FUN IN ALEXANDRA PALACE

In spite of the weather, I ventured out in search of a slope to sleigh and to take "my own" pictures. I walked up to Alexandra Palace.

I bought some heavy-duty gardening refuse bags!

I envied all the kids...

Who needs the Alps?!

LOTS OF SNOW!!!

This is Crouch End, as I woke up this morning. The buses aren't working, so I cannot get into work today. Hooray!

To tell the truth, I am warm in my bed, watching the snow falling from my window. Odhran took these pictures early this morning and sent them to me. Hi, hi! I am a cheat!

MORE SNOW AND CHINESE NY

This is Crouch End, half an hour ago.

Dinner in town with MJ and Klaus. Freezing!!!

My ham and cheese bake was...

... a success!

Beef and mushroom spicy stew with mash. Absolute comfort!

This is the year of the Ox.

鱼生 (Yusheng), chinese raw fish salad. Special dish for New Year, very popular in Singapore. Everyone has to join in mixing the salad with chopsticks. Apparently the higher you toss, the greater your fortunes. I made sure to go very high! You also have to say something while tossing, but Tommy didn't instruct me properly, haha!

Nina is 4 now!

This is her present: Jiji, from Kiki Delivery Service. Cute! I wish I could have kept him...

By the way, the flowers turned out to be pink :)

SUNDAY'S IMAGES

Lazy Tora...

Spitafields Market.

Not so cold today...

Let's go for tea!

At Patisserie Valerie...

My new phone cover.

My hyacints are slowly opening. I think they might be pink...

Onigiri with left over rice...

Became yaki-onigiri!

I put them in a soup with the mentaiko Tommy brought me from Japan.

I RECOMMEND...

"The Solitude of Prime Numbers", by Paolo Giordano.

It is only available in Italian at the moment. The English translation will be out in June, published by Doubleday. A truly amazing book for its honesty and depth. I really hope it won't be ruined by a cinematographic version. It was my Christmas present from Laura and Marta and I read it too quickly. I don't usually read much in Italian anymore, which is not good, as sometimes when speaking I can't find the right words. I don't know how this title caught my attention and I was pleasently surprised to find it under the tree on Christmas day.

"Mattia thought that Alice and he where like two twin primes, lonely and lost, close, but never enough to touch for real. He never told her that."

DECEMBER COLLAGE

1st January 2009. Breakfast.

New Year's Eve. Home-made popcorn and movies.

New Year's Eve dinner. Pasta al Cartoccio (salmon and prawns sauce, cooked in the oven).

Marzipan!!!
Volpe and the football...

Our Christmas dessert. Cannoniera cake... my favourite!

My stuffed calamari. Super good!

Seafood salad.

Marinated scallops.

Early morning at the fishmonger.

Christmas tree and presents at home in Italy.

Getting ready for Xmas.

I love winter vegetables. Look at the colour of this kale!

Nina and I playing in the office.