Mr Darcy's house

You know, Mr Darcy... The one from Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice? His house, as in PEMBERLEY. The one that's used in the BBC production!

We tried hard to get S to put on a white pirate shirt and jump into the lake for us. He wasn't sold on the idea. We opted for getting trashed at our hotel instead *grin*

There's not much to do in Disley, where Pemberley (Lyme Park IRL) is, however, once in awhile, it's great to get out of Rondon and chillout in the countryside. Especially when the sun's out :) Endless rolling hills in every direction I looked :)

And that's how I spent my third anniversary of living in Rondon. That and partying in Birmingham with B and Armin the night before *grin*

Here's a clip of the Chaser's War on Everything doing the Mr Darcy test ;)

(PS: Happy Wedding Anniversary U&W! :))

My NEW handbag!

35L, water-resistant, grey and...

... hecho en Nu-Zeelund! Loves the detail *swoon*

Bought it yesterday :) Wonder if Sparkles took me seriously *grin* Really, I'd love nothing better than to meet a guy who goes well with my Macpac ;)

Here's some of the crap that I have to stuff in it (BYO helmet!). I have 24 hours to pack. My aunt is staying over tomorrow!!

Here's what my hideous padded lycra bicycle pants look like when turned inside out. Yes. It is a giant red rocket :P

40 days later

I've finally broken the 30 min barrier for 5km :) It was driving me nuts, the previous three times I'd been running, my times were 30:10, 31:something and 30:05 *aaargh* I never thought I'd cut those last few seconds off!!!

Today, I did it in 29:57 (^_^) W00t W00t!

My next challenge? Well, CH stomped on my triumphant run by telling me he runs 4km in 16mins. Which works out to be running at a pace of 15km/hr? *ugh* Dang people with long legs.

I'll be happy if I can run a kilometer in 4 mins. This might take longer than 40 days to achieve... At least I'll look good in people's wedding photos this year *grin*

Gender wars

Ok, so I've probably laid it on a bit thick with the male ego-bashing lately. To the point where M-San offered to buy me a toy *grin* So, I apologise for that. Part of it comes from the frustration of wrong guys hitting on me (a 22 year old about to be divorced? Come on!). Part of it comes from not having many guys friends in Rondon to keep me grounded when it comes to all topics masculine.

Anyways, I spent this afternoon in a falafel shop pondering whether Sparkles Magoo was right in saying the list I've been writing up (with tongue-in-cheek) was getting long and ridicurous.

None of the things I've listed are particularly gender specific. It's not about what women want, or what men want. What does anyone want in an ideal partner?

:: Who doesn't look for a partner who's funny and sensitive with an all-round great personality? To what degree just depends on the person, and it's all subjective. Whether you're a guy or girl, I doubt you'd pine for someone who bored you to death and couldn't challenge you mentally. For me, it's all about spark. No spark, no chance. I think this ties in with looks. If you're not attracted to someone, you're not going to look at them as anything more than a friend.

:: Decent career prospects - Well, at this moment in time, all I ask for is someone who is financially self-sufficient and can afford to do the things we both want to do. Have you ever dated someone who's in debt or broke all the time? I have. It sux0rz having to pay for things all the time.

:: Commitment-phobe - Why waste time with someone who's not serious about you? I'm not sure how old Sparkles is, but I'm 30. I don't want to waste another 3+ years to find out my partner isn't serious about our future, and then have to start from scratch again.

:: Dancing like an epileptic goat - You know, I don't actually remember making a request for a partner who can dance :) I just like giggling at guys who flail their arms around like lawnmowers and turkeys in clubs *grin*

:: Good s3x0r - I thought about this, and I don't really know why I'm being made to feel bad about wanting good booty. Especially by a guy! Especially since guys have also told me that being good in bed counts! The rough breakdown on this survey (and keep in mind, most of my surveys are conducted under the influence of alcohol *grin*) is:
- 99% of girls and 50% of guys questioned have said, "Yes, good sex is necessary".
- The other girly 1% is my 65 year old aunt who said "It's not all about sex, there's masturbation too" *grin* I'm pretty sure some kittens died when she said that.
- The other 50% of guys said, "I'll take what I can get" *grin*

S3x0r, good or bad, is necessary. I choose to have good booty, just like approximately 74.5% of the sample population ;) I'm young(ish)! I'm fit! I'm still able to enjoy good booty! Why settle for bad booty now?!?

I haven't made any requests for giant diamond rings and luxury goods. All I've asked for, is a guy to at least match what I can offer.

:: "At some point doesn't it just become about I'd like to meet someone who likes/loves me as much as I like/love them (and treats me nicely)?"

I don't know. Do you think love is enough? Will you discount everything else because you're in love? How much can you forgive just because you're in love?

I once thought love would be enough, but I don't anymore. All is not black and white in my world :)

Perfect

Me: "SS, can I ask you something?"
SS: "Sure, what is it honey?"
Me: "What is your perfect man?"
SS: "I've met him honey. Tall, dark hair, blue eyes..."
... later on ...
SS: "Just so you know, there's no such thing as a perfect man. You have to be happy with what you have."
Me: *whisper* "What if the guy's bad in bed?"
SS: "THEN YOU CHUCK HIM HONEY!"
Me: *lol*

Sorry guys, 100% of my survey results so far have indicated that you have to be good in bed to keep a girl *grin*

Set in stone

(Or cactus)

Annual dF sighting

Snow isn't my happy place. There's just too much for me to think about to enjoy snowboarding. Edge edge edge! Balance! Don't kick out my back foot! Look in direction I'm going (sounds simple, but I'm easily bored/distracted :P)!

Way too much noise in my head to chillax.

Not to mention my sixth toe :P

Just so you know, I only did it for YOU GUYS :) Hearts you (^_^) Misses you...

*squish* *squish*

Loves how I will always look tanned next to AdF *grin*

Mmm, garlick es-kart-got...

My first fondue - Sizzling meat in oil!

Cinque Terre (Parte due)

Fun with the chix0rz whilst waiting for sunset @ Manarola :)



Assimilating rock formation :)

Rock Yoga time!

Sun salutation!

Downward Dog!

I stopped at Tree Pose :P After the Pinot Grigio, I would've fallen off the rock.

Cinque Terre (Parte una)

Gawd dang fcking Rick Steeves. Until Cinque Terre, I didn't realise how huge an impact he had on North Americans. I've heard his name in the past, from Canadians, from Americans - all vouching for his greatness as a travel writer.

So. You know It's All Gone Pete Tong when tables of American college brats decamp around you. You'll hear "Rick Steeves" mentioned a fair bit. Out of spite, I'm not linking to him and I'm spelling his name wrong :P Rest assured, it's not just Americans. There are tons of loud, annoying Aussies around too. Bizarrely, both nations outnumber the Italianos.

Personally, I loved Cinque Terre for the walk between towns :) It made me want to get outdoors more! I also went wild with the carbs, vino, birra, pastries and machiattos *grin* I'd go back to try out the tougher walking or bike trails.

Spot the B & Diskies ;)

What hurts more

... than me running at the gym? Watching grown men in Wrestlemania on my treadmill *grin*

To be honest, it makes me sprint for a little longer to think, "That's gotta hurt more than what I'm feeling" when I see this:

(Actual snapshot of my treadmill screen.
*Wow* Treadmills have improved since my uni days!)

I know it looks more painful than it is. I know it's all acting. A part of me is actually sad that the quality just ain't as good as back in the days of Hulk Hogan (gimmick: dousing self in milk before match), Andre the Giant (*perfect* for Fezzik when you think about it), King Kong Bundy (famously broke HH's ribs by sitting on him), Ricky Steamboat (never quite recovered from Randy Savage's blow to the throat) and the Killer Bees tagteam (they use to swap masks under the ring to cheat)! OOOOH, I even remember Mr T entering the ring and whirling a length of chain in a fit of anger at King Kong Bundy for hurting HH!!!

Those were the days when I believed it was all real. Those were the days when I sat next to my Dad and ate roasted peanuts while we watched all the drama unfold on our TV :)

Clicky here for a HH vs KKB match :)

How do you know? (deel drie)

With a twist -

How do you know that you're not gay? *grin*

It might seem like an odd question but... How can you be sure, if you've never really tried?

For one person I spoke to, she never realised she was gay until another gay friend mentioned the idea to her. She then went to a bookstore and read up on it. After that, then she thought, "Oh, maybe I _am_ gay".

Is it about physical attraction?
I love looking at fit guys *grin*
But...
I love looking at fit girls too *bigger grin* I saw the dance instructor at my gym today, and couldn't help thinking, "She's freaking hot!"

Is it about mental connectivity?
I do get along with guys better than girls, however, only because girls can be more superficial sometimes. It just depends on how deep the friendship goes, and that's regardless of gender. Guys probably just cut through all the crap faster.

Is it about intimacy?
Kissed boys. Kissed girls (made them cry ;) ). No differences there.

So. That just leaves - my short haircut :P It's still confusing though, cause right now, I'm growing it out *grin*

Let me know if you've figured it out for yourself.

A few hours ago

Guess where I was :)

Watching everyone do the Leaning Tower of Pisa "push" is hilarious *grin* It's actually quite a skill to get it looking right on the camera. Mega-claps to Diskies for doing such a good job! Poor Diskies though, I couldn't quite get it right when it was her turn to do the pose.

What's even more fun is pretending to do high-fives with other tourists doing the Leaning Tower of Pisa "push" pose *lol*

Inflation

My taan-tat has gone up by 10p each :(
Doesn't Chinatown realise there's a recession going on?

Passé

Adjective: No longer fashionable; out of date.

Bl00dy Mr 2p. I'll let you remain nameless this time, however only because you've provoked me into this. Yes. I do realise you're baiting me :P That's ok, I understand that you have too much testosterone to let a Millennium Girl have her say *grin*

Are guys with commitment problems passé?

There was a time when men had bigger salaries (back in the 70's), bigger bank balances (back in the 80's), bigger six packs (definitely only in the 90's) and more hair (I don't remember those days. Rogain anyone?).

Back then, I could probably understand the need for an alpha-male to be commitment phobic. You had more to lose by committing to a girl who had less money and hair :P

These days? What exactly does a Millennium Man have to bring to the table to be commitment phobic about these days? I wouldn't say my bank balance is bigger, but I wouldn't jump at a joint account with a guy either. Millennium Men have massive debts too :P Salarywise, the Squid Overlords pay me well enough. Six packs? I'm doing spin classes and running almost everyday. From my online dating experiences, I definitely have more hair ;)

Mr 2p's explanation of commitment problems never being passé is:
"Simple dissonance between societal expectations (till death do us part) and evolutionary drivers (perpetuate the genes)." Ergo, "female relativism will mean they'll never understand/accept it :)"

My answer to commitment being passé - well yeah, it is an extremely outdated relationship view. Not every girl wants marriage and babies. Not every girl believes there is a "till death do us part". If I had a chance to write my own vow, that wouldn't be it. People change. If couples don't change and grow together, then IMHO, the relationship is doomed regardless of encroaching death.

As for perpetuating genes, unless the sperm depositor speaks French, is a third generation skiier, at least 6 feet tall, with features of Adonis, then I'm not breeding *grin* I'm not getting fat for anything less ;)

My history with commitment phobic guys? _Well_...

The one question that made me click out of my last long-term relationship was, "Do you see a future with me?" It was about having a future together. When there was no answer, I asked myself, "WTF am I waiting around for?"

More recently, I was stupid enough to ask a guy, "Are we exclusive?" It wasn't my idea. "Exclusivity" was just the first question asked by my friends. I didn't know the answer, so I asked. The guy ran away pretty fast :P

To be honest, what I really wanted to know from that guy was, "Are you fcking around with other women?" That's what "exclusivity" meant to me. Never got a straight answer to that one either.

Realise that Commitment isn't a prison sentence when it's with the Right One. Realise that a Millenium Girl standing on her own two feet needs a Millennium Man as an equal in life rather than a mound of money, muscle and hair.

So tell me...

Me: "... what's heroin like?"

"It's like being wrapped in a really warm, comfortable blanket. It covers you and you feel safe. Nothing's going to hurt you."

Me: "But..." *I stared at my companion in disbelief* "I didn't think people got out of it once they've taken it."

"You either like it or you don't. I'm lucky because I didn't like it. Once the blanket comes off, you make a choice. You either throw off the blanket or you take it again to stay under. I didn't like it."

I ask a lot of questions. I'm lucky enough that people always answer. So I thought I'd share, because if I want to know, maybe you do too.

Personally, I don't think heroin is a gamble with life anyone should take. Don't believe me? Watch Trainspotting (Bestest of the Worstest Toilet Scenes ever!) or Requiem for a Dream.

Away from keyboard

It's difficult telling people I'm unemployed atm. It's not because I'm ashamed of it, far from it - I'm revelling in this quality me-time :) If anything, I almost feel guilty admitting to people that I haven't made any attempts to look for a new job yet.

I'm hesitant to tell people because their responses are soo negative and depressing. Yes, I understand their concern. There is a recession on atm, and it's not a good time to be out of a job, even if it's one I dislike. On the other hand, people tend to forget I'm not saddled with a mortgage or babies :P My biggest concern is to meet rent each month.

Only _two_ people I've spoken to about my situation have been truly supportive.
Daliborus said to me, "you only live once ... may as well do whatever you want ... (as long as you can afford it)".
Lizzie said to me, "You're doing the right thing for you".
Those words are priceless to me in the sea of negativity I've faced.

So, I took stock of what was in my bank account, and the fun times actually began awhile ago :)
:: I partied with B, Niffies and Armin @ Trance Energy.
:: I went on a spontaneous photography roadtrip to Reykjavik.
:: I snored next to Diskies at the Budapest Spring Festival *grin*
:: I just got back from a week of boozing with B, AdF and PdF in Chamonix.
:: I'm off to Cinque Terre with the girls this Easter weekend.
:: I'm cycling through Havana at the end of April.
:: I'm in the process of organising a learn-to-surf and yoga break in Algarve in May.
:: I'm ending the holidaying with a weekend in Ibiza for the Space Opening.

I guess the credit-crunching question is, "Would I have done things differently if the economy was better?"

To be honest, if the economy was better, I probably would've left my job at The Corporation and started this path about a month sooner. I'm so unsure about a lot in my life, but the one thing I can honestly say I'm passionate about - is travelling. I look back and since I was 22, I've always had a new destination to explore every year.

What happens after May? I don't know. However, the best lesson I've learnt in life about facing the unknown was when I was in the wilds of Borneo with Stuey.

Things always work out one way or another. Always.

My advice to those who say to me, "I want to quit my job BUT..." or, "I wish I could do what you're doing BUT..." is, well frankly, what are you waiting for? Don't be stupid about it, but let's start making plans for what you want. My regret this time round is that I'm admittedly bad at organising when it comes to my own life, and wasted a couple of weeks because poor planning :)

How do you know? (deel twee)

A much easier take is, how do you know when it's not right?

I have recently experienced being "The one before The One" *grin* You know, the girl who's the one before The One that the guy marries. How did I find out? On fb :)

I can honestly say, I'm happy for him. I knew what we had was just all fun and games. I knew we had nothing in common. I knew there was no future in it.

I've met His One. I've seen them together, and I can't begrudge what they have together. Something about them as a couple just makes complete sense. I'm happy for him because I know he's found what he was looking for :) I'd love to send him a congratulatory email, but his fiancee probably wouldn't like it :P

Then there's The Wrong Guy, who keeps in touch with me. For what reason, I have no idea. Well, actually, I do have _some_ idea. It's a good thing he lives in a different city. This is what I mean, it's getting much easier to know when you've met The Wrong One than The Right One.

The problem is, I think you'll never know if that guy is The Wrong One or The Right One if you never give it a chance. But... how many times do I have to put my <3 on the line?

How do you know? (deel een)

I keep asking the same question, "How do you know?"

I keep getting the same answer, "From the moment I met her/him, I just knew."

Nobody I know has words for that moment :) I wish I knew.

So I was asked, "What's gone wrong for you?"
My answer, "They always start out nice, but they always end up as twats."

J: "What sort of twats?"
Me: "Arrogant twats. Selfish twats."
J: "Have you learnt from your mistakes?"
Me: "I've learnt to identify and cut my losses sooner." *grin*

What gives me hope is that I know what J's been through. He's much older, wiser in life experiences and much more battle-scarred. He's found true love :) The moment he clamped eyes on her, he knew.

No matter how old you get, or how much you convince yourself you're ok with being alone, you'll always look for love. It doesn't mean all is breeziness. It just means that when times are hard, you have that *someone* on the same wavelength who will stick by you. When times are good, those moments with that particular person are spectacular.

The other question I get asked is, "What do you look for in a guy?"
My answer is, "Wtf does everyone look for?!?"
It's the obvious innit? Someone who's kind, loving, makes me laugh and of course, good in bed (right, Le Baguette? *grin*)

My biggest thing - Open-mindedness. A willingness to accept and share rather than change. A willingness to try. A willingness to explore.

I guess, when you know, you know.

Is there a problem?

2nd April, sometime during the night: I set my alarm for 6:40am the next day. I'm getting picked up from the Chamonix apartment around 7:10am. I sleep fitfully. I remember waking up and unplugging my iPhone from the charger, for no reason, at 00:59. I wake again around 3am. I wake again at 06:3-bl00dy-9 *sigh* I turn my alarm off before it begins its irritating Xylophone ring.

3rd April
10:30: Plane should've left Geneva by now. Find out my flight is delayed because of President Obama leaving from Stansted airport. It's the first time I boo Obama :P
14:00: Back in Rondon. I have to deal with retards who walk into my unwieldy snowboard bag as I make my way from Baker Street, home. Unbelievable. What sort of idiot walks right into a big black bag that's jutting out at least half a metre infront of me?!? Go ahead, hurt yourself, I don't care.
15:00: At a loss at what to do without B and the dFs to hang out with for the first time in a week :(
16:30: So I head to the gym :P
17:27: I ran 4km in 25mins. Yup, still sux0rz at running.
19:00: Meet AA for dinner at Waterloo. Have a chuckle over the week's gossip.
21:20: OMG... In the 2.9 years I've been in Rondon, I have _never_ visited Waxy O'Connor's on Rupert Street before! I went tonight for a farewell bash. It is a *broiling* hotbed of activity. Geezus! My hand flies up to my strapless top for security whilst I feel a gazillion eyes on me. Whilst my adorable potbelly grows, my b00bies seem to have shrunken enough to provide insufficient support to hold up my top properly. Fark! This place is huge, and packed. I make friends with the bouncer just to get directions. It takes me a good 20mins to find my friends. Just how broiling is this place? As I leave, my hair gets ruffled by a cute guy who looks 25 :D And I also get called, "DAARLING, HANG ON, DAAARLING!" by a 50-something year old :(
23:30 I'm home.
23:35 I realise Above & Beyond and Lange are playing at MoS. I've been meaning to check out Lange for ages.
00:20 I'm at the club. I get in after tight passport scrutiny by two burly bouncers. They're convinced I'm a pothead after noticing all my trips to Amsterdam.
Me: "There's good... coffee in Amsterdam!" *grin*
Bouncer: "Haha, yeah, the "beans" there smell really good hey?"
00:55 Tequila shots with bartender
01:00 Above & Beyond!!!
01:36 My ass is pinched by a freaking kid who tries the old "blame my friend" trick.
01:36:10 I move in to slap the kid's face and he dodges backwards.
01:36:15 I grab his balls and squeeze really hard, "Don't fcking pinch girls' asses". He squeals like a little girl :P
01:58 I lean against a wall and realise I'm surrounded by couples. Feel like I'm at a 6th grade disco :P
02:00 Some guy says something to me, I shakes my head. He bends down to put down his bottle at my feet, and I let out a timely discreet fart *grin*
02:38 Apple sour shots with the bartender.
04:00 Above & Beyond finish a decent set. Lange starts. Lange is better on guestmixes than live. He's bassy and hard, but just doesn't quite get there...
04:30 I leave the club.
05:00 I'm home and eating instant noodles.
06:16 I'm blogging.

What sleeping problem?!? :P