Evolution of the Birthday Cake

I am one of those mom's that, while I hate to admit it, judges other mom's for not making their children's birthday cakes. What kind of parent BUYS a cake from the local grocer?? It's negligence. The worst part of this is that I HATE decorating cakes. It is pure torture. I put myself through the ringer emotionally for not living up to these standards. Below are all of Ruby's underwhelming birthday cakes. However, this year, I think I finally did it, I think I came closer to the unrealistic standards I have set for myself.

First Birthday- I wouldn't eat this cake. It just doesn't look very tasty. And, if I remember right, there were a LOT of leftovers!

Second Birthday- Just coming out of my morning sickness coma, I was very proud of this underwhelming cake. I like it a lot more now, but at the time I just kept patting myself on the back for getting a cake on the table.

Third Birthday- too lazy to even make the frosting, at least she had a good time blowing out the candles!

Fourth birthday- SUCCESS!! I am pretty proud of this cake. Sure, I wanted to put more details on it, but ran out of time. This cake, despite its simplicity and imperfection, is my crowning glory. What do I do next year? Can I safely order from the bakery now??

1-2-3-FOUR!

Our baby turned four, she is so beautiful, sweet (and sassy), funny, talkative, friendly, playful, imaginative, creative, artistic, lively, attentive, (and I could go on and on).

Her favorite color is: pink
Her favorite DANCING songs are: Boom Boom Pow (Black Eyed Peas), Main Street USA (Disneyland Paris CD), Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky)
Her favorite SINGING songs are: Baa Baa Black Sheep (which she taught to Gavin who sings it, despite being unable to speak) and Do Re Mi Fa So
Her favorite movies: Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast (her ballet performance version),
Her favorite characters are: Dora, Cinderella, Aurora, and Tasha (from Backyardigans)
She is learning days of the week and always asks "What is tomorrow after tomorrow?" instead of "What is the day after tomorrow?" and will ask you this over and over until you get to Saturday and she says, "And DADDY STAYS HOME!"
Her best friends are: Belle and Sophie, Imandi, Ruqaiyah, and Lindiwe (Lindi)
Her favorite foods are: strawberries and rotti
Her favorite things to do are: ballet, preschool, and swimming or going to the beach
Her favorite toy is: still Kiki
Her favorite blanket: still the Eiffel Tower blanket
Favorite Books:

Sporty Spice

Here's Ruby, having just hit a 75-yard 8-iron shot onto the green during golf day at pre-school.

When is your Platinum Day of Love?

Kandy

In August, we drove up to Kandy for an overnight trip to watch the annual Esala Perahera. The Esala Perahera is a festival celebrating the Sacred Relic of the Tooth. Buddah's tooth, to be precise. Originally, the tooth was private property of the Kandyan kings, but finally, a benevolent king saw it only proper to allow the masses one opportunity each year to worship the sacred relic. That opportunity became what is now a two to three hour long procession, filled with elephants (so very many elephants), kandyan dancers (they are actually much cooler to watch dancing in the streets than we first saw them on stage), whip dancers, fire dancers, and those dancers who place hooks in their backs-- and many, many more. Although the perahera is a Buddhist festival, there are numerous hindu undertones throughout, making this perahera uniquely Sri Lankan.

My pictures are proof that I need to take photography lessons and get an SLR, but when the subject matter is this full of life and vibrant colors, you can't help but capture a couple that show it, if even just a little.

Bring on the elephants, there were over 100 in the parade. After a while, I realized I didn't need to capture each one:

Ruby's Masterpiece

I heart Rishi

Most of you know how miserable I was when we first moved to Sri Lanka. After a rough start to the year, I just wanted to stay in America with friends and the familiarity of home. We arrived in Colombo just as their 30-year civil war came to a close. Of course, for a political science nerd like me, it was an ideal time to be here, and Nate came home every night with fascinating stories. But, he came home late every night-- really late. And he was the one coming home with fascinating stories, whereas I was creating makeshift child safety gates with some combination of china cabinets and sleeper sofas or hauling two kids and their car seats in and out of taxis (and on one occasion pushing the taxi in the monsoon rains, but that is another story). So in addition to acclimating myself to the inferno climate and the new culture, our family dynamic was undergoing a huge change. It was a lot all at once for me, a lot to be going through when feeling truly alone. It was a hard time for me.

One night, Nate ran to the local video store to pick up a movie for us to watch. He ended up buying one the store owner recommended, a Bollywood flick. I really believe watching this film was the turning point for me. There was so much to love: the colors, the costumes, the pop culture and the dancing. There were still several nights (usually Mondays) when I would cry and wonder what kind of life we had signed up for, but for the most part I was starting to find things I could love about living in this far away place.



This movie is a Who's Who of Bollywood. An Ocean's 11 perhaps-- everyone who is anyone in Indian cinema is in this movie. If you are into pop culture, you may be interested to know that the older man (Sexy Sam) is Amitabh Bachnan, the most famous man in India (according to Jamal in Slumdog Millionaire), the younger man dancing (Rishi) is his son in real life and happens to be married to the actress Aishwarya Rai (famous to American's thanks to the Bollywood's version of a Jane Austen novel, Bride and Prejudice--check out that movie's dance scene here).

Most importantly however is Shahrukh Khan. He is the first man you saw in the clip above, talking to the woman. He is the most visible celebrity in South Asia. He is on soda commercials, cable tv commercials, and Tag Heuer ads. If a movie was popular in India in the last five years, he was in it. You can't turn on the tv without knowing Shahrukh Khan. Which is why his detention for questioning at Newark Airport this last August caused a huge uproar throughout India. It would be like Brad Pitt being detained for two hours in Delhi because the Indian government was worried he posed a potential terrorist threat. To make matters worse, Khan (a muslim) was in the US to promote his newest film "My Name is Khan"-- which is about racial profiling of Muslims post September 11.

And that ends today's session of "Do you know your Bollywood Stars?"

Local News: Clip of the Day

The local press reported that the US Embassy in Colombo filed a war crimes report with Congress this week, which is not true. Here is a clip from today's newspapers, please make sure to read the last line:

The JHU is planning to collect one millions signatures for a petition urging the United Nations Secretary General to look into human rights violations by the United States, Western Provincial Council Minister Udaya Gammanpila said yesterday.

Mr. Gammanpila a senior member of the JHU told a media conference that his party was challenging the UN to establish the Permanent Commission of Inquiry on human rights violations by the US.

“The US which portrays Sri Lanka as violating human rights itself violated human rights when it hunted and killed Africans and caused mass destruction in Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” Mr. Gammanpila said.

“If the UN adopts a deaf and blind approach towards our petition, we will launch an anti-American campaign with countries such as Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, Korea, Libya and others which have been affected by human right violations of the US,” he said .

Mr. Gammanpila warned that President Barack Obama ran the risk of losing the next presidential election if he believed in the misinformation provided by former US ambassador Robert Blake.

If only re-election depended on NOT listening to an Assistant Secretary.

Fall

By far, the hardest part of living overseas, for me, is missing all the fall premieres. I am always grateful for friends who tell me I must get my hands on the season premiere of the Biggest Loser because it was tear inducing inspirational and for sending me links to gems like these from new fall shows that I can only hope arrive in my local video store once the season is over in May. I especially love this clip: football and Beyonce, it just doesn't get any better.

Heartbreaker

Sina and I can spend hours looking at old photos on our computer. Tonight we found a gem from back when our friends Tad and Rebecca visited us in France.


Or wait, was that when Robert Plant visited us? So hard to tell...

That's some serious toothbrushing

Fishing and horses

So one picture you'll almost always see if you happen to be looking at pictures from Sri Lanka, is of the pole fishermen. No, not fishing poles, pole fishermen. Why this has developed in Sri Lanka and apparently nowhere else I'll never understand, because it's a pretty simple idea. What's not necessarily simple is getting us out of bed in time to see them in the morning. It took a couple days of trying, and in the end I think we just got lucky with one guy who had nothing else to do that day. He was more than obliging for a photo shoot, especially after I gave him a dollar's worth of rupees. I figure it's like a donation to cultural heritage, on a very direct basis.







Ruby still loves, loves, loves riding horses. We stopped by a playground that was built by USAID after the Tsunami, and they had a pony to ride. Gavin wasn't so sure about it, he might need a better cowboy hat before he does any more riding.



But Ruby was of course still right at home.

Gavin's paparazzi

Our kids seem to get a little extra attention around these parts, what with the blonde and red hair and all. But this time it reached a high point when we were walking along the ramparts of the old fort in Galle. One woman basically took Ruby from my arms and held her so her friend could take a picture of them together. Gavin was the biggest hit, as you can see from this:

Beach Fun

Ruby the Mermaid - she was of course thrilled to find out that she could play dress-up with sand.




Nate and Ruby on the walls of the old Dutch fort in Galle



Gavin relaxing in the sand - luckily he didn't try to eat much of it this time!




This is Ruby being dragged out to sea by the "angry" waves.

Our Little Marine Biologists

We went on a little beach trip over Labor Day weekend, since that's what Americans do. Drove down to the southern tip of the island, just past the old Dutch fort and port town of Galle. We had read there were sea turtle hatcheries along the way, and Ruby could hardly stand waiting to see them. All morning before we left she kept saying, "We're going to the turtle hatchery!" Luckily they did not disappoint. You'd have thought that after hearing her talk about them all morning we would've known to linger amongst the turtles just a bit longer. But no, we jumped right back in the car about twenty minutes later, and Ruby cried for the next half an hour down the road because we'd made her leave her sea turtles. But really, can you blame her? I never even dreamed I'd be this close to one.




Ruby took it all very seriously... They had a few young turtles and adults who either couldn't be released into the wild or which they kept for "research" (i.e. tourist) purposes.

Here's a really big one!



And a smaller one...



Then there were the brand new babies - Ruby really couldn't get over these. Supposedly these had just hatched, and they were holding them in the tanks until they could release them at night when they wouldn't be snatched up by birds.



It all seemed reasonably scientific until they pulled a few of the babies out of their tank to let us all hold - that can't be Sea World approved, can it???



Then things really veered off the "scientific" path. Gavin actually got to hold this poor little one - well, I guess they always say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!



Of course you'd think Ruby would appear more interested in the one she's holding...



...unless of course she's too busy watching the one the guide put in her pocket!!!

Walking!!

It's about time!! Seriously, this kid is laaaazzzzyyyy when it comes to walking. Never saw the need, and then he got so fast at crawling that I think he figured he wasn't going to save any time on two feet. He walked the first time a couple weeks ago, but then refused to repeat it for the camera. Now we finally have evidence for posterity...

There's ALWAYS Money in the Banana Stand**

Last week, we dusted off the grill, polished the silver, and entertained at home for the first time since our arrival in Colombo nearly four months ago. And because I was so excited to finally have adults in my house to talk to, I went overboard and did it on two different nights.

As you drive the windy roads here, each town has a specialty item they are known for: the basket weaving town, the ceramic pot town, the cashew nut town. Talk about locally grown items: I bought the pineapple, bananas, mangos and avocados straight from the source in their respective towns. So fresh, so tasty--with that third world bleached kind of charm.

This is the avocado town

Not to praise myself too highly, but my culinary skills have really grown exponentially over the last three years. The menu and food were DIVINE, and I made everything, but the chips, myself!

Appetizers:
Grilled garlic bread
Guacamole and tortilla chips

Salad:
Blue cheese, walnuts, and apples...a real treat because you just can't find that stuff here!

Main dish:
Singapore chicken and pineapple skewers
Salt and pepper shrimp with mango and chilli relish (like a dipping sauce)
Grilled veggies

And then it was time for dessert. It was DELISH! So much so, even the skinny girls were having seconds and thirds! If you are grilling again this summer, you MUST try this recipe. It is so easy, and relatively quick too!

Grilled Bananas with Coconut Milk Caramel Sauce
(courtesy Steven Raichlen's BBQ Bible)

If you can find them, use the small “finger” size bananas for better flavor.

For the Coconut Caramel Sauce:
2/3 cup palm sugar (or firmly packed light brown sugar)
2 cups Coconut Milk (powder works great!)
1 cinnamon stick
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and lightly flattened with a cleaver (optional)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

Prepare the sauce, well in advance. It needs to cool before serving.
1. Place the sugar in a deep, non-stick, saucepan, and melt it over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. It will take 2-3 minutes to melt.
2. Continue to melt the sugar until it begins to caramelize (turn brown) 3-5 minutes. It should not get as brown as dark chocolate (this will mean it has burned and it will taste bitter).
3. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the coconut milk.
4. Return the pan to the heat and bring the coconut milk to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
5. Stir in the cinnamon and lemongrass.
6. Reduce the heat and simmer the mixture, uncovered, until thick, about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time to prevent scorching.
7. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and stir it into the sauce, simmer for one minute. The sauce will thicken even more.
8. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer sauce to a bowl. Let cool to room temperature.
9. Remove the cinnamon stick and lemongrass with tongs, cover and refrigerate the sauce until cold.

For the bananas:
About 2 finger bananas minimum for each person (they usually go back for more!)
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup sugar

Preheat the grill to high.
1. Place the coconut mil and sugar in separate shallow bowls at grill side.
2. When ready to cook, oil the grate.
3. Dip each banana (peeled) first in coconut milk, then in sugar, and place on the hot grate.
4. Grill until nicely browned all over, 6-8 minutes.

To serve: arrange the bananas on plates or bowls and spoon the sauce on top. I like to serve with ice cream and toppings, like toasted coconut, macadamia nuts, and cubed pineapples for a tropical banana split, but the bananas and sauce are delicious all on their own. Enjoy!

**To anyone who does not understand the title of this post: please add Arrested Development to your Netflix queue YESTERDAY.

100% Girl

This is Ruby, she is dressed up as a ballerina princess-- fully accessorized with just the right amount of necklaces and bangles for the occasion (she actually took a couple off saying, "no, no, that is too much!"), and her faithful sidekick, a white unicorn, whom she has personally named Snowflake.

Debut

Ruby had her ballet recital one week ago. In her words, she starred as "a butterfly in the number two show" of her ballet school's performance of Beauty and the Beast. It was a lot of work, getting her to and from all the rehearsals, dress rehearsals, and keeping track of her costume and makeup through it all. And although she was on stage for a mere 2 minutes, she was in heaven and we couldn't help but think she was an angel. Of course, I have vowed not to put her in the show next year, but we all know that is an empty threat, because what mother doesn't love to see their little girl happily dancing on stage.

Bats!!!

In another installment of our series on local wildlife, we thought we'd share a little video of the neighborhood's flying friends. Sri Lanka has normal little-sized bats like everyone has seen around dusk, you know, the kind that look about like a mouse with wings. They can startle you a little when you see them, but then they're just fun to watch as they dart around looking for bugs. But then there are Sri Lanka's other bats. They're fruit bats the size of crows, and every night at dusk they migrate inland a mile or so from the coast and roost in the trees in our neighborhood. They seem to be particularly fond of the big tree in our front yard. Just remember when you watch this - they're the size of crows...

Surprise!

Gavin and I were having a great morning in the playroom. It was one of those rare instances for a mother, when for just a second, they forget their list of things they need to do, should be doing, or can't do right and lose themselves in the moment. We were laughing and rolling around on the floor when Gavin made a dash for the bathroom. It is one of his favorite not-so-covert moves. Knowing he isn't supposed to go into the bathroom, he waits until he is certain you are watching. As soon as he catches the corner of your eye, he screams, and slaps his hands as hard as he can against the floor as he crawls at high speed to his target. (That is right, my 15 month old is still not walking). Sometimes, I just let him go. I can always wash his hands.

Today however, I played the game as usual. Just as he crossed the threshold into the bathroom, I grabbed him. And as I did...

I saw a rat make a mad dash toward me. I then lifted my eyes to head out of the room as quickly as possible, only to see a snake in full hunt mode, jaw open wide, lurking behind the toilet. I screamed like a girl. Which, I guess is ok, because I am one.

I hope our blog readers will forgive me for not capturing the moment on camera.

** Snake was captured, after he captured the rat.

Galle Face

We took a nice walk along the boardwalk Sunday afternoon. It must be the most pleasant location in all of Colombo: ocean breezes, space to walk, and dozens of kites flying. As an added bonus, being out with the locals was a nice change to our fairly insular expatriate lifestyle.



Isn't she the most lovely bride you have ever seen? Why are we so boring sticking with white dresses?

The South Asian mini-van, otherwise known as a moped. I will try and get a picture with four or more people on it, believe me, it is not uncommon. It begs the question, why did I haul two car seats in and out of taxis for two months before we had a car??

Our Front Yard

This is our front yard, with an old, beautiful Banyan tree at the back. Can you imagine having that to play in when you were growing up?? It just seems like all manner of fantastical, imaginary activities could take place between these branches. And bonus, the bats sleep here at night!