Trinny in Dubai

TM: When you guys leave, I´m going to cry. I´ll just sit quietly at my computer and do my work, but there´ll be a constant stream of tears running down my cheeks.
TC: Tears of milk, ha!
Hendog: Tears of Heineken, more likely!

TC: I´m having a beer first, but please choose some wine for later.
TM: Okay.
TC: Oh dear, I´m sensing it´s going be an out til five…
TM: More like out til five hundred dibs!

Family philosophy…

Cousin O: I´m actually really looking forward to my flight back to Mexico.
Cousin P: Why? It´s 10 hours long.
Cousin O: I know. But you don´t have to do anything. Ten hours of just doing nothing at all…
Cousin P: And someone will bring you a beer whenever you want!

I am beginning to understand why I have never felt the need to exercise before. It´s just such a boring thing to do. And I abhor boring.

Exercising is not at all like going out and having a few drinks with you mates, and then someone says something funny, and then someone else makes a fool of themselves (hopefully not you, but it easily could be), and then you can have fun trying to piece it all together over a bloody mary or two the next morning. 

Exercise is more like you go to the yoga studio, by yourself (even if you have a friend there, it´s not like they can exercise for you, more´s the pity), and then you sweat a lot and stretch your body into weird shapes and feel really tired, and then you get a fabulous endorphin rush, but there´s not really much point because then you come home, write a blog post, and have to go to bed, directly, so that you aren´t a zombie the next day. 

And you can´t even have a cigarette to protest against the futility of it all!

Temptation of the day: NH going straight from work to the local to have a pint and watch the football. To his credit, he didn´t invite me. To my credit, I didn´t invite myself.
Yoga phrase of the day: “Lock your knees.”
Theft of the day: Towel from the yoga studio, inadvertantly. But I´ll have to take responsibility for not returning it, which is my cunning plan of inaction.

Mim: It’s not nice to drink beer when you’re sick.
T: Sometimes I like to have a beer when I come home from work.
MIm: But it’s not nice when you’re sick.
T: Have you ever had a beer when you’re sick?
Mim: No.
T: Then how would you know?
Mim: I just know I wouldn’t want one, because it wouldn’t be nice.
T: You’re right. I should be downing some whiskey.

Kate and I spent our afternoon catching up on “Internet admin”. Then we headed down to Vaduz for some “party planning”, that is, we intended to grab a bite to eat, and buy copious amounts of beer for said party.

However, once we descended to the city centre, we found it magically transformed into a fully fledged fun fair. I hate to think how much it cost. But it was my birthday, and I didn´t want to sully my mind with hateful thoughts, so I didn´t think about it, and drank some beer instead.

Kate wanted to go on a ride. I am scared of rides. But, in case you forget, it was my birthday, which meant one of two things: either I oould stamp my foot and refuse, or I could embrace the new experience, in the guise of one who gains maturity with age. I chose the latter course of action, and finally realised why fairs are fun.

We went on some kind of higgledy-piggledy ride (I´m not an expert, so couldn´t give you its proper name, even if I cared). I managed to flash the whole of Vaduz, but I didn´t care about that either. There was a moment, when the ride paused for a couple of seconds, and we were looking up directly at das Schlöss, which was bathed in light (think Table Mountain), when I wouldn´t have been anywhere else in the world…

6 October 2007

Today was an exciting one for me. Not only was it my birthday, but my dear friend Kate was coming to visit. I had actually planned to be in London, but for once my indecisive nature and lack of forward planning had paid off! As it was, I rose early to meet Kate at the station in Feldkirch. It was marvellous to see someone from UCT days, and I literally ran into her arms.

After joyful greetings, it was time to go for coffee, and hear all about Kate´s experiences with yodelling Austrian boys the evening before. Naturally, an extended sex-and-the-mother-city chat was called for, as we had much gossip to exchange about mutual friends. “Are you sure the people at the next table can´t understand what we´re saying?” Kate asked nervously. I didn´t notice any widening eyes or blushing cheeks, so I assume we were safe.

Next we met up with Eszter and hit the shops. My first salary was burning a hole in my pocket, and it was time to do some serious spending! We made a pilgrimage to H&M where I splurged out on two “birthday” dresses, Kate bought a top and skirt, and Eszter bought some trousers. Whenever I go shopping in Feldkirch, I think of Kate.

Bear in mind, Kate was only my fourth visitor. Some way to go until I reach my 20th visitor, whom shall receive just recognition: a case of Liechtenstein´s finest brew!

But Kate´s visit wasn´t yet over. After a quick lunch, we headed back to Vaduz to do some party planning for the evening´s celebrations. To be continued…

Visitor count: Mim, Pim, Rude Larry, Kate (4)

3 September 2007

I hadn´t even been here a fortnight when I received my second visitor, Rude Larry, who arrived from Dubai via Zurich. I was still a Liech newbie at the time, so we explored together, which meant we headed to The Castle Inn to drink some beer.

Then we wandered around Vaduz; looked at the princely castle from afar – it seemed too much of an effort to walk up to it; and went for a stroll by the Rhein – my default entertainment for visitors. Hardly a big day out, but I suspect Rude Larry was happy as his namesake that the Kunstmuseum is closed on Mondays.

To liven things up a bit I booked us a ride on the Citytrain (actually a bus, go figure!). So we spent half an hour driving around to all the places which we had already seen by foot, accompanied by commentary that was hilarious in German, amusing in French, and rather less entertaining by the time we listened to the English version. Not 10 francs I´ll be spending again in a hurry.

Time to sup and suip. We ate at a sedate local “pub” and then ventured off to another one down the road, that F-X had informed me was a little more “rough”. It was, if possible, even more sedate than the first one. “Sedate” as in the other clientele seemed more likely to be mistaken for our grandparents than our parents. So we gave up the hunt for a party; drank some wodka (actually it was rum and coke, I just wanted to use the word “wodka”); and reminisced about the good old bad old days at the House of Earthly Delights.

Whenever I see the Citytrain, I think of Rude Larry… Don´t forget about the prize on offer for my 20th visitor. And why would you want to visit? Keep reading my blog for future posts about wild student parties: featuring Hungarian wine, Italian cheese and hot Czech girls.

Visitor count: Mim, Pim, Rude Larry (3)

23 August 2007

My very first day in Liechtenstein began with meeting Mim and Pim off the bus from Zug.

Felt more like student on my first day of varsity than a young woman proudly showing off her new country of residence.

Pim helped me work out how to open and close the blinds in my room; he found the correct adaptor for plugging in the kettle; and he paid for lunch (in francs).

Then we went for a walk past the princely vineyards, the football ground, and the Rhein. Whenever I walk along the river, I think of my first visitors…

You too can visit me in Liechtenstein! The good news is you don’t need a visa (if you arrive via Switzerland) – even if you’re South African. And I hereby declare I shall buy my 20th visitor a case of Liechtensteinischer Ländle Gold – the local brew.

Visitor count: Mim, Pim (2)