Eating Less Is More?

Humanity has been searching for the fountain of youth and longevity since the beginning of time. Naturally, eating less generally helps with maintaining a healthy weight. Some studies have shown that reducing caloric intake can improve health and possibly lengthen life span. Now an experiment in Germany indicates it can also increase memory in elderly.

Makes you wonder if religious-based fasts were intended to increase retention of doctrinal teachings, particularly for those followers who traditionally were not literate.

Happy (and memorable) Lent!

Relajar

Hola. This week I am on vacation in Mexico. Even though O and I planned on hiking, exploring a cenote, and snorkelling, I think we are just going to do nothing but morning yoga on the beach, swimming, and sunning/reading.

Sliders

This is a pretty interesting picture. See if you can find the guy flipping off the camera and those that know they're being photographed.

No Leftover Recipe: Stuffed Zucchini (Among Other Things)

M's 30th birthday was last night, so a bunch of us had brunch and then hit the Met. Given times are slim, we decided to cook instead of get dinner out. In addition to my mom's honey chicken recipe (family secret), I whipped up Yukon Gold and yam home fries and this zucchini recipe. Yes, it's Rachael Ray. From past experience, she either has good concept recipes that require very slight tweaks, or they just suck. This one probably needed slightly less liquid in the filling, but everyone devoured it. Happy Dirty 30!

Road Warrior

In the mothership's enduring wisdom, it's not enough to condense three work trips into one. The trip must be as short as humanly possible. However, what they neglect to consider in the great southern land is that North America has horrendous weather from December through April, and it fouls up travel coming and going (literally). Let's hope I make it out of this itinerary alive and on time:

tomorrow morning: Calgary
tomorrow night - Saturday evening: Vancouver
Saturday night - Monday night: LA
[red eye flight, hope I get upgraded]
Tuesday morning - Wednesday evening: Chicago

The Breakup Cycle

Lately it has seemed that many of my loved ones' relationships have fallen to pieces. In Chinese numerology, eight is an indicator of change, so maybe the preceding year had something to do with it. From my experience and observation of others, something like the Kübler-Ross grief cycle comes into play. As a public service to those of you out there struggling with the death of a love affair, marriage, or anything in between, here is what to expect:

• Denial that the end has taken place, perhaps with some hope that things will mend (although this doesn't always surface). It is tempting to try to hang on for dear life, but chances are you are merely grasping for the accoutrements that come with being partnered - triple dates, regular phone calls and emails, mutual friendships. Just let it go. Those people you met who are genuine will stay friends with you, and you can always establish these patterns with new people. In other words, good icing is not worth spreading over bad cake.
  
• Depression over the loss of "the good times" and rehashing what could and couldn't have been done better on your part to make the relationship work. This is inevitable yet unrealistic, as relationships either work or they don't. Granted everything worth anything in life requires effort and care to maintain, it is unfair to place the burden of a relationship's resuscitation solely on yourself. A steady diet of Haagen Dazs, booze, and a playlist with Cher, Gloria Gaynor, Alanis Morrissette, and Kelly Clarkson on repeat will help alleviate this affliction, with possible side effects of bitterness and tighter jeans.
  
• Bargaining with friends and family who, as it turned out, tolerated the significant other's presence while secretly deeming them a cheapskate/cold fish/douchebag/albatross/louse/worm/annoyance/wet blanket, you get the picture...As much as we want the truth, in the words of Jack Nicholson, when we are in the thick of it we generally can't handle it.
  
• Anger when it finally hits you that he/she was cheating/lying/neglectful/hypercritical/hypocritical/boring/backstabbing/impotent/lazy/parasitic/abusive/[another unfavorable adjective] and that time was wasted ignoring these characteristics. This is amplified if the bastard left you for a banshee or skank resembling a d-list reality has-been. Channel this negative emotion into hitting the gym hard, volunteering for a good cause, even cleaning out your living quarters. Never ever ever contact them. The best revenge is a lack of concern for their existence, tied for first with looking effing smashing.
  
• Acceptance that you are better off without and that it is time yet again to plunge into the dating pool, even though the though may evoke the Polar Bear Club dashing into the frigid Atlantic waters on New Years Day. This is absolutely necessary to be able to move on sans major baggage, even if you start by dipping your toes in, then wade around for a little while and acclimate. It is more fun just to cannonball in. However, DO NOT expect a lack of spark to "grow on you". If there's nothing there within two to three dates, go with your gut (a la Malcolm Gladwell) and avoid overanalysis, cut your losses and move on. A roll in the hay or two for its own sake is healthy, but don't forget the latex and visual inspection!
  
  To this, I will add one more:
  
• Partial or complete amnesia that said assignation or partnership ever occurred. This is expected after meeting someone new who completely and utterly knocks your socks off and whose abundance of redeeming qualities makes you forget the past hurt and pain.
  
  

Happy coupling! ;)

No-Leftover Recipe: Creamy Pesto

For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed cooking. It's difficult preparing meals for one, particularly eating the same meal several times, so often I will invite friends to join me. Over the year, my goal is to find at least 1-2 recipes a month that are eaten in one shot, without sending any home with the guests.

Since I had basil in my fridge, I felt inspired to pulverize it into a pesto, even though it's a bit out of season. The nutty garlicky flavor is somewhat comforting, but I wanted to take the edge off a bit. Enter cream. A bunch of supermarket basil is enough for at least two batches of this sauce, so I made it this twice, once as a Happy New Year/Congratulations dinner for my friend T and is new fiancee, and the second time as a post-spinning repast with my gym buddy M. On both occasions, there were no (Barilla Plus for health) rotelle left in my massive pasta bowl. Therefore, I think this qualifies nicely as a No-Leftover Recipe.

Half-and-half is a fine substitute (and eliminates some fat and calories), and for a lighter sauce, leave out the parmesan while whisking the pesto into the boiled cream. Buon appetito!

(Even eating a half pound of pasta, I still have prominent collarbones now. Guess the triathlon training has been effective.)

Everything Old is New Again

Hey Knight Rider fans! Now you can get a KITT GPS to tell you when to make that next right turn. What's next? A tablet PC a la Penny's computer book (from Inspector Gadget)??

If You're Gonna Dance, Dance!

Can you believe I've been jotting down my adventures and random thoughts for over five years now! It's hard for me to fathom that much time has passed since I was in Oman swekking and experiencing a completely different way of life. In some ways, not much has changed about me; life has meandered and taken some interesting turns here and there. On the flipside, I think my mindset is very different than when I first started typing away, even in this year. I can't say that I am unhappy or unsatisfied, as I have achieved many of my goals and then some. Are there still some things I want to accomplish? Of course! This year I really want to finish the NYC Triathlon and unlock some of my pent-up creativity, not to mention undertaking some more adventures. Naturally, I'd like to find someone to come along with me for the ride. However, I regret nothing and don't feel like I could have done more in my time on earth thus far. Too many people fall into a trap of measuring themselves against a skewed ruler or coveting someone else's "success" without remembering that others may have faced their own challenges to arrive at a good point.

2008 definitely was challenging on many levels, and I'm glad it's over. Not so much to put the rough times behind us, but to also appreciate the lessons learned from the struggles. Earlier this year, I aimed to have a hot date on New Years Eve. Schlepping all the way to Sydney for what was then an indeterminate amount of time threw a wrench in that mix, but in the end, I had more fun this year sans date than I have in the past three previous years. For the first NYE in a while, I danced. A lot. Everywhere we went. With many people. There's something about dancing that is so liberating and enjoyable, it doesn't matter if you misstep or lose the rhythm. It doesn't matter if others don't really know what they're doing either. It's infectious and gets others going, even if they just laughed or smiled. After a while, it seeps in and radiates throughout all your limbs, and you just go with it. In a word, it was fun! And even though I didn't have a hot date going into the evening, I still got my midnight smooch...

There's an old Italian saying my bisnonna used to impart on her grandchildren - "if you're going to dance, dance!" Meaning, do things whole-heartedly, give it all you got. I'm proud to say, Meme, I'm giving life everything I have, and the payback has been great.

Here's to giving 2009 our best shot. Happy New Year!

Another One Bites the Dust

Upon arriving home from Australia, all tan and warm, not only am I greeted by snow/slush/rain, but also a padlock on the door of one of my favorite neighborhood cafes. Munch Cafe, a recent press darling in Time Out and AM New York, is gone. According to the owner, flooding that remained unaddressed by the co-op board or the building managing agent forced the place to shutter. While service was a tad slow, it made damn good coffee and was very friendly. I do hope it reopens again somewhere else on Yellowstone.

Sydney vs. Melbourne

To an outsider, it seems that there is a pretty strong rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne. Residents I met in both towns enjoyed slagging off the other city. I'm not sure there is a similar tension in the US between LA and NYC. To clear the air for those of you who have never even set foot on the great southern land, here are my unbiased observations. Please note I have spent a combined total of 14 weeks in Sydney while only 3 days in Melbourne.

Attitude
Overall, Aussies are quite laidback, very west coast without much of the flakiness. Sydney definitely seems exciting yet chill (SoCal) while Melbourne was more cool and bustling (European?) People seemed to move around a bit faster in the main business district, akin to what I'm used to in New York, whereas Sydney's CBD can be crowded but still not as fast-paced.

Weather
Four seasons in one day in Melbourne? Sydney wins this hands-down, although the weather until around the time I left was pretty bleak for the time of year. I also much preferred the beaches in Sydney to the one I trekked to in Melbourne (St. Kilda).

Food
This one is a tough call. One of the major points of contention between residents of these two locales is whose chow is better. I have eaten at tons of restaurants in Sydney, but much fewer in Melbourne, so it's hard for me to compare. Coffee is superb in both places, it kicks the ass of any Starbucks. No wonder they are all shuttering throughout Oz.

Culture
Melbourne takes this one. Besides the fact that most of the people I talked to in Sydney reminisced about theatergoing in Melbourne, the street art is amazing. You can wander the laneways and find great surprises around every corner. A fave of mine is in what I think is Union Alley, where above the grafitti are a series of chimes that ring at random depending on the wind. Sydney is too spiffy to pull that off.

Men
I knew you were going to ask. The views are great in both cities. To be brutally honest, men in Sydney are all talk and no walk and my hunting expeditions for two-legged animals left me very disappointed. Melbournians, on the other hand, seemed much better at delivering the goods.

In short? I'd visit both cities again, for different reasons. My first Australian love is Sydney, and nothing beats being thisclose to some of the best beaches and outdoor activities in the world. Melbourne is still unexplored territory for me, and I'd love to go back and uncover more of its rich heritage (and maybe some of the locals).

I'm really going to miss this place :'(

Surf's Up

You might think I'm crazy, but today I took surfing lessons. It's quite tricky, especially when the waves just aren't very high. However, I managed to get enough practice to stand on the board and ride it all the way to the shore. Woo hoo! It's such a rush, I'm hooked!

G'day!

It's amazing how quickly things can change. Who knew I'd be back in Oz in time for the good weather? Economic conditions notwithstanding, there's heaps to do here and not much going on back home. It's been a bit windy and rainy, but not that I'm complaining, I'll take 60 degree weather over 30-degree (Fahrenheit) any day :).

Given my freedom, naturally I have been taking a lot of flak about meeting an Aussie and, at the very least, having a good roll. Even a woman I met on a flight a little while ago said something along the lines of, "Y'know, you're going to meet someone there and get married and maybe not come back to the States." As I told her, to quote my mum, from her lips to God's ears. Sydney is a great place for this type of quest, as there are friggin smoking hot men everywhere, all different types. So, of course, whose eye do I catch but a bloke ... in town on business ... from Toronto. Well, it's a start.

Who's Second-Class Now?

To those of you in finance who would pooh-pooh my "second-class, support staff" IT management job:

F*ck you very much for entangling every bank in derivatives, mortgage securities, credit default swaps, naked short sells, and God knows what else you probably didn't even understand. As a result, you have proceeded to grind almost every country's economy (except Iraq's) to a halt, reduce the stock exchanges to amusement park rides, and ensure that thousands of baby-boomers now have to work at least five more years before retiring. Hope you enjoyed your black cars, "team-building conferences" in posh locales, and bottle service while they lasted. Do you sweat out every arrival praying the building security are not waiting to escort you right back out? Even worse, how does it feel to wait for your paltry unemployment check (relative to your bloated salary) while you search for yet another soul-sucking produce-nothing job? Sorry that the rest of the population isn't commiserating with you. By the by, I still have my "second-class" job, at the same salary, and I'm headed to sunnier climes for an undefined period of time on business.

Karma's a bitch, ain't it?

Would You Let This Guy Adjust Your Back?

What's wrong with this picture?

... being fluent in Spanish, he traveled to Brazil; giving the gift of chiropractic to hundreds of underprivileged people.

a) Underprivileged people may need medicine and clean water more than spine adjustments.
b) They speak Portuguese in Brazil.
c) All of the above

Still can't believe I actually dated this friggin dumbass for as long as I did.

How to Avoid Sounding Like a Pretentious Ass About Books

Generally, I find people who overuse big words to be annoying and arrogant. It would be a fun game to scream really loud every time someone finds a large word in an article or in a speech, like during Pee Wee's Playhouse. Even though this posting is six months old, it still resonates (oops! did I use a big word? AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!), especially because I read quite a bit, and I often read reviews on books before I crack them open.

Those Who Ignore HIstory Are Doomed to Repeat It -Santayana

So I started talking to someone new. Does this sound familiar?

- (half-Italian, half-)Jewish
- grew up in Bergen County (but moved to FL for high school)
- Ivy grad (not Cornell)
- works for a hedge fund

What in the name of God am I doing?!

Say It Ain't So!

Scrabulous has been shut down on Facebook. Apparently the decision was from the Scrabulous camp, not Facebook. Down with Hasbro!!! Sniff sniff, one less way to procrastinate...

Prick Alert: SF Bay Area

Is this guy for real? I received the initial MP3 whose friend is a friend of Olga. The YouTube video that goes along with the voicemail is amusing. If this is what I have to look forward to in the world of dating, I'm entering a convent.

I Like You Just The Way You Are

Open Letter to Ivanka Trump

Dear Ivanka,

What are you thinking, girl? Convert to Orthodox Judaism?! What does your dad have to say about this? I have nothing against Judaism or any faith for that matter, but you should think twice about taking such a big step as taking on another religion. As someone who has been in a few interfaith relationships, as well as having seen the relative success of multi-faith relationships versus ones where a partner converts, I discourage you for the following reasons:

• You will be living a lie. Unless you come to a faith of your own volition and belief, you are not being true to yourself and what you really feel.
  
• The uber-righteous will never accept your conversion and recognize you as a full-fledged member of the "tribe". In countries where Islam and sharia law are observed, women who convert and then divorce their husbands are cast out of the family and lose custody of their children altogether. This applies particularly in communities where your faith is part of your genealogical heritage. In fact, some religions do not allow or recognize converts and shun those who marry them. I doubt your Kushner would-be in-laws would do this, but what about the broader congregation?
  
• Children need examples of "different" people getting along. There is so much hatred and bloodshed over which book to accept as the ultimate word of God. Set an example for your progeny. Instead of falling in line and being like Daddy, stick to your roots and focus on the shared core values that embody decent human beings. Expose them to two philosophies. Allowing them to think for themselves will empower them to be more critical as they grow up.
  
• What about Christmas?! Granted, I am not a huge fan of the commercialism and pressure around the holidays, I enjoy decorating and sharing meals with my family and loved ones. Christmas can be a huge sticking point with non-Christians because of the drive to have an identity that doesn't revolve around Santa and the baby Jesus. Some people don't care and enjoy celebrating it, but others can be militantly opposed to any expression of holiday cheer.
  
• Is Jared Kushner worth it? Really, you've already broken up once for whatever reason. In my opinion, changing who you are for a spouse can cause resentment down the track. There are millions of heterosexual men who would have you just as you are. If he's not brave enough to be with you as-is, he sucks, move on.
  

Think about it sweetie. You already own half the world, you deserve the best.