segunda-feira, março 26, 2007

St. Patrick's Day



St. Patrick's day

The well-know Irish party is on march 17th. St. Patrick was one priest who came to Ireland I don't know how as well as a lot of Irish. But he is the saint of Ireland.

The commemoration started on Thursday 15th, some exhibitions and some pubs full of foreigners, most of them from USA, and if you don't know there have 40 millions between Irish and people who are asking for their Irish passport. At the school we had a presentation for culture with dances and music and the funniest thing were we didn't see any exhibition of Irish dance. Had some Spanish people juggling, one belly dancer and one Brazilian samba dancer. At that night I went in a PUB to see how would be the parties.

On Friday night we didn't do nothing special, we just went in Pavel, Marishia, Antoaine and Fernanda's house for Pavel's birthday, after there we went in the Temple Bar Pub for gave to Yuri the last good bye, he was coming to his house for good. But we came back early because on the day after we were going to see a parade early morning. OK it's wasn't so early, 12 pm, but we would had to be there as soon as possible to get a good place to watch the parade.

Saturday me and Manuela met each other on her house at 10:30 am to go to the parade. To show how preparation the Irish are for this kind of things, had less bus than the normal on streets and we walked to city centre for 45 minutes until we could got a bus. there we met Elisa and Sima before the parade starts and after this Fabiana, Adelita and Walkiria came to join us.

The parade was much more than I was expecting, but far from carnival how people said. It took 2 hours and finished when the 6 nations rugby match had just started. By the way Ireland won Italy for 52 against 17 but wasn't enough to make them champions of the 6 nations. I don't know why but was forbidden to sell alcoholics in markets before 4 pm. Although as soon as the clock shows 4 pm we were in front of one off licence to buy some beers.

After bought some drinks we went in a open show with a stage next St. Stephen Green where had lots of Irish music and dance, full of young people. Was really fun, and we met a lot of people there, Brazilian, Portuguese, Spanish and Irish. Few hours later we met Sima again in Fitzsimmons Pub to drink a little bit more.

At the end of the day I got in house locked and tired of walking all day.

The fireworks they planed to the next day was cancelled due the weather.

But if was possible I'll came back soon.

sexta-feira, março 16, 2007

feijoada

Feijoada

The weekend before the last I brought out a new international dish. I was tired to cook easy and tasteless food and I decided to do a Feijoada. I went in few markets to find the right sausages although I didn't find I still keep on the idea to do some Brazilian food and of course I did.

I found one market with some polish food and put my doubt across to the staff about some smoked sausages but the question wasn't come across and I bought one white sausage he recommended by mistake (not really good for this kind a food) but at the time I thought it would live up to what I want.

Before start cooking I'd soaked the black beans (mums gift) in water for 10 hours to get soft because we don't have pressure pan. I did the rest like my mum do in Brazil, put the meat in another pan to boil separately. Fabiana asked me what I made of the sausage, and I said it was the staff who recommended that. The unexpected went on, that sausage opened and show itself white, like a hot-dog sausage. That god gift turn out to be a problem. Manuela e Fabiana said didn't get nervous and used even so wasn't the same. I put they off the feijoada thinking it would change to a horrible polish stew with beans.

A big eye opener for me was I came off very well, the food was fantastic even Li Nan (Chinese flatmate) liked. I had mixed feelings about the food. OK that sausage wasn't a problem, but I have to find a way to put a dry beef to give more taste. I'm looking after to do another one when Julia comes next week, by the way she is coming to live with me until late June.

PS: I've made today again


Feijoada

A semana retrasada eu criei um novo prato internacional Eu estava cansado de cozinhar coisas fáceis e sem gosto por isso decidi cozinhar uma feijoada. Fui em alguns mercados para ver se eu achava as lingüiças certas e mesmo sem achar eu mantive meu plano de fazer, e fiz.

Eu achei um mercado que vendia comida Polonesa e perguntei claramente que eu queria uma lingüiça defumada para cozinhar mas eu acho que o cara entendeu errado e pensou que era uma salsicha (que não é boa para fazer uma feijoada) e me deu uma. Eu na hora, pela cara dela achei que ia servir.

Antes de começar a cozinhar eu tinha deixado o feijão preto (presente da mamãe) de molho por 10 horas para amolecer porque a gente não tem panela de pressão. Fiz como minha mãe faz no Brasil, cozinhei o feijão separado das carnes. Fabiana me perguntou qual era minha impressão sobre aquela lingüiça e eu disse que o cara da loja falou que essa era boa para cozinhar com feijão. O inesperado aconteceu, a lingüiça se mostrou uma salsicha (branca por dentro). O achado se transformou em um problema. Manu e Fabi disseram para eu não me preocupar e por mesmo não sendo a lingüiça certa. Mas eu disse que não ia ficar boa para elas não se empolgarem tanto pois eu estava pensando que ia virar um ensopado polonês de feijão.

A grande surpresa foi que ficou muito bom até mesmo Li Nan (chinês) gostou. Eu tive uma ideia um pouco diferente, gostei mas achei que faltou uma carne seca , e não sei como fazer isso. Eu estou pensando em fazer denovo quando a Julia chegar semana que vem, a propósito ela está vindo morar comigo até o fim de Junho.

OBS: eu fiz hoje denovo

quarta-feira, março 07, 2007

Belfast

Belfast

the capital of Northern Ireland is wonderful. It's a small and pleasant city, very charming and
full of history. For who don't know Was there were the famous Titanic was born and building and
they still have the bars which supported the Titanic.


Were me,Fabiana, Manuela and Adelita who explored the city the weekend before last after we had
gotten stressed to stay all the weekends in Dublin with nothing to do. We had met in the bus
station on the Saturday morning and got the bus to Belfast, bus which takes 3 hours to arrive in
Belfast. Of course our friend Manuela was talking all the way (she is from Salvador) and I
couldn't read or listening my MP3 player to relax. Me and Fabiana had made an agreement which one
goes side by the side of Manuela and another comes back for minimize our suffering.


As soon as we arrived we got our way to the International Hostel, place were we had decided to
stay cause is one of the best hostels in Belfast. That first day we went in almost all of the
tourist places just walking, like I said the city is small.


At saturday night, after Ireland won the rugby match against England, we went out to a PUB to
celebrate the trip and that match of course.


On the day after we went in the Belfast Castle, one of the most beautiful castle I'd ever been
First of all the admission is free and have a lot a things to see inside, outside is nice too but
the best are the mountains just behind the castle.


Because we drank too much, Fabiana and Adelita decided to came back the hostel because both felt
sick, me and Manuela stayed in our way to the top of the hill. Like usual we met two Brazilians,
Brazilian people have easy way to know other Brazilian people, on the path who are living in
Belfast with a English friend, all musicians, who speaks Portuguese very well.


the top of the hill are amazing, very wind and with a bright view of all the city, and on the way
to the top had a cavern were we couldn't go inside because was raining (You have to remember
there are still Ireland). When we came back to the hostel the crazy guy who work there and
flirted with Fabiana offered to us a lot a food which they made on the day before and remained. We
ate that and came back to Dublin.


For my unluckiness Manuela sat beside Fabiana and slept all the way, why didn't she make this
before when we were going?




Belfast


A capital da Irlanda do Norte é linda. É uma cidade pequena e agradável, muito charmosa e cheia
de historia. Pra quem não sabe foi lá que o Titanic nasceu e foi contruido e ainda existe as
barras de sustentaçao onde ele foi feito.


Eu, Fabiana, Manuela e Adelita exploramos a cidade no final de semana retrasado depois da gente
ficar estressado de ficar em Dublin sem nada pra fazer. Nos encontramos na rodoviária no sabado
de manhã e pegamos o onibus pra Belfast que leva 3 horas. Claro que Manuela foi falando o caminho
todo eu não pude ler ou ouvir meu mp3 pra relaxar. Eu e fabiana tinhamos acordado que um ia e
outro voltava do lado dela para diminuir nosso sofrimento.


Logo que chegamos lá fomos direto pro hostel internacional, lugar decidido antes por ser um dos
melhores de Belfast. Já nesse dia nos fomos em quase todos os lugares turisticos da cidade
andando pois como eu disse a cidade é pequena.


No sabado a noite, depois da Irlanda ganhar da Inglaterra no Rugby, nós fomos á um PUB para
comemorar a viajem e claro a vitória.


No dia seguinte nós fomos no castelo de Belfast, um dos mais bonitos castelos que eu já fui.
Primeiro de tudo é gratis, tem um monte de coisas interresantes dentro e fora tambem é lindo, mas
o melhor mesmo é as montanhas que tem bem atrás do castelo.


Por a gente ter bebido demais no dia anterior, Fabi e Adelita decidiram voltar pro hostel que
elas não sentiram bem, eu e Manu continuamos no nosso caminho. Como de costume encontramos dois
Brasileiros na trilha pro topo, brasileiro tem um faro pra outro. Eles moram lá e estavam com um
Inglês, também musico, que falava português muito bem.


O topo é lindo, muito vento mas com uma vista ampla e clara de toda a cidade, no caminho tinha
uma caverna que a gente não entrou porque estava chovendo e difícil pra escalar, tem que lembrar
que lá também é irlanda. Quando voltamos pro hostel encontramos um doido que trabalha lá e tinha
chavecado a Fabi e ele nos ofereceu a comida que ele tinha feito na noite anterior e tinha
sobrado. Comemos e voltamos pra Dublin.


Pro meu azar Manu voltou sentada com a Fabi e dormiu a viagem inteira. Porque ela nao fez isso na
ida?