Did you say peanut butter?

I have become an addict of peanut butter, there, I said it!

It all started during my pregnancy. Right around the seventh month I developed a crazy craving for peanut-butter-and-jelly toasts (I used Wasa crackers, or any multigrain toasted bread I could get my hands on). Since this addiction started when we were living in Luxembourg, I had no trouble finding GOOD peanut butter. I know ...  Luxembourg?? You see, Luxembourg has these huge supermarkets, and my favourite one - Cactus - carries a Dutch peanut butter named Calvé.

It was deli-i-i-i-i-i-cious ... I had it for breakfast every morning.

Given that I had never showed any interest for peanut butter, I began to think that, in some strange way, my pregnancy had something to do with it. I had a little half-American half Peruvian growing inside me and so the only possible reason why I had begun to have peanut butter cravings was because I had been "Americanized".


Seriously.


During our year in Orlando I was in peanut butter heaven. I became a peanut butter "connoisseur" -  if there is such a thing - and gave my verdict that Simply Jif was ... simply the best: low in sugar, the right texture and the right amount of salt, and not too bad on the calories :)

So forward to today, we live in Lausanne, Switzerland, Sebastian is almost 3 years-old and I am STILL having peanut butter Wasa crackers for breakfast. I love my little routines.

The problem is I cannot - and I cannot stress this enough - I cannot find good peanut butter in Switzerland. I have even "imported" a couple of Calvés from our last visit to Luxembourg. My husband still thinks I am totally insane for having made a stop at Cactus to get the stuff, but I tell you, I am an addict. I have tried every single brand, submitted myself to the extremely sweet "American style" peanut butter from the local supermarket chains (migros and Coop), I have visited all the Bio shops in town and bought all those "just peanut" cream, but sadly they don't do it for me.

I have gone so far, there is even a new budget line called "Peanut butter research"  in the family budget. I am not too proud of that.

A couple of weeks ago, Sebastian and I went to Madrid to meet my parents and visit my sister Brunella. I, of course, escaped to the local Corte Inglés and found a peanut butter brand: Capitán Maní ... I cried (I was laughing too much). I mean, the name was the funniest one I had encounter in my search. Unfortunately for me, this was a pretty good peanut butter and one that was again not available to me in Switzerland.

So, tomorrow during breakfast I will just spread one of the "too salty" (they use sea salt in one of them!) or " too sweet"  or "too creamy and flavorless" brands I have recently accumulated and picture myself having Simply Jif, Calvé or Capitán Maní (laughing really loud now)...

No more eggs ?? !!

Saturday is Sebastian's favourite day of the week.
Saturday is pancake day ...  and Sundays and every day that Chuck does not go to work. We are in trouble if he decides to stay home for a week or more!

Last Monday, a holiday in Lausanne, we had used up all our eggs for pancakes and eggs & bacon. We could have gone to buy some, but you see, here in Lausanne, all shops are closed on Sundays and on any holidays.

No more Eggs meant No More Pancakes. Sebastian was not happy.

Magic! (or desperation) between Chuck and I, we concocted a solution, bread cut in funny shapes which we then proceeded to drown in maple syrup.

What a fantastic** set of parents we are!

** We hope Sebastian does not grow to be a maple syrup addict, much like his peanut butter addict mother.

A little spring hiking

A holiday today, so we jumped at the opportunity of a short hike near Lausanne. 

Parked the car and up to Chexbres we headed. It was sunny, warm and fun.

Passed the vineyards, passed Dezaley, and the many small wineries...

We made it to The Deck and on our "trekking clothes" ... we looked odd, but really, we did not care much

Chuck had a beer, Ale a glass of wine and Sebastian played in the infinity pool the whole time...

Spring weekends in Lausanne, stay like this for a long long time ...

I love these shoes

Since our move to Lausanne I find myself dreaming of new shoes ...
I just saw these Marais in the NYT style section I get delivered here every 2 weeks (a real treat!)

(*) Espadrille Emerald Marais shoes at  Marais USA

The thing is, here every pair of not- super-cute shoes cost me no less than CHF 200 (that's about US$ 172 at 1.16 CHF per US$) so I am not too keen on going shoe shopping.

I miss the Orlando outlets, sometimes (to my husband's horror and surprise) I wish I were there so I could do a little shopping with my friend Ana.

In the meantime I get to dream and (perhaps) order shoes online when Chuck gets a business trip to the mother land of online shopping & bargains, that is the US of course.

Spa day

towel, water, salts, creams and time ...

I treated myself to a home-made spa

you see, I have stopped battling against rugby

and little by little embraced it

for us

now I get a few hours a day to myself

a wonderful breakfast and a family Sunday

and it's a bliss

so a home-made spa day was part of my treat to myself

no so glamorous ...

since I was the one working hard through that rough skin

but the outcome was glorious

and my feet and hands are happy again

and my boy sleeps

and my love is rolling in the mud, being kicked and punched

running after a ball .. and all the while smiling

The snow is glorious

We hike, we go up

we bought this new contraptions and all the gear needed to climb

now we go and discover new places

happy

Our friends Amy & Ryan show us the route, make plans

and are usually very well organised

we trail behind, loving every moment of the ascend

Sebastian enjoying being in a backpack

Chuck feeling like a proud dad showing him the mountains and singing along

I look up, look down and see good photos everywhere

sometimes I don't have enough energy to keep climbing and snap a shot

I have to keep up ...

maybe I should do a trip just for photos,

but it would not feel the same

so I snap a few on the way ...

for our memories

Burning the Snow

"Snooooowwwwwmaaaaaaaan" shouts Sebastian
every time he sees snow
he wears a little Papá Noel hat that his friend Sarah gave him
and sings "jingle bells" wherever we go

Too bad is the end of winter
(I cannot believe I am saying this)
and there are no more snowy days until next winter
or maybe is that I will miss the "Snowmaaaaaan" shout

His "Jardin" has a cute way to mark the beginning of Spring
and so off we went to burn the poor Snowman on a sunny day
Pauline, Alba, and all the little ones
dressed in colorful outfits
and a big smile

"Au revoir bonhomme de neige
au revoir à l'hiver tout blanc
bienvenue les petits oiseaux
bienvenue les fleurs multicolors"

until next winter ....

And Sebas is two

Right after unpacking in Lausanne we headed to Munich to meet Lora & Tony, and to celebrate Sebastian's second birthday. I hope our little one gets and enjoys the idea of celebrating some of his birthdays in a non-traditional way. This year happened at a beer garden!

Sebastian, Chuck, Lora, Tony & I got a lot of walks, beers (not Sebas really!), chocolate cake and plenty of beautiful Munich to last for another year...

I have to say, I would live in Munich again anytime.

Lausanne, los primeros días

Tengo la suerte de tener gente alrededor que me ayuda a recordar que es bueno escribir las memorias iniciales al llegar a una nuevo sitio. Normalmente estoy tan metida en los detalles del día a día que la sorpresa de encontrase con algo nuevo me va pasando por enfrente y aunque la noto, no me tomo el tiempo de apreciarlo como debería. Por eso decidí escribir un poco sobre las primeras impresiones de lausanne, mientras estoy "fresca"

Lausanne hasta hoy tiene cosas que la hacen resaltar de entre los sitios donde he vivido. Una de las cosas que mi memoria esta tratando de empujar al papel (en este caso a la pantalla) es la bondad o quizá esa no es la palabra correcta, me sale "politness" pero no me refiero al politness inglés ... sino más bien la amabilidad y la cordialidad con la que los Laussanoises y quizá todos los Suizos viven su vida. Uno camina por la calle, y la gente sonría y te dice, Bonjour madame, le tocan el pelo a Sebastian or le dicen algo dulce en francés. Es una ciudad y tiene su caos como cualquier otra pero nadie deja de hacer contacto visual y saludar... esa familiaridad de villa, pero extendidas a toda una ciudad.


Of course the hills, ... the first week we got here, I seriously cried (really) at the prospect of having to come up and down a major hill. Our temporary apartment is located near a park called Mon Repos, there are beautiful view of the lake and the mountains and we are just a few minutes away from the coast... idyllic, except for that to get to that beautiful view we have to walk up from the road on an almost 50 degree angle, come on legs! you should see us by now, we have trained ourselves to the point of not fainting when we get to the top, we only pant and pant until we get our breaths back. How's Sebastian doing with the hills? he's thankful he's still allowed in a stroller.

Green, Green, yes, Lausanne is a city full of gardens, trees, flowers, in fact I have heard that there are more green areas per sq meter in this city than any other city in Switzerland, or was it Europe. Well, to me it's like talking about billions and trillions, at that level, I don;t see the difference. Coming from a not so green city, Europe in general looks very green indeed, but I guess I still make the point about Lausanne because compared to London, or Luxembourg, it does feel green greeen.

oh that view ... being able to see the lake and the mountains from your window apartment is a pleasure. Lausanne has breathtaking views ... it really spoils you. Before moving here our checklist for apartment requirements were the usual ones: a minimum number of sq meters, proximity to a park, washer and dryer, garage; after seeing Lausanne, well, you are almost obliged to include and prioritise "the view" (and you usually end up paying well for it). We ended up finding a really good apartment (more about it in another post) but sadly no view. Something to look forward to when we go for our walks.

Mis sonrisas

Mi Sebas el chistoso ...

love you pollito

A week in Perú

Trying to pack up as much as we can before Switzerland might be the cause of my latest ailments (a cronic sneeeeeeze). Sebastian and I flew to Peru for a week, or so we thought. We kind of missed our connection and so we made it to Lima a day later and then from the day we arrived we rushed (or I rushed) to do and see as much as I could.



My friends from London, whom I had not seen in years, my parents and siblings enjoying Sebastian (and enjoying cinnamon rainsin bread!), Peruvian Paso Horses in Mamacona, the latest restaurant - a Peruvian Japanese place and the wonderful La Mar (Chuck would love these places) ... and I can keep going. 6 days!

It was all to fast but good. I believe that the best visits are those where you want to stay a little longer.

The highlight for Sebastian, obvious: the horses, or "muuuusss" (moooos) and "neehhhhss". He loves them and he made Nonno and Tutti very very happy.

The cape runs in the family

A couple of months ago, Sebastian received this Superman outfit from Cindy, his loving babysitter / Floridian grandmother. And he of course loved it immediately. However, I am almost sure his generation has no idea who Superman is ... anyway he likes to think the "S" stands for Super Sebastian (and who can argue?)



After we passed thes photo to the grandparents, aunts and uncles, we received this other one back:


This is Uncle John (John Maier), Chuck's maternal uncle. He is proudly showing the Superman outfit his mom, Helen Maier (grandma Maier), hand-made for him. This picture put the biggest smile on my face. I can only hope that I have the skills and patience to make something like this one day.

What do you want to do when you grow up?

Kids surprise us so much; the things they come up with, the games they play, the imitations ... mostly our own kids are the ones who surprise us the most, probably because we get to see so closely their growing and their learning...

Sebastian sings everything from Old Mac Donald, Baa Baa Black Sheep to Andrea Bocelli's Con te Partiro and Alicia Keys No One, No One! it's sooo sweet to hear him sing along in the car. I am sure all kids do this, but I am secretely convinced he has a musical gene. I am still looking for mine, so he must have gotten his from Chuck's side.

When we were in Lausanne he stopped to look at this kid play his guitar, and every time we go to the mall (poor Sebas he has to go shopping with me, Chuck has effectively relieved himself from this task) he gets to see the man playing the piano at Nordstrom (fortunately that's all we do at Nordstrom :)


... or he will be a runner, these days that's all he does, run, run, run. Apparently walking is not allowed when you are almost 2 years old. We'll see ...

We love the new bike!

Bye bye car, I am so happy with my bike that I am trying to figure out how many more places I can ride to. Sebastian at the back seems to enjoy the new transportation and it is so much fresher! So far we can make it to the playground, the gym, the coffee shop.

He is willing to wear the helmet just because he "understands" that ride & helmet come together. Can't wait to explore a little bit more! We are off this afternoon for a ride around town.

Now in sunny Florida

And again we are behind !! We are now living in Orlando, Florida. We moved here about 6 months ago when Chuck accepted a new job. We left Luxembourg and our dear friends to see if this new adventure is exciting enough for us.... not too sure yet ;-)


Between international moves, a house search, visits, facebook, hotmail, Youtube and sorting out our life in the US I haven't managed to keep our blog updated. But hey! better late than never (not sure if this translates the same way from my Spanish "Mas vale tarde que nunca").


Sebastian turned 1 a few days ago and we celebrated with friends and family. He's a happy little boy, who believes that a smile is a winning skill (he's right). He can get us to do anything, oh well sometime this year I will start with those discipline books, or he'll become a tyrant, we are already his minions.

My sisters Carla & Brunella were here visiting us for the first time. They were the "decoration team". The grandmothers were in charge of food (sanguchitos & cookies, which we devoured!) and the grandparents were in charge of entertainment (making sure there was enough liquor for everyone ;-)

- A

what's up?

... our blog needs an update. Between our last post "Snack time" and now, a lot has happened. For starters, we need to change the title of this blog to Where are Chuck, Ale & Sebastian?

Seriously, between "Snack time" and now, Ale got pregnant, had the all-day sickness, rushed herself back to the comforts of Luxembourg, her belly grew, we skipped our annual ski holiday (can't take a pregnant woman skiing?), her belly grew more, we escaped to Miami, her hormones went out of the roof, we moved apartments, her belly grew even more, and then at 9:30am on Wednesday 29 of August, with the support of her extremely brave husband - who happened to watch all the epidural procedure - she gave birth to a tiny and cute little boy which we named Sebastian Charles.

A whole year since our last post. Can't blame us ... Sebastian is now almost 3 months old and the bags under our eyes are starting to turn from deep black to light green.

so, that's why, we decided that perhaps it was time to pick up where we left and re-start the blog for the third time.

Sebastian is doing well and I am sure he's glad to have his name finally included in the blog.


- A & C

Snack time

Here is a picture of two snacks available in the Tokyo office. Strange, but I don't find myself snacking between meals.

- C

Technology . . . the dark side

HAL, Evil Kit, Blackberries and now this . . .

I proudly introduced you all to the next-generation toilet technology at the office in Tokyo. Imagine my horror when I read the following (on the 2nd page our the english-language weekly, no less)

"Doctors warned that sufferers of washlette syndrome - people who overuse automatic "washlette" bidet toilets by raising the water's pressure and temperature - risk damaging their rectums."

Umm . . . so use in moderation, I guess.

- C

Men & bags

So, I am planning to get Chuck a bag. No, not the subtle, smallish man-purse version, this is a proper, stylish, and very feminine bag. Japanese guys will contest the last adjective I guess...











I am still undecided about the colour and so I hope I can get some suggestions ... (This is Chuck. My suggestion is "Don't.")

"Cruising" in Shibuya

What is it like in Shibuya crossing?

I promised you a video of how it felt to walk through this crossing during rush hour. Well, it is not exactly rush hour but it is a wonderful Sunday afternoon.

Click play and enjoy the busiest crossing in Tokyo.

Meiji shrine

I still do not know what to expect in Tokyo. This city is so foreign to me in so many ways.

I visited Meiji Shrine - a Shinto shrine very close to where we live - on a beautiful sunny day. The entrance of a Shinto shrine is generally framed by a Torii.

Many Japanese people visiting the shrine kiss the Torii and hug it as they pass (seemed odd to me, but the more they did it the more tempted I was to hug it too… strange).

One of the parts I liked the most was this “wall of wishes”. This is the place where people write their wishes and prayers in small pieces of wood arranged all around a somewhat important tree.


It was surprising to see so many young people in the shrine, and the mood is quite happy. Some teenagers are playing around and there are school kids watching and talking. I guess I still do not know enough about the shrines , about Japan and about their customes... 2 more months to soak it all up.

Will the wonders never cease?

As we all know, the Japanese are already enjoying technologies that the US and EU won't see for a few years. I want to introduce you to my favorite.

Let's start with the close-ups. . . .

That's right people, that is the toilet of the future. Its available right now in my office. The toilet features:

• Heated seat
• Fan which automatically starts when you sit
  
• A *Powerful Deodorizer*; activated by push button
• Cleansing stream of water WITH adjustable pressure.

I have also been informed by reliable sources that the women's toilet plays the sound of a babbling brook to mask any other sounds being created. Because, as a member of my team explains; "Japanese lady don't like people hear them pee." Fair enough.

I am clearly enamored by the technology, although the brief instant after hitting the button for the cleansing and before the stream starts is actually a little scary.

Now, Ale and I disagree about the *gross* factor in showing a toilet. She is against it. I, however, feel that in the interest of education and completeness, the toilet must be displayed. The photo was taken first thing in the morning to ensure cleanliness. However, if you don't want to see the picture of a toilet, please look no further.














In all its high-tech glory . . .