2011-10-03

Indian Summer.


For the past two weeks, Europe has been graced with unseasonably high temperatures.

So high, indeed, that I'm pondering wether or not to go to class with just a bikini top under my -way too warm for now- leather jacket.

I'm thinking, it might be a good idea to capitalize on the heat now before the cold months to come.

A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to ensure success at her exams, right ? ;)

x, K.

2011-09-30

Sultans of Swing // Part II : Israel & Palestine




Israel and Palestine aren't safe.
Israel is full of arrogant settlers and the days go by in a perpetual fear of terrorist attacks.
As for Palestine, it is a dangerous place inhabited by violent, blood thirsty arabs.

At least that's what the media tells us so that must be the truth, right ?

Wrong, wrong and wrong !




This summer, we were fortunate enough to travel to Israel during our stay in the beautiful Sinai desert.
Sadly, we weren't there very long but it certainly left us hungry for more.



Jerusalem is very mystical.
Even the smuggest of atheist -I'm looking at you, Mr K.- will find himself fascinated by the religious history of the city.
The Via Dolorosa, a savant mix of Jesus and market stalls, was a higlight of our day.







So was our "swim" in the Red Sea.
You think you know what to expect when you dip a foot into the water but really nothing can prepare you to the surreal feeling of just floating there.
Also, look at how pretty the water is !


While I'm not a huge city person and definitely transform into a beach bum as soon as the temperatures allow it, I got the impression that to really get a feel of Jerusalem, you must go there for at least two weeks.
There are so many little neighbourhoods to visit on top of all the "must sees" that 14 days would not be a luxury !

While In Israel, we didn't get to see Tel Aviv (next time !) but we crossed yet another border into Palestine.
The avid newspaper reader that I am was secretly a bit worried.
I was making a jam of gloomy headlines until I didn't know anymore wether to fear a kidnapping or a bomb.
Turns out there really was nothing to fear in Bethlehem.



While it has a "phantom city" feel after the bustling excitement of Jerusalem, it is a really pretty city with a lot to see.
I am no hardcore catholic but seeing the place where Jesus was allegedly born was pretty special.
So was eating the best hummus/kefta of my entire life.



Again, we would have liked to have more time there and after devouring the lonely planet guide on the region and mentally bookmarking everything I want to see, there's no doubt that we'll be back for more !

I would advise anyone in the regio to check Israel out.
The only weapons that we saw were carried by teenage soldiers in Jerusalem and quite frankly, they were more hot than scary.

x, K.

2011-09-22

Sultans of Swing // Part I : Egypt



This summer, we wanted to treat ourselves to an extra nice holiday.

Not only did we want to commemorate the end of an era (goodbye Bachelor, hello Masters Degree ! ) we were also celebrating 5 years together.

Mind you, we wanted to treat ourselves on a student budget so we searched the web until we found a sweet last minute offer.
Two weeks in a 5 star hotel on the Red Sea ? Yes please !


After feeling like bona fide pirates because we managed to smuggle some snacks on the plane + being fascinated all through the drive from the airport (who knew that the desert was soo pretty?) we arrived at our hotel right on time for lunch.
The second he eyed the mini burgers that were waiting for him to devour them, I saw Mr K. mentally pat himself on the back for choosing that hotel.
Once I was in the pool, sipping my Santo Libre, surrounded by the majestuous Sinai mountains, I made the decision to always let him pick our holiday destination from now on.
I always knew that there was more to him than his striking looks but boy, the man is a genius when it comes to holiday planning.


After a rather taxing summer, Taba really was the perfect place for us to go.
It is right on the border with Israel, in between the Red Sea and the desert, which allowed us to move around without having to spend hours on bumpy roads.
Don't let my battered clichés fool you , Egyptian roads were actually less bumpy than ours !


We certainly took advantage of that and in between days spent lounging at the beach, we took a trip across the border, rode quads in the desert and sailed on the Red Sea.
Even if we hadn't done all those things, the beautiful fishes and the clear water just in front of our hotel would have been reason enough to go there.
(Did I mention that from now on I'm letting Mr K. plan all our holidays ?)















A weird combination of locals in burkinis and obnoxious russians, the hotel clientele was very entertaining to watch.
As always we kept a very low profile and made sure to look no one in the eye for fear of being stuck with a "vacation friend".
Eating all your meals + sharing your beach umbrella with strangers ? No thanks !

Instead, we spent those two weeks in a little bubble.
No matter how young we are / our relationship is, sometimes, day to day life takes its toll and it was really great to have nothing else to do all day than to be in love.
Mr K is always cuddly and sweet but the extra attention felt reaally nice and if anything made me fall even more in love with my boy.
Take my word when I tell you that his blue eyes become out of this world when he's surrounded by water.
Also, babe, I'm sorry I almost drowned you by climbing on you in the sea but I had to : you're my shark-shield !






Those two weeks went by so fast that I was a bit disoriented when we got home.
The downside of looking forward to something for so long I suppose...
The fact that we lost about 26 degrees by the time we got there and that our days are spent running to classes instead of strolling from the beach to the poolbar probably plays a big role too in me feeling blue.
Speaking of which, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go cure my exotic paradise withdrawal with a big cuddle from my boy.

x, K.





2011-09-03

Away we go !




Sunny Saturday.




Say that you're a 22 year old blonde with a knack for trying new recipes.

Say that the weather is gorgeous and that you have things to celebrate.

Say that your brother and boyfriend eat like horses and that your parents are two major foodies.

Say that you gather all those people at your place for lunch.

What do you do ?

Well you cook them this and this and then you go round the block for yummy cherry sherbet.

You put on this LP and sing along.


You spend a glorious afternoon and
once again
you find yourself wondering what you ever did to deserve to be surrounded by such amazing people.

x, K.

2011-09-02

* * * * *


Next to our place, there is a beautiful park where roses always seem to be blooming.
There is also a very good Vietnamese take out place.

Tonight, we took candles and a bottle of cider and we ate a feast of Pho and Ga Xao Nam in the middle of the flowers.

Tonight, we picknicked in the park and I got butterflies in my stomach as I was enumerating to my Mr K. all the reasons why I've got him under my skin.

Tonight we celebrated 5 years of unconditionnal love and this day was just like those years : unforgettable, tender, and a bit magic.

I love you to the moon and back babe.

Yours always,

K.



2011-08-30

Oh and by the way...


My family is the best too.

On Saturday night, my darling parents schlepped all the way to our place to treat us to a much needed break.
The prospect of it kept Mr K. motivated and, after a very productive day of studying, they whisked us off to a delicious Indonesian restaurant.

Seeing that this time last year we were planning to actually go to Indonesia, I couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic and miss Bali - and the amazing Alila Ubud hotel.

The melancholia soon faded though and we spent the evening stuffing our face with scrumptious food and sharing jokes.

It was exactly what we needed and I was so thankful to them for taking time out of their busy schedules to come spoil us.
Also, my baby brother was all dressed up which made me smile because every time I see my family, I always try to look my best too so that they're proud of me.

Just so you know N., if you're like me and that was your goal, I was very proud of you, as always.

If you're ever in Brussels, make sure to eat at Garuda and to get the Rice table, it's worth every penny !

x, K.

* This picture of the five of us makes me want to go back to Bali sooo badly !

2011-08-26

Not that it's a contest or anything...



But I really have the best dog in the world.

2011-08-25

Lovebirds.


Sometimes, Mr K. and I like to pretend that we just met.
We ditch our comfortable routines and we take each other on a special date.

Don't get me wrong, we go on "normal" dates all the time too but those are special because we pretend not to know each other by heart, we play the question game and we almost always end up discovering some sweet little secrets about each other.

Yesterday was one of those nights when we had something to celebrate, on top of it not raining for the first time in what feels like forever.
That's all the incentive that we needed and so, with Bonnie in tow, I took Mr K. to my ideal first date.

There were dim sum & dimmed lights, a pic nick, a walk in the park and many kisses.

It really was perfect and it totally made me fall in love with my boy all over again.

Thanks for playing along with me and answering such dumb questions as "what do you look for in a girl" babe !
Come to think of it, had I asked that one on our real first date, there might not have been a second one...Pfew !

x K.

2011-08-23

De Zeemerminnen van Knokke.





I always find the sea so soothing.
it sounds corny as ever but every time I'm at the beach, I feel like the waves wash all my worries away.

Last Wednesday, as soon as Mr K. was done with his litterature exam -he has a good feeling about it, fingers crossed ! - we packed our family in the car and off we were, direction the North Sea.



It is a little known fact about our country but Belgium actually has some very beautiful beaches and some super cute seaside towns.
Knokke is without a doubt my favorite though, mostly because we have some magic memories there but also because it's one of the only places that allows dogs on the beach in the summer.

The first time that we had taken Bonnie to the sea, she was still a wee baby and she had been a little overwhelmed.
This time though, she seemed to be so happy, alternatively chasing waves and seagulls until she was exhausted and took a nap in the dunes.




As for me and Mr K., well, we were in our element.
Every time we go to the sea, it only takes for me to get out of the car and smell that first whiff of salt in the air to feel like I'm at home.




This little getaway was exactly what we needed and I already am looking forward to the next time we're going, this time, with the complete WBST.




Also,
ik zie jullie zo graag, mijn twee zeemerminnen :)

x, K.


2011-08-19

Friday I'm in Love.


Friday I'm in love with...

* the way Bonnie naps, all curled up with her chin resting delicately on her paw.

* Mr.K's 3 day old beard, the perfect peeling to get soft pink cheeks.

* me and my brothers private jokes, most of them being quotes from our favorite movies and all of them sounding as good on the phone as they do in real life.

* still finding sand in my hair two days after coming back from the beach

* the smell that fills our nest after I bake "better than sex" cookies for my boy

* the realization that my new summer shoes have the exact same color as my favorite Tropical Temptation nailpolish

* daydreaming about our impending trip to the Middle East

* trying out new recipes to feed my hungry Mr K...sesame turkey meatballs anyone ?

* the shy but determined way in which the sun has been appearing more and more lately

Mostly though, just like every other day, I'm in love with our gang of losers, our furballs, and the handsome shaggy haired daredevil that I get to call my boyfriend.

x, K.

2011-08-14

Dear Baby Brother


I miss you so so much.

Please come live here.
I'll let you paint our living room black and build yourself a fort on the roof.

I'll even share my Marshmallow Fluff with you.

Deal ?


2011-08-09

The Big Five-O.



On Saturday, my parents threw themselves a party to celebrate hitting the half-century mark.
Despite the weather trying its best to fuck the whole thing up, the party was a blast.


Nothing like some respectable people blowing off steam to ensure a very entertaining evening.
Also, you'd think that a bunch of GPs would know about the dangers of alcohol but you'd be wrong since one of my dad's friends from Uni served me what he called a Jack & Coke but what I call detergent.
Or poison.

My father in law did a strip tease, my brother sweet talked cougars all night and me and Mr K. danced 'til we dropped (literally), crawling in our bed as the sun was rising.


They say the apple never falls far from the tree and seeing how bad ass my parents still are (hellooo, take a look at my dad pimping it in white from head to toe) well, I'm pretty glad I was conceived by those two crazy kids.


Seeing them, you can't help but think that 50 is the new 20.
Well, maybe the new 21 seeing their taste for strong drinks.

x, K.






2011-07-25

Three Letters & One Recipe.





Dear Baby Brother,

I'm so happy that you came to spend the week end with us.
I miss you tons and I'm always sooo ecstatic when we get to spend time together.
I loved every second of our time together and it was really cool to work on our secret project and to cook with you.

Seeing how great our project / recipe turned out, I'd say that we really are an awesome team.

I love you so, so much.

Big Sister








Dear Cilantro,

You are so glorious.
Thank you so much for making every one of my recipes better.
Scratch that, thank you for making EVERYHTING better.

You ROCK.

K.











Dear Bourek,




You're the food version of my ideal man : you're juicy, meaty, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.



And you're stuffed up to your eyeballs with cilantro.


So hot.




We shall meet again very soon.


x, K.






How to make Bourek

* Take a phyllo sheet and put some olive oil on it so that your creation gets out of the oven with a nice golden tan.




* Mix together ground turkey, red onions, cilantro and tiny tomato pieces and cook until the turkey is nice and brown




* Stuff that phyllo sheet like your life depends on it and fold it however your little heart desires.




* Put the final product in the oven and cook until the outside is golden and crispy




* DEVOUR !



























The raid.




This week-end, the WBST got together for one of our yearly traditions :
our raid on the sales in Antwerp.

The combination of my favorite people and pretty new clothes ? H-E-A-V-E-N.

When we got up, we were greeted with grey clouds but we weren't about to let that deter us.
We were on a mission.


An hour of sing alongs in the car later, we finally arrived to the promised land but before we started hitting the shops we stopped for breakfast, WBST style.
Sliders at 10AM? That's how we roll !

By some sort of miracle, it only rained when we were inside so we got to stroll in the city without having to bother with an umbrella.

Our bounty wasn't as big (read : enormous) as the last time that we came but we each found what we were looking for which is really all that matters.
Quality over quantity any day right ?

Once again, it was perfect and I truly felt so blessed that I have such cool cats (no way I was gonna pass an opportunity to use that expression) in my life.

To be honest, I'm already looking forward to next year's shopping trip !

Thanks for the awesome day guys !

x, K.



* I like to think that we know some really cool spots in Antwerp so expect a post where I'm sharing them with you very soon :)

2011-07-22

Set Fire To The Rain.


Dear Mother Nature,

I get it.

For so long, us arrogant humans have thought that we knew better.
For centuries, we classified your hard work in 4 restrictive seasons : the sunny Spring, the warm Summer, the humid Fall and the cold Winter.
How narrow minded of us.

It seems totally fair that you would choose to remind us of how little we are.
Two weeks of uninterrupted rain and unseasonably cold weather is a really good way to let us all know who's in charge.

I swear I really get it.

But see, I'm never one to undermine your power.
E-v-e-r.

So please, can you remember that when you plan how much longer this weather is gonna last ?
Pretty please ?

x, K.

2011-07-21

Ain't no mountain high enough.





I tell everyone that will listen that Mr K. is my rock.

I know that it is one of those cliché words that you kind of have to use to describe your other half but not in our case.

I have lost count of the number of times that his strong arms cradled me until I stopped crying.
Over the years, he has proved to be an invaluable source of support, keeping me strong in stressful exam times and patiently making me recite hundreds of pages until I knew them by heart.
Truth be told, I would have failed and given up a long time ago if it weren't for him carrying me with all his strength.

No situation can faze him and he has stayed calm and strong through every storm that we had to weather.
In stressful situations, people will always turn to him because Mr K. is that type of person, the one that always has answers and can solve any problems.

Also, if you ever felt that boy's muscles, you'd know that really, "rock" is the best way to describe him.
Rock hard.

In our relationship, I'm the neurotic, emotionally fragile headless chicken and he is the water to my fire, the backbone of our little family.

This summer though, life decided to throw a curveball at us.
After months of hard work, Mr K. was rendered helpless by his crazy exam schedule (3 exams in 12 hours ? Really ?!?) and is stuck with exams to redo in August.

You'd think that having his hard work be rendered worthless by the cruel mentally ill person that made his schedule would crush him but he's staying strong.
Actually, the one that took it the hardest of the two was me.
To me, it was really hard to accept that Mr K. wasn't invincible and that sometimes, he would take a tumble just like us mere mortals do all the time.

I even resented him.
How could he let that happen ?
If he wasn't invincible, than what were WE ?
To be quite honest, I was awful with him and that's a burden that I'll always have to carry.

But now, I realize that this is my chance.
Maybe, by putting him in his situation, life isn't testing him (hello, the boy got better results than me at each and every course that we ever had together) but me, giving me a chance to prove him that I can be there for him and support him too in times of need.

And you betcha that that's exactly what I'm gonna do.

You and me together babe, we're invincible.

x, K.

PS : For some reason, this post made me think of "You'll be in my heart" from the Tarzan OST.
As if I wasn't teary eyed enough because of how unfair this situation is for my poor baby, now I'm full on bawling thinking of how the mama monkey died in the movie.
Thank God I'm only a substitute rock.