Thursday, July 16, 2009

I've taken up smoking

Yes at the age of 33 I have decided that it is about time I tried to smoke. I think you can't really appreciate this when you are younger as it is just something that older people tend to do. Oh yes, of course people, I am not talking about cigarettes, pipes or a cheeky cigar. No. I am talking about foodstuffs. We repaired the smoker in Sokolka with a nice bricklaying display by myself and Marty. Now, we may even be able to smoke hot as well as cold there. We have produced our first batch of smoked cheese and well it wasn't too bad I must say. I was a nice light apple-wood smoke.

is that corn?

looks like two!

Oh it is cheeses! Yum!

Look at that smoker go!

Smoked cheese, for everyone outside of Poland, is a Polish tradition, delicacy and appears god given birth right. Here in Poland (as opposed to the UK, NZ and Australia) is a veritable sea of smoked products! There is smoked: sausages, cheeses, chicken, turkey, beef, and of course, lots of fish of all types shapes. So it was only natural that I would eventually get to this point in time. :) The next challenges to look at is can we smoke turkey, as the flavour of smoked turkey is just delicious, I would also love to do beef, but think that would be a little harder.... we will see though. Anything is possible. :) Suggestions or tips and hints will be gladly received.

Also, on the weekend of smoking, I was lucky enough to try something I didn't know existed. No, not the mosquito repellent that was needed to keep away the innumerable blood sucking bastards. Like you can see in the photos of me swimming in the sea of chamomile, and trying to dance to remove them from my delicate models skin.
I hear a buzzing.....

Mosquitos!!!!!

It was the chance to drink the unheralded Russian Champagne (sort of) wine! It was very reminiscent of Chateau Yaldara sparkling wine, for anyone who was once a teenager in Adelaide. Sweet to the extend that it was like sparkling cordial! So maybe something I don't need to return to in the very near future, maybe the Russians should stick to things they are good at, Caviar and English football teams.

Yay, something new to try!

But it has a plastic cork!

Oh well here goes nothing, if I am blind in the morning blame the Ruski's.

And so the sun sets on another Sokolka experience...... what will happen next?

Friday, July 03, 2009

Something I thought about a while ago....

Something that popped into my head a little while back, and I wrote down in my little note pad, but never put up here is

The thought of people as building products:

Polish people to me are like Concrete, the are uniform and constant, a little bland, but strong willed. They are highly versatile but have certain environments they function best in.

Australians are like bricks, from afar they all look identical and smaller than other materials, but up close they are all slightly different and always look better in the sun.

The Brits are more like wood, traditional, normally even grained (tempered), but their faults and flaws cannot be hidden and are normally on the surface. They can be refined and elegant when you take time with them, but the majority are untreated and unpolished.

Americans are like glass they are mostly transparent unless mixed with something else, shiny, modern and almost always reflective.

Kiwis are like straw, down to earth, try to be environmentally responsible by blending in, appear nicer in a big bunch and if well bred should be thin, but most have big heads.

Guatemalans (los Chapins) are hard to describe, maybe most are like stone as they have ancient history that goes back a long way, but they can be fashioned into beautiful items that are modern and sleek or stuff rough and tough.

What do you think? I will probably try to come up with some more groups at a later date.... but have a great weekend everyone! It should be a hot one! yay!