ra-ra-rawww

there's always a first time. my first visit to a raw food restaurant - the only raw food restaurant in Riga (as far as I know). it was.... interesting. and "interesting" is not entirely a camouflaged "inedible" this time. on the side of friendly catch up chat I had a gazpacho. I expected something red ant tomato-loaded. it was green. a cucumber mush with a sprinkle of sun dried tomatoes, walnuts and some cut up vegetables - sad little pieces of cucumber and tomato. while the tomatoes and nuts lasted it was quite ok, but the green ... should I say "soup".... on its own - not my cup of tea. the bread (dried, not baked) was rather tasty, and the dessert was surprisingly delicious - cold, sweet, with mango slices. mmm. that I could actually order again some time. if I ever go there again that is.

the age of sleep

they always say that you get less sleepy as you get older. even some people of 40 (!) say "you know, I don't need that much sleep longer, I get up earlier now, I sort of wish I could sleep more"
I usually joke about it and wonder when that "age" will come for me. because now it seems that I live in a continuous age of sleep, an era of cruel mornings, endless alarm snoozing and rushed make up. as I am getting older, it only gets worse, my nights are later and later, and mornings more and more difficult. as a kid, I used to be able to roll out of bed on Sunday mornings around 8 or 9 to watch some fairy tale films or cartoons, I took my blanket with me to the tv-sofa, snuggled up, and half slept through the movie. where did I get the motivation... now my weekend mornings don't start until past 11, if I don't have some earlier obligations. and I mean Obligations, that cannot be brushed off. world seems to function according to early risers and morning is the time when i most painfully realize that I am a creature of the night.

via weheartit

the tricky thing is to get used to '12. a new number, a new 365 366 days to live, enjoy, succeed in or gloriously fuck up, 366 days to work hard, play harder, chill softly and just be alive in. 

frankly, I don't really understand the hype about new beginnings and resolutions. my resolutions appear and are being cancelled on each, every and any calendar day of the year. but even I can succumb to pressure, after all there are certain things you are supposed to do - watch Irony of Fate on the telly, which is briefly interrupted by President's speech and fireworks. 

This New Year, however, was a bit different for me. I had of course watches fireworks by our freedom lady, but I had never had champagne right there on the spot. I have never gone on a pub/club crawling tour afterwards either. It was fun and different. And made me revisit and re-appreciate my usual way of life.

So - no resolutions, no lists, my life is far too determined by deadlines and schedules as it is. Just some agreements that have to be kept and above all a promise to self. to be.

one woman's struggle with Dior - or - getting the executive groove on

We go way back - Copenhagen and I, we've been casual about it, infatuated, giving each other the silent treatment, falling desperately into each others arms, you know, the lot. I have always had that "butterflies in the tummy" feeling when getting ready for a date with Copenhagen, I have been obsessing and plotting agendas. this weekend date however  was all fun, no clingy thoughts, no demands "like me, want me, desire me Copenhagen, I did my make up just for you". instead I did my make up for me, for me only, and we had a date, just had some fun, some chai latte and it was good. a date when you just relax and enjoy the feeling of everything just being as it has to be. because you are destined for each other, no agendas, no checklists, just being in the moment. Copenhagen took me by the hand and smiled its wickedly charming smile.

from here

and what do you do after a good date? yes, you go berserk in the duty free shopping area at the airport. or at least I did. now I am a proud owner of Clinique "eye definition" set and a set of Dior miniatures - delightful little buggers, as on the picture. 

I do love miniature perfumes, even though you have to risk it - sometimes some of the little bottles are not meant to be opened. luckily, after some struggling, I managed to open and sniff all 5 of the little Diors, they all smell as they should (isn't that lucky). some of these will now be my executive perfumes, for times when I need all the executive attitude I can get, like tomorrow. back to work, back into the groove. groove on!

in a few hours I will get into a green car and be off to RIX. there is no agenda this time, but I know I will ache. just a little. like people who want children ache when they look at a toddler. but having no agenda makes it a bit easier, it welcomes pleasant surprises. I have just decided to be. just like that.

this, Idun, is the Internet!

two boys, an electric drill and a roll of optical cable at Idun's place? that can only mean one thing - I have entered the land of brand new, swooosh, hold on to your hats, I-cannot-believe-how-fast-this-is Internet. and treated myself to a new browser too, busy busy day. 

a still from IT Crowd, season 3 episode 4

   but wait! that's not all - I (the person who has never really gotten the point of all the tweet madness, and is still somewhat puzzled) have joined the evergrowing tweeting community. I don't know how often I will tweet and I certainly hope I'm not becoming a twit by doing that. there's a pun right there, hah! but without further ado, let me document - I am now on twitter. or rather the garden is on twitter. I have to confess - this happened because I read someplace that tweeting about your blog (or blogging about your tweets? retweeting your blog posts? posting your tweets? confused!) should make your blog better, whatever that entails. it brings your blog to the public, gives you a channel of interaction with your community etc etc. well, for someone who is reluctant to call her garden a blog in the first place this is a huge leap.
   I am not sure of most of the terms used in that blog improvement article. there's the paradox with blogging - although I do enjoy the process of writing, the pressure of definition, stats hunt and all that is just too much. and too little, curiously. why blog if you don't want anyone to read it? obviously, if you want to keep things secret you write in a notebook protected by a heart shaped padlock. some online writers have even called it hypocrisy when people say that they blog for themselves. logically enough, if you publish, you intend for your publications to be read.
I don't think writing for oneself and for others is incompatible, in fact I believe that even writing for others you write first of all for yourself. but where do I stand on this, with tweets and all? a proper blog-blog is like a drawing pinned on the board - see, I made this! I am more of a -this is what I draw, take a look if you want to- sort of person. therefore not a "proper blogger" in my understanding, just exploring my blog as I write. and you can join me if you like. tweet tweet!

back.....on track?

back in Riga. the 15 degrees after constant +30 in Central Europe felt like a breath of fresh air (also literally) upon my arrival on Wednesday afternoon. a great week of intense laughter, conversations, hard core sightseeing and eating gelato like there's no tomorrow (seriously, is there such a thing as too much gelato, especially at +30?); followed by two days of doing nothing, a Friday evening cinema and high aspirations for the week to come (yeah, right!)

the infamous last week before vacation, the countdown has begun. and it doesn't have anything to do with hating ones work, because I quite love mine. at some point you just feel that everyone (first and foremost yourself) will be better off when you have recharged and gotten away a bit.

the vacation now seems like a bottomless bucket of raspberries. mmm.

say something nautical, dear

two weeks from now I will be somewhere else. also geographically. and although I will not be traveling  by sea, "ship ohoy" is the best phrase I can think of that would sum up my feeling s about it. Indian summer, a far away land and the company of a good friend. I have a lot to look forward to.

watermelons, raindrops and contentment

Today was a half crazy day at work, too little sleep, too much pressure and  slightly more chit chat that I like to take with my daily cup of vitamin B "ready for work". but on the way home a revelation occured to me - I still have about 1/3 of a watermelon in my fridge at home. and believe it or not, watermelon is a great remedy on a day like this, when everything is fine and ok, yet something gnaws from within, a bruised ego voices itself and that little bat of frustration flaps its wings merrily by your ear. yes, I had some watermelon, finished some writing, took a nap et voilá! a whole new person.

too rainy today to take any pictures ouside, so - the choice is obvious.

watermelons found here

watermelon. watermelon stands for contentment, refreshed senses and that little something that makes one bite one's lip. just a tad.





seen here

Information overload today (do I still have to call it "information" if it's just a load of crap?) the picture speaks for itself, and yes, even goddesses sometimes use the BS word. 

I didn't mean to be bitter or cranky or ungrateful today, but some of my frustration has to get out somehow. besides, the kitty is adorable. I wish I could remain so resolutely disdainful when I feel cluttered by all the bullshit one sometimes has to take. maybe I will make this a flashcard for truly bs-overload situations, who knows.

anyhow, the weekend is here, and I have longed for it so. to tell the truth, I don't feel poetic or exciting today, just tired, with  acrylic paint on my fingers and a bunch of practical decisions to be made. rather mundane really. yet surprisingly content and slightly determined.

no deep thoughts today, just chillin'.