Here There and Everywhere

Expat wanderer

Your Last Breath

You never know. These people are just like us, renting a vacation house up the road a village or two, right on the ocean. And while they are sleeping, a plane crashes into their vacation house. You never know when you might be taking your last breath.

4 Die After Plane Crashes Into Home

GEARHART, Ore. (Aug. 4) – A small plane crashed into a seaside house in heavy fog early Monday, killing two people aboard and two children in the vacation home it struck, authorities said.

A small plane flying through heavy fog clipped a tree and then slammed into a house in Gearhart, Ore., Monday. Authorities said two people aboard the plane and two children in the seaside vacation home were killed. Here, a deputy fire marshal stands outside what is left of the home.

A third child was unaccounted for after the crash, which apparently occurred soon after the plane took off from nearby Seaside in northwest Oregon.

The single-engine plane clipped a tree and then plowed into the house, followed by explosions. A second, vacant home nearby was heavily damaged.

The pilot and his only passenger were also killed. Their identities were not immediately released.
The four-seat Cessna was owned by Aviation Aventures in Seaside. The company had rented it to the pilot, city officials said.

The impact shook homes a half-mile away in this resort town.

You can read the entire article on AOL News.

August 5, 2008 Posted by | ExPat Life, Living Conditions, News, Social Issues, Spiritual, Travel | , | 4 Comments

Roadside Cherries

Fresh Oregon Cherries:

August 5, 2008 Posted by | Eating Out, ExPat Life, Food, Living Conditions, Shopping | | 8 Comments

Rolling Thunder

Astoria, Oregon is a city on the border between Oregon and Washington, and one of the oldest explored areas on the West Coast. They have their own trolley line for tourists, to take them to various sights:

They also have a BBQ place called Rolling Thunder. Rolling Thunder, my brother-in-law Mariner Man says is an event in Washington DC where all the war veterans get on their motorcycles and tour all the Washington monuments. I didn’t know that. Adventure Man said that Rolling Thunder is also one of the code names for the US attacks on D-Day in WWII. I didn’t know that either.

I do know I love barbecue!

I guess I must have been really hungry. . . I didn’t get any pictures of the FOOD! Mom had the pulled pork sandwiches, and I had the smoked chicken. Yummmmm.

August 5, 2008 Posted by | Eating Out, Entertainment, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Living Conditions | , | 2 Comments

Teriyaki Flank Steak

I keep meaning to post some food photos for Puratory but the problem is we get everything on the table and we start eating. Mariner Man has been the best at documenting our meals; I only think to take a photo too late, and the camera is far away.

Finally, I remembered, just in time for Teriyaki Flank Steak, my Mother’s speciality that everyone loves. She bought three huge flank steaks, put them into plastic bags with the marinade and froze them. They thawed as we drove to the beach, and were ready for the grill when we got there:

Here is my Mother’s marinade recipe for Flank Steak:

Teriyaki Flank Steak Marinade

Most recipes will tell you to marinate a flank steak for an hour – we thing overnight is even better. Sometimes two or three nights, or marinate it in a plastic bag and freeze until needed:

(per 1 – 2 lbs flank steak)

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup sake or sherry (optional)
1 cup pineapple juice (use two if you don’t use wine or sake)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbs sugar
1 large chopped onion
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 t. shredded fresh ginger

Grill flank steak until there is no red in the middle; some people like no pink in the middle. Slice thinly against the grain and serve.

Here is a platter of the finished flank steak:

August 5, 2008 Posted by | Cooking, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Food, Living Conditions, Recipes, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Ecola Beach

You take a winding road, up hill and down, with steep drops on the ocean side, to get to Indian Beach – but it is worth the effort. There is a great view, restrooms, and you can visit the tidal pools. I loved all the wet suits lined up to dry on the fence here. Families were brewing coffee, making sandwiches, surfers were out waiting for a good wave to come along, and it was a fabulous location:

August 4, 2008 Posted by | ExPat Life, Living Conditions, Lumix, Photos, Travel | , | 4 Comments

Let’s Go Fly a Kite

There is so much to do!

There is a long walking promenade along the beach, wide enough for bicycles, moms with strollers, people skating, people walking their dogs, and people just walking or jogging.

On the beach, people are swimming, sunning, building magnificent sand castles, fishing, and . . . flying kites.

Some of the kites are purely magnificent. Here is my favorite – a pirate ship!

August 4, 2008 Posted by | Adventure, Community, Cross Cultural, Entertainment, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Living Conditions, Relationships, Seattle | , | 5 Comments

Heavenly Sunset

This sunset sort of made me think about the heavens opening and the hand of God coming out – yep, sunsets in the Pacific Northwest are like that. 🙂

August 4, 2008 Posted by | ExPat Life, Living Conditions, Seattle, Travel, Venice | | 2 Comments

Oregon Beach Rental

The Oregon coast is a beach lover’s delight. My mother’s family had cabins on the beach that they rented out every summer, so my Mom grew up on the Oregon beaches, and consequently, we did, too. The cabins, which were always beachy and utilitarian, have become increasingly sophisticated.

We have rented both sides of a wonderful cottage. Our side of the cottage easily sleeps 14 people (we are four people) and the other side of the cottage easily sleeps 10 – 12. They have huge dining tables, cupboards full of glasses, dishes, serving platters, dishwashing AND dishwasher detergents – they are fully equipped with stoves, microwaves, coffee makers, washers and dryers, even hair dryers, even shampoos and conditioners, even beach towels and beach equipment and bike helmets. I am astonished at how equipped they are.

This is called the Little House, and if you want to rent it, you can find it here:
Little House on the Promenade

The cottage has two beautifully furnished living rooms (with additional sleeping on fold out couches if you have a very large family), chairs, TVs, fireplaces, games, books, magazines . . . and it is completely wired for wi-fi. Wooo Hoooo for me!

Although it can be two separate rentals, when it is one family renting both sides, there is a secret passage connecting the two rentals, so we are back and forth in one another’s kitchens all day. Oh, what fun.

August 4, 2008 Posted by | Adventure, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Living Conditions, Relationships | | 2 Comments

Oregon Sunset

This is not your Kuwait sunrise – we are on the way far west coast, and what we get here, when we are on the water, is spectacular sunsets. I thought of you when I saw this sunset last night – and the sun set around 8:45 at night! I didn’t have the energy to share it with you last night, but I will share it with you now.

And just moments later, day is done:

August 3, 2008 Posted by | Adventure, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Living Conditions | , | 8 Comments

Deported Workers to Get Rights

From today’s Kuwait Times:

Deported workers to get rights
Published Date: August 02, 2008

KUWAIT: Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak and the Minister of Interior Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalid affirmed that Kuwait will never wrong anybody.

They said Kuwait strongly endorses human rights and will ensure that all the deported laborers will get their rights. The indemnity of workers as well as their other dues will be sent to them through the Bangladeshi Embassy in Kuwait.

Al-Mubarak also affirmed that there was no connection between the issue of human trafficking and the strikes staged by Bangladeshi workers. He said the workers committed violations by resorting to acts of sabotage and vandalism and Kuwait has the right to apply laws to deter such acts of violence.

Al-Khalid said the Ministry of Interior initially did not resort to force in dispersing the workers but was left with no option after they turned violent, reported Al-Rai. He said the rioters who resorted to acts of sabotage and vandalism had to be stopped to maintain Kuwait’s national security.

I am guessing this means that the workers were deported without receiving their back salaries. I have a sinking feeling that there probably isn’t a list of them, and what they are owed, and a way to get these salaries to them – I would guess that many of them don’t even have an address.

From the July 31st Kuwait Times:

Published Date: July 31, 2008
By A Saleh, Staff writer

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor has continued summoning cleaning company heads to speedily resolve discussions on cleaning workers complaints after the strikes were suspended. A ministry official said that workers from 20 companies were involved in the strike action, with over 150 workplaces being affected by the strikes, including hospitals, health centers and other state facilities, as well as Cooperative Societies and private sector companies.

The official explained that the social affairs ministry is currently negotiating wage rises for the workers with the companies involved, as well as insisting on back payment of their unpaid salaries and improvements to their miserable living conditions, in order to avoid future recurrences of the recent protests.

The ministry is completely serious about taking strict steps against the companies that fail to comply with new decisions, the official emphasized. He added that the ministry is insisting on receiving official undertakings from the cleaning companies’ management to pay the backdated salaries in full; if these are not paid, the ministry will deduct KD 250 per worker from the company’s bank account.

August 2, 2008 Posted by | Uncategorized | 4 Comments