Mr. Barry Schwartz

Now that I have found my old stamp buried in my pile of mess on my table (and it is right next to my computer!), I have a problem.

Which one should I use now? The one with smaller text or the one with larger text? Please help, friends. Vote for one! Attached please find the close-ups.

*Related posting: Traveller edition

The broken ones

I have been breaking a lot of dishes and things lately, but this one...
I use it 18 hours per day. It is THE tool that makes living here in Eindhoven tolerable.

In response to that, I have finally started some serious packing, and I am going to pack a few hours everyday.

Meanwhile I suffer the bodem. (what a waste of my tea leaves...)

La Chouffe

...I like!

HomeOffice

Working at home requires:

self-discipline / planning / organizaton / distance between work desk and bed / focus ...

Traveller edition

(For reference, the date stamped below was the one I used previously, significantly bigger.)

Throughout the past 2 years I have been filling my sketchbook with this little buddy, the date stamp, just so I can fulfill my obssession with maintaining order in a messy way. For some reason I thought I can stop thinking altogether with the completion of my thesis project - I packed the date stamp.

It was stupid of me to pack my think/sketch/design/organize buddy away. So here we are! A new date stamp, a traveller edition I thought I will give away. Maybe it will go well with my new"official" sketchbook.

Insalata Caprese? ... look closer

Insalata Caprese??

Look closer...

and you probably won't see much... yes it looks exactly like insalata caprese, except that the white slice on top of the tomato is not mozarella, but tofu!
It is surprisingly good and all the more refreshing to make caprese with japanese tofu! Worth a try! Oh maybe it should be called insalata giopponese.

(found it a japanese tofu recipe book)

They call it Spaghetti del Marinaio

The first time I had this dish, "homemade" black spaghetti with shrimps in spicy tomato sauce was at Max Restaurant, a very cozy little italian eatery in the alphabet city, NYC. It was delicious. And if I remember it correctly, the dish was served in a bowl, not as visually attractive, but definitely keeps the heat in better and in a very generous portion. A good dish to order when meeting friends with a lot to catch up on.

The photo above is a replica of it, "homemade" in Eindhoven except that the pasta is indeed "dutchmade" inkvis tagliatelle.

ISBN 978-905973-068-7

The Shape of Justice: publication of a IM Masters project at the Design Academy Eindhoven and my 2 page - Staging power.

On overcoming fear

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is the machine that cut away a chunk of my flesh on one of my fingers 3 months ago. A band saw with blade for plastics.

Of course the cut is no longer there, new flesh grew, but it still hurts whenever I press onto something with that finger.


And here's what I did yesterday:

I used the machine again.

Thank you.

Dedicated to Anita Roddick

Thank you.

I "heart" sanding?

Just when I thought I can do without sanding anything for a while after a whole last year of sanding all those foam model toilets and ceramic toilet bowls, here we go! Another new material to sand away!

My sanding routine: 120/180 > 200/280 > 400/600 > 800 > 1000/1200 > 1500/1600

I was asked a year ago about my hobby, or what do I like to do in general, and my answer was sanding things. So folks, think twice before declaring anything as a hobby!

1st month anniversary!

I would like to thank the following people:

Axx Txx for signing up for a blog with me.

Jxxxxx Kx for his advise on finding a blog name that means something to me a year ago (although I must have disappointed him) and being a frequent reader with response.

Axxxx Wxxx for she is the first supporter.

Hxxx Wxx for letting me find out that he secretly checks my blog on a regular basis.

Sxxxx Ixxxx whose stomach is uncontrollably supporting my food posting.

Last but not least all of yxx who bookmarked my site.

I am hearting blogging! (and let's see how long this is going to last...)

I collect trash

And this is why I'm proud of it:
I miss you all!

If I were to call risotto differently...

I think I will call it gabellino.

It was definitely during the gabellini days (nights indeed) while the whole office loved to order from Risotteria, NYC (bleecker, I think) except for myself did I trained myself from hating it to being ok with it and eventually loving it now.

But yeah, this one is 100% homemade - Mushroom Gabellino.

The Official Switch

On September 5th, 2007 in Eindhoven, The Netherlands I have officially converted myself to Moleskine. Reasons are as follow:

-Paper quality of the China notebook has become increasingly unbearable
-Admitting the fact that horizontal lines on paper is limiting creativity
-Timing is right
-Discovery of a particular person's obssession of the China notebook