The Missing Piece

Sometimes it takes a while for the smoke to clear and the dust to settle...

1. If you miss someone, go visit them.

2. Punctuality is not that important when identifying qualities in a great friend -- there exist more important things.

3. It is far too easy to be judgmental. Don't... Nobody knows what takes place between two people behind closed doors. 

4. Having falafel for breakfast, lunch and dinner is never (ever) a good idea.

5. When someone who truly has your best interests at heart questions your actions, stop to wonder why.

6. Even though a ticking time bomb will eventually blow up, it is best to live in the moment and ignore the "eventually" for now.

7. You may feel the constant need to find someone to complete you when all you really need to complete yourself is you. 

8. Being sick can be incredibly boring once the staying-home-from-work novelty has worn off.

9. Forgiving someone is the easiest way to feel lighter and happier.

10. It's always nice to feel included.

11. Everyone has their irrational passions -- leave them be.

12. Your most kindred spirit will often make themselves apparent to you when you least expect, but when you are most in need.

13. "The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought."

A few scars

Fighting your way through life, you may often stop to wonder whether you really belong, and whether it is worth is. One way or another, you learn. At least you hope that you do.
Most of you will recognize these nuggets of wisdom. 
For the rest of you, you can thank me later. 

1. "If you don't know what you want, you end up with a lot you don't."  

2. "Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken."

3. "The things you own end up owning you."

4. "Maybe we have to break everything to make something better out of ourselves."

5. "You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake.  You are the same decaying organic matter as everyone else, and we are all part of the same compost pile."

6. "People don't want their lives fixed. Nobody wants their problems solved. Their dramas. Their distractions. Their stories resolved. Their messes cleaned up. Because what would they have left? Just the big scary unknown."

7. "There are a lot of things we don't want to know about the people we love."

8. "I just don't want to die without a few scars." 

9. "Maybe self-improvement isn't the answer.... Maybe self-destruction is the answer." 

10. "It's only after you've lost everything, that you're free to do anything."  

Perfectly permanent

The days seem long, but are getting shorter... "All this feels strange and untrue..."

1. If you want something you haven't gotten yet, you obviously don't want it badly enough.

2. Intriguing people is easy... ensuring that the intrigue is sustainable is far more challenging.

3. Being angry gets tiring after a while.

4. There is nothing wrong with going to bed before ten.

5. Putting on a pair of glasses is the easiest way to look smarter. Or goofier. Depending on the glasses. And the person wearing them.

6. If you enter a competition and truly believe that you are going to win, then you will win.

7. Practice doesn't make perfect; practice makes permanent. 

8. A McDonald's happy meal makes an ideal lunch. The company you keep helps too.

 

9. The Christmas spirit is easily induced through Santa hats and Christmas carols.

10. Sometimes all you need is a piano to distract you.

11. Everything is okay in the end. If you're not okay, it's not the end.

Open Your Eyes 

The common crazy

Relatively short, relatively artificial-sweetener free.

The theory of relativity continues to rear its ugly head.

I guess it's about time we welcome it in.

1. There are (apparently) different levels of crazy. Some, like the common cold, can be cured on their own.

2. If you find a note in your mojito, it is best to listen to what it says.

3. There is a thin line between being a free spirit and being too lazy to make plans.

4. It is perfectly acceptable to go home after an 8 hour wedding. Or to McDonald's.

5. If you are in the mood for mussels, then order the f-ing mussels!

6. When a priest asks a rhetorical question in the middle of his sermon, he expects a response.

7. If the DJ plays an inspired song, it is more than okay to take credit for it.

8. Porn is relative: to one, the Food Network may suffice; for another, E! may do the trick. Even an episode of Weeds for a select few. But for most, the internet is probably best.

9. Not getting your own way is the reason for 99% of all frustrations.

10. Playing the piano is one of the few truly distracting activities requiring 100% of your obsessive attention.

11. When troubleshooting a technical conundrum, the malfunction will usually turn out to be where you never expected but should have.

12. At some point along the downward spiral, bare-boned honesty will be the only thing you have left. And when you are there, it won't be enough.

Wishbones & Backbones

Someone intelligent once said: "Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be." Life is about doing just that. Of course, Cake helps. Remember to have a big slice... and eat it too.

1. No matter how much you love your job, a day off is always better than a day at work.

2. When playing Monopoly, ownership of the railroads is the key.

3. People who expect to be served on a silver platter rarely get what they expect.

4. A night out at Boudoir following a deep and thought-provoking movie represents the ultimate balance between spiritual discovery and hedonism.

5. You will get a better tan by the pool in the desert that you do by the sea at the beach.

6. The influence of alcohol masks the truth for some, but reveals it for others. Even after knowing someone for several years, it will still be hard to tell which is the case.

7. Location, location, location: Only truly important when you are playing Monopoly.

8. Not all card games are created equal. Some require more funds (and clothing) than others.

9. A holiday destination can be both literally and metaphorically "dirty"; try not to let one overwhelm the other.

10. Karma may be a bitch, but eventually, she catches up with you. At least that's what I hear.

11. "Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions."

The Silver Screen

Things I've learnt from the big screen.

(sometimes re-watched over and over on the small screen)

I had initially included the source movie of each but decided to take them out.

It would be more fun to let you guess.

(No prizes for correct answers. All I can offer is a fleeting sense of self-satisfaction)

1. There exists a different pie which is perfect for every occasion.

2. The most telling parts of a relationship are the conversations at the beginning and the conversations at the end.

3. If you think you have a really awesome idea, don't share it with someone smarter than you.

4. The small things you loved about someone at the beginning of a relationship, are very likely to be the big things you will hate about them at the end of it.

5. Decidedly leaving something unnamed will not make you any less attached to it.

6. You may think you are too heartbroken and depressed to ever laugh again. But you will... when something is really really funny.

7. "The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem."

8. You are your own worst enemy and your own best friend.

9. The more embellishments in a story, the more likely it is to be untrue.

10. It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. Unfortunately, you will not realize you had a choice in the matter until it is far too late.

Change is good...

...or so they say.

Regardless, everything is better with Cake. Enjoy a slice or two to help you through the day.

Foolish Games

1. An idea for change may sound very simple and quite revolutionary in theory, but in practice, it will often prove far more difficult to derive the desired outcome.

2. Music, like wine, is one of the oldest forms of therapy. Wherever possible, engage in both.

3. If you have nothing to say, there's no need for some comment on the weather.

4. Sadness need not be dramatic, and more often than not, it is far from it.

5. It is difficult to fly when you are attached to something pulling you down to the ground.

6. Not all change takes place in cold turkey fashion, baby steps may be embarked on, but when all is said and done, cold turkey is still the most effective way to force it.

*Image courtesy of AmandaClairClark on Etsy. Song link courtesy of Grooveshark.

Cake in Wonderland

The Mad-Hatter, the Duchess, the Queen, the Cat... even Alice herself! They live in a muddled world where no-one is really sure of what's up and what's down, or even whether they are the same person they were yesterday... or this morning.

Like me, it seems Alice is a bit 'lost', but "curioser and curioser", she's also learning more and more as she wanders through Wonderland.

Some of you may have noticed the under-the-influence-of-Alice references in the past few posts, so dedicating a post on its own seemed the obviously appropriate and necessary thing to do. Hold on to your hats...!

1. "Be what you would seem to be, or if you'd like it put more simply: Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise." - The Duchess on being yourself

2. "We're all mad here." - The Cat on sanity

3. If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does." - The Duchess on world dynamics

4. "Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it." - The Duchess on ethics

5. "What is the use of a book, without pictures or conversations?" - Alice on literature

6. "Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction." - The Doorknob on following instructions

7. "Oh, how I wish I could shut up like a telescope! I think I could, if I only knew how to begin." - Alice on disappearing

8. "Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop." - The King on storytelling

9. "It was much pleasanter at home, when one wasn't always growing larger and smaller, and being ordered about by mice and rabbits." - Alice on nostalgia

10. "Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!" - The Queen on moving forward

11. "After a fall such as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling downstairs!" - Alice on the theory of relativity

12. "I almost wish I hadn't gone down that rabbit-hole — and yet — and yet — it's rather curious, you know, this sort of life! I do wonder what can have happened to me!" - Alice on regret

13. "It would be so nice if something made sense for a change."- Alice on rationality

Behind closed doors

I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!
- Alice in Wonderland

----

1. A momentary relapse will often result in taking three steps back when you intended to take a baby one forward.

2. When purchasing a shirt and tie for someone older and wiser, go bold, but not too bold. And listen to the salesperson.

3. The overlap of people who value their privacy and people who are on social networks is a null set. If you value your social interactions more than your privacy, then you are on Facebook; otherwise, you are not.

4. It is hard to squeeze 7 years worth of a company's history into a 2 hour movie. It is inevitable that yes, some things will be left out.

5. Birthday parties with a children's theme will often spur people to act childishly.

6. If an expert tea taster tells you Darjeeling is his favourite tea, you should probably try Darjeeling.

7. It is cumbersome to have an argument when the participants do not share the same vocabulary.

8. If you don't remember putting on a clown suit, then you definitely had too much to drink.

9. Living like a hermit and living off-the-grid are two distinctly different ambitions. Doing both is most ambitious.

10. "Constantly talking isn't necessarily communicating."

11. Being a personal shopper is more difficult than it seems. But BBM helps.

12. GPS is the easiest way to find someone when you are lost. (It is also the easiest way to stalk someone.)

13. No-one ever knows what happens behind closed doors.

Lost in Translation

1. Beginnings, middles and ends: all equally elusive. You never know which part you're in until it's too late.

2. Je ne sais quoi is either something you have or something you don't. It is not something you can hope to gain or achieve.

3. Sometimes communicating with the same person in more than one language is the most efficient way to do so.

4. There's no such thing as what you "should" do, only what you "want" and "can” do.

5. Seldom is orchestrating a plan to get a girl on the same bus to another city easier than talking her into a cup of coffee.

6. It is a scary thing to relate to every page of a book you are reading.

7. Knowing that you have the ability to exert your willpower is one of the greatest feelings one can experience.

8. A bittersweet beginning, middle or end is not a terrible thing; so long as there's more sweet than bitter.

the wise words of winnie the pooh

meet my friend, winnie the pooh.

true, he's a bear, and full of fluff, but just like me, he's also learning as he goes along...

1. It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?"

2. You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.

3. If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.

4. You can't help respecting anybody who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn't spell it right; but spelling isn't everything. There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn't count.

5. Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.

6. A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference.

7. Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering.

8. When late morning rolls around and you're feeling a bit out of sorts, don't worry; you're probably just a little eleven o'clockish.

9. Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon.

10. A bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise.

11. Before beginning a Hunt, it is wise to ask someone what you are looking for before you begin looking for it.

12. When having a smackerel of something with a friend, don't eat so much that you get stuck in the doorway trying to get out.

13. Some people care too much, I think it's called love.

image: quote from Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh's best friend.

calculated risks

1. You must always keep your options open.

2. Right and wrong are subjective: something can feel right but be very wrong, and something can seem totally wrong but be completely the right thing. It's irrelevant.

3. The number of steps you take down to get somewhere, you will have to climb back up later. Choose your shoes wisely.

4. Sometimes you have to take a calculated risk. At other times you will be too drunk to calculate the risk, so it is best to simply not take it.

5. Self-preservation may often be mistaken for self-punishment: make sure you understand the difference before you embark on either.

6. It is much easier to fold a sheet when you've got someone holding up the other end to help you.

7. A certain mug may be more symbolic than meets the eye.

8. Travelling on back-to-back weekends is exhausting for some, necessary for others.

9. There is no such thing as too much champagne. Too many cigarettes is a whole other story.

friendly fire

1. criticism from a stranger is never easy to hear

2. "remember, money is dirty"

3. if you are feeling like Mariah post-Glitter pre-breakdown, like Britney post-divorce pre-Circus, and like Lindsay post-parties pre-jail, you need to slow down

4. when writing in another language, choose your words very carefully

5. there is no such thing as friendly fire... unless you are frozen in a mass of ice, then fire is very friendly

6. disappointment is inevitable. decide how much you want to let it bother you

7. when asked to offer criticism to a stranger, remember no.1

accommodating

1. never joke that a 500MB upload will give you an error at 97%

2. "people need to be accommodating, whether they are family or not"

3. not all decisions are dramatic

4. one should be very careful with one's choice of movie when one is feeling particularly exasperated

5. when faced with the consequences of murphy's law, one will always wonder what kind of guy murphy was

6. a bottle of wine is a much cheaper form of therapy

7. there's no such thing as too many cups of tea...

8. ... but there is such thing as too much butter

9. when travelling for less than 24 hours, it is best to be sober for the 24 hours preceding

smokescreen

words for the weekend...

1. i'm only critical when i care

2. horrifyingly, life is like a box of chocolates, faced with one decision after another, and you never know what you're gonna get

3. it is almost impossible to please everyone

4. if one does not enjoy being in a smoky bar for a drink, one should not go to a smoky bar for a drink

5. man can't live by bread alone, but woman can certainly live by cereal alone

6. "no-one is ever good enough for the people you love"

7. you can get the same thing for 30,000 that someone has tried to charge you 180,000 for

8. restlessness of any kind is simply you waiting for the other shoe to drop

trying hard enough

1. sometimes a 30-40 minute wait for a table is worth it

2. if it's after 3 am and someone promises to "get a cab and wait for you outside", it's best to assume they won't

3. the only way to live your life is unapologetically

4. it is entirely possible to plan a wedding in 9 days

5. ordering pizza when inebriated and sleepy is never ever a good idea

6. when given the choice between champagne and tea, choose correctly

7. when it comes to late night requests, it is very important that you "try hard enough"

8. some movies are rewatchable to the infinite power

9. "we judge ourselves on our intentions and others on their actions"

happier than a bird with a french fry

unceremoniously back for more cake...

1. maybe he's just not a flower-giving kind of guy, just remind yourself of his other good qualities, and then send yourself some flowers

2. happiness really is a state of mind, but the ultimate enhancement is a good dose of fruit

3. spreading yourself thin is better than not spreading yourself at all

4. the more you look for mistakes, the more you will find

5. getting used to something is a dangerous thing

6. a lack of willpower is the root of all evil

7. the most adequate response to "why?" is "why not?!"

8. no good deed goes unpunished

9. adjusting one's age is perfectly acceptable if one simply does not feel that age

10. the literal road less traveled is often literally the most scenic

11. a picture is worth (and generates) a thousand words, and then some

Dirty Laundry

I've been harassed. As a result, here you go.

1. Everything is relative. Things are never what they seem.

2. Changing perspective is the best way to solve a problem.

3. An empty laundry basket is very satisfying.

4. In driving, changing lanes follows a highly orchestrated set of rules and moves.

5. In life, changing lanes follows no rules whatsoever.

6. The more information at your disposal, the more the plot thickens.

7. Whether you are "a catch" or not is not something to be assessed by you.

8. A smaller notebook lends itself to productive work. And a relatively longer and hence more impressive 'to do' list.

9. In addition to the amount, the rate at which one downs alcoholic beverages s positively correlated to the eventual level of inebriation.

10. A sunburn does not facilitate a good night's sleep.

11. Be very very careful what you wish for.

12. Secretive behaviour is highly extremely unattractively antisocial.

13. Guitar Hero is a perfectly good way to spend one's weekend.

14. Virtual money can be just as exciting as Real money.

15. Never make a Life Changing Decision to suit someone else's life.

16. Sometimes, ignorance really is bliss.

Not Enough Cake

It's been productive, very productive for Cake...

1. "There's no right or wrong, just the consequences of your actions."

2. "Play the player, not the hand."

3. When making a speech, always leave your audience begging for more.

4. When asked by a brother and sister who looks older, always say the former, never the latter. Always.

5. Sometime 'not enough' is better than nothing.

6. A short skirt is the easiest way to stop traffic.

7. "Treat em mean, keep em keen."

8. A mere spark is not enough.

9. Rain may or may not be a good reason to leave a party.

10. It's been said before, but there is no such thing as too much cake.

A pinch of salt

Not much to say. Let's leave it at that today.
As promised to some, you have finally been featured. (You know who you are.)

1. "There's always an ulterior motive."

2. Certain values may not be as valued as you may have initially evaluated.

3. Although no replacement for cake, chocolate mousse is rumored to be a healthy dessert.

4. "Change is neither good nor bad. It simply is."

5. It is better to get things in writing.

6. "It's happy for the ketchup when you add pizza to it." G.C.

7. Hidden agendas serve very little purpose until they are suspected of being so.

8. Some circles subscribe to the notion that men who keep plants are not scared of commitment.

9. 'A pinch of salt' is usually the secret ingredient on more occasions than just cake.

Apples and oranges

Yes, sounds healthy. Until you think of delicious apple pie or creamy orange custard.... Now we're talking!

1. Don't bite into an orange and expect it to taste like an apple.

2. It is hard not to feel cheated when watching a movie about French people who never speak a word of French.

3. It's important to have something to wake up for other than work.

4. It's nice to have options, but you don't have to take them just because you have them.

5. If you consistently worry, it is impossible to be trained not to.

6. Passive Aggressive Social Management is when you decline an invitation by saying that you'll go, and then unceremoniously not going.

Great Expectations

Big life lessons? Might just be easier to settle for a Big slice of cake.
Let's get to it...

1. If you are not expecting to bump into anyone, expect to.

2. The name of a city may carry a more secret meaning than originally assumed.

3. When speaking in another language, you must think in that language.

4. "It's sad for a pizza when you have to add ketchup."

5. Keep your expectations low at all times. No exceptions. Ever.

6. When given the opportunity to take a penalty shot, your football skills far less important than your ability to read the goalkeeper's mind.

7. If the answer to your question has no added value, don't ask it.

Tequila pie

Short, refreshing and to-the-point. Just like a tequila shot.

1. One must outsource payment whenever possible.

2. Being Zen can more than often be misconstrued as being Boring.

3. When you get a craving, no matter how strong, it is just that. A craving.

4. Much to the chagrin of some, certain people often base decisions on Right Now, not The Future.

5. Having the ball in one's court is a fleeting but powerful occurrence.

6. Not all cake is created equal. Some cake is more equal than others.

7. There is a fine line between too much tequila and too little tequila. In retrospect, there is no such thing as too little; in the moment, there is no such thing as too much.

8. Advice is rarely warranted unless it has been requested. Even then, it is probably still unwarranted.

9. Decision-making is not as big a deal as some may make it out to be.

10. When in doubt between two tempting desserts, have both. (This is not to be used liberally as an analogy for other temptations.)

Picking at scabs

Interesting week....a series of less than serious events with more than serious consequences.

1. There is a time and place for sociability.

2. The less you care about your job, the easier it is to do.

3. Afternoon meetings make for shorter and more pleasant days.

4. Soup is an adequate replacement for any meal.

5. Serial killers are not necessarily bad people. Seemingly good people cannot be ruled out as serial killers.

6. If you sleep badly you will wake up badly.

7. A black coffee breakfast is ominously indicative of the events of the coming day.

8. Casual invitations, upon acceptance, may prove to be far from casual.

9. Picking at a scab of any sort will only aggravate the situation.

10. When faced with the prospect of a harrowing call, sometimes it is simply easier not to pick up.

11. There are no decreasing returns associated with watching a certain vampire movie a second time.

12. Picking up one's life and moving to Paris to drink a lot of cafe lattes, eat a lot of croissants and read a lot of books is not the least bit irrational.

13. It's a terrible thing to be determined.

The last piece of cake...

...At least for this year.

Given my love of milestones, it was only fitting to share with you the highlights of the "decade". And of course, by decade, I mean "year".

This is a blend of old and new, funny and depressing, epiphanic and recurring. Feel free to add your own. I suspect you've all got a few up your sleeves.

Things I've learned in 2009:

1. When at the threshold of an emotional breakdown, always ask yourself the question: "So what?"

2. Labels are important. (Not the kind on your jeans.)

3. Everyone lives with disordered eating; this doesn't commonly equate to an eating disorder.

4. Two flights to the same place within one week may or may not be worth it.

5. An almost Christmas party is more exciting when faced with an impromptu power outage.

6. Cake (in all its forms) is the ultimate form of comfort food.

7. It's not a secret if more than one person knows.

8. It is best to write Santa a list.

9. Actions speak louder than words. But even these can be misinterpreted: proceed cautiously.

10. A new job will not necessarily make you happier than an old one.

11. Driving licenses are overrated.

12. No punishment is worse than the silent treatment.

13. Honesty is definitely unmistakably decidedly unwaveringly the best policy.

14. There's nothing sexier than a vampire. Except maybe a serial killer.

15. Time flies, whether you are having any fun or not.

Undramatically Unpleasant

So soon, I know. How unlike me.
It's been One of Those Days.
Not particularly pleasant nor excessively horrible. I'd love to complain about it, but you'd all be highly disappointed at the lack of drama involved.
Not dissimilar to a small bowl of undercooked custard.
Mundane unpleasant days have no use at all it seems.

Keeping in the spirit of the day, I'll talk less and do more:

1. Sometimes, you have no choice but to judge a book by its cover.

2. Contrary to popular (read: waiter) belief, the shape of a Charlotte au Fraises does affect its taste.

3. Saudi Arabia is Dubai without the vague possibility of fleeting fun.

4. A crappy car is far better than no car at all.

5. More often than not, Cough will choose to invite good friend Fever to come visit too.

6. Misunderstanding breeds misunderstanding which breeds awkwardness.

7. Wishes sometimes arrive too late, and by then, they are out of season.

8. When receiving an email in error from an important exec, it is wholly unexciting unless the content is salacious and scandalous.

9. When a camera goes missing, it is always socially easier to insinuate that it disappeared into thin air than that it had been secretly pocketed.

10. Taking photographs without the flash is much more flattering.

11. Lobster one night and sea bass the next leaves one feeling gastronomically spoilt.

12. Candylicious is just as impressive as the aquarium facing it, if not more. (If you are not in Dubai, this will be completely lost on you. If so, let them eat cake will replace this learning with another so as not to feel cheated.)

When cake doesn't cut it.

It's been a long week. (Even though technically, it's just as long as all the rest.) I can't remember what I did on Sunday, what I ate on Monday or who I saw on Tuesday. Just like all the rest, the days blend into weeks blend into months... and even thought I'm quite not old enough to say this quite yet, eventually they blend into years.

So what are we looking for? (I constantly find myself as if in a frantic treasure hunt, with no clues but hoping to stumble upon something. Sometimes, it works.) This week, thanks to a certain unique someone, I had my much-awaited epiphany. It's not the cakes that matter, not even the cupcakes! It's simply the Cherry on Top. What makes the day before your wedding less special than the day of your wedding isn't the gorgeous dress or the 3 tiered 'gateux'; it's the littler things, like wearing your big sister's earrings and having Future Husband send you a handwritten note just before you walk down the aisle.

What we're really seeking isn't the cake. The cake is a pre-requisite, nothing can take place without it. What we're all looking for is that cherry on top, even more special and personal than the icing. (Yes there is such a thing as something which is better than cake it seems.)

So along the way and as I (apparently) continue to seek my cherry on top, I happen to be learning a thing or two. Or eleven, actually. Time has taught me that this helps the cake taste better in the meantime.

1. "SMS affairs require less effort & preparation time than real ones." - Source prefers anonymity.

2. If you feel like it's Thursday, it's probably not.

3. If you feel like you're going to collapse, it's probably Thursday.

4. "It may be a gorgeous dress, but a girl still needs her brain to work. Go ahead. Eat" - B.K.

5. Sometimes wishing for a song is not enough. Sometimes you just need to buy the CD.

6. Leaving your gym bag at home on a given day may or may not be a sign that you shouldn't go to the gym on said day. (Yes, obviously not something I learned myself.)

7. Time machines are an adequate solution to most problems.

8. It is best not to place small animals inside time machines. Unless they are guinea pigs; they're used to it.

9. No Parking signs are simply a suggestion. (Kindly note that "let them eat cake" will not be held liable for any alleged or actual parking tickets.)

10. A smart friend is a far better source of directions than any map.

11. It takes a certain type of cherry to sit atop a certain kind of cake. If you're not sure which cherry goes with your cake, it's best to consult an expert.
(Those specialising in cherries are usually best :) www.cherryontop.ae)

Forcing change

...the kind which signals a shift, not the kind in your pocket, although I'm sure we can all do with a little more of the latter. Yes, money may not buy happiness, but I'd rather be miserable in a lavish Ferrari than in my current rental.

Usually I'd advocate the idea that change is something YOU are in control of, something YOU can manipulate for your own objectives, something which YOU can induce and encourage and embrace. All sounds very well and nice I guess. This theory helps me sleep better at night.

But looking at all the Moments of Change in my life, I can't help but realise that I cannot pinpoint a turning point for any of the major changes, nor can I claim I was ever in control. Distressing, yes. Perhaps I should worry less, sleep more and sit back while I enjoy the lovely weather, ignoring the factors that brought about its change from "gross" to "quite pleasant".

The new mantra? Just do, and change will follow. (No need really to "be the change I want to see in the world.") Must learn to stop forcing change. (But should try to encourage change to appear more often in my pockets.)

Flipping through the brand new Middle East edition of Esquire last night, I spotted my favourite section: Things I've Learned. And yes, for those of you who know me well, you will know that, of course, I took it as "a sign" to blog. So here are the latest batch of enlightened musings:

1. One must specify "electric windows" and "remote-control lock" when securing a rental car.

2. A handbag has little use. I discovered this after forgetting my handbag in my unlocked rental car for about 6 hours. Potential robbers must have also speculated that my handbag has little use.

3. It's not the number of activities that you do that matters, its their proximity to home.

4. A barter deal of a daily ride home in exchange for unlimited use of someone's earphones is more than fair, any way you look at it.

5. If you wish hard enough, you will hear your current favourite song on the radio minutes after you get into your car.

6. It is important to distinguish between 1st, 2nd and 3rd base. Also, it seems there is such a thing as 3/4 base.

7. "Trix & Chocolate Milk" have replaced "Latte & Croissant" as Favourite Weekday Breakfast. (Both trail far behind "Pancakes & Maple Syrup", Favourite Weekend Breakfast.)

8. Having a chocolate crepe for lunch is extremely acceptable and should be exercised as often as one wishes.

9. When reading a book with "how to" in the title, you expect to learn something. This may or may not be the case. I will let you know.

10. Replacing Metro with Car increases your level of comfort but decreases your level of reading. Whether this is a fair bargain has yet to be determined.

Cupcakes and candles

Yes, I'm still alive!
And my apetite for confectionary is still as ample as ever.

I recently joined the ranks of Functioning PR Agency after having left Deteriorating PR Agency, and needless to say, the cake learnings require a re-start, and maybe a revamp. Less listy, more talky. Before we get to the main event, let me share with you Things I've Accomplished (maybe more important than Things I've Learned?) in my interim between Deteriorating and Functioning:

1. Buy a TV. And a DVD player.
2. Locate curtains for entire living room for under 150 AED.
3. Visit IKEA. Twice.
4. Cook. Twice.
5. Get a tan.
6. Convince mother to come visit despite her long-standing claim that "There is nothing in Dubai". And apparently no, I don't count.
7. Master the metro.
8. Hate the metro.
9. Finish reading Julie & Julia (thank you metro).
10. Eat 2 "slices" of cake and a cupcake and a half. Last night.

So it might seem uneventful, but unsurprisingly, temporary unemployment suited me quite nicely. Of course, I also managed to learn a thing or two.

Which brings us to our main entrée:

1. "Lunch" during the week refers to an activity which takes place within a 3 km radius.

2. The finance department does not vary much from agency to agency.

3. Elevator music belongs in an elevator. Not on a train.

4. The daily Starbucks expense is a necessary one.

5. Always expect to bump into the one person whose calls you've been dodging.

6. Being in a Functioning environment for 10 hours a day is far more favourable to being so in a Deteriorating one for 5.

7. I am not a terrible singer.

8. Adding an ingredient to a dish can completely alter the taste of said dish. Namely shitake mushrooms.

9. Birthday "surprises" decrease in value as you increase in age.

10. When one consumes too much alcohol, one will inevitable spend the following day in bed, bath(room) and, at times, beyond.

Let them tweet cake

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