April a little early

Please forgive the fact I'm posting an April banner on March 31 rather than April 1. I just can't wait, people. Also, I realize this banner may scream EASTER BUNNIES to some of you but please realize April is the month of Spring and bunnies are always a good thing. Even if you are someone who was scared by them after seeing a certain bunny in Monty Python and the Holy Grail as a small child..

Today I woke up the sound of my cell phone. It was an urgent call from a coworker that our night manager's birthday is today. I looked at the clock, noting I had one hour to pull something together (especially since I wasn't scheduled today and I had made other plans). I found a card, purchased gourmet chocolate and arrived at work in record time. Our night manager was thrilled I knew it was her birthday and had made an effort to celebrate it in some way.

"How did you know? How did you know?" she continued to ask me. After all, she hadn't told anyone in advance. I just smiled. "Oh, I know these things," I replied. I imagine this must be one advantage to being a psychic.

Taste and smell

How can one put into words taste? Or smell for that matter? Scents and Sensibility by John Lanchester tackles this matter right on.

In a coffee shop I often use the following descriptions when dealing with customers:

"It has a bold flavor."

"It is a light roast with a touch of hazelnut."

"Decaf? Well, it has a dash of disgusting followed by an aftertaste that will make you want to immediately scrub out your mouth... but with almost no caffeine content, who can say no?"

I once worked with a barista who was very creative with his descriptions. If someone asked about a particular coffee, he would have five minutes worth of speech to share. He would also make it a point to discuss the origins of the coffee bean. "This blend is a combination of Costa Rican and Sumatran beans..." Such details were interesting to include, except the majority of our customer base had no idea as to the differences and usually just wanted something to keep them awake.

One day I decided to actually listen in to the information this barista was sharing with customers. Within minutes I was surprised to discover he was making it up! Often on the spot. Some details were correct but the majority of his speech was a jumble of misinformation. Customers did not suspect a thing and he spoke with great authority and eloquence, so who would think to question him? This discovery amused me. Many customers had come to view him as an expert on coffee and he himself took great pride in this persona. I stayed silent on my discovery, for their would be no good in exposing his lies tactics and after all, at least he sounded correct.

The new urban tomboy?

Do you forgo makeup, or venture into public wearing jeans? Do you enjoy following sports, or doing your own thing? Well, then you may be a so-called urban tomboy. I recommend reading The New York Observer's recent article on what they view as a lifestyle trend. I don't know what to make of it exactly. Here are a few thoughts floating around in my head:

I don't think this is a new trend.

Some sources would point out the US is a "nation of slobs." Jeans are standard with both sexes and no one dresses up anymore unless there is a need to.

I don't necessarily believe not wearing makeup or paying attention to sports automatically puts one in the tomboy category...

A part of me does like the fact women who don't wear high heels all the time and who have best friends other than their personal mirrors are getting attention. Let's face it, girly girls often get all the attention. Not always, but often. And many of these girly girls are absolutely boring and haven't a clue in their head, so why give them an ounce of attention to begin with?

I am probably a cross between a girly girl and tomboy so maybe I'm not qualified to speak on this matter. Also, when I walk in the room I know many people see BLONDE HAIRED BLUE EYED WHITE GIRL first and are putting me in the girly girl category (or the snob category) without a moment's hesitation. Of course, once I speak this opinion changes and matters could be far worse.

NY in the spring, what a wonderful thing

At the end of April I will be celebrating my birthday but more importantly, I’ll be taking a mini-trip to NY to spend time with my dear sister, S. I’ve been eyeing travel guides and am amazed at how much is packed into each section of the city. I’ve done many of the standard tourist spots in NY in the past (Statue of Liberty, Times Square, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, etc.) and so I would love to see the city as an insider. Of course, if I end up spending all my time taking trips to Starbucks or Whole Foods I shouldn’t be surprised... Last July when I went on a trip with my sisters and Mom we ended up spending more than half of our time in Miami Beach at this location:



We had plans to drive from Miami Beach down to the Everglades but we needed to find a hotel room. So, out came everyone’s laptops and the searches began. I hadn’t brought my laptop (which is probably for the better) and so I entertained myself. By the way, this Starbucks happens to have terrible seating. But the baristas were kind and luckily, the arrangements were made and we were able to continue on.

While traveling I’ve often found the familiar is a comfort. Of course, one should try to find balance. Meaning, take in the sights and places you can’t find at home.

I am also reading Girl's Guide to City Life New York for travel ideas.

Monarch of the Glen

If you lived with me for any period of time one of the many things you would discover is my love for BBC shows. The library has just about every BBC show known to humankind, which is why my free time has been devoted to Monarch of the Glen. The show takes place in the Scottish Highlands (the region of Badenoch and Strathspey to be exact) and tells the story of a ridiculously wealthy family who lives on a large estate complete with castle. The son, Archie MacDonald, who has always been at odds with his family has recently inherited his families estate. Except he discovers the family home is in dire financial trouble...

Of course, I can relate to this show on so many levels. My family home may not have a glen but we do have a pond... and my parents somehow manage to continue taking cruises to Alaska but can't simply purchase their own boat in order to cruise at their own leisure, which is an obvious indicator of real financial trouble. My guess is I'll be expected to step in one day and smooth out the family troubles. I know I have other siblings but I am the most reliable when it comes to picking up the phone or returning missed calls and this will probably be the determining factor.

Also, I recommend visiting this website which takes one through Monarch of the Glen Country.

Gypsy Dances from Rajasthan to the Nile

Last night I saw Leila Haddad perform in Gypsy Dances from Rajasthan to the Nile. I found a video on YouTube which was taken from a New York performance of this same show:



I enjoyed the show quite a bit. In the middle of the performance I was wondering if I missed my calling in life* and should have become a professional belly dancer. I was enrolled in ballet classes as a child but gave it up after my teacher, Flower, retired. Perhaps if I had stayed with it I would have moved on to other forms of dance... perhaps I would have studied among the gypsies and have traveled from village to village learning new dance techniques, as Leila Haddad did...

My roommate attended a Wedding in Turkey last summer and a male belly dancer performed for the occasion. She said he was amazing. I hadn't heard of male belly dancers before but apparently they exist and are just as skilled as female belly dancers.


* I'm always having these thoughts. My "true calling in life" could really be anything, depending on the day of the week or my current mood.

A quick check

After writing about yesterday's dream I was curious as to if Starbucks really has made it to Gaylord, MI (a place I spent way too much time in during my childhood). I did a quick Google search and apparently they have. I guess this isn't a big surprise but sometimes you never know. There are cities where Starbucks hasn't reached yet. Ypsilanti, MI is one, while in so-called liberal Ann Arbor the franchise coffee shop is everywhere.

The dream

In last night's dream I traveled to our old family chalet up north. (Just outside of Gaylord, Michigan to be exact.) I took the trip with my roommate, The One from Spain, and was eager to show her the chalet... Which is somewhat odd because I've never been a fan of family trips to the chalet. I suppose I resented the fact my parents selected a chalet outside of Gaylord of all places rather than somewhere exciting. Anyway, in the dream I was very excited about the trip and was eager to reach the destination.

When my roommate and I arrived everything was as I had remembered it and I was thrilled to be deep in Michigan wilderness. Then I looked closer, noticing the forest had disappeared and our chalet that had once stood in the middle of nowhere was now a part of suburbia. Development had arrived. A golf course was in place, along with a ridiculous amount of new homes and fast food restaurants. I turned to my roommate, feeling a wave of disappointment because what was once a part of my childhood had been replaced and was simply no more (due to the vicious spread of globalization of course). I couldn't find the right words to express my sorrow. Then, an idea hit me and I suggested with optimism, "Well, maybe we can find a Starbucks."

From then on the dream was quite happy and we set out looking for the franchise coffee shop, something one simply couldn't find in the Gaylord of the 1980s/1990s. I woke up, smiling at the absurd nature of my dream. Now that I'm awake I can assure you: I don't prefer a world of sameness rather than a world of the unique. Also, even though I hated the family chalet I would never want to see its destruction. And the fact I can be completely shallow and superficial in my dreams? This matter is equally scary.