Сообщения

Изображение
Recently, I obtained two new ways to enjoy coffee: an Aeropress and a Moka pot. The trickier of the two is the Moka, and I found that out the hard way. I didn't know that you can't just put an aluminum Moka pot and aluminum utensils into the dishwasher. This was a huge mistake since aluminum oxidizes after this kind of treatment. Very aggressive chemicals and hot water cause the surface to get covered with dark gray dust, and I had to clean it with an ultrasonic toothbrush afterward.  Moreover, a Moka pot shouldn't be washed with soap at all since its surface is protected by a tiny film of coffee oil. Now I know, and I haven't regretted for a single minute buying a cheap Chinese replica instead of the original Bialetti Moka. Now that I know all these things, I'm finally ready to buy the original one.

Vacation in Barcelona

There are very beautiful sunsets in Barcelona, especially if you observe them from the seafront. The city itself is colorful. There are entire areas filled with the best architectural objects from different eras. Garbage collection is complicated—you can’t just throw organic waste into the brown bin. The bin is basically locked. Places where we found good food: Japanese food bar Shokudo. There is a Swedish table rule: you pay for entry and can order any food. For beverages, you should pay additionally. For lunch, there is a special offer: four dishes, a beverage, and dessert. Local cuisine—any of them, I believe. Khinkali and plov are ordinary. You can find something better even in Belgrade. They don’t even have a pepper mill. Problem with NFC on Apple smartphones—you can use it to validate your rides, but the phone should be activated within the EU. My wife’s iPhone didn’t work. The rent is high, but the food and wine are cheap. Magnificent fruits! Papaya is even better than in Cyprus...

Cyprus is forever in my heart!

Just returned from Cyprus. It was... how many times have I been to Cyprus? Like 100 times? Wow! It feels like visiting grandma (or grandpa in the case of Valera) at her village house. And it is still wonderful. I can see how the city is changing - new cozy places, new bus routes. This year there has been plenty of rain on the island. So I'm glad for the Cypriot people. Finally, it is legal to wash a car. Surprisingly, it was colder there than in Serbia last week. Unfortunately, I couldn't try my new snorkeling mask and swimming fins—the water was too cold for that. It is worth visiting Cyprus in the fall. Nice place. A lot of tasty food and cheap, good beer. Evenings with Valera in the living room with pizza and a mug of beer. I miss it already. But the best time in Serbia has started. It's time to be delighted by the Balkan summer.

Ни слова по-русски!

Изображение
Спасибо любимой жене, закрыл гештальт по поездке в Прагу. Ещё одна (четвёртая) пивная столица Европы - checked!  Первая была Берлин, вторая - Брюссель, третья - Вена. Кто-то может спросит, чем же Вена заслужила этот статус? Отвечу: вообще-то, Жигулёвское пиво до коммунизации было Венское! А дать начало национальному брэнду СССР, это, я считаю, заслуга, достойная быть отмеченой. Да, пивная культура в Вене не так коммерциализированна, как в Берлине, Брюсселе и Праге. А всё же.  Так вот, Прага! Ради нее я отступил от своего пути по сокращению потребления алкоголя и отдался во власть Старопрамена! Ну и прочих марок и сортов.  В первый же вечер мы узнали про чешские "градусы" - 10, 11, 12. В последствии добавилось ещё 8. Это не содержимое алкоголя, а экстрактивность(плотность) начального сусла. Традиционная крепость соотносится так:  8 = 3 объемным долями;  10 = 4; 11= 4,3-4,5 12 = 5. То есть на экспорт идёт в основном 12. Хотя я предпочел бы в моем возрасте 10 или 8...

Самые-самые итоги года

Самая дорогая покупка: машина. Вообще я начал проще относиться к деньгам, купил Насте новый макбук эйр в максимальной комплектации, новый айфон (правда, по её просьбе, 16e), себе купил Samsung S24 Ultra. Не то чтобы моя тревожность в отношении денег окончательно отступила, но теперь это не так меня заботит.  Самая дорогая поездка: Барселона. Купил билеты по скидке в ВизЭйре, но не посмотрел цены на жилье перед этим. В итоге снимали задрипанную холодную хату с муравьями за 1000 евро. Но поездка нам понравилась. Долгожданный переезд. Не смотря на то, что я был разочарован прибавкой зп - 10% вместо 20, - я решил, что теперь мы можем позволить себе переехать в квартиру получше в более спокойном и тихом районе. Квартира и правда получше, но район не такой тихий. Прямо под окнами оживленная улица с тупыми утырками на громких рыдванах. Теперь я сплю исключительно в берушах. Кстати, теперь я стараюсь сделать мой сон лучше. Как? Эксперименты с бокалом вина, с температурой в комнате. Думаю, ...

The "Big Three"

The first thing I want to mention is my travel experience: we visited Austria, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Cyprus, and Bulgaria. I spent almost three months abroad in Serbia, and three years abroad in Russia. My second accomplishment is our move from Vukov Spomenik, one of the central districts, to the periphery—Filmski Grad. Here, the view and the winter air are better, and we are now living near a huge park. The flat itself is warmer and better equipped than the previous one. Now we have a dishwasher and a dryer, as well as a better fridge, a kitchen stove, and so on. And the third one is that I started going to the gym. It was a very long road to this decision. It was necessary to change my mindset first. Now I have a program, a schedule, and a goal: to reach 80kg without overeating.

The End of the summer in Serbia / Kraj leta u Srbiji

Corrected: Summer in Serbia starts on the 20th of June and ends on the 20th of September. That’s why today it is +31 degrees Celsius (+87.8 Fahrenheit). Real heat, but it still feels like something already floats in the air. Something depressing. I probably hate the cold, dark, nasty, and gray winter here in Serbia, with all of this polluted air. This summer was good but also depressing. We visited Vienna, visited Budapest twice, visited friends, and bought a car. I believe I found a new friend. We also spent so much money on the car, on maintaining the car, and on traveling. My beloved sort of coffee, Yirgacheffe, suddenly appeared in Gradska Pržionica. I started bodybuilding here in our new basement. I like the results so far. I’ve found better sleep here. Rarely did the sleep estimation drop below 80 points (out of 100). Almost like in Cyprus. I am attracted to Cyprus. No, seriously! I have fallen in love with the island, mostly because of the weather and warmth, but also because o...