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December 29 (Monday): My sister went to the M Clinic today. Since she rarely goes to see anyone except Dr. Nikaido, she was nervous about the appointment. She'd put it off, worrying about what she should wear and how she should speak to the doctor, until it was the last day they'd be seeing patients this year. This morning, she was still fussing.
"I wonder how many months of temperature charts I should show them?" She looked up distractedly from the breakfast table but made no move to get up.
"Why not take all of them?" I answered.
"But that's two years' worth," she said, her voice rising as she churned her spoon in the yogurt. "Twenty-four charts, and only a few days that have anything to do with the pregnancy. I think I'll just show them this month's."
"Then what was the point of taking your temperature every day for two years?"
"I can't stand the thought of some doctor pawing through them right there in front of me, as if he were trying to find out every detail of how I got pregnant." She studied the yogurt clinging to her spoon. It shimmered, viscous and white, as it dripped back into the container.
"You're making too big a deal out of it," I said, covering the yogurt and putting it back into the refrigerator. "They're just charts."
In the end, she decided to show the doctor all the charts, but it took her some time to find them.
I'm not sure why, when she was meticulous about taking her temperature, she was so careless with the charts themselves. The sheets of graph paper, which should have been kept in her bedroom, would stray to the magazine rack or the telephone stand, and I'd suddenly come across them as I was flipping through the newspaper or making a phone call. I realize now that there was something odd about my finding these scraps of paper with their jagged lines and telling myself, "She must have ovulated then," or "Her basal temperature was low this month."
My sister had chosen the M Clinic for sentimental reasons. I'd tried to get her to go somewhere bigger and better equipped, but she had made up her mind. "When we were kids, I decided that if I ever had a baby I'd have it there," she said.
The M Clinic was a small private maternity hospital that had been around since our grandfather's day. When my sister and I were girls, we had often sneaked into the garden to play. From the front, the three-story wooden building was gloomy, with moss-covered walls, a half-faded sign, and frosted windows. But if you made your way to the garden around the back, it was bright and sunny. For some reason, this contrast thrilled us.
There was a carefully tended lawn behind the building, and we loved to roll down it. As I rolled, glimpses of green grass and dazzling sky alternated in my vision, blurring to a pale turquoise. Then the sky and the wind and the earth would recede for a moment and I felt as if I were floating in space. I loved that moment.
But our favorite pastime was spying on what was happening inside the clinic. Climbing on stacks of empty boxes that had once held gauze or cotton balls, we'd stare through the window into the examination room.
"We'll get in trouble if they catch us," I said. I was always more timid than my sister.
"Don't worry, they won't do anything. We're just kids," she'd say, calmly rubbing the glass with her sleeve to wipe away the condensation from our breath. As we pressed our faces up against the window, we could smell the fresh white paint inside. That odor, like an ache deep in my head, still reminds me of the clinic after all these years.
The room was always empty at midday, before the afternoon appointments began, and we could study it to our hearts' content. A collection of bottles arranged on an oval tray seemed particularly mysterious. They had no caps or seals, just glass stoppers, which I felt an irresistible urge to pull out. The bottles had been stained brown or purple or deep red by the fluids they held, and when the sunlight shone through them the liquid seemed to glisten.
A stethoscope and some tongs and a blood-pressure cuff lay on the doctor's desk. The thin, twisting tube, the dull silver fittings, and the pear-shaped rubber bulb of the cuff made it look like a strange insect nestled among the other instruments. There was an odd beauty in the unintelligible letters printed on the medical charts. A poster on the wall read, "Position for use in treating breech presentation." In the picture, a woman was on her knees with her chest pressed against the floor. She was wearing a leotard that was so tight she looked naked. She lay there in the yellowed poster, staring vacantly into the distance. Then the chimes from a school somewhere in the neighborhood would start ringing, telling us that it was time for the afternoon examinations. We knew that we had to leave when we heard the nurses coming back from lunch.
Sometimes women would be looking out of the windows on the third floor. They had likely just given birth. They had on thick bathrobes and their hair was tied back in ponytails. None of them wore makeup. Wisps of hair floated around their temples, and their faces were expressionless. I wondered why they didn't seem happier at the prospect of sleeping above an examination room full of such fascinating objects.
My sister came back before noon, and I found her in the front hallway just as I was getting ready to leave for work.
"What did they say?"
"I'm in the second month—exactly six weeks."
"Can they really tell that precisely?"
"They can when they have all the charts," she said, pulling off her coat and hurrying past me. She didn't seem especially excited by the news. "What's for dinner?"
"Bouillabaisse," I said. "The clams and squid were cheap."
She had changed the subject so quickly that I completely forgot to congratulate her. But, then again, I wasn't quite sure that congratulations were appropriate for a baby who would be born to my sister and her husband. I looked up "congratulate" in the dictionary: it said "to wish someone joy."
"That doesn't mean much," I muttered, tracing my finger over a line of characters that held no promise of joy themselves.
December 30 (Tuesday), 6 weeks + 1 day: Since I was a little girl, I've disliked the thirtieth of December. I could always get through the thirty-first by telling myself that the year was finally over, but the thirtieth was confusing somehow, neither here nor there. Cooking the traditional New Year's dinner, cleaning the house, shopping—none of my tasks were completely done.
When my father and mother got sick and died, one right after the other, my ties to the New Year's season became even more tenuous. Nor did that change when my brother-in-law came to live with us. Still, breakfast this morning was a bit more relaxed than usual, since I didn't have classes and my brother-in-law's office was closed for the holiday.
"When you haven't had enough sleep, even the winter sun seems too bright," he said, squinting behind his glasses as he lowered himself into a chair. The light shining in from the garden fell on the table, and our three pairs of slippers cast long shadows across the floor.
"Were you out late?" I asked. He'd gone to the year-end party for the dental office where he works, and I must have been asleep by the time he got home.
"I caught the last train," he said. As he picked up his cup, a sweet smell wafted across the table. He puts so much cream and sugar into his coffee that the kitchen smells like a bakery at breakfast. I've often wondered how someone who makes bridges and dentures for a living can drink such sweet coffee without worrying about cavities. "The last train is worse than the rush-hour ones," he added. "It's always packed, and everyone's drunk." My sister scraped her butter knife over her toast.
Since her visit to the gynecologist yesterday, her pregnancy is now official, but she doesn't seem any different. Usually the least little thing—her favorite hair salon closing, the neighbor's old cat dying, a water-main break—is enough to get her completely agitated and send her running to see Dr. Nikaido.
I wonder how she broke the news to her husband. I don't really know what they talk about when I'm not around. In fact, I don't really understand couples at all. They seem like some sort of inexplicable gaseous body to me—a shapeless, colorless, unintelligible thing, trapped in a laboratory beaker.
"There's too much pepper in this," my sister muttered, sticking her fork into her omelette. Since she always has something to say about the food, I pretended not to hear her. Half-cooked egg dripped from the end of her fork like yellow blood. My brother-in-law was eating slices of kiwi. I can't stand kiwi—all those seeds make me think of little black bugs, and the kiwi this morning was particularly ripe and soft. Beads of sweat had collected on the surface of the butter.
Apparently, neither of them was anxious to bring up the subject of the pregnancy, so I didn't mention it, either. Birds were singing in the garden. A few wisps of cloud dissolved somewhere far off in the sky. The clatter of dishes alternated with the sound of chewing.
None of us seem to have realized that the year is almost over. There are no pine branches decorating the door, no black beans or mochi in the house. "I suppose we should at least do the cleaning," I said, as if talking to myself.
"You shouldn't overdo it in your condition," my brother-in-law said, turning to my sister as he licked the kiwi juice from his lips. It's just like him to say the most obvious thing as if it were a profound truth.
January 8 (Thursday), 7 weeks + 3 days: Her morning sickness has started. I had no idea it came on so suddenly. She'd been saying all along that she wouldn't have it, that she hates that sort of cliché. She's convinced, for instance, that hypnosis or anesthesia would never work on her. But we were eating macaroni and cheese for lunch when she suddenly held up her spoon and began staring at it.
"Does this spoon look funny?" she asked. It seemed perfectly normal to me.
"It smells weird," she said, her nostrils flaring.
"Weird how?"
"I don't know . . . like sand. Did you ever fall over in the sandbox when you were little? Like that, dry and rough." She set the spoon back on her plate and wiped her mouth.
"Are you done?" I asked. She nodded and then rested her chin on her hands. The kettle began to whistle on the stove. She looked at me but said nothing, so I went on with my lunch.
"Doesn't the sauce on the macaroni remind you of digestive juices?" she murmured. I ignored her and took a sip of water. "So warm and slimy? The way it globs together?" She bent forward and peered at me, her head cocked to one side. I tapped the end of my spoon on my plate. "And the color, does it look like lard? The noodles are strange, too. The way they squish when I bite into them makes me feel like I'm chewing on intestines, little slippery tubes full of stomach juices." As I watched these words dribble out of her mouth, I fingered my spoon and thought how sad it was to see her like this. She went on talking until she had nothing else to say and then rose to go. The macaroni was a cold white lump on her plate.
January 28 (Wednesday), 10 weeks + 2 days: Her morning sickness is getting worse. She seems convinced that it will neither get slowly better nor disappear completely, and that depresses her. At any rate, she can't eat anything. I've suggested just about every food imaginable, but she refuses everything. I even got out all the cookbooks in the house and went through them with her, but it didn't help. I realize now that eating is actually an extremely delicate undertaking.
Still, her stomach is so empty it must ache, and she finally said that she needed to "put something in her mouth." (She couldn't bring herself to say "eat.") She decided on a croissant. A waffle or some potato chips might have done just as well, but a croissant left over from breakfast happened to be peeking out of the bread basket. She tore off a piece, forced it into her mouth, and swallowed it almost without chewing. Then, to wash it down, she took a tiny sip from a can of sports drink, grimacing with disgust as she swallowed. It didn't seem like eating at all, more like some magic rite or ritual.
My brother-in-law has been bringing home articles that he thinks will help: "How I Beat Morning Sickness" or "What Fathers Can Do for Morning Sickness." It's hard to believe, but the pregnancy seems to be affecting his appetite as well. At the table, he just pokes at his food and barely eats anything. "I can't eat when she's feeling so bad," he says, sighing. She seems to think that he's acting this way just to be nice, but I've noticed that when he's massaging her back while she forces down a croissant he gets terribly pale and clutches his other hand to his mouth. They huddle together like a pair of injured birds and shuffle off to their bedroom, not to be seen again until morning.
My brother-in-law seems particularly pitiful to me, since he has no reason to feel sick, and I find myself getting angry over his little sighs and whimpers. It occurs to me that I'd fall in love with the kind of man who could put away a three-course French dinner even when he knew I was paralyzed by morning sickness.
February 6 (Friday), 11 weeks + 4 days: I eat all my meals alone now. I take my time, looking out at the flower beds or the shovel abandoned in the garden or the clouds floating by. I enjoy these quiet moments, and sometimes I even have a beer at lunch or smoke a cigarette, which my sister hates. I'm not lonely. Eating by myself seems to suit me. But this morning, as I was frying some bacon and eggs, she came running down the stairs.
"What's that awful smell?" she screamed, tearing at her hair. "Can't you do something?" She seemed ready to burst into tears. The bare feet protruding from the legs of her pajamas looked icy and as transparent as glass. She switched off the burner, nearly ripping the knob from the stove.
"It's just bacon and eggs," I whispered.
"Then why is the whole house filled with that disgusting smell? Butter, grease, eggs, pork—I can't breathe!" Putting her head down on the table, she began to sob. I didn't know what to do, so I turned on the exhaust fan and opened a window.
By this time, she was crying in earnest. It was remarkable to watch, almost like a scene from a play. Her hair hung down over her face, and her shoulders heaved. I put my hand on her back to comfort her.
"You have to do something!" she said between sobs. "When I woke up my whole body was filled with that awful stench. It's in my mouth and my lungs. My insides feel like they're coated with it."
"I'm sorry," I said timidly. "I'll try to be more careful."
"It's not just the bacon and eggs. It's the frying pan and the dishes, the soap in the bathroom, the curtains in the bedroom—everything stinks. It's spreading all over the house, like a giant amoeba eating up all the other odors around it, on and on forever." She sat there weeping, her tear-covered face resting on the table, and I stood, my hand still on her back, studying the check pattern on her pajamas. The motor on the exhaust fan sounded louder than usual.
"I know, I know," I murmured. I took a deep breath, but I couldn't smell anything at all. Just the kitchen in the morning. The coffee cups were lined up neatly in the cupboard. The white dishtowels were drying on the rack. A patch of frozen blue sky was visible through the window.
I have no idea how long she cried. It might have been only a few minutes, but it seemed much longer. In any case, she cried until she couldn't cry anymore. Then she let out a long, slow breath and looked up at me. Her cheeks and eyelashes were damp with tears, but her expression was calm.
"From now on, I won't use the kitchen when you're here," I said. She nodded. My cold bacon and eggs lay quietly in the pan.
February 10 (Tuesday), 12 weeks + 1 day: Twelve weeks—and the morning sickness is as bad as ever. It clings to her like a wet blouse. Which may be why she went to see Dr. Nikaido today. Her nerves and her hormones and her emotions seem all out of whack. As she always does before these visits, she spent a long time deciding what to wear. She lined up all her coats and skirts, her sweaters and scarves on the bed and studied them carefully. She also spent a lot of time on her makeup. I worry that all this fuss will make my brother-in-law jealous. The morning sickness has made her hips narrower, her cheeks a little sunken, and her jaw more defined; she's prettier than ever. You'd never guess that she was pregnant.
I met Dr. Nikaido once, when he brought her home during a typhoon. He's a middle-aged man with an unremarkable face and he made no impression on me at all. In fact, afterward I couldn't recall a single feature—thick earlobes, for example, or strong fingers—nothing. He just stood quietly behind my sister, looking down at the ground. Perhaps because his shoulders and hair were wet from the rain, he seemed terribly sad.
I don't really know what kind of therapy he practices, but my sister has mentioned psychological tests and medication of some sort. In any case, she's been going to see him since she was in high school, more than ten years now without a break, but I can't see that she's got any better. Her emotional problems seem to come in waves, like seaweed tossed around in the ocean, and she's never found a safe shore to rest on. Still, she told me that she feels much better when she's at his office.
"It's like when they're shampooing your hair at the salon," she said. "The feeling that someone's taking care of you—it's wonderful." Her eyes narrowed with pleasure at the thought of him.
But it's hard for me to believe that Dr. Nikaido is a good psychiatrist. As he stood mutely in the doorway on the night of the typhoon, he looked more like a frightened patient than a doctor.
The sun had set and a golden moon had risen in the darkness, but she still hadn't come home. "She shouldn't be out in this cold," my brother-in-law muttered. When a taxi finally stopped at the gate, he hurried out to meet her. Her eyes glistened as she unwound her scarf, and she seemed much calmer than she was this morning. But no matter how often she goes to see Dr. Nikaido her morning sickness is as bad as ever.
March 1 (Sunday), 14 weeks + 6 days: It suddenly occurred to me that I haven't been thinking about the baby. I suppose I should be wondering whether it's a boy or a girl, what they'll name it, what sort of baby clothes to buy. I imagine people usually enjoy thinking about those kinds of things. But my sister and her husband never talk about the baby in front of me. They act as if there's no connection between the pregnancy and the fact that there's a baby in her belly. Which may explain why it has no concrete existence for me.
At the moment, I use the word "chromosome" to help me remember that there's actually a baby in there. "Chromosome" helps me give it some kind of form. I once saw a picture of chromosomes in a science magazine. They looked like pairs of butterfly cocoons lined up in a row. They were oblong, and just the right size and shape to pinch in your fingers. The pairs were all different: some were curved at the ends like a cane, others were perfectly straight and parallel, and others were backed up against each other like Siamese twins. When I think about my sister's baby, I count off those twin cocoons in my head.
March 14 (Saturday), 16 weeks + 5 days: She hardly looks pregnant at all, even though she's entering her fifth month. For weeks now, she's consumed nothing but croissants and sports drinks, and she's losing a lot of weight. Except for her visits to the clinic and to Dr. Nikaido, she stays in bed all day, as if she were seriously ill.
About the only thing I can do for her is avoid creating any kind of odor; so I've changed every bar of soap in the house to an unscented brand, and I took the paprika and thyme and sage from the spice rack and put them in a tin. I moved all the makeup that was in her room to mine, and, since she'd started complaining about the smell of the toothpaste, my brother-in-law went out and bought a waterpick. Needless to say, I try not to cook when she's around. But, if I absolutely have to make something, I take the rice cooker or the microwave or the coffee grinder out to the garden and spread a mat on the ground.
It's peaceful eating outside by myself, looking up at the night sky. The evenings are warmer now that spring is almost here, and the air feels soft. My hands and feet pressed against the mat are dull and numb, but everything else—the crape myrtle, the bricks lining the flower beds, the twinkling stars—is sharp and clear. Except for a dog barking in the distance, the evening is perfectly still.
I plug the rice cooker into the extension cord I've strung out from the kitchen, and within a few minutes a cloud of steam rises from the vent and vanishes into the darkness. A packet of instant stew warms in the microwave. From time to time, a light breeze blows, rustling the leaves and carrying away the vapor.
I eat more slowly when I'm in the garden. The cups and dishes set out on the mat are all at slightly different angles. As I serve myself the stew, being careful not to spill it, I feel as though I were playing house. A faint light is burning in my sister's window on the second floor. I think about her, curled up in bed, surrounded by all those odors, and then I open my mouth wide to take in the darkness with my bite of stew.
March 31 (Tuesday), 19 weeks + 1 day: I got up early today, since the supermarket I had to go to for my part-time job was quite far away. It was foggy, and my eyelashes were cold and damp by the time I reached the station.
The job suits me because my boss always sends me to a different supermarket in an unfamiliar part of town, and I never go to the same place twice. The supermarket is usually situated on a little plaza in front of a train station, with a pedestrian crossing, bicycle racks, and a bus terminal nearby. As I watch people come into the store, I feel as though I'd gone away somewhere on a trip.
At the service entrance, I flash my ID card from the employment agency and the guard nods gruffly. It's depressing in the back, with boxes and wet sheets of plastic and bits of vegetable littering the floor. The fluorescent lights are dim. I wander through the store with my bag full of equipment, looking for the best place to set up. Today, I chose a spot between the meat counter and the frozen-food cases.
First, I made a stand by stacking some boxes from the storeroom. Then I covered it with a floral-print tablecloth and set out a plate. I put crackers on the plate, took my electric beater from the bag, and began whipping the cream.
The store had just been renovated, so the floor was spotless and everything seemed to shine. I spooned little dabs of whipped cream onto the crackers and offered them to customers as they passed by. I always repeat the sales pitch exactly as it's printed in the manual from the agency: "Please try some. It's on sale today. What could be better with your favorite homemade cake?" I rarely say anything else.
All sorts of people passed by my stand—a lady in sandals, a young man in a sweatsuit, a Filipino woman with frizzy hair. Some of them took a cracker from my plate and ate it. Some walked by with a skeptical look, and others put a carton of cream into their basket without saying anything. I gave them all the same smile. My salary has nothing to do with how many cartons I sell, so it seems easiest to be pleasant to everyone.
The shoppers passed by me, baskets in hand, as if bobbing along on a stream of groceries. It occurred to me that almost everything in the store was edible, and this seemed sinister. There was something disturbing about so many people converging on one spot in search of food. And then I remembered my sister, and the way her sad eyes stared at a tiny morsel of croissant, how she seemed on the verge of tears as she swallowed and white crumbs scattered forlornly across the table.
_April 16 (Thursday), 21 weeks + 3 days:_My sister put on a maternity dress for the first time today. Her belly suddenly seemed larger, but when she let me touch it I could tell that it hadn't changed. I found it difficult to believe that there was a living being there under my hand. She seemed to be having a hard time getting used to the dress and kept fiddling with the ribbon around her waist.
But her morning sickness has vanished, ending just as abruptly as it began. Since the nausea started, she'd avoided the kitchen completely, so I was puzzled when I found her leaning against the counter this morning, after saying goodbye to her husband.
Because we haven't been cooking, the kitchen was spotless. Every utensil had been put away, the counter was clean and dry, and the dishwasher was empty. It seemed cold and forbidding, like a showroom. She looked around for a moment and then sat down at the table. Normally, it would have been cluttered with bottles and containers we'd forgotten to put away, but today there was nothing on it. She looked up at me as if she had something to say. The hem of her dress swirled around her ankles.
"Would you like a croissant?" I said, trying to be as discreet as possible.
"Please don't even say that horrible word," she said. I nodded obediently. "But I would like to try something else," she continued, almost whispering.
"Sure," I said. I hurried to the refrigerator, realizing that this was the first time in weeks that she'd expressed any interest in food. But there was absolutely nothing in there, just a bare light bulb illuminating the emptiness. I closed the door with a sigh and went to look in the pantry, but there was nothing there, either.
"Don't you have anything?" she said, sounding worried.
"Let's see," I said, sorting through the bags and cans and jars. "There's a little gelatin, half a sack of flour, some dried mushrooms, red food coloring, yeast, vanilla extract. . . ." I came across two leftover croissants, but I quickly put them back.
"But I want to eat something," she said, as if making a momentous decision.
"Hold on. There must be something around here." I checked the pantry again, shelf by shelf. At the very bottom, I found some raisins we'd once bought for a cake. The date on the box said that they were more than two years old, and they were as dried out as a mummy's eyeballs. "How about these?" I asked, pushing the bag toward her. She nodded.
It was strange to watch her eat something so hard with such a satisfied expression. Her jaw worked quickly as she took handful after handful from the bag. Her whole mind and body seemed to be concentrated on eating. When she came to the last few raisins, she let them rest on her palm for a moment, studying them lovingly before slowly putting them into her mouth. That was when I understood that her morning sickness was gone.
May 1 (Friday), 23 weeks + 4 days: In the past ten days my sister has gained back the ten pounds she lost during fourteen weeks of morning sickness. Now she seems to have something edible in her hand at every waking moment. If she's not at the table for a meal, she's clutching a bag of pastries, or looking for the can opener, or poking around in the refrigerator. It's as if her whole being had been swallowed up by her appetite.
She eats all the time, almost as a reflex, like breathing. Her eyes are clear and expressionless, fixed somewhere off in space. Her lips move vigorously, like the thighs of a sprinter. But for me very little has changed; it's just like when she was sick all the time—all I can do is sit back and watch.
May 28 (Thursday), 27 weeks + 3 days: The more my sister eats, the more her belly grows. The swelling starts just below her breasts and continues down to her lower abdomen. When she let me touch it, I was surprised at how hard it was. And it isn't perfectly symmetrical; it lists slightly to one side. That, too, was something of a shock.
"This is about the time that the eyelids separate," she told me. "If the fetus is a boy, the genitals are starting to descend from the abdominal cavity." Her tone, as she described the baby, was cool. And there was something disturbing about the words she used—"fetus," "genitals," "abdominal cavity"—something that seemed inappropriate for an expectant mother. As I watched her belly, I wondered whether the chromosomes in there were normal, whether the cocoons were wriggling somewhere deep inside her.
There was a little accident at the supermarket where I was working today. One of the stock boys slipped on a piece of lettuce and broke a whole cart full of eggs. It happened right next to where I was doing my demonstration, so I saw it all at close range. There were broken eggs and slimy smears of yellow all over the floor. The tread mark from the boy's sneaker was still visible on the lettuce leaf. And several cartons landed in the fruit section, covering the apples and melons and bananas with dripping egg white.
After the accident, the manager gave me a big bag of grapefruits that he said he couldn't sell, and I was happy to take them home since there never seems to be enough food at our house these days. When I put them out on the table in the kitchen, I noticed that they still smelled slightly of egg. They were big yellow grapefruits, imported from America, and I decided to make them into jam.
It was hard work peeling them all and getting the fruit out of the sections. My sister and her husband had gone out for Chinese food. Night was falling, and the house was silent except for the occasional tapping of the knife against the pot, a grapefruit rolling across the table, or my quiet cough. My fingers were sticky from the juice. The light in the kitchen illuminated the grainy pattern of the fruit. The grapefruits became even shinier when the sugar I had sprinkled on them dissolved. I dropped the pretty, crescent-shaped sections into a pot, one after another.
The thick rinds strewn across the table were somehow comical. I cut the pith away and shredded the zest before dropping it into the pot. Yellow juice spurted everywhere, covering the knife, the cutting board, my hands. The zest, too, had a neat, regular pattern, like a human membrane seen under a microscope.
Finally, I turned on the stove and sat down to rest. The sound of simmering grapefruit drifted out into the night. Clouds of sour steam billowed from the pot. As I watched the fruit dissolve, I remembered a meeting that some fellow-students had dragged me to a few months earlier. The title of the program was "Pollution: Our Earth, Our Bodies." There weren't many people there, but they seemed a sincere little group. As an outsider, I sat at a desk in the corner and stared out the window at a row of poplars lining the quadrangle.
A thin woman wearing old-fashioned glasses made a presentation about acid rain, and then there were several complicated questions. As I pretended to listen, I fidgeted with the pamphlet they had handed to me on the way in. On the first page, there was a picture of an American grapefruit with a caption in bold print: "Beware of imported fruit! Antifungal P.W.H. is highly carcinogenic and has been shown to destroy human chromosomes!" That caption came back to me now in the kitchen.
The fruit and rind had dissolved into a smooth liquid dotted with little gelatinous lumps, and I had just turned off the stove when my sister and her husband came home. She came straight into the kitchen.
"What is that incredible smell?" she said, peering into the pot. "Grapefruit jam—how wonderful!" She had barely finished speaking before she had a spoon in her hand and was scooping up the hot jam. Still clutching her handbag, in her new maternity dress and best earrings, she stuffed the spoon into her mouth. Her husband stood watching from the doorway.
She ate spoonful after spoonful. Her protruding belly made her look almost arrogant as she stood there by the stove, pouring the sticky globs of fruit down her throat. As I studied the last puddles of jam trembling slightly at the bottom of the pan, I wondered whether P.W.H. would really destroy chromosomes.
June 15 (Monday), 30 weeks + 0 days: Monsoon season has started and it's been raining almost every day. It's dark and gloomy, and we have to keep the lights on all the time. The sound of the rain echoes constantly in my ears, and it's so cold that I've started to wonder if summer will ever come.
But there has been no change in my sister's appetite, and fat is beginning to accumulate in her cheeks and neck, her fingers and ankles. Thick, soft fat.
I feel a little disoriented every time I see her like this. Her whole body is swelling before my eyes like a giant tumor.
And I'm still making my jam. Grapefruits are piled all over the kitchen—in the fruit basket, on the refrigerator, next to the spice rack. I peel them, dig out the fruit, sprinkle it with sugar, and simmer it gently over a low flame. Then, before I can get the jam into a bowl, she eats it. She sits at the table, cradling the pot in her arm and working her spoon. She doesn't bother to spread it on bread or anything else. From the motion of the spoon and the movement of her jaw, you'd think she was eating something hearty and nourishing, like curry and rice. It's a strange way to eat jam.
The acid odor of the fruit mixes with the smell of the rain. She hardly seems to notice me, but I sit there anyway and watch her eat. "Won't you upset your stomach if you eat too much?" I murmur. Or, "Haven't you had enough?" Still no response. My voice is drowned out by the sound of the jam dissolving on her tongue or the drumming of the rain. Finally, when she has licked the last spoonful clean, she glances up at me with a sweet, dreamy look.
"Is there any more?" she murmurs.
"I'll make more tomorrow," I say, my voice flat and expressionless. And then, when I've cooked every last grapefruit in the house, I buy a new bag at the supermarket where I go to work. I always make sure to ask the man in the fruit department whether they're imported from America.
July 2 (Thursday), 32 weeks + 3 days: It's almost the ninth month already. My sister came home from the M Clinic today looking a bit depressed. It seems that they warned her about gaining too much weight.
"I had no idea the birth canal could get fat," she said. "They said that women who put on too much weight can have difficult deliveries." She seemed irritated as she pulled out the notebook she'd been using to keep track of the pregnancy. I could see that someone had written "Weight restriction" in bright red letters on one page. "They told me that I should only gain about twenty-five pounds by the end of the pregnancy. No doubt about it, I'm in trouble." She ran her hand through her hair and sighed. She has already gained close to forty-five pounds.
"I don't suppose there's anything you can do about it," I muttered, glancing at her swollen fingers as I headed into the kitchen to make more jam. Because, without my really thinking about it, making grapefruit jam has become something of a habit. I make it and she eats it, as easily and naturally as you brush your hair when you get up in the morning. "Are you really afraid of having a difficult delivery?" I asked, without looking up from the counter.
"Of course," she said, her voice thin and faint. "These past few days I've been thinking a lot about pain—trying to imagine the worst pain I've ever felt, whether labor pains are more like terminal cancer or like having both legs amputated—that sort of thing. But it's pretty hard to visualize pain, and not much fun trying."
"I can imagine," I said, peeling fruit. She was clutching her notebook. The picture of a baby on the cover was warped and the child seemed to be crying.
"But it's even more frightening to think about meeting the baby," she said. Her gaze dropped to her swollen belly. "I just can't believe that this thing in here is really my baby. It still seems so vague and abstract. But I know there's no way I can escape it. In the morning, when I'm just waking up, there's always a moment when I'm sure that it's all a dream—the morning sickness, the clinic, this belly, everything. It makes me feel wonderfully free. But then I look down at myself and I know it's real. I'm filled with sadness, and I realize that what scares me most is the thought of meeting my own baby."
I listened without turning to look at her. Lowering the heat on the stove, I stirred a big spoon through the pot. "It's nothing to be afraid of. A baby is just a baby. They're soft and cuddly, with little curled-up fingers, and they cry a lot. That's all." I stared down at the jam curling around the spoon.
"But it's not that simple. Once it's born, it's mine whether I want it or not. And there's nothing I can do about it, even if it has a birthmark covering half its face, or its fingers are stuck together, or it has no brain, or it's Siamese twins. . . ." She went on for some time listing awful possibilities. The spoon made a dull sound scraping the bottom of the pan as the jam began to congeal.
I stared into the pot, wondering how much P.W.H. it contained. Under the fluorescent light, the jam reminded me of a chemical, something in a clear bottle, perfect for dissolving chromosomes.
"It's done," I said. Gripping the handles of the pot, I turned to face her. "Here, have some." I held it out to her and she looked at it for a moment. Then, without another word, she started to eat.
July 22 (Wednesday), 35 weeks + 2 days: I've tried to think of the baby as something positive for my sister and her husband, and for me. But I never quite manage. I just can't imagine the look in my brother-in-law's eyes when he holds the baby in his arms, or the whiteness of my sister's breasts when she's nursing it. All I see is that photograph of chromosomes I once found in a science magazine.
August 11 (Tuesday), 38 weeks + 1 day: When I got back from work there was a note from my brother-in-law on the table: "The contractions have started. We've gone to the clinic." I read these few words over and over. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a spoon coated with jam lying on the table. I tossed it into the sink and thought about what I should do. Then I read the note one more time and left the house.
Everything was bathed in light. The windshields of the cars in the street seemed to glow, and the spray from the fountain in the park sparkled. I walked along, staring at the ground and mopping the sweat from my face. Two children in straw hats ran past. The gate to the elementary school was closed and the playground was empty. Farther on there was a small florist's, but I saw no sign of a salesperson or any customers. A tiny bunch of baby's breath lay in the glass case.
I turned the corner and found myself in front of the M Clinic. Just as my sister had said, time seemed to have stopped here, and the clinic was exactly as it had been preserved in my memory for all those years—the big camphor tree next to the gate, the frosted glass in the front door, the peeling letters on the sign. Here, too, there was no one in sight, only my shadow clearly etched on the street.
I followed the wall around to the back of the building and slipped through the old broken gate into the garden. My heart started to pound the moment I set foot on the carefully tended grass, just as it always had. I looked up at the clinic, shielding my eyes from the glare of the sun reflected in the windows.
As I approached the building, the smell of paint drifted toward me. The air was still, and there was no sign of life around me. I was the only thing moving in the garden. I was tall enough now to look into the examination room without standing on a box, but there were no doctors or nurses to be seen. It was dark and deserted, like a science classroom after school gets out. I stood looking in at the bottles of medicine, the blood-pressure cuff, the breech-birth poster, the ultrasound monitor. The glass was warm against my face.
I thought I heard a baby crying in the distance. A tiny, trembling, tear-soaked cry coming from somewhere beyond the blaze of sunlight. As I listened, the sound seemed to be absorbed directly into my eardrums, and my head began to ache. I stepped back and looked up at the third floor. I saw a woman in a nightgown staring off into the distance. Her hair fell across her cheeks and her face was obscured in shadow, so I wasn't sure if it was my sister. Her lips were parted slightly and she was blinking—the way you blink when you're close to tears. I would have gone on watching her, but the angle of the sun shifted and she disappeared into the reflection.
Following the baby's cries, I climbed the fire escape. The wooden stairs groaned under my feet. My body felt limp and warm, but the hand that gripped the railing and the ears absorbing the baby's cries were strangely cool. As the lawn slowly receded beneath me, its green became even more brilliant.
The baby continued to cry. When I opened the door on the third floor, I was blind for a moment while my eyes adjusted to the light. I stood, concentrating on the baby's cry as it swept over me in waves, until at last I could see the corridor leading away into the darkness. I set off toward the nursery to meet my sister's ruined child. ♦
**{: .break one} ** (Translated, from the Japanese, by Stephen Snyder.) **


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


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What Japan did in WWII - Malaysia (prologue)
An innovative TV program was on air November 2005 in Kyshu and Chugoku area which cover almost 10 % of the total population of Japan.
Actually I didn't watch the program, but a blogger, Kobayashi, recorded the whole thing and posted in Japanese. At first, he thought the program would be amenable to China and Korea as usual programs. But this one was completely different from others, and that's the very reason he found it interesting, and so did I.
Several countries were picked up with an emphasis on those ruled by Imperial Japan, and I'll post each country from now on, spending several posts.
I believe this kind of programs have never been broadcasted because speaking of any bright side of Japan was kind of taboo. However, Kobayashi concluded that this program will be overlooked because it's a tiny local program. I agree.
Anyway, I'm sure these upcoming posts shed a light on those who don't understand the way Japanese think of WWII apart from whether they are right or wrong.
The list of what I posted is as follows. Just click the link.
United Kingdom
I would like to thank Kobayashi for his courtesy, and I linked his website for those who read Japanese:
The contents of the TV program starts from here.
The staff flew to Malaysia.
Narator: We've come to Coventry, England, driving north about 100km from London. We met a veteran there, Leslie Denistion, who was in colonized Malaysia before attacked by Japan.
Leslie: We led a life of decadence there. The entity of colonies was just for the joy of white people. Everyone enjoyed the freedom, liberated from bothering concernings and thinking about just ourselves until Japan started the war. I think those colonies have a special atmosphere in which British felt superior to indigenous tribes, I mean, asian. We considered British as a noble collection of people over those asians.
Narator: The circumstance completely altered their life: Japan declared a war against British, and invaded Malay Peninsula in 1941. Kota Bharu, a small town located in the east of Malaysia with a lot of muslims, became a historical battlefield in one day. A fleet of Japan showed up along Sabak coast of the town.
Narator: The landing operation began at 1:30 A.M., an hour and fifty minutes earlier than Pearl Harbor attack. We happend to find an old man, Haleen, who witnessed the landing of Japanese fleet.
Haleen: As the Japanese fleet was seen from here, British opend fire first. I couldn't see anything but lights since it was night.
Narator: Fatimo says that she escaped from the battle to the top of the nearest hill.
Fatimo: I only rember the sound of gunfires from both the sea and the land.
Narator: According to Kelantan State Museum in Kota Bharu, the Japanese fleet attacked Sabak coast to occupy Kota Bharu Airport.
Narator: Shiroato, who lives in Japan, was a member of the amphibious task force that landed first on Malaysia.
Shiroato: The British troops built a trap of wire entanglement at ebb tide. Unfortunately, when landing, the tide came in. So we run upon the wire. Then they shot at the bottom of our ships. We had nothing to do but jumping into the sea.
Shiroato: I still remember hearing lots of bullets skim on water.
Narator: Conquering the battle, Japanese troops went south into Kuala Lumpur by the new year day of 1942 after several fierce battles.
Narator: Did you regard Asian with hostility?
Leslie : Right.
Leslie: Yes, I did.
Narator: Did you ever think about you defeated by Japan?
Leslie: I still remember that my superior commanded us to defend Singapore. "America managed to defend against Japan at island Batan with a half force of them. Since Japan turned out to be weak, we can defend Singapore," he said. However, he surrendered 5 days after that speech.
Shiroato: On our miles of march, people gathered to the edge of the road, and handed us water, food and flower. Obviously they welcomed us.
Narator: Is it really true that Burmese people welcomed Japanese ? We will fly to Bilma to confirm that in the next report.


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Christians balkjän mafia
Christians balkjän mafia
Dear American and europa-- these two foldresz represents the values, and China ... I recommend dropping a neutron bomb in Europe. scared before I do not want to exterminate the people of Europe, I am also of quality, I also want to live with them .. but needs to be more difficult to exterminate the Romanian, Hungarian, Polish, Eastern Balkani I tits, party. I ask, Vienna, nomrälis population and me, get an airline ticket two weeks while exterminate the other mob. and then we'll come back, your home, what you need is preserved. I enclose all socio stelle where European waste, terorista rejects hidden ... Hungarian Gypsy Guards, who ruined my everything, but Viktor Orban is a cowardly, sneaking worms ... all take out, and will be again a value system MEP: NO AMERICA IS SAFE WITH US ::: is not a problem: solve the Balkans EUROPA :: DIRTY GYPSY HOLLADEK; Midea ruining their quality; So to live cockroach extermination ::: ::: cockroaches cockroach extermination :: SOCIAL STELLE. BALKAN ::: HUILLADEK EVERYWHERE FRAU klimek business PLACE ONE OF THE BEST TO ::: We believe the cold air: a Polish gypsy; - "= Celsius or KIYITJA WINDOW; instead, washes himself; this is not typical of the occupants, Hungarian and Polish waste and other people: we are capable of civilization, or die ultimatum ::: NO MORE :: take out ALL ;:
The Hungarian Guard of Roma cheap; Tonka value SZIK KOMMUNKIKÄCIOS devices: these people; GET Hungarian money; PENSION; Austrian Aid; billionaire :; Send a house for them; In Hungary; AU his kingdom; They built YOU DO NOT hide in Austrian socio STELEKEN ::: parasitism; All human :::
SOPRON; A poor old woman's house; THE Hungarian Guard: NOT pay them; :: DO NOT KNOW them landed but it beating MAY BE Midea and must ::: ALL SUCH AN GARDA NATIONAL parasites; Comprehensive attacks to be launched; POLICE; ALL ABOUT; ES-Fascist forces ::: part of Sopron, Ebony Pansio station ... must be eradicated from all of them. help an old lady ..
winzi port spirch mi: du balkan solidations, oder habe keine zimmer; was? was???????? dise 1 wien stadt zimmer. was will wien? helfen oder balkan mafia teror? was.....?ß???? 1 ungarn gypsy sprechen mich, ich clinen? was???? was=====??? unganr zu hause, und alles kerleoki... winzi bett 24 bett numer.,. socializations in europe, oder zu hause.... verstehe? oder polish alkoholika munhla; dushen, oder socializations, oder zu hause... in europe normalle slafen celzius, 25 grad... du gefelts nich, polish idiot? okey, du zu hause... da europe. deine land ungarn oder polish, dise land wir baustelle, du gefeltz oder nicht egalle, maximum du zu hause...primitive gypsy<...
A mappában található képek előnézete I tit Who Are Future unnecessary purchases of toothpaste ... vienna


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A tree trimmer died Saturday afternoon after possibly being electrocuted on the job in Miramar, officials said.
Officials received the call at about 11 a.m. reporting that Livabon Gerimere, 55, had been injured as he was pruning a tree at a home on 7341 Shalimar Street, said Gilberto Bueno, a spokesman with the Miramar Police Department.
When officials arrived on scene, they found Gerimere unresponsive and it appeared that he had been electrocuted, Bueno said.
Rescue crews were unable to gain immediate access to him for fear that some wires were still live, so they had to wait for Florida Power & Light crews to arrive on scene before reaching Gerimere, according to Bueno. They did not reach Gerimere until shortly after 1 p.m., Bueno said.
Gerimere was pronounced dead on the scene, officials said. The exact cause of death is still undetermined.
More Local Stories:


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If you are a vegetarian, then chances are that people tell you about the lack of nutritional value in plant sources that animal sources have in abundance. You must have heard about plants not having the same level of carbohydrates, fat, omega 3, and most importantly proteins, as animal sources.
"Where do you get your energy from?" must be the common question asked to you at your office party. If you have watched the Aamir Khan Starrer bollywood film Dangal, you might remember the scene where Aamir Khan makes his daughters eat chicken to build their stamina in order to participate in wrestling competitions.
Snapshot of nutrients found in animal sources but not in plant sources:
Most athletes are advised to eat boiled chicken to increase the protein levels in their body. It is true that Plant sources do lack few nutrients in comparison to animal sources as shown in the below table.
|Plant source
|Animal source
Vitamin B12
Fish, meat, dairy products
|Vitamin D
Oily fish, eggs and dairy products
Beef, pork, lamb
However, it will be entirely wrong to say that plant sources do not provide energy
Plant sources may not provide macronutrients such as carbohydrates and fat the way animal sources do, but they are rich in micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. There are iron rich foods and plant based protein food that you can consume to balance your diet and maintain your energy levels.
Iron rich food and plant based protein food to be included in your diet
Iron rich food
Iron is very vital for your body. It produces haemoglobin, which helps in carrying oxygen to the body's cells. Lack of adequate haemoglobin levels could make a person anaemic and might, in turn, make them weak, fatigued and irritable. Anaemia is one of the most common conditions among men and women alike. Hence, it is important that you consume iron enriched food regularly. Thankfully, unlike other nutrients, vegetarians have plenty of options to choose from to get their dose of iron.
Here are few plant foods high in iron:
Spinach: Eating spinach may not make you Popeye, but it will definitely protect you from becoming anaemic. Spinach and other leafy vegetables are known to be good sources of iron. Here is a simple and tasty recipe that you can follow to add spinach to your diet in its healthiest form.
Banana Spinach Smoothie Recipe
Weird as it might sound, this banana spinach smoothie is supposed to be one of the easiest and tastiest ways of consuming spinach. The banana and milk together nullify the raw taste of spinach.
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 cup of soya milk
- 1 cup of cut spinach
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
- Wash the spinach well to remove mud
- Chop the banana
- Pour soya milk in the blender, add spinach and banana to it and blend them together
- Add ice cubes to the smoothie and have it cold
There cannot be a better way to beat the summer heat. You can also add variations such as mint leaves and berries to make it tastier.
Myths on Plant Based Protein Foods
Before we talk about the best sources of plant-based protein, let us first debunk the myths that people have about plant based protein food.
Myth # 1 – Proteins are available only in meat
Reality – Lentils, tofu and nuts like almonds are known to be an equally good source of proteins as meat.
Myth # 2 – Plant-based proteins are not complete
Reality – While it is true that plant-based food does not have all essential amino acids as animal sources are believed to have, there are plant source food such as Hemp seeds and Quinoa that have complete protein. You can consume them to get a complete dose of proteins.
Myth # 3 – You need to combine different plant source food to get full advantage of plant proteins
Reality – As stated above, plant-based proteins may not have all the essential amino acids. Few sources might be rich in certain amino acids, while some may lack them. However, as per a 2009 study published by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, you need not combine different plant-based foods to get all the essential amino acids.
You can eat a variety of plant foods over the course of the day to get your dose of nine essential amino acids. For example, you can have soya milk in the morning and then have a cup of almonds for snacks.
Now that we have debunked few myths behind plant based protein food, let us look at some of the richest sources of plant-based protein.
Rich Sources of Plant Based Protein
Source # 1 – Lentils
Undoubtedly one of the best sources of getting proteins, Lentils are a staple for every Indian. Besides proteins, lentils are also a good source of carbohydrates and fiber. Indians usually add split pigeon peas and split green gram in their daily food. Dal is one of the staple foods consumed by Indians. It is considered as one of the easiest and tastiest gravies that can be eaten with anything such as rice and Indian bread.
Source # 2 – Nuts
Nuts such as almonds, walnuts and pistachios are known to be a filling and rich source of proteins. Besides proteins, nuts are rich in minerals, vitamin E and healthy fats.
Source # 3 – Soya Milk
Soya milk is the vegetarian version of animal milk, which is known to be high in protein content. Soya beans are soaked, dried and grinded in water. 100 gms of soya milk is believed to be 3.3 gms of protein.
Source # 4 – Chia Seeds
People often tell you that plant-based food does not have Omega 3. Here is another myth that can be debunked. Chia seeds are known to be rich in Omega 3 besides boosting fiber and protein in your body. Chia seeds have a unique property of absorbing water through their soluble fiber content.
Soya milk, nuts and Chia seeds can be eaten in their raw form. However, lentils are usually consumed in cooked form. Here is a simple dish that you can prepare using lentils. It is called Lentil soup. Lentil soup can easily be called soul food as it can be eaten on a lazy Sunday afternoon when you are in no mood to cook a lavish dish or when you are unwell.
Two Best Recipes for High Source of Protein
Recipe # 1 – Lentil soup
- 2 cups of well rinsed red lentils
- 1 chopped pepper
- 1 large chopped tomato
- 1 to 1 1/2-inch piece peeled and grated ginger
- 3 cloves finely chopped garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped coriander leaves
- 1/4 cup yogurt
Preparation Time: 35 minutes
- Combine the lentils and few cups of warm water in a pot to soften the lentils
- Cover the lid and bring to a boil
- Add the pepper, tomato, ginger, garlic to the boiling lentil
- Add turmeric and salt as per your requirement
- Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened
- Once thickened, garnish the soup with coriander leaves and yogurt.
Recipe # 2 – Chia seeds Porridge
You can bring variation to the otherwise boring Chia seeds with this easy and tasty Chia seed porridge.
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1 banana
- 2 seedless dates
- 1 cup of almond milk
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- Salt to taste
Preparation time: 25 minutes
- Add chia seeds in a bowl
- Add banana and dates in a blender and mix it with almond milk, powdered cinnamon, and salt
- Blend the mixture until smooth and pour it over chia seeds, stirring it well
- Allow the mixture to thicken. It should take around 15 minutes to set
- Your Chia porridge is ready! Do not forget to add your favourite fruit over the porridge to make it interesting.
Besides iron and plant-based protein food, plant sources are also rich in macronutrients. In fact, there are foods that are rich sources of energy. Let us now look at some of the foods you must include in your diet.
Plant-based foods that is rich in macronutrients
Like animal based foods, plant-based foods have also been graded to help you determine the frequency at which you must consume them.
|Safe starches: potatoes, white rice, taro, tapioca, sago, sweet potatoes, yams, winter squash
|Healthful sugary plants such as beets, carrots, onions, fruits, berries
|Low omega-6 nuts such as macadamia, coconut
|Moderate-omega-6 nuts such as avocados
|Buckwheat; yucca/manioc/cassava
|High-omega-6 nuts and seeds
|Beans; rye, oats; quinoa
|Wheat, corn, and other grains; peanuts
- Food that comes under level 1 to 3 should be the staple part of your diet, as they mainly comprise of safe starches, which essentially contain no fructose or certain sugary plants that contain some fructose. It should be eaten at least 5 days per week. What distinguishes level 1 to level 3-food source from level 4 and 5 is the fact that they contain omega 6 and have natural toxins.
- Food that comes under level 4 and 5 can be eaten occasionally for variety, while food that comes under level 6 should be eaten rarely. Foods that come under level 7 and 8 are generally rich in natural toxins and should be avoided completely.
3 Recipes to help you reach from Level 1 to Level 3 foods in your diet
Recipe# 1 – Sweet Potato Fries
- 6 large sweet peeled potatoes cut into steak fries
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- Garlic powder
- Cinnamon
- Olive oil for coating
- Preheat the oven up to 425 degrees
- Add cut fries into a large zip lock bag with olive oil and add salt, garlic and cinnamon
- Shake the zip lock for uniform coating
- Place the fries in the baking sheet. Leave some space between the fries
- Put it in the oven for 10 minutes and then flip them over
- Place them back for another 10 minutes
- They should be soft on the inside and browned on the outside.
- Cool it for 5 minutes and serve them with tomato ketchup!
Recipe# 2 – Carrot Halwa
There cannot be a better way to end a lavish dinner without having a bowl of carrot halwa. While carrot halwa is a much sought after dessert eaten in winter, it can be eaten throughout the year if sweet carrots are available in the market.
- 1 1/2 kg carrots
- 10 whole green cardamoms
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 500 gms sugar
- 250 gms clarified butter
- 400 gms condensed milk, you may also use mawa or khoya
- 50 gms almonds
- 50 gms pistachios
Preparation time: 40 minutes
- Grate the carrot and put it in a pot to heat
- Stir fry continuously till all the water has evaporated
- Add some green cardamom, cinnamon and sugar and cook for a while
- Add clarified butter and cook for another 5-7 minutes
- At last, add condensed milk or mawa/khoya to solidify the carrot and make it into halwa
- Present it on a plate and garnish it with pistachios and almonds
Recipe # 3 – Mango and Coconut Pannacotta
It is summer and there is no better time to indulge in everybody's favourite fruit – the mango. While eating mango in its purest form is the most enjoyable experience of a sultry summer, a slight variation can make the experience even more fun.
- 1 cup of ripe mango pulp
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 1 cup of fresh cream
- 1 1/2 Tbsp of vegetarian gelatine
- 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp of castor sugar
- Few drops of vanilla essence
- 1 peeled ripe mango
- Fresh mint leaves for garnishing
Preparation Time: 1 hour
- Take vegetarian gelatine in a bowl
- Add 1 tbsp of hot water to mix it well and dissolve completely
- Heat cream in a deep non-stick pan
- Add castor sugar and vanilla essence and mix it well
- Bring the mixture to a boil
- Add half the gelatine to mango pulp and remaining to the coconut milk and mix it well
- Add half the cooked cream to mango pulp and remaining to coconut milk and mix it well
- Spread a layer of mango cream into a short glass and refrigerate for 1/2 hour or till it sets
- Spread a layer of coconut cream over the mango cream layer and refrigerate for 1/2 hour or till it sets
- Repeat it until each layer sets properly
- Once ready, cut mango into small dices
- Top the pannacotta with mango dices and garnish it with mint leaves
- Refrigerate it and serve chilled.
We hope this information helped you understanding the important of plant-based proteins. Kindly leave your comment to let us know if we missed anything important in this article!


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LAS VEGAS — Registration is open for the third annual Agent Summit, scheduled for March 4–6, 2013, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The conference is expected to draw hundreds of the top general agents from across the country.
"We doubled in size from 2011 to 2012, and we anticipate further growth this year," said David Gesualdo, show chair and publisher of F&I and Showroom. "Our curriculum and exhibition space have grown, but our focus remains on hosting a forum in which agents can convene, share ideas, make new friends and meet with the industry's top trainers and product providers."
Gesualdo offered three reasons for attendees to be among the first 300 registrants for this year's show: a $100 early-bird discount, the chance to win one of three iPad minis provided by Old Republic Insured Automotive Services Inc. and a special offer from MyStar Personal Assistant.
MyStar is a Carrollton, Texas-based company that works with agents to provide a cell phone-based personal concierge service to dealership customers. To mark their first year as an exhibitor, the company has agreed to furnish 60 minutes' worth of its service to the first 300 registrants for Agent Summit 2013.
"Having qualified, informed and heavily supported agents is at the core of MyStar's growth strategy," said company president Ken Ferguson. "We look forward to exhibiting at the show and developing successful business partnerships."


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Imperial Tours' China Luxury Travel Blog
2018 is shaping up to be a great year for tourism into China, including some hot new hotel openings. We at Imperial Tours have been very lucky to have witnessed the quality of service and facilities in China improve over the past decade into what they are now. However, it is not just the quality of service and luxury that is so surprising about China, there is incredible value as well. (On a square foot basis, China's top hotels are about a quarter the price of their western peers....
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So when packing your bags, b...
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1. Guilin / Yangshuo: There can only really be one contender for the number one spot...
Taijiquan or taichi, a form of Chinese kung fu, is the embodiment of the Chinese philosophical belief that heaven is round. Practitioners of the martial art of taichi use round, circular movements of the arms and body to create the energy that is needed to defeat their opponents. Dr. Hao, a taichi expert with a PhD in Traditional Chinese Sports, guides us through some basic taichi movements in the article 'Taijiquan Movements and the Thought of Circle in Chinese Culture'. He...
Take your trip to China to unparalleled heights, courtesy of the new partnership between Imperial Tours and Presidential Private Jet Vacations. Now flexibility and luxury intersect at a point of perfection that will make each and every moment of your visit to the Middle Kingdom…Imperial.
Over the course of seventeen days you will experience and personally connect with the extensive culture, history and beauty that define both ancient and contemporary China, all while effort...
The importance of the Banyan Tree Yangshuo is that at last overseas visitors have a base to explore the delightful beauty of the stunning rural landscape in this area beyond the limiting urban environment of Guilin. For the sake of its economic viability, this 142-room luxury property strikes a balance between catering to the demands of both overseas and Chinese visitors. Although the nearby village one drives through to get to the hotel is no oil painting, Banyan Tree has done a great...
No plans yet for spring break? Consider China. Whether you've always dreamed of going to China, or you've visited before and are now ready to introduce your children to the destination, Imperial Tours' 12 day private Spring Break Tour will amaze you and your family as we welcome you as distinguished guests to The Middle Kingdom…in style.
As soon as you arrive, each child will be given an activity book customized for your particular trip which will include things like...
To help drive bookings of Imperial Tours' 2011 escorted group journeys, the company has launched a promotion -- when four or more people book one of the Majestic, Imperial or Unique Destinations scheduled group departures, guests have the choice of one of the following amenities: $150 per person credit, which can be applied to Diplomatic Channel Access upon international arrival; upgrading to First Class on all for internal China flights or upgrading to suites in all the hotels;...
This article by Imperial Tours' founder about the tribes of Guizhou is for cultural informational purposes only. Imperial Tours does not offer services to these destinations as luxury faciltiies are not available.
By Guy Rubin
As cranes and bulldozers proliferate like ants across China, depositing cities and highways in their hammering trail, now is the time to venture inland in search of the more traditional side of China. In a vast crescent of land, curving from Guilin's moonscape th...
China Destinations
China Travel Topics
- Arts & Culture -48
- Business & Economics -9
- China Luxury Travel -124
- Design & Style -18
- Family -10
- Food & Drink -38
- History -66
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- Luxury China Tours -10
- Nature & Environment -24
- News & Current Affairs -13
- People -31
- Philosophy -8
- Politics & Government -4
- Religion & Spirituality -27
- Science & Technology -4
- Travel Industry -86
- Miscellaneous - General -8
- 2015 -[ 43 ]
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It's all fun and games for wealthy socialites Eva Zappa and Viki, and they always have a place to party, this time around at their friend's indoor pool with plenty of champagne to go around. These Eurobabes are in a great mood, ready to dance and drink the afternoon away, but after just a few sips of the bubbly stuff they change their game plan and the dirty dancing quickly turns into dick sucking and begging for some hardcore fully clothed threesome fucking right there by the pool! Of course this very lucky dude is not going to say no to two amazing Eurobabes, so the real fun begins with Eva and Viki pushing their panties aside and getting their pussies poked while still looking hot as hell in their satin blouses! And, considering this is Fully Clothed Sex, you better believe some clothes are gonna get creamed by the end of this fun fuck scene!
|22 minutes
|Full HD 1080p
|File format
|File size
|Picture count
|Level of quality
|high end
|Language in movie


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Valentines Day
The pictures on this post are some of my favorite pics of us. They are a testament to our love.
I love you honey!
2 comments:
- Stephanie's Mommy Brain said...
What great pictures! I completely agree with you - your wife is a wonderful lady and I'm blessed that she's my friend!
- February 14, 2011 at 9:35 AM
- Dan said...
She has blessed many people Stephanie. I'm glad we're both so lucky!
- February 14, 2011 at 8:17 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text: Do you play any MMO (Massively-Multiplayer Online) games? If so, which ones? The only one I play now is World of Warcraft. I used to play Perfect World but I got bored with it, just as I did WoW (initially). Now that I'm starting to get out of my shell now, I'm obsessed with WoW (because, yes, I'm shy even online).


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It was cold and windy, but she was a trooper. An absolutely gorgeous trooper.
If you enjoyed this post, please like it and share it and explore the blog. There's lots more to see! I get asked regularly what camera I shoot with and what I recommend for beginning photographers, so I wrote a blog post about it.


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For the past 3 years Enna and I have hosted a winter retreat for married wedding photographers. It started with us just wanting to get to know two other couples better, then five couples, now six. It went from a 3 bedroom condo to a 7 bedroom room house. Next year we are thinking of getting a 10 bedroom house:) We call it the "unworkshop" because it is not a workshop. Enna and I organize the retreat, but there is no real agenda. We invite them to come, unwind, cook, eat, drink wine (and John's home brew), talk shop, and find inspiration in each other. We may have never met the couple in person before (some were e-friends until the retreat) and are instant best friends the second they walk in the house. We pick one night in which each couple shows a short slide show of their work, and that is really about the only planned activity for all. Some of us go snow shoeing, skiing, or just spend every day in the hot tub:) In the end, we all become incredibly great friends and help each other find new inspiration as artists, business owners, and married couples.
This years attendees were: Christine and Andy from Bello Photography, John and Kim from Sanderson Images, Justin and Mary from Justin Marantz Photography, Laura and Paul from Laura Eaton Photography, and Paul and Krystal from Studio Foto.
Enna and I want to say how honored we are to have such great friends, and how fortunate we feel to be able to get away with you all for those 4 nights that go by way way too fast. ~ Thank you all for coming.
The above image is the entire gang hot tubing it on our second night. Larry and Tabitha Sherrell came to spend the day but had to get home to be with their beautiful baby girl.
Here is Jackson and I at the top of an overlook we hiked to in snow shoes with a small group.
There were many things that happened in those 4 days:) Too many to talk about here. There is a video floating around somewhere of the guys racing out of the hot tub up the hill of snow and tumbling back down the hill into the tub only to discover we had cut up our legs running through the ice crusted snow! OUCH!!!! The big joke from that point on was not to listen to any of my ideas:) Our favorite part of the trip is always the last night, when after enjoying some great wine and a great meal - the tunes get cranking, a little dance party erupts and the cameras finally come out for some crazy fun portraits.
These are all images I shot at our "Last Night Soirée"
We may post more later as other images emerge:) I know John has some fun portraits from the last night that he did with unique lighting style that are going to be awesome:) Here is a cool shot by Laura of the coffee mugs Enna and I made for everyone:


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Sunday Meditation
Everyone is welcome!
Every Sunday at 11:00am a guided meditation is presented by a CDM minister. The meditations are approximately 30 minutes of inner focus followed by a Healing Time. Spiritual techniques such as grounding, centering, and focusing in the present are taught each Sunday. Everyone can participate. Experience the joy and power of meditating with a group. Childcare provided from 10:30am – 12:00pm during the meditation.
Join us every Sunday at 11:00am!
"When I came to CDM, I wasn't sure what to expect. Meditation was new for me, and I was looking for a little education and something very different than a typical 'church' or 'religious' experience. What I found here is a new spiritual home. In CDM I found a group of like minded people, working toward a common goal of spiritual growth, in an atmosphere of non-judgment. I appreciate the friendly and welcoming staff, teachers, and all those who share their gifts and experiences freely with newcomers. Thanks CDM!" — Tracy R.
Following every Sunday Meditation is a social time and light lunch. After social time, we have Healing Time. Everyone is welcome to all these events.
Enjoy Audio Downloads of our Sunday Meditations!
Topics include:
Everything is Energy
Present Time
Rise Above
Take off Your Rose Colored Glasses
Taking a Chance
Audio downloads only available locally for pick-up.


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Men once considered a hat to be such a necessary fashion accessory, that they would sooner leave the house without their trousers than without a hat. A hat style defined a man's uniform, his class, and even his profession. And at the top of this haberdashery pyramid was the top hat. It was the mark of a gentleman, a professional man, an artist.
So it is with the gentlemen of this band, two dozen musicians arrayed in fine suits and all wearing top hats. I believe they are members of one of the musical ensembles of Scarborough Spa in North Yorkshire, England from around 1895. This fine large format photo (make sure to click the image to enlarge it) was never mounted and has no identification but it was in the same lot as two other photos of the Scarborough Spa Orchestra from the 1920's. The musicians are standing on the stone steps of some kind of promenade. The sign on the stone wall behind them reads: Smoking is not permitted on the Colonnade or in the Grand Hall.
The distinction between bands and orchestras was often blurry in the 19th century. Bands might include some strings, especially lower strings such as the cello and double bass in this group. The same musicians who played in the afternoon band concert might also play in the evening program of the orchestra.
Two bits of trivia here. Note the bandleader standing front row center. That is not a cane he is holding but a conductor's baton. Conductors and leaders of this era used a very heavy stick, perhaps better suited to marches and quick steps.
The other interesting note is that a horn player, mid-row right, has an instrument with only two valves, instead of three which was the common number for all brass instruments in the 19th century, (whereas four or five valves are now part of modern horns). This rare horn was used mainly in Britain from the mid 1830s to 1880s, it used the valves only to change keys while the player still used an old fashioned right hand technique to change the notes. It was fine for popular music tunes, but by the end of the 19th century, composers made such demands on brass players that most horn players had switched to three valved horns. A second horn player stands beside him but his instrument is unfortunately hidden except for the mouthpiece.
I have another photo postcard of a similar top hat band which I posted back in 2009. They called themselves the Imperial Orchestra, Military Section from West Riding, Yorkshire. They are the same number and nearly same instrumentation. They date from a little later, around 1910 perhaps.
Many of these men might have received their training in one of the many British army regimental bands, and then returned to civilian life as professional musicians playing in theater orchestras and festival bands like this. Much of the work was seasonal and taken up in the schedule of the increasingly popular holiday spots like Scarborough Spa.
|Scarborough Spa Complex
The Scarborough Spa is a seaside community that developed into a destination for health-minded tourists in the 17th century when a natural spring was discovered that had supposedly medicinal powers. To better understand what it was like in earlier times we need a guide.
A search of vintage books in Google Books produced this title:
A Picturesque Survey of the United Kingdom and its Institutions
by P. VILLARS translated by Henry Frith
published in 1887.
Scarborough continues to be a popular resort with much musical and theatrical entertainment but according to the Wikipedia entry, the Scarborough Spa waters were declared unfit for human consumption and sealed off in the 1930s.


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JumpStart Autism Center was award the Center of Excellence Designation! The Behavior Health Center of Excellence recognizing JumpStart Autism Center as a top behavioral service provider in the country. The award celebrates exceptional special needs providers that excel in the areas of clinical quality, staff satisfaction and qualifications, and consumer satisfaction. These areas are measured via a wide-ranging audit, including interviews with agency clinical leadership, a detailed staff qualification review, anonymous staff satisfaction survey, and anonymous consumer satisfaction survey.
JumpStart Autism Center is committed to providing the highest quality of services to the families we serve. Our ABA services are consistent with national standards, and our staff work together to meet the intellectual, social, behavioral, and emotional needs of each and every child we serve.
JumpStart Autism Center


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Sightings: Nabokov at Cornell and Harvard
|Isaiah Berlin
Nabokov is asked for translation help from a lovestruck Isaiah Berlin. Frances Assa summarizes what happens next:
I've been reading Michael Igniatieff's biography of Isaiah Berlin. At this time (1949) Berlin was a pleasant but sexless Oxford don who suddenly, at age forty, fell violently in love. While teaching at Harvard that year, he was translating Turgenev's First Love into English and unsure of how to translate the hero's sudden rush of feeling when the beloved responds to his interest. Ignatieff tells us that Berlin was asking friends if it was correct to say "that your heart 'turned over' when your loving glance was first returned? Or should he say that the heart 'slipped its moorings'?" and totally misses the comedy when he reports what happened when Berlin asked Nabokov for help:
"While at Harvard, Isaiah actually consulted Vladimir Nabokov—then a research fellow in Lepidoptera at the Harvard zoology department—on how to translate this particular passage. Nabokov's suggestion—'my heart went pit a pat'—left Isaiah unimpressed. Finally, he settled on 'my heart leaped within me'."Nabokov quizzes a student, the student flails and provides a wildly erroneous answer, and the following ensues:
Only after the exam did I learn that many of the details I described from the movie were not in the book. Evidently, the director Julien Duvivier had had ideas of his own. Consequently, when Nabokov asked "seat 121" to report to his office after class, I fully expected to be failed, or even thrown out of Dirty Lit.
What I had not taken into account was Nabokov's theory that great novelists create pictures in the minds of their readers that go far beyond what they describe in the words in their books. In any case, since I was presumably the only one taking the exam to confirm his theory by describing what was not in the book, and since he apparently had no idea of Duvivier's film, he not only gave me the numerical equivalent of an A, but offered me a one-day-a-week job as an "auxiliary course assistant." I was to be paid $10 a week.
The full story for the above quote comes from Edward Jay Epstein's An A From Nabokov in the New York Review of Books. The first quote comes from Frances Assa's post to the Nabokv-L Listserv.


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Generally a series of increasingly intensive sessions designed to ensure that the client meets his/her goal and integrates the desired changes.
RATE: $175 per hour.
(Purchase 3 Sessions Save 5%) $498.75.
(Purchase 6 Sessions Save 10%) $945.
*Proton Coaching offers a 10% discount off our hourly rate for active-duty military and veterans.


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The novelty is sculptured from 18K red gold or 950 platinum and demonstrates exceptional finishes. It catches the glance by its translucent lacquered dial. The dial shows off hours, minutes and seconds with help of central hands. The date is presented at 12 oclock, while the city or time-zone indicator is at 6 oclock. The large day/night display is featured between 3 and 4 oclock.
The complicated Breguet watch represents the first mechanical timepiece that boasts an instant-jump time-zone display with synchronized date, day/night and city indications. Due to this function, the watch shows the time in two pre-selected time zones (from among the cities listed for the 24 time zones) and the watch wearer can instantly change from one time zone to the other pressing the combined crown/pushpiece at 8 oclock. The accurate operation of the watch is not disturbed due to a stop second system. As for the date, it gets synchronized with help of a tracking calendar system.
The Breguet Classique 5717 Hora Mundi watch is also special due to its highly original date display that incorporates a dragging disc. It is presented via a window at 12 oclock. The window shows three consecutive dates at once. To make the date reading as clear as possible, the dragging calendar system has been fitted with a tiny retrograde hand that is found beneath the dial and has in a small circle at its tip.
The circle frames the todays date the moment it appears at the left side of the window, and until it disappears at the right. At midnight, the tiny hand jumps back to the left side to frame the date of the beginning day.
- for a watch with a mechanism with two time zones;
- for the display of a time zone on demand via the main set of hands;
- for a programmable and reprogrammable mechanical memory wheel for a watch;
- for a mechanism for displaying a temporal dimension with help of a dragging hand.
The 44 mm case of the new Breguet watch is 30-meter water-resistant. The case construction incorporates a thin, rounded bezel, a middle part with fluted sides, added soldered strap lugs and a sapphire crystal case-back.
The Breguet Classique 5717 Hora Mundi watch is presented on an alligator leather strap.


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Food Horror Stories: Five Scary Stories From Fast Food Chains
October is here and very soon Halloween will occur. However there have been some food horror stories already happening long before Halloween. Fast food chains such as Taco Bell, McDonald's, and Burger King are major franchises worldwide. Millions of people purchase their food items from...Read More


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Manchester Airport Lounges
There are a range of airport lounges and business facilities to be found at Manchester Airport. Lounges at the airport cater for those travelling for business and leisure. However, if you are travelling for business, you may want to consider some of the business facilities Manchester Airport has to offer.
Manchester Airport Lounges – Terminal 1
Manchester Airport Lounges – Terminal 2
Manchester Airport Lounges – Terminal 3
If you're a frequent traveller and enjoy the comforts that Airport Lounges offer, becoming a Priority Pass member may be just the ticket. Your membership to the program offers you the chance to visit over 1300 lounges worldwide, regardless of your ticket type or airline.
+ charge of £20 per lounge entry
Bring a Guest for £20
Standard Plus:
10 free lounge visits per year
Bring a Guest for £20
Unlimited free lounge entry
Bring a Guest for £20
Passengers who are already a Priority Pass member can use their membership to gain access to most of the lounges detailed above across the three Terminals at Manchester Airport.
Terminal 1
Adult Price: From £21 (booked in advance)
On-the-day price: £30
Book Now
Escape Lounge Terminal 1
Take some time to yourself in the hustle and bustle of the airport by booking a slot in the Escape lounge in Terminal 1. With complimentary food, drink and WiFi you can sit and relax, or get some work done! Just follow the signs for Premium Lounges after security.
Services Available:
- Children Permitted
- Free Wi-Fi
- Free newspapers
- Complimentary Food and drinks
- Device charging points
- Open 4:30am – 8:30pm Mon-Sun
Adult Price: From £26.99 (booked in advance)
Book Now
Aspire Lounge Terminal 1
Your other option at Terminal 1, Aspire Lounge offers work booths, smart TVs, Wi-Fi, and complimentary food and drink. The bonus? Excellent views of the airport with floor-to-ceiling windows. Enjoy these spectacular views whilst waiting for your flight!
Services Available:
- Children Permitted
- Free Wi-Fi
- Smart-casual dress code
- Charging points, newspapers and magazines
- Complimentary Food and drinks
- Normally open 4am – 8pm
Terminal 2
Adult Price: From £21 (booked in advance)
On-the-day price: £30
Book Now
Escape Lounge Terminal 2
Relax in Terminal 2 at Escape Lounge. Due to the layout, there are several locations for this lounge, so don't no visit will be identical! Where you get allocated will depend on the space on the day. The lounge is located up the stairs opposite Gate 209.
Services Available:
- Children Permitted
- Free Wi-Fi
- Showers
- Free newspapers
- Complimentary hot and cold food and drinks
- Normal opening hours 4.30am to 8.30pm, except Wednesday (closes 7pm) and Sunday (closes 8pm)
Terminal 3
Adult Price: From £21 (booked in advance)
On-the-day price: £30
Book Now
Escape Lounge Terminal 3
Take some time out to sit back in a comfy chair with a delicious coffee, catch up on the latest goings on on the Lounge TVs or simply enjoy the use of free wifi! They offer complimentary continental breakfasts and have a small selection of hot food on their post-breakfast menu
Services Available:
- Children Permitted
- Free Wi-Fi
- Free newspapers
- Complimentary Food and drinks
- Normal opening hours: 4.15am to 8.30pm (except Saturdays, where it closes at 8pm)
Adult Price: From £30 (booked in advance)
On-the-day price: £40
Book Now
1903 Lounge Terminal 3
If you fancy a bit of peace and quiet away from the terminal then this is the lounge for you. Adults only, no one under the age of 16 is allowed in. As an added bonus, if you book this lounge you will get Security Fast Track included, which means you can zip through security and be sat in the lounge enjoying a drink of your choice before you know it! Please note that the lounge enforces a smart-casual dress code.
Services Available:
- Adults Only
- Free Wi-Fi
- Includes Security Fast Track
- Newspapers, magazines, TVs, and charging points
- Food and drinks included
- Normal opening hours: Sunday-Friday: 4:15am – 8:30pm and Saturdays 4.15am – 7:30pm
Business Facilities at Manchester Airport
The Concorde Conference Centre
The Concorde Conference Centre offers an interesting and unique setting for your event, meeting, or conference. With 1600 square metres of space, you have plenty of scope to plan the perfect event.
For further information, contact the Concorde Conference Centre directly on +44 0121 222 1033.
The Radisson Blu Hotel
The skylink walkway connects Terminals 1 and 2 to the five-star Radisson Blu hotel, which offers state-of-the-art conference and meeting facilities at the heart of the Airport complex.
Tel: +44 0161 490 5000
The Hilton Hotel
Make use of the complimentary shuttle service to The Hilton to utilise one of the 11 meeting and conference rooms they have to offer, only 20 minutes from Manchester City Centre.
Tel: +44 (0) 0161 435 3000
Internet Access at Manchester Airport
Free Wi-Fi access is available for up to 60 minutes in all terminals and lounges and is accessible from all enabled devices.
A premium service is also available for those that wish to use WiFi for streaming or longer periods of time. Charges are set at pay-as-you-go variable rates as detailed on the link above.


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Alton Towers
Swashbuckle Room
CBeebies Land Hotel
Sleeps 5
Ahaarrrr... Perfect your Swashbuckle Salute and join Gem in searching for the hidden jewels when you stay in these amazing Swashbuckle themed rooms. Your little Swashbucklers are guaranteed to feel like they've joined the crew and while they play you can sail away to a relaxing place as you'll find everything you need in these rooms to make the most of your stay.
Room Features
- Swashbuckle theming
- Deluxe room sleeps up to a family of 5
- Separate children's sleeping area
- Toddler and baby friendly facilities
- Interactive play wall
Hotel Features
- Free WiFi
- Tea & coffee facilities
- Iron and ironing board
- Complimentary toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Exclusive use of all hotel facilities, including the entertainment
- Cots which can be pre-assembled on request (cot bedding is not supplied, please bring your own)
- Bottle warmers and mini-fridges
- Bathroom step, toddler toilet seat and baby baths
Other similar rooms at Alton Towers Resort
Bugbie Room
In The Night Garden Room
Octonauts Room
Postman Pat Room
Something Special Room
Woodland Lodge
There's more than just a Theme Park...
Extraordinary Golf
Alton Towers Spa
Our Restaurants
Rollercoaster Restaurant
Secret Garden
The Crooked Spoon
Flambo's Jambo
The Windmill Restaurant
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Sign up to receive our amazing email newsletters... and get great offers and discounts! Terms and Conditions.
Buy in 5 days in advance and save with day tickets from just £34


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Anna Maria Stanhope, the Duchess of Bedford, is credited for the creation of the now world-renowned afternoon tea. In the 1800's evening meals were progressively served later and this left the Duchess suffering from a "sinking feeling" each afternoon at about four o'clock. Initially, the Duchess asked her servants to sneak a pot of tea and a few breadstuffs to replenish herself.
The Elgin Darjeeling now offers a comfortable and blissful massage and therapy room. Our female and male therapists will make sure they pamper you with soothing massages, soft music and gentle aromas to bring you to that perfect state of quiet meditative inner happiness.
Download the full spa menu here for details and prices.
Reservations can be made at the Elgin Darjeeling reception.
You can now enjoy the great snow capped Himalayas and the town of Darjeeling not only from the ground but also from the air. Our adventure partners at "Off Road Darjeeling" bring you Paragliding and Hot Air Ballooning as a recreational adventure sport. You can now sit with your own private pilot in a hot air balloon basket or in a harness suspended below a hollow fabric wing. Paragliders are unique among soaring aircraft in being easily portable. The complete equipment packs into a rucksack and can be carried easily on the pilot's back, in a car. In comparison with other air sports this substantially simplifies travel to a suitable takeoff spot, the selection of a landing place and return travel.
Please contact the Elgin Darjeeling Reception to book your Paragliding experience.
Miles of un-spoilt countryside, tea gardens and wild flowers in spring create the setting for Elgin. Let the region work its magic on you, as you explore little known paths and follow tracks into the forest. We have mapped out trails that suit everyone, so you could go on a challenging walk, stroll along woodland lanes or take a route that offers a glimpse of colonial history.
A ride on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) is for those who believe the journey is the destination. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway or DHR balances on two-feet tracks moving at a maximum speed of 15km an hour. It is a two feet narrow gauge railway. It is a masterpiece of 19th century engineering, a product of the world's first industrial revolution. In 1999, UNESCO declared the DHR a World Heritage Site. The hotel reception can organize tickets for you for a fun filled and exciting Joy ride from the Darjeeling station to the Ghoom Railway Station, it is the highest railway station in India and the 2nd highest railway station in the world. It is situated at an altitude of 2,225.7m (7,407ft). It is 6km from Darjeeling. Travel through a gigantic railway loop, where the Toy Train makes a 360 degree turn. The Batasia Loop offers a panoramic view of the Kanchenjunga Range. A War Memorial is constructed in the memory of the brave sons of the soil who laid down their lives in the different wars.
Please contact the Elgin Darjeeling Reception to book your train tickets.


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Pastor Josh Hilburn continues our discussion on how the Church is called to engage in this season. The politics of Jesus is not about simply feeling something, but truly showing up and doing something. Focused on people, and not simply issues. How will we overcome anger and fear, and be a people of incarnate kindness, compassion, and justice in the name of the Kingdom?
Matthew 12: 9-14
James 1: 19-20
Ephesians 4: 30-32
John 16: 33
In what ways have you been more concerned with issues themselves than with the people affected? What relationships can you build to realign your focus toward people as you seek to engage important social issues?
What are you angry about in this election season? How can that anger be transformed into action of kindness and compassion?
How has your fear of a certain candidate or issue clouded your trust that God is in control?
Worship Set
Slow Me Down
Psalm 66
Come Thou Fount
God With Us
This Is My Father's World
The Lord's Prayer


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In this tight economy today, it will make considerably more feeling to do business from home as opposed to looking for a second task. It is not easy to start a small company, but as you may group, you can begin to get successful. This information has a lot of helpful guidelines to help you commence and be successful with Multilevel marketing.
When you have a failing or setback, study from it. Always keep products of your mistakes and evaluate why they really exist. Understanding what contributes to failure will help you remove things which don't operate to be able to increase and accept the things which do.
If you discover anything various and unfamiliar with offer you, you could be surprised at how so many people are considering it. Everybody makes their own personal selections, however they continue to need to have choices and alternate options from which to choose.
Produce a graph or chart of the goals to keep track of what you need to accomplish with your initiatives in Network marketing. Exactly what do you wish to accomplish with MLM? Do you need to buy a pricey gift for yourself similar to a big residence, a great care or a boat?
You should be a professional on the merchandise you promote. You desire consumers to see how fervent you might be about what you really are selling. They will be very likely to sign up for your system when they observe that you feel from the merchandise. The greater you know about your product or service, the more informative and persuasive your testimonials will likely be.
If you locate multi-level marketing monotonous, you are able to work with some other business to get it done for you personally. You may not be designed with satisfactory sources or manpower to take part in this kind of promoting. By utilizing an contract out company, you get swift outcomes on the purchase, and you gain spare time that you can use to take care of much more urgent concerns.
Consider seeking in other places for professionals which you can bring to participate your group. Professionals, specially those who operate in sales and on payment, currently have a good function ethic and are utilized to seeing their energy directly correspond with their income. In addition, they will assist you to expand your current network, yielding far more income.
Try to match individuals in mlm who definitely have displayed stellar control qualities. By mimicking their behaviours you'll discover that you also start to believe like them, leading to achievement that mirrors their own at the same time.
Taking part in multilevel marketing means, you focus on your customers. Your potential customers has to be pleased with your services, otherwise you won't have the ability to stay in company. Hear your prospects at least eighty percent of the time the remainder of the time you can discuss.
You need to take the time to test out your items prior to industry them. You can uncover pros you needed not looked at just before. Should you be not happy with the goods, consider if you should work for the corporation. Even though they spend well, after they regularly market goods you are unhappy with, chances are they will not be all around for too long.
Several large organizations use Network marketing to arrive at a bigger market for their organization. Use this details to get your bit of the multi-degree advertising revenue. Want to dig deeper into
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