1. Family and friends
Some people come and go, but these ones never do. =) No matter how you sometimes get annoyed by them or irritated by them, etc, in the end, they'll always be the ones who'll be around for you whether or not you want them to.
I am thankful that I have these people who encourage me or knock some sense into my head even when I least expect it (you guys know who you are..); who helped me find my first flat when I needed one fast; who's up for dinner, drinks or a movie at the drop of a hat; who keep me sane when things are just getting crazy; who make me laugh and appreciate my day even while they're far away; who make me miss them and our times together and thus appreciate life more; who remind me even indirectly that God always is looking after me and to everything there's a reason; who make me learn from them just by being their sweet, bitchy, honest, funny, crazy, outgoing, quiet, singing, dancing, partying, sleeping selves, etc.. haha. And my dad for looking after me especially while my mom is away.
2. a good job
- where my interests lie, am challenged, and that makes me grow but at the same time pays the bills, and other extras besides, hihi!; where colleagues are very professional and yet know when to let their hair down and have fun
3. weekends
- when am free to do what I want or just rest at home
4. my pets Whitey and Basti
- who help me de-stress just by always welcoming me when I get home, by being sweet, and letting me stroke their pretty little heads (though Basti's might not be that little anymore sooner or later) haha.
5. having had the chance to go to Santiago de Compostela and the Vatican
6. people I met during my travels: strangers and non-strangers (especially in Madrid, Barcelona, A Coruna, Lisboa, and Rome), who assisted me, accompanied me, looked out for me, shared with me, spent time exchanging stories with me, etc.. This is one of those times when you really believe that there really are angels in this world. hehe!
7. that am still healthy
I don't think I'll finish reading The Fountainhead anymore. Have no interest in finishing it or even picking up the book and continue where I left off... Anybody wanna buy it from me? hehe! :D
Got a new book though, Thomas Friedman's "The World is Flat: a brief history of the 21st century". It's a bestselling business book by a Pulitzer-Prize winning author who also happens to be a veteran journalist writing a column/s for the New York Times. It's the sort of book you'd find in the economics section at the bookseller's. Our Europe practice director in Paris recommended it. He said that things are happening in Asia and if you're not part of it, you'll be like left behind. And that it helps explain the direction our office/organization is going... Hmmmm....
Then with The Historian book by Elizabeth Kostova that I got last year, in English: well, as I was rummaging through my Europe stuff, I found this promotional bookmark with Spanish words in it which I got from Casa de Libros in Madrid and saw that it was for The Historian book. But of course, in the bookmark in black with some gothic design, it read "La Historiada por Elizabeth Kostova". Cool.
I still have several books I haven't started reading yet. :( But I think I'll start with the latest one "The World is Flat". Am sure it beats reading The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand anytime. hehe.
Finally posted links to my other photoblogs at the links section on the right. These other photoblogs are:
- Europe photoblog
- Spain photoblog
- Madrid photoblog
I am not even done with all of the above yet, and still have some more to create, for Italy, France and Portugal and other cities in Spain. Arrgghh... Not sure if I can ever get to start those at all even.
In this blog, you won't know much details regarding my private/personal life, and that includes:
- my full name
- full names of family
- full names of friends
- full names of other people I know
- lots of photos of family
- lots of photos of friends
- photos of other people except if they're celebrity
- the names of places where I worked/work
- the full names of colleagues and ex-colleagues
Why?
- because I like to keep things simple
- because I want to avoid headaches
- because I like keeping my private life just that, private
- because I am not narcissistic enough to want all and sundry to know everything about insignificant 'ol me
- because I respect the privacy of my family, friends and others I know (even when they don't ask for it. It's already by default.)
- because I want to avoid any hate mail
- because I don't want to regret or be embarrassed about having talked here about or posted photos of things I shouldn't have, and for public consumption, in the first place
- because I don't like for snoopy people who aren't my family or real friends -- with unfavorable hidden agendas -- to know more than am comfortable to let on
Got a new pet, a puppy of akita breed. Not exactly sure about the breed but that's what it's called.
I suggested naming him Hershey, for his color. But my dad and my brother immediately reacted and said it's a girl's name. haha! Puppy is a male one. And my brother thought to name him Battista, after this wrestler. Since this puppy is going to grow very big, the name has to fit him. Lol! We call him Basti for short.
Basti at the backyard
Currently reading The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. It's kind of boring. Must be because of the setting, or the dialogue itself. With characters so pretentious. Am in the middle of it.
And I just finished reading The Purity of Blood by Arturo Perez-Reverte. That was more interesting and enjoyable to read. I had not realised that the Plaza Mayor that I went to several times in Madrid used to be where the Spanish Inquisition held their auto-da-fe where they hung or burned their so-called heretics at the stake with the presence of the king and queen of Spain. It's quite horrid really. I can't imagine being in a society like that now. hehe.
But as to the Fountainhead, it's the sort of book where I want reading it to be over and done with. Fast. It can't be soon enough.
