
My days as a surf-chick is definitely numbered. But there's no harm in fantasising surfing with a certain dude called Paul Walker in Bali (sorry Laukong).
I live to shop and I shop to live
...But I'm sure by tomorrow I will wake up with a feeling of deep remorse.
And no, it won't be for our reigning Queen Bee, but for her partner in crime. She is a nice person and I shall be guilt-ridden. But who knows, she may just be a better actor than her Royal-Effing-Highness.
Alas, tomorrow is but another day ~ cue: evil laugh.
The Cardigans
The "Survivor" Cardigan
Coldcut
High & Dry
Sesame Street was brought to you by the words:
di·chot·o·my (d-kt-m) KEY NOUN: pl. di·chot·o·mies
Division into two usually contradictory parts or opinions: "the dichotomy of the one and the many" (Louis Auchincloss).
"Standing in line marking time
Waiting for the welfare dime
'Cause they can't find a job
The man in the silk suit hurries by
As he catches the poor old ladies' eyes
Just for fun he says "get a job"
That's just the way it is
Some things will never change
That's just the way it is
Aw, but don't you believe them
They say hey little boy you can't go
Where the others go
'Cause you don't look like they do
Said hey old man how can you stand
To think that way
Did you really think about it
Before you made the rules
He said, Son
That's just the way it is
Some things will never change
That's just the way it is
Aw, but don't you believe them
Well they passed a law in '64
To give those who ain't got a little more
But it only goes so far
Because the law don't change another's mind
When all it sees at the hiring time
Is the line on the color bar"
~ The Way It Is
"Remember when the days were long
And rolled beneath a deep blue sky
Didn't have a care in the world
With mommy and daddy standin' by
But "happily ever after" fails
And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales
The lawyers dwell on small details
Since daddy had to fly
But I know a place where we can go
That's still untouched by men
We'll sit and watch the clouds roll by
And the tall grass wave in the wind
You can lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair fall all around me
Offer up your best defense
But this is the end
This is the end of the innocence
O' beautiful, for spacious skies
But now those skies are threatening
They're beating plowshares into swords
For this tired old man that we elected king
Armchair warriors often fail
And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales
The lawyers clean up all details
Since daddy had to lie
But I know a place where we can go
And wash away this sin
We'll sit and watch the clouds roll by
And the tall grass wave in the wind
Just lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair spill all around me
Offer up your best defense
But this is the end
This is the end of the innocence
Who knows how long this will last
Now we've come so far, so fast
But, somewhere back there in the dust
That same small town in each of us
I need to remember this
So baby give me just one kiss
And let me take a long last look
Before we say goodbye
Just lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair fall all around me
Offer up your best defense
But this is the end
This is the end of the innocence"
~ The End of the Innocence
"Welcome to where time stands still
no one leaves and no one will
Moon is full, never seems to change
just labeled mentally deranged
Dream the same thing every night
I see our freedom in my sight
No locked doors, No windows barred
No things to make my brain seem scarred
Sleep my friend and you will see
that dream is my reality
They keep me locked up in this cage
can't they see it's why my brain says Rage
Sanitarium, leave me be
Sanitarium, just leave me alone
Build my fear of what's out there
and cannot breathe the open air
Whisper things into my brain
assuring me that I'm insane
They think our heads are in their hands
but violent use brings violent plans
Keep him tied, it makes him well
he's getting better, can't you tell?
No more can they keep us in
Listen, damn it, we will win
They see it right, they see it well
but they think this saves us from our hell
Sanitarium, leave me be
Sanitarium, just leave me alone
Sanitarium, just leave me alone
Fear of living on
natives getting restless now
Mutiny in the air
got some death to do
Mirror stares back hard
Kill, it's such a friendly word
seems the only way
for reaching out again.
~ Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
The power-cut lasted over an hour. By which time not only had I got to know one of my colleagues better, it was time to run off to catch the lunchtime bus. And so my work for the afternoon was all cut out for me. As I suspected, the so-called auto-recovery system did not work. I had to re-do everything that I did in the morning.
After work we had a security briefing in camp. It was the usual dreary story about how they don't foresee the security situation improving anytime soon, possibly until after elections. Not to be outdone, the Q&A session as usual was inundated with "concerns" raised by the (non-working - I realise I'm treading on thin ice here) spouse community. I shall not diverge into the details, but the kind of "issues" that were brought up just puts me to shame.
A notable mention goes to this one lady who should have come with a disclaimer as her views were soooooo not representative of us ladies. Of course, I could be accused of being bias, because she's in my K.I.V. file for being a real cow (uncannily she resembles one too). I'm not normally this mean about people, but she managed to piss me off during one of the rare occasions I was able to do the school runs. I was sitting around with all the other mums waiting for the school door to open. She started introducing herslf to literally ALL the mums except for yours truly. I must have had a tickertape on my forehead to warn her not to come near me. Or perchance I was not white enough for her fat arse? Which would be very strange indeed as she's not exactly white either. Come to think of it, what the hell is she? She reminds me so much of people in Dubai - but that's another story.
Anyway, to tie in to the title du jor with today's events - in recogntion of the drastic change in lifestyle that us poor, little EXPATs have had to endure for the past few months and many, many more months (possibly a year) to come, our allowance has been increased! Hooray! But euphoria aside, let's not also forget that no money in the world can ever be in place of security and safety. So let's also count our blessings as well as pray for the safety of our future.
"I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay
Ain't it sad
And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me
That's too bad
In my dreams I have a plan
If I got me a wealthy man
I wouldn't have to work at all, I'd fool around and have a ball..."
~ Money, Money, Money
> He should be advising his staff and coaching them! (Are you there, God?)
Suddenly the penny dropped and I decided, "No, today is not a good day to die." So I told him that it was not necessary to go outside and confront my boss (I'd like to think that Mr. Manager here had enough feeding for the day to tide him over until after winter and hibernation). I knew the deadline and it was the customers that were late with their submissions. Absolutely nothing to do with my boss.
Managed to calm him down somewhat and (at great risk- and foolishness, now that I think about it) told him that I am now beginning to dread coming in to see him(!!). (I must say - there is a fine line between bravery and stupidity). Much to my surprise (and quite possibly the Grim Reaper's), he told me that I should not feel that way. I should know that I am always welcome to come and speak to him. The more I see him, the less I should be dreading him. SAYS HE. I imagined in my head (had to bite my tongue while thinking this) the perfect retort would have been, "That's alll!"
6) Just before logging-off, I saw an e-mail from Russia about one of their staff coming to work here. By the amount of BOLD fonts in her e-mail it was really the icing on the cake that I needed to end my day. Unfortunately it far too late for me to retaliate lest I missed the bus home. I forgot (must get my memory upgraded soon) how rather "brusque" (to put it nicely) the Russians can be. I should have known better and this shouldn't have come as a surprise to me. 2 years working in Dubai supporting them virtually in Russia has done nothing for me apparently. But I was certainly caught off-guard. So spent the entire bus journey home mentally drafting my response (while being poked at the ribs by this super horizontally-challenged American lady who didn't even have the courtesy to acknowledge my presence - I certainly "felt" hers. I didn't realised that such people are capable of having such bony elbows). Of course as my luck would have it, the traffic jam was worse than usual. So by the time we reached the housing camp I was almost ready to jump out the window from claustrophobia.
Item 6 I expect will...to be continued...after I send my response tomorrow.
Alas, positivity and humour (+ tons of nicotine) remains my anchors to get me through another day in paradise.
"I reached inside myself and found
Nothing there to ease the
Pressure of
my ever worrying mind
All my powers waste away
I fear the crazed and
lonely
Looks the mirror's sending me these days...
...Please don't
ask me to defend
The shameful lowlands of the way I'm drifting
Gloomily
through time
I reached inside myself today
Thinking there's got to be
some way
To keep my troubles distant..."
~ The Sun Always Shines on TV
"That's the girls on the block with their nasty curls,
Wearing padded bras,
Sucking beer through straws,
Dropping down the draws,
Where did you
get yours?"
~ Buffalo Stance
Highlights:
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