2008!

Tomorrow night we'll be thinking about the new year and our resolutions... one for each sultana (actually, here in Spain, they don't eat 12 sultanas, but real grapes....).

Anyways, we'll be in our friends' huge house and I'm hoping his swimming pool is well covered, as I can already see some midnight diving....

Hope 2008 brings the same as this year, I can't ask for more, can't complain really. Basically, the trio - health, love and money - that big equation that seems to summarise our lives' goals. We all want it, the more the better. I keep playing Euromillions, keep going to the doctor checking out regularly and, as for love, I keep looking. It will come, I'm sure, I feel 2008 will be what winemakers call a 'vintage' year... I'll keep my fingers crossed, hey?

Happy New Year, plenty of love for everyone!

Spas and shoes

Apart from the Foundue Set and the 6 bottles of Cava - the Spanish equivalent of champagne -, I very much liked my presents... there's a catch here - I basically knew what I was going to get beforehand, because this year we decided to make a list to avoid unecessary gifts. We went straight to the point. Except for the shoes from Sacha London which I love, my Mum is the best. Of course, I´m a massage lover and I've been dying to get one at this place. Not only was I offered one, but it's also the best one of the pack!

C'mon, spas and shoes are a girl's best dream! Hurrah!

Useless gifts

Saturday night fever - 2

My previous Saturday nights in Madrid have all been all about partying... It's good to come back to the party lifestyle :) There's so much out there to look at!!! C'mon, just look at us and you'll see we've been having fun. Last night was a very very late night in Pacha, I guess it will take a while to forget what a funky time we had.

Here's some samples...some more are promised and they will be on the way soon!

Home sweet home

Going home for the weekend is always a good reason to smile :)

On these occasions, I always stuff myself with cakes and food in general that are hard to come by here or that simply taste better at home, with that flavour that brings back memories and tastes particularly fantastic!

It's a very short visit, but doublefolded - in one hand, visit parents and friends and finally bring back my winter jackets (that we need desperately) and, on the other, to visit customers on Monday and Tuesday. After working for 2 years with these people on the phone, I'll finally will have the chance to say what I think of them eye to eye :) No, they're sweethearts, really! They're well groomed!

Au Revoir Simone-The Lucky One

Air - Sexy boy

The Chemical Brothers - Do it Again

The Chemical Brothers - The Salmon Dance

Creepy stalker

I have a stalker.
I see her every morning, waiting for me by my car.
She’s in her small Hyunday and she is scary.
She gets into fights with other people because of me.
I can’t trick her, because she knows where I live and what time I leave for work.

She’s after me….and my car spot!

The Brothers will work it out...

Amazing weekend of concerts! 2 in 1.

Saturday:
Au Revoir Simone and Air…Sexy Boy was cool, danced all gig long, got fascinated looking at the front boys’ white and tight pants. They were quite ‘fashion’
as any true Frenchie is.

Sunday:
The masters Chemical Brothers really were wicked, loved the explosion of colours and images on the transparent screen behind them. The lasers and colours really made the show, together with the mood of the thousands of people that filled the Madrid Arena. When Black Rollin’ Beat started, there was an out roar and the people jumped like one single mass, arms up and smiles on their faces. I was remembering my student years in the UK, when I first heard of them and danced their hits on Wednesday’s at Arabella’s, our alternative disco…On Thursdays we had Student Night on Tokyo Jo’s and the music was more commercial and targeted at young drunk crowds.
Can’t believe those years were crucial, as it was also the year of Trainspotting and Underworld, Oasis, Prodigy and a few others. I was at the right place with the right people.
Last night the gig brought back those sweet memories of northern England at the late nineties…

My (fake) Miu Miu coffer

I just bought this bag, it's quite cool :)

Obviously mine isn't a real Miu Miu coffer, like the one Reese Witherspoon is sporting, but it looks exactly the same...

I told you I was on a silly mood!

Shallow obsessing strongly encouraged here.

Silliness

I feel silly* today, I won't say anything :)

* silly as of happy silly, I'll come back later!

REY JUAN CARLOS INCREPA A CHAVEZ POR INSULTOS CONTRA AZNAR 1

The Spanish King showed he's human after all and shouted a 'why don't you shut up' towards Chavez who, later, called the King a bull...
Ahhh, politics!....

Wow, Earth!

Go and watch this movie NOW!

http://www.loveearth.com/uk/film

Earth is, without any doubt, the most beautiful movie ever.

Milan, day 2 and 3

Basically, spent day 2 and the morning of day 3 wandering round the centre of Milan, observing people, contemplating in awe the Duomo, the Galerias Victorio Emmanuel, the shopping streets where the cheapest shop is Dolce & Gabbana...

I liked Milan a lot, it isn't a pretty city, but it has character. Deserves a second visit :) - on the sales season, to be exact!

Lago Maggiore - Day one

Isola Pescatori

Arrived last night at Milano Malpensa.

Today's plan involved a trip to the Maggiore Lake, the second biggest in Italy, after Garda. I must say it was very sweet. We went to Isola Pescatory (on the picture) by boat-taxi, had lunch on the beautiful and tiny island and then got the boat again to get to the other island called Isola Bella, which was bigger and basically home of a huge palace with amazing gardens and little alleys behind. A lovely place this lake. Its shores were once the vacational retreat of the very rich and today we can still contemplate in amazement and green with envy the massive palaces and mansions by the water. Beautiful!

Isola Bella

Milano, mi amore!

The magic of not having a boyfriend is that you can always choose what you want to do, without giving or taking. Of course, you are relying that your friends are making plans where you, somehow, fit. But the point is that you can enjoy and go to places that you really wanted to go for such a long time, but without a boyfriend on your shoulders. Even if you're going to a place you hadn't thought of going before, you still feel that freedom.

Well, as I've been working like a slave for these past 2 weeks, I thought I deserved a reward. I´m bridging the next holiday and have 4 days of sweet relaxation. And now you ask me:

- Where?

And I answer:

- Milan!

I know I just missed the Fashion Week, but hey, I'm sure the sights are still pretty (hahaha). And, being in Italy, I will have plenty to look at. Oh yes!

Saturday night fever

On a saturday night, out with a friend, how should I feel when kids 10 years younger than me approach me, in a seduction attempt:

- happy

- flattered

- wondering

- intrigued

- weird

- old

- young-looking

- offended

- dizzy

- hot

Because this happens often to me and it leaves me quite confused and feeling all the above! Well, at least got some attention :)

Lilly: The World Map Master Baby Genius

She's not even 2 years old!!!

Chaotic funeral

First time ever I got myself alone to watch a movie.

Since it's a beautiful sunday afternoon, nothing to do, friends with other plans, decided to get into the car and drive down to the center. Parked the car and walked to see if there was anything funny at the cinema. Realising that 'Death at a Funeral' was on in 45 mins, bought the ticket (with the embarracement of the cashier shouting from his mic, One ticket?) and waited in Plaza Sant'Ana for the 45 mins to pass by. Sat on a bench, watching people go by, got a suntan and listened to the 'Beach Boys' from the portable radio from this guy sitting behind me...What an atmosphere! If I closed my eyes, I could easily imagine I was watching surfers glide the waves while I was lying on the sand... Just the smoke from passing cars eluded this illusion.

Got to the cinema and next to me sat 4 old ladies. One of them, already at the presentation of the trailers, was snoring really loud, which made everyone stare back, and there was I.

The film was hilarious, pure black humour, true Brit com. I truly reccommend it, honest. You roll out of your chair with Simon, totally high on acid.

I promise it's really funny, go and watch it!

Waouh (that's Wow in French)

Maybe because lately I've been feeling lonely or sick or both together (or maybe I just needed to do something on a sunny saturday afternoon) I went throughout Madrid looking for a Sephora with Clarins make-up, as I had a potencial buy in my mind. Realising that the most central Sephora didn't have it, I tried to go to the other one the guy advised me, but to no avail, as I got lost and ended up quite annoyed with the whole experience - remember, I feel the flu is visiting quite soon. Resigned to go home, at the last minute realised that Bodybell, another beauty haven in Madrid, could have it and I parked nearby. Once inside, I left my poor and tired soul to the Argentinian saleswoman and just listened what she said. Usually I don't listen to them, I don't want their advise, but this time I was in need. Don't know why, maybe I needed the attention and the chit chat. The thing is that she took me all over the big brands counters - I was enjoying it - and we finally got back to where she took off, the Clarins counter. I ended up buying 2 products and got this Wow (Waouh!!!) bag:

and got out of there all smiley with a fashionable umbrella (for having spent my eyes in there) and a few more samples...This made my day and I returned home much better.

Now that I'm not travelling anywhere, I must use at home my cute samples of all creams available - when I went home, me and Mum went to the pharmacy to buy some night creams of Vichy and the girl there got crazy and gave each of us around 20 samples of the brand... We just stared at her and got out of there quickly, all giggly. Then, went to visit my aunt and she also got tons of samples which she doesn't want, so I ended up bringing home a whole bag of samples which I shared with my sister - to her amazement! I got the antiwrinkles and eye contour creams and she got the hydrating and 'young' ones... Well, having Dad's genes is lucky, as wrinkles aren't going to be a major problem. Nevertheless, better to prevent than to cry after. And since I'm very disciplined in the cleasing routines and all that, you'll look at me when I'm 60 and won't give me more than 35! You'll see!!!! Thanks Clarins, Vichy, Roc and Biotherm - if you are linked somehow to these brands, don't be shy and send me some more samples, I'll find time to use them all, don't worry!!

Holiday pics

Uploading one's holidays pics two weeks after returning is:

a) frustrating
b) brings back memories
c) depressive
d) reveals how lazy you are
e) pure masochism
f) damn sad
g) living in the past
h) helps planning next hols

Yes, it's me, I'm uploading my pics and I feel all the above :)

Pos-vacational trauma

How difficult it is to come back to work after your holidays!
How hard to know that in 2 days you'll have to do your work plus your colleague's workload, as it's his turn to go...for 3 weeks.
How tiring is getting back to the routine.

I need holidays again! Pleaseeeeeeeeeee! I beg!

Powerboats

The beach was fab, got 2 amazing beach days, those on which you spend the whole day laying at the sun and getting burnt...fast. I got my long awaited tan in 2 days! Now I'm finally proud, I look decent!

Saturday was a bit crap, but interesting enough as the Powerboats World Championship was happening in town and I love all the buzz, noise and atmosphere of these events. Noise was a big thing, as even listening to your loud music on your headphones, you could still hear every single vibration of these big boys on the water. We are talking LOUD. And since they were very close to the shoreline and the helis kept pursuing them, you can't say we had a quiet and relaxing beach day. But it was fun seeing these huge boats ripping the sea, flying almost. The helicopters also did a performance on the beach, touching almost the sea and spiraling up and down. All was really cool and I took plenty of pics which obviously have nothing to do with the pros you can find here. 'The Switch' was my favourite, as it glided fiercely in black. The 'King of Shaves' won the Evolution class though...

And the second leg of the Championship to be competed today was apparentely canceled due to strong winds...It seems that I came back to Madrid at the best time!

Beach!

And tomorrow I'll be in Portimão. Hurraayyy!

Paintings

Taking advantage of my Dad's renewed inspirational creativity, just as he's starting his oil and acrylic painting lessons at the Academy (Mum prefers Hydrogymnastics, Yoga and Chinese Filosophy), I bought 2 canvas and some oil colours and left my Dad a request: paint me 2 nice and colourful geometrical figures. I'm thinking on the lines of Kandisnki, one of my favourite painters, because he used splashes and splashes of colour and I like that. My Excel sheets are colourful, I wear nice colours, my room is colourful, therefore we must respect that in my art! I'll have 2 great canvas, you'll see!

Sardines and Dali

Last night got to go to the movies to see Goodbye Bafana, which we liked. Apparentely, Mandela never confirmed his friendship with Mr Gregory, the prison officer which is the central character of this movie. Any case, I like Joseph Fiennes!

Today, we went to Dali's exhibition in this Palace which is almost totally renovated, after years of negligence. Such was the damaged incurred by years of abandon, that some of the frescos were unsaved, meaning the restaurateurs couldn't make up what they originally were and left empty walls instead.It was built at the begining of the 18th century and at the top of its 4 towers we can see the family's symbol, the dolphin.In 1910 it was considered National Heritage, but faced almost a century before some renovation work got under way, work that took 3 years. It's now being prepared to accomodate another Pousada de Portugal (historical buildings transformed into charming hotels, usually monasteries, convents and palaces). - I have to say that the palace impressed me more than the 285 pictures, drawings and sculptures of Dali...Obviously, I'm not such a fan.

We then went for lunch at a cosy restaurant at a small fishing village overlooking Porto.

I had grilled sardines,

which were simply delicious, and finished off this great lunch with a view with a sensational chocolate mousse, one of my all time favourites.

Now, must pack my bags for my 'cross country' travel tomorrow. I leave at 05.50 am and get to Portimão at 12.00 am... Oh dear!

Dentists and other stuff...

And yet another visit to the dentist and my wallet gradually shrinking...Damn dentists! Besides making you hurt physically, they also impose pain on you financially!

Anyways, got my train ticket to the radiant south for some last days of suntaning activity before relunctantly going back to work and Autumn. We are already in the romantic season of the chestnuts, new wine and ... jackets! That I don't miss at all.

Yesterday with Pedro we went for tea at the beach terrace, because it was a bit cold to have a chilled drink. Not that it was cold cold, but a cup of tea was a nice solution. On the way, we got our first roasted chestnuts from the street vendors - but we were a bit let down by the cold and not so sweet little thingies...Maybe next time.

We then had a fantastic steak at a friend's place overlooking the river Douro and Oporto.

Ah, and today I bought another Nick Hornby book - About a Boy.

Soft Cell - Tainted Love

Isn't this a classic??

Modern Classics...

are back!

Yesterday on the Biography channel, I saw a documentary about the life of the great Eileen Gray, architect and designer of furniture and ornamental objects. She took inspiration from Le Corbusier, one of the massive architecture names. The thing that stuck with me was her modernism and futurism of her pieces. If you look at the Bibendum chair (inspired and named after the Michelin man)

or the Nonconformist chair

you wouldn't guess they'd be designed in the early thirties.

She also designed E-1027, a fantastic-looking house on the Med with an unparalel view to Monaco. Besides the house, she designed all furniture, like this table,

Breakfast table (to be inserted besides the bed)

gardens and a "sun pool", where one could tan in confortable sofas...

She was so ahead of her time, and like most great artists, recognition of her work was only attained after her death.

In 1968, the E-1027 table (above) and the Bibendum chair went back to production after a complimentary magazine article quickly grew into an unexpected hit. The interest of Yves Sant Laurent complemented the mythification of her image among collectors of 'modern classics' and the general public.
Check her work out, it's worth it.

Bichinho and blog

A funny fact: this blog's visitors number goes hand in hand with the number of kms of my Bichinho. Cool, no?

Go figure...

Solu Music - Fade

"Always there when I close my eyes...never fade, yeh yeh!!"

I really miss dancing, go out and dance the night away like when we were teenagers and we had the whole world to conquer :)
And what best than dancing after a day at the beach?!

Windy beaches

The windy beaches at home...they might be windy, but beautiful nonetheless...

Another day

We spent the day today talking with our new french boss who seems ok, but the last one also seemed fine! The other was italian, don't know if that suggests something...

Our new boss kept telling that he's the new 'Chef d'orchestre' and all I could do was to imagine him with the baton, setting the rhythm...

Anyway, since I have absolutely nothing else of interest to tell you, I better dedicate my time to pack my bags and to relax...although I'm a bit frantic today, after I drank an expresso in 2 seconds after lunch - you see, I'm not used to expressos anymore and the ones I take now really take an effect! Better go!

One day left to go home, can't wait!!!

2 weeks of bliss!

Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way

State of mind these days... hahaha

Injustice # 2

...is when you find exactly what you were looking for ages and that thing is about to disappear from sight.

That's unfair! (sniff sniff)

Did she do it?

And we thought...

...that we had heard everything!

Last night on the news, Portugal was referred (big event, I thought, no news ever come from Portugal, at least on Spanish tv). Preparing myself for some quality news, thinking it might be something related to Maddie, my surprise was huge when they mentioned that there's a big (hhihihihihi, you'll understand why soon) fuss between the Catholic Church, the diocese of Braga - the most religious city in Portugal - and the mayor, as this statue of an old bishop of the city

is the center of controversy because of the baton, which according to the mayor is not elegant and inappropriate.

Judge by yourselves and don't make any jokes!!!!

Injustice

Oddly enough, just realised that a few of my recent visitors reached my blog through "I lick your icecream and lollipop" words...

It's not fair! I can't be reachable just by that! I can't believe it :=)

Bags for all!

A girl's dream: an array of designer handbags to choose from at a fraction of the price - but only for a few days use. That's the new thing nowadays, to rent a bag for an important meeting, for a business trip, for a party... In Bag de Lux we can choose their selective bags and rent them either for 3 days, from 25€ up to a month for 90€, depending, of course, of the real value of the bag.

This is democratisation of luxury and I like it :)

Massages and weekend

I urgently need a massage, any good soul out there? Especially one using my dear moxa, those great massages (but, unfortunately smeeellllyyyy!)...

Are you coming?

Madrid 14th September

Faithless

Massive Attack

RadioSoulwax presents:

Nite Versions

Deep Dish

etc

etc

etc

Massive Attack - Live With Me

Another gem!
'Been thinking about you baby...
Live with me.'

Car wash, yeah yeah...

Hurrah, this is the 300th post! Seems quite a lot, hey?

Anyways, yesterday went to the car wash and decided to wash it by myself, without using the tunnel. I've used the pressure wash and behind me there was a large line of cars waiting. Mostly were guys. I felt quite observed indeed. Why did I feel like I was washing my Bichinho like her?

Thai memories

The sun showed up today, bringing with him the summer temperatures again. Bless! Saturday the winds wanted to take us with them, it's was seriously windy and strange...

Well, the winds weren't only bad, also brought a smile from faraway lands! Winds of change, of whatever they want to call them, winds bring change. In my case, maybe not physical change, but some sort of platform. Don't exactly know where to yet, but something clicked inside... The eternal doubt? An answer? Have to sleep on it. Again! :)

Sorry, back on my subjective moods...It's the wind.

In any case, me and my friend decided to celebrate the reentrée from the summer holidays (for most people that's the case, mine is basically the opposite) by dining at the spectacular Thai Gardens next Friday. I'm a lover of Thai food - in Prague we lived practically upstairs one of the best Thai restaurants in town and we used to go there at least once or twice a week. In Lemon Leaf we even got a 25% discount for being usuals and we used to know all the waiters, chefs and of course the Romanian owner.

In Shanghai, Pedro took me to one of the most exquisite Thai restaurants, in a elegant villa once owned by a British gentleman who was the president of the dog-racing course in the 1920's. Lan Na Thai is one of the most beautiful restaurants I've ever been, decorated graciously with gorgeous artifacts from Thailand, India and China. Dining by candle light, in that villa, in the middle of a garden, looking out at the lake...you could be anywhere. But this was in the middle of a busy district of one of the busiest cities in the world. Really amazing.

Then, later on, one of the restaurants that stayed in my mind is also a Thai, this time in Beirut. It's a Blue Elephant restaurant, and once you step in you're transported into a Thai village/paradise, with waterfalls, rustic furniture and plenty of plants. It really is cosy and the food fantastic. It demands good company as the setting is inspirational...

Well, having reminiscenced here, let's see if the next Thai restaurant will also stay in my mind...

THE BRAND NEW HEAVIES -

This song might be one of my favourites. It's a version of 'I don't know why' by the great Stevie Wonder in 1969.
I love this band from when they started, more than a decade ago. I've only saw them live once, in Budapest and it was on a Summer Festival. They had a slot and because they got there late (it was BA's flight strike!) they could only sing for 45 mins... They change their singers every once in a while, but N'Dea is the original girl, she truly is amazing.

To Morrow

To Morrow? hahaha

Rainy weekend

It's raining and it's 16º...

Crazy August!

I already booked my remaining two weeks summer holidays for the second half of September. I only hope the weather helps me this time, as at least one week I intend to go to the beach... I'll be crossing my fingers and little toes for sunny warm weather!!

Why do we yawn? It's all about empathy

"It starts with a tingling, itch-like sensation at the back of the mouth, develops into a deep intake of breath, followed by an equally resonant exhalation - often accompanied by a satisfying groan. To the medical profession it is a "brainstem-mediated bodily response"; to anyone else it's a yawn.
Most animals with any backbone yawn spontaneously but only humans, chimps and possibly some species of monkey suffer from contagious yawning - when the sight or thought of someone else yawning starts a chain reaction.
Why yawning should be infectious has foxed some the greatest minds in science but the latest study into the topic suggests it may have something to do with emotional empathy - we yawn when we see someone else yawning because of our need to empathise with other people." - The Independent

Very curious observation, in fact I'm yawning right now...Are you empathising with me?

Martin Solveig - Rejection

Ah ahhh ahh, rejection...

Say it Right

Very sexy song...

Something funny...

This is Anita, my avatar in the Simpsons, I've simpsonized myself :) Don't I look beautiful? Go and try it!