Monday 30 March 2009

Biden My Time

This morning American Vice-President Joe "Jos�" Biden arrived in Costa Rica to... well, I'm not exactly sure why he's here, but that last link goes to a picture of him with the Costa Rican President, Oscar Arias. In any case, due to his arrival there was a bit more traffic getting to work, and there were tons of Costa Rican cops with huge guns on all the highway overpasses and onramps between the airport and San Jos�. But since Costa Rica doesn't actually have a military, there's a good chance those giant automatic rifles were plastic.

In any case, bienvenido, Joe, and enjoy your stay. Thanks for not disrupting traffic as much as when Cheney would come to town with his slave-pulled chariot, straight out of the movie "The Fall":

File Photo: Ex-Vice President Dick "The Dick" Cheney's motorcade leaves San Jos�'s Juan Santamar�a International Airport


Picture is a screen capture, taken from the movie website called Film Walrus Reviews. Check it out.

Sunday 29 March 2009

Diet Sunday Magazine

I know it's been a few weeks since I've come at ya with a Sunday Magazine, but I've been busy with other stuff, so I guess I've not had time to read interesting articles and whatnot. But this week, I did come across a few extra things that I thought were certainly worth passing on to you, Dear Reader. It'll be like a Sunday Magazine Lite!

First off, we have a link to an article that my friend Julien Katchinoff sent me. It's called "The Rice and Beans War." It's a good glimpse into Costa Rican life, particularly focusing on Gallo Pinto, the Costa Rican national* rice and bean dish. This article's got everything that makes Costa Rica the country it is today: Rice, Beans, Salsa Lizano, and an underlying dislike of Nicaragua. Check it out!

Second, in my neverending quest to justify outrageous coffee consumption, I came across this New York Times article talking about the benefits of caffeine as a performance-enhancing drug. It's called "It's Time To Make A Coffee Run." Remember: if your urine doesn't smell like coffee (and possibly a faint whiff of cereal), then you're probably not hydrated enough to run a 5K.

And finally, speaking of Sport (pronounced "schport"), check out this video that Julien also sent me:



After that video, there's seriously nothing that I can say or post that will amaze or shock you more.

Have a great weekend.


*There are rumors we stole our national dish from Nicaragua, though; you be the judge.

Saturday 28 March 2009

The Pics of the Haps

It's been a little while since I've posted some random recent pictures, so here we go:

First of all, Angela and I are almost ready to move into our house--hopefully this weekend! I put up a few new pictures on the Gringiticasa blog, if you're interested in checking them out.


No, we didn't get a dog, but Angela's sister and next-door neighbor Toni and her family did. It's a cute little mutt of sorts. It's name is so brilliant and weird that even it would make even Borat proud. It's moniker: "Bonjovi."


Here's Angela painting some styrofoam stuff that will go on the outside wall of our house, between the outside walls and the... outside ceiling thing (eaves?). Basically, it'll make it look nicer, but I have no idea what it's called in English.


Angela with a green beer on Saint Patrick's Day. It's not a holiday here, and the liquor store didn't have any Irish beer (and there was no damn way I was going to pay $26 for a bottle of Bailey's!). So, I bought some Heinekens and we died them green. The next day, though, we went to the normal supermarket which, of course, had both Guinness and cheaper Bailey's. When we got home I prepared Angela a car bomb. Her verdict: "Arblech!! What is this?!"


Finally, a week or two ago I mentioned that I had killed a whole weekend painting a closet / wardrobe. Fortunately, I documented it photographically. What I imagined to be a two-hour-or-so project really ended up eating around 14 hours, somehow. At least I had some music. The picture above is the "Before" one, and below is "After." It's debatable how much good the painting actually did, but for me it looks less cheesy, at least.

So, that's about it for now. Stay tuned tomorrow morning for a "Lite" version of the Sunday Magazine, and have a great weekend!

How To Visit Bavaria

Do you like to visit Bavaria? What is it?

"is a region located in the southeast of Germany and is the largest state of Germany by area" (Wikipedia)

I would like to visit this Land and this is one of my dreams. Why? Look at the pictures here:

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But you don't need to go too far if you want it very much. It will be enough to visit Bastia Umbra where we were yesterday and partecipate on the presentation of the Bavarese beer. There were different and very pictorial groups of Bavarians and even a band of musucists. And everybody could buy real Bavarese beer and drink it (testimonial on the left of the second photo).

Now you know what have you do to visit Bavaria.

Friday 27 March 2009

Some More Videos (Please Use The Bathroom Before Watching)

Hopefully I'm not going overboard with the videos here, but when you get on a kick, you get on a kick. In any case, in his comment from a few days ago, Dustin mentioned a few videos. Here are two that I thought were particularly great:

<a href="http://www.joost.com/08200gs/t/Muse-Knights-Of-Cydonia-Video">Muse - Knights Of Cydonia (Video)</a>

This first one is called "Nights of Cydonia" by the group Muse. It's pretty much your standard space western music video. (Look for the Star Wars-esque holograms). Good fun!



This second one should blow you away, unless if you're blind (If so, then sorry). If I understand the idea right, it's by a group named Zombie Zombie. The video itself, though, is the most incredible part: stop-motion-animation G.I. Joes used to re-enact a 1982 Kurt Russell movie called "The Thing." If you don't watch this video, then you may never be cool again.

In the meantime, have a great weekend!

Thank God


Oh, man! FINALLY!


Beck - The New Pollution
Cargado por Beck-Official

Thursday 26 March 2009

Still Too Full To Blog

Yesterday afternoon I got home around 6, but Angela wasn't at the house. This is normal, though, since she teaches on Wednesday afternoons and evenings. But, I didn't have a housekey, so I went to my sister-in-law Toni's house next door to borrow her copy. But she wasn't there. So, I went to my brother-in-law Ronald's house down the road, since he owns the house we live in, and he's got yet another spare set of keys.
In fact, Toni and her family were there, and I arrived right in time for dinner, so they invited me, too. Here's a list of the food that Ronald's wife Ligia put out for the five of us:

-White Rice (obviously)
-"New" Red Beans
-Soft Tortillas
-Cheese Wedges
-Lettuce, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad
-Jalape�os
-Fried Tortillas
-Picadillo (like cooked chopped veggies)
-Chicken in Sauce
-Chorizo Sausage
-Hard-Boiled Eggs
-Beer
-Fanta

Then they gave us desserts:
-Jello
-Ice Cream
-Peaches
-"Swiss Cookies" with Dulce de Leche

And I think I'm forgetting a few things. I think that some of the food rose to my brain and killed some memory cells in there.
So, hours after I arrived to pick up the keys, I tried to leave as politely as I could, all the while thanking Ligia for her delicious food, and refusing offers of whiskey shots and beer refills.

The lesson to our friends who'll visit us: Don't Eat Before You Get Here.

Stonington Fishing Fleet









"I was proud of my work. And the buildings went up. When they were finished the damnedest thing happened. It was like the buildings were too good for us. Nobody told us that,...it just felt uncomfortable, that's all."

Paul Dooley in Breaking Away, 1979


These are hard times for commercial fishermen. Depleted fishing stocks, regulations, expensive waterfront real estate, high fuel costs, and foreign competition have all made this a difficult way to earn a living. It is a way of life that is glorified in movies and cable television shows, but like the farms on Long Island's east end, and much of Main Street-America, it is dying a slow death.



In his book In The Village (1971), Anthony Bailey described Stonington as a place where "the old know the young, the rich know the poor, the year-rounders know the summer people---and the man you hoot at in town meeting might be your boss."



Stonington still has a Main Street, but the borough has been gentrified, and fishermen no longer live in the homes that line the narrow lanes. Sometimes, this is just a case of simple economics. But in other cases, there seems to be additional factors at work.



 It is the fishing that gave Stonington its unique appeal, and distinguished it from the other cute New England towns. It is that appeal that has drawn people here. The flip side is that fishing also brings large trucks rolling through town, foul odors, and early morning noise. People who were originally attracted to the charm, view these aspects as a nuisance. The fishing industry becomes secondary to the real estate and boutique industry.



To its credit, Stonington has worked hard to preserve the last remaining commercial fleet in Connecticut. The docks are publicly accessible, and a Blessing Of the Fleet is held every summer.

If you visit, it is important to be careful. This is a working waterfront and one needs to be aware of their surroundings. Be respectful, and stay out of their way. These men have a job to do, and they are not there as a tourist attraction.



Blessing Of The Fleet


Stonington Historical Society: Portuguese Fishermen

CT Coastal Access: Town Docks and Memorial

Mystic Seaport: Stonington Oral History Project

NY Times: And The Fleet Will Fish (1994)

Map



credit: Breaking Away; Twentieth Century Fox, 1979

credit: In The Village; Anthony Bailey; Knopf, New York 1971

Long Island Sound



Long Island Sound
I see it as it looked one afternoon In August, 

by a fresh soft breeze o'erblown

The swiftness of the tide,

 the light thereon A far off sail,

 white as a crescent moon

The shining waters with pale currents strewn

The quiet fishing shacks, the Eastern cove

The semi-circle of its dark green cove

The luminous grasses,

 and the merry sun

In the grave sky, 

the sparkle far and wide

Laughter of unseen children,

 cheerful chirps Of crickets,

 and low lisp of rippling tide

Light summer clouds

 fantastical as sleep

Changing un-noted,

 while I gaze thereon

All these fair sounds and sights

 I made my own

Emma Lazarus (1849-1887)

Tro Breiz Blog

Please have a look at our new Tro Breiz blog where those involved in this BWs project will record their experiences in walking and researching the historic 600+km pilgrimage around Brittany which links the 7 cathedrals of the 'founding saints' (St Pol above). The blog will be regularly updated with individual contributions so please visit from time to time. Anyone wanting to join in with this project will be very welcome - we still have many sections of the route to cover - you can choose a tiny distance or up to 50kms to make your own, and with a year to do it!
www.trobreizproject.blogspot.com

Wednesday 25 March 2009

Huelgoat walk

This week, there was a choice of two walks, one for those who preferred a shorter, slower ramble, and a longer walk at a faster pace for those who wanted to stretch themselves! Seventeen people set off briskly to begin their challenge and then fourteen of us left the meeting point for the leisurely stroll through the 'Chaos' and the Forest at Huelgoat. We passed over the bridge at the scenic wild boars drinking pool and crept by King Arthur, sleeping in his Grotto. We then began the climb up to Le Camp d'Artus, the site said to be from the first and most ancient town in Finistere. At that point, we paused in the sunshine for a much needed rest, drinks and cakes (described as 'orgasmic' by one contented walker!). We then continued mainly downhill (though some would dispute this!!) to meet up with the other group who had just completed their longer 'fast and furious' march. We finished at La Roche Tremblante, though despite many valiant attempts, it refused to tremble on this occasion, maybe next time.......?





Tuesday 24 March 2009

Worth The Wait

This video is slow until about 3:00, but then it gets cool:



Believe me, it's worth the three minute wait.

Monday 23 March 2009

Could Ya Also Spare A Dime For A Bullet, Hermano?

On Thursday evening of last week, a police car pulled into our driveway. This was surprising for a few reasons:

1: We didn't know that the police came anywhere near Berl�n,
2: We didn't know why they had come to our house, and
3: We didn't know the police had a car

In any case, they came by to talk about the car. Their police car, that is. One of the officers reached into his pocket and pulled out a snapshot of a police car with a shattered windshield. He started mentioning that their patrol car (a mid-90s Nissan Pathfinder) had "woken up with" a broken window one morning, and since I was a foreigner and all...

Well, I got a bit concerned there, since I was wondering if they were accusing me. But it turns out they were just asking for money. They had already replaced the windshield, since it's a fairly necessary part of one's car. They had tried to go through the rounds with the INS, the state-monopoly bullshit insurance company. They had almost given up on the INS to reimburse them, even though they had an insurance policy. They said the INS was throwing up some bullshit line about not having the car inspected before performing the labor, or something like that.

There are at least 5 things wrong with this picture:
1: The cops drive a shitty old Pathfinder (at least the ones who didn't get the fancy new Chinese police cars, our payoff for dumping diplomatic relations with Taiwan and switching to relations with China... we also got a free, shiny new National Stadium in the works from that deal)
2: The cops left their shitty old Pathfinder unattended long enough to get the windshield broken
3: They had to pay for it with their own money because the insurance company wouldn't reimburse them
4: They had to go door-to-door begging for money, and since they (somehow, since I'd never seen these guys) knew I was a foreigner, they thought I might be able to help, since their own nation's institutions--including the police force, apparently!!--weren't doing shit to help them
5: Let me recap: police officers came to our house asking for money to pay to replace their patrol car's windshield

We gave them 1,000 colones, worth about 2 bucks. Not much, but they were happy and genuinely thanked us. We told them that they should really demand that the INS pay for their windshield, and that they couldn't give up after only a few weeks of dealing with the insurance monopoly; after all, it took us months and months of dealing with those soulless, insurance-mongering bureaucrats before we reached that level of desperation.

So why give them money? To paraphrase Stephen Colbert, I decided long ago that I would do everything I could do to help out a person in need, if that person in need is carrying a gun.
Plus I hate the fucking INS.

Barnstaple River Front

Barnstaple has been looking really nice in the sunshine this last week. On Friday I had occassion to walk 28 children down to the river front to sketch the old bridge and it was lovely sitting and looking at the scenery. If you're in Barnstaple and have time for a leisurely walk then this is the place. The cycle path and walkway runs from Rock Park, under the old bridge, known as the Long Bridge, and then right round to the Civic Centre (not a picturesque building at all), and you get a lovely view of the new downstream bridge. Does this have an official name? I'm not sure.
Oh, and in between the two bridges is a rather nice little cafe called, of course, The River Front cafe.


Barnstaple is still good for shopping, for anyone who was wondering. Since I haven't posted about Barnstaple since 2006 I thought I would offer that titbit of information. We lost Woolies and Adams, but so far that it. New shops keep appearing, in particular a large amount of underwear shops! I wonder what that says about the people of North Devon.

Sunday 22 March 2009

Top Secret Costa Rican Chili Recipe!

Well, don't I feel like a fool. The other day I was mocking Costa Rican cuisine, especially regarding its lack of spice or, um... what's the word? Oh yeah, "flavor."
But, I've just come across this top-secret recipe for Costa Rican chili! Many Bothan spies died to bring us this information, so use it cautiously and guard it closely:

CHILI � LA TIQUICIA (COSTA RICAN CHILI)

INGREDIENTS:
-3 cups cooked white rice, unseasoned other than salt and a little oil
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-1/2 cup Salsa Lizano*
-
1 tsp. garlic powder
-1 tsp. onion, cooked until dark brown or black
-1/3 cup table salt
-Extra Salsa Lizano and salt to taste

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:
-Mix all ingredients in 6 cups of boiling water and let simmer in a large pot for 10 minutes. Serve piping hot with crackers and Lizano Sauce to taste.


(*Salsa Lizano is a mild vegetable sauce easily found in Costa Rica. Photo from Wikipedia link above.)


Research Vessel Seawolf

Stony Brook University, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Research Vessel Sea Wolf,
Port Jefferson Harbor, January 2009

RV Seawolf
Stony Brook University: School of Atmospheric Sciences
Seawolf: Specifications
Flickr: Seawolf at Sunset

Kandovan A Strange Touristic Village

This is a very special place. It's a tourist village Kandovan in Sahand, Iran. Some of these houses are 700 years old. And it's interesting not only for tourists but for those who wants to heal kidneys with the local mineral water. More interesting photosare here and some of them here

"(Sahand)It is one of the highest mountains in Iranian Azerbaijan, in addition to being an important dormant volcano in the country." (Wikipedia)









Saturday 21 March 2009

Spain And Oviedo

Yesterday I wrote about a town in Spain, Oviedo, where there is the Cloth that covered the face of Jesus of Nazareth (How Many Shrouds Of Jesus Of Nazareth Do You Know? ).

I wanted to know more about that town and here you can see the photos I found in internet. I did not think about visiting Spain before. But looking on these photos you have great wish to go there.

Interesting is that it was an important town and it has very antient history. It was founded in the VIII century and was even the capital of Principality of Asturias. Maybe it was the reason why the Cloth finished it's travel in this town. On the photo you can see the Cathedral.


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Friday 20 March 2009

WTF, Ryan Sitzman?

This post is a nice melding of two recent Sitzblog themes: "Music Videos" and "WTF?"
Let me present this Hilary Duff video for "With Love":


So, WTF, Me? Dammit, dammit, dammit! Why do I like Hilary Duff? And it's even a remix! What the hell's the matter with me? And how is it that I even know how to spell her name correctly?

Sitzman: Pull it together, man. If you are still a man, that is. As my friend Bobby would say when I listened to girlypop music: "Yeah, we're gonna have to confiscate your testicles for this one." At least I've admitted that I've got a problem; isn't the next step denial or coping? Can someone help me out on this one?

Hmm, This Could Become A Theme...

I put up the Chris Isaak video a few minutes ago, but that was mainly because I was happy that I'd figured out how to embed videos recently (as you may have noticed in the last couple of weeks... I know that most people figured out how to embed videos circa 2002). In any case, since it's Friday, there's a decent chance you won't be reading this until the weekend, or even until Monday. One way or the other, you'll either have a lot of free time, or you may need a good pick-me-up. So, I'll also include this video by September, called "Satellites":

Believe it or not, this is actually the number one most-played song on my itunes lately, according to... well, according to my itunes. This Swedish superblonde can sure sing a catchy tune, and the beat is addictive. Let's just cut down a bit on the freaky makeup, what do you say, skat?
Anyhow, hope you like it (or at least don't hate it).

Somebody's Cryin'

Here you go. It's "Somebody's Cryin'," by Chris Isaak.
I really like this song, and I was trying to find the video on YouTube. No dice. I did find it on some other weird channel, and I have embedded it for you, Dear Reader.
This is the song that made me want to grab my guitar, strap my surfboard to my vintage car, and move to the beach. Score so far on the Dream Scale: 0 for 4. But hey, no one's perfect.
Still, listening to Chris Isaak makes me think about living in a beach paradise. I know that's ironic, considering that I live in a beach paradise, a country whose name is actually "Rich Coast." But I guess it's not Baja-enough to make me feel like Chris Isaak might be coming by my house at any moment, asking if I feel like playing a bit of guitar or having a barbeque on the beach.
This post is pretty rambly, but hopefully it gave you enough to read while the video loaded and buffered:



BONUS: In the video, check out the girl's sweater. It's made from alpacas, and it actually has pictures of alpacas on it! It's where Hannibal Lector meets Beach Blanket Bingo.

Huelgoat walk - Tues 24th March

We have a choice of walks at Huelgoat next Tuesday (meet 2pm by mairie). Either a fairly short leisurely paced stroll on easy paths in the forest, or a longer, faster and more challenging route. Both groups will take in Arthur's Camp and the Mare aux Sangliers (pictured above). Everyone is welcome: we hope to provide an enjoyable afternoon for walkers of all abilities here.
After the walks there will be a short get together for those interested in participating in our Tro Breiz project, which involves individuals or small groups choosing a short section to cover of this 600 km walk between the cathedral towns of Brittany's Seven Founding Saints.

Thursday 19 March 2009

WTF, Air-Bake Cookie Tray?

Continuing my WTF kick, I present you with the results of my trusty old air-bake cookie tray. On the left is a normal-shaped cookie, baked on a black tray. Looks tasty, right? Well, it is. On the right (on top of the spatula) is a cookie right off the air-bake tray (that big silver metal thing dominating the picture):

So, air-bake tray: WTF? Why are you taking twice as long to bake my cookies, and why are you making them all flat and crumbly? Isn't that basically worth a double-WTF?

Air-bake tray, I'll admit it: we had some good times in Boulder, but you're slipping. Maybe it's because I store you right under that non-stick bread mold that got all rusty for some reason, but your results just aren't cutting it anymore. Shape up or we'll use you as a roof panel for Cucho's upcoming cat-house.*

BONUS! Check out the brand of our black electric water-kettle: "Erick-son." Even in the realm of domestic appliances, we're pretty big on pirated copies down here.


*I may or may not be bluffing. I probably will never actually make a cat house for Coochie-Flies.

Wednesday 18 March 2009

WTF, Chris Cornell?

I've decided to go on a WTF kick. First up, Chris Cornell and his video for "Part of Me." The other night I turned off a DVD and this video was playing on channel 2 (which, when it's on the air, plays videos sometimes). So, take a quick look at the following (feel free to stop it after 30 seconds or so):



Oh Chris Cornell, how the mighty shreiker has fallen. Is the man singing this repetitive pseudo-Latino--seriously, Puerto Rico?--R&B bullshit the same guy who motivated me to break out of my rusty cage (the only kind of cage in Costa Rica)?:



Grow that hair back out, call your old Soundgarden buddies, and get your act together, man!

Vilnius Centras

I lived many years in Lithuania and fortunatelly have friends there. They know that I love this country and send me photos or something interesting about it. My today part of nostalgy was this interesting slide-show Vilnius centras I can envy the program the authors use to create it. My slide-shows made with Picasa are ... not so good as this one.

I added here some photos of Vilnius made by other persons:


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Holy Crap!

Holy Crap! Yesterday I tangentially mentioned The Goonies in a post. Did anyone else know that Josh Brolin played the character of the older brother Brandon "Brand" Walsh??

Crazy!!

Are these the kinds of tidbits I'm missing out on since I emigrated??

Coastal Walking Holiday

Our annual coast walking holiday is fixed for June 2-5. We will be based on the Atlantic coast west of Brest, with two and a half days of following the coastal path, and a morning of visits to places of interest along the Rade de Brest, including a Vauban fort with WWII additions. There is a great variety of scenery to be enjoyed, from wild cliffs (see above) and sandy beaches to the ruined abbey of St Mathieu and the atmospheric little port of Le Conquet.

Tuesday 17 March 2009

Pelham Cemetery , City Island




When I was about seven years old, my family and I went to visit my grandfather in Vermont one winter. I can't recall a lot of the details from the vacation, but there is something that happened during the trip that I remember to this day. Our green Buick station-wagon loaded down with kids, luggage and a dog, made its way through the depressed towns of upstate New York that straddle New England, until we reached Hoosick Falls.
Just outside of town, a traffic jam had formed on a desolate stretch of abandoned farmhouses and shuttered Dairy-Queen type businesses. I don't know how long we sat in traffic, but we eventually crawled along and reached a bridge that spans the Hoosac River, where a cop directing traffic informed my father that two kids had fallen through the ice.
The following day, the newspapers reported that the two young boys had drowned. There were photos of them on the front page. They were about my age.

Thirty years later, I was spending a lot of time in City Island. I kept my boat there and had gotten to know many of the residents who inhabit this small island that is connected to the Bronx by a bridge and taxes. On a January night while I was flying to San Diego, four young men decided to row a small boat from City Island over to neighboring Hart Island, a potters field for the City of New York. Their boat took on water, and a 911 distress call was the last words heard from them. A day later, a guitar belonging to one of the teenagers was found in this cemetery.
This made national news in a limited way. I remember reading a small story about it in the Los Angeles Times. My flight home approached LaGuardia Airport right above this small body of water that separates the two islands, and the two graveyards. As spring approached, a hovering helicopter was an indication that another body had been recovered.
I did not know these young men, but I have heard many good things about them. They unfortunately made a stupid mistake, and it cost them their lives.

Pelham Cemetery sits on the eastern shore of City Island, with Hart Island in the distance. A sort of morbid version of the Haves looking out at the Have-Nots.
The Remembered
looking out at The Forgotten.

New York Times: Search Effort Fails To Find Four Teens
Kingston Lounge: Hart Island (photos)
The Hart Island Project
Map

"The Only Thing We Serve Is Tongue! You Boys Like Tongue?!"

Just yesterday at lunch, I was talking with my coworkers about food. For some reason a chili cookoff was mentioned; the main point of that was discussing what a chili cookoff actually was, since they don't really have chili here, let alone chili cookoffs. I mocked Costa Rican food for being generally bland, boring, and oversalted. I also joked that if there were an international chili cookoff that featured anything spicier than cooked onion, the Costa Rican judge would be fanning his or her tongue, asking for some Tang to cool their mouth and some salt to pour on the chili.

But I digress, sort of. I did say that Costa Rican food was completely predictable and dull (as would I describe any cuisine that calls for eating rice at least three or four times a day). But I forgot about tongue. Yep, cow tongue. In the company cafeteria, no less! And at a premium price over the two "more conventional" entrees! I gotta give it to you, Costa Rica... that's pretty ballsy! Here's what it looked like:

(Yeah, freaking rice, too). So two big slices of tongue, and beneath the sauce, you can even see the texture of the taste buds. Impressive. Most impressive indeed! This picture was taken by my friend Roberto "Robby" Monterrosa. I have to admit that this is the first time I've been glad that someone near me had a cell phone! Nice shot, by the way, Se�or Monterrosa. I'll get Martha Stewart Living on the phone right away!


This is the mysterious Robby "Money-ROSE!" Monterrosa. He doesn't dig paparazzi, especially paparazzi who bug him while he's eating tongue.


The first bite. Kinda tongue-y, but tastily tender.


I asked Robby for another shot, "but less bald," so we've got this inspiring one. Thanks for the pics, Money-ROSE. And remember, "RM" are also the initials for "Renegade Moneymaker." Don't forget it.

In any case, we had tongue for lunch, and it was pretty tongue-licking good. I guess that's what you get in a country that doesn't celebrate Saint Patrick's Day.

(By the way, the quote that's the title of this blog is, of course, from The Goonies. I just never thought I'd get a chance to legitimately use it!)