Happy Valentine's!

Today I woke up to the most exquisite flowers ever. Mark bought them yesterday and arranged it so I could have them this morning, so lovely!

There are so many, that it is even hard to capture them all in a single picture, but I have tried. Also, I hardly know most of their names: roses, sunflowers, lilies that have not blossomed yet, and a bird-of-paradise even! And some others I could not possibly name! Gorgeous...

Ah, those lovely Greek products...

I recently found out about Korres, the Greek apothecary, and bought some of their products from Beauty Expert, a website based in the UK. This is what I bought:

- Alpine Herbs Anti-Stress Energiser - a lovely cream, light textured and mildly scented, which is a joy to put on, especially at night. You wake up with baby-smooth skin. Really! It can also be used during the day, under your makeup. Fresh and yummy.

- Rice Proteins & Oligoelements Shampoo - a shampoo for fine, limp hair as mine, always searching for some extra volume and vavavoom.

- Nutmeg Body Milk - since I adore the scent of nutmeg, I decided to get it and it's really very, very moisturising, with that very sweet, spicy and unmistakeably nutmeg-ish fragrance. Smells divine, oh yes...

Well, they sent me some nice samples as well, from both Korres and Phytomer (a quince body butter in a very generous sample of 50ml, and coming in the cutest tube, a day cream, and a little tube of a face mask).

I was indeed quite happy with my purchases, until I found out in the web a pharmacy in Athens that sells most of the Korres line for a third (yep, 1/3) of the price! The Papadopoulos Panagiotis pharmacy. I was in a shock, because it's so much cheaper... OK, let's face it: it's not like it is an "imported" product, right? I mean, we are all in the EU, so, it's Greek alright, but not an import, for heaven's sake! Maybe I am wrong, and I don't know much about those commercial regulations, but still... Why do Beauty Expert charge that much? I am curious to know how much these products cost in the Korres London emporium.

One thing must be said though: expensive as it may be, at least they are fast with the shipping (1-2 days) and quite generous with samples. However, lesson learnt: next time buying Korres, it will be directly from Athens! Nowhere else!

Virtual Manga Library

My favourite manga supplier, JustManga, has now a system that allows you to build a database of all your manga! The books you buy with them are automatically added to the library, whereas those bought from another vendor (Amazon for example) can be added manually.

Not only that, it also provides statistics by genre, values and savings! I think it's so cool, and so handy... Amazon also has something similar, but this is so much easier to use and also is a great tool for keeping track of what you own, how many you are missing, your favourite author. I think it is very clever desu!

And here is my personal library:

http://www.justmanga.com/vmb/180

My favourite genre seems to be comedy, what else hey, but I also seem to favour some romance! The values though are the scary part, because you can also see how much you have spent so far with that hobby - not the cheapest, I must admit. And even scarier when you think that it does not include regular books, which you also buy. But what the heck, it's great fun in the end!

New manga I'm reading!

Chibi Vampire - read the 3 first books already. It's very cute and a bit weird. It's about Karin, a young girl born in a traditional family of vampires that now live in Japan. The problem is that Karin is a "reverse vampire", ie, instead of sucking human blood, she needs to bite them to donate blood! She has monthly blood cravings that are always signalled by heavy noose bleeds. She gets involved with Usui Kenta, a handsome yet sad school mate who also happens to be her neighbour. The artwork is very nice even if a bit dark - but then again it suits the overall mood of the story. The characters are also very likeable, especially herself and her Dad Henry Marker, who is indeed very funny (and extremely protective of his lovely daughter).

Yubisaki Milk Tea - this is the gender-bender tale of Yoshinori (aka Nori), a boy that works in a photography studio and, ever since has covered for his sister Yuki in a photo shot (bridal gowns none the less!) has started to feel the urge to dress as a woman now and then. Well, he gets involved with some lovely girls, one of them his cute young neighbour Hidori, and sees himself trapped in a bit of an identity crisis. At the same time the pains of adulthood start to breed: voice changes, growing up some inches... For how long is he going to be able to keep that hobby? The story is funny and sweet, however the artwork lacks a bit of detail and mid-tones, which I so much appreciate. In the other hand it is a very fluid and almost minimalist style, which is also OK and quite suitable to this specific storyline.

Latest News

I am quite happy because my friend M - who is in the Osaka University Hospital - has finally been operated and is very well. I know him for over 30 years now, we've been neighbours since then. He is a pilot/captain and during a routine flight from Sydney to Hong Kong last week, he collapsed. To cut it short, the co-pilot diverted to Osaka and where was immediately transferred to the hospital, where a brain tumour has been found. Surgery happened 2 days ago and lasted for 12 hours. I spoke to him right before that and he was in a great mood. My Mother told me today that he's been talking to his parents and is fine, same old guy as ever! So, I am very happy and relieved. We will meet him in Rio, for he will be arriving there more or less at the same time - by the end of February.

As for myself, still going to the gym and still liking it. I just need to try and go more often, however a flu kept me at home (again) most of last week. As usual, flus and colds. I guess it cannot be avoided with me! But I don't really think it's all due to my condition. I think it's the weather that triggers that somehow, since people otherwise quite healthy also complain about it. So, MS is not to be blamed - at least not exclusively.

Apart from that Mark is currently in London and will come back on Friday night. I really miss him! He left yesterday, but at least it is a short trip. Before he arrives, I intend to go into town, maybe get a haircut (I am desperately needing one). But certainly I will drop to Dunne & Crescenzi to eat some panna cotta. I've been craving some since last week but unfortunately they were so full on Saturday that we could not go in! The panna cotta is a bit like crème brulée, which, nowadays is probably one of my favourite desserts (especially the black tea one, yum yum...).

I also intend to go to Fallon & Byrne to get myself some madeleines, rose macaroons and, last but not least, some aniseed pastilles from Flavigny (pictured above). I love the violet ones, although jasmine are quite good too, he he! As for the madeleines, they are quite lovely, however my late Grandma used to make some really gorgeous ones, and whenever there was a birthday or celebration people would beg her to prepare some. I still remember their smell and how she would let them drying in the sunlight for hours in the early morning. It seems sunlight plays an essential role in a madeleine's flavour and delicacy, and it's true that a madeleine that does not "sunbathe" does not taste the same as those that are laid to rest under the Sun!

Anyway... Enough of the food stuff for tonight, it's making me hungry! And now, I still have to take my injection, bleah, and it's getting quite late...

Good night...

I'm back!

After a very, very long break from blogs and Internet in general, I am back! Happy New Year for everybody! I'm sure 2007 will be a great one!

What was I up to these days? Hhhhmmm... Let's see... Some highlights of the past few weeks...

Christmas - we spent some days with Mark's family in Ballina and it was nice. We've been there for Christmas and St. Stephen's Day too. I got lovely Christmas presents, including lots of Hello Kitty things, the DVD collection "Himalaya" (BBC/Michael Palin), a cool handbag, chocolates, and the new Sony MP3 player NW-S705F (see details below!).

New Year - we finally met my friend Monica, her boyfriend and fantastic son! We've been to La Strada for dinner and it was, as ever, gorgeous.

Gym - yes! Still going! Increasing the weights and so on. I just love it. Actually, I hate the cardio workout and LOVE the weights and stretches. I found out that my left leg is much weaker than the right one, but who cares... Anyway, it's very, very good!

Health - seems to be OK, better perhaps due to the gym, but I've been having lots of headaches, especially on the left side of my head, including teeth sensitivitya and ear ache. But I seriously suspect it's got to do with my sinuses, since I am always very blocked when I wake up! D'oh...

The Perfume - I restarted reading "The Perfume" by Patrick Susskind and, yesterday, we went to the IMC to watch it. It is a great film, very faithful to the book, especially when depicting the odours and landscapes. Dustin Hoffmann is brilliant as Maitre Baldini, and the guy who plays Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is an amazingly talented young actor. I would not be surprised if he got an indication for the Oscar as best actor (and Hoffmann as best supporting actor). There is also a Le Parfum coffret of scents that has been launched by Thierry Mugler, to coincide with the film release. I am very curious about it and think the idea is fantastic, although a bit too "conceptual" perhaps. For example: what can we expect from a scent called "Human Existence" ? If you read the book, you will know what I mean... Anyway, the descriptions of the scents are on the website, in case you are interested. However, the collection is a bit too dear, I'm afraid.

My MP3 Player - it's the cutest thing ever! When I opened it I said to Mark: "But it looks like a cigarette lightener..." and, I must admit, was a bit disappointed. However, it turns out to be the best thing ever! Especially when I go to the gym! Here it is...

Pink, slim and pretty!

Well, these are the news for today. I will be back soon, hopefully, if I'm not too lazy, that is!

Meditation...

Mark does not believe it. I do. Or I think I do. Only this week I heard about the Nepalese boy, Ram Bahadur Bomjon (pictured above), that was meditating inside the roots of a pipal tree in Bara for 10 months. He disappeared in mid March though, probably seeking for a quieter place for his meditation. The place was getting crowded with tourists and pilgrims, and journalists. His plan was to meditate there for 6 years, but it was not possible in the end.

Some of his followers were claiming that he was a reincarnation of the Buddha himself, but he denied that saying that he was just an austere ascetic. His words were:

"Tell people not to call me the Buddha, I do not have the Buddha's energy, I am only at tapaswi level." Tapaswi being a sage that practices austerities as such.

I also don't believe he is the Buddha's reincarnation either, but somehow I do believe people can achieve these states of mind. It's amazing to see the footages of him meditating. He was filmed for days ininterruptly. You can see him muttering chants (or perhaps talking to himself) and how his hair and skin look intact, not dried up or scarred. By the end his hair was really long and he was getting a bit emaciated. He would also start heating up and sweating all of a sudden, much probably to control his body temperature, since that area tends to get really cold when the night comes.

This technique is called "gtum mo" (or "tummo"), or the "inner heat" yoga technique. I firstly read about it when I was a teen, in the infamous and controversial Lobsang Rampa's book ("The Third Eye"). I got really impressed, in spite of Rampa's credibility of course... Gtum mo is a very intense form of meditation where one is enabled to control his/her body temperature and metabolic rates. Alexandra David-Neel also explains about it in her books, a must-have if you have any interest in Tibetan Buddhism.

Yes, call me a believer, or whatever. The images of that boy will stay with me forever. He looked illuminated. Somehow. And it's just good and comforting to see these things still happening in our crazy days... I wish him to come back.

Personal Trainer, Gym etc...

I am going to the gym, as I may have mentioned before (did I?). I am really appalled by my level of, erm, unfitness and overall stiffness. Sometimes it feels a bit frustrating, of course. But I will try and do my routine exercises, and see how it goes.

The gym is Crunch Fitness here in Dun Laoghaire. It's a very good and very modern space, with a lovely pool, lounge, new equipment and a nice team of instructors.

I had my 1st session with a personal trainer, and I really liked her, for she was all the time with me and gave me lots of new exercises and diet orientation too. She was following my every movement and it was good. She put me on the machines, since she thinks before going into a lot of cardio exercises, I need to strenghten my ligaments and bones a bit, since I am too stiff and the nerves on the back of my thighs were kinda killing me! Of course I need to start with cardio, to warm up, but not 60 minutes as I was trying before. Something like 7 to 10 minutes, then machines, and finally stretchings.

Let's see how it goes. Tomorrow I am going again, and my next session with her is on Wednesday. Can't wait, really.

Cool Engrish (Pt. 5)

I have another Cool Engrish of the Day today! It's from my lovely new pair of geta (Japanese clogs). I love using geta at home, there is nothing more comfortable than a woody, anatomic pair of traditional Japanese footwear! Then, I bought this lovely pair on EBay some weeks ago...
It says on the sticker at the bottom:

"Leisure supplies
carefully collisions
pathway slide"

Hhhhhmmm... Does it grip? Does it slip? Frankly, I have no idea! But it doesn't matter, for I will be using them at home, not outside. So, no slippery walks, or any chances to test it against the elements. Let's keep it inside, shall we?

End of an era...

21 days with no posts, that's way too long and I even complain about some of my lazy friends (and Mark too) who don't blog very often... Shame on me! Well, I did not have time, or rather, any will to sit down and write. Some stressful weeks I had...

And the apocalyptic title of this post refers to my last day in SITA, which was yesterday. As I mentioned on a previous post the Dublin office has closed down and most people were made redundant (including myself). As such, it's the end of an era alright: VTI, then Eland Technologies and, lastly, SITA. I was there for 6 and a half years. So, it was strange seeing the office being dismantled, and a bit sad.

Most people were happy though (not everybody, I must say). And most people have new jobs already, which is great. I don't, but this is because I will have a sabbatic year, as Mark and I have decided when we had the news of the imminent redundancy some months ago. Having this career break will be very good for me, for I finally will be able to try and get some control over my health by going to the gym in an attempt to improve my condition (fatigue, and unfitness of course!). If the medications did not work, this would be my last resource, according to the doctors. Abandon the sedentary life and have a go to a more active lifestyle etc...

So, we were in the office yesterday signing the papers and then we all went for lunch in the Purty Kitchen, our local pub-restaurant. It was good. I really enjoyed myself and almost, almost cried. My colleague Ian surprised me with a nice present: a Lord Of The Rings/Royal Mail promotional watch, very pretty. I thought it was very nice of him. And I had funny chats with the guys. Then we all left and said goodbye, although of course we will be keeping in touch. Or so I hope!

It was raining, they went to the Monkstown dart station and I headed home. On the way, I stopped at the little Purty Emporium and they were playing Coldplay's Yellow. Then some tears came to my eyes, and a nostalgic sensation invaded me of a sudden. Somehow this song always touches me, and the situation was, I must say, a bit sad. I don't know. Yes, the end of something, and as people say, the "1st day of the rest of our lives".

That was it. I stopped at the convenience store and had a long chat with the Indian manager (the system was down and I could not buy anything). This has cheered me up, we laughed and talked about India, Brasil and Ireland as real expats do! It was interesting and it also made me stop thinking about "the past", my still very recent past.

That's it. That was it. I am here, and free to start something anew.