Homepage

HomepageUp Jink's JournalInteresting People and Their StoriesA Little Light HumorPost Your StoryFrom the GalleyPhoto GalleryContact

Interesting People

 
Everybody has a story if you take the time to listen.

 

 

CathelijineName:  Cathelijne van den Bercken
Age: 36
Home: Almere, Holland

We met Cathy serendipitously when we happened to catch the same van from Panahachel on Lake Atitlan to Guatemala City. 

Work:  Owns a catering company called “Cathy’s Discoveries” that specializes in original recipes from all over the world and luxurious gourmet picnics. Outside the picnic season, she is freelance graphic designer.

What makes her interesting?  Although it might seem that Cathy’s culinary trade would be somewhat frivolous, her approach to her work is serious business.  She is a student of culture and wherever she goes in the world, her attention is on learning about the various cuisines and food habits she encounters.  Through this experience, she can adapt unique methods and distinctive ingredients into her own recipes. (Click here on Ensalada de Cecilia for a recipe she derived from her homestay in San Pedro on Lake Atitlan where she was taking Spanish lessons.)

Currently, Cathy is very busy with two colleges and finishing a book about dream recipes in the Japanese camps in Indonesia during WWII.  Her book is called de Smaak van Verlangen (The Taste of Desire). From 1942 to 1945, the Dutch East Indies was occupied by the Japanese and they imprisoned Europeans in camps. There was very little food available, not even enough for rudimentary meals. The daily meal consisted of tapioca porridge. Yet the women of Dutch descent painstakingly recorded thousands of “dream recipes” as if they had access to the ingredients. The recipes ranged from simple Irish Stew to such fancy entrees as oysters with champagne. The exercise became a phenomenon, a craze and an obsession at the same time. It was a way to dream about things they might be able to experience after the war and for many of them it was a way to cope during the occupation. 

Cathy hopes to increase the awareness of these events and the recipes through her book.  (For those of you fluent in Dutch, you may go to www.desmaakvanverlangen.nl to learn more.)
  
Significant event in Cathy’s life:  When we rode with her to Guatemala City, she had just completed two weeks of instruction at San Pedro Spanish School in San Pedro on Lake Atitlan. While there, she organized a fundraising picnic to benefit El Proyecto Los Ninos del Lago (The Children of the Lake), a project which offers free educational opportunities to the children of Mayan families living in San Pedro.  The event was a huge success raising almost $70 for books, school supplies and tuition.  In Guatemala, this is a huge amount and it will supply many children with their needs.  

Philosophy of Life:  “Live in the here and now.  Always be happy with the things you have.”

Please visit Cathy’s website at www.cathysdiscoveries.com or www.cathelijne.nl 

             Sponsored Links

 

 

 

 

Homepage | Up Jink's Journal | People | A Little Light Humor | Post your Story | From the Galley | Photo Gallery | Contact

 Life is the Only Story You Need
Copyright 2005

Welcome to Lifesstory.com, the e-zine where all the tales are true and our motto is “Life is the Only Story You Need.” On our pages you’ll find the real cruising adventures of the crew aboard the sailing vessel Up Jinks.  There are also all sorts of stories – life experiences, places, people, humor, photos, food and more. Most importantly, you can share your Life’s Story with us.  

Maybe you’re into adventure travel. From Maine to Miami, Boston to Houston, St. Augustine to San Francisco, wherever you go in the U.S., we’d love for you to share your travel tales with us.  Maybe you’re hiking in Germany, or skiing in Switzerland, or sailing in the Virgin Islands.  Everywhere you go, everything you do creates a memory and a story worth telling.  You can go by cruise ship, sailboat, airplane, train, RV, bike or on foot. Maybe your destination is a spa or an ecology trip or a safari.  You can pass along information to others about great trips, holiday vacations, foreign destinations, expensive hotels, cheap hotels, honeymoon spots, great restaurants, even yoga and meditation retreats.  Or maybe you’ve read a good travel guide or listened to a good audio book or found a great new digital camera or used some great camping equipment.  Maybe you’re into nature photography. Lifesstory.com is the perfect e-zine to share this information with others.

But, Lifesstory.com is more than just travel adventures.  It’s a place where you can share some of your personal memories be they inspirational or humorous, about family and friends, or recollections from the past that need to be preserved.  When you remember that “Life is the Only Story You Need,” you’ll understand that everybody enjoys hearing true stories.  So send us your stories – travel, adventure, humor, personal, holiday stories, vacations, great trips, international travel tips, traveling with children, ski trips – whatever you like.  You can get published on Lifesstory.com.