Fah la la la laaah la la la la

I need to get the Christmas spirit going. A great way to do this is to see 'Love Actually'. It's adorable, I get all warm and fluffy inside when I watch it. The movie consists of a number of main characters of different ages, with different stories that turn out to be interwoven in intricate ways. Of course it also has it's fair share of goosebump moments and moist eyes... All in a lovely Christmas setting. To me, this one is already a classic ( albeit, in the "romantic comedy"
section of my moviemania, I am not as hard a judge as usual...).
I'll probably go on watching it every Christmas, and you should too.

Godmorgon alla barn!

... heter miniserien på ettan som jag just tittade på. Så här beskriver de den själva på SVT:s hemsida. (DÄR MAN ÄVEN KAN TITTA PÅ AVSNITTEN I 30 DAGAR EFTER ATT DE HAR SÄNTS! PASSA PÅ!) (Edit)

"En samhällskritisk dramaserie med en handling som cirklar runt dokusåpornas utslagningsfilosofi och dess följder. Eller en berättelse om barns utsatthet och hur vår förmåga att nå kärleken gått förlorad. Eller helt enkelt en surrealistisk saga om ett litet samhälle vars invånare lever ett liv bortom rim och reson."

Den är fullständigt skitdeprimerande och riktigt bra i all sin klyschighet. Mellanstadiekänslan har på pricken fångats och den är kanonsnyggt filmad, som en Lars Lerin-målning fast med levande bild. Och mer humor. I am hooked.

Wardrobe tip

With much clothes and little space, I use an under-the-bed drawer to stuff all my tops in. It works just fine. The main reason for it working just fine, is my "roll-method". I never fold t-shirts and tops, I roll them. This way you can pull out the drawer and see EVERYTHING at once. With neatly folded piles, you only see the top top (haha), and when you're in a hurry, things end up not so neatly. Or folded.

Oh, and this method also works miracles with jeans, and when packing a suitcase.

Mera Fredagsgourmet!

Nu finns äntligen en till bok i den, av mig själv tidigare hyllade, Fredagsgourmet-serien! Den tredje boken, som heter "Mera Fredagsgourmet", är späckad med 150 nya recept ur den populära kolumnen från Allt om Mat.
Har inte hunnit kasta mig huvudstupa in i recepten i praktiken, men när jag bläddrat i boken känner jag igen stuket. Lättlagat with a twist. Det kan vara en ny och annorlunda ingrediens, eller en välkänd ingrediens på ett nytt ställe. Till exempel har jag sett att de har VANILJ i en sås som ska vara till gösfilé. Måste testa!

Architecture

I just love the website of Plot (which consists of a couple of Danish architects). It is like a candy bag, a bunch of colorful little icons lead you on to something tasteful (more often than not). They seem to build a lot of physical models, some of which are very detailed and even lit from within! From the looks of it, concept rules above everything else, but I cannot help but wonder whether some of it isn't actually post-constructed...

However, Plot.dk is definitely very worth a visit! And hey, if you search the page thoroughly, you might find a special little treat!

The Blind Watchmaker

... is a great book by Richard Dawkins, that makes you think about evolution in a whole new way.
I read it a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it. It has a scientific point of view without being too hard to get through, the language is somewhere in the middle of essay and novel. Very interesting from the first page to the last, give it a try!

The Skeleton Key

I spent a lovely week of sun and snorkelling on Crete, and came home Friday afternoon. More on that later. Friday night I saw a movie that I would like to recommend, "The Skeleton Key".



Without telling you too much, this is the story in short: The movie takes place in New Orleans. Kate Hudson plays a nurse who gets tired of her old job. She moves in with a couple to assist the husband who has had a stroke, gets a skeleton key that opens every door in the house (almost) and it doesn't take long before she begins to suspect something fishy is going on..

I really enjoyed the movie, it's not too scary really but a bit creepy at times. It is beautifully filmed with a yellowish tone to it (think "O Brother, Where art Thou?") and the soundtrack really adds to the spooky feeling, being a little cosy at the same time.

My boyfriend will sure be sad to see that "If I Can Dream", by the one and only Elvis Presley, is not included in the soundtrack, even though it is played in the movie...

Lemony Snicket

Saw "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events". I loved the acting, the Baudelaire kids are great and Jim Carrey makes a great appearance (or a couple, actually) as the greedy Count Olaf. The movie is built like a children's story, but it's very dark and a little bit scary for kids, I think. It makes me want to have seen it as a child.

My favourite part came at the very end. The credits are the most beautiful credits I have ever seen. A mixture of school play, silhouette theatre and animation. Do not miss them!

My favourite pen

Hiya. Sorry I've kept you waiting for so long, but I've had kind of a hectic life lately. Started an internship last Monday, very fun!

Anyways, here's my favourite pen! It's actually the refill that can be used as a pencil, since it has a cap and everything. Much cheaper to not buy the "shell". Plus I think that the slimmer grip is more comfortable.

It's called Pentel Stylo Refill, I buy it at Matton (Kungsgatan). Don't forget that students have 20% off!

A little known fact

-->
My sister pointed this out to me: Kara's Flowers = Maroon 5

Yep. Makes sense now that I think about it. I HAVE actually heard Kara's Flowers way back in the Weezer days, they made a couple of good songs, like "Oliver" and "Myself", for example. Maroon 5 is a bit more slimy, but "This Love" is so darn catchy that I cannot not like it.

Wu jian dao

Just got back from watching a movie at a friend's house. Infernal Affairs (2002) was smart and thrilling with beautiful camerawork. The story is about two moles, one in the police department and one in the mafia. They each get the mission to find out who the other mole is. Sometimes all this twisting and turning gets kinda confusing, be sure to watch it with a discussion partner! I am still not sure about everything. What about the very last scene before the credits, for example? Explanation anyone?

Skolstart

Tillbaka till utbildningen och långa föreläsningar i obekväma skolbänkar. Men nu har jag något fint att klottra i!
Fann supersnygga anteckningsböcker för bara 29 kr styck på Pocketshop!
Litet, behändigt format och härliga papper inuti (som oskrivna pocketböcker faktiskt). Men det bästa är nästan omslagen, designade av Lotta Kühlhorn. Tapetartade mönster (det finns åtta) i underbara färgkombinationer. Hoppas att de är lite säsongsbetonade, så att de byter ut dem efterhand. Vore kul.
Läs mer om Lotta Kühlhorn här, och se fina mönster hon har gjort på AgentForm.

Mer dåligt väder...

... och jag har klämt en bok till!



Underdog av Torbjörn Flygt (2001) handlar om Johan Kraft som bor med sin mamma och sin syster i ett av de första miljonprogramsområdena i Malmö. Man får följa Johan genom skolgången, från fyran (början av sjuttiotalet) till lumpen, med allt vad det innebär av hackordning, flummiga lärarkandidater och tidstypiska företeelser såsom jättetajta Gul&Blåjeans och gårdskrig.
Jag är på tok för ung för att känna äkta barndomsnostalgi av den här boken, men tack vare att den är så otroligt välskriven snuddar jag ändå vid nostalgi av något slag. Personporträtten är klockrena, Johan är en skarpsynt och krass liten kille, boken är bitvis nattsvart men genomlyses ändå av värme och kärlek. Jag gillade den skarpt.

Läs mer här...

Min mystiska svamp

se större här
Var på promenad igår och fann en mystisk svamp. Klåfingrig som jag är, kunde jag inte hålla fingrarna borta utan plockade med mig den. Den var stor som en apelsin/grapefrukt, vit och ganska rund, doftade jättegott. Så ville jag ju veta vad det var för nåt. Och fann...

Svampguiden, där entusiaster sammanstrålar i det tillhörande forumet och hjälper varandra med att artbestämma!

En riktigt fin sida som får mig att längta ut i skogen och plocka svamp. Förra året plockade vi massor av trattkantareller (som tillsammans med kantareller är det enda jag personligen skulle våga mig på att plocka själv). Kanske kan det sluta regna nu så man kan ge sig ut en sväng?

Jag vill gärna göra en trevlig liten toast på min fina svamp, hoppas att det inte finns några elaka förväxlingssvampar till jätteröksvamp... är det nån av er som vet nåt så säj till!

BBC Food

Igår lagade jag en kalasfin fläskfilérätt (örtgnuggad, ugnsstekt med rödlök och två såser) från BBC Food's hemsida, som är nästan lika bra som TV-kanalen. Här är receptet.

Rekommenderas varmt! Fast, obstinat som jag är, kunde jag ju inte hålla mig till receptet utan lade till röd paprika i ugnsformen för de blir så himla söta och läckra, och jag hade crème fraîche och en skvätt konjak i ädelostsåsen (konjak+ ädelost = super) istället för double cream.

Jag skulle nu kunna fortsätta dela med mig av min iver över BBC Food, men Anna på Modernista har redan gjort det bättre (fast med sin egen iver.. på många sätt liknar den dock min..). Läs hennes inlägg!

PS. En annan bra matsite, som dock nästan inte hade några fläskfilérecept, är Epicurious. Spana in den med!

Crappy weather = reading

I've been reluctant to leave bed these days of crappy Swedish weather. It hasn't helped that the books I've been reading are so exciting that I can hardly leave them...

Traci Lords "Underneath it all"
(unfortunately I read the Swedish version called "Nattens Barn")
The autobiography of Traci Lords (all i knew about her was that she starred in Cry-Baby, a movie that i totally love). I had no expectations whatsoever opening the book, but it was a good read. A bit diary-like, interesting all the way through. I still can't get exactly how the transition from troubled girl to child porn actress happened, but maybe you have to read it twice. Anyways, the book is surprisingly (bad me!) well-written and I recommend it.

J.K Rowling "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

Aah. This is like revisiting an old and dear friend. The enchanting saga of Harry Potter continues. Although it gets a bit frustrating with all the soap-opera-misunderstandings and failing to communicate between the characters, this is a book you cannot put down. I will not tell you ANYTHING of what it's about. Read it for yourselves and see..

Now I just hope that they ask Morrissey to do the soundtrack of the next Harry Potter movie. According to a documentary I saw some time ago, Rowling is crazy about him.

Hey, won't the actors be like, thirty-five before the filmmakers have made all the films, if the books keep coming at this pace? It's going to be worse than in Beverly Hills 90210..

This may not be a glamourous tip..

... but someone has to do it..

I want to recommend a pimple extractor, and anti-recommend another.
See, this little thingy, designed right, is an absolute must. My skin seldom brings me any surprises, but the occasional zit pops (haha) in for a visit every now and then, and i simply cannot keep my hands off them!
If you share my impatient behaviour, this will help to get rid of even the smallest blackhead wihout clawing until you bleed and it gets infected and turns into a real pimple!

So, attention dear readers. This is the one that, in my experience, works the best. It has a little "spoon-shaped" end with a tiny hole in the middle.



The one to avoid (unless your pimples ar of another species than mine) looks more like some kind of tick-remover and has two little "hoops". This, in my humple opinion, works not nearly as good to apply the even pressure of the "spoon-extractor". Well, here it is:



I've bought mine at a pharmacy on Gran Canaria. You may find them at the Body Shop, although I am pretty sure that they only have the wrong kind nowadays.
This is a place to get them from the internet.

Bacon-wrapped dates

Some time ago, I mentioned the bacon-wrapped dates that I'd eaten at Capaco, the tapas bar. Now we tried them at home. The home-made ones totally ruled, too.

Here's how to: wrap fresh dates (pit them if you like) in bacon and grill them in the oven on high heat or simply fry them in a pan until crunchy.
Serve immediately, enjoy the nice contrast of salt,crispy bacon vs. creamy, supa-sweet date.

The most simple recipe I found was in Danish, here. (which is also where I borrowed the pic)

I came across a more elaborate recipe here, that also included a sauce that looks mighty fine to me. Must try.

Ett gratiskonsert-tips

.. Vacatierra, det dundertajta bandet jag talade mig varm om för ett tag sedan, spelar på Bananpiren på Göteborgskalaset fredag 12 aug mellan kl18 och 19.

Älvsnabben mellan Operan och Bananpiren är gratis under kalasdagarna, och även om Göteborgskalaset mest innebär att en massa läskigt folk lämnar sina hålor och intar staden, så är detta ett must-see som inte lämnar någon besviken!

Oh, nu har dom låtar på hemsidan också...

Ett oväntat jeans-tips..

... är ett par billig- jeans från Stadiums nya märke, D-Cate (Mississippi Straight Fit, 499:-)(ack, jag minns dagarna då man inte tyckte att femhundra spänn var BILLIGT för ett par jeans!). Stadium har ju tidigare varit hemskt mycket ute och cyklat när det gäller egna jeansmodeller, åtminstone passade inga av dem någonsin mig...
De här Mississippi-jeansen ser inte mkt ut för världen när de ligger på bordet men jag testade dem och fick en smärre chock. Stuprör har alltid (förutom de från Tiger of Sweden) tett sig rätt ridbyx-aktiga på mig pga mina spinkiga vrister, men dessa satt perfekt.
Bra mellan-tvätt som passar vilken säsong som helst, lite stretch och bakfickorna långt ner. Jag kanske postar en bild när jag lagt beslag på dem.

#5 på önskelistan.

Den här vill jag ha!
Skärmen gör verkligen inte färgen rättvisa, koftan är sådär riktigt höstigt senapsgul och kan säkert med finess kombineras med andra lite murriga färger.
Överhuvudtaget gillar jag höstfärgerna i år, puderrosa/beige, plommon, buteljgrönt och petroleumblått. Fint mot vinterrosig hy!

Moisture for less

My "standard" body lotion, that I always have, aside from all the fancy stuff, is Nivea Rich Caring Milk.
It keeps you moist almost forever, you get baby soft skin and the milk has a mild, neutral smell that won't dominate your bouquet. It's really cheap and easy to get hold of (in Sweden at least). I buy it at H&M, to add to my club bonus...

The Great Gatsby

I saw "The Great Gatsby" (Jack Clayton, 1974) the other day. I was totally swept away.
What an incredibly fashionable and inspirational film! The wardrobe, the furniture, the hairdos, I WANT IT ALL! This movie is eye candy through every scene, I could see it over and over again just to spot a new railing, chair or telephone. And the clothes! Lots of accessories, flowing dresses and scarves, headbands, glitter... a true odyssey in style.
Be sure not to miss it!

(Oh, and the film was kinda good too, even though the female characters were hysterical and crazy beyond reason. I couldn't identify with them, hehe..)

Passion fruit!

A hot tip: grow your own passion fruit! The plant is nice and clingy, it will climb just about anything! And the flowers are absolutely beautiful. But the best part is the fruit! Our plant is three years old and got it's first fruits this summer. They were small but very tasty.

Passion fruit is an absolute favourite of mine. It gives almost any dessert that extra little something to make it pop. It appears as though the passion fruit holds some medical purpose too..

Here's a yummy and really simple dessert for ya:

Slice a few bananas length-wise.
Mix a couple of passion fruits with crème fraiche and a little brown sugar or honey. The mix should be fresh, not too sweet.
Spread the bananas in an oven-proof dish and cover with the mixture, add a little extra brown sugar on top. Put in the oven for about 15 minutes, 200 degrees Celsius. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.

Su Jok Massage Ring and Stick

Su Jok is a modern version of traditional acupuncture, with roots in Korea. My parents went to Tylösand Spa and came back with a massage ring and stick from their shop-of-weird-stuff.

These are small mean-looking wire tools that you are supposed to roll on your fingers or between your hands or feet until they're all warm and tingling.
It's effect is related to that of acupuncture or acupressure, with zones in the hands or feet corresponding to different body parts. I am not sure about what I think of all of this, but it does feel really nice and soothing for tired hands and feet.

Beach reading

I just finished the tales of the Otori, by Lian Hearn (a pseudonym).

"Brought up among the Hidden, a reclusive and spiritual people, Takeo knows only the ways of peace. But he possesses the supernatural skills of the Tribe - preternatural hearing, the ability to be in two places at once, to become invisible.

When his life is saved by the mysterious Lord Otori Shigeru, Takeo begins the journey that will lead him to his destiny within the walls of Inuyama. It is a journey of revenge and treachery, honour and loyalty, beauty and magic, and the overwhelming passion of love."

These three books will not haunt you night and day until you finish them, like the books of Dan Brown did (I think The Da Vinci Code was said to be "unputdownable").

Still, they're very much enjoyable.
You can read a bit, put the book down, go for a swim and go on later. Set in a Japan-like environment, with stories of war and love and just a little magic, they're a soft introduction to fantasy.

My experiences of fantasy so far are a bit of Tolkien (who, of course, beats the **** out of pretty much any other writer when it comes to creating worlds inside your head) and Robin Hobb (another pseudonym). I've liked it and will probably encounter this genre again.

Summer nails

A favourite of mine: Lumene Super Gloss & Quick Dry, color "Satin Clouds".

One coat: A healthy pinkish shade with just enough color to barely be noticed.

Two coats: Very nice to match the tan (the tan that I would have, had I not been working all day)(and had the weather not turned from amazing summer to thunderstorms and rain).

Here's a little color sample for y'all.

Madeira trip report: GARDENS

Madeira is very green and has lots and lots of weird and beautiful plants and flowers. There are innumerable gardens to visit, here are the ones we tried

Jardim Botanico - Lots of cool plants and a great view over Funchal. Buy the fennel candy from the souvenir shop. Funchal is actually named after fennel,"funcho" in Portuguese.

Monte - the town park (municipal gardens). Down the stairs from the square and you're in paradise!

Monte.
Palheiro Gardens - beautiful but expensive, entry fee is 8 Euros.

Madeira trip report: NATURE

Encumeada. Don't miss this one! Way up in the mountains (easy to reach by car) there is a wall where the clouds run down the slope like a waterfall. If you're there at the right time (which is fairly often) you're in for an amazing experience. It is a bit of a gamble since you never know when, but try it out!


Pico do Arieiro.With it's 1819 metres, Arieiro is the second highest mountaintop on Madeira. It can be reached by car, and from here you can walk (a long and scary walk) to the highest one, Pico Ruivo (1834 m). I didn't go there. Of course it wasn't because of fear, I just didn't feel like it ;) Too much trouble for fifteen measly metres! The Pico do Arieiro is amazing. There are two miradouras, or viewpoints, from where you can see almost the whole island!


When we had lunch on the north viewpoint, we were attacked by really friendly and hungry lizards! They crawled all over us and ate the crumbs of our sandwiches (they were also fond of my nail polish and tried to bite my finger off. Luckily they had no teeth..) I later learned that this was the Madeira Lizard, an endemic species. Very cute.


Madeira is a Mecca for trekkers, since it has irrigation channels, "levadas" all over. Not only do they provide water, but very beautiful walks thanks to concrete maintenance paths. The levadas go high up in the mountains, in the countryside and even downtown!

This is a levada we walked, Waterfall Risque. Amazing views! Try it!

Madeira trip report: SWIMMING

Madeira seems to have it all - except beaches. Two hours away by ferry is Porto Santo, an island that seems to have gotten all the sand for itself. I didn't go there but it's supposed to be really nice.
However, if you wanna go for a swim there ARE options. Here are two spots we tried and liked.

Calheta - two man-made beaches opposite of eachother. Watching over the beaches is a giant mountainwall with a waterfall.

Porto Moniz - natural lava-rock-pools that have been enhanced with concrete to become a real beach paradise. It was kinda windy, though.

(Lido, right near Funchal is a saltwater pool-complex which I did not visit, but it's supposed to be good.)

Hey, hey! Remember! Every part of Madeira has it's own micro-climate, maybe because of the mountains... Fear not if you wake up to a cloudy Funchal. Just go a bit west or north and there is a good chance the sun will shine!

Madeira trip report : SHOPPING

Yep, the shopping was nice even though the Euro has made everything more expensive. Mango, for example, is still a good bit cheaper than in Sweden.

Here's where to go.

Madeira Shopping, Sta Quitéria, Funchal. The big mall I told you about. It's really nice and hosts all the major shops.

C.C Forum Madeira, Estrada Monumental, Funchal. On the very same street as our hotel. This is a new (from the looks of it) outdoors mall that has about the same shops as Madeira Shopping.

The capital, Funchal, is well worth a visit. Very beautiful and picturesque, narrow streets and beautiful buildings. If you want to find the shopping here, go to Rua do Aljube and Rua dos Ferreiros. However, it is pretty much the same stores here as in the malls, I didn't find much individuality here.

If you want to check out some local life, visit the market. It is situated in the east of Funchal, right near where the lifts take you to Monte.

This is a Madeiran specialty, the Espada, often served with banana!
The market has a large fish department, and a somewhat less smelly part where they sell flowers, fruits, baskets, birds, books and a whole bunch of stuff. Be sure to watch the fruit prices, because I am pretty sure they fiddle with the scales sometimes. At least when youre a gullible tourist..

Oh, I learned something new about the brands here. They're very much intertwined. Mango is the only one that seems to stand on it's own, but Zara, Pull and Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius and Oysho (dont miss Oysho! they've got awesome underwear and some nice clothes too!!) are part of a huge group called the Inditex Group. That I did not know. It seems like they're all able to keep their individual profile intact though, so all is good.

Madeira trip report

Madeira truly is a paradise island with lots of stuff to see and do. Conveniently enough it is also quite small, so getting around is kinda quick. Thanks to lots of tunnels through the mountains, it can be even quicker. But then you miss the scenic route..

The inhabitants are very friendly and helpful, and the tourism has not struck Madeira as hard as, say, the Canary Islands. One thing that surprised me was the great knowledge of English. Almost everyone spoke impeccable British English. (I found to my great joy that they don't dub the TV- programmes into Portuguese, they have subtitles instead. Maybe that has something to do with it?)

view over Funchal

SLEEPING & EATING:
Stayed at the Florasol west of downtown Funchal (capital) - the staff and service is real nice, try to get a room in the tower if you can, ours had two balconies with sea view. The hotel restaurant is good (there is another restaurant at the pool deck that's supposed to be great), but the breakfast isn't much to hang in the Christmas tree, as we like to say in Sweden..


The eating experience was a real disappointment. Everything is deep-fried and the vegetables are overcooked or from cans. Beware of most restaurants!
We found the needle in the haystack though, every later attempt to try a new restaurant brought us right back to this one:

Trigal in Funchal (on the corner of Rua dos Aranhas and Rua da Carreira)
Great prices, an exciting menu (compared to lots of places here), fresh vegetables, yummy pizzas and awesome garlic bread! This will keep you fed all week long! Oh, except they're closed Sunday...

will be back after a short break
next: SHOPPING!

I am off to paradise island (I hope...) Madeira for a week of sunbathing and novel-reading.
Cya!

And look.. they have shopping too!