Saturday 24 December 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


I wish to my readers Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Уншигч Та бүхэндээ ирж буй Шинэ оны мэндийг хүргэе! 

Monday 12 December 2011

Christmas is around corner but without snow

Many Christmas fairs were held in Lisbon and its surrounding areas.  I attended in some of these fairs.  I like going there to show my bags and buy presents or just look at some very talended people's works. 

When I went to IWP craft fair I learnt how to make Christmas tree using old magazines. Flavia, IWP vice-president,  taught using  Martha Stewart's technique.  I bought some glitters and sprays to make trees but so far I do not have magazines.  I am not the person who buys magazines to read and through away, mine usually kept for a long time because they are about craft or photography.

My bags at IPS Pamper Evening

Between these fairs last Saturday I had Chritsmas afternoon tea party at my house.  Last Thursday night I baked my favourite brownies, which is always made whenever I have party at my house.  I used Delia's recipe but only with walnuts.  Baked sticky date cake, again Delia's, sausuage rolls, cheesecake and scones, which was forgotten to be brought to the table on Saturday.  Now all of them are frozen to take to Italy when I leave for Christmas next week.

Of course, it was Christmas tea party and could not be without mince pies.  I went to GB store to buy mince meat, never made for myself.  The shop moved from Sao Joao de Estoril in Cascais to address Avenida das Comunidades Europeis 415. 

My husband after searching for hours about perfect recipe for mince pies he made them.  They were tasty and guests were happy to taste the British tradition.  But my older daughter who can happily eat marmite did not like it.  While he was baking mince pies I went to my studio to work on my new bag.


After the tea party I had dinner with couple of friends, which lasted until 11pm.  It was nice to meet Fernando, who gave us interesting evening about Portugal and Portuguese culture.

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Christmas Decoration Workshop

Christmas is coming soon and of course, we do have to prepare our homes for the festivities.  These Christmas decorations are great for your home or as presents for your family members and  friends. 

I will run workshop on 17 and 24 November.  Please email me if you want to make these fantastic decorations.  threeoldempires[@]gmail.com


Monday 31 October 2011

November workshop at Patch-Mania

November is the month of the year that we have to think about making and buying Christmas presents for our loved ones. 

5 and 18 November I will be teaching these two very cute bags at Patch-Mania.

 
Another Quick & Easy project will be taught at Patch-Mania on 22 November.  These flowers can make your clothes, bags or hair to stand out.



Matryoshka and clutch with metal frames will be repeated and try not miss.  They are great to have in your wardrobe!

Wednesday 26 October 2011

New bags and suddenly winter

Suddenly, Portuguese winter arrived in last Sunday.  Today I drove in heavy rain for for a couple of hours but without meeting accidents.  Although, FM radios were announcing that many motorways had several accidents.  My speed was 70 kmh instead 120.  You can guess how bad weather was.

Anyway, winter has to arrive at one point and it arrived quite late.  Serra da Estrela mountains had snow.  Lisbon areas had rains. Normal.  Poor trees needed some water after several months of not having any drops.

I got inspired recently and made new bags which I will teach at Patch-mania. 

And even I managed to start making a twister quilt. It was easy to sew 5" patches together but I took me three nights to solve the puzzle. I might start sewing tomorrow morning unless I see some problems.  Wish me luck!


Saturday 8 October 2011

Tomas Transtroemer and Lisbon

Tomas Transtroemer

Swedish poet Swedish poet Tomas Transtroemer has been awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize for Literature. Here is Portugal the news received with great admiration because he wrote a poem about Lisbon and Funchal. Here is the poem.


Lisbon


In the Alfama quarter the yellow tramcars sang on the steep slopes.

There were two prisions. One was for thieves.

They waved through the grilled windows.

They shouted to be photographed.


‘But here,’ said the conductor giggling like a split man,

‘here sit politicians.’ I saw the façade the façade the façade

and high up in a window a man

who stood with a telescope to his eye and looked out over the sea.


Laundry hung in blue air. The walls were hot.

The flies read microscopic letters.

Six years later I asked a woman from Lisbon:

‘Is it true, or have I dreamt it?’

Monday 19 September 2011

Polo trophy

Weekend went very well with family traveling for an hour for me to take some photos at Barclays Porsche polo game. 
I have seen games on TV so many times and it is considered a "king of sport".  I know that many rich and famous just go there to show off themselves and their wealth.  Even members of royal family play the game.  There was something like that on that day.  I have seen a well dressed man, a little scarf under a shirt, wearing suit on 30 degree heat.  Women bored to d aeath, they did not come to see the game but just show their jewellery. 

Probably, ten percent of spectators were interested in a game but rest just came to be seen.


My experiment went not to bad I think and here are some photos, click here 

Saturday 10 September 2011

Barbie Exhibition

A Spanish superstore El Corte Ingles is well known in Lisbon.  From time to time the shop brings some exhibitions.  Today I went to see Barbie exhibition on the 7th floor.  There were many expensive Barbies costing more than €60 each.  Some of them were collectible Barbie's with from the 1950s.  Many of them were wearing beautiful gowns and costums. Sorry about photo quality, I took photos in my mobile.

This is Asian Goddes and Geisha made in 2006.

These are Japanese collections
 Moderns party Barbies 

Queen Amidala, she is wearing an old Mongolian head dress

 Burberry Barbie
 Coco Chanel
 Empress Josefina
Queen Elisabeth I

Sunday 7 August 2011

More bags


After months not going to my sewing room I made new bags for summer.  One is not quite finished but with a blue flower shoulder bag I am happy.  Usually, I am always happy with my results.  But sometimes I have to redo pattern again and again.  One which I am working on now soon I will be ready to show you. 

Хэдэн сар оёдлын өрөөндөө ороогүй байж байгаад саянаас хэдэн цүнх оёлоо.  Зарим нь ч гайгүй сайхан сэтгэлд таараад, заримыг нь хэд дахин хийх хэрэг гарч байна. Зүүн гар талд тань байгаа бол сэтгэлд хүрсэн цүнх болсон. Одоо бас өөр нэг цүнх хийх гээд хэд дахин ажил болоод 2 хонож байна. 

This red one is not finished yet.  Have to think about what kind of handle it will have.  In the photo it looks nice but I am not 100% satisfied with the result.

Энэ улаан цүнх арай л дуусаагүй байгаа юм.  Ямар бариул хийхээ одоохондоо шийдээгүй байна.  Зурган дээр их дажгүй харагдаж байгаа боловч, сэтгэлд арай л хүрээгүй байгаа юм.


Among all of these I hemmed several trousers, sewn some buttons for shirts.  My machine was busy too.  She had a long rest at the beginning of the summer and it is working hard now.  While I was working put some music on and sang songs.  Life is Beautiful!

Цүнх оёхын хажуугаар өөрийнхөө болон нөхрийнхөө хэдэн өмдны шуумгыг оёлоо.  Бас хэдэн цамцны товчийг ч хадлаа.  Нилээд хэдэн сар "Намайг оёоод өгөөчээ" гээд гуйгаад байсан юм.  Оёдлын машин маань ч ажилд ороод дуу нь хүртэл сайхан байгаа юм.  Хажуугаар нь бас монгол дуу тавьчихна.  Үе үе тэрнийгээ дагаж дуулаад, амьдрал сайхан!  Ялангуяа Харангын Сар шиг холын газар дуу.




This is great bag!  It is a very roomy, a beach towel go inside very easily. If you come to my blog often you already know that I am fun of Japanese prints.  I bought this fabric in Tunbridge Wells, UK, from the Sewing World fabric shop last Christmas. When I visited the shop this June, it made me cry because they are moving. 
 
Энэ цүнхэндээ хачин дуртай.  Даанч даавуугаар хийсэн юм болохоор дороо харлачих юм даа.  Өнгөрсөн зул сарын баяраар Англи очихдоо даавууг нь авсан юм.  Уул нь үргэлж очдог нэг дэлгүүртэй л дээ.  Энэ зургаан сард очсон чинь тэр дэлгүүр маань нүүхээр болчихсон байна.  Хайран дэлгүүр.  Япон даавуунд үнэхээр дуртайг минь та анзаарсан байх.  Энэ цүнх ч их том доо.  Банны алчуур бол элбэгхэн багтчихна.

Another Japanese fabric used to make another Japanese style bag.  Sorry for the photo.  I got the pattern from Japanese book.  Unfotunately, I cannot use this one because I accidently dropped bleach which was not closed properly on the bag.  It was not me that used the bleach last time.

Япон номноос эсгүүрийг нь авч хийсэн жинхэнэ япон цүнх.  Харамсалтай нь дахин хэрэглэхийн аргагүй болчихсон.  Яагаад гэвэл манай гэрт байдаг хэн нэгэн хүн цайруулагчаа хэрэглээд таглааг нь таглаагүй орхисноос болоод би тэрнийг нь анзааралгүй асгачихсан юм.  Хайран юм, дахин хийхээс аргагүй болсон.


Last two bags have been taught at Patch-Mania already and I will continue teach them if there is any interest.  

Wednesday 20 July 2011

Португал, Монголын Нийгэмлэг нээлтээ хийлээ

Португал, Монголын Нийгэмлэг Галвейаш ордонд байрладаг Лиссабон хотын захиргааны номын санд 7-р сарын 2-нд нээлтээ амжилттай хийлээ. Нийгэмлэгийн нээлтийн ажиллагаанд Өргөмжит Консул Жозе Серраү, Португал улсаас БНХАУ-д сууж байсан элчин сайд Сантана Карлуш, Португалийн алдартай зохиолч Жорж Морайш зэрэг олон хүмүүс хүрэлцэн ирсэн юм.

Жозе Серраү нээлтийн ажиллагаанд хэлсэн үгэндээ, Португал улс, Монгол улс хоёр газар зүйн хувьд хол ч гэсэн хоёр орны баялаг түүх, соёл 21-р зуунд ойртон нөхөрлөж, хамтран ажиллах нөхцөл бололцоо бүрэн бүрэлдсэнийг онцлон тэмдэглэсэн. Португал улс түүхэндээ далай тэнгисээр тив, дэлхийг холбож байсан ба Ази тивийг Европ тивтэй холбосон анхны орон байсныг онцлов. Харин Монгол улс дэлхийн түүхэнд нэрээ тодоор үлдээсэн орон гэдгийг дурдлаа.


Холбооны тэргүүн Б.Жавхлан хүрэлцэн ирсэн зочиддоо, Португал, Монголын Нийгэмлэг нь Португал улс, Монгол улсын хооронд соёл урлаг болон бизнесийн гүүр болон үйл ажиллагаагаа явуулахаа мэдэгдлээ. Нийгэмлэгийн зорилт нь хоёр орны давтагдашгүй соёлыг тухайн орны ард түмэнд танилцуулах, жижиг, дунд үйлдвэрлэл эрхлэгчдийн хооронд найрсаг хамтын ажиллагааг бүрэлдүүлэхийг хичээнэ гэдгээ хэлэв.

Монголын ардын язгуур урлагыг дэлхийн ард түмэнд хүргэхийн төлөө хүчин зүтгэж яваа Хөх Монгол хамтлагийн уран бүтээлчид болох Д.Эрдэнэболд, Б.Золзаяа нийгэмлэгийн нээлтэнд хүрэлцэн ирж анх удаа Португалийн үзэгчдэд өөрсдийн уран бүтээлээсээ толилууллаа. Тэд Монголын язгуур урлагын өв хөрөнгө болох морин хуурын аялгууг сонордуулж, хөөмий, магтаал, лимбэний эгшгээр Атлантын далайд түрлэг нэмлээ.

Нээлтийн үйл ажиллагаанд Португалийн гэрэл зурагчин Антонио Са-гийн Монгол улсын говь, хангайгаар аялж явахдаа авсан гэрэл зургууд, Халимагийн зураач Руслан Ботиевын монголын түүх, португал орны амьдралыг харуулсан уран зургийн үзэсгэлэнг гарган зочиддоо сонирхуулсан нь олны талархлыг хүлээсэн юм.


Монгол улсын түүх, соёл, зан заншлыг харуулсан португал, монгол, англи хэл дээр хэвлэгдсэн номуудыг дэлгэн тавьсан нь зочдод Монгол улсын тухай баялаг мэдлэг олж авахад тус дөхөм болов.
Португал Монголын Нийгэмлэгийн үйл ажиллагаанд амжилт хүсч, ИБУИНВУ-д суугаа Элчин сайд Б.Алтангэрлийн бэлэглэсэн монголын ард түмний идээний дээж болох Чингис хаан архи, Португалын хүндэтгэлийн порто дарсаар зочдоо дайллаа.
Португал, Монголын Нийгэмлэгийн үйл ажиллагаанд гүн туслалцаа үзүүлсэн Монгол улсаас ИБУИНВУ-д суугаа Элчин сайд Б.Алтангэрэл, ардын язгуур урлагийн Хөх Монгол хамтлаг, Цахим Өртөө Сүлжээ, Британийн Монголчуудын Холбоо, Д.Цэрэнбат нарт Португал, Монголын Нийгэмлэг гүн талархлаа илэрхийлье.

Wednesday 13 July 2011

books

Reading books is my life. I can buy books from bookshops and on the net.  In England I like visiting secondhand book shops because I can pay only one to five pounds for a book.  This time I bought two cookery books. After marrying to a British man I started using Delia Smiths' books.  I made many cakes from her recipes.  The most famous is the Ameican Brownies.  I added my collection with How to Cheat one. 

Being Asian and running Asian lunch group I love to cook oriental meals.  Almost 2,5kg heavy book published in 1989 but covers recipes from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand (my favourite), Vietnam (have to learn more recipes to cook), Korea (love their food), Singapore, Sr Lanka, Burma, India, Pakistan, Japan (know how to cook many recipes but still would like to improve). 

 

My FIL bought me Garden-Inspired Quilt Block Desings, lovely book, lots of quilts, uses paper-piercing techniques. 

Barack Obama's Dreams From My Father, very readable, actually already finished.  Have to start the other one The Last Empress, by Anchee Min.

Wednesday 22 June 2011

Collecting berries

A couple of days ago my family arrived to England from very hot or becoming very hot Portugal.  When we left Lisbon it was +26C and when we landed in Gatwick after 20 minutes circling on top of it because of a plane's landing gear problem, the temperature dropped dramatically, +16C. Nice!

After an hour ride we arrived at my PILs place.  Garden was blooming.  Vegetable patch had many vegetables, few ready for dinner many not yet.

 





 

Since my arrival I had collected straberries and raspberries. Raspberries were easy to collect but I had to always look under leaves.  Same as strawberries, but after collecting 500g strawberries my MIL said that she will collect them because I was putting in my bowl not yet ripe ones.

My DD1 was surprised that she can eat without washing raspberries.  I had to do some explanation because poor little child always told to wash fruit before eating them.  Many of them went to breakfast bowl, frozen, made ice creams and cheesecakes.


PILs had in their garden red currants, my favourite berries, my childhood memories. Somewhere in Mongolia, or to be precise in Dadal, Khentii aimag, during July I went with my grandmother to collect them in banks of Balj river.  We made jams, or boil with creams and freeze, it would be almost like ice cream.  When I came back for my summer holiday next summer, last jar of jam would be waiting for me. And circle would start again.

Nowadays, I buy in supermarkets, 100g costs me fortune, I would crash them and mix with cream and put on my bread.  Yammy!


Sunday 12 June 2011

Santo Antonio, Lisbon trip

My family does not often go to Lisbon but today was a special day to be there.  The Portuguese capital is preparing to celebrate Saint Antonio's day on 13 June. Street parties will be held, in Alfama and other districts of the capital.  Lots of sardines will be grilled and washed down with "green" (young) wine. On top of that, I really wanted to go today, I am marking my tenth anniversary living in Portugal.  A decade!

My family reflection in the window.
I went to a restaurant above Alfama but did not see grilled sardines on the menu's dish of the day so I asked a waiter if they had them. Of course, they had, without grilled sardines there would not be a Saint Antonio party!  I had a typically Portuguese lunch with grilled sardines, arroz doce (rice pudding) and meia de leite (coffee with milk). The sardines were tastier than ten years ago. I might getting used to my Portuguese life.


My DD2 demanded to have my rice pudding. At the end I had some. Too sweet, but I like it occasionally.


Sardines were on buses, grills,


 hanging from the door
 stuck on the shop window

 
flapping on the balcony.


It is traditional to have mass weddings on this day, and in Lisbon the city hall will pay for them if the couples are poor.  Today 16 couples were getting married at the Se cathedral, and tonight they would march on Popular Parades in Avenida da Liberdade. I did not see them arriving because I was told that they would arrive later in antique cars, but I saw their relatives arriving in nine buses escorted by police. 


For the event the Portuguese media was there. RTP's camera was suspended at the front door of the cathedral.  Others were running in streets to get their good shots.

And a famous Portuguese television morning show presenter João Baião was in his car behind the ninth bus.  He was friendly, I asked him to roll his car window down for the photo and he did.  I gave him my Portuguese-Mongolian Association business card, he looked at it, I guess, he will never look again. He was in a red mini but was quickly spotted and people were shouting "Senhor Joao!", "Senhor Joao!"



Nearby a lady was selling Beirao liquor.  This is made in the north of the country.  I tried once just for my curiosity.  For people who like liquors it could be good but I cannot judge.


A lady had candles to tribute Santo Antonio in front of her shop door, hopefully, there would not be a fire!


Super Bock beer, had been delivered by Post! Sagres has to be there too. The price was just €1.  I don't drink beer but I like Super Bock's advertising.


If you know what is written here, please let me know.


With all these stands selling beer, the party will go on!


Of course, what goes in must come out.  The streets already smelled of urine.


Life in other parts of the capital was more normal, here are some tourists renting segways. I might try one day.

Someone had the idea to liven up a boring caravan parked closer to the Praça de Comercio.




The view of Sao Jorge castle was great from the praça...



...which also hosted a photo exhibition by Angelo Lucas, sponsored by many big names in Portugal.




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