A New Zeal!

From today I have a new zeal! I am starting to learn how to make original Khaleeji coffee or Emirati coffee.

2 years ago at Christmas Eve I successed in making an original Turkish coffee after 20 times of failures.
Now, I am heading forward to make Khaleeji coffee in memory of my years in the UAE as well as a kind of preparation before departing to Ras al Khaimah in winter.
But the first test at 27th October failed!

I asked my Syrian friend (who lives in Vienna for sure!) how to make „Arabic Coffee“ and she recommended me two coffee brands we can buy at „Naschmarkt“. At last Thursday I hurried there but no-one seemed to know these brands and I was tempted to buy „Najjar“-coffee from Lebanon.

I was sceptical because Lebanon is in the Near East and not in the Middle East but the seller was so typical for a seller in an Arabic souq: he assured me that this is one of the best coffees.

Hah – if I wasn´t despaired, I wouldn´t buy it, but I tried it if it´s really the Khaleeji coffee…

At home I opened the packing and saw a nearly black coffee – darker than any Turkish coffee like „Mehmet Effendi“ from Istanbul. My sceptic rosed more!

Well, let´s try and see.

I have to confess something: I don´t drink coffee!

What a laughter – I don´t drink it but I like to make it.

So my parents became my testing animals and the Lebanese-pseudo-Khaleeji-coffee became a disaster. The taste was too thin, to unspeakable!
But I used the traditional recipe from „The Complete Cookbook of the UAE“ of 1995!
Then it was clear that any coffee from Lebanon or any Near East area is not a so-called Saudi Coffee! The Saudi Coffee has an amber-color and mine was pitch-dark. No way!

I searched in the world wide web again and then a wonderful blog of an American expat living with her Palestine husband in Dubai explained everything so perfectly!

A real Emirati Coffee is made of raw coffee beans which should be roasted very lightly so it will have a light brown color – this is it!
But where to get raw beans in Vienna, the capital of the cultivated coffee society?

Again in the world wide web I found a „Caffee Compagnie“ which sells raw beans! Horray!

In the next days I want to try to get there and find a pack of Yemenite coffee or Ethiopian at last. And I will ask how to roast it perfectly.
I remember that there is an electric coffee roaster somewhere in the www too, but I want to stick on the traditional Emirati way. And this is roasting in the pan!

And how to grind the roasted beans? My mom and my grandmother had an electrical grinder, but I remember, it went broken and we threw it away.

To use a mortar and pestle like the old ways in the desert? This will take a long time and a strong wrist! Perhaps I will search my mothers kitchen in the hope to find and grinder which still works.

A new adventure and a new zeal lies ahead of me!

Please wish me luck!
I will keep you informed!

Eid al Adha 2012

Sorry for my long silence!

Last Wednesday I made my comeback to the office and this week I get used to the office noises without getting too tired at evening. I didn´t have the strenght to write some words. Sorry!

 Well, tomorrow will be a National Holiday and at the same day Eid al Adha. I remember an unforgetting, warm and welcoming Eid al Adha in Marrakech in November 2010 when I was kindly invited by Kristina and her family. And I ate the most delicious grilled meat of sheep in my life!

I hoped to join my Moroccan brother and his family at Eid tomorrow, but the surgery of my ear took away my joy to celebrate Eid. I am not allowed to enter an airplane for three months after surgery.

But next year, I will celebrate it in Fes with all of my heart, Inchallah.

 Thus, for my Austrian friends: Have a nice National Holiday!

For my Muslim friends: Eid Mubarak! Have a Happy Eid!

TV-movie "Whispers of the Desert"

With my Sylvanian Families I created something new and different.

I bought them many years ago in the UK and Japan and now I don´t play with them - I display them.

 

Tomorrow, "Whispers of the Desert" will be broadcasted! And not in February 2013 as I mentioned in an older blog.

 



Autumn Impressions

To train my balance organ and to see how much I can bear with the tiredness after having 7 quiet weeks full of up and downs before starting my comeback to the office, I had a walking with my parents to a calm place with a nice forest.
It was also a totally beautiful day with autumn scents and rustling leaves.

For a second time, I could hear a bird!!
And after 10 minutes of walking through the rustling leaves, they were getting on my nerves - rustle, rustle, rustle forever!
It´s a whole new situation for me to hear nearly everything around me and I have to train myself without getting tired because it´s really a lot of informations around me which I am not used!

I love autumn! There are so many small details - lovely too:

At last: a perfect composition of sky and earth.

Day 49 with CI - Day 23 with Speech Processor

Well, after seven weeks after surgery and 3 weeks with the speech processor, I am still impatient!
But I am writing a diary with all the up and downs of my days and all new achievments I experience, so I will never forget the first months of hardship! This will give me a secure timeline for my second surgery.
If I am satisfied with the first CI, I want to have my second CI in July 2013 (it gives me a good time for reconvalescene during the summer break at work).
Because after finding out that Morbus Meniére is also in my left ear, I want to finish this uncomfortable disease! This means to release the inner ear from the fluid which is filling the cochlea - the result would be deafness.
Well, to finish this disease would ease my life more than living with the thought if I would survive the next day without any dizzy attack and to have the fear that this might happen on an open street!
16 years with it is enough!
So I am planning my second CI next year! Gosh, going through all this hardship again! But now I am not alone any more!
I met a lot of wonderful people who really gives me the courage to overcome these days with lots of unanswered questions.

The Dazzy Dizzy Days are over!

Hooorray! The medicine against Morbus Meniére ist working!
From Sunday I am free of this stupid dizziness in my left ear and at Tuesday I dared to try to drive with the tramway alone. From my station 20 minutes to Westbahnhof and then walk 10 minutes at Mariahilferstrasse.
The tramway was no problem - thanks heaven! But the walking was like an earthquake in my head and I found out, I should wear shoes with very elastic or soft soles. No heels, even if they are only 1 cm high!
I learned my lessons to keep my high heels stoved away still.

I went back home via subway, no problem too. Gosh, I did it and I am so happy that using the public transportation is not a problem any more.
I am walking to normality at last!

Yesterday it was my first day to use the subway to AKH, with my mother as aide. Till this day, I was brought to AKH with car because the Dazzy Dizzy Days didn´t allowed me to use the public transportation.

Sooooooo glad about this!!!!! I never thought that I would be super happy for using a tramway alone as if this would be a jackpot at lottery.
People easily forget to be grateful for daily chores and are reminded about it when they are sick or had a looooooong reconvalescene like me.

Next week, I want to start my comeback to the office and be part of the boring daily routine I will accept with a handkiss!
Perhaps I should refrain from kissing the floor of the office like the pope would do ;-)

Soon, Halloween is coming...another Scrapbooking story

All years again, there is the perfect opportunity to become spooky, ghostly, scary and make all these wonderful things made of newths eyes, bats wings, vampire blood, frogs legs and others you will only find in a kind of a Harry-Potter-World in a lurky alley.

It´s HALLOWEEN soon!

The early darkness of the days, the low dark clouds and the dying of the summer nature into winter rest is somehow giving the people the feeling that even the death below the earth will move in their coffins. I know it´s stupid.
I am not a Gotic Freak nor I believe in vampires or other blood-sucking species even if I like to read the Black Dagger Brotherhood or the Midnight Breeds novels ;-)

But October and it´s early rising of the evening gives me the opportunity to grovel my fantasy thinking and run wild with the scary things.
And to warn my friends of the countdown to All Hallow´s Eve, I made these cards in Scrapbooking style.

 

 Details

 

New Handicraft Project

Sitting at home and agonizing about this dizziness and hearing loss, it´s the best way to be hobby-ish.
In my cupboard I found a started crochet piece of a tablecloth or something you can put on a vase. I thought, this time, it would be perfect to finish it!
So I continued with crochetting:

 

Autumn is in Vienna already....

Sorry for my long silence...I am fighting with one of my worst days and it´s getting on my nerves.
While having slight dizziness, my left ear was diagnosed with Morbus Meniére too and I got the order from my doctor to take Betaserc 24mg tabletts again.
The summing and the terrible dizzy attack is holding back now but there is a feeling that they are still fighting against the tabletts.
And this week I got the strange feeling that my left ear is getting worse! I lost my hearing ability to hear deep tones like a driving car, men´s voices or even a TV!
It´s driving me crazy!
I don´t have any clue what this means.
Should I have another hearing loss? No way!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To stay calm and say the mantra "Oooohhhhhhhmmmmmmm" is stupid in this moment! It´s not the time to stay calm!
Gladly I am in the AKH again at Wednesday and I will tell the doctor this strange hearing loss.

While having worries about my future, I try to look out of the window and see this beautiful autumn chestnut tree:

 

Post-surgery troubles

Since day 0 I am suffering of a neck problem. If I move my head up and down there is a dizziness and the feeling of something like a pudding in my head.
I was afraid of a serious neck problem and it was getting worse since 26th September.
Today I went to a specialist of Applied Kinesiology who saved my life in May 2012 after I had to stay in bed for many days and the neck was revolting then.

The specialist explained that it´s a post-surgery trauma of a certain muscle behind the ear. This muscle was cut on the top of the ear and later sewed. The contraction on the lower part pulled the muscle from the neck. And this certain muscle is also connected with the cochlea - this means, if the muscle pull at the neck, he is also pulling on the cochlea! The balance is going overboard.

I hope, it will be better next days after the specialist worked on my neck.

 

Scrapbooking-Card

After a heavy dizzy attack in the morning, I felt smashed. The reason is the neck for sure, but also a new Morbus Meniere in the left ear because my eyes were rotating to the left side. Till this morning, they moved to the right ear.
With the surgery the fluid in the cochlea was removed and the Morbus Meniere ist going to the left ear.
This means, probably after surgery in the left ear somewhen this stupid disease might be over or what?

I am still fighting with nausea when moving my neck and before I die of boringness I made a Thank-You-Card in the style of scapbooking for my Japanese friend.

The last picture was made from a paper shopping bag of BILLA without a mask. I used a scissor for cross-stitching and tried to get the correct shape a little. I was surprised that it became this fine!
I should try it more.
 

A special Birthday Gift

I turned 36 years now - gosh, time flies.

And for first time in my life, I heard a bird!!! When I stepped out on my balcony to enjoy a little sunshine, I was wondering about a high-pitched sound as if somebody was clinking grandmother´s cocktail glasses like "gaa-gaa, gaa-gaa".
I looked around which might be the reason of this sound then I detected a blackbird on the tree opposite of my balcony.
And the sound matched with the moving of her pecker.
I was astonished!

FOR FIRST TIME OF MY LIFE I HEARD A BIRD!

And today´s my birthday! What a special birthday gift! Thanks to the CI and Opus2.

 

Day 7 with the Speech Processor

Yesterday I suffered my fourth dizzy attack after using the speech processor together with the hearing aid and I have the feeling that both of them are kinda enemies. They cannot work together!

Today I didn´t take the hearing aid and I feel far better - but I don´t hear anything except the high pitched sounds.
It´s better than a nerving dizzy attack - gladly tomorrow I am in the AKH again for the next adjusting of the speech processor. I will ask my doctor if this is normal to get dizzy attacks. Because I have to return to work soon and I don´t want to get problems because of a dizziness.

Now I will officially present you my audiogram in where you can see how bad my hearing is. Perhaps some day in the future I may present you the new audiogram of the right ear:

The short strokes in the middle is how much I hear with the hearing aid. Not impressive, because it´s really short!
 

A letter from the Past

10 years ago I wrote a letter for me! A letter which has to be opened at my 36th birthday and this is today.
Gosh, so many things happened 10 years ago!
From my trying to write a doctorate dissertation at the Archaeological faculty and the mobbing of the professors who never accepted my ethusiasm and tried to make me giving up.
Yesterday I had a very bad and low day and after reading this letter from myself from the past, I knew that I don´t have a reason to be down now because 10 years ago it was really a depressive year.
I felt better after reading and from today I will think absolute positive!

 The letter before opening.

 

Day 3 with Speech Processor

Hard days indeed! Nobody warned me of these first days with the speech processor.
Today I have to take step 2 and pushed the button on the remote control. Yes, MED-EL´s Opus2 has a remote controll, thanks god!
The sound became a little louder and with the CI alone on the right ear it still sounds like clinking two extremely expensive cristal classes like my mom inherited from my grandmother.
This is an uncomfortable high-pitched sound which gives me a slight headache and a kind of rheumatism at late evening.

But I found out, I don´t want to use the old hearing aid alone again - only together with the speech processor at the right ear. Together I can hear properly again - somewhat.

 

First Speech Processor Opus2-XS

A big day. First day with the speech processor Opus2-SX from MED-EL!
And day 27 with CI.

The first turning on of the Opus2 was not very comfortable because I am still suffering from dizziness. Then I had the feeling of a sharp bang trough my nerves in the right arm and leg.
Then when the technician turned it step for step, I was really curious if this was ok, because I didn´t hear anything. It was like a feeling of the sound of sharp glass - this high-pitching glassy sound which causes goosebumps normally.
But there was no peeping sound luckily.

Together with the hearing aid on the left ear, I could recognize something high-pitching like loud screams or even a lighter or ripping toilet paper.
For first time in my life since birth I recognize this high-pitching sound.
And it´s unusual not to hear through the eardrum as with hearing aids. It´s something inside.

But the next step will be in one week and I am curious how it will develop.

Together with the bionic ear came a suitcase with everything necessary:

 

Let´s open it:

And here are the details:

On the left are two different kinds of drying boxes for the Opus2. This was not given when I had hearing aids. With the CI, it`s given.



 

First handicraft project finished

Today I finished these two handbags! The first one was a set from Tchibo and the second one was made by myself with the fabrics from IKEA and with the pattern from Tchibo.
I am thinking to make such bags as Christmas gift to my female friends, because it´s not difficult to make and I have a lot of fabrics.

Day 23 with CI

Since Day 15 with CI when my eardrum started to close and the inner ear pressure built up, I am feeling not well. Every step with the foot and even hectic movements with the hands or a simple friendly pat on the back causes a shake in my head as if there would be an earthquake inside.
This week was a hard ordeal for me!
Worried that something went bad during surgery I wrote to Mr. Horak from CI Austria about my problem because a friend of me didn´t have this problem after her surgery.
Mr. Horak is really a person who can help in need with the correct words - he told me that almost 40% of freshly operated people have the same problem like me. It´s the balance of the inner ear and it can last up to 3 months!
At first, I felt so relieved that I am not the only one with this problem. Then I groaned because I cannot imagine to stay at home soooooo long! I miss my work, miss my colleagues and miss my office.
I also miss piano lessons and the joy to play piano.

The only thing which is really positive is the good healing of the scar. The upper scar is still visible because exactly beneath the skin the CI was implanted. Now I can feel the CI but somehow when I touch the skin, it still hurts a little. I still cannot sleep on this side of the head.

 

I won again!

2 months ago I received an e-mail from tripadvisor, the worldwide community in the web about rating hotels, locations, restaurants and everything concerned the vacation or a trip.
For almost 3 years I am registered as BritainGirl at tripadvisor and 2 months ago I was one of the winner of a luggage tag with the logo of tripadvisor as one of the most loyal commentator to holiday places.
But there was a slight problem: I am living in Austria and I am registered at the UK tripadvisor because I know that English is the top language of the world and not German. The luggage tag would only shipped within the UK!
I protested that this is not fair because I am living in Austria and I know about the shipping costs but tripadvisor should be fair.

Without any answers and comments I received the luggage tag from UK today!
Wow!
This was so fair at the end! I was so happy that I am able to show the world that I am one of the top commentator on the world! And I will ad this tag on my bag at the first vacation since March 2012 - I never was on vacation ever because of my ear surgery.

 

Day 18 with CI

Finally, I think, my eardrum is closed from today. Because I nearly forgot that it was open and blew my nose - no pressure came out of the ear. UFF - I was glad for it or my eardrum would fly out of my ear I presume.

But at Friday I got a slight dizziness at morning while lying in bed still and when I got up, I had the strange feeling to fell forward. My balance was messed up.
After 4 hours of further sleep, it became better but my ear stinged from time to time. Something was working.

At Sunday it happened again, but only for one hour. I got the thought that my eardrum is closing and the pressure in the inner ear was building up. So the cochlea has to adjust to the new situation after almost 3 weeks of an open eardrum.

Today I have the feeling that the cochlea is used to the pressure and its trying to work properly step for step.
I still have to stay at home because going out would be too dangerous.

So I have enough time to watch the DVD of the first three seasons of an old TV-serie from my early teenager years: Beverly Hills 90210.

In the past, there were no subtitles in this serie and I couldn´t understand any word but the scenes were great.
On the DVDs there are subtitles at last and I am enjoying what I missed as teenager. Gosh, the clothes are so super 80ties! And somewhat totally fashionable than today´s trashing fashions.

My favourites in this serie were Andrea Zuckerman (because she was a bit like me - not only because we have the same name!) and Brandon Walsh (for his high sense of justice and his love for his family!).

Final of the Lady Oscar Project

Now the wonderful Lady Oscar Project of my friend Junko is finished with the last volume and a beautiful box. I will always remember this project which kept my mind away from the pre-CI time as well as in the first week with CI.
It´s a big memory I will cherish in my heart forever.
Thank you, Junko!

Handicraft Maniac

Staying at home during convalescene is super boring! Days are going over one after one and I am impatient now.
Yesterday I got another blues because I cannot play the piano because the tone and the sound is really creepy with only one hearing aid. I am ready for a second CI on my left ear...
My fingers itches of doing nothing so I started handicraft projects again:
To sew a simple bag and knit scarfs for my Moroccan family.

Here is the bag project:

The sewing will be done next week.

And here is the knitting project:

The pink fluffy scarf is for Najat and the petrol scarf with the twist motive if for little Mohamed. Another of the twist motive will be done for little Abderahmane and another with a brown color for my brother Aziz.

It´s a good pastime for boring days at home.

 

Two and half weeks after surgery

My scar is healing and today I was able to put my glasses behind my ear instead of outside.
But driving a car during warm weather with open windows is impossible. The wind is hurting in my ear and I have to sit in the car with closed windows. My mother is complaining about the warm temperature and my father as driver keeps silent because he is happy for a bit warmness. Even if the temperature is about 25 degrees, my mother says it´s a hot weather!

This is my scar at Day 16 with CI:

I don´t like the upper (bloody) and the lower (interlapping) part! Looks like bad sewing! I hope it will be better in some months!
Gosh, looks ugly! It´s a wonder that I really pulled the trigger, took surgery and then bear with the scar, itching and a shaved hair.

Then I put my glasses for first time since Day Zero:

 

Geoge Michael is in every newspaper

I am not a fan of George Michael, but I can share his experience with the staff and the doctors of the General Hospital Vienna (AKH)! Despite some bad rumors and internal battles, I have to give the staff the most credits they deserve!

When I was intern, the nurses and the head doctor were always kind to me as well as the "food maid" who brought the food three times per day.
When I felt very sick because of too much fluid antibiotics, I asked for some peppermint tea and the food maid brought a whole bottle with peppermint tea and she also encouraged me to eat some bites of the soup because of my low blood pressure.
When I left AKH, she gave me kisses on my cheeks as farewell.

Today after my surtures were removed I visited "my" station in 15J in the hope to meet "my" nurses and the head doctor.
Four of them and the head doctor were there and they were really happy to meet me and asked about my healing progress. One small nurse was touched that I didn´t forget the people who helped me in the hard days after surgery.

Even if there are so many bad news around the AKH, it´s the staff and the doctors who deserve all credits! Even the staff in the operation ward was very friendly and before the narcotics took away my consciousness one OP-nurse took my hand because I was so nervous. What a human way in a really big hospital.

And I can understand George Michael for his thank to the doctors who saved his life and the staff who kept an eye on him.

The sutures were removed!

Today, the sutures were removed and to my surprise, they didn´t hurt a bit except at the earlobe! This hurted a lot and my sweat broke out! I tried not to scream because it would be awkward!
At the end, my stomach felt upset and I am sure I had high blood pressure.

Now my scar looks this way:

You can see the more bloody part at the earlobe - no wonder! I am sure, the scissor of the doctor cutted some part of my flesh. Ugh!

If you want to know where I was in the Vienna General Hospital (AKH), here is the photo of the two bed wards:

At the left is the Green Wing, at the right the Red Wing, whose profile is here:

And this was my station 15J:

 

Day 13 with CI

 

The last antibiotic!!! At last, I don´t need to take them any more. Because my tongue lost its taste and it feels numb on the right half side. Since surgery the taste didn´t improve better and I am worried that it will not change to normal.

 

I hate medicines because most of them are useless and in Austria doctors are prescribing too much of them which is not a good thing for the body.

 

As long as I got the fluid antibiotic in hospital I felt sick and sicker from day to day so I want to end it and go home for real recuperation!

Dry Shampoo

For first time I tried Dry Shampoo because I am not allowed to let the scar behind my ear get in touch with water and not even with shampoo. But after almost 1 1/2 weeks without washing my hair (glad, I stayed at home!) I bought a Dry Shampoo from Klorane and tried it.

Bhoa, when I sprayed the powder on my hair, I looked 30 years older with grey hairs! Look:

To be honest, to become grey is not so terrible - I liked this colour. Well, 30 years from now, I will tell you if I really like it and please remind me about my blog then and the Dry Shampoo.
But this shampoo is really not bad! The fat strains are gone. But it still feels somehow "powdery".
 

Day 8 with CI

Day for day, I feel better step for step, but too slowly! If I move my head too quick, there is a certain dizziness still. I know I don´t have patience and so the healing process is too slow for my taste. I want to be fully recovered!

The band aid which sticked on my hear as protection is wearing off and I had enough of it and removed it cautiously. Then I detected another cut which I didn´t know! It´s the vertical scar on the upper part of the cut!
Well, beautiful, not?
Gladly my hairs are growing but too slow! You see, I am somewhat impatient.

At evening, my friend Lucy visited me and it turned to a wonderful evening since surgery! She let me forget all pains and this dizziness. I learned that she became an addict to Japanese TV Taiga drama "Shinsengumi" which was broadcasted in 2004 and she never noticed all Shinsengumi stuff I displayed in my appartement including the famous "makoto"-banner.

On the photo above you can see two framed pictures - they are graphics of Watanabe Taeko, creator of the manga "Kaze Hikaru" which is about the Shinsengumi and my favourite manga.

Day 4 with CI

Monday, 27th August 2012
Dismissal of hospital - at last!!! Heaven!
Out with the infusion needle and back to normal life! My stomach was still upset but better than yesterday.
I can walk normally and also stand on one leg without troubles. My balance is perfect, but a slight dizziness is still here. My doctor told me, it´s normal and I should take time.

At home I removed the headscarf and - SHOCKING! - found out that nearly a third of my hairs were shaved! Crap! My hair!
I understand it´s necessary but soooooo much! I look bald! Well I will go out of the house with a headscarf as long as possible.