101 things & life

My Day Zero project, search for hapiness and other life experiences.

Happiness Project

I just started reading Gretchen Rubin’s “The Happiness Project”. I have only read the first chapter, but already love it and I am planning to make one of my own. I just first need to find some appropriate problems and/or themes that I want to tackle to become more happy :)

#85 Try out five new recipes (1/5)

I don’t like cooking. At all. Therefore, I created this goal, but I have the feeling I will extend the number to 10 new recipes or even 15 if I’m really getting into it.

I like creating something, whether it is a painting, design, home decorating… Normally I just cook boring food; pasta, rice, vegetables, potatoes… With this challenge I want to push myself a little more to cooking more ‘elaborate’ recipes. Now I must say what I made today is not really not at all elaborate cooking, but it was something new nevertheless.

I found this recipe on a Dutch website and it’s called: “Omelette with noodles”. Hey, I had to start somewhere right!?

Anyway, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Noodles
  • 3 eggs
  • Milk
  • Half an onion
  • Garlic (I left this one out..)
  • Oil
  • Pepper
  • Salt
  • Optional: paprika or other vegetables cut in small pieces (Left this one out to due to lack of vegetables in my fridge..)

Tools:

  • Pan
  • Frying pan
  • Large lid or plate that fits the frying pan

Preparation:

Cook the noodles according to the packaging. Cut the onion into small pieces. Heat some oil in the frying pan and fry the onion (and optional vegetables) in it. Whisk the eggs with a little milk and add the mixture to the onion in the frying pan.

When the egg begins to congeal on edge, spread the cooked noodles on top. Put the lid/plate on the pan and wait until the egg is somewhat congealed so you can turn the omelette over. Bake until the omelette is ready. Spice with salt and pepper and add ketchup or chili saus to your taste.

The whole thing is very filling. Not sure about the calories and healtyness of the omelette but it was very tasty! Next time I will add some paprika and/or ham to the mixture. I recommend trying it out :)

#59 Compliment 10 people (2/10)

These people do not have to be strangers. It is just nice to show people I appreciate something about them.

I complimented one girl on her lipstick and another girl that her (dyed) haircolour suited her very well.

Next time I will try not only to compliment on people how they look, I don’t want to come across superficial ^^

#109 Organise my income and expenses for the past and coming year in excel

Yes I know it’s called 101 things in 1001 days but I thought of a few more nice challenges.

I made a supercool excel sheet with all of the past and coming months, with income and expenses and even in different currencies. I even made formula’s so every amount of money I spend or get will automatically add up to my months total.

Downside of this orderly diagram: I found out I spent twice as much in the past month than came into my bankaccount.. Damn creditcard, damn Ikea being next to my university and damn moving to a country where everything is just way too expensive.

Ain’t it pretty??

P.S.

My goals for the month of september failed miserably.

From now on I am going to lower my expectations and only write down 1-4 goals per month.

#61 Take a dance class

Two numbers in a row done!

I signed up for this class called ‘dance and rythm’. It was a special class for students only which made it a thousand times cheaper then going to a dance school. I have ballroom danced for about 5 years and a long long time ago I had some ballet and streetdance classes as well. As much as I would like to go through with ballroom classes, I simply cannot afford it and besides that it would be difficult considering I do not (yet) speak any Danish and English classes are just not available.

So I signed up for this class, went there once, got a letter for my Danish language classes and found out it was at the same time.. My language classes are more important to me so I chose those over the dance class. However, I participated actively in the first class so I consider this one done, although I had expected more of this goal.

#60 Don’t eat microwave meals for a month

Done!

This was easier than I thought. Usually in times of stress I resort to microwave meals in order to win some time by not cooking, but I have so few classes and way to much time that I ‘cooked’ everyday. Which sometimes meant bread with an omelet, but still..

#32 already failed.

One day after posting my goals for September I already failed #32: Don’t miss a single class. Today I woke up feeling terrible, I already had a bit of a cold but now with a fever included I decided not to go to class. Even though it’s my first week at school and probably should not skip any, I stayed in my nicely warmed bed.

Goals for the month of September

My goals for this month. Some are from the Day Zero project, others are temporary personal goals.

  1. Read in my Danish book
  2. Print photo’s to hang on my wall (#17)
  3. Make photo’s from the city I live in (When it’s sunny!)
  4. Finish my export report (#26)
  5. Don’t miss a single class (#32) - Shouldn’t be that hard with only 3 classes a week - FAILED
  6. Get up at 7:00 for an entire schoolweek (#33) - Should be hard with only 3 classes a week
  7. Start the list with things that make me happy (#35)
  8. Send an email to myself on futureme.org (#38)
  9. Send a cute birthday card to my friend
  10. Look for a new wintercoat (#64)
  11. Do more wordgames on freerice.com (#92)
  12. Write down some inspirational quotes (#95)
  13. Get a flickr account (#99)
  14. Buy my first postcrossing card (#105) - and find out how the postsystem here works
  15. Find out how the printing system at my university works
  16. Read most of my mass communication theory book - around 190 pages and one article of 44 pages

#3 Live abroad (again)!

Og jeg elsker det! Since last week I’m living in a foreign country again and I’m loving it!

Last Friday I moved to Denmark for the second time around, but this time to another city and for a longer time. When I did an exchange semester in Denmark I just fell in love with the country and wanted to come back again. I’m studying for my masters degree now, my school is starting next week. So far I just love my new city and the people I have met here. Although I would like to meet some actual Danes, since I have only met international students so far.. I always think living abroad is such an enriching experience and would recommend it to everyone, even just for a few months. I’m planning on writing a blog about my abroad experiences sometimes, but for now I just leave it at this. I’ve got a new city to explore and friends to make!