Me l'ha detto il topo...

The mouse said so...

One day when we were talking in the office about horoscope Chinese, i had a question by my colleague, "How they decided these cycle of animals?". it's like to ask "How is decided horoscope astrology?" Yes, i know it's a simple question but one doesn't think often.. anyway, when one live another country, sometimes get difficult question which is completely don't have idea... when you live there you don't notice all things. or just don't interested in. but when you transfer to another country they expect to know everything about your country.. it's difficult. sometimes.. i don't say it's annoying. I am also happy to receive this kind of question. Because you know better than before about your country and discover the identity. it's ironic though..

anyway, i found the answer in coincident!
I found a beautiful book the other day call, "Me l'ha detto il topo".
It's Italian book. It tells about Chinese Horoscope.
It came from a Chinese legend. Very nice design and simple story.

Feeling the footstep of Spring

Some days ago, while i was gathering dead leaves in the garden i found some flowers. I am not taking care of the garden so much, but when start to feel the spring i try take care a little bit... and this season usually there's some flowers blooming.

Snowdrop


Violet

Hina-matsuri, Girls day!

Today in Japanese tradition is girls day. Usually we display dolls wearing kimono. Ever year my mother send me cards designed with this dolls. This year here it is!



It's a 3D card 5cm x 5cm. it's very little. and yesterday, i found some peach flower branches at flower shop. It fits very good with black vase which is my aunt gave me.





and also usually on girls day we make "Chirashi-zushi". it's a kind of sushi salad. the base of rice is sushi-like. and decorate with fish or vegetable you like. i usually put carrot and dry porcini cooked in soy sauce and sugar, salmon or shrimp, and then this time i put "cima di rapa" kind of broccoli sprout, and on the top egg crepes slices. in Japanese cooking is important the color. so if you can't find broccoli sprout it's ok anything green, green pie or spinach. instead of salmon or shrimp, if you find salmon eggs.. so you can arrange the topping as you like it. Important thing is just be colorful!

and as dessert, i usually do chopped strawberry with ice cream. or strawberry cake..
Now has just began strawberry season so anything with strawberry it's good!

so here is Girls day in Japanese style!
hope you enjoy!

Cats...

Anyway, one of my cats broken the vase which has red tulip i bought on saturday... i knew. she is young (only one year..), she is curious everything but plants! she can't resist to touch it and smell it.. and of course, with that tulip too, she was curious. she was gazing it and tried to jump on the shlef... i said many times not to get near... oh well, she is only a cat... when she saw me she was escaping... then.. yesterday, I was at work, Fede called me...

so, it happened... flower trashed because i don't know... he bought me new tulips..
anyway. just it.

let's keep up.

Tiny

There's a market every Friday near office. I often go there to discover something new. I like market very much. There's many thing and also i can see what is eaten in Italy.
and i found. i found tiny tiny white fish. They are also eaten in Japan too. They are becoming sardine or anchovy.. Yes! They are "Bianchetti" in Italian and "Shirasu" in Japanese!



The one i found in the market was boiled. In Italy it seems they eat with olive oil and lemon but in Japan, they use usually as topping of tofu, salad, pasta, or mixing with rice.

So I made "Shirasu Gohan". It's really simple. just cook rice and at the end mix with bianchetti and some wakame (algae). The bianchetti is already salted so i think it's enough tasty. If not add some salt.

Red Tulip

I bought yesterday at supermarket a red tulip. It's red and elegant red petal like skirt of 18 century. I've never seen this species. I looked up on the internet and i think it's "Abba".. but I am not sure.. Anyone knows how it call???

30 list for new year

It has passed already one month... and i thought it would be good idea to make a list! Inspired by her.
Here it is:

1. get in touch with my friends more.
I am very lazy for this.. and often i lost contact.. i am very sorry for this..
This year write, write and write! meet, meet, and meet!
2. see my best friend, Yuko!
It's a long time i don't see her. there's so much to talk.
3. go to Tokyo.
Yes! it is my home town!! i miss such messy, noisy but unique city in the world.
4. learn to draw a character.
5. learn a new recipe using vegetable.
6. see movie at least one a month.
7. improve speaking italian.
8. find a favourite illustrator.
9. buy a curtain for dining room.
10. take more photo.
11. go to see a play anything. (especially modern dance)
12. improve my etsy shop.
13. make many crocodile with beads.
14. do exercise. may be take a modern dance class if i found..
15. explore the town with bicycle.
16. visit belgium.
17. read books on native indian.
18. discover new indies song.
19. find some prints to put on the wall.
20. go to a flea market to find a treasure.
21. make a little bed for cats.
22. learn knitting
23. go to breakfast on sunday sometimes.
24. learn about tulip.
25. visit venice, murrano island.
26. make a berry cake
27. learn japanese cooking
28. experiment new soup.
29. go to drink with my best friend Anna.
30. continue write for this blog!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008

I just wanted to say "Happy new year 2008 to all!" and i wanted to put a this video to share this moment, who had just arrived 2008 and who is going to arrive, with this cute monster. I like elmo from "Sesame Street" (He was my favorite when i was little.) and i found this is very cute and sweet and makes me smile a lot every time when i watch, even when i am sad..
I hope everyone will have a wonderful fun 2008!
Hope you enjoy it!

Bye Bye Spider! Bye Bye 2007!

These days before reaching new year, i am cleaning all the house (however, "all the house" is big words..) anyway, the other day i cleaned the outside of the house, yesterday all window, today, i was cleaning the floor.. (it's still in work though..) and yesterday when i was cleaning the window, how many spider i found!!! From tiny tiny one to big one. eak! and the spider web. i don't like to kill it so i pushed out with a stick..
Now is beautifully clean and the window is shiny. Just a little thing like clean room makes me happy. Clean all dust of 2007 and welcome brand new 2008!

Wish you all happy happy new year 2008!

Soup seasons

Winter is the season i don't like so much... the one thing i appreciate that it's good for Soup season. Because i like very much Soup! Each winter i experiment new soup.
Soup of Finocchio. (Finocchio is fennel in italian and i use the part of bulb), Tomato, Carrot, Zucchine, Green Piece, Porro... I usually combine with potato and at the end i use blender to mix them all up. The result is 50/50. Sometimes is good and sometimes not... anyway. my experiment is just begun so this winter during the holiday season i will try some more. and it is good to rest your stomach from heavy festivity dinner or lunch...

new earrings

Here is new earrings i made these days. These are on my Etsy shop. I hope you enjoy and find something you like!!!

Venetzian Murano beautiful glass earrings

I updated my little shop on Etsy. Little by little like a turtle passes... I like very much these little glass beads from Murano, Venetzia. Each motif and form is different.

Photo Booth with new Mac!

I bought a new computer. it's a white body Mac book.
It's about 7years that i haven't had a new "my" computer. The first one was in '98 (if i remember well.. ). It was NEC note book. i have just graduated the highschool. i was connecting to internet through modem. it wasn't even 56k... i remember well how i felt exciting but at the same time strange that there's another world just connecting to the phone line. The second one was Toshiba Libretto 100. it's a tiny tiny computer. i even created home page with that. Seeing now this computer, it's too small!!! Ok. i have little hands but it's just too small..
Now, i have my brand new white Mac book! yeah! and there's a fun software call "PhotoBooth"
you can modify your face or change the background.

here is the photo!

tomato or paprika?

Often on Saturday i go to fruit & vegetable store. and the other day i went there i found something strange.. it seems like a tomato but also like a paprika. I am very curious when i found something never saw. Especially in the vegetable store. I asked to the lady she said, it's sicilian paprika call, "Popone".. What!? "Popone...???!" (it's sound very strange...). anyway i got some for try.


When i back home i looked up on the internet for "Popone".. but nothing come out... i think i misunderstood what she said... then, i looked up for a while changing key words... Finally i found with "sicilian peperone"! It call, "TUMATICOT"! there was also a recipe. they say it's good as gratin...


Well, so i decided to try gratin. I sliced it, i covered them with parmesan cheese, olive oil, a little bit of oregano, salt and pepper. Put them in the oven for 15minuites.
The taste is very good! I think a little bit sweeter than usual paprika. and have thin skin so it's easy to eat.
If you find one i recommend it!

Hi again!

Again, i renewed the blog and here i am again.
I opened the new shop on "Etsy" and started to selling little animals, which is i am continuing making for years... it's a good gift for some little occasion and little thanks or hi to someone you get to know or sometimes for farewell...

Bourne identity

i rent a film call, "Bourne identity". Starring Mat Damon and Franka Potente (the girl who was in the film "Run Lola Run"). The story is the man who wounded the body during his secret mission discovered by a fisherman and when he recovered he lost his memory... then he go around to get the memory back but he realized the he is being hunted by someone...
The story is nothing special but the film is very nice i think. Mat Damon is very good in the film. There will be second part soon call "Bourn Supremacy"!

Cherry blossom tea

2 weeks ago i ordered "Cherry blossom Tea" on the internet.
and finally has arrived today!
It's written "Tea" but it's kind of harb tea. When you open the package you can find some fresh cherry blossom and you pour bolid water. then you can find the flower is "blooming" in your mug cup! O_O!
it's just amazing but true. it's slightly salty and sweet. if you know how is the japanese sweet you can imagine how it is i think...

anyway, now i can feel "my" spring in my little mug cup! *:)

The first day of blogging!

Finally i started blogging... i have bought a space on the internet but never onlined.. anyway blogging is the easiest way to start to do something on the internet i think.

today here is cold but it's sunny day. i want to go out take a walk this afternoon.

ciao!