Ode to the small details

An ongoing project I had intended to embark on a long time ago was to highlight favourite bits of friend's houses.... at long last here is the first instalment - from a friend in Shoreham (England)

Last hurdle

Certainly has felt like one fast hurdle race these last two weeks but I think I can see the finish line now and am feeling just a bit more optimistic about it all.... can even think about cooking.. inspired again at last-(fresh swordfish in a Maltese green pepper, caper and tomato sauce tonight) and the first type of local figs are in season.... so delicate and delicious! 

Must admit to having indulged in a wee bit of retail therapy lately..(thanks Zara) (the second photo is a dress I would love to buy but can't quite afford just yet). 

What can I say it's summer and for the first time in nearly four years I am not pregnant or breast feeding- bring on summer dresses!    

Also have at last been able to give my kids some attention- went to St. Antons gardens yesterday- they were thrilled to see the peacock strutting his tail, the turtles sunning themselves in the pools and the wallabies (small kangaroos) at the Melita cafe (the small baby one is well worth a seeing).  

Busy working

But I came across some photos today that I can't help but share- here are two. I love the expressions on these kids faces. 

This one too, I find to be incredible. 

Also this cool project that I had never heard of- SOTM (Someone Once Told Me)

check it out here. 

Lost

at sea- the sea of school stress at the moment.... the shore seems far away. The weather here has fully changed now- can't even look at a long sleeve shirt- it's hot, the sun is bright and it's hard to focus.  

A simple ode to Valletta photo to share (one day I think I would like to trade our house in Zabbar for a flat in Valletta)  what a wonderful city, it's charmed me completely. 

Now this may seem a bit funny to many of you- but how can I not make note of last night's Eurovision Song contest (for you Americans who don't have the pleasure... it is an annual contest between 42 countries for the best  song of Europe but seems to be largely dominated by block voting within regions). Seeing as I am now living in Europe (and Malta takes it's song very seriously) I did watch the entire thing for once and must say I really loved Portugal's song (pictured above).

The grand winner however (a country close to my heart) was Norway  (bit of a surprise if you ask me with Fairy tale) but was not so bad either (have a listen). You have to watch some of the more showy entries to get at the full extent of what the competition was like- case in point was Azerbaijan). Must also say that I did quiet like Bosnia-Herzogovina and even the Israeli Duet (husband liked the Turkish entry ... hmmm wonder why). It is a particular  kind of genre... of the romantic, showy... dare I say sappy sort of music.  Not usually my taste but it is what it is and I have to admit that this year the competition was pretty tough. 

OK- it has been rightly noticed... I left out Malta... the song for Malta was (having heard the song some 101 times as it was being played non stop around here) sung very well - a ballad, (sadly in English and not Maltese) Chiara has a beautiful voice and for once there was not half clad men and women prancing around  so that was a relief. A good song but I think after three times Malta should maybe consider putting forth another of it's  talented musicians. 

Chickpea season in Malta!

A. came back from the local market with an arm full of fresh chickpeas (seen in picture standing in a bucket of water) have never seen them fresh (or tasted them fresh for that matter) they are quite nice.. but contrary to what my other half thinks 'very sweet'  would not be my first response. But perhaps in contrast to the broad bean season which just passed (meant include some broad bean, bacon and mint salad recipes but didn't get round to it- sorry). Aside from this, eggplants are are very in season at the moment so today I have enjoyed making some baba ghanoush and  fresh tabbouleh salad (our little herb garden is bursting with mint and parsley now so it's perfect). 

Trying to decide what sort of ice cream next to try making... Naslply (sp?) would be interesting but certainly a challenge (a small very delicate tasting local fruit here).

Victoria and Albert

Went to a film last night (the Young Victoria) with no expectations and what a delight.. (for the costumes if nothing else)! Course the love story is quite nice too. Worth seeing on the big screen particularly if you appreciate clothing! Am such a fan of the V&A museum in London that seeing this film only makes me more keen to visit again!

Olives and Octopus

They do go very well together but the reason for this post is mothers day this year included both elements- my husband went with the children to the fish market on the south of the island and brought back an octopus (apparently it's so fresh that they pluck it out live and lay it wriggling on the scale as you decide if thats the one you want) the kids loved this.  They came back with lots of tales- sightings of long nosed swordfishes and flying fish. Pasta a la octopus and what a sweet surprise-the children gave me an olive tree for mothers day.. very sweet and our first little tree for the garden.  

Destructo is still up to her many tricks. I was giving out snacks in the kitchen and suddenly noticed it was very quiet and someone was missing we found her in the other room with one hand on the mouse clicking away on the computer and the other holding my mobile phone to her ear and actively pushing buttons. 

Martin Ramirez

Today, a wonderfully slow mothers day morning (happy mothers day to all you mums out there)  I actually took time to sit on the sofa, cuddle with the kids, leisurely sip coffee and opened the economist for a read....  and something about the description of this artist (only recognised as an artist after his death) struck me, perhaps it is the fact that he is a migrant, maybe it's that trains often appear in his work or perhaps it was the fact that he made art in whatever way he could (for the last 32 years of his life he lived in a mental hospital) . Originally from Mexico he travelled to the states in the 1920's to work on the railroads to support his family. He was a self  taught isolated man.... I found some pictures of his work in a show called Outsider Art. Recently his artwork was gathered and featured in the American Folk Museum - here are a few of his pieces. 

It's strawberry season here

so it's all sorts of crepes, ice creams and what not with strawberries at the center in our house.

Why the photo of MIA..... let me explain  

as we were eating dinner my middle one started humming and next thing we knew... all I wanna do is  Bang Bang Bang and clinck - take your money...   merrily sang both Tano and LIliana..... (they only heard it once in the car!!!) 

this is from a song called Paper Planes by MIA and we did play it in the car today....  

apparently that was enough... now how do I undo that?? Can just imagine them singing this at school tomorrow- good god!  I must admit that since seeing slum dog millionaire I have grown to like her music and so too this song.... admittedly it does get stuck in the brain.  Here are the two clips MIA singing - and the video from slum dog 

Now the odd situation.. how to explain ( to a two year old and three year old) why they should NOT be singing this song round town.

Back to those strawberries - our recent favourite desert - strawberries with balsamic vinegar with marscapone on top 

(you soak about 200 grams chopped strawberries with around a tablespoon of sugar and two table spoons of balsamic vinegar for 30 min) then add the marscapone on top.

 This is actually a really a nice combination... strawberries with a a tiny zing... 

small island life

Only in Malta

This thought crosses my mind pretty often here.....at times like when A. was translating a piece of mail that came the other day (asking us when we wanted to book a blessing of the house by the local church) or  moments when I stroll past our tiny local dvd rental shop and notice that they have decided to expand business to include shoes (so amid the isles of horror films you have a few nicely displayed high heel shoes) ...random. A few others are that people are really into thinking up their own 'cool slogan' usually roughly translated on the back of their car or bus (classy, I know) -  things like this one we saw last week, 'don't look at the car, look at the driver' or 'what a life, without a wife' or 'put your lipstick, on my dipstick'!!! .  Many of the buses also have slogans across their front- one I saw recently was 'words don't come easy'... as you may have guessed all the buses in Malta are privately owned and run, so it's hard to find two exactly the same (apart from the colour code).

cinema

Have been meaning to see the film Slum Dog Millionaire for months now and at long last we did this weekend. Somehow knowing that he probably wins the show and having heard bits of interviews with  Danny Boyle made me hesitate to actually see the film, but am so glad we did. Really a good film, was particularly blown away with the cinematography- genius. 

We watched it on Dvd but I really wish I had seen this film on the big screen. 

When looking up Anthony Dod Mantle (the cinematographer) was really surprised he also did the filming of another  film I absolutely loved - Festen (The celebration in English) and a few other Lars Von Trier films (am a big fan of the Dogma films and The Danish Kingdom series) pretty dark but so good. I so love the way that a good film can bring you somewhere else in such  complete way.... think I may have to see the Antichrist (newest Lars Von Trier film... although it does look Very Dark). Starring one of my fav's William Defoe and hey- Charlotte Gainsbourg ( daughter of Serge Gainsbourg) am a fan of both. Guess it will be out in August(in France). 

My Family and Other Animals

Summer reading as suggested by my friend S. in Winchester. Family life on another island from what I hear. Am really hoping to get back into reading once this course is finished, have a growing list for this summer (if I am able to sit down for more than two minutes). 

Funny thing... my middle child.. has taken to declaring her love for me...(constantly)... 'mama I love you'.... then five minutes later in the midst of when I am sweeping cheerios  off the floor (ahh the endless stuck cereal Destructo leaves behind) as I am ushering the kids to go brush their teeth...she starts again but I love you today mama....  maybe she is just warming up for the daily battle (who will 'mama'  buckle in today). Unfortunately there are four sets of this competition every day.    

 Recent music choices-- Shampoo by Elvis Perkins and ohh something Pandora like I think.... a radio station designed to your tastes... am just exploring it now- last.fm. 

Waisting Time (again)

Aire de Bardenas

Oh to have a get away... normally April is not the time I think about this but it's been so wet and windy here that I find myself itching for a wee get away. Finances are looking grim at the moment but no harm in looking right? Maybe next year... this place definitely looks intriguing.. and this Global Nomads website is pretty cool to troll through.

BTW - this last week's edition of This American Life is quiet entertaining... certainly thought provoking. Four very different acts.

Think I must also listen to some of these Of this I believe essays (have been out of the country the last four years so have not heard any so far) does sound like an interesting project though.

Moses

No one came.... just kidding people did brave the unusual weather and it was a lovely party but our camera battery decided to die after the first picture as we were starting to set up the table .

As for the cake

Apparently it was not quiet up to expectations, he was thinking a three dimensional version (yeah right) I may like to bake but am not up to sculpting Wall-E out of cake just yet (especially when time in the kitchen is one long string of interruptions, requests and usually Stella hanging on my leg begging for apricots). The other children recognised who was on the cake and were excited to eat it (all but my son). So a B- on the end result.

Big news in our little house is - we found a small sparrow who had fallen from a nest, he made it through the night and seems to be getting on well with our bird. A and I are so relieved he survived the night... poor little guy must have been missing his family and was shivering last night as it did get cold. I used to help raise abandon birds and small wild animals when I was young but have forgotten some of the tricks of the trade, but trying to get the wee bird to drink at least some drops of water does bring back the memories.

We decided to call him Moses (if he survived the night).

Birthday Stress

My oldest turns five tomorrow (and ohh the anticipation). I had totally forgotten the focus and weeks of dreaming that goes into the expectations of birthdays at this age. He is almost too excited to sleep. 

 Was all fine sailing (apart from the fact that since we moved here he only has made friends through school- and only a few at that, and those few I really don't know very well). There is a very different culture here it seems.. not as common to have the spontaneous play dates after school. This wasn't the cause of stress though, it was the fact that it didn't dawn on me till yesterday that the party expectations are higher now

oh dear... do we really need to do the whole party favour thing..... already.. can't it still be simple...           ...think we are definitely breaking the rules here in Malta by having a casual picnic at the beach and not a Disney themed party at 'palace of dreams' .  Will he notice?? Will  those who show up be totally disappointed??!!  Are there any games I can quickly think up that will make it a perfect party to remember. 

Will I somehow be able to make the Wall-E looking cake he has been asking for, begging for.... for WEEKS. The pressure we parents put ourselves under for our children's birthday - day is.... ridiculous... (actually my husband doesn't seem all that worried) maybe its more a mom thing. 

side note

As the food obsessed parents we are, we have planned all sorts of different summer salads, dips, drinks (more aimed for the adults present admittedly). What terrible parents.

  

Perhaps

It was a mistake to name my youngest daughter Stella..  a more fitting name we have come to realize  would have been DESTRUCTO, she is so sneaky and fast! Turn your back for a moment like a did this morning and she managed to find the permanent pen and was heading (cap off) towards the clean folded laundry basket when she was thwarted from her artful vision.  Next it was dumping out first all her brothers train tracks (this was while I was washing dishes) a second later it was the box of wooden blocks and last but not least as I was trying to pick up the 101 domino blocks she escaped from view (thirty seconds) next I found her emptying everything out of the baking drawer- (while taking handfuls of prunes from the container and jamming them into her mouth) brown sugar,  nuts, flour, packets of yeast...EVERYWHERE  and the house honestly was clean for once lasted from precisely 7:30 -7: 35.

 Chaos unfolded with the help of her siblings a tent underway in one room and drawing and cutting projects begun (solo rambo style- get it yourself) by her 3 year old sister ... I think they have come to realise that when I say 'in a minute...' it means not for a long while..... 

All this just as I was pouring a cup of coffee and had my Maltese homework laid out to begin... hah ... what was I thinking??!!! Moving to a new country, three kids under five and the decision to go back for a post graduate course in teaching (a  full time course), (as well as taking evening Maltese classes) was just a little ambitious. 

Ode to Maltese 

I have decided to share a few of my favourite Maltese words- 

Zunzana = wasp

Haffef = to hurry up

Tinkwetax = don't worry

(the 'x' is pronounced like a 'sh') 

The thing about Maltese that at points boggles my mind and makes me think- I will never truly get my head around this language are words like this- 

Ghamilthomli =  did you make them for me? 

or 

bghatthulux = you didn't send it to him?

Yes, in many cases one word here is like three or four words conjugated (in more than one place) and stuck together. For a new ear.. fat chance that in hearing this I would be able to pick it all a part and understand it. But I've got to try...the kids are getting ahead of me in their Maltese by leaps and bounds! 

Am a sucker for a picture with every post so here is one thing I love about Malta- you are never more then two minutes away from fresh (and very good) ricotta, bread (delivered nearly hourly in most places) or a cannoli (this photo was taken at a very small shop across the street from where we live, actually there are three such places within our block). 

Off to try and study!

Back to University next week!

Can't help but share

Ok, so I admit every once in awhile when we lived in the UK we watched this show, not that I miss it but my other half came across this (guess it is from last week) just thought I would share it. Britain's got Talent. 

Wow

If only I could crochet! Having too much fun looking through this shop's website (The Curiosity Shop) ... ought to be writing essays... but seriously how impressed would my son be if for his birthday I made him an octopus!