So, I am done with border control in the UK and I am patiently waiting for Blondie to go through the foreigners line (how does it feel huh?). As I am waiting I see this short blonde lady coming through the border control. She is kind of stylish, wearing nice jeans and a black top. As she gets closer I see her face and start thinking.."oh my God, how many plastic surgeries did she have?". Then I am also thinking.."she is a woman isn't she?". She looks at me and I try not to make eye contact.
She is past gone. Blondie is done with the border control. I can see the smile breaking when she gets close to me. She is full of excitement when she asks me "Oh my God, have you seen Donatella Versace passing right next to you?"
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Life in Cyprus
There are a lot of things going on in Cyprus nowadays that not only worry me but also make me very sad. One should be proud of their country but the more I see, the more I find myself skeptical about that. Following are some of the things going on that bother me:
1. Robbing the body of ex-President Tassos Papadopoulos from its grave
How could I not start from that? Macabre. I am not going to get into the discussion of who might have done such a thing and which are the reasons? I am going to talk however about the consequences of this. During a vital point in the discussions for the solution in the Cyprus Problem, this event has somehow brought a political unrest with some politicians taking the opportunity to link the stealing of the body with the political views of the ex-President. There is also unrest among the public with people from different political sides blaming each other. I am not taking this any further. I do have my own views about what possibly happened but I am keeping them to myself.
2. The public sector in Cyprus
It would be unfair to include all public sector services in this category but at least the ones that I had the bad luck to be involved with, I have had a really bad experience. I could start from the non-smiley faces, the very slow service, the rudeness, the people who do not want to work, the tardiness and I could go on forever. The last of this however that has really bothered me is the moving of the Migration department from one location to the other. In any European country (excluding Greece probably) this would have been a smooth transition. In Cyprus, they decided to close down for 1 month!! Any private organization would have gone bankrupt if they had stopped operations for 1 month. The Migration department who is 6 months behind in taking care of all the applications, has no problem.
3. Parking in Cyprus
I am going to steal a phrase of a friend to start this one. “We have a lot of disabled people in Cyprus lately”.
You guessed wrong, we do not have a lot of people with disabilities in Cyprus. We have a lot of assholes in Cyprus that think it is a good idea to parking in spots who are designated for people with disabilities. For the people who do that, I wish that one day you will be able to feel first-hand how these people feel, when they try to park and their designated spot is occupied by an insensitive person like you.
Let’s go to the regular parking. The streets in Cyprus with two lanes are obviously used for parking in the left lane and driving on the right. And if you are unlucky enough to be behind a person who wants to turn right, and there is a parked car on the left, hey who cares? Ohh, and the other thing, some drivers think that it is OK to park anywhere once they turn on their parking light. And for those who park on the sidewalks/ pavements these are for the pedestrians you assholes.
How hard is it in 21st century Cyprus to have 10 policemen each day giving tickets to these people. And give them commission for it. If they only get 1% of the ticket they will be rich in no time. And maybe the public will get more money, and maybe the people will learn to park in the parking spaces!
4. Prices
Many things are outrageously expensive in Cyprus. Prices are comparable to London and Tokyo. Starting from real estate, to apartments, to consumer goods, to services. It makes you think twice and three times before buying something. Nevertheless this is the only one point for which I am optimistic. The economic crisis, the increasing competition will probably lead to a price war which will benefit the giants and the consumers. Hopefully this will happen without the deterioration of quality but that remains to be seen.
1. Robbing the body of ex-President Tassos Papadopoulos from its grave
How could I not start from that? Macabre. I am not going to get into the discussion of who might have done such a thing and which are the reasons? I am going to talk however about the consequences of this. During a vital point in the discussions for the solution in the Cyprus Problem, this event has somehow brought a political unrest with some politicians taking the opportunity to link the stealing of the body with the political views of the ex-President. There is also unrest among the public with people from different political sides blaming each other. I am not taking this any further. I do have my own views about what possibly happened but I am keeping them to myself.
2. The public sector in Cyprus
It would be unfair to include all public sector services in this category but at least the ones that I had the bad luck to be involved with, I have had a really bad experience. I could start from the non-smiley faces, the very slow service, the rudeness, the people who do not want to work, the tardiness and I could go on forever. The last of this however that has really bothered me is the moving of the Migration department from one location to the other. In any European country (excluding Greece probably) this would have been a smooth transition. In Cyprus, they decided to close down for 1 month!! Any private organization would have gone bankrupt if they had stopped operations for 1 month. The Migration department who is 6 months behind in taking care of all the applications, has no problem.
3. Parking in Cyprus
I am going to steal a phrase of a friend to start this one. “We have a lot of disabled people in Cyprus lately”.
You guessed wrong, we do not have a lot of people with disabilities in Cyprus. We have a lot of assholes in Cyprus that think it is a good idea to parking in spots who are designated for people with disabilities. For the people who do that, I wish that one day you will be able to feel first-hand how these people feel, when they try to park and their designated spot is occupied by an insensitive person like you.
Let’s go to the regular parking. The streets in Cyprus with two lanes are obviously used for parking in the left lane and driving on the right. And if you are unlucky enough to be behind a person who wants to turn right, and there is a parked car on the left, hey who cares? Ohh, and the other thing, some drivers think that it is OK to park anywhere once they turn on their parking light. And for those who park on the sidewalks/ pavements these are for the pedestrians you assholes.
How hard is it in 21st century Cyprus to have 10 policemen each day giving tickets to these people. And give them commission for it. If they only get 1% of the ticket they will be rich in no time. And maybe the public will get more money, and maybe the people will learn to park in the parking spaces!
4. Prices
Many things are outrageously expensive in Cyprus. Prices are comparable to London and Tokyo. Starting from real estate, to apartments, to consumer goods, to services. It makes you think twice and three times before buying something. Nevertheless this is the only one point for which I am optimistic. The economic crisis, the increasing competition will probably lead to a price war which will benefit the giants and the consumers. Hopefully this will happen without the deterioration of quality but that remains to be seen.
Monday, December 14, 2009
I am in love!!
So last Saturday we went to MyMall in Limassol to do our Christmas shopping. There is something about this specific mall that as soon as you walk in it makes you think you are in the U.S.
It could be the Aldo store, the Tommy Hilfiger, the TGI Fridays, the Taco Bell, the Cinabbon that give this perception.
That's for an introduction. You are probably wondering what the title has to do with the Mall in Limassol. Well, for the first time in my life, I tried Cinammon rolls from Cinabbon and I am in love. That thing is just amazing, extraordinary, I don't know how to describe it. I haven't been obsessed for anything else other than soccer in my life so much.
And my girl just informed me that Cinabbon has opened in Nicosia, in Ledras street. I don't know if I should be happy that I will have this obsession so close to me or sad that I will gain weight. I hope I get over it soon!
It could be the Aldo store, the Tommy Hilfiger, the TGI Fridays, the Taco Bell, the Cinabbon that give this perception.
That's for an introduction. You are probably wondering what the title has to do with the Mall in Limassol. Well, for the first time in my life, I tried Cinammon rolls from Cinabbon and I am in love. That thing is just amazing, extraordinary, I don't know how to describe it. I haven't been obsessed for anything else other than soccer in my life so much.
And my girl just informed me that Cinabbon has opened in Nicosia, in Ledras street. I don't know if I should be happy that I will have this obsession so close to me or sad that I will gain weight. I hope I get over it soon!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Keep on dreaming...
You wait for a whole week. When the time comes, your heart starts beating a little faster. It is a combination of excitement, anxiety and stress. You get dressed, of course wearing your lucky pants, lucky shirt, lucky shoes. You avoid wearing your watch because last time you had it on, things didn’t go as planned, so it is now considered bad luck.
You get in your car and start driving. It is a 30 minute drive but on the way you have to make two stops to pick up the compatriots. On the way there, there is a little bit of excitement, smile, jokes in the car. You arrive and you leave the car at the closest possible spot. You take out your card, show it on the entrance and you enter the stadium.
You look around you. The people you used to see 7-8 years ago are still there. Others have more white hair, others have less hair, others have wrinkles. The fellow long-haired fan that you were once eating peanuts with on a game back in 1999 is still there. His hair is longer but he is becoming a victim of time too. Some others that used to be there, are not there any more. Call it disappointment, call it aging, call it anger. They have chosen not to.
You sit on your chair and start discussing with the people around you. They know you. They don’t know your name, but they know your face and they know you are a regular. The first appearance of the team in the stadium fills your heart with pride. An unexplainable feeling of pleasure and delight invades your body. With your loudest voice, you support the team.
The game starts. You forget everything. You get paralyzed on your seat but at the same time, you also get carried away by the crowd and everything is to blame. During half time, your team is not doing very well but you still have the strength to applause the players. The 15 minute interval gives you some time to reconsider things, rediscover your lost chances. The appearance of the team in the field brings back the emotions of the first appearance. Pride, delight, pleasure.
The game is over. Once again all you see around you is the same people, speechless, with sad emotions covering their face. Some others choose the road of yelling to the players. Everybody though looks older. But not 90 minutes older..much older than that.
The ride back in the car is speechless, emotionless. No mood for jokes, no smiley faces. You drop the compatriots at their house and you set the date for next week. Same routine, same thing, same feelings. Only everybody gets older…
This is what happens every week when Salamina plays…
You get in your car and start driving. It is a 30 minute drive but on the way you have to make two stops to pick up the compatriots. On the way there, there is a little bit of excitement, smile, jokes in the car. You arrive and you leave the car at the closest possible spot. You take out your card, show it on the entrance and you enter the stadium.
You look around you. The people you used to see 7-8 years ago are still there. Others have more white hair, others have less hair, others have wrinkles. The fellow long-haired fan that you were once eating peanuts with on a game back in 1999 is still there. His hair is longer but he is becoming a victim of time too. Some others that used to be there, are not there any more. Call it disappointment, call it aging, call it anger. They have chosen not to.
You sit on your chair and start discussing with the people around you. They know you. They don’t know your name, but they know your face and they know you are a regular. The first appearance of the team in the stadium fills your heart with pride. An unexplainable feeling of pleasure and delight invades your body. With your loudest voice, you support the team.
The game starts. You forget everything. You get paralyzed on your seat but at the same time, you also get carried away by the crowd and everything is to blame. During half time, your team is not doing very well but you still have the strength to applause the players. The 15 minute interval gives you some time to reconsider things, rediscover your lost chances. The appearance of the team in the field brings back the emotions of the first appearance. Pride, delight, pleasure.
The game is over. Once again all you see around you is the same people, speechless, with sad emotions covering their face. Some others choose the road of yelling to the players. Everybody though looks older. But not 90 minutes older..much older than that.
The ride back in the car is speechless, emotionless. No mood for jokes, no smiley faces. You drop the compatriots at their house and you set the date for next week. Same routine, same thing, same feelings. Only everybody gets older…
This is what happens every week when Salamina plays…
Test
This is a test post. As you will have noticed, I have changed the web address of my blog. Just want to make sure that the subscribers receive e-mail notifications when I update the blog.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Moments
Time: Saturday morning ~ 10am
Location: Starbucks in the Mall of Cyprus
1. A little kid dances in the middle of Starbucks and with her maneuvers makes it to the cashier. She grabs a lollipop, looks around and makes sure that her parents are not watching. She opens it and starts eating (no transaction involved). She returns to her parents with a guilty look. They don’t even question.
2. A mum with her 5-6 year old daughter are enjoying their coffee for the last 25 minutes on the table in front of us. The mum talks on the phone continuously without paying attention to her kid.
3. The same little girl as in (1) above stares at a little boy. The little boy stares back. The girl falls over her chair and on the ground. Her lollipop has the same luck. She grabs it from the floor and starts eating again.
4. I return the Cafe Latte because they forgot to add the coffee in it and just gave us hot milk. The barista promises a new one. I stay there waiting only to hear the other barista say “What should I do with this? Throw it away?”
5. The guy next to us is enjoying his Saturday morning coffee while deeply concentrated reading the Saturday morning paper.
6. The two little kids are taking advantage of some free wireless internet surfing the web with their laptop.
7. A lot of people are sitting on the Starbucks seating area outside, so that they can smoke a cigarette.
I take my last sip of coffee, throw away all my trash and walk out. Another coffee, another Saturday.
Location: Starbucks in the Mall of Cyprus
1. A little kid dances in the middle of Starbucks and with her maneuvers makes it to the cashier. She grabs a lollipop, looks around and makes sure that her parents are not watching. She opens it and starts eating (no transaction involved). She returns to her parents with a guilty look. They don’t even question.
2. A mum with her 5-6 year old daughter are enjoying their coffee for the last 25 minutes on the table in front of us. The mum talks on the phone continuously without paying attention to her kid.
3. The same little girl as in (1) above stares at a little boy. The little boy stares back. The girl falls over her chair and on the ground. Her lollipop has the same luck. She grabs it from the floor and starts eating again.
4. I return the Cafe Latte because they forgot to add the coffee in it and just gave us hot milk. The barista promises a new one. I stay there waiting only to hear the other barista say “What should I do with this? Throw it away?”
5. The guy next to us is enjoying his Saturday morning coffee while deeply concentrated reading the Saturday morning paper.
6. The two little kids are taking advantage of some free wireless internet surfing the web with their laptop.
7. A lot of people are sitting on the Starbucks seating area outside, so that they can smoke a cigarette.
I take my last sip of coffee, throw away all my trash and walk out. Another coffee, another Saturday.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
On my knees
As the sun descended, I could barely keep walking. Fatigue has invaded me. I was not sure if I was physically or mentally tired; or both.
They had promised me that my destination was not far away. And once I got there, everything would be easier. I believed them and trusted them.
Meanwhile I had stopped looking for other destinations because I wanted the ONE. The one that would make me happier in the long term, but the more and more I did not find it, the more I believed that I shouldn't have taken this road. Regrets were messing now with fatigue, invading the few brain cells that remained. I had already fallen down a few times, but some angels picked me up and told me to go on. There was no time to lose. I was thinking of falling again, taking a break, a long one until who knows, maybe until the destination found me.
I reached deep inside my bag. Below my plastic bottle of water, there was another one. A big glass bottle with a brownish liquid that was half-full…or half-empty. I poured some of it in my plastic glass, took a sip and saw the label on the bottle. "Johnie Walker".
So, I kept walking.
Monday, November 2, 2009
A typical weekday
I wake up, take a shower, get ready, grab my bread with jam which was prepared with my grandma and off to work.
Once every now and then, I forget my laptop, so after yelling at myself, I go back and get it.
The office from work is about 5 minutes walking..2.30 minutes driving. It takes so long because people park their cars outside their houses, so a two lane street becomes one, so if you are unlucky enough and find other cars in the way you have to wait. Yet, like a true Cypriot I always take the car to work. I still don't seem to understand why, when 14 months ago in London, I used to walk at least 2km a day to get to the bus station so I can get to work…with a bad back and a laptop on it.
I turn on the computer and I check my e-mails, greek and Cyprus sports news and figure out what I have to do for the day.
I make my coffee around 9.15-9.30. I drink it hot, with two spoons of Nescafe and a little milk.
I take my lunch break from 2 to 2.45. Grandmas food is always delicious.
Back to work until 5pm with another coffee keeping me up and going.
Usually I am back home at 5.15. Very rarely I might stay in until 9pm to supervise interviews.
Depending on my mood, I either lay on the bed or get ready for the gym. Depending on the day, there is either Bodypump or Bodybalance.
Dinner depends on the mood again. If it is towards the end of the week, Molly and I usually grab something from outside. If it is Monday we usually eat home.
The night plans again depend on the day and if there is soccer or not. Usually if I am bored home and have nothing to do, I will probably walk over to Marios and Efi's to talk with them a little bit about our day and other random staff. The strange fact here is that I usually walk to Marios and Efi despite the fact that walking time is the same as the office.
The day usually ends with me reading two chapters of my latest James Patterson book. This one is interesting but because of the lack of free time, I am not reading it too quickly. I have three in the pipeline now and I need to get on them.
Sleep around 12 or 1,
Thursday, October 15, 2009
A productive day in my life!
Bank loan - Check
Car insurance - Check
Finish report - Check
Convince public sector employee to raise her heavy hand to sign a freaking paper that I have been waiting for 10 days - Check
Job offer - Check
2nd job offer - Check
Take Molly shopping - Check
Not losing my patience while she is trying on clothes - Check
20 minutes treadmill - Check
Weight lifting - Check
6 minutes Elliptical - Check
Play joker - Check
Update my soccer blog - Check
Update my personal blog - Check
There is one thing left to make this day very good. Win the joker money!
Car insurance - Check
Finish report - Check
Convince public sector employee to raise her heavy hand to sign a freaking paper that I have been waiting for 10 days - Check
Job offer - Check
2nd job offer - Check
Take Molly shopping - Check
Not losing my patience while she is trying on clothes - Check
20 minutes treadmill - Check
Weight lifting - Check
6 minutes Elliptical - Check
Play joker - Check
Update my soccer blog - Check
Update my personal blog - Check
There is one thing left to make this day very good. Win the joker money!
Friday, October 2, 2009
The proposal!
Due to popular demand, here is how the proposal happened.
Molly and I arrived in Paris in the morning. We took the limousine around for sightseeing. After a few hours walking around in museums, the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe we finally made it to the top of the Eiffel tower. The view of Paris was spectacular. It was a breezy Friday evening and we were the only ones up there. The band that I had hired arrived after about 10 minutes we were up there and started singing the Amor di Vieta of Lucciano Pavarotti. I got on one knee and asked Molly to marry me. It was fantastic, she said Yes and we were so happy.
OK here is the truth.
We went to a nice Italian restaurant in Nicosia. The service was good but I didn't really like the food. We discussed about walking afterwards or going home to watch a movie. We decided on going home. On the way back I told her that I had forgotten my computer charger at the office and that I would have to go get it. Once we were there, I told her to open the car trunk and get some things that we needed to take upstairs. When she opened the trunk there was a big sign that I had handwritten and asked Molly to marry me. I gave her the ring (she actually gave me her hand to put the ring on) and that was it. She called her family, and the next day she remembered to tell me "Yes".
Yes, we are really happy nowadays:)
Molly and I arrived in Paris in the morning. We took the limousine around for sightseeing. After a few hours walking around in museums, the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe we finally made it to the top of the Eiffel tower. The view of Paris was spectacular. It was a breezy Friday evening and we were the only ones up there. The band that I had hired arrived after about 10 minutes we were up there and started singing the Amor di Vieta of Lucciano Pavarotti. I got on one knee and asked Molly to marry me. It was fantastic, she said Yes and we were so happy.
OK here is the truth.
We went to a nice Italian restaurant in Nicosia. The service was good but I didn't really like the food. We discussed about walking afterwards or going home to watch a movie. We decided on going home. On the way back I told her that I had forgotten my computer charger at the office and that I would have to go get it. Once we were there, I told her to open the car trunk and get some things that we needed to take upstairs. When she opened the trunk there was a big sign that I had handwritten and asked Molly to marry me. I gave her the ring (she actually gave me her hand to put the ring on) and that was it. She called her family, and the next day she remembered to tell me "Yes".
Yes, we are really happy nowadays:)
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Our new obsession
The last couple of weeks Molly and I started doing these classes at the gym:
Bodybalance
Bodypump
Bodybalance is pretty cool since it combines Tai Chi, Pilates and Yoga and helps on flexibility a lot. Believe it or not, these last two weeks I felt the difference on my back. As I understand people mostly associate this class with women (I am the only man in the class along with the instructor) but it is a really good workout and helps you finish your day calmly and relaxed.
Bodypump is a little bit tougher since we are using weights and we are exercising all major muscles of the body. It is demanding and there are times that I feel like crying from pain - especially on the lunges and abs -. Another great workout with great results!
Another advantage of these classes is the fact that they keep us busy and make our body tired. So we usually spend weeknights at home, instead of going out and eating drinking (Thursdays and Fridays are always excluded)
A.
Bodybalance
Bodypump
Bodybalance is pretty cool since it combines Tai Chi, Pilates and Yoga and helps on flexibility a lot. Believe it or not, these last two weeks I felt the difference on my back. As I understand people mostly associate this class with women (I am the only man in the class along with the instructor) but it is a really good workout and helps you finish your day calmly and relaxed.
Bodypump is a little bit tougher since we are using weights and we are exercising all major muscles of the body. It is demanding and there are times that I feel like crying from pain - especially on the lunges and abs -. Another great workout with great results!
Another advantage of these classes is the fact that they keep us busy and make our body tired. So we usually spend weeknights at home, instead of going out and eating drinking (Thursdays and Fridays are always excluded)
A.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Getting ready ritual
Scene: My room
Plot: Molly getting ready so we can go out at 10.30
I have taken my shower, did my hair and I am laying on the bed playing on the computer. I am still not dressed but knowing that it only takes me 3 minutes to wear my clothes, I guess I can do that when Molly tells me "I am ready". Because "I am ready" means I still have to put shoes and jewellery.
Molly is trying on her jeans. She has three jeans she is thinking of wearing and she wants my opinion. For the sake of simplicity let's call them Jean 1, Jean 2 and Jean 3. Here is the dialogue after she tries them on.
M: So what do you think?
A: Hm..I kind of like Jean 1 and Jean 3. I am not sure about Jean 2.
M: Really? (surprised obviously because I didn't pick the one she wanted to wear). Why don't you like Jean 2?
A: I like it, I just prefer one of the other two.
M: Don't you think it makes me look good?
A: You look good in everything baby mou.
A few moments pass..Molly is now doing her makeup when I noticed that she changed and is now wearing Jean 2. Meanwhile my brother texts me and tell me to meet at 10.45 instead of 10.30 because they are running late. Of course I do not tell Molly anything about it. A new dialogue.
A: Thank you for picking the Jean that I said "no" to (sarcastically of course)
M: Well..Don't you think it is cute?
A: Did you ask for my opinion so you can wear the one that I said no to?
M: Let me try Jean 2 and Jean 3 again.
Molly tries them on again. A new dialogue:
M: What do you think?
A: Ok, you can wear Jean 2. It looks fine. I can't tell.
M: Well, now I like Jean 3.
Molly wears Jean 3. We are ready to leave. I put my jean and shirt after she tells me "I am ready". We are on time - the 10.45 time - which Molly never knew. Another "getting ready" adventure is over.
A.
Plot: Molly getting ready so we can go out at 10.30
I have taken my shower, did my hair and I am laying on the bed playing on the computer. I am still not dressed but knowing that it only takes me 3 minutes to wear my clothes, I guess I can do that when Molly tells me "I am ready". Because "I am ready" means I still have to put shoes and jewellery.
Molly is trying on her jeans. She has three jeans she is thinking of wearing and she wants my opinion. For the sake of simplicity let's call them Jean 1, Jean 2 and Jean 3. Here is the dialogue after she tries them on.
M: So what do you think?
A: Hm..I kind of like Jean 1 and Jean 3. I am not sure about Jean 2.
M: Really? (surprised obviously because I didn't pick the one she wanted to wear). Why don't you like Jean 2?
A: I like it, I just prefer one of the other two.
M: Don't you think it makes me look good?
A: You look good in everything baby mou.
A few moments pass..Molly is now doing her makeup when I noticed that she changed and is now wearing Jean 2. Meanwhile my brother texts me and tell me to meet at 10.45 instead of 10.30 because they are running late. Of course I do not tell Molly anything about it. A new dialogue.
A: Thank you for picking the Jean that I said "no" to (sarcastically of course)
M: Well..Don't you think it is cute?
A: Did you ask for my opinion so you can wear the one that I said no to?
M: Let me try Jean 2 and Jean 3 again.
Molly tries them on again. A new dialogue:
M: What do you think?
A: Ok, you can wear Jean 2. It looks fine. I can't tell.
M: Well, now I like Jean 3.
Molly wears Jean 3. We are ready to leave. I put my jean and shirt after she tells me "I am ready". We are on time - the 10.45 time - which Molly never knew. Another "getting ready" adventure is over.
A.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
A national hobby?
One of the favorite hobbies in Cyprus goes like that:
You sit in a restaurant/ bar/ cafe/ club, drinking, eating, socializing. When a person or a couple enters the establishment you stop WHATEVER you are doing, you stare at them - not even a little bit discreetly - and then after the one minute of staring you continue what you were doing.
For God's sake people can you just please do your own F******* job and stop staring! Because I swear, the next time somebody stares at me and Molly, I will personally go on their table, STAND in front of them, STARE at them, BENT DOWN check their legs and shoes, MAKE A RUDE COMMENT, SMILE and LEAVE. Maybe that will teach a lesson to Cypriot girls!
You sit in a restaurant/ bar/ cafe/ club, drinking, eating, socializing. When a person or a couple enters the establishment you stop WHATEVER you are doing, you stare at them - not even a little bit discreetly - and then after the one minute of staring you continue what you were doing.
For God's sake people can you just please do your own F******* job and stop staring! Because I swear, the next time somebody stares at me and Molly, I will personally go on their table, STAND in front of them, STARE at them, BENT DOWN check their legs and shoes, MAKE A RUDE COMMENT, SMILE and LEAVE. Maybe that will teach a lesson to Cypriot girls!
Monday, August 24, 2009
The end of another week
Another week gone..a new week has started. Here are some of the things that annoyed me last week.
- The receptionist at the Imperial Hotel in Pafos who insisted on me giving them my phone number and address.
- The receptionist at check-out at the Imperial Hotel in Pafos who after I gave her my credit card, asked for my PIN number.
- The staff at the Imperial Hotel in Pafos who were not trained to say “Thank you” or smile.
- The 4 stars at the Imperial Hotel in Pafos. How, do they get them?
- The fact that Cypriot citizens pay more for accommodation in Pafos than tourists do
- The people who park on the sidewalks throughout Cyprus
- The streets in Pafos which are separated in the middle so if you take a wrong turn..you are screwed
- The KFC girl who did not give us drinks and insisted that we did not order them
- The KFC girl who after I ordered the drinks for the second time told me that I owe 2.95 Euros where as the receipt clearly showed 2.85. When I showed it to her and told her you mean “2.85” she replied “2.95”. I gave her 2.90 and I never got any change back
- The Seven Lounge bar which did not give us a table for 2 for dinner because they were all reserved. At the time 90% of the tables were empty. We ate at another restaurant walked for 30 minutes and the tables at Seven were still empty.
- The arsons in Greece – save the last tree so we can hang them
- The know-it-all sports journalists
Things that made me smile last week:
- The purchase of Salamina season tickets
- The unexpectedly good service at Brewery pub
- The second place of Kyriakos Ioannou and Eleni’s Artymata competition at the 200m final in the Track & Field World Championship
Stay tuned for next week’s little annoyances and pleasant surprisesJ
Monday, August 17, 2009
35 years ago
Close your eyes for a minute. Imagine that somebody with the use of force, guns, invades your house. You leave without taking anything, because you think that you will go back the next day.
35 years later you see your house again....through photos that you have found on the Internet...and it is just how you left it 35 years ago. The true story of a Greek-Cypriot who through the lens of the camera of a Slovakian tourist has been able to see his house...online. This is how it looks: www.flickr.com/photos/34033431@N02/show/
A.
35 years later you see your house again....through photos that you have found on the Internet...and it is just how you left it 35 years ago. The true story of a Greek-Cypriot who through the lens of the camera of a Slovakian tourist has been able to see his house...online. This is how it looks: www.flickr.com/photos/34033431@N02/show/
A.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Back to reality
Back from Protaras today. I can't remember the last time I had such a relaxing holiday. For 6 days this is how our days went.
Wake up at 9.30, put on our swimsuits and get on the beach by 10-10.30.
Drink our frappes and read the newspapers as soon as we got to the sunbeds.
Swim a little bit and then my family would come.
Eat at the snack bar, restaurant for lunch. The guy knew our drinks and the village salad and puth them without even asking.
Swim a little bit more - maybe do some watersports.
Get back home by 7pm.
Have dinner with my parents, my brother and his wife and the kids.
Go to sleep by 12.30am.
Wake up at 9.30...
I have a great tan. Molly is still working on hers but I am sure by the end of the summer she will have hers too.
For all those who haven't had their vacation yet, have a great one.
Wake up at 9.30, put on our swimsuits and get on the beach by 10-10.30.
Drink our frappes and read the newspapers as soon as we got to the sunbeds.
Swim a little bit and then my family would come.
Eat at the snack bar, restaurant for lunch. The guy knew our drinks and the village salad and puth them without even asking.
Swim a little bit more - maybe do some watersports.
Get back home by 7pm.
Have dinner with my parents, my brother and his wife and the kids.
Go to sleep by 12.30am.
Wake up at 9.30...
I have a great tan. Molly is still working on hers but I am sure by the end of the summer she will have hers too.
For all those who haven't had their vacation yet, have a great one.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Hello again!
I am sure you all missed me writing on this blog.
Don't worry though, it is just a dead period now, with not much going on. I am planning to go on a week vacation next week by the beach and relax, enjoy the sun and the beach. The weather here in Nicosia is almost unbearable but I am surviving through it.
I also started writing a new blog about footbal. If you do not know the Cypriot dialect there is no reason to click on the link. If you want to kill some time, here you go: www.cyprusfootballer.blogspot.com
I promise that after this short break I will be back with more stories to follow.
Until then, take care
Don't worry though, it is just a dead period now, with not much going on. I am planning to go on a week vacation next week by the beach and relax, enjoy the sun and the beach. The weather here in Nicosia is almost unbearable but I am surviving through it.
I also started writing a new blog about footbal. If you do not know the Cypriot dialect there is no reason to click on the link. If you want to kill some time, here you go: www.cyprusfootballer.blogspot.com
I promise that after this short break I will be back with more stories to follow.
Until then, take care
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Can I please have my 18 cents back?
The other day I was having lunch with the family when I observed on the can of a Calsberg beer this competition. There was a code on the ring of the tin which you were supposed to send as a text message (SMS) to a specific number. Here is the picture of the code:
Now, the picture is not very clear but the code reads: C473$604. Another 5 people on the table confirmed that the 4th digit which is the one that was the most doubtful was a dollar sign ($). In the worst case scenario it could be an "S" but there are lines both on top and below of the character.
So I decided to send the SMS to the number. Cost of the SMS was 9cents. Here is the reply I got back:
Translated this reads: "Code C473$604 has not been accepted. Please check it and send it again. Thank you"
So just in case this was a mistake I decided to send the same code replacing "$" with the letter "S". Here we go again:
I thought that maybe the character in question could be a "5". By that time I was trying to calculate how many people have had the same luck as me and how many of these SMS are being charged to the telephone bills without the individual getting the opportunity to enter the competition.
I would very much like an answer from the distributors/ producers of Carlsberg in Cyprus but I doubt I will ever get one. I am sure that if I call them I would probably get annoyed and never get an answer, so I thought I would just post it here, hoping that many people will read it.
It is definitely not about the 18 cents, it is about the frustration and embarassment that I felt when I was fooled...
A.
Now, the picture is not very clear but the code reads: C473$604. Another 5 people on the table confirmed that the 4th digit which is the one that was the most doubtful was a dollar sign ($). In the worst case scenario it could be an "S" but there are lines both on top and below of the character.
So I decided to send the SMS to the number. Cost of the SMS was 9cents. Here is the reply I got back:
Translated this reads: "Code C473$604 has not been accepted. Please check it and send it again. Thank you"
So just in case this was a mistake I decided to send the same code replacing "$" with the letter "S". Here we go again:
I thought that maybe the character in question could be a "5". By that time I was trying to calculate how many people have had the same luck as me and how many of these SMS are being charged to the telephone bills without the individual getting the opportunity to enter the competition.
I would very much like an answer from the distributors/ producers of Carlsberg in Cyprus but I doubt I will ever get one. I am sure that if I call them I would probably get annoyed and never get an answer, so I thought I would just post it here, hoping that many people will read it.
It is definitely not about the 18 cents, it is about the frustration and embarassment that I felt when I was fooled...
A.
Monday, July 13, 2009
If I could turn back time...
Getting in my car this Sunday morning to go to Limassol was like getting in a time machine which would take me back 15-20 years.
A routine that we used to do almost every Sunday and which I have not done for many many years.
Back then my dad used to drive the white Audi100, my mum would sit in the passengers seat and I would sit back with my two brothers..I was always in the middle. And if I ever dared to fall asleep my brothers would wake me up. Now, I had to drive my own car, following my parents. There was no question about falling asleep this time.
We met at the same house like we always did. My grandparents house in the Linopetra refugee housing..next to the gymnaseum. The gymnaseum where as kids we used to go on Sunday and play basketball with my cousins. Not much has changed in the neighborhood. Same houses, same neighbors, same schools. My aunt prepared the lunch and we sat at the same table like we always used to do. The menu did not include my grandfathers trademarked oven-baked rabbit, but my aunt surely did inherit some of my grandmother's Stella's cooking abilities. An excellent lunch, with family. And for sure as I was sitting there, I felt that I had turned back time. 20 years ago, almost every Sunday it would be the same. Only we were kids. Now we are adults and new kids have taken our place. I am sure that Loucas and Stella would have been proud of their family. After all, nowadays a loving extended family is not something you easily find.
*This blog entry is dedicated to my grandfather Loucas and grandmother Stella. Loucas, a very sincere, loving, calm person died 6 years ago. Stella a hard-working, dynamic, loving mother and grandmother died 8 years ago.
A.
A routine that we used to do almost every Sunday and which I have not done for many many years.
Back then my dad used to drive the white Audi100, my mum would sit in the passengers seat and I would sit back with my two brothers..I was always in the middle. And if I ever dared to fall asleep my brothers would wake me up. Now, I had to drive my own car, following my parents. There was no question about falling asleep this time.
We met at the same house like we always did. My grandparents house in the Linopetra refugee housing..next to the gymnaseum. The gymnaseum where as kids we used to go on Sunday and play basketball with my cousins. Not much has changed in the neighborhood. Same houses, same neighbors, same schools. My aunt prepared the lunch and we sat at the same table like we always used to do. The menu did not include my grandfathers trademarked oven-baked rabbit, but my aunt surely did inherit some of my grandmother's Stella's cooking abilities. An excellent lunch, with family. And for sure as I was sitting there, I felt that I had turned back time. 20 years ago, almost every Sunday it would be the same. Only we were kids. Now we are adults and new kids have taken our place. I am sure that Loucas and Stella would have been proud of their family. After all, nowadays a loving extended family is not something you easily find.
*This blog entry is dedicated to my grandfather Loucas and grandmother Stella. Loucas, a very sincere, loving, calm person died 6 years ago. Stella a hard-working, dynamic, loving mother and grandmother died 8 years ago.
A.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Updates
It's been a while since I had an update on this blog. The truth is that my life has gotten into a routine and there are not very exciting things to write about.
Last weekend went by with nothing too special to mention. I could mention the extremely bad service at the new lounge we went to, or the idea of going to Sfinakia (bliah bliah bliah). I guess I am too old for dancing and for heavy music at closed places when it is about 100F degrees.
Saturday was pretty much pool and pilota day and Sunday was beach day. Only problem is that in order to find a spot at a beach in Cyprus on Sunday is like trying to find a needle in a haystack..unless you wake up at 6am to go to the beach. Which is obviously something that we didn't do. So we just ended up going to Mario's pool in Larnaca, playing pilota and swimming at 9pm before returning to Nicosia at 11pm, having a late night Karpouzi dinner at 12am and playing pilota.
Monday to today has been as slow as it can be. I spent most of the day in bed today because I had pain on my back and it hurt just breathing. To my relief the doctor said that it is probably only a muscle problem and should go away. As long as there are no discs problem there I am fine.
That is it for now. Looking forward for a more exciting weekend and hopefully more exciting updates on this blog.
Last weekend went by with nothing too special to mention. I could mention the extremely bad service at the new lounge we went to, or the idea of going to Sfinakia (bliah bliah bliah). I guess I am too old for dancing and for heavy music at closed places when it is about 100F degrees.
Saturday was pretty much pool and pilota day and Sunday was beach day. Only problem is that in order to find a spot at a beach in Cyprus on Sunday is like trying to find a needle in a haystack..unless you wake up at 6am to go to the beach. Which is obviously something that we didn't do. So we just ended up going to Mario's pool in Larnaca, playing pilota and swimming at 9pm before returning to Nicosia at 11pm, having a late night Karpouzi dinner at 12am and playing pilota.
Monday to today has been as slow as it can be. I spent most of the day in bed today because I had pain on my back and it hurt just breathing. To my relief the doctor said that it is probably only a muscle problem and should go away. As long as there are no discs problem there I am fine.
That is it for now. Looking forward for a more exciting weekend and hopefully more exciting updates on this blog.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Squash, pool, sun and pilota
The title pretty much sums up my weekend. If I had to start from Friday night though, I would also have to include the Friday night drinks at Maze and the bill for 30 Euros which was a mistake before getting us the right one for 198 Euros.
Saturday we spent the day at Laiki Sporting Club. We started with a 45 minute game of squash, me against Christophoros. It was the first time I played a competitive sport (pilota excluded) after my back surgery 14 months ago. It was a close game but at the end I lost. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool, swimming and playing pilota. The sun made us too tired to go out at night, so we spent the rest of the night playing pilota and watching Dark Knight.
A very similar schedule was set up for Sunday. Laiki Sporting club, squash for about an hour (only this time I won), swim and pilota. Oh and some lunch in between. A lunch which we skipped because we were playing pilota and we went to the restaurant after the kitchen closed. After a few beggings, the manager decided to give us all he had left over and he brought us food for about 10 people. Calamari, souvla, chicken nuggets, potatoes, salad. In real people there were 4 of us, in food people there were 7 - Marios counted for 2.5, Chris for 2, me for 1.5 and Efi for 1.
We closed Sunday night with...guess what..Pilota at Marios house.
Another fun weekend is over. My buttocks are sore from playing squash but at least I burned a few calories of the drinks I had last week.
A.
Saturday we spent the day at Laiki Sporting Club. We started with a 45 minute game of squash, me against Christophoros. It was the first time I played a competitive sport (pilota excluded) after my back surgery 14 months ago. It was a close game but at the end I lost. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool, swimming and playing pilota. The sun made us too tired to go out at night, so we spent the rest of the night playing pilota and watching Dark Knight.
A very similar schedule was set up for Sunday. Laiki Sporting club, squash for about an hour (only this time I won), swim and pilota. Oh and some lunch in between. A lunch which we skipped because we were playing pilota and we went to the restaurant after the kitchen closed. After a few beggings, the manager decided to give us all he had left over and he brought us food for about 10 people. Calamari, souvla, chicken nuggets, potatoes, salad. In real people there were 4 of us, in food people there were 7 - Marios counted for 2.5, Chris for 2, me for 1.5 and Efi for 1.
We closed Sunday night with...guess what..Pilota at Marios house.
Another fun weekend is over. My buttocks are sore from playing squash but at least I burned a few calories of the drinks I had last week.
A.
Monday, June 22, 2009
The weekend
Good times come from spontaneous decisions. This could have been the conclusion of our weekend in Paphos. A late night Friday decision to spend the weekend in Paphos, an early morning trip and a full Saturday day.
Taking things from the beginning, the idea came up around 11pm on Friday night and thumbs went up instantly. Departure time was set for Saturday at 10am. On our way we booked the hotel rooms and we were ready to rock.
Upon arriving and checking in we went down to the pool where we spent most of the day. After 7 hours at the pool, a beer, some late lunch, a lot of volleyball, some pilota we went up to the rooms to relax and get ready for going out.
Fashion cafe was our first destination. A really nice cafe in terms of decoration, but lacked in quality of service and food. And I really could not understand their promotion of bringing Star Hellas to sit in the corner table as a way to attract customers. We were really the only ones who could see her.
Next destination was the club upstairs. If I am not mistaken I think it was called Cartel. It was on the third floor, it was open, there were fans and we were still sweating. Welcome to Cyprus. Sometimes, I wish I was a woman so I could wear the minimum amount of clothing that the girls in that club were wearing. The club was really good. Excellent music, really nice atmosphere, excellent service, it was one of the best clubs I have been to. The price we paid? 270 Euros for a bottle of Jack Daniels and a bottle of Smirnoff. That is about 1000% profit for the club...
I haven't stayed out until 3.30am since I can remember. Even though I was tired physically, the 5 Vodka Red Bulls kept me awake until 5am, reading magazines in bed.
Alarm was set for 10.30 in the morning, check-out and frappe by the pool, followed by lunch. Soon we were on the way back to Nicosia. Relaxing and pilota concluded a really nice weekend.
Taking things from the beginning, the idea came up around 11pm on Friday night and thumbs went up instantly. Departure time was set for Saturday at 10am. On our way we booked the hotel rooms and we were ready to rock.
Upon arriving and checking in we went down to the pool where we spent most of the day. After 7 hours at the pool, a beer, some late lunch, a lot of volleyball, some pilota we went up to the rooms to relax and get ready for going out.
Fashion cafe was our first destination. A really nice cafe in terms of decoration, but lacked in quality of service and food. And I really could not understand their promotion of bringing Star Hellas to sit in the corner table as a way to attract customers. We were really the only ones who could see her.
Next destination was the club upstairs. If I am not mistaken I think it was called Cartel. It was on the third floor, it was open, there were fans and we were still sweating. Welcome to Cyprus. Sometimes, I wish I was a woman so I could wear the minimum amount of clothing that the girls in that club were wearing. The club was really good. Excellent music, really nice atmosphere, excellent service, it was one of the best clubs I have been to. The price we paid? 270 Euros for a bottle of Jack Daniels and a bottle of Smirnoff. That is about 1000% profit for the club...
I haven't stayed out until 3.30am since I can remember. Even though I was tired physically, the 5 Vodka Red Bulls kept me awake until 5am, reading magazines in bed.
Alarm was set for 10.30 in the morning, check-out and frappe by the pool, followed by lunch. Soon we were on the way back to Nicosia. Relaxing and pilota concluded a really nice weekend.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
You know you are in Cyprus when...
Stolen from around the internet, I found the most interesting, true and funny ones. Enjoy. (in brackets my comments).
You know you are in Cyprus when:
You know you are in Cyprus when:
- A mercedes is not a personal car, it's a Taxi (so true a few years back).
- Talking sounds just like arguing.
- Not smoking is considered 'weird' (another one of Cypriots bad habits)
- Everybody has an opinion about everything
- Not eating meat is unthinkable (UNTHINKABLE)
- You take a generator when camping (to supply your fridge, micro, TV!)
- Police park on the sidewalk to give you a ticket for parking on the sidewalk..
- The translation of 'thank you' is......... "thank you".
- The translation of 'sorry' is......."sorry
- Your next door neighbour cooks "souvla" all 52 Sundays of the year.
- You call everyone "koumbare"('best man') malaka (asshole)
- we are facing a drought problem but people insist on washing their cars and the road in front of their house (and if you tell them something be prepared to hear everything about your family)
- everybody thinks they are the best driver in the world..and everybody else is the worst.
- drunk people insist "I can drive..I am fine"
- people who drive $100,000 cars are not willing to give $2 to park their car in a parking lot, leave them on the sidewalk with the risk of being hit and go pay $8 for a frappe (coffee).
- people are not willing to walk. They have to park right outside of their destination (it does not matter if that means leaving the car in the middle of the street..as long as you put the parking lights on, you are OK).
- you see women talking on their cellphone having it on speakerphone while driving using their one hand, because speaking on the phone while driving is prohibited
- the no-smoking sign in cafes is just indicative. For the majority it means "who cares, I will smoke"
- if you are a beautiful foreing blonde girl you are automatically associated with girls working at cabarets
- grandmas and old ladies consider it weird and rude that you haven't eaten all your food..(that is the 8 different plates that can feed about 5 people).
- when people eat karpouzi (watermelon) with halloumi every night for dinner in the summer.
Disclaimer: This post is supposed to be funny, and many of the above instances are things that we have learned to live with. Cyprus has its many advantages too, like the good weather, the nice beaches, the (usually) hospitable and friendly people.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Welcome to Cyprus driving...
where...
- people usually drive in the middle of the street. Why do we need left and right lanes anyway?
- people park on the street. A two lane street becomes one..A one lane street means that you have to get in the opposite lane.
- people park on the sidewalk/ pavements. What? You thought that those are made for pedestrians? Not in Cyprus where anyone has the right to park their car on the sidewalk. Fortunately our government has a solution for that. They will put poles on the sidewalks to prevent cars from parking there..which will probably increase people parking ON the street but who the hell cares? One problem at a time.
- even though we say we drive on the left side of the road, it is not true..we drive in the middle most of the time
- drivers will keep the maximum half a foot distance from the car in front of them.
- if you are late for about 2 seconds when the light turns green you will probably hear about 200 horns, you will see a lot of middle fingers and probably hear something about your family.
- if you are driving with a speed of less than 20km/h MORE than the speed limit you will get the same reactions as above.
- Orange light means speed up so you can pass the traffic lights. Usually the first 2 seconds of red mean the same too.
- there are traffic lights almost every 100 meters.
- the concept of carpooling is so hard to understand.
- it is considered normal to speak on your phone, do your makeup, eat breakfast/lunch/dinner, drink coffee, smoke a cigarette WHILE driving, ALL at the same time.
A.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The first 24 hours
It has been about 24 hours now that I am back in Cyprus and about 48 since I left the U.S. The trip back to Cyprus was OK. I could complain for British Airways having only one employee at check-in which required me to wait for about 45 minutes to just receive my boarding passes. I could also complain about the personal TV screen on my seat which was the only one on the plane which was not working. I could also complain about the guy next to me who was on a mission trip to Kenya with his church and was asking me all these questions about the Greek Orthodox Church before telling him that he is asking the wrong guy. I could complain for the flight back to Cyprus and my surrounding with little kids crying. But I will not complain because I am sure that sometime, somebody’s else TV screen was not working, because sometime I am sure I was (or will be) the annoying guy next to somebody, because somebody I will be the one with the little kids on the plane.
So back to Cyprus. And you know you are back as soon as you get off the plane and there is a hot breeze hitting your face and body and you need to start taking off clothes immediately. Passport “control” was as always a joke that only lasts about 2 seconds..one for opening the passport and one for closing it and handing it back to you. My luggage was surprisingly one of the first to come in, and I was soon on my way home. Greeted by my grandmother who followed the same sequence of questions as always “How was your flight?”, “How is Molly?”, “Are you hungry, do you want something to eat?”.
Unpacking for the next few hours was more difficult than I thought. For a guy, I have a lot of clothes and not being able to fit them in 4 closets is quite ridiculous. I am going to have to give away some of them soon. Shower and visit to my brother who was still at the office working for catching up and stuff. Back home, worked a little bit with my mum and then off to my older brother to see him and his family. The nephews are much more talkative than I remember them. It was a pleasure seeing them try to show me whatever they had learned..all the animals in their books and counting in both English and Greek.
On the way home I get the usual call from my uncle to welcome me home. Other than the immediate family he is always the only one to regularly call me and welcome me on the first day I am back. I know that he is reading this now, and I know that if I tell my readers that he is the coolest uncle for someone who is only in his early 40’s will put a smile in his face.
Back home for dinner and then off to Marios and Efi for catching up with them. Their home is close to me and I never need invitation to get there which makes it like a second home for me. I usually just call and tell them that I am on the way. A lot of talk, and a Jack and coke later, I am home where I call Molly before going to sleep. I have beaten the usual jetlag this time, I believe by sleeping in until 10.30.
Wake up, shower and at the office..taking care of business, fixing resume and getting in touch with people. First 24 hours over. Even though now it is about 27 hours.
A.
So back to Cyprus. And you know you are back as soon as you get off the plane and there is a hot breeze hitting your face and body and you need to start taking off clothes immediately. Passport “control” was as always a joke that only lasts about 2 seconds..one for opening the passport and one for closing it and handing it back to you. My luggage was surprisingly one of the first to come in, and I was soon on my way home. Greeted by my grandmother who followed the same sequence of questions as always “How was your flight?”, “How is Molly?”, “Are you hungry, do you want something to eat?”.
Unpacking for the next few hours was more difficult than I thought. For a guy, I have a lot of clothes and not being able to fit them in 4 closets is quite ridiculous. I am going to have to give away some of them soon. Shower and visit to my brother who was still at the office working for catching up and stuff. Back home, worked a little bit with my mum and then off to my older brother to see him and his family. The nephews are much more talkative than I remember them. It was a pleasure seeing them try to show me whatever they had learned..all the animals in their books and counting in both English and Greek.
On the way home I get the usual call from my uncle to welcome me home. Other than the immediate family he is always the only one to regularly call me and welcome me on the first day I am back. I know that he is reading this now, and I know that if I tell my readers that he is the coolest uncle for someone who is only in his early 40’s will put a smile in his face.
Back home for dinner and then off to Marios and Efi for catching up with them. Their home is close to me and I never need invitation to get there which makes it like a second home for me. I usually just call and tell them that I am on the way. A lot of talk, and a Jack and coke later, I am home where I call Molly before going to sleep. I have beaten the usual jetlag this time, I believe by sleeping in until 10.30.
Wake up, shower and at the office..taking care of business, fixing resume and getting in touch with people. First 24 hours over. Even though now it is about 27 hours.
A.
Friday, June 5, 2009
This one goes out to the one I love..
A few days before my trip back to Cyprus and the feelings are bittersweet. For starters, I will not miss Bloomington. Spending 6 years of my life in this town are more than enough. I now feel old to be in this town. But it is always hard to leave things behind and go start a new life again. It is tiring and stressful but it is what needs to be done. The hardest part however is being away from Molly for the next two months.
I would think that by now we are used to being away from each other for long periods. After all this will be about the 7th time we are spending 2+ months apart. I am not even counting the 2-3 weeks every Christmas. We even spent a whole year apart. It just becomes harder and harder each time.
Molly is absolutely the sweetest person I know. I truly believe that she is the only person to which I can not say "No" to anything (well..asking for pizza excluded). She has been a warrior putting up with me in school for two years, with my ups and downs, with my late night meetings, with my weekends at school, with organizing our life around football.
She has been next to me during all my health problems and she has helped me get over them. She stands by me in any decision ready to support me. She is sweet, beautiful, amazing, loving, respectful, smart, has a great personality and it is more that I could ever ask for.
The next two months will be hard away from her. She knows that I will miss her, but she also knows that I will be thinking of her the whole time.
Baby mou, I know you are sitting next to me right now, but this is for the whole world to know. You are absolutely the best girlfriend in the world, thank you for showing me that, and I love you.
Let's start our new adventure and let the road takes us wherever it does. As long as I am with you it does not matter.
A.
I would think that by now we are used to being away from each other for long periods. After all this will be about the 7th time we are spending 2+ months apart. I am not even counting the 2-3 weeks every Christmas. We even spent a whole year apart. It just becomes harder and harder each time.
Molly is absolutely the sweetest person I know. I truly believe that she is the only person to which I can not say "No" to anything (well..asking for pizza excluded). She has been a warrior putting up with me in school for two years, with my ups and downs, with my late night meetings, with my weekends at school, with organizing our life around football.
She has been next to me during all my health problems and she has helped me get over them. She stands by me in any decision ready to support me. She is sweet, beautiful, amazing, loving, respectful, smart, has a great personality and it is more that I could ever ask for.
The next two months will be hard away from her. She knows that I will miss her, but she also knows that I will be thinking of her the whole time.
Baby mou, I know you are sitting next to me right now, but this is for the whole world to know. You are absolutely the best girlfriend in the world, thank you for showing me that, and I love you.
Let's start our new adventure and let the road takes us wherever it does. As long as I am with you it does not matter.
A.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Our first ever parenting
Molly and I went through our first ever "put the baby to sleep" routine. We had to babysit her sister's little boy for a few hours and had to make sure that he sleeps.
Despite the warnings and instructions, it all went pretty well..easier than I was thinking. I am going to safely assume though that it was just one of those lucky nights.
We both sat in the room with him and Molly started reading him stories. He didn't seem to get enough until Molly went to get some water and I continued reading. After my first story he didn't want any more. It probably had to do with my accent. He then laid down, covered himself and I turned off the lights. I stayed in the room for about 15 minutes and then I left. As soon as I closed the door behind me, he was up and turned on the light and he was standing in the crib. I went back in, turned off the light, sat there without saying anything and he went back straight to sleep. I stayed for 10 more minutes to make sure he was asleep and that was it.
First attempt: Successful.
A.
Despite the warnings and instructions, it all went pretty well..easier than I was thinking. I am going to safely assume though that it was just one of those lucky nights.
We both sat in the room with him and Molly started reading him stories. He didn't seem to get enough until Molly went to get some water and I continued reading. After my first story he didn't want any more. It probably had to do with my accent. He then laid down, covered himself and I turned off the lights. I stayed in the room for about 15 minutes and then I left. As soon as I closed the door behind me, he was up and turned on the light and he was standing in the crib. I went back in, turned off the light, sat there without saying anything and he went back straight to sleep. I stayed for 10 more minutes to make sure he was asleep and that was it.
First attempt: Successful.
A.
Monday, May 25, 2009
A day at the park
Last Saturday we spent the whole day at Bryan park in Bloomington. It was a day full of events, good food, music and nice conversation. Many thanks to the Cypriot girls who invited us and organized this and of course to their parents who cooked all the good food. The menu included:
- Makaronia tou fournou (or pastitsio)
- Kioftedes (meatballs)
- Koupepia (Stuffed grapeleaves)
- Chicken
- Tzatziki
- Tahini
- Pasta
- Potatoes
- Tyropita
- Many others which I can't remember
Molly prepared and brought her tyropita. Unfortunately, because of being too full from the other food, I did not have the chance to try it. Judging however from the past, the speed that it was gone and the good comments, I am pretty sure that it was great!
Highlight of the day was of course my first interaction and my return to the football field after my back injury one year ago. Here is a picture of me kicking the ball, in my new league, with a new age group and a different gender:
I was still out of breath after playing with them for a while.
Overall, it was a really enjoyable day/night at Bloomington with good weather too. We had lots of fun.
A.
Friday, May 22, 2009
My new baby!
Since last Monday I am the proud owner of a new baby! Ok, Ok, it is not what you think. I do not have any real babies..but I had to somehow catch your attention to in order to read this post. When I refer to my new baby I mean this:
Up to now I am really happy with it. My only concern is that the glossy keyboard gets a little dirty after using it but, I have my cloth to clean it off.
I still find it hard to separate with my old Toshiba, so in order to make the transition more smooth, I use both for a few (or many) hours of the day. Sometimes, I have them both turned on, playing games on one and surfing the net on the other. When that happens, Molly is usually looking for the internet cables, but since I have two laptops, I need both cables.
There are also certain restrictions about the laptops. No drink of any kind (alcoholic or not) are allowed to be close to the laptops in radius of 40cm. This area gives me the opportunity to save drinks from spilling on the laptop and enough time for me to lift up the laptops if somebody accidentally spills a drink (I have a suspicion that after saying this, I will spill my tea tomorrow).
Molly also thinks I am crazy about that. I probably am, but that is OK, because I love my new laptop!
Up to now I am really happy with it. My only concern is that the glossy keyboard gets a little dirty after using it but, I have my cloth to clean it off.
I still find it hard to separate with my old Toshiba, so in order to make the transition more smooth, I use both for a few (or many) hours of the day. Sometimes, I have them both turned on, playing games on one and surfing the net on the other. When that happens, Molly is usually looking for the internet cables, but since I have two laptops, I need both cables.
There are also certain restrictions about the laptops. No drink of any kind (alcoholic or not) are allowed to be close to the laptops in radius of 40cm. This area gives me the opportunity to save drinks from spilling on the laptop and enough time for me to lift up the laptops if somebody accidentally spills a drink (I have a suspicion that after saying this, I will spill my tea tomorrow).
Molly also thinks I am crazy about that. I probably am, but that is OK, because I love my new laptop!
Monday, May 18, 2009
The California trip
Day 1:
Arrived in San Diego around 1pm. Checked in at the new Hilton Bayfront, grabbed a Starbucks and started walking. The Red Bull Air race was taking place in San Diego during the weekend so there were a lot of pilots and a lot of free Red Bulls around. After a short walk in front of the beach, up and down the stairs of the Convention center we found ourselves on Gaslamp district, the historic district of San Diego.
We had dinner at an Italian restaurant in Gaslamp District where the waiter/ owner praised a lot about the quality of their food. Nothing really special…
Day 2:
We started the day going on a hop-on hop-off bus. First sightseeing was Coronado Island, which was beautiful. We also stopped at the San Diego Zoo where we spent a few hours. The Zoo was really nice. Before I forget, this guy told me to send you his regards…
After the zoo we visited a small museum of art and then back on the bus for the Old Town of San Diego, through Little Italy. We had Mexican for lunch at the Old Town. It was a nice experience. We spent the rest of the evening at the mall, then had tea at a creperie on Gaslamp and then late dinner at the hotel.
Day 3:
After our morning coffee we walked to the Marriott to grab our rental car. Checked out from the Hilton and pressed the gas of the Ford Explorer, on our way to Beverly Hills. 2 hours and 20 minutes later we were checking in at the Tower Beverly Hills hotel. We met with my parents’ friend, had lunch and then went to her house in the heart of Beverly Hills for coffee. On the way we san the house of Frank Sinatra and Sharon Stone as well as the ex-house of the Sultan of Brunei now owned by the owner of Forever 21. Inthe evening we drove around Sunset Blvd and Hollywood, had dinner and returned to the hotel getting ready for the next day ahead.
Day 4:
We spent our day and afternoon at Universal Studios. It was a great experience. Jurassic Park, Shrek, Mummy Returns, Animal characters, Waterworld, Backdraft were some of the parks we visited. We also took the tour to see the famous Wysteria Lane. There is a picture of one of the houses.
Overall the Universal Studios was a great experience. A good experience was also the concept of Boiling Crab, the restaurant we went to afterwards. Based in Alhambra, LA this restaurant offers fish which you eat with your hands. You have to really get down and dirty in this restaurant. And your clothes and hands smell for the rest of the night, but yet another great experience.
Day 5:
Day 5 found us at Ventura County, shopping at the outlets. The women definitely loved it. I loved the way down there, going through Malibu beach and the sudden change of the beach view to mountain view to farm view.
On the way back we stopped at Malibu beach on a nice bar/ restaurant called Paradise Cove where we had appetizers (a lot of them) and cocktails.
By the time we were back in Beverly Hills it was time to sleep!
Day 6:
Another shopping day starting at a department store early in the morning, finishing at a really nice shopping area. Lots of shopping and many happy store owners.
After a brief return to the hotel, we went for a walk down Beverly Hills road and Rodeo Drive where all the upper-class stores are located. Dinner at Jacopo’s Pizzeria, final goodbyes and back to the hotel.
Day 7:
Since we had some time left before our flights, we decided to go on an early….guess what? Shopping! This was our last day and it was kind of sad to be leaving. Overall it was an amazing experience and I can’t wait to do it again! Many many special thanks to my parents’ friend who restlessly showed us the best of Los Angeles, drove us around and treated us to some nice meals. Many many thanks to my parents who have treated us to this trip and throughout the trip and never miss a chance to show their love. I know they will be reading this, so..I love you mum and dad!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
This is it...
The IU adventure is over. It started in August 2007 with a Strategy class and it ended today with my last Finance exam. The taste is bittersweet. I am officially done with the MBA. I am a holder of a Master's degree and I am proud of the achievement. My mother always used to tell me that I should set goals in my life and try to achieve them..one more checked!
Throughout this 21-month journey, I had the opportunity to meet very bright people, classmates who will be in top positions in the near future, classmates from whom I learned and classmates with whom I had fun. I had the opportunity to learn about new places on this earth and talk about mine. I had the opportunity to be taught by top faculty in one of the top business schools in the nation. I had the opportunity to work on projects for large corporations such as Cummins, Bank of America, Starbucks, Kraft etc. I had the opportunity to meet the other side of faculty. They were friends throughout this journey..always willing to help.
I went through stressful periods of times, anxiety, late nights working.
For periods I neglected my significant other. She was always there though and she never complained. She is a big factor in what I have achieved. Thank you Molly.
I also experienced moments of unfairness, moments of disrespect. These are the moments that I will leave behind.
It has been an interesting, fun, enjoyable journey. It is time to move to the "beyond" of the title.
The journey is over, the memories will stay forever.
A.
Throughout this 21-month journey, I had the opportunity to meet very bright people, classmates who will be in top positions in the near future, classmates from whom I learned and classmates with whom I had fun. I had the opportunity to learn about new places on this earth and talk about mine. I had the opportunity to be taught by top faculty in one of the top business schools in the nation. I had the opportunity to work on projects for large corporations such as Cummins, Bank of America, Starbucks, Kraft etc. I had the opportunity to meet the other side of faculty. They were friends throughout this journey..always willing to help.
I went through stressful periods of times, anxiety, late nights working.
For periods I neglected my significant other. She was always there though and she never complained. She is a big factor in what I have achieved. Thank you Molly.
I also experienced moments of unfairness, moments of disrespect. These are the moments that I will leave behind.
It has been an interesting, fun, enjoyable journey. It is time to move to the "beyond" of the title.
The journey is over, the memories will stay forever.
A.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Molly's Birthday
Molly turned 26 on Saturday so we decided to invite some friends over for some drinks and games. It was really fun and thanks to all those who made it down here. Molly and I appreciated it.
Ok, I've been very serious in this post up to now..so let's start having some fun.
This is how birthday girl looked like at the end of the night:
Cute, smily and beautiful. And I am pretty sure that she asked for help to get out of that position.
Highlight of the night of course was Molly's definition of the word "Hawser". We were playing or "balderdash" and Molly gave this definition of the word "Hawser":
Hawser: The German conjugation for the 2nd person conjugation of a tree! Priceless definition!
Good times. Until next year...happy birthday Molly!
Ok, I've been very serious in this post up to now..so let's start having some fun.
This is how birthday girl looked like at the end of the night:
Cute, smily and beautiful. And I am pretty sure that she asked for help to get out of that position.
Highlight of the night of course was Molly's definition of the word "Hawser". We were playing or "balderdash" and Molly gave this definition of the word "Hawser":
Hawser: The German conjugation for the 2nd person conjugation of a tree! Priceless definition!
Good times. Until next year...happy birthday Molly!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
My favorite TV shows
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1) Damages:
Thanks to a good friend who introduced me to this series. Actionable, twisting plots, excellent first season. A MUST Watch!
2) Lost
:Loved the first 3 seasons but after that it started to get too sci-fi. Too many characters to follow but that gives it a nice twist on the character development along with the story development. Good if you have nothing else to do.
3) Californication
This is a good watch. David Duchovny in a role that we are not used to. This
is an enjoyable watch, again if you have nothing better to do. The episodes are short too ~ 25 minutes each4) Desperate Housewives
Maybe I should not admit this publicly..but who cares. Yes, I watch it because I like it:).
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Recap of the Little 500 week.
"Greatest college event in the world". I really don't know if that is true but I do know that the Little 500 race at Indiana University is an excuse for alumni to come back in town, from students of other schools to visit for the weekend, for college students to get drunk throughout the week...and for the police and the bars to make some extra money.
All I know is that this is my 6th Little 500 and I really feel like I am getting old. Not too much partying, not too much alcohol and a Sunday night feeling that I have violated my body. And just to prove my point that I don't really care about Little 500, Molly and I went camping with some good friends. I have to admit that I am not a camping fan, but it was fun to get out for a while. It was kind of hard chasing the bears, hunting the boars fishing in the lake and looking after the girls who were scared but it was all worth it. If anybody claims that any of these did not happen it is because they were drunk and do not remember.
Of course, the highlight of the camping was that right next to us, a fraternity had a camping party..with loud music and about 200 college kids getting drunk. Who can forget the three girls who came to our camping side thinking that they could use their girly skills so that they could get some food from the guys. Little did they know that our girls get rid of them quickly (btw, Molly thanks for inviting them over). And who can forget little Will who asked for some food so that he could close the deal with a girl..Will if you ever read this, I hope you remember the Thanksgiving.
Molly and I finished the beautiful weekend, by cooking pork chops, sausages and halloumi on the grill and eating outside. Batteries recharged for the last two weeks of school.
All I know is that this is my 6th Little 500 and I really feel like I am getting old. Not too much partying, not too much alcohol and a Sunday night feeling that I have violated my body. And just to prove my point that I don't really care about Little 500, Molly and I went camping with some good friends. I have to admit that I am not a camping fan, but it was fun to get out for a while. It was kind of hard chasing the bears, hunting the boars fishing in the lake and looking after the girls who were scared but it was all worth it. If anybody claims that any of these did not happen it is because they were drunk and do not remember.
Of course, the highlight of the camping was that right next to us, a fraternity had a camping party..with loud music and about 200 college kids getting drunk. Who can forget the three girls who came to our camping side thinking that they could use their girly skills so that they could get some food from the guys. Little did they know that our girls get rid of them quickly (btw, Molly thanks for inviting them over). And who can forget little Will who asked for some food so that he could close the deal with a girl..Will if you ever read this, I hope you remember the Thanksgiving.
Molly and I finished the beautiful weekend, by cooking pork chops, sausages and halloumi on the grill and eating outside. Batteries recharged for the last two weeks of school.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
One year ago...
At this time this year ago, I was in terrible pain. I could barely walk, sit, stand or lay in bed because of a ruptured disc in my back. It was the worst pain that I have ever experienced in my life.
On April 24th, 2008 I had a surgery to fix my disc. One hour after the surgery, I walked into the car and I came home. Four days later, I went to school and eight days later I went to a trip in North Carolina (changing two flights..have to thank Katie and Joe here for helping me out).
21 days later, I flew from Indianapolis to Cyprus and after staying there for 3 days I moved to London for the summer, where I was commuting 1.30-2 hours to work every day using the tube.
Five and a half months after the surgery I started physiotherapy with some basic exercises.
Six and a half months after the surgery I ran for the first time for 4 consecutive minutes.
9 months after the surgery, I started lifting weights for the first time.
12 months after the surgery, I regularly run about 15Km every week (3 times a week 5KM each time).
Most of the pain in my back is gone. Sometimes it gets worse and it starts bothering me for a few days or week. I can also feel some pain on the nerve of my leg which was injured because of the disc touching it for few months. I have quit everything that has to do with team sports and even though I feel bad about it, I figured out that I should not take any chances any more.
My new goal is to be able to run 5Km without stopping by mid-June.
P.S What a game between Liverpool and Arsenal yesterday!! For the goals and my opinion on Liverpool check out my other blog by clicking here.
On April 24th, 2008 I had a surgery to fix my disc. One hour after the surgery, I walked into the car and I came home. Four days later, I went to school and eight days later I went to a trip in North Carolina (changing two flights..have to thank Katie and Joe here for helping me out).
21 days later, I flew from Indianapolis to Cyprus and after staying there for 3 days I moved to London for the summer, where I was commuting 1.30-2 hours to work every day using the tube.
Five and a half months after the surgery I started physiotherapy with some basic exercises.
Six and a half months after the surgery I ran for the first time for 4 consecutive minutes.
9 months after the surgery, I started lifting weights for the first time.
12 months after the surgery, I regularly run about 15Km every week (3 times a week 5KM each time).
Most of the pain in my back is gone. Sometimes it gets worse and it starts bothering me for a few days or week. I can also feel some pain on the nerve of my leg which was injured because of the disc touching it for few months. I have quit everything that has to do with team sports and even though I feel bad about it, I figured out that I should not take any chances any more.
My new goal is to be able to run 5Km without stopping by mid-June.
P.S What a game between Liverpool and Arsenal yesterday!! For the goals and my opinion on Liverpool check out my other blog by clicking here.
Monday, April 20, 2009
5 favorite Sitcom characters...and some of their lines
This time, I will start from number 5 and go to number 1.
5) Larry from "Three's Company".
He is Jack's best friend, a used car salesman and a womanizer (he is of Greek descent if that says anything)
4) Jake from "Two and a Half Men".
He is Alan's son in the show. He spends most of his time eating pizza, watching TV and making a fool of his dad. A quote:
Jake [about Chelsea being sick]: Maybe she has an std
Charlie: What?
Jake: It means sexually transmitted disease
Charlie: I know what STDs are
Alan: Your uncle helped invent them
Jake: You know they can be prevented by using a condom?
Charlie: I know we could have prevented you by using a condom
3) Ross from "Friends"
Who doesn't love this guy who got married...three times, is a paleontologist and a science geek.
Quotes:
Ross: I have to go to China
Joey: The country?
Ross: No, the big pile of dishes in my mother's breakfront
Ross (walking down the aisle at Chandler and Monica's wedding): Wow this is the first time I have walked down the aisle without the possibility of it ending in a divorce.
2) Charlie Harper from "Two and a Half Men"
You just have to love this guy. Rich, successful, womanizer, never wants to get married, happy,
the exact opposite of his brother Alan. Quotes:
Charlie: Alan, there's something you should know about me. When I say "I understand", it doesn't mean I agree, it doesn't mean I understand, it doesn't even mean I'm listening
Charlie: Hey, how can you tell that an elephant has been in your refrigerator?
Jake: How?
Charlie: There's footprints in the cheesecake.
Jake: But we don't have a cheesecake.
Charlie: That's the part you don't buy?
And number 1 goes to......who else?
1) Al Bundy from "Married with Children"
Shoe salesman, poor, failure, hates his family and his life.
Quotes:
Al (coming home from work): Home, sweet hell
Al: I am not paying for mistakes. I've been doing that since I got married
Peg asking for sex:
Al: Sorry Peg, can't do it two nights in a row. I'm Al "the Mail Man" Bundy, I only do special deliveries!
Peg: Yes Al, but mail men are slow, and deliver EVERY day.
Al: Yes but they don't always go to the same house!
A.
5) Larry from "Three's Company".
He is Jack's best friend, a used car salesman and a womanizer (he is of Greek descent if that says anything)
4) Jake from "Two and a Half Men".
He is Alan's son in the show. He spends most of his time eating pizza, watching TV and making a fool of his dad. A quote:
Jake [about Chelsea being sick]: Maybe she has an std
Charlie: What?
Jake: It means sexually transmitted disease
Charlie: I know what STDs are
Alan: Your uncle helped invent them
Jake: You know they can be prevented by using a condom?
Charlie: I know we could have prevented you by using a condom
3) Ross from "Friends"
Who doesn't love this guy who got married...three times, is a paleontologist and a science geek.
Quotes:
Ross: I have to go to China
Joey: The country?
Ross: No, the big pile of dishes in my mother's breakfront
Ross (walking down the aisle at Chandler and Monica's wedding): Wow this is the first time I have walked down the aisle without the possibility of it ending in a divorce.
2) Charlie Harper from "Two and a Half Men"
You just have to love this guy. Rich, successful, womanizer, never wants to get married, happy,
the exact opposite of his brother Alan. Quotes:Charlie: Alan, there's something you should know about me. When I say "I understand", it doesn't mean I agree, it doesn't mean I understand, it doesn't even mean I'm listening
Charlie: Hey, how can you tell that an elephant has been in your refrigerator?
Jake: How?
Charlie: There's footprints in the cheesecake.
Jake: But we don't have a cheesecake.
Charlie: That's the part you don't buy?
And number 1 goes to......who else?
1) Al Bundy from "Married with Children"
Shoe salesman, poor, failure, hates his family and his life.
Quotes:Al (coming home from work): Home, sweet hell
Al: I am not paying for mistakes. I've been doing that since I got married
Peg asking for sex:
Al: Sorry Peg, can't do it two nights in a row. I'm Al "the Mail Man" Bundy, I only do special deliveries!
Peg: Yes Al, but mail men are slow, and deliver EVERY day.
Al: Yes but they don't always go to the same house!
A.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
No, no it is not okay!
*Warning: The following post might contain inappropriate language. Read at your discretion.
Just got home from another night out in Bloomington and I am so annoyed that I wanted to share all my feelings with you.
To the legislators of the United States: Please reconsider the minimum age for consumption of alcohol. Please make it from 21 to 41. It is not fucking okay to drink, get drunk and just think that you own the place. Do not fucking step on my foot. I only have two of them and I need them both. Do not fall all over my table. My beer is there and I paid for it and I do not want it spilled all over me. Do not fall down on me. I do not want you to touch me.
There are so many innovative gadgets coming out every day. Why can't somebody invent a stupid little gadget that will measure your IQ and will determine whether you can have more than one alcoholic drink.
Anyway, now that is out of my system. This is what happened. We were walking to the bar with Molly, holding hands when a group of guys, about 20-30 of them came around the corner. They were talking the universal American language...you know those vowels such as "AAAAHHH", "EEEE", "OOOOOOO", when one of them stupidly enough thought that it would be a good idea to distract my good spirits and try to walk between Molly and me while we were holding hands. When we resisted and he insisted, I had to push him back and I also gave him a kick on his leg. Two things I regret: That I did not punch the guy in the face so hard in order to remember me for the rest of his life when looking at the mirror, or kicking him somewhere where it would prevent him to reproduce any more stupid idiots like him. In retrospect, I know what I did was stupid because they were 30 of them and it was just me. I am glad though that there were some of them smart enough to get him out of the way and apologize to us. Sometimes I wish I could just ignore idiots and drunks like him, and I really try my best but I also appreciate it when people respect me. It is not OK to get drunk and wasted and just falling all over people or not caring about them. Read this again: Being drunk does not give you the excuse of doing that. No, no, no it is not OK.
Thanks for reading. Have a good night!
A.
Just got home from another night out in Bloomington and I am so annoyed that I wanted to share all my feelings with you.
To the legislators of the United States: Please reconsider the minimum age for consumption of alcohol. Please make it from 21 to 41. It is not fucking okay to drink, get drunk and just think that you own the place. Do not fucking step on my foot. I only have two of them and I need them both. Do not fall all over my table. My beer is there and I paid for it and I do not want it spilled all over me. Do not fall down on me. I do not want you to touch me.
There are so many innovative gadgets coming out every day. Why can't somebody invent a stupid little gadget that will measure your IQ and will determine whether you can have more than one alcoholic drink.
Anyway, now that is out of my system. This is what happened. We were walking to the bar with Molly, holding hands when a group of guys, about 20-30 of them came around the corner. They were talking the universal American language...you know those vowels such as "AAAAHHH", "EEEE", "OOOOOOO", when one of them stupidly enough thought that it would be a good idea to distract my good spirits and try to walk between Molly and me while we were holding hands. When we resisted and he insisted, I had to push him back and I also gave him a kick on his leg. Two things I regret: That I did not punch the guy in the face so hard in order to remember me for the rest of his life when looking at the mirror, or kicking him somewhere where it would prevent him to reproduce any more stupid idiots like him. In retrospect, I know what I did was stupid because they were 30 of them and it was just me. I am glad though that there were some of them smart enough to get him out of the way and apologize to us. Sometimes I wish I could just ignore idiots and drunks like him, and I really try my best but I also appreciate it when people respect me. It is not OK to get drunk and wasted and just falling all over people or not caring about them. Read this again: Being drunk does not give you the excuse of doing that. No, no, no it is not OK.
Thanks for reading. Have a good night!
A.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
My favorite three past-time movies
Considering that I rarely watched movies when I was young, I should name the title "The only three movies that I remember watching more than 10 times" but oh well..here we go.
1)
Highlight of the film is of course Rick Vaughn's appearance through the stadium entrance doors at the last game against the NY Yankees. The stadium erupts, singing "Wild thing, you make my heart sing". The owner turns to the person next to her (I don't remember the relationship) and says "I hate this fucking song". Rick Vaughn is wearing his sexy thick eye glasses and you all know how it ends. In case you don't here is a clip from the final game:
2)
Danny Devito and Arnold Schwarzenegger in this comedy used to crack me up. I have seen this movie so many times that I could tell you exactly what happened at any point of the movie. Highlight is of course when Arnold walks in the street and comes across a Sylvester Stalone poster on a wall. He sees the biceps of Sylvester and then grabs his and starts laughing..hahaha
3)
I bet nobody has seen this movie before. I don't even know why I watched it, but I remember that I loved it and watched it again and again and again. A guy falls in love with a tennis player and in order to grab her attention he dresses as a girl and starts playing tennis with her..Hilarious...ok, it was just 1989!
A.
1)
Highlight of the film is of course Rick Vaughn's appearance through the stadium entrance doors at the last game against the NY Yankees. The stadium erupts, singing "Wild thing, you make my heart sing". The owner turns to the person next to her (I don't remember the relationship) and says "I hate this fucking song". Rick Vaughn is wearing his sexy thick eye glasses and you all know how it ends. In case you don't here is a clip from the final game:
2)
Danny Devito and Arnold Schwarzenegger in this comedy used to crack me up. I have seen this movie so many times that I could tell you exactly what happened at any point of the movie. Highlight is of course when Arnold walks in the street and comes across a Sylvester Stalone poster on a wall. He sees the biceps of Sylvester and then grabs his and starts laughing..hahaha
3)
I bet nobody has seen this movie before. I don't even know why I watched it, but I remember that I loved it and watched it again and again and again. A guy falls in love with a tennis player and in order to grab her attention he dresses as a girl and starts playing tennis with her..Hilarious...ok, it was just 1989!A.
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