From Makaraba to Pletterpet

In the end of the 70's, the South African Alfred Baloyi was watching a football game when a beer bottle thrown by another supporter hit his head. He went home thinking about developing a festive helmet that coud protect his head. Mr. Baloyi grabbed a miners helmet, cut it out, painted and decorated it. Later on, he named it a "makarapa". Since then the makarapa (or makaraba) has become relatively popular in South Africa. However, Mr. Baloyi has never become rich for each makaraba is handmade and produced in a small scale. Heineken picked up his idea and "developed" the product pletterpet. For eight cans of Heineken beer you can get one pletterpet. For his participation on the film you can watch above, Mr. Baloyi received from Heineken a tip of only 25 thousand euros as a hommage for his invention. The pletterpet from Heineken is produced in large scale in factories in China.

She is Four !

Sunday was my little girl's birthday celebration.

Becoming a 4 year old marks something special in her life: she can go to school !

A small observation: in Holland when a person is celebrating his/her birthday the guests mention "congratulations" (gefeliciteerd) while shaking hands and kissing the person. For some very strange reason Dutch people also congratulate the other guests and family members. For example, if is my birthday and I am giving a party each guest when arriving tells to the other people present: "Gefeliciteerd with Anita's birthday". To which the person replies: "Gefeliciteerd to you as well" / "Thanks, gefeliciteerd too".

And of course there were little details in pink everywhere around the house and the backyard.

It was a warm and luminous Sunday. Little dresses for all girls today.

The pretty button above I have found at Dutch shop HEMA. If I ever live in another country than Holland I will surely miss the HEMA and its concept of "design for the masses".

Some of the mini desserts I have made. Which one do you prefer: a chocolate ganache with yoghurt and toped by a sherry or a chocolate mousse with strawberries ? The small glasses were purchased at Blokker. I think in Brazil something very similar to Blokker would be "Casa & Video" chain store.

The kids' giveaway: mini cup-cakes (above), oh-so-beautiful-it-hurts - I wouldn't have the courage to bite them ! I have ordered them by another perfectionist mom - it saves me time. I think I will follow her courses in Wormer on the weekend, cause I love baking and decorating cakes.
Below, dates stuffed with cheese and then marzipans shaped as a Dutch delicacy called "tompouce". I have found such mini tompouces at a HEMA shop and the pink plastic dishes at Loods 5, in Zaandam.

We have ordered the pie from one of our friends and favourite baker. Perfect work, isn't it ? Yep, our little girl has passed the phase Dora, the Explorer and started to be more interested in Dutch cartoon and TV series Mega Mindy.

Above, some of the guests who remained for dinner. The rest of the kids were playing inside or eating at another table in the backyard. I have made so much food, it could easily feed six to ten extra people. And guess what ? When everyone was gonne and after cleaning the kitchen I opened the fridge and... ta-dah ! A homemade cucumber-tzaziki salad and a potato/egg/dill cold dish which I completely had forgotten to serve. Umm... Good, it cuts to the half my work with the Monday dinner.

Now excuse me. I have to bake, decorate and wrap 27 muffins for the kids at school tomorrow. See you all within a couple of days (and some of you on the 4th of July...) !

Hay fever 10 x 0 Me

Millions are suffering from hayfever at this moment in Holland - me including.

THE Summer Sound

According to Rene Steenhorst on De Telegraaf from 19th June this is going to be the sound of 2010 summer: Bom Tempo, the newest CD from Sergio Mendes. The maestro is most known for his Mas Que Nada versions, a song originally written and performed by Jorge Ben Jor in 1963. (I think it is worth noting that in the US and Europe, the song is popularly credited to Mendes with Jorge relatively unknown, whereas in Brazil, the reverse in true.)

I have chosen the track Emorio from Bom Tempo to give you an idea of how the CD sounds like. Just click on the photo of the CD cover above. Alternatively, check the video below to enjoy Mendes and Carlinhos Brown in Funky Bahia (which is not in Bom Tempo). Enjoy some scenes of Salvador, the city of all saints and all sins...

Brazil 3 x 1 Ivory Coast

A moist banana cake while watching the winning of Brazil. My medium class belly is satisfied.

(My medium class spirit, by the way, too.)

Amsterdam Scenes

I did a test in the site "Normaal" before visiting this exposition in the beginning of the year. My result ? "Sorry. You have got only 33% of normality. Or maybe... congratulations ?" Is that good or bad ?

I would never ever leave my beautiful bike on the streets of Amsterdam.

These elephants were here in this blog before, remember ?

This firm has bought two of them.

De Blauwbrug, detail. The most beautiful bridge of Amsterdam in my opinion. I have made the pics above when I visited La Rive, one of my first posts in this blog.

My father is a big collector of cartoons & comic strips. Since very little I was exposed to awesome European and American classic production, graphic novels and big post war albums. The Spirit, Valentina, Flash Gordon, Dick Tracy, Prince Valiant and many many others have had a huge impact in my popculture formation. When I saw this entree, I couldn't resist and registered it. Old and modern mix very well in this city. The crazy and the conventional as well.

Tuk-tuk...

Pleasure Island is today.

I picked up my basket of photos and examined the content. And then I have just decided to feature here some of my last shots in de Mokkum. This post is a declaration of love to Amsterdam. Oh, and to wish you a nice weekend as well. Yep, all the photos here are for you. Because I blog only for your eyes.

And for your eyes only.

My Muse's Journey To Muse

Years. It had been years since the creaking risers had last been used. Years since the drawer, locked against tempation, against remembered pain, had last rolled over well-oiled tracks.

My hands shook. I could barely remember what I'd locked away, except, my soul. That, I knew wallowed in here and had been all these years.

To anyone looking over my shoulder, they would not understand the fear, the panic, the sense that if I continued, I would be tempting more than the hands of Fate. All they'd see, would be stacks and stacks of worn, tattered, and moldy old notebooks filled with my own brand of chicken scratch.

They wouldn't see the few type-printed pages heavily red-penned and worse.

The drawer came to a stop. fully opened now. No file folders, no precise adherence to secretarial perfection. I'd been in no place to be methodical back then, when I shoved every fragment of my broken spirit into the gaping receptacle within this drawer.

Where to begin? Why begin? If I didn't ignore the quivering thunder inside my heart that was racing down my arms and into both my hands, how would I ever know what I'd put away?

Taking a deep, controlling breath, I reached, and felt my soul weep. A short story, a short story that I'd been so proud of, but they'd said it was crap; they the editor and agent I'd worked so hard to appease, but never could.

Lowering myself to he floor, I began reading and my tears crested and fell. How could they think this was crap? The story was all I remembered, and with the clarity of time, good!

Angry now; angry with myself for buying into the soul destroying negativity of two men bent on their own agenda, and what I knew, right here, in my hand was not crap...but I'd given up. I forced my muse to slither into my lower regions and lay dormant, ruthlessly locking her away as tightly as I'd locked away these stories...my stories away. No more! Even if I never find any professional to acknowledge the worth of my storytelling, no more was I keeping my muse bound up. The time to write, and write, and write some more had returned.

Would I seek a way to share with the world? Wouldn't it be the best vindication and more if my own voice, now, a decade later, finally overcomes the evaluation of those two men?

Yes, the time has come and no matter what, I would never lock my muse away again.

And so it was, my muse, via my incredible author daughter, was led to my new home at Muse It Up Publishing and Muse It Hot Publishing, and the much wiser eye, heart, soul, and intelligence of Lea Schizas.

My muse is at Muse. Could anything be better?

No, but my bounty continues because my incredible author daughter is also at Muse.

Think that's it? NO WAY.

Muse It Publishing is a family. All of my brother and sister authors are supportive and caring. The staff want you to learn. No "rejections" and then out the door. Rejections come with recommendations on how to improve your submission. If you learn from the recommendation and are seriously willing to work, you are encouraged to submit again and earn that coveted contract. Two of my manuscripts received such attention.

Have you any idea the value in being shown how to grow as a writer and to be the best you can be?

My miracles keep growing...and here's a small listing of what those miracles are:

Book One: My first contract: Santa is a Lady; Angie Brightwell is coerced by her best friend and store owner Beck Cavington, to step in four days before Christmas, to fill the suit of the man, Santa, who was taken off the day before in cuffs for being a pervert. Angie is petite and has the voice of a child despite her early-thirties chronology. Her "Ho-ho-ho's" are going to come out sounding like "He-he-he's" But she agrees...Beck knows what buttons to push, and so it comes to pass, Santa is a Lady. Release date from Muse It Up

Book Two: My second contract: The Pendulum Swings; She wakes up with no memory in some futuristic facility. She recognizes nothing in the room, not even the lines on her own hand. In walks a handsome, but very angry man who seems to hate her. He calls her by a name. The name makes her skin crawl, or perhaps it is the loathing in his eyes and the enmity in his voice that makes her skin crawl. Who is she and why does this man hate her, and where was she? She is caught beneath the swinging Pendulum, but when will she learn the truth? Release date March 2011 from the Muse It Hot side of Muse.

Book Three: My third contract is: Twilight Comes, a dark story. No one knows what goes on behind closed doors. What looks like perfection on the outside, has its dark secrets and pervading decay. Decay eventually stinks too much for it not to be discovered and all the rot to make its way out to be scrutinized by one and all. Release Date May 2011

Book Four: My fourth contract: In From The Cold; Mari is 50 and quite happy living on her mountain alone. Her ninety plus year old neighbor died making Mari his beneficiary, but with one stipulation...she must sell his cabin and then she'll inherit the sale price. Determined not to have any man not old enough to be waving at the Grim Reaper, Mari orders her Real Estate Agent not to sell to any man under the age of 65. Called away for her son's wedding, Mari temporarily signs power of attorney to her agent. She comes back to a man, a young man, couldn't be a day over 35, the sign-sealed and delivered owner of the cabin right across their mountain road from her. After a spring and summer of having to drool over him parading out there in skimpy shorts, Speedos indecently lacking material, with winter a heartbeat away and him still out there chopping wood without his shirt, she decides to get him out of her system by jumping his bone and getting the deed truly over with. Release Date June 2011 from the Muse It Hot side of Muse

Book Five: My fifth contract: This Time Forever, centers around a couple who have not met anywhere but online, yet. The story starts with both of them heading towards the Hilton and that first meeting. They haven't met, so how come all day long they are both having some really erotic day-backs of a life in Ancient Pompeii that seems far too real for comfort? Release date August 2011

Book Six: My sixth contract: Beyond Yesterday is another dark story. A successful young woman sees the Reba MacEntire video for the song FANCY and is drawn to return to her own horror and the hovel that was her childhood home. There she confronts the memories of her past, and the unknown secrets that shaped that past. Release Date September 2011

Book Seven: My seventh contract is the sequel to my first contract; The Christmas War. Beck from book one is now going to get her Christmas Miracle, but before she can receive it she must first deal with her manipulative mother who has her own mandate, to get her daughter married to anyone she herself can control between now, December 21st and Beck's 35th birthday on December 30th. Her mother is not about to fail in her quest no matter what Beck wants. Release Date December 1, 2011

So my road to Muse has been more than just a tiny bit successful. And I'm just getting started. My Muse is out of her seclusion and she's got a lot to say.

Sleeping With The Enemy ?

The girl above I have met during this winter and I have pictured her here before. She is young and sweet - but I have to confess that during our first meeting up I just had a superficial image of her. An-easygoing-person-who-moved-to-Holland-to-live-with-her-Dutch-boyfriend, sort of idea.

After some conversations later on this year I could notice how tough working, serious student, goal minded and resilient she is. Big smiles, big laughing and big plans. Probably I will be featuring an interview with her later on here on the GFH.

Here is Elaine with her boyfriend, Bjorn, in a bar in Leiden. Yep, apparently he has become a huge Brazilian fan (and I hope he is not wearing something orange under it). This brings me to the following question directed to all mixed couples in Holland or in the rest of the world... during World Cup soccer games who do you root for ? And your partner... who is he rooting for ? Elaine, if Brazil plays against Holland... does Bjorn must wear the Brazilian team's jersey ? If not... does he go to the bench ? And under which conditions does he get a red card ? So many questions, so little time...

Celebrating after Brazil has scored its second goal against Korea. Now... a beautiful brunette, a soccer match plus a couple of beers... It doesn't take much for a guy to be happy, does it ?

Brazil 2 x 1 Korea

I still find odd about the Dutch television that they do not show Brazilian street scenes during the games Brazil takes part in. Don't they have reporters there or elsewhere in the world (=out of Europe)? Globo television always before matches, during the commercial breaks and after matches presents flashes of different parts of the country, interviews with the family and friends of the players, how Brazilian people are following and celebrating the games in South Africa and around the world... I bet Globo also has cameras in Korea and has approached the Korean community in Brazil as well. So much more dynamic. The Dutch press is more concerned about the Bavaria babes fiasco than anything else. Bah !

Maicon kisses his wedding ring after scoring a goal: "I have thought about all what I have gone through in my life to arrive here and remembered about everyone who have helped me along the way." (photo Epoca online)

I Wish I Were There

My simple feijoada for this evening is ready ! I have fried some sausages, added diced onion and garlic and then very finely sliced dried meat. I poured it into the black beans broth cooked with a dried laurel leaf in a pressure pan and... voila ! It could easily feed 11 men ! My today's feijoada is not a complete one, with all those side dishes but it will do perfect for a lonely savouring on the couch in front ot the telly. Kaka, Pato, Robinho... vai galera !

By the way...
Ever wondered how Brazilians react when the soccer team scores ?
Check below. I wish I were there during the World Cup games.

Holland 2 x 0 Denmark

Come on Holland, go !

Don't embarrass the Lion

Come on Holland, go !

Don't play like a wuss
Come one Holland, go !

Don't be overwhelmed

Cause the Lion playing football
Can beat anybody in the world !

Vai Holanda, vai !
Não deixe o leão manso

Vai Holanda vai !

Solta o bicho

Vai Holanda vai !

Não se deixe abater

Vai Holanda vai !

Porque um leão de chuteiras

Domina o mundo

Call Appeldoorn (Dutch Insurance Company)

The English guys just wanted to have sunny vacations in Rio.

Off

S.: - Mira, que chico lindo.
Me: -Si.
S.: - Que ojos... azules...
Me: - Si, lo he visto.
S.: - Y rubio ! Tan rubio !
Me: - Aham.
S.: - Tan alto ! Ay, pero como son altos los chicos de aqui.
Me: - Shhh.
S.: - Aaaah ! Mujer, que maravilla !
Me: - Todo es relativo.
S.: - Pero ese chico...
Me.: - Cuidado. Muchos holandeses compreeenden as veces espanol...
S.: - Que ? No ! Impossible.
Me: - Si !
S.: - NO ! El no reacciona. No percebe nada. No nos mira.
Me: - Bueno. Vamos a pagar.

Me: - Goede middag.
(El chico lindo, de ojos azules, rubio y alto):
- Goede middag. 2 cappuccinos, 1 muffin...
Verder nog iets ? Nee ? Het wordt dan 6 euro graag.
Me: - Alstublieft.
S.: - Anita, y no hay cucharas ?
(El chico lindo, de ojos... etc.): -Si, hay. Aqui. Algo mas ?
S.: - !!!!

An afternoon dedicated to real friendship.

You will need:
2 talkative women;
4 cappuccinos;
2 cubes of sugar;
2 muffins;
2 glasses of wine;
3 sigs;
1 rainy afternoon (optional)
some paper napkins for occasional origamis.

Mix well until you get zillions of laughings. Tested and approved. I recommend it.

I believe in virtual friendships, I really do. In a certain way they can be very fulfilling and joyous. But you know what ? Photos lie. Films lie. Even mirrors lie. And I like hearing accents and entonations, I like observing the body language, the twinkle in the eye, the insecurities and pauses, the eventual goose bumps, confessing our human flaws... There's nothing like seeing your good old friends in flesh and blood !

World Press Photo

You can bet I'll visit it.

Pode apostar que essa eu vou visitar.