ODPs

My first Official Document Photo was taken in 1998. I was traveling to Japan an was getting a passport. I parked my parents Buick in front of the AAA on main street and strolled into the modest office. They took me to a back corner. Everything was white. My hair was long at the time and I wore a blue colored polyester shirt I had bought at the thrift store down the street. I loved that shirt. The camera stood firmly anchored on a tripod. I made sure to look straight ahead. I smiled. The camera had 2 lenses and though they snapped "one" picture, two were taken. The picture was printed and developed immediately. It was still damp and smelling like vinegar when they slipped it inside the special passport photo envelope - your passport to adventure.
Since then, I have posed for many an ODP: In a photo booth at the Zagreb train station, in a small photo shop in Vukovar, at a store in Philadelphia's China Town, in a Kiosk in front of Velika Kushenija Supermarket. The times have changed. Digital has swept the old two/lense cameras into history - now they can print identical pictures from a single digital image much faster than any standard developing procedure.
Today I got an ODP at the computer and Photo Store at Friendship of Nations metro and it tops all and is on the record for most unique ODP experience to date.
After asking to have an ODP, they ushered me around the corner to a small, darkened room. There was a coat rack, a desk with a computer, a barrier of screens and a high backed chair in the middle of the room. The man pointed me to a coat wrack and as soon as I got my hat off, he said "There is a mirror around the corner you can use." Well, I know I had been out and about all day, and had been wearing a hat - but i didn't think I looked all that bad, all the same I obediently left the room or arrange myself in front of the mirror. It was an ODP - really what did I have to do - they have a reputation of looking terriable.
I sat on the chair in the shadowed room. Back against the chair head straight, no smiling with an open mouth. His commands came in a quick, no-nonsense order as he stood between the screens. Snap/ flash. the room illuminated for an instant and the screens faded to purple from bright white. Snap/flash. Snap/flash. A succession of seven shots followed - the photographer readjusting and checking his shot each time.
We move over to the computer and he pulls the shots up - I pick one (they pretty much all look the same - so there was ONE lazy eye shot - but really all the rest were basically the same - for all his maneuverings.) He then magnified the picture, popped it into photoshop and started airbrushing. I'm standing right there beside him and he is airbrushing my face. Really makes you feel your imperfections. I had to stop myself from bringing my had up to my eyes or my lips - or that shiny spot on the forehead while he was jogging around the screen with his little circle. ZHup. Zhup. Zhup. Look - flawless skin! Then he started on the eyes. First, he removed the shadows, then he intensified my eyeliner. When he started drawing eyelashes (no kidding) I finally said - "That's nice - but its just a document photo - I don't think you really need to do this."
"No," he said, "on a small photo this will really make the eyes stand out."
Finally he was done. he brought up the brushed photo and the original to compare. "Well?" He asked.
In truth, I actually liked the original, non-airbrushed version better. It wasn't that it was significantly different - just something about the color looked, well more real. But he had spent his time on it, and obviously it was supposed to be an improvement - so I said "Great" And he printed it off and for $2.50 I have 4 identical airbrushed passport photos. Not only that - but they keep them on file for the year - and if I ever need ODPs again - I can just go in and pick them up. No waiting, no added airbrushing - just print and pay.
I got home, and Alister said that the pictures were great. The photographer was right about one thing - on a small picture, the eyes do really stand out - and without magnification - you can't even tell that he added extra eyelashes. Its a shame really that this ODP is just going in a government registration file and won't really be used or seen - all that airbrushing for nothing. ;)

About green tea

Did you know that green tea is best after its 3rd steeping of water?
I didn't know this interesting and economical fact either until coming to Ukraine - but everyone says it - so it must be true. Anyway - the tea does loose its bitterness and other flavors come out and for a really good cup you can even do 4 steepings. (Probably one of the health benefits is the amount of water consumed . . .)

Across from metro Lvov Tolstovo you'll find cafe Monomah. While it has coffee it is best known for its selection of teas. You can sample and smell different mixes and once you decide on the brew - a personal pot is 16 uah ($2). You can then refill the pot with hot water as often as you like. You could sit there all day. The cafe is small and personable.
Monomah's one draw back is that the chairs are not very comfortable - so while you could sit there all day drinking tea - you might not want to. The chairs are wooden and ridged - no padding the few booths that you can kind of spread out or lounge in are quickly snapped up. Still highly reccomend it for a couple of leisurly cups of tea.

All quiet on the Eastern Front

So the gas has been restored to Europe, the cold snap has lifted and the holidays are over. In short - life is back into full swing. Alister and I are still going back and forth with being sick - but I hope (fingers crossed) that we've both kicked it.
Now we are busy getting back into a routine and catching up after being sick. I don't have Russian classes anymore - but am moderating a Russian project. Mostly I am in the headache process of organizing our trips back home. Always when I traveled alone - trips have never been a problem I could make an instantaneous decision and If it ended up being a bit hectic I had no one to blame but myself but had made that schedule to accomplish my goals - so ultimately I was always satisfied. With two people with two different sets of goals and expectations - it makes it incredibly more difficult- esp when trying to make all the different airline connections through budget flights to get where you need to go. Really gives you an appreciation for travel agents. So will hopefully have something more interesting to write next week- but for now not so much.

Addicted

Hello. My name is Haggai and I have an addiction. Err . . . addictions.
1st there's water. Especially when they get it out of the water pump and put it in the tall silver dish. My head just fits in it and water is always a thrill. It doesn't matter that I have to go to the bathroom 5 or even 8 times a day - that water just makes me feel good. I've discovered that even though my head doesn't fit inside the see-the-other-side dish, I can still get water by tipping my dish with my paw. I have to do it just right - otherwise the water runs away and disappears. Even if it doesn't run away - its not tasty anymore. You need the danger rush.

2nd, I like cheese. The minute I hear the cheese wrapper crinkle I rush to the scene and try to figure out how to get my precious fix. Often the man turns his back when he is using the hot-box-pop and that is always my chance to leap and grab the wrapper. If I pull it all down to the floor I get to eat it all. Cheese is still tasty EVEN after its fallen on the floor
.
3rd, I sniff menthol. Not just sniff, lick, bite and devour that's my motto. Oooh, just the thought of it gives me shivers. The people have been lying on the place called "Bed" all last week and their necks and noses glistened with menthol. I couldn't resist. Oh, if only they had let me dig and bite at their necks a little longer - then I would have had all the menthol I could want. I found a jar near Bed and the top of it smells like menthol too. I licked and licked but the smell is still there somewhere. I don't know how to get it. I keep trying - but it won't crack.

I need help - the addictions are ruling my life- I don't have time for anything except trying to get my next fix or dreaming about it. In fact - I think I'll go dream about water laced with menthol now.

Gas

For those of you following the news - you have probably heard that Ukraine is in yet another dispute with Russia over gas prices. Our apartment is nice and toasty warm- and the last we heard, Ukraine said they had enough gas to supply internal needs for 3 months - but that was before the stakes were raised by halting gas supplies to Europe (who actually stopped the flow is disputed - both sides had things to gain from a stoppage - Ukraine to show Russia that it has muscle to flex by controlling supply and Russia by showing Ukraine that it means business). Depending on who Ukraine wants to please - the internal gas supply may eventually come under threat (what better way to repay some of it numerous debts than by selling its own gas to the dozen + European nations affected by the "Russian" stoppage at premium).
Anyway - we are currently toasty and warm - and thankful for it esp in the midst of 0 degree F weather.

Fun personality Quiz

So every once and a while - you just have to fill out a personality quiz. This one was pretty fun because instead of answering questions in the traditional sense - you choose pictures. Despite thinking that pictures would leave things pretty open to interpretation - I found my analysis to be fair.

Best of all you get a fun widget to share with friends :-)

Down side? It hooks you into yet another social networking site.

Mince pies from absolute scratch

Ask Alister what he associates with Christmas and he'll tell you mince pies and Christmas pudding. Last year, by the time I got around to asking him this it was much to late to try to make them (they both need months of time to mature). So this year I got on it early in order to make mince pies. I spent October sloughing through the internet for recipes. Not only did I have to make a recipe that I had never made before - but I had to make it from ingredients I found here in Ukraine without really knowing how some of those ingrediants might effect the recipe.
I finally settled on a combination of Delia Smith's and Jill Dupleix's mince pies and followed the comments to improve the BBC pastry recipe. The result was 72 + super yummy mince pies.

The recipe below are my rough estimates of my variations

Mincemeat

• 200g butter
• 400g brown sugar
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp All Spice
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 500g Apples, shredded
• 200g fresh, frozen, or dried cranberries (I used fresh)
• 400g mixed candied peel, finely chopped (In Ukraine - I bought candied mandarines and lemons from the Uzbeki kiosks and threw them in the food processor - I think I added some extra manadrines)
• 100g dried, candied cherries - chopped
  
• 50g almonds - coarsely chopped
• 100 g dried apricots - chopped
  
• 600 - 800g raisens, currents, and sultanas, dried. To me, they are all raisens. At the Uzbeki Kiosk I bought a variety of all the differnt ones they had - a bout 4 types. The bigger ones I had to cut the seeds out of. Also very important to wash and sort the the raisens before adding to the mix.
• grated zest and juice from 2 Oranges
• grated zest and juice from 1 lemon
  
• 300ml brandy, cognac, rum, or whisky. I used cognac (of course)

Mix the butter, sugar, juices, and spices in a big pot and gently cook until the butter is all melted. Throw in all the other ingrediants and mix well so that everything is covered by the butter mixture. Apparently - it is the butter that helps to keep everything from spoiling - so it is very important that it covers everything. Stir in the cognac (extra may be added for a boozy mincemeat). Pack firmly in sterilized jars. Screw on the lid to seal and put in a cold dark place, like a cellar or the back of your fridge at least 1 month before you plan to use it. The mixture will keep about 6 months.

Pastry for mince pies
225 g cold/frozen butter (Margarine doesn't work as well)
350g flour
100 g sugar
1 egg beaten
powdered sugar

Mix flour and sugar together in a bowl. Grate the butter into the flour mixture. You may want to dip the butter in flour and dust your grater periodically with flour. Alternatively - you may use room temperature butter and cut it in with a pastry blender. Mix gently. Add 1/2 your beaten egg and mix the dough enough to get it to stick together. Dump out on a pastry mat - roll out and cut into rounds slightly bigger than your muffin tin. Place the round in the GREASED tin and pat to shape and even out. Fill with your mince and top with another round - slightly smaller than the first. Press the edges together to seal, brush with the remainder of the beaten egg. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes. Allow to cool 5 - 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve. Alister says they are best served with cream - but we didn't manage to eat any with cream.

The mincemeat filled 3 batches of the pastry dough.