EXPATS AGAIN

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Munich, Germany
I am married to the love of my life and am finally able to shower him with all of the attention he deserves. I am now retired and living the life here in Europe. I am an American, he is an Australian, and this is our second overseas address. The first was Shanghai, China and now Munich, Germany. Come along and live the life with us as we continue our adventure of discovering all Europe has to offer.

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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Wednesday's Hodgpodge














1. What is something that bothers you if it's not done perfectly?
 Not much really.  I'm not a perfectionist.  One thing I dislike is crumbs on a countertop.  How anyone can walk by a countertop with crumbs and not stop to clean them us mystifies me.  It is so obvious.  But I seem to be the only person in my family that is disturbed by it, so I am usually the one to do the cleanup.  But, I hardly call that doing something perfectly.  I guess I don't get too bothered by minor details.





2. Do you think a 6th sense exists? Explain.
 As in ESP or something?   Yes, I do believe that there are people with a keen sense of reality and who are blessed with an uncanny ability to look into the future.  Some people seem to be much more "in tune" with their surroundings and appear to "pick up" on clues that the rest of us don't recognize.  I like to think of these people having a more developed set of sense than the rest of us for whatever reason.  I have read that people will develop parts of the brain that are not used in the future.  Who knows if everyone will know the future then?





3. Do you say your goodbyes slowly, quickly, or not at all?
 I like them to be quick and they are never, "Goodbyes forever."  I always add, "Until next time,"  or "I'll see you soon."  And then I make a point to do just that.




4. On a scale of 1-10, with ten being hot hot hot, what level of spice do you like in your food? What's your favorite 'spicy' dish?
No where near a 10, I'm afraid.  Perhaps a 4 or 5 at the most.  Spicy Tofu is my favorite "Spicy" dish.  It is a Chinese dish with hot chili's, minced pork, and tofu.  I am addicted to it. P.F. Chang's has an amazing spiced tofu.  However, the best I ever tasted was prepared by my Ayi, Shau Gau, in Shanghai, China.  Fortunately, she gave me the recipe.





                                                                Nestle Dog, Farfel


5. What is one of your all time favorite commercial jingles? 


Well, one that has stayed with me throughout my life was the old Nestles commercial.  A dog would sing, "N-E-S-T-L-E-S, Nestle makes the very best......chocolate."  Then, he would snap his mouth shut and it would sound like two boards hitting one another.


 I have no idea why I remember it, but the jingle stayed with me all of my years.  I love chocolate and Nestle makes very good chocolate so I am always remembering this little ditty from the commercial back from the early 60's.






6. Plane, train, boat or auto...your preferred method of travel?
Planes are so much faster, so it is my preferred method of travel.


7. What is something you take for granted?



Health, and I am quickly learning that if I don't take better care of myself, my health may not be with me in the future.  I've made some lifestyle changes because of it.  Time to get my head out of the sand.





8. Insert your own random thought here.




We bought the boxed set of "Mad Men" here in Germany.  We've watched Season One and just started Season Two.  Of course, seeing so many people smoking in public places was awkward, but to see how many cigarettes they smoked at one sitting was shocking.  Yet, I remember my mother smoking constantly when I was a child.  She did give it up, cold turkey, in her 50's, but she would have smoked a couple of packs of day in her prime.  


Another odd thing is watching a pregnant woman drink alcohol.  Then again, who knew the dangers of drinking while pregnant back in the late 50's and early 60's?  But it is interesting how I cringe today when I see it and it was socially acceptable and not considered a health hazard for the baby at all back in the 50's and 60's.  It makes you wonder what else we are doing today that is unhealthy that one day our ancestors will cringe at.  I'm guessing it will be the hormones in our beef, the pesticides in our food, and the pollution in our air.  One day, I hope people will be aghast at our heedless attention to the environment and our food supply.


I guess the most disturbing part of watching "Mad Men" is the attitude of the women in their 30's and older.  It is as if they exist as mere extensions of their husbands.  Their lives are filled with shopping and housekeeping and mostly making their husband's" happy."  This attitude spills over into making sure that they are attractive as a way of "Earning their keep."  What a sad notion. 


 Do women today still think that way?  It was horrifying to watch, but unfortunately, I recall my own mother and aunts doing the very same things to "Keep their husbands."  I would hope that we females have evolved more than that since the 60's. Have we?










14 comments:

Joyce said...

We have a photo of my hubs as a little boy standing in the middle of some adults who are seated. Every single one is smoking. Its a strange thing to see!

Betty W said...

I saw some old ad´s from the 60´s the other day and was amazed at how much we´ve changed since then. I´m glad.

Michelle said...

I love the jingle you shared.
I was born in early 1960's so I don't remember it.

I need to take better care of my health.
I am trying my best to exercise at least 5 days a week.

Loved your answers.
Thanks for playing along.

Madeline said...

I love the photos that you added with your answers! Very cool!

Kathy said...

I'd forgotten about the Nestles dog! What a fun memory!

I think you are so right about hormones, pesticides, and pollution. I live in a rural area, where they raise crops, chickens, and livestock, and we sure seem to have a lot more sick folks around here than ever before--and don't even get me started about how fast the girls are maturing these days!

Bobbi said...

Oh, I really like what you said about goodbyes not being the "FOREVER" kind. Good point!

Anonymous said...

It seems like when I was a kid, pretty much every adult smoked--now I know hardly anyone who does. And I'd like to think that women are far more in tune with our own needs these days...we've come a long way, baby!

Hey, wasn't that the slogan for Virginia Slims?!?! ;O)

Donna @ The House on the Corner said...

And the funny thing is, for all that drinking and smoking that went on back in the day - we seem to have more babies born with issues today that we ever did back then. Maybe I just wasn't aware but I had never heard of Autism until my girls were in their teens. Now they're saying something like 1 baby out of every 100 is born with Autism??

Loved the Nestle's ad. I remember it too but I hadn't thought of it in years - it brought back a smile :-)

Sally said...

Isn't that bizarre? My parents are moving (for the first time in 40 years - oy!) and my mom found an old set of dishes from the 50s that not only had a built in indent for a coffee mug but also an indent for you to place your cigarette! I'm so glad those things have changed.

Anonymous said...

Ok...the spicy tofu looks and sounds delicious! I will have to try it out the next time I go!!! Thanks for sharing this food review!

Amiee said...

My Hubs remembers his parents smoking in the car, with all the windows up! AIR!!!!

LynnMarie said...

I remember so many people smoking in one room and forgot what that looked like. You never see it anymore.
I totally forgot about that AD.

Capri K @ No Whining Allowed said...

I like your #7. I have come to this conclusion as well. I call it temple maintenance. It's not a luxury, it is a necessity.

Debby@Just Breathe said...

That's a great jingle. Enjoyed reading your answers. My someday daughter in law (fingers crossed) loves Mad Men. I haven't watched it.