All photos from my personal collection
Bochumer Weihnacht
Frühstück / Breakfast / Agahan
It's past midnight and I should be sleeping. But I'm thinking of what to have for breakfast tomorrow - lazy Sunday. As I ponder (in my dreams) what to have tomorrow, I leave you with two photos - one a Filipino breakfast, while the other is a Western one.
In the Philippines, it's typical to have sinangag (garlic fried rice) and a sunny side up egg (spiegelei) and a choice of pork sausage, beef chunks, corned beef, or dried seafood for breakfast. This is the breakfast to have when you have time. There are other Filipino breakfasts too (chocolate porridge, pan de sal with coffee etc) but there are too many variations to mention. My breakfast above from last weekend was with dried squid (tintenfisch). Dipped in vinegar, it's just so perfect with the salty rice and egg. Of course, with a cup of coffee. This absolutely destroys any diet.
I described this second one as Western as I'm not quite sure if Norway has a monopoly of smoked salmon the way Italy has on parma. Anyway, here's what I have been having for breakfast this week: Räucherlachs (smoked salmon) with frischkäse (more like cream cheese) on knackerbrot (crispy bread). I blame my mom for my fondness for salmon. Since all the above items are available at Aldi's, it's all affordable and accessible!
House Parties
House Party in Bochum
Personal Collection
Filipinos love to eat, and some love to cook and entertain but hosting house parties have become less and less as I grew up. Although my mother still prepared merienda for almost 20 of my relatives every Sunday, cooking and hosting at home has become less common. If it were at home, it is often catered. It's just much more convenient. Otherwise, families go to a restaurant, and for bigger parties, certain sections of restaurants are closed off to make it private.
But not in Germany. Or maybe in all of Europe? Or perhaps it's a student thing. Aside from the notes above, I've become accustomed to eating and drinking out when with friends. Gone are the drinking/load up sessions at home before going out back in college. Perhaps, it is indeed a student thing.
Newspapers and Me!
on board CX from Hong Kong to Beijing
Personal collection
Above is a picture of FT Weekend and the International Herald Tribune (the global edition of the New York Times). I assume these are publications taken for granted by business professionals and perhaps any one who could afford such subscriptions. High level employees often have this delivered to their desks daily.
When I was studying in the Czech Republic, I was so deprived of English. I lived in a dorm that had no cable TV (which we take for granted in Manila) and internet. That was a time when laptops were quite new and having wifi on one's laptop was quite a big deal. To go online, I had to go to an internet cafe or go to a hotel's business center.
So whenever I traveled through airports or visited friends and family billeted at any of Prague's hotels, I would hoard newspapers to have access to the rest of the world and not forget my English. It kept me abreast of world events and made me feel I was still plugged in. We Filipinos may be a developing country but we're very much in tune with what is going on elsewhere in so many ways. In Podebrady, it was just a parallel world of Czech language, international students, and elderly who all spoke Czech better than English most of the time.
Years on, I still have the same habit. Although I could possibly afford these papers, I still found it expensive to buy them. With the wealth of information available online, it didn't make sense to spend on it either. But when I have the chance, I get newspapers.
Newspapers + Fika at the Dusseldorf Airport
Personal collection
I just wish I have time to read them. On a recent trip to Prague, I hoarded newspapers at the Dusseldorf airport again. But thanks to school work and the actual holiday, I haven't read them. Literally, old news.
Top Inspiration Links
Entrance of VVG Something in Taipei - another inspiring space
Personal collection
When I need to be inspired and have a glimpse of the rest of the world, I visit a few websites that never fail. A few for travel, food, music, and some in between. Enjoy browsing!
Fika Love
White chocolate muffin and cafe latte at the Muffin Bakery
Personal files
We had a long touristy day - a river cruise around the Stockholm archipelago, wandering the cobbled stone streets of Gamla Stan, and soaking up monarchical history at the Royal Palace - all on a rainy day. We had a few hours to kill before our evening plans so I took a solitary walk around Drottninggatan where our hostel was located. Walking plus fatigue called for a break.
A few days before the trip, I read about fika as social construct in Swedish culture. Both a verb and a noun, it refers to a break with friends, colleagues or anyone without any romantic connotation. Fika is having coffee with something sweet, bread or anything dunkable to a cup of coffee.
So fika was in order. I have always been in search of that quaint cafe in Stockholm but there were just too many to choose from! Too many tiny, narrow cafes and restaurants with warm lights, big windows, small tables, full of happy people seemingly enjoying hanging out together over a meal and drinks. But I was alone. My friends were resting. So I walked, and walked until I stumbled upon the Muffin Bakery.
I know, it's in English and it struck me more like a New York-style cafe than a Swedish one. But it was so inviting my solitude was so comfortable inside. Upon entry, I was immediately welcomed by the barista who spoke perfect English. He guided me through the chiller, showcasing what was still available. I said I wanted something sweet, something between a cake and a cookie - he suggested I have a molten white chocolate muffin with my coffee.
And there as he heated and served the muffin and prepared my coffee, he chatted me up and introduced me to another Swede (both of them non-blondes). We swapped stories about Sweden, Germany, and the Philippines. I expressed how my Euro was practically worthless against the Swedish Crown -- everything is so expensive. They thought otherwise. But everyone agreed the Philippines seemed like paradise. After a few more minutes and telling me the coolest clubs and neighborhoods in Stockholm, we parted ways. I went to my bar stool, the lady left, and the barista back to his job.
Ever since, I've been smitten by the concept of fika, adopting it whenever possible -- like those who vacation in America coming back with a bit of an American accent. You go somewhere and you take something back with you. For me, it's fika. We've had a long coffee culture in the Philippines and I have taken it with me everywhere. I'm just so glad now I know, it's not just coffee/tea and cake. It's fika!
Muffin Bakery
Drottningatan 73
Stockholm
http://www.muffinbakery.se/index.html
One More Chance: Cologne
Personal
I've been to Cologne a few times, and again and again, I was not impressed. I usually should be - it's got a river, an impressive Dom, an old town, narrow cobble stone streets, microbreweries, lots of museums, and shops - all things I like. But again, I was not taken by Cologne unlike other European cities. I like Berlin, Frankfurt and Dresden. Weimar is charming.
But after reading this article from the New York Times Travel Magazine, I want to give it one more chance. In fact, I want to visit Cologne again, instead of spending my next free day exploring Dusseldorf - another city I filed in the "dislike" folder. Of all the places I dislike in Germany, all of them are in North Rhine Westphalia. I don't know why. And to make things worse, I live in this state. Hahaha!
So yes, the next few months will be a documented effort to see the side of this state that appeals to me because it certainly cannot be that bad. If Taschen is originally from Cologne, then it should be good.
Development Cooperation
UN Secretary General speaking on the Value of Partnerships to young people
I may or may not have written it here before but as soon as I was conscious about United Nations Day celebrations in school, I knew I wanted to work for the United Nations. I was about ten years old. At the same time, I was equally smitten by food.
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