Corners

Corners, not always a good place to be, especially when we back ourselves into one and have no escape route planned. 

Standing in a corner facing the wall, crying. Corners, not reassuring in the least. 

Wide awake at 5am contemplating corners, not a good place to be. 

Corners, emotionally stifling.

(Image from http://weheartit.com/tag/x007)

Banned Oil Ad - Amnesty International, UK

Porn the Musical

Tomorrow a Maltese produced work of art, Porn the Musical, will be shown from the 7th April to the 1st May 2010 at Theatre 503, London, UK. I saw this a few months ago and can honestly say I laughed till I cried! I had gone along just to offer moral support to a friend and ended up loving every moment of it and wishing it would never end. 
I have been told that ever since it has been fine tuned and improved. So if you happen to be passing through London at the end of this month, do not miss your chance to watch it! Break a leg Porn cast!:)

Death

 This afternoon my mind has been wrestling with the news that a dear and cherished colleague of mine passed away at a too young an age to die. After the initial shock of the sad news had passed and the mourning had set in, words were exchanged along the lines of 'he was such a vibrant person and I just cannot belief it has happened!' 

All the way home I got to thinking about how I will die. It is a dead cert that this will happen one day and I wonder how it will happen. I have not only been thinking about what I will be doing when it happens but also how I will face it. Will I cry, will I feel sorry for myself, will I be angry or sad?... Will I call out for my mother or will I beg for God's forgiveness and ask for entry to Heaven. Will I be a coward or face it chin high? 

And that got me thinking about my funeral. I have thought about it many times before. Will people come? Will they really mourn my loss? Who will sit in the back chattering away throughout the whole service?

These are unanswerable thoughts which do not give much solace... but when you think about it, are they really intended to?

The List

I've come face to face with others and my mortality this week, that's what a funeral, a dying relative and being holed up indoors for a week will do to you. 

This year will be my 33rd on God's earth and I found myself doing what would have never crossed my mind a few months ago. Instead of New Year resolutions (which I admittedly make but never write down) I found myself making a 'to do before 40' list. Not that the number 40 is the end, but I guess I chose the the figure both symbolically and so as to set a deadline I can respect.

Some of my friends already have this list, some have a travel list like the seven wonders of the world they'd like to see. I've always kind of laughed such a list off, in my regard, thinking destiny and life have already written mine so who am I to interfere. 

Well the funeral and the thought of looming death got me thinking, what if when my time comes I look back and realise I have not done half of what I wanted to. So, yes, I've written a list. It's not too long, it's not specific in the details, it may change, well hopefully it will as I get things done. 

The point is, I've learnt or reaffirmed a few things about myself. I'm not intent on seeing the wonders of the world but I do want to learn how to ride a bike and I do visualise myself on Vepsa holidays scooting around Sicily. I'd love to swim with dolphins and learn how to surf. Although upon reading some of the list I may giggle and snort, it is what I want deep down! And who am I to stop myself?

2010 is all about reaching for the stars with my feet a few millimetres off the ground.

an Ode to January Sales

                                                                                  A spot of shopping

January 2010 has started off well, amongst various resolutions of major weight loss and staying away from the booze, I also decided to indulge in the January sales.

I just came back a happy shopper, having found quite a few good deals my favorite being a red leather pair of gloves from M&S! I was lucky, due to the wickedly cold wind and rain the shops were not crowded and you could actually see and get to the clothes.

I had forgotten how therapeutic shopping could be!:)

November '09

So November 2009 has whizzed by! Between 2 trips abroad and a bought of the flu (not of the swine kind) I have stumbled upon December and I'm wondering what has happened in the meantime. Some how I've been snap happy throughout the month of November and below is a resume of my memories and lessons.

                       This is why I love living in Malta, where do you find such beautiful skies!?!

A friend of mine and I went out for dinner and I discovered Primitivo (above) and the road sign below...

                                                                        enough said...!

Moscow is tough and cold... in more ways than one could imagine

   I will definitely return to the multi- cultural city of Malmo, Sweden, although rainy it was beautiful and inspiring. Aside from Abba, Pippi long stockings and Bjorn Borg, Sweden has other great exports such as the crime story I read while there, it was a gift and is set in Malmo so I thought it appropriate. It is from the 1960s Martin Beck series "Murder at the Savoy' by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo.  I'm intrigued and hooked!

2,600+ students graduated this year from the Univ of Malta and boy have we heard every single one of them celebrating around the offices from morning till sundown... what stamina!

And on the 30th November I bought a Christmas tree which did not fit in the booth of my car and eventually did fit into the back seat with a shove and a push... It now sits in my hall with the rest of my decorations patiently awaiting the 8th December... but that is another story or blog.