Of course I’ve heard that catch phrase before, but I thought it was just something you said to young children before they went to bed. I had never stopped for a minute to think the awful truth hidden behind that line! In fact, I had never heard of bed bugs until I came to live in London. Even when I came to live here the first time -over 20 years ago- I have never encountered that issue, or maybe it was because I was too young and too careless? But then again, I’ve always had a sensitive skin.

Some basic information on bed bugs

The first time I got bitten was when I stayed in a hostel when I first arrived. I got up one morning and I had this rash on my legs. That was then that my roommate told me about bed bugs. They are parasite insects that feast on human blood (such as many others, like mosquitoes). The common bedbug, Cimex lectularius, is the most famous species of the family, which includes a number of different insects with lots in common. Their name comes from the fact that they are usually nocturnal creatures, and they tend to live in beds, or other places where people sleep in. This way, those little bastards can attack us at our most weak!

Bed bugs symptoms

How can you tell if you have been attacked by bed bugs? First, let me show you some pictures of what happened to me.

Those red marks on my arm are nothing more than bed bugs bites, and they are itchy and quite painful! Usually these marks appear on exposed skin areas, such as the arms and legs, the neck, or the hands. You won’t feel the bite, but your skin will look red, and swollen. You shouldn’t scratch the bites because you could cause yourself an infection! Bed bugs treatment includes steroid creams or oral antihistamines for the itching, but if the bites get infected you may need an antibiotic.

The awful truth: bed bugs in hotels

Since I have stayed in a few hotels in London, I know a lot now about those little insects that cause so much trouble. But lately, things got even worse: while working as a receptionist in a hotel, I have been put in a position where I had to explain to angry guests why there were bed bugs in a room. Once, I had a guest who came up to me asking me if there were mosquitoes in the hotel, showing me the rash on her arm. So I am not the only one that did not know about bed bugs!

The worst part was when my manager told me that bed bugs are mostly brought by Australians, because I just had to laugh. I lived in Australia for over 20 years and I have moved to several houses which have to be sprayed every 3-6 months because of insects such as spiders, ants, and cockroaches. Not once was I told about bed bugs extermination!

How to check for bed bugs

So, how to tell the enemy? If you arrive at your hotel room, would you be able to recognize a potential bed bug infestation before getting that awful bed bug rash? Start by checking the bed, running your fingers across the seams of the sheet and mattress. Bed bugs can’t jump or fly, so if there are adults you might as well catch them as a living proof! They are brownish or reddish, and the size of an apple seed: 4 to 5 mm. If you find some little black spots on the sheet, these are possibly bed bug feces, so there you have another proof of your room being infested.

If you find bed bugs in a hotel room, you have to tell the manager and demand a new room –of course you should double check such new room! Changing the hotel and asking for a refund is probably the best solution. Remember to wash all your clothes, otherwise you risk carrying bed bugs with you.

This means war! Getting rid of bed bugs

There are many different products for killing bed bugs. You need to find a method which can guarantee total extermination of the plague but, at the same time, safety to humans, especially considering it is something you’ll place on a bed which you’ll later sleep in.

If you are going for something natural, here is this Organic Bedbug Killer Diatomaceous Earth DE h. This is a dust which you can apply on your bed and other places, safe for children and pets. The powder remains effective until it is vacuumed or washed away. However, according to the reviews on Amazon, while some people found it amazing and very effective, others complain saying that it is messy and that it didn’t work.

There are all kinds of bed bugs spray, for instance, the Bed Bug 911 All Natural Bed Bug Spray, which I like not only based on the great reviews, but also because its convenient travel size makes it ideal for avoiding situations such as the mentioned hotel. It is unscented & stain free.

Of course, if you have a problem with bed bugs at home, you may need larger amounts of product for proper bed bug extermination. Most bed bugs sprays are sold in gallons at convenient prices, for example: Harrys Bed Bug Killer.

If you buy a gallon of a bed bug spray, you may find this Pest Pistol Mini Duster convenient as well.

If you are uncomfortable spraying your bed with any kind of product, you may consider catching the bed bugs before they nest and reproduce. In order to prevent bed bugs, here are some Bed Bug ClimbUp® Interceptors (pack of 12) passive traps for bed legs that trap bed bugs from crawling up beds and furniture legs. Personally, I don’t think they alone would solve a bed bug infestation, but they are good for preventing a new one after you have managed to remove those awful insects.

To sum up, bed bugs can turn your holiday night in a hotel into a potential nightmare! Now that you know about them, make sure you check for bed bugs next time you check into a room –no matter how clean or fancy the hotel actually looks (believe me). So for now it’s good night, sleep tight, and don’t let the bed bugs bite!

“Wives are young men’s mistresses, companions for middle age, and old men’s nurses.” (FRANCIS BACON)

This little quote says a lot about what men expect from women in different moments of married life: make love to them while still young and gorgeous, listen to them and enjoy conversations in a mature age, take care of them when they are old. It also implies that men usually live fewer years than women. But who said mature women don’t enjoy sex, or that younger women don’t need to be taken care of?

“A man doesn’t know what happiness is until he’s married. By then it’s too late.” (FRANK SINATRA)

Happiness is linked to unlimited freedom, doing whatever you want, arriving late at night (if you wish to come home at all…). Marriage certainly puts an end to all that. However, we could consider marriage as a different kind of happiness: being in a committed relationship, having someone to go out with every time you feel like it, or someone waiting for you to come home… well, at least I can imagine it, Sinatra obviously couldn’t!

“Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then.” (KATHERINE HEPBURN)

“All marriages are happy. It’s the living together afterward that causes all the trouble.” (RAYMOND HULL)

I put these two quotes together because both of them represent the idea that living under the same roof is what kills love, not the fact of being married. And I must say, some part of me agrees on it! I believe having a steady relationship is more likely if both of you have your own space, and are not forced to waking up together every single morning. Could single bedrooms, or at least, single beds, provide this independence? Flexibility, when it comes to marriage, might be an answer we are overlooking!

“A good marriage would be between a blind wife and a deaf husband.” (MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE)

The French essayist states a recurrent stereotype: women complain way too much, men should better not listen to them. And men do so many things wrong, women should better look away. Some marriages are built on this foundation, though I seriously doubt they are truly good marriages, as the quote says. I think us women should learn to be kinder, and men should be honest. From my point of view, a dishonest marriage is nothing more than a scam. What are they trying to prove to the rest of the world anyway?

“Why does a woman work ten years to change a man’s habits and then complain that he’s not the man she married?” (BARBRA STREISAND)

Good for Barbra! This is the first quote I found in which a woman actually assumes her fault in some flaws of marriage. Most women struggle to change their men. But this is not the man’s fault. You can’t blame him if, after being pushed, blamed, criticized, analyzed and transformed by no other than yourself, he doesn’t resemble what he used to be. If you love a man, love him the way he is! If you want to change him, then don’t marry him.

“An archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets, the more interested he is in her.” (AGATHA CHRISTIE)

This writer actually married an archaeologist, so I guess the quote is meant as a joke. However, it states some truth: men always want their women to look perfect, young and beautiful. It is something biological in it, because men are looking for someone who can reproduce and carry their genes or something, I don’t know. Sometimes, as they grow old, they feel compelled to change them for someone younger… But all of us grow old, so do men. If we want to stay happily married, we need to look into the other person’s inner beauty, and find that spark that never fades.

“Only choose in marriage a man whom you would choose as a friend if he were a woman.” (JOSEPH JOUBERT)

I have many boys who are my friends –and not my boyfriends! But there was a time in which friendship between a man and a woman was something unreal. I guess this quote was written back then. Anyway, I think it is really true: any two people who want to be in a happy couple need to be friends. Close friends. Sharing the bedroom doesn’t give you as much intimacy as sharing a piece of your soul with the other person. If you can’t befriend someone, don’t marry them in the first place.

“The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret.” (HENNY YOUNGMAN)

All people are different. Hence, there are not two marriages in the world that are exactly alike. No one, not even the happiest couple in the world, can give you a perfect recipe on how to live happily ever after. If there is such a recipe, it works for them and for them alone. In fact, most happily married people don’t believe there is such thing as a secret behind their happiness. Happiness cannot be explained! I guess that’s because if you are happy, you don’t stop to think how come it is possible, you just are. And enjoy it! The same happens with marriage.

To me, some movies are simply magical. It doesn’t matter how many times we have watched similar plots. You have to put your skepticism and your disbelief aside, and get carried away by the magic of the moment! This time, I want to share with you my impressions about Step Up 3, which I finally got to watch.

Let me tell you, I don’t quite love musicals. Even if you, who are reading this, are a big fan, you should understand that it can be hard for some people to accept that suddenly a character stops in the middle of a dialogue or a dramatic scene, and without a warning starts to sing or dance. But Step Up 3 belongs to a different genre altogether: dance films, which I find truly amazing. Unlike musicals, here the dance scenes are not an artifact of the film to tell the audience part of the plot: dancing is the main plot! And now we are talking.

Ok, so I must admit I was a little bit skeptical myself about this movie, not because of the dancing, which I love, but because it was a sequel (a sequel to a sequel, in fact!). Movie sequels, movie prequels, or movie remakes, I have the prejudice that in any case this means a studio is out of ideas and in a desperate need for money. But this is definitely not the case! In fact, these movies keep getting better and better! Step Up was OK; I had a good time, so I decided to give the sequel a chance. Step Up 2 was awesome, it was totally worth the movie ticket! What to say about Step Up 3 then? Step Up 3 is pure awesomeness! I just wish I had seen it at the movies like I wanted to when it was announced, because it must be amazing on the big screen! In fact, it is the first film of this kind to be released in 3D.

The story is quite simple: it brings together two characters from the previous films of the series. Moose (Adam Sevani) from Step Up 2 the Streets, and Camille Gage (Alyson Stoner) from Step Up, are both in New York City, attending university. Moose has promised his father he’d give up dancing in order to become an engineer, but soon he meets a new friend, Luke Katcher (Rick Malambri), who is part of a dance crew called the House of Pirates. Moose gets involved in a dance battle that earns him an invitation to the World Jam dance contest against their rivals, the House of Samurai dance crew. Torn between his love for dance and his studies, Moose spends a lot of time with Camille without realizing she’s in love with him. At the same time, Luke meets a girl, Natalie (Sharni Vinson), who eventually turns out to be the sister of Julien, a rival from the House of Samurai. This way, Natalie is torn between her love and her family. And the day of the big contest is getting closer….

Love, friendship, rivalry, difficult decisions, the experience of growing up and standing up for yourself, being who you are despite on what others think… Step Up 3 is about all that and much more. I loved the story, although it is just an excuse for showing amazing hip-hop choreographies and breathtaking street dance competitions. The final choreography in Step Up 3 is pure beauty; it is one of those scenes that really make me want to dance. As you can see, I love music and I’d really like to dance well, but I guess I’m not a natural, LOL.

The music in Step Up 3 is also great; it couldn’t have been other way! I loved it, and it made me discover Ed Sheeran and Jazmine Sullivan. I had never heard of Ed Sheeran before, and my favorite song is “You need me, I don’t need you”. As for Jazmine Sullivan, she is singing “Bust Your Windows”. Other songs are “Whatchadoin?”, (N.A.S.A. featuring M.I.A., Spank Rock, Santigold and Nick Zinner), “My Own Step (Theme from Step Up 3D)” (Roscoe Dash featuring T-Pain & Fabo), and “Irresistible” (Wisin & Yandel). By the way, I bought the soundtrack but it only includes 18 songs for a film that features like 50! I was really hoping there would be a second part, but apparently there isn’t.

Buy Step Up 3

The only negative part I can think of is the dialogue, some of it was a little naïve if you ask me, and some parts became a little long while waiting for the dancing parts which are, by the way, what the audience has come to see! For example, I found it a little difficult to believe that Moose didn’t realize how much Camille and him loved each other. And the last scene, at the train station… please, there are really cheap flights nowadays! But after all, these are only minor details that don’t weaken the great entertainment Step Up 3 really is!

If you like dance films and dance contests just as in Step Up 3, then you should watch classical films like Hairspray (the original is from 1988, a remake was made in 2007 with John Travolta), Grease (which skyrocket John Travolta to the stars), Saturday Night Fever (Travolta, again!), Flashdance, Fame… I know, I know, those movies are rather old, but classics never die! And hey, if you had had it with Travolta, the seventies and the eighties, and you’d rather watch something newer, check out Dance with me, with the Latin hot star Chayanne and Vanessa Williams; Save the last dance, with Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas; or High School Musical, that brought the genre to a new life. In TV, a series like Glee features great songs, although it is more focused on singing than in dancing.

How about you? Did you watch Step Up 3? Do you like dance films? Why / why not?

First, for couples who like having fun together (and who doesn’t?), I just came across this book called 101 Nights of Grrreat Romance: Secret Sealed Seductions for Fun-Loving Couples, by Laura Corn, and I thought it could be a nice gift for Valentine’s, but not just because for Valentine’s being the most romantic day of the year, the birds singing and the candlelight dinner, butterflies in the stomach and all that crap (ooops, cynicism leak, sorry!). I think it sounds like fun, or maybe it is just me as I can get bored quite easily The idea is that every reader tears up a page, and keeps it away from their partner, so they can surprise them following the advice. There are different kissing tips, seduction tips, relationship advice… and the best part is, your partner will do the same so they will surprise you as well. The book has 101 pages, so it is meant to last for a whole year if you take one page a week. I like the fact that it has lots of secrets, and that you can share it with your partner so each of you can surprise the other one in a fun way. The book has had many wonderful reviews in Amazon, but it is pretty clear to me that in order to enjoy it, you need to take it with a sense of humor.

Of course, if you enjoyed the first book by Laura Corn, you may want to move forward to the next level! 101 Nights of Grrreat Sex: Secret Sealed Seductions for Fun-Loving Couples is the extra hot version of the previous one. Now there are no surprise chores such as setting a picnic at night or being your wife’s waiter for one evening. Now it is all about the hot stuff! Most reviews agree on the fact that if you are already in a hot relationship, if you are a creative person in the bedroom and have no inhibitions, the book won’t provide you new ideas. Besides, many of the plans designed for the men to perform require long planning and can be very expensive. Personally, I don’t think I would need the book. However, for shy people, for couples who have fallen into the routine, or for inhibited couples who haven’t shared all of their fantasies, 101 Nights of Grrreat Sex may spice up their love lives. Anyway, it is a fun idea for a Valentine’s Day gift.

If you want to buy a more classic Valentine’s Day gift, there is no better choice than jewelry! Trust me: no matter how intellectual she is, every girl would kill for authentic gold or diamonds. I am not a jewelry type of person really, but I swear I would marry any man that would offer me this ring… hahaha I think it is the most amazing ring I have ever seen!!! It is a realistic flower rose ring covered in diamonds. I bet this particular day of the year many men are proposing, as Valentine’s Day is definitely such a romantic time. On the other hand, if you are going to pop the question, there is no need to wait for Valentine’s Day. If the woman really loves you, it will be unforgettably romantic at any time. The thing with rings though, is that they don’t always fit. Some jewelry online stores offer size charts which you can use to calculate the right ring size. In case you are still unsure, you may opt for something else: a bracelet, earrings, a necklace, etc.

As for Valentine’s Day gifts for guys, I already mentioned a few of my ideas in another post. I think if you want to surprise them, you may leave typical romantic presents aside, and go for something he can actually enjoy, such as a collection of DVDs of his favorite movie saga, a musical instrument, tickets to see his favorite team with you (or with you and some friends as well), some cool outfit, etc. If you rather buy something extremely romantic, why not buying some lingerie that you can wear? Trust me, this will really surprise him and get him in the mood! Cooking a nice dinner also works, especially if you make him his favorite dish and add a bottle of an expensive wine!

Anyway, these are a few of my suggestions for Valentine’s Day gifts. On the other hand, no one can choose better than you what your partner will really like and enjoy. If you are still uncertain, just ask him or her! It can still be a surprise: tell them to provide you with a list of ten different suggestions, and then choose one of them. They won’t know what their present will be until they open it, but at least you’ll be sure you won’t make a poor choice.

Have you bought a Valentine’s Day gift already? Are you planning to buy some? What did you think of my suggestions? If given the chance, what would you like to receive in the most romantic day of the year?

It makes me sad to think that such a beautiful species is facing extinction because of the terrible things we human beings are doing to the natural environment. There are only 3500 tigers left in the world, and if we keep killing them, or ruining their habitat, they could all be dead by the year 2020. But we also need to look at the half full glass: there are many people who care about animals and who are doing lots of efforts to save endangered species. This is the case of the Australia Zoo Tiger Temple and the Wildlife Warriors.

Their task

The Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast is acknowledged as one of the main contributors in helping to save the tigers. Eight years ago, the Tiger Temple enclosure was opened, and since then, the Zoo has raised over a million for tiger conservation. Giles Clark, Zoo heads of tigers, has been working with these amazing animals ever since he was 14 years old. “For me, it is not just about saving the tiger but the millions and millions of other species that share their habitat, including us humans, who rely on the resources that their habitat provides”, he says. They have ten tigers which are part of the internationally accepted program. Eight keepers spend up to six hours a day engaged in the care of the animals, doing all their best to provide them the best possible life quality. Hopefully, the tigers will breed in captivity, making their part to the survival of their species.

Some facts about tigers

I wanted to know more about tigers, the biggest cats in the world, so I decided to do a little research on fun facts about tigers. For example, there is a common representation of the tiger as a dangerous, man-eating animal. You can imagine why, especially when you learn that a tiger can eat up to 100 pounds of meat in just one night! That means about 400 hamburgers! But man is rarely their main course: they eat monkeys, deers, porcupines, and even small animals like frogs or tortoises. The roar of the tiger is amazing and breathtaking: you can hear it over a mile away! I guess this way you can easily avoid becoming part of the 100 pounds of meat of their dinner. LOL

There are five different kinds -or subspecies- of tiger alive in the world today. Three tiger subspecies, the Bali, Javan, and Caspian tigers have become extinct in the past 70 years. The current surviving tigers are called Siberian, South China, Indochinese, Bengal, and Sumatran. These species differ in size: while Siberian tigers are the heaviest subspecies at 500 or more pounds, with males heavier than females, the lightest subspecies is the Sumatran; males weigh about 250 pounds and females around 200 pounds. The heaviest tiger recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records is a 1,025-pound male Siberian tiger.

Do you remember Rocky III’s theme song? It was called ‘Eye of the tiger’, right! Tigers have round pupils and yellow irises (except for white tigers, that have blue eyes). Because of their retinal adaptation that reflects light back, the night vision of these cats is six times better than ours. They also see in color.

While a tiger in the wild usually lives for about ten years, tigers kept in captivity (in good conditions, of course, as in Australia Zoo Tiger Temple) can live twice as long.

And what about their stripes? They are as unique as human fingerprints; no two tigers have the exact same pattern of stripes. While there is not a universally accepted theory on why tigers are striped, scientists think that the stripes work as camouflage, helping tigers hide from their prey. The Sumatran tiger has the most stripes of all the tiger subspecies, and the Siberian tiger has the fewest stripes. What do you think about tigers?

It is hard to believe that it has been nearly a year since I arrived in London (which was January the 18th), and that the New Year is already upon us. 2011 has been a thrilling and challenging year, but lately life has been awesome for the most part. A cool job, awesome friends, and a few boyfriends here and there…. yeah… I can honestly say that life is OK at the moment

For most of the time during the Christmas period I have been working, but we also celebrated Christmas at work and boy it was so much fun (Thanks J). December the 25th in England is a day where all shops are closed, and there is no transport available… besides cabs which charges even more on that day. There is little to do outside, besides it is so cold! Thus, in most places, where available like in a hotel, the staff gets to stay for the night. I live walking distance from my workplace, so it was not an issue for me, but still, I spent most of the three days at work with my colleagues… It was quite fun!

The 26th of December starts the big sales in Oxford Street, with shops opening from 7am… It is called ‘boxing day’ for a reason I couldn’t determine. According to some sources, it is because this was the day that churches would distribute the charity contents of the ‘Christmas box’ to the poor. Others say is that people traditionally gave a box with gifts and food to their servants. Anyway, it reminds me of black Friday in the USA. Sorry, but having to queue to get into a shop is just nor for me! The only reason I went there was to check if there was any good special on video games, and to have lunch with one of my very good friends. Until all of a sudden we were caught in a massive crowd, loud sirens, police cars, ambulances, cops shouting at us to go that way! A big part of Oxford Street was closed down. For that amount of noise, I thought somebody had been run over by a bus or something… We later learned that someone was stabbed to death: it was a man that apparently got into an argument. It happened outside Foot Locker, a shoe shop, at about 1.45pm. Hey, I’m not making this up, check out the source here.

Happy New Year 2012! So Long, Good Old Dear 2011… Welcome 2012!

Holidays aside, when it comes to my year 2011 it was pretty good. The rest of the world may not have done so well. The global crisis has hit many economies, with Arab Spring spreading through Middle East, and Europe and America too with the ‘Indignados’ from Spain and Occupy Wall Street and all… Hey, even in London we experienced direct consequences with the riots.

It was not an easy year, was it? And it is not all about the economy either! We still have no clue on how to solve Global Warming and time is running out… The earthquake in Japan, along with other natural disasters, was a huge tragedy (although the people in Japan are quickly recovering thanks to their strength and solidarity). There have been many significant deaths this year that have made the front pages of newspapers all over the world, Steve Jobs was probably the one most people spoke about. Of course, there were also many celebrities having babies and all, and global population reached 7 billion.

Anyway, let’s not get depressed! I know, I know… this time of the year is ideal for making huge reflections on life, and how we are doing. Global problems aside, I feel satisfied with myself, as I previously said. I would have to write down here my New Year Resolutions, which I won’t, in case I can’t fulfill them, LOL. Let me refer to the things I have done, instead of focusing on what I am still wanting.

I have got more experience with relationships than a year ago. In this aspect, I believe you are constantly growing wiser (or else you repeat your old mistakes). For example, now I know a little more about how to use a Facebook profile.

I do not always have enough time to do what I really like, but in 2011 I made myself some time to start reading again, which I’m proud of. Indeed, I have read more books than the previous year. I have already exchanged my impressions on some of them here , and here.

Technology is really useful and necessary, but this year it drove me pretty crazy sometimes! However, I had made myself the resolution to take unsolvable problems lightly, and so I tried to laugh at myself in this kind of situations. Then, I wrote about my love/hate relationship with my laptop and my smartphone dependence… Did I mention I have the iPHone 4S now… I hope I made you smile!

Sometimes we feel there is nothing we can do to help people around us, when we actually have the power to write about their problems. For example, women abuse , creating environmental awareness, or recognizing the job of those who work with the ones that need them the most like this Special Yoga Center . This year I have made a conscious effort to use this blog to write about important causes, supporting them and calling attention. I only hope there are at least a few people out there who have benefited from such posts. In fact, only one person will be plenty!

Anyway, I think we all need to be the best possible person we can be, with our flaws and with our qualities, help the ones around us the best we can, and live one day at a time. The rest… is not up to us.

Happy New Year 2012 to you all!

As for myself, I have known a few women who were physically abused. Actually one of them was only a girl! She was around 15, and in the middle of a fight her boyfriend broke her thumb, but she managed to put it on her father’s fault somehow. I can’t remember very well since it was so long ago. The thing is, nobody knew what really happened except us, her friends. We were just a couple of kids back then, we tried to comfort her and told her she should break it up with such an abusive guy, but she wouldn’t listen…  Even though he would beat her up, she would still go back to him, and she was known to only end up with abusive men for some reason (and the ones that spend most of their time in jail too). I hated the guy just for that. Some men think they own women!

How does the man manages for the woman he has just hit to stay with him, and not going straight to the police as most of us would do? And abusive man is a manipulator of the first kind. He has enough intelligence and power to make the woman believe it was because he loves her that he gets that mad. Sometimes, beating is justified because of jealousy. Some other times, he makes promises that it will never happen again, until it does (and again and again). But they can’t persuade just any kind of woman. The woman who is likely to fall in the hands of an abusive man has low self-esteem. She has probably been abused as a child, or neglected by her parents. She is in the need of love and protection, and the abusive man seems so strong at first… But it is important for societies to educate both men and women to put an end to the horrors of violence against women.

There was another case, a friend of mine, who was living with this guy. Before moving in together, he used to insult her verbally, but according to her “he didn’t actually mean it, he was just very cranky”. After moving in together, things got worse. He began to insult her in front of her friends, he would disappear for a couple of nights without calling her or giving her explanations, and after he came back, when she asked for reasons, he would just laugh in her face. When they argue –which was increasingly often- he would smash plates against the wall, or spill the glasses of water on the floor, or even kick the furniture. When I spoke to my friend, she said she wasn’t going to break it, because, since he was not technically beating her up, she didn’t consider he was ‘abusive’. But the fact is she was suffering a lot! Eventually, he dumped her for another girl, and she got into therapy. Now she is dating a kind guy who really cares for her.

That reminds me of something I wanted to mention earlier. When you read the definition of the UN, you can easily realize that the concept of ‘abuse’ is not limited to punches and bruises. A man who insults a woman, a man who denigrates the person in front of him, a man who deprives a woman of her freedom to work, or to wear the clothes she wants, or to go out with friends, is also committing abuse. Jealousy does no equal love. And even if a man was jealous, nothing justifies being abusive, when us human beings can solve problems by talking!

What should abusive women do? First of all, it is important that they admit to themselves that there is something wrong. He can’t beat you more than once. The first time it may come as a shock, but you should never give the guy a second chance. ASK-FOR-HELP! Talk to your friends and family, go to the police, or contact a support group: for example, Abusedwomen.org (http://www.abusedwomen.org/resources.html), BWSS (http://www.bwss.org/) or Strengthen our Sisters (http://www.strengthenoursisters.org/support_group.html), to name a few.

If you know a woman who is in this situation, be sympathetic. She is not being abused because she wants to, but because she can’t help it. You can talk to her and try to persuade her to ask for help, but she is the one who will finally have to make a decision to change her life. Otherwise, she will leave an abusive man only to fall in love with another, and so on.

If you, who are reading this, find yourself in this terrible situation, don’t despair. There is a lot that can be done. Things can change, if you make them change. Remember: no matter what he says, it’s NOT your fault. He is being abusive, and he has no reason to beat you up, or to call you names whatsoever. You are a precious human being and you should be with someone who loves you for what you really are, and would be hanged before raising his arm against you.

What do you think about this topic? What can we all do, as a society, to put an end to violence against women? Should governments take more direct actions? Have you ever known a woman in this situation? If so, were you able to help her some way?

That was all I had when I started writing this current post. And suddenly, I am reading my last line, “purring like a cat”, and I wonder why DO cats actually purr… I’ve always thought it was because they are happy or something, but there is no actual way to tell if a cat is happy, or if she’s in the mood for sleeping (most of the times they are, LOL), or if she’s in the mood for anything now that I stop to think about it… I did a little research and here it is, my first post about cats!!! Hopefully, not the last one, since I truly love cats.

My story with cats

I can’t remember a single time of my childhood in which I didn’t have a lovely kitten to play with. I grew up with cats, and even in Australia we always had cats, two actually, because I have the kids and they always had to fight about who owns the cat… And I also owned a lovely Devon Rex once, my favorite among the huge number of distinct cat breeds (over a hundred!)… But sadly, I had to give it away, as we moved to an apartment, and we were not allowed to have pets. That was back when my husband and I officially separated, now that I think about it, letting the cat go was one of the most unpleasant decisions I had to take back then, since I had paid a fortune for it…

Reasons for disliking cats

Here’s the thing about cats: they have a strong personality (or should I say ‘animality’?). That is why there’re people who adore cats, and there’re people who hate cats. That’s it, just black or white. So far I’ve never met a gray. As for myself, I love cats, of course, but I can understand why some people can’t stand them.

First of all, it is somehow difficult to feel comfortable around a cat since you can never trust them. Cats can jump at your ankles or bite you a second after they have been enjoying your caresses. Cats stare, and somehow they always seem to know what you are thinking, and if you are not a cat-person, what you are probably thinking is “why is this damn cat staring at me?” Cats won’t do tricks unless they want to. Cats will stock, hunt, and kill lovely animals such as birds, goldfish or hamsters… and play with their dead bodies. It’s all in their instincts; it has nothing to do with the fact that you are spending a fortune in the most fancy cat food.

Some people consider themselves dog-people, as if liking dogs made it impossible for you to enjoy the company of a cat. As for myself, I have nothing against dogs, but cats definitely seem more interesting and I’d choose them anytime. Let me tell you why.

Reasons for loving cats

I must insist on the fact that cats have personality. Have you seen how every single cat is unique? In case you haven’t noticed this, perhaps you haven’t spoken to many cat-lovers. I can’t remember how many cats I have owned in my life (although it is said that you don’t actually own a cat, but the cat owns you instead)… trust me, there where never two alike!

Cats are silent, soft, and elegant… they will never ruin your house, but make it more graceful and cozy instead. Of course, it is in the cat’s instinct to scratch, but if you provide them with the right accessories, they won’t harm your furniture. They are playful without being too demanding –admit it, you, dog-lover reading this: sometimes, you have had enough of your pet and it just won’t quit-.

A dog is a great pet if you have the tendency to become a couch potato, because owning a dog forces you to get back on your feet and go for a walk a few times a day. On the other hand, if you are anxious, no other creature will calm you down as a warm, purring cat yawning on your lap.

Fun facts about cats

In case I’ve already got you into loving cats, here are a few fun facts about these amazing animals:

• Cats ‘talk’ way more than dogs: while a dog can make about ten different barks, cats can produce over a hundred different vocal sounds. In fact, they learn which ‘meow’ works out the best for you, and then use it in their favor (for example, for claiming a spoonful of tuna when you are preparing your favorite sandwich).

• Cats spend most of the day sleeping: The average hours of sleep for a cat is around 16… that means that if you own a cat that lives until she is 15 years old (not a surprising number), she will have spent a decade sleeping! No wonder why cats are great for calming down anxiety! Domestic cats that live indoors sleep more than outdoor cats, usually busier with hunting and climbing activities.

• Whiskers are not just hair: Your cat gets a lot of feedback from these sensitive parts of their body. Whiskers provide information such as a slight change in the breeze, position in space, the measure of an opening space, etc. That is why whiskers should never be trimmed or cut –like the rest of the cat’s hair, they fall naturally and are soon replaced by new ones-. Whiskers can also indicate the mood of the cat.

How about you? What do you feel about cats? Do you like them? Why / why not? Have you ever owned a cat?

Designed by Alan The Spanish Guy

I would like to begin by thanking all my friends who like to remind me how poorly I do my job as a blogger, only because I have not posted anything since September 16th -which is actually not true, since I have several sites which do get updated… And yes, I know, as a blogger, I have to keep consistent. But then again, I’m not sure that consistency and I are that good together, perhaps it isn’t meant to be!

Anyway, do not fear, I have plenty of excuses for my lack of writing lately!

Quite a few things have actually been keeping me busy. In fact, sometimes I think it would be truly worthy of a TV series… But I can’t really talk about it right now, so let’s get to the biggest of my issues at the moment:

I do not have a laptop!!!

I mentioned many times that if you take away my coffee, my iPhone, my laptop and my Internet connection, you may as well shoot me! Hey, I already explained you how attached I am to my smartphone, and how I can’t go on without it even for a whole weekend.

As for my laptop, an ASUS G73SW-A1, I bought it on October 17th 2010, that’s right, a year ago. I was going to go for another HP, because I was pretty much happy with my last one, and also because I have owned several HP desktop computers over the years, and I never had any big dramas. And I liked the cool slim look of the new HP. But of course, you can’t judge a book by its cover…
This time, the main criteria I really, really, really wanted was a backlit keyboard, Bluetooth, and especially powerful enough to play the latest video games, including the Sims 3 which require lots of resources. So I needed a solid, reliable machine.

I know that Alienware, or even a Mac, would have been the top choice but it just happens that I wasn’t willing to pay so much (in fact, it was twice the price I could afford at the time). Thus, I was advised to go for Asus. Another important factor was to have an international warranty, because of my constant traveling overseas. I was in New Jersey when my HP laptop died, and I had to send it back to Australia to get it fixed. But at least it got fixed….

My new laptop started to play up 10 days after I bought it. I rang the shop but the salesperson told me that I could not get an exchange, because the purchase was more than seven days old! You read right! Only a week had passed, and no return policy applied, can you believe it? Then, in an attempt to be kind, he gave me the number for the service department, but as I was leaving for Sydney it was not possible for me to go without a laptop. Then I had to leave for the USA.

That was just the beginning.

My laptop started to play up really bad when I was in Green Bay. I called Asus, and they walk me through to format my laptop. Although that did not fix the problem completely, I could still use the laptop. It seemed to have its moments, really like a moody person. Hey, I already deal with this kind of situations when I date, I can NEVER have a normal boyfriend, and could AT LEAST have I a normal, nice laptop? Sometimes I would just have to leave it alone for about an hour, then it would be fine for a few days, or a few months even.

Until a few weeks ago… since I don’ have access to an Xbox 360 or PS3 and I so desperately want to play video games, I decided I would turn to PC gaming more seriously. I had an old Call Of Duty game installed, except I found it very hard to play with a mouse and keyboard. So I bought an Xbox 360 controller for Windows, and it was awesome to play Borderlands… And being a fan of first person shooter video games, I am so looking forward to the launch of Battlefield 3, even more than Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3! You can imagine how badly I wanted my laptop ready for those. Instead, it just died on me and I just had no choice to ring Asus to get it fixed at once.

The service was organized and their repair service came to pick it up. After a few days, they told me the motherboard had to be replaced. They also warned me that I would lose all my data unless I paid £30 because the transfer of data was not covered by the warranty. That totally pissed me off, because I tried to transfer my stuff to my external hard drive but the laptop would just shut down. I mean “not covered by warranty”, did I expect my laptop to break down? Was it my fault? But I could deal with losing the data. What came next was the real unexpected:
“Recently, your notebook has been sent to LMR for repair. We would like to inform you that your laptop has been found with Hard Drive failure and we also found that the serial number on the Hard Drive doesn’t match with ASUS’s information (the Hard Drive is not the one which the machine was originally sold with), hence the Hard Drive replacement will not be covered by ASUS warranty terms and conditions. However, we can offer you to replace the Hard Drive but you will be charged.

I have attached the repair quotation for your reference. Please reply by signing the quotation and returning to LetMeRepair UK Ltd either by post, fax or email.”

To sum up, the cost to repair the laptop is £281.62.

So for the past two weeks I have been arguing my case that I bought a a brand new Asus laptop, and I trust that the shop that sold it to me was not ripping me off. After all, buying a computer is not like buying a car, where you can just ask to pop the hood to see what is under it! (Not that I would know any better with a car, now that I think about it…) But my point is: how on Earth am I supposed to know that the laptop hard drive matches the brand’s information on file?

So it might not sound as an excuse good enough to keep me off writing, but trust me when I say that not having a laptop handy is actually quite a pain… You can pay to use a very slow computer, or you can go to the library -which is free- but it can take up to 20 minutes for a page to load, and you are only allowed to log in for one hour a day! And with a very inspiring environment with some people coming to the library to watch some p*o*rn! Gosh, I miss Starbucks and my beloved vanilla coffee!

But at least I am gathering thousands of ideas for new posts…

Also, a friend of mine is working on publishing his first book so I’m kinda jealous, and feel really inspired to work on mine and finish it at once, though it has been in the works for at least 3 years!

So that is all for now and hopefully I can get back into business as usual very soon. In the meantime, you can always check some of my old posts like What Women Want…

By The way, I hope you had a safe trip back home Jay

Until next time… hopefully with my laptop and at Starbucks…

Some weeks ago I mentioned how I was looking forward to go to the Notting Hill Carnival, do you remember? After all, I live where it was all happening – well, yes, the London Riots were also happening here and I was not impressed. But coming from a family that loves to party and HAVE fun, I really thought the Notting Hill Carnival would be something fun to do…

My friends keep asking me if I have written about the Notting Hill Carnival.

-No, I did not write about it because I am not sure what to say about it, or what I have to say is actually no good at all. Alright, so I took a few pictures, and I managed to do a video, but then I realized how boring the video actually was – even when I had tried so hard to remove the most boring parts!

The Notting Hill Carnival or the London Trash carnival? What was it all about exactly?

Sunday was the “children” day and Monday was the “adult” day… OK… so we decided to go on Monday. But on Sunday I was having a coffee with my friend Leila on Queensway, and we were watching those people walking around like Zombies. They did not look like they were having fun; they were just walking around, blowing their whistle from time to time. Exciting, isn’t it? (Please note the sarcasm, oh, please, DO notice it…) The amount of rubbish that was along Queensway was unbelievable. I have never seen Queensway so dirty even when we had the London Riots.

And no, we did not notice anyone walking around with great costumes that would let us know there is indeed a carnival going on….

So let’s see, what is a carnival exactly? Because I might have my vocabulary mixed up or something, since English is not my first language. Webster dictionary defines ‘carnival’ as:

• A season or festival of merrymaking before Lent
• An instance of merrymaking, feasting, or masquerading
• A traveling enterprise offering amusements

The Notting Hill Carnival or the London Trash carnival?

While the ‘a’ is the religious meaning, all of them express amusement, merrymaking, fun, fun, fun! I was expecting loads of people in magnificent costumes, loads of food stall all around the streets… instead all I could see was fat women and children walking around showing off their unbelievable fat bellies and big asses! Walking around, eating food, and looking so bored! I can understand people being tired after walking round and round the streets for two days, but if you are tired and hungry, please go, and sit down, and relax. What kind of messages were those people sending?

A friend of mine -male- said to me: “You should have gone on Sunday, they were all teenagers!” Did he mean they were less fat people parading around on that day because they were teenagers? Because from what I could see, the age did not matter, most young and old people were fat all the same.

Don’t take this the wrong way! I have nothing against fat people. But this is a carnival, and it is supposed to be beautiful and fun, and having some curves should not affect being beautiful, but in that case, there was nothing gracious about it.

When I first wrote about the Notting Hill carnival, I looked for a nice picture –a beautiful woman in a beautiful costume- on Flickr, and now I understand why there were not many results. I was reading an old newspaper just a few days ago, and there was a two-page article about the Notting Hill Carnival with only two pictures on it, one of a female in a costume and one of a male in a costume.

The music was crappy in my opinion. Each truck had their own singer/DJ but most of what I could hear sounded more like a cacophony…

Anyway, the Notting Hill Carnival was nothing but a huge disappointment, so there’s really ‘Notting’ left for me to say.

Am I right to be so pissed off, or was I unrealistic on my expectations? How about you?  Have you ever enjoyed this kind of festival? Have you ever been to the Notting Hill Carnival? If you did go to the Notting Hill Carnival, what did you think about it?