Family conversation XLI

T: I think Shennie Pie and Mr Moose will move back to Jozi after they´re done in Dubai. So when you see them tonight you can tell them all about the recession over there.
Pim: There is no recession.
T: But Mim told me that construction had ground to a halt?
Mim: It has! There are cranes just standing still everywhere.
Pim: Ja, but that´s because everyone has run out of money.

Technically, Pim is correct. I don´t think he will be any more when the first quarter results are released though…

Family (in the) news

Had my first mention in a Dubai newspaper today. You might spot another familiar name quoted as well. Some factual errors and glaring ommissions in the article though – not least of which was the failure to mention the Democratic Alliance, who are probably going to be the official opposition again, despite Shennie Pie and my hopes the contrary. Hey, I merely proffered my opinion, I didn´t write or, more pertinently, sub the copy…

Rumour has it that younger brother Nim has also been making headlines – in the Grocitt.  Actually, the article is apparently about The Kingfisher, the bar in his digs, rather than about him personally, but it still counts. Unfortunately, it´s not up on line… Any Grahamstonians out there who can scan and send me a copy?

100 reasons why quitting smoking is a very good thing

Even after three weeks, I am finding it difficult to maintain motivation (although I haven´t cracked yet). Personally, I can only think of one reason (see below) why I´m happy I quit smoking, and find it all to easy to come up with like 19 million counter reasons as to why I should quit quitting.

This is why I need your help. Please add a reason in the comment box below, and let´s try to get this list to 100 reasons! Ex-smokers´ input is especially welcome, although I´d like to hear from all of you. Only one reason per person, so make it a good one. No duplication and, if possible, spare us the obvious.

I´ll choose the reasons I like the best and add them to this post, with attribution (although bear in mind I reserve the right to edit your contributions).

1. “When you go out, you can take a tiny, teeny going-out bag, and not have to worry about how to carry your cigs.” –  Trinny.

2. “You don’t realise it, but those who don’t smoke can smell you… and you stink, especially when you’ve just come in from smoking outside. And your clothes, too, just hanging in your closet or, worse, my closet. Then we’ll go into your lungs… they stink, too.” – Aman.

3. “The only good thing is that my non-smoking boyfriend doesn’t nag me any more!” – Sharon.

4. “There’s that whole little ´You are reducing your risk of dying of lung cancer and having lungs that look like the Alberta tar sands´ thing…” – Bean.

5. “I can finally justify having a teeth whitening treatment without worrying they will be yellow again if I continue to smoke!” – Flickster.

6. “Because you can find a brilliant substitution delight like biltong, rosemary, suckers, or popcorn.” – Kim.

7. “Wives are not kept waiting or lingering in weird electronics shops so that husbands can smoke outside the mall.” – Shennie Pie.

8. “Your friends who are pregnant, have tiny babies or long hair that holds the smell of smoke can dine with you, without worrying that you might light up.” – Beccy.

9. “I’ve just got Rochelle and Lieze to quit too so there will be no one to smoke with when you get back to SA.” – Al.

10 “Non-smokers will want to kiss you. This means you’re effectively doubling your pool of potential suitors. Better even than being bisexual. Best of all, of course, is being a bisexual non-smoker.” – Moral Squeeze.

Healthy challenge, day XXI

Weekend was so-so healthy living wise. Went to bikram yoga (Friday) and swimming (Saturday). Did drink a couple of beers at the Coldplay concert but managed to refrain from smoking, even though it was *really* tempting.

Now that my flat has emptied out from being a hippie commune* I am very grateful to have my bed back. Even though I have been sleeping a lot better since I started yoga and stopped smoking, the couch in my lounge is far from comfortable.

Yoga today again, where Brian suggested I participate in the 30 day challenge, which starts April 1. The crazy thing is, instead of thinking that Brian is crazy, I am seriously considering the idea, although Cyprus does get in the way somewhat. 

*A sad goodbye to Shennie Pie and Mister Moose, but a happy hello to their “replacements”, who will be named when I think up suitably cool monikers for them. 

Yoga phrase of the day: Namaste. 
Yoga inspiration of the day: Matt´s endless bender.  
Weather of the day: Rain, again. I didn´t sign up for this!

Healthy challenge, day X

Today hasn´t been great. I went to the doctor, but he was pretty rubbish. The nurse took my blood pressure, but the doctor didn´t do anything, apart from sit on the other side of the desk and listen to me attempt to explain how I was feeling. Now, I am the kind of person who will complain that my toe is hurting, when it turns out I have an ear infection. So I really have very little confidence that he actually made anything approaching a correct diagnosis, considering he didn´t examine me in any way. 

The doctor just seemed to feel that quitting smoking was resulting in my sore stomach (for which he gave me Buscopan), nausea (for which he gave me Motilium), and faintness (for which he gave me Betaserc). Whatever, all of this medication just treats symptoms, rather than the cause, which makes me uncomfortable. Also, it didn´t even treat the symptoms properly, cos felt really bad in the afternoon (after lunch and pills), so went home early again. Which did not help my stress levels, as we´re going to print next week…

Also, am very annoyed that I´m not up to yoga. I hope I´m better soon so I can actually start to be proactive about healthy living, instead of reactive about how ill I´m feeling. Oh well, Shennie Pie just told me that the hopsital I went to (you seem to have to go to the hospitals here to see a doctor, crazy?!), which is near my work, is like the worst one in Dubai. So I guess I´ll go to another doctor on the weekend if I´m still feeling weird. 

Symptom of the day: Feeling spaced out, which is an official symptom of quitting smoking.
Theory of the day:  May just have some general bug that´s going around, as the Editor has been off sick with nausea for a couple of days.
Feelings the day:  Frustration.

Healthy challenge, day IX

Feeling a little better today; made it through work, although I did arrive rather late and leave slightly early. Discovered when I got home that Shennie Pie has also been sick, so maybe my mystery illness is nothing to do with bikram yoga, quitting smoking, dehydration, or my mind playing tricks on me.

Shouldn´t  complain too much, I suppose, since I´ve been in Dubai for 10 weeks, and this is the first time I´ve been ill. In Vaduz I had a perpetual cold, it really was too dreadful… One of the many reasons why I´m enjoying this part of the world a lot more than my last overseas experience.

Also, there´s not a single bikram yoga studio in the whole of Liechtenstein. I reckon I´ll be well enough to go to yoga tomorrow, which I´m happy about: I don´t want to skip class for too long, because then it just becomes too easy never to return. 

Food of the day: Magnum (ice cream) – you´re allowed to indulge when you´re sick!
Temptation of the day:  EM inviting me to the Irish Village to celebrate St Paddy´s Day. But wasn´t that difficult to say no, considering I´m still not feeling great. 
Encouragement of the day:  My friend Susan telling me her list of symptoms when she stopped smoking. I reckon I´m having an easy time of it!

Same words, different context II

In South Africa, Quiet Riot is my friend (okay, Facebook friend) Lev David´s funny column in the Mail&Guardian. Funny haha, or funny strange? Well, it depends on your sense of humour, I guess. For the record, I think it´s funny haha. With enough absurdism thrown into the mix to make it hahaha. Come to think of it, I´m not sure what has happened to Lev´s column, can´t seem to find any recent (as in 2009 recent) examples on line. But am very excited to have stumbled upon his fabulous new blog. 

And Quiet Riot in Dubai? It´s an uber-funky range of clothing designed by a colleague´s sister. I went along with Shennie Pie and Mr Moose a few weeks ago to check out her stall at Souk Bastikiya. And while buying clothes was a little beyond our means, the cupcakes were fabulous!

Accidental visitor I

One of the things I love about living away from home is having visitors. When I was in Liechtenstein, I had six visitors in nine months, which I thought was good going, considering Liech isn´t exactly a throbbing  tourist destination! Thanks Mim and Pim, Rude Larry, Kate, Kate (I know a lot of Kates!), and Kim for making the effort. And apologies to the second Kate and Kim that I never blogged about your visits… You´ll just have to come to visit me in Dubai!

I realise now that my goal of having 20 people visiting me in Liechtenstein was slightly ambitious, although I might´ve had more visitors if I´d stayed a full year.

But the great thing about Dubai is, not only is it a place where people actually *want* to visit me, but it´s perfectly placed for a stopover between South Africa and Europe. Also, it´s a popular enough tourist spot that sometimes I bump into people I know who just happen to be on holiday here, without visiting me specifically. I already saw Shennie Pie and Mr Moose´s friend JS in January. He´s my accidental visitor number one. 

I´m expecting more visitors soon – of both the accidental and purposeful variety – so watch this space. And if *you* want to feature on Trinny in Dubai, I always have a spare bed for you (even if it´s actually a couch).

Three things I didn´t expect in Dubai

1. The weather. The winter hardly compares to Liechtenstein, but it did snow the other day. Granted, not in Dubai itself, but Ras Al Khaimah, another one of the emirates. I could certainly have done with squeezing my midseasonal coat into my suitcase!

2. A racist doorman. When I had peeps over for lunch on Saturday all my caucasian friends simply waltzed upstairs, but Shennie Pie was obstructed by the security guy. Sad, but true.

3. To sit in the lounge with my housemate playing scrabble – on line. We decided it´s not geeky, as long as we don´t descend to Interweb chatting 😉

Trinny in Dubai

You may have noticed that I´ve changed the name of my blog, again. (But not the url, cos I couldn´t be bothered to go through the palaver.) Let´s face it: “Trinklebean´s travels” was more than a wee bit trite. And Trinny is the new me, or is she?

I thought it was about time for another poll, so my readers can decide this one. What would you like to call me?

The contenders are:

1. Pinny – Actually Pinny Poodle, which I detested. Pim came up with this one because of my short little pins.

2. Reese – I´m glad to say no one has ever called me Reese, no offence to Ms Witherspoon.

3. Tea or Téa – The obvious nickname, I suppose, but I do have to credit ABJ for the very particular spelling. In Liechtenstein, this was varied to Téa, sometimes even Princess Téa.

4. Tess or Tessa – Initially vetoed because the mine were I lived until I was two had a dog called Tess. And I´m not that kind of bitch. Now though I am fairly ambivalent about Tess(a). Strawberries good; suicide bad.

5. Theresa – Mim and Pim picked this one originally. I´m certainly a fan, but it does ask to be shortened.

6. Tree or Trees – From school. I tend not to respond to “Trees are Green” though.

7. Tresa or Tresie – Been around since I was a little girl.

8. Trinks or Trinx – A childhood nickname, resurrected at varsity.

9. Trinny. Kim started calling me this just before I came to Dubai and not hard to guess who inspired her. I´d always assumed it was a nickname for Theresa, but I was wrong. Appears to come from a contraction of St Trinian´s.

10. Trinklebean – Coined by Shennie Pie, this moniker gained popularity a few years ago when I used it as an email address (and now as my blog url).

11. Other – Is there anything else you´ve ever called me, or would like to? Put suggestions in the comment box!