Mother to some, stepmother to others

When you want to describe that one and the same thing can be good for some people but very bad for others, in Serbian you say "nekome majka a nekom maceha," or "mother to some, stepmother to others," mother being the embodiment of goodness and stepmother... well, think of poor Cinderella.

So with Ejyafjallajökul. My friend Katya is stranded in Spain (this is supposed to sound bad, but somehow it doesn't), reminiscing about Breugel's The Fall of Icarus: " Icarus is drowning in the sea, but no one even notices. Now, people wander the streets with suitcases and backpacks, and life in the city goes on as if nothing happens."

Ruslan, on the other hand, was grounded in Budapest, possibly stranded from a certain point of view. Instead of partying his last 30-something in the city that never sleeps he ended up here. I have to say that this required swift logistical moves on my behalf but I get a kick out of short-notice deadlines (take note of that, potential employers).

This is what we ended up with:

Beef with dried apricots and raisins, with a whiff of cinnamon and orange. It was my first attempt (I have cooked beef no more than three times in my life) and while there is room for improvement it did turn out tasty.

Dangerously good Italian wine--easy to drink, and before you know it you are all slow and fuzzy.

Is there anything more kitsch than heart-shaped objects? Hardly, but this was the best-looking cake around and it tasted yummie (cottage cheese and fruits).

And it was Ejyafjallajökul that has given us this beautiful feast--so do cut him some slack.