lunes, 25 de octubre de 2010

Hereby, I declare 2010 as the coldest year in human history

Cybernetics is, shortly said, the capability of systems to regulate, adapt and steer themselves.

Months ago, a friend of mine wanted to step out of "Los Gurkos" (a cultural association) because of internal problems. Los Gurkos had strong discussions: How to organise events, what was the common goal and they all had very different ways of working. Los Gurkos (as a cultural-event system) managed to find a solution by itself and no members stepped out.

I once read something linked to cybernetics in a cooking-book: Nature produces the food when humans need their nutrients. For example:

- In central Europe, potatoes (carbohydrates) and cabbages (vitamin c) are harvested in autumn and we need both nutrients when the winter starts.

- In Southern Europe and in Chihuahua, citric fruits are ripe in winter: Once more: vitamin c when we need it.

- In summer refreshing fruits and vegetables grow: watermelons, cucumbers, tomatoes, peaches, strawberries, etc.

- Since global warming started years ago, Austria has been producing better red wine; North Germany and Denmark have also started producing white wines.

What I currently don't like, and it brings me back to the topic of "self-regulatory systems", is that right now it is October and I am writing about 2010 as if it was already over. This year there has been snow in Innsbruck ever since January.

I don't know how I should self-regulate my happiness in 2010. Weather plays an important factor if you live in Innsbruck, and June, August and September were the coldest since decades, not to mention that this summer was only 3-weeks long.

Some years ago, I developed a system for forecasting nice or horrible winters (For me, a nice winter is short and a horrible is long). My indicator is very simple: If the first snow falls before my birthday it will be a horrible winter, if it snows after my birthday, the winter will be wonderful.

Today is October 25. I will turn 32 in three weeks and outside is snowing. Hereby, I declare 2010 as the coldest year in human history (I hope we can self-regulate to deal with that).

martes, 12 de octubre de 2010

young, ambitious...and happy OR the sauerkraut incident

Life is sweet
While cooking dinner tonight, Anne and I were talking about the different kinds of crisis we are all exposed between the age of 23 and 35. She told me about a girl she knows from University, this girl is 23 and is incredibly ambitious and has such self-esteem, that she assures never to have suffered a rebound; she has never failed, and will achieve all her goals in life.

My favourite sauerkraut recipe
I love sauerkraut. I am the only Mexican I know who enjoys eating it. My favourite way of eating it is cooking it slowly with whole cumin seeds and juniper berry (the stuff they make gin with – in Spanish it’s “enebro” in German “Wacholderbeere”), then I add some sour cream and eat it with fried dough.

Regional ingredients are important
I buy my groceries mainly at a farmer’s market. By doing it, I can be sure that the vegetables and fruits were harvested ripe and they are season products. Many fruits and vegetables are harvested when still green and they mature while being transported in trucks. The farmer, from whom I buy my food, had fresh sauerkraut among her products, without hesitating, I bought 600 grams.

Life cannot always be sweet
Early today, when I came back from the office, I only had something in mind: Sauerkraut with fried dough. I cooked my sauerkraut slowly, as I always do. I fried the dough and chatted with Anne. When it was ready, I served a huge portion on my plate and sat on the table only to realise the sauerkraut tasted awful. That farmer messed up what could have been the best moment of the day. I was starving, so I ate the sauerkraut anyway, but I added massive amounts of Dijon mustard to make it edible. Right now, I am stuffed and upset. I hope my digestion starts soon so I can eat chocolate and get rid of the taste on my mouth.

Young, ambitious...and happy
I just realised I will never be like that 23-year old girl Anne told me. I will never achieve all goals in my life, surely not as long as a portion of sauerkraut can ruin my day.

miércoles, 6 de octubre de 2010

we are not alcoholics, we are only in our thirties!

Yesterday I got a call from my very friend Mai. She asked me how was I doing, how was work in the office, about my weekend and when my turn to ask questions came, I heard her new born baby on the background.

Yesterday, her child was only 72 hours old, and the baby sounded so wonderful! I can’t remember hearing a child as young as Mai’s son. When my brother was born I was five and very attached to my mom, so attached that my parents feared I could suffer a jealousy attack. When my mom and my new-born brother came home from the hospital, my father sent me to my cousin’s place to spend the night there. I only saw Tomás on the second or third night he was home.

After hanging up with Mai, I nearly stared to sob. I don’t know why, but I was extremely happy to know that the “strange thing” inside Mai’s body, came out and started living, eating, breathing…This was the first time I heard someone at the beginning of life.

Today was not a cool day, at work my computer wasn’t working properly, so I had to read documents while my PC was being updated (the IT guys did several updated in the course of the afternoon). I came home tired as hell wanting to see an episode of twin peaks, just to discover that I finished the first season and had no episodes left, Hannes has the second season at home; I hope I get more DVDs tomorrow.

Just some minutes ago, my flatmate came home and saw me with a glass of Grüner Veltliner; and the “Groovie”, as they call “Grüner Veltliner” in NY, is, together with Chardonnay, the wine I usually drink when I write my blog.

I have the slight feeling that Anne (I am allowed to use my flatmate’s real name on my blog) thinks I am an alcoholic. This Monday Anne, Verena, Hannes and I dine together. Before starting to eat we had Prosecco, then red wine, and after dinner we had gin sours…we, means all but Anne. When preparing the gins, I felt like clarifying something to Anne, so I told her that we are not alcoholics, we are only on our thirties.

I am having a last sip…before finishing this entry...oh yeah!