A B*E*T*T*E*R VERSION

LYRICS here

Me and Santa

... I got my favorite sweets, perfume, official calendar, mug and even a small Santa on a sledge, not to mention a revolutionary picture, so I guess I've been very good this year :)Oh, if you wonder about getting any books, well, I bought them all myself!!! Care to know the list? :) How about you? Were you good this year? What did Santa bring you?

Idiom Connection 4

PADDLE YOUR OWN CANOE (if you paddle your own canoe, you do things for yourself without outside help)
A PAPER TIGER (used for a person, country, institution, etc, that looks powerful, but is actually weak)
PIE IN THE SKY (if an idea or scheme is pie in the sky, it is utterly impractical)
A PIPE DREAM (a dream that is unrealistic)
PLAY HOOKY (if people play hooky, they don't attend school when they should and don't have a valid reason for their absence)

Santa Claus is Coming to Town...

The Show is Over, the Queen is Still the Queen!

Madonna ended last night her world tour of 4 months "Sticky and Sweet". I was part of it directly, on the 9th of September (jeez, what a night that was!!!) and indirectly, following on her best sites all her moves (both literally and metaphorically). The tour is now considered "the Number One Largest Grossing Tour in History by a Solo Artist" (hip hip hooray). Regardless of what others might say, this tour kicked a*s! Thanks M, we love you!

What Comic Character/ Animal Are You?

You can take the quizzes (and plenty more) here

My Favorite Christmas Story

TWO ANGELS IN BRAZIL
By Paulo Coelho

According to an old, well-know legend, whose origins are uncertain, a week before Christmas, Michael the Archangel asked his angels to visit Earth; he wanted to know whether everything was ready for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. He sent them out in pairs, always one older angel and one younger one, so that he might obtain a broader picture of what was going on in Christendom.
One of these pairs was allotted Brazil, where they arrived late at night. Since they had nowhere to sleep, the took shelter in one of the great mansions which are to be found in certain parts of Rio de Janeiro.
The owner of the house, a nobleman on the verge of bankruptcy (something which happens to many people in that city, by the way), was a devout Catholic, and quickly recognized the celestial envoys, with their golden halos above their heads. But he was very busy making preparations for a great feast to celebrate Christmas, and didn’t want to disturb the decorations, which were almost all in place, so he asked them to sleep in the cellar.
Although the cards celebrating Christmas always carry illustrations with falling snow, in Brazil the date falls in the middle of summer; so the place where the angels were sent was scorching hot, and the air - which was very humid - was practically unbreathable. They lay down on the hard ground, but before starting their prayers, the older angel noticed a crack in the wall. He stood up and fixed it using divine powers, and returned to his evening prayers. The heat was so great, it was as if they spent the night in hell itself.
They slept terribly, but had to fulfill the mission which had been entrusted to them by God. The following day, they walked about the great city - with its 12 million inhabitants, its beaches and mountains, its contrasts, its beautiful landscapes and miserable neighborhoods. They wrote their reports, and when night began to fall again, they journeyed into the countryside. Still confused by the time difference, they again found themselves with nowhere to sleep.
They knocked on the door of a humble house, and the door was opened by a couple. Since they had never had access to the medieval engravings portraying God’s messengers, they didn’t recognize the two pilgrims - but seeing that they needed shelter, the house was put at their entire disposal. The couple made dinner, introduced the angels to their newborn child, and offered them their own bedroom, apologizing that they were poor, that it was so hot but they hadn’t the money to buy an air conditioning unit.
When they awoke the following day, they found the couple in floods of tears. Their only possession, a cow which gave the family milk, cheese and sustenance, had been found dead in the field. They bid the pilgrims farewell, ashamed that they were unable to offer them breakfast.
As they wandered along the dirt track, the younger angel was filled with rage:
- I cannot understand such behavior! The first man had everything he needed, and nevertheless you helped him. But this poor couple who received us so well, you did nothing to relieve their suffering!
- Things are not what they seem - said the older angel. - When we were in that awful cellar, I noticed there was much gold hidden in the wall of the mansion, left there by a previous owner. The crack was exposing part of the treasure, and I resolved to hide it again, because the owner of the house did not know how to help those in need.
“Yesterday, as we slept in the bed the couple had provided for us, I noticed a third guest had arrived: the angel of death. He had been sent to take the child, but since I have known him for many years, I was able to convince him to take the life of the cow instead.”
“Remember the day which is about the be celebrated: since people value appearances so greatly, no one wanted to take Mary in. But the shepherds protected her, and because of this, they were rewarded and were the first to contemplate the smile of the Savior of the World.”

Worth Seeing

ELEGY: for the sadness that runs through, for Penelope's acting, for being one of the movies that actually moves you into being more of who you really are and less of what the others want you to be.

MONSIEUR IBRAHIM: for a time when time had a different meaning and the first kiss was never thought to be an ordinary act. For the power of words and love.

Remembering summer

All summer she scattered the daisy leaves;
They only mocked her as they fell.
She said: "The daisy but deceives;
'He loves me not,' 'he loves me will,'
One story no two daisies tell.
Ah foolish heart, which waits and grieves
Under the daisy's mocking spell."

Helen Hunt Jackson

One little, two little, three little Indians...

The stars of tomorrow :)

If it's Tuesday, then it's cheer up day!

A Different C*O*S*T*E*L

SOOOOOO FUNNY!

Incredible!

Idiom Connection 3

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT (used to emphasise the importance of a good diet as a key to good health)
YOU CAN CATCH MORE FLIES WITH HONEY THAN WITH VINEGAR (This means that it is easier to persuade people if you use polite arguments and flattery than if you are confrontational)
YOU COULD HAVE KNOCKED ME DOWN WITH A FEATHER (used to mean that the person was very shocked or surprised)

I was there...

This picture really makes me want to visit Brussels again. What a pity there are so many places to visit and not enough time!

Harta şcolilor riscante

Părinţii vor putea afla de pe Internet dacă şcoala la care vor să-şi înscrie copiii are profesori calificaţi sau dacă elevii de acolo au rezultate bune.
Fiecare Şcoală va fi evaluată şi notată în funcţie de gradele de risc de către Agenţia Română pentru Asigurarea Calităţii în Învăţământul Preuniversitar (ARACIP). Astfel, o şcoală intră pe Harta riscului educaţional dacă are abandon şcolar, rezultate proaste la examene, profesori slab pregătiţi sau dacă rata de angajare a absolvenţilor este mică. Toate acestea vor fi introduse pe Internet, în cadrul proiectului „Dezvoltarea sistemului de management şi de asigurare a calităţii în învăţământul preuniversitar românesc”, care este finanţat cu aproximativ 5 milioane de euro din fonduri europene. Site-ul şcolilor cu risc va fi accesibil de la începutul lunii decembrie 2009. (E NEVOIE DE ATATIA BANI PENTRU UN ASTFEL DE PROGRAM???? )

„Un factor de risc este, de exemplu, nivelul de educaţie al părinţilor.S-a demonstrat ştiinţific că acei copii care provin din familii educate au şanse mult mai mari să aibă rezultate bune la şcoală”, explică Şerban Iosifescu, preşedintele Agenţiei de Asigurare a Calităţii. (DOMNUL ASTA UITA CA MARII INTELECTUALI AI TARII PROVIN DIN FAMILII DE TARANI SAU CARE NU AU AVUT O SITUATIE MATERIALA FOARTE BUNA...)

În evaluare se vor lua în consideraţie şi numărul de absenţe. „Şi cele motivate, şi cele nemotivate vor fi numărate. De exemplu, dacă sunt multe motivate vom verifica şi cauzele. Poate elevul a avut probleme de sănătate, dar se poate să nu dea doi bani pe şcoală. Părinţii de la sate de-abia aşteaptă să nu le placă şcoala copiilor, ca să-i pună la muncă”, spune preşedintele ARACIP.(CATE STIE OMU' ASTA... SIGUR LUCREAZA IN SISTEM - PE NAIBA - CEI DE LA TARA NU MAI STIU CUM SA-SI TRIMITA COPIII LA ORAS, MAI MULT SAU MAI PUTIN CA SA INVETE, SI E FIRESC, AVAND IN VEDERE CUM ARATA, DIN PACATE, SATELE ROMANESTI).

In love with Dorothy

Oh, both my shoes are shiny new,
And pristine is my hat;
My dress is 1922....
My life is all like that.

Hara Forever

Un album "dureros de dulce". Cu fiecare album Hara ocupa un loc si mai mare in sufletul meu.
"Noaptea, departe, ploua stele numai pentru noi doi..."

Twilight

Am castigat cartea la un concurs online si, din curiozitate, am citit-o. E o lectura facila, actiunea de multe ori taraganata, dar e ok pentru cei care nu vor prea multa filosofie sau pur si simplu au luat o pauza :). Sa speram ca celelalte parti vor fi un pic mai interesante (Girl falls in love with vampire, what's next?). P.S. Tocmai a aparut ecranizarea in State. O asteptam si la noi.

Idiom Connection 2

AHEAD OF THE PACK (If you are ahead of the pack, you have made more progress than your rivals.)
ALL HEART (Someone who is all heart is very kind and generous.)
ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME (This means that there can be many different ways of doing something.)

A Masterpiece

Nu sunt mare fana a actritei, dar a facut un rol remarcabil. Un film ce nu merita a fi pierdut.

Blogical Thoughts 3

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

Write, for example, 'The night is starry
and the stars are blue and shiver in the distance.'

The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
~ Pablo Neruda

Turtles...

A terrorist walks into a pet shop and says:
"I have a bomb on me and you have 30 seconds to leave this place."
Every animal rushes out, while the turtle goes: "Are you kidding me?"

International Volunteer Day 5th December

La Multi Ani celor care au fost, sunt si poate vor fi voluntari! Nu e un lucru usor, cere timp si dedicatie, dar la fel ca si alte lucruri ce merita a fi facute, aduce multe recompense. Ramane ca voi sa vreti sa le descoperiti.

My Poison

M's latest photo shoot for Vuitton. Fabulous is the word.

Idiom Connection

Pentru cei pentru care engleza inseamna mai mult decat "whaz up nigga'?", am sa postez, din cand in cand, ca sa nu stresez, cateva expresii (idioms). Iata doua dintre ele:

A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS (used as a way of asking someone what they are thinking about).
A PROBLEM SHARED IS A PROBLEM HALVED (if you talk about your problems, it will make you feel better).

Tongue-in-cheek!

Blogical Thoughts 2

Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. ~William Jennings Bryant

Aqua alta in Venice

Venezia e sub ape. Nivelul apelor a crescut cu 156 de centimetri datorita ploilor, la care s-a adaugat mareea. Cei care au trecut pe acolo si au fost vrajiti de un loc unic in lume stiu ce pierd, daca guvernul italian nu se misca si mai repede pentru a crea acel baraj despre care se tot vorbeste de cativa ani incoace. Dar oare Venezia mai poate fi salvata avand in vedere ca nivelul marii creste in continuu? Desi se afla in patrimoniul mondial din 1987, iata ca in fiecare an nivelul apei este si mai mare, cauzand pagube imense infrastructurii si nimic concret inca nu se face. Pacat!