Red Curry Lentil Soup

Note: This is not a picture of MY soup, but it looks like this. :)

I have become a bit of a small time chef since I moved here. I often wonder if I would be able to cook back in the states with all the fancy ingredients and cookware available. At any rate, I have been asked a few times for recipes so I thought I would put some here. Ingredients are listed as they are found here in Prague (for a change). You US folks shouldn't have a problem finding any of the stuff. So...

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils
• 2 med onions
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups water
• 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
• 6-8 curry leaves (or basil leaves as substitute)
• 2 tablespoons curry paste
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin (or to taste)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 cup coconut milk (OPTIONAL)

Directions

1. Soak the lentils in water for an hour or so. (This makes them easier to digest) Discard any lentils that float to the top.
2. Drain and put into a pot with water, one sliced onion, garlic, cinnamon, pepper, curry powder, cumin and bay leaves. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer until lentils are soft and most of the water has boiled off. (but leave a little water, or add some back in)
3. Slice remaining onion very thin. While the lentils are cooking: In a large skillet or saucepan, caramelize the onion and basil leaves in the ghee. I like to add just a little curry paste to this as well.
4. Take out the bay leaves and use submersion (stick blender) blender to puree lentils, onions and spices.
5. Stir in the onion basil mixture and remaining curry paste and place over med heat.
6. Let simmer, serve immeaditaly. If a richer soup is desired add the coconut milk at the end and stir until blended.

Temperance 'Tember

Living in Prague is awesome. I love it. I love the seasonal changes. I love the fact that even though I have been here almost five years, at times I still look around and say "Holy crap! I live in Europe!" I love the massive amounts of holidays in this country and I love the fact that the culture isn't centered around work/business. I love sledding in the winter and the beer gardens and parks in the summer. I love the cheap booze.

This is a city of excess. If you want it you can find it in Prague. And you can find it 24 hours a day. (Unless of course if what you want is food. If you want food you have to get it before 11pm or wait til the stores open. Sure you can get hookers at all hours, but not a hamburger. Oh Denny's! Where art thou?) And that is one of the great things about Prague cheap booze 24/7. But it can wear on you.

I've been trying to "get healthy" for a while now, and I have been doing an alright job. I lost some weight, exercised sporadically and cut back on booze and smoking. I even gave up gummy bears. My body responds well to being treated nicely. When I don't drink or smoke, I feel good. When I spend 45 minutes running, I feel good. When I eat a salad rather than a frozen pizza, I feel good - and a little hungry.

Temperance is a core virtue in Hinduism, Taoism and Buddhism. It is having control over excess. And for me, that is what September is about. Buddha said, “Temperance is a tree which as for its root very little contentment, and for its fruit calm and peace.” And I agree. I am not giving up the joys of alcohol forever. Nor am I judging those who keep drinking. I am detoxifying my body as I have my life. I seek total peace in my surroundings, my relationships and in my professional life. I have made it a point to get out of toxic relationships with friends and other people in my life that are not a positive influence. I have left behind jobs that lead me to feel stressed and taken advantage of. My home is now a place of light and air and comfort. I now need to make peace with my body.

I don't think it will be difficult. I start a new job that will have me up at 6a.m. every day so, that will in and of itself modify my behavior on week nights. That just leaves Saturday and Sunday. It will be a challenge not to get wasted with my friends, laugh, and act like a jack ass; but I think if I keep in mind that it is just for thirty days it will be no problem. It will also solidify my decision to not use cigarettes any longer. The only time I seem to want one is when I get drunk. So, remove the alcohol and the smokes will follow. I think my friends will be supportive of my decision and not make fun of me. And I promise not to tease them when they are hung over and I am awake and feeling good.

Wish me luck and good fortune on my journey friends, and I will see you on the other side. I will let you know how it goes either way. 

Creatures of Habit

Whether we like it or not, we are all creatures of habit. There might be a coffee cup you choose every morning out of the fifteen other coffee cups available to you. (Mine is a dainty white porcelain cup with the name Martina written on the back in red script, and a weird picture of an animal that is half cat, half racoon. I call the cup "Catcoon".) You probably get in the shower and proceed to wash your body parts in the same order every single day without ever noticing it. You rarely take a different route to work or eat something different or unexpected for lunch. Your day is a parade of activities that is as common and placid as gray slacks and a white button down.

So, blow it up.

Start small. Try choosing tea instead of coffee on Thursday. Order Moo Shu Pork instead of Sweet and Sour Chicken when you get Chinese take out. Read a book from a new author, or better yet a new genre. Go jogging outside instead of running on the treadmill. Go shopping at a different grocery store and buy an exotic fruit you have never eaten. 

It seems silly, but little tiny changes in your day can lead to big changes in your life. I know, I know, I sound like Oprah. But bear with me for just a minute. In the past month and a half I have had nothing but free time and a very clean slate. My entire life changed in the course of two weeks. I moved. I went from living alone in a small flat to living with someone in a much bigger place. I changed neighborhoods. I got a new job. I have an oven. My weekly karaoke tryst was taken away. But instead of fighting the tide, I dived in.

I started cooking things that I have never tried before - some to great acclaim, some straight to the garbage. I found new restaurants, new bars and new ways to waste the infinite amount of time on my hands. I had forgotten that I am a creative person. I hand made a goofy looking doll, I made a colorful cover for a very "Czech looking" notebook, and I even fashioned a festive DIY shirt for the Prague Pride parade. I found a few new places to sing karaoke and was quickly asked at each why I don't have a band.

If you never try new things, then you'll never know if you are changing and growing. Five years ago I tried on a new country and found it to be a pretty good fit. How's that for thinking outside the box? I'm off to the movies. And, for the sake of doing something different I am going to get a small popcorn instead of a large. Oh yeah, I know how to walk on the wild side. 

Brains V. Beauty

I write this as a woman who considers herself of average looks. On a good day above average and a little sexy. That's right I am sexy. I know the power of sex but I don't wield it carelessly. I don't think I could even if I wanted to because as I said, I am an average beauty. I am laughably short, busty, I have (as Sir Mix A Lot would say) "Back" and long blonde hair. I'm alright. Good looking enough to get by. Let's just say, I am not one of those people who you feel sorry for when you see them on the bus. I understand the power of beauty and of sexiness. I also understand that it is a full on conscious decision that one makes. High heels, a perfume dip and cleavage as far as the eye can see does not happen naturally, or on accident. Look in any woman's magazine and see the proof.

Being a woman means that I am aware of my looks every day. I am aware that I am judged by men and women alike based on my hair, my face my clothes and my body. I am aware that I can manipulate any of the aforementioned to fit my purpose and to get a desired reaction. Beautiful women are masters of manipulation whether it is a conscious or unconscious decision. 

But brains are not. You are either smart or you are not. I have always held fast to the statement that I would rather be thought of as smart rather than as beautiful. I sincerely hope that when people think of me they think, "Gosh! That Alicia is one clever lady.", rather than, "Woo! That girl is hot!". The second is not very gratifying and it just doesn't last. People age and gravity happens to all of us. I'm fine with that. I do what I can to keep myself looking young (such as work out, eat healthy, take my vitamins) but I won't ever be in line for cosmetic surgery. That's just not who I am. I pride myself on the fact that I can carry on a conversation on just about any topic. I can hold my own when it comes to the arts, politics, cooking, film history, American history and so forth. If I don't know, I am smart enough to fake it. And smart enough to know when YOU are faking it. PlayingDevil's Advocate is one of my favorite pass times. 

I'm a failure as a woman. My men expect so much of me, because of the image they've made of me — and that I've made of myself — as a sex symbol. They expect bells to ring and whistles to whistle, but my anatomy is the same as any other woman's and I can't live up to it. Statement c. 1962, as quoted in Marilyn (1992) by Peter Harry Brown and Patte B. Barham, Ch. 30

Marilyn Monroe is historically thought of as one of the most beautiful women who ever lived. And she is. But she struggled her whole life to be thought of as more than that. She was a very smart and witty woman. If you read through some of her journals and interviews you will notice how quick she is. She once said "Arthur Miller wouldn't have married me if he thought I was a dumb blonde." And that's a good point. Yet most people say that he married her for her looks. 

Like Marilyn, the struggle for all of us is to be taken seriously. A woman can be sexy and smart, she shouldn't need to choose.  And yet many women dumb themselves down in the company of men. They think that it makes them more attractive and it makes men feel important to know more. One woman I know said to me, "Men like to show off their knowledge and I like to let them. If it makes them feel better to feel smarter than me, what's the difference? As long as he comes home with me I'm happy." The problem is being disingenuous to boost the male ego makes the rest of us ladies look stupid. I don't want to be with a man who has to think he is smarter than me. I want a guy who IS as smart as me. And if he is smarter? Well, then I now have someone to learn from.

But I have to say, the women who focus on looks get exactly what they want. They are the ones who get the compliments. They are the ones who get the attention. They get daily validation on their appearance and therefore focus on it more and more. So maybe those women are on to something. Maybe we all need to focus more on how we look so men will pay more attention to us. 

Or maybe there is a balance. Nobody wants to be (or be with) someone who doesn't care about how they look. Ladies want a man who put some care into his appearance (but not too much. Nobody wants to be with THAT guy) and men want a someone who they can be proud of. And that's alright. But what if we started placing more emphasis on brains? Instead of making women dependant on compliments about their appearance, make them crave compliments on their mind. How often does your boyfriend ask you about your opinion on world events? Did that guy you like ask you about what you think of the debt ceiling? Guys, do you ever tell her she is smart rather than hot?

I guess if I could choose I would want to be like Gillian Anderson's Agent Scully from  the X FILES. She was super smart, clever, funny, and easy on the eyes. Her opinion always mattered and she worked side by side (not under) with Mulder. She didn't have to convinceanyone that she was smart OR sexy. You knew the minute she walked in the room. That's what I strive for. I've set the bar pretty high with a fictional FBI Agent who is played by a glamorous movie star, but I have my size sixes planted firmly on terra firma. I'll never actually be her - but I can be just as kick ass. Cause hell, the world has not seen what I am fully capable of. My kung fu is just as good as yours, Agent Scully.  

PRIDE and Prejudice

Yesterday was the first (and hopefully annual) Prague Pride Festival. Thousands of people came out to celebrate, party and be a part of a day of acceptance and tolerance. I was one of them. I marched through the city center rubbing elbows with drag queens, bears and trannies wearing my DIY pink PRIDE tank top. Not since I lived in San Francisco have I had the opportunity to hang with such a great gay community. 

The march was fun-filled and very peaceful. The people who came out to watch seemed to enjoy the colorful atmosphere. And how could you not? It was a parade of thousands of people who were SO happy to just be allowed to walk down the street without being called a name or be able to hold their partners hand. My male friends sported rainbow buttons and buttons that said "I heart Boys". Hell, I was wearing a button that said "I heart My Penis". Tranny Pride! Everyone got into the spirit of the event.

The march ended in a festival that hosted two stages, DJ's, dancing and live music. I danced in the hot sun, drank a sangria and took some awesome pictures with the Leather Daddies. There were men, women, families, gays and straights all having a great time in the name of tolerance. The small spattering of rain didn't stop anyone from celebrating.

Unfortunately, the only time I noticed intolerance was within my own circle of friends. One of my Czech friends came to the festival and their distaste for the event was evident. One can say they support gay rights - HUMAN RIGHTS - but words are cheap. My mom always told me that actions speak louder than words, and I think she might have been right. My friend not only refused to come into the festival, but they refused to wear a rainbow button, backing away from it as if it were fire. My friend also refused to a communal toast to "Yay for Gay Pride". On a day of tolerance, how could one be so intolerant?

The Czech Republic has come a long way. I have lived here almost five years and I am happy to see that they are finally getting on board. Sure the politicians still have their heads up their very up tight asses, but they will come around. They will have to. And hopefully the new generation of Czechs will be more tolerant. I think they learn words like "deviant" and "immoral" from the parents and grandparents and never question the validity of what they learn. But it is time to start questioning and pushing. It is time to start actually BEING a tolerant society. I do it every day. I don't particularly like that most Czech men don't smell very good, most Czech people think of beer as the second coming, or that Czech people generally cheat and think it's ok. I don't like that when some straight people get married they think the world has to stop for them, but when a gay person wants to get married it infringes on their personal rights. I don't like that people with kids think they have more rights than me just because they have kids. Yeah, I don't like any of it. But you know what? I tolerate it because it's none of my business.

Time in a Bottle

An unhurried sense of time is in itself a form of wealth. - Bonnie Friedman

When you are not working you have to plan the mundane details of your life. You need to set a time and day for each task, giving it room to breathe and stretch and expand. If you go to the grocery store, do laundry, wash the dishes, and pick up the flat all on Monday – whatever will you do on Tuesday? Never mind Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The days tend to ooze together like some soft gelatinous “thing” or taffy that has been left out in the sun. I take walks around the neighborhood and I read a few chapters in whatever book is waiting next to my bed.  I do anything that does not require me to spend money. There is no internet at my flat until the end of the week so I cannot fill my day with endless hours of “missed” television, or read internet articles about the glorious history of the chickpea.

With three more weeks left to fill before I regain status as a fully employed worker bee, I am left with a strange cocktail of emotions. I am one part eager – eager to get back to work and busy myself with my new job and feel useful. I am two parts anxious – anxious about my new school, and a little anxious about all this free time I have been given. I don’t want to waste it, but at the same time – I have no income. Every morning I wake up and swallow that cocktail and try to ease in to the day with a little help from Jacqueline du pre and nescafe instant coffee. 

It’s 1:00pm now and I have already gone downtown on a fruitless shopping expedition, done a load of laundry and stopped by the mall to use the free wifi at McDonald’s. I shared a table with a charming Czech woman who thought I was "too nice to be from the UK." I am going to buy some groceries and then call it a day.  And that’s enough for Monday because, like Scarlett said, tomorrow is another day. 

Vinohrady - Again

Just this week I moved into a new flat in my old neighborhood. I didn't realize until this morning how much I missed living here. I took a walk down Vinohradska and over to Riegrovy Sady Park and got a happy feeling. I am pretty sure that at one point there was skipping. And giggling. So much has changed, and yet so much has stayed the same. There are still cute little coffee shops and restaurants scattered about the streets, Dagmar still works at the Albert and there are still smelly bums in JZP Park.

But I made a few new discoveries on my morning jog. There is a Farmer's Market at JZP Park! I had no idea! (For all you newbies or people who don't read my blog JZP is Expat slang for Jiřího z Poděbrad. Yeah... YOU try saying that the first week in Prague.) There is a new restaurant that specializes in Phở - a dish that is very hard to find in Prague. I even saw a pizza place that features a Ninja Turtle on the sign. I don't know if that is good or bad, but I do know I am going back to take a picture. 

Typical Czech Panelak

I also forgot how beautiful it is here. Down in Zizkov most of the buildings are old and just getting older. Most are from communist times and are just plain ugly. They are called panelaks - which are huge, tall buildings with a bunch of flats squeezed together. Not the most inspiring sight when you walk down the street. Vinohrady has a few of those still, but it also has a great deal of beautiful buildings that make you think, "Hell yeah! I live in Europe!"

I love Zizkov and I always will but it feels good to be back where I started.