I have the coolest sister EVER!

Yesterday, I finally got home after a long and stressful day. Needless to say, I was feeling very angry and depressed by the day's events. I walk into my room, and I found stuff my sister had sent to me laid out on my bed. I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning, opening up one bag/box after another and loving each and every item I uncovered.

Thank you sis, even from so far away you know how to cheer me up!

I love you!

xoxo

On technology taking over lives

This is a video showing a one year old girl attempting to use a magazine as she would an Ipad. I think that this may yet be one of the sadest things I have seen yet. Technology is there to add to our life, to make it easier and simpler, not to take away from it. If technology is affecting a child that young now, what will they do when they are all grown up? Technology has somehow replaced parks, painting, story time, bicycle rides and so much more. So sad...

Idealist

So, I took this test that measures ones personality type. Apparently, I am an idealist. Although I agree with most of what it states, I don't like these generic tests. They are just like horoscopes, general and could apply to anyone. Anyhow, here is what it says about moi:

Your Keirsey Temperament Sorter Results indicates that your personality type is that of the Idealists, as a temperament, are passionately concerned with personal growth and development. Idealists strive to discover who they are and how they can become their best possible self -- always this quest for self-knowledge and self-improvement drives their imagination. And they want to help others make the journey. Idealists are naturally drawn to working with people, and whether in education or counseling, in social services or personnel work, in journalism or the ministry, they are gifted at helping others find their way in life, often inspiring them to grow as individuals and to fulfill their potentials. Idealists are sure that friendly cooperation is the best way for people to achieve their goals. Conflict and confrontation upset them because they seem to put up angry barriers between people. Idealists dream of creating harmonious, even caring personal relations, and they have a unique talent for helping people get along with each other and work together for the good of all. Such interpersonal harmony might be a romantic ideal, but then Idealists are incurable romantics who prefer to focus on what might be, rather than what is. The real, practical world is only a starting place for Idealists; they believe that life is filled with possibilities waiting to be realized, rich with meanings calling out to be understood. This idea of a mystical or spiritual dimension to life, the "not visible" or the "not yet" that can only be known through intuition or by a leap of faith, is far more important to Idealists than the world of material things. Highly ethical in their actions, Idealists hold themselves to a strict standard of personal integrity. They must be true to themselves and to others, and they can be quite hard on themselves when they are dishonest, or when they are false or insincere. More often, however, Idealists are the very soul of kindness. Particularly in their personal relationships, Idealists are without question filled with love and good will. They believe in giving of themselves to help others; they cherish a few warm, sensitive friendships; they strive for a special rapport with their children; and in marriage they wish to find a "soulmate," someone with whom they can bond emotionally and spiritually, sharing their deepest feelings and their complex inner worlds. Idealists are relatively rare, making up no more than 15 to 20 percent of the population. But their ability to inspire people with their enthusiasm and their idealism has given them influence far beyond their numbers. Idealists at Work Idealists, as a temperament, are passionately concerned with personal growth and development. They are naturally drawn to working with people and are gifted with helping others find their way in life, often inspiring them to grow as individuals and to fulfill their potential both on, and off, the job. Your attention is naturally drawn to the individual and collective needs, desires, and experiences of people in your environment. In your ideal job, you would be able to use your inner beliefs as a guide for empowering others. Though you are comfortable with leadership, you don’t like arbitrary hierarchies. You care deeply about people as people, and often feel that maintaining official role boundaries interferes unnecessarily with both communication and progress. From here

Wondering which book to read?

This website has an interactive guide NPR's list of top 100 sci-fi and fantasy books.

It is awesome. Of course, If you would go through the WHOLE chart, then who am I to spoil your fun?

Enjoy, my dears and darlings, for "winter is coming and fire consumes while ice preserves."
(Get it? I am a Song Of Ice and Fire Geek ;) )

Via The Geekologie

Whoosh

I love Cyanide and Happiness. They always put a smile on my face

From Here.

Simple things

When your day doesn't go according to plan; when you find yourself feeling very blue; when you would rather curl into a black hole than talk to anyone, here are a few simple things to remember:

Randomly picked From Here

Big Bang

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Earth and its two moons theory

No one can explain it better or in a more humorous way, that is why I shall leave it to the pros: Geekologie!

Prove It!: The Earth Used To Have Two Moons - Geekologie

P.S. loving the "little splat" theory :)

Invisible man

From Damn!LOL

Time: Frozen

I just came back from a wonderful almost 2-month holiday in Canada. I had a wonderful time visiting my sister and spending time with my niece and my nephew. They have grown up so much since I last saw them in December. The saddest thing about not living in the same country or city as them is that you miss out on a lot of their growing up, and they do grow up fast. It is like their tiny little bodies are supercharged or something.

I also got to spend some time in my favorite city of all-time: Montreal. I spent good times with great company and I will not even complain about the heat wave that passed. Montreal's beauty more than makes up for anything and everything. What can I say, this is true love for me.

Being back here in my own house and my own room is weird. It is just too quiet, too bland. You suddenly and quickly slip back into lazy-mode and life loses that touch of happiness it possessed just a few days ago. Over here, it is a whole new different ball-game that I will not go into right now as I am jet-lagged and just tired. Plus, I've whined about it too many times before already. Now who wants me to just repeat myself- yet again?

All in all, it was great catching up with family and old friends. The best thing was how easy it was to just slip back effortlessly into the life one once led. Meeting people went back to being effortless, almost natural. Meeting up with friends was the best. It was like time stood still for those few months or years, waiting for you to just pick up and continue right where you stopped. There were no awkward silences to be filled, no major catching up to do. Again, it was so effortless. I miss how easy laughter came, good times were had and good company was found.

Anyway, I will spare you the late night walk down memory lane, and instead I shall leave you with some random pictures taken while there.

downtown Montreal

This is what happens when you take pictures after chugging Sangrias all day.

Trapeze show/tryouts during Montreal's Cirque Festival

Old Port

An interesting addition to any bathroom ;)

Another interesting addition. Art found randomly in the streets is probably the best thing about Montreal

The alley where I tried my hand at riding a bike for the first time in 15+ years. It was Epic!

Even at 3:am on a Saturday night, people were still using bicycles to commute

Random guy posing in the picture

Quick, find Bambi!

Too hot to move, even for a lioness

Umm... Excuse me but, you have two baboons on your car... thought you should know.

dirigin dirigin

This was visiting the ladies room and then decided to shake its booty on the wall. VERY interesting sight to behold...

"No comment?!"

This zebra was dying for its 15 min of fame

their tiny tails were going right and left, right and left. So cute!

So these pics are from Montreal, and some from a Safari trip we took in Hamilton. The kids were psyched, and I must admit, so was I :)

Thank you family and friends for a wonderful time and great memories. Love you all mucho mucho.