~ Summer Special ~

Summer!! I know, it sounds so cliche... However, I finally understand why summer holiday is so looked forward to :P

Summer is a season that is sunny and bright, and in movies this weather generally indicates that something good is about to happen. For example, the guy finally understands who he is in love with, or then that a family argument has been finally resolved. I am not saying that movies have it all figured out, but they tell us something. Don't they? Sun does mean fun. Summer does mean relaxation. Bright does mean joyful. At least, according to my newly edited book on life:)

Many of you may not understand what I am about to say, but I will say it anywayz. A country that is sunny all year around, or just about, and this is just in my circumstances, does not feel the same enjoyment as Summer nears. Actually, I recall that in Australia I loved Winter! Winter was, for me, a relief. The rain and cool weather. Just to be sure, by cool I mean maybe 15 degrees in the day time, and 5 degrees in the evening. I guess these circumstances are a pretty important factor that creates the awesomness that Summer brings.

Another factor that controls the excitement of Summer is that school is pretty much full on throughout the school year. For example, European countries start their school year in August and end May/June. In the schools I have been to in Finland there have not been too many holdays inbetween school years. This way the Summer break is well deserved. On the other hand however there are countries where school starts in February and ends in December. This is how it is in Australia. There we have four terms, with a two week interval between each. Instead of Summer, there is a holiday for Christmas: mid December to end of January. So, in these countries the Summer is split into many different holidays. This does not make a holiday so exciting, since there are regular holidays. Saying this, I am not being bias. I loved to finally reach the christmas holiday in Australia, but the feeling of finally reaching the Summer holidays is breath-takingly exciting.

You know, I never thought that Summer would feel so amazing! I had been looking forward to Summer, but when I finally reached it, kinda, I was over-whelmed. Simply bliss...

Okay, enough with my expertise on the nature of Summer:)

Have an awesome week!

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Helimun

The Helsinki International Model United Nations 2013. This was, and is, an annual conference-typ seesion spnning over two days where two hundred students put on black and grey pinstripped suits and debate over issues that bring out the aggresive, loud and painfully annoying side in all of us. It is a full-on UN debate cycle; where there are three GA's, the International Court of Justice, the Human Right's Counsel, Ecosoc Counsel, Security Counsel, the President (yes, with the hammer) and the all so important teachers that have no apparent presence in this two day event! Heres to two days off of school!

FIRST DAY

With an 8'o'clock start, how could anyone not understand the opening speech about justice and moral. I mean, unless you were late because of the broken-down metro ordeal...

After thi somwhat embarrassing event, all the badged that state your name and position are handed out. Now comes the time to write the resolutions, and let me point out that it is probably best to write these in the most elaborate and complex english that you know how to use! (However, this last point many people do not take into account). This year, according to some sources that may or may not be reliable ones, I was updated on the the amount of resolutions there were, and that this year there was the most resolutions in the history of Helimun! The more to pass, the ever more resolved cases.

The ICJ, where I was this year, were busy listening to the respondents speech about the painfully distrustful reasons why Nicaragua accidently thought they had control over more land through a mistake made by google maps. The most painful part was where the judges had to somehow try to squeeze the reason for this unfathomable mistake out of the advocates for Nicaragua, which was not going to be answered due to a huge embarrasment factor.

The first day, and a bunch of sleepy-eyed students, who already had a head ache after two and a half hours of trying to sleep in the midst of a full-blown argument between the respondents and the applicants, have 15 minutes to (somehow) eat lunch.

Finally ... at three we were allowed to leave. It was not to be mistaken that there was a closing speech till three thirty, however the desire to leave was too strong to resist. Till tomorrow, beloved debate unit!

SECOND DAY

Day two, and I am so ready for this long and tiring day! The start at 9'o'clock was one hour later that the previous day, which proved to enlighten everybody in their feet. We all in our fighting spirit. At least ... hopefully we were. This was the day where we had to find some final desicions about the cases we were blatently discussing as a whole. The GA's were furiously going through resolution after resolution, till lunch where they had a 10 minute stop-over, before proceeding to the main hall where the real debate began with all the delegates from each GA.

Unfortunately, the ICJ and EcoSoc were unavailable for this heated debate between all GAs, since the cases that were studied in these departments were much more difficult to solve:) In ICJ, there was the discussion over reliablity and relevance of the evidence presented the previous day, which deemed necessary to come to a clear conclusion so that WE do not use some source as unreliable as google maps to hit that final, fatal blow.

Overall, there were many resolutions passed. The closing ceremony was very tideous, and when it was over we all sighed a cheer of relief when the chair hit the hammer declaring the 13th Annual Helimun to be officially over. However, the day was not finished till we were given our special certificates according to our commitee. Yay! On the way out I almost left without my jacket and sneakers in the changing room. Oh the joy of no school tomorrow!

There were many tired faces who joined me in the run to the metro that would deliver us to our all-important, sleep-provoking beds. Till next year, my dear fellow delagates, judges and important people.

~I would like to thank everyone who participated in this fruitful and inspiring session this year~

~ Asparagus Season ~

As you may have encountered from reading this title, it is the season for asparagus.

Asparagus is a spring root found in the northern hemisphere regions, and is high in vitamins. They are made up of 80% water and are low in calories and sodium. Some of the main vitamins included in asparagus are Vitamin A, C, E and F. There is also calcium, pottasium and folate. Folate is one factor that lowers the risk of cancer in females. Funnily enough, asparagus can also be used as a treatment for a hangover. Yes, thats true:)

So, if I have not already convinced you that you should put aside the coli, broccoli and carrot that was soo last season, then please skip this post:)

To cook this amazing specism of a root, you can boil it, fry it, chargrill it, eat it raw or then wrap it in bacon and put it in the oven.. That does sound nice right about now... And have I got a recipe for you!! Yep, I call it Ginger Asparagus Beef Strips :)

The ingredients that are totally reccommended and needed for this awesome, one-time only recipe are :

- 500g beef strips, or then you could get a hunk of meat and cut it in strips on the diagonal.
- a handful of the thinnest (freshest) asparagus you can find
- a piece of fresh ginger
- red onion (any kind really, but red adds colour)
- a lemon
- chile flakes
- cream

So, firstly fill a medium sized saucepan halfway with water. Then boil it.

While you wait, cut the asparagus* and meat (if not already cut). *To cut the asparagus, julienne diagonally in 1 to 2 inch strips. Leave the white ends on the end and chuck them in the bin.* Then when the water boils place the asparagus in there and set the timer for two minutes. After the timer goes off, drain it and pour cold water over the asparagus. This technique is called par-boiling, and is used to stop the vegetable from cooking, and is generally done when the vegetable is tender and not fully cooked. Then set the asparagus aside.

Get out your wok, and turn it up to full bloom, poir oil in, and twist the pan so that the oil coats the sides as well as the base. Throw the meat in.

Turn the wok down to a little more than medium temperature, and wait till the meat is just turning brown. While the meat is turning brown, cut the onion like a wizz-machine, then grate half the ginger and lemon.

When the meat is medium rare. Then get out a medium sized bowl, mold aluminium foil into the bowl, and pour the meat as well as the juices onto the foil. ((This is a little trick I learnt so that you just have to heat up the meat with the other ingredients, and not wait till the beans are as soft as a feather and mushy as mud. Then you can easily take out the aluminium and the bowl is as clean as a ... okay, enough with similes)

Now that you have your meat some-what done, and your asparagus also done, now is the time to join them all together is one awesome up-do!

Pour into the wok some oil, the lemon rind and the chile flakes. Swirl them around for a minute on a medium heat plate. Then add the onion and ginger.

Stir this concoction till the onion is caramalised, and not as stiff. Then add the asparagus, and gently fold.

Lastly, add the meat and a tad of cream. (When I say tad, I mean pour a generous amount) Swish it around, and let it simmer for a minute or two.

WHAM, the BEST asparagus recipe in the history of asparagus recipes.

Bon Apetite:)

~ Mourish cooking ~

Sometimes the recipe books grab your attention too much. Sometimes we want to try the hardest recipes. Sometimes we have to wait for ever for our brothers to finish making dinner. Other times it is whatever we get our hands on! Haha... This is my guide to making the least stressful meal ever! Oh, and give Haiku Deck a go! This is my fist time using it, so hopefully it is okay.

Drop me a comment so I can improve, and get ideas:)

~ Poem: Lost in Jane Austen ~

It was so fair, and so true.
That night that I missed you,
Was there in a misty
Haze where I thought I kissed you.

The pride that I held,
And the heart that you gave.
Shows the dignity
And propriety that you have against me.

Whither thy gut
Entangle thy vine
Which was trod upon.

Open your eyes
To the world before your cloak.

Let in the enchants
And the bellowing apple blossom
Scent of a rose.

Open the blinds,
For what you left behind
Must be let go.

Hereto the romance,
never lost love that I did not know
Had begotten me.

Hereto the carriage,
never to lose out on life again.

Last Mr Collin in a life time for me.


P.S Watch "Lost in Jane Austen", it is awesomely splendid!!

~ Blurb: 14923 ~

"Excuse me.. Hello? Scuse me" not that any of these people actually listen to me. Not that I care... Really? ugh... I am so not saying this..."

As you can probaly see, I am a nobody. I'd like to say that I was someone popular, because you would have no evidence to say that I was a liar. But, I like to stick to the truth. So, then. I guess I should explain to you how I know why and how some extraordinary scientific events occur... Like I know... Right. So much for the truth...

It happened within a ten minute period. Actually, they had all night to prepare my fake identity. And my fake name, and friends, and parents. Wait, no. Take that back. I have never had any family. And don't feel sorry for me. I am not the one on the side of the road begging for money.. Them you should feel sorry for.

And so here I am on a dead end curb, with the car bashed so mortifingly that It is lucky I am still alive.

~ Ode to the Sunset ~

Time stay warm for me,
Time don't pass my side.
Just as if you were a warm cup of tea.
Time come in with the tide.

Here we are wearing a top-hat,
Jeans and a love-me-not camisole.
Just like you used to hit with a bat,
One can miss time just like that.

Our sunglasses beam a ray of sunlight
On his face, like
An angels heart in the hands
Of someone wrong.

Time come back.
Just so I can have another
Day with you.