Sex and the City

A series that was first released in the US in 1998 and a winner of multiple awards and the creation of a a movie, Sex and the City is a girls best friends. Women all around the world could identify with them, 4 women young, modern, single (well, that's how they started out), beautiful women, living in New York who deal with life standing by each other, gossiping on their sex lives, travels, dreams, heartbreaks, life and finding ways to being a women in the 90s.

We each wanted to be a Carrie, a Miranda, a Charlotte and some even a Samantha Jones. 4 different characters...Let's see, first there's Carrie Bradshaw; petite writer who is fashionable and a shoe addict who is somewhat always confused and looking for love. A character that a lot of us can relate to. There there's Miranda, the red head. Career minded, workaholic and cynical in her views on relationship and men (who isn't??) but who eventually gets pregnant and becomes a mother and leads life trying to balance everything. Then we have Charlotte, sweet, optimistic, believes that love is love and not lust and last but not least we have Samantha Jones. Now she, I would shamelessly admit, is an idol. Older lot of the group, confident both sexually and emotionally but most importantly loyal to her friends. These characters bare it all among each other with honesty and openness, with no fear of being judged and looked down upon, but instead are supportive and pillars of strength to each other... true friendship.

The show has become such a hit that so many of us downloaded the entire season or even bought the DVD collection just so we can watch it again, a movie marathon weekend maybe. Some of us even took the various quiz online to see which character we reflected (I turned out to be a Miranda!). It seems to be a character analyzer to for some. A somewhat new friend once asked me, "which character are you"? and I replied "30% Carrie, 20% Charlotte, 20% Miranda and 30% Samantha"

I remember when the series was first aired here in Malaysia, many of us cleared our diaries to be home just to catch the first episode and when the movie was released, some of us even made plans to go watch it with our girlfriends. In honor of the movie, some of us wanted to get all dressed up, have a wonderful dinner and the head over to the cinema to catch the movie, all in true style of Sex and the City. My girlfriends and I were one of them. We planned and looked forward to the outing, talked about it so much but when the time came, we never did it. The exact reason why I can't remember. Maybe it was work or timing, I can't remember. I also remember, how I almost drove to Singapore to catch it with a colleague but when we found out that it was going to be censored we didn't think it would be worth the trip. We then considered flying to Hong Kong for the weekend just to watch it but again, that didn't materialize so what we did is, we got the CD from Hong Kong. A few months later once the legal CD was out, the girls and I, gathered at a girlfriends' place for a pot luck lunch (kicking her hubby out of the house) to watch it. We laughed, we teared and we connected.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, some of us have our very own "Sex and the City" in our lives but we don't realize it or we take it for granted. We may not be in New York, but we have our friends that we can rely on be it through the good times and the not so good times. We all have our Samantha's, Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte. They may not all come in fancy designer packages and we may not hang around in fancy restaurants sipping cosmopolitans, but we have them in our lives, together as a group or individually near or far. We need to remember that these are the people that will laugh and cry with us, so treasure it.

So head on out.. grab your girlfriends, your guy pal your best friend. Meet up for lunch, even if there's nothing to talk about. Just hang out...spend time together. Life's too short and in this wicked and cruel world of ours, we need as much support as we can get. Let's not life, family and commitment get in our way. Let's all have our Sex and the City moments.

Here's ending this entry with one of my favorite quote by Samantha Jones... she says this to the girls...

Samantha: I think I have monogamy... I caught it from you
Carrie: Yes, it's airbone

Right one... Wrong One.. WHICH BLOODY ONE??!!!

32 years on and I'm still asking the same question. Simple question actually and a very generic one. Be it the right shoes, right car, right gift, right man... you can't escape from asking this damm question!

In case you're wondering if this is currently bothering me, I won't lie to say that it's not! AND we've all heard the... "oohhh don't worry, you'll know when the right one comes along" or " if it feels right, it's the right one".

But hey! Like shoes and clothes.. after a while, they don't fit quite as right y'know. Shoes get worn out or they expand and don't secure your feet as it should. Dresses get tattered or out of fashion or worse! A woment's biggest nightmare.. TOO TIGHT! So what happens with "the right one"? Does it wear out too? Does it also become tattered?

So my next question is; How would I know if he/she/it is the right one for me? I guess we don't. It's one question that doesn't have a straight answer. It's a question just like the black hole or the bermuda triangle. A mystery that can never be answered with a single answer. For a lot of people out there it's timing, to some it's luck while to the other's... it's fate. I believe in fate. I believe that our lives are determined by the big chief up there, but I also know that you need to work to make things work. But sometimes you work so hard, you pray harder and you hope even bigger, the answers just never come to you. Maybe it does and you're just not listening or maybe even the answer is not what you're looking for that you ignore it and still ask for answers. So tell me now: How do we know? How do we know that this will last forever and won't wear out? I guess, we'll never know and it's a risk, a gamble that we all take.

But when all is at wits end... no ones says it better than Mr Big (from Sex and the City- The movie)..."That's why you need a diamond... to seal the deal"

 

My first official follower!

I'm still trying to get a hang of this entire new world of blogging. I'll take my time, there's no rush.
I recently put up a question on my facebook page asking friends on what their opinion was on me starting a blog. Here is what some of them had to say :

Dlia Zarsadias

Its fun! Its expressive..

Cheah Chun Kit

yes !! go for it !!

Jonathan Joseph

As long as they're not self indulgent, I'm all for them!

I must thank them for their opinion. I've also received comments from MM (my chocolate demon) who says "I will read forever"! which made my day and my night ;-)) *beijos*. But I'm excited! I have my first official follower! Sergio. My George Clooney...My King.... my "flatulant" friend.

Sergio or Doc as I sometimes call him, is a great friend. We met through to what some will call unconventional means but to most, it's the way of the future... we met online. Since January, we've exchange notes on our native language. He teaches me Portuguese while I help him with his English. To think that we've only known each other only for the past 9 and half months, but it seems like we've been friends forever! It's amazing what technology can do! Webcams, mics and with skype and google talk and msn... friendships can be formed no matter how far each other maybe. To think that Doc was the first person I turned too when I was stuck in a bit of a rut a couple of months back.. In tears I talked to him and he with a 13 hour time difference, stood by me and helped me get through it...

Our daily routine consists of talking to each other online for at least a couple of hours per week, he teaching me new words in Portugeuse and I nudging him along with his, rather good english speaking skills. We've both come along way, in both our language and friendship. I sense when he's having a bad day and he knows when I'm having a bad day. His dedication to his work, his intelligence and his passion and determination in improving his english amazes me and I salute that in him.

It is also from him that I leart how the people of Brazil are warm and loving people... Having met his friends, talked to them, his mum, his wife.... I must say, they are what you read. In my course of doing my research on Brazil... I came across interesting articles on the life of Brazillians and their behaviour. "Friendly, outgoing, warm, outgoing, love to dance and love for life...." are just some of the words that describe them and it's something that I don't deny.

So in this article! I dedicate to my friend... Sergio...

Wanting to See the World....

In the words of J.R.R Tolkien

"Not all who

wander are lost"

Since I was a kid, I've always wanted to see the world. Thanks to mum and dad who when I was no more than 4 years old, saved up their money to get us our very first Encyclopaedia collectio

n. I remember vaguely... 12 sets ranging from Cities around the world to buildings, science, space... gosh you name it and it was all there. I was often intrigued and remember even back then, I dreamt and imagined being inside the pages and standing next to the buildings. I think I actually

pictured myself being inside the Hanging Gardens of Babylon...

Many of us have dreams of travel, everyone want's to see the world, get on a plane, experience new things, boast about being in a foreign land, to seek new adventures... whatever the reasons maybe it's in all of us. To some, travelling to somewhere far is a luxury that one may not afford, and I admit, it's not something that everyone can afford... but to those who can almost make it, travelling is not about being luxurious but instead its an adventure. If you're young and adventurous... forget Monaco and Casino Royale and 5 star accommodation... think youth hostels, budget travel, packed sandwiches for lunch, taking free walking tours.. there's so much to go by with and it doesn't require a whole load of money. Heck, even if you are planning on local holidays.. plan ahead..thanks to Air Asia, now everyone can fly.. plan and book early. Easier said then done

though. I for one should talk! But let's leave that for another entry.

My dream was to have travelled to at least most of the continents by the time I reach 30, but now at the age of 32, I've only done I guess 4% of the world. Well, I guess it's better than nothing right? Wanting to experience the culture, the food to talk the talk and to walk the walk... knowing the locals... the history. My passion for travel is so deep that I took Spanish and French in University, just so that when I travel I could mix with the locals!

My dream is to head back to Europe this time to spend more time travelling to Spain, Italy, Rome, Vatican City and of course Portugal.... where my family is originated. Israel, Jerusalem, Egypt, French Polynesia, Hawaii..... those will have to wait, 'cos for now my biggest dream is to head to Brazil.

I've prepared for this trip and I now eat, sleep, drive, dream and talk Brazil. I've been taking up the language (thought not very good eu nao falor mais portuguese) thanks to some very good friends online who have been so kind to share their language with me, their lives and their families. Warm as they are, they have told me so much about their lives and their country that I feel that I've lived in it! My heart is there. I've read, I've researched, I've planned. Now all I need is to find the date and the time and of course my ticket in hand. Time seem to past so slowly and I look forward to the day that I head to the airport to make my journey....

Meus amigos de Sao Paulo; Sergio, Felipe & MM e meu amigo de Minas; Everthon...

Eu estou ansiosa pela minha viagem ao Brazil.

Again a quote from a travel page I read.. "Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins

Starting Out...What is a Blog?

Today is day one of my blog. Why am I starting this, I don't know. I won't lie to say that I've never thought about it, in fact I remember my first attempt being back in 1997, when I was a student at University. Then there was a few other attempts.. or should I say failed attempts. Many reasons. Sheer laziness! and along with the other excuses of " No Time, No Inspiration.. bla bla bla"....

I've read a few blogs and snickered at some of them while a lot of others I found to be entertaining, thought provoking and some just comical. There are many reasons why one writes a blog and there is no right or wrong answer. It's a great way to send news and keep loved ones updated on what you're up too (sure beats writing everyone emails of updates and happenings, but these days with Facebook, Twitter and stuff, who needs to write emails?). But I also think that it's great therapy. I DO! Sometimes writing your thoughts down, keeps you in a sane frame of mind, nobody is asking you to bare your soul to the world wide web but just enough to feel good, if not for yourself but for others.

Anyways, moving forward. Why I decided to start? Well, a good buddy of mine from Brazil (who I might add I've never met but we've talked and chatted so often, it feels like we know each other well enough to be classified as friends) told me just now that I should and well... HERE I AM! What the contents will be, I don't know, I guess I'll talk a lot of my travels, my observations, my thoughts and maybe too my dreams...

To Everthon:

Obrigada, meu amigo :D

I shall end this post with a quote..... Confucius says " To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right."