Hola Madrid

We made it – but barely! Lochlan has not taken to flying like her brother and she screamed (bloody murder) for 5 1/2 hours of the 8 hour, RED EYE flight. (As a side note, I consider myself a near expert when it comes to flying with kids. I pack the right things to bring on the plane, know the right set-up once you board, and have tons of tricks around what to do when a kid gets cranky at 30K+ feet. BUT NOTHING WAS WORKING!) The screaming was so bad and so relentless four different passengers came up to offer their assistance. One prayed for her, two offered to hold her, and one suggested we put her hands and feet in a bowl of warm water. Lochlan went bonkers when the water bowl came out, but I just sat there with a near-death grip on the child, holding her while this sweet stranger drizzled warm water on her feet. By the time Lochlan finally dozed off, I looked like I had been peeing in my pants the entire flight. But I did not care. She slept for an hour and then woke up like nothing had ever happened. (Insert Expletive!)

The culprit, looking so entertained and happy. If only this had not been a red eye flight!

Nonetheless, we are here and as soon as our taxi pulled out of the airport and onto the streets of Madrid, the flight from hell was somehow worthwhile. Our apartment is adorable and in a great location. Keller is obsessed with the keys (never realized we were depriving him of such joy by having digital locks and keyless car entry), and he thinks the building looks like Paddington Bear’s apartment in London because of the staircase. We are surrounded by cute cafes and are only a couple minutes walk from the Reina Sofia, the Prado, and fantastic parks.

In the taxi on the way to the apartment.

I have two great friends along for this part of the trip: Joan Wellman, a dear friend who has traveled the world with me in years past through Dustin’s GreenHouse, and Sarah Catherine Lucas (aka Saca), our sometimes Nanny and Lochlan’s Godmother. Since we were all in the same row on the flight over, no one got any sleep (thank you Lochlan). After a short cat-nap, we spent yesterday afternoon wandering around in a bit (okay, a lot) of a delirious haze. We did make it to Plaza Mayor for an early dinner. We peeped into the Torre de Oro (one of Madrid’s shrines to bull fighting), and the girls tried their first paella. It was fun to see the street performers, tourists, students, and locals passing through. It has been 13 years since I was here last. As we sat there sipping sangria and watching life unfold it felt like nothing had changed. Then I looked down and watched as our two beautiful children took in the same sights and sounds, and my heart was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.

An early dinner in Plaza Mayor

Someone has taken a liking to the bread, he grabbed an entire loaf. 

We look better than we feel (and smell).

My Spanish is coming back slowly. Saca and I have had fun trying to remember random vocabulary words, like elevator (ascensor) and ice (hielo). It is so good for Keller to see me / us trying to navigate a new language. I’m hoping he will follow suit in a couple days.

Buenos Noches.

The Bucys Take Spain

I woke up at 4am this morning thinking oh shit, what in the world have I done!?!? Monday, I leave for Spain with my kiddos in tow - Keller is “three and three quarters” as he will proudly tell you and Lochlan just turned one. We are headed to Granada, Spain to study Spanish and hopefully play some soccer. If you look up Granada, the reviews will tell you two things (1) it’s not a great place to go if you are hoping to mix and mingle with English speaking folk, and (2) it’s hardly the most kid friendly city in Spain. Why did I fall in love with this city while studying abroad over a decade ago!?!?

That night, when I woke up in cold sweats, I called the airline to see how much it would cost to cut our trip short. I almost told the agent to do it. But I didn’t, at least not yet…

So here we go. If you want to follow this crazy adventure, this is where you can do it. If our kids remember me as nothing else, hopefully they will know I was the somewhat crazy, ambitious mom who wanted to expose them to everything beautiful, challenging, and adventurous this world has to offer (and that their amazing dad supported these dreams every step of the way). 

Please pray for safe travels!

Bon Appétit with Amy Shields

It’s hard to live in Australia and not become obsessed with food, and subsequently the television show Masterchef Australia. The series here is infinitely better than the Gordon Ramsey rendition we get in the States. The cooks are leaps and bounds more talented, the challenges more diverse, and (the best part) the tone is positive and congenial. The contestants are friendly and the judges (Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston) act as supportive mentors.

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of attending a cooking class with Season 6 contestant Amy Shields. The class took place in a friend’s kitchen. It was Amy, me, and two others, so the student to teacher ratio was amazing! Amy (like all contestants on Masterchef) is a home cook. She doesn't have a chef's resume or a culinary degree. What she does have is passion, creativity and good intuition when it comes to food.

Amy arrived carrying ONE medium-sized box of supplies and ingredients. (I was expecting a push-cart packed to the brim). She came ready to prepare two different kangaroo dishes and a mixed berry Pavlova for four people, and I am almost positive her "mobile kitchen" was made up of less than 25 items (total)!  It was inspiring to see and taste what she could do with so little.

Below are a few photos from the class, as well as list of what was in Amy's mobile kitchen, and some of the tidbits she shared along the way. The celeriac puree with the puffed wild rice and pickled beetroot was my favorite. Truly divine!

Amy's Mobile Kitchen
Salt & Pepper
Olive oil
Rice bran oil
White vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
Red wine vinegar
Castor sugar
Thyme
Eggs
Brown sugar
Cornflour
Thickening cream
A bag of rocket
Small packet of wild rice
1 Celeriac root
Apx. 7 small beetroots
Kangaroo meat
A few stalks of celery
1 carrot
Onion
A cup of chicken stock
5-6 chicken wings
Butter


Education, Tips & A Recipe

Celeriac puree
- A root veggie used like a starch
- Sauté in olive oil, and butter adding water periodically so that it steams
- Once it’s soft (literally falling apart), transfer to food processor, add thickening crème, and blend

Beetroots
- Boil them prior to roasting (apx 20 mins)

Pickling liquid
- Don’t mix this in a metal bowl because vinegar will cause it to take on a metallic taste
- White vinegar, salt, pepper, spoon of sugar, thyme

Post marinade
- Wait until after you cook meat to pepper it
- Mix pepper, salt, oil, a few drops of red wine vinegar and thyme in a small bowl and let meat sit in this marinade for apx. 5 minutes after the cook
- You never want to cut  or serve meat immediately – needs to rest for apx. 5 mins otherwise juices will just run out the second it’s cut

Sauce
- The more finely you chop your veggies, the more flavor
- Same with bones, the smaller the pieces, the more flavor you bring out
- Cook chicken bones first until brown and starting to caramelize
- Add a small amount of balsamic vinegar (apx. 1/8 of a cup) to deglaze the pan (lifting what has stuck to the bottom while cooking) - you want this incorporated into flavor of your sauce (can use anything acidic to deglaze)
- Add veggies and sauté keeping in mind the longer you cook, the more flavor you will get (just don’t burn)
- Add stock
- Strain out veggies and bones to get sauce, then add a dollop of butter to finish off and add a glossiness to the sauce

P.S. Amy is on a roadshow with her cute hubby. Follow her journey as she cooks from their camper through the Australian outback. 

Arriving At The Edge Of The Earth

It’s taken me some time to feel ready to blog about our move to Perth because it hasn’t been the easiest chapter of change in my life. Unlike in Melbourne, where we transitioned with relative ease, Perth was let down after let down (at least initially). It felt as if we had moved to the edge of the earth and all I wanted was to click my heels and be transported back home.

Part of the challenge centered around poor expectations. I had envisioned warm, dry weather and a bustling city life. Instead we arrived to weeks of torrential rains and a city of 2M that turns into a ghost town by 5pm every night. Instead of moving into a neighborhood full of Aussies who have been in the area for years, it felt like we had checked into the Grande Expat Hotel. The post code may as well be 457 (Type of Visa we are on) because we are just the newest visitors on the block – an environment that doesn’t exactly encourage the neighbors to show up with cookies, welcoming you to town.

We also had some technical difficulties. The furniture we shipped over from Melbourne arrived damaged and with random pieces missing. Mike was insanely busy at work and I could not seem to find a good playgroup, school or schedule for Keller.

Thankfully, murky waters are clearing and I am finding solid footing. Beautiful, sunny days are more and more frequent. Keller finally got into school (two mornings a week), and I’ve made some really good friends. It stills feel like we are on the edge of the earth, but I am finally ready to embrace (and write) about the journey.  

New Love For Old Delhi

Today we explored Old Delhi. A tour that included the Jama Masjid mosque, a wholesale spice market, and a beautiful Sikh temple. 

The adventure started at the Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in the city. More than 25,000 people come to this mosque to pray every Friday and their places are marked by sequential squares on the mosque floor. All women must wear a gown, which we were given just before entering, and no one is allowed to wear shoes. Had we been there for prayer, the women in our group would have been directed towards to wings, under the covered "walkways" you see in some of the pictures below. The open center is reserved for men, and inside is reserved for important political and religious leaders. 

This particular mosque was commissioned by Shah Jahan, the same Mughal leader who built the Taj Mahal. He would pray in the balcony of the building, at the back of the plaza, seen in the picture below.

After leaving the Jama Masjid, we jumped on rickshaws and headed out into Old Delhi, toward a 400 year old wholesale spice market. I've included a video to give you a general idea of what it's like to ride through the streets here. Absolutely nuts!

The last stop of the day was at a Sikh temple, where we had to remove our socks and shoes and cover our heads with a small yellow scarf. As you enter the temple, you wash your feet in a small pool of water. There is music, chanting, and all kinds of color, gold in particular. Inside the temple, there are no signs of a God or religious figure, Sikhs believe the focus should be on the faith of the people you are praying with. The only "idol" of importance for them is their holy book, which rests on pillows beneath a solid gold awning. 

What I found most impressive about the Sikhs is that they will feed anyone who walks in their door, for free. This particular temple serves over 800 kilos of food a day! (All vegetarian) Everyone working to prepare this food is volunteer. They come together, across all aspects of life, and contribute to the wellbeing of society around them. I was moved by how well Sikh followers seem to live their faith. The experience was both beautiful and humbling. 

The Lucky One

His name is Tariq and when he was just nine years old he ran away from home, leaving behind 4 siblings, his mother, and an abusive father. He proceeded to buy a handful of watches with the 3000 rupees he stole from his dad (the equivalent of about $50 American dollars), and then he traveled 22 hours to Delhi, alone. His goal was to make enough money selling jewelry that he could survive on his own… at nine years old!

Like Tariq, thousands of kids are running away from their homes and coming to cities like Delhi to live on the streets. Some are escaping abusive environments, others dream of becoming Bollywood stars (seriously)… some girls are pregnant and others girls want to rid their family of the burden associated with paying a dowry.

The first night Tariq was in Delhi, all of his possessions were stolen. And from there began the rapid downfall of a young boy. Before long, Tariq was living in the Delhi train station, addicted to drugs, collecting plastic bottles that he'd sell to the recycling center for approximately $1 per day. Thankfully, an organization called the Salaam Baalak Trust found Tariq and helped change his trajectory. Today, Tariq has graduated from high school and is studying at a university level. In the next month, he will find out whether he has won a one-year scholarship to visit the United States. Until then, he spends his time working with the Trust, mentoring young kids who are traveling that dangerous road he once traveled and making money by giving tours to groups like ours. Tariq is a lucky one.

A few facts that we learned today...

• More than 1 million people pass through the Delhi train station each day. 
• At least 3,000 prostitutes are currently working in the Delhi station. Each of these ladies (or young girls) are expected to perform an average of ten services a day. 
• There are 400-500 kids who call the train station home.  
• Adoption from India is difficult, if not impossible, because there is a big problem with Indian parents selling their children into adoption. 
• At least 90% of kids living on the street are thought to be on drugs. Their drug of choice is glue. 
• The government offers a free television to anyone who will come in for sterilization. 

I write about these figures, and Tariq's story, not to be depressing, but with the hope of activating. Perhaps one of the most influential things Mike and I can do to initiate change is to explore the world, to build relationships with diverse groups of people, and then to share the stories that come from those experiences with others. Keller should grow up knowing he lives in a beautiful bubble. Lord, I pray he develops a hunger to see the world and that we (as parents) can give him an inspiring perspective on the role he is expected to play in making that world a better place.

Here is a picture of Tariq and some of the sights we saw while on his our tour.