Lalalalalalalaa.

I am busy but truly happy.

I have been busy looking trough piles and piles
of second hand clothes at fleamarkets and hugging my friends,
visiting Stockholm and weddings, loving my family.

All this I have in my camera and I will show you
but first things first such as the dentist and my
grandmother.

Take care and here is moi with my gorgeus friends at a wedding.

Love,
E

Food et Reading

Fall Semester [and hopefully my last] started for me today.
Nevertheless, I won't cease leisure readings just because...

So apart from tons of books I have/need to read, I am also reading this book by Suzanna Clarke A House In Fez.

And because we are mad about it, we're celebrating it by having these:

Mint Tea w/ Honey

ChickPea Salad w/ basil leaves, mint leaves, uber-delish tomatoes, purple onions, vinaigrette and feta cheese. And oven-roasted lamb (not pictured).
Next: Falafel w/ Tahini Sauce =)

I am on my way towards new adverntures.

Stockholm next.
Me and my sister.
Grolsch beer block party.
Sweet dinners.
Wine.
Love.
Three days.

Love,
E

Allura's way

You asked: "How can i make videos??

Re: There are many ways.

I made my video in a very primitive method.

a/ I downloaded Picasa 3.

b/ I uploaded my photos.

c/ Selected the photos I wanted to included in my movie presentation.
And then click on "Create Movie Presentation", this is on the top left of the Picasa 3 window.

This is all very easy. Once you're there, you'll figure it out =) I was figuring these steps while making my "Half Moon Bay" movie presentation.

d/ The movie presentation window will appear. Then voila! start doing your thing.
You can either edit your photos before making your movie presentation or you can Right click the photo [slide photos on the bottom of the Picasa, movie presentation window] and then select "view and edit".

e/ Now once I uploaded my movie presentation onto YouTube, I encountered some glitches. YouTube did not include my song! =/ And this was because the Jack Johnson song I used was copyrighted. Luckily, Mikey-Ike has a Mac comp and from there he was able to copy my movie presentation including the song.
I really don't know how to go around this; except violate the law (like what I did) or if you have a friend who knows how to play guitar, record that and load that into your movie presentation =) - I really like this idea.
The other glitch I encountered was the resolution of my photos. According to Mikey-Ike (my technical assistant), when you're using these basic programs to make a video, this is what happens, you lose resolution.


Will there you have it! Go for it!
Lol. Sorry that was a long response. If you find a better (free) program, let me know =)

Breaky.

A very Finnish version of my breakfast!
Coffee with skim milk, tiny tomatoes,
gluten free bread with cheese and spicy
gherkins and one with avocado paste.

Oh and the paper.

Love,
E

Half Moon Bay Getaway

Good Morning

A cup o' joe for me - lately I've been into my java instead of latte, with a little bit of raw sugar and cream,

and...

a latte for him.


If we have enough cash, we'll have

a morning pecan sticky bun

and whatever looks good,

today it was this delish blueberry bisquits.

And we are good to go...

What do you usually have for breaky?

DELFINA never Disappoints

We had...

a) Locally made, hand-stretched Mozzarella
This was divine!
The arugula didn't overpower the subtle taste of the fresh mozzarella cheese - chewy, creamy and milky sweet.

b) Pizza Salsiccia
Thin crust and fresh ingredients. The red onion added an extra punch.
And the house-made Italian sausages were spicy and flavorful.

c) Pizza Margherita
You can never go wrong with this one. Simple and classic!
All pizzerias must be judged by their margherita.

d) Fresh Monterey Bay Grilled Sardines
It had a clean and non-fishy taste of the sea, with a smoky wood-grilled accent.

and
e) Delicious Meatballs
The best in the City.
Mouthwatering, well-seasoned, tender and sweet, with a rich authentic flavor...


It was one of the most satisfying and delicious (late) lunches I've had lately,
(well, except for the fried chicken and waffles at Little Skillet).
And not to mention awesome company - Muchas Gracias Greg and Susan.

Re: Christian and Feminist

You: I am not quite sure which day you are talking about but during the last days she has been ranting about the fact that as a Christian believer, no-alcohol consuming feminist she has to cop a lot of shit in the form of people thinking that she is always better than everyone else. And if she ever as in one of the posts claims that she eats sweets, watches normal tv or enjoys anything more 'sinister' then people are straight away jumping on her saying you are not pure, right, better etc.

So yeah she just feels a bit frustrated I guess.
But in my mind she is just one of the wisest young ladies in Sweden at the moment.
Her and Miri.
And sometimes Sandra too :)

Enjoy these girls!
Love,
Elena

Me: Yeah that one... Lol. Oh to be Christian and a Liberal - It'll for sure stir up a bit of chaos and confusion. I haven't met anybody who's a feminist and a Christian at the same time. Most feminist I've met, when they've become that (a feminist) they usually leave that religious aspect of it. Hm... interesting...

big hearts,
a

And what one makes...

...is a pile!
Here are all of my August favourites.

Now,
towards the hammock!

Love,
E

By popular demand.

You know my dad has a best friend,
this fellow called Heikki
who apparently has become
quite a fan of Dibadaba.

(Hei vaan Heikki!)

And he was just saying the other day
that he wishes for Dibadaba posts
even from Finland,
hence no rest and play for moi.

But I guess I must obey the wishes of
one of our truest readers so here we go.
Pictures of a present I gave myself the other day.

You should read it too!

Love,
E

sooo Looking Forward to seeing these Movies:

1)

2)

3)

Curiosity

The Blogger

Ok so from time to time I check those Blogs on the right -Book of Miri, Helsinki Looks, Niotillfem and UnderbaraClara.

I sometimes check what UnderbaraClara is all about. I would copy what she posted and paste it on to my translator. In Google I found a translator that I think actually works.
Today she was ranting and raving about something.
Que: do you have any idea what she's talking about? She seems to be upset about something.
I was just curious.

Frozen Yogurt

Beat the Summer Heat with this delish Froyo.

Frozen yogurt store are popping in the city like mushroom, they are everywhere!

And there's only one place I like getting my frozen treat - So Green!

The frozen yogurt strawberry flavor in this joint is just to die for.

Just the right consistency - smooth, just the right tartness that balances well with the sweetness.

Oh to die for!

Vintage

I sort of went on a shopping spree the other day, while getting my car fixed.

When I shop at a thrift shop, I tend to look for 'vintage' stuff.

I found these 2 cardigans - navy blue and forest green. And a scoop neck charcoal tee (not pictured).

I heart the navy blue cardigan. It's not fitted and a bit loose.

And the pearl-like buttons add a nice touch. It makes it a bit dainty and feminine.

As for the forest green cardigan, I got it mainly because of its color. It is one of my fave colors.

Not to mention it's 100% wool and made in Scotland.

And the fit is perfect.

The weather in SF does not permit me yet to wear these cardigans but come winter, and woohoo!

Can't wait!

Suitcases.

I am off.
For a month or so.
Helsinki, Stockholm, Bangkok.
And hopefully back just in time to see
the spring bloom in Perth.



My yoga teacher told me that
spring is the best time for changes.
So until then
you will find me lying on my back
somewhere near the water in Finland,
reading a book or maybe in the
hustles and bustles of Bangkok.

Take care of yourself and I will see
you come spring time!

Love,
E

Dreams.

Last night I dreamed of you.
It was funny!
You were so tiny and we hugged
and I could feel your ribs.
I told you your hugs were American.

In the morning I no longer knew what
I had meant with that.

Love,
E

Bad Cravings

Last night la Luna was Full. And it was beautiful.

As you know weird things tend to happen during a Full Moon.
At 11ish in the evening, we dashed off to Safeway (market) and bought Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls and Oreo Cookies (i was the only one craving for these).
Did you know that they don't sell small packages of Oreo Cookies - except for those small bites ones? What a cheat! Then again the demographic who would only eat 3-4 pieces of Oreo cookies is very small.

Cinnamon Rolls Pillsbury

When you're used to eating "healthy foods", craving for these sort of things can disturb you for a long time.
Like right now, I still haven't opened my Oreo's because... well I feel guilty digesting those unnatural / non-organic ingredients.

These Oreo Cookies are just awful - lol.
Good thing you can't distinguish what the cookies consists of (below).

Caution: if you have cravings for such junk foods try not to look at the ingredients when buying it because your tummy will churn in disgust. You'll feel bad, period.

But hey... it won't make a lot of damage if you only allow yourself to eat small quantity for 1 day in a year, right....

Tostada and Enchilada

Cheese Enchilada, yellow corn tortilla (made by Mikey-Ike).

Bean Tostada w/ chopped lettuce, pico de gallo, and shredded cheese on top.
Made by Mikey-Ike's Mum (she is a wonderful cook).

I heart Mexican Food. I crave for them.
My palate is getting to know more and more about the cuisine across the border.

The Mindful Woman.

OK, so I have started with self help.
And there is this wonderful book by
Sue Patton Thoele that I have been reading
for a while now.

It is called the Mindful Woman and is all
about us women forgetting to breathe,
getting overly anxious in life and always,
always thinking about others before
ourselves.
Or in most cases also thinking about other
things first and our own well being second.

The typical examples that we as women do are:
- ' I carry the weight of the world in my shoulders'
- ' ..I feel overwhelmed and exhausted.'
- 'I live automatically without really living in the moment'

And what Sue wants us to do is:
1. Breathe
2. Look, listen and feel
3. Get to know your warning signs
4. Take time outs
5. LIVE GENTLY WITH YOURSELF

And to me all this truly makes sense.
Maybe you should give it a go too?
You can start by visiting Sue here!



Love,
E