Thursday, June 17, 2010

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Well, more like the most wonderful time that happens every 4 years! Why?

Because....

So happy to see these boys play....



And these boys too...



When we moved in to our new place, our landlord told us that we would be getting a new TV in "10 days." Then it became "7 days." And then it reverted back to "10 days." Then it was in "a few days." Sigh. But thankfully, three months later and during the week of the opening match of the World Cup, it arrives! The hubby is happy to be able to watch all the matches in style.

On a related note of how to translate Srpski with cultural undertones, I went downtown to an educational bookstore with the sole intention of buying some grammar books for my ESL student. Singular. Yet to be plural. Anyway, I arrived at the bookstore and there was a sign on the door that I took to read, "Be back in 5 minutes!" "Hmmm, 5 minutes," I thought to myself. "I can wait around for a bit since it is my sole purpose to visit this store." So, I waited. And waited some more. After 15 minutes, I decided to slowly wander around the block. No one was home upon return. I decided to go kill some time at a nearby beauty store. I aimlessly wandered the aisles for awhile and thought to myself, "Surely by now someone is back at the store from their extended lunch/coffee/smoke break." Hahaha...how silly of me. When I returned, there was evidence that someone had been there as there was a new sign that I took to say, "Be back at 2:45 p.m." It was currently 2:00 p.m. and I had been doing this dance since 1:00 p.m. I was not going to give up so easily. I would not let this little bookstore best me! So, I wandered over to American Corner, chatted with my friend who works there, and explained to her my predicament. Thankfully, AC carries a small section of ESL books for teachers so I was able to check a couple out. By now it was 3:00 p.m. One last shot at the bookstore....and that's right, when I returned to the scene for the final time, no one was there. Sigh. I threw in the towel and grabbed a taxi back home as I was in no mood to walk a couple of miles in 90+ degree heat.

I don't think that in any other country would I devote so much time to one little bookstore outing with such persistence. Better luck today, I hope??

Thursday, June 10, 2010

I'm melting!

Whoohoo...summer has arrived in Podgorica with a vengeance! From what I can tell from weather.com, we will be pushing into the 90s from here on out.

I wanted to snack on my chocolate covered cookie while sitting here at the computer and this is what I discovered...



Mmmm....melty.

And please do not misconstrue the above "whoohoo" as an exclamation of excitement...because it's not. Rather, it is one of defeat and resignation.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Foodie with time on her hands

Day 2 without substitute teaching. SAT tutoring student cancelled afternoon study session. Rainy, dreary day. What am I to do?

Let my inner foodie loose in the kitchen, of course.

Baked Salmon and Green Bean Packet(s)


2 small salmon fillets
1 c. frozen green beans
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 t. honey
1 t. soy sauce
1-2 t. evoo, plus extra for drizzling
1/4 c. walnuts, chopped
S&P to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Line baking dish with a large piece of aluminum foil. Place salmon fillets on foil and green beans around salmon. Season all with s&p; drizzle beans with evoo. Mince garlic and chop walnuts. In a small bowl, combine garlic, honey, soy sauce, evoo. Eyeball measurements until it "looks right." Spread the honey garlic mixture over the salmon. Sprinkle all with chopped walnuts. Bring together the edges of the foil and crinkle up to form a packet. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and the beans appear to no longer be frozen.

If you are to use this recipe, please refrain from calling it Baked Salmon and Haricots Verts Packets. I know that it may sound fancy-schmancy and that you may be alluding to a longer, thinner type of green bean, but you are just saying "green beans" in French. On a related rant, don't use "sans" and pronounce the "s" at the end. If we are to use another language, let's try not to butcher it on purpose.

And yes, the salmon will have a more intense flavor if you let it marinate for 30 minutes or so, but who has time for that?

On that note, I am going to go eat my salmon sans haricots verts.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Now what?


This may be my first free day from the international school. The director was going to call me if he needed me to fill in today. As it is now almost 8 a.m. here, I am going to guess that they have their regular staff back in full force today. I must say that I am a bit surprised that I enjoyed myself as much as I did; it was nice to have somewhere to go when I got up in the morning. I think that this state I now find myself in is a preview of what the summer will be like here; I hear that the city shuts down and everyone hightails it to the coast. And who can blame the lovely citizens of Podgorica? Given that they have gobs of vacation time (the hubby mentioned something about a mandatory 28 days of vaca in the summer alone...someone please tell me if this is true/false!) and this city becomes a veritable heat trap, I would head for the hills (or beach, take your pick) too!

Must....find....something.....to do.........