Bavarian Easter

I can honestly say that I feel as if I were spending Easter in Europe. This is because we are now in a village, which is famous not only for beautiful mountain surroundings, but also for its quite unexpected Bavarian-like architecture. Better yet, it is only a two hour drive from Seattle.

One can eat here typical German dishes, however food connoisseurs can enjoy anything from savory crepes to delicious authentic Danish. It is not difficult to spot Wilkommen signs around; waiters are often dressed in Lederhosen or other Bavarian costumes.

From the city hall’s website, I learned that the complete makeover of Leavenworth  was a last gasp effort to save the region; the gamble paid off.  Each year, over 2 million tourists vist the region. Interestingly enough, Austrian tourists outnumber Germans.

In October, they can participate in the local version of the Oktorberfest festival . Some time ago, Good Morning America featured the Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

Local displays are not abundant in Easter motifs.  Maybe because in the U.S., simple  Easter egg hunts  are more popular. I did however see figures of Mickey Mouse and Star Wars characters for sale. If needed, gifts from Russia also lure customers.

I must admit  that I haven’t Christened the traditional Easter basket . I was almost certain it will be doable when I saw a Catholic church, right next to our pension. Unfortunately, it turned out that it is closed and now serves as a interior for guest rooms. 

Our Sunday breakfast will unfortunately not include homemade tartar sauce, but we do have with us Polish horseradish.  In the afternoon we will start preparing pisanki.

Tomorrow night we will already be heading back to Bellevue. For Americans, Easter Monday is not a day off. Nevertheless, I will try to discreetly remind Dean why in Poland it is called Lany Poniedziałek…

Dear Readers , I wish you all colorful , tasty and sunny Easter! :) Frohen Ostern!

H.

                                      

Polish version and more photos!

Mudslide in Oso

The very same day that my Dad arrived, a huge landslide north of Seattle swept away dozens of homes in the small town of Oso. They disappeared from the earth’s surface in just a few seconds. Everyday newspapers showed photos of the fatalities.

In addition to the scale of the devastation, I was surprised by two facts:  first, apparently the tragedy could have been prevented. And second, unlike the way it would have been in Poland, there was no official mourning period. The governor, however, ordered a minute of silence to commemorate the victims.

I learned that in the United States official mourning is rarely proclaimed. The last time, it was imposed on a national scale was after the shooting at Fort Hood military base in 2009. Perhaps we may this this happen again.

The absence of such a decree did not discourage residents from voluntarily showing their support. In one of the press pictures of the landslide, I noticed a half –mast American flag. I later read that it had been found in the mud.

Private citizens in a gesture of solidarity have organized local events, such as concerts to raise money. Neighbors prepared meals for survivors and created small altars with flowers and candles. I also saw the information about joint praying vigils. As part of the official Washington’s month of poetry, one can also submit entries supporting those affected by the disaster.

And another community initiative: during the press conference, representatives of the well-known Indian tribe Snoqualmie offered a large donation to their distant neighbors. We are all mountain folk, and mountain folk stick together - donors commented on their generous gesture.

A few days ago, President Obama called the landslide as a major disaster. This declaration allows families to qualify for the receipt of government assistance.

Seeing in the news every day, how volunteers offered to search the devastated area, one can be assured that the local authorities and neighbors will not abandon the community of Oso.
                                                 

H. 
Ps. 22th of April President Obama came to see the mudslide in Oso.He found personal time with the victims families. He also reassured that the government help is promised. This is..what America is all about. When times get tough, we look out for each other.We get each other's back. And we recover, and we build, and we come back stronger- were some of President's words of support.  

Step by step

Spring is coming in Bellevue. Cherry trees are blossoming, and it is getting warmer. We have already set our clocks forward to Daylight Savings time - in the U.S., we set them earlier than in Europe. Good news came to us also from the immigration front. I recently was granted permanent residence in the United States.

The application procedure lasted about three and a half months. In its course we had a bucket list to complete. As an example I had go to a special doctor for a general physical and mental examination. The Doctor, of Russian origin, could not verify every required vaccine in my Polish medical report. I had no choice - I had to take couple of injections and agree to the flu shot.

The conversation with the immigration officer was the highlight of the whole process. We simply had to prove that our relationship is genuine. The conversation did not take place, as in the films, at our apartment, but in the building of the Department of Homeland Security. While we were waiting for our turn, a large group of people was getting ready for the naturalization ceremony. It is an official celebration of becoming an American citizen. Someone was also waiting for their asylum application.

Our lawyer had prepared us for the interview by sending a long list of more and less intimate questions. Fortunately, we did not have to discuss who sleeps on which side of the bed, but rather how we met (we were both under oath). This was actually an interesting topic, because we met in Kiev. The album with wedding pictures, photos of holidays spent in Poland and the documentation of our European and American escapades were also our items of proof.
We felt quite confident after the interview.  Indeed, after very short time I received a very polite letter from the department of U.S. Immigration Services, which include a polite phrase: with pleasure we welcome you to the USA. 

Another important American step was receiving a Social Security number and an American work permit. Identification in the system also helped me to enroll in the training courses at the local community college.

And last, but hopefully not the least, important success - in a few days I can pick up my Dad from the airport by car, as a month ago I passed my Washington State. Driver’s license exam:)
All of these steps bring me joy and make me feel more at home. Meanwhile, recently I was again mistaken for a Hannah in a local café. 

p.s. The answer to the previous entry’s quiz: Americans do not open umbrellas in the house because it is considered to bring bad luck. 

H.                                     

Polish version and one more pic.

Newport Beach Weekend

Today I want to share my rainy weekend spent in sunny southern California. After a long drought, the abrupt and violent storm was a hot topic of conversation in Newport Beach, second only to the developments in Ukraine.

Due to the rain, our visit to the beautiful Huntington Library and Garden was limited. In a way, we were lucky, because we were able to focus on the museums amazing collections undistracted. We saw one of several copies of the Gutenberg Bible; a copy of the Declaration of Independence, which was owned by George Washington himself; and the original manuscript of Jack London’s “the Sea Wolf”, charred and burned by the 1906 San Francisco fire and earthquake.

Huntington collected European and early American portraits, and the museum’s collection was formidable. Pinkie, and The Blue Boy were the pride of the European section. The American art featured George Washington in several majestic poses, as well as the painting entitled “Western Brothers”, but John Singleton, which I have included below.

On Sunday, the weather cleared up. We managed to take a bike ride and enjoy the up and coming Belmont Shore area of Long Beach.

On the way to the airport we stopped at South Coast Plaza, which is one of the largest shopping centers in the U.S.  In fact, I have not seen so many exclusive boutiques all in one place. I went to Chanel being perhaps more curious about the prices than the products themselves...

Maybe, dear readers, you know why Americans, do not open wet umbrellas indoors?...

       

Long Beach

Huntington Gardens

                                                                        

                                                                

                                                                     

H.

Polish version and more photos:

www.dziendobryusa.blogspot.com

Lazy Dumplings

The day when I finally have to cook more often has arrived. I find that my normal repertoire of spaghetti, traditional Christmas vegetable salad and a few simple dishes is not enough. Now, when I miss Polish food, I realize that I must learn to make it myself.

While browsing in bookstores or watching American television, I haven't noticed any culinary guides to Polish cuisine.  This would have been quite helpful, as it is not always easy to find the American equivalents of my native products.

Fortunately, the internet provides countless international recipes. I also bought the cleverly named Can’t Cook Book. It resulted in my preparing, among other dishes, a quite tasty rosemary salmon.

Once I tried to cook leniwe- lazy dumplings. After consulting with my sister I was full of optimism. We managed to find a tvarog in a Russian Deli. It tasted delicious. Unfortunately, it proved to be too moist, and the flour did not lend itself perfectly to the dumplings. The dough came out also in light brown shade, rather than the anticipated white, which was due to the absence of vanilla sugar - here, I am forced to use vanilla extract or create vanilla sugar myself. Still, my lazy dumplings resembled true Polish leniwe, and the next day no one complained of a stomachache.

Another time I attempted to make pomidorówka. American tomato paste met my expectations.  The soup turned out fine, and Dean even asked for seconds.  Another Polish soup made out of barley, krupnik, will be my next challenge. At the Jewish Deli I also spotted pickled cucumbers, which will be a great for ogórkowa. For the second course I plan mielone (cutlets), for which I am awaiting Mum’s recipe. Apple pancakes, racuchy, now appear often in our cuisine.

As for non-Polish traditional dishes, I specialize in vegetables cream soups, chicken curry and spinach smoothies. I think I could now invite guests for a simple, three course dinner. Just in case, we always we always stock a couple of frozen meals, including Ukrainian pielmieni.

For further training, I could attend the "making of pierogi" session organized by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Polish Home Association of Seattle. 

In less than a month my Dad is coming to visit us.  Maybe he will manage to bring with him a little bit of homemade rosół ?:)

                                                   

H.xx

                 

Snowy City

Last Sunday we went to explore Seattle. Due to the frequent drizzle, it is also known as the Rainy City. This time the city was covered in a rare snow, so hats and gloves were more handy than umbrellas.

Seattle is situated on a lake and at the mouth of the ocean.At the historic Pike Place Market on the waterfront, one can buy anything from fresh crab to souvenirs. Postcards seem always have a photo of the Space Needle tower. So far I lack the courage to take the elevator to its observation deck.

Downtown Seattle,although it is much smaller, reminds me of Manhattan. Yellow taxis and many homeless  are seen around. The smell of marijuana is also present, as it is legal in the state of Washington. The center is filled with skyscrapers and shops of famous brands, like Nordstrom ,which originates from Seattle. Interestingly, the son of its founder, a remarkable Swedish gold prospector, also founded Seattle Seahawks team.

In Seattle, the climate is artistic and entrepreneurial. It is here where grunge was created, but also where Amazon and Starbucks were born. Good universities are another city’s assets, and at one of them Amanda Knox herself is studying ...

For residents there is a network of modern trams, rarely found in the United States. They will certainly help to get to the upcoming opening of the first Zara department or to the upcoming exhibition of Miro works.

An interesting residential district is Capitol Hill. The neighborhood of the Polish Home Society, where twice a week you can enjoy a tasty Polish dinner. The restaurant itself looks like a mixture of patriotic club-room and a highland inn  Among the customers there are always a lot of Americans. Nearby there is also a beautiful Roman Catholic Cathedral.

We went for lunch on Madison Street, filled with smaller at the cafes and restaurants. Strangely, I did not spy a single Starbucks.  Coffee and omelette met our expectations. When walking we, observed charming family houses and snowman molded in their yards. 

Valentine's Day is coming soon. I already know that once again I will be moved when watching Sleepless in Seattle ..
                                       

Go Hawks - an update to the football post. 

At the Super Bowl game, Seattle Seahawks did not give Denver Broncos any chances to win. For the first time in the history, Seahawks became the NFL champions.  

I am attaching a photo from today's frenzy parade in Seattle, which I watched courtesy of local TV. The trophy is held by Richard Sherman, one of the most popular American football athletes. 

Ps. Maybe, dear readers, you know what is the other sport activity that Seahawks are known for?