Well, this isn’t a post about me stating my reasons for moving to another country. I don’t even know yet if it’s for good. I don’t even know if I will still like it after a few months. I’m taking it all in, tiny bits at a time, waiting to see what it’s like.

What I like? The people, oh so friendly and nice to you, even if maybe you can’t always find your words, even if you can only speak a little French and much more English, even if you can’t find the right coins (and they do have a ton of coins!), even if you can’t make up your mind about the kind of cake you want to buy. I’m definitely not saying everyone is perfect, you get the occasional bored saleswoman and the angry driver, but you just let them go. Because it’s not worth it.

I also like love their chocolate, all creamy and nice, even if it’s one of the cheapest. Actually, I have come to notice food here is quite good quality, even if it’s the cheapest you find. Then again, their cheapest is quite expensive. Unfortunately. I know prices in Romania are rising through the roof, but they have yet to match the ones here. Especially when it comes to food. And you can’t replace that. I mean, I could always use a diet, but I don’t realy think this is the answer.

I like that we work hard at the University, that I feel I work hard for my grades, that if I study hard I can make something I am really proud of. Not that I wasn’t proud of my University studies in Bucharest, ’cause I worked hard for those too. It’s just that no one but me knows that. But I’m really not going to start writing about this.

I like the people I met here, colleagues and Erasmus students, international students, Swiss students. All hardworking, though a lot of fun after classes. I wasn’t expecting much, but they are really awesome!

This is not, however, the reason of this post. I wanted to post some pictures from Auvernier, a beautiful little city near Neuchatel, where you can actually go to on foot. It’s tiny, smells like wine (it’s harvesting season) and has an amazing park. You can see swans, ducks and other birds, you can just walk by the lake, meet the most beautiful cat in the world, then go home to warm up. I think this is actually why I moved here. For the sightseeing )

First, to get to Auvernier, you need to pass by these beautiful, ripe vineyards…

Then you get to these charming little streets…

You get to the lake…oh, I love this lake…so beautiful and ever so changing…

With its swans and  ducks (the grey ones are ‘ugly ducklings’, future beautiful swans )

And then, THEN I met the most beautiful cat ever…

I wanted to take her home so bad, I wanted to just run away with her and make her mine…I just loved her…

Although she was a bit Garfield like … (but she was not annoyed, even if she seems so )

We found some beautiful birds as well (no idea what it’s called) in the sky…

And we ended our evening by the lake again…

So yes, I think that’s why I moved here…

Enjoy!

For the one that keeps coming back…

Order any Bryan Adams video on amazon.co.uk. My personal favourite is ‘Best of Me’ ———————————->

Tags: Back to You, Bryan Adams

…also known as carac. Despite its ‘interesting’ appearance, it is in fact quite yummy, with a nice, rich chocolate filling. The green top doesn’t have any flavour, just fondant with food colouring in it. Yummy, I may say, and I will have to try it again, maybe from a patisserie, since this one was from nice and simple Coop.

I dare you try it anytime you come to Swiss Romande (to visit me, of course:P)!

Tags: carac, chocolate, gateau

Although I was pretty sure that I, together with Ratatouille are the great examples for this theory, it seems others think that they are the reason someone came up with it. Apparently though, they got much better at it and got to be featured in one of my favourite magazines, Good Food that is. I really miss it to be honest, maybe one of the few things I actually do miss when it comes to Romania.

Presenting you today, from the “cooking because I like it” series, I give you:

Easy Peasy: this wonder-woman can cook, have a job, have cats and even a husband  - all at the same time! Really nice blog, really yummy and fast recipes and amazingly beautiful cats!

Mazi: another wonder woman, handling it all plus cooking on top. She really haz it when it comes to cooking, she really haz it when it comes to writing.

Good job girls, you make my day brighter every time I read your entries. Keep up the good work!

Tags: blogs, Chez Mazilique, Easy Peasy

Well, since school here is an absolute nightmare, with more work that throughout the 3 bachelor years (or so it seems to me) I haven’t really had the time to cook very complex recipes. Usually when I arrive home I am already starving and my better half is staring into my eyes like a hungry (yet powerful) puppy. So I open the fridge, turn on the oven and try to make the fastest, most delicious lunch ever…again and again.

So here I was one of these days, hungry and tired and busy, trying to make a decent meal while juggling with I-don’t-even-know-how-many case studies and readings. I turned the oven on…and came up with my own adaptation of Garfield’s parmesan chicken. Yes, I do own Garfield’s cookbook, it’s really nice, you can check it out in my widget that will take you to amazon.co.uk.

Anyways, since I didn’t have breadcrumbs, I skipped that part of the recipe, and here is what I did instead:

I took two chicken breasts, cut them in half and let them sit in barbecue sauce +olive oil+herbs for a little while. I took out a bit of bacon from the fridge, as well as some parmesan cheese and mozzarella. I peeled some potatoes, cut them into wedges and put them in a bowl. I added olive oil, herbs, paprika, salt and pepper and tossed the bowl to coat the potatoes evenly.

I took half of the chicken breast, cut it into strips and rolled them in bacon. I heated the oven at about 200 degrees C and took out a pan. I put the potatoes in it, the chicken breast with bacon and the regular one. Popped them in the oven for about 25-30 minutes until the potatoes were tender.

Meanwhile, I cut some nice slices of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. When the food was nearly ready, I put them on top of the chicken and let them in the oven for another 10 minutes, until the cheese was nice and melted.

All I can say…yum!

Tags: chicken, parmesan, potatoes, roast

You would think that “Knowing” is a movie that would actually let you know something. Like any teensy bit of information. Or at least tell you that knowing something will let you do something about it. But nooo. Not this movie.

You see, I’ve always like Nicolas Cage. Even with National Treasure, I thought: OK, so a little children’s fantasy movie never hurt anyone. I tried to remember the good old days of Gone in 60 Seconds and  8MM and wait for something more like him. And Knowing seemed a good movie, with a good idea for a plot: in 1959, a group of elementary school children make a time capsule imagining what the future would look like. One of them though only writes a series of numbers that seem to have no connection whatsoever. 50 years later, the capsule is dug up and every child that is now in elementary school receives one of the drawings. Caleb Koestler, son of an MIT professor, receives the paper with the numbers and from then on everything goes ballistic.

Apparently, the numbers are the exact dates and positions of the major catastrophes that took place in the last 50 years. While ‘googling’ them, John Koestler finds that 3 of them have not yet happened and realizes that the last one may well be the end of the world.

What is to like about this film: everything, apart form the last 10-15 minutes. I really did enjoy it as it was quite different from the usual “good guy saves the world when there are 13 seconds left” kind of thing. Nicolas Cage is a professor, very smart indeed, but not the usual ’superhero’ you would expect. He is powerless in front of what could be called destiny and is struggling to find a way to solve it. Should’ve called Bruce Willis there, in my opinion.  Also, the special effects are okay, quite impressive I might add.

What I disliked?

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Well, the ending, obviously, which, without being a cliche, is too weird and to ‘out there’ for me to enjoy. Some say it’s related to Scientology beliefs, but I really wouldn’t know that. I also disliked the so called “strangers”  that appeared throughout the film and that are supposed to be aliens. They look really weird and…white and…ew. Plus, their constant following of the children is quite creepy.

All in all, it probably seems a better movie to sci-fi lovers. The ones that can actually like the aliens-we are not alone crap. I am sorry, but I don’t enjoy it that much. Plus, there are a LOT of plot holes in it that you can go past but can’t really ignore for good. I for one am not seeing this again, especially since I don’t think I would be able to stand again through the crappiest ending ever. There, I’ve said it.

For those of you thinking and believing that the truth is out there, enjoy!

I saw this at Alyna’s and couldn’t resist picking it up for my blog as well. Although, unlike her, I DO know what it’s like to have a cat. Or two. I really miss them actually. Oh well, for those of you who don’t know what it’s like, you can get inspired here. It really is CLOSE to the truth

Tags: cat, fun, Simon's Cat

Well, first, I need to tell you I have no pics of this actual event so I am terribly sorry. Second, I also need to tell you it was AWESOME! You see, every year, Neuchatel hosts this ‘fete’ of the grape harvesting and wine making. You would say it’s no big deal, but in fact, it is. Apparently, people from all the region come together to celebrate and the result is one of the most crowded street party I have ever seen.

In just a few hours, silent, moderate Neuchatel turns into a party zone with music, drinks, food, mini-roller coasters and everything you would need to have the time of your life. Open air dancing, all kinds of traditional food (including Indian, Chinese, Thai and Swiss of course), lots of alcohol (which, unfortunately I didn’t even taste) and happy people. Yep, happy people dancing together even if they never met before, lots of pushing and crowding but I suppose that is part of the game.

Some special events during the three days this whole thing happens are a Miss Fete des Vendanges election, a ‘defile’ (I have no accents on this keyboard) of some “cars allegoriques” and another one of drummers form all over the region. Nice. Really, really nice. I enjoyed everything about this fete and especially the fact that I was able to enjoy it with people I really like. So this is to you, my crazy, all kind of nationalities (ummm, French, Swiss, British (and Welsh), American, German, Belgian, Italian, Russian, Greek, Turkish, Polish to name just a few) new acquaintances who have made my stay here so far absolutely great. So I’m looking forward to the next ‘fete’.

Cheers!

Tags: Fete des Vendanges

Lately the film industry in Romania has been growing and growing, producing quite interesting works. I would always recommend 4, 3, 2 for those who can handle it (I should write a review about it), but that one requires a tough stomach and the ability not to get actually ‘involved’ in the film action (so that you can go to sleep later that night).

On a happier note though, this is one of our recent short films, light and easy and cute. It makes me think of my grandmother who actually got herself a laptop when I moved to Switzerland. This is to all those who love us but hate computers and struggle with them just to keep in touch. Thank you

Tags: film, short film, The Yellow Smiley Face