Yoga Mama nonsense

I was reading this absolute balderdash on businessweek. I don't have much to add to the existing long list of comments already present in the article. If you can't follow the link, try this using this: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9901400

If you cannot be asked to trawl through that trash (and who can blame you?) my reading is that the writer attempts to lampoon the desperate housewives meets sarah jessica parker ladies who have children as a lifestyle statement. Manipulated by greedy manufacturers of organic babyfood, branded baby products and other expensive (read = unnecessary) products, these yoga mamas rush from their own spa sessions to baby massage class in their designer togs with matching LV stroller.

The bluff is called, and you can see it in the reader's comments which I've extracted here:

This article takes two distinctively different trends and melds them into one. There are mothers who are avoiding toxins in products so they spend more and mothers who just spend as status. Organic is more expensive but not superfluous

Nuff' said. Organic and fair trade products may cost more - but how much is your conscience worth?

Torino Weekend en famille

Parents (Fab's) came for the long weekend. Since Pictures speak a thousand words, I will just save you these thousands:



This is us at the top of the mountain with the Sacra San Michele. It is basically an abbey dedicated to the angel with the flaming sword - michael (so Mikey - we went to YOUR abbey!)

One of the nice things about being up in the mountains were the mountain sheep and goats wandering around in a flock. You really think about the parable of the Lost Sheep when you see the little one that get left behind bleating away. But fortunately the others are not far up the road...







Photographic tip of the day


If you try to take romantic couple pictures by yourself (i.e. holding the camera with one hand and trying to focus and click blind)... make sure you turn off the zoom function...

An Agony of Waiting

As posted previously, this week is madness incarnate.

So many emotions bunched up together. Start of week in Milan, so happy to see Auntie Anne, then the parents of Fabien appear, and then it is relentless entertaining, interspersed with preparation for interviews. Today my candidacy goes before the Senate for the tutorship of the International Trade Law Course 2006 Edition, and they will inform me the result either just before or just after Christmas..

wish me luck!

Oh yes - what are you last 5 things to eat before you die? This list is inspired by the BBC - take a look here

1) fresh sashimi - was swimming 10 mins ago
2) char grilled argentine steak very very rare..
3) katong laksa
4) char kway teow (yet another plebian pleasure)
5) tartiflette

A predictable list for me perhaps, but OH SO GOOD...

Busy Week Ahead!

Busy week getting back into Torino. Have to get some paperwork done at the Questura -- I have finally recieved a blue piece of paper, and I can now use that to get a special piece of pink coloured paper, which later enables me to get a Carta d'Identita, so that I can finally register to learn how to drive. Need to get cracking on Some More wretched Italian lessons so that I can actually _Understand_ the driving instructor. He is the only driving instructor in the world that doesn't seem stressed when I take my hands off the steering wheel, but then again I am sure he understands that you NEED your hands to talk Italian...

MUAHHAHAHAHA - Drivers of the world beware!! Another crazy Italian trained driver will soon be unleashed on this world!!

Also Fabien's parent's are coming to visit us in Torino because there is a long weekend in France. They'll be here from Thursday to next Monday, so will expect to be busy busy! I have staked claim on the title of "Favourite Daughter In Law" -- but that is of course because I am their only daughter in law (kekekeke).

Fab is likewise adored by my parents as favourite (and only) son-in-law, so it is nice that we all get to play happy families like this. I guess at the end of the day, our parents on both sides can see we are very much in love and happy, and they are happy for us as we kiss and make up after every little spat and have loads of lazy weekends, enchanted holidays and busy weeks, and otherwise carry out our happily married existence.

Sappy Italian Word of the Day - "Amore" (pronounced Ah-Mor-Ray) which means "beloved"..

Beautiful Torino

Weather changing again!

It is getting cooler now, and you can start to see traces of breath each time you exhale. The afternoon light is sometimes so lovely.

Take a look...

Dammit, I am a cherry blossom

what's your inner flower?

[c] sugardew

just for you to entertain yourself, i stole this off Luc the Hell Hound..

What flower are you anyways?

Koh Samui honeymoon

After 2 weddings, one international move and an August French holiday to recover from all that, we decided that it was time for our Asian honeymoon on Koh Samui. (life is tough luvvies...)

We spent 10 days in this villa , and we loved every moment of it. It did have the potential to be utterly boring, given that we didn't plan our usual holiday barrage of sight-seeing and sports activities. There is no TV or DVD player in the villa, but we ended up playing cards, and otherwise creating our own entertainment.

.... scrub your filthy mind...

Most days were spent reading, having blissful spa sessions or going to the beach and having nobody around you for miles and miles.




So the next time you consider a holiday think of a nearby destination, not too expensive with lots of privacy and a good book (spouse is an optional extra).

We are Back in Turin!

We just got back from our whirlwind of overseas trips. Some were fun, some were reflective and some were not so much fun.

For the last month,
Sharon's schedule was Turin - Paris - Singapore - Seoul - Singapore -Samui - Singapore - Paris - Turin. For Fab it was Turin - Frankfurt - Beijing - Frankfurt - Turin - Paris - Singapore - Samui - Singapore - Paris - Turin.

So we are pretty tired now, and will blog about the fun bits when we upload the photos.