There's something I've been meaning to tell you for some time

Finally, inspired by Outi and Mai, here's our travel diary from our trip to New York in May 2009. We are already planning our next trip, so watch out NY, we are coming..

Bubba & Bean (this place was a real find and well definately go back), Lexington Avenue ("our" street), Central Park: Bethesda Fountain and Terrace & the Ramble and Lake (the birds singing and woods rustling almost coverd the noices of the city [and those turtles bathing in the sun, cute]) & Alice in Wonderland statue near Conservatory Water (children and child-minded sailing their boats) & Hans Christian Andersen's statue (copper all polished from the loving hands of it's visitors), Twin Towers of Central Park West (where celebreties live, we are told;)), John's Pizzeria (Eastside, 408 E 64th St: ours and also Woody Allen's favorite:)), Bloomingdales,

Best Buy, Central Synagogue, Christ Church United Methodist, Lexington Candy Shop (highly recommended by TimeOut, but where the waitress tried to overcharge us - luckily Bean quickly spotted the rip off - my clever man [and the food was nothing to write home about either]), Coors (the label in the bottle changed it's colour when the beer was cold enough, yay!),
Starbucks (one must, so Bean volunteered), Metropolitan Museum of Art & Petrie Court Café and Wine Bar (amazing museum and delightful cafe with nice food), Dean & Deluca Deli, Food Emporium, In Touch Weekly, Joy Burger (great burgers and friendly staff), Burger King (blaah), Associated Supermarket (the place to get your drinks, but that's all), Guggenheim (buildings architecture was beautiful and we found nice coasters:)), Passione Pizza & Restaurant and their delicious pizza pie, Gourmet Garage (try: Three Lentil Chili Soup, New England clam chowder, wonderful baguette, fresh fruit salads, Sushicado & California rolls, the cheese selection, fresh guacamole..this is heaven),
New York CityPass (very convenient), Finlandia Cheese (yes, really!), New York State Volunteer Ambulance (the volunteer-part sounded peculiar, but makes sense on their webpage), huge thunderstorm and rain, rain, rain (it rained whole months worth in our two weeks, but we didn't mind, we addapted our plans according to weather :)), Primeburger (we ended up here, because La Bonne Soupe had fire in the kitchen - fun and a bit strange atmosphere, but plain food), Saint Patrick's Cathedral, MoMA (so much to see, favorite),
rapper 50 Cent on the street in front of Peninsula New York hotel (this was our obligatory celebrity spotting;)), Eli Zabar E.A.T. , People Magazine (time for gossip) , Sutton Place & Queensboro Bridge (quiet area with lots of nannyes with children), Carl Schurz Park & Gracie Mansion (lots of locals in the park - mayor's residence looked like a lovely doll's house), (Marisa's Famous) Sandwich Shoppe & our favorite American Me panini (fresh and delicious, despite not so prominent appearence of the shop), Sauza Gold Tequila & ever so nice Liquor-Store-Guy who wanted to know about us and who we disapointed by telling that Finlandia Vodka was no longer Finnish brand (this was something many asked from us!), and yes, they sell their stuff behind a plexi glass..), softball match in a field (all-girl team in their uniforms and that nice New Yorker guy who commented the game to us:)), Lemon Tea Snapple from a street vendor (not to our taste), readymade fruit salads sold everywhere (loved these),
MetroCard for convenience, rush hour subway (it's packed, of course), Man vs. Food in tv (quantity over quality?), Meals on Wheels van on the street (this concept is familiar to Finns from TV series Twin Peaks:)), crosstown bus to Upper West Side, Sarabeth's (Eggs Benedict and great coffee), American Museum of Natural History, (well, the dinosaurs were great, but..) Hayden Planetarium & Cosmic Collisions film narrated by Robert Redford (Robert really sucked us in to this story), Central Park & Great Lawn (it is big), Egg salad (not to our taste), Bass Pale Ale & Anchor Steam Beer in White Horse Tavern & Bob the Bartender (great beer and chatty landlord), Empire State Building (where the view is beautiful, but you feel like cattle rushed to corral), Les Halles (a tiny bit of France [even the waiter greeted us in French!]),
Flatiron Building (the mandatory picture spot) and Garment district street markets (where Crumpet found her inner haggler for the very first time in her life:)), hot dog from a street vendor, Madison Square Park (New Yorkers having their lunch), Greenwich Village (nice, but rather upmarket atmosphire), Washington Square Park & Washington Square Arch with buskers (people listened to jazz and danced with their partners, lovely), El Paso Taqueria (1642 Lexington Avenue, served us the most delicious mexican food [Sopa de Mariscos, Soft Tacos and Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast and Burrito de Carne and Guacamole]), Budweiser,
subway service change & shuttle bus to our destination (there was always someone giving directions and telling what to do, so we didn't mind at all), Sherman Creek & Fort Tryon Park (it was foggy and warm and almost no people around - were we really in Manhattan?), The Cloisters Museum and Gardens (almost in the northern tip of the Manhattan island, this gem emerged from the fog (we had almost lost hope of finding it) - this medieval collection is definately worth a visit), Broadway (it is very(!) long), Harlem (stereotype or not, but this was the only time we heard people talking about shooting), Malcolm X Boulevard (we walked from through Harlem to our b&b and still felt totally safe, so go for it), Sylvia's (serving soul food, so we had: Bar-B-Que Ribs, Oven Baked Half Chicken Black Eyed Peas, Baked Macaroni & Cheese, Candied Yams and the result=stuffy tastes [and bad service]), Little Africa Shop & and loads of earrings, Harlem Meer ,
Spanish Harlem (loving it's energy and informal atmosphere), Miller's Golden Draft, Shorty's Bar & Amber Ale (we were thirsty, what can I say :)), Port Authority Bus Terminal (where would you like to go, dear?), Gramercy , Garment District , James Farley Post Office (General Post Office), Times Square (and all the tourists in NY), Midtown (and money talks), McDonald's (everything is always packed to go even if you are eating in, so loads of waste :(, Hell's Kitchen and still walking (my legs are killing me:)) Union Square, Madison Square Garden (it´s huge, even from the outside), romantic picnic in Central Park (where Bean got hit by a little boy's baseball:D), NY Times Sunday Edition (takes hours to finish), New York Post, Papaya King (for us Seinfeld fans), Dunkin Donuts (Bean sacrificed himself, 'cos Crumpet does not like sweet food:)), Shanghai Pavillion & great dumplings & Kung Pao Chicken, Laytner's Linen (where we got some lovely hats),
AMC Loews & Star Trek movie (we little trekkies), Pastrami Queen & Hot pastrami (too much meat, definately!), Barnes & Noble (books, books, books; yay), East Village, Other Music (all these hip/alternative record stores look the same around the world), Dumpling Man (yes, oh, yes, they are the best!), yard sale on the street (little old ladys selling their junk, but it was fun anyhow), Giovanna's Restaurant & Pizzeria (Penne Alla Vodka, Fettucini Alfredo: just heaven), Jewish museum (beautiful collection of judaica), United Nations Headquarters (we drove by on a bus), Lower East Side (we didn't walk here, thank..), New York City Hall, New York County Supreme Court (familiar from Law & Order :)), walking over Brooklyn bridge with gazillion tourists and few local joggers), Manhattan bridge, Statue of Liberty (far away in the distance), Clocktower residences (it rules Brooklyn), Song restaurant (nice thai food and some bubbly),

McCarren Park (people throwing balls and barbecuing), Brooklyn Brewery (why, oh why, was it closed), Brooklyn Pilsner (to compensate:)), Little Italy (filled with tourists), Chinatown (Asian people still living here and getting served on their languages, great), Jimmy's Classic Diner, B Bar & Mohito & Cosmopolitan (where we got carded :)), Downtown Music Gallery (it's boiling hot in the basement, but what wouldn't you do for records:)), Lincoln center, going to a concert in Avery Fisher Hall & to listening to New York Philharmonics perform Jean SibeliusSymphony no. 5 (unfortunately Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen cancelled, but we enjoyed the concert anyway:))

Notes about something:

- If you walk over 120 blocks a day, it is a lot.
- New Yorkers dress casually, so no preasure like in Paris for example.
- It feels terrible not to recycle, because all the plastic you carry home (you need to buy everything you drink, including water, because it tastes so bad).
- Over 1000 channels in cable TV but it's still mostly Seinfeld, Friends, Frasier etc. (but we loved the local NY TV channel, especially the story about the runaway cow in Queens:)).
- If you are going into a concert where they play music by a Finnish composer you are probably going to run into some Finns.
- NY and especially Manhattan is green (as in loads of trees, parks, flowers etc.) which surprised us, in a very nice way.
- Those yellow cabs are great for fun experiences: when we arrived to JFK, our driver to city was of Russian decent and listened to Russian radio station (are we in the right country?) and when we left, our driver got in to heated argument with some guy repairing the street and cops (really!) came to calm him down.
- Best way to see the city is walk, walk, walk and ride the bus (the locals are there too).
- Tipping & sales tax: to a Finn it takes a awhile to get used to the fact that the prices are not transparent. But remember, that those waiters and waitress' (and people in customer service in general) get big part of their salary from those tips, so tip accordingly when you get good service (minimum 15 percent)!
- Conscientious dog owners, no poo on pavement. Or is this the reason why they are washing the streets constantly?
- Lack of graffiti and stencils in Manhattan, which was a shame in our view. New York has really "cleaned up".
- Happy families and child-oriented parents. People seemed to interact and play with their children, which we liked.
- Choose Finnairs non-stop direct flights from Helsinki to NYC, the flight is long enough as it is with out extra stops on the way.
- Jetlag didn't bother us when going to New York, but when getting back it hit us hard. Reserve couple of days of relaxation and don't drink tequila straight after when you get back home! :D

By Bean & Crumpet

It seemed to him absurd to think of going to bed when he was feeling like this

Lawrence of Arabia - Peter of Yemen

Berg- und Talfahrt: A Night in Sana´a CD (ARM 02, 2009)

I could say this release came around corner and surprised me. Peter Brötzmann playing with musicians from Yemen and one of concert recorded at Deutsches Haus in Yemen. Long time Brötz collaborator Michael Zerang came along with his drums, four pieces from Brötzmann and two Yemenese tradional are played here. 

And what a nice ride this is. Brötzmann is quite melodic and not at his most furious here, giving space to other very skilled musicians here. Middle-eastern melodies are fused with trademark Brötzmann solos. Yemenese musicians seem to know how to play free and Brötzmann can surf on middle-eastern scales keeping his own sound present. Very nice interpretation of "Master of Small House" is played here, called "Song for Fred". It seems that Brötzmann gets to bluesy mood every time he plays with Zerang. Percussion is top notch all the way, darbuka providing good steady backing. Other very memorable parts on this recording are provided by violin and cello, both are given space to solo and search. Recording has nice live feel to it.

I would say this is the most original Brötzmann CD that came out this year. But is this really Brötzmann CD, maybe only in Europe?

Line up:

Peter Brötzmann - saxophone, clarinet
Michael Zerang - drums
Abdul-Aziz Mokrid - violin
Kalid Barkosch - cello
Achmed Al-Khalidy - kanun
Ali Saleh - ney
Yasir Al-Absi - darbuka

Get it from: talklang

By Bean

Well spoken, young half-portion

Jouluna rentouduimme, jutustelimme, hassuttelimme, nukuimme, herkuttelimme ja silitimme pientä, karvaista jouluvierastamme. Kaikki meni paremmin kuin hyvin, kiitos siitä kaikille rakkaille.

Seuraavassa otteita joulun 2009 menusta à la maison Bean&Crumpet.

Alut

(juomana Freixenet Elyssia Gran Cuvée Brut, - hienostunut & kepeä maultaan - todellinen löytö)

kylmäsavustettua lohta
kylmäsavustettua siikaa
graavattua lohta
punasipulia & smetanaa
smetana-sitruuna silliä
lasimestarin silliä (B:n äidin valmistamaa)
mätimoussea
metsäsienisalaattia
kylmäsavuporo-piparjuurituorejuusto rullia

Päät

(juomana A. Le Coq Premium - raikas lagerolut)

tuoresuolattua viljaporsaan pikkukinkkua sisäpaistista
lanttulaatikkoa
porkkanalaatikkoa
imellettyä perunalaatikkoa
rosollia & kermavaahtoa
herneitä (erittäin tärkeitä eräille :))
joululimppua
Dijon hunaja-sinappia
mustaviinimarja- & karpalohyytelöä

Jäljet

(juomana sauternes Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2006 [nektariinia] ja portviini Ferreira Late Bottled Vintage 2005 - herkkua)

Shropshire Blue'ta
Camembert'ia
Parmigiano-Reggianoa
Cheddar'ia (Somersetista)
Old Amsterdam Goudaa
kiviarina-oliivileipää
saksan- & pekanpähkinöitä
pipareita
mustaviinimarja- & karpalohyytelöä
hunajaa & voita

Uuden vuoden herkutteluja odotellessa..

By Bean & Crumpet

People used to call her his little sweetheart

Merry, relaxing, delicious and peaceful Christmas.
-----
Hyvää, rentouttavaa, herkullista ja rauhallista joulua.

By Bean & Crumpet

I dare say

"Well, I don't care what anybody is - I don't care whether they're gay, straight or Australian. It's what they're like as a person that matters."

Barbara Royle in The Royle Family

By Bean & Crumpet

Giving you a lot of trouble

Basics of math.

Neighbours little boy: "Three plus three is three."

I can clearly remember the time, when this answer would have been perfectly logical.

By Crumpet
--------
Matematiikan alkeet.

Naapurin pieni poika: "Kolme plus kolme on kolme."

Muistan sen ajan, jolloin tämä vastaus olisi ollut täysin looginen..

By Crumpet

A dashed shrewd hiding place, I thought

Athur: "I'm 75 years old and I still wake up with the little guy saluting."
In King of Queens

By Bean & Crumpet

It's gist was that she loved him as of yore - even more than of yore

Wondering about: how many times a day we kiss? How many times a day we say to each other, that we love each other? How many times a day we laugh together?

Countless times..

By Bean & Crumpet
------
Montakohan kertaa päivässä suutelemme? Montako kertaa päivässä sanomme toisillemme, että rakastamme toisiamme? Montako kertaa päivässä nauramme yhdessä?

Lukemattomia kertoja..

By Bean & Crumpet

Not a single, solitary suspicion of a hat

I've been blessed (or cursed?) with wild imagination and world of dreams. In my dreams I (for excample) fly, speak several languages (that in reality I don't speak), hear music and improvise on the music I've heard (sometimes the music is just a backround to the events in the dreams:)), experience natural disasters, have travelled beyond our reality, see traditional animation and puppetoons and movie dreams (where the angles and the editing of the dream are like in a movie). I've also seen premonition dreams of the dying.

When I wake up I always remember at least the last dream of mine, sometimes many dreams I've dreamt that night.

Sometimes after an eventful dream night one wakes up excited and refreshed, inspired by all the things one has encountered. Sometimes it's difficult to wake up and one feels drained, after everything one has gone through. The way I see it is that I have two lives - one that I experince when awake and one when I'm dreaming - both of them inseparable parts of me.

By Crumpet
------
Minua on siunattu (tai kirottu?) vilkkaalla mielikuvituksella ja unimaailmalla. Unissa esimerkiksi lennän, puhun useita kieliä (joita en siis todellisuudessa osaa), kuulen musiikkia ja improvisoin kuulemiani kappaleita (joskus musiikki toimii pelkästään tapahtumien "taustamusiikkina" :)), olen luonnonmullistuksissa, olen siirtynyt todellisuutemme toiselle puolelle, näen piirrosanimaatioita, nukkeanimaatioita tai elokuvaunia (joiden kuvakulmat ja leikkaukset ovat elokuvan kaltaisia). Olen myös nähnyt enneunia kuolevista.

Muistan aina herätessäni ainakin viimeisimmän uneni, joskus monia yön aikana näkemiäni unia.

Joskus tällaisen tapahtumarikkaan uniyön jälkeen herää innostuneena ja virkistyneenä, kaikesta kokemastaan vaikuttuneena. Joskus taas herääminen on raskasta ja olo on uupunut, kaiken koetun jälkeen. Ajattelenkin, että minulla on kaksi elämää - tämä valvetodellisuuden sekä unen elämä - ja molemmat ovat erottomattomia osia minusta.

By Crumpet

It sticks out like a sore thumb

It's no wonder that some consider flowers as plants genitalia.
----
Ei ole ihme, että jotkut ajattelevat kukkia kasvien sukupuolieliminä.

By Crumpet

That's life

Happiness is hot, relaxing bath in the middle of the day with your dearest and four rubber duckies.
-----
Onni on kuuma, rentouttava kylpy keskellä päivää rakkaimman sekä neljän kumiankan kanssa.

By Bean & Crumpet

A rather important point, that

Colour of the day, yellow or red?
------
Päivän väri, keltainen vai punainen?

By Bean & Crumpet

It's quite simple

Doug:"Question about the eyepatch. How come so many pirates had their eyes poked out? What was going on back then?"
Deacon: "Well, lot of them had those hook hands, right. So maybe the first day or two, before he got use to his new hook hand, he'd just go to rub his eye, just poked that bad boy right out."
Doug: "But how did they get the hook hands?"
Deacon: "Probably from shaking their hands with a pirate that already had one."
Carrie: "Hi guys. Doug, can I talk to you for a sec?"
Doug: "Peglegs. Work on some ansvers."

In King Of Queens

By Bean & Crumpet

There is only one thing to do

We treated ourselves a bit and it is easy to say, that our Chrismas presents to ourselves this year are spot on..

Or what do you think about a Gense Le Gourmet Cast Iron Blini Pan (yammy!) and Star Trek: The Next Generation - Complete Series DVD Box Set? And due to the fact that Bean jus happened to win Star Trek 1-10 Movie Box Set (congrats once more, my darling), we are going to enjoy these gifts many years ahead..

By Crumpet
------
Hellimme itseämme hieman ja on helppo sanoa, että tämänvuotiset joululahjamme itsellemme sopivat meille kuin nenä päähän..

Vai mitä sanotte valurautaisesta Gense Le Gourmet blinipannusta (nam!) ja Star Trek: The Next Generation - Complete Series dvd-boksista? Ja kun Papu sattui vielä voittamaan Star Trek 1-10 Movie Box kokoelman (onnea vielä kerran kulti), riittää meillä lahjoista iloa vuosiksi eteenpäin..

By Crumpet

I always heard he was very attractive

Look, who's there?
Why, it's Bean & Crumpet of course!
------
Ketäs siellä on?
No Papu & Murukki tietysti!

By Crumpet

That makes it worse

"...niin häpeä."

Henkistä väkivaltaa toista ihmistä kohtaan käyttävä ihminen selittää käytöstään samoilla perusteilla, kun väkivaltainen ihminen - minulla on nyt tällainen räjähtävä persoona, olen äkkipikainen luonne, toinen osapuoli provosoi - siksi minulla on oikeus. Muiden tehtävänä on hyväksyä käytös "luonteesta johtuvana". Käytöksen malli on opittu lapsuudessa, kotona, lähipiirissä. Tällainen ihminen on ulospäin usein vahva, voimakkaat mielipiteet omaava, itsevarman oloinen. Todellisuudessa hän on todennäköisesti masentuvaisuuteen taipuva manipulaattori, jolla on heikko itsetunto ja olematon kyky tuntea empatiaa tai rakkautta.

"...niin häpeä."

Henkistä väkivaltaa käyttävä, joutuessaan ristiriitatilanteeseen tai kokiessaan olevansa alakynnessä, pyrkii saamaan tahtonsa läpi nöyryyttämällä, väheksymällä, alistamalla, eristämällä, uhkailemalla. Hän mitätöi uhrin mielipiteet tai pahan olon ilmaukset. Tekijä katsoo aina olevansa oikeassa, oikeutettu toimimaan näin, eikä hän tunne empatiaa uhriaan kohtaan.

"...niin häpeä."

Henkisen väkivallan käyttäjä pyrkii pitämään väkivaltansa piilossa muilta. Hän kieltää uhria kertomasta kokemastaan, edes läheisimmille ihmisilleen, vaikkapa yksityisyyteen vedoten (nämä asiat eivät kuulu muille, ovat vain meidän keskeisiä). Uhri pelkää tekijän reaktiota ja häpeää omaa tilannettaan sekä kyvyttömyyttään katkaista väkivallan kierre. Jos uhri pyrkii lopulta murtamaan ulos tilanteesta, tekee tekijä kaikkensa loukatakseen häntä mahdollisimman raskaasti. Hän pyrkii murskaamaan uhrin, sillä tällä ei saa eikä voi olla elämää ilman tekijää.

"...niin häpeä."

Henkistä väkivaltaa käyttävä etsii aina uuden uhrin, jota hallita ja hajoittaa. Hän etsii sopivan henkilön, jonka saa eristettyä haluamallaan tavalla, ehkä jo valmiiksi eristyneen ihmisen. Uhrin, joka ehkä alkuun ihailee tekijää ja jota on helppo alistaa. Kiltin, rauhallisen tai hiljaisen ihmisen, joka pyrkii alkuun rauhoittamaan tekijää luonteensa mukaisesti. Ja näin väkivallan kierre jatkuu, loputtomiin..

By Crumpet

The most delightful harmony prevailed

"You are my best friend" he said to me.

"You are to me, my darling" I answered back to him.
-----
"Sinä olet paras ystäväni" hän sanoi minulle.

"Niin sinäkin olet minulle, kultaseni" vastasin hänelle.

By Crumpet

Cabbages and kings

Jotkut ihmiset rakentavat koko minuutensa ja elämänsä sille, miltä kaikki näyttää muista. Jokainen teko on viesti muille: minne matkustetaan lomilla, mitä harrastetaan, millainen puoliso valitaan, mitä opiskellaan, missä ollaan töissä. Oma persoona on projisio siitä, millainen tuo ihminen haluaisi olla, vaikka todellisuus on päinvastainen.

Kaikella halutaan viestiä omasta minuudesta, luoda mielikuvaa omasta persoonasta: olen näin tyylikäs, onnellinen, älykäs, kultturelli, menestynyt, mielenkiintoinen tai vaikkapa varakas. Tekoja ja valintoja ei oikeasti ohjaa oma kiinnostus vaan se, millaisia mielikuvia ne herättävät muissa. Oma elämä karnevalisoidaan - juhlia ja merkkipäiviä myöten - ja muut ihmiset valjastetaan osaksi tuota spektaakkelia. Toiset ihmiset ovat olemassa antaakseen tälle ihmiselle hänen kulloinkin haluamiaan asioita - toiset ihmiset ovat hänelle vain välineitä, joiden tehtävänä on toimia tällaisen ihmisen elämän sivuhenkilöinä - ihailevina silminä, josta peilata omaa erinomaisuutta, erikoisuutta ja erilaisuutta.

Kuitenkin sisältä tämä ihminen ihminen on täynnä kateutta, vihaa, tyytymättömyyttä, katkeruutta. Nimenomaan muita ihmisiä kohtaan, jos he eivät tyydytä hänen tarpeitaan, toimi hänen haluamallaan tavalla, anna hänelle haluamaansa validaatiota. Hän pyrkii manipuloimaan saadakseen toisilta haluamansa ja hallitsemaan muita. Muiden kritiikki tai arvostelu saa hänet raivostumaan. Muiden vastoinkäymiset tai murheet eivät herätä hänessä empatiaa (vaikka hän saattaa teeskennellä näitä tunteita) - ne eivät kosketa häntä. Hän ei syvällä sisimmässään kykene tuntemaan iloa muiden onnesta, vaan hänelle itselleenkin käsittömättömästä syystä se saa hänet ärtymään - tunne, minkä hän kuitenkin pyrkii peittämään. Hänhän itse on se, joka ansaitsee kaiken onnen ja rakkauden. Hänelle toinen ihminen on merkityksellinen vain niin kauan, kuin tämä tarjoaa hänelle varauksetonta ihailua, huomiota ja hyväksyntää. Kun toinen on kulutettu loppuun (ovathan ihailijat aina lähtökohtaisesti häntä alempina), heidät vaihdetaan uuteen.

Kysymys kuuluukin: mitä ihmisen sisällä on, kun kun kaikki on pelkkää kuorta? Kun ihminen kokee olevansa olemassa vain muiden ihailun tai huomionosoitusten kautta? Kuka huoneessa on, kun muita ei ole paikalla?

Siellä on Narsisti..

By Crumpet

That's it in a nutshell

The end of this week.
------
Tämä viikko on tässä.


By Bean & Crumpet

Remarkably like it

I've gotten two more nicknames, yet again: Munchkin (because I'm small) and Candy (after John Candy, because I goof around a lot). Bean is funny..

By Crumpet
-----
Olen saanut taas kaksi uutta lempinimeä: Munchkin (koska olen pieni) ja Candy (John Candyn mukaan, koska hassuttelen paljon). Papu on hauska..

By Crumpet

I can't follow your mental processes

When one breaks up with someone, it is understandable to ask the other person to pay up their debts. What is not understandable is 1) to demand back all the small gifts one has given to another person or 2) afterwards demand compensation from the other person for small favours that they or their relatives have done (which also have benefitted themselves).

Some people have no conseption of what a gift is. How sad..

By Crumpet
-----
Kun erotaan, on täysin ymmärrettävää pyytää toista maksamaan velkansa. Mikä ei ole ymmärrettävää, on 1) vaatia takaisin kaikkia antamiaan pieniä lahjoja tai 2) vaatia toiselta takautuvasti korvausta omista tai sukulaisten tekemistä pienistä palveluksista, joista itsekin on hyötynyt.

Joillakin on lahjan antamisen käsite pahasti hukassa. Kuinka surullista..

By Crumpet

Who are you?

"Beware of all thieves and imitators of other peoples labour and talents - laying your audacious hands upon our work."
---
"Varokaa muiden lahjakkuuden ja työn varkaita ja jäljittelijöitä - jotka röyhkeästi omivat teidän työnne."

Albrecht Dürer 1511

By Crumpet

It's an odd thing that this should have happened

Two small girls. Talking to each other after the first lesson in the swimming school.

Girl to another: "Did you learn to swim yet?"

By Crumpet
-----
Kaksi pientä tyttöä. Juttelevat ensimmäisen uimakoulun opetustunnin jälkeen.

Tyttö toiselle: "Joko sä opit uimaan?"

By Crumpet

A flask of whisky

Tonight they'll play some serious poker at our home.

Bean's friends from high school times will gather up again. It's great that their friendship has survived all these years, despite all the turmoil. And they seem to have pretty fun..

By Crumpet
---
Meillä pelataan tänään pokeria.

Pavun kaveriporukka lukioajoilta kokoontuu jälleen. On hienoa, että ystävyys on säilynyt kaikkien näiden vuosien ajan, kaikenlaisesta tuiverruksesta huolimatta. Ja hauskaa tuntuu olevan..

By Crumpet

Good gracious

Barry: "It's just, I just realized, we have been really, really selfish. You see, weddings are not for the bride and groom, they are for the relatives and friends, and you know, old aunties and grannies. People sort of rely on that kind of a day. I can't deprive them of it. You know, take my auntie Lillian, for instance. I mean, probably the last time she gets out of the house."

Moxey: "So instead of the Mediterranean, you'll settle for Wolverhampton?"

In Auf Wiedersehen, Pet

By Bean & Crumpet

So I stayed on to cheer him up

Heard at lunchtime.

Man: "Legendary about this years Christmas party was the fact that we ran out of soda before booze."

By Bean
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Lounaalla kuultua.

Mies: "Legendaarista tämän vuoden pikkujouluissa oli, että limunaati loppui ennen viinaa."

By Bean

I was busy for days

The plans for our trip to Paris next summer have yet again become more precise. We've rented an appartment in Rue des Petists-Champs and also decided to pop up to London by Eurostar. We've both been there several times before, but this will be our first time there together. So now there remains but one problem: where to get the patience to wait?

By Bean & Crumpet
-----
Ensi kesän Pariisin matkamme suunnitelmat ovat taas tarkentuneet. Olemme vuokranneet asunnon Rue des Petists-Champs'ilta ja päättäneet käväistä samalla myös Eurosatarilla Lontoossa, jossa kumpikin meistä on käynyt useamman kerran aikaisemmin, mutta nyt siis ensimmäistä kertaa yhdessä. Nyt onkin jäljellä enää yksi ongelma: miten malttaa odottaa?

By Bean & Crumpet

Why do you say Aha?

Neville: "I've never worked abroad before. I've been abroad, like. Me and Brenda went in Menorca, twice."
Oz: "Twice, why twice?"
Neville: "We liked it the first time."
Oz: "Whereabouts is it, Menorca?"
Neville: "I'm not really sure, we flew non-stop from Newcastle."

In Auf Wiedersehen, Pet

By Bean & Crumpet

Does this meet your requirements?

This fabness is for our Christmas setting (we noticed that the dish also happened to be in Exclusive customer's brochyre by Stockmann). We also bought new linen tablecloth and a vase. Preparations are on their way..

By Bean & Crumpet
---
Tällainen ihanuus tarttui mukaan joulun kattausta varten (huomasimme, että lautanen näytti olevan myös Stockmannin Exclusive-lehdessä esillä). Lisäksi mukaan tarttui uusi pellavainen pöytäliina ja maljakko. Valmistelut etenevät..

By Bean & Crumpet

He was kissing her

Bean & Crumpet & Friday night date in Mamma Rosa..
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B&C & perjantai-illan treffit Mamma Rosassa..

By Bean & Crumpet

A jug full of water

After my waterjog I was walking to the locker room, when I happened to glance at a woman, casually cooling herself near the poolside. At first my eyes just passed her by but then I took a more closer look. The woman was middle-aged, abundant by her figure and starking naked.

My first thought was that she had forgotten to put her swimsuit on. My second thought was that she must be a tourist. In any case the sight baffled and amused me a bit, mostly due to my own reaction (should I go to her and say something or not) and also due to relaxed and casual attitude of this woman. Later, when she reappeared in the shower room, I heard her speak other language than Finnish to her ladyfriend..

When familiar conventions are broken, it can cause others to wonder..

By Crumpet
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Olin vesijuoksemisen jälkeen kävelemässä pukuhuoneeseen, kun satuin vilkaisemaan hallin puolella rennosti vilvoittelevaa naista, ensin vain sivusilmällä, sitten tarkemmin uudemman kerran. Nainen oli keski-ikäinen, suhteellisen runsas muodoiltaan ja ilkosen alasti.

Ensimmäinen ajatukseni oli, että hän on erehdyksessä unohtanut pukeutua uimapukuunsa. Toinen ajatukseni oli, että hän on turisti. Joka tapauksessa näky hieman hämmensi ja huvitti minua, lähinnä oma reaktioni (pitäisikö mennä sanomaan asiasta vai ei) sekä naisen ilmeisen mukavan ja rauhallinen asenteen takia. Myöhemmin, naisen tullessa takaisin peseytymistiloihin, kuulin hänen puhuvan vierasta kieltä ystävättärelleen..

Totutuista konventioista poikkeaminen saattaa herättää ihmetystä..

By Crumpet

He then melted away softly and gracefully

Little Bean, our enthusiastic Christmas person, already got his Christmas calendar, which he had been eyeing up for couple of weeks now. How many nights until Christmas? :)

By Crumpet
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Pieni Papunen, innokas jouluihminen, sai jo haluamansa joulukalenterin, jota oli tiiraillut kaupassa jo parin viikon ajan. Montako yötä jouluun on? :)

By Crumpet