Cycling In Zürich

Cyclist in Zürich have not the best reputation. I'm no angle either (cycling maxim: take no prisoners). However, even if you really try hard, as a cyclist, in Zürich you just can't adhere to traffic regulations. Cycling tracks are patchy and meandering. At loads of crossings your are supposed to get off the bike, push it over the crossing, before your are allowed to saddle again (i.e. along the brand spanking new Glattalbahn). Why don't have cars to do this? Well, and the best of all are the contradicting paintings on the roads (you are not supposed to cross an uninterrupted centre strip / median):



By the way, this was taken on an approach section to the Veloland Schweiz grid - which is supposedly designed to promote recreational cycling for families.

Café de Paris Blancs de Fruits Litchi

A thoughtless dear friend of ours brought us a bottle of Café de Paris Blancs de Fruits Litchi - a sparkling French wine from the Bordeaux region flavoured with Lychee! What were we supposed to do with this?

I took the juice of two grapefruit, chopped the pulp of another grapefruit. Put everything into the blender and filled up with Café de Paris Blancs de Fruits Litchi. Cheers!

Brussels Sprouts

A long quest found its end. I've discovered a methode to cook with Brussels Sprouts, so that I actually like it.

Last night we went for Chateaubriand and hence had to cut down a bit today. The decision was to got for a soup for lunch. I felt like oatmeal soup would be the perfect choice. But we had only a quarter of a leek left. So I substituted the additional required quarter with Brussels sprouts - the only other vegetable that was left.



So far the best decision I made today. I would never have thought that Brussels sprouts could taste so absolutely fabulous like in combination with leek, roasted oatmeal and stock:

Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan (I prefer canola), add three tbsp of oatmeal, roast a bit, add the chopped leek and Brussels sprouts, reduce the heat and braise lightly. Deglaze with 0.8 litre of stock. Heat the soup up, reduce the heat and let it simmer for half an hour.

Bear the Consequences

I reckon you heard about the rogue trader that caused his French bank Societe Generale a loss of 4.9bn euros ($7.1bn; £3.7bn). While we were reading the papers in bed, Toño asked "Is there the possibility that he might loose his job?" Well, I'm not a prophet...

Under Shower After The Workout

There are a lot of things that are happening under shower after the swim workout. Such as last August, when I told Beat - the third pooftah in our swim team, former chef turned gaming lobbyist and avowing kitchen appliance aficionado - that I have a soft spot for a certain kitchen appliance.

Last Thursday under the shower, Beat remembered our conversation and he told me that he has his hand on a second hand Kenwood Chef in excellent shape. Well it's not the Major in brushed titanium but it cost only a fifth of that price. I could not resist and after Toño gave his blessing... well it's now in the kitchen of our weekend residence.



There is only one problem of the “law” of diminishing marginal utility. I don't need two of these multi-functional kitchen appliances. Is there anyone out there interested in a TURMIX varioTronic 600 with many extras - such as blender, fruit press and grater?





Added Later
The TURMIX varioTronic 600 has found a new home at Tina's mother.

Breakfast (2002)

Breakfast
Uploaded by gaysrkool

Wish you a romantic weekend...

Meet The Eels

This weekend was devoted to oregano and Eels*. Oregano made it in every main course (without having anything Italian), Eels occupied the rest.

Having a red-eye back from Canada was not the most pleasant experience. The film selection did anything but deserve the term selection, the book I took with me was boring**, and The New Yorker was also not up to its usual standard. With Swiss still jamming business class on middle haul flights with substandard seats, there was not much sleep in sight***. All I had was my iPod and destiny made me select Eels. I have to quote myself: It's like standing in a rain of diamonds - painful yet wonderful. This saved my trip home.

Coming home, I was surprised with with two new records****:

Meet The Eels. Essential Eels Vol.1 1996-2006.

Eels Useless Trinkets. B-sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased. 1996-2006.

They went straight to hot rotation. I reckon, I have to calm down my attraction to E or will get into trouble with Toño. However, I hope, after missing Eels twice due to business trips, to meet them on March 6, when they will receive Switzerland in audience.



* not the ones people catch with horse heads since they read or saw the The Tin Drum.
** I devoured The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, enjoyed his How To Be Alone, but have to warn anyone attempting to read The Discomfort Zone. It's a heap of horse shit.
*** Though the service was flawless - at least for me. The bitchin' lady next to me got what she deserved.
**** US release 1/15, Europe 1/21 - I have no idea why I received them earlier.

Ultimately Outbourned

I'm quite far from having a crush on Matt Damon and I still think that he was an utter miscast as Tom Ripley. However, I've had a soft spot for Jason Bourne from the first movie.

I did not come around to see The Bourne Ultimatum in cinema. And I reckoned that it was shown on airplanes in autumn, a time in which I was only traveling short haul. Well, I thought that I missed it and ordered it on DVD to satisfy my secret desire.

On Wednesday this week, only minutes before I embarked to Montréal in Canada, I received the email confirmation that the disc has been dispatched. Guess, what was on show on the airplane.

The Haggis

Well, tonight for dinner, we had the Haggis carefully selected for us by Ms.Mac. We strictly adhered to the instructions given by Ms.Mac and served the carefully heated pound of haggis with mashed potatoes and mashed turnips.



If you blank the list of ingredients in your mind, it tasted really good. The Haggis was well seasoned, though a bit too salty for my taste, but definitely yummier than the standard minced meat one usually has to face.

Will will not make it a standard in our diet - it is a bit too heavy - but we are happy to have made the experience.

What wine does one take to such a dish? We first tried a Merlot from the Valais. Unfortunately it was flawed (a combination of vinegar and sauser).

We then switched to "Pago La Jara 2004" from Toro in Castilla, Spain. This is another brilliant wine by Telmo Rodríguez, or the driving winemaker, as he is also called due to his estates all over Spain. This wine has a special memory for Toño and me. We had it also on the night we copped off for the first time. Now it also linked to our first encounter with Haggis.

Remebering Menudo

The lovely Macs brought us pack of Haggis, the Scottish traditional dish made of a sheep's stomach stuffed with oatmeal and the minced heart, liver and lungs of a sheep.

I called Toño to get him to buy the necessary ingredients (potatoes & turnips) for the side dishes, however, I refused to disclose further details on this Haggis despite that it is a Scottish delicacy. Toño then asked his boss, who seems to be suddenly quite Irish to me (I thought she is of Spanish and Appenzell origin).

He called back reminding me that two years ago I refused to try Menudo, the Mexican beef tripe stew.



Who am I to blame, the stall also had quesadillas on the menu. When I have the choice between anything and quesadilla, I go for the latter.

How is Haggis? Qui vivra verra.

Pascua Y Luna De Miel En México

It has been decided. In two and a half months, we will embark the second time to México to celebrate Easter, a bautizo (baptism) and two primeras comuniónes. And in addition this will be kind of our honeymoon. Quite a program to be squeezed in mere three weeks.

I tried to book the flights on miles. But cattle class was already completely booked out. Bugger, I had no other choice than to go business class. Thanks to my new Senator status, I got a 50% miles discount for my companion.

Despite the packed program, we plan to have some recreational time at a truly romantic spot, such as e.g. Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo.



That gives me only two and a half months to get into bikini shape and Toño to get any passport (the Mexican has expired and Switzerland still hasn't completed its Byzantine bureaucratical process [so far 2 years, 2 months and counting])

Standing My Ground

Can you imaging? It's already the fifth of January and I still adhere to my New Year's resolution, which is to eat more seeds.

So far we had roasted buckwheat on a bed of freshly cut mango with a grape pip oil vinaigrette; and...



hot and spicy barley soup with carrots and ginger; and...



Toño is preparing a lukewarm chicken salad with green lentils...



which we will accompany by a bottle of Lanzaga 2005 Rioja by Telmo Rodríguez.

Emerged From The Abyss

I've got myself a new mobby. Silly me's bought exactly the same model as Toño already has. Bets are open when we first grab each other's phone in the morning.

So far the most difficult task has been selecting an appropriate ring tone. This has become something really difficult since phones are not capable any longer to just ring. And as a güero, I can't get through with a hot Latin tune (as Toño had to point out). After hours of testing and pondering, I went for the piano rift from Level 42's Leaving Me Now, which was also used heavily in Strike's I Have Peace. I'm not a particular fan of either combos, but I thought that this one does sound least silly in most occasions. What a shameful criteria.

I'm far from having peace, because I've lost all numbers. Please send me an SMS with your name or vCard to +41 79 205 04 49. Many thanks!

Socially Dead

Don't try to bell me up on my mobby. I've lost it on a train. There is also no point in sending me any SMS until further notice.

Frau Stirnimaa

Swiss chart show Hitparade is celebrating 40 years of chaining teenagers to the radio, by playing hits of those old times for hours.

Toño almost pissed his pants when hearing GRÜEZI WOHL, FRAU STIRNIMAA! by the Minitrels for the first time.



This song was on top position for 10 weeks at the end of 1969. It's time to say goodbye to Mrs. Stirnimaa - for good.

Ohmigod!

Reading The Economist's feature on the rise and fall of the shopping mall (article), I realised that I was shopping this summer in Glendale Galleria. This mall inspired Frank Zappa's then-teenage daughter, Moon Unit, to the song Valley Girl.



It's where I saw the iPhone for real for the first time. Total space cadet!



Toño and his cousin Celeste at the Galleria.

Breeding Terroirisme

The genome of Pinot Noir has been cracked open*. Toño calls Pinot Noir the English gentlemen among the wines**. However, the result of the decoding indicates that it's more like Keanu Reeves as The Economist reports:

One surprising finding Dr Velasco made was the huge degree of difference, 11.2% in all, between pinot noir's two sets of chromosomes. Those sets of chromosomes come from the varieties originally crossbred to create the clone. These parental varieties must therefore have been very different from one another, for 11.2% is far more genetic variation than exists between, say, a chimpanzee and a human.***

The Ecomomist, ever the optimist, sees this decoding as a good chance to further enhance the wine we will drink in the future, such as by adding new and more reliable flavours and increasing the resistance to diseases. But this is not enough. The possible medical improvements are sparking my enthusiasm:

A gene for producing acetylsalicylic acid, better known as aspirin, would help to prevent heart attacks and blood clots. You could get your doctor to supply your daily half-bottle by prescription. The aspirin's analgesic effect would head off hangovers before they even started. Caffeine could be added to keep drinkers awake during boring dinner parties. And it may even be possible to insert a gene to produce sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra. For many men that would help to prevent the ultimate wine-induced humiliation.****

Do you thinks they've got carried away a bit? They have just started:

Times have changed. Scientists have a clear duty. Following the lead of many world leaders, they must make it clear that they are not willing to negotiate with anyone who supports terroirisme.****

* A High Quality Draft Consensus Sequence of the Genome of a Heterozygous Grapevine Variety, Riccardo Velasco et al., Public Library of Science
** and Syrah the Latin lover...
*** Vine times, Dec 19th 2007, The Economist
**** Unleash the war on terroir, Dec 19th 2007, The Economist

Sauerkraut

marmite* is a Swiss magazine devoted to the culture of dining. It runs great features and the cocking technique column by Patrick Zbinden is a must read. marmite also publishes recipes, but they have to be handled with special care. They are aimed at the pretentious sophisticated chef, who knows all the techniques and who got the hang of them.

Our first recipe, we tried on August 01, 2006. We were three men in the kitchen and we almost attacked each other with steak knives. Let's say, the recipe left some room for interpretation.

Today, we tried it again. This time, the challenge was to get all the ingredients and to get it done within the time limit. The time had to be obeyed, because there were oven sections involved. The atmosphere was again a bit tense.

I've decided to go for a Quiche with Sauerkraut, Salmon and Sweet Onions. Sauerkraut usually accompanies Eisbein and sausages. It was the unusual combination with salmon and sweet & sour that caught my interest.



Despite the troubles, it turned out pretty well. We even had got the required fennel and cardamom seeds (thanks to a Christmas present by Tina & Thomas). It was also not to bad that I deviated from the recipe by replacing the butter phyllo dough with short pastry (Toño gets heartburn from phyllo). And it also did no harm that I replaced the Nolly Prat with spicy rum.

Marmite recommends a strong, barrel-fermented Chardonnay from South America or California or a Sauvignon from New Zealand. I had to give it a miss. I had to drive in the afternoon - to fetch some Argentinian wine.

* marmite's homepage is currently off-line.

Yin & Yang

It tastes Asian but has clear Swiss roots (Le Menu), however, the recipe for Orange & Ginger Chicken made it quickly into our canon of fast & easy yet delicious recipes.

It takes about 20 minutes to prepare and...
500 g boneless chicken cut into strips
clarified butter
salt & pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, pressed
3-4 cm of ginger, pealed and finely chopped
3 tbsp of Grand Marnier or orange juice
1.5 dl of chicken stock
1 dl sauce cream
zest of 1 orange

Dab the chicken cuts dry with a paper towel. Fry them in clarified butter, remove from the heat and season.

Sauté onions, garlic and ginger briefly. Deglaze with Grand Marnier or orange juice and chicken stock. Add cream and orange zest, bring to the boil, season.

Add the chicken and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

As side dish, rice, pasta or grain risotto is recommended. We prefer Jasmine rice.



Yesterday, we chose a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape to accompany the dish. Wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape are blends of up to 13 varieties. However, our Domaine La Barroche Fiancée 2004 is equally made of 100 year-old Grenache and young Syrah. The wine is an alliance of opposites, the fusion of masculine and feminine, a blend of power and finesse, yin and yang.

Yellowboam

New Year's Eve is right around the corner. It's time to stock up for the party. If you really want to have it a bit decadent, you should get some bottles of Veuve Clicquot's Yellowboam.


The label is either made of Ostrich, Alligator or Galuchat (ray) leather. Each bottle is sealed with foil covered in real 22.4 carat gold and topped with a collectible 24-carat gold-plated muzzle cap engraved with Madam Cliquot's signature as a hallmark of the finest quality. All this for only 2000$ per 3 litre bottle. Don't forget to sharpen the sabre.

¡Feliz Navidad!

I'm a bit late sending my wishes for this Christmas. Nevertheless, they come straight from the heart.



Our celebrations were quite and cosy - as I like it.



Now we try to maintain the course till New Year's Eve.

The Big Curry Experiance

Can you imagine, I've never made a curry* in my entire life. At least not until yesterday. Inspired by Nigella Lawson - IMHO one of the sexiest most beautiful women that ever has blessed planet earth with her presence - I forced Toño go down the curry road with me.

First, we went down to the butcher to get some tender beef Ragoût. Where I live, we call this Voressen (literally pre-eat). This does not mean that someone else eat it before. No, this term derives from the good old times when one meat course in a meal was not enough. I.e. one had a ragoût as appetizer. At Migros, we then got all those exotic ingredients like wok oil, coconut milk, green curry paste and fish sauce.



It was just great**. We both liked it. We definitely have to experience more of this curry universe.



We accompanied the curry with a bottle of Mas du Soleilla "Les Chailles" 2005 from Coteaux du Languedoc. Its acidity could keep up with the hotness of curry. Beware, not every wine from that area is capable of this.



While cuing for today's lunch ingredients (poached salmon - picture above), there was an Asian boy looking at a huge fish head at the fish booth while, delighted with joy, calling his mother. Malay Fish Head Curry! I'm not sure whether I'm ready for this. Nonetheless, I'm happy for any recipe in this direction.

* besides of Riz Casimir, the characteristic Swiss dish from the 70es, which Swiss refer to as a "curry dish".
** Well, I love almost everything with luscious peas.

Flowers for Blocher

A man arrives at the gate of the Swiss Federal Palace with a bunch of flowers and asked to see Dr. Christoph Blocher to congratulate him to his re-election as Federal Councillor. The security guard told him that Dr. Christoph Blocher has been voted out of office.

The men left, however, he came back the next morning, again with a bunch of flowers and the request to see Dr. Christoph Blocher to congratulate him to his re-election as Federal Councillors. The guard said again that this is not possible because Dr. Christoph Blocher has been replaced by a woman.

The next morning, the man came again. "Why are you coming again and again? I've told you already twice that Dr. Christoph Blocher has been voted out of office", the guard asked him. "Well", the man replied, "I just can't get enough of hearing the good news".

And The Winner Is...

It's really surprising and hard to believe, but there are still some companies which value loyalty. One of those is Transa.

Transa is a Swiss shop, selling outdoor gear. Everything started 30 years ago with some folks, who had a penchant for trips through the Sahara by Range Rovers. Such an endeavour requires some special equipment, which is hard to get. One thing let to the other, Transa was founded and has been a flourishing business ever since.

The folks of Transa decided to share the joy with their loyal customers. Some weeks ago, Toño and I enjoyed a lovely complimentary evening with fine Maghreb cuisine and a theatre show. There we also filled a competition form.

Yesterday, word came through that I actually won. It's not the main price but a handy backpack by Bach:

Frantically Cookie Bitching

I was late, it was intensive, however, Cookie Bitching 2007 is accomplished.

On Friday, I started with the ones for my clan. It took 24 hours to get those done. I was still baking when the guests arrived for Saturday's dinner party*.



Then on Sunday, we had the traditional Swiss Rover Cookie Contest. These were the winner cookies (unfortunately not mine):



We were so knocked out, we had to skip a Christmas party on Sunday night. This is a first.

* Luckily, the guests brought the food - the kitchen was quite a mess.

Any Wahle To Hunt Down?

One of the most tedious tasks - sorry Tom Peters - projects of this year is over. Yesterday, I managed to clear the last hurdle in becoming a Certified Senior Project Manager (IPMA Level B). It was an interview by two assessors, who had to challenge my knowledge and experience in steering a doomed and complex project through hideous shoals and gruesome adversity to shining success and smashing victory.

I reckon, I was convincing enough. Already today, I had a letter in my (snail) mail box, confirming the certification and inviting me to the certification party ceremony.

Are facing abyss with your project? gomad.ch might be your deliverance!

Diva Relaced By Woman

I have no idea who made it, but I reckon this is the most popular picture on Swiss blogs right now:



The Swiss parliament has deported the biggest diva of Swiss politics (Christoph Blocher) from the cabinet and has replaced him by a real woman. Blocher is the mastermind behind the plot, which tries to turn Switzerland into Europe's heart of darkness (read more about). This will not stop him but it is reassuring to have people in the government who know the term dignity not only from the dictionary..

L'entrecôte Café de Parise

Last weekend we went with some friends to commemorate the defense of Geneva in 1602 against the hideous Savoy by a bowl of vegetable soup, which provided enduring freedom, wealth and protestantism. The event is called L'Escalade.



However, one can not only live of vegetabel soup, chocolate cauldrons and marzipan, so we went to a restaurant, which is located next to McDonald's and Burger King and which is pround to have an even simpler menu. The place is called Café de Paris and features only one item on the menu, which has been invented in 1930: Salad, French Fries and Entrecôte Café de Paris. All you can choose is wheather you prefer your sirloin steak à point, saignant or bien cuit, and your choice of drink.



We accompanied the menu with a bottle of Gamaray, a wine variety from Geneva with a dark and intense colour, and a rather animal note. It matched perfectly.

Me Senator

At least there is a bit of a reward for the deprivations. Today, I was awarded Senator status with Miles & More.



If I counted correctly, there were 41 flights this year. When I asked my boss the other day, if there were some more, he said Why do you ask me? Flip a coin!

Plätzli

We had to take countermeasures against the tendencies I developed in Canada. We did this by having Plätzli on a bed made of vegetables, salad and apple:



We deviated from the original recipe by using chard instead of spinach, and by choosing veal over pork escalopes. I don't particularly like pork and I think it causes arthritis.

Cut stem and leafs of the chord in slices, blanch them in simmering water and shock them with ice water. In a wide pan we fry a chopped onion, add the chord and two table spoons of water. After about ten minutes, add chopped chicory, a sliced apple and some skimmed cream. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Boil it up and let it cook briefly.

Added later on Rob7534's request: We had a bottle of Jacquesson 1996, this is one of the best yet affordable vintage champagnes.

Going Bionic

It seems to be true, global warming is a fact we have to deal with. One of the side effects is that the weather will be much extremer. But as we know, there is no bad weather - only bad equipment.

When it comes to waterproof and breathable fabrics most people still choose Gore-Tex™. But remember, we have to deal with the threats of the 21^st century, and Gore-Tex™ is so last century if not last millennium. Thus I decided to go bionic for my mew exposure to nasty weather gear by choosing howies^®' Long Way Home Jacket:

Around whole collar and front arm panels, it has Schoeller’s fabric called reflex which looks black in day light but becomes a large reflective area in the dark. But the real stand out thing about the jacket is it uses the bionic (sfx: six million dollar man music) C-Change™ membrane from Schoeller. It was voted ‘2006 Frost & Sullivan Award for product innovation of the year’.

It’s clever stuff. You see during activity, the structure of the C-Change™ membrane opens as body moisture levels rise. Excess heat can escape to the outside air. Which makes it great for those long rides home. Correspondingly, when you’re cooling down, the structure of the membrane closes, retaining the heat directly at the body.

Battening

One of the disadvantages of business trips is that one is constantly eating out without taking care to exercise - with the usual side effects on the waist line. Here are some related experiences from our winterly trip to Canada in arbitrary order:



If you ever make it to Montréal, see that you can dine at Ouzeri St Denis (4690 Rue Saint-Denis). This restaurant claims that its Mediterranean cuisine is recherché. Whatever, I enjoyed those chunks of lamb covered in a spicy feta cheese sauce before Mr. Mac could roll me back to the car.



I like to taste local brews. In British Columbia I discovered Kokanee which sported the most stylish label.



In a Chinese restaurant in a Japanese settlement called Steveston village in Richmond, a city in Greater Vancouver, we had (among other things) a huge platter of most tender scallops. In Switzerland, such an order would consume the family food budget of an entire week.



Tim Hortons is a Canadian institution. When we went there, we caused some confusion among the staff, because a) we had first to consult the menu, and b) did not know which dishes on the menu are not served before 11 am.



Québec is not only the home of Cidre de Glace, but also of Apple Vermouth. There seem to exist no limits for apples in Québec.



Avoid Sandwich Chaud au Poulet, it was the worst thing I eat since an Indian pizza that tasted like cardboard. There supposed to be an even worse Quebec delicacy called Poutine, or heart attack in a bowl, as it is also referred to.

Well in 24 hours I will be back in Switzerland and again subject to Toño cooking.

Facing the Out-stretched Palm

I'm a guest here in Anglo-America and it's not for the guests to complain about the cultural behavior of their hosts. However, I will do it anyway, because it's about money and when we Swiss know anything then it's about money. But I'm not alone, as I could read in Monocle's November issue, where the editor in chief wrote:

I know I'm partly to blame because too much time spent in Asian hotels has made me intolerant for mediocre north American service delivered with an out-stretched palm.

Yes exactly, I'm complaining about the tipping culture.

I don't mind paying a fair price for the service, but why can't this be included in price listed on the menu? The same goes for the various taxes. I'm not interested what the single items cost. All I'm interested in is the bottom line and an attentive service. It doesn't help when I know my waiters name (I don't do names anyway) and I don't need him/her constantly in my face. And last but not least, I'm useless when it comes to mental arithmetic.

Dear Anglo-American restaurateurs,

Please pay your staff decent wages, include the taxes in the prices on the menu, and don't expose me to mental stress.

Sincerely,
gomad.ch

Sliding to Work

Did I mention that Hertz gave us a car with four season tires despite the imminent danger of a blizzard?

Kohbunny is Evil and Help Wanted

While aimlessly surfing the internet, I discovered that daring artist Terence Koh* has closed down KohBunny, because KohBunny seems to be EVIL!!



* better don't follow this link at work - viewer discretion is advised.

No Bad Weather - Only Wrong Gear

Next to our hotel is this river, which we always call lake by mistake. It's unusually wide and calm from a Swiss' perspective. Whatever... last week it was crowded like Boxing Day at Walmart with geese.

Suddenly one morning, we heard noises like in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Looking up, we saw the sky darkened by migrating geese. We are talking here of zillion of geese passing by. We stood there for minutes watching the endless trail pass.



We better should has taken this as a hint. The temperatures dropped significantly since the passage. We are now at -12 °C. Taking the wind into account, it feels like -23 °C. And for this night, 15-25 cm of snow are forecasted.

You may say that I've been to Siberia and thus must be used to far lower temperatures. Well, this is a business trip and I'm here in proper business attire.

However, cold means dry snow. When we came here two weeks ago, everything was covered in damp snow, which was awfully bad for my feet in leather soled shoes. Because of fear or slip and fall, they make me walk like a penguin (desperate note to self: get some flash looking business shoes with rubber sole - if there is something like this).

By the way, I'm terribly missing my goose down feather duvet. I don't like hotels that leave you with just a blanket.

And did I mention the icing rain that made us chip the ice of our car for half an hour after work?



It's time that this trip ends.

So Bored I'm Doing a Meme

Departed from my deriously beloved Toño for the second consecutive weekend and inspired by the conversation with Mr.Mac over breakfast at Tim Hortons, I'm doing a meme from my hotel room's toilet.

The Soundtrack of my Life!
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc.)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool ...

Opening Credits - Ritz 107 - Fischerspooner

Waking Up - Such A Shame - Talk Talk

First Day at School - I Love Paris - by Cole Porter, covered by Les Négresses Vertes

Falling in Love - Yernanjá - Joyce

Fight Song - Satisfied, Prince

Breaking Up - English Summer Rain [Freelance Hellraiser remix] - Placebo

School Ball - Dulce Compaiñía - Julieta Venegas

Life is Good - Broken Face - Pixes

Mental Breakdown - Dum Dum Girl [12" mix] - Talk Talk

Driving - Wrong Turn - Jack Johnson

Getting Back Together - A Different Corner - George Michael

Wedding - Meds - Placebo

Paying the Dues - Too Far - Kylie

The Night Before the War - Allison - Pixies

Final Battle - What Have I Done To Deserve This? - Pet Shop Boys

Moment of Triumph - Readymade - Beck

Death Scene - Te Voy A Mostrar - Julietta Venegas

Funeral Song - American Angel - George Michael

End Credits - After You, Who? - by Cole Porter, covered by Jody Watley

In conclusion: feel free...

First Night in B.C.

We arrived at Vancouver. So far, I spent the second time in my life about four hours in British Columbia. The first time it happened back in 1983 when I was attending the 15th World Scout Jamboree in Alberta, Canada.



Back then we made a hike (when I saw my first bear in wilderness - but this is another story) which led us about a mile into British Columbian territory. However, we went back to sleep to Alberta.

This time I will spend two nights here. Sadly, there will be no time for sightseeing. There will be an important sales pitch for us tomorrow. I have to go to bed now, we must make a good impression. Keep your fingers crossed.

Loo to the World

It's not even a week, but it already feels like ages that I'm here in Québec.

The weather is rather bad, but there anything not much more than work. However in the evening, I try to see what else is happening out there in the world. But the only place, where I get a wireless connection is next to the loo...

Another Trip

Everything is confirmed. I'll abandon Toño again and he will have to celebrate the first Advent Sunday without me.

Tomorrow, I'm going to fly to Montreal in Canada. Thanks to side trip to British Columbia, I might at least reach Senator status (unlike last year).



I've decided to finally start with Ryszard Kapuściński's Travels with Herodotus. I reckon, this is the appropriate dissipation for a traveling senator.

Noviembre Cálido

We had the swimmers over for dinner on Saturday. They are the best guests imaginable. They do not only swim hard, they also know to valued their creature comforts - i.e. they also eat and drink hard.

Toño surprised them with Tacos Dorados with Salsa Borracha and a delicious Mole (see last picture). The salsa for mole is made of chocolate and then different hot chilli peppers.



We concluded the weekend with something completely different - i.e. a Russian soirée on the theme Troika with a piano player, a baritone and a reader.

It's Prickling Again

I can't remember when I heard Let's Get Brutal by Nitro Deluxe for the first time (it was released in 1986), but I still remember the prickling sensation I experienced in my back and on the back side of my arms.

This week, I experienced exactly the same when listening for the first time to LCD Soundsystem's newest track 45:33 (stream it).

Although some complain that LCD Soundsystem sold their soul to Nike for this, I don't mind, they gave me this prickling sensation back.

...just don't love your bike

Yesterday, I received this email:

The lesson is, "It's ok to love your bike, just don't love your bike!"
[link]
Love, S
xxx

Well, I have to admit that there was a certain erotic element involved, when I bought my GT Zaskar LE



I just could not sleep anymore before seeing this bike. It happened that was already in bed when I had to get up again to cycle to this bike dealer to get a climbs of this jewel. Well, we did finally come together. Although I can't deny a certain sexual attraction, I can affirm that I never actually shagged my GT.

Crusing The Globe

As I learned during today's apéritif, it might be required for me to head to Québec in due course.



I don't know about Ms.Mac but Toño will not be pleased to hear this. But let's cross that bridge when we come to it. At the moment, I will have the chance to taste more of this: