To read or not to read...

I haven't done my immature book reviews in a while. Here are a few fun ones.

Air Babylon was really a ton of fun. I absolutely recommend this book ESPECIALLY for reading while on a plane. I got it for my flight back from Nicoland. On the way there I make myself get beauty sleep so I can walk off the plane looking like I'm descending from a quicky flight from St. Tropes (while the rest of the passengers totally hate me.)

Speaking of St. Tropez... check out the absolutely wonderful eye mask from St. Tropez Essentials incidentally :) I kinda let it fall out of my suitcase when I go to visit Nico, just you know, a subtle mental message...

Anyway, back to the book! Its hard for me to sleep on the way back this way because its usually a day flight, so I decided to make sure I have something entertaining to read. And this book does the trick. Its a fictional story of a day in life of airline manager at an airport, based on interviews of various airline employees (who obviously remain anonymous). It's funny and has everything, drugs, sex, deaths, and even romance... awww. Cute read.

The Witch of Cologne - I absolutely love novels that take place in a certain historical time. This one takes place in Belgium and Netherlands around mid 1600. I found it very interesting. Detailed description of the time and everyday life at that time. About a kibbalah, jews, formation of the free republic in Amsterdam, the inquisition, corrupt catholic priests and vengeful... well, everyone was vengeful in this book. And yes there is love as well! Ahhh.... (Another wonderful book taking place the same time, same place is The Coffee Trader, about the early days of the "stock market" and coffee in Europe.)

Interesting read.

My 'Dam Life by Sean Condon was absolutely hilarious! A bit too much on the self depreciating side... but still funny. About an Australian couple that move to Amsterdam and go through all kinds of trials and tribulations of getting work/live/apartment permits you can imagine. And at the very end when they FINALLY seem to have straightened out everything another misfortune happens and they're back to square one. And the book ends... I searched Sean Condon's website for some clues as to weather they have gone back to Australia or managed to stay in Amsterdam but find no clues there!!! I just HAVE to know!!!! Thou I imagine they left, I mean half way through the book I myself was ready to give up (if I was in their place, NOT reading the book) Funny read! Super super funny!

And just for the girls, Shopaholic and Sister. SO SO adorable! Another Sophie Kinsella book that will surely satisfy your need for sugar! (And less calories, actually reading BURNS calories, I'm sure like 1 in an hour but still.) I've read all her books and everysingle one is cute and sweet and just makes you feel nice and cheerful! Absolutely nothing wrong with that, we can't be reading depressing crap like Crime and Punishment ALL the time that would be crime and punishment literally! (aa..ha..ha... I'm so funny.)

Anyway, loved it, though I read it in ONE day, 'twas a rainy and cold saturday. AND hurray! Her latest book Shopaholic and Baby is coming out next month!

Well have fun ya'll!

(I so wish I could have Southern accent if I wanted!)

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Is this telephone broken?

And from a phone conversation with Nico (that's why I hate talking to boyfriends on the phone):

....Nico: You're older then me

Ale: Whatever! By 2 MONTHS! You're saying that cus you're jealous that I look 10 years younger then you!

Nico: You don't look 18...!

Ale: Well, everyone says I do and even if I don't, I still look way younger then you anyway!

Nico: People tell me I look 21, maybe 22.

Ale: Yeah RIGHT! Wait, so how old do you think I look?????

Nico: You look 28.

Ale: WHAT!!!!!!!...... Well GOOD!!!! I'm glad YOU THINK SO! I hate having people think I'm 18 and not take me seriously, I WANT to look my age!

Nico: Good, cus you do.

Ale: In fact, I TRY to look older because I look so YOUNG!

Nico: Well you're doing a good job.

Ale: (silence)

Nico: umm.. are you mad? why are you quiet?

Ale: Because I'm STICKING MY TONGUE OUT AT YOU!!!

Nico: well you definitely don't ACT 28 that's for sure...

.........

That's it, I'm going to request a chaperon to be present at our next phone conversation! We'll see how he'll like that!

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The Laws of Attraction Primavera-fied.

Again and again we keep addressing the mystery that are men and why is it that the most illogical things make them SO attracted to us.

Have you ever wondered why girls that seem a bit dumb get more guys then girls that are smart and are not "hiding it"?? Is that why our grandmothers tell us to: say LESS and just smile MORE? Have you ever thought about what is the TRUE message of the statement "Women are meant to be seen not heard"?

Well we're about to find out. (Courtesy of SPHQRT - sempre primavera head quarters research team.)

First lets revisit the most basic and PRIMARY rule of human interaction.

Make others feel important

We all want to feel important, respected and good about ourselves. We like people who make us feel smart and nice, and we stay away from those that are disrespectful to us. Just simple logic.

If you can remember that you're already half way through the laws of attraction.

Lets see what Sugarbaby suggests, a cosmetics company whose philosophy is centered around "pretty, pink, princess" basically all things super feminine:

a) purr like a kitten
b) pout like a baby
c) glow like a peach
d) bathe like a goddess



Purring like a kitten is basically a way of saying make your guy feel important. When a cute kitten purrs and rubs its head against your knee don't you just feel loved? Even if you're not a cat person, you can't help but want to cuddle and play with the kitten. Same thing with guys, they need to feel that we like them. (Just note: this does not mean call them 50x per day, it simply means act all HAPPY when they call you.)

Pouting like a baby is yet another way to stroke a guy's ego. If you exhibit little girl/baby behavior it makes them feel like they need to protect you since obviously you're incapable. And apparently that's an attractive quality in a woman, being incapable that is. For that reason men seem to be obsessed with younger women, strippers, drug addicts... and poor girls. The need to protect, rescue.... in other words fulfill THEIR need to feel important. So if you're one of the unlucky girls who is NOT 12, stripper or a druggie and gosh forbid, have money, you need to artificially create the illusion of needing "assistance". Simple example: ask to be picked up and dropped of in front of your house (since public transportation is scary and you forgot how to drive your car). Don't ask for expensive things - that's not polite, but do ask for things that will inconvenience him on your behalf just slightly but enough to make him feel the "pain". The more he does for YOU the more important he feels. You are doing him a favor!

Glowing like a peach is straight forward: take good care of how you look, and smile more. Make him feel like his presence makes you - well, GLOW. After all... who was it that said "The world is simply a mirror that reflects back what you feel inside". People reflect back to you what you show them. You smile, they'll smile back. (Unless you're on Staten Island Ferry, then you'll get smacked in the head.)

Bathe like a goddess is even more simple, it indirectly states: Respect yourself and demand respect from others. If you want your guy to treat YOU like a goddess, you must show him by example of first treating YOURSELF like a goddess. Pamper yourself and he'll know he has to pamper you too to be on the level. "High maintenance"? ABSOLUTELY! Its not as much for us, as for the guys! What guy won't feel proud and (IMPORTANT) if he is able to go out with a girl who everyone considers a princess. "Wow, he must be something if SHE wants to go out with him."

Simple simple simple!

And as promised what does "Women are to be seen not heard" really mean? It is simply a plea from men to us women to please not show our intelligence too much as they're not able to HANDLE it!

Sorry boys, we'll keep it down so you can keep it up ;)

Note to all men: this post was not meant to be insulting, don't be pissed. There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel important, and we WANT our guys to feel important because they ARE. We LOVE YOU GUYS! All this is just friendly and silly banter for entertainment! We'd be SO totally lost without you guys, you know that!!!

;) .....hehehe

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I've never posted more then once in a day... hmm... just wanted to see what would happen...

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Out and about

I always "yell" at other bloggers to post about what they ate, where they went... etc. So I guess I should do the same, I have been doing a bit of going out lately...

Besides, no better way to dissipate winter blues then hit it right between the eyes with FUNNNNN!!!!!

Ok, so last week Wallstr and I had a real casual pow-pow at everyones (her and mine) favorite brewery:

Always busy with tons of students, something about seeing their stressed out little faces makes me so glad that I'll never have to do homework again!

I LOVE spicy buffalo wings! Trying to extinguish the flames with beer works to every one's advantage.

Next to us was a couple that were discussing wedding plans with the guy's father. I don't know why (well I do) but it just SO annoys me to hear about people getting married.

Wallstr is going to yet another wedding and while I don't even know that girl I'm already annoyed at her choices of wedding hall, etc etc.

What is it about weddings that just makes everyone an award winning critic? Its like why do we pick at every little detail while we should just be happy to have been invited to a big party with lots of drinks!?

Jealousy? Sure, why not. But not about being married, I think just a natural reaction for people when they see others getting ALL the attention. If its your friend that's getting married, then its a simple straight forward hatred towards the both of them for ABANDONING us. Its like a big "Good buy" party. Maybe the people going away are happy but not their friends that are saying good buy. Blah! I guess if you are already part of a married couple and go to a wedding its like a "Welcome" party so obviously you're glad to welcome new people into your sphere.

Whatever lets not dwell on this.

Highcontrast, Jazz and friend we all went to take advantage of New York City Restaurant Week and went to a really lovely place, with lovely modern decor, where we had an incredibly lovely dinner (and drinks!) all served by very lovely waiter boys.... mmmmm delicious (the food of course).

After which a bit of bar hopping ensued. Standard procedure.

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Mangez moi...mangez moi...mangez-moiiiaaaa

I was grooming the Domestic Goddess in me again yesterday... and voila'!

First time I tried them, and they came out super yummy AND it was pretty easy. (Ok, fine, the truth is that I 'smoked' my cuisineart food processor, but it was old anyway, and the smell of burned plastic only lingered in the house for a few hours... anyway I ended up having to mix the almond paste with sugar by hand!)

I know you'all going to ask for a recipe, and I'm not even going to pretend to know what I'm doing. I just used goodle and looked around a bit. I choose my recipe based on shortness and ingredient count. The shorter and the less ingredients is the one I always choose. In this case I used this recipe. I liked it because it uses NO FLOUR! (And we all know flour is devil... especially white flour.)

I'm happy to find out that Nico thinks making cookies is magic. FINALLY! Really, him and I were literally fighting for elbow space in the kitchen. I realized his "I can't cook at all" basically equals mine "I'm a cook!". CAN YOU BELIEVE!?! So there I was thinking that impressing him will be a piece of cake, but after he orchestrated a gorgeous paella velenciana I realized this was going to be no easy task!! Whatever happened to the good old days when men set in front of the tele and watched whatever while us women would do our wonders in the kitchen and they'd totally WORSHIP us for making yummy food... Since when did they get off the couch migrate into the kitchen and started making suggestions!!!!????

haha JUST KIDDING! I'm not trying to revert us back to stone age...

Though why can't men understand that while we want them spending as much time in the kitchen as we do, we still would like to receive ALL the praise and worship for being domestic goddesses!!!!!! OKAY!???? Is that so difficult!????


I guess men would want the recognition for being good cooks too... but we ALREADY praise them for being: strong, smart, brave, rich....

There's the modern world for ya, both men and women are afraid to loose their spot in the world. We already don't have to talk or see each other to work, we don't have to touch each other to have children... soon we won't need to eat or breathe... we're done, we're allll soooo done!!!!

Yes, Mondays are dramatic and stressful days for me as you can see...

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New town... new hair...

It's 1 month, 1 week, 1 day exactly untill Nico and I meet up in Bean Town!

(New counter on the very bottom...)

I'm thinking up ways of how to drastically change my hair so that Nico doesn't recognize me. Why do I want to do that? Cus' its fun! According to the secret manual of all French Women, you're supposed to drastically change your hair every SIX MONTHS! Something along the lines of staying mysterious... (Again, my Grandma told me this.) And they don't mean getting a trim, they mean really different hair style, different color even...

I'm not sure what to try...

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