Starbucks Christmas Drinks are here!!!

Wait...

No... it can't be...

Hang on, what's....

The Starbucks Christmas Drinks are here... already?!?!?!?!

Despite the grim reminder that the year is coming to an end again (we always say that when it's this time of the year), i'm happy that the Toffee Nut latte is back on the menu. That drink kicks ass and is hella addictive. I doubt it does too much good to your waistline and sugar levels, but man.. a sniff of that thing zips me somewhere else! To toffee nut heaven where it's winter and cold, and i'm in cuddly winter clothes, sipping a hot cuppa toffee nut latte, rubbing my hands in glee otherwise and waiting for presents!

It's conditioning. Like how they always play the same jingle before news time on TV, and you just know it's time to settle down, sober up and get depressed (most of the time anyway). Starbucks Christmas Drinks have the same impact. Time for the year end reflection, gift shopping, tree decorating and resolutions making!! Man, 2010 is coming?!?!? Weren't we all panicking about the Y2K millennium bug not too long ago?

The weekend is also here... Going to try to make dinner for the fam tomorrow. Will take some pictures and share!! only if it turns out well!

i have no inspiration

It's great to write... draw... sketch... imagine things, situations...

But right now, I have no inspiration.

I wish i could just put my fingers on the keyboard and write a funny blog entry that will demonstrate my very attractive personality and infectious sense of humour. But it's not quite happening.

something needs to happen, or i need to do something. the inspiration has to return!

It's Raining...

It started with heavy grey clouds, looming in the sky above our heads... then little drops started to fall, teasing pedestrians and plants alike.

drip, drop, drip, drop, drip, drop

RUN!!! RUN FOR COVER!!

Now i sit at my desk, looking out of my window, and the drops become lines. First hesitant, now relentless.

I like rainy days... even better if i'm home with a mug of hot toddys.

Missing Autumn in Europe

It's raining outside, and it feels damp and fuzzy. This kind of weather reminds me of gloomy wet days in Europe... when it was nice to cuddle at home with a hot cuppa, or to stroll through the gardens inhaling the fragrance of wet grass and soggy tree bark.

I miss Europe. I miss the changing seasons, the smell in the air, how people furnish the insides of their apartments. I miss discovering new places around the corner, hearing my heels click on the cobbled streets. I miss struggling with a language, making cultural mistakes and learning from them, going into the supermarket and not finding things, getting frustrated.

I miss hopping into the train at every long weekend or long break, and heading to a new city, new town, visiting a castle, trying new cuisine.

Losing Track and Focus Again

Family and friends are always telling me how i try to do a million (and one) things at the same time. A few days ago, shortly after returning from a series of work trips, i was telling a friend about my day - work, 3 loads of laundry, a few episodes of grey's anatomy (how did it take me so long to get hooked on???), transferring pictures from my camera to the computer, and downloading apps for my new ipod touch.

She paused and said, "how do you do so many things at one time?"

Another time, i was impatient and started griping to another friend. She replied with a straight face, "not everyone multi-tasks like you".

Mom, i can now officially announce, that you have trained me well.

Lately, I have been craving for quiet time... to write, hopefully to start drawing/ sketching again, to read, to reflect. I think it will be great to have an antique writing desk, customized writing paper, stationery. If i put aside a few hours to indulge in writing, I wonder what i will produce and how long it will take to find the writer in me again. I used to write alot of stories, my own poetry, made up my own realities and fantasies. They kinda died as I grew older, or were packed into a box and stored in a dark corner of my secret creative mind. I tell myself, i'll bring it out again... when i have time. But when i have time, i turn on the TV, i meet some friends, i go for yoga... just everything aside from writing.

Then there's oil and acrylic painting.
Learning Greek and Italian.
Picking up Tennis (got the tennis racket! just don't know how to use it! YET!)
Practising scales on Monk.
Losing weight.
Motivating myself to run (it's not true that getting fancy running shoes will motivate you).
Getting back into my regular swimming routine.

There is just so much to do.

Christmas is coming soon. They have begun to hang Christmas decorations around, which is rather extreme in my opinion. The cab driver thinks that it's the malls way to entice people to start shopping earlier. So imagine my shock when i found myself wondering whether it really was time to start Christmas shopping. Truth be told, the idea of Christmas shopping has always enticed me. Drawing out the recipient list, thinking about appropriate gifts, planning the gift budget, looking out for the gifts, wrapping them up and giving them away. It is really just an excuse to be shamelessly nice... to people we care about.

Nothing much planned this week. Probably good to get some yoga lessons into the routine. Also need to have more discipline with regards to eating healthy. Not getting any younger! Gotta start taking better care of ourselves!

Birthdays, Family and Friends

I love organizing birthdays... of everyone else's but my own. I find making birthday plans for myself very indulgent and selfish, but when else to focus on myself if not on the anniversary of the day when I was born? On that thought, instead of celebrating my birthday, I should be celebrating my family and friends - people who have made a difference to my life thus far, and who have loved me and allowed me to love them back.

I have had a very charmed life, with no tumultuous tribulations or trials. It is something I do not take for granted, as I know that i am largely a product of being in the right place at the right time with the right people. If i were born in Sumatra or in the indian slums, I will not be sitting here today, sharing my thoughts while i sip on my new favourite drink of hot toddys (good lord, this stuff is good!! why has no one ever shared it with me???) So life is good to me, and I promise to be good to life.

This has been an eventful birthday. It was a great day professionally, and i had dinner with part of the family and Kokopops in Fragrant Harbour, which was small, intimate and cosy - just the way i like it. That was followed by a long weekend in the Upper Seas, being very well taken care of by a friend. All birthdays from now on will be spent away on vacations!! Why have i never thought of that before??? Combining one of the most impt times of the year with one of my favourite activities???