, the Safety Instructions made heavy use of pictograms. The interpretation of pictograms is not always easy. Some did only reveal the concept they are representing in the course of the flight, such as:



This pictogram must be interpreted as Do not smoke outside of the lavatory. Even the flight attendants did obey this and went into the lavatories for their fag.

Domodedovo Airline does also keep an eye on the moral values. I reckon, that's why they added a pictogram for Do not hold your cigarette like a bloody pooftah:



A lot of things are prohibited during take-off and landing. Luckily, I haven't got a car. I might had brought it along:



In the section During flight, a drill for mothers was announced. I did missed that one, I must have nodded off:



A lot of things are prohibited as well during Emergency landing/Ditching. Especially, the Nylon thing might be quite discriminating for cross-dressers:



Chivalry is required from the men and grace from the women when leaving the plane via the emergency exit next to the wings after Emergency landing/Ditching:



.. and gals, don't forget to put back on the high-heels before you intend to leave the plane.

Postpone Any Celebrations

Last Friday, SAL issued the diploma for my flatmate Tigresa. She may now refer to herself as Journalist. Besides for the really humdrum sentence analysis, all grades are just brilliant. We are excited at Gomad Mansion.

Journalism is a trade with a long tradition. Great names are associated to it. Think of Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, Winston Churchill, George Orwell, George Bernard Shaw and Julie Burchill. Tigresa does not make it easy for herself. But she's up for it for sure.

However, please stop sending cards, cakes, champagne, wine, booze, sweetmeats, invitations, SMSes, eMails and similar stuff until July, 25. Tigresa will be in Siberia and will be just unreachable. It would be a waste. Nevertheless, after the 25th of July you are free to send as much as you can. Short-term indebtedness is always an option.

Me debo ir o quedarme?

As I told you, I had a clash* with my boss the other day. His boss managed to calm the waves, last week. However, I've been at that place for almost six years and it's time to ask The Question. Asking question to the mirror is something for evil queens only. Hence, I contacted a friend, who is an I/O psychologist, for support.

This evening, I went for my first session. The good news is that he's willing to do the first step with me. The bad one is that I'm supposed to do some work too. That is, he gave me three questionnaires for a psychological analysis of my personality. I have to answer all of them within 24 hours. He will then analyse the response and we're going into the second round right after my Siberia trip. The three test are:

• Vocation-Structur-Test, depth psychological approach, 190 questions
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®, also depth psychological approach, 90 questions
• Cattell's Personality Factor Test in the revised edition, 184 questions.

As if this has not already been enough, I've also received a book about networking. Maybe a good choice, because I'm not very good at this, even though networking led me to the psychologist in the first place.

I've asked a simple question (me debo ir o quedarme?) and I've received 464 more to answer and a book to read. Almost a chain reaction as in nuclear science. Maybe I should head in that direction. It's supposed to go into a renaissance. But I've been there already. I want something new and cool, though.

* cultural reference: Me debo ir o quedarme? = Should I stay or should I go?

Getting Ready

On Wednesday, I'll be a bad lover again and leave Gatín alone back in Switzerland. Together with my flatmate Tigresa, I'm going on a pioneer river rafting to north east Siberia on the Omuljovka river in the Kolyma region. Some Siberians are going to find out whether this river can be used for tourist purposes. Tigresa and I are among five Swiss, who will serve as crash test dummies.



[Satellite Picture]

We will fly via Moscow and Yakutsk to Syrjanka. The last leg will be on a Antonov 24, a plane that could make it into any Indiana Jones film. At Syrjanka, a MI-8 helicopter will pick us up and drop an hour later at the banks of the Omuljovka together with the rest of the crew and the rafts. For the next seven days, we will probably not meet a single soul on our way down the river. At a parallel river, I saw once a bear. But usually, one is far too noisy to meet a lot of animals. However, I hope we will catch a lot of fish. There is no better food than the one direct from an unpolluted river. After the week on the river, the helicopter is supposed to pick us up again and we'll return to Switzerland immediately.

But the biggest obstacle will be to leave Switzerland together with Tigresa. Right now, she's involved in the cap drivers' strike at Zürich's airport. I hope she's not going to spend our departure in custody. Touch wood.