Tribe of Two = AjF + sLk

Chia Seed – The Ancient Food of the Future

Stefanie L. Ku — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:55:34 +0000

By: William Anderson
In the last twenty five years, there has been a resurrection in the definition of medicine, a resurrection that amplifies the significance of our eating habits and our lifestyle. Medicine is not only defined as a treatment for illness and disease, it is now understood to be for the prevention of illness and disease. That would mean, for example, laughter is a medicine because research found it to boost the immune system. Exercise is good medicine for its cardio-vascular stimulation, muscle toning and flexibility and expelling toxins and for giving you a feeling of well-being, all immune boosters. To express a positive attitude towards life is not only good medicine for you, it is good medicine for those in contact with you. But the most important medicine, especially for the prevention of illness and disease, is our diet. It only needs our cooperation in supplying proper hydration and the needed nutrients to effectively maintain a state of well-being.
Research has revealed that more than two thirds of all deaths in the United States are diet related. More than 50% of all deaths are caused from coronary occlusion, blockage of the blood flow to the heart and/or the brain. These are all preventable deaths according to the Journal of American Medical Association which published in 1961 that, “All coronary occlusion can be eliminated by 97% through a vegetarian diet.” Fourteen hundred American’s are dying of cancer every day. In the prestigious Advances in Cancer Research, they concluded, “At present, we have overwhelming evidence… (that) none of the risk factors for cancer is… more significant than diet and nutrition.”
            Because the question of what might be the optimum diet can, at times, be emotionally charged for many people, having had a significant emotional commitment in believing they know what’s best, I would like to suspend the issues of diet and introduce you to a “super” food that all would agree on. It is known as the Chia Seed. Once valued so much that it was used as currency, this unique little seed has exceptional nutritive and structural benefits.
            Chia, is familiar to most of us as a seed used for the novelty of the Chia Pet™, clay animals with sprouted Chia seeds covering their bodies. Little is known, however, of the seeds tremendous nutritional value and medicinal properties. For centuries this tiny little seed was used as a staple food by the Indians of the south west and Mexico. Known as the running food, its use as a high energy endurance food has been recorded as far back as the ancient Aztecs. It was said the Aztec warriors subsisted on the Chia seed during the conquests. The Indians of the south west would eat as little as a teaspoon full when going on a 24hr. forced march. Indians running form the Colorado River to the California coast to trade turquoise for seashells would only bring the Chia seed for their nourishment.
            If you try missing a spoonful of Chia in a glass of water and leaving it for approximately 30 minutes or so, when you return the glass will appear to contain not seeds or water, but an almost solid gelatin. This gel-forming reaction is due to the soluble fiber in the Chia. Research believe this same gel-forming phenomenon takes place in the stomach when food containing these gummy fibers, known as mucilages, are eaten. The gel that is formed in the stomach creates a physical barrier between carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down, thus slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar.
            In addition to the obvious benefits for diabetics, this slowing in the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar offers the ability for creating endurance. Carbohydrates are the fuel for energy in our bodies. Prolonging their conversion into sugar stabilizes metabolic changes, diminishing the surges of highs and lows creating a longer duration in their fueling effects.
            One of the exceptional qualities of the Chia seed is its hydrophilic properties, having the ability to absorb more than 12 times its weigh in water. Its ability to hold on to water offers the ability to prolong hydration. Fluids and electrolytes provide the environment that supports the life of all the body’s cells. Their concentration and composition are regulated to remain as constant as possible. With Chia seeds, you retain moisture, regulate, more efficiently, the bodies absorption of nutrients and body fluids. Because there is a greater efficiency in the utilization of body fluids, the electrolyte balance is maintained.
            Example: Fluid and electrolyte imbalances occur when large amounts of fluids are lost resulting from vomiting, diarrhea, high fever, or more commonly from sweating? The loss of extracellular fluid occurs in these conditions. Intercellular fluid then shifts out of cells to compensate, causing abnormal distribution of electrolytes across cell membranes resulting in cellular malfunction. So. Retaining and efficiently utilizing body fluids maintains the integrity of extracellular fluids, protecting intercellular fluid balance. The results of which ensure normal electrolyte dispersion across cell membranes (electrolyte balance), maintaining fluid balances, resulting in normal cellular function.
            Chia seeds are the definitive hydrophilic colloid for the 21 century diet. Hydrophilic colloids, (a watery, gelatinous, glue-like substance) form the underlying elements of all living cells. They posses the property of readily taking up and giving off the substances essential to cell life. The precipitation of the hydrophilic colloids cause cell death.
            The food we eat, in the raw state, consist largely of hydrophilic colloids. When cooked on the other had, precipitates its colloidal integrity. This change in the colloidal state alters the hydration capacity of our foods so as to interfere with their ability to absorb digestive juices. If we were to eat a raw diet we wouldn’t need to introduce the addition of any hydrophilic colloid to our diet. Uncooked foods contain sufficient hydrophilic colloid to keep gastric mucosa in the proper condition. But even with raw foods, they must first be partially broken down by the digestive juices, beginning in the mouth and continuing through he upper tract, to allow the gelatinous reaction to take place. Because of this upper tract digestive process, those who suffer from slow digestion, gas formation, relaxed cardia and heartburn in which the burning is due to organic acids instead of an excess of the normal hydrochloric acid, which frequently accompanies chronic inflammation disease affecting such organs as the heart, lungs, gall bladder and appendix, are usually restricted from eating raw foods. A hydrophilic colloid incorporated with these foods may be used either in connection with the patients regular food or with whatever diet the physician feels is best suited for his patient. The patient with gastric atony or nervous indigestion who complains of heartburn and/or vomiting four to five hours after eating is often helped. There is a lessening of emptying time if the stomach and an improvement in gastric tone. A strict dietary regimen is at as necessary when the hydrophilic.
Chia seed may be used in conjunction with almost any diet your doctor or nutritionist feels is necessary for your condition. The Chia’s hydrophilic colloidal properties aid the digestion of any foods contributing to the patients suffering as a result of a sour stomach. Even if you have sensitivity to certain foods, they may be tolerated with slight discomfort or none at all if a hydrophilic colloid is made a part of your diet. The positive effects on the digestion in the upper portion of the gastrointestinal tract often leads to puree their foods may find benefits from hydrophilic colloids which may lead to eliminating the necessity for pureeing. Even raw vegetables, green salads and fruits, which are largely restricted, may often be given to these patients with little or no discomfort after a short time.
There are several hydrophilic foods available that offer these natural benefits. Cactus juice, beet juice, agar, the edible seaweeds, and many proprietary preparations, which include the silica gels, mucilaginous substance of vegetables origin, are among colloids that prove effective. Each one of the above mentioned substances have one or more drawbacks. They are either too expensive, they may produce toxic side effects, bad tasting, not readily available, insufficient hydration capability, or it is indigestible.
Chia seed, a muscle and tissue builder and an energizer of endurance with extensive hydration properties, possesses none of the above disadvantage, and because if its physiochemical properties, supports effective treatment in immediate problems of digestion. Exactly why this should be true may be puzzling at first. However, if we consider the effect of unusual irritation upon the nerves of the gastrointestinal canal, it is reasonable the think that a less violent and more balanced digestion might quiet the activity of the otherwise hyperactive gut. Inasmuch as the same foods, which formerly produced irritation, may frequently be continued without harm when hydrophilic colloids are used. The relief to nerve irritation seems to offer a logical explanation.
The change, in the lower gastrointestinal tract, is due to the effect of the hydrophilic colloid and to a more complete digestion-taking place along the entire tract due to physiochemical alterations. Both factors are important, as there is undoubtedly a better assimilation of food that supports enhanced nutritional absorption while significantly extending necessary hydration as well as encouraging proper elimination.
As a source of protein, the Chia, after ingestion, is digested and absorbed very easily. This results in rapid transport to the tissue and utilization by the cells. This efficient assimilation makes the Chia very effective when rapid development of tissue takes place, primarily during growth periods if children and adolescents. Also for the growth and regeneration of tissue during pregnancy and lactation, and this would also include regeneration of muscle tissue for conditioning, athletes, weight lifters, etc.
Another unique quality if the Chia seed is its high oil content, and the richest vegetables source for the essential omega-3 fatty acid. It has approximately three to ten times the oil concentrations of most grains and one and a half to two times the protein concentrations of other grains. These oils, unsaturated fatty acids, are the essential oils your body needs to help emulsify and absorb the fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E, & K. Chia seeds are rich in the unsaturated fatty acid, linoleic, which the body cannot manufacture. When there are rich amounts of linoleic acid sufficiently supplied to the body trough diet, linoleic and arachidonic acids can be synthesized   from linoleic acid.
Unsaturated fatty acids are important for respiration of vital organs and make it easier for oxygen to be transported by the blood stream to all cells, tissues, and organs. They also help maintain resilience and lubrication of all cells and combine with protein and cholesterol to form living membranes that hold the body cells together.
Unsaturated fatty acids are essential for normal glandular activity, especially of the adrenal glands and the thyroid glad. They nourish the skin cells and are essential for healthy mucus membranes and nerves. The unsaturated fatty acids function in the body by cooperating with vitamin D in making calcium available to the tissues, assisting in the assimilation of phosphorus, and stimulating the conversion of carotene into vitamin A. Fatty acids are related to normal functioning of the reproductive system. Chia sees contain beneficial long-chain triglycerides (LCT) in the right proportion to reduce cholesterol on arterial walls.
The Chia seed is also a rich source of calcium as it contains the important mineral boron, which acts as catalyst for the absorption and utilization of the calcium by the body.
Chia, as an ingredient, is a dieters dream food. There are limitless ways to incorporate the Chia seed into your diet. Chia must be prepared with pure water before using recipes. The seed will absorb 9 times it’s weight in water in less than 10 minutes and is very simple to prepare.
Food Extender/Calorie Displacer: The optimum ratio of water to seed, for most recipes, is 9 part water to 1 part seed. One pound if seed will make 10 pounds of Chia gel. This is the most unique structural quality of the Chia seed. The seed’s hydrophilic (water absorbing) saturated cells hold the water, so when it is mixed with foods, it displaces calories and fat without diluting flavor. In fact, I have found that because Chia gel displaces rather than dilutes, it creates more surface area and can actually enhance the flavor rather than dilute it. Chia gel also works as a fat replacer for many recipes.   Making Chia Gel (9to1 ratio): Put water in a sealable plastic container and slowly pour seed into water while briskly mixing with a wire whisk. This process will avoid any clumping of the seed. Wait a couple of minutes, whisk again and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk again before using or storing in refrigerator (Gel will keep up to 2 weeks). You can add this mix to jams, jellies, hot or cold cereals, yogurts, mustard, catsup, tarter sauce, BBQ sauce, etc.. Add the gel, between 50% to 75% by volume, to any of the non-bake mentioned foods, mix well and taste. You will notice a very smooth texture with the integrity of the flavour intact. In addition to adding up to 50% to 75% more volume to the foods used, you have displaced calories and fat by incorporating an ingredient that is 90% water. Use as a fat replacer, for energy and endurance, or for added great taste, buy substituting the oil in your breads with Chia gel. Top your favorite bread dough before baking with Chia gel (for toping on baked goods, breads, cookies, piecrust, etc., reduce the water ration to 8 parts water to 1 part Chia seed) for added shelf life.
            There are additional benefits from the Chia seed aside from the nutritive enhancements when used as an ingredient. It was also used by the Indians and missionaries as a poultice for gunshot wounds and other serious injuries. They would pack the wounds with Chia seeds to avoid infections and promote haling. If you place a seed or two in your eyes it will clean your eyes and will also help to clear up any infections. There is a wealth of benefits beyond the information outlined in this article and treasure-trove of benefits yet to be discovered. Chia seed, having a qualitatively unique situational richness along with a profound nutritive profile is one of man’s most useful and beneficial foods and is destined to be the Ancient Food of the Future.

Bee Pollen: Lecithin, Myelin and the Brain

Stefanie L. Ku — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:50:45 +0000

As we age, our bodies undergo many changes. Among them is the gradual degradation of our mental faculties. For a lucky few, it only goes as far as a little short term memory loss, a forgotten name here, a misplaced object there, becoming at most a bit of an irritation. But for an unfortunate number, this mental decline can go a lot farther, with more dire consequences. If neurologically degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease don’t strike, mental dementia can creep in and gradually reduce a person’s faculties. For this reason, a lot of research has been dedicated toward finding a way to slow down or stop this process, and scientists and researchers have come up with one key ingredient: lecithin, a compound that can be found in abundance in bee pollen.

To understand how lecithin plays such a key role in maintaining alertness and mental clarity, we need to take a look at how the brain works. The brain is essentially a mass of neurons, the brain cells that pass, process, and store information through a complex series of electrical and chemical processes. Since these brain cells communicate to each other via electrical connections, they need to have some form of insulation to prevent short circuits and misfires, in the same way that we cover our power cables in a protective rubber or plastic coating.

For brain cells, this coating is composed of myelin, a substance that is created in our brains from the time we are in the womb to about the time we hit adolescence. It acts both as an insulator and a shield for our brain cells, allowing them to regenerate and recover from damage. Unfortunately, since this protective layer is only built up until adolescence, it means that for the rest of our lives, it is being gradually worn away until the time when it can no longer do its job properly, leading to accelerated brain degeneration in the elderly.

Fortunately, there is a way to help our brain cells maintain and rebuild their protective myelin covers. This is by consuming a diet rich it lecithin, which is a key component in the synthesis of myelin. And one of the richest sources of lecithin is bee pollen. Bee pollen manages to contain some of the most unique and beneficial natural substances because of the unique way it is produced, starting out as flower pollen before being collected and processed by bees. It is chock full of vitamins and minerals and has been shown to, among other things, help people lower their blood pressure and build up a resistance against allergies. It is considered one of nature’s most complete foods.

However, its high concentrations of lecithin could be its most unique property. By helping maintain the myelin in our brain cells, it can help not just the elderly, but people of all ages who are looking to maximize their mental abilities. Children with a diet rich in lecithin build up myelin much faster, allowing them to reach their peak intellectual potential at a quicker pace, leading to better skill and talent acquisition, memory retention, and sharper focus. Older people can reclaim the same mental agility they had in their youth. All it takes is about three tablespoons of bee pollen a day and your brain will be as quick and sharp as it ever was.

Heightening and restoring mental ability isn’t the only benefit lecithin has. As a lipid material, it is particularly adept at breaking down fatty deposits in our blood, lowering bad cholesterol levels that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. It also has the ability to help dissipate toxins, which in turn helps both liver and gallbladder function. In fact, it is recognized for its ability to prevent the formation of gallstones altogether, and people suffering from cirrhosis or hepatitis have much to benefit from its regular consumption.

Keeping our mental faculties sound is just one among many health concerns facing all of us today. Other goals most of us want to meet with our diet include losing weight, building strength, or fighting a particular illness or condition. Whatever your requirements, Hidalgo Foods will have an all natural superfood solution that’s just perfect for your needs. We specialize in providing only the healthiest and highest quality all natural lifestyle solutions that help you maximize your potential without sacrificing any flexibility, convenience, and value.

http://www.hidalgofoods.com/index.php?route=cms/article&path=22&article_id=82

The Heart: The Center of Our Cellular Universe

Stefanie L. Ku — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 20:14:58 +0000

“ The heart may well be the center of our cellular universe, holding together energy in shape of a soul. The heart may define the essential character of our whole existence. The heart is the body’s largest rhythmic generator, emitting an electromagnetic signal 5,000 times stronger than the ones buzzing around our brain. It was only in 1991 that the medical literature recognized that the heart has its own brain – a network of different kinds of neurons, and neural networks that the brain in our head has. The current consensus among researchers is that the body’s neural system is a distributed parallel processing operation with different levels of hierarchy and control. In other words, we just don’t think in our heads!

Heart transplant recipients inexplicably take on the tastes, attitudes, and even memories of their donors – people they know nothing about. In one example, a man who received the heart of a woman hit by a train began to have recurring dreams in which he was driving a truck or a train. In another, a woman whose donor had been shot in the back began complaining complaining of shooting pains in her back after the operation. In a third, the recipient suddenly began prone to bouts of depression and the donor had been a young woman who was prone to depression. An eight year old girl was given the heart of a murdered child, after surgery she began to have nightmares of her donor’s death complete with exact details of the killer, which enabled the police to capture him.

Over a prolonged period, the relaxed electromagnetic and pressure pulses of the heart entrain to the weaker electromagnetic operating signals throughout the brain and body to throb in synchronization with the heart. This is called ‘flow,’ a state of relaxed and energized concentration when you perform at your best. It is similar to what athletes call ‘the zone.’

A peaceful heart helps you think not only more clearly, but more creatively. When alarm signals from the heart are flashed to the head, they don’t go straight to the cortex. They go first to the more primitive parts of the brain that organize subconscious impressions. One of these regions is the amygdala, whose job is to recognize familiar incoming emotional data and establish habitual unconscious responses to it. Thus some people are quick to anger, others become frustrated, yet others worry about every little thing. The amygdala is where those circuits are wired. As one develops the ability to maintain coherence through sustaining sincere, heart-focused states of appreciation or love, the brain’s electrical activity is also brought in entrainment with heart rhythms. When you focus your heart on love and appreciation, you increase the likelihood that all kinds of cells within your body, including the brain, become synchronized around the hear’s electrical signal. The heart’s electromagnetic signal can be measured several feet away from the body. One person’s heart signal can entrain another person’s electrical brain patterns and alter the recipient’s moods. Taking an instant dislike to a person is the result of clashing heart rhythms, while love is a matter of two hearts beating in harmony. Each heart is as personal and as distinctive as a fingerprint. ”

- Excerpt from the Heart’s Code by Dr. Paul Pearsall

Happy 32 Armando! Paella, Pastel de Acelgas, and Sticky-Honey Love

Stefanie L. Ku — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 21:37:12 +0000

Don’t be put off by the title, promise I won’t disclose details of any x-rated material. Sticky-honey love is how I would describe the entire day’s atmosphere. Sun-drenched, love-soaked, dreamy, happy, nourishing, mesmerizing, surreal yet crystal clear, sweet, golden, rich, a sense of inner stability within chaos, and all-around good vibes.

It’s Armando Justo’s birthday! 32 years ago he came into this world, in the very same country where we are celebrating today. His mom told him he was ugly and had a cucumber head, so he went on to become the most handsome man in the world. 32 years ago, by popping his head out and coming into being, he sent a huge ripple through this entire plane of physical existence and everyone he will ever come in contact with, especially me, felt a jolt of joy.

I woke him up to have coffee from Despensa in bed (yes, I speak some Spanish now).

We celebrated by having paella and tinto de verano on the beach. David thought it was a cruel thing to do, eating the ocean by the ocean, but it was so good we didn’t care. Armando was pleasantly surprised when our server brought out an ice cream cake with a candle on it and two shots of moonshine (Yes, I speak some Spanish now). We talked and laughed so much under the sun until our brains got cooked, then we came home and Armando got a cyma session (what a great present, I want one too)! This is the kind of joy we’re going to feel and live everyday for the rest of our lives!!!! My dad said that every birthday is a special day, made even more so when spent in the very same place one was born. I want everyday to be a birthday!!!!

At night, I made for Armando a Pastel de Acelgas. Swiss chard pie with bechamel. It was a total success, “I killed it,” as Armando would say. It was accompanied by a tomato onion and olives salad that the chef himself threw together. From the looks on his face, I knew that this birthday dinner, although very simplistic, meant a lot to him.

Armando received over 70 emails wishing him happy birthday. People really gravitate towards him, 人気があるas the Japanese would say, which literally translates to “has human energy”. It’s that special something he’s got in his vibration…. an essence that, if I were an ancient perfume maker, would do anything to harvest and use as my “secret ingredient.”

Happy 2010 Armando Justo! Love x a million to you!

Pastel de Acelgas

2 lbs (about 2 large bundles) of Swiss Chard
2 large potatoes (or 6 small potatoes)
3 eggs
Grated Parmesan cheese (or Manchego Curado)
Bechamel Sauce (see below)

Prepare the Swiss chard by removing the white stem completely and chopping into small pieces (2 inch strips will do).
Peel the potatoes and chop into small pieces (2 inch cubes will do).
Cook the chard and potatoes in water for 15 minutes. Remember, when raw, peeled potatoes are involved, always have the veggies start out in cold water. Meanwhile, prepare the bechamel.
Strain the vegetables completely. Add the eggs and mix with an immersion blender until you achieve the ideal consistency.
Butter / oil a square pan, evenly spread the mixture in the pan. Top with a thin layer of bechamel sauce, then sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or at lower temperature for longer. It’s ready to eat when the cheese gets nicely browned.
You can get creative with other sauces in addition to spice things up. We experimented with really good mustard, as well as a fire-roasted red bell pepper coulee.

Bechamel Sauce

4 tablespoons of all purpose flour
5 tablespoons of butter
4 cups of hot milk
salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste

Melt the butter and stir in flour, one tablespoon at a time. Cook until mixture is thick and golden.
Add hot milk one cup at a time, whisk briskly until you achieve the right consistency.
Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Friends

Stefanie L. Ku — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:01:16 +0000

It has been a while since I have written here, and I am doing it on the bus again, on the same road, on my way to the same destination: La Playa! But this time I am not alone, Li-Fen is here with me.

Honestly it has been a pretty quiet time since last time. I will start with the reason I call this Chapter “Friends”…. because there are some friends involved. First, Pepe. He came to spend some time at our apartment by the beach…. pretty chilled time, and probably kind of foggy for him. One of the qualities of Pepe, apart from surviving a crazy kind of Cancer, is MUSIC. He knows and lives music like there is no tomorrow, and I am sure there will be no tomorrow for him without it, you can learn from Him.

Another quality of his, well…. that will be his capacity for smoking hash all day long. And you may say: “He survived Cancer and he still smokes”? Well that is an interesting question but, Not related whatsoever according to him. He is cancer free and he smokes like a “Carretero.” We used to call him Captain Pepe The reason is that, he starts getting high early morning until he reaches cruising altitude (4 joints later) and he stays in cruising altitude (10,000 ft for planes) all afternoon until it is time to land (go to bed) and he repeats the journey day in day out.

Then again, his visit was great, and food and fun were always present. After that I returned to Madrid with Li-Fen to pick up Mika (Earthquake Mika) that’s how I call her, because if she is around, you can feel her in the room. Her energy is very strong (so is her voice)..OMG! Half Japanese half American….. All Southern California, one of Li-Fen’s best friends. If not the best. She has the loudest laugh I have ever encountered and she is really sincere and to the point, which I like, and probably that’s why she gets along really well with Li-Fen…. they both are straight to the point, no bullshit. I love that, considering that we all live in California and people over there tend to be fake.

Mika loves to eat and sleep and pretty sure she loves to burp too. She is adorable. We have had a great time with her. She left today without the chorizo….. she loves Chorizo….. bye bye Mika! Miss you…..

Between Madrid and back to la playa, Mika and Li-Fen did some traveling to Italy and I stayed in Madrid with my crazy Family. I think that those two going without me was the best idea….. I know they had fun, I know it was better without the Spaniard. Now after a couple days I am on my way to the beach on a sunny day and with my butt hurting due to an old friend called hemorroid….. but I am controlling it.

In less than a 10 days I will be flying to Asia: Taipei, Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo.
My culinary experience will reach cruising altitude like Pepe and will stay there for a month. Cant wait to see Leon and Felice..… fun is on the way! I love those people man.

Now is time to enjoy the road…….. to be continued.

Cinque Terre: Hike from Vernazza to Montorosso del Mare: Sun, Ocean, Anchovies, Sea Bass and Gelato

Stefanie L. Ku — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 15:10:18 +0000

This place was one of the highlights of the trip. It rejuvenated all three of us, there really is something special and nourishing about being in nature that all the splendors and luxurious pampering of city life simply cannot measure up to.

We changed trains in La Spezia. But we got off at the wrong station in La Spezia, and had to wait an extra twenty minutes for a different connection. I didn’t expect any less from us. It’d have been way too easy. But it was freezing and windy at this station, and it was in the middle of nowhere. When we first disembarked I went into the only covered building thinking it was a waiting room and ticketing office but it turned out to be the controller room with all these machinery and a huge board with blinking LEDs. The only shelter was a glass box which turned out to be an elevator, so we got into it. Then, we figured we might as well go down into one of the under paths that led to another platform. It took a few seconds to figure out how to operate this elevator. It was actually not a moving box, but a moving floor. You had to press and hold the “Down” button for the floor to get lowered at glacial speed by a set of what looked like bike chains. We went from this elevator thingy to a small tunnel that reeked of stale air and waited there, while Mika the O blood-typer went out and hunted for food, cigarettes, drinks and train schedule.

Not long after we left this station in the dust. Less than ten minutes later the train arrived at La Spezia Centrale, where we were supposed to get off in the first place. There was a MacDonald’s (I saw fire come out of Mika’s eyes), and an Italian guy covered in bad tattoos talking on a pay phone in a manner that can only indicate he was on something real fast. Middle-of-nowhere train station wasn’t so bad after all.

Our train started to zoom through tunnels. During those brief moments between tunnels, my vision were swamped by the color of turquoise. We were cruising on tracks perched on a cliff! With a straight drop to the ocean on one side, woo-hoo!!!! We arrived in Vernazza shortly, and were greeted by the smell of the sea the minute we stepped off. The town was just a short flight of stairs down from the train station, it was so small that it took us less than ten minutes to walk from one end to another with luggages in tow. We left Patricia with the bags and split up to find lodging. I went to the top of a a building perched on a cliff to bargain with an old man who had a vacant room with three beds for 75€, but another party beat me to it by a couple of minutes. Mika found a hotel for 100€ that included breakfast. We went to a couple of other places, they were full but everyone seemed to have a friend (who had a friend) who possibly had a room, what a friendly town. We were about to make a decision when the old man I went to in the first place found his friend who had a room vacant, on the first floor. We went across the square, saw this simple spacious room next to the ocean, were all charmed by the little old lady and happily shelled out 80€ for the night. When I opened the window I couldn’t believe my eyes. It had a view to the church’s bell tower, and we’re literally right on the sand! It was so quaint, so cute. I slept on a portable army bunk that the little old lady set up for me, I thought it was going to be hell but it was actually super firm and comfortable. The bathroom was tiny, and reminded Mika and I of showering on a boat. After we got over the initial excitement of the room, we cleaned up, got ready then headed out for dinner.

The place we went to was Gianni Franzi, a restaurant and hotel establishment. The restaurant had this tavern-like feel, with low brick arches and exposed wood beams. Mika believed that the owners of this place are friends of her boss’, so she made me take pictures of the bartender so she can confirm with work later. For antipasta we had a plate of mixed fried seafood, e.g. fresh anchovies, calamari and baby octopus. For first course, we had tagliolini neri con salsa di scampi, which was a flat squid ink spaghetti noodle with tomato base prawn sauce. For second course we had pesce ai ferri o al forno con patate. Catch of the day was sea bass. A huge whole fish sounded good to us who have not had a hot meal for more than a day (and the last hot meal having been microwaved pasta). We chose the baked method. Server asked us “For three people?” and we happily nodded yes yes yes. “I can prepare the fish for you , take out the bones, after I present it to you.” No No, Stefanie will do it.

Firenze, The David, Duomo and Uffizi

Stefanie L. Ku — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 21:17:08 +0000

Our room at Hotel California reminded me of an old convent. I get lost going from our room to the cafeteria every single time. One of the corridors on the first floor had a square patch of glass on its floor. You can see into a sub level through the glass, and we wondered what they hid there. A library? Jews? A crypt? When asked, the hotel staff simply said “Hidden stuff, secret room.” Oooooh. Our room had a very high ceiling, almost 20’, and a shower over an awesome bean-shaped jacuzzi tub. Out of the three of us only I got to enjoy the shower, because I was the first to use it and it broke while I was using it. Patricia said that her real estate clients from Europe always complained there were no windows in the closet. Here at our room, there was a closet that looked like a confession booth and smelled like death, but it did have a window.

Firenze was teeming with tourists by the time we finally ventured out to explore at noon. First spot to hit up was Michelangelo’s David, and to my delight the same venue was also housing a special exhibition of ancient musical instruments! We loved the David, he was so beautiful and gigantic. David took Michalangelo a long time to complete, a lot of love he must’ve had for David to sustain a relationship that long. The ancient musical instrument exhibit wasn’t as ancient as I though it would go back, it mainly comprised of 200 year old Stradivarius cellos and violins. But we did get to see interesting creations such as the piano guitar, a serpent horn, a hurdy-gurdy, and saw inside the cut section of a harpsichord and piano to compare their mechanism. We got free entrance into the Academy because it was cultural week. This will last for the entire duration of our visit in Italy, what a pleasant surprise!

In the afternoon (after having pasta at a happening cafe, all of which turned out to be microwaved) we strolled through Firenze, shopping and scoping out what we’ll visit the day after. I thought of buying Armando an apron with a print of David corresponding to the parts of the body covered on it (they also had boxer shorts with the same idea and the chic’s version with Venus). Mika was hunting for a rosary and leather goods, such as small coin purses of flamboyant colors. In the late afternoon we went into a leather shop where they had beautiful fox and mink coats as well as leather jackets. The shop owner was very educational and told us all about the different types of leather. When it came time to try on stuff, Mika went for the inside-out rabbit with fox fur trim, and I tried on a few leather jackets. This is when things to comical. The shop owner would produce a jacket of my size to try, then he would turn to Mika and Patricia and say “This is slim-fit, it’s not for you, for you I would find something different.” Then he would find another “slim-fit” jacket that while I’m trying on, he would turn to Mika and Patricia and say “This is very nice, very slim-fitting. You have to be very slim to fit it, she fits it nice, for you I find something else.” It became the running joke of the day. “Mika do you want a to share a dessert with me?” “Hmm, it’s a slim-fit, not sure if I can swing it.”

On the way to the train station to get our reservations for the next day, we found a few food shops. One had everything from gourmet cookies to super old balsamic vinegars to all things truffle (truffle salt, truffle oil, whole truffles in water, whole truffles in oil…. ), another was a charcuterie that had four taxidermy piglets arranged as if they were having a picnic in front of the shop, and a grocery store where we picked up cheese, compotes and jams to go with the cheese and melba bread for dinner. I started accumulating for Armando’s chef gift basket and picked stuff up here and there: pepperoncini marmalade, fig and cognac compote, pear and brandy compote, a bottle of “saba,” some coconut cream-filled “Trunky” cookies, and porcini salt. Mika and Patricia got an authentic jar of Italian lemon curd, two whole black truffles in water and a green tomato jam (how very southern).

The next morning we got up bright and early, to get in line at the Uffizi. The lines were crazy long, so we paid for reservations at 12:45pm, really a small price to save us hours of waiting in line. Besides, it was still cultural week, free entrance. We decided to go to the Duomo meanwhile. The square in front of the Duomo was just starting to bustle with street vendors and artists who sold imitations of famous paintings. The haggling could be very satisfying, as I unwittingly found out the day before: A young artists approached me and said “I really want you to have this painting, for 30€.” I wasn’t interested. But he really wanted me to have it, so he said “20€, special price for you.” I wish I liked the painting but I didn’t, so I picked up pace heading across the square to catch up with Mika and Patricia who were looking at a guy drawing comical portraits. “15€? You don’t want to have it for 15€? How about 10€?” This guy’s persistent I gotta shake him! “Okay, 5€.” By now I’ve made it to the territory of the comic guy’s, and this white haired old man with a beret puffed his chest out and told the young artist to get off his turf. I said “Bye!” The young artist looked at me incredulously and said “You don’t want to have it for 5€?” I thought he looked really sad. It wasn’t a horrible painting, it was just not my style. Us three ladies were stealthy enough to sneak away before the old comic guy had a chance to react. Whew.

The Duomo’s interior was every inch as beautiful as its exterior, covered completely with colorful and meticulously patterned marble. The main cathedral floor had all these very beautiful and elaborate designs on the floors. I like to pay attention to the floors of ancient architecture, because I secretly wish I would find a hidden symbol that would open a trap door that leads to long lost treasures, this desire is seconded by my interest in finding esoteric symbolism and interpreting geometry. Duomo means “dome.” To get up to the actual dome that’s painted with images of heaven and hell, we had to pay for the entrance into the stairwell. We climbed the 466 steep steps and I loved every minute of it. I loved all those ancient rugged spiral staircases, and the view of the dome painting as well as the exterior panorama of Firenze was so worth it. Then, we ran out of time and had to rush down in order to make our 12:45pm reservation at the Uffizi.

On the way to the Uffizi we saw a dead pigeon on the road. He had just died; my eyes followed the trail of blood on the pavement and found a small pigeon heart three feet away. Because this experience was so visceral, and I was running on empty as lunch had long since burned out, the Uffizi was all a blur to me. All I remember was seeing the Birth of Venus, another painting by Bertolucci, a very dark painting by Da Vinci (literally dark and unintelligible) that must’ve been considered surreal for its time, and the ceilings of the building. Everybody was naked and doing something weird on the ceiling. Next thing I know we were back at the hotel getting our luggage and running to the train station. Firenze was extremely cold the entire time we were there. We’re now headed to Vernazza in Cinque Terre, which was to the north. Cold?Sun? I pondered as I drifted off to sleep on the train. Thank god we scratched making a pit stop at Pisa (we were going to get off the train at Pisa to get a slice of pizza by the leaning tower); I wouldn’t have woken up even if the train derailed.

Barcelona to Firenze via Boat, Trains and Subways

Stefanie L. Ku — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 03:45:12 +0000

My longest journey, pretty sure it’s Mika’s longest as well, to date: 30 hours.

Let me pick up where I left off. Nacho and Pax sent us off with our bento boxes. We said our goodbyes then into a bus we went. It took us to our boat, ship, cruise, whatever you want to call it. The hardware was fantastic, but there was one problem: aboard the ship with us was an entire grade of Italian high school students taking their school trip. It’s not enough that they wore tight jeans, high top sneakers and sported glittery stuff all over their jackets, they were LOUD, and they sang school anthems! The worst yet, our room must’ve been right next to the most popular girls’ room, because all throughout the night these Italian boys would come and knock on their door and beg, coax, bribe and threaten them to open the door. Minor annoyances aside, our room was the shit. It was better than our room at Hostal Absolut Centro. After settling in and unpacking, we ate our bentos, went to explore, then to the top deck to have a drink, finally came back and passed out. To be honest, I was so tired that the Italian kids really didn’t keep me up that much at all. I just enjoy making fun of them.

The next morning I woke up to an announcement. I ate half of a pastry I picked up from Rambla 31 the day before, and it was the most awesome pastry I’ve ever had. It’s a quarter of a giant circle that, before being quartered, must’ve had a 20 inch diameter. The texture was flaky, half like a croissant half like phyllo, and filled with a dark chocolate filling. At one point Mika and I looked at each other and we both knew it was the halfway point of our trip and something very exciting should be happening right around now: Sardinia! We headed up to the top deck and sure enough, there the ship was, sailing in between Sardinia and Corsica. I’ve never had a better view while I sipped cappuccino. After coffee we broke up; Mika went to check the casino while I went to the gym / steam room. Running on the elliptical that’s installed in a ship is fun, you feel this sideways gravity (that’s really velocity I guess). It feels really good and slightly disorienting. I was thoroughly rejuvenated and emerged from the spa fresh-faced after an hour and a half.

Mika and I went to top deck again to have lunch, pizza and veal burger be on the menu. We found this very sweet spot in the bow, where there’s no wind and super sunny, and decided to enjoy our food there. All of a sudden this Arabic woman with a mustache showed up with a small Pekingese. She asked if she could sit next to us, and we welcomed her. All this is going on in body language and a conglomerate of all the languages we know of course. We learned that the dog’s name is Clara. And Clara is super smart. When the woman sang in her native tongue, Clara would “dance” by lying on her back and wiggling back and forth on the floor. Then the woman sat her purse on the bench then got up and walked two feet away. Mika exclaimed “Oh you want me to steal your purse!” and when she reached for the bag, Clara bared her tiny teeth and barked her head off. Hands off, barking stops. Hands on purse, barking resumes. What a nice dog! Our secret spot soon got found out by the high schoolers. We snuck downstairs as fedora hats and glittery high tops swarmed in.

The female announcer who spoke Italian, English, Spanish all with a Russian accent. She had this sweet voice and sing-song dynamic, but truth be told neither of us understood a word that came out of her mouth. Imagine how surprised we were when, with more than three hours still before scheduled arrival, a cruise employer entered our room with a key without knocking. Turned out that the previous announcement notified passengers to pack up and head to either the top deck of the restaurants because the crew needed to do housekeeping before arriving in Civitavecchia. “We couldn’t understand a word she said.” Mika said. “Yes, her English is very bad.” The cruise employer nodded in agreement as he kicked us out. Not exactly, he left us ample time to pack. Just as well. We needed to catch a train from Civitavecchia to Roma Termini as soon as possible in order to make the last train going from Roma Termini to Firenze, so we didn’t mind being the first in line for disembarkation, even if it meant hanging out in a staircase for almost three hours. This is when things started going awry.

The cruise got to Civitavecchia slightly late, but it took almost another hour for them to unload the cars. By the time our feet touched land, we had only twenty minutes to get the the train station and get on the train to Roma Termini, but we had to take a bus in order to get to the train station. And the bus driver won’t take off until she has loaded the bus! What a mess. After a few minutes of fidgeting a light bulb appeared above Mika’s head “Let’s send the bus driver subliminal messages, you want to to leave now…. you want to drive off now….. ” We both focused and after a minute the driver said “Let’s go.” We got to the train station with another ten minutes to spare, so we waited at the designated platform. However, a minute before the train to Roma Termini was supposed to arrive another train pulled in and the conductor in that train told one person who told another that the Roma train was going to platform 5 instead of platform 1. So everybody started running. I had my eyes on a guy who seemed to know his way, and started to follow him into an under path which made sense because you had to cross tracks to get to platform 5. But this Peruvian couple kept saying “No go straight and follow the other people,” who convinced Mika to go in their direction so then I was convinced too. When it became apparent that they were following the people who had just gotten off the train and were headed to the parking lot, we busted a u-ey and ran into the under path only to emerge on platform 5 to see a train pulling away. “That’s our train guys, say bye-bye.” “No it can’t be!” The Peruvian couple said. Oh you bet your sweet it was. Mika and I caught the next train that came half an hour later. As we had already missed the last AVE train from Roma Termini to Firenze, we’re left with a slow train that went from Estazione Tiburtina to Firenze. To get to Tiburtina, we had to hop off the train and catch a subway at this station Pyramide. It blew me away! Everything was graffiti’d up, in the most vivid and ‘80’s colors. In fact I thought I was inside a music video for a second. There were trash everywhere in the station, and as a train approached they started flying. I call this look “urban tumbleweeds,” can almost hear the theme song to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. I thought of Dario Argento too.

We finally got on the train to Firenze from Estazione Tiburtina, due to arrive in Firenze at 1:30am. Mika and I got an empty compartment so we could spread out; we thought it was finally time to chill. Then this young Italian guy came over and offered to help with our luggage. Mika said “Okay! Sure!” and then he turned around, disappeared, then returned with his own luggage in tow. We both looked at each other, knowing now he was asking us if he could join us in the compartment. Following him was a Bangladesh couple (who actually came from Bangladesh that very morning) with a small child. What a party! Our young Italian friend Josef was very kind at heart but “he’s got a few screws loose” as Mika would say. He talked to everybody and eventually drove the Bangladesh family away after he repeatedly asked the man to swap phone sim cards with him because Josef ran out of battery. Now that it’s just the three of us, Josef became noticeably happier. He pulled out a big bottle of a coffee drink and proceeded to share with us. He handed me a lighter to open the bottle, so I did and little did I know it was CARBONATED coffee drink loaded with sugar! It exploded and we all got sticky; the floor was drenched in coffee, so were we. I decided reading a book and shutting myself out was, at this point, the best option. But then drips of coffee fell on my page, and as I looked up to see what was going on, lo and behold there’s a huge puddle of coffee on the ceiling just dripping down like brown sugar rain. So we grabbed our bags and moved to a different compartment, and naturally Josef followed us. He and Mika seemed to hit it off, despite the language barrier. He got really excited when Mika started to eat the flan that Nacho packed for us the night before. He kept saying “Flan!” periodically to make us laugh. It became the all purpose word. Mika pretend punched him while Josef pretend stabbed her. At one point some detectives got on board and started photographing and taking finger prints of the train’s compartments. I guess they were in the middle of an investigation and needed to collect evidence. They were on the train with us for quite a ways, and came by to tell us to be quiet “Pasabahce!” more the three times. The last time they came and told Josef that he better keep his feet off the seat or they were going to write him a ticket. This is when I noticed that Josef would shield his face with his hand when the cops talked to him. “This guy’s using us as a cover! See, the police are actually looking for him, but no one suspects a group of American tourists. And he’s from Napoli.” Mika started freaking out, “Oh my god he is doing that! Stef Dawg you’re scaring me!” Regardless of how intimidating these SS-lookalike cops were we felt better having them around; we have an overly active imagination.

Finally we got to Firenze. The train stopped a little before reaching the actual station, and Josef got scolded by the cops again as he tried to be helpful and opened the door too early. At the end, Josef hugged us goodbye, helped us with our luggage, and even asked the cops how we could get to the main train station. All suspicions erased. Of course, this difficult journey couldn’t end like this. The station we arrived at was not Estazione di Firenze Santa Maria Novella, but something small in the middle of nowhere. The conductor said get on Bus Line 1, but after waiting for 20 minutes in the cold at 2am we ended up getting on a Bus Line 70 that went to the same place. After getting to Santa Maria Novella our hotel was supposed to be an easy ten minute walk, but it took us forty minutes because we were tired and half blind. It absolutely blew me away when all of a sudden the black and white Duomo just popped into my field of vision though. I think that was in that moment I realized I was in a different land. After walking in a huge circle and window shopping while lost, we finally found our spot, Hotel California, where we got a warm welcome from Mika’s mom Patricia. It was past 5am when we finally crawled in bed and fell asleep. What a day…. it was more like three.

Barcelona

Stefanie L. Ku — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:59:24 +0000

The Spaniards pride themselves in their public transport system, and the love is clearly evident in the ride from Madrid – Barcelona. The high speed AVE train that traveled at 300 km/hr was spotless, way more comfortable than an airplane, and had amenities such as a computer station, telephone / fax machine and dining car. We love Renfe.

The weather got progressively wetter and shittier as we approached Barcelona. The sun disappeared altogether, the sky turned grey, and the temperature indicator dropped as the train speed increased. Soon, our views were blurred by the rain. We later found out though, that no matter where we were and how bad the weather was, it was always lots better than the place where we had just been. While Barcelona was cold and wet, temperature in Madrid plunged almost 20 degrees. Poor Armando, he went into hibernation.

After checking into Hostal Absolut Centro which was indeed absolutely central, we made our way down to the Port of Barcelona. It was an easy trek, just look for the giant Christopher Columbus statue pointing his finger at the Mediterranean Sea. There, the pier was covered in a beautiful dark wood (Cherry perhaps). I kept slipping in my platform boots. It was fun, however there were no railings and as I could’ve easily slid straight into the ocean, had to grab on to Mika with my dear life like an old lady. Mika on the other hand wore a pair of Ed Hardy sneaks with no socks. As they got progressively wetter and eventually soaked through, she had to endure a delayed consequence of an altogether different nature. The dynamic duo was temporarily reduced to a pathetic pair by the time we made it to the Grimaldi Ferry terminal. We’re here because the overnight train we planned on taking from Barcelona to Milano doesn’t actually run on the day we wanted to travel, and the only other way to get to Italy that day was by boat from Barcelona to Civitavecchia (Port of Roma). EUrail pass holders get a huge discount from Grimaldi, so we happily splurged on a private inside cabin. Mika became deliriously happy when she saw a picture of a casino on Grimaldi’s ad. And I was getting pretty excited myself when I saw how big the boat was: it holds semi trucks, private cars, as well as a full service SPA and GYM!!!!!!! With ELLIPTICALS!!!!!! Oh, did I mention that Cruise Roma sails in between Sardinia and Corsica?!

We happily got our tickets and went to eat. Although the state of the art Port mall was strangely deserted, we enjoyed our hot meals thoroughly. The waiter had a crush on Mika, and asked us to wait for him to get off work so he could take us (her) clubbing. Mika kicked my knee under the table until it was blue and black, but I was too tired to come up with a clever response so I simply busted his balls. We had our own picks of Barcelona bars to hit up: Marsella’s for their wide variety of absinthe, Almirall for their history of being the oldest (est. 1860) and leftist bar in town, and Resolis as it was, according to the guide book, The place to hit up if one could only visit one bar in El Ravel.

First stop Marcella’s didn’t work out so well. We found it, opened the giant door to poke our heads in, only to see a massive Irish-looking bartender in a fully-lit room devoid of customers mutter something unwelcoming. We decided we were simply too early, docked out and scratched this one off our list. Next up: Resolis. Run by beautiful girls, the blond bartender poured me a very generous portion of Fernet Branca (no ice, a fat rocks glass filled almost all the top) and Mika a very generous portion of Jaegermeister (tall glass with ice) and a separate bottle of coca cola, all for 8€. I love this place. We also saw beautiful tapas (including a salad that involved actual green stuff would you believe) come out, regrettably we were stuffed by this time and couldn’t eat any more. By the time we walked out of Resolis we were pretty toasty and happy. Dark alleys no longer seemed off limits, and we let ourselves get lost briefly and walked by a hospital that later we found out was the place where Antoni Gaudí died. We were joined by all these random people while walking, like movie trailers they would just show up then disappear. One particular run-in was particular entertaining. It was two British guys either pissed drunk or on something good. Nothing coming out of their mouths was even comprehensible for the first five minutes. Then, right when my ear started picking up actual words they drifted into another alley. Finally, we arrived at Almirall. The bartender spoke English with a very Spanish lisp. Mika asked me what I wanted, and naturally I said Absinthe. The bartender had a good point: it’s got such a high alcohol content that drinking it once in a while kills all the germs and parasites that piggyback on you. I liked his point of view, but it didn’t make the green liquor go down any easier. I set the shot on fire and we watched it burn, hoping that’ll get rid of some of the alcohol. When 5 minutes passed and the shot remained full, we blew it out and took turns sipping from a straw as the glass got too hot. At the end, we left with half a shot still standing and went home very happy and warm.

The next morning we set out to visit Sagrada Familia. What a project, started in 1882 and not due to finish until 2030. Towards his last years, It drove Gaudí mad. We got to see the special exhibit regarding nature’s sacred geometry and Gaudí’s architecture, which made me very happy. We got to go up in an elevator then walk down one of the spires, which made me ecstatic. Gaudí was often sick as a child, so instead of playing with other children, his mother would take him into nature. He became interested in forms found in nature, such as the growth and formation of quartz crystals, the beehives’ hexagonal configuration, the golden means spiral, and how trees form scabs / scars when their branch gets severed. All this and more were integrated into the design of Sagrada Familia. For example, the slender columns that make the interior of the church feel like an enchanted forest and the white organic oval shape that marks the tops of them are all modeled after trees; the palm tree pattern on the ceiling is based on the fibonacci sequence…. etc. This church is so organic, and pleasant to be in. I loved the winding staircase coming down from the spike, it reminded me of a dragon’s spine. When we got back down from the top of the spire, one of the French kids came running out to vomit. Must’ve been afraid of heights. That kind of did it for us, we left to get a fresh breath of air. Then we both decided that we really needed to try Pans y Company, kind of a better and more luxurious Spanish version of Subway. As we had no idea where there might be one, we asked the police and they pointed us to the right direction.

In the evening we met up with Pepe’s brother Nacho and his girlfriend Pax. Pax is short for Fancesca, who’d have ever guessed?! Nacho’s short of Ignacio. Mika told him to go watch Nacho Libre, because it’s one of her favorite movies. After showing us the original Barcelona cathedral Santa Maria del Mar, La Seu Catedral and various other spots in the Gothic part, we went to have dinner at a most charming small restaurant. We had just four fantastic dishes and wine that came straight out of giant casks. Nacho is a chef, Pax is a translator. Pax told us all these funny things about Franco and his reign, it was an awesome dinner. Oh, let me mention here that the waiter had a crush on Mika here as well. He kept coming by to check on us, and would be all forlorn and asked “Where did she go?” whenever she stepped away from the table. We had such a great time with Nacho and Pax that apparently, as we found out later, they told Pepe “These two girls are crazy. Everything to them was ‘I like it! I want it!’.” We had such a great time that we decided to meet again the following day before we embarked on Cruise Roma. After Pax showed us what she called her “project” which consisted of a very baroque looking shirt and a pleated skirt, this awesome couple took us to the Boqueria, Barcelona’s famous market. Again, there we liked everything and wanted everything. Mika drank the best kiwi juice, I had the best strawberry-coconut juice, and Nacho had a papaya juice. We also stocked up on jamon, cecina, cheese and membrillo for the 18-hour cruise. Yes, we found it necessary to have food IN ADDITION to the bento boxes that Nacho made us and the pastries we picked up at Rambla 31. Nacho actually made us bento boxes. Each one consisted of a personal sized tortilla espagnola, two slices of different types of cheese, a few cherry tomatoes, a mini apple that’s got a diameter of 1.5“, and a flan for dessert. Oh, he also made a bag of toasted chips from baguette. We were ready to get adopted. After lots of hugs and laughs, we parted ways and embarked on our journey. Even though Spain was home to neither of us, we didn’t feel like we were going anywhere far until now that our feet were firmly planted on the boat. Goodbye Spain!

Mika, thanks for being so patient when I was hunting for a pair of El Naturalista. And where the hell is the Balenciaga store anyway!??

Mika Touches Down

Stefanie L. Ku — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 15:43:59 +0000

Alas, on 04/06 Mika friend comes to visit us! She’s like a supply ship who came to the desert, carrying with her incense, vitamin supplements, mail, Eurail pass and organic tobacco. It’s a bonus that she’s a whirlwind of good energy, unrestrained spontaneity and fun at maximum amplitude. We got well acquainted with all the bocadillo places in Madrid, ate fried chorizos, went to window shop on Serrano on a Sunday, dined and wined (cider’ed) at Casa Mingo, relaxed in Parque Retiro and visited El Prado on a two-hour power guided-tour. We even went clubbing at the legendary “The Room” while the legendary DJ Angel spun.

Mika got thrown into the mix of Armando’s family and friends as soon as she stepped off the plane, as we initiated her into the whole caña and tapas culture. Things must have gotten pretty surreal for her after a few rounds of beer + tinto de verano + morro + orejas in the company of Pedro, Maria, Pepe, Silvia, Ivan and of course Armando and I. When it came time to buy cigarettes she happily dodged billiards in a random Irish bar as she made a bee line for the tobacco vending machine. The fun with food and Madrileño friends continued for the next five days.

The next day, Armando led a power tour through Madrid. We ate at the Ham Museum and went to lunch at Casa Mingo where Armando’s best friend Ivan worked. This restaurant’s real old, and they’ve been serving the same food and cider since 1888. The highlight of the day would have to be Parque Retiro, where the a statue honoring Lucifer the Fallen Angel stands. We relaxed by the lake inside the park, and I successfully exploded a cloud in the first attempt I ever made at this well-known thought-intention experiment.

We took a day trip to Cuenca on 04/08 to get our feet wet. There, we visited the Cuenca cathedral and met a gypsy woman with two heads. Yes, two heads. It was like meeting the hunchback of Notre Dame. We ate baby pigs, and went to the fantastic modern art museum housed in the legendary hanging houses, Casa Colgadas. As we were not able to make it to the strange rock formations Ciudad Encantada due to lack of of a car, we hiked a ways by ourselves on a private winding mountain road (where the rock formation were pretty weird but not that weird) until we heard the barking of a guard dog in close proximity.

Next day was a shopping excursion in Madrid. After a day of shopping, came the memorable Spanish clubbing experience. Apparently no clubs even open for business until 2am. Standard practice is to warm up with a few rounds of drinks at surrounding bars until the clubs open. Armando was thrilled with the music, as it was spun by the very DJ (DJ Angel) who inspired him to spin house music way back when. As we existed the club at 6am, I experienced the all-purpose Chinese street vendor. He sells everything you’ll ever need after a night of dancing and sweating: water, beer, and gum. And, if you’re hungry, he’s even got a plate of hot steaming chow-mien! All these supply housed in the seemingly magical and never-ending milk crate which also acts as a stool he sits on when business is slow. Amazing.

Mika and I planned our Italian trip and routed our Eurail passes on the weekend while Armando mused over how crazy our itinerary was becoming: Two girls, one ticket, ten cities in twelve days. By the time we finished our planning Armando was thoroughly pleased with the fact that he’s not part of this trip. On the other hand, I was boiling with anticipation…. I love being on the road! I’m seriously the happiest when the only downtime is spent on a moving vehicle going from one place to another! The last time I did this was an Eastern Europe journey in 2001, and here I am nine years later with Mika doing it in Spain and Italy. Ah, the anticipation. Needless to say we packed up a bunch of food for our train ride to Barcelona, as we enjoy eating while sitting in confined spaces. Whenever I have the luxury of this combination of good food, good book, good company and a small sitting compartment that’s moving at high speed, I am reminded of what Felice remarked on a road trip we took in Taiwan. Why is it that the joy of having these seemingly mundane elements gets amplified when they are enjoyed in a confined space, and even more so when this space is moving at high speed?