Industrial Monsters

At the beginning of this week I emigrated to a place without a computer or internet. There was a TV though, unfortunately. Everything would have been fine if not for the TV, which drew me in its hell of a flashing screen pretty often, and the pitiable non-thickness of the walls of the place that I inhabited. My so needed peace and quiet was often disturbed by the civilization (which hardly deserves the word) of shouty people and hideously shrieking-barking tiny bat-like doggies.

All in all I am not complaining and I half wish I could have stayed there longer, but I do need people around me, so I am now back in my usual ambience. It was a nice week for me. I did a lot of walking and taking photographs. It was a lovely lonely week that I needed. And I re-discovered how beautiful cities can be. The industrial sceneries have always been a pleasure for me, no denying that, but during this week, I kind of fell in love with them all over again. Oh well, I am a city girl after all.

Kinsfolk get-together

I spent half a day yesterday to get ready, curling my hair, cutting my nails, putting my make-up on, getting dressed, packing pressents and getting flowers and being nervous about being late or something going wrong. Everything went fine, however. The place was crowded and, although all of them were relatives of some kind to me, I barely knew the names of half the people there. I realized that maybe I should finally get educated about them. I might stalk right past them on the street without exchanging greetings or realizing that it was someone I know.

However that may be, I had fun. I enjoyed the food (almonds roasted in honey and my Grandmother's made strawberry cake), the drinks (some kind of weird foreign juice which was made from no-one-knew-what and red wine), the company (older cousins and sister with boyfriends) and the entertainment (the mini billiards, pool or whatever that is called and loud 70s - 80s music).

My biggest joy was that I actually looked fantastic, which one might expect after spending such an amount of time of getting ready, right? Don't get me wrong, I looked perfectly natural and myself and there was no make-up flying in every direction after my sligthest move. The most of the time went on my hair, as usually, and deciding what to wear, as usually. Of course my stunning red suede stilettos was the main part of my outfit.

Now, I sound all arrogant and stuck up, but, hey, I think I have the right to be that way from time to time. At least, I have given myself that privilege.

The only thing I hate about parties is that you seem to forget yourself and the next morning you have to return to reality with all that's adherent - messy room, homework, waking up early and no red suede shoes. And then I feel like the cat did in the party - I want to hide away and sleep and I want everyone and everything to go away. I just want to be lazy.

Little Things

I still might be lost when it comes to weather, but there is definitely spring in my home. Radishes, onions, spinach, and even potatoes are greening. And what's most importantly, my wild strawberries are finally beginning to look like strawberries. I don't think I'll ever see actual berries there, but I mustn't succumb to the pesimism.

Apart from vegetables and green goods my room is also full with daffodils and tulips. Ah, I just love them. It is surprising how those little things can lift one's spirits. I feel I could take thousands of pictures of them, but of course, no picture will ever show them in their true beauty.

The weather, of course, is typical March, no wonder I rather wanted to sleep through it. I don't even want to leave home, seeing what's going on outside the window. But, the duty calls! So I wrap myself in warm clothes and go. I must say, I was afraid I'd get stuck in that mash that's dominating the streets. Thankfully, I'm back in warmth and drought and can indulge in my dreams about spring.

I'm not trying too hard

Several weeks ago I bought the March issue of my favorite magazine ELLE. I am informing you now that I am obsessed with those big fat shiny fashion magazines where you can drool over things you'll most likely never have.

So, anyway, as the ''hot label'' they have named APC. This is what they write:

''Oh how we love simple, classic clothes with unmistakably Parisian DNA - APC is a prime example. Founded by designer Jean Touitou in 1986, the collections have a cult following due to their minimalist cool that gives a subtle, ''I'm not trying too hard'' vibe.''

Oh yes, we do love. I almost squealed when I visited their homepage apc.fr. When it comes to dressing up I guess I agree with, ''less is more'' or ''simple is genius'' or whatever else may apply to this. APC clothes and accessories have a little of that oh-so-alluring retro feeling. I think my favorites are the leopard-print flat t-bars and the pink shorts. Of course, the absolutely gorgeous model with hair to die for, helps me to fall in love with the label ever so easily.

Where to buy? APC is available at net-a-porter.com, Liberty and Selfridges, as well as their own apc.fr.

Brilliant Quotes

Please don't insult our intelligence.
/Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling/

If I sounded mad, I'm sorry. I was just excited.
/Paul Sheldon in Misery by Stephen King/

Why, I fell all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread.
/Bilbo Baggins in The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien/

All I ask is that you do every little thing that pops into my head, while I enjoy the enormous fortune your parents left behind.
/Count Olaf in A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket/

Thud, thud, thud, riderless black horse with red eyes coming down the halls of his mind, ironshod hooves digging up soft gray clods of brain tissue, leaving hoofprints to fill up with mystic crescents of blood.
/Firestarter by Stephen King/

She looked inside memory and saw chickens exploding like horrible living fireworks.
/Firestarter by Stephen King/

Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.
/Shakespeare/

When a man is rich, he becomes bad.
When a woman is bad, she becomes rich.
/A Chinese saying/

I do love knitting patterns.
/Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling/

I'm a bitch when I want to be.
/Chuck Bass in Gossip Girl/

You're a glorified envelope licker.
/Alan Rickman as John Gissing in The Search for John Gissing/

Tact is for people who aren't witty enough to be sarcastic.
/?/

Feeling - what authentic human fun!

/Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay/

Wine is sunlight, held together by water.
/Galileo Gallilei/

By gum, don't I just wish I was big enough to punch you in the head.
/Digory Kirke in The Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis/

Act your age, not your shoe size.
/Dakota Fanning as Lorraine ''Ray'' Schleine in Uptown Girls/

I can't imagine anyone with a British accent riding a rollercoaster.
/Jimmy Kimmel to Alan Rickman/

You'll always fail because your soul is dead.
/Alan Rickman as Grigori Rasputin in Rasputin/

Cut the crap. I know a threat when I hear one.
/Jim Carrey/

A writer is a man who has taught his mind to misbehave.
/Oscar Wilde/

I feel my brain doesn't work in heels.
/Jade Jagger/

Bitches get stuff done.
/Tina Fey/

Brand New Playground

Finally, after more than two years on my shelf, the Microsoft Digital Image Pro 10, gets the honour to be installed on my computer. I can't actually believe all the funny things one can do there. There are options like Transparency, Distort, Filters, Change Hue, Diffuse Glow, etc. etc. My favorite is the Filters option, where you can add a different look to a photo, like chalk, crayons, boiling bubbles, charcoal, film grain, fossil, glass and other weird rubbish. So, you can guess what I've been doing today. Yes, playing. Just a little though.

Baby Kitten Funeral

It seems unbelievable that such a tiny little creature might die from an insult, caused by stress, which was the verdict of the veterinary.

Well, thank heavens it was not my cat, or I'd be depressed to madness. It's sad nevertheless. He did not even really have a name yet.

Blurry Summer Dreams

Waking up today, I discovered that my headache was back full force. Another one of those bright pink pills for me! I'm feeling dazed all day. I had to miss out the book exhibition because of that. Damn, and I so hoped to purchase some nice big, shiny book full of colorful pictures. A book about China or Astronomy would have done nicely. Oh well, there's always the next year.

Instead, I spent a day at home, reading, trying to study and thinking about how fast time goes by. It seems like just yesterday I graduated high school, just yesterday started university, just yesterday ripped the Christmas presents open. And look, March is already here. One blink of an eye and real spring will arrive, followed by a dazzling summer of swimming and travelling and partying. Well, at least for some people.

I'll most likely spend time indoors, trying to hide from the infectious rays of Sun and trying to educate myself with something that interests me more than the governmental system of Saudi Arabia. Or even more likely, I'll escape to the countryside where I can educate myself under an apple-tree rather than on a synthetic fibre carpet.

Though I believe I will be distracted from any kind of education, by the wondrous forest lake. Which is not a bad thing either. I think I could soak in the water all day if only I'd be allowed. Swimming is something I just can't get enough of. I'm not speaking of those chlorine-water-filled holes in certain establishments, of course. Those make my eyes become sore and my skin shrink. Not a big pleasure at all.

I would very much like to travel to Spain or England, or my beloved Austria, or anywhere else for that matter, this summer too. At least that was a part of my summer plan before the crisis hit us all. Considering that, my summer plans and dreams still remain blurry. Who knows what heights the economical crisis will have soared to by those months.