Wine & Cheese - Szeretettel!

Facebook Swap, Sender: Veronika
Sent: 5 June 2012 from Szeged, Hungary
Received: 21 June 2012, Traveled ~10,000 km in 15 days

Much to my disappointment, I don't have any Thanksgiving - related postcard to share. Oppss, that first sentence just sounds so wrong ... What I truly wanted to say to open this post is that, I'm grateful despite my lack of Thanksgiving-related postcard, I have this one with a glass of wine - to suggest a toast in celebration of Thanksgiving!

We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in the Philippines. I don't think that's a reason though not to join my American friends in expressing gratitude for the blessings we constantly receive. Especially this time of the year, I feel the most grateful; with many of the important things I wished for this year coming true.

I'm currently in Singapore by the way. It was Friday last week when I learned I need to go back for an urgent appointment. I was here also during the first week of November. On Monday I flew back in and that evening, celebrated one milestone in my career, courtesy of the beau. (N.B. The urgency of coming here and the celebratory dinner aren't connected.) And lookie here what we had, wine and cheese, same as in the postcard!

When the wine and cheese on the card is from Hungary; the wine and the cheese platter on my photo is from a French resto called Cheese Bar by Wine Connection. It was a new experience for me trying different kinds of cheese (and foie gras, too!) For the first time, I tasted the hard cheese Gruyere "12 months" from Switzerland, which according to the menu is of raw cow milk, aromatic subtle and fruity. The soft cheese, bloomy rind Chaource from France which was pasteurized cow milk, crumbly, fruity, and mushroomy. And the goat cheese (which became my favorite from the 3 selections we had), Crottin de Chavignol from France, raw milk, smooth, lactic, and peppery. The wine were Pradio - Pinot grigio from Fruili Grave, Italy for me. And for the beau, it was Herve Azo "Chablis AOC" - Chardonnay from Burgundy, France. 

I believe I'm starting to fall more in love with French food (who will not, really?). Yesterday evening it was another cheese and wine affair, being invited for dinner by another French-Filipina couple. We had the soft-washed-rind, smear-ripened Reblochon from Haute-Savoie, France with nutty taste on croziflette. For the wine, it was Domaine du Bois-Malinge - Muscadet Sevres et Maine Sur Lie.

On top of what seemed to be a wine and cheese feature for this post, I'm thankful for the new friendships I'm starting to build here in Singapore. Meeting new people teaches me many new things and makes me know myself a lot better. It's nice also being able to share about myself that hopefully is something inspiring and useful for the people I meet. I'm positive that once I find a job here, adjustment won't be too hard for me with the friendships I've already established prior to moving in.

So long for now. Again, Happy Thanksgiving to all! Cheers!

~ maria

Sharing this for:

Beth's 

and Paulita's