Thursday, June 28, 2007

Dinner Party

I had my first official dinner party! Marlen, Maya and Larry came over
Monday night. It finally feels like I am happy here...It is so
strange. Though it was not anything like my usual dinner parties back
in San Francisco where I would stress over the menu for at least a
week, stay up late to read and try recipes and rush back home to prep
everything...This time, I just got a pack of nori, sushi rice, two
avocados as Larry is a big avocado monster and some veggies. Marlen
made a salad from her garden and Larry got some coconuts from my back
yard. I don't even have 3 cups or plates or chairs...but we just
laughed the whole time. I got a private lesson on opening coconuts and
how to cut your thumb but that will be another post.

P.S. For dessert, I stole some coconut-chocolate treats from the cafe
as dessert!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Dinner Special!

Since Reina introduced me to rice crackers and avocados with curry on
top, I have been having the same thing for dinner, almost like a daily
ritual! I'm addicted! Her original creation has garlic on the base, if
I am not too lazy, I also like it with garlic but some nights I am
just hungry and go without it. It is so wonderful and fulfilling...

Not much is different at Organico, the town is empty and it makes it
difficult to keep motivated. Though I discovered a new drink on a
little piece of paper. I think Larry wrote it but I haven't got a
confirmation. Passion fruit, banana, mango with almond milk. It is
sooo good. Almond milk so expensive here so I am going to sell it with
soy milk instead.

Meantime, I am trying to get a better idea of my costs, pricing and
menu items. I am back in front of the computer, working with
numbers...There is no escape! I think Ev once wrote it, if you can't
measure it, you can't improve it. So true.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Remy

I can't wait to see this movie. I have been waiting for it almost two
years now. Erdem was talking about it secretly when he was at Pixar. I
have no idea when it will be available in Costa Rica. I suspect it
will not be soon.

http://cookingwithamy.blogspot.com/2007/06/ratatouille-movie-review.html

Meanwhile, the Vipassana course in Costa Rica is full! They do not
even accept names for the waiting list. I am a little upset about that
but maybe this is a good challenge to find where else I can go....

Friday, June 15, 2007

Going Back to Montezuma

It is hard to believe that I have been in San Jose for the last two
weeks. It went by so fast, mostly because I was sick the whole time.
Now I am packed and leaving tomorrow morning, but not sure I am ready
to apart from this wonderful living situation, mangoes for breakfast,
wireless internet and access to the comforts of the city. No
mosquitoes or loud neighbors...I have already abused Larry's
generosity to take care of the place and I am sure he is ready to give
he keys with a big smile.

I will have to come back...Maybe sooner than I think, because there is
a Vipassana course in July that I am interested in joining. Also, I
discovered the best kept secret vegetarian restaurant in San Jose.
Thanks to Reina and her friend Jorge. It is a real Taiwanese place and
today we had cheese made from palmito, heart of palm. I swear it
tasted like real smoked cheese. They also make lots of seitan and tofu
and their soups are to die for. They have cooking classes and maybe I
will join one next time I am in town. If you are in the area, just
call me first then we can go together.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

creativity

I am trying to paint....Its been wonderful in the last couple of days
to forget about all the problems I have and just paint...Paint sheep,
birds, palm trees...In the meantime, I have been trying to do
something for Larry. He has been working at the cafe and I am not
quite sure how to thank him. I wanted to paint him a water bottle, but
the more I try, the more I can't...the colors are not right, the
shapes don't work. I am trying too hard and I hate that...Reina says,
sometimes I have to stop. It is true but it is so hard to accept
that...He doesn't even know, he doesn't even care but I am sitting
here stressing about a water bottle....too much time I got on my
hands...time to go back to the kitchen and work.

dentist

I went to the dentist today and had a filling done. I paid 12,000
colones, a little above 20 USD. I am really sad about all the fortune
I paid in the States. It is cheaper to buy a plane ticket, get a
treatment here and stay for a few days...So in case any of you need
dental work, I would be happy to hook you up with wonderful people.
Just FYI....

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

video upload



Testing out the new functionality...This was recorded in Istanbul a couple years ago. Enjoy...

Fire Dragon!

"The Chinese New Year is determined by the start of the Lunar
calendar, however the annual division between the signs is not the
Chinese New Year. Rather, it is the beginning of spring, which is the
4th or 5th of February of each year. This is a very complex concept."

My birthday is February 5th. I never knew that it was such a
significant date in Chinese astrology. I also didn't know my Chinese
astrology sign. February 4th is the cut off for Dragon. Whew! Reina
told me that she once read people in China wait to get pregnant for a
dragon baby and also it is a sign that wants to stop its karma...This
is huge for me. Now I can proudly say I am an Aquarius and a fire
dragon.

More on Wikipedia...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_astrology

1976 Feb 4 1977 Feb 3 火 Fire earth 龍 Dragon

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Diseases

A very interesting article from We like it Raw about why we get diseases.

"The reality is that disease is caused by toxicity of the internal environment and toxicity attracts nature's scavengers aka microorganisms. Basically, the dirtier the kitchen the more likely the rats are to show up to get their feast on."

More on this on at Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine .

Mark suggests drinking beet juice daily, for a clean blood and fighting against cancer. Raw beets of course. I can't wait to go back to Montezuma add beet juice to the menu.

Today was a great day, I signed up Reina with a blogger account and convinced her to write her own blog. I can't tell the name yet, as she is experimenting with it for a while but with all the stories she has got, I am sure it will be a hit. Stay tuned for more updates on this in the next couple of weeks.

I spent the afternoon reading, a book Reina lended me, by Paulo Coelho, by the river Piedra, I sat down and wept. I love it so much, I don't want to finish it.

New routine

Wake up, don't open your eyes. Gently find the pen in the book next to the pillow. Try not to move. Scribble whatever you can remember. Don't move or you will ruin it. When finished close the dream book. Open your eyes. Yes, now I have a dream book that I try to capture my dreams... It is a lot of fun and boy, I have weird dreams! Dreams that sheep fly in the air... That could be because of the fewer though:)

I worked in the garden this morning but only a little bit. My energy is still not back to normal...Well I don't know what is normal, for me those crazy hours of work were normal. I now learn, humans allow themselves rest more. Note to self: plan your garden before planting, it is a lot of work...

I also uploaded some new pictures on flickr. This one with the hummingbird is my new favorite. This music, la tema de la reina is also on my computer all the time....

I am grateful to all my friends and family who called and emailed to see how I am doing. I feel loved and happy. I am also grateful to Larry and Marlen who are running Organico without me. Per Marlen, Larry even made mint chocolate rock-cream that was very good when it came out from the ice-cream machine. Making ice-cream is really not that easy huh?

Saturday, June 09, 2007

if you work a lot...

Like 16 hours a day, your body might think you are dead already. I
have been very sick for the last 8 days. I came down with fever and
pain in my right side on Saturday. I made it to san jose after a 4
hour bus ride and 2 hour ferry snooze, half dead. It sucks so bad to
sick, to have no one around...however i was fortunate to have arranged
the trip to Panama with Reina. She took care of me like I am her
daughter. I felt so much loved and cared it was touching. we stay with
Kati and Mark, who are also angels who watched over me in 30 minute
intervals, Mark made me herbal remedies, Kati prepared cleansing
drinks and Reina did reiki nights after nights. i know I am lucky,
blessed, have good karma.

After day three my fewer didnt go away and we started to get a little
worried. i hated the idea of going to medical doctor, i don't trust
them, i don't trust the system and i don't have the money to pay for
the bills. Reina found a Chinese doctor. His name is Dr. Chen and he
is a miracle men. He is very scary, serious, a little funny looking
and he started touching me really strong and I was so weak I could
take it. From the little Spanish we spoke, we figured I have infection
in my internal organs that could lead to an urgent operation. He gave
me a Chinese tea, which tastes sooooooooooo bad, and I have to finish
the entire bottle if i don't want an operation.

Fever is gone in the following two days and the pain is almost gone
now. I feel so much better, very tired but still much happier. I can
only eat over-cooked rice in water with nothing, apple and thats it
but no complains. I have had so much to eat, I am sick of cooking and
baking and food anyways. I am shocked that my body stopped me from
working so much this quick, but i have worked so much, so long with so
much stress, what do i expect? I am not sure what I will do, how I
will adjust or even go back to Montezuma. Right now, I am dowloading
Battlestar Gallactica.

ps: Organico is open though, my good friends Larry and Marlen were on
board this whole time:)

Friday, June 01, 2007

Going to Panama and where 200 oranges are missing?

It is vacation time!!!!!!! Well, it is not voluntary, so it really
doesn't count, but what the hell! I am just dying for vacation and I
am headed to Panama on Monday, 7:30 am. I am taking the bus with Reina
from San Jose and will stay there for 3 days. So, I will be out of the
cafe for at least a week and wasn't sure what to do with it...Keep
open or close for a whole week...It is tough because it is already low
season and I am not making enough to pay the rent, on the other hand,
Marlen is the only one I trust 100% and she can only work until
12:30....However, Larry agreed to come in next week! So we will try to
be open...

In the meantime, I got my hands on a good vegan cinnamon-roll recipe.
It's been tough to substitute butter and milk, but I am happy with
what we got. I was planning on posting the recipe but something more
important came to my mind...Cinnamon-Rolls can wait...

Larry has been telling me to track what I am selling and buying, to
see if there is any discrepancy. Of course...I bought 400 oranges this
week, sold 200 oranges (in juices, ect) and we are out of oranges
today...Donde esta los naranjas? No, se! It is pretty sad but a good
wake up call for me. From now on, I am writing everything, what we
eat, sell, sample or trash...Rest is stolen or wasted and the
employees are accountable for that...I just had to learn it the hard
way that this is not my mom's kitchen and I let others spend my
money...UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!