Saturday, 31 October 2009

comments about sex...

During these last few weeks, I mentioned the subject of this blog to some friends who, when the idea behind it was explained to them, rushed to note "you certainly have mentioned sex, right?!"...

Well, no... I haven't so far... Sex per se is not better than shoes in my opinion... In fact, I can recall times (not many, thank the universe...) when I would have traded a particular sexual experience with a pair of "leatherette" ZARA pumps... that bad... And I suspect that any of you fashionistas out there would agree with me that a good pair of shoes always wins compared to the average 11 minutes (according to Paulo Coelho...) of mating... And, yes, I would bring as an example all those arranged marriages in which the groom is so old, so old he doesn't even remember what it is to have sex but so rich, so rich that the bride can have a room full of red sole footwear... and she chose this... (and, I will not focus on the fact that in most of these cases she also enjoys mind-blowing sex with the gardener... because that ruins my argument..)

Needless to say that only a few things can compare to good sex... and when I say "good", I mean "gooooooood"... yes, you all know what I mean, the type that leaves you not only breathless at the end but also dehydrated, disoriented, with a slight memory loss and incapacitated as far as your lower limbs go... those moments that walking to the kitchen (assuming that you are not already in it...) feels like climbing the Everest and building a house on the top... Yes, that type of sex that I hope all of you have experienced (those who have not, do not despair and keep looking...) and will never forget... and yes, those moments will be better than shoes in your mind... and mine as well...

But a generalization is not appropriate and that is the reason why I had not talked about the subject so far and I only do it in this spirit now... Surely you all can have your opinion and comments are welcome but in any case I wanted to note where I stand on the matter :)

Friday, 30 October 2009

of love and chicken soup...

I got the flu... and a nasty one... I managed to get sick while on what was supposed to be a romantic, fun, mini-break in the most beautiful city in the world... and have been sick since a week now... so I cursed my "luck" who wanted me coughing and feverish and weak and miserable there and here... but while cursing this luck, I have been thanking my other luck, the real luck who got me blessed with a partner who's been an angel during all this!

No, he did not get angry I got sick in our holidays (obviously it would have been silly as.. it's not like I can control it... but I just mention it...) no, he was taking care of me, trying to make things as easy as possible for me and repeating that it was so awful I was sick.. not for him and the change in the plans, after all we did not go out clubbing on Saturday, but for me being suffering. And he really went out of his way to make the trip back as comfortable as he could, though admittedly it was pretty tough for me. And he's been full of compassion and care and love since we got back.

He's been going to the supermarket and doing the shopping for me everyday and then he's been here cooking chicken soup for me and keeping me company every night for hours, just so that I don't get lonely... because he does understand that being home alone and flu-ish for a week is a bitch... And he didn't care that he had to bring in different food for him and cook it here (who wants to have patient's food every day...) he just did it because he cares for me as no other has ever cared. Giving for the mere joy of giving...

And today, I managed to go out to the supermarket myself (yeah, yeah, I know, big deal, but believe you me, after this week was not damn easy..) and all I wanted was to have a nice dinner at home with him, to cook for him as he has been doing all week for me. And we did :) he came here early so that we have the evening for ourselves and we enjoyed the dinner and a chat and watching a film and life felt normal again! I felt normal again!

And I know that all this is a bit corny but I do honestly believe that having someone to care for you and love you so much, so full of compassion and genuine, selfless interest, IS truly better than shoes. And I do know that I must have done something right in a previous life to deserve someone so wonderful as him... so kind and helpful and understanding and selfless and caring. And I hope that I can be there for him if ever he needs me!

So, corny as it may be, I just wanted to share this with you and hope that everyone can be with someone who will stand by them when they need them... with someone who will have compassion for them... I also hope I get back on my feet as soon as possible.. enough is enough now :)

ps.  I may have exaggerated a bit in this post...

Tuesday, 27 October 2009

roots...

Imagine a sky so blue, so blue, a sky that made Nobel Price winner poet Odysseas Elytis write "my God, the amount of blue that you spend so we don't see you"... and under this blue, warmed from a sun that looks as if has nothing else to do but keep her warm, the Acropolis... and Parthenon so white that shines in the sunlight and combines with the blue of the sky in the most harmonious image... and imagine being there, close to it, able to see it and witness the beauty with your own two eyes...

Yes, I was in Athens recently... and yes, when I'm there my heart is filled with such joy that I usually cannot describe... it's not just because there I meet long loved friends, friends that are nearly (or sometimes better than...) family, friends I cannot but miss when we are apart... And it's not just because when there I always savour the tastes of Greece in little taverns, sitting outside and watching the people pass by... and it's not just because there I can enjoy the sound of (certainly one of...) the most beautiful language in the world... a language that sound nice even when people are saying bad things to one another (and yes, I can be as much biased as I very well please, thank you)...

No, it's all those and one thing more... it's this feeling of being there and doing exactly what people were doing at the same space 2500 years ago and then some! It's this amazing feeling of roots, of belonging to a place even if it's this little corner of an immense universe, of becoming one with it... and this is the feeling of security for me... whenever I'm in Athens, I look up and see the Acropolis, still standing there after wars, fires, looting, earthquakes and more wars, defying time and wrath and greed and the elements of nature and just... still standing!

And this is the most amazing feeling for me... better that slipping my foot into the most precious shoe, the most comfortable, the most valuable and the most beautiful... It's better and it is always there to feel my heart... and it's all I need to reassure myself that things are going to be fine, that no matter what happens, we will still be standing... like those "stones"... ;)

ps. the above stands even in times that my souvenir from Athens is a major flu.. still...

Monday, 19 October 2009

about concerts...

Live concerts (as such) cannot, in my opinion, be classified in the "better than shoes" category of things... We all have dreadful experiences to share of that time that the girlfriend of the brother of our boyfriend (or something of that sort of relation...) said "Let's go see "roasted potatoes" playing, they are awesome!!!!"
... and we went... and they were not... In fact they were horrible, the music was crap, the sound worse and that tall guy in front of us failed to hide them from our sight the whole time... which would be a blessing as the singer, the bass player and the lead guitar were f-ugly... and that was the whole band...

So, now, a generalization is not appropriate... But sometimes, even in this part of the world, we find ourselves attending one of the good ones... One of those concerts that you know and love the band (or the artist) and you know the songs and you are there with a bunch of like-minded friends, who also know the band and sing the songs along, and you end up dancing and laughing and applauding like crazy and shouting "more, more" and it's great!!! It's like being a teenager for a while again... Or at least I guess it is like that as I did not go to too many concerts as a teenager... I do compensate now though :)

The other night I went to see Pixies playing live in Amsterdam... And though I can't say that I new a lot about their music (ashamed to admit that I though all their songs are like "Here comes your man"... more or less as bad as believing that all song by The Cure is like "Friday I'm in love"...) I knew a bit and in any case at the end it didn't matter!!! I was with a great group of people, in fact met a new neighbor who's super cool, and I was dancing and singing (the ones I knew the lyrics...) and laughing and I hag a blast!! And yes, as the totally wasted guy next to me said (repeatedly...) "whoa, Pixies, man... how cool is this..."!

Though I was just wearing a pair of running shoes (that matched perfectly the rest of my... well, shall we say, "casual" outfit and leave it there...) and did not see anything more interesting shoe-ways then Doc Martins at the concert, no, Prada was not present, I kid you not, the whole deal was better than shoes! And I would do it again... in fact, I will do it again :) And so should you! I promise you you won't regret it :)

PS. and in the improbable case that a band called "roasted potatoes" really does exist: I'm not referring to you, I have never been to one of your concerts and I'm sure you are really awesome and incredibly handsome!

Thursday, 15 October 2009

sunshine :)

It's a truth universally acknowledged... you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone! And yes, the song was a big hit too, but I tend to believe that the truth came first... Anyway, I lived for 26 years of my life in a country where the sun shines continuously from April to October and then again in February for a couple of weeks and certainly about 3-4 days a week for the rest of the year... which is goooood! Because, human beings, like plants, need the sun to survive (goodness, this is very scientific...) and when we don't have it we become gloomy like the weather...

Then, I came to The Netherlands... where the sun, normally, doesn't shine... feel free to make the connection with all the other places where the sun doesn't shine... Mind you, this past summer has been a one-off thing and for those of you having come recently here, well, enjoy the exception while it lasts, dudes, because an exception it is! My experience, after 9 years, is that when it starts raining here, it forgets to stop... and there have been many summers spent carrying an umbrella and wearing wool cardigans and shawls and boots... usually Ugg boots in light camel and... oooops, lost track of my thoughts, sorry :)

And then winter comes and it's worse... dark and wet and depressing and cold and... not nice! So, yes, what I missed in these 9 years is the sun. And I did regret bitterly all the times I complained (back in my old life) about the heat and the sun burning and the long summer season that tired me... I guess I had to lose it to appreciate it... thank you Universe!

But every now and then, recently more often admittedly due to the exception I was telling you (or global warming... ) I wake up in the morning and the sun begins to shine (this is a song as well, aint'it... ) and everything looks marvellous! The colours, the people, the city, everything is better! The mood is good, dressing up not having to worry about mud and rain is a bliss, taking out those old sun glasses from their case (where they have been sleeping peacefully for, oh, very long) and putting them on to go out in the bright sunshine is... yes, it is better than shoes! And not only it is better, but it combines greatly with shoes as well!! Because it is on those days that one takes out of the box that pair of Chloé suede-and-leather pumps and wears them with pride...

Monday, 12 October 2009

roasted pork and caipirinhas

Living in The Netherlands, when it comes to food, is very often... well, let's say challenging... On one hand, decent restaurants where we, people coming from countries with a rich food culture, can enjoy a nice meal, are usually expensive for what they offer... which means that an inner conflict as to whether spend the money in a good meal or a pair of black patent leather Jimmy Choo slingbacks is often present...

On the other hand, going to the supermarket and just buying (for example) a kilo of lamb or kid to cook at home is usually wishful thinking... most likely, we go to the supermarket and just not find the lamb (and certainly not the kid... who am I kidding...) or when we find it, it costs 8€ for 200gr... and we leave it where it is while cursing... Mind you, very often it is not about not being able to afford it, it's about refusing to pay this insultingly ridiculous amount of money! It's just lamb after all not gold!!!

But, being brought up in the south, and having learned since childhood to enjoy and appreciate food, creates a need to have it... and the need gives birth to resourcefulness... which results in solutions :) Shops are being opened with products from Portugal, for example, importers are being recruited to fulfil group orders of Greek products and Italians and Spanish are not left behind in the quest for good, craved produce from our home countries. So, we manage :)

If I were told that I would be enjoying freshly roasted baby pork in this flat landscape, I would most probably laugh... But, indeed it happened! And was soooooo delicious words don't even begin to describe... juicy and tender and perfectly seasoned and... lots of it, more than enough for a lively and incredibly interesting (not to mention large...) group of friends, hosted in a warm and cosy household of those that make you feel at home from the first time you visit...

And imagine that you savour this divine taste while accompanying it with the best caipirinhas this place has to offer, prepared by a Brazilian friend with freshly cut lime and lots and lots of cachaça... indeed, words were rolling out of ones mouth far more easily after two of those ;) And it was better than shoes! Every bite and every sip and every laughter... more desirable than a red sole... and you, my fellow shoe fans, know very well what that means ;)

P.S No, regretfully I can not promise you that you will be invited next time...