Library Blonde

...with all due respect to all Smart Blondes there (Janet & Ardyce , you too!)

Friday.

The most expected and hated day of the week. And it is all excitement in the morning when you try to clear all the tasks so by the end of the day you are FREE TO GO and truly enjoy the weekend. The anticipation is unbearable. Lunch time. And you go with a big smile. A smile that we all working people share on this peculiar day. Underlying meaning: “Thanks God It is Friday and we are half way through the day. Freedom is just a few hours away. I can see it. I can feel it”.

However, you come to the office, probably after a sumptuous type of lunch; and tragically, the afternoon seems to never end. And the minutes seem like hours. And the stupid digital clock in the left bottom side of your screen looks at you mischievously, playing with your emotions. “Don’t do that to me, man! Not today! Come on!” you want to scream. But you are not crazy enough to do so 9well, some of us are, to our surprise the clock doesnot talk back. If you are lucky, maybe, it just changes to the next minute. And this at least triggers a sad little smile or resignation, yet quiet happiness.

And sitting on the chair you can feel all the muscles of your body screaming for a break. It is more the brain asking for a break… that little voice telling you “Man, I think you deserve the day to finish right now… at 4.30”. That same evil little voice that during lunch told you to go for that extra sauce; or the fries; or the sundae with chocolate sauce as a treat. That same voice you curse while at the gym trying to lose all those extra indulging moments.

And “YOU’VE GOT MAIL”. Looking at the inbox you see a familiar friendly name. You open it and you see the recipients list is filled with some friends. THANKS GOD! it is not a work-related email. And you already feel anxious to read and see what it is all about. There’s an attachment… an attachment! You know it is gonna be good, and while you tuen the volume down, you double click on the file. It takes a little while, and you are already impatient. PLAY!



It is emails like this one that make it up for the few minutes left of the working day. Thanks Lars! Ya’ll have a good weekend!

Jamie & Wayne

Taiwan & Australia/Malaysia. Another nice story of those ones.



Chinese style weddings are different from what I am used to in my country/culture. However, I enjoy them thoroughly. This one had 2 extra special components:
- I actually knew BOTH the bride as well as the groom.
- We were asked to perform or play a game with the wedded couple.

Fun! On stage time for Gitti & I... once again! We decided to play a game with the audience and the couple in which we would sit Jamie and Wayne in a different side of the stage with a set of markers and some paper sheets. We would ask them some personal questions and they would have to answer on the paper. At the count of 3 they would show their answers to the audience. If their answers matched they would get a point; if they answers didn’t match, they would not add any point.

We had fun! Plus the audience also volunteered a couple of questions such as “HOW MANY KIDS WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE?”. Now, that is neither embarrassing nor a pressure… in front of all your closest relatives and your spouse’s!!! They handled it very well; in fact, they got most of the questions right!



CONGRATULATIONS!
FELICITACIONES Y QUE SEAN MUY FELICES!

(lookin’ good these two, ah?)

FM 101.3 – Desde Río Ceballos, Córdoba (Argentina)

FM 101.3

Hay un dicho de Dale Carnegie que siempre me ha inpsirado, especialmente en esos momentos de dudas cuando uno no sabe que hacer; y dice más o menos así:

"The person who gets the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore"



Este mensaje es para un amigo que se siempre se anima. Un amigo al que felicito por su emprendimiento y le deseo mucha suerte en esta nueva iniciativa: una radio de frecuencia modulada (FM). Esta radio transmite desde la ciudad de Río Ceballos, en la provincia de Córdoba, Argentina.



Carlitos, desde Singapur sintonizo la 101.3!

Para todos aquellos que quieran escuchar un poco de buena música (sobre todo si están en sus 30 y pico años, hagan clic aquí. La pagina aun esta en construcción, tengámosle paciencia al equipo digital de la 101.3, ok?)

ONE of the three...

...wishes for 2007 came true. My friend Laura from Canada uploaded her pictures from her first trip to Asia (click here) Mind the trip was in AUG 2006! :):):)

It was a great experience as Sonia and I were involved in the decision making process, planning and enjoyment of her time in Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and Macau.

I used to have some videos and pictures of the night zafari, cool bars etc. However, I lost most of them in a computer crash. Too bad!

Enjoy the pictures and the cool comments on the different pictures. May this album serve as a temptation for you to visit us in Asia... and if you have any questions, please call Laura :)

Gracias y Feliz 2007!

Thanks Teresita for the lovely poster I got for this Xmas/New year! :)



Useful hint… indeed!

Being tagged and compelled to answer. Why?

I have been tagged. Yeah yeah, I have. And I will buy into it this time. This is not like those nonesense email chains. NO NO NO it is about YOU!. How can ONE be stupid.
(OK, for the record, some people should never answer this question. They would be in danger of opening their mouth and proving us HOW stupid they can actually be) Not you, my dear reader, of course not. :)



I am thinking of...
My TO DO list today.
I know it is quite a GEEK thing to do, but unlike some other people, I DO have TO DO lists; CHECKLISTS; MindMaps & other management tools to help me go through my tasks. SO WHAT!?

I want to...
Start at fresh in this 2007.
But then I wonder what “at fresh” means. Is it a clean inbox? Is it with new wardrobe? Is it in a new location? Is it with a new job? What is it to start at fresh?

I wish...
Everyone a great 2007!
This is a selfish wish because EVERYONE also includes ME! Plus, what comes around goes around. So I hope this GREAT 2007 also applies to me!

I said...
I didn’t care, but it seems I actually do.

I miss...
Being a kid and having this free spirit where situations are always relative and are put into perspective in a naïve, yet efficient way.
We adults have developed a nasty habit of dramatizing everything. FACTS are PROBLEMS and affect us. And the main reason why we get frustrated is because we cannot solve them.
NEWSFLASH! You cannot solve FACTS. Like: “We have a problem: It is raining! What are we gonna do?”.
NEEEEEH! Wrooooong! It is NOT a problem; it is a FACT: “It is raining” It is not like you can call someone to stop the rain or anything. NOPE. It will continue to rain until it stops. Period. So you do not have a PROBLEM, you are facing a FACT! What you do with that fact is the important thing. Right? It requires a change of mindset and I am working on it.

I hear...
The ticking of the typing on the keyboard coming from my colleagues working stations, and as I focus on it the sound it gets louder and louder. It makes me feel I am trapped in this corporate box in a 7th floor of a building in the downtown of this tiny island in the middle of South East Asia.
And my colleagues keep typing; and I am still trapped. Ticking… trapped… ticking... trapped... TICKING… TRAPPED!!!! AAAHHH!!!!!!

I wonder...
Too much sometimes. I think I should think less.
Then, I am thinking again!. However, thinking of thinking less is good; it is GOOD for you. Like chocolate, or shopping, or an apple a day… all GOOD for you.
See!? I am still thinking. I think I should stop right now.
Still thinking…Oh my... vicious cycle!

I regret...
Having trusted this one person. I shouldn’t have.
But shouldn’t have/couldn’t have cannot be changed and they become a thorn in our heart and mind. So I just forgive myself and move on.
See!? This is GOOD for you, too! Like yoga; or celery juice; or sleep lots.

I am...
Wearing a brad new tie I bought back in OCT. I had never worn it before. And I discovered I have one too many ties.
OH MY!!?... What have I just said… “I have one too many ties!” There are like 16 things wrong in that sentence. One is NEVER short of ties, for there will ALWAYS be new ones you can have! I dance...As if none was watching… but I know they are!

I sing...
All the time. And I like my singing.
(Hey! It does not mean I am good at it. I just like it)
I am currently working on a couple of songs I would like to master.

I cry...
I actually do not cry all that much. But if I do, it means I am terribly hurt; upset; or the movie I am watching is one of those “crying type”.
By the way, crying at the movies is cathartical, it is also GOOD for you (like the scoop of cream on top of the ice cream topped with the cherry).
I want to think people go to the movies to experience feelings they would not be able to experience in their real lives. And somehow you cry as an innate reaction to that; or they recall feelings from previous situations.
I think crying in the movies is natural; NOT crying is unnatural!. Why would you hold your tears? To cry alone at home? COME ON! Let them go! That’s WHY they are tears to begin with: to be cried off. If you do not cry them, they will get stuck in your eyes! For what… for better use?! HELLO! That’s their purpose in life: popping out of your eyes and rolling down your cheeks… so CRY baby, CRY!
Think of “BAMBI” and his mom; think “I AM SAM”; think “WOODY ALLEN” - not because his movies are sad, what’s sad is his fashion sense!

I am not always...
As sociable as people think I am.
I sometimes love/need being in my secret little happy corner of the world.
Where is it?. Well, if I told you it would no longer be secret, would it Sherlock?

I write...
Yes, I do.
What do you think I have been doing so far, Einstein?

I confuse...
People at times.
But it is OK, enigma adds spice to your persona. An Aura of magic is always needed or else, you become a boring person with no magic aura. The WORST thing that could even happened to you.
Well, THAT and wearing brown shoes with black belt. OH MY!... God forbids it, ok!? Knock on wood it will never happen to you…

I need...
To go somewhere on a plane soon.
I am on this ridiculous travel withdrawal these days. I miss the smell of the cabin of the planes; the phony “welcome on board” type of smiles from the air attendants; the first class gifts you steal on the way out of the plane (or is it just me? COME ON!). I also miss playing the game : “what will they serve this time?” which main options are “chicken or beef” or in Asia “Rice or rice” – so you always win! GREAT GAME! I highly encourage you to play it. Especially fun if you NOT know the person besides you. To add even more fun bet something like your earphones or the safety life jacket underneath the seat. GREAT GAME, I tell you!

I should try...
Durian again!
If you do not know what it is GOOGLE it and you will see. Too bad you would not smell it! Or maybe it IS a good thing you will not smell it after all.

I finish...
Yes, I do.
Always.

I tag...
Nobody. I think it is both annoying as well as disrespectful.
What do you care what people are thinking, what their fears are, who they think of, etc etc? Who are you? JOAN RIVERS?. LUCHO AVILES?
Ha ha kidding. I think it is fun, but you need to be in the mood for answering…
Don’t you somehow feel you NEED to complete all these TAGs people send you?
If you don’t complete them, you feel guilty for not having done so. Stupid! I know. I did not say it wasn’t. However, oddly enough, I do not feel guilty when I cut the “READ THIS – IMPORTANT – PERSON IN NEED – DONATION” type of chain emails. And by CUT I mean deleting the email without even reading it. It is like an AUTOMATED TRASH MAIL FILTER mechanism; an innate reaction to crap emails.

Anyway…HAPPY NEW YEAR, PEOPLE!