Corn on a cob

Finally the season for corn on the cob arrived!  During the winter time, we had cravings for corn, and we tried frozen and canned, but they were all pretty bad. We thought we would never get fresh corn here. But, the other day, as I was walking through the vegetable market, I found it. Fresh corn on the cob. And, it tasted just perfect! 

Along with the corn, I decided to take a stab at making a Thai beef salad with the only kind of beef we can get here, which is a kind of beef chunks you typically use for stews. They are tough and not too suitable for grilling.

So, I got a chunk of beef (front meat; it seems we can only get either front or back meat whichever the parts of beef they may be). I sliced it into pieces. I pounded them till they were thin enough (well, probably I should have tried a bit harder to make them thinner).  Then I marinated them in a mixture of oil, lime juice, herbs, etc for 2 hrs. Next I grilled them slightly (well, I did overcook them a bit).  Toss some lettuce on the plate along with other veggies. Top it with the beef you grilled, and there you go!

The salad came out OKAY.  I think I can create more variations using the tough beef by applying similar ideas.

When you lose someone...

I just learned that one of my hubby's nephews has passed away.  He was only 31 years old... Oddly enough, I learned the news as I was browsing through Facebook, which left me and my hubby a very surreal feeling and took some time to realize that he was gone...

I only met him a couple of times, but I felt rather close to him because of all the updates he made thru FB - strange to say, I know... But, it is true that he was one of the most approachable person among my hubby's family members. Very open, caring, talkative, and not judgemental. I remember only getting a positive vibe from him when I met with him.

It is really sad that he had to go so early in his life. My heart aches imagining what his wife, mother, siblings, and best friends might be going through right now...
Life is not fair for sure. Recently, two of my friends also lost their family members. You lose someone important all of a sudden, and you are left with only a hollow feeling which you can't even seem to seize for yourself.  You don't know if you are sad, mad, raged, sorrow, relieved, or what. When I lost my mother; my mentor and my best friend, I went through a series of feelings very quickly in a very short period of time. I remember feeling as if my root was completely pulled out and that I no longer existed.

It may take some time, but eventually you will be healed strengthened by the great memories the person left behind for you. And, the person will live forever with you in your mind. I am hoping that the day will come soon for his loved ones. Still... losing someone you know leaves you a very distinctive empty spot in your world.

Sandy beach in the middle of Brno?

The other day I walked through the náměstí Svobody (Liberty square) with my hubby, and guess what I found there??  A sandy beach with bright red umbrellas!  Wait... as you know, there are no oceans anywhere near Brno. It was a temporarily set up beach which was being very much enjoyed by the local Brno folks. Although it was well past 6 o'clock, the sun was still hot, and people were wearing shorts, lying on beach chairs, sipping tropical drinks, and just enjoying the essence of summer (without the sound of the ocean of course ^^). 

It was rather a bizarre scene, but I love the "fun" spirit of people just enjoying the summer. There was a great jazz band playing that evening there, too.