Monday, December 24, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Blueberry Cake and Hot Wine
well, it is definitely winter. This is the view from my window at about 10am.
sometimes i worry that it's the apocalypse.
Class is over for the trimester, presentations were last week and i made a B on my paper of the ideology and design of panelaky. I think next time i'll try to choose a topic that isn't ENORMOUS. So with presentations over this past friday, we have pretty much spent the last couple days celebrating. Goran and i did a taste test of hot wines at the christmas market in bratislava:
and then we bought a cake-product called "Trtlnik" - now, to MY eyes, that looks like "turtleneck" just without the vowels.
There are a lot of cake instances happening. i think we can safely blame christmas.
Meanwhile, back at the house, we discovered how to fix the oven. it involves taking on of the knobs from the regular burners and putting it on the thing for the oven. There are two downsides to this, however.
1. we have no idea how warm the oven is.
2. someone has to physically press the button.
example one: Michal "taking care of business," while slavka talks to the wall and agne smiles.
sometimes, when we don't have buttons to hold down, we sit around the table and stare at each other. I'm being slightly sarcastic, but also telling the truth.
One of my favorite things that i've noticed is housing construction. There isn't any wooden architecture, it's all massive stone blocks - which make walls about a foot thick, but also pretty damn sturdy. People around slovakia, whether they want to add an addition or start a house from scratch, just kind of DO IT. It's a good example of vernacular architecture (local architecture, using local materials, built by people who are not architects) and one that i definitely wouldn't get at home. Here's one house which is built up against the wall of the church:
Right now it's nearing completion, they are cement to cover holes in the masonry where air can get in: i call it the dalmatian house. On the left you can see the stone wall of the church. They did something pretty neat here, they continued on the church wall, and built it into the side of their house.
and that's where the two walls meet. you can tell it wasn't designed, as there is a crawl space about three feet wide in between the two. Whoopsie.
It has been good walking weather though, at least for a few days: it stays below freezing, so the forest isn't muddy anymore. Biely Kamen in winter:
SO. Now that it's our trimester break, stuff is about to get interesting. We are all parting ways for the next two or three weeks. My mother is flying into Vienna on thursday! That's so crazy. So, we're spending four days in Vienna, lovely busy Vienna, before coming back to slovakia for three days. Then, the day after my mom leaves, i'm catching a bus down to Zagreb. From there, i am going with Olga and four of her friends to Sarajevo for NYE. School starts again on the tenth. i'll be back soon with lots of pictures. i promise. so, everyone, have a merry christmas and have a happy new years!
and to leave you on a cheery note, here's a brain teaser!
What is Vlado Doing?
A. Making a Goat Impression
B. Giving Olga his "Come-Hither" glance
C. Teaching me a new word and enunciating. "ko-lache"
D. What? he always looks like this. He has natural Inner-Tube lips.
Merry Xmas, Kiddos!
sometimes i worry that it's the apocalypse.
Class is over for the trimester, presentations were last week and i made a B on my paper of the ideology and design of panelaky. I think next time i'll try to choose a topic that isn't ENORMOUS. So with presentations over this past friday, we have pretty much spent the last couple days celebrating. Goran and i did a taste test of hot wines at the christmas market in bratislava:
and then we bought a cake-product called "Trtlnik" - now, to MY eyes, that looks like "turtleneck" just without the vowels.
There are a lot of cake instances happening. i think we can safely blame christmas.
Meanwhile, back at the house, we discovered how to fix the oven. it involves taking on of the knobs from the regular burners and putting it on the thing for the oven. There are two downsides to this, however.
1. we have no idea how warm the oven is.
2. someone has to physically press the button.
example one: Michal "taking care of business," while slavka talks to the wall and agne smiles.
sometimes, when we don't have buttons to hold down, we sit around the table and stare at each other. I'm being slightly sarcastic, but also telling the truth.
One of my favorite things that i've noticed is housing construction. There isn't any wooden architecture, it's all massive stone blocks - which make walls about a foot thick, but also pretty damn sturdy. People around slovakia, whether they want to add an addition or start a house from scratch, just kind of DO IT. It's a good example of vernacular architecture (local architecture, using local materials, built by people who are not architects) and one that i definitely wouldn't get at home. Here's one house which is built up against the wall of the church:
Right now it's nearing completion, they are cement to cover holes in the masonry where air can get in: i call it the dalmatian house. On the left you can see the stone wall of the church. They did something pretty neat here, they continued on the church wall, and built it into the side of their house.
and that's where the two walls meet. you can tell it wasn't designed, as there is a crawl space about three feet wide in between the two. Whoopsie.
It has been good walking weather though, at least for a few days: it stays below freezing, so the forest isn't muddy anymore. Biely Kamen in winter:
SO. Now that it's our trimester break, stuff is about to get interesting. We are all parting ways for the next two or three weeks. My mother is flying into Vienna on thursday! That's so crazy. So, we're spending four days in Vienna, lovely busy Vienna, before coming back to slovakia for three days. Then, the day after my mom leaves, i'm catching a bus down to Zagreb. From there, i am going with Olga and four of her friends to Sarajevo for NYE. School starts again on the tenth. i'll be back soon with lots of pictures. i promise. so, everyone, have a merry christmas and have a happy new years!
and to leave you on a cheery note, here's a brain teaser!
What is Vlado Doing?
A. Making a Goat Impression
B. Giving Olga his "Come-Hither" glance
C. Teaching me a new word and enunciating. "ko-lache"
D. What? he always looks like this. He has natural Inner-Tube lips.
Merry Xmas, Kiddos!
Sunday, December 09, 2007
counting my blessings
happy things:
the winter sky at sunset
our woodpile
candy left in our boots by St. Miklaus
a quick train to vienna: 10 dollars there and back
following the seasons by walking in the woods
pretty white snow
beautiful ruined buildings...promises of a lifelong career
...and friends. i am very grateful for my friends.
the winter sky at sunset
our woodpile
candy left in our boots by St. Miklaus
a quick train to vienna: 10 dollars there and back
following the seasons by walking in the woods
pretty white snow
beautiful ruined buildings...promises of a lifelong career
...and friends. i am very grateful for my friends.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
