os dias

30 may 2013

Steve, Eliane, Lucas, Kalina em `retrato de um domingo feliz`

Os dias por aqui tem passado meio como eu gosto, meio como eu posso. 

Sábado passado, 25 de maio, vim para a universidade e trabalhei até 7.20 da noite. Depois fui jantar no Crown Inn de novo, dessa vez com a Eli [chilena], e a Hanadi [arabe]. De novo comi Caesar salad. Tava bom. O papo foi ótimo; como sempre, em torno de diferenças e semelhanças culturais [os encontros e as descobertas] e a vida acadêmica. Essas conversas são sempre uma troca interessante e muito rica. E nos despedimos. E segui meu caminho, fugindo da chuvinha, tão inglesa e pontual.

O domingo foi maravilhoso. Passei o dia na casa dos primos Eliane & Steve. Conversamos um bocado, sobre hobbies, e sobre coisas da vida . . . 

O dia tava lindo, muito lindo. Parecia um verão aberto, com o sol brilhando, com a brisa da primavera friinha, mas bem suportável. 

O Lucas, que tá estudando na Universidade de Oxford, chegou para as férias de verão.  Conversamos um bocado sobre a vida dele na universidade, perspectivas de futuro, atividades físicas e seus infinitos benefícios, falamos mais especificamente sobre jiu jitsu e sobre pilates, estudos, e tal e coisa. O pobe tava tentando assistir a corrida de formula um e eu buzinando conversa nele. Mas foi super super legal. Depois ele deu uma geral rápida na grama do jardim, que ficou mais lindo ainda. Passamos o dia inteiro praqui e prali pela casa e fora dela, fazendo uma coisa e outra, e rindo, e curtindo, curtindo de montão o luxo de um dia de paz. No final do dia cumade Eliane fez um jantar sensacional pra gente.

Peguei uma carona da casa da cumade Eliane e comecei a trabalhar muito cedo, 7 da manhã, na segunda-feira, que foi feriado. Aqui a grandissíssima maioria dos feriados acontece numa segunda-feira, e é chamado de ‘bank holiday’. Resolvi ficar em casa e priorizar organização de assuntos pessoais e de casa. Lavei roupa, várias peças delicadas e ou de cor, e as estendi, pela primeira vez, no varal do quintal, para aproveitar mais um dia lindo de verão, com sol brilhante e um vento bom para alegrar a gente. Lavei roupa, passei roupa, arrumei cozinha, banheiro, organizei um monte de coisas e roupas que estavam amontoadas e as coloquei no lugar certo, e assisti um pouco de tv. 

Ah, escutei música o dia inteiro. Deixei um rádio ligado na cozinha e liguei outro no andar de cima, para acalentar meu dia. Adoro música, e música como companhia é sensacional. Sempre que conheço a música canto junto com o rádio. Parei o serviço para dançar quando tocou “all that she wants”, da banda Ace of Base. Foi super super relaxante. Tenta aí sambar essa canção. Eu fiz e adorei. E agora lembrei que um dia, enquanto organizava uns papéis na sala de aula, me distraí e cantarolei essa ‘all that she wants’ hehehe. Foi muito legal porque um aluno que estava ali perto de mim riu e disse: ‘essa banda é ótima, não é?’ rimos juntos e meu ato falho / de descuido caiu no perdão da paixão compartilhada. 

No final do dia de segunda-feira eu estava toda quebrada, com dor no corpo e de cabeça, por outras questões. A terça-feira ignorou a primavera e trouxe o inverno molhado de volta e eu fiquei em casa de novo, porque ainda estava me sentindo mal. Passei grande parte da manhã na cama; de tarde consegui ler um pouco e responder alguns emails. 

Ontem, quarta-feira, teve chuvinha insistente e temperatura baixa. Passei o dia inteiro na universidade, trabalhando. Hoje, quinta-feira, cheguei chego e tô no batente. Fazia 12.5 graus hoje de manhã cedo, com chuvinha fina, obrigada. Daqui a pouco, às 12:00hs, tenho encontro com minha orientadora.

Mas hoje meu pensamento e meu coração estão alhures, no tropical Brasil, na Teresina, exatamente.  Vamos esperar e torcer por um dia com resultados felizes.

Post: Chef Morena: vegetais assados e tal

25 may 2013

 

vegetais assados

Essa semana eu queri a fazer uns vegetais, mas queria também evitar usar mais de uma panela. Só usei dois vegetais, mas você pode variar bastante o que vai usar / assar. Se eu tivesse alho em casa teria botado uns dentes, soltos, ainda na casca, para assar junto com os vegetais. Depois os descascaria e nhac nhac tudo junto.  A receita para esse prato ficou bem simples e achamos deliciosa. Resolvi tentar uma idéia assim:

Ingredientes

250 gramas de cogumelos frescos

2 cenouras médias

Sal, pimenta, tomilho, noz moscada e uns fios de azeite para temperar e fazer uma película de proteção para os vegetais não queimarem no forno.

Pronto, tudo misturado numa vasilha ou num pirex, transferi os vegetais para uma assadeira e levei ao forno por uns 15 – 20 minutos mais ou menos, e tava pronto. Comemos com um assado de carne de porco e batatas douradas, mas acho que vai bem com qualquer coisa. Em cima de um arroz bem quentinho, hummm.

e tal

Ontem trabalhei aqui no escritório da uni até quase 6 da tarde. Depois fui jantar num pub aqui perto com uma amiga, o Crown Inn. Foi muito legal terminar o dia com papo bom, uma deliciosa salada tipo Caesar, antecipadas por nachos apimentados, e rever um povo que sempre frequenta esse pub, sempre lotado com gente da universidade. Voltei pra casa 8 da noite embaixo de pingos gélidos de uma chuva fina, vento forte e um frio grande.

Hoje tô aqui de novo na universidade. Estão aplicando hoje prova de IELTS, uma prova de proficiência de língua inglesa aqui no campus; por isso encontrei algumas pessoas quando cheguei. Estamos no final do período letivo, com alunos fazendo provas finais, e isso representa uma biblioteca no campus principal – Highfield – impraticável, com um monte de gente estudante em todos os cantos, mas aqui no campus onde eu estudo o fim de semana é sempre mais tranquilo. Estão aqui no escritorio hoje, além de mim, uma menina da Arábia Suadita, que faz doutorado em linguística aplicada, como eu, e o Zubair, do Paquistão, que faz doutorado em cinema. Eli, uma menina chilena, disse que vai chegar mais tarde.

Já faz mais ou menos duas horas que tô aqui, mas a concentração me escapa o tempo todo. Faço um pouco de servico, e minha mente vagueia, vagueia, e volta.

Quais os seus planos para o fim de semana?

Pilates

23 may 2013

Spring at The Common Park, Southampton, UK

Hoje escutei cedinho no rádio que estamos tendo a primavera mais fria desde 1979. Tava fazendo 12.5 graus celsius de manhã cedo, baixou para 10.5 e agora a temperatura em Southampton é de 8 graus. Que primavera é essa? O dia está lindo, o sol brilhando, mas frio. Ainda ando com meu casaco de inverno, agora com roupa de manga curta por dentro. Como ando parecendo uma estranha no ninho, vou trocar por um casaco de primavera mas caprichar nas mangas longas. Eu sinto frio, saio de casa cedo da manhã, volto quase sempre de noite, e não quero correr o risco de ficar tremendo de frio por aí. Vejo gente de camiseta nas ruas, mas a grande maioria ainda é de pessoas bem cobertas, com casaco, apesar do clima / desejo já ser de verão. Para mim tudo beleza nessa primavera de dias lindos e felizes, e frios. Esse meu registro do frio não é uma queixa. Ele anda bem suportável.

Gostaria mesmo é de falar de uma aula de pilates que tive anteontem, terça-feira. Valha-me Deus, como achei difícil. A aula aconteceu na sala de artes marciais, três andares abaixo do terreo no prédio SUSU ‘University of Southampton Students’ Union’, no campus principal – Highfield. SUSU é um prédio imenso onde acontecem muuuuitas coisas relacionadas a e oferecidas aos estudantes da universidade, incluindo cinema, algumas das atividades físicas e alguns restaurantes / lanchonetes. Lá vou eu, como sempre, quase meia hora adiantada para a aula que seria das 5.30 às 6.30 da tarde. Troquei de roupa no banheiro e vaguei um pouco pelos corredores. Depois sentei no chão do corredor para esperar o povo da aula. Passaram por ali várias pessoas, rapazes e uma ou duas moças, vindos de uma aula não sei de que, usando kimonos. Aí chegou mais uma senhora para o pilates, conversamos um pouco e ela sentou também no chão do correder.

A professora e mais outros alunos chegaram e começamos a aula. A Professora, esqueci de perguntar o nome dela, veio falar comigo só para um cumprimento simpático antes da aula, com umas doze pessoas, apenas um homem. Comecei até mais ou menos bem nos movimentos, mas logo logo ficou claro que preciso de muito treino só para desenferrujar, para começar. No que eu levanto o quadril um trisco acima da cabeça (isso aconteceu várias vezes durante a aula) me dá ânsia de vômito e tontura. Impressionante como esse movimento, e outros, meu deu uma sensação de perder totalmente o controle de mim, de achar que ia cair (como, se eu já estava no chão?), vomitar, desmaiar. E pensei assim: ‘quem vai socorrer esse corpo moreno se eu desmaiar?’ e preferi, quando não conseguia fazer o exercício, sentar e ficar só tentando ‘aprender’ a respirar. Achei dificil até jogar / botar os braços para trás. Eita! Sera que é assim mesmo, eu chego aos 50 anos de idade precisando aprender a respirar? A professora orientando ‘inhale’, ‘exhale’ e eu só pensando que não estava fazendo o serviço da forma certa.

Não consegui fazer muuuita coisa da aula, mas a professora disse no final que me sai bem para o primeiro dia, ‘you did very well for a first time’. De noite tava toda quebrada. Achei muito bacana e a professora é excelente, sabe muito do que tá fazendo. Esse é o tipo de exercício que me atrai, muito mais do que coisa bem excitada e com música torando os ouvidos. É como se fosse um momento bem especial, de concentração numa atividade apenas. Eu adorei o pilates, agora tô torcendo para ele gostar de mim também. Depois da aula fui caminhando para casa numa caminhando animada e aquecida, e feliz. Fiz o trajeto em menos de 30 minutos. É incrível como quando a gente faz o movimento tudo acontece de bacana nessa vida.

gorgeous, yet wet, spring

27 apr 2012

avenue campus an hour ago - photo taken from my mobile phone

this spring has been wet, windy, and cold, apparently as it has always been in england.
we've had days when it gets complicated to even go out because of the torrential rain or the strong wind.
we've had beautiful days, when all is joy, here combined with an insisted chill factor :-)

please bring mild weather and more sunny days, spring.

a foggy day in soton town

15 mar 2012

beautiful and blossoming spring is in the air; we all know that. also, days have been slightly warmer around here, with some very nice and sunny. it is funny to know the temperature maybe be low, like last night it was 7.5C, but it didn't feel super cold. winter is about to say goodbye but we are still getting these foggy mornings which can be a little chilly and beautiful and romantic. me likey 
this photo i took with my mobile phone this morning, about 7.20am when mike dropped me off here. it is the southampton common park . i love this park and i walk through it nearly every day, as i live and work very near it. mike just texted me to say he had a difficult drive to work because it was really foggy all the way to work, which is now in salisbury, about a 45-minute drive in normal conditions.

in a summer state of mind

6 apr 2011


park across from civic centre public library - see the ice cream guy!

 i have to say it has been an amazingly beautiful day with temperature between 15 and 18 degrees celsius. it is spring, but quite summerlike today. i am getting ready to go to switzerland for four days this coming friday 8 april and walked uptown this afternoon to sort out some things related to the trip such as getting some swiss money, buying my coach tickets to and from heathrow, and buying the presents to my hosts there.

i left home at about 1:30pm and went straight to have lunch at supreme, the chinese restaurante and had the same old dish: wonton noodle soup. it seems like my eyes only see it iin the menu. i also had a portion of dumplings. they were all really good, but i am thinking of sort of learning to cook the soup because i think i could spend less money then. when i got to supreme it was 2pm. after that i went to the tourism office to get some souvenirs to my friend. then, national express for my coach tickets. after that, i walked up to london road. on my way to london road i passed (walked) by the park across from the civic centre public library (photo above) and saw that some people are today in summerlike mood. so nice! the ice cream guy wastes no time. things are rescheduled here if the day surprises us with a beautiful sunshine, which should always be appreciated. i love it, too.



at highfield campus, between the staff club and hartley library

 happy happy me stopped by the post office at london road to get some swiss francs. i had a plan to go to uni to buy some uni coffee mugs for my friend but was not so sure i was doing it today. however :-) , as i left the post office there comes the U1A bus. i had no doubt and went to highfield. bought what i wanted from the shop, including some bottle water to refresh from the heat, and found these people, probably students and staff, by the grass. it is so relaxing, because it is a beautiful day, the sun is out there, but it is not super hot. i saw many other people sitting and eating outside and under the sun in some restaurants and cafes while walking in town. so summerlike! time has come for pimms, the english summer drink. i'll have one tonight. cheers!

theatre - shakespeare's antony & cleopatra

8 may 2010

diana, agota, mathilde, and i went to see shakespeare's tragedy 'antony and cleopatra' at the nuffield theatre today. i had high expectations about the play, maybe because last week i saw an outstanding interpretation of another master work in english literature, 'the canterbury tales', but this one comes the from the The Nuffield Theatre Company itself, which is very good, i must say. after the play we discussed how shakespeare has really made everyone interested in presenting their interpretation of his plays.

a few lines from the play. my source is literary sparks note:
cleopatra: if it be love indeed, tell me how much.
antony: it would be a pretty stingy love if it could be counted and calculated.
cleopatra: i want to measure the extent of your love, to see how far it stretches.
antony: then you would have to go beyond heaven, beyond earth.

note: the text in blue below is the advertisement from the theatre:
The Nuffield Theatre Company
Antony and Cleopatra
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Patrick Sandford
Dates: 6 – 22 May

The tangled love story of two powerful leaders.
Their infatuation is politically disastrous and ethically irresponsible. ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA lead untidy lives; ultimately they abandon any sense of duty to their nations, and yet on a personal level they fulfil each other, completely and utterly. They celebrate magnificently humanity, love and life…
Shakespeare tells us this in his most beautiful language. The play is passionate, ironic, sometimes highly comic, and finally profoundly sad. Yet audiences over the centuries have always felt uplifted by the sheer energy and generosity of spirit in this great play.

after the play we 'played' a little around the theatre making these short films to send to a girl, for her boyfriend. then we were headed to the stilo, this pub right there on university road, 3-min walk from the nuffield. i love the geography of this uni with all these amazing facilities at walking distance from each other. at the pub we ate crisps and drank white wine. the kitchen there closes at 9pm. the way pubs work here deserves a post. but let me be back to consideration on shakespeare's portrayal of love, i mean, tragic love.

here is our discussion on the play / shakespeare: - of course we should always find in any intrepretation of shakespeare's work a great deal of old english, no matter how much of modern stuff is put into it. - we cannot understand the language from beginning to end because it is really difficult, but still worth every single penny to listen to it in the original language. - well, this is a quite macho representation of human relations: 1. antony never has one woman only, and that is fine; 2. cleopatra is dramatic about everything. se is this fragile female who is always expecting this man. when he is around she needs to be ascertained ofhis love for her; 3. her lady and attendant iras is way too neurotic, crying and passing out whenever things get a little difficult; 4. the men are strong and make all the decisions. LOOOL we also pointed out that otavia, antoni's second wife, is actually more beautiful than cleopatra in the play, but cleopatra sends out a messenger to check out the woman, to make sure she is nothing special. DUH!!!!; 5. the black actress who portrays chamian, the other one of cleopatra's attendants, is a really good actress, and sings beautifully. last but not least at all: it has been a super chilly spring. all days have been cold. it was 9 degrees at night, but it felt much colder. england never gets really 'hot'.

another chilly day

8 may 2010

 i had plans to go to the library today, to be there and just cross the road for the theatre later on. well, i also needed to try some tidying up in the area here. i started off the day with for a nice one-hour gold run at the common while i was doing laundry; when i put the clothes in the dryer i left it here because to dry the time can be longer: 75 minutes. i love the days here, with new colours and the sounds of the birds, but it was very very cold. at first i thought of trying out to go very lightly dressed up, with one or two covers only. when i got there i was happy i was properly dressed to remain at the park for the time i wanted. chilly chilly common park.

back inside the house i organized the room, a little, i mean. this is always important to me, as it makes me see better the things around here and help me move on on on on, i.e., do the different, new things i have to do. i am happy i changed and washed all my bed sheets and got back a duvet i had already put away, thinking warm spring was on the way. spring yes, but not warm yet. i now sleep on winter pyjamas and have a bed sheet to cover me, plus two duvets. yes, they switched off the heater in the uni halls. i emailed them complaining about it this week. below is my contact with them. there is hope if next week it is still too cold to bear. i'll get ready to go to the theatre now.

-----Original Message-----

From: Lima K.S.D.

Sent: 06 May 2010 13:16

To: Rxxxx; Sxxx

Subject: heater

Hello,

I live in st margaret's. I understand spring is in the air, but still very and constantly cold. Could we please the heater switched back even if only for a few hours per day? It is particularly cold in the morning and in the night.

Thanks a lot,

Kalina

__

Hi,

Many thanks for your query about the heating. I'm afraid that the heating goes off this time of year in our halls every year. It was turned off when the weather was warmer, and I do appreciate that now it has got colder again. However, the weather forecast is set to improve at the start of next week so I'm sorry but the heating will not be turned on again. The heating in other halls is off at the moment or being turned off over the weekend so the situation is the same across other sites. However, if you feel next week that you are still cold, please let us know and we can review the situation.

Many thanks

Txxx Kxxxxx

Assistant Hall Manager

spring in the common

30 apr 2010

i can't help but find the spring here so so beautiful. atchiiiiiim! these photos are from today in my walk through the common park, going to uni. this is the landscape i see everyday. i haven't taken the us at all lately, just enjoyed the beauty of the day, of the trees, the singing of the birds. the spring changes our life in so many ways. there are always people in the park, walking up and down, walking their dog, on a stroll with their kids, alone, exercing at the park's bench, as in the photo here. i love it. i have taken a few photos :-)

the cowherds, one of my favorite pubs, is right there in the park. they put this note warning customers who have an intention of taking a glass with them to the park. the basic policy from everywhere is that safety comes first. always. then fun is naturally granted.

spring in highfield

22 apr 2010

these photos are from our tour with adriana, rosinha, marcos, and hilra today. the spring is bringing all the leaves back to the trees. the trees now look so much happier they whistle with the wind telling this to whole world. this bigger photo on the right hand side is from the 5th floor, inside hartley library. we can see that some students are on the grass, enjoying the sun (brrrrr). let me say the truth, chilly sun, but still very bright and much welcome. we find some brave ducks in this stream.

easy to guess whether i appreciate the spring or not, huh! supreme nature.

visita aa ginecologista

22 apr 2010

hoje eu fui aa clinica da universidade fazer um exame ginecologico que estava agendado. quando fui aa medica outro dia ela pediu pra eu repetir alguns exames que eu tinha feito agora em dezembro no brasil porque nao gostou muito dos resultados. outro dia foi o de sangue, que foi uma beleza e eu agradeci aa profissional que fez a coleta, Mrs Williams. hoje a coleta do material para exame do cervix foi feita pela mesma senhora. confesso que estava apreensiva por vaaarias razoes.

Mrs Williams foi sensacional, mais uma vez. apesar de a sala nao ser nada grande tem um cortina que ela fecha e da total privacidade pra gente se trocar. pra exame eu apenas tirei a parte de baixo e estava na expectativa de ver como seria o exame em si. ao inves de vestir uma bata, como fazemos em teresina. a gente pega uma, na verdade duas, folhas bem grande de papel bem molinho (lembrei de uma cartolina mole) e cobre a pelvis pra nao ficar tudo exposto. eu gostei disso. eu estava com medo do exame doer e ser demorado. gracas a Deus nada do que eu temia se confirmou. exame feito com pericia eh um sossego.

sim, esse post tambem tem o proposito de falar do meu estado de permanente embriaguez com as flores que estao a me sorrir onde eu chego e por onde ando. eu estava sentada la dentro da clinica, aguardando ser chamada, folheando uma revista e tal e de repente meus olhos, laaa de dentro da clinica, atraves das duas portas de vidro que por isso dao uma visao do campus, ali fora, se deram conta da primavera em flor ali mesmo. nao resisti e fui ate a porta e tirei essa foto, de dentro da clinica. encostei a camera na porta de vidro e clique, ta eternizada tambem em foto a beleza que ja mora no meu coracao. a visao do verde, do branco, da mudanca como ares de vida eh linda.

ah, as flores. . .

ah, as cores. . .

hao de levar as dores. . .

e trazer amores. . .

. . .

as flores da primavera

22 apr 2010

hoje muito cedo eu tive que passar e entrar no avenue campus pra fazer umas fotocopias antes de ir dar aula no highfield campus. cheguei normalmente, deixei o casaco no escritorio e fui ate a copiadora, ali no segundo andar. eu estava fazendo as fotocopias quando num segundo a imagem das arvores no patio interno ali embaixo atraiu meus olhos, me fisgou de fascinacao num segundo que eu peguei o livro que estava sobre a mesa proxima aa janela, que nem eh janela de fato, eh um vidro que se extende por todo o segundo andar e da uma visao la de baixo. meus olhos se encheram com a beleza da imagem das arvores cobertas em  lindos vestidos brancos, graciosamente floridos.

elas, que atravessaram o inverno gelado nuas, sem atrativo e desprotegidas, agora se vestem de beleza e delicadeza, provando que a primavera eh a renovacao da vida. eh como se recuperassem o vico de femea. essas arvores vestidas lindamente e as cores muitas que ja comecam a sorrir  . . . ah, eu adoro. a natureza parece caminhar com a gente, lado a lado na vida, e agora ela diz assim: 'ta vendo, o caminho tem cores, ares novos, e tudo ta mudando'. estacao nova, roupa nova, ideias novas, sim, oportunidade para mudar. . . vestir-se de cores graciosas. . .

in treatment

14 apr 2010

i just left the uni health clinic on the highfield campus. i came to see Dr. Armstrong because i wanted to: - show her all the blood and screening tests i did in Brazil this past december; - talk about my blood pressure; - talk about my overweight; - and also really get back to a doctor in the clinic as they had already sent me two letters saying it was time i went back there for the follow up on my (high) blood pressure.

i phoned the clinic a few days ago and asked for Dr Armstrong. i have seen a number of different doctors at the clinic and it does not feel too great, really. i need to be connected with one who knows me enough to treat me properly although in their website it is clear they cannot promise you'll have your own doctor all the time.

oh my GOD!!! i just remember as i am typing here, that i forgot to tell her of my horrible pain in the elbow i've been having for many days now. it eluded me. but that's fine. i'll have another opportunity soon. when i first entered her surgery she greeted me with a welcoming smile, which makes a huge difference, i insist in pointing out. i said she was the first doctor i saw at the clinic when i first arrived here in southampton as a student and that back then she was expecting someone and made the gesture pointing to my belly (she was pregnant). she smiled and said she remembers me and the 'someone' she was expecting has arrived. :-)
i really have this expectation of sticking with her for my next visits to the clinic.

she went through all the many tests i had to show to her and converted the value to the ones they use here. she found some results a little 'massive' - her words, and for this reason i am going to repeat them, but - good news! - everything will be done at the clinic, right here. very convenient for me. the fasting blood tests will be tomorrow and the smear will have to wait some days because of my period.

we talked about the dieting and she told me lots of things that i for sure have already come across in my life but i don't learn the lesson it seems. she suggested i try weight watchers; eat less sugar and less fat; find a more active physical exercise than just walking; and that i eat in a smal plate with two thirds of my intake being veggies and only one third being the protein and the carbo; that i cut out even the sweetener i have in my morning cereal. she said it is fine that i eat the sultana bran, but not too much. i love on hope.

but the way, today is a beautiful spring day. although chilly (6 degrees), it is nice and the blooming is in the air, at last.

note: i forgot to say here something funny that happened the first time i saw Dr. Armstrong. well, as we arrive in this country we are supposed to register in a GP (General Practitioner) near wherever we live. of course i registered at this one right on campus, because my address was ok to be registered here. As said before, I met with Dr. Armstrong at the occasion. when i entered her surgery (office) and sat down to speak with her she made the gesture to receive the form i had just filled out about myself. instead of handing the form to her i offered my hand itself to shake hands with, with is the most formal and minimum contact we have with anyone in my Brazilian culture. it was obvious from her reaction that she was not expecting this sort of contact, but anyway she said 'lovely'. we went on to talk about my situation and here i am :-)

com que roupa eu vou?

11 apr 2010

Spring is still so timid. Yesterday it marked 16 degrees during the day. As it is predictable it went down during the night. It is cold today, marking now 6 degrees. The sun out there, shinning beautifully outside, but still it feels chilly. So, I decided to put on a jumper and a light coat to go window shopping in city centre. Again, I saw people wearing all sorts of covers, some light like mine, some a bit more covered, and also the t-short heroes. Go figure!!!

I walked to the city centre instead of riding the bus today. I feel happy for being able to take even short walks like this one, because physical exercise should be my number 1 priority. Well, I have promised myself to try and improve in that direction.

My first stop was at Starbucks café for a café latte and a pain au chocolat. My initial plans were to sit and stay here for a long time, sipping my coffee slowly and writing some. Well, things didn’t work quite right as I had planned. I am still here at 12pm sharp at the café, but am finished with coffee and will have to leave soon, I’m afraid.

I want to stop by Marks and Spencer. This is an expensive shop, but they often have good offers over there. I’ll see if M&S has something interesting for me today. This Starbucks is a busy café. Although I know it is very common for customers to spend hours here under the cost of a cup of coffee only, I myself don’t feel very inclined to do the same, afraid of getting those ‘please leave the table for somebody else now’ look. It is a joke. I don’t think they actually give those looks to customers. Or do they?

Note: this first bit of the post was written at Starbucks Café.

Update at home in the evening:
I did go and browsed around M&S, and guess what? I ended up finding this offer for the pans I needed. I had seen just one at M&S before for £25, had seen sort of the same for £22 at Waitrose, all for one single saucepan. It was good that I waited until today.

a chilly month ahead

1 mar 2010

it is already the beginning of march, but the cold is still around. this is second march here. last year it represented the hope for warmer days here in southampton. so, when it was very cold early this year i lived on the hope for the month which would warm my days up. my sister is about to come for a visit and i started to wonder what sort of weather will greet her :-)

chilly, chilly days. -3 now. at least the days are now brighter and longer. this is the first manifestation of spring, the renewal of life.