Namastê!

I know that life can be hard sometimes and harder to some people than others. I consider myself blessed: I have a beautiful and healthy family, I have somewhere to live, I have food on my table every day and I'm truly thankful for all of that.

Sometimes, like everybody, I have my blue days and I think that everything is wrong, that I'm fat, that I didn't finish that old project, that it is not worth it to live far away from my family and friends. But in the end of the day I keep in mind  that it's only a bad day, not a bad life and even in those days when I put my head on the pillow I pray and thank God for my life.

All this to say that people that always looks at the dark side of everything really pisses me of, those people who always tells sad stories full of sickness and grief. They should be ashamed of themselves. I'm really sorry if you, negative-sad person, got skeptical because of the way life has treated you, but learn something (and this phrase isn't mine): If life gives you a lime make a chocolate cake and let the b+cthes wondering how you did it. Stop being the victim. You want something? Go and fight for it. Leave your comfort zone or stay at it, but let the other people that are trying to do something, that are trying to leave their comfort zone to do it. Find motivation to keep living. Move that fat ass from the sofa. Start something new. Or perhaps just give someone a smile instead of a frown, that would be a start for your empty life based on complains, complains and more complains. Ufa! I feel better now!

Today I went to my third yoga class of the year and I'm getting better at it little by little, baby steps. In the first class it was hard to keep breathing and to rest at the a down dog position, in the second class it was easier, today was even pleasant and I almost did a 'invertida' (don't know the name in english). Some more classes and I will be able to do it. One of the great things about yoga is the body awareness that the practise gives you. It is a life changer: my posture is better, my strength, my food choices and my will power. It's been more than a week that I want to eat a brigadeiro but I'm hanging in there! I know I will eat it eventually, but I wanna "save" myself for that treat when the time comes.

invertida position

Everybody should do something good for their selfs, and by something good I mean something healthy, something that your body and mind will benefit from it. This is also a way to show gratitude for your life. I'm doing yoga, I'm writing this little blog, I'm trying to get better in various aspects of my life and my being... and I have to tell you that in most of them I keep failing, but I'm going to keep trying. I can't just give up. I know that at some point, and only in some aspects, I will succeed. This is the life I have to be happy and I don't wanna waste a second of it not trying to be a better person, not trying to evolve. In the end... why we are all here is this planet? To evolve, exclusively. What about you? What's your contribution for your-self?

Try to not take life so serious, it is healthy to laugh, to loose control a bit. In the end God is in control. God and our mind. Positive thinking is a fabulous way to create the life you want for yourself. There is a Brazilian saying that I really like and illustrates all of these words: "You harvest what you plant". That is so true. Plant love and you will harvest love. Plant hate and you will harvest hate.

Ok. I'm not a self help reader or self help writter (Oh God, noooo). But if you can see yourself while reading this maybe you should go and help yourself. No! Not with ice cream or pasta carbonara. With exercise or a fruit of this season or just go for a walk and look at the light. Even the most bleak day has some light.

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The Rosie Project

Hello guys! Hope this post finds you in good spirits. This one is going to be about a book and books in general.

I was at the airport having coffee and waiting for my flight when I realized: S%*t, I forgot my book at home. So, I just ran to the closest book shop and bought: The Rosie Project.

I didn't have much time to choose and usually when I'm book shopping I like to take my time. It's a ritual: read a few covers,  have a look at some reviews, sometimes read the first pages; then walk around, sees what other people are choosing (bit nosy, I know ;)) and then, I choose my book.

When I lived in London, I loved going to this book shop at Fulham Road, Daunt Books. They have some unexpected titles, it was there that I got The Alienist (Machado de Assis) translated to english. The shop has a nice atmosphere... I don't know if it's the shelves in oak, the people that goes there or mix of both, but the place makes you feel in a real book shop you know? Not those book-shops-dvd-eletronics kinda shop which books are only seem as entertainment.

But, anyway, what was I saying? Oh yeah: The Rosie Project. I really, really, REALLY enjoyed the book. It wasn't only because my expectations were low (as I said I didn't have much time to get it) but because the book it is, indeed, BRILLIANT (just to sound I bit British. Amazing how Brits looove to say brilliant... but this is a topic for another post maybe?).

I'm not a super fast reader, however this book I finished in a week. I just couldn't put it down, it was when I learned what a "page turner" is. To sum up, it is a love story between a genetics professor that thinks waaaay too logical, he has a shelf for each day of the week with the correspondent food of the day, I know a bit paranoid. So, imagine his world going upside down when he meets Rosie a emotional, smoker, red hair woman that it also happens to be a psychology student. It is hilarious to see the way he thinks and try to racionalize what's happening to him while he is falling in love and all the situations that Rosie and he got into.



I will say no more otherwise I will spoil it. The author is Graeme Simsion (Rosie Project is his debut novel) and I have to say: while I was reading I had the impression that there is a lot of the author in Don, but aren't all the characters based in real people?!



If you are looking for a sweet girly story (written by a man!) The Rosie Project is for you. Fans of One Day -David Nicholls (oh man, I looove that book) will also like it, for sure.

Can't talk about books and not talk about the app "Goodreads". You get reviews, can organize your book in shelves (to read, reading, read, favorites, etc) you also get recommendations that are selected according to your books.  When in a shop it is possible to scan the bar code of a certain book and get loads of info. Great, very useful.

Going to finish this now... today is Thursday and for us in The Middle East is the last day of the week, so it basically feels like Friday. That said I just wanna enjoy the first day of my weekend with a big mug of hot chocolate and a new book. How are going to start yours?

Beijos!

Dubai

I just got back from Dubai, it was my second time there. This time, unlike the first time when  my daughter was only 3 months old and we didn't have much parenting experience, I can say that I really got to see and enjoy the place.

I know every city has its own peculiarities that makes them unique, but Dubai is something else. It's different from anything else I've seen. In Europe most of the cities have the same pattern: river, bridge,  european style architecture (and don't get me wrong, I loooove this pattern). Dubai doesn't have a river or the lovely bridges but it has amazing architecture that combines flash skyscrapers with arabic style design.  In Doha you also get the skyscrapers and the arabic thing but you don't get the atmosphere, the lights, movement and vibrancy. I don't know any other cities in the Middle East but I dare to say that Dubai is the most alive, vibrant and international city in this part of the world.

Cayan Tower - the twisted building - home for a week :)

We stayed at the Marina Jumeirah so it would be difficult not to enjoy the holiday anyway as the location is one of the best in the city. The marina has a nice skyline with many modern buildings, we stayed at the Cayan Tower, also known as the "twisted building" in reference to its shape. The view from the 48 floor was  very beautiful, we could see all the marina and a good part of the Palm (man made island). There are many restaurants and cafes options at the marina and because we were on a family trip that included a 14 months old baby and a 80 years old man we went t0 the marina a lot to hang out and eat. There is one fountain that all mummies and babies go to... my daughter loved watching the fountain and its lights.

But speaking of the few Dubai attractions that I've been to, there is one place in particular that really got me: Madinat Jumeirah. It is a complex with souq (street market), 2 hotels and restaurants. The place is amazing! There is a river and boats that takes you around the area, you can choose if you want to walk or take a  boat to a restaurant. Something like a Middle East little Venice. The decoration is pure arabic, but not the red-and-gold-ostentation-tacky style that some arabs like, but classy, chic and minimalist style. We had dinner at a lebanese place with a view over the river, food was delicious and accompanied by shisha and a chat with friends. I didn't have time to check the souq out properly but the little i saw was really nice, kiosks with calligraphy making, jewels (of course! arabs looove their jewels), souvenirs, clothes and more. Everything was very authentic and pretty, quite different from Souq Waqif in Doha where you find camels with "made in china" tags on its back.

Madinat Jumeirah

I also went to the Dubai Mall, the biggest mall in the world, where you can find anything, I mean ANYTHING you want. It's almost impossible not to get carried away with the shopping frenzy... actually, I had the impression that Dubai is not the place to worry about money, it's the type of place that you can't go backpacking and calculate a budget for meals for instance. Oh no, the place screams spend money! All the glamour, the shops... I don't know... everything is just made with the intention of making you spend, it's part of the experience, the best of arabic consumerism at work.  It will probably be to late by the time you realize that you've bought a Gucci bag that you didnt't really intend to buy (ooops! :))

Dubai is so much more liberal that Doha, women wear anything they want and it is common to see local girls having their tea & shisha at night. In Doha it's rare to see women without a man in a club or  a restaurant in the evening. I'm almost used to this tea & shisha thing, it's the way the arabs socialize, who needs alcohol when you have that? I do, my husband does. But you know, once you are living in a place with a completely different culture, you have to adjust. That's why we went to watch a futebol game in a dry restaurant (no alcohol) where we had tea & shisha and you know what? it wasn't so bad.

Last but not least place I'd like to mention the Burj Khalifa. The tallest building in the world: 163 floors, beautiful, imposing, awesome! From there you really feel like you are standing on top of the clouds. I recommend you book a trip to the top of the Burj Khalifa at least a week in advance as  it is always fully booked, also note that tickets are considerably cheaper on line than if you get them at the Burj.

Well, I think that's it guys. Hope I can write more in 2015. Let's see, let's see.

kiss and cheese. beijos e queijos.