Silence! on bosse

Now things are picking up, I find I have less time to dwell on, well, whatever it was I was dwelling on (pretty dresses, make up and world peace probably). It's exciting and I'm even overcoming my deep-seated phobia of picking up the phone. Progress!
The bottom line is, I like being active, but I'm not good at making sure there is always some activity going on. If nothing turns up, then I'm not going to go out of my way to chase after something, not when there are reruns of the West Wing to watch. But now, there are more pencilled in scribblings in my diary and that makes me very happy.

Plus ca change et tout et tout

I think my body needs some exercise. It's trying to tell me something anyway, and it's telling me by making me feel stiff and crap after I stay put for too long. I cannot understand it: when I run, it is certainly not an exercise in mind over body or graceful form over decrepit body parts. When I exercise, I look deranged and in no way could anyone be fooled into thinking I'm doing my physical shell any good at all. My brain though, it seems to like the airing. It enjoys the opportunity to focus without interruption on podcasts or thoughts. It wants me to be out there pounding the pavement, shattering my bones.

Today has been a day of truths. I'm good at teaching people how to use the word thriving or legacy. I'm not so good at picking up the phone and getting things sorted. I want to be better and stop having the fear of failure balancing over my head. Failure is after all not so bad once you get up close and personal, and it certainly isn't a permanent state. It's just a shame that the thing I'm good at (teaching people) is not what I want to be doing on a full time basis. I think I do know what I want to be doing, but I have a more than sneaking suspicion that because of certain life decisions (hello living in Sweden!) that's not going to happen. Still, looking on the bright side, I'm not squandering my days looking at sitcoms. Oh.

La beauté cosmétique

I think I must be going through a new teenage phase: obsession with cosmetics. After 30 years, I have finally learnt how to apply eyeshadow without looking like someone punched me in the face. After yesterday's dabbling with the paint pots, I really felt that euphoric 'yes! I can do this' feeling. It's fun and pretty harmless, but I still feel a little embarrassed about admitting to this new found pastime. I mean, aren't I a serious person? I do read books that don't have pictures in them and are mostly about history and yet here I am getting excited about products called smut and dazzlelight.
I've also developed a similar passion for nail polish, but I can't claim to have reached a eureka moment as to its application. There are streaks, and chipping occurs instantly, not helped by the fact that I cook like a toddler creating mess and spillage, death and destruction wherever I go. And that is why yesterday, after applying 3 coats of Reno Mavala nail polish, plus base and top coat, I decided I would scrub beets, peel carrots and make a pâte brisée with my ten little digits. Cue chips, dyed red fingers and smudges. I need to get to the bottom of why I bother, because apparently I'm not ready to give up.

Women of the world, untie!

I went to see Videocracy last night at Hagabion and I really feel that it's raised more questions than were answered. So the situation is this: 80% of Italians rely on TV as their single news source. Italy ranked 77th in terms of freedom of the press. The masses are being subjugated by nubile woman in various states of undress parading on game shows.

I wish the documentary had given a more rounded view of Italy's media scene, I mean, where was the opposition? Surely it wouldn't have hurt to end on a positive note of some description? The spectators in the cinema (me included) were all aghast. I feel like a whole nation has been dragged in the mud. Not saying that the picture painted is not the case, but if a film were being made depicting France as a den of iniquity, I would be quite upset.

Late last night, I read the Wikipedia entry on Silvio Berlusconi which made for highly enternaining if very alarming reading. The man is a walking gaffe! I still don't really understand how he gets away with it, although it doesn't look like anybody can come down on him like a ton of bricks when he argues that he's just a full-blooded Italian who is interested in pretty women and football.
I thought that in this day and age, I wouldn't have to be confronted with such crass chauvinism by someone who thinks that just because I have a pair of ovaries I need to be talked down to and the only thing that matters is whether I am pretty or not.

I say the audience was aghast, and they were too, but I don't want to be deluded into thinking that Sweden is a paradise of gender equality. Relatively speaking it probably is, but having lived here for a bit I can say that there is still a long way to go in terms of gender conditioning. More on that subject another time

Back to the fold

The magazine Wired has thoughtfully provided an update on modern etiquette in this digital age. I have learnt for example that it is acceptable to text in the company of others, only if you are trying to include the textee in the group activity. ok, I've taken note and it seems a reasonable rule of thumb. Equally, you are recommended to leave your wi-fi open as acts of altruism are not only good for the soul, but also helps if you're in a spot and need to piggy back on someone else's access. However, my favourite tip is this:

"Hunger and fatigue are not interesting status updates"

Says it all really.