Do you remember... the woman

that I had to host ( due to my mum request) and she left those drawings here to be resent... Well.. she now claims to be an important fashion designer.. or so the world thinks.. Realistically her creations are not too bad.. some even nice.. but I was reading yesterday her "philosophy"..

And it says...

Il suo cuore batte sempre più velocemente portandola lontano dalla sua famiglia e dalla sua Sicilia: arriva a Londra alla celebre Central Saint Martins per frequentare i corsi di Fashion Illustration Cool Hunter e Millinery Designer e, senza nessun aiuto, trova e inizia uno stage di quattro mesi da Vivienne Westwood. Ritorna in Italia spinta da una determinazione fuori dagli schemi: disegnare, creare abiti è e sarà la sua vita, il suo mondo.

The bit in red... says.. without any help finds a stage of 4 months @ Vivienne Westwood..

Without any help.. my ass...

Thanks to me.. which I begged my friend to allow her to work there.. and thanks to MY FRIEND ( which was so kind to even go in the interview room and translate any word she said as she didn't speak a word of English)

THE WORLD is just unfair... I will never get around to understand that either.

I think I ranted enough for today.. Also.. I can't stay on the computer either.. because that annoys Gina TOO....

Is there another Mum that makes you promise

not to start another book while she's here because she can't bear the idea to see me read?

Ok.. that if I like a book I get obsessed until I finish it... but that's normal! no? I mean it's Dan Brown.. how can you stop half way through!!!!

I sincerely don't think we will ever have anything in common.. ever... She's been obsessively walking with pieces of t-shirts under her shoes and collecting dust from the floor every hour.. showing how crazy it is that is always dirty!!!

oh well...

We should spend more time talking.. about what? exactly? cleaning? I don't believe there is any other point of discussion.

I'm feeling empty

New year resolutions... Yes.. it's that time again

how does the list go?
stop smoking
stop drinking
exercise
lose weight
go to sleep early
relax
find a new job
be diplomatic

Pointless list really.. never happens..
So I think the only one I'll try to achieve in Twenty Ten is:
Expect nothing from people, so maybe I'll be positively surprised.

And yes the end of the noughties ( or naughties .. ) what will be next ? the decade of the countryside.. let's hope so.

Went to midnight mass last night and I seriously thought, everything else failed, maybe religion will give me happyness. I woke up this morning, unable to move, my back just gave up on me. Maybe God didn't appreciate me exchanging peace with the tranny in the church. Oh well..

Heathrow: advice/tips and discounts

As many of you have been at the receiving end of my flight misadventures ( self inflicted or not) Pod in Pisa @ 4 am anybody..

I thought I share a couple of tidbits with you

- If departing from Heathrow T5 - make sure you clock in security 40 minutes before departure, printing boarding pass, even with hand luggage only and going for a fag is not allowed by the automated machine. 39'59" you remain at T5.
Flight missed like this about 6

P.S. at Gatwick crying still works ( succeeded with panic twice)- still you have to make through baggage handling

- When in Heathrow T5 take the lifts not the escalators it's far quicker.. and so much so they now have put a sign to tell you

- As Heathrow express prices will go up to £18 ( a robbery ) and you get no discount for return and really you don't want to invest in a carnet.. this site will save you a couple of £.. but you need a printer ( you pay £14.19)
HERE and no I don't get commissions for helping you

-Last Heathrow express is at 23.25 last departing from Heathrow @ 23.53 or something like that. So if you plan to arrive late, call a cab in advance or you'll cry for a month

-Never take a taxi to Paddington, unless is 3 am.. especially if you are 3 tube stops away.

-If you need to buy a gadget and you are about to fly, keep in mind the cheapest internet price as airports have no tax and it might be cheaper there. ( especially as in Jan UK tax are back up to 17.5%)
and you can shop now and collect on the way back, probably the only service that works at T5.
Also if you are unlike me and like to arrive at the airport with days to spare.. there is also a Waga.. ( I always regret it once I see it ) Gordon Ramsay and whatever you are looking for... and you can feel like pretty woman and get the bags delivered at the entrance of the plane.... and BOOTS is upstairs, before you go downstairs to the gates and the escalator is very long..

-NEVER change CASH at the AIRPORT even if they give u 300 miles.. you can buy a return ticket with the fee they charge you.

I shall do Gatwick in a separate section.. but mainly.. no point in arriving early there is fuck all and the Gatwick express is the most expensive slow train you have to experience.

Merry Xmas

Gina

I'm at heathrow waiting for gina ( which was supposed to arrive on the 21st. It's now the 23rd and despite flight eventually landed meatless as that was given to friends to avoid moulding in luggage) she's now stuck in the middle of the pista!!! Being served hot tea by the fire brigade the only workers left @ T5! Now one of the biggest airport in the world doesn't have enough parking space for what it looks from here 12 flights some of which landed @ 13.10 of the 22nd!!!!
They invented a new meaning for the word landed at heathrow :drinking hot tea delivered by the fire brigade in the middle of the runway!
Arrived means you can now leave the plane please and wait on your right and bags arriving you might see your darlings once the only person still working manages to lift one by one the luggages onto the conveyor! And we all know that gina despite having to leave 12 kgs of meat in catania still mastered 70kg comfortably divided in 2 bags of 35 and her fashionable poshette!!  
Clearly taking the monday and the Tuesday off was not enough .... a couple of hours and I have to be in that wonderful reassuring and amazing place that's my work!
....
The funny thing is cultures... The English arrive and can't stop apologising sorry sorry sorry I'm sure Gina will rage at me!! Luckily I brought a bag of haribo and some supercrunchy crakers!!

Categories... which one do I belong to?

None clearly
The world loves classifications, social status has classifications, friends have too.
Well that makes me think.
Work is shit, that's no news.. I try to mingle with people I spend most of my days with, but clearly I'm different. I don't wear high heels, neither I tart around, neither I sleep with any of them, neither I can have fun talking to them.
Friends, clearly I think differently from them too, because the people I think are my friends, don't like to share their lives with me either.
so.. I just muddle along till life kills me.
that's a nice future plan isn't it.
You can't choose your family, but I came to learn, you clearly can't choose your friends either. Yes yes I chose my friends... but they didn't choose me, nothing u can do about that. Can you?
I shall muddle along still I find why some crazy mind decided to fuck with me and keep me here, till then good night, good morning, good night... the days pass, life passes and still I think the same.
If still not for a solution, I'm looking for an explanation. That will never come either.

My new favourite series: DOLLHOUSE

DOLLHOUSE

Friends... I need your skilled minds

Gina is coming to London for Xmas... that's no news.. but what's news is that

a) she stopped smoking ( day 3) so she'll have double the energy

b) no Pina

c) she's staying for NY due to airlines hating me and not having any direct flight to sicily before NY

Hence.. what on earth shall we do for NY

ah! M's mum is here too..

Some hints to solve the puzzle

OK so.. It can be London or anywhere else. There are fireworks in London and I have an idiosincracy ( yes another one) whatever you do a NY you do all year.... so you know.. i don't want to chop onions or watch a movie..

Other issues.

a) my mum needs entertainment

b) we want to spend a lovely evening

c) M wants to see fireworks

d) walking on the south bank will be crazy and absurd because jam packed..

d) will be nice to go in a place, but we are not people which will remain there dancing or that will want to spend the evening in a long dress an high heels ( hence posh dinner places are a bit out of discussion

e) my mum would for example love to go to a house in the countryside or stay around with friends- however, my mum unlike yours it's not the type that will give young people their space. she will always be in the middle all night

So far I've come up with dinner at Oxo tower, Medieval banquet or throw a party and fuck it.

SUGGEST SUGGEST SUGGEST

Somebody is boycotting my life

In the last 10 days, 3 odds events happened to me

1. my boiler ( the new one! ) grow life of its own.. mushrooms

2. my handbag self ignate itself ( caught fire)

3. my cv.. while on my mac doesn't, when you receive it contains a picture of little man and big man ( errrrrrr I actually went to an interview about 6 months ago and I just realised the receiver had the pleasure of seeing that picture)

We have to stop now

We have to stop now
My new favourite series..
love the concept.

SPACIATE

the writer: I didn't understand the word spaciate - maybe this is technical but if not, need to use another word

the journalist : sicily .. you succeeded once again to invent a new word.

my boss: spaciate? what you mean? does it exist? I reedited a bit your text, some words didn't look english


oh well.. goes into the dictionary with TURBATED

What do a Jew a Chinese and a Sicilian do on Holidays?

What can I say.... how much can you do in a week? combine daughter, 10 times more hyperactive mother, a jew and a chinese.. Please don't refrain to make jokes like:
How do a sicilian a jew and a chinese ask for directions.. and all similar things.. we had plenty trials. We didn't spare film.. well as it's digital nowadays, however here you go, a "small" sample for you to enjoy. Sorry about the shitty background music.. but only realised way to late to start the all process again.

Actually I think I'll go to bed and check if tomorrow morning is ready...

From Sicily with love...

YAY.... they made a toy of me! Let's all dance...

Pandas the most wonderful creatures on planet earth

China... what an adventure... will give proper details once I organise the pictures... To visit half of it in just 2 weeks was a crazy task... let me tell you.
For the moment it's enough for you to know that I got stopped for quarantine because I was italian, I didn't find the perfect dumplings, Pandas are way better than koalas and climbing the Great Wall is an experience that everybody should put down in their list.

I like chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeesssssssseeeeeee

I like chiiiiinnnnneeeesee

Budapest

So...
We have been in Budapest for just about over one hour and guess what?
it's already an adventure... Despite.. I booked hotel and left nothing to adventure... i'm now sat in a different hotel room from the one I originally chose, in the grandest budapest hotel and the music and the atmosphere.. it's very like TATIANA all over again.

How did we get here?? I'll tell you when back in London

ah! and i can go to the nearest club just opening the balcony door.... can just pop in in socks!

Catherine Hall - you are an inspiration to the world

I love you

you make me laugh and you make me cry

this opened my heart and made me weep

This is really funny

PLAYBOY - Women of Wall Street

Le Duc, I expect your coverage of this. Yes I know it's not your favourite choice... but hey it's still your field.

I'm sure some of you will find this funny

I hate my job.. or better the people I work with

“Oh, you hate your job? Why didn’t you say so? There is a support group for that. Its called EVERYBODY and they meet at the bar.”

Well.. all my friends love their jobs.. so if I go to the bar I just meet additional tossers.

How lovely....

New Year....

The resolutions... well let's say they are still work in progress. 

The preparation

The WIGS

The midnight fire jumping

Let's get this party started... Sicily at the decks... the other pictures are not for public view... 

The skiing --- swish swosh swish swosh 

The Grappa.....

The 4 o'clock reunion.... just before the fall...

Just because I decided to go swimming after a year

snowed for the first time in 15 years.. 

now 20 cm of snow.. and London was gridlocked.. also because Gordon Brown decided to sell the snowmachines to Yorkshire council as he needed money and London didn't need them !!! haha

another good decision.. 

Oh well... other reasons why I hate my job ( if I didn't have enough!) is that 

a) now we are only allowed to have 1 napkin each!! so we are now back at using the back of our hands.. and

b) the entire city was playing with the snow and I was sat in the office. 

I also had to run up and down for flipping British Gas people... because guess what... flipping boiler broke again... 

Yes I do hate the world today.. more than many other days. 

Watched a nice movie last night "killing me softly" but got told by the critics... that's shit and wasted my time.. still I liked it. 

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act..... yay eventually women get paid the same as men.. well.. or at least on paper... and just in the US. 

But well done OBAMA

DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?

The world of banking has changed....but one  thing will always remain the same the sentence

DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?

the theme is recurring and the answer to the question is always the same  

A PRICK- especially if the person in question is wearing round glasses, pinstripe suit and such a odd feature... a GOLD safety pin to hold his tie... 

the best story was obviously by same person... saying that.. the reason for the financial crisis is that banks have a back office and pay for it... clearly.... the 1m spent in useful people compensation, that's a crime, 1m to renovate an office.. totally normal... 

Nobody really important, will ever ask you that question, especially because if you are really important... they always make sure you have a name tag. 

Went to an interesting due... 

creme de la creme of banking -60 individuals- number of women 4- number of women which made it to the pub 1- guess who? well clearly only me. Number of women which were not in HR  3 - number of women which didn't work for the boss 2

What amazes me... you can be the biggest investor in the world.... and still didn't manage to learn to type with 5 fingers... 

oh well... knowledge is really something from the past... the only way of arriving to the top is and will always be one

WHO is your father, hence your surname and the university he bought your degree from, all the rest... is irrelevant. 

well need to go to work now... already late... 

Welcome to the Year of the OX

Kung Hei Fat Choi! (Happy New Year!)

Quite funny to appropriately find this picture...



A delightful evening, with paper packets, delicious food, money bags... and lots of red.



Such year as 2009 year of the earth Ox has a straight and unprejudiced nature though sometimes reveals hidden secrets without due thought, inadvertently hurt someone's feelings and offend others. It should turn out to be the prosperous year for those hard thinkers and active planners who believe in and relay on a teamwork, running own business or work independently.
Some of the favourites are Ox too... not me.. I'm a fire snake!

Barack Obama, Catherine Freeman, Heather Locklear, Jane Fonda, Jack Nicholson, Juliette Lewis, Margaret Thatcher, Meg Ryan, Meryl Streep, Princess Diana, Vivien Leigh and George Clooney.

The red envelope ("Hong Bao"), also known as lucky money (cash or check) holder, is like the Chinese wand of hope, and it often carries boundless blessings. The lucky red envelope with money inside is given out to signify good fortune and good energy, especially when the money notes are crisp new notes with fresh new "chi" energy. The amount of cash inside the red envelope is usually an even number. More here

The last time the earth Ox was seen as the ruling influence was January 29, 1949 - February 15, 1950. The world suffered a recession in late 1948 and early 1949. The world economy recovered during the year of the ox due to rational decisions and careful planning. By 1951, the recession was over. Many will be searching for a quick solution to the current economic crisis, but the ox favors a well planned, consistent path that will take more time but lay a foundation for long lasting results. The strong earth influence of this year favors a strengthening of the housing market, but risk takers will not find this year favorable. Those who look for long term benefits, have a well thought out plan and are willing to work to see results will find great success.

Baby boomers who were born the last time the brown earth Ox ruled the zodiac celebrate their 60th birthday this year. Those who are influenced by the Ox will have experienced many years of good fortune if the planning, hard work and discipline of the sign were heeded. Those who failed to plan are given a new opportunity this year. If the lessons of the past are integrated, the future brings harmony and good fortune at home and in business.

Also went to see.. Monkey Journey to the West

Despite the place was freezing it was magnificent

Ok so Xmas!

Gina was here for Xmas ...

by the arrival at the airport she knew anybody that was on the flight, she had 4 phone numbers, somebody holding her coat, somebody watching her luggage.. And.... she smuggled 35 kg of sicilian delicatessen

38 meatythings skewers

25 sicilian sausages

1    kg of mince meat

2   falsi magro ( rolled up meat with egg ham and mince)

3   massive piece of meat for broth ( in case Filippo doesn't mould the tortellini!!)

10 salami

5  kgs of parmesan

chilli jam ( very nice) 

5 jars of pistacchio powder and pesto ( the new frenzy! she has one every year- this year, pistacchio pesto, pistacchio powder to bake potatoes  etc etc etc 

anyway she was in top form

Obviously Mamma Mia ( the musical) was shit and the movie was better, at least the wonderful Streep was dancing ( despite, surely wasn't her!) 

ice skating... no... she could have broke a leg... 

and the usual... more kids presents to buy more attempt to buy carpet, to buy piece of furniture for the kitchen and blablabla

Xmas was spent with the Obers, wine was flowing, cigars were lit and food was no stop. 

Mike was nicknamed the kitty fairy, Gina wore wings and various other outfits 

but Xmas will be remembered for the horrible necklace she brought over for me

the black Santa I received as a gift, the fake snow machine inside the church at the Xmas mass ( attended for her joy by everybody) 

but least and not last the super present... from the usual friend... it's impressive... she loved it so much, she bought it in Milan, brought it to Sicily, gave it to Gina, which took it to London

and here it is.... The useful.... tool for the ultimate traveller ( apparently) 

it even says eXtra Large on the side

and you all know how tall Molly is!

Merry Xmas happy new year welcome Obama etc etc

Elo, apologies for lack of posting, but life as well as financial times can be hard on you.
I still got a job, which is impressive considering the decimation which happened in the last few days and months... and I don't even want to get into how hypocritical, false and absurd it all is... apart from obviously unfair.
I think I can summarise it with the following event. Our ex-Ceo, fired yesterday after 3 months on the job ( heavenly paid 40m$).. Fine, he "saved" us from collapse.. but he also spent 1.2m $ to refurbish his office, 80k only on a persian carpet.... and people paid less than that for a year, got fired today, young smart people, the cheapest, the future, while the idiots useless old farts are all there.
End of work- start of the weekend.
I thought I'll join the rest of the world in blogging about Obama. This is my tribute:



M is here I gonna hop.. promise I'll continue soon
I'll just leave you with a snippet of what's to come

Gina ......fly.......ing