Kitchen Corner

Okey people, get ready for the first publishment from Kristian and mine`s kitchen corner.

I don`t know how it is with my friends at Hald, or other students around the world, but here i Laos, we have to cook each and every day.

We have come up some very interesting and tasty meals here, and we will publish the recipes on most of what we`ve maid. Maybe it will help other students out there.

The first recipe is for cakes. Since we are getting closer to christmas, we found out that we wanted to make our own cakes. This tuesday we went to a friend from the church, and we started the project. The cakes didn`t turn out to bad. I would say that they are more than good enough for a student that is getting ready for christmas.

100 grams butter

1,5 deciliters milk

2 teaspoons salt

100 grams sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

500 grams flower (don`t know the exact number, just try it out. To dry, add milk. To wet, add flower)

For those who want; smash 2 bananas and chocolate, and mix with the rest (our recommendation)

Mix the dry ingredients first, while melting the butter. When the butter is melted, mix it with the milk. Stir while mixing. We are a bit unsure about this part, but to be safe, the milk-butter mix should be 37 degrees. When this is done, mix the dry and wet ingredients. When the dough is finished, it should not be wet. Dry enough that you can touch it, and it won`t stick you your finger. Let the dough swallow for about 20 min. Squeeze the dough into a form of your choice.

Put in the oven for 20 min, on 225 degrees. Take the cake out, and serve while hot. Maybe with some fruit or ice cream alongside.

Enjoy

God bless, no stress!

Update

For the first. I´m sorry that I wrote my last publishment in norwegian. I totally forgot that I`m supposed to wright in english. 

Okey, this is kind of just a update in my life the last weeks. 

We have now finished our language study at the university. So from now on, the learning will have to be done in the bedroom. We have a goal to be able to understand a simple speach from our pastor. To do that, we have learn more words. The grammar is not difficult, so we just have to learn lots of words. And we will try. But we both feel that we know enough lao, to teach english to non- english speaking people. Thanks for all the prayes, and keep it going. We need it. 

We don`t know what will happen next. Our "boss" is working on it, but I think the plan is to  teach people at the church english, free of charge. It`s a great opportunity to help people here learn something, without having to pay lots of money to do so.

This week I`ve also had my first trip to Starbucks. On tuesday we went to Thailand, to renew our visa. We have to do that every month. At the same time we use the opportunity to buy stuff that`s cheaper there than in Lao. But I got to say, the memory that got stuck after the trip, was the coffey-caramel flavoured frappuchino. Some taste. It was simply delicious. 

We also have plans on starting guitar- and bassclasses for the youth in the church. we don`t know when it will start, but we hope that it won`t take to long. I`m exited!!:)

There you go. I won`t bother to make write more, `cause I don`t think there`s any interesting stuff to write about.

God bless, no stress!!

I bryllup, invitert som elsker.

Jada, her i laos tar vi det helt ut. Per dags dato har jeg overvært et bryllup, og er invitert til intet mindre enn tre til, i løpet av de neste fire ukene. Litt spesielt, men ærefullt å bli invitert av folk jeg knapt nok kjenner, noen har jeg ikke møtt heller. Men en ting, jeg vet ikke hvor ærefullt det er å bli invitert som Kristian sin elsker jeg?! Og jeg ble faktisk det. Men jeg antar det ble slik fordi man ikke visste navnet mitt, og heller ikke turte å spør noen, eller anta at vi er Kristne så da er det jo normalt mannlig elsker.. Hmm!! Jeg går videre jeg, tror ikke flere spekulasjoner er sunt for forvirringen i hodet mitt.

Det første bryllupet gikk av stabelen forhenværende fredag. Hadde ikke forventet slikt festeri da jeg pakket, så penklær var ikke en del av kleskoden tatt med fra Norge. Så vi gikk til innkjøp av dressbukse. De hadde overrakende nok min størrelse (noen steder, ikke overalt), og jeg var faktisk så heldig at jeg fant en bukse jeg virkelig likte, i riktig størrelse. Utrolig, men sant.
I ekte norsk kultur møtte jeg og Kristian opp 25 min før vielsen avsatte tidspunkt, og forventet å finne kirkelokalet smekkfullt.. der tok vi skammelig feil. Vi var de aller første, og måtte derfor finne oss i å vente i en hel time, før brudeparet ankom lokalet. Gjester var det heller få av, men det skal sies at det kom flere og flere utover i vielsen.
Vielsen var noe annerledes enn i Norge. Brudeparet satt knapt nok, de sto mer som utstillingsdokker gjennom hele prosessen. Når de faktisk satt, var det på gulvet, med en stor pute mellom seg. Løfter ble avgitt, vitner var foreldre og pastorer (ingen forlovere), og det hele foregikk uten at en eneste tåre ble felt fra noen i hele lokalet. Mot slutten av vielsen kom det jeg vil si var det fineste og mest finurlige ved hele kvelden. Brudeparet ga gaver til svigerfamilie og pastorer. Samtidig som man ga gaver, ba man sammen, og pastorer og familie ga sine personlige råd til brudeparet. Denne tradisjonen syntes jeg var utrolig fin, og jeg er glad jeg fikk se det. Det viste seg at det var der all veiledning og råd ble gitt. Var ingen taler e.l. senere på kvelden.
Litt senere var vi klare for fest utendør, og det var dekket til ca 500 gjester utendørs. Det viste seg at det er på festen de fleste gjestene kom, for det ble fullt etterhvert. Maten var en blanding av vestligrettet og laotisk mat, og det hele smakte fortreffelig. Ikke ofte jeg er så mett at jeg har lyst til å legge meg i fosterstilling for å slippe "smertene".

En svært lystig kveld, og oppdateringer av senere brylluper vil komme senere, sammen med bilder.
God bless, no stress.

Friends, Laofood and RISK

My life here reminds me more and more of a day to day life. We are starting to get som routins, and I can almost every day rise from the bed, knowing what the day will consist of. That, I didn't do the two first weeks. And believe me, it's a good feeling.

Some days ago, I tried to publish this, but it didn't work. So this time, I will wright every thing again, and hope that it does work.

Last week, Salome, Khamphet, Air and E came to spend an evening of joy and laughter with me and Kristian. The first thing we needed, was food. So off course, we should eat Laofood. A combination of fried and cooked lever, minched pork and pork, together with steamed rice and sticky rice, and a variation of vegetables, made the dinner into a feast of flavours and smells. Out of care for us norwegians, they divided the food into spicy, and non spicy. And for that, we give our thanks!!

After the food, we sat down for a game of nothing other then the game RISK. After playing for a few hours, we decided that the one with the most land under his control, would win the game. Ges who did.. yes, no one else then yours truly. Thank you.

I'm very happy for det friends we've made here. It make things much easier when we know that we have a network of people around us, and that those peolpe truly care for us.
Life here is good!!