Or at least thats the best version of a definition I came up with (the freedom from pain and fear, and the ´name for all good feelings´were taken by Epecurus and modern physcology respectively :) ). So why the soup you may ask? Because in all my research (yes I´m doing a project on happiness for philosophy, so this blog ALMOST doesn´t count as procastinating...more brainstorming in english :) ) the thing besides friendship, etc, that is extremely important to have happiness is a basic level of living, food, water, heat and some sort of shelter. Also, soup is warm and satisfying :) (which actually isn´t part of happiness acording to most philosophers, its a source of pleasure which is like happiness only its temporary and not as good, the ´static´pleasure from being ´happy´with your life is better says everyone).
One thing I found really interesting in this study is that the one thing all the philosophers agree on is that finding happiness is the goal of living (OK, its true the early christians didn´t think that..but starting with artistotle, and what we usually refer to as philosophers ). So if the goal of life is to be happy, and now we have some idea what happiness is, how do we get it you might ask?
That depends, basically there are two schools of thought (which doesn´t actually matter in the situation most of you reading this blog are in, but for the debate whether someone dying of hunger in africa can be happy it does) one is that happiness comes solly from strong moral character and a live with a reason, the other is that moral character and circumstances (where you are born, what happens in your life, etc) effect your ability to be happy.
To put it simply, if you want to be happy lower your expectations. Really, forget the idea of having more money, that nice car, finding the perfect boyfriend, etc. If you have enough money so that you have a roof over your head, and food on the table, according to physcological studies and ancient philosophers alike more is not going to make your happy. In fact, according to Epecurus it might even through off your balance and cause you pain, which is the enemy of happiness. He also has this whole theory about how fear of death is the root of most problems on earth, but personally I think thats majorly bogus :). Back to the example and practical advice, if you have friends, and people who care about you, be thankful for it! If you spend your whole life searching for something perfect, you´ll never get the chance to apreciate what you have before you die!
One last thought, SMILE. Yes, even if your not feeling particularly happy, a smile has been shown to cause happiness. It´s worth a try at least because :
“It was only a sunny smile and little it cost in the giving but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living.”
Peace to all (because tomorrow is peace day :) ),
Molly
P.S. This is a pretty darn cool video on CBS about Happiness
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=1773887n
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Contenta
Which in Spanish means happy :). I had a fabulous weekend with the other exchange student down in the south of the island, then switched houses and have been having a lovely week with Elo, my tutor, and her family :). Her daughter decided to do my makeup and my hair last night, and I LOVE it, so I got all the stuff to do (a bit more toned done :) ) version, and today at school EVERYONE was commenting on how great I look (same as last night at rotary :) ). Yes I knwo this is one of those times when you all really want some pictures BUT I didn´t bring the cable to this house and the two cables they have plugged in are different types!
I can garuntee (wow I really can´t spell in english now :) ) there will be some dropping jaws.
Another thing I´ve been enjoying this week is consistent food and company. I never go hungry at my normal house, but we only eat together for lunch on sundays (and sometimes saturdays, and the ocasional weekday if I get home late, or the parents early). At Elo´s house every lunch is together, as with every dinner. It´s nice to get the chance to find out how everyones day went, and try some new spanish dishes :).
Peace out for now (for reals though, Friday is peace day :) For which I´m going to play my violin for the entire SCHOOL by the way in the song Color Esperanza )
<3 Molly
I can garuntee (wow I really can´t spell in english now :) ) there will be some dropping jaws.
Another thing I´ve been enjoying this week is consistent food and company. I never go hungry at my normal house, but we only eat together for lunch on sundays (and sometimes saturdays, and the ocasional weekday if I get home late, or the parents early). At Elo´s house every lunch is together, as with every dinner. It´s nice to get the chance to find out how everyones day went, and try some new spanish dishes :).
Peace out for now (for reals though, Friday is peace day :) For which I´m going to play my violin for the entire SCHOOL by the way in the song Color Esperanza )
<3 Molly
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Granola Bars and Tofu Brownies
Yes, I am a Hippy thank you :). Blame my parents. My host family here seems to really like the concept though, especially my host mom (although I´ve yet to have someone, spanish or american try my granola bars without asking for the recipe :), see below). The tofu brownie (they are amazing btw, and have practically no fat :) ) inspiration came from how good chocolate tofu mousse, I decided to try tofu pumpkin pie (which people actually liked better, judging by how much they ate, than regular pumpkin pie, made with the same spices!) which also turned out fabulous, and the other thing that I saw online while looking for those recipes was tofu brownies. Add to all this the fact that my host mom went a bit tofu crazy (she bought 4 packs at once and said that I should cok them all because Tita should eat less meat and more protien) (and they have Mori Nu here, which is the only type of ´Silken´ tofu I know of, which you must use to make desserts, the other kind really doesn´t end well, ie doesn´t get smooth and still tastes like tofu...yuck!). Ok, so without further ado (because I have a dibujo tecnico, aka Drafting examen tomorrow, So I really to get back to studying :O) Here are my famous, sought after, and amazing recipes. I seriosuly urge you to try them. Whats the worst that could happen? And the best that could happen is you discover some even BETTER tasting alternative for a loved american dessert (and granola bars just rock, everyone knows that).
Cakey, Super Chocolately, Tofu Brownies
Put in a blender until verrryyyyy smooth:
1/3 cup Flour
One pack Mori Nu Silken Tofu (yes the brand IS important!!)
2/3 cup cold water
Put this is a pot on the stove, and heat until thickened (about 10min). Thats what hte recipe says at least, I decided that at already seemed pretty darn thick to me, so I heated it up enough to melt the chocolate and called it good.
Add:
1 Cup Chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips, they don´t exist here sooo yeah)
1 3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2tsp Vanilla
Stir until the chocolate is all melted. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, stirring occasionaly (hence why I didn´t heat it up so much :) ).
Stir in:
1/2 Cup Oil
In another bowl sift together:
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
Fold the wet mixture into the dry and add chocolate chips or chunks or nuts or whatever you want (I put in more chocolate chunks, and they really add some nice extra chocolateyness :) ).
Spread into a greased baking pan, Cook at 350 Degrees F (175 C) for 35-40 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let cool as much as you can wait for and ENJOY.
Super easy Granola Bars
In a bowl combine:
2 cups oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs Cinnamon
Aprox 1Cup chopped nuts
Whatever dried fruit you want (1/2 to 3/4 cup)
Flax seed (opt, but really does add something :) ).
Put the mixture in the oven for about 15 minutes on low (250 degrees F) heat until it gets some toasty color.
While thats toasting on low heat on the stove mix together:
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
Heat until it starts to boil, then remove from heat and add:
1 tsp Vanilla extract (lucky ducks, you really have that in the EEUU!!)
Put the toasty mixture back in its bowl and pour the sugary ´glue´over it. Stir very well so everything is coated then put into a prepared (covered with wax paper or parchment paper) normal size brownie pan (take your pick it doesn´t really matter :) ). Put another piece of wax paper on top (or double the first one over the top) and press HARD HARD HARD until very compact (you might want to put a towel over them, they are hot at this point). Let cool completley, then cut up and enjoy!
Did anyone notice that I add a lot more notes to my entry when I have a bunch of studying I should be doing? :)
Hope you enjoy the recipes, let me know how they turn out! (And yes I really do challenge you, go buy some tofu and try the brownies, If you like regular brownies I swear you won´t be dissapointed :) ).
Cakey, Super Chocolately, Tofu Brownies
Put in a blender until verrryyyyy smooth:
1/3 cup Flour
One pack Mori Nu Silken Tofu (yes the brand IS important!!)
2/3 cup cold water
Put this is a pot on the stove, and heat until thickened (about 10min). Thats what hte recipe says at least, I decided that at already seemed pretty darn thick to me, so I heated it up enough to melt the chocolate and called it good.
Add:
1 Cup Chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips, they don´t exist here sooo yeah)
1 3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2tsp Vanilla
Stir until the chocolate is all melted. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, stirring occasionaly (hence why I didn´t heat it up so much :) ).
Stir in:
1/2 Cup Oil
In another bowl sift together:
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
Fold the wet mixture into the dry and add chocolate chips or chunks or nuts or whatever you want (I put in more chocolate chunks, and they really add some nice extra chocolateyness :) ).
Spread into a greased baking pan, Cook at 350 Degrees F (175 C) for 35-40 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let cool as much as you can wait for and ENJOY.
Super easy Granola Bars
In a bowl combine:
2 cups oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs Cinnamon
Aprox 1Cup chopped nuts
Whatever dried fruit you want (1/2 to 3/4 cup)
Flax seed (opt, but really does add something :) ).
Put the mixture in the oven for about 15 minutes on low (250 degrees F) heat until it gets some toasty color.
While thats toasting on low heat on the stove mix together:
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
Heat until it starts to boil, then remove from heat and add:
1 tsp Vanilla extract (lucky ducks, you really have that in the EEUU!!)
Put the toasty mixture back in its bowl and pour the sugary ´glue´over it. Stir very well so everything is coated then put into a prepared (covered with wax paper or parchment paper) normal size brownie pan (take your pick it doesn´t really matter :) ). Put another piece of wax paper on top (or double the first one over the top) and press HARD HARD HARD until very compact (you might want to put a towel over them, they are hot at this point). Let cool completley, then cut up and enjoy!
Did anyone notice that I add a lot more notes to my entry when I have a bunch of studying I should be doing? :)
Hope you enjoy the recipes, let me know how they turn out! (And yes I really do challenge you, go buy some tofu and try the brownies, If you like regular brownies I swear you won´t be dissapointed :) ).
Monday, January 12, 2009
Thank you and Good News
First the good news :). My parents told me last night that some people have tried commenting on the blog (good news for me, because it means I actually have readers :D) and had trouble. The good news for you is that I found the setting and switched it so you now should be able to comment without having an account. Give it a shot and answer these two questions in your comment A) What is the weather like where you are, has the snow finally melted? and B) What do you like reading the best here, what do you want to see more of, etc?.
And now the Thank You´s. Really this is just a general Thank you to everyone I know, and to everyone who helped make this possible, to some of you this is a thank you for just being you, others its for finacial support, others emotional support, others (mommy, daddy and friends) helping me through the long application, etc. Me being here is a result of ALL of our hard work, and all of your guys support through out my whoooolllee life :).
Another thing I thank you all for is that I am turning out to be a women with some staying and adapting power. I don´t think there is one person to thank for this, more its the sum of all of your influences. A lot of the other exchange students have been getting quite unhappy and some are wavering on weather to return home or not. Me on the other hand, I LOVE it here :). To be honest I had a dream last night where for some reason I was home in the US (like right now in the present), and I couldn´t come back here for a month, and man was I mad :).
Sure by july i might be ready to go home (;) ), but right now I really really like being here. I love all the things I´m learning, I love being with my friends here, I like school, My host family is fabulous , its fun trying new fruits, I love living in the city...Add to all this nearly perfect weather everyday and man have I got it made.
Thank you, and take care everyone!
Molly
And now the Thank You´s. Really this is just a general Thank you to everyone I know, and to everyone who helped make this possible, to some of you this is a thank you for just being you, others its for finacial support, others emotional support, others (mommy, daddy and friends) helping me through the long application, etc. Me being here is a result of ALL of our hard work, and all of your guys support through out my whoooolllee life :).
Another thing I thank you all for is that I am turning out to be a women with some staying and adapting power. I don´t think there is one person to thank for this, more its the sum of all of your influences. A lot of the other exchange students have been getting quite unhappy and some are wavering on weather to return home or not. Me on the other hand, I LOVE it here :). To be honest I had a dream last night where for some reason I was home in the US (like right now in the present), and I couldn´t come back here for a month, and man was I mad :).
Sure by july i might be ready to go home (;) ), but right now I really really like being here. I love all the things I´m learning, I love being with my friends here, I like school, My host family is fabulous , its fun trying new fruits, I love living in the city...Add to all this nearly perfect weather everyday and man have I got it made.
Thank you, and take care everyone!
Molly
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Vamos Cantemos
So It just occured to me from my mom´s comment that you all can´t understand the Spanish song...Duh :). It translates to (aproxamitely, ah sound spelling doesn´t work in english!) Lets sing, the 7 islands that are in the same sea, Christmas is coming. Then it goes onto a little verse about each of the 7 canary islands, I don´t know them by heart so I´m not going to translate them (the first part I do know now though! Vamos cantemos somos siete, una sobre el mismo mar....blah blah blah llege Navidad)
Glad to hear that Olympia is finally thawing out, sounds like its been pretty crazy. Somebody else besides my Mom should post a comment! Really, she figured out how to do it (and definitely deserves snaps for that :) ), you can too!
Lots of love Olyers,
Molly
P.S. Here is one of the songs I actually like listening too :) (Spanish pop) It´s Called Tenía Tanto (I had lots)
Glad to hear that Olympia is finally thawing out, sounds like its been pretty crazy. Somebody else besides my Mom should post a comment! Really, she figured out how to do it (and definitely deserves snaps for that :) ), you can too!
Lots of love Olyers,
Molly
P.S. Here is one of the songs I actually like listening too :) (Spanish pop) It´s Called Tenía Tanto (I had lots)
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Mommy says its time for an update
Sorry about the lack of updates, I got sick on chirstmas eve and have been feeling a bit out of sorts since :(. Being a sick exchange student really makes your host mom worry, which in turn meant that instead of just working on getting better I had to work on looking not so sick so my host mom wouldn´t worry at the same time as getting better :). She kept wanting to take me to the doctor, or give me lots of strange fizzy disolve in water (like most of their things here) medicines (even IB profen, etc come in fizzy water versions!). When I was still sick with a bad sounding cough a few days ago I agreed that we shoudl call the doctor line for my health insurance, they were able to reassure her a bit and give me a recomendation for more random fizzy things to take and to steam tent with special minty extract stuff from the pharmacy.
Christmas eve here consisted of a 4 course dinner at home with everyone all dressed up. It was quite fun :), and even though santa clause doesn´t really come here, we each got a box of chocolates and sweets from ´him´that I (because I´m the youngest) got to bring in durring dinner and say that santa left them in the other room lol. Christmas morning consisted of washing dishes. Yes, Dishes! For the afternoon we went up to the rural house (hotel, family´s property, I don´t know exactly what you call it in english :) ) and had a big potluck feast with 30 members of the family. It was cool to hang out with all the cousins, and the weather was nice enough that lots of them went into the pool! I managed to get a sunburn too, ON CHRISTMAS. I think thats a first :), snow burn its possible (we sometimes go to Snowqualmie on christmas at home) but a real sunburn on christmas is definitely unheard of at home. After eating we sang christmas songs (in spanish, mostly), and one song about the canary islands (this is a link, click it to go to the youtube video :) ). (ok so this version doesn´t sound too terribly good, but it gets to the chorus quicker, click around and find the more professional ones if you want) (I´m on Tenerife for anyone who forgot :) ).
After that things calmed down a bit, especially for me because I was sick in bed for a few days! On New years (last night) we all got on very fancy clothes (like dresses, Juan with a tux, etc) and ate fried potatoes with rice and eggs (apperently their favorite new years eve food :) ). After wards we lit sparklers in the living room and waited for 11 oclock (midnight in Madrid) to eat our 12 grapes with the 12 chimes of the clock (so the grandparents could go to bed and we coudl go party :) ). At midnight I also went up on the roof with my host siblings and we watched the profesional fireworks display. It´s a nice break right now not to have tons of fireworks going off, for the past week or so everyone has been celebrating and its been LOUD. At about 12:45 we went down to the ´Casino´, a club thing, and I met up with the exchange student boy who is visiting from Madrid for the holidays with his host family and hung out with him until we both got too tired around 2:30 and came home and went to bed. Carmen Celia, Juan, and Loreto all went to different parties, and got home around 8 or 8:30 in the morning!! (After eating churros and chocolate while watching the sunrise). I hope to do that sometime durring carnival, but I really dont´know how they manage to be so alive the next day (although that may be an overstatement, Juan antonio spent about half the day in bed, and the other half on the couch half sleeping half watching TV :) ).
Well its nearly midnight, so I´m off to bed, I have to get all the way better to go hangout with friends tomorrow night,
Have a very happy 2009 everyone!
Molly
P.S. For those who want to look at PICTURES click here and view them on my facebook :)
Christmas eve here consisted of a 4 course dinner at home with everyone all dressed up. It was quite fun :), and even though santa clause doesn´t really come here, we each got a box of chocolates and sweets from ´him´that I (because I´m the youngest) got to bring in durring dinner and say that santa left them in the other room lol. Christmas morning consisted of washing dishes. Yes, Dishes! For the afternoon we went up to the rural house (hotel, family´s property, I don´t know exactly what you call it in english :) ) and had a big potluck feast with 30 members of the family. It was cool to hang out with all the cousins, and the weather was nice enough that lots of them went into the pool! I managed to get a sunburn too, ON CHRISTMAS. I think thats a first :), snow burn its possible (we sometimes go to Snowqualmie on christmas at home) but a real sunburn on christmas is definitely unheard of at home. After eating we sang christmas songs (in spanish, mostly), and one song about the canary islands (this is a link, click it to go to the youtube video :) ). (ok so this version doesn´t sound too terribly good, but it gets to the chorus quicker, click around and find the more professional ones if you want) (I´m on Tenerife for anyone who forgot :) ).
After that things calmed down a bit, especially for me because I was sick in bed for a few days! On New years (last night) we all got on very fancy clothes (like dresses, Juan with a tux, etc) and ate fried potatoes with rice and eggs (apperently their favorite new years eve food :) ). After wards we lit sparklers in the living room and waited for 11 oclock (midnight in Madrid) to eat our 12 grapes with the 12 chimes of the clock (so the grandparents could go to bed and we coudl go party :) ). At midnight I also went up on the roof with my host siblings and we watched the profesional fireworks display. It´s a nice break right now not to have tons of fireworks going off, for the past week or so everyone has been celebrating and its been LOUD. At about 12:45 we went down to the ´Casino´, a club thing, and I met up with the exchange student boy who is visiting from Madrid for the holidays with his host family and hung out with him until we both got too tired around 2:30 and came home and went to bed. Carmen Celia, Juan, and Loreto all went to different parties, and got home around 8 or 8:30 in the morning!! (After eating churros and chocolate while watching the sunrise). I hope to do that sometime durring carnival, but I really dont´know how they manage to be so alive the next day (although that may be an overstatement, Juan antonio spent about half the day in bed, and the other half on the couch half sleeping half watching TV :) ).
Well its nearly midnight, so I´m off to bed, I have to get all the way better to go hangout with friends tomorrow night,
Have a very happy 2009 everyone!
Molly
P.S. For those who want to look at PICTURES click here and view them on my facebook :)
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