Greys ~

No one believes that their life will turn out just kind of okay.

We all think we’re going to be great and we feel a little bit robbed when our expectations aren’t met. But sometimes expectations sell us short. Sometimes the expected simply pales in comparison to the unexpected. You got to wonder why we cling to our expectations, because the expected is just what keeps us steady. Standing. Still, the expected’s just the beginning, the unexpected is what changes our lives.

I am so looking forward to unexpected :)

Prague

So came back from Prague. Just to remind myself that i have amazing people out there in teh world, who are caring and careless at the same time. Kiya was the best host ever, wondering with me around the streets of Prague (ok, i was wondering, he actually knew where to go), even though i'm sure he'd seen it all so many times. And taking me out. Was so nice to feel that kind of friendly care :) Culturally sensitive jokes. Vodka with orange juice. Bright red shots.

Prague is cute. Very touristy, but that can be forgiven since its so cute :) i guess its fair that ppl get to come and see it, i hope they appreciate. Fun place.

Met grown up Shrek. Cought up with Augusto. All good old times :)

A long forgotten entertainment - Bar Crawling is fun.
Knedliky are still the best "prilohy" ever.
Beer is supposed to be served in 0.5l glasses.
Buildings are supposed to be pretty.
Churches supposed to be many.
Words are supposed to be funny.
Prague goes to the list of nice places on planet Earth.

My strengths (once again)

Your Top Strength
Appreciation of beauty and excellence

You notice and appreciate beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in all domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.

Your Second Strength
Gratitude

You are aware of the good things that happen to you, and you never take them for granted. Your friends and family members know that you are a grateful person because you always take the time to express your thanks.

Your Third Strength
Creativity, ingenuity, and originality

Thinking of new ways to do things is a crucial part of who you are. You are never content with doing something the conventional way if a better way is possible.

Your Fourth Strength
Fairness, equity, and justice

Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.

Your Fifth Strength
Kindness and generosity

You are kind and generous to others, and you are never too busy to do a favor. You enjoy doing good deeds for others, even if you do not know them well.

Random.

I wonder where all the randomness has gone? What happened to random me? What happened to other parts of me that hasn’t been showing for some time, but I hope not dead. So on that note, I felt like updating my blog with a random, short post.

We had a long Sunday brunch today at our place with all the cool people, which was really cool, and I just want to thank them all for all the laughs and good times :) So now I am pretty tired, and I actually now don’t feel like doing anything, so I am just wondering around online and wait for Em to get back online after grocery shopping. Good news of recent days – he is actually online sometimes, so we can chat again!! Yeeeey! I do hope we meet some time soon as well. Good times :)

Next weekend I am going to Prague to visit Viktor Kiyashko & others, not that I haven’t been in Prague before, but its been a long time, I really miss Kiya as he gives me this nice feeling of easiness and careless but quality conversations at the same time, and another thing – I just wanna go somewhere, I need a rest from Brussels/usual.

I still don’t know what to do with my life in the next year. FYI, I am looking for a place where my talents will be in use, as of February 2009 :) Not being scared, not giving up, moving forward and hopefully something is there waiting specially for me. But so far I feel stuck on cover letters writing, as inspiration is just not there…

And while being all confused – I started learning Spanish. Yup, I don’t give up, I WILL learn and speak Spanish at least on conversational level in the next half year. Tomorrow I’ll buy one of those Teach-Yourself Books/CDs/Cards (anyone can recommend which one’s the best?), but for now I am using (and can recommend for new learners) Coffee Break Spanish Podcasts here! Good luck to me.

**And another random line from a book, that made me laugh on the bus ride home this week:

“Humans are the only animal that blushes, laughs, has religion, wages war, and kisses with lips. So in away, the more you kiss with lips, the more human you are.”

Have a good Sunday evening ;)

Me n Brussels

I like Brussels. Not with tourist-first-glance kind of “like”. I didn’t meet too many people who actually like Brussels. Of course there are European capitals which are cleaner, more fashionable, richer, with better night life, with better shoe stores (had to mention :)), but Brussels is special :) It’s sort of more real, but in a nice way. Its not too clean, but that’s how people live – we are messy. It not too well taken care of, but this is how people are – they forget to take care of old things. At the end of the day – this is what makes a city: people. And people you find in Brussels are that way: they like to enjoy lying on the sun in the park, have coffee on the open terrace, they are open to different things, they accept all the things that happen in Brussels, - government issues, constant public transport strikes (people would just work from home, not a big deal), if there’s a green day – drivers really leave cars at home, they would enjoy all those crazy cultural events happening in the city - together with all the tourists... you can see things that don’t come together: graffiti on the wall of old church, homeless guy dancing to the music outside of the latino bar, it seems like people just take it easy and don’t stress about things. At the same time, not to give you the wrong impression, its not all like that - there’s perfectly “normal” around-EUcommission area as well :) There’s also a lot of quiet Belgian neighborhoods…though I gues we attract the city we like, we see what we want to see :) Sometimes I think this city is constantly living on the edge of chaos and order, and people sort of enjoy living their life in this chaordic city.

I love to walk around Brussels and notice things. Luckily there are people who are not scared of “lets go for a walk” invitation. You need sometimes to get away from usual places you go to. You can find some many strange old-stuff shops, famous antique markets, vinyl shops, second-hand book stores, funky cloths shops, hidden cafes, weird karaoke pubs :).

And then now there’s all this Autumn charm :)) And once again I am wondering if I will experience all seasons in Brussels again. Can I stay here for another year?

Summer memories: 4 days in Austria

Me - curious, confused, challenged, amazed by beauty, happy to see old and new friends, more clear, relaxed, excited.

Thank you Emmersense for an intense and amazing experience. People and conversations made me see myself in a multiple mirror, facing myself from different perspectives, coming out of it more clear on what i feel like being and doing, and with enourmous dose of inspiration and hope. Vienna amde me relaxed and comfortable..beauty is just in the air there.

Can we do it again next year?

Love Today

I just love today. Woke up at 5 on Sunday morning, when went to sleep at 2.30. Started day with sturbucks coffee in Brussels Airport, by the time the rest of city woke up i have done a lot!
And the whole relaxing day is still ahead. And the only trip outside the house i planned for today is going to Waterstones (bookstore) to do some book hunting.

The rest of the day is cleaning, reading, getting things in order, watching movies and series, being warm and drinking teas with different flavours :)

Relaxed and happy.

Last week was crazy overwelmed with work, since my manager left, my internship became a very intense and interesting experience actually. I did budgeting the whole week, while i cannot manage event my personal finance! Good stuff. But my to do list still is "to do" for next week, and there's no end to work, and I am very tired. But today Sunday. I dont want to think about it.

Still want to share my Brazil and Austria and Home memories. Will do, maybe today.

Very quite these days. Yat Wan is traveling for about 3 weeks, Stephanie is always in Sweden :), dont really have time to meet anyone, except of course Prue would get me out for dinner at Suki's :)

And the weather sucks. Cold and raining...welcome back to Brussels.

Do not take the shortcuts

Every now and then I hear from people that there are certain stages that everyone HAS to go through. Most of them of course would only recognize stages they’ve been through – in others’ lives: “Yea, I’ve been through that, but at the end of the day…” , and even when they admit that they are in a stage that would pass, they already know what it leads to. That would be something most of people recognize as the true goal of our living. (“Of course eventually I will want to settle down and have kids!”, “ this is nice & interesting, but in a year I’ll have to go work for a well-known company”..). There’s always something waiting for you there. And people do everything to show you directions – There it is – you just have to do this, and you’re there, don’t think, just trust us. No need to go through all these nonsense – take a shortcut to happiness, use public transport.

Grandmas’, parents, schoolmates is clear. They always do that. But funny enough, a lot of people who say “Do whatever you want”, “Follow your heart”, “Don’t listen to others, it’s your life” – even they add “I’ve been like you, it’s something you have to go through”, “If you have a chance – do this of course, when else would u do it?” When maybe it’s the way our life will turn a different direction. Why do we always think we know how things should be in somebody else's life? Maybe life is not like stairs where u can add as many stairs in the middle as u want, but the last stair will still lead you to the same destination. These extra steps are not extra, they are building your own way where destination is unknown yet. And therefore you cannot take shortcuts. Because in this way – shortcuts do not exist.

And it might be my own good excuse for now knowing what will happen to me even next year, but I am fine with it :) Not knowing is not something to be ashamed of. Not when you're sure you will find it out and eventually choose your own destination.