Street Fighting.

Well, we had our back to school kung fu reunion party last night. Loads of wine and fun and laughter. Loads of moments where we thought, hmm, should maybe not have said that. But, that is what british bonding is about. Some wine, some food, some drinking games (mafia anyone?), and some other elicit activities.

I continue to fight my own battle, that of not being attracted to my instructor [WCI, aka Neo]. It is hard, as he is gorgeous. But even more so because he has a lovely soul. He is a good guy. But, as of this moment it is not going to be. Although, I can now believe it myself when I say I think he fancies me. One, he sat by me loads. Two, he flirted loads. Three, he asked me what I looked for in men. Four, when we were talking about these silly playboy cards, and he said, well, I like the one with the girl in heels, and then he looks at me and says, I have seen you in heels. [Well, well, he remembers.]

If I score myself in terms of things that I wish I had not have said, I can say I wish I had not whinged about Americans, City blokes, told them the story of me pulling a shotgun on someone, blabbing in general about why I am single (after being asked the annoying question, but my head was too fuzzy to respond with brevity).

WCI and I had this conversation where he was asking about me dating. He said, wow, so you go on proper dates. And I say yes, here and there. And he says oh I have not done that in a while,and I start laughing and say well Neo, who's fault is that? All you have to do is ask someone, and there you go. After all I am not asking these guys out. Then he asked me what I looked for in guys, said he bet I was quite finicky. Analysis?

It turns out he is single!! My friends and I had been betting on this. I said yes single, other girls kindly said if he was you would have pulled him by now. Also, I think that was about keeping my expectations low. Ummm, yeah right. Anyhew, apparently, the last break up did not go well and she was really mean and lashed out. This upset him and he said he has felt a bit shy about starting to look again. Interesting because he is saying that he is afraid of hurting someone again. But if I were to go pop therapist on him, I would say he has lost faith in himself relating to his judgement and that is putting him off.

Interestingly, the very cool chick who takes privately from WCI, and is married with kids, is not happily married. I think interesting because on the surface she has it all, and has it all together. It demonstrates how easily we make assumptions of well being and happiness from material things. It also reaffirms my stereotype of City blokes being general jerks. Selfish, lazy and egotalitarian.

On the negative side, WCI saw me inebriated, the host flirted with me voraciously to the annoyance of his lovely girlfriend. I can tell that my cool NBF likes WCI. And I think I wound up the co-instructor about having a girlfriend ish person for a period of 8 years, probably to his annoyance. I think I said something like, what is the point of that? That was probably the tip of the iceberg, knowing my memory.
I do know that WCI and co instructor drove a group of us home. I was praying that I was last in the car. So that I could try to pull WCI. I think the law of unanswered prayers worked in my favour though. I did not wake up with him next to me, in awkward silence. I was second to last.

the art of wiki

I am addicted to Wikipedia. The only time I found it unable to answer my cry of help I am an idiot get me out of here was when, pursuing a line of thought we had at my trip to France to Kristen's family's place, we wondered, as you do after 3 bottles of finest French, whether the pool noodle could be found in wikipedia.
It can't .
But, off and on today, it has responded to my call and assisted me in becoming an more enlightened being. I heart Wikipedia because always without fail after using it I am a smarter better person able to do pub qiuzes just a bit better.
I bet Alex Trabek, the robot, hates Wikipedia.
So today, I know more about Formula 1, the Book of the Dead, Wahhabiism, Church of Christ, Eastern Orthodoxy, and hedgehogs.

lots of accidents

It was an accident. Shouted the news about Jonbenet's supposed murder. Apparently he is saying that he accidentally strangled her. Ummm. I see. A paedophile accidentally killed his paedo victim. Yar, that goes down with me. He is even sicker if he is being outspoken to be in the limelight.

This story was The Sensational Story for about a decade. A scandalous unsolved murder of a tiny, fairy like beauty queen in Colorado. Loads of fodder for speculation. What kind of mother lives vicariously through her child to place her in that baby pageant crap? [side note, go see Little Miss Sunshine, a tribute using hilarious symbolism to the state of Americana dysfunctionalism, a story of trying to cope with not being shiny happy people and realising that it only exists in photos and magazines. And they make a farce of little miss beauty pageants.]

This Jonbenet Ramsey story was the beginning of weird looks and rumours where the state of Colorado was concerned. Then came Columbine. What was going on in this state? Thank goodness Southpark was made to restore a sense of balance, and answer questions.

so moving along,
I realised, that if you are attune to it, you can determine when a bloke is chatting you up to make a move on you, and when he is being conversational on friendly terms. It was at the wine tasting my last night in Los Angeles, at Silver Lake Wine. Where the lead from Entourage, the latest HBO show craze (probably hitting the UK next year, watch out for it, it sizzles) showed up. But two guys talked to C and I. And both of us had the same comment about them. That one was looking for action and the other was just a genuine chatty guy without agenda. Note to blokes, the pants agenda is transparent.

I found out the next day as I was with my parents in the Albuquerque airport, picking up my sister who arrived just after us, on our way to the wedding in Santa Fe, that coincidentally she had been in LA that week too. Thanks mom, for telling us. But it is an indication of how much sis and I chat. And, the previous night I had thought how much the uber hipster area reminded me of her. It turns out that with heightened coincidence, that night she was down the street from me doing the wine tasting, in the same area, drinking and playing pool. The gods are so funny.

Recently I also found her myspace page. It was odd reading it, seeing sides of my sister, a person with dark and light sides under her sleek family persona. She probably would be just as amused and whoa'd if she read this blog.

When I was at the wedding reception, I drank copious amounts of red wine. Mysteriously, this action altered my memory somewhat. The next day I realised that I did not remember getting to my room. That has never happened.. I woke up thinking, I can't believe that guy shunned my advances (referring to friend of groom's) which must have met I hit on him [oops], my parents asked if I left the reception much later after them (uhh, no, went to bed shortly thereafter…[ruh-roh]), and then dad say's why didn't you tell us earlier you were seeing someone…oops. I told them I was seeing M! me and my wine slackened mouth. Perhaps I briefly entered the dark side, pulled in by the romantic aint life grand ambience woven by the many happy couples at the wedding. Look, I have a man too! EEEK. I let myself down. Not because I am seeing someone, but that you shouldn't let other people push you to prioritising it or making it a status symbol in order to be accepted.

Speaking of, he visits me from Portsmouth tonight. We have not seen each other in a month, but have been communicating regularly. So, the pause button is off, the play button is on, and we shall see. As my friend in LA said, about my thoughts on my relationship with him, your heart says one thing and your mind says another. I wonder if this is due to my personality, or does it almost necessarily come with age, learning from others, and copious dating experience.

The Power of Myth

Crete

If you have ever wanted to go to Crete as a holiday destination, I urge you to go. I cannot vouch for the resorts, and it might not be the best place for children, but for relatively unburdened people it is spectacular. The independence and hospitality of the people shine through the typical veil that covers the indigenous population when dealing with outsiders. The countryside is diverse and stunning. The culture effectively reflects its very ancient history and the various cultures that have infused Crete with their icons as well. African, Arab, Greek, and Venetian, but also the core Crete peoples, descended possibly from the Minoans, the epitome of civilisation five thousand years ago.

R and I has highlights and hi's and lows. The trip emotionally can be characterised like a see saw. Everything was fine as we landed into Crete. Our rental car pulled up. I noticed that the man was very unfriendly, not even offering to help us with our bags. Humph! I almost got lippy. But then looked into the petit vehicle, and noticed something that made me even more unhappy. We were given a manual, not automatic car. Then R realised that she left the entire envelope from the travel agency on the plane. Not good.

Eventually, whilst she was yelling on the phone, I canvassed the agencies at the tiny Hiraklion airport, and found one automatic car available. For hire at an exorbitant price. When we were already supposed to have paid for one. Thank you Amex. So several hours later, we were driving on the dark, poorly signed, let me repeat poorly lit, roads into a village supposedly 2 hours away. Try three.

I must stop here; I am being overwhelmed my memories strongly imbued with the scents of the wild herbs and olive trees, and the sea. The first night I was back I was cognizant of missing the goat bells and peppered dog barks. In the future I want to document the three fantastic meals that I had whilst there, describe the key meeting of the Musicians, and how they dedicated a song to us at the village concert, went to secret beaches, made the best vinaigrette ever out of Cretan Diet olive oil and lemons from the tree outside my door, almost died crossing the island on the little roads carved into the mountains, was hit on by a Serbian army captain whilst he made us flaming honey&vodka shots, became blonde and tan.

hipster

i am in los angeles. the week leading up to my departure from the uk went well - i managed to use the system against itself, and work from home one of those scorching days, and go to a meeting out of the office for which i took all day off, but the Vodafone meeting only lasted half a day.

the heat of london and the need for a holiday were so intense that i found myself on the verge of tears, make it stop tears, several times. i was really glad to get on the airconned plane even if it was steerage.

my stop over in nyc allowed me to segue into primal america with ease, and thanks to a stellar and inexpensive pedicure, with a little style too.

i thought i would be attracted to la more than i am. i have had a fun time. i have seen a play (with david hyde pierce), gone to shi shi bars, a trendy restaruant, a hipster - the slang word to use- divey cafe, tanned myself on rooftop pools....all relaxing and fun and luxurious. I do appreciate that i am getting to see some La spots anddots [myfriend's computer's space button...not working....annoying...] that other tourists do not, because my two friends are here. one is lawyer and writer living in beverly hills, the other a starving actress in echo park, an area of la that begs a red hot chili peppars song to be played to its landscape. cheap and chic, downtown, posh 90210 and the echoes, i have seen a panoply of people. i have seen some celebrities, but no one with massive name power, just smaller niche celebs, thusi won't name them because it would be analousto me reading heat and thinking whoare these people??

but i want to get back to europe. i miss its history, and density of culture, and less hurried life. my friends rush around and do everything. visiting america is fun, but it does not resonatewith me the way england does.

a family wedding this weekend, and then off to crete, for which i am really excited. whereasefor this trip i packed some stylin outfits, sunscreen, face and hair masques, some mags and a wine bottle opener will be the primary travellingcompanions.

and when i get back, i am going to have to do a 10 k in 3 weeks. urps.