The music of the four souls

The passionate performance of the orchestra for the theme music of Inuyasha. The anime series that dipicts the conflict between courage, friendship, love and wisdom (the four souls) with their eternal arch enemy, darkness. The music captures the theme and soars with it into the endless skies of fantasy. 

I love you.. more

My Top Ten Energy Boosters

1) Orange juice

curtsey of myveganjournal

Orange juice works wonders when I'm tired. It's delicious, refreshing and energizing. It opens my eyes when otherwise they refuse to open. In those mornings when I can't wake up but have to, I squeeze three oranges into a cup and drink them in a shot. I have discovered Robinsons Orange Squash as a good substitute for when I have no time to do it fresh. 

 

2) Hot Chocolate

A little bit of food sense!

Three heaped spoons of good mood magic and the annoying nursury rhyme in my head at last turns off. My favourite is Options belgian chocolate but this brand has a lot of other flavors. Just stock on a few in your pantry and you can't go wrong. I put a few sachets in my handbag just incase I'm in a place where hot drinking water is available.

 

3) Coffee

I wasn't a coffee person untill recently when I had for no reason an urge to keep a mug of hot something in front of me. One of the various options was coffee. I noticed myself gradually getting addicted to waking up to one. Black or white depending on mood and lactose tolerance for that day. Staying up late to study has now become a synonym for intant coffee that David Crystal should include in his dictionary of linguistics!
 

4) Limes 
Just a slice does the trick for me. Sometimes I add it to a cup of fizzy lemon or to sparkling water with ice. I also add the juice of it over my lunch! So when life hands you limes, use them to get energized! 

5) Honey

The Chef's Pantry

OK well, like the many of us, I really didn't like it untill I tried Eucalyptus Honey. Something about it is different! It has a smoother texture, it's filling and also sounds healthy! I drizzle a table spoon on a pancake for breakfaste especially those days when getting to go feels an enourmous task...from rock a by baby on the tree top Zzzzz to Honey Honey the way he thrills me aha Honey Honey!

6) Red Bell Pepper

Comes in variey of raw and ground. It is said to be a stimulent and has a lot of vitamin C. I add a slice or two in any sandwish. It wakens up and adds flavor. 

7) Mint

Taste Juicycology

My late Aunt Victoria was fond of gardening and a long time ago she used to collect fresh mint from the garden every day. I still remember the scent of grass and wet earth when I visited her. Today I buy dried mint and mint tea from the grocery store. After eating a lot, becoming the laziest person on the planet is not too hard for me. It is then when mint infusions come in handy. Luckily, mint gum has the same effect for when I'm on the go and can't get to a kettle!

8) Popcicles

These magic wands not only brighten up a dull day, they are also amusing to the eye! For a sugar free variety, try making your own ones using sweetner, or better still from the juice of fresh ripened strawberries!

What is Vitamin C

9) Vitamin C
Vitamin C is said to to help the immune system, aid the absorption of iron and fight against cancer and aging. Effrevescent Vitamin C is the way to go when I'm so tired due to an illness or body weekness. I don't like its taste and it upsets my tummy but when I have to, I have to take it. I also recemmend it endlessly to family and friends. Whether that is fact or fable, and like the old Lebanese saying "if it doesn't help, it won't hurt"!

                                                                         
                                                                                    10) Hazelnut spread

Baking Bites

The photo speaks for it self! When I am tired due to stress, what better way to fight it but with Nutella on a toast! I add nuts for extra well nutiness!! and then the world is never the same! If you don't like hazelnut, peanut butter or plein chocolate spread can also work.. Try it if you haven't you won't regret it!

Japanese groceries to your door

If you fancy exploring Japanese food or if you have recently moved away from Japan and want a taste of home, luckily, there are now a number of websites that offer this service. About two years ago I ordered my first grocery shopping from Japan Centre and I found their service to be convenient, affordable and a good value for money. At that time they had a good range of tea, coffee, snacks, bread, rice and sushi making products. They also had the sushi making kit for beginnners which I found awesome! Over the years, their range expanded and they now have a wider variety of  food as well as utensils that include bentos and bento accessories. I received my order in less than five days and everything was fresh and well packaged. I have not ordered from them in a while because my local Asian market is now stocking most of what I need but I keep visiting their website as it now has a receipe section updated regularly with different dishes. I have my eye on a daiso bento box which I think I might be getting soon as they sell it much cheaper than on other websites I've checked so far. These are some pictures from the delivery and the final sushi product that I've made using them. 

    

The whole shopping

Coffee and Cappuccino flavoured drinks

Pocky Pocky Pocky (^_^)

Apple flavored gum

Green tea and Tofu

Chopsticks!

Coffee flavored bun Yummy!

The sushi making kit

Sushi condiments

The end result :D

Top five things NOT to do in Venice

Number One: Do not sit in the cafe with the band in Saint Marco Square

I am not sure about the other cafes in the area but in about just the middle of the right or left side of Saint Marco Square in Venice depending on where you stand, there is a live band that plays on a small stage right amidst the customer tables. If you want to avoid being ripped off about 6 euros of your precious travel money, do not sit at the cafe or you will, like the naiive me, be charged for listening! If you still want an ice cream, grab one and go! 

Number Two: Do NOT visit the place with just a wide zoom lens SLR camera

I assumed it was going to be all well with my Canon EFS 55-250 mm Lens but I was wrong. For a space enclosed in a city like Venice, a smaller lens would be more efficient. I ended up using my mobile phone camera, which wasn't too bad but with just 8mp, I didn't get as detailed images as I would have hoped for. My advice would be to bring along an EFS 18-55 mm for a Canon or something similar for a different brand. 

Number Three: Do NOT assume it won't rain

Just because you are visiting in spring or summer, or because it looks sunny on that day or even the whether forecast on your mobile said it is warm, doesn't mean it will not rain. In my short visit of a day and a half end of May, I saw two completely different weather cycles! A warm, sunny and dry morning-afternoon and a wet, chilly and humid evening-late night with the thunder and lightening of a storm. So my recommendation is not to be fooled by the looks and always keep an umbrella or a puncho in your bag. 

Number Four: Do NOT carry more than what you really need

If you are like me and always feel that you should have your emergency cabinet in your bag on any trip, try to cut down for Venice. The streets are uneven, there are too many bridges to cross and a lot of stairs to climb up and down. Don't forget the water transportation and the gondola rides. To avoid unnecessary shoulder pain and back aches, take with you only what you really need. Your lipgloss collection and your ebook reader accessories can enjoy the day from the comfort of your hotel or hostel.

Number Five: Do NOT miss the ice cream

This is more of a do than don't. Near the Venice central station- Santa Lucia, there is a market that stretches along the Grand Canal. just about 50 m from Brek Restaurent, there is an ice cream parlor that sells a variety of interesting flavors. Some include Nutella, Sneakers and Smurfs!! So if you have a sweet tooth or not, like little blue creatures or not, try at least one flavor, even if you had to sugar fast for the rest of the week. It is worth it!

Amsterdam Truth or Dare

Yesterday, we had a half day spent at one of the most controversial cities in the world, Amsterdam. My husband and I strolled down the Damrak street, explored around the Dam Square and cruised along the city's canal. The least is to say is that it is a vibrant place, spiced up with a mix of old and modern buildings and zested with a multicultural flavor. Facing the City Centraal or the Central Station is a long street with a row of restaurents that serve the tastes of east and west from Kyoto to Italy and from India to USA. The Dutch capital is known to tourists for its hotels, markets, gardens, art galleries, the infamous sex museum, pod serving cafes and the Red light district. Amsterdam is not but one real zenith, an ultimate place of truth or dare.

City Centraal

Dam Square

Dutch Ice Cream making

Amsterdam Canal

ECLS Postgraduate Conference 2012

On Thursday, I should be presenting in the ECLS Conference. I dread public presentations and disire nothing other than my presentation to finish successfully and peacefully without a trips on the floor, IT mishaps or worst of all being asked a question of which the answer is supposed to be the binary equation of the aerodynamics in astronomical fission....