It's so cold my ears are hurting...

And another thing...

I'm starting to dream in Hebrew?


Weird.

The Not-So Naked Chef

I cooked! Yes, that's right! These past few days the world (and my friends) have witnessed the ultimate miracle! Well, perhaps not ultimate but definitely up there! It's late so I shan't elaborate (hey that rhymes) and I must to beddy byes, but I did want to let you all in on my secret....ssshhhhh......

SARAH ACTUALLY COOKED A MEAL!


OR TWO!!

OR THREE!!!

Mmm, can't believe it? Unfortunately I don't have any photos (I'm not that lame... well, someone did take a snap of the gorgeous pavlova I made, all pretty with strawberries and raspberries and blackberries and PASSIONFRUIT! Yes, I even splurged on the passionfruit. They came from New Zealand... And they were expensive. VERY expensive. That made me sad.... But not for long! Coz i had PAVLOVA! From AUSTRALIA! YAY!), however, what I do have is a big grin from ear to ear because I achieved the impossible.

I know, I talk about food all the time, but that doesn't mean I can actually cook it. I wish. Well, perhaps I wish I had the fondness of cooking. Maybe it's just that my apartment's kitchen isn;t so inspiring... Okay, now I'm just looking for excuses.

THURSDAY: Rebecca and I decided that we were craving a home-cooked meal. I mean, I am so sick of eating other people's restaurant crappy food, I miss my mum's cooking so much, on Thursday night I was begging for some delicious home cooked dinner. And i mean begging. Well, not really. But it sounds good :D
So we bought a kosher chicken and slathered it with kosher bbq sauce (but before that I was asked to cut up the chicken into piece... Nah uh, Sarah doesn't do that. She ain't hacking no chick to pieces. It's just not my thing. Besides, I used to be vegetarian for heaven's sake!) I offered to make roast potatoes with rosemary and salad. I know, it's a start. Peeling those damn potatoes was a bitch though because we don't have a peeler. So I used a knife. A blunt knife. And Sarah doesn't like knives very much... Actually, not at all. But i peeled all the potatoes, made a damn good salad, and helped out with the chicken. And we were satisfied. Amen.

FRIDAY: I was invited to my friend Krystal's house for dinner because her Mum was coming from Texas to visit her. And they were making sushi. And handrolls. And inside out rolls. And miso soup. And Sarah was happy. (Why does food please me so much? Maybe because I eat crap most of the time here? Sometimes I can;t even be bothered eating because I don't like the food. But I suppose it's good for my stomach and chins *wink) Earlier that day I recieved a MOST FANTASMIC SUPERB MAGNIFICENT SURPRISING PACKAGE from Mum and Dad... complete with NesCafe Coffee, Minties, Dairy Milk CHoccies, Tim Tams and good ol PAVLOVA!

I began writing this blog thinking that it will be two lines. I really ought to go to sleep. But I must finish...

Krystal is now one of my closer friends at Penn, and I was flattered that she asked me to come meet her Mum. I didn't know what to bring to dinner, so I decided to share some Aussie love and let them eat cake. Or Pav.
Searching for the cream to cover my sacred pavlova was another epic tale perhaps for another time. Let's just say it took me forty five minutes or so, four or five people (not including consulting Krystal and Rebecca for the American definition of cream - apparently it's called "Whipping Cream" or "Heavy Cream". Yes, I don't want WHIPPED cream or FROSTING or CREAM THAT GOES WITH MY COFFEE!) only to discover that the grocer doesn't carry it! ARHHHHH! I went a bit nuts. But it turned out ok. Whipped cream out of a spray can nonetheless. I can hear your collective gasp of horror, but one has to make do. (I even began beating a carton of 'light cream' in a pot with a mix master...I was desparate.)

SATURDAY: Gourmet sandwiches that could even rival those of mother dearest. It remined me of home so much.

SUNDAY: Candied yams. A Caribbean favourite. Tonight I had a potluck dinner with Amanda, Lauren (editor-in-chief of First Call) and Anna (another editor of First Call) and I was the only one who actually cooked. It took me a couple hours (oy vey!) but I did it. I peeled the damn sweet potatoes with a KNIFE (nearly chopping some fingers in the act), while listening to Lauren's boy troubles, created a sugary/caramel sauce for my delicious yammies while listening to Amanda's health issues, and cleaned up the dishes in silence... Ahhhh. Just kidding. Dinner was really nice, I was very proud of my creation, regardless that it took me a while for its completion. And that is all, folks. A detailed post about Sarah's cooking skills. How engaging.

She finally did it.

Will you be my Valentine?

Because it's the still the summer holidays during Valentine's Day at home, I never thought that it was such a big deal. Or, as bigger deal as it is here. People have been selling roses on the main thoroughfare, Locust Walk, for nearly a week. If you want you can give your valentine a singing telegram in the middle of class by members of the singing Glee Club. God knows what else that club does. In the daily paper there are 'shoutouts', little messages for your loved ones or crushes - most of them quite crude and vulgar. Even my weekly magazine First Call is goes Valentine crazy. For someone who doesn't believe in the holiday created by Hallmark (and proudly supported by the flower and chocolate industries) I faced quite a shock these past couple days. Where were you living if you didn't know it was Valentine's day? Heart-shaped paper buttons were stuck on top of the elevator buttons in the lifts in my apartment building - "Will you be my Valentine, Mr #1102?" Even the Hillel dining hall was decked out in red, pink and white balloons, streamers and ice sculptures... Yes, ice sculptures! But I was explained that holidays such as these are decorated by the cooking and waiting staff - they like to have fun. And so they should.

But what did I do this Valentine's Day? Aside from class, I went to my first basketball game: Penn vs. Princeton. It was hyped up to be one of the best games of the season. As Maija and I walked into the stadium, we were welcomed by Penn's marching (but they were standing in the bleachers) band, complete with drums, brass and even triangles! Accompanying them were the Penn cheerleaders, who weren't so bad. But most interesting and fun to watch were the Penn fans throughout the game. Dressed in navy blue and red (Penn's colours) they were yelling and shouting "Defence" and "Aiiiiiiiirballl, you suck!" and throwing streamers into the air. Unfortunately I forgot to bring my camera but I will show you photos of the next game. There was even a mascot - of a Quaker. That's what we are here at Penn, Quakers.... how quaint. All I know about Quakers are the cereal.

But even more exciting than that, it snowed on Sunday/Saturday night! It snowed and snowed and snowed and the snow was so lovely and powdery and fluffy and made the world all pretty. Okay, now I'll stop sounding so silly and show you some pictures of this lovely snow show. (And this time I was prepared for the cold - complete with coat, beanie, scarf and gloves... and long johns of course!)
But, never quite comprehending that snow means FREEZING, siilly Sarah went outside with wet hair (sorry Zaida! I know, I know! I've learnt my lesson!). By the time I got to Amanda's house for a cosy lunch, I hadn't thought much about the cold. Besides, I was rugged up well and warm. I was even wearing a beanie (which don't particularly agree with the shape of my head). But as I was waiting for her to answer the door, I touched my hair... and it was frozen! I had frozen hair! You can see a little bit of it in this photo above. I was petrified it was going to break off (of which there was a pretty good chance of doing so!) and I started to panic. Broken hair! BROKEN HAIR! What on earth was a girl going to do! How was I to know my hair was going to freeze! Nobody told me that snow meant freezing temps outside too....


The rest of the photos are taken right outside my building. I also want to show you how high the snowfall is. And the snowman! And the red things are pieces of public art that are dearly referred to by Penn students as the 'Dueling Tampons'.
And below is the gorgeous view from my bedroom window. And me in front of it. How lovely.














Oh, I forgot to mention... I recieved a Valentine gift.... from my roommate Rebecca! She is so sweet! She gave Nadeige, Jess and I all boxes of Godiva chocolates and a gorgeous card. She is so cute! We're all going out tomorrow night for her birthday dinner (it was postponed from last week) and then again on Friday night for a roommate dinner. I am so blessed with these girls! So much fun! And we're all so different as well. Wow.

Oh, and I played some basketball last night again... It was much more enjoyable. Because I'm in a mixed team, the rules are that there has to be at least three girls and two guys to make up who's on the court. Well, only Kim and I showed up from the girl side... and for half of the game we had to play four on the court. Then Janelle showed up and so we had three girls... which didn't make a difference to us women, since we all had to stay and play the whole game anyway. Only the guys had a break. But we didn't need it. Until...

We had gotten a rebound and Randy (one of our better players. By the half time mark, each rebound he got he kept shooting it at the other team's backboard for fun... later he was told off for 'unsportsmanship'. But both teams were laughing) had already taken it up halfway the court when we heard shouting behind us. One of the girl opponents had pushed Kim and shouted, "Stop pushing me, b****!" Kim, who ordinarily is a calm and quiet person, started to go nuts, and a brawl broke out between the two girls. The opponent had the sense to shut up before anything else happened, but Kim kept cursing and yelling at her. Kim was kicked out of the gym and threatened to be kicked out of the league. I hope that doesn't happen, because I really like her and we live in the same building. While her behaviour was inappropriate at the time, I really hope she's still included in the league. So that was an interesting twist to the evening. Then our team was back to two girls. But we won anyway. And we were happy. The End.

No, not the end! I forgot to tell you. My article of "Australia - Cultural Wastleland" was published in First Call this week! That was pretty cool. It was edited a little for the American readers, and a picture was added... by the same girl who told me that Australia is a cultural wasteland! Ha ha! You can check out First Call at www.firstcallmagazine.com Have fun, and go quakers! Ha.

Washington DC Part 2

So the walking tour continues. I walked for an average of about six hours straight that day. But I think I may have walked too much that afternoon, for by the time I reached the Capitol Hill's Longworth Building to meet Jess (the very purpose of my visit) I was pooped. But walking and listening to my ipod had very calming effects on me, a nice break from the endless routine of studying. I was in another city, another state, it was the beginning of my weekend - everything that makes me happy.

On a side note, I strongly believe that there is an iPod God - or, as my dad puts it, an iGod. Walking around the historical monuments, my iPod knew exactly what songs to play - so appropriate, so 'right' - it made my walk all the more special. Because, as I've mentioned before, American history doesn't really do it for me. I'm still trying to figure out exactly why.

Walking around the war memorials made me extremely emotional - I don't know why exactly. Perhaps it was the combination of the music and the gravity of war memorials - especially the world war memorial. This monument was quite striking.






This monument was at the entrance of the Reflection Pool and the Lincoln Memorial. I walked along the Reflection Pool (on the wrong side, the one without the footpath, complete with ducks droppings ALL OVER THE PLACE - typical Sarah. I couldn't be bothered turning back and crossing over to the other side of the pool.) Here are the duckies playing in the water. Oh, and me.

Washington DC Part 1

I arrived on the ChinaTown Bus, rushed onboard by a woman screaming in Chinglish, "We go to DC, not New Yok! DC, not New Yok!" After convincing the angry little woman that all of us onboard know and want to go to Washington DC, away we went in the early morning fog. I slept all the way there, and got a stiff neck...one of the many psuedo-injuries I had incurred that weekend. When we finally arrived in the capital city, I rubbed my eyes awake and realised I had no idea where I was. And I didn't have a map. Where would I get one?

The actual district of Columbia isn't a very big city, so I couldn't have gotten completely lost, or ended up walking to another state - Virginia or Maryland perhaps. For the first few blocks I was just following some crowds in the same direction, but then realised that perhaps they were just looking for a good Chinese restaurant for lunch. I kept walking, and happened upon a Thrifty rental car store, and asked for a map. The map I recieved had complicated green, pink and yellow highway lines, Washington DC in relation to other major cities in the area, how to get from DC to Baltimore, and a TINY map of the actual street of DC. So here goes the adventure...

Somehow, I managed to wander myself past the National Archives, the Smithsonian museums, and found myself in the heart of the National Mall. This was my view from where I was...














It was a relatively nice day for winter (not cold enough for my scarf, thermals and gloves - all of which I wearing anyway) so I decided to take a walk. And what a long walk it was. The stroll from the ChinaTown Bus to the National Mall took forty five minutes, so who knew what was up next? Well, not much before my tummy started rumbling. I was in a maginificent rush to make the bus on time (what's new.) so I forgot to eat breakfast... and it was now lunch time. What to eat? Well, when we were in DC six years ago, my family and I went (twice!) to this absolutely delicious pan-asian restaurant called TenPenh. We still talk about the food to this day. (Does this mean it really is as good as we remember it to be? Or are we just obsessed with food... well, i know i am, but that's me for you *wink) So I treated myself to one of the best meal I've had since I've started college....Ahhhhh....
The restaurant was packed. I told them I was here six years ago and I just had to come back. They didn't care. I was told that there was room for one at the bar, so I plonked myself down, and my thick jacket, scarf, backpack and purse were bundled beneath the stool, and took a deep breath. How did I find this place? I had no map, no internet directions, and I was thinking about asking a hotel concierge. But alas, there aren't any hotels on the National Mall.

Well kids, I suppose my food obsession has some advantages. Meals compose some of my most vivid memories. I know this sounds really sad. But it's true. So I remembered the street the restaurant was on, as when we visited DC it was just before Bush's first inaugeration, and there were bleachers set up on Pennsylvania Avenue. And TenPenh is on that street.

So, sans map, I sniffed my way to the restaurant and indulged myself to a most delicious meal. Ice tea (my favourite drink right now), a Spicy Tuna tempura roll (raw tuna with a scrumptious spicy tomato-based relish in the form of a tempura-d handroll) and grilled salmon on a bed of wasabi mash and beans with hoisin butter. To. Die. For.

The meal made me very satisfied. And very happy. As I said, it was one of the best meals I have eaten since starting at Penn. I've noticed I really don't like eating ot anymore. The food is all the same. And it tastes like crap. I've reached the point where I'm going to start cooking. And this time I'm for real. I promise. Wish me luck. Now, if anyone has any easy recipes they'd like to share? I know, I'm not my mother's daughter. But right now I wish I had her flare and passion in the kitchen. Today I look at the oven and weep.

So I think that's enough about food. I don't want to bore you all to death - well, at least those that aren't so interested in the gastronomic adventures of Sarah. Hum.

After lunch I wandered past the FBI building and back onto the Mall. Here are some splendid photos of my walking tour.





So this is me in front of the White House. I was standing pretty far away from Bush's ranch because there were police all over the place. As I was walking, there were flashing firetrucks blocking the traffic and police and security on every corner. I knew this couldn't be the norm, but I still didn't understand why the fortification - we're not allowed inside anymore for a tour. We get it.
But, as I was walking around the World War memorial (which I'll describe later) a deafening noise of helicopters drowned out the music of my ipod. I looked up and saw.....

Swarms of helicopters circling the white house preparing to land. I overheard a couple in front of me saying that when the President flies there are always two army helicopters flying together, to confuse the enemy. I just managed to catch one on my camera. This will have to do.

Pretty Pretty Pictures

Here are some photos of my roommates and my fellow Aussies.

Roommates dinner:
Myself, Rebecca, Jess and Nadeige

And these are the Aussie girls: Jess and Maija (my fellow Melbournian)

And Amma and I:

Busy Bumblebee

Yes. Well. Here's what you've all been waiting for. An update on my blog!

Sorry that it's been over a week since I ranted and raved (or is it rove? thats a television show i DO NOT miss.. hi mum, anyway.) It's just that I have been overloaded with work, work and more work. I have never rushed around trying to complete whats required of class and some extra-curricular activities that happen to deman my presence EVERY NIGHT OF THIS WEEK!

So let's go back a week, shall we? Last Thursday night my Aussie friend Maija and I went to hear the recipient of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize Dr Ebadi, an Iranian lawyer/judge/fighter for humanitarian and democratic rights in Iran speak to the University and Persian community. We arrived in the hall quite early, and I heard Farsi spoken all around me. I felt right at home for some reason. Arabs, sorry, Persians and Jews look remarkably similar - our semitic bloodline must link up somewhere. The last time I hear Farsi being spoken was during Marva in Israel, when my friend Lili would call home and I would sit in our tent and just listen. When Lili would speak, Farsi sounded like the most melodic and beautiful language I had ever heard. Soft and sweet with musical elements, it became one of my favourite languages to listen to. However, the Farsi Lili spoke three years ago, and the Farsi of Dr Ebadi seemed worlds apart that Thursday night. Her actual speech was quite a disappointment - Dr Ebadi spoke in general and overly-idealistic terms, and didn't really say anything specifically about the situation in Iran or her participation in its 'democratic' process, or her history and past experiences of her fight against totalitarian and undemocratic governments. Perhaps she couldn't, for she feared the consequences back in Iran - there are many reasons. It was also quite difficult to pay attention as Dr Ebadi spoke to the audience in Farsi, and would stop after sentence, waiting for the translator to inform us in English what she said.

Nevertheless, at the end of her speech, the entire hall gave her a standing ovation for five full minutes. Standing up roused me from my near-sleep and it became time for questions. This is where it became interesting. Dr Ebadi showed her sense of humour and wealth of knowledge and experience when answering the sometimes raucous crowd. Some people asked her questions in Farsi, and those in the audience who understood it would laugh or shout insults back in Farsi. One man ignored the rules of the 'conch', or only those who were granted microphone access could ask questions, and shouted his question in Farsi/English (nobody could understand what he said, no matter how hard he tried to explain himself) over the crowd. The audience booed and hissed at him to sit down and stop yelling. Soon security was called. Another man (who WAS granted nicrophone access) began telling Dr Ebadi how much we as an audience respected her and wanted to help those in Iran achieve real democracy - the speech lasted forever! At the end of it, he said to us, the audience, to say 'yes' all together in support of the Dr Ebadi. Many of us were shouting YES just to get him to stop talking! It was a fun evening. After the speech, Maija and I went out for dinner and I had good ol Mac and Cheese - some habits never die. Besides, this is Mac and Cheese's home country!!!

Basically the weekend was full of work, work and more work, just to catch up. This swarmed over into the beginning of this week as well. The only relief is the Rice Krispy Treats that Jess makes for us to stay awake through the night - full of sugar and more sugar! Go marshmellows and Rice Bubbles!

On Monday I played basketball for the first time in a LONG time. And boy did my body know it. It was fun meeting more people, some of the team live in my apartment building Harnwell, while the others are from around. It's a mixed team, something in which I'm not used to playing in the slightest. It's a much faster game and much more aggressive. But it was fun, and of course I was the tallest girl.

Things have quietened down for now... but, at Penn, there's always something going on! This month is Feb Club: during February senior students (aka me, last year of college) hang out EVERY NIGHT OF THE MONTH at different places all around philadelphia. Sounds like fun, and since today is only the second day of Feb, we'll see what happens!

Speak soon.
-S.

Oh, and check out this link. For all you Singing in the Rain fans out there, enjoy!

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-video/Media/video/2005/01/27/golfgti.mov