It's official - I'm a foodie.

I always categorized myself as an eat to live person (as opposed to live to eat).

Lo and behold, I go through my VISA statement today (no judgment, a combination of being bored at work and being surprised at my total made me do it)... anyway, after looking at the expenses, I found out that 35% of my total is on restaurant food alone!! That may not be a lot to other people, but as someone who wants to save money and who didn't think she went out that much, this is crappy news - I can't believe I went this long not knowing that so much of my disposable income is spent on food. It's not like it's even a good way to spend money - the food leaves your system in 24 hours, and when you keep it it's in the form of FAT.

I'm so surprised with myself, and ironically (or not), I've lost my appetite.

How ironic

Now that I live downtown, I get to observe all of Toronto's glories, but mostly I get to see all the crazies that I was sheltered from in suburbia!

While walking yesterday, I was stuck behind a group of yuppies of a certain background, and was getting annoyed with them taking up the whole sidewalk. Lo and behold, a homeless guy all of sudden throws racial slurs at these kids, and saying "he hates every one of them" etc etc. I think they may have missed it (hopefully) but listening to him hissing hatred at them was like a slap in the face - and it wasn't even about me! How ridiculous that someone who probably would benefit from less judgment from the rest of the public could be a vocal racist.

Needless to say I cut them some slack about taking up the sidewalk.

Quelle surprise - Obama won

A little delayed, but not until today did it really sink in that Barack Obama is our new President. Funny, I just wrote that, and he's not even my president!! But I feel like he even represents the hopeful group up north...

For the past few months we have been hearing about how this election is the most important of our time, and it is on so many levels. Barack Obama is the epitome of what it means to live in a global world - background from white and black, a Christian but aware of Islam through his background, younger, educated, technologically savvy (at least his campaign was - amazing use of technology to give ownership of the election process to voters themselves). To choose him was really symbolic to show that America would be choosing a candidate that accurately represents the population of the US.

How much was McCain the antithesis of the man we needed to be the President of the United States? Of course, I acknowledge he is a good, honourable man, whose concession speech was class to the max. But could we really choose a man in his 70s, whose greatest moment came as a POW, and who still glorifies aggressive action? By definition, no matter how "current" this man is, he cannot possess the progressive views we so desperately need.

In this time where leaders are openly deriding and threatening Western countries, Obama provides diplomatic levarage not only through his flawless 'politicking', but his background as well. It's not going to be an easy road, but we have the best person we could have to help us through these difficult times... the big O.

Long-delayed move out day

It finally happened!
It took a long time, for reasons that are valid but no longer relevant - I have finally moved out.

Some part of me can't believe it took this long, and yet I still feel guilty about leaving my parents knowing that I will likely never move back again... in fact, I didn't realize they were in the dark about this fact until my mom asked me last night when I plan to move back. Surprised I said "this is it! I'm not coming back anymore"... it's an odd realization, no matter how old you are.

WOO HOO! I am getting excited! Time for a moving workout tonight :)

Mon

Mon

Purely for enjoyment and oohing and aahing

Sometimes all it takes is a cute picture to really make you happy - simple as that.

Et voila:

Ahhhhh all I can do is smile when I look at this baby (in spite of the fact that his name is Zuma).

Long distance relationships

I can't believe it, but it's been almost a year since I've started the killer phase of relationship - long distance.
Sometimes it gets really tough to deal with, in which case I go into google and do a little search about how other people deal with it - in fact, it seems like a lot of people try this out because of school, work or apparently joining the army and leaving for overseas (can't really compare myself to those).

Anyway, I keep finding lists of tips on how to deal with the long distance, which are mainly these following points:

1) Defining needs: being transparent in the kind of commitment you're looking for, and setting the correct expectations. This one's a biggie - whenever there are differing expectations things tend to fall apart.

2) Setting a end point to the long distance - also a biggie! I can't imagine if someone were trying to go through long distance with no endpoint in mind... that would be torturous to say the least.
B) A sub-bullet to this point is setting an endpoint within the time away - I also don't know how people would survive without knowing when they can see the person next, and it also is a huge help to have something to look forward to...

3) Communication - duh. Emails, calls, texts, mail... spontaneity is a even better.

4) Trust - double duh. Without this no relationship would work, let alone long distance.

I feel like that's it - as long as expectations are set and there is an end to the madness with visits in between, what more can you do?

Hmmmm

So, in the past 36 hours I've managed to:

• Get in a fight with my grandma to the point where I hang up on her (this is not normal behaviour)
• Get in a fight with Adam for the first time ever
• Get a gay porn virus on my computer, and have to reload from factory settings without being able to backup
• No longer consider the Dubai move an option after a month of discussing and applying there
• Find an apartment and decide to move out
• Have my phone stop working and unable to make outgoing calls
• Get on my online banking account on Monday morning to find that my balance is 0 because the company I invested in has halted trading
• Find out I wasn't listening closely enough when my boyfriend was telling me he's sick, and feel like a selfish spoiled child

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to win pity - in fact, the one thing these problems have in common is me, which would make me the cause for most of them. Most situations are inthe person's control, therefore I am no pondering what it is that I am doing wrong to cause these events.

I can answer each one by saying that I made a wrong decision, that these things happened because I was not exercising my ability to be a better person, that a few slip ups in judgment landed me in a boiling hot mess of emotion from Sunday evening to last night.

To be honest, almost the entire list doesn't matter because all the events are in my control and I have almost solved all of them. The only one out of my control is the last one, which is really the only one that matters.

Anyway, all of this to say that adulthood leaves something to be desired, and that sometimes I'd like to go back in time where I could impress the teacher just by making something rhyme. (Did you see what I did there?)

Aw nau

Let's go over the past week or so, shall we?

• Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are bailed out by the government
• Merrill Lynch is bought by Bank of America (for $85 billion?)
• Lehman Brothers' go bankrupt, which I think I read was the worst bankruptcy EVER
• and the stock market goes to its lowest point this year within 2 days

oh, and the Russian stock market closed at noon yesterday because it fell 10% within that morning



I love this pic, headline CNN right now...

Time to move!!

What's on Monika's booklist

Let's see if we can figure out what lifestage I am currently in... my recent foray back into literary activities includes books such as:

• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• Eat, Pray and Love
• A New Earth
• Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

I'm quite sure after 2 years of numbing thoughts and feelings, I am on an accelerated road of self-discovery, only to realize that I don't know how to do it very well, and that I am hoping that reading enough of the books will help me achieve the balance I am so longing for.

Thanks to this path and these books, my mind is now complete mush, and I am feeling lost and surrounded by words like "character ethic", "dealing with loneliness", "establishing goals", "questioning meaning of your chosen path", and "new fall makeup!" Ok, the last one was me cheating by reading a Cosmo, but who knew black lipstick was going to come into style? Yuck. At least I know my clear answer on that one.

Although the description above may sound depressing... ok it is. But I can recognize that what I am going through right now is a necessary painful cathartic process, in one of probably many catharsi (?) in my life. Knowing that everyone is going through this is slightly comforting, but it still does nothing in helping me decide what to do. Where is my relationship going? Should I move to Dubai, Europe or stay in Canada? Am I rushing through things or taking them too slow? What is the worst/best case scenario with all my options? What ARE my options??

This lack of direction and my ability to be indecisive at times is partnering to create an ever-growing sense of panic in my head, which I call the monster (not the sexual kind). So Mon can be fine one day, and then wham! The 'monster' may come out at some unexpected moment, and cause a crying fit for a whole Saturday with no idea as to the purpose or when it will end. These are the times I feel I just want to escape to a hut in a small Greek island and stay there until I feel fit to be reintroduced into society.

I can sense that this is a defining point in my life, and that it is something I have to do alone because as lovely as the people in my life are, they just don't get it. I just have to say I am looking forward to when this phase will pass, because as much as I am learning... it just really sucks.

Monniversaries and such

In the past few weeks, I have celebrated 2 very important milestones: my 1 year anniversary with the bf, and my 2 years at CGI. Both were surprises, one pleasant (in fact amazing) and the other not so great. Can we guess which is which?


Being with W for the past year has brought so much positive change and wonderful times in my life that I can't believe it's already been so long - to think that we made it through 10 of the past 12 months long distance is a credit to W's best quality (his patience and his looks). And it feels like once you hit that 1 year mark something changes - there's a je ne sais quoi in not having to say "months" anymore...


As for my work anniversary, I can say with certainty that there will not be another anniversary celebration in the future - unfortunately, it seems we were not meant to be committed. Woo hoo!

Matthew MConaughey - stupid statement part #1382

Ok, the man obviously comes from a genetic predisposition of idiocy - a brother called Rooster, who named his son Miller Lyte (???). A quick google search showed he lives by the saying "Just keep livin' "(no sh*t) and once said "I love having my hands in the dirt… If it comes down to me versus that weed I’m trying to pull out of the ground that doesn’t want to come out - I know I’ll win."

Then I read an article on People.com (yes, I read it) about how he sat between his girlfriend's legs and played the bongo while she was in labour - if my hubbie tried to pull some kind of drums on me I would flip right out. Or maybe wonder how I ruined my gene pool by procreating with this man...

Sigh... ok, maybe I can see why she did it. Maybe they didn't do much talking.

The ultimate for a foot and fish fetishist...

Foot fungus be gone?

Apparently there's a new pedicure method where instead of softening your feet in just warm water, little fishies bite at the dead skin on your foot and soften it for you! Nice little graphic above...
I would imagine the fish would wander to some feet more than others (a.k.a. the scalier, deader ones), which would pinpoint you as 'that' person...

Dream interpretation

I usually think dream interpretation is silly, but given the types of dreams I have been having the past few months, I couldn't help but google them to see what they mean...
For example, W woke me up this morning as I was dreaming about a polar bear, who kept calling me from a payphone (that is one skilled polar bear) to try and contact me but I couldn't get to him. He needed food and somehow knew to call me but I wasn't able to reach the phone in time to find out where he needed the food.
So I checked what polar bears symbolize:
"To see a polar bear in your dream, signifies a reawakening."

Then I checked what a payphone means:
"To see or hear a telephone in your dream, signifies a message from your unconscious. You may be forced to confront issues which you have tried to avoid. Alternatively, the telephone represents your communication and relationship with others."

In which case, my dream would mean that my unconscious is trying to communicate and confront me about my reawakening.

Which, I would say, is an understatement for my state of mind over the past 2 months... maybe there IS something to this dream interpretation.

Greece

I cannot believe it's already been 2 months since I last wrote an entry in here... I managed to go on a trip to Greece and make a few changes in the life of Mon.



Greece

So... this is the picture that most people tend to love from my album! It's beautiful - the view from the northeast tip of Santorini - Oia, where they say you can see the best sunsets. I think this picture is proof of that!

We got to Greece and flew immediately to Santorini, where we spent 3 nights in Kamari and rented a smartcar for a day. Driving around Santorini in a tiny golfcart car is tough since it's so mountain-y, but was really fun. No donkeys for us!

Then we took a speed/ferry boat to Mykonos, which was even more beautiful because of the white sand, clear blue water, and so many naked guys' bums it was incredible. It really is the gay paradise, judging by all the couples (and crazy singles!) we saw there. We spent 3 nights in Mykonos, in Ornos in a lovely apartment with a pool 2 steps outside our door. Eating and shopping and tanning, and we got a james bond car for the 3 days we were there and visited 4 large beaches.

Other than the amazing scenery, the best part was that I got even more attached to my wonderful bf who made the trip probably the best one in my life... I'm notorious for only traveling by myself since I don't like to tie myself to anyone elses decisions, but this was one of the only times I've ever felt like I was on the same page as someone else. And it obviously helped that everything in Greece is gorgeous, so decision-making was not an issue.

Aren't we cute? And pale, geeez.

More favourite things

#3 - Unexpected phone calls with friends you haven't seen in a while
Didn't realize how good this felt until I got to chat with my friend Jess last night... very warm and fuzzy

#4 - "Don't stop til you get enough" by MJ
This song gets me every time - I want to boogie and dance and not stop til I get enough.

#5 - Traveling in Europe
I am rarely as happy as I am when I can go on vacation in Europe - for the only time in my life I have felt free and relaxed and confident in myself on my past 2 trips alone there. And ironically it's the only time in my life where I have no plans, minimal clothing and make-up and no friends/family to help me if something were to go wrong, and you know what? It feels amazing.

My non-favourite things

So at the same time that I think about things that make me warm and fuzzy, the things that make me cringe come up too.
This list is a collection of pet peeves or just general items/occurences that make me feel yucky... and I've experienced 2 of of them today already (ew).

#1 - People kissing their muscles
Specifically arm muscles - you know when guys flex and show off and then kiss their biceps? Drives me up the wall. In a major way.

#2 - People shushing
I know the temptation is there, believe me - I often want to shush people who are talking in meetings, during inappropriate times, etc. But please! Don't do it! It reminds me a bitter old librarian, and it's so patronizing I want to slap the person back for treating me like a kid. Argh!

#3 - Someone telling me my bad mood is as a result of something else other behaviour, or worse, that's it because I have PMS.
I don't know how much into detail I should go here, but if I'm upset and I say it's you, it's you.

#4 - Disloyalty
This is a tough one - I can't be too harsh because I may dabble in little discussion with one friend about my situation with another, but I know that when it comes down to it, I have all my friends' backs no matter what.

Can we say childhood trauma?

"Busy travelers forget toddler at airport, fly on"

Ok, I'm trying not to be judgmental here, but forget your 2 year old?? I can't say for sure, but when I am a parent I will be on constant vigilance with my child, let alone leave them out of my sight somewhere like an airport.

Oh god, I just jinxed myself didn't I? I am going to be one of those parents that forgets their kid, "Home Alone" styles.

"Charlie bit my finger"

That really hurt... and it's still hurting

Just the most precious video since that baby laughing... watch Charlie's michievious face

Sweet picture

Shot of a volcano in Chile, taken from 30 miles away... damn!

These are a few of my favourite things

I have a few material things that make me very happy. I don't know why, but everytime I see them I get such a warm and comfy feeling. I figure why not blog about these things when I come in contact with them, so when I'm old and senile I can just surround myself with these items in a room and live in content.

P.S. Please no judgment, some of these are painfully obvious, some are very simple and some are just silly.

Numero Uno:

Yes, I know - everyone loves it. Except Blackberry lovers (and with the new Bold, I am emotionally cheating on my iPhone a bit). But I am attached to this gorgeous piece of technology in ways I never thought I would be... plus the fact that it's a gift from my g.b.f. makes it my new baby that I carry EVERYWHERE.

Numero deux:

An odd one, but I love the simplicity and ease of use of these pens. Back in high school, when we still took notes by hand (I know, how ancient), I would use this pen (medium thickness), the identical red and black ones, and use them for everything. I need at least a box of these in my desk at work and at home at all times. And at least 1 in each of my purses. It's crazy but it's true.

Honourable mention goes to Techniclick 0.5 pencils - I love those damn things. But I can't add them on their own cause I would look even nerdier than I do already.

Theory # 82 on Men and Women

So.... I do a lot of talking and analyzing about men and women - I feel like a walking SATC episode sometimes, with the amount that we talk about, except we're never wrapped up nicely into little themes - most of the times it's just extremely messy and I always end up realizing that the girl in question (me) overreacting and the bf in question (Dub) has no idea what's going on.




Soooo.... my theory is actually based on some fact: there are more good-looking women than good-looking guys. You can go into why this so, that maybe girls just spend more time beautifying themselves, because guys base their attraction on looks while girls base their attraction on sense of humour.

However, this guy must be damn funny:

I may be biased cause I think Natalie Portman is beautiful, but c'mon!

"Cool stuff"

I was perusing articles throughout as I usually do, and came across this website listed as a creative and fun new venture. I think the company is based out of London, and the concept is really simple: let people design their own business cards, using their own picture, and make them small and cute and charge not so much for them.

Moo Inc. (www.moo.com) is the exact company that does this: you can upload your fave pics, crop them for the size of the card, and get an order of 100 cards that could possibly each have their own unique picture.

Business cards are an old idea, but this picture idea can put a whole new spin on it - making them personal, and using this for invites/thank you cards, or creating a rating system so that when you give a guy your number, you can give him a card with a specific number on it...

I've already created my account, I just have to figure out who I'm going to be giving these cards too exactly :)

So cute! I can't help myself

As a person who reads many (many!) articles about celebrities - please don't judge, it's my guilty pleasure, I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate my unhealthy habit into a career haha - I have to admit there is one person who I LOVE to see everytime. I love the way she dresses, her haircuts, and she can do no wrong in my book.

Look at her! Don't you just wanna pick her up and hug and play with her? Maybe it's prejudice because I still react the exact same way to cute dogs I see on the street, but I like her more than Brangelina's kid, whose name has escaped me because of my reaction to this picture.

SO CUTE!

Morning Smile

I got to work pretty early this morning, so decided to go to Rabba and get some grub for the day (to avoid eating junk food).

I walked in at 8am, and there was a pair of thug-looking guys that walked in right behind me - they were talking tough, dressed in "ghetto" wear... I left them to go get my soy milk, and walking back I saw them debating loudly over some food item - I walked closer and realized it was yogurt, and they were arguing over which one had more "probiotic bacteria" and therefore was better for them.

Yet again I learn... don't judge a book by its cover. Or that yogurt marketing is damn powerful.

Ummm... Yemen? Sup wit dat?

Ok, so reading this article today on CNN - disturbing. I have to admit I don't know much about Yemen, outside of that borderline annoying Friends episode where Chandler tries to move away from Janice.

But c'mon!!! Letting your pre-pubescent daughter get married to a 30 year old, knowing he was going to attempt to consummate the marriage and had a violent streak. Where is that considered acceptable?! No matter what the age, why would you ever give your CHILD over to that kind of situation?!

I'm outraged and disgusted, and selfishly thankful that I was born into a normal, democratic and first world country.

But above all, power to this strong, amazing little feminist for standing up for herself and getting a divorce at 8 years old!

I'm a lover, not a fighter

Ahh, a quote from one of MJ's cheesiest (cheesiest!) songs sums up my entry today.

I do not like conflict!

I really realized this yesterday, when 2 of my friends were exhanging sarcastic comments - they of course were not serious about it, but I could not handle even the possibility that they meant what they were saying. Everytime a situation comes up that has potential to turn into a confrontation, I feel incredible uncomfortable and tense and need to either get rid of the confrontation or leave. It's kinda that same feeling I get when I watch American Idol and someone is butchering a song and I just cannot watch because I feel so bad for them.

I don't think of this feeling as a weakness - why should avoiding confrontation be considered a bad thing?? I find most of my friends who DO look for it end up with needless drama in their lives, and that's not an admirable quality.

Buuuut I have to say a few exceptions exist to this disposition. First: if you are a drunk girl at a club, getting into my dancing space and starting to annoy me, I will call you on it. And then may or may not nudge you out of my space. And then may nudge you harder... you get the point, just don't do it. Second: my relationship with my mom (all regular rules go out the window :)

Carrie Underwood - Praying For Time - Idol Gives Back 2008

This has been playing on my iPod over and over for the past week... wow

Auto Trader Commercial - Woman leaves Husband.

Ah! My friend Jake (a.k.a. Ryan) is in a commercial... a man of few words but it's still hilarious :)

Burn out or just lazy?

My bro recently came back from a really nice vacay in Cancun - he had just spent 8 months straight at work, with most of those managing a project that was launching right before his trip. Needless to say, he was burnt out and needed the time to relax.

The funny thing is, when he got back from his trip, he still had the same "burned" feeling - he had no refreshed feeling, didn't even feel as if he had ever left! I started questioning my own trips, and realized that I almost never feel that refreshed feeling ever - in fact, I end up feeling worse coming back because there is the fresh memory of ultimate happiness.

Don't get me wrong, I get that I will not be on vacation for my whole life - I don't even want to be! And although I know that the natural judgment is that of laziness, but when I really like to do something, I know I put the work in and enjoy investing my time. Am I asking too much, or even something unrealistic, to like my job? And not feeling this constant burn out and dread when thinking about my Mondays? Is it only a lucky few that get to combine their passions with a job - are the rest of us stuck in simply a "whatever makes us money" position?

Ring Around the R-Rated Rosie

So I've been showing my age recently - I've been condemning the "young people these days" and comparing them to "the good old days when I was a teenager"... you'd think I was a grandma already. But my reaction to the following story in appropriate! Seriously!

It wasn't told directly to me, but happened to a father not long ago... he has 2 young teenage daughters (something like 14, 15) and left them at home for an evening. On his way to his event, he realized he forgot something at home and went back to get it. He noticed a few extra cars in the driveway, and came in and saw that the group was in the basement. He walked in on this little scene: 3 boys sitting in a circle, facing out with their pants off. 3 girls, including his daughters, standing in front of the boys, singing "Ring around the Rosie, a pocket full of posies, blah blah blah, we all go DOWN" and then dropping down in front of the guys, ready to "go down" on them. Which is what they almost did until he freaked out and threw everyone out of the house. Except his daughters, who I'm sure he locked up forever.

GOOD GOD! Am I such a prude to think that this is ridiculous, disgusting behaviour!? I must be, because apparently this "game" is common among teenagers - all this time, schools and agencies have been lecturing against teen pregnancy - what they didn't realize is that horny teens will always find a way to be sexual, and work around that fear of pregnancy (i.e. have oral sex instead, there's no risk there right?)

And not to sound like a flaming feminist, but it seems like it's always the girls that have to perform the sexual acts in order to please the boys - it seems like they always give something up - in this case their self-respect - to be accepted. To that I say don't do it girls! Your respect and body are valuable and very unique possessions! One bad choice and you can spend a lifetime trying to build them back up again.

Or maybe I'm just old.

An Olympic mess

Reading the news lately? The Olympics in China are causing quite a ruckus... and we're still 4 months away! Seems the fact that the Chinese government is a big bully is pissing a lot of people off - myself included.

I still can't believe that the Olympic Committee chose Beijing over Toronto - why are we acknowledging, and in fact rewarding and investing in a country that is so outdated on the definition of freedom? I am curious if any countries will take a real stand as we get closer to the actual event - I feel badly for the athletes that want to participate in this huge event, but shame on the organizers for allowing such a controversial country to host the Olympics.

You CAN have a Hollywood ending...

So... I was celebrating my birthday with my friends in Toronto last weekend - we all got together for a really nice dinner and night out at Ultra on Queen St. I was having a really great time, until I put down my purse to boogie with my friends - within 5 seconds, I felt someone brush past me and when I looked back, my purse was gone! I don't think I've ever been that upset... I spent the rest of the night holding my mankee (long story), with a tear stained face and rage-filled eyes, staring at every single person leave the club and checking if they were carrying a brown clutch. Obviously no luck.

The cops called my house at 6 a.m. and introduced themselves as the "Toronto Police calling for Monika". Well that nearly gave my dad a heart attack, but the good news was they found my purse, wallet and keys. Of all people, a homeless man found my dumped purse in the parking lot and turned it in! We tried to find him to thank him but no luck. In the end, I grieved the loss of my iPhone and camera, but moved on.

Lo and behold, this Saturday morning a Mississauga man called my house asking for Wassim - turns out he FOUND the phone and wanted to return it!! I got my iPhone back, with some scratches and protruding parts, but if possible I love it more despite and because of its flaws - at least now I know no one will steal it again....

Whateva

Sooo cute - wonder what she'll be like in 10 years...

Ok, I take it back

After watching more episodes of SATC, I realized that the chicks on that show can get REALLY annoying!!! Holy crap, some of the things they do absolutely drives me up the wall, and are often things that most of us girls have the better sense not to do. The Carrie and Big relationship is a terrible one, and she is the girliest, most needy and clingy girl ever - I can see how girls in new relationships could act like that, but to represent a woman in her 30's that way?? Terrible.

ANyway... I've decided that I can sometimes tolerate Miranda - she at least makes some sense - and Samantha - at least she puts it all out there with no shame and in a crazy and funny way.

Moko the good Samaritan dolphin

So I was reading CNN as I usually do when I'm bored at work, and came upon this story about a heroic dolphin in New Zealand.
It's about a stranded whale and her calf, and they couldn't get out of the sandbar and were almost going to be euthanized so that they wouldn't suffer, when the dolphin swam over (apparently hearing the distress calls) and helped them swim out to open water... how great is that!? I love hearing stories like that.

Hottest pic

I was going through the Allure website, doing my reading about trends as I always do, and I came upon this picture and thought it looked really cool a.k.a. hooooot.

Yummy (in a non-lesbian way).

Sex and the City

After going for a few months without some real shopping - yes, I am finally cutting down on frivolous spending and becoming fiscally (?) responsible - I went on a mini-binge on Sunday after being cooped up because of this damn snowstorm. *Note - I am not going to comment on the amount of snow we've been having cause I don't know how many more times I want to kick that dead horse.*

Anyway... Best Buy had a sale and after talking myself out of several purchases (drooool gorgeous computer screen) I bought the entire set of SATC seasons. After watching a few of them yesterday I realized how GOOD that show is!!

First off, every guy friend I have that has admitted to watching it loves the damn show. And Mr. Big - which I didn't get until I watched the shows again and realized he is the smoothest guy... no George Clooney but he holds his own. Of course the characters are outrageous, but I have acted like each one of those girls at some point in my romantic life. And the conflicts and themes are presented and wrapped up so nicely: of course I wouldn't use the show as a real guide to my romantic life, it's like a little therapy session everytime you watch it... on top of all of that, when you're trying to describe a situation to your friends, it's much easier to start with "remember when Carrie did this?" - brings everyone to the same level. Genius.

The one crappy thing is that the show ended way too "Hollywood" - they broke with their tradition of somewhat following reality, but highly doubtful Miranda would end up with Steve?? Come on. Making that movie is a $mart move - hellooo Mr. Big.

Dubai

So it's almost been a full 4 months in this long distance relationship - with the difficulty of keeping up that kind of relationship, we decided to reward ourselves by visiting each other in very nice places. Paris was our first destination (over the holidays and New Year) and this time around, W chose Dubai. It was about a 12 hour there and 15 hour back flight, which actually wasn't bad when you consider hours of your own movie watching time and comfortable seating.

I landed in Abu Dhabi at 8am and got a chauffered car to take me the 1.5 hours into Dubai city to our resort. It was a gorgeous place, where you get your own apartment in a villa (village of villas). The reception area opened up to a tanning/pool part, with restaurants lining the property until the beach/water. One of the popular places to go out, Sho Cho's was on our resort, and a few really good restaurants with thai and lebanese food.

We spent a lot of the time just catching up and tanning on the lawn chairs, meeting a bunch of W's friends and seeing the city and trying out a local place called Buddha Bar. I got a nice tan, and got to observe a culture that I thought would be radically different from what I knew, but it turns out Russians are all over the place as either business barons or escorts - felt a lot like Poland!

I don't know if I could live there, cause of the distance from my family/friends and the incredibly unbearable heat during the summer (up to 50 degrees C, my God)... but I would definitely want to visit again and add a lot more to my list of things to do, now that I know what to expect.

Had to show this

Although it over a week old, there was a huge story about a fire set to a building filled with Turkish immigrants in Germany. The fire was so aggressive that people couldn't get out in time, and a few people were stuck on the higher floors. The uncle of a baby was leaning out the window trying to get help, and saw a firefighter on the street below him. Apparently in a 2 second decision, he decided to save the baby by THROWING IT OUT THE WINDOW.

Insanity!!

P.S. The baby is ok.

Classy

I read this article today about a judge that sentenced a drug dealer to jail and subsequent deportation. Just read the smackdown the judge gave to the already-convicted moron:

"Your Honour, I've been in custody for almost two years. I've
lost my kids and my wife. Have mercy on me and be fair. I'm only human. There is no blood on my hands."

But Harris [the judge] was scathing as he meted out his sentence.
"You came to this country with a basketful of opportunities and you remained here unlawfully," the judge said. "Since then, you have lived a life of crime. You have adulterated the landscape with an indolent life.
"You came to one of the fairest countries on this planet. Here, you received food and health care for free.
"You lived among hardworking people who put their lunch in a bag and go to work, who pay their debts, kiss their children and cut their lawns. Gentle people.
"You got protection against the wrongdoing of others.
You received freedom, sir. Freedom.
"You received the opportunity to work, to grow, to prosper and to love. And what do you give back? You give back poison to the young and the poor.
"You are the grim reaper, the executioner, the undertaker of the young and the poor who came your way.
"Those 459.7 grams of crack , if divvied up on the street, would feed the addiction of 2,250 others.
"That was a colander of poison. And you say you have no blood on your hands."

BURN!!!

Catch up

So it's been almost 2 monthe since my last post... In that time, I've managed to celebrate Christmas, New Year's Eve in Paris, come home and decide I was going to switch jobs, start my GMAT course, celebrate a 5 month anniversary (only my second one!) and now plan a second long-distance rewards trip to Dubai.

I feel like I am in a time of huge change but also routine - to an outsider, nothing earth-shattering is happening to mon, yet in my own mind I'm racing at a mile-a-minute during the entire time I'm awake. I haven't gotten to the stage yet where I can verbalize or really express what is I want to do, but I do know for certain that I want a big change in my life: and right now it feels like a new job. I want to switch careers, countries, industries, you name it - after promising myself 3 years ago I would never be in a technology company or work for a bank, my title is: Business consultant for a large IT oustourcing company, specialized in financial services. How ironic.