I was so excited to open my package today - oh-so-hard-to-find Nenuco cologne. Its fragrance brought me back to my teen years when I was in college in Manila, when everything was sweet and innocent.
Nenuco is made in Spain. It's probably mostly unheard of here in the States, but in the Philippines, it was a fad for us girls at that time. I remember even getting a liter-bottle just to make sure I would not run out. And it did last me for more than a year. By then, I had outgrown it - but not the memories.
Speedskating is a sport not many people know about. As far as games go, it is just gaining recognition although historically it began as a sport around the 1500's.
Speedskating can be broken down into three types: long track speed skating (or just "speed skating"); short track speed skating ("short track"); and marathon speed skating. In the Olympics, only speed skating and short track are events. And as for short track, it became an Olympic event only recently, in the 1992 Albertville, France games. Here's an interesting piece of trivia as an aside: 1992 was the last year the Olympic Games was held the same year as the Summer Games. Now they alternate every two years.
Eric Heiden, an American speedskater and cyclist who is now a medical doctor, is considered one of the greatest speedskaters of all time. Apolo Anton Ohno, however, is the one who has made the sport more famous.
Recently competing in the Vancouver Olympics, Apolo has been the focus of much attention. He broke the record of long track speed skater Bonnie Blair for most number of speedskating medals ever by a Winter Olympian. This is not only an American record, but a world record of any speedskater.
For me, this is the allure of Apolo Ohno. He has tried to keep the sport pure by doing his best in every competition. He pursues excellence just as he pushes himself further, sharpening his focus in all aspects of life. He knows his struggles and faces his challenges squarely and with fierce determination. He is unafraid and knows the reality of the volatility of the sport. His aim to win embodies the Olympic creed created by Baron Pierre de Coubertin. It reads,
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
Apolo has fought well. And he is still fighting.
* Digital painting is by my husband, Bene Rullan *
If I were to imagine the perfect French pâtisserie - the pastel confections and butter-silk pastries that are a feast for my eyes; the smell of home-baked goodness and coffee so familiar like a hug and a kiss; the feel of chocolate so velvety, at once soft and yielding; and the taste of food that elicits memories of love and laughter even on a cold rainy night...
... all these "things" are embodied in a little piece of heaven called Bakery Nouveau. Tucked into a little nook on California Avenue in West Seattle, you are at once transported to a place you've only had in your dreams. In it you will find a long-lost friend, a kind word, an unforgettable moment, your own garden at Giverny. It is a special place and always a special time. It is a delicious secret you want to share with the whole world, a cause to pull someone's hand - even a stranger's! - from the din into its magical cocoon.
To me it was a coup de foudre, a thunderbolt, love at first sight (and smell, and taste).
Oh, and it doesn't hurt that in 2009, Bakery Nouveau got a Zagat rating of 28 out of 30.
