Last minute shopping!

So Wenger went shopping after all - just before the deadline!

I guess the die-hard, fanatical Arsenal fans - who haven't decamped to support another team yet - can only hope and pray that he picked the right people, cos Arsenal really needs the influx of some fresh and decent talent!

If you're not an Arsenal fan, then I apologize for this post!

Click here for the story

Orthorexia

Bulimia

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating, or consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time, followed by an attempt to rid oneself of the calories consumed, usually by purging (vomiting) and/or by laxative, diuretics or excessive exercise. 

Anorexia

Anorexia nervosa, also known as simply Anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight.

So alongside Bulimia and Anorexia, I learnt about a new word today. Orthorexia.

Orthorexia

Orthorexia nervosa (also known as orthorexia) is a term used to describe people who have developed a fixation with healthy or righteous eating and has been referred to as a mental disorder. 

Whilst this is more psychological than physiological, this is obviously still a cause for concern, which is why it made its way into the news yesterday.

Hmm...

I love my food. I love eating (it tastes even better when someone else does the cooking!) and I also love experimenting with food from different cultures. (The Globetrotting Lifestyle thankfully gives me lots of opportunities to do this!)

I still struggle with doing the 5-a-day, but I do watch what I eat (most times!) and try not to survive on excessively greasy, calorie laden meals.

I also exercise frequently enough, because I understand and appreciate the very serious health implications of not doing any exercise. (On a lighter note, shopping for clothes is a lot easier, when you are a fairly standard size!)

I talk a lot about losing weight but deep down I know, it's just a handy conversation piece. I'm generally quite content with myself - give or take a few body parts!

Do you think they will coin a word for food lover + casual exerciser?

Hmm....


Definitions from Wikipedia.com

8-2

Got this picture from a friend's FB profile and I think my little rhyme below sums up my post for today!

Oh Arsenal!
I know I don't watch football
Soccer to some of y'all
But yesterday's game
Made me hide in shame!

8 goals to Man - U
Arsenal, only 2
How did that take place?
This dramatic fall from grace

No sense in finger-pointing
But has Wenger lost his anointing?
Such an abysmal score
Arsenal fans have been left distraught to their core!

Be strong, dear Arsenal fans
I'm sure the coaches have grand plans
To bring your team of old to its former glory
So today can be filed under 'Really Nasty Memory!'

Exceedingly, Abundantly...

20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Have a great Sunday! 

Cougar = Sugar mummy?

Apparently, 150 new words crept into the dictionary recently, many of them a result of advances in technology and just following the trend on where the world is heading today. Tweet, social media, bromance are official words now!

In today's world, where most people seem to be struggling with being 'Politically Correct', it might be beneficial to take some time out to acquaint yourselves with some of the new words! Click here to read the news article. 

(I am especially surprised that Americana only just made it into the dictionary. Where I come from, it's a word that has generally been used by all and sundry for ages, to describe anything American! Who would have thought that its use is now widespread enough to merit an entry in the dictionary!)

I especially love it when a word now has a different meaning, which has absolutely nothing to do with the original meaning!

Take Cougar for example. I always thought that the second definition was for the word 'sugar-mummy', you know, the opposite of a 'sugar-daddy'! But apparently not. (I'm still wondering about why sugar-mummy didn't make the cut, because I know sugar-daddy is in the dictionary!)

On a lighter note, I went shopping recently and was eyeing up a dark purple and light pink outfit. I asked the male attendant to get me the outfit in my size, and next thing, I heard him speaking on the radio to someone saying 'There's a lady in the fitting rooms who needs the aubergine and salmon number in a different size'! 

Huh?! Aubergine and salmon number?! That definitely made me hungry!
Have fun! 

IF Tomorrow Never comes

"If Tomorrow Never Comes"- Ronan Keating

For all of us, spinning several plates, with hardly enough time to let the ones closest to us know how we feel. Enjoy! 

Lyrics
Sometimes late at night
I lie awake and watch her sleeping
She's lost in peaceful dreams
So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark
And the thought crosses my mind
If I never wake up in the morning
Would she ever doubt the way I feel
About her in my heart

If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she's my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face this world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

'Cause I've lost loved ones in my life
Who never knew how much I loved them
Now I live with the regret
That my true feelings for them never were revealed
So I made a promise to myself
To say each day how much she means to me
And avoid that circumstance
Where there's no second chance to tell her how I feel

If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she's my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face this world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

So tell that someone that you love
Just what you're thinking of
If tomorrow never comes 

24 days...

Two score and 4

2 dozen

4 half dozen

2 x 12

4 x 6

3 x 8

consecutive days of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 degrees Celsius) weather in my neck of the woods! And still no sign of any rain!


Updated 6:59am on the 25th of August.
It's raining!

The 'Blind' Side

With all the attention being given to politics recently, I found this clip from a movie we recently watched quite interesting. When we got to this part (please watch clip below at 0:47s), someone in the room who hadn't been following the movie from the start quipped 'So? What's a Democrat? Do they teach differently?'

And that got me thinking, cos I found the comment rather interesting. Funny even. Does it really matter where your political allegiance is, so long as you are teaching what is in the approved curriculum? 

Politics is such a vicious game. Just watch the news (in any country, by the way) and you'll understand.

When the opposing party attacks or criticizes the ruling party, sometimes I wonder what the 'true' objective is?

- to highlight inefficiencies?

- to display superiority and promote personal agendas?

- to get attention?

- to spite?

- to ridicule?

From a very lay man's point of view, here's what I know about this. 
- Yes, political parties have different policies, manifestos, tenets, but hopefully the main goal will be to  improve the lives of the people who have voted them in. Provision of food, shelter, jobs, better quality of life for the constituency, which they are responsible for.


But sometimes you wonder if this is the case....

I'm A Democrat




The Blind Side

— MOVIECLIPS.com

Tetris - the end!

A few months ago, I downloaded Tetris to my phone and I have to confess that I've become addicted! It is a great time filler (waster?!). I'm constantly playing it and trying to break my record. And yesterday, I did. I got to the end of the game on my phone - I had cleared 150 lines (playing at the fastest speed!) and the game came to an end. Absolute end. 


Did I feel fulfilled? I guess....  My emotions were two-fold really. On the one hand, I was exhilarated because I had got to the end, but on the other hand, I was deflated because there was nothing else to look forward to! A weird cocktail of emotions - no?

Same applies to certain life goals as well, I guess. You set your goals, you work hard to achieve them and you feel greatly exhilarated at/by your success. But shortly after, you start to feel listless and hopefully, strive for more. Set new goals. Start the cycle again. (Unless, of course, you feel that you have exceeded all expectations with your most recent achievements and therefore have no inclination to strive any more)

How do you react to the cessation/conclusion of something that you put a lot of work and effort into?  How did you feel? Exhilarated or deflated? Happy to stop now or raring to do more? Do share...

As for me and my Tetris, I am now looking for new phone games to master....

Giving time...

Yesterday, whilst browsing the Internet, I came across a memorial for a young lady who died in 2009. She was just 39, 10 days shy of her 40th birthday.

Browsing through the pages on the memorial website, it was obvious to see that this lady had achieved a lot in her short life and had definitely impacted loads of people through her generosity. Not materially, but primarily through the sheer giving of her time, despite her seemingly busy schedule. Helping the homeless and jobless, leading at her church, working in her community all the while still advancing her career.

The tribute messages were touching, her pictures on the page full of vivacity, portraying a life truly well lived. What became obvious to me about this random stranger (there had to be a divine reason why Google took me there yesterday!), was the fact that it appeared that she had fulfilled the objective of her mission on earth. You know, to serve.

And then I started wondering what my footprint would be on my demise? I have a lot to be grateful for and I know I have contributed when necessary, but am I also giving back enough to show gratitude for all my blessings or am I still seeking ...without realising that I already have all that which I seek?

Time is a such wonderful contribution to any activity. This lady gave a lot of her time to different causes and through this, impacted her community in several ways. Can we find similar scenarios in our own environment or would we rather persist in creating (justifying/condoning) barriers that deter us from giving?

I truly wish her family (and friends) the best for the future, as the loss of a young person is always sad, but I also thank them for posting her memorial on the Internet, as it has made me take a different look at the life I am living and how I can have a more positive influence....

I can do all things....

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

Make it a great Sunday. 

Sometimes when we touch - Dan Hill

One of the best love songs ever, in my opinion. 

Through the years, there have been many renditions of this song by different singers, some doing duets, each with their own twist and special vocals. 

For today though, I thought I should post the original version here. 

TURN IT UP!!!!

It's Friday!

Technophobe...2

A couple of days ago, I talked about the technophobe and how I noticed that there was a new 'breed' of technophobe coming through.  Click here to read previous article.

This new breed are young-'ish' people, who should supposedly know something about technology (after all, it is a now a standard entry in most curricula), but have chosen to snob it. Usually aged between 21 and 35.  

Displaying a lack of interest in joining the bandwagon of Twitter/Facebook/Texting or using computers generally, they are very convincing to the casual observer that true contentment lies with 'the simple life', one without the distraction that the use of technology introduces. 

Once in a while, you might get them taking the random photo. Maybe even have a Flickr account - its primary use being a platform for showcasing all the pictures taken during the course of their otherwise busy lives (hiking, kayaking, lots of outdoor activities). Lives that do not depend on Facebook or Twitter or sitting in front of a computer all day, nervously watching the screen and waiting for something to happen. Lives full of meaning, not built around a keyboard and a flat screen!

But I don't really believe that the true intent is to shun technology completely. I think there is some curiousity, however, it is an underlying fear of the unknown that introduces the reluctance to try new things. 

I'm afraid I don't know if I could survive living like that - totally devoid of technology - in this day and age. I just need to know. It is that curiousity that compels me each day to turn on the computer and surf the web, hoping to find something new each day to educate me, to teach me something I never knew. 

I obviously don't spend all my time with the computer (it might seem like that some days!), but I'm not ashamed to say that I do spend a lot of time on the computer. It is after all the source of my income! 

Does technology make you break out in a rash?

Cheap airflights - what's that?

When a company advertises that they offer cheap airflights to anywhere, what exactly does that mean?

Not sure, but from my recent experience, I think it means -

Tickets to places you don't want to visit. 

or 

Tickets to places you do want to visit with dates that do not work for you

or 

Tickets to places you do want to visit at times that work, but with restrictions on how long you must stay. 

Quite a frustrating experience, I'll say. Almost like they resent having to offer the free flights / cheap tickets....

A certain airline recently sent an email out to all its frequent flyers advertising 50% off flight tickets purchased with airmiles. Would you believe that despite this airline having routes that cover the entire earth, it was impossible to find a suitable route within my time frame. (Be rest assured, I wasn't asking for the moon, just a simple itinerary)

I had heard things like this happen - blocked out dates, no fly dates etc, but always thought people were just being unduly harsh....

I think I might be changing my mind now..

Technophobe...1

According to Dictionary.com, a technophobe is 
1. someone who fears the effects of technological development on society and the environment
2). someone who is afraid of using technological devices, such as computers


Until very recently, I thought all technophobes had to be in their twilight years, ensconced in their well-stocked personal libraries (many of which will put some state funded libraries to shame). 


Sitting behind their huge office desks with the massive leather swivel chairs, wearing their thick-rimmed reading glasses, shelves all around them heaving with numerous volumes of a varied nature, surrounded by stacks and stacks of old, yellowed newspapers, all within easy reach - bemoaning the ills of society and how the Internet and the advent of too much technology have ruined the world. 

Naturally, in that same dusty room, they would reminisce about the good old days and how you could find anything you needed in the Yellow Pages. There will usually be a few well-thumbed through, dated copies of the said publication lying around too, as well as a weather worn address book - all addresses neatly filled in, in extremely neat handwriting - right next to the plastic dial telephone. 


They appear extremely convincing in their lack of interest, but you can tell that beneath all that, is an underlying curiousity about the benefits of technology. But, as these are twilight years (and you can't teach an old dog new tricks!), they would rather not try. 

Until recently, that's what I thought a technophobe was. And to me, that seemed ok. 


And then I realised that there was a new breed of technophobes. 


To be continued....

Spot on (for me, anyway)!

Gregg Edmund Easterbrook (born March 3, 1953) is an American writer, lecturer, and a senior editor of The New Republic. His articles have appeared in Slate, The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Wired, and Beliefnet. In addition, he was a fellow at the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C. think tank.  Courtesy Wikipedia.com

"You know, some of the good part of blog theory was that 

blogs would be like diaries that the world could read. 

They would be spontaneous, whatever pops into your mind, 

as a diary would be."

That makes sense to me!
Have a great Monday.

Our Father

Our Father,

Who art in Heaven

Hallowed Be Thy Name

Thy Kingdom Come

Thy will be done

On Earth, as it is in Heaven

Give us this day

Our daily bread

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those

Who trespass against us

And lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil

AMEN! 

Another one of those days

The many voices of me!

Just like Robin Williams in this movie (at 2:00), I think most people can 'do' voices.

Do you find yourself, after spending some time with someone with an accent, begin to speak like them or even picking up some of their mannerisms? Most veteran Globetrotters find that with time, they begin to draw hazy lines over what their original voice sounds like, because years of interaction with so many different people, places and cultures has affected their natural accents.

People naturally tend to change the tone of their voice to fit the situation they might be in. It could be to get attention, to win an argument, to display authority or to simply blend. Note that we're not discussing enunciation - which simply put is the act of speaking articulately. This is more a short discourse on how the pitch/tone of our voices can change the context of what is being said.

Business Voice - This is the voice most people use when trying to sound all-important and officious. It is usually a clipped, well modulated tone, often accompanied with the use of big, verbose (sometimes meaningless!) words. This type of voice is mainly used in business settings - setting up the voicemail on your official phone, talking to clients / your boss / your subordinates, talking to new acquaintances.

Kiddie voice - This is a high pitched tone, often used to communicate with children and babies. Not sure why, but a lot of adults do this! It gets really ridiculous though when the adult is trying to take control of a tricky situation, and is still shrieking in that same high-pitched tone! Some adults also use this voice in romantic settings, to beguile their partners into doing things they would not ordinarily have done. Silly!

Normal Voice - This is your normal voice. Often used when in relaxed and familiar settings or when you think you are not being observed.

Argument Voice - Depending on how you are faring in the argument, this could be a low persuasive tone, or a high-pitched whiny and frantic tone that already signals to your opponent that you've lost the argument.

Talking to the Elderly voice - I find people tend to speak louder and slower when speaking to elderly people. Quick fact - not all elderly people are hard of hearing!

Chilling with my pals voice - This is a tone used only in the company of very close friends. In fact, the casual observer might be aware that you are speaking but not understand a word that you have said. This is because this tone is most likely best represented in vernacular, that only you and your close friends understand.

So which voice do you use most of the time? Do you have any other 'voices' to add to this list?

Que sera sera - with commentaries

When I was just a little girl (I'm a lot older now!) 
I asked my mother, what will I be (Gosh, how I  really wanted to know!)
Will I be pretty, will I be rich (I'm as pretty as I can possibly be but I know I'm not as rich as I want to be!)
Here's what she said to me. (Come sit here, my child.)

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be (Listen child, there is no gain in vanity.) 
The future's not ours, to see (Pay attention to your books and you will do well)
Que Sera, Sera (My one legacy to you will be this)
What will be, will be. (A good education to start you off in life.)

When I was young, I fell in love (I did fall in love but only as a young adult, fresh out of university)
I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead (Again, I foolishly wanted to know!)
Will we have rainbows, day after day (With the drought here, I forget what a rainbow looks like!) 
Here's what my sweetheart said. (Wait for this!)

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be (Seriously, you need to get a life, this is the real world!) 
The future's not ours, to see (I'm a M.A.N., I don't do soppy romance!) 
Que Sera, Sera (Oh, grow up and get your head out of the romantic fiction novels, will you!)
What will be, will be. (I did marry you, didn't I!) 

Now I have children of my own (Lovely treasures, bless 'em!)
They ask their mother, what will I be (And now I'm giving them the same answers I got!)
Will I be handsome, will I be rich (Of course you will be everything you want to be - if you work hard at it!)
I tell them tenderly. (Aim for the skies, nothing less!' ...Who knows, maybe a romantic partner will turn up as well!) 

Que Sera, Sera, 

Whatever will be, will be, 

The future's not ours to see, 

Que Sera, Sera, 

What will be, will be. 

The future is really not ours to see, but don't you wonder at times?!

'London's Party' without a purpose?

in·jus·tice

 [in-juhs-tis] 

–noun

1.

the quality or fact of being unjust; inequity.

2.

violation of the rights of others; unjust or unfair action ortreatment.

3.

an unjust or unfair act; wrong.

Injustice is when a man is shot without reason, by the very same people who are supposed to protect him. And this should be duly investigated.
Click here for a news article by Daily Mail with pictures. 

Injustice is also when individuals take it upon themselves to loot and steal in a bid to vent their frustrations (supposedly against this act), but rather wreak more havoc and cause more confusion. Large scale looting, stealing and general disruption of daily lives and livelihoods - that's what this act of injustice is causing right now.

The on-going riots in London have kept most people riveted to the TV watching the drama unfold. It is hard to believe that these are the same mild-mannered, gentle, polite and proud people that I lived and worked with, barely a year ago, before we got transferred here.

This is the same nation that came out in massive numbers, barely 100 days ago, to support and celebrate the beautiful Royal wedding of Prince William and Princess Kate. The ceremony was grand and regal and reminded the whole world of how much history and culture London (and the British in general) has and what a great place it is.

This is the same nation that less than a week or two ago, started the 365 day countdown to the Olympics, which will be taking place in London. Hopefully, this does not create a sense of unease in the teeming millions of individuals who are scheduled to attend this once-in-4-year event.

This is the same nation (like most countries today) that is undergoing a severe recession, and yet people are smashing into businesses, causing disruption and generally negatively impacting commerce in the region. We cannot even begin to fathom exactly how the activities of the last few days have affected the nation's recovery.

It is difficult to pinpoint what the 'true' reason for this outbreak is, but one thing is certain - this is a most embarrassing breakdown of society that we are watching unfold here. I am inclined to believe that these miscreants were 'imported' from another country, as this is quite out of character. In fact, majority of the youth I know, are requesting that the rioting stop, and the rioters find other ways of expressing their discord.

• I'm upset with the injustice, yet I steal TVs and Computers from an electrical goods store, where my neighbours work. 
• I'm upset with the injustice, yet I burn down a furniture store, which has been operating in my neighbourhood for over 100 years. 
• I'm upset with the injustice, yet I steal cigarettes and alcohol from the local off-licence, owned by a neighbour whose children I play soccer with every Saturday morning. 
• I'm upset with the injustice, so I steal bicycles, jewelry - anything I can really.  
• I'm upset with injustice, so I smash into bars and clubs. 

That doesn't sound right - at all.....

Thankfully, the Brits did what they are known for, in the best way possible. They came together as a group, in the most basic of ways - brooms in hand, heads held high, dignity and passion for their nation almost palpable - and quietly started a clean-up of some cities last night.

London Clean-up at Clapham Junction
Courtesy AFP/Getty images

Hopefully, this clean-up marks the end of such behaviour, as I reiterate, it is quite out of character.

Brace Face

I'm a huge fan of people with braces
Flashing metallic smiles that light up their faces
Ultra cool and uber chic
Hanging out with them gives me such a kick!

I had a regular visit to the dentist
And he made a recommendation I could not resist
My spacey grin and spaced out teeth
Needed the firm grip of the metallic sheath

Happiness, joy and sheer pleasure
My joy was boundless and without measure
I finally get to wear shiny braces
And join the league of metallic faces!

But in life, there are always 2 sides
2 angles to everything, 2 divides
This, I discover after the braces are in
My routine is changing, much to my chagrin

One thing I have lost is the freedom to eat
All the things I love, all my sweet treats
Oh well, no-one ever said that good things come easy
This one sacrifice for beauty won't make me uneasy!

I've always admired people with braces
Flashing metallic smiles that light up their faces
I've got my own braces now, oh what a thrill
I love my new smile. I love my grill!

(written to reflect the emotions of a 9yr old getting braces for the first time)

Mondays

People generally have mixed reactions to Monday, the start of the week.
Coming right after Saturday and Sunday - 2 fun days, Monday really gets a lot of abuse because that's when most people head back to the routine of work and mundane tasks.

Did you know some people are saddest on Sunday evenings when it fully dawns on them that the weekend is over, and sadly they have to head back to work the next day?!

On the other hand, you have those who embrace Mondays - the ones who look forward to the new week with zest, anticipation and joy! A fresh start. A new beginning. Bring. It. On!

I thought I'd do a poll today to see how you feel about Mondays - it's on the top right hand side of the page.

If none of the 4 listed options mirrors your sentiment about Mondays, write a comment below explaining what makes Monday really special (or not!) to you!

Make it a great week, all the same!