Twenty-five years later

Eighteen seconds. My life changed for ever after eighteen seconds on that Thursday morning. I went to bed a child, and I came out of the ruins of my house an adult.
The presence of absence is still palpable, our broken childhood a latent memory. My brother lost.
The pain is sometimes forgotten, life delivers new horizons, we move on.
The pain is sometimes palpable, life that could have been was not, we remember.
I remember you.

Image: Fernando Botero, "Terremoto en Popayán" 1999

Out of this World

When I was younger, I used to look at the stars and wonder where the great bear was. I wanted to find the giraffe, the archer, the winged horse. I spent many hours with my eyes fixed on the dark sky, tracing imaginary lines between the bright dots. I never saw the bear, but I knew it was there. Then I grew up some, the stars were more than dots on a blackboard, and Carl Sagan's Cosmos opened my eyes to other possibilities: "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." I never saw the bear, but I knew it was there. I grew up some more, and my questions grew with me. The universe a molecule, my world in a grain of sand.


Then what was foreign was no more. I found other worlds without looking at the stars. I am here, now, I know this much. I was there, then, I know this much. I might never see the bear, but I know it is there.

Art, earth and apologies

Apologies first, I went away to Germany on holiday and I did not even leave a note for you! Now I am back and I have a lot to tell, so I will make up for my absence.

My friend and neighbor Debby from Bee in Italy told me about this amazing event in which Earth, mother earth, our earth is going to be honored for an hour. Just an hour? you say. Yes an hour, but what an hour! 60 whole minutes without lights all over the world, at 8:00 PM (your local time) on March 29th. You can read all about it here. See the difference that you can make!

Our trip included a visit to the "Pinakothek der moderne" or the Museum of Modern Art in Munich, I was inspired by a temporary exhibition made by students and teachers, using self-locking plastic strings (you know the ones that look like little belts, and once you engage one end with the other are stuck for ever.) It took 52 people a total of 16,870 hours and 1'292,300 plastic strips. A lot of fun and creativity, enjoy the pictures...

I just don't get it...

Words that hurt, and pry, and lie.

Love that breaks, and falls and parts.

Minds that sleep, and lie, and die.

Hands that close, and hide, and crash.

Eyes that dim, and shut, and cry.

Running

Spring is here, the weather is beautiful, and my excuses have gone with the cold. I am officially back to running and happy to be back. There is nothing like a run to make you feel good about yourself and the wonderful gift that is your body. I like being outside with my friend and my dog, breathing fresh air, feeling the rush of blood, talking about nothing and everything.
You might remember that I want to run a marathon before I turn 50; I still have a good 9 years before my time is up. Of course I am not training for a marathon NOW, but I will like to train for a half marathon this summer.


I have run 2 half marathons, and I loved doing so. The first time around I signed up with a running club to learn how to train, how to stretch, what to eat, what to wear, etc. It was a great experience, I was so new to the world of running that I felt successful just by finishing those 13 miles. Needless to say, my time was not great. By the second time, I was a member of a running club (miss you guys!) and I was so lucky to have a group of inspiring, strong women to run with. I learned so much from them, their character and passion showing on every step of our runs together. I became a better person and a better runner because of them. I ran my second half in 2:05:00 -which is a time I am proud to post.
When we moved to Italy I was in really good shape, I felt younger and stronger than when I was in my thirties. I tried to stay on top of my routine, but many things got in the way. I also tried to star a running club within the expat community without much luck. I am happy that my friend Pien runs, we go to the trail near our houses twice a week and it is always a gift.
The whole purpose of this post is to write down (for everyone to see) my renewed commitment to running. I have even added a little widget to my sidebar that keeps track of my miles and my time. It is official now, I am on my way to Bogota's half marathon on July 27. Just 2,640 mt (8,661.4 ft)over sea level, a minor detail!

La cucina di Nicola: Amazing brownies

"La cucina di Nicola" is open! We are making brownies today, chewy, spongy, chocolatey brownies.
When my husband was a child, he used to bake brownies at home (Did I say that Colombians don't bake? My mistake!) and bring them to school to sell to his classmates. He went to an all boys school in Bogota, I so admire his entrepenurial spirit! He tells of the many times when the teacher would call him up to the board to answer a question, and he could only watch in disbelief while his so-called friends raided the brownie bounty. He did not get discouraged though, he even made some money from his little business (it is the Paisa in him -inside Colombian joke, sorry!)
Today, in honor of his dad, Nicolas is making brownies -It is "la festa di San Giuseppe" or Saint Joseph day's today. In other words today is Italy's father's day celebration... you know with Joseph being the step-father to Jesus and all.
I do not want to brag, but these are great brownies!!! Really good!!!
So, without more interruptions, we give you:

DAD'S AMAZING BROWNIES



340 gr (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate
225 gr (1 cup) butter
5 eggs
500 gr (2.1/4 cups) sugar
15 ml (1 tbs) vanilla
140 gr (1.1/2 cups) flour
1.5 gr (1 ts) salt
170 gr (1 cup) chocolate chips, optional

Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F) and grease a 22x33 (9x13) baking pan

Melt butter and chocolate over very low heat, set aside. On a bowl mix eggs, sugar and vanilla, beat on high speed for about 8 to 10 minutes. Mix with the chocolate mixture until completely incorporated.
On a smaller bowl sift the flour and the salt together. Add the flour a little at a time to the chocolate-egg mixture, and incorporate.
Add the chocolate chips (or toasted walnuts, if preferred) and mix well.
Pour mixture into the greased pan.
Bake for about 35 minutes, no more! Do not overbake!
Cool and enjoy!

Meme

I have been tagged by my new blog-friend Jo of Frutto della Passione for a meme. This is quite an interesting way to get to know other bloggers and for you to know some facts about me. The rules for this meme are:

-Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
-Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
-Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names and links to their blogs.
-Tell them that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I met my husband while rock-climbing. I was the lead and he was my belayer (the one that kept me secure.) Fitting, isn't it?
2. I organize my cutlery and my kitchen knives by size. Freaky, anal, call it whatever you want, but I like order in my kitchen.
3. I always read magazines from back to front.
4. I have been to the top of the Ritacuba Blanco 5,330m (17,487'). # 46 on the list of 50 Most Prominent Peaks on Earth.
5. My favorite movie is Pulp Fiction. Love it or hate it, there is no middle ground here.
6. I am double-jointed, my thumb can fold backwards at a 90 degree angle. (pictures upon request!)
7. Some of my work is in the graphics collection of Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

I'm tagging my friend, neighbor, and new blogger Bee in Italy. Artist extraordinaire Amaretto Girl. Food Goddess Paola. Ultimate Blog Party pals Kristen and Curiosity Killer. Anyone else who will like to do this meme.

I carry

I carry my name, which sounds different in other latitudes. I carry the first words I learned, their sound and rythm an intrinsic part of my accent. I carry memories of a happy childhood: playing on our tree-house, catching frogs with Ana, picking wild blackberries with my brother, hiking with mom and dad, green, always green, the color of my memories.
I carry my heritage, the roots of my tree, transplanted to a new land. My grandfather, self-taught scholar, business man and politician -when politics was not a bad word. My father, creator of color, maker of dreams, a man ahead of his time. My brother, a young life lost, always present in my memories, always felt in his absence. My mother, the stronger woman I know, beautiful and smart; my north.
I carry the smiles, the faces, the words of so many of my friends. Climbing mountains, hiking trails, acting in plays, traveling north and south, working together, building a dream. I am a sum of my friends, I am one in a chain.
I carry the flavors and smells of Colombia, guayaba, mango, maracuya, mora, lulo, to mention a few. I crave this flavors in my mouth, I close my eyes and taste the idea of them.
I carry others with me, those I met along the way, teachers, friends, students, in another land. I learned about me by learning about them. I embraced my differences by opening my mind to the new, the other. I am one amongst many, we all carry our baggage.
I carry...

La cucina di Nicola: Cooking 201 with DeeAnn

Welcome back to "La Cucina di Nicola" with our guest cook DeeAnn!!! As I have mentioned before, my good friend Dee taught Nicolas how to make cinnamon rolls while she was here with us. Nicolas was very motivated by her visit because he loves Dee's cooking, he was ready to learn ALL of her cooking secrets.
This is something that I have never made myself (you know the story, Colombians are not bakers for the most part,) but I do love a good cinnamon roll! I was more than happy to learn the recipe myself, so I took note of the ingredients and the process, for me and for you. I am giving you all ingredients the Italian way (grams and milliliters instead of cups.) If you want to convert the quantities, there is a handy chart here.

CINNAMON ROLLS WITH CREAM-CHEESE FROSTING

The basic recipe for the rolls is based on Paula Deen's recipe as a consequence of DeeAnn not having her own recipe at hand. She says it is basically the same. The frosting is all DeeAnn's.

For the rolls:

1 Package Yeast
120 ml warm water
120 ml warm milk
55 gr. sugar
75 gr. butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
380 to 440 gr. of flour

For the filling:

115 gr. butter, melted
170 gr. sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Dissolve yeast in warm water, set aside. In another bowl mix melted butter, egg, milk, sugar, and salt. Add half of the flour and mix well. Add the yeast mixture. Add the remaining flour a little at a time until dough can be handled easily. knead dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes. Grease a large bowl and place the dough in it. Cover and let it rise for 1.1/2 hours. It should double its size.

Punch down and roll out onto floured surface. Roll into a rectangle of about 38 x 22 cm (15 x 9 in.) Now for the filling: spread melted butter over the dough, leaving a clean border all around of about 1.1/2 cm (1/2 in.) Mix sugar and cinnamon and spread evenly on top, (you could also add raisins or nuts at this point.) Roll the dough from the longer side, seal edges. Cut into slices (about 15.)

Grease a bakin pan or dish with butter. Place the rolls close together. Grease the top side of the rolls and cover again. Let them rise until double, about 45 minutes. Dee placed a container with water in the microwave and heated it, then she placed the covered dough/rolls inside the microwave along with the steaming water. DO NOT microwave them, the purpose is to keep the dough in an enclosed, humid, and warm environment. It works!

Bake for 30 minutes at 175 C (350 F) until golden.

For the frosting:

80 gr. cream-cheese
80 gr. butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250 gr. powdered sugar

Mix cream-cheese and butter. Add the salt, vanilla extract, and sugar, mix well. If the consistency of the frosting is to hard add 1/2 tablespoon of water at a time until you get the consistency of your liking. Spread over slightly cooled rolls.

Buon appetito!

Listen

Music in my ears, music in my heart...
Nicolas plays the guitar, and I still wonder how he does it. Neither my husband nor I are musically inclined, but somehow our boy understands rhythm, notes, cords, and tempo... this fascinates me and makes me proud.
Last week the European School organized a concert at the theater in Varese, we are talking about a proper theater, with professional lights, and sound; all of it very exciting for my boy and his friends. Nicolas has been part of the "Little Big Band" since he started school in September, and even though he signed up for it without knowing what it was all about, he has enjoyed the experience and the music. The concert was a great opportunity to showcase all their hard work. The elementary school had their chorus and their orchestra. The secondary school was represented by their own chorus, orchestra, and Big Band.
I have to admit that my expectations were not high, little did I know that I was about to be pleasantly surprised. The concert began with a joint choirs and orchestra performance of Songs of Sanctuary by Karl Jenkins. I wish I could replay it for you, because it was beautiful! It was a great opening piece with great rhythm and powerful sounds. What I liked best was the fact that all the words in the song are made up words, the syllables borrowed from both Latin and African sounds. How appropriate for a school that has five main sections in five different languages. Each song was introduced in a different language, and it was sometimes translated into Italian... I am glad that music is a language in itself, we did not need translation to understand its meaning.
The program included a little of everything, from classical music, to elvis; from rock and roll to jazz. All in all, the concert was a hit! Nicolas was deeply inspired by the whole evening, he now wants to be the best guitar player there is... I tell him that wanting it is the first step to achieving it. I can't wait!

Ultimate Blog Party

The party is on! I am fashionably late for it but I am ready to have fun and meet new people! Our host, 5minutesformom succesfully hosted another blog party a year ago, and almost a thousand bloggers showed up for it. I did not even know what a blog was a year ago!
So if you are blog-hopping and this is your first time visiting, please get confortable and let's get to know each other. Leave a comment and I will visit you too.
I am Beatriz, the note writer, picture taker, journalist of my life and that of my husband Fernando and my son Nicolas.
This blog of mine started as a way to keep in touch with our friends and family when we moved to beautiful Italy from gorgeous California. I am Colombian, and yes Colombia is magnificent and breathtaking. I am a visual artist, and I am always in search of the particular, the original, the inspiring. This blog is not about art, but it feeds my creativity. I write about simple things, our everyday experiences, the learning process of change, the words in our mouths and the thoughts in our minds, not all in the same language. The writing is mostly in English, a few Italian and Spanish words find their way here though.
Please make yourself at home and take some time to look around, I will be serving lots of desserts from La Cucina di Nicola and will have some Colombian coffee to go with it.

A good friend

Wishing every one of you a belated happy women's day! I have been without my daily computer fix for a week and it has been good! I have missed writing on my blog, visiting my virtual friends, and keeping up with the news, but I have been enjoying my friend DeeAnn's company. She arrived 12 days ago from California and left today; we visited Tuscany, Milan, the lakes, Switzerland and my little home town of Varese. Mind you we still have only one car in our household, so it meant that we left my husband without a car for a long weekend. We managed to squeeze our visits after driving Fernando to his office and during school hours (thankfully Nicolas has 3 long days a week, when he gets home at 4:45). Of course we did not count on Nicolas getting sick and staying home from school, but those days gave us an excuse to take a break, and focus on other things. DeeAnn taught Nicolas to bake cinnamon rolls -I will publish the recipe this week. My son loves Dee's cooking from our days as neighbors in California, he would eat anything she cooks... Note to self: I should just serve him my food and claim that she left it for him...
It was very good to see my good friend again, and to try to talk about every single possible thing that we have not talked about in seven months! I should mention that we are unlikely friends as we think so differently in matters of religion and politics. We have different personalities too, Dee is a planner and I am an improviser; she is ready for everything and I just go about unprepared, hoping that she will be there when I need to be ready. We are friends in spite of our differences, and I have to give credit to Dee for taking the first steps to find our common ground.
I am so thankful to have someone like DeeAnn as a friend, as she is generous, smart, gracious, funny, and sincere. I needed her advice, and her attention, I missed our little debates and great conversations. I wish I was as good a friend to her as she is to me, as I sometimes behave a little like "Jekyll and Hyde" when stress takes over the best of me.
I love my friend, and I will remember her visit for a long time. Thanks for coming Dee!

Busy!

I have been busy! My former neighbor in California and one of my best friends, DeeAnn, is visiting. She arrived last Wednesday and we are talking, traveling, laughing, eating, talking some more, and enjoying each others company. I have been without a computer while traveling and I have not had time to post. I am falling asleep at the keyboard while writing this!!! I will try and do my regular Sunday Scribblings tomorrow... I do not want to leave for dreamland without giving you -my readers- something to make it worth your visit (or so I think!)

I was visiting my friend Anno at her place, when I saw this intriguing test:

You Are a Comma

You are open minded and extremely optimistic. You enjoy almost all facets of life. You can find the good in almost anything. You keep yourself busy with tons of friends, activities, and interests. You find it hard to turn down an opportunity, even if you are pressed for time. Your friends find you fascinating, charming, and easy to talk to. (But with so many competing interests, you friends do feel like you hardly have time for them.) You excel in: Inspiring people. You get along best with: The Question Mark.

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

Open minded, yes. Fascinating? I don't know...