Fecha de boda!! Wedding date!!

El proximo 20 de septiembre por fin nos casamos!!!!!! Todo se ha retrasado un poco puesto que creiamos que al llegar de Chicago todo iria mas rapido, pero adaptarnos a un pais nuevo, casa nueva y mudanza transatlantica no ha sido tan rapido, jeje! Contando ademas, con lo que viajamos, que ademas de cansado no es muy bueno para el bolsillo, jaja!
Aun queda mucho y solo tenemos el sitio reservado, tanto la ceremonia como la celebracion seran en el Parador Nacional de Almagro (Ciudad Real). Si os apetece echarle un vistazo al pueblo y a este maravilloso antiguo convento franciscano convertido en Parador, os va a encantar, es precioso!!
Poco a poco iremos organizando cosas, sin ningun estres. Gracias al tipo de vida y trabajo que tenemos, no nos podemos permitir estresarnos por la boda, jeje! :)
De todos modos, que empiece la cuenta atras!!!

We are finally getting married!!! The wedding will be on September 20th 2014!!! Everything is a little bit delayed. We thought things would go faster after moving from Chicago, but we still had to adapt to a new country, new house and job and even a transoceanic moving, which was pretty tiring. Moreover, we travel a lot, making our time even more precious and our pockets more emtpy, hehe!
We still have a lot of time for the big day and so far we only have booked the wedding venue. The ceremony and the celebration will be all in the same place, "The National Parador of Almagro" in Ciudad Real, my hometown in Spain. I hope you can take some minutes to check this beautiful location and the village, it is so pretty! It is an old Saint Francis abby transformed into a hotel, it is just great!
We will start preparing things little by little, no stress. Our jobs and scientific lives don't let us be stressed about the wedding, there are so many other things to think about, that we'll just enjoy it and do things quietly.
Anyway, the countdown can start!!!!

September 20th 2014

20 de Septiembre del 2014

Llego la boda de Almudena. Almudena's wedding

Por fin el pasado sabado 11 de agosto llego la boda de Almudena. Vole a España el jueves por la noche, llegue a Madrid el viernes por la mañana y tuve tiempo de descansar y llegar fresca al evento :) Trabaje en el avion, escribiendo una beca Marie Curie, 30 paginas de solicitud en menos de 5 dias, para reventarse.
El viaje aunque cansado merecio la pena, la ida fue estupenda, la vuelta un infierno...De todos modos, quiero dejar aqui plasmado este dia, que recordare como un dia precioso mientras estaba en Chicago. Os dejo algunas fotos que resumen la boda.
Last Saturday August 11th, Almudena and Dani's wedding was celebrated. I flew to Spain on Thursday night and I arrived in Madrid on Friday morning. I had time to rest and arrive bright to the event. I worked in the plain, writing a Marie Curie proposal, with an application of more than 30 pages in less than 5 days. I'm happy Thomas helped me :)
The trip was worth it, going there was easy but the back was an odisey. However, I'd like to post about the wedding here to keep it as a nice memory of something that happened while I was in Chicago. Here are some pictures of the wedding.

La pareja recien casada. Just married couple.

Mariposas de arroz. Rice butterflies.

Grupo de amigos de la novia (ahora tambien del novio). Bride's friends (now also groom's)



Foto con la novia. Picture with the bride.

El jamon finiquitado, que pena!! The end of the ham, sad!!

Sevillanas :)

Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO

Disfraces en la fiesta. Costumes for the party.

El viaje me sento fenomenal, ver a mi familia aunque sea por poco tiempo es como mi gasolina :) El viaje no fue lo relajante que deberia por cuestiones de trabajo, pero teniendo en cuenta los tiempos que corren, no me quejo!!

La vuelta se trunco cuando tuvimos que hacer un aterrizaje de emergencia en el estado de Maine (USA). Hubo una emergencia medica, una chica sufrio un ataque de asma y los medicos que habia en el avion le pidieron al capitan que aterrizase. El vuelo se retraso dos horas y al llegar a Chicago tuvimos que hacer mas de 3 horas para pasar la aduana. Al final llegue a casa a las 9 de la noche, en vez de a las 2 del mediodia...Me perdi la presentacion de Haohao, un estudiante que ha trabajado conmigo este verano y que ya estara de vuelta en Francia. Ademas, no le dije a mi jefe que me iba a Espana y al final, no llegue a la reunion del grupo, pero buen, en peores plazas hemos toreado, jeje! Al menos, disfrute de la boda!! Felicidades chicos!!

The trip was fantastic, just the fuel I needed to continue some more months here, seeing my family :) The trip wasn't as relaxing as it could have been due to working issues, but considering the difficult economical moment we have right now I won't complain!!

The trip back went wrong because we had to land unexpectedly in Maine (USA) due to a medical emergency. A girl in the plain had an asthma attack and the doctors asked the captain to land asap, I hope she feels better wherever she is. The flight was delayed 2 hours and we had to wait 3 hours in Chicago to go through customs, I was absolutely desperate!! I arrived home at 9 pm instead of at 2 pm...I missed Haohao's presentation. He is my summer student and after 3 months working in Chicago I missed his presentation :(. Moreover, I didn't tell my boss I was coming to Spain and then he discovered I didn't show up for the group meeting...uff...whatever! worse things happen in life, hehe! Congratulations again to the couple!!



Tirando la basura. Trash

Hoy os voy a hablar sobre algo que aparentemente no es sorprendente y que es: como tirar la basura :) En Espana si vives en un bloque de apartamentos, hay uno o varios contenedores para cada bloque y tambien, diversos contenedores para reciclar plastico, envases, vidrio, papel, etc. En muchas ciudades tambien hay contenedores subterraneos. Normalmente, una familia estandar espanola tira la basura por la noche, despues de cenar, una vez que se ha generado toda la basura del dia. Si vives en una casa, hay casos en los que varias casas comparten el contenedor o incluso cada uno tiene uno propio.
Ademas, la basura se recoge diariamente, cosa que veo necesaria la verdad :) Ademas, en casi todas las familias espanolas la basura se separa y se recicla. Today I'm going to write about something that is maybe not so surprising: throwing away the trash...yes!
In Spain, if you live in a block of apartments you normally share one or several containers with everyone living in your building. There are also containers for plastic, glass, paper, etc.
In many cities there are also underground containers.
A standard Spanish family would throw away the trash every night after dinner and it will be picked up by the cleaning services of the city hall during the night. If you live in a house, not in a flat you can share the container with some other neighbors or have your own. In both cases, the trash is picked up every day and normally during the night.

Contenedores normales y subterraneos. Normal and underground containers

En Holanda era diferente. En nuestro bloque de apartamentos, solo se podia tirar la basura los miercoles. Esto en verano es un rollo, hace calor, etc. Justo cuando nos ibamos instalaron los contenedores subterraneos que se abrian con una tarjeta del ayuntamiento de Eindhoven. con esta tarjeta se podia tirar la basura cuando cada uno prefiriese. El padre de Thomas que vive en una casa tiene su propio contenedor, no tan grande como los espanoles, pero puede tirar la basura cuando quiere. Sin embargo, la basura no se recoge diariamente y la gente en general, no separa su basura y esto si que no me gusta!! Pero bueno, si hay un porcentaje de gente que separa y recicla. Aqui en USA tambien es diferente y para mostraros como es, me he grabado a mi misma tirando la basura :) espero que os guste, el proceso es sencillo. De lo que aun no tengo informacion es de si se separa y se recicla la basura, si alguien lo sabe, por favor contadmelo. Os dejo el video :) encontrareis el enlace abajo.

In Holland it was different. We used to live in an apartment were we could only throw away the trash on Wednesday. In the summer this was not very convenient. When we were about to live our apartment, underground containers were installed. We could open them with a card from the city hall and throw the trash whenever we wanted.
Thomas' father lives in a house and he has his own container. However, the trash is not picked up everyday, but at least you can throw it away when you want.
I didn't meet many people separating and recycling trash, so I didn't like that much.
Here in the US it is also different and I wanted to show you about it, so I made a movie, hehe! I recorded myself throwing away the trash. It is pretty easy and fast! What I'd like to know is if the trash is separated and recycled, if anyone knows please tell me.
You can find the link below :)

Adios!!!

Comida espanola!! Spanish food!! lekker!

La semana pasada tuve unas ganas enormes de todo tipo de comida espanola, especialmente arroz con pollo (mi comida casera favorita) y tortilla de patatas, que rica!! En casa solemos hacerla de vez en cuando, pero aun no habiamos preparado ninguna desde que llegamos a USA y ya era hora ;) Asi que la semana pasada, intentando conseguir el mejor de los sabores prepare arroz con pollo, sin llegar a conseguir el sabor que le da mi madre, eso es imposible...y al dia siguiente tortilla. La hicimos super grande porque queria que mis companeros la probasen, asi que me la lleve al dia siguiente y todos aquellos que quisieron y vinieron a comer, pudieron probarla. Creo que les gusto bastante :), si estais leyendo esto manifestaos, jaja!!
La tortilla era bastante grande y no teniamos un plato tan grande para darle la vuelta, pero al final tuvimos exito y nos quedo...preciosa!! y deliciosa!!
Por si alguien aun no sabe la receta, os voy a escribir aqui el procedimiento y los ingredientes. Merece la pena probarla!!

Last week I really felt like eating and preparing Spanish food, especially chicken with rice (my favourite home made meal) and tortilla de patatas, so delicious!! We use to prepare tortilla from time to time, but we hadn't prepared it since we arrived in USA so it was about time to do it :), so last week and trying to get the genuine flavour I prepared chicken with rice and of course, I didn't get my mother's incredible flavour and the next day we prepared tortilla. We made a pretty big one because I wanted to take it next day for my colleagues to taste it, so everyone who joined for lunch could eat a piece. I think they really liked it, so if any of you is reading this just tell the rest of the world :)
The tortilla was quite big and we didn't have a plate big enough to turn it, but we succeeded and it was beautiful!! and delicious!!
Just in case someone still doesn't know how to prepare it and wants to try, I'll write here the ingredients and how to make it. Enjoy it!!



-Patatas Potatoes
-Huevos Eggs
-Cebolla (opcional)
-Onion (optional
-Aceite de oliva (olive oil)

Se cortan las patatas en trocitos pequenos y tambien la cebolla. Se anade una buena cantidad de aceite de oliva en la sarten y se sofrie la cebolla. Se anaden las patatas y se doran, no deben estar completamente fritas.
The first thing is cut the potatoes in small pieces and chop the onions. Put a generous amount of olive oil in the pan and first fry a little bit the onions and then add the potatoes. Leave them in the pan until they are golden, not completely fried.


Se baten los huevos. Hay que poner una numero de huevos suficiente para que la tortilla no se quede seca. En este mismo bowl donde se han batido los huevos, se anaden las patatas y se mezclan con el huevo.
Wisk the eggs. The amount of eggs should be big enough to avoid the tortilla to be dry. In the same bowl where the eggs were wisked, the potatos can be added and mixed with the egg.


Todo junto se pone ahora en la sarten y se deja que se cuaje para poder darle la vuelta sin peligro. Como se le da la vuelta? Se pone un plato encima de la sarten, lo suficientemente grande para abarcar toda la superficie de la sarten: se agarra el plato y la sarten y se le da la vuelta a la tortilla. Con cuidado se pone de nuevo la tortilla en la sarten, esta vez por la otra cara y se deja que se cuaje por completo. Lista!
Now we can put everything altogether in the pan and leave it until it becomes a bit consisten so it is possible to turn it without danger :) How can we turn the tortilla? We need a plate that covers the surface of the pan, we put it on top of the pan and then grab the plate with one hand, the pan with the other and turn the tortilla. Now it should be on the plate and from here, back to the pan. After a couple of minutes it should be cooked and ready!!



Espero que os haya gustado y que la probeis!!
I hope you try it and you like it!!