stuff i like in winter.

i'm giving this thing of a regular “feature” another shot. i add the quotation marks because feature sounds a bit too grand for what i have in mind. With the quotation marks you know that i am only somewhat serious or at least pretend not to be.

back when i started blogging i took lots of pictures at least for my standards. whether people enjoyed them or not, i just enjoyed to post stuff. stuff i liked. judging by the comments people seem to enjoy my stories more and that's great. but the other day i was trying to find a category for my blog. But I couldn't as i couldn't find a random, somewhat funny blog with stories about wine, pasta, yoga and failed dates category. nothing came even close. thekla actually had to tell me that my blog would technically fall under the category of lifestyle blog. again lifestyle blog sounds very grand i think. i am much more happy with the random, somewhat funny blog with stories about wine, pasta, yoga and failed dates description. but then i figured, why not? if you can make the shoe somehow fit, just squeeze into it. i have a life, it has a certain style and unless we are talking about men, my taste in most other things is pretty good. so with that and the arrival of my new camera i am taking the liberty of showing things about life again. a new “feature” if you will and i shall just call it: stuff i like.

the first stuff comes with a bit of a confession. two weeks ago i was having a nasty girly moment about an ex's new girlfriend and how she announced on facebook that she was going on a non-carb diet. of course i was gleeful that she a) deemed it necessary to go on a diet and b) she wasn't going to be very happy for a while, because we all know that non-carb diets are a bitch and c) really? You tell the world on facebook? but it must have triggered something because i decided with my impending holiday to have a little self-restraint myself. now i am doing two weeks without wine and pasta, which - feel free to laugh at me – means i am probably more miserable right now than she is, because we know I really don't do well without wine and pasta.

i hope you don't feel the need to give me any dietary advice now. i am not eating fried bacon every morning and i do not expect to look like gisele afterwards. I am not having two of my favorite food groups (pasta and wine are food groups of course) for two weeks just to prove I can. And to eat make room for pad thai. call it half-a-lent in july for atheists.

i am usually not a big snacker or one with a sweet tooth but of course with all other pleasures denied i need something. that something i found in form of yoghurt covered raisins at wellness warehouse. if it comes from wellness warehouse it must be healthy, right, and so i have been eating a few more than a few every day. i wanted to get new ones today to take a picture and to my utter delight i found yoghurt covered peanuts which i bought instead. peanuts, people! i thought they wouldn't last through their picture taking session but to my surprise i like the raisins much more. obviously not enough to not eat the peanuts.

the measuring cup is from o.live, a shop i love with all my heart and my credit card loathes. my friend kate did laugh at me when i showed her, but then again she is a real scientist and couldn't believe why anyone would spend money on these things and put them in their flat as deco.

have i written a post about coconut water? i believe i have. i hate the fact that you can't recycle the little bottles (I hope coco life can take a hint) so i only get it once in while for a special occasion. like today when i can't have wine.

i love how it smells when you walk into enmasse and they have put that smell in a bottle. i have never deemed something like linen spray a good investment before, but i love that stuff on my pillows. i really wish they would make it into a proper fragrance (or can i just use linen spray on myself?).

live as if this is all there is. i guess you could put a tea light in, but i bought it for no other reason as to remind me daily of what it says.  

p.s. i will take the some pictures of stuff outside, i promise, but give me some time. just like any mother of a newborn i am still too terrified to take her, yes, that's the camera, outside. 

This is boring, don't read it.

Is it better to write something rather unexciting or nothing at all? Your call. I felt bad leaving Friday blank, but my mind is elsewhere today, namely on the blog I’m putting together for my Dad’s birthday. So there. Here is my Friday randomness:

Oblivion. That word popped into my head yesterday and I actually had to look it up. I wasn’t too keen on the meaning, because to me it has a beautiful connotation after yesterday. So for the purpose of this post: oblivion = a good thing i.e. drinking just one glass of wine too many.

Everyone knows by now that I go to Hakim at Enmasse when in need of a bit of TLC. Combined with high, dark ceilings which for an odd reason remind me of my grandmother and Murray’s constant teasing because I’m useless at putting on my pants, it gives me the perfect massage/all around happy combination. The pants thing sounded wrong. Egal. He will know what it means.

Yesterday I was massaged into oblivion (now you understand why I even thought about it) at a spa in Zevenwacht though. I did feel like part of a senior tourist group, was scolded like a child for talking and realized that only hardcore tourist can watch a masseuse do an African dance and break into song without blushing in embarrassment. BUT the treatments were amazing and made me sleep like a baby last night. Sabina and I have now decided that we should become official spa testers. Anyone know where we can apply?

On another note before I run and boss my students around – because people think this is what a good yoga class is all about and who am I to disappoint them – the Gods of Home Affairs smiled on me today and gave me my new work permit after only waiting in line for two hours. The latter part sucked, but it seems they are trying at least.

Now off into weekend oblivion, there is much to do with danger mouse (don’t ask) in town and I promise I will remember to take some pictures for a change and report back on Monday with a more coherent story.

P.S. In case you can’t tell – this title is another one of me testing a theory. P.P.S. By now you will agree with me that everything is in fact better with a llama or at least when written in llama.

En masse is enough.

Due to the recent events I decided last night that it was far more important to spend money on my well-being in form of a massage than on the well-being of my car in form of finally buying a new spare tire. It also went much better with the Admirable Me theme of the week; my car is very cute and already gets enough attention as it is.

Now I am delighted to announce that Hakim moved swiftly onto the no 1 spot of the monthly guy who left the most memorable impression on me list.  He works at Enmasse, which has been my favourite massage parlour (can I say that??) ever since they opened.

Good reasons why that is:

a.       It is basically next to my home/work, therefore constitutes as extended living room, therefore I can just roll out of bed and I’m there.

b.      It is open when I need it to be open. Kind of like a healthy McDonald’s.

c.       You walk in and the smell already makes you feel better. Airy happy pills and just as addictive.

d.      They give you funny outfits that are very complicated to put on (for me), but me trying always makes me giggle and gives Murray, the owner, a good laugh as well.  

e.      You feel like you ended up in a sexy sort of heaven with white cloud like mattresses and high night sky ceilings and French music (okay, nothing heavenly about that this week). It could only be better if they served cocktails instead of tea.

f.        I walk out of there with very dishevelled hair and don’t ever mind. No, wait, I never mind dishevelled hair. But for everyone else who may mind that would be a good point. Believe me you won’t mind.

Those are the basics. Now I want to get to the really good part and rave about my massage: It is part yoga class part love affair. No dirty grins here please! That is what a good massage should be.

My favourite of course is the head massaging and stroking. I am a complete sucker for head massages and usually I don’t get one unless when they wash my hair at the salon (and they are never thaaat good) or the one time when I asked for an Indian head massage (which came with a downside of having a litre of oil poured onto my hair).

So there I was yesterday – happy little head massagee. With happy feet to go with, because Hakim returned to them frequently so they ‘wouldn’t feel left out’ when he was busy with my head/arms/back. Very thoughtful indeed. My feet thanked him and my sore knee has been quietly bending ever since it was touched by him. Needless to say I left a very happy girl, rose like phoenix from the ashes this morning and felt much better than a new spare tire could ever make me feel.

If you wonder why there is no picture included – I had a slight disagreement with Murray about their logo (which admittedly would have made sense to include). Me: This looks like the scary movie The Ring. Murray: No way! It’s a love circle.

Sorry, no love circle on my blog, way too Austin Powers for my liking. Disagreement settled. I win.