You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
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Watcha Doing? Version 2015.5
Greats pics Peggy! Your boyfriend is a great photographer. Looks amazing. After those pics and all the chat about it, Cuba has definitely gone up on my list of places to go.My partner has been off work today so we've had a very productive day sorting out the boat. It was pretty dusty, back breaking work but we made good progress. I get a bit of a break tomorrow and Sunday as I'm off on a course for work but I'll be back on it on Monday. I'm desperate to finish the bedroom so we can start on the bathroom and we can get a shower.
Looks like you had an amazing time Peggy. Not sure what happened to my post from earlier. As I mentioned in that post, I get that Cubans find creative ways to make money from tourists (expats) who visit, as in other countries. I've lived in the Middle East (Kuwait, Bahrain) and Europe (Germany) for work. In my travels, I noticed that it's not as noticeable depending on where you live. I was wondering if there was a noticeable change in how tourists are received there now that the embargo has been lifted.
Bella wrote: "Bette wrote: "@Bella too fast with my fingers. Tomato hornworms...never heard of them. Are they helpful as your tomatoes grow?"No, hornworms are bad and evil. They mostly eat tomato leaves or any..."
I had a dog that used to like to eat them, Bella. He picked them off of the plants and gingerly chewed them, then spit out what I use to call "the dead bodies". Believe me, I never complained!
Sarah wrote: "I ordered some Poi from ebay and they arrived yesterday so I'm going to go and have a play later today. My old ones I had to throw out..."What?????
What I did not see in your pictures (wonderful) was trash, Peggy. Everything looked pretty clean. Was it? I love the colors of the houses and buildings!
Come to think of it, it was indeed very clean everywhere. Maybe because there's not so much opportunity to buy stuff and throw away the packaging? The exception was the varadero beach though. On the beach itself and the shady places among the trees there were lots of beer cans, soda cans and rum bottles. Seemed like cleaners threw most of it away at the end of the day though.
I used to work with a girl that dated a Cuban guy. She actually married the guy's cousin, who I think was already in the US, so she could legally go to Cuba to meet him. They started "dating" online through one of her previous coworkers who just so happened to be the guy's mom. She couldn't go to Cuba unless she was related to someone there (except with guided tour groups like someone mentioned earlier). The entire situation was very strange to me, but I tried not to judge. I remember her telling me that they had a "lottery" for the Cuban citizens that wished to travel or leave the county. Unless you were selected in the lottery, you couldn't leave. So even though my coworker's boyfriend's mother and several other family members were living in America, her children and husband were still in Cuba. I can't remember how exactly, but the boyfriend ended up getting a Visa that allowed him to travel to America, but he couldn't work here. She quit and they moved back to her home in Miami, so I don't know whatever happened with them.
I just remembered that the boyfriend loved beef and wanted to eat it every meal because he couldn't get it in Cuba.
I love the pictures, Peggy. It really sounds (and looks) like you had an amazing adventure!
Thanks all :) I went to meet with the dog walking people and unfortunately it isn't going to work out for me. They want me to commit to being here for a year and we just don't know if we will be moving or staying here at the end of this year even. Oh well. I am still waiting to hear back from the allergy clinic which I should hear back next week.
Love your pictures, Peggy! My dad had a blue Plymouth that looked just like the one in picture #2! I love all the vibrant colours. Here, all the houses are just about the same colour as are the vehicles.
Sorry about the dog walking job, Stephanie. Hopefully the allergy clinic will offer you a job.
You might move w/in the year??You are very honest, Steph!
If you have a choice between happy and miserable, the choice is clear, of course! Committing for a year is tough even if you hadn't planned on moving sometime soon, how often does life go as planned? And I would think every job would want you to be there long term anyway!
It will work out, whatever happens! :-)
Peggy, those pics are gorgeous! Your bf is a great photographer. I noticed the cleanliness and the vibrant colors as well. Thanks for sharing those!
Peggy wrote: "Here are some Cuba pictures (sorry, couldn't decide! We narrowed the 800 we had down to 150 to show to our family, but it was hard to choose a few for on here. If it's too much I can put them into ..."Beautiful pictures, Peggy. Would you mind if I shared your picture of the Cuban shop with my class?
Melissa wrote: "You might move w/in the year??You are very honest, Steph!
If you have a choice between happy and miserable, the choice is clear, of course! Committing for a year is tough even if you hadn't plann..."
Thanks, Melissa :) yeah there is always a possibility for us to move. We probably won't but I would hate to commit to them and then have to move in 6 months. With their dog walking business, they said it is very important to them to have someone that will be the constant walker for the dogs that walker is assigned to because they feel it is important to the owners and their dogs to have that continuity especially when the dog walker is going into their homes to retrieve the dog to walk when they aren't there. Which I understand. You don't want to have a constant stranger entering your home.
Definitely, life never goes the way we plan lol! Not to mention, if we did have to move I would hate to have to leave the dogs because I know I would get attached lol!
Speaking as someone who uses a dog sitting service when we go on vacations, what Stephanie says is true for us. We really appreciate having someone the dogs know and look forward to seeing, it causes less anxiety and def more happiness when they have that one person they know coming in while we are gone and who they know will give them lots of love and attention. Plus, the homeowners feels better knowing that there is one person coming in their home, someone they can trust.
Jayme wrote: "Peggy wrote: "Here are some Cuba pictures (sorry, couldn't decide! We narrowed the 800 we had down to 150 to show to our family, but it was hard to choose a few for on here. If it's too much I can ..."No problem Jayme, go ahead :)
I'll pass on all the compliments ;-)
@Cherie - poi are weighted balls are fabric on the end of string or chain which you swing around in different patterns. I bought practice ones but the others, you dip in paraffin and set on fire which is obviously more dangerous. I've done it a few times but I am not so keen on fire. I used to have glow ones which looked cool in the dark. I'll upload some pictures for you.
I live in southern California and we seldom get weather of any kind, much less rain, but this morning there has been thunder, the likes of which I have never heard, and rain you wouldn't believe. It's almost like the Heavens are trying to tell us something...O_o
Ugh, I started work again today. But I got some good news: my dissertation was approved by the reading committee of professors, so I can plan a date for the defense. It will most likely be in December.
That's great, Peggy! Way to go!
Sarah, I've seen those fireballs! They look so cool at night! I'm impressed, even with the glowing ones.Peggy, congrats on the great news! That must feel like like such a relief!
Kandice, I love a good thunderstorm! I hope you enjoyed it. ;)
Yay for rain, Kandice!! Enjoy :) Awesome news, Peggy!!
Here are a couple pictures of me doing poi as promised, one practice, one glow and one fire. 
That looks awesome Sarah! Isn't it dangerous, using fire?
Great pictures Sarah! You are very brave using the fire one!
Shiny Sarah!I'm confused Peggy. Does that mean you're not finished until you defend? We don't do a defence here. You hand in your thesis and then it is in the hands of the examiners. Is that not the way it goes?
How I wish it was like that here Rusalka! The defence is more like a ceremonial thing, but also the scariest part of the whole 4 years ;) I will first give a 15-minute presentation about my research to the audience (which includes family, friends and colleagues). After that, a committee of 6 or so scientists with some relevance to my topic will ask me difficult and critical questions about my thesis, which I have to defend. It's all very official and fancy and ceremonial, although you can't really blow it. As long as you show up and try to defend, no matter how crappy you do, you will get the diploma and the PhD-title.
@Sarah, that looks awesome. I'd be afraid I'd smack myself in the head. Or set myself on fire! @Peggy, congrats!!! The defense does sound terrifying. No doubt that you will rock it though!
@Stephanie, good luck on the clinic job!
Sarah, that is amazing! When I saw "poi" I thought it was the stiff you eat with your fingers in Hawaii. O_oPeggy, you'll do great. Congratulations.
The thunderstorms were awesome! It was the tail end of a hurricane and people were acting like the world was going to end. Seems unreal, but we have been in a drought and supposedly cutting back on water by a LOT so this morning lawns already look greener. Mother Nature, the most resilient of women!
You will do great at your defence Peggy, of that I have no doubt :)
Awesome pictures Sarah. They're very effective in the dark.Congratulations Peggy, and you'll be fine on the defence.
My online program starts TODAY! Orientation in a few minutes then hopefully I can begin the coursework. Am I ready for this? Maybe I should just focus on school for a bit..I haven't heard back from the Allergy clinic. If I don't get the job, I won't be too bummed now that school is starting for me.
Fingers crossed for the defence stage Peggy but I'm sure you won't need it. Do you have a date for it yet?Thanks guys. I've hit myself in the head a few times actually. I've singed the hair on the back of my neck once. I am a wuss when it comes to fire so I've only done it maybe a dozen times in the last 10 years. I prefer the glow ones as they are safe. Annoyingly mine broke and the fire and practice ones went all manky in the shed so I threw them out when we moved on to the boat. So now I have new ones. I'm a bit rusty though.
I'm eating the most interesting ice cream ever. It's new in our supermarket and lactose-free (completely vegan actually, and also gluten free) and comes in pretty strange flavours, which of course I all need to try. The one I have now is called indian winter and is coconut milk, ginger root, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves and coriander seeds. It tastes like curry in an ice-cream!
Sarah, is poi done for others? I mean you can obviously make very nice designs in the air, do you see any of that yourself when doing it or is it more for the audience?
That ice cream sounds amazing Peggy.I guess it is seen best by spectators although you can see a little of what you are doing. I guess it's more about mastering the different techniques and flowing from one to the next for the person doing it. It's a good work out for your upper body and is good fun. There are lots of different moves and some are quite difficult. I'm still a beginner really. There are plenty of videos on YouTube of people doing it - just type in poi.
What brand is the ice cream? I want some!
It's Professor Grunschnabel. It's Dutch, I'm not sure if they sell it in other countries too.
I haven't visited this thread in a while. Peggy, love the pictures, especially the cars. It's like they got stuck in a time warp.
I was confused about the poi too, Sarah. I thought you were talking about food. Your version is much more interesting, sounds a little dangerous though ( singed hair, and hitting yourself in the head, ouch).
Sorry to hear about the job search problems, Stephanie. The dog walking job sounded like something you would have enjoyed.
Ive just been working, gardening, reading and trying to stay cool.
Peggy wrote: "I'm eating the most interesting ice cream ever. It's new in our supermarket and lactose-free (completely vegan actually, and also gluten free) and comes in pretty strange flavours, which of course ..."Sounds like chai!
Sarah wrote: "Thanks guys. I've hit myself in the head a few times actually. "My housemates years ago got numchucks. I still don't know how, as they are illegal, but we'll ignore that. I remember it vividly as I was curled up on the couch reading Mort next to we window overlooking the driveway.
The boys were out there playing with their new toys. One got overly excited (it was obviously going well) so I looked up, and as I did he promptly stuffed it and smacked himself full on in the face with the whole stick. Funniest thing ever. He was a bit sore for a few days.
So a bonk on the head isn't that bad, Sarah :D
Thanks, Roz :) I started the Microsoft Office Online Program through Syracuse University's Veterans Career Transition Program. So far I am realizing that my knowledge of Word is not as much as I thought, lol! This will be a good thing for me to dig into!
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You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
It Starts with Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways (other topics)The Whole 30: The Official 30-day Guide To Total Health And Food Freedom (other topics)
Fortunately, the Milk (other topics)
Fortunately, the Milk (other topics)
Where the Sidewalk Ends (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Gillian Flynn (other topics)Fiona Wood (other topics)
Jay Feldman (other topics)
Kevin Hearne (other topics)
Cherie Currie (other topics)
Good luck Stephanie!