St Patrick's Day '09

I had such a long day. Work until six, then another project until ten. No food. No water. No rest! Aw, poor me! Whatever. I still managed to arrive at Finnbars to join Cake and Co for St. Patrick’s Day. It was our third consecutive St. Patrick’s Day together so I couldn’t miss it! So I did better than arrive there! I surprised her! The bar was full of course and covered in green. I would say 50% of the people in there were Irish, 10% English, 39% were Cypriot and 1% were Amazing. The Amazing ones? Well us of course.

I got talking to one of Cake’s friends who works in a company similar to mine who incidentally knew lots of the same people as I do (welcome to Nicosia).

‘Do you know Gretchen?’ I asked him. ‘No’. ‘Do you know John?’ ‘No’ ‘Do you know Crayola?’ ‘No’. ‘Do you know Anna?’ ‘No.’ ‘Do you know Kanye?’ ‘Maybe visually.’ ‘Really? Where did you visualize him? Ha ha ha ha!’ ‘Do you know Naomi’ ‘No’. And on it went.

So although it was booked up we managed to find a table where after 10 minutes Cake started dancing on the chair. I remained clothed this time (although last year this guy got totally crazy on the bar). For a change I did a robot dance – which was hilarious. And Cake and I discussed who was and wasn’t going to…

The only drawback? I ordered a Stella and I am still waiting for it. Everyone else got their drinks – what about me? Am I meant to become teetotal? I stopped smoking, I cut out coffee, I keep Kosher – and what? Now I’m meant to cut out alcohol as well? I might as well become a Buddhist monk. Or Sting. And then write a book about it.

Last year I went out with Cake and Co I ended up wearing my drink as the waiter spilt it all over me – and now in this case, I am still waiting for my drink. Reader, you decide what’s better – wearing your drink or waiting for your drink. And while you decide can you pour me a pint? Cheers mate!

Inappropriate Texts

Cake once sent an email around to all her friends telling us that she never wanted to receive any of these emails that asked you to find lost puppies, or telling you about your fortune and that if you don’t send them to 4 people you might be happy. If you send them to 6 you'll be a bit more happy, and if you send them to 10 you will be so happy your heart will probably burst.

Of course on getting that email I bombarded the woman with all these ridiculous emails. I sat there, at my PC laughing as I clicked the send button while Cake received all these emails and then never spoke to me again. I thought she was just being ridiculous.

But today, I got a text from a very close person which said something about God, a prayer and that if I didn’t sent it to at least 10 people (via text!!!!!) that I would have a cold heart forever.

Not only do I find it a huge inconvenience to text people while I am at work, I don’t even think I have 10 people on my phone who speak Greek (I don't really) but I am offended the way they used God's name like that and in such a threatening tone. And I certainly won't be sending them this text because I will get 100 texts back from them with two words only; the second word being 'OFF!' And the text won't be a prayer.

Send this or you will have a cold heart. What a mean thing to text. And what a sin it is using God's name like that for technological blackmail, which it is. I didn't read all the message, sorry I mean prayer, (apparently it said it was a prayer), and deleted it immediately. Then text the person back saying never to send me these chain texts (like chain letters - you know like the ones you did in school - as if I didn’t have detention or homework then and sat down copying out chain letters). The person text back and said 'Ok'. No fuss. No muss. No mess. I suppose their heart isn't cold (wow it worked!)

So I guess I've got a cold heart after all. Nothing new then!

In that case: I hate you all! Love BabyBusinessMan xoxo

_ _ _ _ _

PS. Talking of texting. In English the word WOW is written like this. In Greek or Greeklish, wow is written like this: OUAOU.Cool or what!

Film Festival

There are tons of stuff to do in Nicosia. You just have to keep your eye open… or check out this blog! The next new thing to hit our city is the Film Festival - which I seriously recommend. It is going to be held at the Pantheon Cinema in Nicosia and at Rialto in Limassol. There are 3 screenings a day, at 5.30, 8.00 and 10.00 pm. This is what I love about Nicosia, the culture, the art. Although I am not particularly arty I'd much prefer an event like this than say a Porsche promotion (I mean, what am I going to do there? Watch people stroke the car?)

Anyway, my choice are all the Israeli and Middle Eastern films of course; namely Salt of the Sea, The Lemon Tree, the Band's Visit and the famous Waltz with Bashir which I'm sure will fill up instantly! So get there as soon as possible if you want to get a seat. See you there.

To check out the screenings the site is: http://www.filmfestival.com.cy

The Newest Member to our family: Lindsay Lohan

I love Jews. I love hanging out with them. I love talking about religion with them. I am after all, a Jewish convert so I want to be around them as much as possible. And I like meeting other Jew by choice as well. We'll swap stories on conversion-processes and talk about the situation we find ourselves in. However, I draw the line at celebrities becoming Jewish.

When I told someone that I was converting to Judaism they asked if it was because of Madonna. 'She's a Kabbalist' I said clarifying things. 'Is that different?' said the person not getting the clarification. 'Go to Israel and ask that question and then you'll see' I replied. (Answer: yes it's different).

If I wanted to be like Madonna I'd wear a triangular bar and adopt a child who already had a parents. Anyway. Luckily the label because of Madge didn't stick. However, now that ex-drug-addled, mean-girl, newly-lesbo-loving Lindsay Lohan (who my friend had a fight with, and won!) is becoming a Jew. I would say Mazal Tov but what I am going to tell people when they ask me why I'm converting? They'll think it's because of Lindsay.

When I had a mowhawk haircut, (2 weeks before Beckham had it) they all thought I copied it. NEWSFLASH: I am original enough not to need to copy you! Does Lindsay even keep Kosher? Out of all the relgions did she have to choose mine?

It's not like I want to be the 'only Jew in the village' or anything. I support people converting. Leonardo DiCaffinated (as I call him) is thinking of converting but that's so he can marry Bar Refaeli. Ivana Trump too is converting in order to marry a Jew. I too began converting because of my relationship with my Israeli ex. Just because the relationship didn’t last doesn’t mean my faith won't last. Lindsay too is becoming a Jew due to her girlfriend but c'mon! I know I should be the bigger person and support her… but I just feel that all the celebrities are doing it for publicity. My point is: go forth and convert to Judaism, but respect the tennets and practices and believe! Don't convert only to have your photo taken holding a Menorah!

Reader and Lindsay please listen: Judaism (like ANY religion) is not a fashion-fad or a lifestyle. It's a commitment as serious, more serious in fact, than marriage. It's a reaffirmed bond with our spiritual side and with G-d above. Time to treat it with the respect it deserves.

PS. Judaism is not the new Kabbalah. Kabbalah is a mystical form of pre-Judaism that is very strong and forceful and not for the easily susceptible. It's best you know about Judaism first before studying the Kabbalah. And if you want to make any changes in your life be serious about them. If not, get a perm. Get a tattoo instead. Not a religion you won’t use. No matter how nice it is because some of us take it seriously! Shalom!

UCY

The other day I went to the University of Cyprus to use the library. Although I live in the area I had never been to the campus before and when I did I fell in love with it. Maybe it was because it took me back to my crazy student days, as I was filled with nostalgia for those times. Maybe it’s because some of those students embodied the funky spirit that I love, but mainly it was the campus. I was at the old campus of course, having not yet visited the new modern one. It was so cool, it even smelt like study! There were flyers everyone, people coming and going, groups of people talking (and smoking) and I saw something new on a campus; cats. There must have been over half a dozen cats there.

The clock tower though must be its best feature – especially at night when it’s all lit up. Using the library I forgot how you can be fun and studious at the same time. I literally fell in love with uni again!

Let me ask you this. Are there differences between the different types of Unis in CY? For example in the UK some unis are middle class and other are more elitist, others encompass all social classes and other are Oxbridge-wannabes. I’m asking this because at the UCY the students there seemed very serious with study; they seemed very involved with student life and maybe can appear a little conservative? Is this true or a wrong observation? Because at another couple of unis I visited the students seemed a little more laid back and incredibly funky, with crazy hair styles and flyers on the wall that seem a little more avant-garde than one would expect in Cyprus.

Nevertheless, while there I felt like the new man on campus. It took me back to my crazy days (like almost 2 years ago) and I felt with a sweet/sad feeling, It comes to show, make the most of uni because you can never go back, and even if you do, you will never ever recapture that glow of being a freshman at uni. Time and experience catch up with you and before you know it, you’ll have to grow up.

Conversations on food

Only in Cyprus would you have a three hour conversation about lunch:
1 hour - before lunch: deciding where to eat and what to eat
1 hour - during lunch: talking about what you're eating while you're eating it
1 hour - after lunch: talking about how much you enjoyed eating what you ate

Luckily you eat breakfast alone and by dinner you're too tired to eat let alone talk about it.

The Best Job in the World

So there is this amazing competition called the Best Job in the World where an applicant will get to become the caretaker of an island on the Great Barrier Reef. They have had thousands of applicants and now you can vote for your favourites - once every 24 hours. As of today there are 21 days left to vote.
The people who have applied are excellent. They make the most interesting, fun person look like a slob. See the nominations here: http://www.islandreefjob.com

And check out my fave 2 (so far) below:

Kat, Greece/Canada


Mitchell, Canada


Hmmm... what is it about Canadians. My fave 2 are fron Can... maybe it's the snow... who knows...