Street children in Ulaanbaatar

After the collapse of Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s, which was the Mongolian economy depended on it was hard for normal people to survive.  Shops had only sugar and flour and price for everything was rocketing almost every day.

During that time first street children or gang rose from sewage of Ulaanbaatar city.  The government could not coup with sudden rise of numbers of homeless children and at that time it could not figure out itself too. 

Handful of foreigners is helping the situation.  Many foreign media tried to get public awareness but it did not decrease number of children living in streets.

I met Didi many times during my Friday nights out because in Ulaanbaatar there were not many places to hang out at nights.  I knew what she was doing in Mongolia. 

Didi is working to help to street children in Ulaanbaatar.  Now her Lotus Children's Centre in the Mongolian capital is providing shelter, food and education for vulnerable children.  The centre spread its business providing accommodation and tours to visitors.

You can help or sponsor children donating money or volunteering your work at Lotus centre.

Antonio Sa and Ana Pedrosa

I met Antonio Sa and Ana Pedrosa some years ago. If I could say, they are my first Portuguese friends by accident.

 Me with António at his exhibition, Esphino

At the beginning of this century, wow I can say this, Lisbon's Colombo shopping centre's FNAC shop had António Sá's photo exhibition. My husband and son saw this and told me that photos were from Mongolia. I went to see the exhibition and got his address and called him. Me and my husband arranged to meet them in Esphino, near Porto.

They traveled to Mongolia and visited many places such as Gobi, steppes and mountains. From the talk I was amazed being a Mongolian that they ate fish huushuur (fried dumpling). I was astonished! I never ate fish huushuur in my life in Mongolia! The only guess I could make it because this event happened at the Huvsgul lake, a very famous Mongolian tourist destination.

The photographer's family

When he visited Mongolia his short name Tony was very popular among Mongolians because of a Brazilian soup opera.  Every Mongolian could easily to say his name.  He is the one of Portuguese does know about Mongolia and gives some talks and exhibit his photos about Mongolia in Portugal. 

If you are interested in photography workshops and photography holidays he would be perfect person to contact. He and his wife write for Evasões, National Geographic Portugal, Rotas & Destinos

Tomorrow, Friday, 16 April at Colombo's FNAC auditorium he will talk about his Iceland photography tour.  This is one of his tours that he does.

Japanese Sashiko Stitching

Thursday four ladies came to try sashiko stitching, which is a very relaxing therapy.  I think it was a very appropriate pattern for this time of the year when Japan will be covered with sakura blossoms.
Many Japanese would be going to parks to sit under cherry trees and enjoy life.

I prepared sakura - cherry flower pattern from Susan Briscoe's Japanese Quilt Blocks to Mix and Match. The book has many patterns and how you can mix them to make a great quilt. I made my biggest quilt using kimono patterns for my DH's birthday present.

 However, this is Ursula's machine stitched sakura flower. 

 This is Susan's hand stitched sakura.

 
If you want to know more about sashiko you can visit Purl Bee and it explains very well how to do sashiko.  Enjoy your stitching. 

A Mongolian contortionist

Mongolians love their contortionists. Girls started training as early as three years old and their can do until their late thirties. Enkhtsetseg Lodoi, was my neighbour when I lived in Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia. She was performing when she was five months pregnant and almost after the birth. For many years she worked in the west and now she is retired but teaching girls for this old Mongolian art.

Vilamoura, Algarve

Many Portuguese but also northern Europeans love Algarve for its sea and sun. This Easter we spent there two nights there. Here is Vilamoura Marina - luxury hotels, yachts and cars.

At the marina almost every restaurant and shop had an English name. There were plenty of British, both tourists and locals.

Porsche Club Portugal had its monthly meeting at Vilamoura Marina.

Two Boxster S (could get only one of them in this photo), a 1951 black Porsche 356 whose owner was younger than his car, white 993 Carrera.

Two wheels in one

Me trying to be creative.