Corner View - Serendipity

Serendipity means a "happy accident" or "pleasant surprise"; specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful while not specifically searching for it. (wikipedia) 

Here we are exercising our love for travel by hanging off the boat to see glaciers in Patagonia.  (Don't worry, no ginger haired guys were hurt while taking this photo).

I'll start out by saying that I COMPLETELY DO NOT BELIEVE IN SERENDIPITY.

I believe that 'happy accidents' happen when you're moving towards something, working on a goal, and pushing along in a certain direction... then... seemingly by accident, but ONLY seemingly, little things happen to propel you forward.  Serendipity? Luck? No way, it's just what happens when you work hard for something and keep your eyes open. 

So did I meet Vito by "accident"?  Some may see it that way.  Though if you peel just one tiny layer you'll see the intricate web of activities that pushed us together.  But that's a story for another day!  

Today is Serendipity, so to answer the question of how I met Vito, I will simply say: Sure ok, he dropped out of the sky into my lap!  No literally, he flew over from the Netherlands to NY to take me out to dinner. :) 

We both worked for the same client just in different departments.  I in NYC and he in Amsterdam.  After a few months of working via email, and a few phone calls that made me conclude he was rude, and him that I was a man (?!???)  we somehow got past it and figured out that we had lots in common, especially love of travel, that we were same age, and so on and so forth.  Then Vito flew over to hang out with me for a long weekend!  It was Easter weekend and precisely a year later on the following Easter weekend I moved to the Netherlands.

Tada!  (Serendipity is such a romantic concept... let's believe in it for just one day)  We can go back to our militant, systematic selves tomorrow!  (Me? militant and systematic?? Yes! Because it's so action oriented, I find being "serendipitous" too passive for my taste.) 

Lesson kids: Look up!  Good things DO drop from the sky accidentally or on purpose.

Play with us next week!!!
Corner view theme by  Kari
Hosted by Francesca
Invented by Jane

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I'm magic!

This morning it was stormy, rainy and grey clouds were congregating like teenagers without a cause.  I gave them a dirty look.  (The clouds not the hypothetical teenagers.)  The clouds dispersed because they knew what was good for them.  Now it's bright and sunny, and Vito is complaining about forgetting to bring his sunglasses.  

No matter what the situation is, I always tell him to just tell his wife if something is not going the way he wants it to go, and I'll fix it.  But I draw the line at sunglasses.  Remembering to bring them will stay his responsibility.   ;) 

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a blast from the past

I can't believe I'm doing this. Before I even met Vito and before I moved to the Netherlands, I had another blog... I made it private before moving here because it had a lot of silly things in it like me dreaming up what kind of cupcakes I want at my wedding and I did not think Vito would be quiet amused to read about such things after DATE 3! Now however, I think it can be amusing since we are married and DID have cupcakes at the wedding. Now I just hope there is nothing super scandalous in that blog of mine...

Oh yeah, Vito was called Nico.

And the blog was: Sempre Primavera

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Get your man into the kitchen rice pudding recipe.

Creamy rice pudding

One of the things that surprised me when I moved in with Vito is that we were not good at cooking together. I guess it never came up because while dating we would eat out on our dates. And because we lived on different continents while we were dating, impromptu cooking sessions after say, watching a movie at someones house never happened. I knew that Vito could cook so I assumed that cooking together would become a regular activity after I moved in...

Well... it didn't quite happen that way. After a few times trying to cook together we both decided that it would be better to just take turns. In our case it was like trying to drive a car together! And I don't mean one person navigates and one person steers, I mean as if two people trying to steer and shift gears TOGETHER. We're just two control freaks. So that was a bit of a surprise to me. In my head I had a vision of us making delicious food together gliding around the kitchen like pairs figure skaters, our dance interrupted only when we would spontaneously drop to the floor to make love every ten minutes. Gosh, you know how sometimes in your head things may seem so nice but in reality they're not so practical? Do you know how hard marble floor is? Ouch!

Anyway, after a bit we figured out a way to sometimes come together in the kitchen in a 'safe' and orderly manner. ;) We figured that we can cook together if each of us is completely responsible for one (or two) dishes. So for example if Vito is making the stakes, and he is better at meat then me (since I apparently don't have enough math knowledge to figure out when to turn it over to the other side), I make the sides. Sometimes when preparing for a dinner party, I'll make the main course and Vito will take care of the starter and dessert.

Now this was a rather easy solution, but what do you do if your partner wants nothing to do with the kitchen and you want to fulfill your fantasy of synchronized cooking?? Well this recipe is perfect for you to get your man (or gal) into the kitchen with you!

Introducing: Super easy Rice Pudding desert.

Now the fun thing about this recipe is that it's super easy, all your partner needs to do is stand and stir! A genius thing about this recipe is that they'll need to stand and stir for about the time it'll take you to make dinner, about 20 mins. Brilliant! So let's get started.

Ingredients:
1 cup of long grain rice
1/2 liter milk
1 table spoon non salted butter
2 table spoons of honey
1 table spoon of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ginger
1/2 teaspoon of cardamon
few drops of Vanilla extract
secret ingredient: slivered almonds

Directions:
Warm up a medium sauce pan on the stove. Throw in the butter and let it melt. Add the rice and stir to get the butter coating the rice until you see rice turn a bit translucent. (About 1 minute) Turn the fire down to small flame. Now you will start to add milk in 1/2 cup at a time. Stir, stir, stir. Keep adding more milk and keep stirring. After about 10 mins stir in the cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, honey and brown sugar. Stir some more. Add 1 cup of boiled water to the mix and let simmer while stirring occasionally for about 10 more minutes. (Add more milk along the way if necessary.) Depending on the rice you use, long cooking or 8 minute rice, it may take longer for you to cook it. Try the rice and if it's ready then you're done, if it's still hard you can continue to add more milk and stir.

You'll probably have to walk away from it to eat dinner so if you want to eat your rice pudding hot, just turn the fire back on stir it for a minute or two add a bit more milk if you want and serve hot. Now before you serve it take some slivered almonds and throw them in, stir and serve! The almonds will add a nice crunch that will contrast nicely with the soft creamy rice.

Do you have any tips on getting your significant other into the kitchen with you?

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breaking radio silence to bring you these very important news!

Yeah yeah, I know, I have completely abandoned the blog. Really, I tried to log in and I realized I didn't even remember the password!

No excuses, just lots of fun stuff going on and I'm a bit overwhelmed what to write about. As my dad says. "Just write one word, don't wait too long because then you won't want to write anything at all". Maybe he is on to something! Maybe I'll just write ONE word a day :)

Anyway, I've been all huff-huff puff-puff last few days and you ladies will understand but my dear Vito had to put up with me without a clue...

Vito: What's the matter with you?

Me: (huff puff) ...nothing...

Vito: no really, tell me

Me: ...nothing!

Vito: tell me!

Me: ...ok... it's just ... i'm SO BORED with my wardrobe! I wear the same stuff all the time, there is nothing exciting and fabulous in shops... and even if there were... it's .... blaaabla blaaa for 5 minutes at least..... I'm just so meeeeaaaad... I need new clotheeeeeesssss!

Vito: .........R U serious....??????????????

Me: ...pouty lip- yes!

Anyway, darlin' Vito sent me a few links to good european shopping websites and tonight I made my very first internet order for clothes. I definitely have to try stuff on, but I'm willing to give it a try.

Well this is one I gave a go this time: www.dress-for-less.com I just randomly decided if I would be considered small, medium or large depending on the brand and material... hope it worked.

btw: The picture on top is of Hoorn. Yet another cute town in the Netherlands. Yawn Yawn :)

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Love knows no boundries?

Vito and I would follow each other to the END of the world!!!!

Well, scratch that, we WILL follow each other to the end of the world! YEEEEEAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

We are going to Patagonia in less then a month, it's super exciting as it's a place we've talked about going for a while. Desolate roads, red rocks, planes, lakes and all kinds of nature like stuffs. :)

Gotta get ready.... gotta learn the exact location of all the trendy boutiques in Buenos Aires... lots to do... LOTS to do...

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I shall pardon a Turkey this year...

Thanksgiving is coming and I invited Vito's parents and his brother for dinner. Excitingly enough it'll be their very first Thanksgiving dinner EVER!!! Yes, JUST like that first one for the pilgrims. :)

I'm beyond excited because it's the first time that I will host Thanksgiving and get to make all the dishes that have once made ME feel American. There aren't many things that Americans do all together as a country, one would be superball and the other would be Thanksgiving. People celebrate it no matter what religion they are because saying thanks after all is a very international concept. (Now CORRECT me if I'm wrong, but I do believe the word "thanks" does not exist in Japanese?) Well ok, fine so it's international - Japanese.

I've already announced that instead of the stuffed turkey we'll have a stuffed chicken and that is because:

a) I have NO idea how to make turkey

b) our combioven is not big enough to hold a whole turkey

c) a turkey in Holland costs about 50Euros -what is that in dollars? like $50,000?

d) I'm not really a big fan of turkey meat...

anyway a stuffed chicken will do just as well!

As for the cultural experience, as they would like to hear the whole story, I figured it would be fun to perhaps re-enact it!!! I will assign everyone to wear either a pilgrim's outfit or a Native American getup... hmmm... I think I will make a super cute Pocahontas!!

Now I just have to work on the menu!!!

**Is it me or are those DUTCH kids on the postcard???

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Speaking of eating...

Last weekend Vito and I went out for my friend's Birthday to this huge floating Chinese restaurant called Sea Palace. It was also a nice chance for Vito to meet more of my friends all at once. We were a big rowdy group of 12 or so. The food arrived at the table and it was simply a FEAST!

After quite a few rounds of beer we began to reflect on all the food... and how the restaurant is so HUGE... and how it is floating in a canal... and what would happen if it started to float away....??? Well one bright individual suggested that once we have eaten everything from the big kitchen we'd probably would have to start eating each other...

Everyone immediately looked at the tallest and biggest person at the table...

"You're big, you'll last us longer!"

"Nah, you all would not be able to finish me in one sitting so I'd just spoil... what a waste."

"How about you girls!?" The next candidates were Alexis and Face..

"Nah! We're not fatty enough, we're vegetarian!"

Vito speaks:

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I would definitely choose to eat myself first since I'm so tasty."

"WHAT!?" I turned around to give him a threatening look as if to say "What!? and I'm NOT tasty???"

"Oh don't worry darlin' you can always have a piece of me"

OH THAT VITO! The audacity!!!

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Glossy

I'm REALLY behind on all the stories and all the action. It always happens when you have stuff to tell, so you wait to put it together in your head... and end up not talking about it. Ok, so good thing they invented cameras. I'll do a pictorial run through of last week and last weekend:



Saturday: Kayaking with the ladies


Sunday: Hike in the dunes with big Vito



Monday: in the Kitchen with chef Vito. He made yet another incredible Indonesian dish called Babi Pangang. SO GOOD! (Sauce made by him from scratch too!)



Tuesday: making carrot cake for the FIRST TIME in my LIFE!! It came out tasting like... carrot cake! Really!




Wednesday: Supah Faaaahhhbulous dinner with Alexis and friends at a snooty restaurant. Taking advantage of the Restaurant Week in AMSTERDAM!




Wohw... and we are only on Thursday!
Ta-ta darlings!

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the office

First day in the office rocked! Yeeeeah check out the gorgeous bouquet that was delivered for me literally ten minutes into my first day!! My super lovely headhunters sent it, can you believe it!??

And Big Chef Vito cooked me up a gran Bami dinner and dished out some desert as well.... ;) ice cream... Yummiheheheeeee

Working life... so far, so good!

Now I'm going to bed, I'm totally BEAT!

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Fun in the sun!

The weekend was absolutely gorgeous! Starting Friday it was sunny and warm ending up as HOT by Sunday. Friday la mamma di Vito took me for a nice little (3.5 hours) ride around the nearest towns and lake. What a gorgeous, gorgeous bike ride! I love seeing dutch towns because it's always a mix of really old built houses and new architecture...

On the lake you could see a number of sailing schools practicing. Danielle, pay attention, this is where you're going to go for your lessons when you're here!
The beach was a ZOO all weekend...!!! I've never seen so many kids all at once in the same spot. If the population growth rate is dipping in the entire Europe please be sure to note that it is NOT dipping here in Holland. People are popping them out like hot cakes!! Or... pancakes!! Yes I know, not very respectful of the whole child baring process but there are just so many kids here. AND they're all PLATINUM blond!!!! How do the parents tell which one is whose??? I mean after a day at the beach where all the blond kids run around yell and scream the same way with their little pink and blue plastic buckets, how do you know which one to take home at the end of the day!??? Maybe it's a good idea to tag them. Actually would be kinda nice to have one of those self retractable leashes so at the end of the day you just press a button and the kid is just sucked back to your blanket. Yeah that would be useful.
Speaking of kids... Here is Big Bad Vito getting in touch with his childlike inner-self. We met up at the beach with Ranirio and Bernadetta to whom I was able to complain about how Vito is one scary dude who tells me what to do. They just confirmed that yes indeed that sounds like Vito and suggested I rename my blog "It's Scary all the time!" Well... Vito decided to soften his hard image just a bit and allow for some playful activities like ice cream licking. (P.S. I like Vito telling me what to do... sshhh don't tell anyone!)

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Ohh beeHaaaive...!!!

Or... "Don't let Ale and Vito out in public because they can't behave in the presence of gentle company".

Last weekend we went out for a leisurely afternoon with one of Vito's friends Barollo and his lovely French girlfriend Madellina.

After a few very elegant pints of Belgian beer we were all taking turns visiting the restroom...

scene: at the table Ale and Vito are having a loud conversation with hand gestures... Barollo comes back from the restroom and sits down next to Madellina.

B: What's going on? What did I miss?

M: They're fighting again...

Ale: OF COURSE IT WOULD BE ME!!!!

Vito: But I'm a GUY!

Ale: I'm a GIRL!!!!!

Vito: It would be me, I'm hotter!!!

Ale: WHAT!? NO WAY!!! I'm HOTTER!!

B: What are they fighting about this time??

M: Who gets to make out with Scarlett Johansen first.

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A: How do you say in Dutch "blood circulatory system"


V: Kata kata laka takatatka


A: Hmm... is there any other way to say that?


V: No... what's wrong with saying it this way?


A: I don't like the way it sounds, it just doesn't sound like it means blood circulatory system.

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The Dutch "suburbia" and other surprises...

And just like that the weather changed. It's now grey and rainy. (My little weather pixie girl is trying to brighten up the situation with her pink umbrella.)

But in the meanwhile, why not post some pics around my neighborhood. We've been viewing lots of gorgeous canals of Amsterdam, but how about some views of the "suburban life".

Here is a random apartment building...

This is just a five minute walk beyond my neighborhood. Some fields, and there are trails for running and biking.

This is also one of the neighborhood castles. About the other one I wrote here.

And here is another very typical street.

I'm a bit backlogged with many pictures and many happenings. Like just within last week there was: PIU PIU in town for an evening! Sushi night with the girls, Liberation day party in Haarlem, and beer tasting at a windmill brewery...

But this you have GOT to see!! The other day came a little puffy envelope in the mail. "Oh it's for you." Vito said. Mmmm presents for no reason!!! How romanticoooo!!! Hmmm what could it be...? It was SOME LIKE IT HOT!!!!! My absolute favorite movie in the WORLD, no, UNIVERSE!!

I remember watching it for the very first time with my parents when I was about 8 and we were on vacation to the Black Sea. When WallStr and I were in San Diego, we specifically made the trip to the Coronado Island to see the famous hotel del Coronado that was featured in the movie (though in the movie it's supposed to be Florida.)

What's your favorite movie? And I mean MOST favorite EVER!??

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How we met

So yes the other day when I was talking about how wonderfully we spend time at the beach, some people were concerned that some other people will think I moved here BECAUSE of the beach. Obviously not true... it was because of Vito's cooking!!! Duh!!!!!!!

So seriously, I was just making a point of how moving from NYC to this city I am not giving up anything CITY SPECIFIC! (Great, now I will get hate mail from my friends and family reminding me that THEY're in NY... I'm JUST talking CITY FACILITIES OK!?) So anyway, my favorite thing about New York was actually the beaches in Long Island, so since there is a great beach here I don't feel like I'm missing out on what NY has to offer by moving here. Are we CLEAR!?

And actually.... going back a year an a half THE BEACH was precisely how this story began... (the Vito and I story that is).

We have been working together in the "virtual office". Yes, thank goodness for modernity eh? I was in the NY office and he was in the Dutch office. To be more exact his company was collaborating with my company to take care of clients and well this also made me his CLIENT (heheheh).

We would be in contact via email almost on a daily basis but obviously besides the NAME and job function we knew nothing about each other. In fact, I have gathered a not so nice idea about him, I imagined him to be a stuck up, middle aged, beer belly dude, with 3 kids. This was because he just seemed to have an answer and a solution to any kind of problem. (Super annoying no!?) This of course made him an excellent work partner but lets just say, I did not have any sexy day dreams about him... (just yet).

One nice day, either because yet another impossible issue was resolved or I was feeling extra cheerful, I wished him to have a great weekend. Out of that a bit of a conversation developed and I said I'll be going for a run at the beach etc etc... After the weekend I received this picture:

Vito told me that he was ALSO at the beach that weekend with some friends for a party. He also told me not to get the "wrong" idea from looking at the picture. HA! Beach? Friends? Party? That was enough for me to start getting the "RIGHT" idea! This info helped me to deduct the middle age and the 3 kids, but I still didn't know much else...

To continue, I remember more talks about beaches in Panama... and Costa Rica... and Australia... and we have begun a certain friendship. However it wasn't until some time later when I have seen a football team picture of him that I finally saw what a piece of Dutch Hunkness he really was...

And the real shocker came when Vito got on a plane a few month later and came to NY to visit me for a WEEKEND!!! (Faint...faint...faint!!!)

And the rest is history my friends ;)

(Btw this here on the right is the picture of MY beach that I sent to him in response to the "bottles", after all I'm an elegant lady and all...)

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March 26!

So RiRi's birthday was Saturday, her husband's birthday was actually on Sunday... and guess who is the birthday girl TODAY!???

Meeeeeeeee!

To be perfectly honest, this year I came really close to forgetting my own birthday... There is just way too much excitement and commotion that is going on due to moving that if it weren't for my blackberry beeping at me with birthday alarms for the other March babies, I'd totally forget my own.

I'm not big on making a huge deal out of my birthday but there have definitely been some memorable moments!

Well my 21st B-day was unforgettable and at the same time "hard to remember"! RiRi and I had a joint celebration since we went to the same university. Great fun, a big party with all our friends there... what I don't remember is how her and I ended up in the shower (fully dressed) at the end of the night!

My 22nd B-day was not as rambunctious but nevertheless glamorous. I was studying abroad in Florence and a whole bunch of us went out to my favorite place, Maracana. It was a pizzeria turn samba dancing place. Had a pizza Napoletana... ;)

My 23rd B-day also involved a pizza in Italy ;) This time, quatro staggioni IN Naples.

Anyway fast forward to another B-day full of sharp sensations... last year on my 28th B-day I opened my mailbox and saw a little pack... it was from Netherlands!!! A few month's before I started exchanging some emails with a co-worker from my company's Dutch office (whom I've never met in real life). Some shared stories of travels, pictures of our coastlines and empty liquor bottles, and boom we became friends! The pack had two CD's of a famous Dutch group (in Dutch) and as I listened to it in the car on the way to work I couldn't help but to be very curious about this new friend... (hehe).

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