Splendid suns and black swans

The smell of a fresh crisp book as you open that first page and begin your journey...

It is amazing but refreshing to know that everyone's preference for a novel, a biography, or another non-fiction is so diverse. Why is it still a surprise then that the latest best seller just bores you and makes you fall asleep as you commute on your way to work/home? Yet, the one random book that suddenly strikes your fancy as you browse the multi-faceted covers full of animation, photos or other attractions just sucks you in from the first few words through the end.

The Black Swan -- certainly a useful read, in the least and my most recently completed. What may be inspirational to some is overrated and overhyped to others. In many ways it is controversial and in a few particular ways it is fascinating. Moral of the story -- everyone should stop trying to run to catch the bus/train, which I am happy to say I began doing a little while back.

A Thousand Splendid Suns -- what consumes my current commute and makes a little over an hour seem like a 5 minutes ride. It is surprising, full of foreshadowing. It is historic as it tells the story and the irony of "the other side" in Afganistan's journey of the end of the last century. It is educational, taking a peak into a culture and diversity of the people of the Islamic faith that a foreigner will never fully understand.

I hope to find more of the random books, authors and fate-changing stories.

Olives, Cafe, Duomo....all in Verona

With hunger for life's little pleasures comes the urge to discover new foods and cuisines of the globe.

Italian and French cooking was considered exotic to my Chinese and Japanese classmates, Chinese food was the exotic choice of the Italians and Germans. Yet we all had something in common. We all have those childhood habits of adoring one thing, while having another thing turn your stomach. In the middle there are those foods that you just never tried. You don't know why, but you just know that you don't even want to. Olives was just that type of food for me. Until recently...

The place -- Cafe Duomo, Verona, Italy.
The time -- lunch.
The choice -- Cafe Duomo Salad.

I have never tried an Olive in my entire life. The very smell of Olives just did not provide an inkling to try one. Yet, I was mesmorized as soon as I saw them arranged in the center and surrounded by real fresh tomatos, mozarella that actually has flavor and chunks of tuna on a bed of lettuce, capers and shredded carrots. I was drawn to its shininess, it's olive color. It just looked so appetizing. I had to try one. Of course, I had to fall in love. I had to wonder why was this the first time that I have tried such a creature, at the same time I was glad that it wasn't too late.

I now love olives. Well, at least the big green ones. I hope to share my love and get a taste of more as I fondly remember that day in Verona, Italy.

Yellow, Green and Brick

What makes Florence, Florence? I think it is the yellow sizzling sun of the brisk November weather, the green misty fields of the Tuscan region and the orange brick rooftops full of hundreds of years of architectural history.

If only it wasn't so touristy :(. Although great shopping for the fashionistas getting the latest of italian leather boots and bags, it is hard to get away from the busy streets and high rocket pricey snack bars and ristorantes.

Yet what makes it all worth it is the Uffizi gallery with the golden locks and innocence of Boticelli's Birth of Venus, and the Galleria Del'Academia with the massiveness of manhood of Michelangelo's David. These are just some of the perks stopping by Florence, even if for half a day.

A whole new world

Why is it that every time you travel to a different country, like the beautiful Italy, you come back refreshed full of energy and of ideas how you may want to change your life.

While walking around the old cities full of modern coffee shops and to die for shopping you start the re-evaluation process. For someone that doesn't come from 'old money' and has a very long way to finding the fortunes of 'new money' the realities of every day hassles and long term goals sink in. Are you really heading to a happy place of the perfect life/work/family balance (in no particular order)?

Whether it is the busy fastish life of Rome or the serenity of Siena and Tuscany all stress just clears out. All that time to think to yourself, without bothering with deadlines, food shopping or personality conflicts. The fresh air of the ideal life style is contagious. The perfect life for the middle size wallet is voracious.

And the food, did I mention the food? Where else would you taste the fresh and savory actual tomatos in the tomato sauce in the slice of pizza that is cut be squares and is paid for by weight? Where else would gelato or ice cream come with real strawberries? It is these little pleasures that make you wonder how one survives on the 5 minute devouring of a lunch by one's desk.

Life is truely beautiful and I plan on taking full advantage of it. All you need to do is live your life, not wait for the life to pass you by while you're on vacation. It's just not long enough.