Sushirama

Last weekend we went out for sushi.  It was a lot of fun, but I always have a hard time finding something on the menu because I don't want to eat raw fish.  Of course that's the whole point of sushi, but not for me.

So I go with the veggie just to be safe.  It was really good despite each piece being nearly too big to fit in my mouth.

Sushi is Japanese and usually consists of vinegared rice and raw meat or seafood.  Important note when looking at a sushi menu - raw meat served by itself is sashimi.  You've probably heard of a California Roll even if you don't know a thing about sushi.  It's not actually Japanese, it's American, of course!

We decided we could do just as well or better than the restaurant and I think we did.

The sticky rice is very sticky, but a little water on the fingers helps a lot.  We filled them with cucumber, carrot, green onion and either smoked salmon or fried shrimp.

Those sheets are called nori and are actually a type of algae!

They definitely ended up nearly too big for my mouth again, but they were really good too. That looks like a lot (and it was), but we ate every one!

Make your own sushi - I recommend it.

Square One, Full Circle

I got my year off to a good start with a near-constant hair trial.  Perhaps better labeled as trial and error.

Amazingly, it only took 15 tries to come full circle.  That comes to one product every 7.3 days and I'm back at square one.

I do not recommend this.

Mercifully, I still have a head full of hair.

Jim wondered if I'd learned anything.  I hope so, but sometimes I'm a slow learner.  Case in point - see above.

Glareglasses

Forecast: Sunny

No, not all day long and not every day, but enough for me to trade in my glareglasses for my sunshades.

I know, they're one and the same, but usually when I pull out my Ray Ban's, it's strictly to block the glare.

Lately they're bonafide sunshades.  Long time coming.

Rakin' it in

Now that our weather has slightly improved, we've made a trip or two to the antiek and brocantemarkt here in Hasselt as well as the antique market in Tongeren.

FYI - Brocante is Dutch for flea and antiek is Dutch for antique. Ha.

You can find nearly everything from watches to dishes and bikes to yard tools.

For three-plus years I've been in search of the perfect rake - metal, not too heavy, not too wide.

Well, I hit pay dirt last weekend!

This thing is perfect.

Now, I can focus on finding the elusive sharpshooter for my garden shed.  I figure only me and my sister-in-law Becky know what I'm talking about :)

No, it's not a gun.

Sentenced to . . .

Limburger tot 1 jaar cel veroordeeld na diefstal vijver
Limburger sentenced to 1 year in prison after pond theft

The Leuven criminal court on Wednesday ordered the immediate arrest of a 50 year old man. This happened ... after he had stolen a preformed polyester garden pond during a burglary. 

The owner had, during that night in April, a polyester pond worth 400 euros seized during a burglary.

~ One year in prison for stealing a "polyester" pond?

Man veroordeeld voor verkoop valse Prada-handtassen
Man sentenced for selling fake Prada handbags

The Tongeren criminal court on Thursday sentenced a 24-year old man from Maaseik and a 30-year old companion from Brussels to six months each and 2,750 euro fine, because they sold fake handbags of the exclusive brand Prada. 

The police were sent to the house after a report of domestic violence.  There, the man's wife told that her husband had 370 Prada shoulder bags.  The agents found that they were fake copies because the logo and packaging was wrong.

~ Luckily the agents are experts at Prada logo and packaging.  This guy and his "companion" got 6 months each for selling fake Prada purses - plus a hefty fine on top of that?

Last and definitely not least . . .

Eight years in prison for rape and torture of 10 women

The 40-year-old Carlo P. from Aarschot was sentenced Thursday by the Hasselt criminal court to eight years in prison for molestation, rape and torture of 10 women. 

Carlo P. initially worked for the gullible women. What began in the care of their animals, led to an invitation to dinner. The man drugged the women with sleeping pills in a plate of spaghetti.

The man explained that he had a fantasy with sleeping women. He took pictures of his sleeping victims, while the offenses committed.
  

~ Unbelievable? Perhaps, but it seems very normal here.

I'm guessing there must be some details missing from this story.  Did the first 9 women forget to report this guy?  They knew him!  They ate spaghetti with him!

Anyway, that comes to 9 and a half months for each rape/torture - assuming he serves all that.  And I think that may be a big assumption.  Equal to nearly as much time as selling fake Pradas and less time than for stealing fake ponds. 

Prison sentences here just don't seem to have the same priority levels as in the States.  Perhaps because there's not all that much crime here, Belgium hasn't figured out that serial rape/torture is worse than theft and  counterfeiting?  Or, heaven forbid, they actually see them the same. 

By the way, the sentence for a serial rapist in the U.S. - life without parole.

Your guess is as good as mine on sentences in the U.S. for purloined ponds and pretend Pradas, but I think I'm safe in assuming it ain't life without parole.

Great Expectations

Would you qualify?  I saw this ad yesterday on the Xpats.com website . . .

Belgian Baby-sitter

Apr 10, 2013 

BELGIAN PET-SITTER

Lady speaking ENG, Dutch, FR, ESP and Russian with recommendations. Baby-sitting during evenings-weeks, weekends, holidays, travelling. Lady companion for the elderly and make courses for all people. Typing works: research, presentations, papers, etc. and makes works in Power Points. Tel.: 0470 825436

Now, let me get this straight . . . this Belgian person, (ladies only) will baby-sit on evenings, weekends, holidays, and travelling.  

Does this mean she can keep her day job?

This lady/wizard will also pet-sit, be a companion for the elderly and "make courses for all people".  Whatever that means.  

No, a day job will interfere with the pets and elderly thing.  Plus, she'll need time to "make courses for all people".

And if that's not enough, this lady/prodigy will do research, make presentations and papers, "etc".  

"Etc" covers a lot of ground and doing research while making presentations and papers could really cut in to her "sittin' around time".  Yeah, I think she can forget that day job.

Oh, and she will also "make works in Power Points".  This can only mean one thing.  She is charged with boring the children, the pet, and her elderly companion to death.

Last, but certainly not least, this lady/virtuoso will speak 4 languages - English, Dutch, French, and Russian.  Actually, that may be the easiest one to come by here in this land where everyone speaks at least 4 languages.

Wow, AND she will also predict the future?! 

Just kidding, make that 5 languages.  ESP just means Spanish, as in Español.  

I agree.  Predicting the future?  Come on, draw the line somewhere.

Of course, she will have "recommendations" as required in the ad.  I would be curious to know how this applicant lost her last job - because she finally reached her potential?

I'm thinking of calling that number - not to apply, ha - but once they fill that position, I really want to meet this Belgian marvel.

Badpak Winkelen

A week or so ago I went shopping (winkelen) for a swimsuit (badpak).  That alone is cruel and unusual punishment for anyone . . . but especially us over-the-hill, super-white, not-as-thin-as-we'd-like-to-be's.

But despite the torturous fluorescent glow and the floor-to-ceiling image destroyer, I came home with a badpak.  One piece and black, of course.

Since I will eventually wear this thing out of the house, I figured I may need to work on my winter stockpile - aka kilo overkill.  So naturally we ordered pizza, went out for Mexican, and drank margaritas in preparation for the eventual fast.  

I'm keeping my expectations low.  Trust me, this always works.

Luckily, I've got some help in the form of a free sample I got this week.  I went to buy nail polish and first of all, I was shocked to pay 14.75 euro for OPI nail polish (that would be $19/ridiculous).  Please tell me this is not how much OPI costs in the States!  

So, as part of my rip-off bonus, I got this free sample of Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil.

  

Instructions: Apply to body working from the ankles up to the thighs and the hands toward the shoulders.

I figure it'd take about 3 of these samples to fill up this Tbs. and I don't know about you, but my kankles alone would use that up.

But for a mere 42 euro ($54), I can get the regular size bottle holding almost 7 tablespoons.  

So . . . that's about one application . . . and I'd need to do this every day . . . hmmm.  Yep, considering developing a German attitude - being beyond satisfied with my body despite the negative affects on those around me.

I'll let you know how firm and toned my kankles are though.