What a night

We went to dinner at our friend's last night, lots of fun and good food. I spent time with their 5 year old, coloring Hello Kitty. She is the cutest little thing, she speaks 3 languages - Romanian, Russian and English. She spent about half an hour trying to help me roll my Rs. I can only do it if the word starts with a T, otherwise spit is involved and it is more trouble than it is worth. I think the train left the station for my tongue to make that sound.

We got to sleep around 1am, not too bad. It was raining so hard it was like a hose was pointed at the window, and the wind was howling like mad. Just got to sleep, and the car alarm was triggered by the wind! So not much sleep for ol' insomniac Jessie.

I am so excited to get on that plane and rest. No itinerary, no plans, no expectations. This is embarrassing to admit, but I don't think I could point to where Beijing is on a map of China. Not a very prepared traveler, I must say. If knowledge is power, than I will be very weak. Two weeks to get educated about the country that makes 90% of the products in our home. And two weeks to catch up with some great friends. Finally, here we go.

Down to the wire

Ernst still hasn't packed, he is running a 5k today and has a talk this afternoon. He always manages to pull off what needs to be done, and I should be used to it already, but it still amazes me. Our first trip to Europe had Ernst and JoLee McCurdy running through Brooklyn Heights to mail off the last of the homework he had to grade before he left. He had stayed up 48 hours to get it graded, and somehow managed to finish just in time, run to mail it and run back to the lobby for our ride to JFK. His internal clock has yet to fail him, but one of these days I have a HUGE "I told you so" planned.

One good thing about the talk today, we got invited to Moldovan food after. That means lots of veggies and healthy choices. Right now our fridge is really bare, just some goodies for our dog sitters. A whole mess of our last tasks are on the table, we may be up a while tonight. But good to be tired for that long plane ride. I don't sleep well on planes, or in beds for that matter!

 La revedere! I don't know how to spell good-bye in Chinese.

Ready or not...

...we are leaving in 36 hours. I walked our house sitter through today, trying to think of all the quirks that you learn about a place: turn this this way or this happens, this sticks so give it a good shove, if this goes off it means this. So much to do just to get away for 2 short weeks.

It is finally sinking in that we will be on Vacation for 2 weeks. When people ask what our itinerary is, we honestly don't know! Whatever our hosts have planned. This is so unlike any other trip we have taken. Our first trip to Asia, our first trip where Ernst can't use his German, our first oversees trip in winter. As usual, I'm packed and ready to roll, Ernst is "mentally packing."

Super news though this week, Ernst did not get a pink slip. The day he would have got it, I sent an "orange slip" in his lunch. It said, Orange you glad I'm your wife? Orange you glad you have good health? Orange you glad we're going to China? Orange you glad we have a dog who likes to pee on pink slips? It helped him get through the day waiting for the pink slip that didn't come. We have a bit of survivor's guilt, but both of us unemployed would have been so very pathetic.

I hope to post photos and thoughts of our adventure, we'll see how often it will happen. I'm getting worse with jet lag the older I get, so it may be a few days before I get "orient"ed.

The Alphabet Quilt

My first commissioned quilt! A friend asked me at Irina's wedding if I could do a quilt for an upcoming baby shower. Plenty of time. Except it's the day we get back from China. I first said no, I didn't have the time, but then decided to go for it.

It was a perfect day to sew. It was raining like nuts. Plus our phone and Internet were out, some squirrels had chewed the cable. I just love the way it turned out, cute happy colors with the ABC fabric pulling it all together. What are the chances the recipient is reading this... really slim...practically nonexistent...so here are the pictures!

Not quite this vivid, needed a flash because of the gloomy day

A Moldovan Wedding

 Modovans know how to have a party, and their weddings are certainly fun occasions. Last night we attended the wedding of Irina and Sasha and had a blast. We left at 1 a.m. and there was no indication that things were slowing down. We heard the dancing went on until 3 a.m. The bridesmaids and the bride had not slept at all the night before, I honestly don't know how they manage it. My Western European/Scandinavian genes just aren't made for it.

The food is served family style

Not exactly fit for vegetarians, but we managed

Quail performing the Chicken Dance

Irina and Aleksander

She wore them almost the whole day

There are these huge venues in Sacramento that cater to different cultures. This wedding reception was held at one that is for Russian weddings. Last year we attended a wedding at a place for Eritrean and Ethiopians, and there are huge facilities for Vietnamese receptions as well. You could drive right by them and never know they were there. This one was like a village plaza, complete with lamp posts and sky.

While the food is abundant and yummy, the dancing really takes center stage. The program includes games and contests, definitely not a stuffy evening. The ceremony was at the hall at noon, and then we went home and changed into evening clothes for the 6 pm reception. Ernst went to another party they are having tonight, and they'll get together again tomorrow. These people continue to amaze me. I keep waiting for their stamina to rub off, but for now I need a whole day just to recover from last night.

Here is a video from my dinky camera of some of the games and dances.

The Violeta Quilt

Not sure if Violeta is a Romanian name, but it works great with this quilt. I stayed home yesterday and made this, really dumb because I need to be getting ready for our trip. My list of things to do goes out the door, which is what I need to do. Go out the door and get stuff done!

Tomorrow I need to clone myself. I need to go on field trip to San Fransisco with Ernst and pick up our visas somehow on the same trip. But we have a wedding in our hall, and I have become the defacto wedding ceremony go-to person. The Moldovans are used to the European way of doing weddings. All the legal stuff is done at the courthouse, so they are not big on the actual wedding ceremony there. They pummel us with questions, but I think how would I feel if I were getting married in Moldova and I had no idea what is required? Usually by the end of the night I want to change my name! Tomorrow I'll only answer to Violeta.

Our visas for China

We went to San Francisco yesterday to get our visas at the Chinese consulate. It was a bit like the DMV, wait in a long line outside in the cold, then take a number and wait while staring at a board for the number to come up. Except they don't yet have metal detectors at the DMV. I was expecting something a little more classy. My impressions are preparing me a bit for our upcoming trip.

Chinese babies are the cutest babies on the planet.
I had the largest rear end in the whole place, I forgot how tiny Chinese women are. Must get used to this.
Must get used to the line cutting, even by older people. Hey, climb the hill and wait in line like the rest of us, cute little grandma with the cute little grandkid. And, lady with the adorable kids and the tiny little rear end, WE are number 801, see our ticket???
Speaking Romanian is so convenient, we can talk about people and they can't understand! On the off chance that there is a Romanian anywhere, we slaughter the grammar so badly they won't understand anyway. Our form of Romanglish is like a secret language, can't believe I never realized this benefit before.
Surrendering our passports was an awful feeling. They took them and will return them when we pick up the visas.

Other than that, I am totally unprepared and have no idea what to pack. I can do Europe in summer no problem, but Asia in early spring is throwing me for a loop.

Two more quilts out the door!

A very nice person bought two of my baby quilts today, Tatiana and Laura. I decided to name all my quilts with Romanian first names, it helps me keep track of them.

Tatiana

My policy is "No bolts of fabric were harmed in the making of these quilts." So that means thrift store finds, hand-me-down pieces and bits from friends. It makes things more complicated, but each quilt has a story. Often times I'll be talking to someone, staring at their clothes thinking about how good they would look in a quilt. If I come at you with scissors, don't worry, I mean no harm.

Laura, with a coordinating crib sheet

The Larissa Quilt

This is named after my friend Larissa. She is an amazing seamstress who has a shop in Folsom, Quick Alterations. I would love to have one of her scary powerful industrial strength machines, but it would probably sense fear and rebel for me.

I love how this one turned out, the colors were so easy to work with. It uses some quilt material from my former workmate Kathy, some stuff from thrift stores, and a floral skirt that made me look like a sail boat, the sail part. Ernst saw it on our bed for the photos and said, "can we keep this one?" Nope, it is on Etsy right now.

I need to make at least one more this size, and then try another sale here in the yard. Only 5 sales total so far (not counting the one that got lost in the mail). This isn't exactly a gold mine. But I enjoy the process, and now that I cut the fabric outside, it doesn't trash the house too much.

The regular side

The fringed side

Make room Trader Joe's...

...there is a new store in the neighborhood.

Besides the close location and great products, one of my favorite things about Trader Joe's is the size. I love a food store that sells food and not much else. Buying food at Target or Walmart? Not my idea of fun. If I could get my act in gear, there is a farmer's market on Saturday mornings really close. Really, I must get my act in gear.

I was thrilled when there was talk of a Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Market coming into the old Tower Records store down the way. It was all set, and then the economy tanked and a Goodwill store went in instead!

This winter I noticed a new little grocery tucked into a storefront on Fulton and Alta Arden, AKA Food Mart.  I saw all the fresh fruits and veggies piled up outside, just like in New York. When I finally made a visit, I discovered a treasure. It has some of the most intriguing food from all around the world. At first, the layout was a bit convaluted. I still regret not bringing in my camera earlier to shoot the sardines next to the applesauce next to the cookies. They still need to work out some of the kinks, for instance there are cans of fava beans in about 4 different locations. I love favas, but they are all over this place.

The owner is from Kosovo. He is the kind of guy who greets you like a relative when you walk in. It is full of real food that we buy, beans and rice, fruit and veggies, nuts and grains. The prices are great and they carry your groceries to the car! It is so not "corporate."  There are some products that defy the imagination and each shopping trip is an adventure.

Fruit or vegetable? Friend or foe?

Roman lettuce for Caesar salads?

We'll try this when we are brave

For hockey games?

These look so yummy, but what do I do with them?

What is shwarma, and where has it been my whole life?

Roasted garbanzo beans!

French cookies have a bit of a PR problem

Aren't water chestnuts white and come in a can?

Amazing prices on spices

Do they taste the same?

Zergut brand from Bulgaria, reliably yummy

AKA Food Mart

I have become their biggest fan. Once the cashier didn't understand what a couple from Bosnia was asking her. I knew just what they were looking for and walked them to the coffee section. I talk to other shoppers in there and say "Isn't this the greatest store?" I hope they thrive. I may never have to go in a regular grocery store again!