This very kolohe Little Bird is wandering the world, learning new things every day, but she misses home quite a lot. So I made this blog to write to my 2 favorite chicks back home... Avery and The Bean. It's just no fun if I have no one to share it all with.
I hope you enjoy my mischievous adventures little ones!
This last weekend Jay and I travelled to Birmingham to see Rammstein. The next day, on our way back from the concert, we visited a town called Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of the most famous writer in the English language... William Shakespeare. It was a wonderful, fun filled weekend, with Saturday being as polar opposite from Sunday as you can possibly imagine. All of the pictures from the concert I found online so don't go thinking I'm some stellar photographer, because in actuality I was paranoid about losing my camera. But still, I wanted you to see some of what I saw, because I don't think I could do the concert justice otherwise.
Rammstein on stage at the LG Arena in Birmingham, UK
So let's start with Rammstein! I know you've heard some of their music because your parents listen to them. They're Jay's favorite band. This was his seventh time seeing them live, and my first. I had some idea what to expect. I'd seen videos of them... and I'd been to big rock concerts before. There is no feeling in the world like being at a rock concert. And when it's a band as big as Rammstein you can guarantee it's going to be pretty epic. Before the show started I was nervous about having floor tickets. I hadn't been on the floor for a concert in years. But once the band began playing, once the crowd of fans pushed forward and organized havoc started... well, quite simply, it was RAD!
I knew from Jay that they would put on a good show and that they liked on stage theatrics, but boy howdy! I was feet from the stage when the show started. The band members emerged from the middle of the crowd as a platform lowered from the ceiling of the arena, setting off the crowd and causing a buzz in the room I could feel in my skin. They marched on to the platform one by one, over the heads of much of the audience, including Jay and me. They were stone faced and quiet while everyone cheered and chanted. When they finally took their places everyone was in a frenzy and the first note struck caused a crush from the crowd as hoards of people pushed forward to get closer to the stage (Jay and I had to wrap our arms around each other so we didn't get separated). Rammstein certainly didn't disappoint their fans. The music was so big and so loud I could feel every kick from the double bass drums thumping a manic rhythm that made me feel quite like I was having the most gleefully thrilling heart attack of my life.
These guys are probably the last of a dying breed: Rock Stars
Hoo-boy! do they love to put on a show.
I didn't know many song lyrics because, when they're all in German... but every time I looked over at Jay he was singing along (or at least it looked like it because, to be honest, it was so loud in there I couldn't even hear myself when I shouted). I knew some choruses to songs like "Du Hast" or "Amerika," but mostly I spent the entire time jumping up and down, head-banging and shouting "WOOOOOO!!!!" whenever something cool happened on stage.
Speaking of cool things on stage... HOLY MOLEY do they like FIRE! They shot giant fireballs twenty feet or more over the audience. I swear I almost got a sunburn from all the fire they used! They weren't just your standard flame throwers either. They loved every kind of flame thrower you can imagine, including one that they strapped to their faces like a mask! Fire would go shooting out over the audience while they sang in to what I can only assume are some very flame retardant mics... can you imagine how hot that would be!? It was crazy! I loved it! I have a feeling they would love spending 4th of July with us in Costa Mesa, and would probably make the best bonfires down at Balboa ;)
You need really strong deodorant and a pyrotechnics license to play with these.
It wasn't just the fare that made it all so spectacular. Their set felt like you were inside the dismembered organs of a monstrous space ship and they looked like futuristic cyber-punk pirates. I definitely recommend seeing them... *ahem* when you're both older, of course. Actually I think you'd both like just about any rock concert really. Trust me, you'll love being at a big concert like this one, with a wall of sound hammering your senses, tens of thousand of people chanting and screaming song lyrics, the excitement of watching musicians who seemingly have the power to hypnotize with their thrashing, adrenaline fueled anthems... It's one of the best feelings in the world!
Today in the UK lots of families are celebrating Pancake Day, a twist on Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday as it is known in the Christian calendar. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the official start of Lent and so many people use this tuesday to indulge their sweet tooth. Although most in this country don't pay close attention to the fasting of Lent, they do seem rather fond of Pancake Day. I know it's one of Jay's favorites, which is why we made pancakes today for desert.
Here are some MP's flipping pancakes in front
of the Houses of Parliament, a yearly tradition!
I won't bore you with another recipe, but if you want one you can check it out on the BBC Food website. The pancakes we made today are different than the kind we eat at Grandma and Grandpa's house. These are thinner, crispier and more traditional. And being that they are traditional I decided to eat them in the traditional fashion, with a lemon juice and sugar... well I only tried about one of those. I can see why people would like it. It tastes similar to a lemon bar or lemon meringue but I'm not fond of those desserts, so I quickly switched to Nutella spread while Jay favored banana slices and bits of chocolate bars. The best part wasn't actually eating them, if you can believe it... it was making them. Watch the video below if you don't believe me!
Jay did most of the flipping of flapjacks, but I had a go of it too.
See, these pancakes are very thin... not at all like the thick fluffy ones we make.
Suggested toppings... Apparently maple syrup isn't the done thing here.
Yummy Nutella filled pancakes!
Jay's banana and chocolate pancakes.
Jay showing off his skills are pancake flipping.
Sadly my first attempt ended up on the floor.
I wish I had Jay catch the whole tragedy on camera,
but at least we got my first successfully flipped cake! Hooray!
Let's call it a Crumwell after our friend Cromwell.
Last night I made one of my favorite British deserts for the first time... Apple Crumble! I had this desert for the first time in 2010 at a luncheon at Trinity Road Chapel, the church I attended when I studied in London. It's a lot like Apple Cobbler only simpler. Crumble is a traditional British pudding that can be made with many different combinations of fruit. Some berry tasty alternatives are blackberry, peach, apple and plum, and rhubarb. So bellow is the recipe I used with yummy results. You guys can easily make it with the help of Grandma Leslie or your parents. If I can make it then I'm pretty sure anyone can.
200g/7oz unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature
Knob of butter for greasing
For the filling
450g/1lb apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm/½in pieces
50g/2oz unrefined brown sugar
1 tbsp plain flour
1 pinch of ground cinnamon
Preparation method
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
Place the flour and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Taking a few cubes of butter at a time rub into the flour mixture. Keep rubbing until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Place the fruit in a large bowl and sprinkle over the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Stir well being careful not to break up the fruit.
Butter a 24cm/9in ovenproof dish. Spoon the fruit mixture into the bottom, then sprinkle the crumble mixture on top.
Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the crumble is browned and the fruit mixture bubbling.
Serve with thick cream or custard.
Our delicious creation filled The Penthouse with warmth and a sugary sweet smell!
It was fun to make and more fun to eat!
This desert should easily serve 6 and is still tasty the second time around if you have it for breakfast like I did today :) Try it out soon and then tell me how you liked it! Though apple is my favorite I think I'll try other flavors soon. Blackberry sounds quite nice, but I'll have to wait until those are in season. Until next time... I love you and I miss you little ones!
Hey kiddos! Back in Huntingdon for this entry! I've done a LOT of exploring in this little town and there are definitely two names that I've seen so often I'm surprised they haven't renamed the town after one of them. They are Oliver Cromwell and Samuel Pepys (pronounced "peeps"). They are the two most famous former residents of Huntingdon. They are so famous that just about every British school child and adult knows who they are, or at least knows they were important to the history of Britain. All over Huntingdonshire there are statues, plaques, pubs, even street signs commemorating them.
This is a picture of the Cromwell Museum. It's located on the same
street I live on, less than a 5 minute walk away.
Let's start with Cromwell. He was born in Huntingdon a very long time ago in 1599. As a boy he attended a grammar school that is now home to the Cromwell Museum. He attended college at Cambridge only a few miles away from here then joined the Army and became a politician, representing this region in Parliament. He is most famous for his part in the English Civil War. Cromwell was against the monarchy and so with his military experience led anti-royalist forces to overthrow the government and had King Charles I beheaded.
Cromwell famously requested that portraits depict him as he truly
looked "warts and all," which is where we get that phrase.
He then declared himself Lord Protector of the Commonwealth. The funny part is, he basically made himself the new king. He even named his son his heir to the title of Lord Protector. Sounds kinda fishy, right? But people in Britain (and especially Huntingdonshire) really seem to like this guy. He seems to have fought on the side of Parliament, and therefor the people, rather than fighting on the side of the royalty who thought they had divine right to rule and govern. Well he says he did anyway. Some people thought he was a tyrant while others thought he was a moral but ultimately flawed hero. Either way he helped to shape the Britain that exists today, which is probably why Huntingdon is proud to have monuments, plaques and a museum dedicated to him.
A photo of Jay in front of one of the many
monuments in Huntingdonshire of Cromwell.
The second most famous resident of Huntingdon is Samuel Pepys. His name is also found all around Huntingdonshire. He was born in London just 35 years after Oliver Cromwell was born in Huntingdon. As a child Pepys was sent to the countryside of Huntingdonshire to protect him from The Plague which had killed thousands in the city, including some of his own family. He lived in Hitchingbrook, a town nearby, and was educated at the same grammar school Cromwell attended, which is now the Cromwell Museum. When Pepys grew up to attend the Magdalene College in Cambridge, and then returned to London where he became possibly the world's most famous secretary. Because his family had money and influence he was able to take positions as secretary to the most powerful people in Britain. He eventually became Chief Secretary of the Admiralty, the highest position a civilian can attain in the Navy at the time.
Cromwell might have been "warts and all" but Pepys was quite in to himself.
He obviously thought he was hot stuff because in his diary he writes about his
many girlfriends and love interests. I think he could have done with out the girly hair.
But while his many accomplishments are impressive, the thing he's most famous for is his diary. Samuel Pepys kept what is one of the most important and extensive diaries ever. For ten years he wrote every day in his diary, everything from what he ate that day to his own eye witness accounts of history. He saw first hand the Great Plague of London, The English Civil War which lead to Cromwell's rise to power, The Restoration of the Monarchy after Cromwell was overthrown, and probably most famously The Great Fire of London which destroyed most the the center of London.
One of the entries from his diary reads:
"I down to the water-side, and there got a boat and through bridge, and there saw a lamentable fire. Poor Michell's house, as far as the Old Swan, already burned that way, and the fire running further, that in a very little time it got as far as the Steeleyard, while I was there. Everybody endeavouring to remove their goods, and flinging into the river or bringing them into lighters that layoff; poor people staying in their houses as long as till the very fire touched them, and then running into boats, or clambering from one pair of stairs by the water-side to another." ~Diary of Samuel Pepys, Sunday, 2 September 1666
His seriously massive diary isn't even just one diary. It's 6 large volumes, which he wrote in a code called shorhand so that no one could sneakily read his private thoughts. Upon his death, after a lengthy and successful career he donated his diaries to the Magdalene College Cambridge, where many years later someone uncovered and figured out his code, thus translating them. Pepys's diaries are some of Britain's most prized historical documents, which tell everything from how people lived back then, to government secrets and even his personal opinions of famous people (and he wasn't often flattering about them).
About 10 steps away from my apartment is this pub, named after the
town's famous former resident and where Pepys wrote portions of his diary.
Well that's all I really know about Oliver Cromwell and Samuel Pepys, but I think they are perfect examples of how some of the most powerful and important people in the world can come from humble beginnings, like Huntingdon. There's even been a recent Prime Minister from Huntingdon, John Major, who held office from 1990 to 1997. But since there's no monuments in town I can pretty well guess that he isn't as beloved as Cromwell or Pepys.
Who knows, maybe some day there will be a plaque here saying "Lilja lived here in Huntingdon."
When I was little this funny show called Mr. Bean used to come on PBS once in a while. It was about a goofy man, who's very clumsy, very curious, and gets in to lots of trouble. Whenever I was able to catch it on TV (this was in the days before TiVo and DVR) I really liked watching it. But I didn't watch it all the time so I haven't seen all of the episodes.
Mr. Bean was a British TV Show, and a very popular one too. I wanted to get you DVD's of the show my first time in England, but decided against it. What if you thought they were boring? So I thought I'd show you some of the funniest Bean videos I could find. If you like them, maybe I can look in to finding them for you. Enjoy!
Mr. Bean's Nativity
Mr. Bean at the Dentist
Mr. Bean makes a Sandwich
Jay just came home from work, saw me writing this blog and informed me he has some Mr. Bean DVDs! We're gonna eat dinner and watch them tonight! Woohoo!
I wanted to share some of what I learned on my recent trip to Amsterdam. Though it's much smaller than mega-cities like London or Los Angeles, there's still a lot to see if you get up early, pay attention and read your tourist manual. It's one of the most important cities in all of Europe and was home to some amazing figures from history. The most amazing feature, in my opinion is the city itself. It's not like anywhere I've ever been before, which made my short visit a real crash course.
This map can give you an idea of where Amsterdam and The Netherlands
are relative to The United Kingdom, and the rest of the world.
Amsterdam, formerly Amstelldamme, derives its name from the river Amstel and the dam that was built to provide an estuary for fishing. In the 12th century it may have been just a tiny fishing village, but today it is the largest city in the Netherlands, and also serves as the country's capital. As the village expanded to a city it took over marshland, which was transformed through a system of horseshoe shaped canals (grachtengordel). Between the canals the narrow slivers of land were built upon with the help of piles (massive wooden poles) that prevent the whole of central Amsterdam from sinking into the mud.
You don't notice it at first but many of the buildings appear to be slanted or crooked. This happens when the piles holding up the building are so old and weak that they begin to sink.
Amsterdam is made up of 90 islands created by the more than 100 kilometers of canals and criss-crossed by around 1,500 bridges. The four main canals are called Singel (which was used for defense of the city and import/export of goods), Herengracht (the Gentleman's Canal), Keizersgracht (the Emperor's Canal), and Prinsengracht (the Prince's Canal).
As you can see in these photos there are a lot more than just those four canals. From a tourist's point of view all the streets, canals and bridges look the same. We were only in Amsterdam for 3 days, not nearly enough time to be well acquainted with the city, so we got lost a lot!
Me, consulting a map for the hundredth time that day.
Once we were finally able to figure out the map in our tourist guide books we got to see a lot of really amazing things. Amsterdam has a lot of beautiful, well maintained churches. The most impressive of which are Oude Kerk (Old Church), Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), Sint Nicolaaskerk (St. Nicholas Church), and Westerkerk (Western Church). Our hotel was near the New Church and Dam Square.
Though most of the churches in Amsterdam are Protestant,
they are also places for celebrating and diverse culture.
The motto on the coat of arms (seen above),"Valiant, Steadfast, Compassionate" was first coined in 1941 by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands when the city of Amsterdam held the first protest in Europe by non-jewish people against the persecution of the Jews during World War II. It's obvious in walking around the city that Amsterdam has carried on the tradition of welcoming any people who seek religious freedom or freedom of life-style.
One of the most important figures from recent Amsterdam history is Anne Frank. She was 11 years old in 1940 when Germany invaded the Netherlands, and only 13 when she and her family went in to hiding. They hid in secret rooms in office building, their presence kept secret thanks to friends who like thousands of non-Jewish inhabitants of the city aided their Jewish neighbors. While in hiding she kept a very detailed diary. When I was in high school I read sections of her diary while learning about World War II. The Anne Frank House, as her hiding place is called, now stands as a museum.
The Anne Frank House is the center building, to the right
of the red shuttered windows. It is so plain looking I almost overlooked it.
Artistically speaking Amsterdam had an incredible history. Two of the most famous museums are Rembrandt House and The Van Gogh Museum. Rembrandt House is a museum that was the Renaissance artist's actual house from 1639 to 1656. They had to recreate a lot of the interior for the museum, but it still faithfully shows how the man lived and worked. They even had a room with an old printing press where they have demonstration by a professional on printmaking, and a similar set up in another room on how Rembrandt did his incredible paintings. When I spoke to the woman in the paint studio of the house she showed me how paints were maid by grinding up rocks and stones in to powder, then mixing them with oil to make paint.
This was Rembrandt's paint studio, where he
created some of his most famous masterpieces.
That's me next to the lamppost, standing in front of the Rembrandt House.
Behind me is a gallery space showing many of his drawings and etchings.
Possibly my favorite museum in Amsterdam was The Van Gogh Museum. This museum is home to the largest collection of the Impressionist painter's work. Vincent Van Gogh life, as much as his art is on display. After his death in 1890, his only relatives (his brother Theo, sister-in-law Johanna, and nephew Vincent Willem) dedicated their lives to making Vincent one of the most celebrated artists in the world.
I found this photo on the internet. It shows you how much space there is here.
The building is 4 stories of Van Gogh's work as well as work from artists who influence him.
Because you can't take photos inside many museums, especially this one, the best way to see the works of art up close without having to spend the money on flights and hotels, is to visit this website: http://www.googleartproject.com/museums/vangogh. You can take virtual tour and zoom in super close to the paintings. This is definitely in my top museums ever. I wish I could have had you guys with me so I could show you some of the paintings that have influenced my own art, and my passion for art history. It was so cool to see in person paintings that I've seen in my text book or in slideshows from lectures. There was one painting there called Peasant's Shoes, which I remember studying for a few weeks in one of my recent art classes at University of Hawai'i. It's hard to explain why seeing such a painting in person is important, but I can tell you for sure it was powerful experience for me.
One of the things I was surprised to learn was how important the relationship between Vincent and his brother Theo was. It was really moving to see two siblings who loved each other as much as they did. Their letters to one another are on display in the museum as well.
The last place in Amsterdam I'll tell you about is the incredible Tuschinski Theatre. We went there to see "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo", and while I don't recomend that movie to you, my young readers, I do highly recommend catching a movie at this theatre if you ever find yourself in Amsterdam. The theatre is gorgeous! It was built in the 1920's and is a stunning example of Art Deco and Art Nouveau architecture and design. The carpets, walls, doors, ceiling, light fixtures are all richly decorated. Plus it's a real movie theatre, where you can go see modern movies. We sat in the love seat section near the back of the small theatre, which meant we sat on a comfy sofa, with waiter who took our complimentary food and drink orders. It was a fantastic experience! It made me think that this was how all movie theaters should be.
I'd rather watch movies here, than Big Newport for the rest of my life.
It's definitely the best movie theatre I've ever been to.
It's hard to believe this is just a movie theatre that plays normal movies.
It's more beautiful than some opera theatres I've been in.
Now I know this was a very long blog, so thanks for sticking with me. I feel like I covered all the big stuff I learned on my short trip. So now I'll leave you with a bunch of my favorite photos. I hope you enjoyed this entry. Maybe one day you'll come here and see all this incredible stuff and more! Love, Auntie!
This might look like a royal palace, but it's actually the train station.
Here we are goofing around in the kid's section of the
Amsterdam Historical Museum. We asked a rather grumpus faced
security guard to take the picture.
On the left is St. Nicholas Church and on the right is a massive
floating Chinese restaurant called the Sea Palace.
The Van Gogh Museum lies on the Museumplein, where there
are dozens of other museums. Here you see the Rijksmuseum
which was so big we couldn't have had the time to do it justice.
This is sort of a motto for the tourist industry.
If you buy a I AMsterdam Card you gain access to loads
of museums, public transport, and discounts all over the city.
It's a good deal if you do touristy things like we did.
Randomly saw this as we were walking along. Even thousands
of miles away in a foreign country you can find a bit of American history.
This gives you and idea of the architecture.
All the buildings are tall and narrow to maximize space.
There are also over 250,000 house boats lining the canals.
This is the best example of the randomness of public art in Amsterdam.
There were like a hundred of these life sized big lizard statues in a tiny strip of park.
I still can't figure out why but when you're just walking along
they sure to give you a surprise. I thought they were real at first!
P.S.~ Occasionally we referred to Amsterdam as "Hamster Jam" only because it rhymed, was totally random and sounded silly. So in honor of that silliness and randomness... I give you a Hamster Jam:
Warning: This video has NOTHING to do with Amsterdam
