text: IN one of those excursions (may they ne'er Fade from remembrance!) through the Northern tracts Of Cambria ranging with a youthful friend, I left Bethgelert's huts at couching-time, And westward took my way, to see the sun Rise, from the top of Snowdon. To the door Of a rude cottage at the mountain's base We came, and roused the shepherd who attends The adventurous stranger's steps, a trusty guide; Then, cheered by short refreshment, sallied forth. 10 It was a close, warm, breezeless summer night, Wan, dull, and glaring, with a dripping fog Low-hung and thick that covered all the sky; But, undiscouraged, we began to climb The mountain-side. The mist soon girt us round, And, after ordinary travellers' talk With our conductor, pensively we sank Each into commerce with his private thoughts: Thus did we breast the ascent, and by myself Was nothing either seen or heard that checked 20 Those musings or diverted, save that once The shepherd's lurcher, who, among the crags, Had to his joy unearthed a hedgehog, teased His coiled-up prey with barkings turbulent. This small adventure, for even such it seemed In that wild place and at the dead of night, Being over and forgotten, on we wound In silence as before. With forehead bent Earthward, as if in opposition set Against an enemy, I panted up 30 With eager pace, and no less eager thoughts. Thus might we wear a midnight hour away, Ascending at loose distance each from each, And I, as chanced, the foremost of the band; When at my feet the ground appeared to brighten, And with a step or two seemed brighter still; Nor was time given to ask or learn the cause, For instantly a light upon the turf Fell like a flash, and lo! as I looked up, The Moon hung naked in a firmament 40 Of azure without cloud, and at my feet Rested a silent sea of hoary mist. A hundred hills their dusky backs upheaved All over this still ocean; and beyond, Far, far beyond, the solid vapours stretched, In headlands, tongues, and promontory shapes, Into the main Atlantic, that appeared To dwindle, and give up his majesty, Usurped upon far as the sight could reach. Not so the ethereal vault; encroachment none 50 Was there, nor loss; only the inferior stars Had disappeared, or shed a fainter light In the clear presence of the full-orbed Moon, Who, from her sovereign elevation, gazed Upon the billowy ocean, as it lay All meek and silent, save that through a rift– Not distant from the shore whereon we stood, A fixed, abysmal, gloomy, breathing-place– Mounted the roar of waters, torrents, streams Innumerable, roaring with one voice! 60 Heard over earth and sea, and, in that hour, For so it seemed, felt by the starry heavens. When into air had partially dissolved That vision, given to spirits of the night And three chance human wanderers, in calm thought Reflected, it appeared to me the type Of a majestic intellect, its acts And its possessions, what it has and craves, What in itself it is, and would become. There I beheld the emblem of a mind 70 That feeds upon infinity, that broods Over the dark abyss, intent to hear Its voices issuing forth to silent light In one continuous stream; a mind sustained By recognitions of transcendent power, In sense conducting to ideal form, In soul of more than mortal privilege. One function, above all, of such a mind Had Nature shadowed there, by putting forth, 'Mid circumstances awful and sublime, 80 That mutual domination which she loves To exert upon the face of outward things, So moulded, joined, abstracted, so endowed With interchangeable supremacy, That men, least sensitive, see, hear, perceive, And cannot choose but feel. The power, which all Acknowledge when thus moved, which Nature thus To bodily sense exhibits, is the express Resemblance of that glorious faculty That higher minds bear with them as their own. 90 This is the very spirit in which they deal With the whole compass of the universe: They from their native selves can send abroad Kindred mutations; for themselves create A like existence; and, whene'er it dawns Created for them, catch it, or are caught By its inevitable mastery, Like angels stopped upon the wing by sound Of harmony from Heaven's remotest spheres. Them the enduring and the transient both 100 Serve to exalt; they build up greatest things From least suggestions; ever on the watch, Willing to work and to be wrought upon, They need not extraordinary calls To rouse them; in a world of life they live, By sensible impressions not enthralled, But by their quickening impulse made more prompt To hold fit converse with the spiritual world, And with the generations of mankind Spread over time, past, present, and to come, 110 Age after age, till Time shall be no more. Such minds are truly from the Deity, For they are Powers; and hence the highest bliss That flesh can know is theirs–the consciousness Of Whom they are, habitually infused Through every image and through every thought, And all affections by communion raised From earth to heaven, from human to divine; Hence endless occupation for the Soul, Whether discursive or intuitive; 120 Hence cheerfulness for acts of daily life, Emotions which best foresight need not fear, Most worthy then of trust when most intense. Hence, amid ills that vex and wrongs that crush Our hearts–if here the words of Holy Writ May with fit reverence be applied–that peace Which passeth understanding, that repose In moral judgments which from this pure source Must come, or will by man be sought in vain. Oh! who is he that hath his whole life long 130 Preserved, enlarged, this freedom in himself? For this alone is genuine liberty: Where is the favoured being who hath held That course unchecked, unerring, and untired, In one perpetual progress smooth and bright?– A humbler destiny have we retraced, And told of lapse and hesitating choice, And backward wanderings along thorny ways: Yet–compassed round by mountain solitudes, Within whose solemn temple I received 140 My earliest visitations, careless then Of what was given me; and which now I range, A meditative, oft a suffering, man– Do I declare–in accents which, from truth Deriving cheerful confidence, shall blend Their modulation with these vocal streams– That, whatsoever falls my better mind, Revolving with the accidents of life, May have sustained, that, howsoe'er misled, Never did I, in quest of right and wrong, 150 Tamper with conscience from a private aim; Nor was in any public hope the dupe Of selfish passions; nor did ever yield Wilfully to mean cares or low pursuits, But shrunk with apprehensive jealousy From every combination which might aid The tendency, too potent in itself, Of use and custom to bow down the soul Under a growing weight of vulgar sense, And substitute a universe of death 160 For that which moves with light and life informed, Actual, divine, and true. To fear and love, To love as prime and chief, for there fear ends, Be this ascribed; to early intercourse, In presence of sublime or beautiful forms, With the adverse principles of pain and joy– Evil as one is rashly named by men Who know not what they speak. By love subsists All lasting grandeur, by pervading love; That gone, we are as dust.–Behold the fields 170 In balmy spring-time full of rising flowers And joyous creatures; see that pair, the lamb And the lamb's mother, and their tender ways Shall touch thee to the heart; thou callest this love, And not inaptly so, for love it is, Far as it carries thee. In some green bower Rest, and be not alone, but have thou there The One who is thy choice of all the world: There linger, listening, gazing, with delight Impassioned, but delight how pitiable! 180 Unless this love by a still higher love Be hallowed, love that breathes not without awe; Love that adores, but on the knees of prayer, By heaven inspired; that frees from chains the soul, Lifted, in union with the purest, best, Of earth-born passions, on the wings of praise Bearing a tribute to the Almighty's Throne. This spiritual Love acts not nor can exist Without Imagination, which, in truth, Is but another name for absolute power 190 And clearest insight, amplitude of mind, And Reason in her most exalted mood. This faculty hath been the feeding source Of our long labour: we have traced the stream From the blind cavern whence is faintly heard Its natal murmur; followed it to light And open day; accompanied its course Among the ways of Nature, for a time Lost sight of it bewildered and engulphed; Then given it greeting as it rose once more 200 In strength, reflecting from its placid breast The works of man and face of human life; And lastly, from its progress have we drawn Faith in life endless, the sustaining thought Of human Being, Eternity, and God. Imagination having been our theme, So also hath that intellectual Love, For they are each in each, and cannot stand Dividually.–Here must thou be, O Man! Power to thyself; no Helper hast thou here; 210 Here keepest thou in singleness thy state: No other can divide with thee this work: No secondary hand can intervene To fashion this ability; 'tis thine, The prime and vital principle is thine In the recesses of thy nature, far From any reach of outward fellowship, Else is not thine at all. But joy to him, Oh, joy to him who here hath sown, hath laid Here, the foundation of his future years! 220 For all that friendship, all that love can do, All that a darling countenance can look Or dear voice utter, to complete the man, Perfect him, made imperfect in himself, All shall be his: and he whose soul hath risen Up to the height of feeling intellect Shall want no humbler tenderness; his heart Be tender as a nursing mother's heart; Of female softness shall his life be full, Of humble cares and delicate desires, 230 Mild interests and gentlest sympathies. Child of my parents! Sister of my soul! Thanks in sincerest verse have been elsewhere Poured out for all the early tenderness Which I from thee imbibed: and 'tis most true That later seasons owed to thee no less; For, spite of thy sweet influence and the touch Of kindred hands that opened out the springs Of genial thought in childhood, and in spite Of all that unassisted I had marked 240 In life or nature of those charms minute That win their way into the heart by stealth (Still to the very going-out of youth) I too exclusively esteemed 'that' love, And sought 'that' beauty, which, as Milton sings, Hath terror in it. Thou didst soften down This over-sternness; but for thee, dear Friend! My soul, too reckless of mild grace, had stood In her original self too confident, Retained too long a countenance severe; 250 A rock with torrents roaring, with the clouds Familiar, and a favourite of the stars: But thou didst plant its crevices with flowers, Hang it with shrubs that twinkle in the breeze, And teach the little birds to build their nests And warble in its chambers. At a time When Nature, destined to remain so long Foremost in my affections, had fallen back Into a second place, pleased to become A handmaid to a nobler than herself, 260 When every day brought with it some new sense Of exquisite regard for common things, And all the earth was budding with these gifts Of more refined humanity, thy breath, Dear Sister! was a kind of gentler spring That went before my steps. Thereafter came One whom with thee friendship had early paired; She came, no more a phantom to adorn A moment, but an inmate of the heart, And yet a spirit, there for me enshrined 270 To penetrate the lofty and the low; Even as one essence of pervading light Shines, in the brightest of ten thousand stars And the meek worm that feeds her lonely lamp Couched in the dewy grass. With such a theme, Coleridge! with this my argument, of thee Shall I be silent? O capacious Soul! Placed on this earth to love and understand, And from thy presence shed the light of love, Shall I be mute, ere thou be spoken of? 280 Thy kindred influence to my heart of hearts Did also find its way. Thus fear relaxed Her overweening grasp; thus thoughts and things In the self-haunting spirit learned to take More rational proportions; mystery, The incumbent mystery of sense and soul, Of life and death, time and eternity, Admitted more habitually a mild Interposition–a serene delight In closelier gathering cares, such as become 290 A human creature, howsoe'er endowed, Poet, or destined for a humbler name; And so the deep enthusiastic joy, The rapture of the hallelujah sent From all that breathes and is, was chastened, stemmed And balanced by pathetic truth, by trust In hopeful reason, leaning on the stay Of Providence; and in reverence for duty, Here, if need be, struggling with storms, and there Strewing in peace life's humblest ground with herbs, 300 At every season green, sweet at all hours. And now, O Friend! this history is brought To its appointed close: the discipline And consummation of a Poet's mind, In everything that stood most prominent, Have faithfully been pictured; we have reached The time (our guiding object from the first) When we may, not presumptuously, I hope, Suppose my powers so far confirmed, and such My knowledge, as to make me capable 310 Of building up a Work that shall endure. Yet much hath been omitted, as need was; Of books how much! and even of the other wealth That is collected among woods and fields, Far more: for Nature's secondary grace Hath hitherto been barely touched upon, The charm more superficial that attends Her works, as they present to Fancy's choice Apt illustrations of the moral world, Caught at a glance, or traced with curious pains. 320 Finally, and above all, O Friend! (I speak With due regret) how much is overlooked In human nature and her subtle ways, As studied first in our own hearts, and then In life among the passions of mankind, Varying their composition and their hue, Where'er we move, under the diverse shapes That individual character presents To an attentive eye. For progress meet, Along this intricate and difficult path, 330 Whate'er was wanting, something had I gained, As one of many schoolfellows compelled, In hardy independence, to stand up Amid conflicting interests, and the shock Of various tempers; to endure and note What was not understood, though known to be; Among the mysteries of love and hate, Honour and shame, looking to right and left, Unchecked by innocence too delicate, And moral notions too intolerant, 340 Sympathies too contracted. Hence, when called To take a station among men, the step Was easier, the transition more secure, More profitable also; for, the mind Learns from such timely exercise to keep In wholesome separation the two natures, The one that feels, the other that observes. Yet one word more of personal concern;– Since I withdrew unwillingly from France, I led an undomestic wanderer's life, 350 In London chiefly harboured, whence I roamed, Tarrying at will in many a pleasant spot Of rural England's cultivated vales Or Cambrian solitudes. A youth–(he bore The name of Calvert–it shall live, if words Of mine can give it life,) in firm belief That by endowments not from me withheld Good might be furthered–in his last decay By a bequest sufficient for my needs Enabled me to pause for choice, and walk 360 At large and unrestrained, nor damped too soon By mortal cares. Himself no Poet, yet Far less a common follower of the world, He deemed that my pursuits and labours lay Apart from all that leads to wealth, or even A necessary maintenance insures, Without some hazard to the finer sense; He cleared a passage for me, and the stream Flowed in the bent of Nature. Having now Told what best merits mention, further pains 370 Our present purpose seems not to require, And I have other tasks. Recall to mind The mood in which this labour was begun, O Friend! The termination of my course Is nearer now, much nearer; yet even then, In that distraction and intense desire, I said unto the life which I had lived, Where art thou? Hear I not a voice from thee Which 'tis reproach to hear? Anon I rose As if on wings, and saw beneath me stretched 380 Vast prospect of the world which I had been And was; and hence this Song, which, like a lark, I have protracted, in the unwearied heavens Singing, and often with more plaintive voice To earth attempered and her deep-drawn sighs, Yet centring all in love, and in the end All gratulant, if rightly understood. Whether to me shall be allotted life, And, with life, power to accomplish aught of worth, That will be deemed no insufficient plea 390 For having given the story of myself, Is all uncertain: but, beloved Friend! When, looking back, thou seest, in clearer view Than any liveliest sight of yesterday, That summer, under whose indulgent skies, Upon smooth Quantock's airy ridge we roved Unchecked, or loitered 'mid her sylvan combs, Thou in bewitching words, with happy heart, Didst chaunt the vision of that Ancient Man, The bright-eyed Mariner, and rueful woes 400 Didst utter of the Lady Christabel; And I, associate with such labour, steeped In soft forgetfulness the livelong hours, Murmuring of him who, joyous hap, was found, After the perils of his moonlight ride, Near the loud waterfall; or her who sate In misery near the miserable Thorn– When thou dost to that summer turn thy thoughts, And hast before thee all which then we were, To thee, in memory of that happiness, 410 It will be known, by thee at least, my Friend! Felt, that the history of a Poet's mind Is labour not unworthy of regard; To thee the work shall justify itself. The last and later portions of this gift Have been prepared, not with the buoyant spirits That were our daily portion when we first Together wantoned in wild Poesy, But, under pressure of a private grief, Keen and enduring, which the mind and heart, 420 That in this meditative history Have been laid open, needs must make me feel More deeply, yet enable me to bear More firmly; and a comfort now hath risen From hope that thou art near, and wilt be soon Restored to us in renovated health; When, after the first mingling of our tears, 'Mong other consolations, we may draw Some pleasure from this offering of my love. Oh! yet a few short years of useful life, 430 And all will be complete, thy race be run, Thy monument of glory will be raised; Then, though (too weak to tread the ways of truth) This age fall back to old idolatry, Though men return to servitude as fast As the tide ebbs, to ignominy and shame, By nations, sink together, we shall still Find solace–knowing what we have learnt to know, Rich in true happiness if allowed to be Faithful alike in forwarding a day 440 Of firmer trust, joint labourers in the work (Should Providence such grace to us vouchsafe) Of their deliverance, surely yet to come. Prophets of Nature, we to them will speak A lasting inspiration, sanctified By reason, blest by faith: what we have loved, Others will love, and we will teach them how; Instruct them how the mind of man becomes A thousand times more beautiful than the earth On which he dwells, above this frame of things 450 (Which, 'mid all revolution in the hopes And fears of men, doth still remain unchanged) In beauty exalted, as it is itself Of quality and fabric more divine. 1799-1805.


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We're both huge Prince fans, and if you're a regular listener, you know how often his name and work come up on this podcast. Needless to say, we're gutted, and needed to talk about it when we heard of Prince's passing. We hope you'll enjoy listening to this special edition of The GAR! Podcast, and remembering with us. Rest in peace, Prince.
And this is Ray's favorite version of It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night:
Biff Bam Pop! Remembers Prince
The Biff Bam Pop! Podcast Network
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Contact us directly here.

subset: commoncrawl


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Dogs are a favorite pet for senior citizens and there is plenty of research showing that dogs help seniors stay fit by urging them to exercise. The way the dog does this is by insisting that it be walked every day or be joined in a game of catch the ball or frisbee. Dogs also encourage seniors to participate in other activities with them.
Walking is by far the favorite way for seniors to exercise with their dog. According to a poll by AARP, sixty one percent of people aged 65 or older who own a dog, exercise by walking their dog. What may surprise a few people is another statistic from the same poll: fifty four percent of people between the ages of 50 and 64 who have a dog also exercise by walking with their pet.
Of this same group of 50-64 year olds, forty two percent also play catch or toss a Frisbee with their dog as a fitness routine, while twenty six percent of the seniors aged 65 or older who own a dog, exercise with their dog in the same way. Other favorite ways of exercising that both age groups regularly do is jogging and wrestling. Yes, wrestling with their dog. Respondents said that they love to wrestle at home with their dog and also when they go to a park for exercise.
The frequency that dog owners exercise with their dogs varies substantially between the age groups. Twenty two percent of people aged 50 to 64 regularly exercise with their dog, while thirty three percent of the seniors 65 and older exercise with their dogs more than once a day.
The difference between the regularity of exercising with their dog may possibly be attributed to work responsibilities or more active social lives. Of those who don't exercise every day with their dog, about seventeen percent exercise with their best canine friend two to three times per week. As for the slackers, fifteen percent say they never exercise with their dog.
Research seems to indicate that people who exercise with their pets are more likely to stay on a regular fitness program. Walking, jogging, or playing catch with their dog provides the same exercise benefits for both the person and the dog, helping keep muscles and joints flexible and aiding in controlling weight gain for both.
Companionship is the primary reason that people aged 65 and older decided to get a pet. Companionship was also the major reason people aged 50-64 chose to adopt a pet.
Taking care of a dog is not something everyone can do or is willing to do every day of their lives. Dogs come with a lot of responsibility for the owner. A dog must be fed regularly and always have access to fresh water. Dogs need a fenced in yard to play in or they must be taken for a walk at least twice a day to take care of their biological needs.
The cost of buying pet food, regular checkups by a veterinarian, and necessary vaccinations can place a heavy burden on seniors dependent upon Social Security for their retirement income. Sixty percent of people 65 and older and thirty seven percent of those between the ages of 50 and 64, say they don't own a pet for these very reasons.


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The 2010 Census is Here: Make YOUR voice count!
For the first time, the U.S. Census Bureau will include married same-sex spouses as part of its decennial count of American households and families.
This information, along with counts of unmarried same-sex partners that the Census has reported previously, will help produce a more accurate picture of LGBT people and our families in federal data. These data can play a crucial role in making the case for LGBT equality, as they can affect a range of policy and social service decisions.


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Padua – Orio al Serio Bergamo Airport
Orio al Serio International Airport (also called Orio al Serio Airport or simply Bergamo Airport) is located east of Milan, the Italian fashion capital. The airport is one of the most popular tourist airports because it offers flights to Spain, Portugal, Greece, Morocco and more than 100 other destinations. Orio al Serio Airport underwent complete renovation at the beginning of the 21st century, and it is becoming more popular every year. The diverse selection of flight destinations and the airport's proximity to the highway certainly help its popularity. Many GoOpti passengers decide to book the reliable, comfortable and affordable GoOpti transfer to Bergamo Airport.
The start of the transfer
GoOpti can pick you up at 9 different locations in Padua. You can also decide to get picked up at your home address, in front of your workplace or at any other location of your choosing. One day before the booked transfer, GoOpti will send you an SMS and an e-mail containing the exact location and time of departure. When you arrive at the pick-up location, the GoOpti driver will introduce himself and check if all the passengers who have booked the transport are present. The driver will also take care of all your luggage and make sure it is safely stored in the back compartment of the vehicle. After all the passengers are safely and comfortably seated and have fastened their seat belts, the transfer can begin.
The course of the transfer
Orio al Serio Bergamo Airport is located 194 kilometers from Padua and the comfortable and reliable GoOpti transfer usually lasts just around two hours. Your GoOpti vehicle will take you from Padua to the E70 highway towards Milan and join the A4 highway at Brescia. The highway will take you to Orio al Serio Bergamo Airport.
Planned breaks
GoOpti drivers have to stop for a 15-minute break every two and a half hours of driving. Since the transfer from Padua to Orio al Serio Bergamo Airport usually takes less time, no breaks are planned during this transfer. Usually, the GoOpti drivers choose to organize one stop anyway. If the transfer takes longer because of different circumstances on the road, the GoOpti driver will make sure to include an additional break in the transfer. Passengers can always ask for an unplanned break. The first break, which can last up to 15 minutes, can be organized at the request of just one passenger. For every additional break all the passengers must come to a consensus.
Where we will drop you off
Upon your arrival at Orio al Serio Airport the GoOpti driver will stop the van at the driveway for buses and taxis on parking place in front of the terminal for departure.
About Orio al Serio Bergamo Airport
11 airline companies offer flights from and to Orio al Serio airport, but Ryanair is by far the biggest airline company in Bergamo. Ryanair flies to 50 destinations from Orio al Serio Airport, which is probably the main reason why this airport is the second most connected with Eastern Europe. Read more about Orio al Serio Airport here.
GoOpti en 90s
Descubre por qué GoOpti es mejor que el coche, a mejor precio que el taxi y más fiable que el transporte público.
Mira el video-
93 %
de clientes
satisfechos -
3.000.000 +
transportados -
35.000 +
cada mes


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Statement of Faith
THE BIBLE is the complete and only divine revelation, inspired by the Holy Spirit.
GOD is eternally one. He is also eternally the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, the three being distinct but not separate.
CHRIST is both the complete God and the perfect man. He was divinely conceived in the womb of a human virgin, lived a genuine human life on earth, and died a vicarious and all-inclusive death on the cross. After three days He resurrected bodily and ascended to the heavens. He is now in glory, still fully God and fully man. He will return to reign over the earth in the millennium and in eternity.
THE SPIRIT, the third of the Trinity, is equally God. All that the Father has and is, is expressed by the Son; and all that the Son has and is, is realized as the Spirit.
MAN is unable to fulfill the requirements of God's righteousness, holiness, and glory, and thus is in need of God's salvation. Because of Christ's death on the cross, which fulfilled all of God's requirements, God forgives, justifies, and reconciles those who believe in Jesus Christ and His work.
THE BELIEVERS, based on Christ's redemption, are regenerated by God with His Spirit that they may become His children possessing His life and nature. They enjoy a daily salvation in His Body in this age and the eternal salvation in the coming age and in eternity.
THE NEW JERUSALEM as the consummation of God's salvation will be the mutual habitation of the redeeming God and His redeemed elect for eternity.


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Frequently Asked Questions
About Placing an Online Order
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Not yet. Our customers can only shop online at the moment.
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No, you are free to order as many products as you wish. In fact, we even take bulk order
How do I pay while placing an online order?
We accept most credit and debit cards as well as additional payment methods depending on
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can check our Payments Policy for more details.
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We request you to please check the spam/junk folder of your mailbox. If not, it is possible
that our system was having a bad day or that you made a typo while entering the email ID.
Either way, just email us and our team will help you.
About Shipping and Delivery
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Delivery estimates are displayed next to each product and customers are advised to check
these estimates before adding products to their cart. If you feel that your order has been
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Shipping methods and charges are displayed at the time of checkout and depend on your
location. For more information, please visit our Shipping and Delivery policy.
Can I change the delivery address for an order that I placed?
Yes, you can contact us to change the delivery address even after you have placed your
order. In case the order is already dispatched, it might be beyond our control to change the
delivery address. Our team will still try their best to work with our courier partners to
accommodate your request.
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Please allow up to 24 hours for the tracking details to get activated, once you have received
the link. In case there is still an issue, or if your order seems to be stuck at the same step,
please contact us and we will coordinate with the courier partners to resolve the matter.
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Please contact us within the return window of 14 days and we will issue a Return
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Post that, our team will be in touch with you
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(1) For Refund Against Return: Refund Authorisation happens when the returned
product reaches our facility and the team approves the return.
(2) For Refund Against Cancellations: Refund Authorisation happens as soon as the
cancellation request is approved. In case the cancellation request is received after
the product is already shipped, a small cancellation fee might apply.
How will I be refunded?
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Please remember to share the new card or account details at the time of placing the return
or cancellation request. Our team will try their best to accommodate your request.


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California city denies permit for Straight Pride rally
MODESTO, Calif. - A Northern California city has denied a request to hold a so-called Straight Pride rally at a park.
Modesto city officials on Friday denied an application by the National Straight Pride Coalition for an Aug. 24 event at Graceada Park.
Organizer Don Grundmann had estimated 500 people would attend. The group says it supports heterosexuality, Christianity and white contributions to Western civilization.
Opponents argued the rally would promote hatred of LGBTQ people and minorities.
City spokesman Thomas Reeves says the permit request was denied over safety concerns, because the group lost its liability insurance and the parks department determined the event wasn't consistent with park use.
However, Reeves says the city would allow the rally at a downtown plaza if the group proves it has insurance by Tuesday.


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Music can be a powerful magic and because of this, I believe frequency arranging waves can truly change the masses. It's been long since it has happened to me. But a lady from Tottenham England has turned the music world upside down. But I would not be writing about this on this Weblog if there was not a little paranormal connection.
The people of the Sidhe — the fairy lore of the British Isles, carried a powerful magic. These tall thin almost transparent beings with their music and their song would draw the humans from miles away. The story goes, listen to just one song and you would be changed forever. Listen to more than one song and you would never leave their realm and you would be their slaves forever. The Sidhe had voices and lyrics that would rip at the core of your soul. For the ones who got away from the Sidhe, this unique sound would never leave them, it was embedded into the fabric of the mind.
I believe there are people today in the UK, including Ireland who carry still this music Magic, and they have the ability to belt it out. Today its control over humans is a bit mellower, but still a beautiful powerful sound, one person said it this way "it was like being in a wind tunnel the voice just hitting me, it was truly incredible".
The Singer I am speaking of is "Adele" winner of 6 Grammy Awards on Feb.12th 2012. Listen to the magic, the music of the Glen and of the Sidhe.
Adele I truly believe is a distance product of the Sidhe, and for some reason they (the Sidhe) have left our realm, but they left something wonderful behind. And now another amazing album called 21 by Adelle continues way of the ancient mystical Celts and their understanding of raising and lower vibrations as it resynchs and realigns the mind core.
Sleep tight- as you will dream — "Rolling in the Deep"


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Ratifying the assessments for Trash Hauling services during September 1 to 28, 2017. (File No. J1804G, Assessment No. 188703)
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council in Council File RES 17-1686 accepted the Report of Completion for Providing Weekly Trash Hauling on Private Properties during the time period of September 1 to September 28, 2017; and
WHEREAS, the City Council's Legislative Hearing Officer has reviewed the assessment roll, considered appeals of affected property owners and developed recommendations for City Council with respect to those assessments; and
WHEREAS, the City Council held a public hearing on January 17, 2018 to consider ratification of the assessment roll; and
WHEREAS, the City Council considered and found satisfactory the assessment of benefits, costs and expenses for the services provided; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that, pursuant to Chapter 14 of the City Charter and Chapter 60 of the Administrative Code, the assessment is hereby in all respects ratified, with the exception of the following which will be considered separately:
RLH TA 18-16: 940 Edgerton Street; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the assessment be payable in one (1) installment, unless specified by the Legislative Hearing Officer's recommended amendments.


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(Caran d'Ache Private Collection). Rhodium-coated Sterling Silver.
Limited edition "Gotica" from Caran d'Ache's "Private Collection". It is a miniaturized tribute to gothic art and architecture. "Gotica" has a six-sided rhodium-coated sterling silver body and cap and each surface displays a gothic window of rosette and fleurs-de-lis in luminous colours. The edition is limited to 1140 pieces as a tribute to the age which provided its inspiration.
Each of these luxury fountain pens starts its life in the workshops of Barcelona silversmiths Miguel Cunhill who produce the silver framework for the gothic decoration. Caran d'Ache master craftsmen then apply the colours to the pen using a fine brush. The colouring technique is appropriately reminiscent of that used to create stained glass.
Presented in a handsome wooden case, the Gotica is destined to become a reference for collectors.


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Architects: T2.a Architects Location: Budapest, Hungary Architect In Charge: Gábor Turányi, Bence Turányi Project Team: Zsolt Frikker, András Göde, Orsolya Gönczi, László Földes, Barna Láris, Péter Márk, Eszter Mészáros, Levente Skultéti, Zoltán Stein, Miklós Vannay Photographs: Zsolt Batár
Project Area: 11,800 sqm Construction Design: Maczelka László Interior Design: Szabolcs Nagy-Miticzky Fellow Architects: Bence Sárkány, Ádám Vesztergom Structure: Zoltán V. Nagy, Zsolt Inokai, Dr. József Almási Plumbing & Hvac: Attila Braun, István Tóth Electrical Planning: Gábor Bíró, Miklós Tornallyay Public Utilities: Attila Bíró
A major sports building in Budapest, Hungary mutates its straightforward rectangular plan into a complex faceted copper roof-space.
The sports building is connected to the street level by an open air pedestrian area, kind of a special courtyard, created between the two building volumes. On the South side the swimming-pool area is directly opened to the large garden, home of several outdoor sporting grounds and outdoor pool as well.
The building is a simple one as far as its floor plan is concerned. It is made up of two squares of identical area, one of them housing the gym hall with grandstand seating, the other containing a swimming-pool with auxiliary facilities wrapped around in an L-shape. The circulation system linking both functions is clearly presented: the two blocks are both separated and connected by open and enclosed public circulation spaces barefoot pedestrians from those in footwear.
But it is at roof level that the designers T2.a Architects reveal the true form of the building. Here a series of apparently random, faceted planes – all clad in copper – deconstruct the regular cube forms below. Viewed from Csörsz Street or from the longitudinal façade to the adjacent gardens, the building suggests fragmented pieces of a broken shell. Some of the copper planes interlink to form a continuous roof surface, while others generate areas of vertical glazing between them to provide generous natural lightning into the spaces below. These copper planes carry over to vertical surfaces dropping down from the roof area to meet the rendered walls below.


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Aging Answers Nashoba Valley
Helpful tips for family caregivers
September/October 2012
September is National Pain Awareness Month. We offer these articles as relief to your pain points, literally and figuratively.
- Managing pain with music
- Outpatient or inpatient? Why it's important to know
- Sage advice from elders
Managing pain with music
Here's a prescription for pain relief: the sound of music.
Pain is very real. It is also a perception. How strongly we feel pain at any given time depends a good deal on our thoughts and mood. Music has a profound influence on both. Indeed, research shows that using music as therapy can reduce the experience of pain.
For immediate relief of sudden pain, music therapists suggest music with a strong, positive rhythm or lyrics. Maybe tunes from a favorite musical or an upbeat instrumental composition. Such attention-getting music provides a good distraction and stimulates release of the body's natural painkillers.
For relief from chronic pain, soothing music has proven to be the best. In this type of therapy, a chosen piece is played over and over again. While the music is playing, the listener practices relaxation techniques. After a period of such "conditioning," just hearing the music cues a deep sense of ease.
You can help your loved one try music therapy at home.
- Find the right music. Have your relative listen to a variety of music. Rate each piece twice: for enjoyment and for relaxation. Identify the pieces that score highest in each area.
- Compile music sets. Create unique combinations or playlists: one for upbeat distraction and one for soothing.
- Prepare for sudden pain. Before and during any potentially painful procedure, listen to the attention-focusing music. (Headphones or earbuds are great for this!) The distraction may reduce your relative's experience of pain. It can also make the time seem to go by more quickly.
- Condition against chronic pain. Over a period of weeks, have your family member listen repeatedly to calming music. At the same time, he or she practices rhythmic deep breathing and pleasant mental imagery. This links the music to deep relaxation.
Outpatient or inpatient? Why it's important to know
Imagine your mother has spent a couple of nights in the hospital, getting treatment after a fall. You might think she's an inpatient. But instead, she may be on "observation" status.
Financially, this could be very important. Whether she is officially an inpatient or not, Medicare will likely cover at least some of her hospital treatment. But for observation, they pay under Part B, which could mean greater co-pays and additional uncovered expenses, especially for drugs. More money out of pocket. And unless she's been formally admitted, Medicare won't pay for Mom to recover in a skilled nursing facility. That expense adds up VERY quickly.
Medicare has strict rules about whether or not a patient can be admitted to the hospital. If a doctor is unsure, he or she must put the patient in "observation status." Mom can have a hospital room, get an ID bracelet, and receive meals. But if she's there just for observation, it is considered an outpatient service only. In addition to only Part B coverage for her hospital stay, Medicare does not pay for aftercare for outpatients.
For Medicare to pay for follow-up care at a skilled nursing facility, your relative must
- be a hospital inpatient for at least three days in a row. This is known as a "qualifying stay." The day of discharge does not count toward the three days.
- have doctor's orders to enter a skilled nursing facility for further treatment or rehabilitation services. This must occur within 30 days of leaving the hospital.
How do you tell the difference between inpatient and observation?
"Observation" may look just like inpatient service. You need to specifically ask the doctor. Also ask the discharge planner about Medicare coverage of aftercare. You don't want any unpleasant surprises.
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Sage advice from elders
What makes life worth living? Who knows better than those who have done a lot of living: older adults.
The "Legacy Project" is gathering "lessons for living from the wisest Americans." Since 2004, this Cornell University research project has asked some 1,500 elders for insights for "surviving and thriving" in life.
The project website presents advice on 17 featured topics (in video and in text). These tips may help you gain a new perspective on a current life challenge. Or you might consider the elders' comments as an opportunity to connect in new ways with your loved one. Here are some examples.
- Money: " . . . save a little money every week for yourself. . . . and at the end of fifty years you're going to have a nice nest egg if you pay yourself first."
- Worry and stress: "If you feel you are a decent person because of the way you regularly handle things, you can learn by a negative comment but it won't hurt."
- Values to live by: "Be true to yourself! . . . pursue interests that appeal to you, because that is where the joy fights the pain."
- Living with Loss: "Many years ago I chose a catch phrase by which I live: 'an attitude of gratitude.' I have learned that, if I look, I can always find something good."
- Health: "What you do when you're young, it will hunt you up when you get old. . . . live right and keep yourself in good shape."
One common perspective is that life does throw curve balls. And yet, despite the hardships and challenges, there is still much to enjoy. Indeed, many suggested that the key to satisfaction is a willingness to live each day anew, maintaining an optimistic attitude and openness to change.
The Legacy Project participants seemed to take pleasure in sharing their wisdom as the "fruit of life." Website visitors are invited to comment and discuss. Don't overlook the opportunity for your family member to contribute a tip!
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Careers - Alumni
S├Čnke Kreft
Bachelor degree / Faculty / Year:
Bachelor of Science Agricultural Science, Environment and Resource Management / Agricultural Science, University G├Čttingen / 2007
Master degree / Year:
Master of Science Global Change Management / 2010
Research semester / Topic / Content / Position:
MunichRe / Report about global adaptation costs / conceptualization of an exhibition about climate change
Master thesis / Topic / Content:
An Incentive Mechanism to Cover Chronic Climate Hazards in Vulnerable Countries
Employer / Name / Field of work:
- Germanwatch e.V. / Senior Advisor Climate and Insurance / international climate policy ŌĆō adaptation, insurance solution
- United Nations University / Research Associate / monitoring and concepts of evaluation, United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiation support
- Executive Director at Munich Climate Insurance Initiative
What do you have to do in your job?
Currently, I work for two different employers - a constellation which resulted from cooperation between the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Germanwatch and the United Nations University.
For three years, I have been working for Germanwatch. Together with Sven Harmeling and Alpha Kaloga, we deal with different topics regarding adaptation to climate change. The main focus is directed towards lobbying at international climate negotiations. There, my colleague coordinates the work of the climate action network (coalition of environmental and development organizations). Besides, there are many exciting tasks which evolve from the daily project management. They range from strategic work and lobbying for international adaptation funds to educational work.
Moreover, Germanwatch is member of the Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII) ŌĆō an initiative which pushes the implementation of risk management and insurance approaches; a topic which is demanded especially by the small island states. The administration of MCII is resided at the United Nations University.
MCII just started a new project in the Caribbean together with international and regional partners. They try to implement micro insurance systems as adaptation measures in different countries e.g. Jamaica, Belize or Saint Lucia. I am coordinating the monitoring and evaluation concept for this project. It is a fascinating topic because until now there is no institutional framework for the evaluation of adaptation performance.
What were and are new challenges for you after your studies / in your job?
The induction into new topics and the responsibility were the biggest challenges. Many of the first tasks didnŌĆÖt include transfer but rather a development of totally new strategies and ideas. Especially the preparation period for the climate negotiation in Copenhagen was very intensive.
What did you have to acquire additionally?
Especially structures and expertise about the UNFCCC as well as the general knowledge on project management.
How did GCM prepare you for your job?
The GCM times as well as the career entry were characterized by a constant excitement. While studying we learned a lot but did even more. The broad range of GCM had a beneficial effect in my work. It was important for my development to work with so many partners from practice.
How can one find the right employer?
In my experience: try to do something and apply your knowledge ŌĆō the possibilities will follow.
What was your motivation to study GCM and how did it change?
My original motivation ŌĆō especially the preparation of the agricultural sector on climate change ergo adaptation ŌĆō is reflected by my choice of job although the agricultural sector isnŌĆÖt the focus anymore. In contrast to 2007, I now have much more experience with political and institutional systems as well as with impacts of climate change at first hand by field visits. Previously I did not feel the cognitive dissonance between urgency and possibility so much. The big steps are far away but small steps bring us forward nevertheless. The sprinter motivation in my studies was replaced by one of a marathon runner.
Julia Huscher
Bachelor degree / Faculty / Year:
Bachelor of Science Forestry Science / 2008
Master study / Year:
Master of Science Global Change Management / 2008
Research semester / Topic / Content / Position:
Indian environmental organization ŌĆ£Centre for Science and EnvironmentŌĆØ (CSE) in New Delhi, field of climate policy and journalism, research project about Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) and indigenous land use rights; Down to Earth/ Center for Science and Environment
Master thesis / Topic / Content:
Master thesis on social-science oriented aspects of climate adaptation in Germany (Sinus-Milieus, psychological action model); qualitative empirical case study in cooperation with the Ecolog-Institute Hannover; Ecolog-Institut / Sinus Institut / KLIMZUG-NORD
Employer / Name / Field of work:
- GIZ GmbH, energy policy consultation for sub-Saharan Africa (Brussels representation); GIZ / EUEI
- Senior Police Officver at Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)
What do you have to do in your job?
Currently, I am working as an intern for the EUEI PDF and I am supporting the team on research and project management in the fields of policy consultation for sub-Saharan Africa. The main focus is renewable energies, biomass and rural electrification.
What were and are new challenges for you after your studies / in your job?
The biggest challenge is for me to establish myself within the new field of development cooperation. I donŌĆÖt know if I will continue in this field or if I will join the NGO world or another form of policy consultation.
Were there difficulties?
Difficult was the unfamiliar fixed hierarchy. I have already made a little faux pas. But in the long term, I only can imagine to work in a team with egalitarian discussion and decision culture. It was difficult for me to accept my colleague`s way of thinking with my natural science background and as eco-political activist.
Which competencies did you need for the entry in the professional life?
This question is not easy to answer from my position as intern. Firstly the usual: fast work in, ability for team work, EDP and a little expert knowledge but also expertise about the EU agents and the discourses on development policy.
What did you have to acquire additionally?
Maybe economic knowledge, competencies on project management regarding projects with economic research questions and investment policy, language skills in French, knowledge about the discourses on development policy.
How did GCM prepare you for your job?
We had a seminar together with the Nature Protection Association Germany (NABU) on ways of political influence e.g. on European level. Maybe, I should have done the GIZ elective course. In the end, my research semester in India qualified me for my current position. For this internship, I am more than good prepared but unfortunately I wasnŌĆÖt able to contribute my knowledge e.g. about climate policy.
How can one find the right employer?
Ask friends who know someone with experience; try on your own, set priorities.
What was your motivation to study GCM and how did it change?
I was interested to really understand climate change and I felt the urgency to fight against the global environmental change. With my knowledge and my experiences which I gathered in that time, the feeling of urgency increased. But reality of power constellations, processes and organizational structure make it difficult to be also as motivated as in the beginning. Then it is important to remember awareness in the studies ŌĆō and keep on networking with others.
Johannes Enssle
Bachelor degree / Faculty / Year:
Bachelor of Science International Forest Ecosystem Management / Faculty of Forest and Environment / 2002
Master study / Year:
Master of Science Global Change Management / 2006
Research semester / Topic / Content / Position:
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD), Ûkoinstitut e.V., Berlin
Master thesis / Topic / Content:
ŌĆ×Mehr Wildnis wagen f├╝r die Urw├żlder von morgen? ŌĆō eine Diskursanalyse zum 5 % Ziel der nationalen Biodiversit├żtsstrategie
Employer / Name / Field of work:
- Forestry Officer at the NABU Federal Association, Berlin
- Forestry Officer at the NABU Baden-W├╝rttemberg, Stuttgart
- Chairman of the Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) e. V. State Association Baden-W├╝rtemberg
What do you have to do in your job?
As forest speaker of the NABU I am responsible for all forest-related topics. My job is to make sure politicians and society understand the importance of nature conservation and that forests are precious habitats for various animals and plants. This means that I get involved with politics that I speak with members of the parliament and representatives of forestry and comment critical on legislative bills. At the same time I seek the dialogue to the foundation: in a small project we bring together voluntary helper with owners of private forest on local level to discuss how to enhance the nature conservation within the forest. Thereby, we want to decrease the fears of contacts between environmental activists and forest owners.
What were and are new challenges for you after your studies / in your job?
Studies are one thing, employment something else. While studying I had the opportunity to go deeper into some topics whereas the work in the political daily routine of a big environmental NGO is very fast-moving and trigger-oriented. It is rich in variety and the contact to the media and the exchange with other political agents is fun. If you want to change something you really have to work hard and invest much time into your job.
The biggest challenge was to harmonize job and family. My little daughter helps me to remember the important things in life.
Which competencies did you need for the entry in the professional life?
Openness, curiosity, pleasure of political communication and well-structured employment.
What did you have to acquire additionally?
The range of topics is tremendous from legislative over supply chains of wood raw material to the ecology of the hermit beetle (Juchtenk├żfer). You have to be ready to learn all your life if you donŌĆÖt want to be intimidated by the complexity of the globalized world.
How did GCM prepare you for your job?
For me, a mixture of applied natural sciences and politics was the right thing. GCM cares about the most urgent problems of human kind. But I would have been happier if we had learnt more about methods although I have used my research semester to improve that. The curriculum has been improved since my graduation and maybe changed in that point. I come from the field of forest and a course about juridical and economical basic knowledge would have been helpful.
How can one find the right employer?
I think you should not constrict yourself in choice of topics and jobs. I thought that I would absolutely work on international forest and climate protection (REDD) but then I realized that forest and nature protection policy in Germany and on European level is as interesting as on international level. I am satisfied with that. At the same time, I think it is possible that I will work in a completely different field someday. That enriches life.
What was your motivation to study GCM and how did it change?
I wanted to know more about the topic. In my job at that time I felt that these topics are important and that we know so little about the complex nature of global change. GCM has its finger on the pulse of the time and offers great job opportunities. I am still in contact with some people who I met then. But I would recommend to check it out first for a few days because this topic brings a lot of complexity. There are no simple solutions. GCM prepares you for the point of intersection between global change and politics. If you donŌĆÖt want to work in the field related to politics, maybe you should choose an environmental science study program because despite all science, politics is often irrational.
Carina Zell-Ziegler
Bachelor degree / Faculty / Year:
Bachelor of Science in Geoecology and Ecosystemmanegement at the University of T├╝bingen / 2010
Master study / Year:
Master of Science Global Change Management / 2013
Master thesis / Topic / Content:
Master thesis in close collaboration with Germanwatch
Employer / Name / Field of work:
- Project assistent at arepo consult
- Scientifiv assistant at Ûko-Institut in the field of Energy and Climate protection
About GCM
What I liked most about the international study programme Global Change Management was the link to partner institutions like Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), GIZ, the NGOs Germanwatch and NABU and others. At seminars led by these institutions I gained a lot of insights into their work and even got the chance to write my master thesis in close collaboration with Germanwatch. I also enjoyed other aspects of the applied character of the study programme as we had some nice excursions and did a lot of project work during classes. Another asset of GCM is its international and interdisciplinary profile because thereby you get to know a lot of other perspectives and strategies on how to cope with global change.
Eric Fee
Bachelor degree / Faculty:
Bachelor of Science International Forest Ecosystem Management / Faculty of Forestry and Environment
Master study:
Master of Science Global Change Management
Employer / Name / Field of work:
German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) / Climate Change Division
What do you have to do in your job?
I plan, advertise a vacancy and supervise resort relevant research fields. I use the result to advise the UBA and the BMU regarding international climate policy and to develop an informed UBA-position. Furthermore, I represent the BMU/Germany in European expert groups on technical topics of the UNFCCC in support of the European Council's working party on international environmental questions ŌĆō climate change.
In everyday life it means: coordination and cooperation; to write and to process memoranda, notes, interviews and speeches for the UBA; to write and process position papers, submissions, background papers for the European Union; to plan side events and presentations; to attend project meetings, expert group meetings, delegation meetings, UNFCCC negotiations and workshops.
What were and are new challenges for you after your studies / in your job? Were there difficulties?
We have been trained at the point of intersection between science and politics while studying but for me it is hard to handle the frustration and to turn it into passion. Another challenge is to do a good job without working overtime. Furthermore, it is challenging to maintain perspective on the complexity of climate negotiations and if necessary, to put my foot down.
Which competencies did you need for the entry in the professional life?
- Knowledge of climate science (in the interview they wanted to know things about effects, vulnerability and adaptation)
- Climate policy (at least the general knowledge about the convention on climate change and the Kyoto protocol)
- See important links with other processes and global problems as well as with other policies
What did you have to acquire additionally?
Consolidation of knowledge about the convention on climate change and also about other related topics; writing of brief texts in German and English to illustrate complex topics; understanding of the institutional jungle (a never ending story ŌĆō see Das Schlo├¤ by Franz Kafka).
How did GCM prepare you for your job?
As a generalist, I think I am well prepared. No one expects that you know everything. New topics evolve and it is important that you can work your way into it, identify linkages and analyze synergies. The mixture of natural and social aspects of global problems in the study program was important. I often work on technical topics like how certain policy influence the atmosphere and what a certain raise in temperature means for different countries ŌĆō for that you need the natural scientific background. On the other site, you have to know how to come to a compromise because there are advantages and disadvantages for every member state with every negotiation option. We learned tools for that in the study program ŌĆō e.g. to moderate discussions, to plan project meetings, to write brief reports and to handle no at all perfect framework conditions like uncertainties and lack of time.
How can one find the right employer?
I think everyone has to know one's own mind. As Global Change Manager, one should search for points of intersection, where different thinking is needed e.g. at meta level. Concrete employers could be: Think tanks, ministries (BMBF, BMU, BMZ, BMELV), European Environmental Agency, European Commission, organizations for development cooperation, environmental NGO, international organizations (OECD secretary, Rio convention, UNEP). There, you can sell yourself as Global Change Manager. But you really have to do that ŌĆō donŌĆÖt forget all these projects in your studies. You have to outline those advantages. If you are smart you could join a company and advised them in questions e.g. effect of different options of climate policy on their work or how the company can change its image in an efficient manner.
What was your motivation to study GCM and how did it change?
I wanted to understand global problems and wanted to see ways of curing the reasons. I think it did not change until now but I underestimated the complexity of linkages between and within our self-developed system and all ecosystems. I am afraid that we are in our infancy, so that we arenŌĆÖt able to handle our society and its problems. We probably may reckon that our short-term expanded ecological boundaries wonŌĆÖt take part any more. Thereby, we would suffer or even die out. To prove the contrary should be our deepest motivation.
Thais Mattos
Bachelor degree / Faculty / Year:
Bachelor in Corporate Communication at Universidade de S├Żo Paulo/ 2005
Master study / Year:
Master of Science Global Change Management / 2014
Research semester / Topic / Content / Position:
FIormer intern with the United Nations Climate Change Framework Convention (UNFCCC) Secretariat
Employer / Name / Field of work:
Communications and project Officer at Forest-based Sector Technology Platform (FTP)
European Region Development Officer at Forest Stewardship Council International (Bonn)ŌĆŗŌĆŗŌĆŗŌĆŗŌĆŗŌĆŗŌĆŗ
About GCM
GCM is the perfect study programme for those eagerminded who want to bring forward transformation in the ways that mankind live and explore the environment. This intensive course provided me substantial theoretical framework and critical perspective on the main drivers of the global environmental change. I was trained with a practical and solutions-oriented approach in topics concerning mitigation and adaptation to climate
change, nature resources management and conservation, and decisionmaking processes and tools for sustainable development. The emphasis
on group work shaped my leadership and soft skills, and prepared me well to face high-level audiences with strong confidence.


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Food packaging labeling for allergy-causing substances in Japan
Last year I uploaded a series of printable cards for communicating dietary restrictions in Japan. This is a follow-up of sorts to this, with some information about food package labelling and allergy-causing products.
There are 7 substances that must, by law, be indicated as being present on packaged foods that contain them in Japan. I've listed them below in this order: English: kanji: hiragana or katakana: roma-ji.
- Eggs : 卵 : たまご : tamago
- Dairy : 乳 : にゅう : nyuu (For dairy products, look for that character 乳 since it's usually used together with other kanji, e.g.乳製品 for 'dairy products'.
- Wheat : 小麦 : こむぎ : komugi. Again look for the 小麦 part. Wheat flour for instance is 小麦粉.
- Shrimp : 海老 : えび (sometimes エビ) : ebi
- Crab : 蟹 : かに or カニ : kani
- Soba (buckwheat) : 蕎麦 : そば : soba
- Peanuts : 落花生 : らっかせい : rakkasei. Also called peanuts - ピーナッツ
Then there are 18 other food substances that are recommended to be indicated if they're present.
- Abalone : 鮑 : あわび : awabi
- Squid : (the kanji is rarely used) : いか or イカ : ika
- Oranges : (no kanji since it's a loan word - see notes) : オレンジ : orenji
- Kiwi : (no kanji since it's a loan word) : キウイ : kiwi
- Beef : 牛肉 : ぎゅうにく : gyuuniku
- Walnuts : 胡桃 : くるみ or クルミ : kurumi
- Salmon : 鮭 : さけ or しゃけ or じゃけ : sake or shake (pronounced sha-keh) or jake (ja-keh)
- Mackerel : 鯖 : さば : saba
- Salmon roe or salmon caviar : (no kanji since it's a loan word) : いくら or イクラ : ikura
- Soybeans : 大豆 : だいず : daizu
- Chicken : 鶏肉 : とりにく : toriniku. (Also called chicken - チキン)
- Banana : (no kanji since it's a loan word) : バナナ : banana
- Pork : 豚肉 : ぶたにく : butaniku
- Matsutake mushrooms : 松茸 : まつたけ : matsutake
- Peaches : 桃 : もも : momo
- Yamaimo (a type of yam) : 山芋 : やまいも : yamaimo
- Apples : 林檎 : りんご or リンゴ : ringo
- Gelatin : (no kanji since it's a loan word) : ゼラチン : zerachin
About oranges - I do wonder if it includes satsuma and clementines and mandarins and such, which are called oranges in the west but are called 蜜柑 - mikan - in Japan. I guess logically it should. Anyway, if you are allergic to oranges including the 'mikan' kind watch out for the オレンジ label.
Here are two examples of allergy-food labels. This one just shows the 7 must-show substances, with a black dot under the ones that are in the food. (Remember that Japanese can be written horizontally left to right or vertically.)
The one below shows all 25 substances in a grid, with the ones that are in the product indicated in black. I think this one makes more sense and would like to see it standardized.
The point is to always look for the words that indicate whatever you are allergic to, even if your personal Kryptonite is not included in the substances listed above. And when in doubt, pull out one of your allergy-communicator cards and ask someone. Just pointing to a package, then showing your card, and saying, "OK?" with a helpless look on your face will be enough, I promise. Many people in Japan are quite happy with helping hapless visitors.
If you can read Japanese, there's an informative PDF on the Japanese government's Consumer Affairs Agency (消費者庁) site about allergy-causing food labeling: link to PDF.
See also: my related Quora answer here for a couple more labels.
The cute samurai warrior cat(?) character up top is the mascot of a non-profit food safety consumer hotline (Japanese only I'm afraid). Of course they have a cute mascot - it's Japan, what do you expect? ^_^
Re: Food packaging labeling for allergy-causing substances ...
Thanks a lot for this list. This will help me shopping in Japanese :) But I miss one substance. onions or leek, lots of people, me included, get a stomachache etc. from eating anything in the onion family. Could you throw a couple of kanji/hiragana for the onion species into the mix, please.
Re: Food packaging labeling for allergy-causing substances ...
Thank you. Now I can shop in the Japanese shops in Copenhagune, when I get there ;)
Re: Food packaging labeling for allergy-causing substances ...
As to the cat... well, considering the lack of armor, and the very cloth-like styling of his clothing, I suspect he's more a ninja than a samurai. Which makes sense, in a way-- allergens can sneak up on you, just like a ninja does. So, a friendly ninja-allergen-cat who warns you about allergens makes perfect sense...
Well, no, it doesn't, but it DOES make Japanese Kawaii Obligatory Mascot sense. At any rate, at least he's on our side!
Re: Food packaging labeling for allergy-causing substances ...
Thanks for this Maki! Some restaurants like Ootoya even offer this information on their website. (Or at least they used to.)
Completely unrelated but I finally purchased your book last week!
Re: Food packaging labeling for allergy-causing substances ...
The mascot has a nose and mouth like a cat, but ears and tail like a bear. So I'm guessing bear.
Re: Food packaging labeling for allergy-causing substances ...
Thank you, thank you! This is much appreciated. I shop at a Japanese store here in the US often - while they have translated labels, they are not always accurate, and I like to be able to check the Japanese as well.
Mitsuwa (my local Japanese store) has started putting out "gluten free" tags which I found was interesting - is the "gluten free" market picking up in Japan too?
As a celiac, I love that I can add to the variation in my diet with many rice-based and soy-based Japanese foods. I was getting pretty good at picking them out before the tagging started but its nice that they are offering these things.
Re: Food packaging labeling for allergy-causing substances ...
Hrm.. When I first moved to Japan I used to write home telling my family it was like I was stuck in Mitsuwa and all the exits had disappeared! Nowadays, I wish I was locked in Mitsuwa.. My kanji knowledge has grown and I am able to shop comfortably at the grocery store but as of yet, I haven't seen much GF labeling outside of the specialty health store where they import GF products similar to those that I assume are sold at stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes. What you are seeing is probably due to western product demand and is not geared to a Japanese consumer.
BUT! If you want to come to Japan, please do! Only I suggest bringing your own GF soy sauce and avoiding many of the teas unless you know for certain that it is just green or black. Many teas here contain mugicha or barley tea. Delicious but celiac no-no.
Re: Food packaging labeling for allergy-causing substances ...
Thank you so much for those! Even kiwi and buckwheat have their own place - wow. Those are never labeled in USA, and I wish they were.
Do you happen to know if there is a common name for all tree nuts besides walnuts? Or they would always be listed by their own name anyway?
Re: Food packaging labeling for allergy-causing substances ...
Thank you so much!
Re: Food packaging labeling for allergy-causing substances ...
Thank you for this. My mom often sends me Japanese foods and while I don't let my allergic daughter eat them, I always make sure they don't contain her allergens anyway. But I always wonder if they are translated correctly. I wish they would label for chestnut as well. From what I understand, people with tree nut allergies can react to it as well and chestnut is pretty common in Japanese sweets.
labeling for allergy-causing substances - coeliac disease
Thanks for this useful post! I wonder, since I have coeliac disease if it's just the wheat that is labeled in Japan. I've been in Japan before and had a great time but most of the time I didn't trust my own Japanese to suffice and also had a hard time with my translation cards. I cant eat wheat, oats, barley or rye, but since I do eat soy sauce the 'cards' often didn't say enough.
Re: Food packaging labeling for allergy-causing substances ...
This is very helpful. I'm allergic to shellfish, and since shrimp and crab are fairly common ingredients (and might not be easily visible in some products) it's been making me nervous about trying anything. Now I have a good idea of what to look for. Thank you!
What about brown rice? I know
What about brown rice? I know genmaicha is made with it, but I assume some other foods would be as well, and I'm very allergic to brown rice, but not white.


text:
There's a whole lot of ocean on this planet, and we don't have much of an idea what's at the bottom of most of it. That could change with the craft and techniques created during the Ocean Discovery Xprize, which had teams competing to map the sea floor quickly, precisely and autonomously. The winner just took home $ 4 million.
A map of the ocean would be valuable in and of itself, of course, but any technology used to do so could be applied in many other ways, and who knows what potential biological or medical discoveries hide in some nook or cranny a few thousand fathoms below the surface?
The prize, sponsored by Shell, started back in 2015. The goal was, ultimately, to create a system that could map hundreds of square kilometers of the sea floor at a five-meter resolution in less than a day — oh, and everything has to fit in a shipping container. For reference, existing methods do nothing like this, and are tremendously costly.
But as is usually the case with this type of competition, the difficulty did not discourage the competitors — it only spurred them on. Since 2015, then, the teams have been working on their systems and traveling all over the world to test them.
Originally the teams were to test in Puerto Rico, but after the devastating hurricane season of 2017, the whole operation was moved to the Greek coast. Ultimately after the finalists were selected, they deployed their craft in the waters off Kalamata and told them to get mapping.
"It was a very arduous and audacious challenge," said Jyotika Virmani, who led the program. "The test itself was 24 hours, so they had to stay up, then immediately following that was 48 hours of data processing after which they had to give us the data. It takes more trad companies about 2 weeks or so to process data for a map once they have the raw data — we're pushing for real time."
This wasn't a test in a lab bath or pool. This was the ocean, and the ocean is a dangerous place. But amazingly there were no disasters.
"Nothing was damaged, nothing imploded," she said. "We ran into weather issues, of course. And we did lose one piece of technology that was subsequently found by a Greek fisherman a few days later… but that's another story."
At the start of the competition, Virmani said, there was feedback from the entrants that the autonomous piece of the task was simply not going to be possible. But the last few years have proven it to be so, given that the winning team not only met but exceeded the requirements of the task.
"The winning team mapped more than 250 square kilometers in 24 hours, at the minimum of five meters resolution, but around 140 was more than five meters," Virmani told me. "It was all unmanned: An unmanned surface vehicle that took the submersible out, then recovered it at sea, unmanned again, and brought it back to port. They had such great control over it — they were able to change its path and its programming throughout that 24 hours as they needed to." (It should be noted that unmanned does not necessarily mean totally hands-off — the teams were permitted a certain amount of agency in adjusting or fixing the craft's software or route.)
A five-meter resolution, if you can't quite picture it, would produce a map of a city that showed buildings and streets clearly, but is too coarse to catch, say, cars or street signs. When you're trying to map two-thirds of the globe, though, this resolution is more than enough — and infinitely better than the nothing we currently have. (Unsurprisingly, it's also certainly enough for an oil company like Shell to prospect new deep-sea resources.)
The winning team was GEBCO, composed of veteran hydrographers — ocean mapping experts, you know. In addition to the highly successful unmanned craft (Sea-Kit, already cruising the English Channel for other purposes), the team did a lot of work on the data-processing side, creating a cloud-based solution that helped them turn the maps around quickly. (That may also prove to be a marketable service in the future.) They were awarded $ 4 million, in addition to their cash for being selected as a finalist.
The runner up was Kuroshio, which had great resolution but was unable to map the full 250 km2 due to weather problems. They snagged a million.
A bonus prize for having the submersible track a chemical signal to its source didn't exactly have a winner, but the teams' entries were so impressive that the judges decided to split the million between the Tampa Deep Sea Xplorers and Ocean Quest, which amazingly enough is made up mostly of middle-schoolers. The latter gets $ 800,000, which should help pay for a few new tools in the shop there.
Lastly, a $ 200,000 innovation prize was given to Team Tao out of the U.K., which had a very different style to its submersible that impressed the judges. While most of the competitors opted for a craft that went "lawnmower-style" above the sea floor at a given depth, Tao's craft dropped down like a plumb bob, pinging the depths as it went down and back up before moving to a new spot. This provides a lot of other opportunities for important oceanographic testing, Virmani noted.
Having concluded the prize, the organization has just a couple more tricks up its sleeve. GEBCO, which stands for General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans, is partnering with The Nippon Foundation on Seabed 2030, an effort to map the entire sea floor over the next decade and provide that data to the world for free.
And the program is also — why not? — releasing an anthology of short sci-fi stories inspired by the idea of mapping the ocean. "A lot of our current technology is from the science fiction of the past," said Virmani. "So we told the authors, imagine we now have a high-resolution map of the sea floor, what are the next steps in ocean tech and where do we go?" The resulting 19 stories, written from all 7 continents (yes, one from Antarctica), will be available June 7.


text:
Jim Murphy is not often lost for words. The shadow defence secretary is seen as one of the ablest communicators on the Labour front bench but his fluid Glasgow patter runs dry as he tries to express the anger among voters that he thinks will shape politics in years to come. It is not, says Murphy, the kind of ideological sloganeering rage that might be diverted down the usual leftwing channels.
"These are people who are angry who will never go on a demonstration. They're not going to march behind a banner or wave a placard. They're quiet people who work bloody hard and see their lives stagnating or getting worse. It's a modest, understated, British, non-revolutionary kind of . . . nnnrgh." The words run out, leaving only a fist-clenching, teeth-grinding, strained guttural moan – think exasperated Scottish Chewbacca – to express the cry of impotent fury rising up from squeezed Britain.
The established parties, he says, are illequipped to deal with this feeling. There are parts of the country where Labour is losing contact with the electorate. "Parts of the party are stagnating," says Murphy. We are talking in his parliamentary office with its lofty view of Big Ben but his mind is on the voters he meets on the doorstep, who are ever more alienated from this rarefied world. Their disengagement, he says, is expressing itself with new force. "People say, 'I don't vote and let me tell you why. It's not because I don't care. Here's my long list of reasons.' It's a kind of chest-thumping, contorted civic pride: militant apathy."
This challenge is uppermost in many Westminster minds after the Eastleigh byelection, where the UK Independence Party came a close second to the Liberal Democrats, rubbing Labour and Tory noses in public contempt. Ukip's rise has provoked a noisy public debate among Conservatives about the best strategy for dealing with populist insurgency; Labour's response has until now been muted. Murphy is the most senior figure to concede that his party is failing to engage with millions of voters.
"If you don't knock on people's doors between now and polling day you deserve what you get," he says. "They'll say, 'Where were you when I was struggling, when my husband lost his job, when my hours were cut, when I needed you? . . .'
"It's not an Eastleigh problem, it's a wider problem. It's Lazy Labour."
There are parts of the party, Murphy warns, that drift along with "a sense of entitlement to win". It is a complacency that goes without scrutiny in party structures and in constituencies where Labour is historically unchallenged; it is not particular to any wing or ideology. "New Labour, Old Labour, left or right – you pay your money, you make your choice. There's honesty and sincerity about all of them. It's Lazy Labour we don't talk about."
Murphy is quick to praise diligent activists and MPs across the country. His point is that economic crisis and the collapse of trust in so many establishment institutions in recent years have changed the terms of political combat, leaving no seat, no matter how safe it looks, inoculated from the disruptive forces being unleashed.
That raises a question of whether Labour's machine is equal to the task of turning Ed Miliband's unifying "one-nation" vision into a winning formula. Murphy plainly has his doubts. He warns against the temptations of "segmentation" – of picking off interest groups and slices of amenable voters without crafting a clear message for the whole country.
"You've got to have a one-nation electoral strategy alongside your one-nation values. You don't get to one-nation politics [by] segmenting the voters. You could get an electoral jigsaw and somehow force all the pieces together so it would give you a picture of a Labour victory – [but] that's a pretty small view of the world."
He has a particular rebuke for those in the party who see victory falling into place as target seats tumble when the Lib Dem vote collapses. "For a lot of people it's fun to kick the Liberals, but if you want a big one-nation mandate it's pretty fruitless just to do that. Winning 2010 Tory voters is much harder but much more important. We could scrape over the finishing line with Labour voters plus some ex-Liberals, but given the scale of the problems we'd have to deal with, we don't want to just scrape over the finish line. We want a decent mandate."
There is, Murphy adds, a longer-term danger for Labour in failing to reach out to parts of southern England. The party risks irrelevance in some areas, equivalent to the cultural expunging of Conservatism from Scotland and some northern English cities.
"I don't want it to become countercultural for people to vote Labour, the way it has become countercultural for people to vote Tory in Scotland. There are youngsters who weren't born when Mrs Thatcher was around who still would never vote Tory because of Thatcher . . . That's not a journey we can afford to take in the south."
It was Tony Blair who famously overcame Labour's electoral "southern discomfort" in the mid-1990s. Talk of a recurrence of the syndrome risks reinforcing the suspicion on the left that Murphy is one of what Unite's general secretary, Len McCluskey, and others have called "Blairite zombies": acolytes of the former prime minister obstructing the party's path to socialist virtue.
"It's no bad thing to have led the party to three remarkable victories," Murphy says of Blair. "New Labour is part of our heritage . . . But I'm not a Blairite and I'm not a zombie – so I can't be both."


text:
Many Nestorian and some Seventh Day Adventist scholars assert that the New Testament was originally written in Aramaic (such as Paul Younan and George Lamsa). What scholarly arguments exist that would refute this claim?
I am not looking for a refutation of the Q theory, but rather against the argument that entire books or even the entire New Testament was originally written in Aramaic.


text:
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Estonian Milk Soup with Pasta Shapes
This week is school holidays in Estonia, and my 10-year-old nephew stayed with us for a few days. We went for walks, swimming at the local swimming pool, did some homework together, he spent hours entertaining our little daughter. Of course, we also cooked and ate food together (nachos, enchiladas, quesadillas and other food with high kid appeal). Our last meal together was lunch on Wednesday and I offered to cook him something special. His request: makaroni-piimasupp or pasta and milk soup. I was baffled - I hadn't had that humble soup for almost two decades and I didn't think today's kids eat it. I was proven wrong :)
Furthermore, I had no intentions to blog about this particular milk soup and didn't focus too much on getting a good picture. But then somebody saw the picture in Flickr and asked for the recipe, so here you go after all...
Although the soup has some sugar in it, it's more of a "savoury" soup, served as a meal on its own, preferably with some ham sandwiches on the side.
Estonian Milk Soup with Pasta Shapes
Serves 4
500 ml water (2 cups)
1 tsp salt
100 g short pasta (1 cup)
750 ml full-fat milk (3 cups)
a generous pinch of sugar
1 Tbsp butter
Bring water to the vigorous boil, add salt and pasta shapes. Reduce heat to simmering, then boil for 5-7 minutes, until pasta is al dente.
Pour in the milk, give it all a stir and boil for another few minutes, until pasta is fully cooked.
Season with a pinch of sugar and some more salt, if you wish. Stir in the butter and serve.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Elderflower curd recipe
Elderflower curd on home-made white bread.
Anyone else 'out there' who likes to smear some lemon curd on toast or spoon some of the yellow goodness over their breakfast yogurt?? I've made more batches of lemon curd over the last few months than I care to remember, all because K. LOVES it. He can eat some straight from the jar (his excuse is that he doesn't want to waste any yogurt or bread!). He also loves elderflower cordial, so I thought to combine these two and make elderflower curd for this weekend. I used my regular lemon curd recipe, just substituting lemon juice with undiluted elderflower cordial, and as the latter is sweetened, I reduced the amount of sugar by one third.
We loved the creamy and floral-scented result. So much so that there's not much left for the weekend. I better whip up another batch soon.
If it's lemon curd you're after, check out Meeta's extensive post about making lemon curd or Ilva's rosemary twist on the classic.
Elderflower Curd
Serves 4 to 6
3 large eggs
100 g caster sugar
100 ml elderflower cordial/syrup
100 g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Put the bowl in a pan of boiling water or a bain-marie and stir until it has thickened.
You need a small saucepan and a medium-sized bowl that fits over the saucepan.
Pour about 2-3 cm / an inch of water into the saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until combined, then whisk in the elderflower cordial.
Place the bowl over the pan of boiling waterand cook, stirring regularly with a small whisk, until the mixture thickens. (DO NOT BOIL, or the curd, well curdles :)) This may take about 7-10 minutes (you can test for doneness with a wooden spoon - if the curd coats the back of the spoon, it's ready).
Remove from the heat and let it cool a little (to about 62-63 C). Then add the cubed butter and stir, until the butter has blended with the rest of the ingredients.
Pour into a small jar or a bowl, and cool before serving.
Leedrisiirupit müüakse mahepoodides ja pealinnas ka nt NOP-poes.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Lingonberry cheesecake
If you're stuck for lingonberry recipe ideas, then let me suggest you this creamy lingonberry cheesecake. A friend of mine came over for a coffee about a fortnight ago, bringing me a large tub of lingonberries she had picked herself. Although I've got some good stand-by lingonberry cake recipes (some of them here on the blog: lingonberry and chocolate cake, Swedish lingonberry cake), I wanted to try something new and different. Using my regular cheesecake filling, I came up with this lingonberry cheesecake recipe.
As all cheesecakes, this is best made a day before you want to serve it, so it is completely cool and set.
Lingonberry cheesecake
Serves 6 to 8
100 g butter, softened
85 g caster sugar (100 ml)
1 large egg
175 g plain flour (300 ml)
0.5 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
450 g full-fat cream cheese (1 pound)
85 g caster sugar (100 ml)
2 large eggs
0.5 tsp vanilla extract
finely grated zest of half a lime
100 g lingonberries (about 1 cup)
First, prepare the pastry. Cream butter and sugar. Mix the dry ingredients, then mix into the butter mixture together with egg. Press the pastry onto the base and sides of a buttered 26 cm springform tin. Put into the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
Prepare the filling: Mix all ingredients - if you wish, you can use an electric mixer for that (though stirring thoroughly with a wooden spoon does the job as well, as long as the cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature). Pour into the pastry base.
Scatter the lingonberries on top.
Bake in a pre-heated 180 C /350 F oven for 30-35 minutes, until the filling is almost set and the cake is light golden brown on top.
Let cool completely before trasnferring onto the serving plate.
100 g butter, softened
85 g caster sugar (100 ml)
1 large egg
175 g plain flour (300 ml)
0.5 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
450 g full-fat cream cheese (1 pound)
85 g caster sugar (100 ml)
2 large eggs
0.5 tsp vanilla extract
finely grated zest of half a lime
100 g lingonberries (about 1 cup)
First, prepare the pastry. Cream butter and sugar. Mix the dry ingredients, then mix into the butter mixture together with egg. Press the pastry onto the base and sides of a buttered 26 cm springform tin. Put into the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
Prepare the filling: Mix all ingredients - if you wish, you can use an electric mixer for that (though stirring thoroughly with a wooden spoon does the job as well, as long as the cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature). Pour into the pastry base.
Scatter the lingonberries on top.
Bake in a pre-heated 180 C /350 F oven for 30-35 minutes, until the filling is almost set and the cake is light golden brown on top.
Let cool completely before trasnferring onto the serving plate.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Japanese dinner party
Back in mid-July we had a small Japanese dinner party at our place, attended by some of our Estonian friends and an American couple residing in Tallinn, nine adults in total.
We had a mix of Japanese dishes - no sushi, however - and everybody seemed to like the food. Somehow I never got around to sharing the photos from that night until now. I do not intend to blog about each and every dish on the table that night - I am no expert in Japanese cooking, and there are many bloggers out there who'd have much more authentic recipes to share - but if there's a particular dish that interests you, let me know in the comments.
We tried to have five different colours on the table - black/purple, white, red/orange, yellow and green; as well as five cooking methods (boiling, grilling, deep-frying, steaming and raw); and five flavours (sweet, salty, spicy, sour, bitter). Below is a "photo reportage" of the dishes we served and enjoyed that night.
A selection of Japanese crackers, sent over from Tokyo by my friend Ryoko.
Spanish mackerel sashimi with dried miso from Nobu Matsuhisa & Mark Edwards' book NOBU WEST:
Nasu dengaku or grilled aubergine/eggplant slices with miso paste and sesame seeds. I used a mix of hacho-miso and shiro-miso, and this dish was one of my favourites! It's impossible to get thin Japanese aubergines/eggplants here in Estonia, so I used a regular purple aubergine. (If I can get hold of seeds for the Japanese aubergines, I might try growing them in my new greenhouse next year :))
I couldn't get frozen edamame pods any more, only shelled ones. So instead of serving steamed edamame pods, I boiled some soy beans, drained them and dressed them with some ume plum vinegar, soy sauce and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds:
Chicken and leek yakitori skewers, a popular and well-known Japanese dish:
Another Japanese classic, tempura. We battered and deep-fried fresh chantarelles, sugarsnap pea pods and calamari rings:
Pieces of salmon marinating in teriyaki sauce. Home-made, of course!
The curiosity dessert :) I wanted to make something with matcha, the green tea powder. Matcha ice cream would have been an obvious choice, but I already had some home-made cherry ice cream sitting in the freezer. Instead I made matcha jelly, served with red azuki bean paste, from Harumi Kurihara's "Harumi's Japanese Cooking". It was definitely, umm, interesting. Not bad, but the taste and texture were really unusual, and best served in very small portions to the Estonian (and American) palate. Massimo, the 11-month old son of our American guests, really enjoyed the bitter-sweet concoction, however.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Time for soup: lentil and coconut soup
Proper autumn has come somewhat suddenly this year. I've got vague memories of enjoying the warm autumn sun and a cup of coffee on our newly installed patio only recently. But that's all history now - the winds are really chilly and strong, there's hardly been a day without rain during the last week or so. We've turned on the heating indoors and I'm wrapping our daughter into several layers whenever we're going outdoors. It's been already snowing in the south of Estonia, and we've had night frosts as well. Winter's soon here...
Which means it's a perfect time for filling and chunky soups that heat both your heart and your body. Here's something I made for dinner just few days ago.
Lentil and Coconut Soup
(Läätsesupp kookospiimaga)
Serves 4
2 cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp oil
1 tsp turmeric
200 g red lentils ("Egyptian lentils"), rinsed and drained
500 ml (half a litre or two cups) hot vegetable stock
400 g can crushed tomatoes
250 ml (one cup) coconut milk
fresh coriander/cilantro for garnish
Heat oil in a heavy saucepan, add ginger, onion and garlic and fry on a medium heat for a few minutes, stirring regularly. Do not burn!
Add turmeric, hot stock, tomatoes and rinsed lentils. Give it a stir, bring into a boil. Then reduce heat, cover the saucepan partially with a lid, and simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes, until lentils are soft.
Stir in the coconut milk, heat through.
To serve, divide into soup bowl and garnish with a coriander leaf.
Friday, October 02, 2009
Roasted Peaches with Basil Butter
I've briefly mentioned this dish before on Nami-Nami, but as I only now have a decent photo of the dish, I'm writing about it again. Hope you don't mind :)
I got the recipe from Shauna's blog back in the summer of 2005, just months into my food blogging. The original recipe is from The New York Times. I made it couple of times back then, and have been making it again and again. Roasting peaches makes them much sweeter and softer - a blessing when you can only buy long-haul fruit that have been picked way too early. The good thing, you see, is that you can successfully make this dish with slightly underripe fruit as well..
Roasted Peaches with Basil Butter
(Küpsetatud virsikud basiilikuvõiga)
fresh basil leaves
brown sugar
Halve the peaches and remove the stone (you may wish to hollow out the centre to fit the filling better, but I must admit I've never bothered with it). Place the peaches on an oven dish, cut-side up. Tear some basil leaves into smaller pieces and place onto the "holes", alongside with a generous pinch of brown sugar, and a small piece of butter (say, half a tsp per peach half). Dust with cinnamon.
Bake in the middle of a preheated 200 C / 400 F oven for about 20-25 minutes, until the peaches are soft and the topping slightly caramelised.
Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of softly whipped cream.
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