Juntas ja... #2

Estivemos uma semana na montanha mágica...
Comemos fondue de queijo...
Demos longas caminhadas junto ao lago...
Levamos visitas a andar de patins no gelo...
Fomos a Londres falar em publico...
Precisamos de ajuda para nos levantar do sofa...
Fizemos uma road trip da alemanha até casa de carro...
Apreciamos a orquestra da casa da musica na sala suggia...
Apanhamos com neve e muita bize...
Fomos nadar e ficamos a saber que ainda ha homens com barrigas maiores que a minha...

Do's and dont's: shouldn't there be a pregancy etiquette?

Being six month pregnant has now taken this to a whole new level... it feels very public and people have a tendency to talk to you about it. Being an introverted, i find it all a bit too much, but hey... it's part of the journey so i do my best to embrace with a smile...

From my experience, the only things others should say to a pregnant women are:
1. What wonderful news! Congratulations
2. You look gorgeous!
3. You carry that bump so gracefully
4. You look fantastic
5. That belly looks so good on you!

(you get the gist... only compliment and share positive comments... that is safe and socially acceptable)

Things i have heard so far, and wished i didn't:
1. I am so glad we are not paying for that bump - asshole!
2. When did this happen and why didn't you say something? - for the future i will keep a Slog (sex blog you can follow)
3. You do/eat/drink that? That is horrible for your baby - if you are not my brain or my doctor... kindly shove your judging attitude up your butt
4. You are going to that hospital? Oh... the nurses are not very nice there - thank you! 
5. What name?!?!? Every white trash trailer inhabitant uses that name - hum hum... here's when i will share my open opinion about this with you again: never!
6. You are having a girl?! Poor you! Your husband must be devastated - thank you asshole!
7. Girls make their mums very lazy - nope! it is really the lack of iron - there's nothing i can blame on the bump
8. Girls give you so much nausea - nope! i had no nausea, stop in-utero girl discrimination!!
9. You are pregnant? Congratulations! it was about time you slow down with work! - thank you for that judgemental comment on my life so far
10. You still working?! Thought you would be home by now - of course! because the moment you get pregnant you loose your brain...

Juntas já...

Bem sei que não estamos juntas há assim tanto tempo, mas pelas ultimas semanas podes ver que comigo o ritmo é alto, os hoteis frequentes, os aviões usuais e as viagens são rotina. E ainda que custe a acreditar, juntas ja:
- comemos delicious pork & leek dumplings em hong kong
- visitamos o grande budha depois de um tufão
- andamos de ferry, caminhamos por Macau e comemos um tacho quase inteiro de arroz de polvo
- tomámos high tea no shangri-la
- corremos em central park
- comemos bagels madrugada fora
- negamos que estivessemos juntas
- conduzimos o belo Fiat 500 de Genebra até ao Porto
- corremos no Parque da Cidade
- andámos às compras na Delhi Haat
- ficamos num andar de hotel so para mulheres
- demos uma bela corrida no Dubai, seguida de uma massagem especializada
- fizemos outros dar gargalhadas de alegria
- apertamos a mão a pessoas importantes e sorrimos que "sim, que sim senhor... que eram de facto tão importantes e que as suas opiniões e actos poderiam mudar o mundo"

Bem sei que temos uma longa caminhada pela frente, mas por enquanto... i believe we are off to a good start!

Bukhara Restaurant @ New Delhi

I have tried my fair share of restaurants in New Delhi, and Bukhara has to be by far one of the best ones i have enjoyed!

Their mango lassi is light and full of flavour! The black Dal is  a pot from heaven - no matter how full one is, you just need to have a bit more! Their naan is soft and multi layered! The chicken tender and spicy and the cauliflower an absolute delight! At the end, I just wished i had a larger stomach to try the deserts, but i really had no more room.

Will go back today to try a few more items!

Travelling almost "the old fashion way"

On friday night, I left the office after having done a 50 hour work week and was carrying 60 reports, 1 laptop, 2 big folders and my hand bag. I got home and my most precious limb was missing... my blackberry!

I searched and searched... but it was nowhere to be found... i left it on my desk!  No problem (i naively thought...), i will come by the office tomorrow to collect that and a third folder i forgot. On saturday, much to my unhappiness i go up the hill just to find the office in total lock down without a single living soul to open the door. 

So... no blackberry! No email in my pocket, no what's app, no texting for free... Nada!

I get home write some angry emails, mobilize the IT department to make sure i have a phone at least when i land in New Delhi and made my way to the airport. 

Now, sitting at the lounge in Dubai, i can't help but notice how less stressful it is to travel without the email in  your pocket. People know i am unavailable, there is no pressure to answer them. 

I have only my old Nokia, which miraculously has roaming and enough money to send a couple of texts but that's it. 

It feels like I am travelling the old fashion way. Not bad at all! 

Things I only tried after 30

Paddle boarding!

Thumbs up!

Montreux jazz... Happiness is contagious, as is love... So, just be anyone for me....

Before I ran away on vacations, I went up to Montreaux for the jazz festival.
The tickets were for everlast, and a Kidd I never heard of before was opening for Everlast.

From the Kidd's concert - Bastian baker - the best was his utter and absolute delight to be playing in Montreux. I was sitting on the 1st table and his joy filled my heart up and I became happy being a witness to his dream. I was his audience at the greatest music fest in the world "Montreux!"

Then came everlast who sang his heart out, talked about love, broken hearts, rich people problems', walking on other people's shoes, making hard choices, life, addiction and the monsters who surely live under our beds...

He said a musician knew he had made something for himself when he got to play at Montreux jazz. I mentally added that if you were not a musician, you knew you had made something for yourself  when you got invited to go to Davos. Switzerland, benchmarking careers since 1947!

Well, then he played "anyone", which I didn't know and have kept in my mind since then!
Not much more can be asked from a love song...

Para referencia futura...

Restaurantes a sul:
"O sacas" - zambujeira do mar. Comi um Robalo grelhado divinal com uma fantastica vista do oceano Atlantico. Se eu ja nao gostasse tanto da Costa vicentina, este jantar ter-me-ia feito apaixonar.

"o Horta " - Olhao. O melhor restaurante de olhao! De longe o melhor! Tudo em bom, desde a salada de tomate, ate as ameijoas, marisco, cataplanas, polvo e a mousse de chocolate. So e preciso chegar cedo para jantar. De resto.... All good calories, all worth it!

"o Camilo" - Lagos. Ameijoas, sopa de peixe, ostras e mantinha para proteger da brisa mais fresquinha que pega quando o sol se poe. A vista... digna de postal!

Praias: ilha deserta (ao sul, e a minha preferida) e a praia do burgau (fomos com uma local... Nao falhou)

Ouvido a sul

Grupo de miudos e diz uma das teenagers para um dos rapazitos ( e claramente para metade da Praia ouvir...): "se os homens nao fossem todos iguais e nao precisassem que lhes fosse tudo dito explicitamente, ja sabias que eu queria que tu me comesses"

Na herdade pseudo-coiso-cara-para-o-que-e-mas-nao-interessa, diz uma hospede para o dono que andava pelo alpendre a certificar-se que estava tudo pseudo-bem:
"Oooooolhe, ontem fomos jantar ao Gulliiiii! E fantaaaaaaastico! Cozinha mediterranea reinventada. Basicamente.... Italiana va"

Nada como estar de ferias para eu achar piada a isto (em vez de me irritar!)

Men that make me happy...

Kevin Spacey

(house of cards is just one of many, many, many examples)

O meu próximo cinquencento também vai ser assim...

A condizer com a cor da minha casa... (e não dos meus óculos!)

photo by: cdgabinete, Portobello road, London, March 2014

"my friends, my friends, my car and my friends"

Os meus amigos portugueses tem muitas qualidades. Uma das que eu mais tenho apreciado e o facto de eles me pouparem a "unsolicited feedback".
E parecendo que nao, dadas as circunstancias dos ultimos meses, esta e uma qualidade que nao deve ser sub-estimada.

Things I only tried after 30...

Biking in Hyde park.
Loved it!

Isn't it ironic?!

Places where I go to, eat almost everything I want and never got sick: India, China, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Tunisia, South Africa, Jordan, Brazil.

Places where I go, eat almost everything I want and get food poisoning: NYC, Mexico City and London.

The latest one in London... thank you very much to Bill's pub!

Music to my (y)ears