Yet Another Shopping Center Has Opened Today.

 A Mega One As Well!

What are these companies thinking? How many shopping centers does one need and more importantly, how many of them will make a profit. The shops in them, that is. Today a huge extension to our existing mega mall in Oberwart has opened.

For the last two years or so we have been privvy to the building phase as it is right next to the mall. Huge amounts of land were destroyed. Meadows that had provided some natural beauty to contrast a modern mall but now, only a concrete jungle exists.

So, today everyone and their aunt Fanny will go and check  it out, try and garner bargains ( are they ever? ) and I suppose, be seen. Good luck to them.

The irony of it is, that this new mall is a mere accumulation of several national ( yet local ) stores, a carbon copy of many a malls in Austria. Nothing really exiting, only the same old status quo. A mega Spar supermarket store-begs the question why as there is a similar one ( only been upgraded a few years ago ) not even a crow's kilometer away. Those who put two and two together will know that we, the customers will pay for this new store.

Another big national sporting goods store is also opening there and I suppose closing their other store ( ironically next to said Spar ) in order to make a go of this one. Well, I have news for them; it isn't only the slow foot traffic of the current store ( a bit out of the city center but with ample and easy parking ) that is keeping business slow. This is the store that whenever Bob or I have gone into, we have never been greeted, god forbid assisted by someone. Despite there not having been many ( any ) customers in the store. Let's see how good their customer service is in this new emporium.

Apart from all those niggles, the glaringly obvious one is the destruction of yet another natural space. Austria is infamous for its love of concreting over lawns, meadows and land. In this day of internet shopping, the last thing we need is another mega shopping center. Rather make a little side mall ( if you have to ) with small owner operated shops - health shop, beautician, hairdresser, bakery, arts & crafts, shoe shop, boutique, esoteric goods and the like.

Maybe I am wrong and this new center will become a roaring success, but I still think it should be forbidden to keep on building new when there is plenty of old, old which might stand empty if the new is built.

Biggi

Clearly, Looks Aren't Everything.

In fact, downright deceiving.

Bob loves his burgers. Complete with a bun, lettuce and the obligatory sliced tomato. Easy to prepare and tasty too. That is until one tastes a component on its own.

The humble tomato, a family favourite that has somewhat lost its allure, taste and trust. Growing up I can remember eating tomatoes like they were apples. Gosh, is there anything nicer than biting into a ripe and proper tomato? Of course that is now a distant memory and only to be exerienced again if we win the lotto or if we start to grow them again.

The tomatoes lurking invitingly and prettily on supermarket shelves might as well be hollow shells. Sure, they look fine, in fact downright dandy but once they are home and ready to be tasted, the disappointment grows with each and every bite. They taste like cardboard and one wonders if any of the goodness attributed to tomatoes still applies. 

The organic tomatoes are just so expensive that I only buy them now and again when they are on special and I have managed to forgo buying the normal tomatoes because I mostly regret it the minute I eat one. Now and again I try a packet ( even making sure they are grown either in Austria or not much further afield ) of tomatoes and could kick myself afterwards.

What makes these fruits so dreadfully tasteless? It can't just be because they are not organic or can it? I suspect that it has a lot do to with the dilapidated soils, soils that have been robbed of nutrients through decades of pesticide and fertilizer usage. Can't really blame nature for her bit of revenge.

My hope is that with the current shortage of fertilizers and co., the fields will revert to the times of the 1950's and 60's. Yes, of course there won't be vegetables available for us to eat whenever we feel like it but at least there will be a chance for the soils to heal themselves and thereby produce a base that infuses what it grows with an abundance of flavour.  Time to start treating food as the precious commodity it is and thereby learning to appreciate instead of wasting it...Here's hoping.

Biggi 

Have We Become Wine Snobs?

 To bottle or not?

The price of empty bottles, those the winemakers use, has gone up hugely. The price of petrol too, which is going to translate into higher prices for wine.

Since moving here to Burgenland I have yet to see a boxed wine. Boxed wine was and is ubiquitous in any South African supermarket or wine merchant. Convenient, easy to use and tastes good. Three or five liters were the norm and I have to say, having a box of chilled white wine in the fridge was great. Ditto for the red boxed affair next to it.

Of course even then there was the wine elite who wouldn't be caught dead drinking boxed wine-in public! No, only bottled vino would do and the pricier the better. Look, nothing wrong with that point of view but nothing with boxed wine either.

Fast forward to today's age. Petrol prices through the roof, empty bottles almost a third more and more people in need of a nice glass or two of vino at the end of a stressful day, week or year. One never thinks about the actual logistics of getting wine from cellar to store and home. Wine bottles are heavy and transporting them around Europe or even locally, is an unnecessary expense and climate sin.

Much better to use boxes, those where one can use a little tap and save the weight of up to seven bottles. Imagine how much less pollution will be had, and how many less bottles would have to be made. Don't forget that bottles use sand,  a commodity that is getting harder to source.

I think that it is time to make boxed wine fashionable and trendy here in Austria. Boxed wine can run the same scala of tastes and flavour as bottled wine can. Having boxed wine doesn't mean one  can't imbibe in bottled wine but I can hazard a guess and say that most folks will be surprised at the taste and easy handling of a five liter box of their favourite tipple.

Biggi

If I Want To Do Things Perfectly, I Would Never Do Anything At All.

 Life lesson learnt today!

Is it just me or are most of us conditioned to only do things well or not at all? Especially those things that are on display for all and sundry to see. Our fear of what the neighbours would say keeps most of us rooted in our status quo.

These last few days I have made our outside wall my little project. I didn't tell Bob when I started as he would have given me oodles of pitfalls to watch out for and then pondered if we shouldn't wait for a professional to do it. He too is conditioned with the ' only do something if it is going to turn out perfectly '  gene and only slowly is throwing caution to the wind, doing mini-projects while not being too fazed when they don't turn out perfectly.

So, I got a strong brush, bought some polyfiller and all the bits that go along with it and got stuck in last week. At first it was quite daunting wondering if I was doing it right or making it worse but then it dawned on me that it was ' worse ' already and can only be improved upon. 

Bit by bit I repaired this garden wall and every bit done made the work easier and my hand surer. In fact I enjoyed doing the repairing. The first day, even though I was far from finished, I showed Bob and he was amazed, and enthusiastically inspected my effort. Hardly any critique bar a tiny one and that was okay. Both of us are coming to the conclusion that it is okay not to be perfect, to make mistakes and more importantly, to just get stuck in knowing that it might not turn out great....as long as it turns out.

This morning I realized that if I waited to do things perfectly, I would never attempt anything at all, and that is, has been and would be a shame! On to a new phase of living....

Biggi

A Saturday Filled With Rain And Reflections.

 A lovely day to spend at home and at leisure.

Rain keeps us indoors. Rain lets us take it easy unless we need to be outside. Rain on a weekend can't be beat. Yes, one naturally tends to at first complain due to the lack of sunshine and the exuberance of rain, but isn't it perfect for doing everything needed to recharge ones batteries and energy? 

Lounging on the couch with a good book and a cup of tea at hand is the perfect antidote to a stressful work week. Thinking of what to eat for lunch and the snacks leading up to it. Childhood favourites always come to mind. The old chips, ice cream and custard way.

The other day I read an article in a magazine and in it was a woman's reflection on growing older. She was turning 40 and had decided to go on a course in order to learn to be comfortable in her own skin. At first it sounded silly and cliche, but isn't that exactly what we are all yearning for?

Imagine that, being comfortable in our own skin. Not bothering or caring what others think. Being happy with what we are; thin, big, wrinkled, beautiful or not. Why do most of us always try and please everyone. Being liked seems to be the nirvana of society but is it really?

How often have we twisted and turned ourselves like a pretzel in order to please a person. Be it family, friends or mere acquaintance, only to find out in the end that it was a huge waste of time. Those that we try to impress by not being ourselves, can't be impressed. They will somehow find fault with even the tiniest thing. It is true and to be honest, we have all done it. Found fault where we shouldn't have done so.

If our authenticity will carry favour is an open question but it is worth a try. Being authentic is easy because we don't have to pretend to be a different version of ourselves. At the end of the day we should be liked for who we are not what we are. A fancy house, a beautiful wardrobe, an expensive car and all  of it neat and tidy are just trappings and not the real us. So, here is to learning to like living and being happy within my own skin.

Biggi

Working On One's Verge, The Perfect Vantage Point!

 A spot of gardening and more...

Yes, it is that time of the year again when one has to sort out the weeds seen by the old public. Especially those gracing the border of our long hedge. Dandelion and co. seem to thrive on the edge of our hedge and with a sudden burst of energy I attended to them this morning.

All done by hand apart from a few utensils but nothing motorized. Good golly gosh, our area seems to be the mecca of motorized gardening equipment, be it a sit on lawnmower or a electrical hedge trimmer. Don't they realize that the exercise done by not using the easy machines can prolong life like nothing else? Just have a look who sits atop the motorized lawnmowers!

Anyway, tedious work this morning but well worth it. My arms are like jelly, something usually only felt after a vigorous workout at a gym, and tomorrow my legs will make themselves felt for sure. It was rather comical; the eyes of one of my neighbours were felt, and the others too. Cars stopped and walkers too.

Seeing others working in gardens or on the house is a very soothing past time and I myself have partaken in it and felt the benefit from it! It is an ice breaker like nothing else and even this morning, one of the villagers stopped to chat with me about God and the world which normally she wouldn't have done. Often just a quick nod. A car or two slowed down to give me a friendly wave or more a case of trying to see what I was up to. Not often that I can be seen in the garden.

In a world where Twitter has just been sold for outrageous amounts of money to one man, doing simple and ordinary things like a spot of gardening puts everything into perspective. Social media has reached its zenith ( in my view ) and can only go downhill from here on...we need to be reminded that talking to a person face to face is what our society was built on and not those few trimmed down words and sentences read on a mobile device.

Biggi

The Art Of Gauging The Medical Helicopter's Approach.

St. Christopher on the fly.

It is yellow, it is loud, it is called St. Christopher and it saves lives. The medical rescue helicopter which sadly is called out all too often in our part of the world. Coming from South Africa, the thought of being transported by one of those is akin to having one foot in the grave. One only does it when no other choice is had because let's face it, that little journey isn't cheap and not all medical aids used to pay for it and that thought alone could worsen any condition whilst being flown!

Well, here the medical aid does. Often this helicopter is used for such ' inane ' illnesses as broken ankles, bones or unexplained collapses. Personally I think it is often not really needed because an ambulance would do the trick as well. Unless it is vital to get the person as quick as possible to a hospital of course.

So, I was standing talking to my neighbour after our walk, with Maxi impatiently romping at the bit ( the lure of his daily treats after his walk! ), when we heard the unmistakable sound of the medical helicopter. It has an unique sound, and the rotation of the blades almost give credence to the name ' chopper '.

The helicopter turned and came back once more indicating that Eisenberg was its destination. Yikes, a horrible thought. We carried on chatting until a few minutes later one of the young mothers came pushing her tired darling up the road. Another neighbour;

            " Birgit, do you know where the helicopter landed? "

Ah, it seems I am not the only one to let my imagination run wild. The sound of an approaching helicopter can often mean that someone's time is starting to run out. A terrible thought, but in a small village where everyone knows everyone, it is only natural that the bush telephone is being used to find out who the unlucky passenger was.

I hope that today's landing was due to a broken bone of sorts and that very soon that person will be back home and enjoying the many wonderful aspects of village life.

Biggi

Veganism Has Arrived.

It has moved from a niche market to a mainstream one.

I couldn't believe my eyes this morning. There at a local supermarket stood a display of chocolate Easter bunnies and half of them had a big fat vegan printed on them. Yes, vegan chocolate Easter bunnies from Lindt, which goes to show that we are in the mix as they wouldn't manufacture just for a few thousand people.

Veganuary this year had over 600 000 participants which is great. Every year more and more people are joining this movement either for health, climate or animal welfare reasons. Like a tiny snowball rolling down the slope, this movement will take on energy all of its own and overshadow the old way of eating pretty soon. 

For climate reasons it is perfectly timed although for some reason the word vegan automatically means an extra surcharge in price. Why I wonder? Perhaps because we are prepared to pay it...

Finally I espied the new Cremissima Vanilla Vegan ice cream at the shop. Oh my, does it look enticing! But, reason prevailed as it is almost two euros more expensive than the ordinary kind plus our freezer wouldn't have had space for it. Can't very well eat it before Bob gets home from work...or perhaps I could if I hid the empty container?

Even a local discounter has a new vegan range, all packaged in a uniform blue which makes it easier to spot in the shop. Often it takes half an hour longer to peruse the shelves as they tend to put the vegan stuff among the non vegan ones. 

This is such great news because each and every vegan meal eaten makes a huge difference to our quest to save our climate. Here's to hoping that at least twenty percent of the world will be vegan withing a year or two...

Biggi

Monday, The Start Of A Hopefully Warmer Week.

 Snow, again.

Early this morning  the flakes started their dance to the floor but thankfully they didn't last long. It was and still is bitterly cold but it seems that as the week progresses so the warmth will too. Here's hoping.

Today I had occasion to fetch medication for an elderly gentleman at the top of our village. He is turning 100 in July. Can you imagine? His house is beautifully perched atop the hill and thus he has the most spectacular view of note. He sits at a huge dining table that looks straight out onto the veranda and the valley below.

A view to make one forget time, a view to make the thoughts chase each other or not to move at all. Such a stunning place to sit during the day. I only ever stop at the veranda door due to corona but I can still take note of his surrounds. To his right the television was spewing forth the horror that has befallen our time. The war.

Which makes me wonder how this man sees the events taking place. For him it is a deja vu of atrocity, stupidity and no humanity. He will know what follows a war, that is if one makes it out alive. It wouldn't surprise me if he did think the world a stupid place for repeating a war yet again.

The news today told about a report on climate change and how we have to act now. Not tomorrow, but now. The state of our climate is dire and heading into an inferno. But will we people ever learn?

Take this war in Ukraine. Why couldn't the world enforce a no-fly zone? Most of the destruction of buildings and infrastructure wouldn't have taken place then and if one fast forwards to the end of this war, a no-fly zone would have meant that precious resources needn't be used up in order to rebuild the country. The climate can't afford to have those resources extracted from the earth in order to rebuild something that two months ago was whole.

It saddens me to say that perhaps this world is in such a state because most politicians in charge of it are close to pension age, if not over it. They don't care as deeply about the climate as the young ones do for the simple reason that it won't affect them much!

I think that the world needs to rethink its modus operandi and hopefully some good will come out of these last few months, even if it is just a major tightening of everyone's purse strings and a pause in this incessant addiction to buying just for the sake of it. Let's stop this war, let's change our ways, let's save our world.

Biggi

And Just Like That The Snow Is Back!

 A lovely start to April.

They said it would snow but then again, they said it on April 1. Hearing about the possibility of snow in April, left firstly much to be desired and was quite a stretch of my imagination. Seeing that I had already moved the laundry on the line outside, planted some wild flowers for bees and friends and of course had contemplated the changing of our winter wardrobe to the summer one.

As I am looking out the kitchen window the snow flakes are hurtling themselves with great gusto intermingled with elegant twirls towards the ground. Are they here to stay for a while, who knows...

In a strange way, seeing the falling of snowflakes is a charming thing. Who doesn't connect snow with the season of Christmas, family and playing in the snow?

Before today's snow we have had two days of good rain. Not too prolific but gentle and all day long. A blessing for nature, for the vineyards and for all plants. If it was enough, I don't know but I sure hope so.

We are blessed that we have an oven that works and at the moment it is spreading a nice warmth throughout the house. When I see those poor souls of Ukraine, freezing and starving, I feel guilty that we are blessed with so much.

We have a home, heat and food not to mention family and friends. Our house might be old, bearing the scars of its age, but it is perfect to and for us. Only yesterday Bob told me about a documentary he saw about the building of social housing in Bavaria. They are building these social housing places with 60 cm thick brick walls. Just like the old days, just like our house.

What the brilliant folk of yore knew, is making a comeback in this day and age. Thick walls are perfect to save on heating...they keep the warmth in in winter and the heat out in summer. No need for fancy air conditioning and excessive heating. A win-win situation for people and environment.

The next trend of yore that might or rather should catch on, is the art of cooking with simple ingredients, with leftovers and from scratch. A win-win again...for our wallet and the environment.

Biggi

For The Might Of Wheat.

 The world will finally step in.

The war is now into its second months. Unthinkable suffering, unthinkable destruction and an unthinkable situation. For us. We, who are only the spectators although slowly it is touching our lives more than the emotions it wrings from us when seeing it daily on our screens.

The planting season is here. The seeds have to go into the ground now so that the harvest is secure. Wheat mainly and mainly in those regions where the war is raging. Yes, Ukraine and Russia are the world's bread basket and at the moment that is under threat.

Will the farmers be able to do their work? When one takes in the bigger picture, it becomes frightfully apparent that not only people locally will be affected but also millions of people in Africa and other places around the world. Their daily bread is being threatened by the continuation of this war.

And that is where the world will step in. The powers that be have already realized that a shortage of wheat worldwide has tremendous knock-on effects. People starving, people fighting and people migrating. Millions of people. That is not good for the stability of the world order we are used to.

So yes, this conflict will start to change if it isn't already in the process of stopping. In this day and age, a time of climate crisis that automatically means food scarcity, it is extremely reckless and irresponsible to put even an inch of food supply at risk. No when, but or ifs.

The world needs to pull together and protect the little we have left. Stupid fights over property should not even be a part of anyone's mental landscape. What good is a full wallet when their is no food to spend it on?

The western world is going to step up to put an end to this conflict. The risk of it carrying on is just too great for world stability and of course, peace. It should have acted sooner or at least it should have sent a whole lot of 007's to sort it all out...and I think they have!

Biggi

Common Sense Returns.

 Gosh, it isn't that hard to understand, is it?

At the beginning of March the powers that be decided to lift almost all corona strictures and as it turns out, more to appease popular sentiment than to underscore medical certainty.

Fair enough, some modicum of freedom might have been okay, but the one thing that could have made a difference was ignored.  One thing that would have hurt nobody and seeing that we have had two years to get used to it, bothered nobody either.

The FFP-2 mask. The one and only proven goalie between the covid bug and our noses and throats. All along it was said that this mask can reduce exposure to the bug by up to 90 %. Great odds; big return for little input. Even though it was deemed that this mask was no longer needed, I kept on using mine when out shopping and in crowded areas.

Most ditched them though and now we have the dilemma. Almost everyday for the past two weeks the daily new corona infections have been between 40 000 and almost 60 000 cases! Austria is a relative small country with only close to 9 million people. No wonder our incidence number is the highest in Europe if not the world.

Well, finally last night the government issued a decree whereby everyone has to wear this FFP-2 mask indoors, while shopping and in crowded places. Hallelujah. About time. A little mask is a small price to pay in order to stop people from getting sick. A lot of people think it is a harmless bit of a cold, and for some it is, but many others are and will be afflicted with long covid.

Let's hope this new measure will get our infection numbers down fast, because 50 000 a day could easily morph into 100 000 a day in no time at all.

Biggi

Paying Homage To A Generation Mostly Gone.

 The resilience of the WW2 Generation becomes only now apparent.

We've seen movies, read books and learnt about them at school. The generation who had to endure the second world war. Not just for a few weeks but for six years. My mind still grapples with that. 

All of us the world over are now finally paying attention to what war does. That war hurts, robs, destroys and kills. We see it all day long and don't know how to sort it in our minds. As abstract as it seems, it feels as if it could have been us.

Our grandparents are an unbelievable generation, one that we took for granted, one that we never really took the time to listen and thank them for those long years of horror that was called the second world war. 

It now makes sense that theirs was a generation that didn't waste. In fact they hated waste because they had to make do with almost nothing trying to keep them and their children alive. I remember my grandfather never throwing stale bread or rolls away. No, he only bought fresh bread once the old one was gone. I could never understand and admit that when I stayed with my grandparents for a few months, I used to sneak out to buy fresh bretzen and rolls at the bakery down the street. Now I understand.

This generation rebuilt cities that were totally destroyed. Imagine what strength of character it must have taken to start from scratch, often by picking out the bricks still usable from the rubble. The Trümmerfrauen. This was a generation that didn't believe in debt. Cash only. Buying things only if they had the cash for it. Mending clothes, refurbishing furniture and using bicycles or going by foot. 

Holidays, if they even had any, were taken close to home. None of this incessant flying on budget holidays. In fact, our grandparents' generation could teach us a thing or two about how to tackle climate change, and more importantly, how to be happy with whatever we have, be it little or a lot.

Biggi

The Best Way To Help, How To Donate.

 An ongoing crisis.

Our local fire departments have asked for donations of food and hygene items for the people of Ukraine. They are to be collected tomorrow at the local hall and with that in mind I went through our larder to find items I can donate.

Canned goods, dried goods and of course some dried lentils are at the moment filling two big bags waiting to be donated. But then someone got me thinking about what the best way to donate is. Goods or cash?

I went home to check it out online and some of the arguments presented make sense. Donating food items that then still have to be transported and sorted takes up a lot of time, effort, paperwork and logistics and shockingly enough, apparently 50 % of items from donation drives for catastrophes end up in landfills.

It boggles the mind to think of it but then in a strange way it makes sense. Wouldn't it be far easier to donate money to an aid organization who then can use it on site? They have so much experience gathered throughout their years of helping.

It would also be easier on the climate. Transporting stuff for thousands of kilometers isn't very environmentally sound, much better to donate the cash and buy the necessary items close to where they are needed. Less wastage too I should imagine.

After all it is more important to give the people what they need as opposed to appeasing my sense of compassion because to be honest, it was more a  case of me feeling good collecting food items off our shelves. There are going to be many more times where my compassion is needed, not just at the  beginning when it is fresh on everyone's minds. The sad thing is that most of us will start to forget about all this suffering once it loses its breaking news luster...

Biggi

The Beautiful Minutiae Of An Ordinary Life.

The sameness makes all the difference.

Granted, we all grew up being surrounded by adverts advising us to use XYZ in order to life a most extraordinary life. A life of film stars, a life of travel and a life of glamour. Who didn't get ideas of rushing out to buy a box of Styvesant cigarettes or a bar of Lux soap in order to live the life of overseas glamour?

It struck me just now as I was taking Mr for his afternoon perambulations that my life is rather ordinary, normal and much of the same day in day out. What a pleasure to be able to live a life like this. There is such beauty in knowing how the day unwinds. In repeating the minutiae of a day over and over again. Perhaps it has to do with owing pets. They need to be seen to regardless of what's on the cards.

So there we were amid a lane seen over by two sides of a forest, enjoying the birds tweeting the beginning of spring, the dull roar of a tractor doing whatever they do and the odd sound of a child playing somewhere. Normal stuff. Normal life and a life suddenly so precious because it might not carry on this way.

I saw a news segment about this young Ukrainian mother who said that on Wednesday her husband went to work as usual, she stayed at home doing normal housewifely things; life was grande and then on Thursday everything changed. No home, no stability, no husband and perhaps no country to have a future in. Just like that everything changed.

One never knows how mad despots will behave and whereas at the moment I can cry and absorb this young woman's pain and in fact so many others' pain secure in the knowledge that I have this wonderful ordinary, secure and some might say boring life. But is it? 

Tomorrow is the start of lent and instead of giving up smoking, drinking, eating or even swearing we should all make some donation or contribution to those poor Ukrainians who have had the misfortune of living next door to an evil neighbour.

Biggi

Life, Ordinary Yet Not So.

 A world that is changing in front of our eyes.

There are words and there aren't words for what is happening at the moment. Everyone has felt the change. Everyone has felt the fear. A horrid awareness that life as we knew it isn't here anymore. The line has been crossed and a lot of us have been pulled back down to reality.

We still have it easy. I can't help but feel and think about all those innocent Ukrainians that have had the rug pulled out from under them.  Earlier I took the boy for his walk and it was bitterly cold. An icy wind which went through every bone in my body and it took all my resolve to go the whole round. I still have a warm home at the end of my twenty minutes, something which many thousands of refugees do not. 

The whole world is coming together and as much as Corona has pulled us apart, so this new exponentially worse crisis has moved us closer together again. Talk about a silver lining. Europe is opening up its heart and home and it moves me to tears whenever I see it on tv. People are being Mensches again instead of altruistic beings.

One man has got the world by the throat and good golly gosh, isn't there some real life James Bond out there that can tip the scales back into our favour? At least a whole horde of international hackers have taken up their particular set of arms and I think they will prove to be extremely important in this endeavor. Holding thumbs.

I don't know about you, but I am looking at the world with a different set of eyes, norms and filters. What seemed important last week has paled into nothingness. There is only so much one needs to live and seeing those hundreds of thousand people fleeing with only the clothes on their back and a suitcase at their feet, makes me realize how superficial stuff really is and that it is high times that we stop living our lives along the consumerist lines...

Biggi

Money, Not All That It's Cracked Up To Be!

 For the love of money?

I can't get those pictures out of my mind. People walking in droves to safety with only a suitcase, backpack or less to their name. Those same people who twenty four hours ago had a home, a life and were living it.

What good does money in the bank do if accounts are frozen or destroyed? What good is having a fat bank balance when you can't draw on it or worse, when no shops are open to spend it in? Ukraine has lifted the curtain on our dream world and shown us what is really important.

Every day I walk past two newly built houses in our street. Houses which have cost a bundle in money and nerves by the look of it. Imagine if the call comes to leave everything behind and only pack that suitcase? Yes, money and stuff isn't all it's cracked up to be.

All of us have watched refugees from the middle east and apart from feeling sorry for them, mainly gone on with our life secure in the obviously somewhat false assumption that it could never happen to us, here in the fortress of safety, Europe.

In less than a week our world view, our life's goals and our grip on reality have changed. Or it should have. Seeing those terrified, exhausted, shell-shocked Ukrainians cross into Poland, Hungary or Romania is a scary reminder that there by the grace of God go we.

The thought of a packed suitcase keeps on lingering in the periphery of my mind. What would I pack? And why was I so stressed out about being a perfect housekeeper when houses can't be kept? No, we need to learn to be thankful and grateful for all that we have or don't have.

What  we are getting are two of those shoulder pouches. How else could we take Mausi with us? Maxi can walk on a leash but only sporadically so that Bob would  have to put him into a pouch. 

My money ( excuse the pun ) is on there being an internal revolution and that this Emperor sans Clothes will be exposed and deposed. As long as not too many lives are lost in his insane attempt at rewriting History. 

Biggi

Vegetarian Isn't Vegan.

Eating out...

What does a vegetarian eat? Well, basically it means that everything expect meat is eaten. Often only the red meat, thus vegetarians still eat fish and some even chicken. Yes, not much of a sacrifice especially when one is going out to eat.

Restaurants are adapting at this new dietary status quo yet some are still not aware what it means to be a vegan. A vegan eats nothing made of or from animals. Pure and simple, not so difficult. Eating out for vegans isn't much fun unless the restaurant gets it. By the way, study after study have proved that once a restaurant puts more  vegan dishes on the menu, their business grows, often exponentially. 

Being a vegan is a choice and eating out too. If it means nibbling on bread, potatoes and the proverbial carrot, so be it. It is only one meal after all, but I find it so shortsighted when restaurants only cater for vegetarians. By the by, vegetarians can eat most items on a menu even vegan ones but vegans can't eat vegetarian items.

A moment ago I saw a local restaurant proudly announcing the inclusion of a vegetarian item on their menu and I have to shake my head at this. Firstly, vegan food doesn't spoil as quickly as vegetarian, secondly, vegan food is easier to make and thirdly, a hoard of vegans won't be tempted to go and eat there. Come on, make the effort and cater for those of us who try and save the world, animals and our health. If not for us, do it for your profit.

All moaning aside, I suppose I should be happy to see the word vegetarian even appear on their menu as they are mostly a bastion for meat based dishes of all sorts. Hope springs eternal...

Biggi 

A Return To The Age Old Way Of Banking?

 The good old mattress.

Granted, we are a small community but still, the last few decades it has warranted having a branch of a national bank in the village and to this money was brought, deposited, withdrawn or invested. The village made it money, because we all know that banks aren't very charitable. They should be grateful that the state is...remember the financial crisis of 2007!

So, a lot of our villagers ( and surrounding catchment area for this bank ) are older and even old. So be it, but then again these are the customers who throughout their life have used the bank and all its offerings. Loyal customers one might say.

Well, the letter got dropped in the post today telling us that the branch is closing and that the nearest branch from now on is in Eberau, at least 10 km away. City folks might wonder why that should be such a big deal, but bear in mind that 10 km in a rural climes is a huge distance especially when one doesn't have a car or rather, doesn't drive.

Of the top of my head I can think of two widows who haven't got any transport and who now are in a real pickle. And they aren't the only ones. Nice one, dear Bank. Talk about caring for your customers. The argument that most business is now conducted online is a bit mute with the older folks. Smartphones and computers...you might as well ask them to design a space craft. They just can't do it.

Granted, the village is considering putting on some local bank-bus-service or neighbours will help out but on a permanent basis it is difficult.

So, those odd times when they do get a ride to the bank I can imagine that a huge lot of money will be withdrawn. Cash on hand for months at a time. For groceries, for luxuries for little extras. Where to stash this cash but under one's mattress. The age old method of keeping one's money safe. Sleeping on it so that no burglar can get his grubby hands on it.

Profitability is all well and good but how good is it really if it entails hurting those who were there from the beginning...

Biggi

Chickpeas, Fabulous Food.

 Versatile, cheap and yummy.

The other day I got a packet of dried chickpeas from our local Indian grocer. 800 g for 3 euros. When one sees the packet of dried chickpeas, one doesn't realize just how versatile they are.

Usually I cook half a packet. First they have to be soaked overnight and then cooked for about an hour. Afterwards I am always amazed at how big the pot of chickpeas gets. They swell with water and what seems like a small amount when dry, turns into oodles of cooked chickpeas.

That 400 g of dried chickpeas equates to at least four proper meals if not more. Already I have made a small batch of hummus, a big lunchtime salad ( lovely with onions, fresh coriander, garlic and olive oil ) and might make some burger patties out of rest tonight. Friday is after all burger night! The amount of beans left makes enough burger patties for 6 burgers. Two are mostly leftovers for the next day and they taste divine cold with a generous dollop of mayonnaise. 

So, a mere 1,5 euro's worth of chickpeas does provide us with several meals, not to mention a whole lot of protein. Isn't that what everyone wants to know about when confronted with veganism?

A little known fact which is really the most important. Beans ( pulses ) eaten at one meal ensure that at the next meal only half the calories of it are absorbed.( Obviously not a meal made up of ice cream chips & chocolate! ) The rest never have a chance to settle anywhere before they are moved along. Who wouldn't want a meal to only register as half the caloric content?

Another bonus of eating pulses is that they are so cheap. Should times get tough, a few bags of dried beans, a few bags of rice, onions and potatoes can provide ample and nutritious food while saving money.

Biggi